Upon hearing the voice, Han Li was slightly taken aback, feeling a hint of surprise.
Then, ripples spread across the sea surface below, and with a flash of white light, a cultivator slowly emerged from the water.
This person wore the white robes of Star Palace, with dark hair falling to their shoulders and a jade-inlaid emerald headband wrapped around their forehead. They gazed calmly at Han Li.
But when Han Li got a clear look at their face, he froze for a moment, a trace of astonishment flashing in his eyes.
Their face was as fair as jade, with elegant eyebrows extending toward the temples, phoenix-like eyes, a straight nose, and delicate red lips—truly a person of breathtaking beauty. Yet, what left Han Li utterly bewildered was that he couldn’t tell whether this person was male or female.
If they were female, the lazy smile at the corner of their mouth and their every movement exuded an air of effortless grace. If they were male, their features were so exquisitely beautiful, with an undeniable charm lingering between their brows, possessing a fatal allure that could captivate any man.
“May I ask your esteemed name, fellow Daoist? I am Ling Yuling, an external affairs enforcer of Star Palace. Thank you for saving me!” Their voice was melodious and pleasant, yet completely neutral in tone, which made Han Li frown slightly and mutter to himself in confusion.
This person reminded Han Li of Tian Buque from the Heavenly South’s Devil Dao’s Harmony Sect. But upon closer reflection, the two seemed entirely different. Although Tian Buque was also exceptionally beautiful, his mannerisms and voice unmistakably revealed his male identity.
In contrast, this self-proclaimed Ling Yuling, while behaving entirely like a man, carried an indescribable air of delicacy. Moreover, their voice was deep and magnetic, making it truly impossible to discern their gender.
“I am Han Li. What I did earlier was merely a small effort. If those two hadn’t forced my hand, I wouldn’t have resorted to such drastic measures.” Though inwardly surprised, Han Li showed no expression on his face.
“Regardless, I am immensely grateful to you, fellow Daoist.” Ling Yuling smiled enchantingly, unintentionally exuding a captivating charm.
Han Li felt a chill run down his spine. Without knowing whether this person was male or female, he could only feign indifference to their striking beauty.
“Fellow Daoist, are you in such a hurry to reach Heavenly Star City? The city is currently under lockdown and difficult to enter. If you don’t mind, I would be happy to guide you into the city as a token of my gratitude for saving me.” Ling Yuling’s smile faded, and their expression turned serious as they spoke.
Han Li was somewhat surprised by the offer. But upon second thought, having this person guide him into the city was precisely the reason he had eliminated the two cultivators from the Inverse Star Coalition—to prove he had no ties to them.
Now that the other party had offered, he naturally wouldn’t refuse such a favor. With a slight change in expression, he replied slowly, “My cave abode is in Heavenly Star City, and I am indeed rushing to return. If it’s truly impossible to enter the city on my own, I would greatly appreciate your assistance, Fellow Daoist Ling.”
“Of course. Since you eliminated those two without hesitation, you’ve already proven yourself worthy of entering the city. Star Palace welcomes you wholeheartedly! However, the pursuers aren’t limited to just those two—there are several other cultivators with considerable power among them. We should leave this place quickly.” Upon hearing Han Li’s response, Ling Yuling smiled radiantly, their eyes sparkling with charm.
This time, Han Li said nothing and merely nodded slightly. The two then transformed into streaks of cyan and white light, flying toward Heavenly Star City.
Along the way, Han Li observed his companion curiously.
Ling Yuling’s white robes were loose-fitting, making it impossible to discern any gender-specific traits from the outside. However, upon closer inspection, Han Li noticed the absence of an Adam’s apple. Yet, this alone wasn’t enough to confirm whether they were female. As far as he knew, some mysterious cultivation techniques could reverse yin and yang or alter gender-specific traits. Could this person be practicing such a technique? Han Li wondered strangely.
Seemingly noticing Han Li’s gaze, the stunningly beautiful person flashed him a coquettish smile, making Han Li feel awkward and instinctively look away.
“Fellow Daoist, you possess two ancient treasures—it seems you are truly blessed by fate. May I ask about the origins of that bronze ring treasure? I’ve had the fortune of seeing other ancient treasures, but never one with such extraordinary abilities.” Ling Yuling brought up the topic of Han Li’s ancient treasures casually as they flew.
“It’s nothing special—just a stroke of luck compared to others.” Han Li naturally avoided revealing the truth, answering vaguely without changing his expression.
“Hehe, but for you to single-handedly eliminate two cultivators of the same rank is truly remarkable. Would Fellow Daoist Han be interested in joining Star Palace? I can recommend you.” Seeing that Han Li was unwilling to elaborate, Ling Yuling chuckled lightly and didn’t press further, instead shifting the topic to recruitment.
Hearing this, Han Li frowned slightly. This Ling Yuling seemed quite difficult to deal with! Before even guiding him into the city, they were already presenting him with tricky propositions. At this point, any cultivator joining Star Palace would likely become cannon fodder. There was no way he would willingly trap himself.
After a moment’s thought, Han Li coughed lightly and replied carefully, “Although I have long admired Star Palace, the Miaoyin Sect once showed me great kindness. I currently serve as an honorary elder for them and cannot easily change affiliations in the near future. My apologies!” Once again, Han Li unhesitatingly used the Miaoyin Sect as a shield.
“No matter. Fellow Daoist Han’s loyalty is truly admirable. Still, Star Palace will always welcome cultivators like you.” Ling Yuling showed no displeasure at Han Li’s polite refusal, smiling faintly before shifting the conversation to anecdotes and secrets of the Chaotic Star Sea. They tactfully avoided further mention of Star Palace or the Inverse Star Coalition.
Han Li was more than happy to engage in light conversation, making the journey easier to handle.
As the two chatted idly, they continued flying forward. When the massive Heavenly Star City came into view, both couldn’t help but show signs of relief. However, before they could approach the giant island, a group of cultivators—four men and one woman—flew toward them from an unknown direction.
The leader, a middle-aged man with a sallow complexion, was at the early Core Formation stage, while the others were at the Foundation Establishment level.
“Greetings, Protector Ling!” The four Foundation Establishment cultivators clearly recognized Ling Yuling and bowed respectfully as they approached.
It seemed this gender-ambiguous individual held considerable prestige within Star Palace.
The sallow-faced cultivator also asked with a mix of concern and surprise, “Junior Brother Ling, are you alright? I was extremely worried when I heard about the attack on South Ming Island. Hm? Who is this fellow Daoist?” His gaze shifted suspiciously to Han Li.
“I was pursued by two Inverse Star Coalition cultivators on the way and was saved by Fellow Daoist Han. His cave abode is in Heavenly Star City, so I brought him back with me. There should be no issue allowing him into the city, right?” Ling Yuling replied indifferently.
Whether due to exhaustion from the journey or internal injuries, their face appeared paler than when Han Li first saw them, giving off a faint impression of fragility.
“Since he is Junior Brother Ling’s savior, of course there’s no problem. Junior Brother Ling, are you injured?”
The sallow-faced cultivator wore an expression of extreme concern, which Han Li noted with a flicker of thought.
“It’s nothing serious. Although I was struck by their magic treasure, my Heavenly Incense Ribbon protected me. I’ll be fine.” A faint blush tinged Ling Yuling’s beautiful cheeks, but their demeanor grew even colder.
“I have a specially refined Heavenly Spirit Pill here. Junior Brother, take it to replenish your energy and avoid depleting your vitality.” The sallow-faced cultivator seemed even more worried upon hearing this. After a moment’s hesitation, he took out a small bottle and offered it eagerly.
Ling Yuling’s expression darkened abruptly, as if on the verge of anger, but then they seemed to reconsider and suddenly smiled enchantingly, their eyes sparkling. “Then I thank you, Senior Brother, for the medicine. I must report to the inner palace about the South Ming Island incident. Please escort Fellow Daoist Han into the city on my behalf. Be sure to treat my savior well.” Ling Yuling extended a fair, slender hand to accept the bottle, their demeanor suddenly becoming exceedingly charming and feminine, as though they had transformed into a woman entirely.
“No problem! Elder Wang is on duty today and won’t cause any trouble for you, Junior Brother. Leave Fellow Daoist Han to me.” The sallow-faced cultivator seemed flustered and delighted by Ling Yuling’s gentle words, patting his chest enthusiastically in assurance.
Witnessing this, a strange glint flickered in Han Li’s eyes.
Could this person truly be a woman? Otherwise, why would the sallow-faced cultivator act so infatuated?
Han Li grew even more puzzled.
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