Chapter 958

“Should I call you Master Xiang, or perhaps Master Li?” After carefully studying the old man again, Han Li suddenly smiled.

“Master Han speaks in riddles—I don’t quite understand. Could it be that I resemble someone you once knew?” The old man’s eyes flickered slightly; the strange expression vanished, replaced by a humble, apologetic smile.

“At this point, Master Xiang, why continue to conceal yourself? Don’t forget—we cultivators never forget a face. Back in the Blood-colored Forbidden Zone, only a handful of us from Huangfeng Valley survived. Even after all these years, how could I possibly mistake you?”

This old man was none other than Xiang Zhili, who had once tried to form a team with Han Li before the Blood-colored Trial. At the time, he was a Qi Refining tenth-layer cultivator—and yet he too had emerged alive from the trial, astonishing many present. But Han Li’s later feats overshadowed him entirely.

Though Han Li had not interacted much with Master Xiang back then, he had grown wary the moment he saw the man survive the Forbidden Zone, sensing hidden secrets within him.

After Han Li successfully established his Foundation and was taken in by Li Huayuan, he never saw the old man again, and gradually forgot him. After the Dark Sects invaded Yue Province, he had no idea whether the man was still alive.

Yet he never imagined that after so many years, he would encounter this face again—in a minor sect in Da Jin. How could Han Li not be stunned?

Remember, when the old man first appeared at Huangfeng Valley, he was already ancient. So many years later, even if he were a Foundation Establishment cultivator, his lifespan should have long expired, reduced to dust. Yet now, his appearance was nearly identical to what it had been over two centuries ago—Han Li’s heart tightened.

At the very least, this man had clearly been pretending to be weak during the Blood-colored Trial. But what was his true purpose in infiltrating it?

Han Li stared at the old man without blinking, his mind racing with countless thoughts.

“The world is vast and full of wonders. It seems there truly exists someone who looks exactly like me. But Master Han, you are mistaken—I am Li, not Xiang. Had I truly been connected to someone of your stature, why would I deny it?” The old man firmly denied it, showing no sign of yielding.

Han Li’s expression darkened, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

“If you say so, perhaps I truly mistook you. Never mind. Please show me some talisman scriptures first.”

“Hehe, Master, follow me. Our sect is called Tianfu Sect—of course we possess many talisman texts. But the more profound ones are on the second floor. I’ll show them to you right away.” The old man’s smile never wavered, and he bowed with the deference of an ordinary low-level disciple, leading Han Li straight to the second floor.

The second floor was arranged much like the first, shelves stacked tightly with books.

As Han Li scanned the room, the old man moved swiftly.

Despite his age, his movements were astonishingly agile—he darted left and right, and in moments, he had skillfully gathered a small pile of jade slips, then panted as he carried them to Han Li, beaming with flattery.

“Master, these are the talisman scriptures stored on this floor. There are more on the third floor—I’ll fetch them for you, so you won’t have to search yourself.”

“No need for such trouble. These jade slips will keep me occupied for a day or two. I’ll find the third-floor texts myself. You need not stay—return to your duties downstairs.” Han Li stroked his chin, speaking kindly.

“Then I won’t disturb your cultivation. Master Han, if you need anything, just call me—I’ll remain downstairs.” The old man smiled warmly, placed the jade slips on a nearby shelf, and then retreated respectfully from the second floor.

Watching the old man vanish from sight, Han Li’s smile faded, replaced by solemnity.

“What do you think? Can Elder Dayan sense his cultivation? I just forcibly scanned his body with my spiritual sense—I saw through his fake Qi Refining layer, but I couldn’t determine his true realm. Beneath that illusion, his entire body felt hollow—extremely strange.”

“I felt the same. Though my spiritual sense is far stronger than yours, the result was identical.”

“How could this happen? Could his spiritual sense be far stronger than yours?”

“Why not? Even if there are cultivators in this realm with stronger spiritual sense than mine, none could block my probing with mere spiritual pressure alone. The only explanations are: he’s mastered some unique secret technique, or he possesses a supreme treasure capable of disguising his body. Or… there’s another possibility…” Dayan Shenjun hesitated.

“What other possibility?” Han Li pressed.

“Another possibility: he has ascended to Soul Transformation. His entire spiritual power can disperse from his meridians into his dantian, and even his Nascent Soul can temporarily become invisible. Naturally, you’d detect nothing.”

“A Soul Transformation cultivator? Are you joking?” Even Han Li, normally unshakable, paled.

“Though I’ve never reached Soul Transformation myself, I’ve studied texts on that realm. This ability is fundamental to such cultivators.”

“I’m not denying Soul Transformation cultivators possess this power—I’m asking how one could still linger in this realm? Isn’t it said that upon reaching Soul Transformation, one gains the ability to ascend to the Spirit Realm?”

“Though I’ve never seen a Soul Transformation cultivator in my travels, I’m certain some still remain here—not just one or two. Being able to ascend and actually ascending are two different things. I don’t know the full details, but it seems that after reaching Soul Transformation, these cultivators can no longer appear openly before others, or they risk calamity.”

“This is unheard of! Elder, you’ve never mentioned this to me before!”

“Hmph. You haven’t even reached late Nascent Soul yet—why would I burden you with this? The reason will become clear to you once you reach Soul Transformation yourself. Otherwise, why would every Soul Transformation cultivator since ancient times vanish from the cultivation world, as if bound by an unspoken pact?”

“That’s true. So despite the slim odds, this man downstairs might indeed be a Soul Transformation cultivator.” Han Li gave a bitter laugh.

“It’s very possible. Even if he’s not Soul Transformation, he gives me a chilling feeling—better avoid provoking him.”

“You sense his danger too? I thought it was just my imagination. That’s why I changed my tone on the first floor. He moves between Tiannan and Da Jin, always posing as a low-level disciple—he must have a purpose. Let’s pretend we know nothing.”

“That’s the only course. But if you can, leave Tianfu Sect as soon as possible. If he truly is a Soul Transformation cultivator and decides to kill you to silence you, your life hangs by a thread.”

“I know the risks. But rushing to leave now might provoke his hostility and backfire. Let’s stick to the original plan—stay a few more days. If he’s truly a Soul Transformation cultivator, he must be bound by some restriction, as you said. Otherwise, why hide like this? With Soul Transformation power, he could walk anywhere openly.”

“You’re right—I didn’t consider that properly.” Dayan Shenjun chuckled dryly, a rare compliment.

“Still, your essence loss from using Blood Shadow Dash has nearly recovered. Let’s begin crafting the puppet.”

Yes. Even without your reminder, I planned to start crafting the puppet after killing those few evil jiao. First, I need the crimson fire jiao’s scales. The phoenix feather can wait—I’ll handle it after the puppet is done.

“Ha! Good. Before my time runs out, seeing this puppet will leave me with no regrets.” Dayan laughed heartily.

Han Li smiled faintly, said nothing more, and shook his sleeve.

Several battle flags shot out, spun once, then scattered in all directions—flashes of light, and they vanished. A pale blue barrier materialized instantly, enclosing the entire floor.

Though he doubted the man would strike suddenly, he preferred caution—first set up a protective array.

After completing this, Han Li stepped forward, picked up one of the jade slips Xiang Zhili had left on the shelf, and immersed his spiritual sense within.

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