The brocade-robed men hesitated for a moment upon seeing Han Li pass through, then followed suit one after another.
Seeing all seven of them obediently step into the formation, a faint smile appeared on Cultivator Qian’s face. He formed a hand seal, and points of white light emerged on his fingers.
“We two are privately allowing you fellow Daoists to proceed to the Outer Star Seas. You won’t go around saying anything outside, will you?” he asked indifferently, his gaze fixed on the white light at his fingertips.
“Of course not! We are immensely grateful for your flexibility, Senior. How could we do something so petty? Besides, even if we did say something, what could we possibly do to you two Seniors?” The brocade-robed man was quite sharp and immediately swore with a solemn expression.
“Good. It’s best that you understand this. We two hold minor positions in Star Palace. Even if our superiors found out, we’d at most receive a reprimand. However, if any rumors spread from outside, Fellow Daoist Gu and I are not known for being merciful. Also, I heard you’ve all brought sensor beads with you, fearing we might suddenly turn hostile. That’s quite thorough, though somewhat unnecessary. We two wouldn’t tarnish our reputations for a few spirit stones.” He fixed a cold gaze on the brocade-robed man, then swept his eyes over the others, though for some reason, he skipped Han Li.
“Senior is truly reasonable. This junior was judging a gentleman with a petty heart,” the brocade-robed man forced a smile, cold sweat trickling down his back.
“Hmph! Enough nonsense. Take care of yourselves!” Cultivator Qian seemed unwilling to say more. With a flick of his finger, the faint white spell shot into the teleportation formation.
Immediately, the spirit stones around the formation glowed brilliantly with white light, and the seven figures vanished in a shimmer of radiance.
“What’s going on? Didn’t we agree to give them fake teleportation talismans? Why did you use a real one? This isn’t what we discussed earlier!” The bald man’s expression changed to one of shock and suspicion upon seeing Han Li and the others truly teleported away.
“If I could have used a fake talisman, do you think I would have held back? That guy who gave us the magic treasures is clearly an old monster at the Nascent Soul stage. If we’d taken out a fake talisman, he would have annihilated us in a fit of rage.” Cultivator Qian snorted coldly, his expression grim. He pulled out a silk handkerchief and wiped the cold sweat that had just appeared on his forehead.
“Nascent Soul stage? Brother Qian, you must be joking! That man was clearly only at late Foundation Establishment.” The bald elder was first stunned, then his face paled dramatically.
The lean man who had stayed behind looked even more bewildered upon hearing this.
“Brother Gu should know about the spirit beast I keep, ‘Yan Nao.’ It has no other skills but is extremely sensitive to detecting others’ spiritual sense.” Cultivator Qian turned his palm over, and a spirit beast resembling a small kitten appeared on his wrist.
The beast had long, rabbit-like ears and, upon appearing, began scanning its surroundings with emerald-green eyes, looking utterly adorable.
“Initially, his aura and spiritual sense were concealed extremely well. Even Yan Nao didn’t detect anything unusual. But after we lifted the formation’s restrictions, he secretly inspected it with his spiritual sense. That’s when Yan Nao noticed something was off. This beast of mine can detect the strength of even a mid Core Formation cultivator’s spiritual sense and get a rough idea of a late Core Formation cultivator’s. But this time, aside from trembling incessantly in my sleeve, it gave no specific response—only that his spiritual sense was unfathomable. The only other times it’s acted like this were when I brought it to meet a few elders.” As he spoke, Cultivator Qian gently stroked Yan Nao, a trace of fear in his voice.
“So, he really was a Nascent Soul stage cultivator,” the bald elder said, now also sweating profusely.
“Even if he wasn’t, he was at least at late Core Formation. Annihilating us would still have been effortless for him,” Cultivator Qian stated with certainty.
“Thank goodness for your quick thinking, Brother Qian! If we’d used a fake talisman, we’d have brought about our own doom. No wonder he so easily gifted each of us a magic treasure without a hint of reluctance—he was one of those old monsters. But sending him to the Outer Star Seas… could that cause us major trouble?” The elder, as if remembering something, asked with a trembling heart.
“What major trouble could it cause? He’s likely a wandering Nascent Soul cultivator who probably wants to avoid getting caught up in the war between Star Palace and the Inverse Star Coalition. That’s why he took the route to the Outer Star Seas. It should be fine. Of course, the fact that we teleported a Nascent Soul cultivator to the outer sea must never reach our superiors. Otherwise, we’d be severely punished.” Cultivator Qian reassured the elder, but as he spoke the last words, his refined face suddenly darkened, and he cast a malicious glance at the lean man, who was still standing there dumbfounded.
Feeling Cultivator Qian’s cold gaze, the lean man shuddered and realized something. He hurriedly stepped back, panic written all over his face. “I didn’t hear anything you two Seniors just said! I won’t breathe a word of it, I—” Before he could finish, a yellow light silently flew from behind, circling around him eerily. Instantly, his body was severed into several sections.
“We can’t afford to let one more person know about this. I initially considered sparing you due to our slight connection, but your luck has truly run out.” The bald elder recalled the yellow light—his magic treasure—and spoke with a sinister tone.
A fireball then shot from his hand, reducing the corpse to ashes in the flames. Only then did Cultivator Qian nod in satisfaction, a look of relief on his face.
…
On the other end of the teleportation formation, Han Li and the other six emerged in a dilapidated stone room amidst a shower of white light.
With a quick glance, Han Li noticed a somewhat frail-looking Star Palace cultivator in a corner of the room, speaking with a grey-robed cultivator whose face was covered in scars.
Upon seeing the seven appear, the Star Palace cultivator frowned and scrutinized them briefly before losing interest and turning back to continue his conversation with the scarred man.
“I’ve told you, there are rules from above. The teleportation formation is currently one-way—exit only, no entry. My teleportation talisman was confiscated by envoys from above. Even I can’t return. Pressuring me is useless,” the formation keeper said irritably to the scarred cultivator.
“Nonsense! Just a few days ago, someone returned. How come it becomes one-way as soon as I arrive?” the scarred man retorted angrily.
“Hmph! I’ve explained it. Believe it or not, it’s up to you. I’m under no obligation to say more.” The Star Palace cultivator glared at him, then sat cross-legged, ignoring him and closing his eyes to meditate.
“You—” The grey-robed man’s face flushed crimson with fury, but there was nothing he could do.
Daring to attack was out of the question, leaving him pacing anxiously like an ant on a hot pan. Soon, his gaze fell on Han Li and the others stepping out of the formation, and his face lit up with hope.
“Fellow Daoists, have you just arrived from Star City?” he stepped forward and asked courteously, cupping his hands toward the brocade-robed man who appeared to be the leader.
“Yes, we’ve just arrived. Is there something you need, Fellow Daoist?” The brocade-robed man, noting the scarred man’s late Foundation Establishment cultivation, didn’t dare to slight him but had a vague idea of what he wanted to ask.
“I am Xu Yun. I’ve been in the Outer Star Seas for several years. May I ask if it’s true that the Inner Seas now have an Inverse Star Coalition and that war is imminent?” he asked hopefully.
Seeing his expression, the brocade-robed man knew exactly what news he wanted to hear, but the reality would only disappoint him further. So, he didn’t hold back: “It’s true. The righteous and demonic paths have formed the Inverse Star Coalition, and a major war is about to break out. We came here to avoid getting involved. I’m afraid you won’t be able to return for now, Fellow Daoist Xu.”
“How can this be! I’ve finally gathered enough materials to refine pills for my son. This will delay everything!” The grey-robed man stood frozen for a moment, his scarred face full of despair.
The group fell silent upon hearing this.
They had racked their brains to get to the outer sea, while this man was going to great lengths to return. How ironic!
“I am Yi Jing. These are my close friends. Since you’ve been here for several years, Fellow Daoist Xu, could you tell us about the situation on奇渊岛? We’re willing to pay spirit stones for your trouble,” the brocade-robed man said enthusiastically after a moment’s thought.
“No need for payment. You answered my question; consider this my thanks. Ask whatever you want. I’ll tell you all I know.” Though still dejected, the scarred man mustered his energy to respond.
Immediately, the brocade-robed man and the others behind him brightened. Having someone explain the lay of the land in this unfamiliar place would be greatly beneficial.
Seeing this, Han Li smiled slightly, crossed his arms, and stood behind the others, also eager to hear what the man had to say.
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