Chapter 1157: Proposal of Dual Cultivation

“Haha, that will do. What does Brother Han think of our palace’s Elder Ling?” The old man surnamed Zhao chuckled with a smile.

“Are you referring to Fellow Daoist Ling Yuling?” Han Li asked, slightly taken aback.

“Indeed, she is the beloved daughter of our palace’s two Holy Sages!” The old man nodded repeatedly.

“Fellow Daoist Ling has managed to advance to the Nascent Soul stage at such a young age, which naturally speaks to her extraordinary cultivation talent. But what do you mean by bringing this up?” Han Li’s eyes flickered with confusion.

“Although Elder Ling’s aptitude is commendable, it naturally pales in comparison to Brother Han’s. However, both of you are undoubtedly geniuses of unparalleled caliber. If the two of you were to join forces and support each other, you might even have a chance to ascend the path of immortality together. Would Brother Han be willing to form a cultivation partnership with Elder Ling?”

“A cultivation partnership?”

This time, Han Li was genuinely startled, his mouth hanging open for a long moment before he could close it.

“Exactly! Both Brother Han and Elder Ling are young and exceptionally talented—it’s practically a match made in heaven! How about I act as the matchmaker?” The old man surnamed Zhao beamed with delight.

Han Li’s expression of surprise vanished almost instantly, replaced by a slight frown.

The old man, who had been closely observing Han Li’s reaction, couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

*Could it be that he’s unwilling?*

After all, female Nascent Soul cultivators in the cultivation world were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns. Finding one of similar age was even more improbable. While everyone knew the benefits of dual cultivation, most male Nascent Soul cultivators could only take Core Formation or even Foundation Establishment female cultivators as concubines. True cultivation partners were exceedingly rare. Occasionally, a single female Nascent Soul cultivator might have seven or eight male cultivators of similar cultivation levels vying for her hand.

From the old man’s perspective, Ling Yuling was not only a Nascent Soul cultivator but also stunningly beautiful and the beloved daughter of the illustrious Star Palace’s rulers. How could this not be a stroke of incredible luck?

Yet, Han Li’s reaction was unexpectedly cold, even reluctant. This was far beyond the old man’s expectations.

However, given that Han Li was a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, the old man dared not show even a hint of displeasure. Maintaining his smile, he continued enthusiastically, “The two Holy Sages have declared that if Brother Han agrees to this union and is willing to reside in our Star City, given your cultivation level, you would naturally inherit the position of Star Palace’s next ruler. In this way, Brother Han could swiftly become the master of the Star Sea. Moreover—”

The old man went on and on about the numerous benefits promised by the Heavenly Star Twin Sages, his tone tinged with envy.

Han Li remained silent at first, but seeing no sign of the old man stopping, he sighed inwardly and finally interrupted, “I appreciate the kindness of your palace’s rulers, but I must respectfully decline this matter.”

“What? Brother Han, have you truly considered this carefully? Perhaps you should take a few more days to think it over. There’s no need to rush your reply.” Seeing Han Li’s calm demeanor despite his lengthy persuasion, the old man surnamed Zhao realized his efforts were likely in vain. Yet, upon hearing Han Li’s outright refusal, his heart sank, and he made one last attempt.

If he failed in this task, he wouldn’t have an easy time facing the Twin Sages upon his return.

“It’s not that I look down on Fairy Yuling or have any prejudice against your palace. It’s just that I already have a committed partner—a fellow Nascent Soul cultivator,” Han Li explained slowly.

“I see. In that case, there’s nothing to be done. It seems Elder Ling and you are simply not fated. Still, I can’t help but feel it’s a pity,” the old man replied, his expression relaxing slightly now that he had a plausible excuse to report back.

Yet, he couldn’t help but wonder: in the past century, aside from Ling Yuling, no other new female Nascent Soul cultivators had emerged in the Chaotic Star Sea.

*Could it be that Han Li’s partner, like him, is a reclusive cultivator who shuns the limelight?*

The Heavenly Star Twin Sages hadn’t mentioned to the old man that Han Li might be an outsider, so he naturally assumed Han Li was a hermit who had secluded himself for years.

“Since Elder Ling’s matter cannot be forced, I shall not press further. However, the Twin Sages instructed me to relay a message to you if you declined the dual cultivation proposal. Would Brother Han be interested in hearing it?” The old man sighed and changed the subject.

“Of course, I’d like to hear it,” Han Li replied without hesitation, his eyes glinting.

Since the Star Palace’s attempt to recruit him had failed, there was bound to be a follow-up move. This didn’t surprise him.

“It’s nothing much. The Twin Sages simply wish to meet with you formally. The location can be chosen by you, as long as it’s within the waters near Star City. They asked me to convey that the topic of discussion will pertain to breaking through the Deity Transformation bottleneck. They hope Brother Han will agree to this meeting,” the old man said solemnly.

“Breaking through to Deity Transformation?” Han Li stroked his chin, falling into deep thought.

Had the old man not mentioned this crucial detail, Han Li would have refused outright. But now, given the gravity of the matter, he had to weigh his options carefully.

After all, he had no leads on how to advance to the Deity Transformation stage. Even if this involved some risk, he couldn’t afford to miss such an opportunity.

“If the Twin Sages don’t mind, I will await their arrival three days from now on a small island three thousand miles north of Star City,” Han Li finally said after some deliberation.

With his current abilities, as long as he wasn’t trapped in a deadly location or surrounded by too many Nascent Soul cultivators, he had little to fear from any ambush. Meeting in an open area would actually be safer.

“Very well. I will relay your response to the Twin Sages,” the old man said, visibly pleased that Han Li had agreed this time.

After exchanging a few more words, Han Li took his leave.

The old man, sensing Han Li’s reluctance to linger, didn’t press him to stay.

Han Li didn’t wait for an escort and headed straight for the island’s teleportation formation.

At his speed, it didn’t take long for him to reach the hill where the formation was located. There, he saw the disheveled-haired cultivator who guarded the formation standing in front of a stone hut, sternly speaking to a few other cultivators and shaking his head repeatedly, as if refusing some request.

With a flash of blinding green light, Han Li abruptly appeared before them.

“Greetings, Senior Han!” The disheveled-haired cultivator recognized him immediately and hurried over with a respectful bow.

“I wish to return to the Inner Sea. Is the teleportation formation operational?” Han Li asked coldly.

“Of course, Senior. Please proceed!” The Star Palace cultivator replied swiftly, handing Han Li a teleportation talisman without being asked.

Though he possessed a Great Shift Token, Han Li accepted the talisman without ceremony and stepped into the formation.

Moments later, a white light flashed within the stone hut, and Han Li vanished.

The other cultivators, who had been watching with awe, finally relaxed.

One of them, a Core Formation cultivator familiar with the disheveled-haired man, couldn’t resist asking, “Brother Yu, is that senior a Star Palace elder? He seems unfamiliar.”

“Not exactly. I’ve only seen him once before, but he holds our Star Palace’s guest elder token. Though it hasn’t been officially announced, he’s likely a new elder about to join our ranks,” the disheveled-haired man said with a smug grin.

“I see. That means your Star Palace’s influence is about to grow again. This elder seems to have mastered the art of preserving youth. I wonder if he’s an early-stage or mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator,” the Core Formation cultivator mused enviously.

“I’m not entirely sure. He seems to have some treasure shielding his exact cultivation level. But I’d guess early-stage. If he were mid-stage, even as a recluse, he wouldn’t have remained unknown for so long,” the disheveled-haired man replied uncertainly.

“I think so too! But even so, he’s far beyond our reach. Tsk tsk, a lifespan of over a thousand years… I wonder if we’ll ever have the chance to form our Nascent Souls,” another sword-bearing cultivator sighed.

Three days later, on a nameless coral island a few miles wide, three thousand miles north of Star City, a young man sat cross-legged on a red reef, his body shimmering with green light, eyes closed.

This was Han Li.

After teleporting back to Star City in the Inner Sea a few days prior, he had left the giant island without delay.

Though he had been wary of the Twin Sages taking advantage of the situation to harm him, his concerns proved unfounded. He encountered no obstacles as he departed the Star Palace’s territory.

Relieved, Han Li lingered in the nearby waters for a few days before arriving at the designated spot to meet the Twin Sages.

But caution prevailed. He had extended his powerful spiritual sense to cover a radius of several hundred miles, monitoring everything from the pitch-black depths of the ocean to the skies tens of thousands of feet above.

Facing the Twin Sages, whose reputations shook the Star Sea, Han Li wouldn’t dare underestimate them.

As a couple who cultivated the same technique, their combined strength likely surpassed that of two ordinary late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators.

Moreover, the fame of the Magnetic Divine Light was too illustrious. It was said to counter all five elements—an exaggeration, perhaps, but a testament to its fearsome power.

Han Li had no intention of losing his life to overconfidence.

Thus, before the Twin Sages’ arrival, he had already taken control of the surrounding waters to guard against any treachery.

As noon approached and the sun blazed overhead, Han Li’s closed eyes suddenly twitched, and he opened them, their clarity undimmed.

At the distant horizon, two streaks of white light appeared, flying side by side toward the island.