A Record of a Mortal s Journey to Immortality

Chapter 1135: Volume 7: Across the Human World, Chapter 1131: Apprehension
 

The masked woman likewise gazed at Han Li, her eyes unyielding, yet her heart was in turmoil.

Originally thinking that her opponent would be easily subdued, she was taken aback by his sudden display of strength far exceeding her expectations, which naturally led to her hesitation.

Although she believed that relying on Divine Essencefused Light and Yuanci Mountain would give her at least a seventy percent chance of victory in a fight, it seemed unlikely that she could capture or kill the opponent alone, as she had initially thought.

And if she acted rashly, and he managed to escape, he would surely become a formidable enemy of the Star Palace. Even as one of the Heavenly Star Sages, she dared not make a move lightly.

Both Han Li and the masked woman ceased speaking, rendering the entire Grand Void Hall silent for a time, the atmosphere so heavy it seemed to stifle one’s breath.

Suddenly, Han Li’s expression darkened, and he raised his hand, making a light grab in one direction.

Instantly, a sudden thought flashed past that direction, and a nebulous green hand eerily materialized, darting down lightning-fast to snatch a streak of firelight from the void, and then firmly trapping it within its grasp.

Seeing this, the masked woman’s elegant brows twitched, a hint of surprise flickering in her eyes.

“Fellow Daoist might want to refrain from sending out Sound Transmission Talismans at will. I’d rather not face the joint attack of two peers. Han Li has not done anything to offend the Star Palace, so why, as the master of the Star Palace, do you hold such enmity toward me?” Han Li asked coolly, as the green hand emitted a layer of cyan flame, instantly reducing the enveloped firelight to nothingness.

“Fellow Daoist Han has misunderstood. I had no intention of making things difficult for you. Instead, I wanted to express my deep gratitude for the favor you once did for my daughter,” the masked woman said after a moment of silence, her smile suddenly easing the previously tense atmosphere in the hall.

“My daughter? Could it be that Fellow Daoist Ling is…” Han Li paused in surprise, then a look of realization flashed across his face, and his tone softened as well.

Although he knew her previous demeanor was not one of gratitude, he took the opportunity to gracefully step back from the confrontation.

Han Li likewise felt that dealing with a late Nascent Soul cultivator wasn’t a problem. After all, it wasn’t the first time late Nascent Soul cultivators had perished at his hands, and now that he had advanced to the late stage, his Divine Skills had become incomparably more potent.

However, he also had no interest in making enemies everywhere. Moreover, he was currently in Stalwart Star City, and the Divine Essencefused Light did bear a formidable reputation; he had a cautious respect for it.

“Fellow Daoist has already guessed it. This child, Ling Yuling, is the sole bloodline of my husband and me. Due to a moment of carelessness years ago, if not for your help, she would have likely fallen prey to villains. My husband and I have always been immensely grateful to you,” the masked woman spoke kindly.

“With such an exceptional talent as Fellow Daoist Ling, it’s no wonder she is a descendant of the Heavenly Star Sages!” Han Li replied with a slight smile.

“Fellow Daoist Han is too modest. When it comes to cultivation talent, you progressed from a Core Formation cultivator to the late Nascent Soul stage in less than two hundred years. Even if we can’t say there have been none like you before, there have been very few even since ancient times in the human world who have cultivated as rapidly. How can Ling Yuling compare to you?” the masked woman chuckled and shook her head.

She was still somewhat surprised at how quickly Han Li had advanced to the late Nascent Soul stage and couldn’t help probing him.

Hearing her probing words, Han Li just smiled ambiguously, showing no intention of engaging in an extended conversation with her on the matter:

“I have long heard great things about the Heavenly Star Sages, and I should be engaging in a pleasant conversation with you, but I have pressing matters to attend to and cannot stay for long. Han Li needs to use your Palace’s transportation formation, if you don’t mind?”

After saying this, he glanced at the transportation formation from which the restrictive formations had been withdrawn, then turned to look at the masked woman and spoke slowly.

“That’s a trivial matter! Here, I have a Guest Elder Token from our Palace. If Fellow Daoist doesn’t find it beneath you, feel free to use it. I know that with your status, you wouldn’t easily become a Guest Elder of any faction. Consider this token a temporary loan from my husband and me. With this token in hand, you can make use of all the manpower and resources of our Palace in the Outer Star Seas. This is a small token of my husband’s and my appreciation for you,” the masked woman readily agreed and, with a flip of her hand, took out a golden Token from her waist and threw it towards Han Li.

Although a hint of surprise crossed Han Li’s face, he instinctively caught the golden Token in mid-air and examined it for a moment:

“Given your kind offer, I shall not stand on ceremony,” Han Li hesitated briefly, then tucked the Token into his storage pouch without declining.

Seeing that Han Li did not refuse the Guest Elder Token, a glint of joy flashed in the eyes of the masked woman, who then took the opportunity to speak with a smile.

“When Fellow Daoist returns from the Outer Star Seas, my husband and I would like to formally invite you to our place of cultivation to share insights on the breakthrough to the Divinity Transformation stage. Would you be interested?”

“Insights on the breakthrough to Divinity Transformation? Having just advanced to the late stage, although I too would like to receive guidance from peers, I am currently focused on solidifying my current realm. However, if I do find the time, I will certainly make a special visit to meet with you both,” Han Li pondered for a moment but then replied with a hint of regret.

Encounters with fellow late Nascent Soul cultivators are extremely rare in the human world, and exchanging ideas with peers is indeed a valuable opportunity. However, he preferred not to put himself in a potentially dangerous situation ostentatiously. Although confident that he could handle several late-stage cultivators without difficulty, it did not mean that there were no other forces in the human world besides Deity Transformation Cultivators that could trouble him.

One moment of carelessness, if trapped within an ancient restrictive formation or some particularly dangerous grand Array, added with an ambush from same-level cultivators, might lead to an unwelcome outcome.

Upon hearing that the woman before him wanted him to visit her cave dwelling, he naturally and tactfully refused outright.

When the masked woman heard Han Li’s words, a look of regret appeared on her face, but she couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh in her heart.

This newly advanced late-stage cultivator sure is cautious!

However, had Han Li readily agreed to visit their dwelling, whether she had other intentions or not might even be unclear to herself.

Now that Han Li had refused, this one of the Heavenly Star Sages had no need to consider the matter further, instead, she showed no sign of anger and casually conversed with Han Li for a few more sentences.

Whereas Han Li made some light pleasantries and then voiced his farewell.

The masked woman did not try to keep him any longer. Instead, her graceful figure moved slightly, shifting away from the side of the transportation formation behind her, and floated to a far distance as a gesture that she wouldn’t interfere with the teleportation, to win Han Li’s trust.

Han Li smiled slightly, showing no concern as he strode forward.

The gloomy man and the old man from the Star Palace naturally did not dare to block his path and hurriedly moved aside with extreme respect.

In doing so, they inadvertently revealed the Core Formation cultivators couple and their disciples behind them.

The genteel man also did not dare to say much, immediately pulling his beloved daughter aside to make way; however, to his great shock, the Core Formation cultivator woman, whom he had been affectionately involved with for over a hundred years, suddenly stepped forward two paces, bowed deeply to Han Li, and uttered words that left him utterly dumbstruck.

“Wen Siyue pays respects to Han Li! Congratulations to the senior for attaining great success in Nascent Soul! If it weren’t for the senior’s assistance back then, I would have truly faced disaster without hope of redemption.” This Core Formation cultivator was none other than “Wen Siyue,” the woman who had nearly become Han Li’s concubine in the Outer Star Seas.

“Siyue… you… you know this senior!” The genteel man couldn’t help but murmur.

“Having not seen you for years, you’ve also successfully formed your Core. It seems you haven’t been lazy in your cultivation. Otherwise, with your aptitude back then, whether you could form your Core would have been quite uncertain,” Han Li looked at the woman, his gaze flickered briefly, and he said calmly.

“It’s all thanks to the medicinal pills left by senior. Without them, how could Siyue have had the chance to condense a Golden Core!” Wen Siyue replied reverently with her head bowed.

“I had a bit of an old acquaintance with your father, and what I did back then was merely a matter of convenience. You don’t need to take it too seriously. It looks like you’re in a hurry to go to the Outer Star Seas; let’s go together. This woman has some history with me, so it should be fine for me to take these few people over, right?” Han Li turned his head and said to the masked woman with his last sentence.

“Since they’re old acquaintances of Fellow Daoist Han, it’s certainly trivial!” The masked woman answered with a light laugh, without any hesitation.

“Then, Han Li thanks you!”

Han Li nodded subtly, no longer saying anything to Wen Siyue. With a light step, he abruptly appeared inside the transportation formation in the next moment, displaying the “Earth Shrinking Technique,” a skill exclusive to late Nascent Soul cultivators.

Wen Siyue and the others were startled! They looked at Han Li with eyes full of awe, except for a skinny young girl who widened her eyes, staring at Han Li’s figure full of curiosity.

“By the way, I still don’t know how to address you, madam. Would you be willing to tell me your name?” Han Li cast an incantation towards the edge of the Array, took out the Greater Displacement Medallion, but within the emerging white light, unexpectedly turned and smiled at the masked woman, asking her.

“My name is Wen Qing,” the masked woman seemed startled for a moment, but still replied with a smile.

And in that instant, Han Li vanished from within the white light without a trace, and it was unclear whether he heard the masked woman’s true name or not.

The smile in the masked woman’s beautiful eyes disappeared in the blink of an eye.

“Arrange their transportation. Afterward, go to the Enforcement Hall to receive twenty lashes of the Thunder Whip as punishment! Next time, if such an incident occurs again, the punishment from Star Palace will not be so lenient,” the masked woman said with an icy voice.

“Thank you, Palace Master, for your mercy! We will certainly not dare to repeat the offense in the future!”

The gloomy man and the old man, who had been anxious all along, felt both joy and fear upon hearing her punishment. They were relieved that the punishment they were to receive was much lighter than anticipated, but the thought of receiving even just twenty lashes of the Thunder Whip meant they’d be confined to their dwelling for at least a month before they could rise from bed.

The masked woman didn’t even glance at Wen Siyue and the others, her figure surrounded by radiant light, and she disappeared from the spot in an instant.

(First update!) (To be continued, for more please visit www.qidian.com, more chapters, support the author, support legitimate reading!)

Source: Webn0vel.com, updated on Novg0.co