Chapter 892: Giant Bat

The other party gave him this feeling, and there were only two possible truths: either his spiritual sense had just failed him, or the other party was a cultivator whose spiritual sense far surpassed his own—most likely that foreigner. However, neither outcome boded well for him if exposed.

The first scenario was manageable at best—merely losing some face and reputation in front of the two juniors. But the latter would be a real disaster.

Though he had acted confident in front of the middle-aged man and the palace-robed woman, claiming he could easily capture the severely injured foreigner, the truth was, as one of the cultivators who had participated in the interception battle, he deeply feared the foreigner’s supernatural abilities and his ferocity in fighting against overwhelming odds.

The tragic fate of those fallen cultivators—their bodies turned into purple ice, their Nascent Souls frozen—was still vivid in his mind. Even if the foreigner was truly severely injured, dragging him down to death would likely be effortless.

Forget it. There were no other Nascent Soul cultivators nearby, and this ambiguous, life-threatening speculation wasn’t worth the risk to verify. Soon enough, the Great Immortal Master and the Holy Maiden would personally deal with this person.

After weighing the pros and cons, the bald-browed elder sighed lightly and dismissed the thought of chasing after the carriage to stop them. Had he been two hundred years younger, he might have taken the risk. But now, with his remaining days numbered, he cherished his life all the more.

The bald-browed elder watched as the convoy gradually disappeared into the distance, standing motionless. His unusual behavior made the man and woman behind him exchange puzzled glances, but they dared not ask any questions.

…

After the carriage had traveled over ten miles without any pursuit from the owner of the spiritual sense in the camp, Han Li also let out a sigh of relief.

The earlier spiritual sense sweep had been extremely swift. Though he had reacted quickly, he was still somewhat unaccustomed to his drastically reduced cultivation level. It seemed he had withdrawn his spiritual sense a little too late, and he wasn’t sure if he had truly deceived the other party. That spiritual sense had been so subtle and secretive—clearly, its owner had trained in some special concealment technique.

Feeling slightly more at ease, Han Li remained cautious inside the carriage, continuing to suppress his aura.

After traveling for most of the day, Han Li relaxed slightly and slowly released his spiritual sense again, automatically covering an area of over twenty miles to monitor for any abnormalities. At the same time, he flipped his hand and took out the storage pouch of the eagle-eyed old man. Turning it upside down, a pile of miscellaneous items tumbled out in a flash of white light.

His gaze swept over the pile, and he picked up a small vial. Opening the lid, he sniffed it, then shook his head and set it aside. He repeated the process with another vial, as if searching for something.

Finally, when he opened an inconspicuous green jade vial, before he could even identify its contents, a wisp of purple mist floated out. Han Li’s expression darkened, and without hesitation, he spat out a ball of green light, instantly enveloping the purple mist. However, in the blink of an eye, the green light began to darken from within.

Han Li’s face changed drastically. Before the green light could be completely contaminated, he blew sharply, sending the light ball shooting back into the vial. He swiftly sealed the lid.

Only then did he exhale deeply. At least his efforts hadn’t been in vain—obtaining some remnants of the Bitter Poison was still a considerable gain. The Ten Ultimate Poisons were generally things one could only encounter by chance, and the fact that the Kong Family possessed this poison suggested they were no ordinary clan.

He carefully stored the vial in his storage pouch, then sent a wisp of his spiritual sense into one of the Fire Wolf Tribe’s carriages.

Inside, Feng Yue sat cross-legged, holding a fist-sized orb in both hands, his eyes tightly closed. Wisps of black energy poured from his hands into the orb, turning it pitch-black and glossy. A pile of medicine bottles lay before him, most of them opened, with various pills scattered haphazardly around.

Seeing this, Han Li shook his head and withdrew his spiritual sense.

He could tell at a glance that although the orb was some kind of treasure capable of absorbing poison, it had already reached its limit. Moreover, the absorbed poison would likely regenerate soon, rendering it useless against the Bitter Poison that had already seeped deep into Feng Yue’s body. Trying to delay for ten days to detoxify was nothing but wishful thinking.

With this thought, Han Li closed his eyes, emotionless, and entered a meditative state.

…

Over the next seven or eight days, the journey remained relatively peaceful. Only two low-level Ironhoof Beasts, oblivious to danger, charged at the convoy. They were quickly turned into trophies by a few eager Xian Masters of the Uptala people, who bombarded them with magical artifacts. Only Han Li, Feng Yue, and another Uptala Xian Master escorting the convoy remained in their carriages without taking action.

Feng Yue was understandable, but the other Xian Master, who also disliked going out, piqued Han Li’s curiosity. However, after probing with his spiritual sense a few times, he found nothing unusual—just a diligent Foundation Establishment cultivator in his late twenties who spent his days cultivating.

After a few attempts, Han Li lost interest. Meanwhile, Feng Yue, whom he kept an eye on, grew increasingly agitated and desperate after failing a series of detoxification attempts. His once-black hair gradually turned gray.

This was hardly surprising. Knowing one’s death was imminent yet being powerless to stop it was a torment few could endure. The fact that the young man hadn’t completely collapsed yet even surprised Han Li.

But in his heart, Han Li silently calculated the days—the last direct descendant of the Feng Family had only two or three days left to live.

As for himself, Han Li had fully comprehended the incantation given by the Great Divination Sage two days prior, putting his mind at ease. Even if his identity were exposed now and Nascent Soul cultivators suddenly attacked, he wouldn’t be overly afraid.

That afternoon, as evening approached, the convoy of several hundred people stopped by a river several hundred feet wide to replenish water, cook, and rest.

Hearing the sound of the flowing river, Han Li stirred and stepped out of the carriage.

“Honored Xian Master, do you have any orders?” The young girl named Yingshan, who had been eating a piece of dried meat, blushed and hastily set the food aside, bowing respectfully to Han Li. After traveling together for so long, this was the first time Han Li had voluntarily left the carriage, which naturally flustered the girl.

“Nothing urgent. I’ve been meditating in the carriage for so long that I thought I’d come out and take a look,” Han Li said gently, his gaze shifting from the girl’s youthful face to the hard piece of food.

“Then… Honored Xian Master Han, shall I fetch you some water?” the girl asked, still somewhat flustered.

“Very well. Though I’ve long since abstained from food, a little water would be nice,” Han Li said, nodding toward the nearby river.

Relieved, the girl cheerfully agreed and ran to the riverbank with a waterskin. There, people from various tribes had lit bonfires and were roasting meat from cattle and sheep.

Watching the girl’s slender figure, Han Li felt something stir within him, and a faint smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.

A short while later, the girl returned, panting slightly, with the waterskin in one hand and a piece of roasted meat in the other. She shyly offered both to Han Li.

“Honored Xian Master, this roasted meat is quite tasty. Would you like to try some?” she asked eagerly.

“Alright. It’s been years since I’ve eaten such things. A taste wouldn’t hurt,” Han Li chuckled, accepting the meat without refusal. He took a bite—it was indeed delicious.

Seeing this, the girl’s round face lit up with a delighted smile.

“You’re preparing for the Spirit Awakening Ceremony, aren’t you? Staying by my carriage all this time must have been hard on you. Let me check your spiritual roots—hold out your hand,” Han Li said calmly after taking another bite and setting the meat aside.

“Thank you, Honored Xian Master!” Yingshan was stunned at first, then overjoyed, extending her fair arm without hesitation.

Han Li grasped her wrist, channeling a wisp of spiritual energy into her body as he pondered. Had his cultivation not dropped to the Foundation Establishment level, he wouldn’t have needed physical contact to examine her thoroughly.

“Honored Xian Master Han, how is my aptitude? Can I become a Xian Master?” the girl couldn’t help but ask, her face full of hope.

“It’s decent. Becoming a Xian Master won’t be a problem. But meeting me is your fortune—take this pill before the Spirit Awakening Ceremony,” Han Li said, releasing her wrist and producing a milky-white vial from his other hand.

“This is…?” the girl took the vial, puzzled.

“It’s not some rare elixir, but it can improve your physique slightly. Perhaps it’ll help you advance further on your cultivation path,” Han Li said casually. Pills that could cleanse the marrow and refine the meridians of low-level cultivators were no longer of any value to him.

“Thank you, Honored Xian Master!” Overjoyed, the girl bowed deeply again.

“Rise. How far you go depends on yourself from now on. By the way, this river is so vast—is it a tributary of the Tianshui River that runs through the south?” Han Li waved his hand, shifting his gaze from the girl to the river.

“You’re right, Honored Xian Master. This is indeed a branch of the Tianshui River. Another hundred miles ahead, we’ll reach the main river—the true Tianshui River,” the girl said happily after carefully storing the vial.

Han Li fell silent, recalling all the information he had about the Tianshui River.

If he remembered correctly, this river was incredibly long—the largest in the Tianlan Grasslands—and connected to the Shun River in the Great Jin Empire, with the two forming its upper and lower reaches.

A vague idea formed in his mind, and he sank into thought.

Suddenly, Han Li’s expression shifted. He raised his head sharply, looking toward the sky across the river, his face darkening.

“Go inform your clan leader that something is flying toward us. I don’t know if it’s just passing by or targeting us,” Han Li ordered the girl in a low voice.

Yingshan paled and nodded repeatedly like a pecking chick before dashing toward Ying Lu and the other leaders by the river. Moments later, chaos erupted as everyone hurried back to the convoy.

Before most could reach the carriages, a green light flickered on the distant horizon, accompanied by a sinister hum. A massive, green-glowing bat appeared, growing larger as it approached.

Its terrifying, monstrous appearance sent chills down the spines of the mortals in the convoy. The few Uptala Xian Masters who had remained in their carriages also emerged, their expressions grave as they watched the approaching creature.