Chapter 564: Heavenly Omen

"Two hours from now, it will be the time of day when Yin energy is most vigorous; that is when I will begin performing the Soul-Returning Art. The entire process will likely last for two to three days. During this period, I will have to trouble Brother Han with everything." Yuan Yao looked at the time, then turned her pretty face back to say sincerely to Han Li.

Han Li nodded, looked around the valley, and then frowned as he asked a question.

"Other than an illusion array, it seems you haven't set up any other magic arrays for cover. If a powerful enemy were to arrive, and I were unable to attend to everything, wouldn't you be in danger?"

"Yuan Yao is naturally aware of this! But I don't have any high-level array-setting tools on hand, and there was no room for sufficient preparation in terms of time, so I can only take this risk." Yuan Yao bit her red lips, a trace of helplessness appearing on her jade face.

"Since that's the case, leave the matter of the arrays to Han Mou! I still have a few sets of decent array-setting tools here. Although they can't be called incredibly powerful, they can still be of some use; it's better than having no protection at all." Hearing Yuan Yao's words, Han Li crossed his arms and rubbed his chin as he spoke.

He could consider this as doing a good deed to the end!

"Brother Han is also proficient in the way of arrays! If that is truly the case, Yuan Yao will naturally be much more at ease while performing the art. Then I shall trouble Brother Han!" Hearing this, a look of surprise and joy flashed in Yuan Yao's beautiful eyes.

Han Li smiled slightly without saying anything more, rose into the air, and looked at the terrain surrounding the valley.

A moment later, he had a plan in mind and slowly descended.

"There isn't much time left. Han Mou shall begin setting up the arrays now!"

After saying this, Han Li waved both hands, and over a dozen tall, giant ape puppets appeared on both sides.

He took out a few sets of array-setting tools from his storage pouch, distributed them one by one to these puppets, and then stood in place, using his spiritual sense to direct these giant apes to set them up around the valley.

Yuan Yao watched the actions of these giant ape puppets with some curiosity, but soon shifted her gaze away and began to busy herself with her own affairs.

The Soul-Returning Art was no small matter! Some meticulous preparations before performing the art still had to be done. Moreover, she had to test the giant magic array beneath her feet to prevent any errors.

On the other side, with the help of more than a dozen giant apes, Han Li finished setting up four or five powerful arrays in just over an hour.

Although they couldn't intercept a Core Formation cultivator, Foundation Establishment cultivators would not be able to break through easily.

Yuan Yao, in the center of the valley, also brought her preparations to an end.

Seeing that the spirit stones were placed around the magic array, she struck a magic seal at the eye of the array, activating it.

As a result, the magic array let out a low hum, black light flickered, and eerie wisps of black energy suddenly appeared around the array, gathering toward the cold jade coffin in the middle.

Seeing this, Yuan Yao's face revealed a look of satisfaction. She hurriedly struck another magic seal to stop the array.

"No problems, everything is normal." Yuan Yao walked out of the magic array and said happily to Han Li.

"Daoist Yuan! Have you truly thought this through? Once your core shatters, your path of immortal cultivation will be blocked. There is almost no possibility of entering the Core Formation realm again." Han Li looked at the woman's smiling expression and said slowly.

Upon hearing Han Li's words, the smile on Yuan Yao's face immediately vanished, and she fell silent.

"If it's blocked, then so be it! That I have lived until now was something I picked up in the first place." Yuan Yao said calmly.

"Brother Han does not know the bond between Senior Sister and me, which is why you would say such things. Senior Sister Yan Li and I grew up together, entered the sect to cultivate together, and ate and lived together for decades. Even biological sisters would be no more than this. And when we killed the Young Master of the Profound Yang Sect back then, it was Senior Sister who blocked the opponent's backlash strike for me. Otherwise, the person suffering in the Soul-Nourishing Wood today should have been me. As long as Senior Sister Yan Li's Primordial Spirit does not dissipate and she can possess a physical body once again, the matter of a shattered core is of no consequence." The woman raised her delicate hand, gently brushing a strand of dark hair from her forehead, her expression indifferent.

Hearing the woman say such things, a strange look flashed across Han Li's face.

He then contemplated for a moment, nodded slightly, and said no more to dissuade her.

Yuan Yao returned to the magic array, sat cross-legged before the cold jade coffin, and waited quietly for the best moment to arrive.

The two remained silent for a time, but before long, the woman looked at the sky and slowly stood up.

"The time has come. I must begin performing the art! Regardless of whether this Soul-Returning Art can be completed smoothly, this young woman is endlessly grateful for Brother Han's grace in acting as a guardian. Please accept a bow from Yuan Yao!" Yuan Yao bowed lightly to Han Li, then without further hesitation, pinched magic seals with both hands, activating the magic array beneath her feet.

Seeing this scene, Han Li sighed and slowly walked toward the outside of the valley.

Before long, Yin energy would gather here in great quantities; even with his cultivation base, he did not wish to remain too close.

Not far from the valley entrance, Han Li finally stopped his steps and turned his head to glance at the situation in the valley.

Yin winds were already rising in the direction of the magic array, a layer of dim black light covered the entire area, and faint sounds of ghost wailing could be heard from within.

The Soul-Returning Art truly appeared to be extraordinary.

Han Li sat cross-legged at the valley entrance with an expressionless face, slowly releasing his spiritual sense to monitor the movements of the entire small island and the nearby sea area.

Half a day later, Han Li was still sitting in place, motionless, but his brows were tightly locked, and a faint bitter smile appeared on his face.

Only now did he understand why Yuan Yao had insisted on asking him to act as her guardian.

The commotion of this Soul-Returning Art was more than just "large"—it was enough to make the heavens and earth change color!

Han Li turned his head back with a headache, glancing at the situation in the valley.

The Yin winds there had already obscured most of the valley, with sand and stones flying everywhere, a gray, hazy expanse.

The sounds of ghost wailing were shrill and piercing.

Near the center of the magic array, blinding black light flickered. The density of the Yin energy was enough to make one's heart tremble!

But what left Han Li speechless was that above the small island, a black cloud over ten miles in diameter had appeared at some unknown time.

Within it, Yin energy rolled, and thunder rumbled. It gradually formed a funnel shape, with the lower end pointing exactly toward the valley.

With such an obvious heavenly omen, the cultivators active in the nearby sea area would certainly be alarmed.

After all, accompanying such an astonishing phenomenon, it was generally either a treasure appearing in the world or someone performing a heaven-defying cultivation technique. They would not fail to come over to see what was happening.

He just didn't know if it would alarm any formidable characters!

Han Li turned his head back, and just as he was secretly contemplating, his expression stirred, and he suddenly raised his head to look toward a certain direction in the distance.

In the southwest direction of the small island, seven or eight rays of light of various colors flew over. In the blink of an eye, they stopped in the high sky over ten miles away from the small island, and then the light converged, revealing several male and female cultivators.

Among these people, apart from a white-haired Foundation Establishment stage old man leading them, the rest were all very young men and women, looking to be at the seventh or eighth layer of Qi Condensation.

Looking at their uniform blue silk brocade attire, they should be disciples of the same sect.

Now, the old man in the lead stood in front of the others, looking at the astonishing heavenly omen above the small island with a puzzled expression, his mood somewhat uncertain.

"Senior Uncle Zhao, let's hurry to the island and take a look. Perhaps it's some treasure appearing in the world!" A female disciple, aged twenty-one or twenty-two, seeing the old man just watching without speaking, couldn't help but suggest anxiously.

"Hui Ling, girl, you are too impatient. Looking at these signs, even if it is a treasure appearing, it is more likely to be a demonic or ominous weapon. Moreover, it is also possible that a high-level expert is refining or performing some demonic secret art here. To rashly break in and disturb them—wouldn't that be seeking one's own death?" The old man glanced sideways at the woman and scolded her in an old-fashioned tone.

When the woman heard this, although she looked somewhat unconvinced, she lowered her head and dared not say anything more.

"Senior Uncle! Are we just going to wait here?" Another slightly older male disciple looked at the black clouds on the small island and also became somewhat hesitant.

"Rest assured. With such a large commotion, others will certainly arrive here. When the situation is clarified, we can then act according to the circumstances. Remember, our Taiyang Sect has been able to survive until now entirely because the disciples within the sect are cautious and prudent, and never easily provoke trouble. Even if a massive benefit appears before your eyes, you must weigh whether you have the life to enjoy it!" The old man seemed to be taking the junior disciples out for experience, teaching them while observing the small island.

The young men and women behind him naturally kept saying yes.

Sure enough, not long after the old man finished speaking, on the other side of the small island, two rays of yellow and green light flew over. After discovering the old man's group, they stopped there, separated by a distance of over a hundred feet.

"So it is Daoist Zhao of the Taiyang Sect. I wonder if you know what has happened on this island to cause such a heavenly omen?" A sweet female voice came from the light, and then the light scattered, revealing a man and a woman.

The man was over forty, dressed in black, his face stiff and expressionless, like a dead object. The woman was twenty-seven or twenty-eight, her appearance handsome and dignified, and she was asking the old man gently.

... ===== CHAPTER 565 =====