The Douyuan Pavilion was a venue specifically for high-ranking cultivators to gather and discuss matters. Its owner was a Body Integration stage elder from Tianyuan City, and everyone had to show some respect to the pavilion, not daring to cause trouble or engage in fights here.
Thus, the pavilion had always enjoyed a good reputation among the cultivators of Tianyuan City.
Ordinary cultivators who wished to hold small trading meetings or discuss confidential matters often preferred to rent a floor of the pavilion temporarily, ensuring that all participants could feel at ease.
After flying for a considerable time, a dense forest suddenly appeared ahead, covering an area of at least a hundred acres.
At the center of the forest stood four pavilions—one large and three smaller ones.
The largest pavilion was a thousand zhang tall, no less imposing than some of the stone towers in Tianyuan City. The three smaller pavilions were also three to four hundred zhang high, appearing quite majestic from a distance.
Han Li’s expression remained unchanged upon seeing these structures, but his flying speed suddenly doubled.
At that moment, several Nascent Soul stage cultivators in yellow robes were guarding the entrance of the highest pavilion, chatting idly about various topics.
Suddenly, they felt a blur before their eyes—something seemed to flash past them and enter the door.
Despite their cultivation levels, none of them could clearly see what had passed by.
The guards were immediately alarmed!
Some hastily gripped their magic treasures and turned to look into the pavilion, while others raised their arms, summoning talismans meant for signaling emergencies.
Just then, a cold snort came from inside the door, followed by an overwhelming spiritual pressure surging outward.
The guards felt the air around them tighten, as if a weight of ten thousand jin had pressed down on their bodies, rendering them completely immobile.
They couldn’t help but cry out in shock.
Only then did they see that a figure in a blue robe had appeared in the center of the pavilion’s first-floor hall at some unknown time.
Though the figure had its back to them, the spiritual pressure emanating from it was so immense that it felt like the presence of a demon god—utterly unstoppable. The guards broke into cold sweat.
“I’m here to find a friend. You all need not do anything for now—just stay here quietly. I’ll leave once I find the person,” the figure said indifferently without turning around, its tone brooking no argument.
In the next moment, the figure blurred and vanished, ignoring the pavilion’s restrictions as if they didn’t exist.
The moment the figure disappeared, the guards felt the immense pressure lift, and they regained their mobility.
“Who is this senior? How dare he barge into the Douyuan Pavilion like this? Doesn’t he know who owns this place?” a seemingly young guard exclaimed in shock and anger the moment he regained his freedom.
The others, though silent, also wore extremely grim expressions.
“Hmph, you’d better shut up before you invite disaster!” an elderly man with blue hair suddenly interjected in a low voice after a moment of hesitation.
“Fellow Daoist, what do you mean by that? Do you recognize this person?” the young guard was stunned, but a middle-aged man who appeared more experienced asked solemnly.
“Indeed. You all are new to the pavilion, so it’s no surprise you don’t recognize this senior. But I once saw him from afar. He is a mid-Body Integration stage cultivator—even stronger than our pavilion master. If we offend him, we’d be courting death,” the old man said gravely after taking a deep breath.
“What? A mid-Body Integration stage cultivator?” The other guards gasped in shock, and the young guard who had spoken earlier turned deathly pale.
If a Body Integration stage cultivator decided to act against them, it would be no harder than crushing an ant. And if the senior held a grudge…
The young guard grew increasingly terrified the more he thought about it.
“Han… and mid-Body Integration stage… Could this senior be…?” The experienced middle-aged man seemed to recall something and suddenly exclaimed.
“Heh, you’ve figured it out. Yes, it’s that Senior Han, who was rumored to have perished in the past two years. Now that he’s appeared here safe and sound, those rumors were clearly false,” the old man stroked his beard and nodded.
“But this senior carries an intense killing intent—it doesn’t seem like he’s just here to find someone. If something really happens, won’t the pavilion’s rules be broken?” the young guard muttered.
Hearing this, the others’ expressions darkened again, fear flickering in their eyes.
“What Senior Han does here is beyond our control. Even if he tears down the Douyuan Pavilion, the master won’t blame us. The pavilion’s rules apply to ordinary cultivators, not someone like Senior Han,” the blue-haired old man chuckled and returned to his post, saying no more.
The other guards nodded in agreement and tacitly avoided further discussion, as if nothing had happened.
Only the young guard remained unsettled, occasionally glancing back toward the door.
At almost the same time, in a heavily restricted hall on one of the middle floors of the pavilion, seven or eight men and women were gathered around a woman in white robes, trying to persuade her of something.
The white-robed woman had snow-like skin, phoenix eyes, and arched eyebrows, but her expression was icy cold.
She was none other than Frost Li, who had been invited to this gathering.
Upon arriving, she had noticed that no exchange meeting was taking place and that the attendees seemed suspicious. She immediately grew wary and tried to leave, only to find the entire floor sealed off by restrictions activated by the others.
Then, the attendees began taking turns trying to persuade her, as if they had all been bribed by the Flood Dragon.
“Sister Feng, your Frost Phoenix lineage shares some connection with our Black Phoenix clan. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been mediating between you and Senior Flood Dragon all this time. But if you keep delaying, you might truly anger him. With his mid-Body Integration stage power, you’d have no chance to resist if he forced the issue. Why not agree? His status and influence are no less than that Han brat’s—why cling to this stubbornness?” The speaker was a beautiful woman in a black dress, her brows carrying a hint of fierceness—Xiao Hong of the Black Phoenix clan. She had been ordered into seclusion by the Black Phoenix Demon King years ago but had now reappeared in Tianyuan City, her cultivation noticeably improved.
The others, a mix of humans and demons, all knew Frost Li to some degree and were similarly urging her with earnest words.
The presence of demons here was due to the city lifting the segregation between the two races after the demon siege began, allowing free movement between their respective areas.
Even so, ordinary members of either race rarely ventured into the other’s territory without reason—only high-ranking individuals moved freely between them.
The demons among the group were all at the Void Refinement stage, fully qualified to be here.
But their arguments were nothing new—they kept emphasizing how beneficial it would be for Frost Li to become the dual cultivation partner of the Flood Dragon, a Body Integration stage powerhouse, and how many female cultivators in the city would kill for such an opportunity.
Yet, whether it was Xiao Hong’s emotional appeals or the others’ pragmatic reasoning, Frost Li remained silent, her expression so cold it seemed frost might form on her face.
“Sister Feng, we’ve said all we can. Now, give us a clear answer—are you willing to accept Senior Flood Dragon’s proposal?” Xiao Hong frowned slightly before raising a hand to silence the others, her tone turning dark.
Among the group, she was clearly the leader.
“No matter how eloquently you speak, I will not agree. What I find strange is that you, a fellow demon, would openly help the Flood Dragon coerce me. Don’t you fear punishment from the Black Phoenix Demon King upon your return?” Frost Li finally spoke, her words sharp as blades aimed at Xiao Hong.
Xiao Hong’s expression flickered briefly before she chuckled.
“Sister Feng, you may not know this, but Senior Flood Dragon carries the blood of our demon race—he is of mixed heritage. He merely chose to remain among humans, becoming the grand elder of the Nine Stars Sect. So, I have no concerns on that front. Even if he weren’t part demon, given the current alliance between our races, the clan leader and other elders would turn a blind eye. But your refusal is regrettable. I can no longer intervene in this matter.” Xiao Hong smoothed her hair, her tone turning cold.
“Hand me over to him?” Frost Li paled, seemingly understanding the implication.
Sure enough, Xiao Hong turned toward a side door in the hall and said respectfully, “Senior Flood Dragon, we’ve done our best. But it seems Sister Feng requires your personal guidance.”
“If this little frost phoenix remains obstinate, I have no choice but to step in. Though I dislike resorting to such methods.” A man’s voice drifted lazily from the side door before it swung open, revealing a man in brocade robes who strode out unhurriedly.
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