Chapter 2198: Du Yu

The young man was naturally none other than Han Li, who had traveled nonstop for nearly half a year before finally returning to Tianyuan City.

At this moment, two women and a man emerged from the cabin of the jade boat—Silvermoon, Crab Daoist, and the others.

Silvermoon’s gaze swept over the crowd atop the city wall, and a trace of surprise flickered in her eyes as well.

“So it’s Brother Han who has returned. This is truly a grand occasion for our city. We are here for other matters and had no idea Fellow Daoist Han would return today. Otherwise, we would have welcomed you from afar,” the silver-haired elder finally snapped out of his shock. Though inwardly dismayed, he forced a smile and clasped his fists in greeting to Han Li.

As he spoke, the elder couldn’t help but sweep his spiritual sense toward Han Li, only to find that he couldn’t discern the depth of Han Li’s cultivation at all. Han Li’s aura now seemed even more unfathomable than before, sending a shiver down the elder’s spine.

Though he didn’t know the outcome of Han Li’s attempt to break through the Mahayana bottleneck, there was no doubt that his cultivation had advanced significantly.

Not just Elder Gu, but the other Body Integration-stage elders also instinctively probed Han Li’s cultivation the moment they recognized him.

But with their spiritual sense strength, unless Han Li deliberately released his Mahayana-level pressure, how could they possibly detect anything?

As a result, unable to determine Han Li’s current realm, their expressions varied—some barely managing to force a strained smile or two.

Han Li took in the odd behavior of the group below, his mind stirring slightly, but his expression remained calm as he said with a faint smile,

“Ah, so the fellow Daoists are occupied with other matters. For Elder Gu and the others to gather here and wait, it seems Tianyuan City has welcomed an extremely important guest. Could it be one of the two venerables—Mo Jianli or Ao Xiao?”

“Not quite. The two venerables have been out of contact for some time now…” The silver-haired elder’s smile faded slightly as he spoke hesitantly.

Despite his vast experience, he found himself at a loss, unsure whether to directly reveal the arrival of the envoys from the Sacred Island.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to agonize over it any longer.

At that moment, a flash of spiritual light appeared in the distant sky, followed by a rolling wave of multicolored radiance. Though it seemed to drift leisurely, its speed was astonishingly fast. In just a few flickers, it had already arrived above the city wall.

As the radiance dissipated, a massive white jade ship appeared beside Han Li’s emerald flying boat, easily four or five times larger.

Han Li was momentarily taken aback but quickly swept his gaze over the white ship.

At its bow stood over a dozen people, with three at the forefront whose presence and spiritual pressure far surpassed those behind them.

Among the three, the one on the left was a burly man with yellow hair and deep green eyes, appearing to be in his thirties or forties. The middle figure was a handsome youth in flowing white robes, exuding an air of elegance. On the right was a barefoot woman with dark, coarse skin and an unattractive appearance.

All three radiated extraordinary auras!

With a brief sweep of his spiritual sense, Han Li immediately discerned that the man and woman on either side were at the mid-Body Integration stage, while the white-robed youth in the middle had reached the peak of late-Body Integration, seemingly on the verge of attempting the Mahayana breakthrough.

However, these three weren’t Han Li’s primary concern. His gaze lingered only briefly on them before settling on the giant “Sacred” character emblazoned on the white ship.

“Sacred Island!”

Han Li instantly recognized the symbol, his eyes narrowing slightly as understanding dawned.

No wonder nearly half of Tianyuan City’s elders had gathered—the Sacred Island had unexpectedly sent envoys.

But what could have happened in Tianyuan City to warrant such a visit? Moreover, the elders’ reactions to his sudden appearance had been suspicious.

Could the Sacred Island’s envoys be here because of him?

In the blink of an eye, Han Li had pieced together most of the truth.

Though his mind raced with thoughts, his expression betrayed nothing as he silently observed the scene before him.

Meanwhile, the silver-haired elder and Golden Zen Master exchanged glances, their faces etched with wry smiles at the sudden appearance of the Sacred Island envoys.

Well, this saved them the trouble of explanations. The two parties that had been giving the elder council headaches had now met face-to-face.

But what unsettled the silver-haired elder even more was that aside from the white-robed youth, the other two envoys were renowned figures even among the Sacred Island’s many emissaries, known for their formidable powers.

As for the handsome youth, though this was their first meeting, he exuded an overwhelming aura that made the elder feel utterly outmatched.

This only deepened his unease.

“Brother Gu, this might be for the best. Let Fellow Daoist Han handle the matter of his disciple with the Sacred Island envoys directly. Even if things turn unpleasant, it won’t be our fault,” a deep voice suddenly transmitted into the silver-haired elder’s ear.

It was the black-robed man behind him, sending a covert message.

The elder’s expression shifted slightly, and he instinctively glanced at Han Li—only to find the latter watching him with an enigmatic smile. His heart skipped a beat, and he chose not to reply, merely nodding imperceptibly.

At that moment, Golden Zen Master chanted a Buddhist mantra and bowed slightly to the three Body Integration cultivators on the ship before saying solemnly,

“Are these the three envoys from the Sacred Island? This humble monk, Golden Zen, pays his respects.”

“So it’s the renowned Golden Zen Master. I am Du Yu. Greetings, Venerable Master,” the white-robed youth said with a smile after sweeping his gaze over the group.

The other two envoys remained expressionless and silent, clearly deferring to the youth.

“Du Yu! You’re the Du fellow Daoist who recently emerged from seclusion on the Sacred Island to attempt the Mahayana breakthrough?” The silver-haired elder’s face paled, nearly exclaiming aloud.

Golden Zen Master and the others also stiffened.

“You must be Elder Gu. Indeed, I’ve just left seclusion on the Sacred Island and plan to attempt the Mahayana breakthrough soon. However, for me to succeed, I may need some assistance from your city,” the white-robed youth replied humbly.

Elder Gu’s lips twitched, and his gaze flicked toward Han Li. After a moment of rapid deliberation, he finally said,

“If it’s a request from the Sacred Island, our city will naturally assist to the best of our abilities. But this isn’t the place for discussion. Brother Du, Fellow Daoist Xiong, Fellow Daoist Li—and Brother Han—let us continue our conversation inside the city.”

“Brother Han? Could this fellow Daoist be…?” Du Yu’s expression shifted slightly as he turned to scrutinize Han Li, a glint of sharpness flashing in his eyes.

In truth, Du Yu had already noticed Han Li earlier, sensing an inexplicable pressure from him. Combined with his inability to discern Han Li’s cultivation, he had been inwardly alarmed and wary.

Now, suddenly learning Han Li’s identity, even someone as proud as Du Yu felt a chill run down his spine.

Since emerging from seclusion, he had heard countless tales of Han Li’s exploits. And after discovering that one of Han Li’s disciples could help mitigate the tribulation lightning, he had taken an even keener interest, investigating Han Li in far greater detail.

From advancing from Nascent Soul to Body Integration in an astonishingly short time, then reaching late-Body Integration at an even more unbelievable pace—all while achieving victory after victory against stronger opponents in just over a thousand years.

There were even rumors that this newly ascended late-Body Integration cultivator had not only slain countless high-ranking demons during the demonic tribulation but had also ventured deep into the demon realm and returned unscathed.

If even half of this was true, this “Fellow Daoist Han” was terrifying beyond measure.

Though Du Yu had always considered himself a peerless genius, unmatched in human history, he couldn’t help but admit that Han Li’s feats were beyond his reach.

But hadn’t Han Li supposedly left Tianyuan City long ago to prepare for his Mahayana breakthrough? Why was he here now?

And Du Yu’s purpose in coming was precisely for Han Li’s disciple. Had Han Li caught wind of it?

If so, trouble was brewing. This trip might not go as smoothly as planned!

Du Yu’s heart pounded with apprehension, but he maintained a courteous facade, clasping his hands toward Han Li and saying,

“So it really is Brother Han! Your reputation precedes you. Since you’re here, we must discuss matters together.”

“Discuss? It seems Elder Gu had something to tell me but hadn’t gotten around to it. Very well, I’ll join this gathering,” Han Li replied coolly, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“Ahem, naturally. Let us proceed into the city,” Golden Zen Master interjected with a slightly strained expression.

Inside a grand hall atop the massive stone tower, the silver-haired elder ushered Han Li, Du Yu, and their respective entourages inside, seating them accordingly.

At his command, a group of maidservants promptly served cups of spiritual tea, along with spirit fruits and wine, placing them before each guest.

“Elder Gu, what exactly has happened in the city to warrant the Sacred Island sending Fellow Daoist Du and his companions here? Surely it’s time to enlighten me. Does this matter truly concern me?” Han Li took a sip of his tea before setting the cup down and addressing Elder Gu directly.