Chapter 1832: Myriad Spirit Platform

“Although I dare not be certain, I can guess with seventy to eighty percent accuracy. Apart from those few individuals, who else possesses such immense influence and divine powers? Moreover, the inner pages of the Golden Jade Book are not something ordinary people can possess,” the white-robed youth sneered coldly.

Upon hearing this, the bearded man’s expression flickered uncertainly. After a long pause, he snorted and said, “As long as you understand, there’s no need to concern yourself with my exact identity. Just know that I am the only one who can help you master the Reverse Spirit Technique. All I ask is that once you succeed, you assist me in overcoming the impending heavenly tribulation.”

“This is a mutually beneficial arrangement. If I can achieve the True Spirit Form, I will naturally ensure your survival. However, I have now reached the peak of the late Void Refinement stage. After absorbing the Yin energy from this Profound Yin Crystal Wall, I will need to find a place to break through the bottleneck to the Body Integration stage. If the Reverse Spirit Technique is truly as miraculous as claimed, advancing to Body Integration should pose no problem. At that point, I will venture alone into the wilderness to hunt ancient beasts of the cold attribute, devour their demon cores, and seek out extreme cold regions to absorb the purest Yin energy. In this way, within a thousand years, my cultivation will advance by leaps and bounds, allowing me to reach the late Body Integration stage in one go. Then, I can begin preparations for achieving the True Spirit Form,” the white-robed youth replied gravely.

“Good that you understand! If not for the impending demonic tribulation forcing me to remain with my clan to make preparations, I would have preferred to accompany you personally into the wilderness. However, once you, Six-Wings, advance to Body Integration and with the extraordinary power of the Reverse Spirit Technique, you should be able to roam freely in the wilderness as long as you avoid provoking the mighty beings of other races,” the bearded man said, his expression softening.

“The Wind Yuan Continent is vast, and ancient beasts of the cold attribute are abundant. Having gained sentience through transformation, I am not foolish enough to provoke powerful beings of other races,” the white-robed youth said indifferently, falling silent thereafter.

Satisfied with the response, the bearded man nodded and also refrained from further speech, though his flickering gaze hinted at deep contemplation.

A gust of yellow wind rolled in from the distance, and within moments, it engulfed everything in its path…

Two months later.

Han Li sat on an emerald-green wooden chair, calmly toying with an exquisitely crafted golden wine cup. Beside him was the head of the Gu Family, the Breeze Fairy.

Elder Xiao sat closely next to her, clearly deferring to her leadership.

Rows of Gu Family disciples at the Nascent Soul and Deity Transformation stages stood behind the three, their faces tinged with excitement.

Facing the Gu Family members was a massive stone platform spanning about a li in diameter. Circular in shape, its surface was paved with dark-green stone slabs, slightly blackened with age.

At the edges of the platform stood tall, multicolored formation flags emitting layers of radiant light, enveloping the entire plaza within a massive, hundred-zhang-tall barrier.

Surrounding the platform were clusters of people, some numbering two to three hundred, others as few as a dozen. There were about thirty to forty such groups in total.

The Gu Family cultivators were of medium size among these groups but, along with four other factions, occupied the front row closest to the platform. The remaining groups were relegated to positions further back.

Looking beyond the crowd, one could faintly discern towering cliffs and the silhouettes of grand structures built against them.

This place was a vast valley encircled by mountains.

Han Li’s presence here, along with the massive stone platform in the valley, marked the gathering of all True Spirit Families from the Three Realms, convened every three thousand years—the Ten Thousand Spirit Platform.

As the fifth-ranked family in the previous gathering, the Gu Family was one of the five great True Spirit Families, earning them a prime position near the platform and drawing envious and jealous gazes from the smaller families behind them.

Being among the top five True Spirit Families signified not just status and prestige but also immense tangible benefits. However, some mid-sized families cast dark and peculiar glances at the Gu Family.

Despite the large crowd surrounding the platform, an eerie silence prevailed, as if everyone was waiting for something.

Though Han Li remained seated without looking up, he could clearly sense over a dozen pairs of eyes scrutinizing him, some even probing with spiritual sense, utterly brazen in their approach.

This was hardly surprising. The Gu Family’s expected attendee, the Supreme Elder “Heavenly Li Fairy,” was absent from such an important True Spirit Ceremony. Instead, Han Li, a temporary guest elder, had appeared in her place, naturally drawing attention from other families.

Initially, Han Li paid no heed to these gazes. But as time passed and the scrutiny remained unabated, it became clear that some were deliberately provoking him.

The Breeze Fairy beside him also noticed this, her expression gradually darkening.

Han Li sighed inwardly. His face suddenly turned stern, and the golden wine cup in his hand trembled before disintegrating into golden powder, slipping through his fingers and vanishing without a trace.

Simultaneously, a layer of silver flames flickered around his body. The moment the hostile spiritual senses touched the silver flames, they recoiled as if stung by a viper, vanishing instantly.

At this point, Han Li raised his head and coldly swept his gaze along the paths of those probing eyes.

These individuals were clearly at the Body Integration stage.

Two belonged to the five great families closest to the platform, like the Gu Family, while the other three were from mid-sized families in the second row.

The three from the mid-sized families were merely early Body Integration cultivators, likely emboldened by the absence of the mid-stage Heavenly Li Fairy to harbor ill intentions.

Of the two from the great families, one was the elder of the Feng Family, a mid-stage Body Integration cultivator with a horse-like face, whom the Breeze Fairy had earlier warned Han Li about. Clad in green robes and gripping a black cane, he eyed Han Li with a dark gaze.

The Feng Family had ranked fourth in the previous True Spirit Families gathering and held a long-standing feud with the Gu Family. Thus, it was unsurprising that their elder scrutinized Han Li, the Gu Family’s temporary guest.

The other was a cultivator from the Long Family, the foremost among the True Spirit Families. However, the hostile gaze did not come from the Long Family Patriarch but from a black-robed man seated beside him, also a mid-stage Body Integration cultivator with a ruddy complexion and a deep purple scar on his forehead, giving him a fierce appearance.

This was the Long Family’s newly recruited Supreme Guest Elder, a cultivator surnamed Hui, said to practice the top-tier demonic technique “Azure Radiance Art,” also at the mid-stage Body Integration level.

As for the Long Family Patriarch, he had remained with eyes closed in meditation since taking his seat at the front, seemingly lost in thought.

However, when Han Li’s gaze swept over the Long Family members, apart from the black-robed man’s glare, another individual stared at him with intense malice.

Han Li’s expression shifted slightly as he focused on this person, his lips curling into a faint, enigmatic smile.

The young man standing behind the Long Family Patriarch, with a bright red mole at the corner of his mouth, was none other than Long Dong, whose plans Han Li had thwarted during the Wood Tribe incident.

This Long Family heir had spent centuries scheming, only for Han Li to intervene, costing him not only the Ye Family’s Heavenly Phoenix Bloodline but also most of his own True Dragon Bloodline.

Now, upon seeing Han Li again, his hatred burned fiercely, compounded by deep envy upon learning that Han Li had also advanced to Body Integration.

Had his plans succeeded centuries ago, he, the Long Family heir, might have been the one to achieve Body Integration by now.

Thus, when Han Li looked at him, Long Dong met his gaze without flinching, his eyes filled with venomous resentment.

The trace of a smile on Han Li’s face vanished in an instant, replaced by a flash of piercing blue light in his pupils.

Long Dong, glaring fiercely at Han Li, suddenly felt a searing heat in his eyes, followed by a sharp, needle-like pain in his head. He clutched his skull and let out an involuntary cry of agony.

But immediately, the Long Family Patriarch, who had been meditating, opened his eyes and struck Long Dong’s arm with a palm. A golden light flickered and disappeared, and Long Dong’s pain vanished as quickly as it had come.

Though his hands dropped, his face remained pale with shock and fear.

Quick-witted, Long Dong promptly bowed deeply to the Patriarch, exclaiming, “Thank you, Ancestor, for saving me! Had it not been for you, this unworthy descendant would have suffered grievously!”

Even as he spoke, he shot another hateful glance at Han Li, though this time his eyes also held deep fear.

It seemed he had finally realized that Han Li, now a Body Integration cultivator, was far beyond the opponent he had once known.

“Fellow Daoist Han, what is the meaning of this? Why attack a mere junior?” the Long Family Patriarch asked expressionlessly, ignoring Long Dong’s gratitude.

Long Dong’s cry and the Patriarch’s question naturally drew the attention of all present.

“Nothing much. He simply looked at me with undue disrespect, so I gave him a minor lesson. Does Brother Long find that inappropriate?” Han Li retorted coldly, the blue light in his eyes fading as a hint of frost entered his smile.

Such a blunt rebuff to the Long Family Patriarch sparked murmurs of surprise among the onlookers.

“Hmm, this descendant of mine is indeed too arrogant. A small lesson is not unwarranted,” the Patriarch replied unexpectedly, nodding before closing his eyes once more, dismissing the matter entirely.