Chapter 1818: The Tethering Messenger and the Entrance

For the next while, the old Daoist truly explained some taboos regarding the Black Domain Assembly to Han Li.

Han Li listened and nodded repeatedly.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the old Daoist glanced at the still dim and gloomy sky before smiling and saying, “It’s getting late now. Let’s head to the entrance together. The Black Domain has many entry points each time it opens, but the one we’re going to should have no more than four or five people waiting. However, before we go, we must conceal our true appearances. No need for anything too elaborate—the Black Domain has restrictions on divine sense, so ordinary disguises are enough to block others’ prying eyes. Just make sure not to be recognized by fellow cultivators before entering. But even if someone does recognize you, it’s fine. Once inside, you can simply change your disguise, and they won’t be able to identify you during the exchange.”

The Myriad Bones Venerable truly lived up to his reputation as someone who had attended the Black Domain Assembly multiple times, effortlessly offering a string of advice.

“Thank you for your guidance, Fellow Daoist Myriad Bones. Han understands what to do,” Han Li replied with a smile. As he spoke, a layer of grayish light surged from his body, completely enveloping his form.

It was the Magnetic Divine Light, forced out of his body.

With this divine light shielding him, other Body Integration cultivators would find it difficult to penetrate his true appearance with their divine sense.

Seeing Han Li’s transformation, the Myriad Bones Venerable chuckled darkly.

With a single hand seal, a mass of black mist rolled out from his body, similarly concealing his figure.

Then, the two of them summoned their escape lights once more and shot out of the Nine Immortals Mountain.

At the same time, many other Body Integration old monsters and mysterious cultivators within the Nine Immortals Mountain also left their residences, quietly making their way out of the mountain range.

However, the destinations of these individuals were vastly different.

Several hours later, when the sky had fully brightened, Han Li and the Myriad Bones Venerable exited the Nine Immortals Mountain and landed their escape lights in a seemingly desolate valley nearby.

There, two people were already waiting silently.

One was clad in dazzling golden light, so radiant that it was impossible to look directly at them. The other had a faint, smoke-like silhouette, impossible to discern no matter how intently one stared.

These two stood far apart, one to the south and the other to the north. When Han Li and the old Daoist arrived, they merely glanced over before ignoring them.

Clearly, they were not companions like Han Li and the old Daoist.

Han Li also gave them a brief look but refrained from probing them with his divine sense.

As the old Daoist had explained earlier, whether before or after entering the Black Domain, all participants—whether human or demon—strongly disapproved of using divine sense to probe others.

At best, it would be seen as a provocation; at worst, it could lead to immediate retaliation.

Han Li had no objections to this rule, so when he found he couldn’t see the other two clearly with his naked eye, he simply withdrew his gaze.

Though he was confident his Brightsight Spirit Eyes could likely penetrate their disguises, if they cultivated special secret techniques, they might sense his probing.

He had no desire to stir up trouble before even entering the Black Domain.

Thus, Han Li and the Myriad Bones Venerable found a slightly elevated spot, keeping their distance from the other two, and waited quietly.

All four individuals present had concealed their true appearances, so none had any interest in conversation.

This created an eerie atmosphere—nothing but the rustling of the wind could be heard.

Han Li narrowed his eyes slightly, silently calculating the time.

About half an hour later, the sound of something cutting through the air came from the horizon.

A mass of eerie green light appeared in the distant sky, then vanished in a flash before shooting toward them.

After a few flickers, the green light plummeted like a meteor. Just as it seemed about to crash into the ground, it abruptly halted a few feet above the surface and landed without a sound.

Han Li glanced over indifferently, seeing a faint figure standing within the green light.

This figure positioned itself right in the middle of the four of them.

After surveying the others, the figure seemed to grin within the green light before sitting cross-legged firmly in place, showing no intention of moving further.

Han Li was momentarily surprised before smiling faintly, finding this person rather interesting.

The old Daoist beside him, however, frowned slightly as he stared at the figure in the green light, as if recalling something.

According to the Myriad Bones Venerable, the five of them were the only ones attending the Black Domain Assembly at this location.

Another half-hour passed before Han Li suddenly felt an unusual fluctuation from his sleeve. His expression shifted as he reached inside and pulled out a triangular black token the size of his palm.

Though the token was pitch-black, a faint white glow flickered on its surface, as if resonating with something.

Delighted, Han Li looked up at the others.

The Myriad Bones Venerable and the other three had also retrieved identical tokens, each emitting the same faint white light.

At that moment, a low, rumbling sound echoed from above the valley.

A powerful spatial fluctuation rippled out from the same spot.

All five individuals below were startled and turned their gazes upward.

The previously clear sky above the valley was now covered by a mass of dark clouds.

Within these clouds, silver arcs of lightning silently appeared before intertwining and converging into a single mass.

With a deafening thunderclap, a massive silver gate suddenly materialized amid the lightning!

The gate stood over a hundred feet tall, its surface engraved with ancient and intricate patterns, surrounded by swirling silver runes.

It was a breathtaking sight!

However, the five individuals in the valley were no ordinary beings—each had witnessed far stranger phenomena—so they remained composed, standing their ground without moving.

Suddenly, the silver gate emitted a resonant hum, and the surrounding runes froze in place.

The gate slowly creaked open, revealing a sliver of darkness.

A streak of black light shot out from the gap, and a figure clad in a black robe that concealed their entire body flashed out, hovering before the gate.

Wreathed in eerie black mist, the figure cast an icy gaze downward, remaining silent.

Han Li narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling a chill.

This person’s aura was bizarre—sometimes overwhelmingly powerful, other times so faint it was nearly imperceptible, as if their cultivation was highly unstable.

What kind of technique was this? Han Li had never heard of anything like it.

A flicker of surprise crossed his face as he pondered.

“Are you the Black Domain’s Guide Envoy?” the golden figure boomed, his voice like a tolling bell, clearly not a first-time attendee.

“Have you brought your Guide Tokens?” the black-robed figure ignored the question, their voice sharp and piercing, impossible to distinguish as male or female. “If you have them, this envoy will open the Guide Gate and lead you into the Black Domain. Those without tokens who dare attempt entry—death!”

The golden figure snorted coldly, clearly displeased by the envoy’s arrogance, but said nothing more.

The others, including Han Li, naturally remained silent as well.

Seeing no objections, the black-robed figure raised a silver drumstick-like artifact and struck the gate.

With a crisp *clang*, the silver gate, already slightly ajar, swung fully open with a deep rumble.

Han Li focused his gaze inside.

Beyond the slowly opening gate lay utter darkness—no light whatsoever, as if it truly led to a boundless black world, living up to the name “Black Domain.”

Just as Han Li mused to himself in satisfaction, the token in his hand suddenly grew scorching hot before exploding into a mass of black light that enveloped him.

At the same time, the air around him tightened, and an unseen force lifted him into the air, propelling him toward the silver gate.

Startled at first, Han Li quickly relaxed when he saw the other four also being lifted by black light.

In the blink of an eye, all five vanished into the silver gate under the cold gaze of the black-robed envoy.

Once certain nothing was amiss, the envoy struck the gate twice more with their artifact before flying inside.

With another thunderous rumble, the silver gate slowly closed before dissolving into countless arcs of lightning.

The dark clouds dispersed as if they had never existed, and the sky returned to its original clarity.

Inside the black light, Han Li examined his surroundings with keen curiosity.

After passing through the gate, he and the others remained suspended in a line, still shrouded in black light.

Now that they were inside the mysterious space beyond the gate, Han Li could clearly see the so-called “Dark World.”

All around them stretched a sea of black mist formed from swirling dark energy—some currents flowed gently, appearing ordinary, while others raged violently, forming terrifying black hurricanes that shredded everything in their path.

Even more intriguing, Han Li sensed strange demonic auras lurking deeper within the mist—numerous and vastly different from ordinary demon beasts.

These creatures lurked in the distance, watching them with hostility yet hesitating to approach for some reason.

Despite the distance, the sheer ferocity radiating from them made it clear they were not to be underestimated.