After the Elder Council had made a resolution regarding the death of the Flood Dragon and the matter concerning Han Li, Tianyuan City remained peaceful and uneventful for a period of time.
As the silver-haired elder had predicted, without anyone leaking the news, the ordinary inhabitants of the city were completely unaware that a top-tier mid-stage Body Integration cultivator of the human race had perished.
Of course, this news was not concealed from Fairy Lin Luan.
Upon learning of it, aside from an initial moment of stunned disbelief, she showed no further unusual reactions. However, from then on, she never mentioned Frost Li the Transcendent again, as if she had never known such a person.
As for the efforts to recruit Han Li, progress was not smooth.
During this time, Han Li had not made any further appearances. The official explanation was that he was in seclusion, cultivating a great divine ability.
This left Zen Master Jinyue feeling as though he had no way to proceed, and he could only wait patiently.
He did not believe, however, that Han Li would continue to remain in seclusion when the demon army launched their decisive assault on the city.
Apart from Zen Master Jinyue and Fairy Silverlight, along with a few other Body Integration cultivators, the other elders of the council were quickly preoccupied with the increasingly frequent harassment and attacks from the demons, leaving them no time to concern themselves with Han Li’s affairs. Even the silver-haired elder, after inquiring a few times, became fully immersed in the tedious tasks of countering the demon army’s relentless assaults.
At this time, though the main force of the demon army had yet to launch a full-scale attack on the city, their harassment, which had previously occurred every few days, had grown fiercer.
In these attacks, even Void Refinement cultivators began to fall in battle with alarming frequency.
As a result, the elders of Tianyuan City became even more vigilant. Every demon attack now required the presence of two or three elders to oversee the defense before they could feel somewhat at ease.
In response, the entire city began operating at full capacity!
All weapon-forging workshops were running at maximum output, sparing no materials to craft magical artifacts and spiritual tools. Cultivators skilled in talisman-making were gathered together, working day and night to produce vast quantities of low-grade spirit talismans.
In a battle of this scale, mid- and high-grade spirit talismans were less effective than low-grade ones.
After all, the materials and time required to craft a single mid-grade talisman could produce dozens or even hundreds of low-grade talismans. Moreover, the success rates between the two were worlds apart, making them incomparable.
As for high-grade talismans, aside from a few master talisman-makers, no one else could produce them.
In addition to the mass production of weapons and talismans, many newly recruited low-grade cultivators and ordinary warriors were mobilized and organized into several large units of varying sizes, serving as the city’s reserve forces.
Beyond these measures, Tianyuan City conducted multiple thorough inspections of all its defensive formations and restrictions, ensuring that these crucial defenses against the demons were flawless.
In short, the city was fully prepared for the impending storm of war.
Time passed swiftly, and before long, about half a year had elapsed.
On this day, in the council hall of Tianyuan City, the silver-haired elder and Zen Master Jinyue were discussing an urgent matter concerning the demons when the hall doors were suddenly pushed open from the outside. A silver-armored guard rushed in—one of the Tianyuan Guards stationed outside.
“Who gave you permission to enter without authorization?” the silver-haired elder demanded, his expression darkening with displeasure.
“Reporting to the elder, the spiritual energy outside seems abnormal. It appears a senior is undergoing a tribulation breakthrough!” the guard hastily replied after saluting, his voice tinged with panic.
“A breakthrough? Could it be one of our fellow Daoists advancing to mid-stage Body Integration? If so, that would be good news. But there’s no need for such alarm,” the elder said, his expression softening slightly.
“But the celestial phenomena in the distance are far too intense. It doesn’t seem like a mid-stage Body Integration breakthrough—it looks even more terrifying than the tribulations of late-stage Body Integration cultivators!” the guard stammered, swallowing hard.
“Such a thing? Master, let us go outside and take a look,” the silver-haired elder said, his mind racing as he turned to Zen Master Jinyue.
“Of course. This old monk is also quite curious about which fellow Daoist is undergoing a tribulation at this time,” the Zen Master agreed solemnly.
Led by the guard, the two stepped outside.
As soon as they passed through the hall’s restrictions, the silver-haired elder’s expression shifted slightly.
With his mid-stage Body Integration spiritual sense, he easily detected the anomaly in the spiritual energy. The normally stable energy had become unusually volatile, as if influenced by some invisible, formidable force.
His steps quickened unconsciously.
In moments, he and Zen Master Jinyue arrived at a large terrace dozens of zhang wide.
A dozen or so guards were gathered there, staring slack-jawed in the same direction.
The silver-haired elder frowned and snorted coldly.
The guards, startled, immediately noticed the arrival of the elder and the Zen Master and hurriedly bowed in greeting. Just as the elder was about to reprimand them, Zen Master Jinyue suddenly let out a soft exclamation.
Turning, the elder saw the Zen Master gazing in the same direction as the guards, his face filled with astonishment.
A chill ran down the elder’s spine. Ignoring the guards, he swiftly looked toward the horizon.
In the distant sky, the horizon was bathed in a fiery red glow. Massive crimson clouds swirled and gathered like colossal fireballs rolling through the heavens.
Beneath the clouds, countless strands of multicolored light converged rapidly, intertwining to form faint, rainbow-like bridges.
The interplay of crimson clouds and fireballs was dazzling, casting their brilliance over nearly half of Tianyuan City—a spectacle of overwhelming grandeur!
Yet none of this compared to the terrifying spiritual pressure emanating from the celestial phenomena.
Though the pressure was only faintly perceptible at this distance, it was suffocatingly oppressive, growing steadily stronger, as if something even more dreadful was brewing.
“These celestial phenomena are indeed unlike those of a mid-stage breakthrough. Fellow Daoist Jin, let us investigate. If a fellow Daoist is truly undergoing a late-stage tribulation, it would be a great boon for our city. We must offer protection to prevent any disturbances,” the silver-haired elder said excitedly, barely pausing for thought.
“Naturally. Even if Elder Gu had not suggested it, this old monk would have gone to observe. Witnessing a late-stage tribulation is a rare opportunity—it could greatly benefit our own cultivation,” Zen Master Jinyue replied solemnly.
The elder nodded. With a flick of his sleeve, a streak of white light enveloped him, and he soared into the sky, speeding toward the distant phenomena.
Zen Master Jinyue chanted a Buddhist mantra, golden Sanskrit characters swirling around him as he transformed into a golden streak and followed closely behind.
The guards, finally able to relax, rose and huddled together, discussing the celestial phenomena in hushed tones.
Not just the silver-haired elder and Zen Master Jinyue—almost all of Tianyuan City’s high-ranking cultivators were stirred.
Countless streaks of light shot toward the source of the phenomena from all directions.
Though the mid- and low-grade cultivators were also intensely curious, they knew better than to interfere. They could only watch from afar, inevitably engaging in lively debates with those around them.
Their theories were varied—some speculated about the emergence of a spiritual treasure, others claimed it was the work of a mighty spirit beast, though the prevailing opinion was that a great cultivator was undergoing a tribulation.
A few well-informed individuals even vaguely guessed that such a spectacle could only be caused by a Body Integration cultivator’s tribulation.
Of course, none of them could have imagined that even the revered Body Integration cultivators, upon arriving near the phenomena, were equally stunned.
The silver-haired elder and Zen Master Jinyue were not the first to arrive. Over twenty Void Refinement and Body Integration cultivators closer to the phenomena had already gathered about a hundred li away, hovering in the sky and observing from a distance.
Fairy Silverlight was among them.
She spotted the elder and the Zen Master immediately, nodding slightly before turning her attention back to the distant spectacle.
Seeing that she had no intention of approaching, the two exchanged glances and halted their flight nearby.
“Master, if I recall correctly, this area is home to only one Body Integration cultivator—Fellow Daoist Han, correct?” the silver-haired elder asked, stroking his beard.
“Indeed. Fellow Daoist Han resides nearby, and it seems the center of these celestial phenomena lies precisely where he is,” Zen Master Jinyue replied slowly.
“So, these phenomena are truly caused by Fellow Daoist Han. Could it be that his seclusion was for the purpose of breaking through to the late stage?” the elder mused, exhaling softly.
“It appears so. The phenomena do resemble those of a late-stage breakthrough, though they are far more intense than what this old monk has witnessed before. That does give me some pause,” the Zen Master admitted, watching the increasingly astonishing display with uncertainty.
“That’s not unusual. The celestial phenomena of a late-stage breakthrough vary from person to person. However, such overwhelming intensity may not be a good sign. Typically, the more spectacular the phenomena, the greater the cultivator’s strength—but the difficulty of the breakthrough is also far beyond ordinary expectations. With such terrifying phenomena, I fear Fellow Daoist Han may not succeed,” the silver-haired elder said thoughtfully after a moment’s consideration.
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