As soon as Han Li stepped onto the third floor, several spiritual senses immediately swept over him, causing his heart to tighten.
These individuals all possessed mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation, far stronger than his early Foundation Establishment level. His four years in seclusion had only brought his spiritual power close to mid-Foundation Establishment, yet there remained a thin barrier he couldn’t break through, which left Han Li somewhat disappointed.
However, upon reflection, this was quite normal. Advancing to near mid-Foundation Establishment in just four years was already much faster than ordinary cultivators. This final barrier represented his first bottleneck since reaching Foundation Establishment, something that couldn’t be overcome through medicinal aids alone—it required a certain opportunity.
Otherwise, no matter how many medicines he consumed, they would only deepen his spiritual power without allowing him to easily break through this realm.
While thinking this, Han Li casually surveyed everything on the floor.
Everyone on the third floor was a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Clearly, they were divided into two groups: one group wore the familiar attire of the Seven Sects, while the other was a disorderly mix of foreign cultivators.
There were only five cultivators from the Seven Sects, all sitting together at one table, engaged in quiet conversation and appearing quite familiar with each other. The foreign cultivators, numbering seven or eight, mostly sat alone or in pairs, sipping tea coldly without any interaction or discussion.
The contrast between the lively and quiet groups made Han Li sense a confrontational and hostile atmosphere.
Han Li’s arrival naturally drew the attention of the other cultivators. Aside from those who had initially scanned him, others also turned to look. Without hesitation, Han Li walked toward the table of the Seven Sects cultivators, as he was technically one of them.
His approach caused the other cultivators to withdraw their gazes, treating him as if he were invisible. Meanwhile, the Seven Sects cultivators rose with smiles to welcome him.
Han Li’s Yellow Maple Valley robes needed no introduction—they were instantly recognizable to the others.
“I am Han Li of Yellow Maple Valley. Greetings, senior brothers and sisters!” Han Li adopted a humble posture. Among the five cultivators, three were at mid-Foundation Establishment, while the other two were at the early stage like him.
“Junior Brother Han! I am Wu Zi of the Clear Void Sect, and this is my junior brother Wu Youzi. These three are Junior Brother Wu from Spirit Beast Mountain, Senior Brother Ba from Giant Sword Sect, and Junior Sister Fang from Heavenly Fortress.” The older of the two Taoists politely returned the greeting and briefly introduced everyone present.
“Since Junior Brother has arrived, why not try the famous Snow Bell Tea of the Yan Family? This tea house specially provides this premium tea to us foreign cultivators!” The Spirit Beast Mountain cultivator, surnamed Wu, was a smiling middle-aged man. As soon as Han Li sat down, he picked up the teapot on the table and poured Han Li a cup of spiritual tea shrouded in white mist.
Han Li nodded with a smile and took a small sip.
Regardless of whether this person sincerely poured the tea for him, surface pleasantries were still necessary.
“Excellent tea!” Even Han Li, who was not particularly discerning about tea, couldn’t help but praise it.
The tea, once swallowed, immediately produced a cooling sensation like ice and snow rising from his abdomen, followed by an incredibly fragrant aftertaste on his lips and tongue, leaving a lasting impression!
Hearing this, the cultivator surnamed Wu smiled even more broadly.
“Junior Brother Han, your face is unfamiliar. May I ask which esteemed master of Yellow Maple Valley has taken you as a disciple?” asked Junior Sister Fang, a plain-looking woman in her twenties, quite openly.
“My master is Li Huayuan. I only reached Foundation Establishment and was formally accepted as his disciple a few years ago. I hope for your guidance, senior brothers and sisters!” Han Li said with apparent sincerity.
“How could we presume to guide you? We should all exchange insights. Since Junior Brother Han was accepted by Uncle Master Li and sent out alone at such a young age, you must have exceptional qualities. There’s no need to be overly modest!” This time, it was the middle-aged man from the Giant Sword Sect who spoke. Though he appeared honest and sincere, his words were impeccably diplomatic, which surprised Han Li.
Han Li naturally responded with a few modest remarks. Soon, except for the silent and short Wu Youzi, Han Li was getting along quite warmly with the others.
“What were you all discussing earlier?” After a few exchanges, Han Li finally steered the conversation to the main topic, asking casually.
“Nothing much! We were speculating about why so many foreign cultivators have suddenly come to Yanling Castle. It’s quite unusual. Although the Qiankun Talisman Treasure is precious, it shouldn’t have such great appeal.” Wu Zi’s expression turned serious upon hearing Han Li’s question.
This directly addressed the doubt in Han Li’s mind, and he nodded repeatedly in agreement.
“We’ve been discussing it for a while but still can’t figure it out.”
“The possibility of some rare treasure appearing here and attracting them seems low. If that were the case, it wouldn’t just be Foundation Establishment cultivators here—Core Formation experts would have swarmed in long ago, and it wouldn’t be so peaceful. As for other reasons, none seem to explain this situation.” The woman surnamed Fang from Heavenly Fortress added.
“Let’s not speculate randomly. I suppose everything will be revealed in two days when the Treasure Seizing Conference begins. What makes me uneasy are those Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators who appeared today. They seem extraordinary! It’s truly surprising that they could make the Yan Family disciples suffer repeatedly. I wonder if any of you know their origins?” The middle-aged man surnamed Wu frowned, his playful expression gone. He seemed genuinely uneasy about those cultivators.
This question left most of them, including Han Li, exchanging puzzled glances.
Most of them were hearing about this sect for the first time. Judging by the name, it was likely a demonic path sect. They wondered which country it was from, and how it could make the local Yan Family so fearful that they didn’t immediately retaliate despite so many disciples being injured. Their ferocity must be significant.
But since it was most of them, there was one person who reacted differently—Wu Youzi, who had remained silent all along. Only he remained unchanged, as if he knew about the Ghost Spirit Sect, which made the others hopeful.
“Junior Brother, do you know about the Ghost Spirit Sect?” Wu Zi also asked in surprise. His junior brother usually avoided social interactions but loved reading various books and scrolls. It was possible he knew something.
“Ghost Spirit Sect, one of the six demonic sects of Tian Luo Country, skilled in controlling ghosts and demons, proficient in poison techniques and some dark arts. Although it’s the weakest among the six sects, it’s still stronger than our Yue Country’s largest sect, Masked Moon Sect.” Wu Youzi lifted his head, coldly delivered these lines, and fell silent again. But these few words were enough to make the others pale.
Demonic sects from the Tian Luo Kingdom? No wonder the Yan Family is tolerating this! They are a superpower several times larger than our Seven Sects combined. In our region, aside from the righteous alliance of the Feng Du Kingdom, no other nation’s cultivation forces can单独 withstand their invasion alone.” The man from the Giant Sword Sect spoke with fear, as if mentioning a tiger.
“Could it be a mistake? Why would such a large force suddenly come to our Yue Country and participate in such a small Treasure Seizing Conference?” The woman surnamed Fang expressed disbelief, her tone naturally skeptical.
“《Tiannan Scrolls》Volume Two, Chapter Four!” Wu Youzi said coldly.
“Ah…” The female cultivator didn’t understand at first but soon realized what he meant.
This was a collection of texts found in all major sects, introducing the customs and fascinating anecdotes of some countries in the region. While it did touch upon the cultivation world, the sheer number of volumes meant she had only skimmed a few and hadn’t bothered to read them carefully. Could the Ghost Spirit Sect be mentioned in there?
Perhaps sensing that not only her but others also looked confused, Wu Youzi reluctantly added, “In this part of Volume Two, not only the Ghost Spirit Sect but the other five sects are briefly introduced too!”
Seeing Wu Youzi so certain, the others finally believed him. Now, aside from shock, everyone began pondering the intention behind the Ghost Spirit Sect’s sudden appearance at the Yan Family. Han Li habitually rubbed his nose and fell into deep thought.
Were the six demonic sects of Tian Luo Country planning a large-scale invasion of Yue Country?
No, between Tian Luo Country and Yue Country lay two small countries, Jiang Country and Che Qi Country. Even if they intended to invade, they would have to deal with the sects of these two countries first.
Though these two countries were small, their cultivation world’s strength was not weak—comparable to the combined force of Yue Country’s Seven Sects. No matter how powerful the six demonic sects were, they couldn’t easily take down both countries without a sound.
Moreover, the righteous alliance of Feng Du Country was watching closely nearby! Surely, they wouldn’t give them the opportunity to expand their power.
After some contemplation, Han Li finally ruled out the worst-case scenario.
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