Han Li’s expression relaxed slightly upon seeing the silver dragon truly leave the vicinity of the void, but after pondering the words it had spoken before departing, his face darkened with uncertainty once more.
After a while, the small green figure blurred and transformed into a faint streak of green light, shooting downward.
Not long after, within the secluded chamber of the mountain cave, a spatial ripple appeared, and the small green figure emerged eerily.
The green spiritual body and Han Li’s physical form, seated below, immediately stood up in unison.
At the same time, Han Li’s physical form closed its eyes, and the top of its head split open with a golden glow.
The small green figure instantly transformed into a green streak, shooting downward and vanishing into the head of the physical form.
In an instant, Han Li’s body erupted with violet-gold radiance, while silver spiritual patterns shimmered across its surface.
Han Li’s eyelids twitched slightly before his eyes snapped open once more.
Without a word, the spiritual body beside him took a large step forward.
A flash of green light later, it dissolved into a shadow and merged into Han Li’s body.
Han Li remained motionless, only his eyes flickering with faint brilliance.
After an indeterminate amount of time, he finally tilted his neck slightly and murmured,
“Having endured the baptism of the astral winds for the first time, my Spirit Infant has indeed stabilized further. It seems that astral projection is not just a means to defeat enemies but can also be directly applied to cultivation.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Han Li sat cross-legged once more, his expression unchanged.
With a flip of his palm, the pale silver scale reappeared.
Han Li held the scale, running his fingers over it thoughtfully for a moment before his face darkened with contemplation.
The True Dragon Island mentioned by Fan Paozi was something he had indeed heard of in ancient texts.
Legend had it that this island was extraordinarily unique—not existing within any known realm but within an independent space between multiple planes.
The island was inhabited by a variety of celestial beings, most of them flood dragons, with over a dozen True Dragons as its dominant inhabitants. Hence, it was called the True Dragon Island and was renowned among the powerful beings of various realms.
However, the so-called “Grand Spirit Dao Fruit Assembly” was something he had never heard of before.
It seemed he would need to inquire with Mo Jianli and others to see if they knew any details before deciding whether it was worth attending this event on the True Dragon Island.
Having made up his mind, Han Li exhaled deeply. Silver spiritual patterns swirled across his body, condensing into dozens of miniature arrays on his skin.
Soon after, milky-white mist surged from these silver arrays, enveloping his form entirely.
Moments later, the entire chamber was filled with the same mist, accompanied by a continuous crackling sound like popping beans.
Han Li had once again immersed himself in cultivation.
Two months later, the chamber door opened with a dull thud, and Han Li stepped out calmly.
Half a day later, a flash of spiritual light erupted from the mountain where Han Li’s cave was located, followed by two dazzling streaks of light shooting out from the mountainside. After a brief hover, they transformed into two long rainbows and vanished into the distance.
Shortly after, over a dozen more streaks of light in various colors burst forth from the mountain, flying in an orderly formation toward another direction.
Meanwhile, within the cave’s main hall, Crab Daoist, Silvermoon, and Zhu Guo’er stood before Han Li.
“Let us return to Skydeep City. I still have disciples there, and after all these years, I should see how they fare,” Han Li said indifferently.
The others naturally had no objections.
With a flick of his sleeve, a golden light swept out, enveloping everyone nearby. In a flash, they all vanished from the hall.
The next moment, a ripple appeared in the air above the mountain, and Han Li’s group silently materialized.
Without hesitation, Han Li raised a hand, and a streak of green light shot forth, transforming into a massive jade-green boat over a dozen zhang long.
The group boarded it, and with a soft “puff,” the boat turned into a streak of green light and soared away.
…
Skydeep City, a colossal metropolis renowned among both humans and demons, still stood at the border between their territories and the untamed wilderness.
The towering walls, hundreds of zhang high, had been fully restored from the scars of the demon calamity.
Squads of newly recruited guards, clad in pristine armor, patrolled the battlements with disciplined precision.
Though the demon calamity had passed, the defenders of Skydeep City, having endured the horrors of war, remained vigilant.
Within a grand stone pagoda at the city’s center, seven or eight elders from both human and demon races—all at the Body Integration stage—gathered to discuss pressing matters.
“The outermost 108 grand formations have been fully restored as of two days ago. The remaining formations require rare materials that we have yet to gather, so their repair will take several more years. As for the underground puppets, only twenty percent have been restored due to extensive damage. The rest, deemed irreparable, have been melted down for materials per our prior agreement. Additionally, the 100,000 new puppets commissioned from the Heavenly Mechanism Sect were delivered and stored last month. Of the 3,080 Cloud Pavilions, repairs have been completed on…” A silver-haired elder with a youthful face reported on the city’s restoration progress.
Despite repelling the demon invasion, Skydeep City had suffered staggering losses. Even after all these years, it had yet to fully recover to its pre-calamity state—a matter of grave concern for the Elder Council.
Though the demon calamity had ended, relations between the human race and neighboring factions had grown increasingly tense.
With the Wood Tribe fragmented and absorbed by several factions, their former territory had become a prize none were willing to relinquish.
Fear of becoming a common enemy had prevented any faction from outright seizing the land, but gradual encroachments along the borders had already begun.
Under such circumstances, another war between the human-demon alliance and other factions seemed almost inevitable.
As the most likely battleground, Skydeep City urgently needed to restore its defenses.
The silver-haired elder spoke for the length of a meal before summarizing the city’s status.
The other elders listened quietly, occasionally interjecting with questions, which the elder answered calmly.
“Good. Though our defenses remain weak, within a decade, we should complete all restoration efforts. By then, even if war breaks out again, we need not fear. Elder Gu, please proceed with the other matters,” a golden-robed elder monk said with a smile once the silver-haired elder finished.
The monk was none other than Elder Jin Yue, while the silver-haired elder was Elder Gu of Skydeep City.
“Indeed, beyond the city’s restoration, I have summoned you all to discuss several critical matters. The most pressing is that an envoy from the Sacred Island will soon arrive regarding… that matter,” Elder Gu sighed.
“What? The Sacred Island is truly sending someone? It seems they are determined to have that person this time.”
“What shall we do? The one they seek is that man’s disciple.”
The other elders stirred into murmurs upon hearing this.
“Enough. Since the Sacred Island has sent an envoy, we’ve done all we can for that man. Let us hand over his disciple. After all, Skydeep City cannot openly defy the Sacred Island,” a golden-faced man said with a frown.
“Hmph. You speak lightly. Have you forgotten that man’s power and contributions to this city? If we betray his disciple, who will face his wrath when he returns? You?” a purple-haired woman retorted coldly.
“We’ve already refused the Sacred Island’s orders multiple times. Now that they’ve sent an envoy, further defiance will provoke their ire. We’ve held out long enough—even if he returns, he shouldn’t blame us. No matter how powerful he is, would he dare oppose the Sacred Island? Hand over the disciple,” the golden-faced man insisted darkly.
“You fear the Sacred Island too much. Have you forgotten that man is currently in seclusion, attempting to break through to the Mahayana realm? If he succeeds and we betray his disciple, what then?” a silver-masked woman countered sharply.
“Lady Silverlight, I know you share ties with that man, but this concerns all of Skydeep City—personal sentiments must be set aside. The Mahayana realm is near impossible to breach. How many of our predecessors have attempted and failed?” the golden-faced man scoffed.
The others exchanged uneasy glances, but the silver-masked woman’s eyes flashed as she pressed, “Even if his chances are slim, have you forgotten the rumors?”
The golden-faced man’s expression shifted, momentarily silenced.
“You mean the rumors that Senior Ao Xiao and Mo Jianli hold Han Li in special regard?” Elder Jin Yue interjected with a light cough.
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