Chapter 1135: Dread

The masked woman also gazed at Han Li without any sign of retreat, though her heart was in turmoil.

What she had initially thought would be an easy opponent had suddenly revealed strength far beyond her expectations, leaving her both shocked and hesitant.

Though she believed she had the advantage with her Magnetic Divine Light and Magnetic Mountain, giving her at least a seventy percent chance of victory in a direct confrontation, the idea of capturing or killing him alone—as she had previously imagined—now seemed impossible.

Moreover, if he were to escape, he would undoubtedly become a formidable enemy of Star Palace. Even as one of the Twin Saints of Heavenly Star, she dared not act recklessly.

Han Li and the masked woman fell into silence, the Starry Sky Palace becoming so quiet that the oppressive atmosphere seemed suffocating.

Suddenly, Han Li’s expression darkened, and he raised a hand, making a light grasping motion to one side.

A flash of spiritual light appeared in that direction, and a large cyan hand materialized out of nowhere, swiftly snatching a streak of flame from the void and firmly imprisoning it within its grasp.

Witnessing this, the masked woman’s delicate brows twitched, and a trace of surprise flickered in her eyes.

“Fellow Daoist, it would be best not to casually send out message talismans. I have no desire to face the combined assault of two cultivators of the same rank. I don’t recall ever offending Star Palace—why does its master hold such hostility toward me?” Han Li said coldly. As he spoke, the cyan hand erupted with a layer of cyan flames, instantly reducing the trapped flame to nothing.

“Fellow Daoist Han, you misunderstand. I have no intention of making things difficult for you. On the contrary, I wished to express my deepest gratitude for the kindness you once showed my daughter,” the masked woman replied after a brief silence, suddenly smiling. The tense atmosphere in the hall seemed to ease in an instant.

“Your daughter? Could it be that Fellow Daoist Ling is…?” Han Li paused, then realization dawned on him, and his tone softened as well.

Though he knew full well that her earlier demeanor had not been one of gratitude, he took the opportunity to step down from the confrontation.

Han Li was confident in his ability to handle a late-Nascent Soul cultivator—after all, he had slain such opponents before. Now that he had advanced to the late stage himself, his powers were incomparable to the past.

Yet, he had no interest in making unnecessary enemies. And given that he was currently in Star City, with the infamous Magnetic Divine Light at play, he naturally exercised caution.

“You’ve guessed correctly. Yu Ling is the child of my husband and me. Had you not intervened back then, she might have fallen victim to vile schemes. My husband and I have always been deeply grateful to you,” the masked woman said warmly.

“Fellow Daoist Ling’s exceptional talent makes sense now—she is the descendant of the Twin Saints!” Han Li smiled faintly.

“Fellow Daoist Han flatters me! If we speak of cultivation talent, you advanced from Core Formation to late-Nascent Soul in less than two hundred years. Even if we cannot say you are unprecedented, few in the human realm have ever progressed so swiftly from ancient times to the present. How could Yu Ling possibly compare?” The masked woman chuckled lightly, shaking her head.

She couldn’t help but probe, still somewhat suspicious of Han Li’s rapid advancement.

Han Li merely smiled at her veiled inquiry, offering no response, and showed no intention of prolonging the conversation.

“Having long heard of the Twin Saints’ renown, I would normally wish to converse at length. However, I have urgent matters to attend to and cannot linger. May I borrow your palace’s teleportation formation?”

As he spoke, he glanced at the now-unsealed teleportation array before turning his gaze back to the masked woman.

“Such a trivial matter is no issue at all! I have a guest elder’s token here—if you don’t mind, please take it. I understand that someone of your status would not easily commit to any faction, so consider this a temporary loan. With this token, you may command all of Star Palace’s resources in the Outer Seas. Consider it a small token of our gratitude.”

The masked woman readily agreed and, with a flip of her hand, produced a golden token from her waist, tossing it toward Han Li.

Though a flicker of surprise crossed Han Li’s face, he instinctively caught the token midair and examined it briefly.

“Since you are so generous, I won’t stand on ceremony.” After a moment’s hesitation, Han Li stowed the token away in his storage pouch.

Seeing that he did not refuse, a glimmer of delight flashed in the masked woman’s eyes. Seizing the opportunity, she added with a smile, “When you return from the Outer Seas, my husband and I would like to formally invite you to our cultivation abode to exchange insights on breaking through to the Deity Transformation stage. Would Fellow Daoist Han be interested?”

“Insights on Deity Transformation? I’ve only recently advanced to the late stage and am still focused on consolidating my current realm. However, if I find the time, I will certainly pay you both a visit.” Han Li feigned regret, his expression apologetic.

Late-Nascent Soul cultivators were exceedingly rare in the human realm, and exchanging knowledge with peers was indeed a rare opportunity. Yet, he had no intention of carelessly placing himself in potential danger. Though confident in his ability to handle multiple late-stage opponents, he knew that beyond Deity Transformation cultivators, there were still ancient restrictions and formidable formations that could threaten him.

If trapped in such a scenario while under attack, the consequences could be dire.

Thus, upon hearing her invitation to their abode, he tactfully declined.

The masked woman’s face showed disappointment, though inwardly she sighed in amusement.

This newly advanced late-stage cultivator was exceedingly cautious! Had Han Li actually agreed, she wasn’t entirely sure whether she might have harbored ulterior motives.

Now that he had refused, she no longer needed to consider the matter and instead engaged in a few more polite exchanges without showing any displeasure.

Han Li, in turn, offered a few courteous remarks before announcing his departure.

The masked woman did not attempt to detain him further. With a graceful movement, she shifted away from the teleportation formation, floating to a distant corner to signal that she would not interfere—a gesture meant to reassure Han Li.

Han Li smiled faintly and strode forward without hesitation.

The two Star Palace cultivators—the sinister-faced man and the elderly man—who had been blocking the path immediately stepped aside with utmost deference.

This revealed the pair of Core Formation cultivators and their disciples behind them.

The refined-looking man dared not speak, quickly pulling his beloved daughter aside to clear the way. To his shock, however, his wife—his partner of over a hundred years—suddenly stepped forward and bowed deeply to Han Li, uttering words that left him dumbfounded:

“Wen Siyue pays her respects to Senior Han! Congratulations on your Nascent Soul breakthrough! Had it not been for your aid back then, this junior would have surely met a tragic fate!”

This Core Formation female cultivator was none other than Wen Siyue, the woman who had nearly become Han Li’s concubine in the Outer Seas.

“Siyue… you… you know this senior?” the refined man muttered in disbelief.

“It’s been many years. You’ve successfully formed a Core—it seems you didn’t slack in your cultivation. Given your original aptitude, forming a Core was far from guaranteed,” Han Li remarked calmly, his gaze flickering slightly as he observed her.

“This is all thanks to the pills you left behind, Senior. Without them, how could this junior have ever hoped to condense a Golden Core?” Wen Siyue replied respectfully, her head lowered.

“Your father and I had some ties in the past. What I did back then was merely a passing act—there’s no need to dwell on it. Since you seem eager to head to the Outer Seas, come along. This woman has some connection to me—I’ll take them with me. Any objections?” Han Li turned his head slightly toward the masked woman as he spoke the last sentence.

“If they are Fellow Daoist Han’s acquaintances, it’s no issue at all,” the masked woman replied with a light laugh, without hesitation.

“Then I thank you.”

Han Li nodded impassively and said no more to Wen Siyue. With a light step, he vanished from sight, reappearing instantly within the teleportation formation—a spatial movement technique only late-Nascent Soul cultivators could perform.

Wen Siyue and the others gasped in shock, their eyes filled with awe. Only the gaunt young girl stared at Han Li’s figure with undisguised curiosity.

“Ah, I just realized—I never asked for your name. Might the lady be willing to share it?”

As Han Li activated the formation’s edge with a spell and retrieved the Great Teleportation Token, he unexpectedly turned to the masked woman with a smile amidst the rising white light.

“This humble one is Wen Qing,” the masked woman replied after a brief pause, still smiling.

In that instant, Han Li vanished within the white light—whether he had heard her name remained unclear.

The warmth in the masked woman’s beautiful eyes faded in an instant.

“Arrange their teleportation. Afterward, report to the Enforcement Hall for twenty lashes of the Lightning Whip as punishment. If such negligence occurs again, the consequences will not be so lenient.” Her voice was icy.

“Many thanks for your mercy, Palace Master! This junior will never repeat such a mistake!”

The sinister-faced man and the elderly cultivator, who had been trembling in fear, felt both relief and dread—relief that the punishment was lighter than expected, dread knowing that even twenty lashes would leave them bedridden for over a month.

Without sparing another glance at Wen Siyue and the others, the masked woman’s figure shimmered with radiant light before vanishing into thin air.