Han Li barely needed to think it over before concluding that Old Man Xuan Gu’s words were almost certainly true.
After all, Star Palace had managed to stand firm in the Chaotic Star Seas for so many years; they must have employed certain methods. It was unlikely they had come here merely to supervise without any ulterior motives—they probably had their own schemes.
With this in mind, a cold glint flashed in Han Li’s eyes. Though he didn’t respond to Old Man Xuan Gu, he immediately grew more vigilant toward the two white-robed elders.
As time passed, however, the two elders remained seated motionless, fully immersed in their Qi cultivation. They never opened their eyes again, nor did they utter a single word.
Three more days slipped by in this eerie atmosphere. Only three or four new cultivators arrived during this time, and no Nascent Soul cultivators appeared.
Then, on the morning of the fourth day, a sudden change occurred. A series of rumbling sounds echoed, and without any warning, a white jade stone door descended over the hall entrance, completely sealing off the great hall.
The door was shrouded in a hazy white glow, clearly indicating powerful restrictions had been placed upon it. From the direction of the distant palace gates, another loud rumble could be faintly heard, suggesting they too had been sealed shut.
Some cultivators in the hall couldn’t help but show a trace of panic, though they quickly calmed down upon noticing the composed expressions of the Nascent Soul cultivators.
It was at this moment that the two Star Palace elders leisurely opened their eyes and abruptly rose to their feet.
Instantly, the attention of every other cultivator fixed upon them. Those who understood showed looks of realization, while those who didn’t wore expressions of puzzlement. The Nascent Soul cultivators, however, watched the elders’ actions expressionlessly, saying nothing.
The two elders calmly made their way toward the front of the hall.
Before they reached their destination, the ground at the far end of the hall trembled slightly. Several stone tiles on the floor emitted a dazzling white light, and to everyone’s astonishment, a small teleportation formation about ten feet in size materialized there.
None of the many cultivators present could discern how the formation had appeared, leaving even those who prided themselves on their abilities utterly amazed.
Unfazed, the two white-robed elders approached the formation and bowed slightly to examine it carefully.
After a long moment, they exchanged a glance and nodded.
“Very well, this teleportation formation is operational. From here, you will proceed to the Outer Halls of the Void Sky Palace. We wish you all the best of luck,” one of them announced.
With those words, the two elders stepped onto the formation one after the other. In two flashes of white light, their figures vanished without a trace.
The remaining cultivators in the hall glanced at each other in bewilderment.
Before they could fully process what had happened, Wan Tianming, along with the old Daoist and the dark-skinned elderly man, drifted down from their jade pillars without hesitation and stepped onto the teleportation formation, disappearing in another flash.
This spurred the other cultivators into action. Those standing closer hurried over to the formation.
In an instant, white light flickered incessantly around the teleportation formation, and within moments, nearly half of the cultivators in the hall had vanished. Among them was Old Man Xuan Gu, who had slipped away ahead of the crowd.
A strange light flickered in Han Li’s eyes as he instinctively glanced toward Patriarch Ji Yin and the others. To his surprise, Patriarch Ji Yin was also staring back at him with a meaningful gaze, startling Han Li so much that he quickly averted his eyes, his heart growing even more uneasy.
It seemed Patriarch Ji Yin truly had no intention of letting him go!
Feeling frustrated, Han Li simply stood up and made his way forward.
Seeing this, a faint, eerie smile curled at the corner of Patriarch Ji Yin’s lips. His usually silent disciple, Wu Chou, finally couldn’t contain his curiosity and whispered, “Patriarch, you seem particularly interested in that guy. Is there something unusual about him?”
Wu Chou was genuinely puzzled.
“It’s nothing. He’s just… useful to me. I need to make use of him for a while,” Patriarch Ji Yin replied dismissively, clearly unwilling to elaborate.
This left Wu Chou, who had always enjoyed the patriarch’s favor, feeling even more confused.
Just then, the scholarly-robed “Green Icy Scholar” cleared his throat and said languidly, “Shouldn’t we set off as well? There aren’t many people left in the hall now.”
Patriarch Ji Yin paused, scanning the nearly empty hall before smiling faintly. “Of course. If we delay any longer, the teleportation formation will disappear. It won’t reappear for another month.”
With that, he grabbed Wu Chou, and the two transformed into a dark cloud, drifting gently downward.
The Green Icy Scholar and Barbarian Dragon followed suit, leisurely descending from their jade pillars.
The beautiful woman had already left earlier, clearly intent on avoiding any association with Patriarch Ji Yin and his group.
…
The moment Han Li stepped out of the teleportation formation, he found himself on a desolate small mound. Glancing around, he was taken aback to see only two men and one woman nearby—the other cultivators were nowhere in sight.
The female cultivator among them brightened upon spotting Han Li. It was none other than Fairy Violet Spirit.
Without the slightest hesitation, she walked toward him with a smile, while the male cultivator who had been with her was nowhere to be seen. Han Li couldn’t help but smile bitterly, sensing that trouble was once again heading his way.
The other two were an elderly man in gray robes and a masked figure shrouded in a black cloak.
The old man seemed harmless enough, but the black-cloaked figure was enveloped in dark green mist, clearly a demonic cultivator practicing sinister arts. The two stood apart, evidently not on good terms.
Fairy Violet Spirit’s approach naturally drew their attention, and they both turned to scrutinize Han Li.
The old man’s gaze was amiable, and he even offered a friendly smile. The black-cloaked figure, however, stared with icy coldness, devoid of any emotion.
Han Li returned their looks calmly, showing no outward reaction.
By then, Fairy Violet Spirit had reached him and said lightly, “I didn’t expect to be teleported together with Senior Han. It seems I’ll have to trouble you to look after me again. Otherwise, I’m afraid I won’t even make it past this first trial.”
As she spoke, she pursed her lips slightly, appearing somewhat embarrassed.
Han Li frowned but didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he asked curiously, “Fairy Violet Spirit, your cultivation has advanced significantly—you’ve reached late Foundation Establishment stage. Congratulations are in order. But why have you come here? It’s far too dangerous. Even Core Formation cultivators may not be able to guarantee their safety in Void Sky Palace.” Though Han Li only had a partial understanding of Void Sky Palace, he could well gauge the peril involved and found her presence puzzling.
Hearing his question, a trace of bitterness crossed Fairy Violet Spirit’s delicate features. “I had no desire to come here either,” she replied helplessly. “But as you can see, I’ve reached the False Core stage and will soon attempt Core Formation. My aptitude isn’t particularly good, and the auxiliary pills I’ve managed to gather are pitifully few. So, I had to spend a fortune to acquire a fragment of the Void Sky Map and try my luck here. I’ve heard Void Sky Palace is rich in spiritual medicines. With any luck, I might find a few that could greatly aid my Core Formation! I’ve already decided to stop after this first trial and not attempt the second.”
Her expression dimmed, clouded with dejection.
Han Li sighed inwardly and fell silent.
If not for his cultivation of the “Triple Revolving Cultivation Art” and the “Great Development Technique,” coupled with an abundance of spiritual medicines to forcibly boost his chances of Core Formation, he would likely be even less hopeful than Fairy Violet Spirit. The thought evoked a sense of camaraderie toward her.
Moreover, the Thunder Bamboo had ultimately come from her, and the Mystical Sound Sect had been sending him a modest but steady supply of spirit stones every year. Though the quantity wasn’t large, he still owed her a favor. Perhaps this was an opportunity to repay it.
With this in mind, Han Li’s expression softened slightly. “Since we’ve ended up together, I’ll do what I can to look after you,” he said evenly. “However, if we encounter a situation where even I cannot guarantee my own safety, you’ll need to find your own way out.”
“Thank you, Senior Han! I understand completely and will absolutely not hold you back,” Fairy Violet Spirit replied, her face lighting up with such radiance that Han Li was momentarily stunned.
Realizing his lapse, Han Li quickly turned away, his face slightly flushed, not daring to look at her any longer.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage