Chapter 974: Half a Year

“With Uncle Qi’s help, plus Third Brother, we now have two Great Cultivators assisting us in retrieving the treasure. Combined with our clan’s cultivators gathered here and the external Elders we’ve painstakingly recruited, we can rival the power of the Ten Major Sects of the orthodox and demonic paths. This expedition to the Southern Lands for the treasure seems highly promising.” The square-faced cultivator said, overjoyed.

“I won’t interfere with your plans—just focus on exerting your strength. Whether the Ye family can escape the control of the orthodox and demonic paths depends entirely on this. I won’t hold you back.” The strange man said slowly.

Hearing this from their last surviving elder, the square-faced cultivator and the old “woman” were overjoyed and naturally offered humble words in return.

Finally, after secretly plotting for half a day within the hall, these senior Elders of the First Family of Da Jin dispersed from the hall.

In a secret chamber of a mansion somewhere in the imperial capital, a thick cloud of black demonic energy filled the entire room, within which loomed a gigantic two-headed demon, its four eyes glowing with black and purple light, terrifyingly grotesque.

After an unknown length of time, the demon suddenly let out a low roar; the demonic energy churned violently and, like countless rivers returning to the sea, was entirely drawn back into its body. Simultaneously, the demon formed hand seals with all four hands, its body exploding in a series of cracks before dissolving into black light, reforming into the figure of an ordinary young man whose features bore a striking resemblance to Han Li.

It was none other than the Ancient Demon who had been lurking within the Ye family.

“Indeed, my injuries have recovered eight-tenths. Now, as long as I don’t encounter those old bastards, no one in Da Jin can touch me. These Ye family fools should be ready to act by now. Given my prior display of familiarity with ancient times, they wouldn’t dare leave me behind. Once we arrive there, hehe…” The demon muttered softly, a cold sneer spreading across his face.

At the moment the Ancient Demon finished his healing, in a secret cave of the Yin Luo Sect outside the imperial capital, Ge Tianhao was speaking with the Tianlan Holy Maiden.

“I’ve received word that Fu Cheng of the Jiuyou Sect has appeared in the Southern Lands. That day, the young man surnamed Han attended the underground trading fair with him. Had we not obtained some intelligence, we’d still be in the dark. His appearance there suggests the young man surnamed Han may also be nearby. Our sect’s Grand Elder is already in the Southern Lands on business and has rushed over. If he happens to spot this person, he’ll personally deal with him. Do you have any interest in joining me?”

“Fu Cheng? His presence there doesn’t mean the young man surnamed Han is definitely in the Southern Lands. I’ve received word that the grasslands have dispatched a team of Palace Guard cultivators under Grand Immortal Xu into Da Jin. They’ll arrive in the imperial capital soon to meet me—I must remain here for a while. After joining them, if we still have no concrete trace of him, I’ll lead a team to the Southern Lands.”

“Grand Immortal Xu is coming too! This is truly fortuitous. The Grand Elder will be overjoyed to hear it. Then I’ll stay and wait with you. After all, the Grand Elder originally instructed me to accompany you at all times.” Ge Tianhao exclaimed, first startled, then delighted.

Lin Yinping smiled and nodded slightly.

“By the way, didn’t the young man surnamed Han also appear along the coast and become a guest Elder of three minor sects? These sects have been secretly monitoring him—has there been any news yet?” Lin Yinping frowned, recalling the matter.

“None. This man is far too cunning. After initially defending those three sects once, he never showed his face again. We’ve also confirmed his connection with the Tianfu Sect—it’s merely superficial. Even if we wiped out all three sects, he wouldn’t blink an eye.” Ge Tianhao said helplessly.

“That’s true. He’s a cultivator from Tian Nan—why would he truly care about the fate of these sects? But before I came to Da Jin, I already sent agents to infiltrate Tian Nan and uncover his true background. So much time has passed—there should be news by now. When Grand Immortal Xu arrives, we can ask him directly. That way, next time we face him, we’ll have a clearer idea.” Lin Yinping said coldly, her eyebrows lifting.

“Ah, if we can truly obtain his records and understand his cultivation method, defeating him will be much easier. I just wonder if Grand Immortal Xu’s team has a confirmed arrival time.”

“At most another two or three months. If Grand Immortal Xu can join forces with your sect’s Grand Elder, I refuse to believe this man can escape again.” The Tianlan Holy Maiden said bitterly, thinking of the Sacred Beast’s capture.

Hearing this, Ge Tianhao’s heart stirred.

Though this woman repeatedly claimed she was determined to find and kill him because he had slain many Tianlan cultivators, the man’s power approached the late Nascent Soul stage. If this were merely a matter of vengeance, how could the Holy Maiden of the Grasslands risk such a grave danger by relentlessly pursuing such a terrifying foe?

After all, once a man is dead, he’s dead. Continuing to provoke such a fearsome existence is hardly wise.

There must be some unknown reason behind this—something that has kept her lingering in Da Jin for years, even compelling her to summon reinforcements from the Tianlan Grasslands to eliminate him.

He must find a way to uncover this secret.

Ge Tianhao’s expression remained calm, but inwardly he resolved firmly.

Lin Yinping’s inner state was far from as composed as she appeared.

As the Sacred Beast’s avatar remained sealed longer and longer, she had no idea how much longer she could conceal this.

Over these years, she had dared not contact the higher realms even once. Fortunately, the Sacred Beast’s avatar was merely sealed, not destroyed—so the main body had not yet discovered the matter. But she couldn’t delay much longer. She must rescue the avatar within a short time. Yet during the operation, she couldn’t afford heavy losses among Tianlan cultivators—she could only try to manipulate the Yin Luo Sect cultivators as much as possible.

This woman, too, had made her decision.

Near the border between the Southern Lands and a certain province, an old man with a cheerful grin was traveling swiftly using a light-body technique, speaking animatedly to several Qi Refining cultivators.

The young cultivators, on their first journey, listened with wide eyes and rapt attention.

If Han Li were here and saw this old man’s smooth-faced expression, he would surely be startled. This man was none other than Xiang Zhili, whom he suspected to be a Soul Transformation cultivator.

Since the day Han Li left the Tianfu Sect, before the sect’s senior members could even seek out this low-level disciple for questioning, Xiang Zhili had mysteriously vanished from the sect without a trace.

This startled the Tianfu Sect cultivators, but most suspected Han Li had done something, so they immediately suppressed the matter and forbade any mention of Xiang Zhili within the sect.

Yet now, years later, this old man had reappeared here—truly mysterious.

Not only these people, but many major forces in Da Jin’s cultivation world seemed to sense the hidden turmoil beneath the surface calm. Some powerful sects had even vaguely traced the disturbance to the imperial family, the Ye clan—but lacking concrete evidence, their leaders had begun holding frequent meetings, secretly plotting unknown schemes.

The entire Da Jin felt like a storm about to break.

Several months later, in the volcanic region of Yinjiao Mountain in the Southern Lands, a joyous, piercing howl erupted, soaring into the heavens and echoing beyond the clouds.

A blinding emerald streak shot up from underground, vanished instantly from the sky, and reappeared at the horizon’s edge.

The astonishing speed of this movement left several distant cultivators gaping, their faces pale with shock.

Seven or eight days later, the same emerald streak appeared above the Southern Lands’ largest primeval forest—the vast, ten-thousand-li expanse of the Southern Ranges—and sped westward.

Soon after, as the light reached the sky above a massive basin, it spotted a deep yellow poison mist stretching over a thousand zhang high. The light suddenly descended toward the mist’s edge.

“Han Daoist, you’re late. Bai Daoist and Yuan Daoist have already been here for several days. Only you remain.” As the light faded and Han Li appeared beside the several cultivators seated on the ground, an old man rose with a smile. It was the Fu elder; the other three seated nearby were precisely those who had gathered half a year ago—Bai Yaoyi and the Yuan male giant among them.

“I was refining a magic treasure and only just completed it a few days ago, so I arrived a bit late. I hope you’ll forgive me!” Han Li bowed respectfully.

“No problem. The period of weakened Yin Wind lasts three full months—we’re not short on time. But since you rushed here right after refining, wouldn’t you like to rest two more days and restore your magic power first?” Bai Yaoyi studied Han Li carefully and said gently.

“Yes, Bai Daoist speaks wisely. If we’re entering the Yin-Yang Cave, we must first be fully replenished.” The Fu elder agreed.

The Yuan giant and the Chang woman didn’t speak, but their expressions clearly showed agreement.

“Very well. I won’t refuse your kindness. We’ll enter the valley in two days.” Han Li nodded, glancing toward the yellow poison mist a hundred zhang away, where a dark cave mouth was faintly visible within.

He flipped his palm, and two green-glowing mid-grade wood spirit stones appeared in his hands. He immediately sat cross-legged on the ground and closed his eyes.

The others, though already full of magic power, also closed their eyes to rest, striving to bring their bodies and minds to peak condition.

Two days passed swiftly. When Han Li opened his eyes again, calm and steady, the Fu elder immediately gave a low command:

“Depart.”

The others rose at once, each activating colored protective auras that enveloped them from head to toe.

“With my Poison-Dispelling Ruyi, we’ll pass through the Ten-Thousand-Poison Valley easily—but be cautious of several tiny poison insects within the mist. Don’t lower your protective aura lightly. Had this valley not been an ancient forbidden zone with an unknown aerial prohibition, flying directly to the entrance from above would have been safest.” The Yuan giant said calmly, raising his hand to summon a silver-glowing jade ruyi, then stepped forward into the mist.

Han Li and the others followed.

As the giant neared the mist’s edge, he pointed at the ruyi above his head and uttered several incantations. Instantly, rings of silver waves radiated from the ruyi, pushing back the mist as they passed, thinning it dramatically.

The giant cast a light-body technique upon himself, leapt forward, and soared straight toward the cave mouth.

The others likewise activated their own spells and followed closely behind.

WM