Chapter 1762: The Immortal Region and Forbidden Techniques

At the center of the misty sea, the sky still shimmered with silver light, and the sun glowed brilliantly in gold.

Yet beyond that, there was not a trace of cloud or mist, nor any sign of a breeze. Within a radius of a hundred miles, not a single sound could be heard, as if everything had been frozen by some mysterious force.

Time passed slowly, and the strange phenomenon in the misty sea remained unchanged.

But on the second day, black spots appeared in the golden sun, flickering faintly.

On the third day, the spots converged into a dark shadow at the center of the sun.

On the fourth day, the dark mass began to stretch and elongate, growing thinner and thinner.

On the fifth day, a slender black line suddenly formed on the surface of the golden sun, resembling a tightly shut golden eye from afar—an eerie sight.

On the sixth day, all celestial phenomena remained unchanged, except that the golden light radiating from the sun grew increasingly dazzling.

At noon on the seventh day, Han Li, who had been meditating in his cave abode, opened his eyes. At the same time, the black line on the golden sun twisted and blurred, slowly opening like an eye.

Within the black light, a multicolored sphere resembling a pupil emerged. The surface of the sphere shimmered with shifting hues, giving off an unfathomable sense of penetrating insight into all things in heaven and earth.

A moment later, a dragon-like roar erupted from the mountain below, soaring into the heavens.

……

In an unknown space, within a pristine white palace floating in the void, several indistinct figures, each enveloped in a hazy glow, sat atop towering platforms dozens of feet high, conversing from a distance.

Most of their true appearances were obscured by spiritual light, and behind each stood several disciples of varying attire—men and women, young and old—all exuding an air of reverence.

At the center of the platforms, a black-and-white flower with a diameter of a hundred feet floated silently in the low air, exuding an intoxicating fragrance and an air of profound mystery.

Suddenly, one of the figures, wreathed in a seven-colored glow, let out a soft exclamation, muttering, “Strange, strange indeed.”

“Fellow Daoist Xuanming, what has happened? Why do you say such words?” asked a neighboring figure bathed in white light, sounding puzzled.

“Someone is cultivating the ‘Soul Refinement Art,’ and they have achieved mastery of the first layer. The celestial phenomenon it triggered was detected by my monitoring artifact,” the seven-colored figure replied after a brief hesitation.

“The Soul Refinement Art? That technique has long been banned by all major immortal domains. Who would dare risk cultivating it? Even so, just send someone to apprehend the practitioner. Why the surprise?” the white figure asked, still perplexed.

“If it were truly that simple, I wouldn’t have mentioned it. The monitoring artifact detected the phenomenon from a minor spirit realm, not from any immortal domain,” the seven-colored figure, Xuanming, said with a bitter smile.

“A lower realm cultivator? That is unexpected. It must be someone who smuggled the technique down there. But it hardly matters—even we immortals find the Soul Refinement Art difficult to master. A mere minor spirit realm could never reach its final layer,” the white figure mused before chuckling.

“True enough. Though I hold a monitoring position, this matter falls outside my jurisdiction since it doesn’t involve our immortal domain. Even if this person miraculously succeeds, they won’t escape detection at the Ascension Platform when they transcend the tribulation,” the seven-colored figure replied with a smile.

Their exchange was brief, and though others had taken notice, they quickly dismissed it upon hearing it involved a “lower realm cultivator.” Another figure smoothly shifted the conversation elsewhere.

The seven-colored figure never brought it up again, as if the matter had been completely forgotten.

……

Han Li exhaled deeply, savoring the wondrous sensation of his spiritual sense having tripled in strength.

He had finally mastered the first layer of the Soul Refinement Art. Even though he had yet to reach the Body Unity Stage, his spiritual power now rivaled that of a late-stage Body Unity cultivator.

His divine sense pierced through the cave and extended beyond the mountain, but his brow furrowed slightly.

Though the celestial phenomenon had dissipated, the surroundings were in disarray.

The earlier blizzard had been devastating—most nearby flora had vanished, and the remaining vegetation lay withered and broken. The upper half of the mountain was now barren and desolate.

After scanning the vicinity several times, Han Li expanded his divine sense outward, sweeping across a thousand miles in an instant.

Suddenly, his expression shifted as his focus settled on a particular mountain at the edge of the misty sea. His divine sense enveloped the entire peak.

At the foot of the mountain, within a cave abode, faint fluctuations of a Void Refinement cultivator’s spiritual sense could be detected. Though the cave was protected by multiple layers of restrictions, they were like paper before Han Li’s overwhelming divine power.

With a mere thought, his divine sense pierced through the barriers and appeared in the chamber where the presence was detected. Inside, a fair-faced man in white robes sat in meditation.

Han Li made no effort to conceal his divine sense, and the forceful intrusion immediately alerted the white-robed man.

The man opened his eyes and smiled.

“I am Gu Yun of Moon South Mountain. Greetings, Fellow Daoist. Congratulations on your great achievement!”

“Moon South Mountain? The one near Dust Dance City?” Han Li asked, sounding uncertain.

“Indeed, that very mountain. Do you know of our Gu Clan?” The white-robed man seemed surprised.

“I may not know much about the Gu Clan, but I’ve heard of Moon South Mountain. So the rumors of a reclusive cultivator residing there refer to your clan,” Han Li said slowly.

“Heh, you must have heard of the True Spirit Clans. Our Gu Clan is one of the ancient lineages passed down from antiquity. To preserve our bloodline, we rarely interact with the outside world. Though few know of this, with your abilities, it was only a matter of time before you learned of us,” the white-robed man chuckled.

“True Spirit Clans? Then do you know of the Ye and Long Clans?” Han Li asked after a pause.

“The Ye and Long Clans are among the most prominent True Spirit Clans. Though our Gu Clan is not weak, we admit we are slightly inferior to those two. Do you know members of those clans?” the white-robed man asked hesitantly.

“I’ve had some contact with their members, though not deeply. But tell me, Fellow Daoist, why have you lingered here?” Han Li replied coolly.

“I happened to pass by this branch established by one of our Gu Clan members. When I sensed you cultivating a great technique here, I wished to make your acquaintance,” the white-robed man said warmly.

“I see. Since my cultivation is complete, you are welcome to visit my abode if you wish. I, too, am curious about the True Spirit Clans. An exchange would benefit us both,” Han Li said, his tone easing.

“Nothing would please me more. I shall come at once,” Gu Yun agreed eagerly.

“Then I shall await you in my cave,” Han Li said before his divine sense faded from the chamber.

A short while later, a white streak shot from the mountain and arrived at the edge of the misty sea.

The previously still mist suddenly churned, parting to reveal a passage several yards wide leading deep into the sea of fog.

Without hesitation, Gu Yun flew into the passage and vanished into the depths. The mist closed behind him.

When he reached the mountain at the center, Han Li stood outside his cave, smiling in welcome.

Seeing that Han Li was indeed a late-stage Void Refinement cultivator, as he had suspected, Gu Yun’s smile widened.

After exchanging pleasantries, the two entered the cave.

Their discussion lasted for hours before Gu Yun finally emerged, looking regretful. He returned to his temporary abode, gave some instructions to the local branch elder, and departed.

Meanwhile, Han Li sat in his cave, thoughtfully turning a white jade slip in his hand.

“So the Long Clan is hailed as the foremost True Spirit Clan, with Body Unity cultivators guarding their lineage. I’ll need to be cautious.”

Muttering to himself, he stored the jade slip with a flick of his wrist.

The slip, a gift from Gu Yun, contained information about the True Spirit Clans, giving Han Li a general understanding of these ancient lineages.

Of course, none of this was particularly secret—most Void Refinement cultivators would eventually learn of it through other means. Gu Yun had merely done him a favor.

Han Li had invited Gu Yun to discuss the True Spirit Clans because he had previously offended the Long Clan, thwarting their grand scheme against the Ye Clan.

Though centuries had passed, such grudges were not easily forgotten by immortal cultivators.

Now that he had returned to the human race and planned to stay, he needed to gather intelligence and take precautions.

As expected, Gu Yun soon extended an invitation for Han Li to join the Gu Clan as an honorary elder.

Han Li politely declined. With his current strength, he had no intention of submitting to any clan. Moreover, the generous terms Gu Yun offered held no appeal for him.

After some contemplation, Han Li set the matter aside and retrieved a foot-long scroll from his storage.