Chapter 1758: Entering the City

Han Li withdrew his gaze and lightly tapped his foot, causing the flying chariot to descend slowly.

Given the massive size of the green chariot, the Qingming Guards below had naturally spotted them long ago, and immediately, streams of divine sense swept over.

Han Li flicked his sleeve, and with a flash of green light, the chariot abruptly vanished.

The five of them moved swiftly, landing near the teleportation formation.

“Ah, Captain!” A startled cry suddenly came from one of the Qingming Guards.

Hearing this, Han Li was momentarily taken aback. His gaze swept over the guards and settled on a large man with emerald eyes, whose face looked strikingly familiar. The man was none other than “Zhuo Chong,” one of the ten Black Guards he had once led in Tianyuan City.

Now, Zhuo Chong had advanced from late Nascent Soul stage to early Spirit Transformation stage and was staring at Han Li in astonishment.

“So it’s Fellow Daoist Zhuo! Congratulations on becoming a Qingming Guard as well,” Han Li said with a faint smile.

“It really is the Captain! Wait—has the Captain already advanced to the Void Refinement stage?” Zhuo Chong exclaimed, first overjoyed, then shocked.

His divine sense swept over Han Li but failed to discern his cultivation level, leading him to this assumption.

“I’ve been wandering outside for some years and indeed reached the Void Refinement stage. I didn’t expect to run into you before even entering the city. How are the others from our old team?” Han Li asked with a smile.

“Well… Shortly after you left, the alien races attacked Tianyuan City. A small portion of our team perished in the battle. Some chose to leave the city, and now only Fellow Daoist Xu and I remain,” Zhuo Chong replied.

“Fellow Daoist Xu is still in the city?” Han Li’s eyes flickered with interest.

This woman was a descendant of Frost Li the Transcendent and a key lead in completing the task entrusted to him by the Weng youth of the Tianyun Clan. Naturally, he was deeply concerned.

“Fellow Daoist Xu also advanced to the Spirit Transformation stage, reaching mid-stage. She now leads a team of Black Guards. By the way, she’s mentioned you many times, saying that without your guidance back then, she wouldn’t have reached her current level,” Zhuo Chong said with a grin, as if hinting at some unspoken connection between Han Li and the woman.

“Haha, I merely offered casual advice back then. Her achievements are entirely due to her own exceptional talent,” Han Li replied indifferently, shaking his head.

Zhuo Chong chuckled but didn’t press further.

Seeing that Han Li knew Zhuo Chong, the scholar and his companions finally relaxed their last remaining doubts.

It seemed Han Li’s claim of being from Tianyuan City was entirely true. They no longer had to worry about him being an alien in disguise trying to infiltrate the city—a tactic that had been all too common in the past.

The scholar, who also recognized Zhuo Chong, clasped his hands and said, “So Senior Han and Brother Zhuo are acquainted! That’s excellent. We were saved by Senior Han and only managed to return here thanks to him.”

“What? Did the four of you encounter danger?” Zhuo Chong asked in surprise.

“Danger? We nearly lost our lives to a Void Refinement-level Stone Tortoise,” the scholar said with a bitter smile.

“Haha, our Captain once killed Void Refinement-level aliens while still at the Spirit Transformation stage. Dealing with a mere Stone Tortoise now is nothing,” Zhuo Chong said with a smirk.

Hearing this, the scholar and his companions nodded repeatedly in agreement.

“I’ll catch up with you later, Fellow Daoist Zhuo. I have urgent matters to attend to and must enter the city now,” Han Li said with a faint smile.

“Ah, my apologies. The Captain must be exhausted after traveling such a long distance,” Zhuo Chong quickly stepped aside, making way for the teleportation formation.

Han Li gave a slight nod and stepped into the formation without hesitation. With a flash of light, he vanished.

The scholar and his group followed suit, disappearing moments later.

Zhuo Chong stared at the empty formation, a wistful expression on his face.

“Brother Zhuo, do you really know this Senior Han?”

“He was truly your captain back then? Capable of killing Void Refinement-level beings while still at Spirit Transformation?”

“Why can’t we see through his cultivation? Does he possess some special technique?”

The other Qingming Guards, who had remained silent earlier, couldn’t hold back their questions any longer.

“Absolutely true. Captain Han was quite renowned among the Qingming Guards back then. His abilities even surpassed some ordinary Tianwei. I benefited greatly under his command—without him, I might not have reached Spirit Transformation. After all these years, he’s naturally advanced to Void Refinement, and his powers are now unfathomable. It’s no surprise you can’t see through his cultivation,” Zhuo Chong replied, though inwardly he couldn’t help but wonder about Han Li’s whereabouts all these years.

Little did he know that Han Li had been wandering outside Tianyuan City all this time, even venturing to other continents.

At the same time, Han Li reappeared in an ordinary-looking hall amid a flash of light. He stepped out of the teleportation formation and glanced around.

Moments later, the scholar and his companions also emerged.

“We’ve arrived in Tianyuan City. It’s time for us to part ways,” Han Li said, turning to the four.

“Thank you for saving us, Senior. We currently reside at the Spring Slumber Pavilion. If you ever need anything, we won’t refuse,” the scholar said with a deep, sincere bow.

Without Han Li, they would never have escaped death—his gratitude was genuine.

“Spring Slumber Pavilion? Noted. I may indeed trouble you in the future,” Han Li said, giving the scholar a meaningful look before striding toward the hall’s exit.

The scholar hesitated briefly before bowing respectfully alongside his companions.

Outside the hall was a vast chamber spanning a hundred zhang, with people coming and going from other halls, though the crowd was sparse.

At the exit stood two rows of Qingming Guards holding “Alien Detection Disks,” meticulously inspecting every cultivator passing through. Behind them stood a golden-armored Tianwei, arms crossed, coldly observing everyone in the chamber.

“Mid-Void Refinement!” Han Li instantly discerned the Tianwei’s cultivation level. Without hesitation, he walked forward.

The Qingming Guards outside the city merely guarded the teleportation formations against alien and beast attacks. The real identity verification took place here.

Tianyuan City typically issued temporary passes to those entering the wilderness, but Han Li, having been absent for so long, naturally lacked one—a slight complication.

With few people in the chamber and Han Li being the only Void Refinement cultivator present, the Tianwei’s gaze immediately locked onto him.

Han Li showed no reaction but released the aura he had been concealing with a secret technique.

The gaunt-faced Tianwei’s expression shifted, his eyes widening in surprise.

“I am Yu Lingzi. Given your formidable cultivation, may I ask your esteemed name and origin?” The Tianwei stepped forward, appearing before the Qingming Guards in a ghostly flash, and clasped his hands respectfully.

“I am Han Li. As for my origin—heh—over three hundred years ago, I was a member of the Tianwei,” Han Li replied with a faint smile.

“A Tianwei? You must be joking. I’ve served as a Tianwei here for centuries and know every single one. I’ve never seen you before,” the Tianwei said, his expression darkening.

Han Li chuckled and flicked his wrist, sending a ball of green light toward the man.

The Tianwei’s pupils contracted as he snatched the light midair, revealing a jade-green token.

One side bore silver inscriptions, while the other read “Bing Fifty-Six”—Han Li’s old Qingming Guard token!

“A Qingming Guard?” The Tianwei was incredulous.

“Indeed. Do you find that improper?” Han Li asked coolly.

“Not improper, but I must verify the token first,” the Tianwei replied cautiously.

“By all means,” Han Li said calmly.

The Tianwei nodded, rubbing the token between his hands. A faint green glow emanated from it.

“The token is genuine, but your Qingming Guard status was revoked over a century ago. You’re now a free agent,” the Tianwei said, his expression puzzled.

“I completed a near-impossible mission back then. Upon its completion, I was granted freedom,” Han Li replied matter-of-factly.

“A near-impossible mission? Three hundred years ago?” The Tianwei’s eyes lit up as if recalling something.

“So you remember those events,” Han Li said with a smirk.

“So you were one of those who undertook those missions! My apologies for the oversight. You’re free to go, but I must reclaim this token,” the Tianwei said respectfully, clasping his hands.

“Naturally. I only presented it because I’ve been away for so long and lack other identification,” Han Li said lightly.

The Tianwei nodded and waved his hand, signaling the Qingming Guards to step aside.

Without another word, Han Li summoned a green streak of light and soared out of the chamber.