“It seems Fellow Daoist You is in trouble, but with only two Dharma Masters appearing, let’s all act together!” Marquis Nanlong decisively stated, transforming into a golden radiance that soared into the sky.
The others exchanged glances before silently revealing themselves. Instantly, eight beams of light in various colors rose from the hill and swiftly moved toward the fleeing white streak ahead.
The white streak, already heading their way, accelerated upon seeing this, arriving before Han Li and the others in the blink of an eye. The light dissipated, revealing the cold-faced cultivator surnamed You. His complexion was slightly pale, indicating some loss of vitality.
“Thank you all for coming to my aid. You Mou is deeply grateful!” the cold-faced cultivator clasped his fists, his anxious expression replaced by one of slight gratitude.
“Think nothing of it! Are you unharmed? But why are there two Dharma Masters pursuing you? I recall there was only one initially,” Marquis Nanlong also halted his flight, hovering in mid-air as he asked with apparent concern.
“I’m fine. I fought with the first one for most of the day before reinforcements arrived. I had to lead them on a chase for two days and nights, so my vitality is somewhat depleted,” the cold-faced cultivator replied with a bitter smile.
“No wonder you fled. Facing two Dharma Masters of the same rank, most of us would have no choice but to retreat, except for Marquis Nanlong and Fellow Daoist Yun,” the elderly woman sighed. “But these two pursuers—regardless of their cultivation—are quite bold. They still haven’t retreated. Do they truly intend to throw an egg against a rock?”
Han Li glanced into the distance and chuckled lightly.
Indeed, the others had already noticed. The two Dharma Masters, upon seeing Han Li and the group, stopped far away but did not flee immediately. Instead, they observed coldly from a distance.
Under the powerful spiritual senses of Han Li and the others, the two Dharma Masters’ appearances were clear. One had a golden complexion, wore a feathered crown and hemp robes, while the other was ferocious-looking and clad in green attire—both were early-stage Nascent Soul Dharma Masters.
Marquis Nanlong snorted coldly and spoke icily, “You two still refuse to leave? Must we take action? Aren’t you afraid of perishing here, body and soul?” His words dripped with threat.
“Such arrogance! Though we are no match for you, claiming you can annihilate us is an overstatement. We won’t engage in direct combat—just delay you for half a day. Do you still think you’ll have a chance to escape? Surrender now, and perhaps this Great Master will allow you to reincarnate!” the hemp-robed Dharma Master retorted sharply, rolling his eyes.
“Delay us for half a day? Do you think we’re made of clay?” Marquis Nanlong laughed in fury, his body radiating blinding golden light.
“Perhaps we can, perhaps we can’t. As hosts of the Mulan Grasslands, we must properly entertain so many high-level cultivators like you,” the green-robed Dharma Master added expressionlessly.
“Hmph! It seems you won’t relent until you see your own coffins. Brother Yun, let’s act,” Marquis Nanlong said coldly, turning to the white-robed elder.
The white-robed elder sighed. “I had hoped to conserve energy before our main task, but we can’t let these two tail us indefinitely. We have no choice.”
With that, he opened his mouth and spat out a silver dharma wheel the size of a fist, shimmering with crystalline light as it rotated slowly before his chest.
The two Dharma Masters immediately retreated slightly, their auras flaring as they warily watched the elder.
Without a word, Marquis Nanlong flicked his sleeve, releasing a golden flying sword. Han Li and the others also silently gathered their spiritual power, slowly advancing.
Just then, a flash of red light appeared in the distant sky behind the two Dharma Masters, followed by a streak of fire speeding toward them. Marquis Nanlong and the others paused, halting their movements.
The two Dharma Masters naturally noticed the anomaly. The hemp-robed one calmly beckoned the streak of fire, which circled above his head before landing in his palm and bursting into flames—a message talisman.
“What?!” The hemp-robed Dharma Master exclaimed after a quick scan with his spiritual sense. Even from hundreds of feet away, Marquis Nanlong and the others could clearly see his shock.
He turned to the green-robed Dharma Master, whispering urgently. After a few words, the latter’s expression changed, and he also gasped. The two then scrutinized the cultivators, their gazes finally settling on Han Li with grave expressions.
Han Li remained outwardly calm but inwardly guessed the message likely concerned the severely injured Mu surnamed elder, whose Nascent Soul alone had escaped. Were these two closely related to him?
As Han Li pondered silently, the two Dharma Masters glared at him before exchanging hesitant glances. After a few more whispered words, they transformed into red and green streaks, fleeing back the way they came.
Marquis Nanlong and the others were taken aback but hesitated to pursue. In moments, the two figures vanished into the horizon.
“Fellow Daoist Han, those two seemed particularly interested in you. Have you met them before?” Wang Tiangu asked with a faint smile, his tone ambiguous.
“No, this is my first time in the Mulan Grasslands. How could I know them?” Han Li replied firmly, his expression unreadable.
Marquis Nanlong frowned briefly but quickly relaxed.
“Regardless of those two, let’s proceed to break the restriction and retrieve the treasure. This is Mulan territory—we shouldn’t linger,” Marquis Nanlong said dismissively, avoiding further inquiry.
Wang Tiangu fell silent at this. Though puzzled, the others also refrained from comment. The two Dharma Masters’ hostility toward Han Li was their own affair, and no one wished to meddle.
Under Marquis Nanlong and the white-robed elder’s lead, the group swiftly departed as beams of light.
Following the grassland’s edge westward, they arrived at a barren stone hill, barely a thousand feet tall and devoid of vegetation, covered only in gray-white boulders. Han Li and the others were surprised—was Frost Li the Transcendent’s cave dwelling hidden in such an unremarkable place? The spiritual energy here was sparse; without Marquis Nanlong’s guidance, they would never have found it.
“Here we are. Fellow Daoist Yun and I will first dismantle the outer restriction. Follow closely,” Marquis Nanlong instructed solemnly.
He and the white-robed elder stepped forward, each producing a small flag—one emerald-green and crystalline, the other yellow with faintly drifting talismanic script, both clearly extraordinary.
Han Li and the others held their breaths, watching intently as the two began chanting low incantations. The flags glowed and trembled, as if eager to fly free.
“Go!” Almost simultaneously, Marquis Nanlong and the elder released the flags, which shot into the mountain’s surface and vanished.
For a moment, nothing happened. Just as the elderly woman cleared her throat to speak, the ground beneath them trembled violently, causing most to stagger.
What followed, however, made Han Li’s expression shift slightly—his heart jolted in alarm.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage