Han Li watched as Long Han released a soundproof barrier and took out several small flags from his person, forming a mist wall that isolated them from the outside. He remained silent, lost in thought.
There weren’t too many cultivators present—aside from the few old monsters still trapped in the blood barrier, only about twenty or so remained. These individuals naturally represented the majority of the factions involved in the battle.
“Fellow Daoist Long, what exactly happened? Why have the Mulan suddenly decided to stop fighting?” Supreme Yang the Transcendent spoke up.
“It is indeed strange. We’ve already fought to this point—could they really be delusional enough to think we’d negotiate peace now?” Wei Wuyan also voiced his suspicions.
“It’s not that they’re delusional, but rather that we might have no choice but to negotiate,” Long Han replied with a bitter smile.
“What’s going on? Has another faction intervened?” The Joyous Old Demon frowned in surprise.
“Exactly. The Utterlanders have made their move. Moreover, they’ve reportedly allied with several sects from the Jin Dynasty to launch an attack on the Mulan. The Mulan’s strongest rear-guard clan was completely wiped out a month ago, but the Utterlanders kept the news tightly sealed, so the other Mulan tribes remained unaware. It seems the Utterlanders are aiming to profit from our conflict—they’ve set their sights on our Tiannan as well,” Long Han said gravely.
Upon hearing this, the other cultivators felt their hearts sink, and the scene fell into silence. Han Li also frowned deeply—this was like driving out a tiger only to invite a wolf!
“Hmph! Is this news reliable? The Utterlanders are far from Tiannan—could this be a Mulan bluff?” Soul Shatterer the Transcendent seemed unconvinced.
“Unlikely. The team led by Old Monster Tianhen, who infiltrated Tiantian City, failed. It’s said that Utterlander spies embedded among the Mulan had the same idea—they also sent a team to raid the Mulan’s warehouses. Unfortunately, they ran into Tianhen’s group, and both sides were unexpectedly exposed. After this battle, we’ve all seen the truth: the Mulan, fighting with everything they had, might be slightly weaker than us in strength, but they were willing to fight to the death. If not for Fellow Daoist Han’s extraordinary display of power—destroying the copper-armored corpse puppets and the Mulan’s sacred avian—we might have faced a crushing defeat. Although our Tiannan forces mobilized together, none of the sects committed their full strength—each left behind nearly half their disciples to guard their mountain gates. If we continue fighting, even if we wipe out the Mulan, who have no retreat, we’d still suffer devastating losses. If the Utterlanders attack us immediately afterward, we’d be defenseless,” Long Han said helplessly.
Hearing that Han Li had destroyed the corpse puppets and the demonic avian, those who hadn’t known before couldn’t help but glance at him with astonishment. Han Li remained expressionless, showing no reaction.
“Hmph! The Mulan want our territory—how can we negotiate peace? Are we really supposed to give them half our land?” Wei Wuyan seemed displeased, speaking coldly.
“Giving them half is out of the question! But we could cede two border nations near the Mulan Grasslands for them to settle. That way, the Utterlanders’ aggression would still be absorbed by the Mulan. The two races are mortal enemies—there’s no chance of betrayal. Of course, given the Utterlanders’ current momentum, we’ll still need to ally with the Mulan.”
From mortal enemies to potential allies in the blink of an eye—yet none of the cultivators showed surprise. These were all centuries-old monsters who had seen countless reversals of fortune. As long as it served their interests, they wouldn’t let emotions cloud their judgment.
“Border nations? That would mean giving up territory from our Nine Nations Alliance,” Wei Wuyan’s expression darkened.
“There’s no other choice—your alliance’s lands are the closest to the Mulan Grasslands. Of course, we can’t let your alliance bear the full loss. We’ll discuss how to compensate you appropriately,” Long Han explained.
“We’ll address that later. First, let’s see what the Mulan propose before negotiating terms,” Wei Wuyan deflected the matter, clearly dissatisfied.
Han Li’s gaze swept over Supreme Yang and the Joyous Old Demon. Though they appeared thoughtful, he could see a glimmer of interest in their eyes—they simply refrained from openly agreeing out of respect for Wei Wuyan. Han Li sighed inwardly. When it came to their own interests, the factions immediately began scheming against each other.
Long Han showed no surprise at Wei Wuyan’s response and instead smiled in agreement. “These are just my personal thoughts. How we handle this still requires careful discussion among us. Of course, we must also send people to the Mulan Grasslands to verify the truth before negotiating with the Mulan. If the reports are true, we can’t afford to keep fighting—both sides must compromise. Otherwise, we’d only be handing victory to the Utterlanders.”
His words satisfied the gathered cultivators, and Wei Wuyan’s expression softened slightly. The group then began discussing specifics.
Han Li remained silent throughout, neither offering suggestions nor participating in the debate. As long as it didn’t concern him or the Falling Cloud Sect, he couldn’t be bothered to waste his energy. With Long Han present, the Heavenly Dao Alliance wouldn’t suffer major losses anyway.
Before long, the old monsters finalized their strategy and countermeasures, then dispelled the barrier and dispersed the mist. On the Mulan side, the Three Divine Sages and their group had also concluded their urgent discussions. Both sides sent envoys to communicate, quickly reaching a temporary ceasefire agreement. Further negotiations would have to wait for another day.
However, the Mulan’s high-ranking mages all wore grim expressions. With their retreat cut off, they had become rootless wanderers, their futures bleak. Compared to their morale before the battle, their spirits had plummeted to rock bottom.
After witnessing the Mulan forces withdraw, Han Li and the other cultivators slowly retreated as well, heading back to Tianyi City. Thus ended the great battle involving over a hundred thousand cultivators at the border.
Months later, in a region of endless mountain ranges, a streak of azure light shot forward like lightning. Within the azure radiance, a faint figure could be seen—a man in a plain blue scholar’s robe, his features ordinary but his demeanor calm and composed. It was Han Li, returning to the Falling Cloud Sect.
By now, several months had passed since the border war. After learning that the Utterlanders sought to profit from their conflict, the Mulan and Tiannan factions, though reluctant, had no choice but to halt hostilities. When Old Monster Tianhen, who had escaped back to Tianyi City, confirmed that another faction was indeed targeting the Mulan, the major sects dispatched several teams to scout the Mulan Grasslands. They discovered that the Mulan’s mortal populations had been driven to the border, while Utterlanders had begun appearing in their former territories.
Faced with this reality, Tiannan’s leaders wasted no time in launching intense negotiations with the Mulan. Initially, the Mulan demanded a third of Tiannan’s land, threatening to fight to the death otherwise. The two sides reached an impasse. But as the Mulan’s mortal refugees gathered at the border and the Utterlanders openly hunted Mulan mages, the Mulan’s Divine Sages gradually conceded. Compared to Tiannan’s future vulnerability, the Mulan faced immediate annihilation—their blood feud with the Utterlanders spanned millennia, leaving no room for surrender.
After several rounds of concessions, the Mulan were granted two border nations to settle, while Tiannan relocated the original inhabitants to other regions. The three major factions then compensated the Nine Nations Alliance for their losses and helped resettle the displaced cultivators and sects.
In return, the Mulan, now settled in Tiannan, would bear the brunt of the Utterlanders’ attacks, with Tiannan forces providing support. This way, the Mulan gained a foothold but also took on the Nine Nations Alliance’s former role as a buffer against the Utterlanders. With only two nations, Tiannan’s factions needn’t fear the Mulan growing too powerful to challenge later.
Though confined to two nations, the Mulan avoided extinction and gained Tiannan as an ally against the Utterlanders. Both sides found the arrangement acceptable.
However, two incidents involving Han Li arose during this time. First, Han Li had killed the Yin Luo Sect Master’s wife, prompting the furious Jin Dynasty demonic cultivator to repeatedly challenge him to a duel. Han Li merely burned the jade missives without reply—he wasn’t foolish enough to accept a late-Nascent Soul cultivator’s challenge as an early-stage cultivator.
Later, after the Mulan-Tiannan peace deal, the Yin Luo Sect Master abruptly left with his subordinates, reportedly returning to Jin Dynasty. Han Li finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The second matter concerned the ancient lamp—the Mulan’s sacred heirloom, the “Primordial Light Lamp”—that Han Li had seized. The Mulan’s Divine Sages insisted it was their ancestral treasure and demanded its return.
Han Li didn’t refuse outright but demanded an exorbitant amount of Gold Essence in exchange. Unfortunately, the Mulan had only a small piece. Reluctantly, Han Li settled for other rare materials before returning the lamp.
He had no intention of keeping it—while the lamp was extraordinary, it was also a liability. The longer he held it, the more Mulan mages would target him. It was better to rid himself of it quickly.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage