Chapter 1815: Mysterious Heaven Pavilion

The young man was naturally Han Li.

First, he used the Thousand Illusion Mask to transform into a demon ape and infiltrated the castle. Then, after being discovered and pursued by the Long Family Patriarch, he had no choice but to activate the power of the Awakening Spring Art, transforming into a Mountain Giant Ape to exchange a few fierce blows with the old monster.

Given his formidable physical strength and the might of the Awakening Spring Art, Han Li did not suffer any losses in his clash with the semi-dragonized Long Family Patriarch. However, he was secretly shocked by the terrifying power the old monster displayed after his dragon transformation.

That said, Han Li also clearly sensed that not only had he only exerted fifty to sixty percent of his strength, but the Long Family Patriarch had also refrained from using any truly devastating techniques. Otherwise, their battle could very well have reduced the entire Welcome Immortal Palace to rubble.

Regardless of what the Long Family Patriarch was thinking, Han Li was naturally pleased to escape so easily. Now that he was so far away, given the sheer number of humans and demons gathered at Nine Immortals Mountain, even if the Long Family had eyes and ears everywhere, they would never be able to track him down.

After restoring his true form atop the mountain, Han Li glanced down at the still-dazed Qi Lingzi in his hands and sighed softly.

With a single hand seal, a streak of azure light shot out and vanished into the little Taoist’s body.

Qi Lingzi shuddered, his previously blank expression twisting slightly before he let out a groan and spat out a wisp of black qi wrapped in azure light.

“Master! How are you here? Wasn’t I kidnapped by an old woman?” Qi Lingzi’s eyes flickered with confusion before clearing, and upon seeing Han Li, he exclaimed in surprise.

Clearly, under the influence of the sealing technique, the little Taoist had no memory of what had transpired.

“Hmph, if I hadn’t come, you’d be left with a ruined foundation. Enough—I’ll explain everything on the way back. For now, let’s leave this place first.” Han Li had no patience for idle chatter with his nominal disciple. With a flick of his sleeve, a vast expanse of azure mist enveloped both him and Qi Lingzi, transforming into a streak of azure light that shot into the sky, heading straight for their residence.

As they flew, Han Li briefly recounted the events that had occurred while Qi Lingzi was unconscious, including the involvement of the Long Family, the foremost true spirit lineage among humans. Despite Qi Lingzi’s usual carefree nature, he was left dumbstruck for quite some time.

Seeing this, Han Li was slightly surprised, thinking to himself that his disciple had finally learned what it meant to feel fear.

But to his astonishment, the moment this thought crossed his mind, the little Taoist suddenly leaped up in mid-flight and began cursing furiously.

His targets were naturally the old woman’s family and the Long Family, spewing insults with such fervor that his face turned crimson, as if he were ready to declare eternal enmity with the Long Family.

Han Li was taken aback at first, then chuckled helplessly before finally stopping Qi Lingzi. “Enough! This is unbecoming. I won’t stop you from seeking justice from the Long Family—but only when you have the strength to do so. Right now, in the eyes of a family like the Longs, you’re nothing more than an ant they could crush with a flick of their fingers. If you truly wish to challenge them, wait until you’ve reached the Body Integration stage. Besides, it’s best if you avoid appearing in public for now. Once we return, I’ll teach you some techniques and give you a few treasures and pills. When the uproar dies down, you and Hai Dayou will leave under cover of night and head straight to Sky Abyss City. Join the city’s guard and temper yourself there for a few years. No matter how powerful the Long Family is, they still hold some reservations about Sky Abyss City. In a few years, I’ll return to the city and reunite with you.”

“Ah, Master, you’re sending me away? But the Myriad Treasures Convention has only just begun! I came all this way and haven’t even seen anything properly yet!” Qi Lingzi was stunned and immediately began protesting.

“Hmph, which is more important—your life or the Myriad Treasures Convention? Even if I’m not afraid of the Long Family, I can’t be guarding you day and night. What if you’re kidnapped again due to a moment’s negligence? Should I storm the Long Family a second time?” Han Li snorted and reprimanded him sternly.

“If that’s Master’s order, then this disciple will obey,” Qi Lingzi muttered, shrinking his neck, though his reluctance was still evident.

Han Li, of course, paid no further attention to his disciple’s feelings. Satisfied with the response, he nodded slightly and fell silent.

For the remainder of the journey, Han Li focused solely on hastening their flight.

A little over an hour later, they quietly returned to their residence.

Hai Dayou, who had been waiting anxiously in the main hall, was overjoyed to see Han Li bring Qi Lingzi back safely and immediately rushed forward to bow deeply.

“Yue Tian, you mentioned in your message that you’d found the person I was looking for. Where is she now?” Han Li, having just taken his seat in the main position, surprised both Hai Dayou and Qi Lingzi with his question.

“Master, we found the mark you described at a place called the Misty Sky Pavilion and met the senior demon cultivator using the token. She asked that you meet her at the pavilion tomorrow at noon,” Hai Dayou replied respectfully.

“Tomorrow at noon? That’s quite soon. Very well, I understand. For the next few days, stay here and don’t go out. I’ll set up a powerful restriction array around the area—even a Body Integration cultivator would be hindered if they tried to force their way in. Starting tomorrow evening, both of you will come to my quarters for some guidance in cultivation. Once the commotion dies down, you’ll set off.”

After delivering these instructions in a calm tone, Han Li left the two in the hall and departed alone.

“Set off? Junior Brother, what does Master mean by that?” Hai Dayou was utterly confused.

“It’s a long story. The Long Family has really done me in!” Qi Lingzi’s face twisted as if he had lost his most treasured magical tool.

Hai Dayou rubbed his chin, still completely in the dark.

The next day, after spending the morning setting up an intricate illusion array around his residence, Han Li left the palace and headed straight for the Misty Sky Pavilion his disciples had mentioned.

According to Hai Dayou, the Misty Sky Pavilion was located in a small cluster of marketplaces at the heart of Nine Immortals Mountain.

These marketplaces were temporary establishments set up by various human and demon factions.

Though each was relatively small, they were fully equipped with all the essentials. Every marketplace had shops offering the most common goods, and some even featured specialty stores typically found only in larger markets, selling items unavailable or scarce elsewhere.

The Misty Sky Pavilion was one such establishment.

This pavilion sold only one type of item—a material called “Misty Sky Stone.”

Though not particularly rare, Misty Sky Stone was an essential component for setting up certain yang-based arrays, making it highly sought after.

Of course, Misty Sky Stones were graded, with more powerful arrays requiring higher-grade materials.

The Misty Sky Pavilion was the only shop that could supply large quantities of top-grade Misty Sky Stones, attracting many human cultivators and demon shapeshifters.

“So this is the Misty Sky Pavilion?”

Han Li stood before a cluster of low, plain buildings, staring at the plaque hanging above the central one with a somewhat speechless expression.

Nevertheless, he stepped inside without hesitation.

The interior was indeed small but impeccably clean.

Apart from two tables, a few chairs, and a long shelf, there was no other furniture.

The shelf held only a few unremarkable chunks of ore, with no other goods in sight.

Behind one of the tables sat a little girl no older than eleven or twelve, her hair tied into two perky pigtails. She was idly playing with her fingers, looking bored.

“Ah, a customer! Senior, are you here to buy Misty Sky Stones? What grade do you need? How much? Our Misty Sky Pavilion has everything you could want!” The moment she spotted Han Li, the girl perked up, standing and greeting him with a bright smile, acting every bit the little adult.

Han Li swept his spiritual sense over her and couldn’t help but show a flicker of surprise.

The girl emitted a faint demonic aura, clearly a demon cultivator. Judging by her spiritual pressure, she was at the Nascent Soul stage. Anyone fooled by her childish appearance would be in for a rude awakening.

“I’m not here to buy anything. I’ve come to meet someone,” Han Li said calmly.

“Ah, you must be Senior Han! My elder sister has been waiting for you in the backyard for some time,” the girl exclaimed, quickly bowing to Han Li.

“Oh? You’re her younger sister?” Han Li was genuinely taken aback and studied the girl more closely.

“This junior is Qin Mei’er, the blood sister of Su’er. Let me take you to see her now,” the girl replied sweetly, blinking her eyes.

“Very well, lead the way.” Han Li nodded impassively.

Under the girl’s guidance, Han Li entered a side room and descended a flight of stone stairs leading underground.

Moments later, his expression shifted slightly in surprise.

The underground space branched into five or six levels along the same staircase, each with its own distinct layout. He could faintly sense the presence of several other demon cultivators moving about.

No wonder the place was called a “pavilion”—most of the structure was built underground.

With this realization, Han Li followed the girl to the lowest level, where they entered a hall.

There, a stunningly beautiful woman in white robes stood waiting with a smile.

The moment Han Li saw her all-too-familiar face, his mind seemed to explode.

“Nangong Wan! How are you here?!” he blurted out, his voice trembling.