Chapter 787

The black-robed youth's Nascent Soul, once enveloped by the incense mist, felt dizzy and disoriented, his spiritual sense powerless; before he could react, the silver light pierced his Nascent Soul with lightning speed, freezing his essence and stripping him of all abilities—even self-destruction became impossible.

The Nascent Soul's tiny face turned instantly pale, staring in disbelief at the white-robed young woman beside Han Li.

"Excellent! Your timing has grown even sharper." Though he had secretly instructed Yin Yue to strike, Han Li still smiled and complimented the young woman.

"It's all because my master gave the order at the perfect moment. This man was only intent on fleeing, so he didn't notice that the figure left behind was merely an illusion—my true form had already slipped to the side." Yin Yue smiled faintly, her fragrant sleeve sweeping toward the other "Yin Yue" beside Han Li, causing it to dissolve into a burst of white light.

Han Li smiled slightly and said nothing more. The massive golden net surrounding the area, amid thunderous cracks, reformed into a golden sphere and shot into his hand, vanishing.

As for the Great Geng Sword Array, Han Li's spiritual sense stirred, and the thirty-six flying swords instantly reassembled, shrinking to fit neatly into his sleeves.

Only then did Han Li calmly glance at the Nascent Soul.

The black-robed youth's Nascent Soul, terrified, tried to curse aloud—but his body was utterly powerless, unable to even open his mouth.

"Yin Yue, take him to that grove and begin searching for a way to lift the Soul-Sealing Spell." Han Li's expression darkened as he spoke coldly, then rose into the air and flew alone toward the dense forest on the other side.

"Yes, Master." Yin Yue bowed respectfully, grasped the Nascent Soul beneath her feet, and floated after him with effortless grace.

Soon after, a vast expanse of pink incense mist rose from the grove, engulfing the entire forest.

…

Hundreds of miles from the island where Han Li and the black-robed youth had fought, flashes of spiritual light appeared—six dazzling, differently colored long streaks of light were hurtling through the sky toward the island.

The leader, his expression grave, was the silver-haired elder of the Luoyun Sect.

"Master Cheng, are you certain of your sensing? That teleportation array looked utterly crude—how could it possibly transport someone so far? It's almost unbelievable." Behind the silver-haired elder, a fat old man with a bulbous nose suddenly asked.

"Absolutely certain. My sensing is crystal clear—Master Han should be just ahead. All of you must be cautious. That cultivator is at least mid-Nascent Soul, possibly higher. Though we are many, we are all early-stage. When facing this demon cultivator, we must proceed with care."

"Don't worry. Brother You brought the sect's ultimate treasure, the Mist-Immortal Bell. Even if we can't defeat him, we can certainly escape." The childlike Fire Dragon Child chuckled lightly.

"That's true. If not for Brother You's willingness to bring this ultimate treasure out of the mountains to aid us, I'd never have dared bring you all into such danger. After all, if that demon cultivator is truly the master of the Yinluo Sect, we're all in grave peril." The silver-haired elder glanced gratefully at the gray-robed elder.

"It's nothing. Master Cheng once saved my life. I naturally owe him my aid. Moreover, these Yinluo Sect demons dared intrude into our Xī Country and harm others—they clearly hold us in contempt. We must teach them a lesson. Otherwise, they'll think our Xī Country's cultivation world has no one left to stand against them." The gray-robed elder smiled politely.

"Still, I'm quite curious about your sect's Master Han. I've heard that during the great war with the Mulan, your junior brother shone brilliantly, nearly turning the tide. I greatly admire him and would very much like to make his acquaintance." A tall, imposing man with a noble bearing laughed heartily and joined in.

"Indeed, I've also heard Master Han's name ringing in my ears lately. I too intend to meet him." The bulbous-nosed elder chuckled.

"That's easy. Once we help Master Han resolve this matter, I'll introduce you all. But I'm worried about his current safety. That demon is cunning—he devised a temporary teleportation array to escape us. So much time has passed, and he's been fighting alone—could something have happened?" The silver-haired elder's face showed concern.

"Don't worry. If he went to such lengths to escape us, his own cultivation must not be high—otherwise why be so cautious, so deliberate? With Master Han's strength, he won't suffer any loss." The tall man spoke bluntly.

"I hope your good words prove true." The silver-haired elder sighed faintly, accepting it as best he could.

He knew well: judging by the demon's power when he had invaded Luoyun Sect, even if not a late-Nascent Soul grand master, he was surely a top-tier mid-Nascent Soul cultivator—not so easily dealt with. He didn't want Luoyun Sect to gain a powerful Elder only to lose him immediately.

Fortunately, as long as the tracking mark remained detectable, Han Li's life was safe—and that eased his mind somewhat.

As the six Nascent Soul cultivators spoke, they traversed over a hundred miles, gradually approaching the island. Their expressions grew solemn.

"Huh!" The silver-haired elder suddenly halted his flight with a soft exclamation.

"Master Cheng, what's wrong?" someone asked in surprise.

"Master Han seems to be moving toward us—has he resolved the matter, or has he been…" The silver-haired elder left the rest unsaid, but the others understood: if captured alive, the tracking mark might still be drawn toward them.

"Let's prepare. If Master Han truly is in trouble, we must rescue him." The You elder spoke calmly, then slapped his storage bag—out came a faintly yellow, tiny bell, which he gently lifted, gazing forward in silence.

The others exchanged glances, then solemnly retrieved their treasures, preparing for battle.

The silver-haired elder's face was grim, his eyes flickering with anxiety.

After a short while, all saw a distant flash of green light—a green streak of light shot through the sky.

"It's Master Han's flight aura—he's unharmed!" At the sight, the silver-haired elder didn't even need to extend his spiritual sense—he immediately exhaled in relief, his face breaking into a wide smile.

The other cultivators stared, surprised.

If Han Li was unharmed, had he defeated that demon cultivator alone?

As the others puzzled over this, the green light sped swiftly, arriving before them in an instant. The radiance faded, revealing a young man in green robes—Han Li himself.

"Senior Brother Cheng, Master Fire Dragon—you've arrived too. These others are the allies who came to help, yes? Master Han is deeply grateful for your efforts." Han Li's brow was furrowed, as if burdened by deep thoughts, but upon seeing the silver-haired elder and the others, he forced a smile and clasped his fists in thanks.

"Master Han, you flatter us. We arrived too late and didn't help at all—we're truly ashamed!" The You elder studied Han Li carefully, then immediately humbly declined any praise.

The other cultivators, who clearly regarded the gray-robed elder as their leader, merely smiled silently, watching Han Li.

The silver-haired elder, however, glanced behind Han Li—seeing no pursuers—and asked:

"Master Han, where is that demon cultivator? Did he escape you?"

"I've destroyed him. His Nascent Soul has been dissolved. But he isn't the master of the Yinluo Sect—he's merely one of their Elders."

"What? You truly killed him? Though not a late-Nascent Soul, he should still have been a mid-Nascent Soul demon cultivator! How could you have slain him?" The silver-haired elder stared, incredulous.

The You elder, Fire Dragon Child, and the others all showed expressions of shock.

Though they had acted unconcerned on the journey, they knew well: if this demon could wound an early-Nascent Soul cultivator inside Luoyun Sect and then escape effortlessly, he was no ordinary foe. Had it not been for the Mist-Immortal Bell, they might never have dared intervene.

Now, hearing Han Li had slain him alone—even dissolved his Nascent Soul—they were utterly stunned.

"Merely lucky—his cultivation method happens to be countered by mine." Han Li spoke vaguely, then paused briefly, raised his hand, and tossed a dark object toward the silver-haired elder.

The elder caught it instinctively—it was icy cold. Upon closer inspection, it was a black token, covered densely with talismanic inscriptions, with an ancient character "Luo" at its center.

"What is this?" The elder suspected its nature but couldn't help asking.

"It was left behind by the demon—a Yinluo Sect Elder's token. A powerful ancient treasure. With this, we can confirm his identity." Han Li's lips curled slightly as he spoke calmly.

At these words, all eyes turned to the token. They immediately recognized its significance—any lingering doubt vanished.

The others then began asking for details of the battle. Han Li brushed it off with a few vague words. Seeing his reluctance to elaborate, they wisely said no more.

Yet all of them now resolved to cultivate a relationship with Han Li.

After all, a cultivator who could slay a mid-Nascent Soul demon was clearly immensely powerful. Gaining his favor would benefit both their sect and themselves.

Since they had come to aid him, Han Li treated them with utmost courtesy, and the group conversed cheerfully as they returned.

Along the way, Han Li bid farewell to the silver-haired elder and the other cultivators, returning with him to Luoyun Sect on Mount Mount Yunmeng.

In a side chamber of the sect's council hall, the elder finally voiced his lingering question:

"Master Han, did you find a way to lift the Soul-Sealing Spell? I noticed you've been preoccupied on the journey, forcing a smile—did your mission fail?"

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