“Fairy Linglong, could she be the consort of the Heavenly Kui Divine Wolf who returned from the lower realm? I heard that not only is this Fellow Daoist Linglong a direct descendant of Senior Aoxiao, but she is also deeply favored by the Wolf King?” The purple-haired young woman, though a human cultivator, seemed to know about this matter and asked with some surprise.
“Indeed, it is this Fellow Daoist Linglong. When she first returned from the lower realm, she was only at the late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation. But the last time I saw her, she had already advanced to the peak of mid-stage Void Refinement, on the verge of entering the late stage. It’s possible she might break through again before the demon calamity arrives. After all, her talent was renowned even among the Silvermoon Wolf Clan. Had she not been trapped in the lower realm for so long, she might have already been one of us.” The masked woman sighed slightly.
“Even with her exceptional talent, to advance to such a realm in just a few centuries under Senior Aoxiao’s guidance shows how extraordinary Senior Aoxiao’s abilities are. But since she is the Wolf King’s favored consort, why would Senior Aoxiao keep her by his side? Could it be that Senior Aoxiao has some ulterior motive?” The purple-haired young woman seemed greatly interested and pressed further.
“I’m not entirely sure about that. But I vaguely heard from others in the clan that after Fairy Linglong escaped the lower realm, there were some conflicts between her and Fellow Daoist Tiankui. It was Senior Aoxiao who took the initiative to bring Fellow Daoist Linglong away. Perhaps Fairy Linglong was deeply dissatisfied with the Wolf King’s indifference to her plight in the lower realm for so many years.” The masked woman hesitated before speaking in a speculative tone.
“Enough. Since Senior Aoxiao is fine, we need not speculate further about other Fellow Daoists. Let’s discuss the impending arrival of the envoys from the Yaksha and Wood Clans. These two clans are likely sending representatives here due to the demon calamity.” The white-robed elder suddenly interjected, shifting the topic.
The others immediately straightened up and listened intently.
Thus, time passed bit by bit.
The elders of Tianyuan City deliberated for most of the day before finally dispersing.
Two days later, in Tianyuan City, a teleportation array leading to a certain location suddenly lit up, and two figures vanished from its center.
At the same time, in a distant large city far from Tianyuan City, a loud hum resonated in a certain hall.
A carefully guarded teleportation array erupted with white light.
Several armored guards nearby, who had been chatting casually, were startled and turned their heads toward it.
Though this teleportation array was highly valued by the city’s high-ranking figures and meticulously maintained and guarded, the exorbitant cost of using it meant that few ever did. It was rare to see it activated even a few times a year.
And those who used it were certainly not low or mid-tier cultivators.
Thus, when the Core Formation guards saw two figures appear in the array’s center, they immediately stood at attention, displaying the utmost respect.
“Is this Maplewood City?” A young man scanned the area and asked one of the guards indifferently.
“Reporting to Senior, this is indeed Maplewood City. Welcome to our city!” The addressed guard replied respectfully.
The guards had already used their spiritual senses to scan the two newcomers but couldn’t discern their cultivation levels, so they dared not show any disrespect.
“Good, as long as it’s Maplewood City.” The young man smiled slightly and, ignoring the guards, walked out of the array with a jade-skinned woman, heading straight for the exit.
These two were none other than Han Li and Fairy Xu, who had teleported directly from Tianyuan City.
Though the Xu Family wasn’t based in Maplewood City, it was the closest teleportation point to their home.
After passing through several layers of guards, Han Li and Fairy Xu finally exited the teleportation hall.
Before them lay a vast bluestone plaza.
The plaza was exceptionally plain, with nothing but large blue tiles and no other decorations.
Around the plaza stood several pavilion-like structures. Apart from a few patrols of armored guards, no other cultivators were present.
Han Li extended his spiritual senses further and his expression shifted slightly.
The plaza was built halfway up a mountain over a thousand zhang tall. At the mountain’s base sprawled dense clusters of houses and neatly arranged streets.
Han Li glanced toward the mountain’s summit.
There stood a small palace, exquisitely ornate, with several auras inside—all at the Void Refinement stage.
These were likely the high-ranking cultivators overseeing the city.
Han Li’s eyes flickered as he withdrew his spiritual senses.
Without expression, he flicked his sleeve, releasing a swirl of azure light that enveloped him and the woman beside him before transforming into a streak of light that shot into the sky.
In a side hall of the palace atop the mountain, three Void Refinement cultivators sat around a long table laden with spirit fruits and wine, engaged in lively conversation.
But moments later, they exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with shock.
“What was that? Such a powerful spiritual sense—has a Body Integration Senior arrived in our city?” A black-robed elder muttered to himself.
“Judging by the intensity, it must indeed be a Body Integration cultivator. I wonder if it’s one of the Holy Sovereign’s envoys or a Tianyuan City elder,” a middle-aged man in white armor said with some uncertainty.
“From what I know, the Holy Sovereign’s envoys are all occupied with a major event in Tianyuan Sacred City and wouldn’t have time to come here. It must be an elder from Tianyuan City,” a young man with a golden headband said confidently.
“If it’s a Tianyuan City elder, they must just be passing through. Given their haste, we needn’t pay them a formal visit,” the black-robed elder said, visibly relaxing.
“But Maplewood City is quite remote within the Tianyuan Region. What would a Tianyuan City elder be doing here?” The white-armored man still seemed uneasy.
“Body Integration cultivators are unpredictable. As long as they’re not here for us, why bother? I’d prefer they leave as soon as possible,” the young man said with a grimace.
“True, but we should still instruct our subordinates to be extra cautious during this time. We don’t want any unnecessary trouble,” the black-robed elder said gravely.
“Brother is right. Even if it’s not the Holy Sovereign’s envoys, Body Integration cultivators are not to be trifled with. Caution is always wise,” the white-armored man nodded repeatedly.
Their conversation carried an undertone of guilt, as if they were hiding something.
Meanwhile, Han Li was unaware that his teleportation had unsettled the city’s three deputy overseers.
Guided by Xu Qianyu, he flew southward after leaving Maplewood City.
According to her, though this was the closest cultivator city to the Xu Family, their actual residence was still a month’s journey away.
Soon, Han Li summoned a flying carriage, and the two boarded it, letting it soar through the skies.
The area was quite remote. Beyond a few hundred thousand li from Maplewood City, human settlements became scarce.
Occasionally, small towns appeared where mortals and cultivators lived side by side.
After ten days, the landscape shifted to rolling hills, with only occasional animal herds in the valleys and no other signs of life.
To Han Li’s surprise, while these hills weren’t entirely devoid of spiritual energy, it was noticeably thinner compared to other regions.
After days of travel, not a single spirit vein had been spotted.
“Why would your Xu Family choose to settle in such a place?” Han Li finally asked from the carriage.
“Forgive my secrecy, Senior. You’ll understand the reason soon enough,” Xu Qianyu replied with a mysterious smile.
“Is that so? Then I look forward to seeing it,” Han Li said, his curiosity piqued but his expression unchanged.
After another ten days of travel, the yellowish-green hills began to take on a reddish hue—rocks, soil, and even plants tinged with red.
At first, Han Li paid little attention.
But as the land turned entirely red-yellow, his expression shifted.
After scanning the ground with his spiritual senses, a thoughtful look crossed his eyes.
“It seems Senior has figured it out,” Xu Qianyu said with a light laugh.
“So this is why. There’s a substantial vein of refined copper ore here. No wonder your family chose to settle here despite the spiritual energy trade-off,” Han Li replied with a smile.
“Senior is astute! When our Xu Family relocated here ten thousand years ago, there was much debate over whether to establish our roots here. Ultimately, the elders decided in favor. While it brought wealth, it also hindered the disciples’ cultivation. The trade-offs are hard to judge,” Xu Qianyu sighed.
Han Li nodded but remained silent, his eyes flickering.
The woman tactfully refrained from further conversation.
Days later, a lush green expanse appeared on the horizon.
The surge of spiritual energy invigorated Han Li—they had arrived at the Xu Family.
Soon, a small, verdant mountain range came into view.
Though it housed only an ordinary spirit vein, the spiritual energy here was leagues beyond the surrounding areas.
Dozens of peaks were dotted with numerous structures.
Subtle fluctuations between the peaks hinted at powerful formations and restrictions.
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