“Although after a general war, it usually takes each race sixty to a hundred thousand years to regain the strength to launch another large-scale conflict, if some major upheaval occurs, it’s not impossible for races to willingly damage their own vitality to provoke a war as soon as possible. Fifty thousand years ago, during the Hundred Races War, within a mere hundred thousand years, we were attacked five times in succession by several foreign races allied against us. It nearly exhausted the vitality of our two races, almost leading to our extinction. It wasn’t until another hundred thousand years passed that we finally recovered our prosperity. Of course, those foreign races didn’t fare well either—two of them were completely wiped out during that war.” Daoist Ma’s expression turned grave.
“The Hundred Races War? Fellow Daoist, you must be joking! A war of that scale, engulfing most of the Spirit Realm, can’t just erupt out of nowhere, and it certainly wouldn’t conveniently coincide with our time.” The blue-eyed man gasped, his eyes widening in shock.
“Fellow Daoist Ma’s words are rather alarmist. If we truly encountered a war on the scale of the Hundred Races War, even with ten extra lives, it would be nearly impossible for us to survive. I’ve heard that in that war, while mortals fared relatively better, nearly ninety percent of us cultivators perished.” Fairy Xu also inhaled sharply.
“Exactly, exactly, how could such a thing be possible…”
The others also turned pale at the mention of the “Hundred Races War,” as if Daoist Ma had brought up something utterly terrifying, making it difficult for them to remain composed.
“Enough. There have merely been more foreign spies recently—how could that possibly lead to a Hundred Races War? Not only is the likelihood of such an event negligible, but even if it did happen, it’s far beyond our control. Our priority now is to complete the current patrol mission. Other matters should be left to the Council of Elders.” Han Li, however, remained calm and composed. With a faint command, he took the lead and flew off in a certain direction.
Seeing this, Daoist Ma and the others had no choice but to set aside their discussion and follow, their escape lights trailing behind.
In the blink of an eye, the group vanished into the horizon.
A few days later, Han Li and the others returned to the giant tower of Tianyuan City aboard the Golden Court Boat.
While the others stayed behind to rest in the hall, Han Li left the team’s quarters alone, ascending the stairs straight to the top of the stone tower.
After climbing over a dozen floors and passing through several heavily guarded gates, Han Li arrived in what appeared to be an ordinary hall.
The walls of the hall shimmered with various restriction lights, clearly indicating the presence of countless powerful formations.
In the center of the hall, aside from a stone table and a white-robed middle-aged man sitting cross-legged beside it, there was no one else.
As soon as Han Li entered, the middle-aged man, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, slowly opened them. Recognizing Han Li, he showed no surprise and instead said calmly, “Ah, Nephew Han. Another successful patrol, I see. What have you brought this time—a live captive or a corpse? And which race does it belong to?”
The man seemed quite familiar with Han Li.
“Reporting to Senior Wen, this junior has captured a Shadow Tribe spy.” Han Li dared not show the slightest disrespect to the middle-aged man. With a respectful bow, he produced a jade box and placed it on the stone table with both hands.
“The Shadow Tribe! Tsk tsk, they’re rarely captured alive. Let me take a look.” The white-robed man’s expression shifted with interest at Han Li’s words.
He formed a single-handed seal and suddenly slapped the stone table before him.
The seemingly ordinary table abruptly emitted a bright white light, revealing a small formation about ten feet wide, with the jade box positioned right at its center.
A layer of silver light enveloped the box, completely sealing it within.
However, the white-robed man seemed unaffected by the barrier. With a flick of his sleeve, the lid of the box opened on its own, revealing a faintly glowing green sphere inside.
“A Green Shadow! This is a high-ranking Shadow Tribe member—and captured alive at that. Nephew Han, you’ve accomplished quite the feat this time!” The white-robed man immediately recognized the sphere’s origin and was visibly impressed.
“You flatter me, Senior. I’ve heard that in half a month, Elder Xing from the Tianling Mirror will be lecturing on talisman techniques at the Tianguang Hall. Is that true?” Han Li humbly deflected the praise before abruptly changing the subject.
“Indeed, it has been decided that Elder Xing will be the speaker for this session at Tianguang Hall. While I can’t confirm whether it will specifically be about talisman techniques, given Elder Xing’s renowned expertise in talisman arts across the three realms, it’s highly likely to be related. Why? Are you interested, Nephew Han?” The white-robed man seemed slightly surprised.
“This junior has recently been studying talisman techniques and has gained some insights. I was hoping to seek guidance from an expert.” Han Li didn’t hide his intentions and spoke frankly.
“Mastering talisman techniques can indeed provide endless utility in combat, but after all, it’s merely an auxiliary art with little effect on advancing one’s cultivation. Since your ascension, Nephew Han, you’ve progressed to mid-stage Nascent Soul in such a short time—a rare feat even among ascended cultivators. Your talent is undeniable. However, I advise you not to divert your focus elsewhere, lest it hinder your path to the Great Dao.” The middle-aged man frowned slightly, his tone softening into persuasion.
From his words, it seemed he too was an ascended cultivator from the lower realm.
“Thank you for your concern, Senior Wen. This junior will keep it in mind. But I truly don’t wish to miss Elder Xing’s lecture. May I ask if the merits I’ve accumulated so far qualify me to attend the hall?” Han Li expressed his gratitude sincerely but remained resolute.
“If you’re so determined, I won’t press further. Given your previous merits and now capturing a Green Shadow, you more than qualify to enter Tianguang Hall. Heh, you haven’t missed a single elder’s lecture in the past decade—quite the dedication. Very well, I’ll record your merits now. Present this to the Merit Hall to receive your Lecture Token.” The white-robed man ceased his attempts to dissuade Han Li. Instead, he retrieved a jade token from his robe, imprinted something onto it, and handed it to Han Li.
Han Li accepted the token with delight, bowed slightly to the middle-aged man, and took his leave.
Once Han Li had exited the hall, the middle-aged man first shook his head, then nodded, before resealing the jade box. With another hand seal, he pointed at the stone table.
The formation on the table flared brilliantly, and in a flash of white light, the jade box vanished without a trace.
While the white-robed man was teleporting the green sphere to its confinement, Han Li had already left the stone tower and was heading straight for Tianyuan City’s market district.
A few hours later, Han Li descended before the Tai Xuan Hall at the center of the market.
After casually paying a sum of spirit stones and receiving a Concealment Pendant, he strode confidently into the hall.
Passing through a long corridor, Han Li emerged into a vast hall bathed in silver light, filled with humans and demons looking to trade.
Amidst the shimmering silver and black energy, there were at least three to four hundred people.
Dozens of stalls were set up around the perimeter of the hall.
Han Li’s gaze swept the room before settling on a stone pillar near the center.
There, a demon enveloped in black energy stood motionless.
Taking a deep breath, Han Li walked over.
“You’ve finally arrived. After our last trade, I thought you’d be in seclusion for at least a few years.” Before Han Li could reach her, a soft, melodious voice tinged with delight sounded in his ear.
“I came here on a whim. I didn’t expect Fellow Daoist Yan to actually be here. It seems you’ve also sensed the recent anomalies and wish to conclude our transactions as soon as possible.” Han Li smiled slightly, transmitting his reply as he approached the black mist.
“What anomalies?” The woman within the mist fell silent for a moment before her voice turned icy.
“Surely you’re not pretending ignorance. Just look at how many more of our races are present in this hall compared to before—doesn’t that speak for itself?” Han Li replied leisurely, unfazed by her tone.
“If you say that, have you heard something?” The woman’s eyes flashed coldly.
“I don’t know much, but high-ranking cultivators have been mobilizing frequently, and the number of foreign spies in our patrol area has increased five or sixfold. How about on your side?” Han Li countered calmly.
“It’s much the same. The old ones have been appearing more often, and there are new faces in the city—all with considerable strength, likely reinforcements from the Seven Regions.” After a brief hesitation, the woman answered honestly.
“I see. So it’s not just our imagination—something is indeed brewing. What do you think the chances are of a foreign race attacking the city?” Han Li asked bluntly.
“At least thirty percent. Otherwise, the city wouldn’t be undergoing such drastic changes.” The woman’s voice was grim.
“Thirty percent… that’s already quite high.” Han Li exhaled slowly, murmuring to himself.
“Indeed. That’s why I plan to conclude our final transaction and then disappear from this place. If you value your life, Fellow Daoist, you’d best find a way to leave this city soon. Once the foreign races attack, beings of our level will have little chance of survival.” The woman spoke dispassionately.
“You make it sound simple. As a registered cultivator of this city, leaving isn’t so easy. Besides, I still need to—” Han Li gave a bitter laugh but cut himself short abruptly.
“Heh, leaving now would indeed be extremely difficult. Our circumstances differ—I can’t help you there. Fortunately, even if war breaks out, it will take at least a few years. You still have time to plan. Enough talk. Let’s proceed with the trade.” The woman chuckled before her tone turned businesslike.
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