“This man is not a Tuguhun!”
“What? How does Master know this?” Han Li’s opening statement was so shocking that Silvermoon couldn’t help but be startled.
“Take a look at this.” Han Li suddenly reached out and lightly grasped the air, summoning a ball of cyan light that materialized into a jade pendant-like illusion. Ancient characters were inscribed on it.
“This is ancient Jin script,” Silvermoon exclaimed in surprise once again.
“Truth be told, even if I hadn’t intervened earlier, this man likely wouldn’t have been harmed. This object is a top-tier magical artifact that Feng Yue carried with him—a jade pendant that emits spiritual waves whenever the demonic bird approaches, likely possessing an automatic protective effect. Though he hid it at his waist, a mere layer of cloth couldn’t obstruct my spiritual sight. You should recognize these Jin characters as well. Based on them, there’s a seventy to eighty percent chance this man belongs to one of the so-called aristocratic families of Great Jin,” Han Li said indifferently.
“Indeed. The title ‘Ningzhong Feng’ matches the naming conventions of Great Jin’s aristocratic families, as recorded in the texts. It seems this ‘Brother Feng’ should actually be ‘Brother Feng.’ But where does ‘Ningzhong’ refer to? Is it Ningchuan County among the thirty-six counties of Great Jin? Or Xining Prefecture among the one hundred and eight prefectures? Or perhaps just an ordinary city with ‘Ning’ in its name?” Silvermoon mused.
Since they were heading to Great Jin, Han Li had naturally collected numerous texts on its customs and geography, and Silvermoon had also read many. Thus, her casual mention of these details didn’t surprise him in the least.
“Regardless of which aristocratic family this man belongs to, his solitary presence on the Tianlan Grassland signifies trouble. It’s best to avoid further contact. Our priority now is to find a way to leave the grassland and resolve the baleful aura within us.” With that, Han Li closed his eyes expressionlessly.
“That’s true. For someone at the early Foundation Establishment stage to possess such an automatic protective artifact, he must be an important figure of the Feng family. Yet he’s hiding in a small tribe’s tribute procession—undoubtedly entangled in serious trouble,” Silvermoon chuckled softly in agreement.
She then fell silent, and the carriage returned to stillness.
Outside, the young men finally shattered two massive ice blocks with hammers and dismembered the three demonic birds, skinning and deboning them. They then presented Han Li with the most valuable parts—six sharp claws and over a dozen long feathers—while the two tribes divided the rest.
Naturally, since Han Li was the immortal master invited by the Heron Tribe, they took the lion’s share. Though the Bo Tribesman received less, as it was an unexpected windfall and no one had been harmed in the attack, he was still overjoyed.
In a tightly sealed wagon of the Red Wolf Tribe, the blue-robed man, finding his hood inconvenient, had removed it, revealing a fair-skinned face. With slightly thin lips, he was otherwise quite handsome and imposing.
His expression was cold and silent as he suddenly reached for his neck, pulling out a golden chain with a silver-white key attached. The key, as thick as a finger and several inches long, was covered in mysterious, archaic patterns, with the golden character “Feng” inscribed on its oval handle.
Staring at the key, Feng Yue’s eyes flickered with strange emotions—his face shifting between excitement, pain, and finally settling into deep gloom.
After exhaling deeply, he carefully tucked the key away, wearing it again as a necklace. Ensuring it was hidden from view, he closed his eyes to meditate and recover the spiritual power he had expended earlier.
Once the remnants of the demonic birds were cleared, the caravan soon resumed its journey.
This time, however, no one dared to speak loudly. The brief battle had left a profound impression on the young Tuguhun, especially those with spiritual roots, who now burned with fervor, eager to reach the Holy Temple and become mighty immortal masters themselves.
The next day passed uneventfully, but by noon on the second day, Han Li, meditating in the carriage, finally sensed the so-called “outpost” designated by the Holy Temple.
Though wary of high-level immortal masters stationed there, he refrained from scanning with his divine sense. Still, he faintly detected a mix of spiritual fluctuations, indicating the presence of many low-level cultivators.
Han Li’s eyes flickered briefly, his face unreadable.
After traveling another twenty li, the tribesmen around the wagons erupted in cheers. Han Li flicked his sleeve, rolling up the curtain to gaze into the distance, where a black dot appeared on the plains.
With a faint blue glint in his eyes, he discerned the details clearly: a wall three to four zhang high, built of stone and thick logs, behind which stood a chaotic mix of tents and crude huts, bustling with Tuguhun commoners.
Amid the structures, a stone hall built entirely of massive bluestones stood out, surrounded by sparse pavilions where occasional cultivators in peculiar attire entered and exited.
This was the “outpost.” Han Li’s gaze shifted to the towering stone pillars outside the walls, each as thick as a man’s embrace and twenty to thirty zhang tall, glowing brilliantly. Clearly, the Tianlan Holy Temple had erected a grand formation to protect the entire settlement, with an aerial restriction preventing flight.
Having surveyed the area, Han Li lost interest and lowered the curtain.
A quarter-hour later, their caravan reached the outpost’s entrance, where no guards barred entry. After a brief discussion, the Heron and Bo Tribes split again, heading in different directions.
Though inside the outpost, Han Li’s divine sense allowed him to perceive everything nearby.
The place was as chaotic as it had appeared from afar. Aside from a few main paths, tents and huts sprawled haphazardly, many patched and worn, reflecting the struggles of the smaller tribes.
Only the farthest tribes stayed here; the larger ones resided near the Holy Temple itself.
After securing a spot in a remote corner, the Heron Tribe began setting up their tents. Han Li stepped out, watching coldly as Ying Lu hesitated before approaching.
“Immortal Master Han, this place is too disorderly for your meditation. However, there’s a dedicated resting area for immortal masters, free of charge. Would you prefer to stay there for two nights and rejoin us after our rest?” the elder asked respectfully.
“Very well. I’ll return in two days,” Han Li replied impassively before turning toward the tallest structure—a two-story stone hall where cultivators frequently came and went.
Upon reaching it, he glanced at the two monstrous statues flanking the entrance—bull-headed, flood dragon-bodied creatures—before walking past without entering. Though confident in his disguise, mingling with so many Tuguhun cultivators, especially if high-level ones were present, seemed unwise.
Instead, he decided to leave the outpost and find a secluded spot nearby, returning only when it was time to depart.
Once they reached the Tianlan Holy Temple, the search for him would likely have eased, allowing him to slip away. The remaining journey to Great Jin was long, but with caution, he could still find a way in.
With this in mind, Han Li calmly exited the outpost, summoning a small sword to ride into the sky. After flying fifty or sixty li, he descended near an inconspicuous pile of rocks.
Scanning the area, he landed before a five-to-six-zhang-tall boulder. Sitting cross-legged, he confirmed no one was within twenty li before turning and firing a barrage of cyan sword Qi at the rock, carving out a two-zhang-tall hollow just large enough for one person.
Satisfied, he stepped out and set up an invisibility formation with a set of array flags. The boulder vanished from sight, and Han Li disappeared into the formation.
Time passed swiftly. After a day and night of meditation, Han Li had nearly mastered the incantation given by the Great Divination Sage, far quicker than expected.
Just as he pondered a critical point, his eyelids twitched involuntarily. His divine sense jolted awake, and he opened his eyes in surprise.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage