“With Seventh Uncle’s assistance and Third Brother joining us, we now have two great cultivators to aid in retrieving the treasure. Combined with the clan cultivators gathered here and the external elders we’ve recruited at great cost, our strength is sufficient to rival the top ten sects of the righteous and demonic factions. This trip to the Southern Border to retrieve the treasure seems highly promising,” the square-faced cultivator said with uncontrollable joy.
“I won’t interfere with your actions; I’ll simply contribute my strength. Whether the Ye Clan can escape the control of the righteous and demonic factions depends entirely on this endeavor. I won’t hold you back,” the eccentric man said slowly.
Hearing this from the clan’s sole remaining elder, the square-faced cultivator and the old woman were overjoyed and naturally responded with humble words. Finally, after half a day of secret discussions in the hall, the elders of the Jin Empire’s foremost aristocratic family dispersed one by one.
In a hidden chamber of a mansion within the imperial city, a dense black demonic aura filled the entire room. Within it, the faint silhouette of a massive two-headed demon could be seen, its four eyes flashing with black and purple light, appearing extremely sinister and terrifying.
After an unknown amount of time, the demon suddenly let out a low growl. The demonic aura churned violently before being completely absorbed into its body, as if countless streams were returning to the sea. Simultaneously, the demon’s four hands formed seals, and after a series of explosive sounds, its body transformed into an ordinary-looking young man under a black light, bearing some resemblance to Han Li.
This was none other than the ancient demon lurking within the Ye Clan.
“Good, my injuries are eighty percent healed. As long as I don’t run into those old monsters, no one in the Jin Empire can threaten me now. The Ye Clan should be making their move soon. Given my demonstrated familiarity with ancient times, they won’t dare exclude me from their plans. Once we reach that place… hehe…” The demon muttered to itself, a cold smile spreading across its face.
Just as the ancient demon finished its recovery, in a secret cave dwelling of the Yin Luo Sect outside Jinjing City, Ge Tianhao was speaking with the Heavenly Lure Saintess.
“I’ve received news that Fu Cheng of the Nine Serenities Sect has appeared in the Southern Border. That day, the kid surnamed Han attended the underground trading session with him. If not for some intelligence we obtained, we’d still be in the dark. Since Fu Cheng is there, the kid surnamed Han might also appear nearby. Our sect’s Grand Elder happens to be handling some matters in the Southern Border and has already headed there. If he happens to discover that kid, he’ll personally deal with him. Fellow Daoist Lin, would you like to join me and take a look?”
“Fu Cheng? His presence there doesn’t necessarily mean the kid surnamed Han is in the Southern Border. I’ve received word that the grasslands have dispatched a team of temple guardians led by Immortal Master Xu into the Jin Empire. They’ll soon arrive in Jinjing to rendezvous with me. I need to stay here for a while. Once they arrive, if there’s still no concrete news about that kid, I’ll lead a team to the Southern Border,” Lin Yinping shook her head.
“Fellow Daoist Xu is coming too? What a fortunate coincidence! The Grand Elder will be overjoyed to hear this. Then I’ll wait here with you. After all, the Grand Elder’s original order was for me to accompany you at all times,” Ge Tianhao said, first surprised and then delighted.
Lin Yinping smiled faintly and nodded slightly.
“By the way, didn’t that kid surnamed Han also appear along the coast and become a guest elder for three minor sects? Have those sects been keeping him under surveillance? Any news yet?” Lin Yinping frowned, recalling this matter.
“None. That kid is too cunning. After initially helping those three sects once, he never showed his face again. Moreover, we’ve confirmed that his relationship with the Heavenly Talisman Sect is merely superficial. Even if we wiped out those three sects, he wouldn’t bat an eye,” Ge Tianhao said helplessly.
“That makes sense. He’s a cultivator from the Heavenly South; why would he care about the fate of these sects? However, before I came to the Jin Empire, I already sent people to investigate his background in the Heavenly South. It’s been a long time; there should be some news by now. When Immortal Master Xu arrives, we can ask for details. That way, when we face him again, we’ll be better prepared,” Lin Yinping said, her brows slightly raised.
“Oh? If we can obtain information about him and understand his cultivation techniques, dealing with him will be much easier. Do you know when Immortal Master Xu and the others will arrive?” Ge Tianhao perked up.
“At most, we’ll have to wait two or three months. This time, if Immortal Master Xu can join forces with your sect’s Grand Elder, I refuse to believe that kid can escape again,” the Heavenly Lure Saintess said bitterly, thinking of the captured sacred beast.
Hearing her words, Ge Tianhao’s mind stirred. Although she claimed her relentless pursuit was due to the kid killing many Heavenly Lure cultivators, given his near-late Nascent Soul-level power, such a vendetta seemed disproportionate for a saintess. There must be another reason, something worth staying in the Jin Empire for years and even summoning reinforcements from the grasslands. He resolved to uncover this secret.
Lin Yinping, too, was not as calm as she appeared. With the sacred beast’s avatar imprisoned for so long, she didn’t know how much longer she could keep it hidden. She hadn’t even dared to contact the upper realm in years. Fortunately, the avatar was only imprisoned, not destroyed, so the main body remained unaware—but this couldn’t last. She had to rescue the avatar soon while minimizing losses among her own forces, which meant leveraging the Yin Luo Sect as much as possible. She, too, had made her decision.
Near the border between the Southern Border and another province, a jovial old man chattered animatedly with a group of Qi Condensation cultivators as he traveled with a lightness technique. The young novices listened with rapt attention, utterly engrossed.
Had Han Li been present, he would have been startled to recognize this smooth-talking old man—none other than Xiang Zhili, the suspected Deity Transformation cultivator. After Han Li left the Heavenly Talisman Sect, before the sect’s higher-ups could question this low-ranking disciple, Xiang Zhili mysteriously vanished. The sect assumed Han Li was behind it and suppressed all mention of Xiang Zhili. Yet years later, the old man reappeared here, shrouded in mystery.
Beyond these individuals, many powerful factions in the Jin Empire sensed the undercurrents beneath the seemingly calm surface of the cultivation world. Some well-connected sects even traced suspicions to the imperial Ye Clan, though without concrete evidence. High-level meetings became frequent as secret plots unfolded, painting a picture of impending turmoil across the empire.
Months later, in the Southern Border’s Silver Python Mountain volcanic region, an ecstatic roar pierced the heavens. A dazzling azure streak shot from the ground, vanishing into the sky and reappearing at the horizon in the blink of an eye. Witnesses gaped in shock at the incredible speed.
Seven or eight days later, the same azure streak appeared over the Southern Border’s largest primeval forest, a sprawling expanse of nearly ten thousand miles. It streaked westward until reaching a massive basin shrouded in thousand-foot-high yellow toxic mist. The streak descended toward the mist’s edge.
“Fellow Daoist Han, you’re a bit late. Fellow Daoists Bai and Yuan arrived several days ago; you’re the last one,” an old man said with a smile as the light faded, revealing Han Li beside a group of meditating cultivators. This was Elder Fu, accompanied by the same group from half a year ago: Bai Yaoyi, the burly Yuan, and the others.
“I was refining a magic tool and only finished a few days ago. My apologies for the delay,” Han Li clasped his hands.
“No matter. The season of weakened Yin winds lasts three months; a few days won’t hurt. But since you’ve just finished refining, perhaps you should rest and recover your energy first,” Bai Yaoyi suggested after scrutinizing Han Li.
“Fellow Daoist Bai is right. Before entering the Yin Yang Cave, we should all be at peak condition,” Elder Fu agreed. The others nodded silently.
“Very well, I won’t decline. We’ll enter the valley in two days,” Han Li said, glancing at the black valley mouth barely visible through the toxic mist a hundred yards away. He sat cross-legged, producing two mid-grade wood spirit stones, and closed his eyes. The others also meditated, preparing their minds and bodies.
Two days later, Han Li opened his calm eyes. Elder Fu immediately declared, “Let’s go!” The group rose, enveloping themselves in protective barriers.
“With my Poison-Repelling Jade Ruyi, traversing the Ten Thousand Poisons Valley is manageable. But beware the tiny venomous insects in the mist—don’t drop your barriers. If not for the ancient flight-restriction formation here, flying directly to the entrance would be safest,” the burly Yuan said, summoning a silver jade ruyi and leading the way into the mist.
As he approached, he pointed at the ruyi and chanted. Silver ripples emanated, pushing back the toxic mist and thinning it significantly. After casting a lightness spell on himself, he floated toward the valley mouth. The others followed suit, similarly enhancing themselves before proceeding.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage