“Master, rest assured. Venerable Azure Dragon’s Spirit Infant was devoured by me in one gulp—he no longer exists in this world. However, before his death, he stopped suppressing the poison and unleashed a desperate technique, which also drained some of my vitality. I had to meditate outside for two days before sneaking back into the city with a group of Tianyuan City scouts. No one could possibly detect me.” The leopard-qilin beast grinned, its mouth stretching wide.
“Hmm, you did well this time. With this, I no longer have any worries and can focus entirely on breaking through the late-stage bottleneck,” Han Li replied, a faint smile curling at the corners of his lips.
“Hehe, with Master’s cultivation talent and all the preparations you’ve made, breaking through this bottleneck will surely be effortless. Let me congratulate you in advance on your advancement!” The leopard-qilin beast blinked playfully, letting out a string of light laughter.
“I hope so. Since you’ve already taken human form, there’s no need for you to stay in the spirit beast ring anymore. You can cultivate in the chamber next to mine. If you need anything, just ask Qilingzi or the others. I’ll instruct them to fulfill all your requests.” Han Li’s expression turned solemn.
“Thank you, Master! I’ve long grown tired of staying in the spirit beast ring. I’ll head to the adjacent chamber to cultivate now. When you begin your seclusion, I’ll return to guard you!” The leopard-qilin beast was overjoyed and immediately bid farewell.
Han Li naturally had no objections. After a few more words of caution, he let it leave.
Once the leopard-qilin beast had vanished, Han Li took a deep breath, reached out with one hand, and summoned a communication talisman. He flicked it away and closed his eyes to resume meditation.
A short while later, a woman’s voice rang outside the chamber: “Brother Han, have you summoned me because you’re planning to break through the late-stage bottleneck in the coming days?”
The voice was melodious yet carried a hint of frost—it unmistakably belonged to Frost Li.
“You guessed correctly, Fellow Daoist Feng. I do indeed have such plans,” Han Li replied calmly, opening his eyes.
—
Several days later, in a chamber within Tianyuan City, seven or eight members of the Elder Council were gathered in discussion. Among them were Golden Zen Master and Silverlight Fairy.
“So, Venerable Azure Dragon has truly fallen! What a pity—this is a great loss for our two races at such a critical time,” sighed the silver-haired elder seated at the head of the table.
“Had he not left a soul tablet in the secret hall after joining the council, I wouldn’t have believed it either. According to the hall guards, his tablet shattered within half a day of his departure from the city,” Golden Zen Master said with a bitter smile.
“Hmph, Venerable Azure Dragon brought this upon himself. Knowing full well that the area is swarming with demons, he still insisted on teleporting away. He has no one to blame but himself,” Silverlight Fairy remarked coldly.
“Who’s to say he died at the hands of demons? Someone else might have done it. Didn’t the teleportation hall guards mention another person left with him? Perhaps that’s who killed him,” a burly man in black leather robes interjected with a chuckle.
“Are you implying suspicion toward Fellow Daoist Han?” Silverlight Fairy’s expression darkened slightly.
“Fairy Silverlight, don’t twist my words. I never said that. I merely suggested that his death might not have been at the hands of demons,” the man retorted hastily, clearly unwilling to provoke Han Li.
Silverlight Fairy smiled faintly but said nothing more.
“Enough. Since Venerable Azure Dragon forcibly left Tianyuan City, he effectively renounced his membership in the Elder Council. There’s no need for us to investigate further. Our priority now is the demon army besieging the city!” the silver-haired elder declared sternly.
“But Venerable Azure Dragon was still a mid-stage Body Integration cultivator of the human race. His unexplained death will be difficult to justify to the city’s cultivators. Moreover, how will this affect Fairy Lin Luan’s stance toward us?” Elder Gu of the Douyuan Pavilion mused.
“What’s there to justify? If we don’t speak of it, who will know of his demise? Even if we decide to investigate, it must wait until after the demon calamity. Right now, our races face extinction—everything else is secondary. As for Fellow Daoist Lin, she’s wise enough to understand the situation,” the silver-haired elder said coldly.
The others exchanged glances and nodded in reluctant agreement.
“Good. Since there are no further objections, let’s discuss Fellow Daoist Han Li. Master Golden Zen, I heard you sent someone to invite him for a meeting, but he had already entered seclusion. Is this true?” the silver-haired elder asked solemnly.
“Indeed. I had hoped to persuade him to reconsider his stance on letting Venerable Azure Dragon leave. But his disciples informed me he was in seclusion and unavailable,” Golden Zen Master replied slowly.
“So, he anticipated your visit and deliberately avoided you,” the elder mused, stroking his beard.
“Perhaps. A few days before my invitation, he met with those juniors who had been bribed by Venerable Azure Dragon. They emerged pale-faced, as if he had extorted a hefty sum of spirit stones and materials from them. I wonder if they could even gather such an amount,” Golden Zen Master said with a strange expression.
“Those fools overestimated themselves by meddling in such affairs. They deserved the lesson! If not for Han Li’s consideration of their clans and sects, he wouldn’t have let them off so lightly,” the silver-haired elder sneered.
“True. But his leniency has eased my mind. Had he pursued the matter relentlessly, it could have sparked further conflict,” Golden Zen Master admitted wearily.
“Avoiding that is a relief. I’d have been at my wits’ end otherwise,” the elder chuckled dryly.
“Master, I heard Venerable Azure Dragon was defeated in just three strikes by Fellow Daoist Han. Isn’t that an exaggeration?” the black-robed cultivator interjected.
“It’s the truth. Fellow Daoist Han’s power is unparalleled—I’ve never seen anything like it. Even late-stage Body Integration cultivators might not be his match. Fairy Silverlight and Elder Gu also witnessed the battle. You may verify with them,” Golden Zen Master stated gravely.
The black-robed cultivator glanced at Silverlight Fairy and Elder Gu. The former remained impassive, while the latter nodded solemnly.
A shiver ran down the black-robed cultivator’s spine. The others who had little interaction with Han Li also wore expressions of shock.
“Surpassing late-stage cultivators? Isn’t that an overstatement? Venerable Azure Dragon’s reputation might have been inflated if he couldn’t withstand three strikes from a peer,” the black-robed cultivator argued weakly.
“You’re mistaken. Venerable Azure Dragon was a half-demon capable of partial dragon transformation, coupled with profound Confucian techniques. His strength was formidable—he simply chose the wrong opponent. Fellow Daoist Han is also a dual cultivator of body and magic. His beastly avatar far surpassed Venerable Azure Dragon’s semi-dragon form, shattering his defenses in three strikes and leaving him severely wounded. Had I faced such an opponent, fleeing would have been my only option,” Golden Zen Master murmured a Buddhist chant, his tone grave.
“If that’s the case, the rumors of Fellow Daoist Han escaping pursuit by a demonic Sacred Ancestor’s avatar must be true. With such power, surviving such an encounter isn’t surprising,” the silver-haired elder remarked solemnly.
“I can’t confirm the Sacred Ancestor’s avatar, but I did witness him slay several demonic Venerables,” Silverlight Fairy added carefully.
“A demonic Sacred Ancestor!”
The mere mention of this taboo figure sent a ripple of unease through the room.
“It seems Fellow Daoist Han’s prowess is extraordinary. With his aid, our odds against the demons may improve. Master Golden Zen, try again to persuade him to join the Elder Council. Any conditions he sets will be acceptable,” the silver-haired elder said decisively.
“Very well. I’ll attempt it, though I doubt he’ll agree,” Golden Zen Master replied with a nod.
“I’m aware. Had he been willing, he would’ve joined us long ago. But it’s worth a try. Now, let’s move on to the latest intelligence on the demon army’s movements. If the reports are accurate, they may launch a full-scale assault on Tianyuan City within months, or at most a year,” the elder declared, his aura shifting abruptly.
The others tensed and listened intently.
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