Chapter 431: The Master Ji Yin Patriarch

Others might not have noticed, but the Xuangu Bone Elder, who had only just broken ties with him, spotted him at once. WM. com

He sat alone in one corner of the hall, gazing coldly at him, his eyes betraying unmistakable surprise.

On another jade pillar stood a man and woman; the elegant female cultivator stared at Han Li in stunned silence.

It was Zi Ling, the Immortal Lady of Miaoyin Sect, and beside her stood a young man in blue robes, composed and ethereal.

Seeing Zi Ling's odd expression, the man glanced at Han Li several times, noting his youthful appearance; his eyes flashed with cold light as he asked her something.

Zi Ling merely smiled faintly and whispered a few words to him, apparently explaining Han Li's identity.

Han Li frowned, ignoring the pair entirely, his gaze turning coldly toward another direction.

The gaze coming from that direction carried unmistakable hostility, which puzzled Han Li.

There, a wrinkled old man glared at him with visible anger.

Han Li froze, then recognized him—trouble had arrived.

The man was Miao the Elder of the Six Linked Palaces.

Long ago, over the matter of the Yingli Beast, he and the Elder Gu had tried to kill Han Li to silence him—but had instead been destroyed by Han Li, who exploited their weakened state and the peculiar effects of their array.

Years had passed, yet this Miao Elder still remembered him; clearly, his bond with the slain Elder Gu had been deep indeed.

Though Han Li muttered inwardly, he no longer cared much.

He briefly scanned the other cultivators—none of the rest were familiar to him.

After a moment's hesitation, he stepped through the blue light into the hall and floated up to the top of an empty jade pillar, sitting cross-legged like the others.

Only then did he properly examine the unfamiliar cultivators.

Since his spiritual sense was restricted within the hall, he could not gauge their cultivation bases—only that most were likely above Core Formation, with Foundation Establishment cultivators scarce, and possibly even several Nascent Soul elders present.

With this in mind, though seated motionless, Han Li carefully scrutinized each cultivator.

Soon, he noticed something odd—two cultivators were almost certainly Nascent Soul.

One was an elderly Confucian scholar with yellow robes and white eyebrows, his face thin and pale.

One hand rested casually behind his back; the other held a worn bamboo scroll, which he read with delight, occasionally nodding and swaying as if a bookish fool.

The other was a middle-aged woman in spotless white robes.

Her face was beautiful, yet she radiated a bone-chilling coldness, radiating an aura of utter detachment.

At this moment, this icy beauty silently wiped a black-sheathed longsword; from the moment Han Li appeared outside the hall until he entered, she had not glanced once—clearly arrogant.

Though other cultivators here appeared calm and cold, compared to these two, their composure seemed false.

Moreover, most cultivators here could not help but show a trace of awe when glancing at these two—something absent in their regard for others.

Merely from this, Han Li was certain these two were Nascent Soul elders.

Of course, Han Li knew that among the others, some hidden figures were equally dangerous and should not be underestimated.

The most obvious example was the Xuangu Bone Elder.

Though his cultivation seemed only late Core Formation, in actual combat, Core Formation cultivators stood no chance against him—he was nearly on par with Nascent Soul.

Who knew how many other such deceptive cultivators lurked among them?

Han Li muttered to himself, yet seemed to forget that he himself had slain a peer without much effort.

Regardless, after weighing his options, Han Li grew even more cautious, silently pondering the true purpose behind their gathering.

Surely not for some dull gathering of cultivators?

After all, whether the brocade fragment map or this floating sky palace, both were shrouded in mystery—even drawing Nascent Soul elders.

Clearly, something extraordinary was about to occur here.

Yet unfortunately, he knew nothing of it.

Otherwise, he could have planned his next moves in advance, avoiding peril or sudden dangers leaving him at a disadvantage.

For now, he could only act as events unfolded.

As Han Li pondered, the Xuangu Bone Elder's voice suddenly echoed softly in his ear.

"Kid, didn't expect you to have a fragment of the Xu Tian map. How about we cooperate on this treasure hunt?"

"Treasure hunt?"

Hearing those words, Han Li felt a surge of joy—he had come at last.

Yet his expression remained unchanged as he calmly replied in thought.

"What exactly do you propose? Tell me first."

The Xuangu Bone Elder, now appearing as a boy, perked up at Han Li's lack of immediate refusal. He was about to elaborate further when footsteps sounded at the hall's entrance—two figures strode in boldly.

Han Li and the Xuangu Bone Elder both froze upon seeing them.

Han Li merely paled slightly; the Xuangu Bone Elder's face twisted, his eyes blazing with bloodthirsty madness.

But fortunately, he was deeply calculating.

The expression vanished in an instant, replaced by calmness.

The two newcomers noticed nothing amiss with the Xuangu Bone Elder.

Yet Han Li, watching them, inwardly groaned.

For one of them was Wu Chou, the young master of Master Ji Yin Island.

The other, though unfamiliar to Han Li—a pale-faced, narrow-eyed middle-aged cultivator—he suspected his identity, and regretted coming here.

The middle-aged man led Wu Chou into the hall and swept his gaze coldly around.

His eyes settled on a cultivator with a sallow face, then he sneered.

The sallow-faced cultivator turned ashen, trembling slightly—but then remembered something, straightened his back, and stood firm.

"Good. Very good!" The man sneered, his eyes flashing coldly before turning away to glance at Han Li.

The moment his gaze landed on Han Li, Han Li felt as if a venomous snake had locked onto him—his hairs stood on end.

Though his expression remained calm, his heart churned with unease.

But then Han Li was stunned.

For the moment the middle-aged man recognized his face, his expression betrayed unmistakable delight—though he quickly masked it, Han Li had seen it clearly.

Han Li was now thoroughly baffled, his suspicions deepening.

The Xuangu Bone Elder, having witnessed this, also froze, then his eyes darted as he sank into thought.

At that moment, the middle-aged man noticed the elderly Confucian and the icy woman, paused slightly, then withdrew his cold gaze and bowed with a warm smile.

"I didn't expect Qing of Nanhe Island and Lady Wen of Bai Bi Mountain to be here. Wu is truly honored!"

"What honor? Qing isn't as wealthy or powerful as your Master Ji Yin Island—he's merely here to chance his luck. After all, this happens only once every three hundred years. And I heard that Man Man Huzi has acquired a fragment of the Xu Tian map, courtesy of someone's gift—he'll likely arrive soon. Then we old fools can truly gather again." The old man gently set down his bamboo scroll, speaking with a dry, humorless tone.

"Man Man Huzi is coming too?" The middle-aged man's expression shifted—he clearly feared this man deeply.

"Yes. Word is he's nearing the end of his lifespan and seeks the Longevity Fruit within the Xu Tian Palace to brew a few Immortality Pills, hoping to extend his life by fifty or sixty years." The old man spoke with a hint of sarcasm.

The icy woman, meanwhile, continued wiping her sword without lifting her head, ignoring their conversation entirely.

Hearing their exchange, Han Li involuntarily drew in a sharp breath.

Though brief, their words revealed much.

The middle-aged man was indeed the Master Ji Yin Patriarch, who had once possessed Wu Chou's body. And another Nascent Soul elder was expected.

The Xu Tian Palace contained herbs capable of extending lifespan—unbelievable!

No wonder even Nascent Soul elders had come running.

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