Chapter 2258: Return

Han Li raised his hand and beckoned toward the ancient cyan halberd.

Instantly, a ripple of cyan light shimmered across its surface, and with a “whoosh,” it shot toward Han Li.

Extending his arm, Han Li effortlessly caught the halberd and held it horizontally before him. After examining it briefly, he suddenly smiled and handed it to Silvermoon beside him, saying, “This treasure appears to be a holy artifact fused with a fragment of the Profound Heaven. It’s of little use to me, but it should suit you perfectly.”

“Thank you, Brother Han. I won’t stand on ceremony.” Silvermoon’s heart swelled with joy as she accepted the halberd without hesitation, eagerly inspecting it.

Meanwhile, Han Li waved his hand again, and the yellow gourd flew through the air into his grasp.

“This is…”

After a brief examination, a flicker of surprise crossed his face. But after a moment’s thought, he silently stored the gourd away with a flip of his palm. Then, his gaze shifted to the last of the three treasures—a pitch-black miniature flying boat.

This was undoubtedly the legendary “Ink Spirit Sacred Vessel.” Han Li narrowed his eyes, studying it intently before smiling faintly. He formed a hand seal with one hand and pointed toward the boat.

With a soft “puff,” the black vessel trembled slightly before rising slowly from the stone platform. As dark runes surged across its surface, its size began to expand wildly, causing the other treasures in the hall to hum and vibrate in response.

Half an hour later, the lake’s surface suddenly churned violently, waves surging and spreading in all directions.

A deafening explosion echoed across the land!

The frozen plain, spanning thousands of acres including the lake, shattered into countless fragments. Amid the swirling snow and ice, a colossal, shadowy figure emerged—a towering vessel resembling a mountain.

It was a sky-piercing ship over a thousand zhang in length, towering over a dozen stories high. Its jet-black surface gleamed with countless intricate spirit patterns, while silver banners of varying heights stood at its bow and stern, each inscribed with images of mythical beasts and birds.

On its decks stood rows of motionless crystal puppet guards.

With a thunderous roar, the vessel transformed into a streak of black light and vanished into the horizon in the blink of an eye.

—

Two months later, above an unnamed small mountain range in the Spirit Realm, a deafening rumble erupted as dark clouds converged from all directions, swirling into a massive black vortex.

Spatial fluctuations emanated from within!

A thunderous boom followed, and countless silver arcs crackled within the vortex as the colossal black vessel slowly emerged. The surrounding space twisted violently, as if the sky itself were being torn apart.

On the highest deck of the vessel, Han Li stood motionless, his eyes lightly closed. Silvermoon stood behind him, her face alight with excitement.

“Finally back in the Spirit Realm—and far more easily than expected! This Ink Spirit Sacred Vessel even possesses spatial attributes. What a pleasant surprise.”

As the entire vessel fully exited the vortex, Han Li opened his eyes, a satisfied smile on his face.

“The node we chose wasn’t particularly stable. I thought returning to the Spirit Realm from there would take much longer,” Silvermoon replied with a radiant smile.

“Regardless, this trip to the Demon Realm was certainly worthwhile,” Han Li said with a chuckle.

“Absolutely!” Silvermoon nodded eagerly, her mind still lingering on the treasures she had obtained from the Qiling Vault.

“Now that we’re back, let’s first determine our location before heading straight to Sacred Island. Brother Mo and Senior Ao Xiao are likely waiting for us there,” Han Li said calmly after scanning the mountain range with his spiritual sense.

“Oh? From your tone, Brother Han, it seems we’re not too far from the human territories,” Silvermoon perked up.

“There was some deviation in our calculations, but we’re actually closer to the human lands than anticipated,” Han Li replied.

“That’s wonderful! Let’s set off now,” Silvermoon exclaimed joyfully.

Han Li chuckled softly. Without another word, the Ink Spirit Sacred Vessel trembled and shot forward with a resonant hum.

Behind them, the black vortex gradually dissipated and vanished.

—

Six months later, in the main hall of Sacred Island at the border between the human and demon races, a silver-haired youth and an elderly man were deep in conversation—none other than Ao Xiao the Revered and Mo Jianli.

Below them, over a dozen Sacred Island elders stood respectfully on either side of the hall.

“By my calculations, that brat Han should have returned long ago. Could something have happened to him in the Demon Realm?” Ao Xiao frowned, his voice tinged with concern.

“Don’t worry. Han Li’s abilities now far surpass anything we could imagine. Even the Mother of Screaming Souls couldn’t harm him—what trouble could possibly befall him?” Mo Jianli shook his head dismissively.

“Hmph, true enough. But this world is full of formidable beings, and that boy has never been one to sit still. Who knows what trouble he might have stirred up?” Ao Xiao retorted with a smirk.

“Haha, Ao Xiao, you sound more and more like a father-in-law lecturing his son-in-law. Don’t tell me you’re seriously considering pairing your granddaughter with Han Li?” Mo Jianli stroked his beard, grinning.

“And what if I am? Given Ling’er’s talent, she has a far greater chance of reaching the Grand Ascension stage than any of these fellows below us. Besides, if she becomes Han Li’s partner, wouldn’t that make our two races even more like family?” Ao Xiao shot back, gesturing at the elders.

The Sacred Island elders exchanged awkward glances but quickly nodded in agreement.

“You old fox!” Mo Jianli sighed in amusement, though he couldn’t deny the logic in Ao Xiao’s words.

“Though I’ve heard Han Li already had a beloved cultivation partner in the human realm. Their bond was so deep that he hasn’t sought another since ascending to the Spirit Realm,” Mo Jianli mused.

“What’s so unusual about someone like us having multiple cultivation partners? Besides, my eyes aren’t so dim that I can’t see the affection that boy holds for my Ling’er,” Ao Xiao chuckled.

“Now that you mention it, you might be right. And considering Han Li’s age relative to ours, he’s practically just starting out. If he were to take more partners within our clans, the chances of producing descendants with extraordinary cultivation talent would be significant,” Mo Jianli said thoughtfully.

Ao Xiao was momentarily stunned before pointing at Mo Jianli with a mix of exasperation and amusement, about to retort.

But just then, a familiar male voice echoed through the hall, accompanied by a wry laugh:

“Fellow Daoists, please spare me your teasing. Otherwise, I might have to avoid you both altogether.”

As the words faded, spatial ripples appeared at the hall’s entrance, revealing two figures—a young man in green robes with a resigned expression (Han Li) and a stunningly beautiful woman with flushed cheeks and shy eyes (Silvermoon).

“Ah! Greetings, Senior Han!” The Sacred Island elders hurriedly bowed in reverence.

Ao Xiao and Mo Jianli exchanged glances, their faces lighting up with delight.

“Fellow Daoist Han, you’ve finally returned. Now I can truly rest easy.”

“Haha, brat Han, I was starting to think you’d truly run off with my Ling’er!”

The two Grand Ascension elders rose to greet him.

“You jest, fellow Daoists. As you can see, Silvermoon and I are perfectly fine. And there’s no need for such formalities,” Han Li said with a smile, gesturing for the elders to rise.

“Your presence won’t be needed here for now. All of you may leave. We have much to discuss with Fellow Daoist Han,” Ao Xiao commanded.

The elders bowed and swiftly exited the hall, leaving only the four of them.

Han Li took a seat opposite the two Grand Ascension elders without ceremony, while Silvermoon stepped behind Ao Xiao, shooting him a reproachful glance before standing quietly. Clearly, she was still embarrassed by her grandfather’s earlier remarks.

“Fellow Daoist Han, without you, both Ao Xiao and I might have perished in the Demon Realm. This debt of gratitude is one I’ll never forget,” Mo Jianli said solemnly, clasping his fists.

“Indeed. Had you not intervened, we might have been buried alongside those demons in that ancient seal. I, too, shall repay this favor in due time,” Ao Xiao added gravely.

“You flatter me. The two of you have dedicated your lives to our races’ survival for countless years. My small act of assistance pales in comparison,” Han Li replied humbly.

“Not at all. Our past contributions cannot equate to the life-saving grace you’ve shown us. This is a debt that must be repaid,” Mo Jianli insisted firmly.

Ao Xiao nodded in agreement.

Han Li could only smile helplessly, choosing not to press the matter further.

The conversation then turned to their respective experiences in the Demon Realm and the events surrounding the Mother of Screaming Souls.

Naturally, Han Li made no mention of the ancient true immortal still hidden in the Primordial Demon Land, attributing the insect mother’s demise entirely to Bao Hua and the ancient seal. This explanation raised no suspicions from Ao Xiao or Mo Jianli.

“Fellow Daoist Han, now that you’ve returned, take some time to rest and avoid venturing out for a while,” Mo Jianli suddenly said, his expression turning peculiar.