Chapter 1132: Secret Words

The group of cultivators wore the uniform attire of Star Palace disciples, clearly having just set out from Heavenly Star City.

Han Li, hovering brazenly in front of them, was naturally spotted at a glance.

Immediately, they flew toward him in surprise, arriving before him in moments.

However, Han Li had activated his Qi Concealment Technique, completely masking his cultivation level. As a result, whether it was Foundation Establishment or Core Formation cultivators scanning him with their spiritual sense, they could only perceive him as a hazy mist, utterly unable to discern his true strength.

Just then, an exclamation came from the opposing group.

Han Li’s expression flickered, and he turned his gaze toward a cultivator wearing a snow-white cloak.

This person’s entire body was concealed beneath a massive cloak, making it impossible to distinguish their gender. Even with Han Li’s formidable spiritual sense, he couldn’t penetrate the cloak.

Han Li was greatly astonished!

Yet, the aura emanating from this person gave Han Li a faint sense of familiarity. Moreover, as the only Nascent Soul cultivator in the group, he naturally wouldn’t let it go.

A blue glint flashed in Han Li’s eyes as he prepared to activate his Brightsight Spirit Eyes to forcibly peer through the cloak.

“So it’s actually Fellow Daoist Han! It’s been so many years—how have you been?” But at that moment, a magnetic chuckle emerged from beneath the cloak. The person suddenly removed the massive garment, revealing a face as fair as jade, with a faintly amused and enchanting expression.

“Ling Yuling!” Upon seeing this strikingly beautiful face, Han Li was momentarily stunned before involuntarily exclaiming.

This person was none other than the Star Palace steward he had once saved outside Heavenly Star City, whose appearance resembled that of a maiden!

Gazing at the other’s peach-blossom-like face, Han Li rubbed his nose and forced a slight smile.

“I never expected that after all these years, Brother Han could recognize me at a glance. I’m truly honored! And congratulations on successfully forming your Nascent Soul!” Ling Yuling laughed delicately, her phoenix eyes sweeping over Han Li before revealing a trace of astonishment.

Though he couldn’t discern Han Li’s exact cultivation level either, it was clear that Han Li’s strength was no weaker than his own. Naturally, his smile grew even warmer.

“Fellow Daoist Ling jests! Haven’t you also formed a Nascent Soul?”

Ling Yuling smiled faintly but didn’t immediately respond. Instead, he turned his head and coldly ordered, “You all go ahead first. I have some matters to discuss with Fellow Daoist Han and will catch up shortly.”

“Yes, Elder Ling!” The Star Palace cultivators—Core Formation and Foundation Establishment disciples—immediately bowed in acknowledgment. The reverence on their faces suggested they held this “Elder Ling” in the highest esteem.

Han Li observed this scene with flickering eyes, though his expression remained unchanged.

Led by a late-Core Formation elder, the group continued on their way, their escape lights vanishing into the horizon in the blink of an eye.

“Forgive my discourtesy, Brother Han. I’ve been ordered to reinforce an island under attack by the Anti-Star Alliance, so I’m afraid I can’t linger with you for long,” Ling Yuling sighed as he turned back.

“I’ve heard rumors on my way here that your palace has reignited hostilities with the Anti-Star Alliance. No wonder you’re so occupied,” Han Li remarked leisurely.

Ling Yuling could only respond with a bitter smile. But after scrutinizing Han Li again, his expression suddenly turned peculiar.

“Brother Han, you’re not just at the early stage, are you?” he hesitantly asked.

“Haha, I’ve merely progressed slightly further than you, Fellow Daoist Ling. But with your aptitude, it’s only a matter of time,” Han Li replied vaguely with a chuckle.

Ling Yuling’s expression froze, his mind roiling with disbelief.

Han Li had truly reached the mid-Nascent Soul stage—this was utterly inconceivable! Less than two hundred years had passed since they last parted, and Han Li had advanced from Core Formation to mid-Nascent Soul. Such speed was nothing short of terrifying!

After several shifts in expression, Ling Yuling finally regained his composure, though his tone remained tinged with envy. “It seems Brother Han is a once-in-ten-thousand-years cultivation prodigy, achieving such rapid breakthroughs. I’m truly in awe.”

“I’m no prodigy—just fortunate to have encountered some opportunities,” Han Li replied with a half-truthful smile, unwilling to elaborate.

“Brother Han, what brings you here? If there’s anything I can assist with, I’d be happy to help,” Ling Yuling smoothly changed the subject, inquiring about Han Li’s purpose.

“Nothing major. I intend to travel to the Outer Seas and will likely need to borrow your palace’s teleportation formation,” Han Li stated frankly.

“In that case, meeting me was fortuitous. Recently, to prevent Anti-Star Alliance infiltrators, most Outer Seas teleportation formations have been deactivated, leaving only two operational. Here’s a token—with it, you can freely use our palace’s formations.”

Ling Yuling smiled radiantly, his eyes shimmering with a charm indistinguishable from that of a peerless beauty.

Yet his demeanor carried no trace of effeminacy, creating an oddly captivating allure.

With Han Li’s current mental fortitude, he wasn’t swayed by appearances. Still, he reasoned that while sneaking into Heavenly Star City wouldn’t be difficult, avoiding unnecessary trouble was always preferable.

With a smile, Han Li accepted the token without ceremony.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Han Li took his leave, transforming into a streak of azure light that shot toward the distant island.

Ling Yuling watched Han Li’s departing figure, his smile gradually fading. After a moment of contemplation, he retrieved a pale silver message talisman from his storage pouch.

Murmuring a few words into it, he flicked his wrist, sending the talisman skyward as a fiery streak that vanished into the void.

With a resigned sigh, he donned his cloak again and flew off in pursuit of his subordinates.

Once Ling Yuling’s escape light had disappeared, a faint silver glimmer flickered in the air nearby, revealing a shadowy figure. It glanced toward where the message talisman had flown before vanishing once more.

A short while later, dozens of miles away, Han Li hovered motionless in the air, his expression unreadable, hands clasped behind his back.

A figure flickered before him—his humanoid puppet—holding a writhing flame resembling a fiery serpent, trapped within a silvery glow.

Han Li’s brow twitched as he reached out, snatching the flame midair. It burst into a blazing sphere, which he scanned with his spiritual sense before his face darkened.

After a moment’s thought, he crushed the fireball with a flick of his fingers and turned his gaze toward Heavenly Star City, narrowing his eyes.

“So the entire Scattered Star Seas knows about the Void Heaven Cauldron in my possession. It seems I’ll need to alter my appearance,” he murmured. A shimmering light enveloped his face, blurring his features, while his body crackled and expanded by a foot.

Soon, he had transformed into a burly, dark-skinned man. Stowing the puppet, he flew toward Heavenly Star City.

Unbeknownst to Han Li, the moment he destroyed the message talisman, in a dim underground cavern beneath Heavenly Star City’s sacred mountain, a seated figure stirred.

The figure reached into the air, summoning scattered embers that coalesced into the very fireball Han Li had crushed, now restored in their palm.

After silently scanning its contents, the figure extinguished the flames with a wave.

“What happened? Why would Yuling use the escape talisman we gave him? It’s far too precious for casual use—has something happened to him? He only just left the city,” a woman’s voice, melodious as a young maiden’s, echoed from the cavern’s shadows.

“He’s unharmed. He merely encountered an interesting individual nearby and wished to notify us, hoping we might recruit this person into the Star Palace as an ally,” the first figure replied in a slow, stiff tone, as if unaccustomed to speech.

“Oh? Who could warrant such attention?” The woman, relieved, shifted slightly in curiosity.

“Do you recall the Void Heaven Cauldron incident over a century ago?”

“Of course. Is this related?”

“The one who snatched the cauldron from the likes of Man Huzi and Wan Tianming is the same cultivator who once saved Yuling. Now he’s returned to Heavenly Star City, seeking passage to the Outer Seas, and Yuling happened upon him.”

“I see. If memory serves, this man’s surname is Han. Back then, he was merely a Core Formation cultivator—hardly worth recruiting, no?”

“Chuckle. You might find this hard to believe, but Yuling suspects he’s now a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator. If true, advancing so rapidly in under two centuries makes him someone not to underestimate.”

“After the Void Heaven Cauldron left the Void Heaven Hall, we investigated its bearer’s origins. Wasn’t he believed to be an outsider who likely returned to his homeland? Could he be from a major Great Jin sect? Otherwise, even a once-in-an-era genius couldn’t reach mid-Nascent Soul so quickly without a powerful backing.”

The woman spoke with surprising familiarity regarding the Great Jin Empire.