In the following time, Han Li and the three combined-body cultivators engaged in a thorough discussion on cultivation techniques and insights. After a full half-day, he left with considerable gains.
Standing at the edge of the beast-drawn carriage, the Tianyuan Sacred Emperor watched the emerald rainbow formed by Han Li disappear into the distant sky before issuing an order. The convoy, which had been hovering in the air, immediately resumed its journey.
“Huang Daoyou, Master Tianchan, what do you think?” the Tianyuan Sacred Emperor asked as soon as he took his seat in the main position, posing a seemingly abrupt question.
“Very young!”
“Very impressive!”
The gaunt old man and the monk exchanged glances before speaking in unison with solemn expressions.
“Haha, Huang Daoyou’s Withered Eye Technique can discern a person’s true bone age. ‘Very young’ is easy to understand. As for ‘very impressive,’ I’d like to hear Master Tianchan’s detailed comments. His Qi-Observation Technique ranks among the top three in our human race, and I trust he won’t disappoint me,” the Tianyuan Sacred Emperor said with a faint smile.
“Although this person has concealed his aura extremely well, my Qi-Observation Technique does not rely on spiritual sense to judge cultivation strength. From what I can see, his realm is indeed at the early stage of the combined-body level, but the depth of his spiritual power far exceeds that of ordinary early-stage combined-body cultivators. To be specific, it should be nearly twice as strong as that of a typical early-stage combined-body cultivator. In other words, even though Fellow Daoist Han is only at the early stage, the density of his spiritual power is no less than that of a mid-stage cultivator like myself,” the Tianchan monk said slowly after careful consideration.
“It seems this fellow cultivator has a special technique that amplifies spiritual power, otherwise it wouldn’t be like this. However, in such cases, other abilities are usually slightly weaker,” the Tianyuan Sacred Emperor mused, nodding slightly.
“If Your Majesty thinks so, you might be mistaken. Apart from his exceptionally deep spiritual power, I also detected traces of several great divine abilities on him. In addition to his main cultivation technique, he possesses at least three or four extremely powerful abilities, each likely no weaker than my ‘Jade Spirit Secret Art,'” the monk said with a grave shake of his head.
“Such a thing exists!” The gaunt old man exclaimed in surprise before the Sacred Emperor could respond.
“Although Fellow Daoist Han’s strength is somewhat unexpected, there’s no need for such astonishment, Huang Daoyou. Do you have any other discoveries?” the Tianyuan Sacred Emperor asked calmly, glancing at the old man.
“Your Majesty knows that my Withered Eye Technique can not only discern a person’s bone age but also reveal some aspects of their physical body,” Huang Dang said with a bitter smile.
“Does Fellow Daoist Han’s physical body also have something special?” the Tianchan monk couldn’t help but ask this time.
“Nothing special, just exceptionally strong,” Huang Dang replied, his expression turning peculiar as if recalling something.
“Exceptionally strong? Could it be stronger than Your Majesty’s physical body?” the monk chuckled at this.
“Even if not, I believe it wouldn’t be far behind,” the old man said after a slight twitch of his facial muscles, causing the monk’s expression to change dramatically.
“Is this true?” The Tianyuan Sacred Emperor’s eyes flickered with surprise.
“Impossible! Huang Daoyou, are you joking? Although Your Majesty now primarily cultivates Confucian techniques, you were once a top-tier body-refining warrior. After so many years of deliberate tempering, the strength of your physical body likely rivals that of the demon kings. Even if Fellow Daoist Han has achieved some success in body refinement, how could he compare to Your Majesty?” The Tianchan monk shook his head vigorously.
“Even if my Withered Eye Technique is slightly off, the strength of this person’s physical body is undoubtedly the second strongest I’ve ever seen, after Your Majesty,” the gaunt old man said firmly after a moment of hesitation.
“But this is too…”
“Master Tianchan, there’s no need for doubt. Huang Daoyou’s Withered Eye Technique has never been wrong. Haha, spiritual power far surpassing his peers, possession of several great divine abilities, a physical body rivaling that of a demon king, and still so young. If he survives the upcoming demon calamity, he might truly become a figure comparable to me in the future,” the Tianyuan Sacred Emperor waved his hand to dismiss the monk’s doubts, his eyes narrowing as if lost in thought.
The gaunt old man and the monk exchanged glances, their expressions turning contemplative.
Meanwhile, the rainbow formed by Han Li had already traveled tens of thousands of miles away, heading straight for a lush mountain range ahead. This range, with its nine towering, sword-like peaks, was naturally the Nine Immortals Mountain, where the Myriad Treasures Convention was about to be held.
However, the area within a thousand miles from the edge of the mountain range was now a restricted zone. Before the convention, anyone entering the depths of the mountains without special status would face either forceful expulsion or execution.
Thus, most of the human and demon participants who had arrived early were temporarily staying near the Nine Immortals Mountain or in the surrounding outer peaks. The Moonlight Fairy, being merely a Golden Core cultivator, was no exception.
Before leaving Hai Dashao and the others, Han Li had planted a tracking mark on him, ensuring he could easily locate them. As his rainbow approached the Nine Immortals Mountain, it suddenly changed direction, veering toward another part of the sky.
After the time it takes to eat a meal, the emerald rainbow descended onto a hill in a hilly region. The light dissipated, revealing Han Li standing before a small grove. He scanned the verdant trees with a faint smile before flicking his sleeve toward them.
A wave of emerald light swept over the grove, causing it to blur and distort before shattering into specks of spiritual light with a muffled sound. The grove vanished, revealing a desolate cliff face with a towering white stone gate.
Without a word, Han Li flicked his wrist, sending a red streak shooting into the gate. He then stood calmly, waiting. Moments later, the gate glowed and slowly rose, revealing a procession of people.
The Moonlight Fairy, Bai Huaji, Hai Dashao, and Qilingzi were all present, along with an old woman leaning on a dragon-headed cane. With white hair and wrinkled face, she was a Nascent Soul cultivator, which surprised Han Li slightly.
The old woman’s eyes gleamed as she scrutinized Han Li before stepping forward and bowing deeply. “This junior, Tian Qingye, greets Senior Han, accompanied by my disciples.”
The Moonlight Fairy hurriedly followed with a curtsy, while the middle-aged man and Hai Dashao bowed deeply, though their expressions betrayed lingering confusion.
“Rise. We can talk inside,” Han Li said indifferently.
“Yes, this junior has prepared spiritual tea. I hope Senior won’t find it lacking,” the old woman replied respectfully before standing.
Han Li nodded and strode inside, the others following deferentially. Soon, he was seated in a clean stone hall, with the old woman attending him. The Moonlight Fairy and others stood to the sides, while Hai Dashao and Qilingzi occasionally stole glances at Han Li, still struggling to reconcile “Brother Han” with “Senior Han.” Han Li ignored them, focusing on the old woman.
In a few short exchanges, he learned that the old woman was a elder from the Golden Light Sect, a mid-tier sect in the Xuanwu Region. The Moonlight Fairy was her prized disciple, while Bai Guo’er was her granddaughter and only living descendant, hence their attendance at the convention.
The old woman recounted how Bai Huaji had nearly fallen into a trap set by the Three Evils of the South Mountain while trying to sell a blood ginseng for medicine to suppress Bai Guo’er’s cold poison. Had it not been for Han Li’s intervention, the father and daughter would have perished.
The old woman then urged the Moonlight Fairy and Bai Huaji to thank Han Li again, which he dismissed with a wave.
“Although this junior rarely leaves the sect, I’ve heard of a newly advanced combined-body cultivator in the Tianyuan Region with the same name as Senior. Might that be you?” the old woman ventured cautiously, still unsure of Han Li’s identity.
“Haha, it seems my reputation spreads quickly if even cultivators in the Xuanwu Region know of me,” Han Li replied ambiguously.
“So it truly is Senior Han! It makes sense—only a fellow combined-body cultivator would be invited by the Sacred Emperor,” the old woman exclaimed joyfully. For a mere Nascent Soul cultivator like her, establishing a connection with a combined-body expert was an unimaginable boon.
Her demeanor grew even more reverent, but Han Li’s next words stunned everyone: “Why isn’t the little girl Guo’er here? Bring her out. I wish to see her again.”
The group exchanged puzzled glances. The Moonlight Fairy hesitated before explaining, “Senior, Guo’er’s cold poison flared up after we returned. She’s resting now. Could you wait a moment? I’ll bring her to greet you shortly.”
“No need. Take me to her. My visit here is largely for her sake,” Han Li said with a smile, rising to his feet.
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