When a dark green lotus flower spanning several acres appeared on the horizon, the figures of Han Li, Xie Lian, and Jin Sha, among others, suddenly emerged atop it.
“This is the gathering place. The Yellow Sand Old Freak really found a good spot, didn’t he?” Han Li surveyed the yellow earthen fortress not far away and suddenly chuckled, making it hard to discern whether his words were praise or sarcasm.
Xie Lian, upon hearing this, responded with a light laugh:
“Fellow Daoist Huang’s Earth-Dry Devil Art is considered the foremost among earth-attribute devil arts in our Sacred Realm. As long as he is in the desert, he can even hold his own against an Ancestor like Baohua. Moreover, the Yellow Sand Old Freak has always been a loner, rarely interacting with others in the past. Holding the gathering here naturally puts the other fellow Daoists at ease.”
“So that’s the reason. No wonder the gathering was arranged at his cave abode. This earthen fortress is nothing special—just an ordinary spiritual treasure. But these ten thousand puppets are quite extraordinary, each possessing the strength of a Void Refinement cultivator. This truly surprised me,” the bald giant remarked, his gaze sweeping over the armored puppet guards, his expression unusually solemn.
“Fellow Daoist Huang’s Earth-Dry Divine Guards are a unique type of puppet he developed himself. Both their refinement and control require mastery of the Earth-Dry Devil Art. However, these guards can only unleash their full power on the ground. Once separated from sand or soil, their strength drops by nearly half. But as long as they are in an environment rich in earth-attribute spiritual energy, they are nearly indestructible, making them excellent protectors. Even for us late-stage Body Integration cultivators, eliminating so many of these puppets at once would be quite troublesome,” Xie Lian explained with a giggle.
“Indeed. Opponents with near-immortal bodies are always extremely annoying,” Jin Sha nodded repeatedly in agreement.
As they spoke, the dark green giant lotus carried them to the sky above the earthen fortress and slowly descended.
The moment Han Li’s feet touched the ground, his gaze swept over the golden palace gates, and a flicker of surprise crossed his face.
Given the strength of his divine sense, he couldn’t penetrate the golden palace directly, indicating its extraordinary nature. It was likely one of the Yellow Sand Old Freak’s most treasured possessions.
Xie Lian, acting as the host, beckoned Han Li and Jin Sha’s groups before leading her two female disciples into the palace gates.
“Let’s go.”
Han Li smiled faintly and followed with Crab Daoist and Silvermoon.
Jin Sha, who had previously been unrestrained, hesitated slightly after scrutinizing the golden palace. But just then, the long-haired giant beside him strode forward expressionlessly.
Jin Sha was momentarily stunned but soon followed with a wry smile.
The moment Han Li stepped through the palace gates, he felt a ripple of restriction beneath his feet. A burst of azure light surged up, enveloping him, Crab Daoist, and Silvermoon.
Silvermoon, startled, instinctively activated her spiritual light to counter, but Han Li’s calm voice sounded in her ear:
“Don’t worry. This restriction means no harm.”
Reassured, Silvermoon dispersed her spiritual light.
As the azure radiance intensified, the surroundings blurred, and the three vanished from the gates.
The next moment, in a resplendent golden hall, a pale azure formation flashed, and Han Li’s trio reappeared.
Dozens of sharp gazes immediately locked onto them, accompanied by murmurs of surprise.
“Eh? A human cultivator!”
“Isn’t that the Golden Crab from the Demon Source Sea?”
Han Li remained expressionless as he surveyed the hall.
They stood at the center, surrounded by over a hundred figures of varying heights, clustered in groups of three or five.
These individuals were divided into over thirty factions, scattered around the hall. Some sat on chairs, while others stood respectfully nearby.
Xie Lian had already taken a seat in one corner, her two disciples standing behind her.
“Fellow Daoist Han, Brother Crab, please take a seat,” Xie Lian said with a charming smile.
Han Li nodded and, after another glance at the murmuring factions, led Crab Daoist and Silvermoon to another corner, where they sat down.
The moment Han Li took his seat, seven or eight divine senses swept over him without restraint.
His expression darkened, and he let out a cold snort.
Though the sound was soft, the owners of those divine senses felt their ears ring and their souls tremble, as if struck by an invisible force.
Startled, they immediately withdrew their divine senses, not daring to probe further.
The other Body Integration cultivators watched Han Li with newfound wariness, their estimation of him rising.
Soon, Jin Sha and the long-haired giant appeared in the hall. After a brief survey, their gazes paused on Han Li before they laughed and took seats nearby.
Over the next few hours, more Body Integration cultivators arrived—some alone, some in groups, some accompanied by disciples.
Before long, nearly all the empty chairs were occupied.
Some of the old monsters sat with their eyes closed, while others observed the hall with faint smiles, but none spoke.
Han Li, too, studied the other cultivators.
Aside from Jin Sha and his companion, most were powerful figures from other realms—some shimmering with light, others indistinct, their auras peculiar.
Even among Body Integration cultivators, these were formidable existences.
Apart from Xie Lian, five or six others radiated overwhelming devilish energy, marking them as Sacred Ancestors of the Sacred Realm. Their numbers paled in comparison to the otherworldly experts present.
Notably absent was Baohua, the former Ancestor of the Demon Realm.
However, a yellow-haired old man sitting with his eyes closed caught Han Li’s attention.
The man wore a plain gray robe, his body encircled by a slowly swirling ring of earthen mist—a sign of his mastery over earth-attribute spiritual energy.
This was undoubtedly the Yellow Sand Old Freak, the host of the gathering and one of the Sacred Ancestors.
His earth-attribute devil arts had clearly reached their pinnacle.
Han Li narrowed his eyes slightly, his thoughts inscrutable.
A while later, the hall’s formation flashed again, and nine figures appeared simultaneously.
All exuded the aura of Body Integration cultivators, stirring another wave of murmurs.
Han Li observed them—men and women, old and young, all clad in peculiar armor resembling interwoven feathers.
Eight stood at the formation’s periphery, while a vulture-faced old man stood at the center.
Though his aura seemed no different from the others, a single cold glance from him sent shivers down the spines of those who met his gaze, as if their souls had been frozen.
The hall fell silent.
Someone whispered, “Copper Crow Elder,” and said no more.
The vulture-faced elder and his entourage claimed a corner of the hall, causing nearby cultivators to avert their eyes.
After the arrival of the nine from the Tianya Realm, a few more trickled in, and soon, all the invited Sacred Realm demons and otherworldly experts had gathered—except for Baohua.
But these ancient cultivators, having lived for millennia, showed no impatience.
Finally, the formation flashed once more, and an elegant figure appeared—Baohua.
Behind her stood the black-armored, ugly man, Hei E, whose aura had grown significantly stronger.
Baohua’s face glowed with vitality, her eyes sharp—her depleted energy fully restored.
“Fellow Daoist Baohua, you’ve finally arrived,” the Yellow Sand Old Freak said, opening his eyes and laughing heartily.
“My apologies for the delay. I appreciate your patience,” Baohua replied calmly, though a flicker of surprise crossed her face when she noticed Han Li.
Clearly, she hadn’t expected him to reach Body Integration so quickly.
“No need for apologies. Hosting so many fellow Daoists is an honor. Now that you’re here, please take charge of the gathering,” the Yellow Sand Old Freak said.
Baohua nodded and addressed the hall:
“Thank you all for coming. Your presence gives me great confidence in our upcoming endeavor.”
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