Stirrings Beyond the Seas—Extreme Yin Ancestor
1,723 words
Chapter 439: Stirrings Beyond the Seas—Extreme Yin Ancestor
Even if he didn’t recognize anyone else, the Profound Bone Saint, whom he had parted ways with not long ago, caught his eye immediately.
The man sat alone, cross-legged in a corner of the hall, staring coldly back at Han Li. A flicker of barely concealed surprise showed in his eyes.
On another jade pillar stood a man and a woman. The woman, a graceful female cultivator with delicate features, was staring at Han Li in equal astonishment.
It was Fairy Ziling of the Sublime Sound Sect. Beside her stood a green-robed man with a composed, elegant bearing and an unhurried air.
Noticing Fairy Ziling’s odd expression, the man followed her gaze and gave Han Li a leisurely once-over. Seeing that Han Li appeared quite young, a gleam of cold light flashed in his eyes. He asked Fairy Ziling something in a low voice.
In response, Fairy Ziling gave a light, airy smile and murmured a few words in reply, apparently explaining Han Li’s identity.
Han Li frowned. He paid no more attention to the pair and instead cast a cold glance in another direction.
The gaze coming from there was distinctly hostile. That caught Han Li’s interest.
He met the eyes of an elder who was glaring at him with undisguised fury.
Han Li paused, then recognized the man. Trouble, he thought.
It was none other than Miao, the elder from Six Serenity Hall.
Back when the matter of the Koi Infant Beast had occurred, Miao and another elder Gu had tried to silence Han Li. Instead, Han Li had exploited their weakened state and the restrictive formation’s special properties to kill his would-be executioners instead.
Years had passed, yet Elder Miao still remembered him. His bond with the late Elder Gu must have run deep.
Han Li made a mental note of this but no longer felt particularly concerned.
He swept his gaze over the remaining cultivators. None of them were familiar.
After a moment’s hesitation, he strode through the blue light into the great hall. He casually chose an empty jade pillar, flew to its top, and sat down cross-legged like the others.
Only then did he formally examine the unfamiliar cultivators.
His spiritual sense was also suppressed within the hall, so he couldn’t gauge the cultivations of others. He knew, however, that the overwhelming majority here must be Core Formation stage or above. Foundation Establishment cultivators were likely few and far between. It was even possible that several Nascent Soul eccentrics had come.
With this thought in mind, Han Li sat motionless but carefully scrutinized each of the other cultivators one by one.
After a little while, he noticed something peculiar. He identified two cultivators who were almost certainly Nascent Soul stage.
The first was an elderly Confucian scholar with a gaunt face and white brows, clad in a yellow robe. One hand was casually clasped behind his back; the other held a worn bamboo scroll, which he was reading with evident delight. He would occasionally shake his head and sway, giving off the distinct air of a true bookworm.
The second was a beautiful middle-aged woman in spotless white robes. Her features were elegant, but an icy, bone-piercing chill radiated from her whole person. She had an unmistakable “do not disturb” aura about her.
This frosty beauty remained expressionless as she calmly wiped a sheathed pitch-black longsword. From the moment Han Li appeared outside the hall to the moment he entered, she hadn’t spared him a single glance. She seemed extremely proud.
Though a few other cultivators also appeared composed and aloof, their calm seemed slightly forced when compared to these two. Moreover, most of the cultivators in the hall glanced at this pair with a trace of awe in their eyes—a deference no one else received.
That alone confirmed for Han Li that these two were definitely Nascent Soul seniors.
Of course, he was also aware that among the remaining cultivators, there were sure to be some special individuals who shouldn’t be underestimated.
The most obvious example was the Profound Bone Saint.
Going by cultivation alone, the old fiend appeared to be only late Core Formation. But in a real fight, a late Core Formation cultivator would be no match for him. He was practically second only to Nascent Soul existence.
Who knew how many other “wolves in sheep’s clothing” were hiding in the crowd?
Han Li grumbled inwardly, conveniently forgetting that he himself didn’t seem to have much trouble killing cultivators of the same stage.
Regardless, after his calculations, Han Li grew even more cautious. He silently mulled over the real purpose for which these people had gathered.
It couldn’t be for some frivolous cultivator conference, could it?
After all, both the Brocade Remnant Map and the Void Heaven Palace floating in the sky were shrouded in such profound mystery that even Nascent Soul cultivators had been drawn here. That meant something major was bound to happen.
Unfortunately, he was completely in the dark about it.
If he had known more, he could at least plan his next moves accordingly, to avoid being caught off guard by danger or unexpected events.
For now, he would have to adapt on the fly.
Just as Han Li was lost in thought, the Profound Bone Saint’s voice transmission, steady and unhurried, reached his ears.
“Brat, I didn’t think you’d have a Void Heaven Remnant Map too. How about we cooperate on this treasure hunt?”
“Treasure hunt?”
Hearing those words, Han Li’s heart stirred. He knew his trip was worth it after all.
But his face remained unchanged as he calmly replied via transmission.
“How does Senior propose we cooperate? I’m listening.”
When the Profound Bone Saint, in his youthful guise, heard that Han Li hadn’t outright refused, a spark of energy ran through him. He was just about to continue negotiating when footsteps sounded from the hall’s entrance. Two men swaggered in from outside.
The moment Han Li and the Profound Bone Saint saw them, their expressions changed dramatically.
Han Li’s reaction was milder—only a slight paling of his face. But the Profound Bone Saint’s features twisted completely, madness and bloodlust blazing in his eyes.
Fortunately, he was a master of concealment.
The expression flickered across his face for an instant before disappearing, replaced by a mask of normalcy.
The two men who had just entered didn’t notice the Profound Bone Saint’s brief loss of composure.
Han Li, however, was inwardly groaning in dismay.
One of the two was none other than Wu Chou, the young island master of Extreme Yin Island.
The other man was unfamiliar to Han Li—a middle-aged cultivator with a pale face and narrow, elongated eyes. But Han Li had a sinking feeling about the man’s identity. He almost regretted coming.
At that moment, the middle-aged cultivator led Wu Chou into the hall and swept a cold gaze across the room.
His gaze stopped on a sallow-faced cultivator. He let out a few cold sneers.
The sallow-faced man’s face turned the color of dirt, and his frame trembled slightly. But then, as if remembering something, he steeled himself and stood upright.
“Good. Very good.” The middle-aged man sneered a few more times, a cold gleam flashing in his eyes. Then he ignored the man and turned his gaze toward Han Li.
The instant those eyes landed on him, Han Li felt as though he had been locked onto by a venomous snake. The hairs on his neck stood on end.
Though he kept his expression calm, inwardly he was extremely unsettled.
But then he was taken aback.
As soon as the middle-aged man made out Han Li’s features, a look of barely suppressed delight appeared on his face. Though he quickly regained his composure, Han Li had already seen it clearly.
Now Han Li was truly baffled. His unease only deepened.
Seeing this, the Profound Bone Saint also froze momentarily. Then, his eyes rolling as he fell into thought.
At this point, the middle-aged man had noticed the elderly Confucian scholar and the cold beauty. He blinked in mild surprise, then retracted the cold edge in his gaze. With a warm, spring-like expression, he clasped his hands in greeting toward them.
“So Senior Qing of South Crane Island and Lady Wen of White Jade Mountain are also here. My apologies for not noticing sooner.”
“What is there to apologize for? Qing is not like Brother U, whose Extreme Yin Island has vast holdings. I can only come here to try my luck. After all, this opportunity appears only once every three hundred years. Besides, I’ve heard that Barbarian Beard has also received a Void Heaven Remnant Map as a tribute from someone. He’ll probably be arriving soon. When that happens, we old fossils can have a proper reunion.” The elderly scholar gently set down his bamboo scroll, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.
“Barbarian Beard is coming too?” The middle-aged man’s expression flickered, a clear wariness toward this figure evident in his tone.
“Indeed. I heard his lifespan is nearly spent. He intends to search the Void Heaven Palace for Longevity Fruit to refine a few Longevity Pills, hoping to eke out another fifty or sixty years.” The elder spoke in a leisurely, almost sarcastic tone.
As for the frosty beauty, she didn’t even raise her head. She continued wiping her treasured sword, paying no heed to the conversation between the two men.
Having overheard their exchange, Han Li couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath of cold air.
Though their conversation had been brief, it had revealed a wealth of useful information.
This middle-aged man was none other than the Extreme Yin Ancestor who had once possessed Wu Chou. And from their words, it seemed another Nascent Soul senior was on his way.
There was actually a spirit medicine within the Void Heaven Palace that could extend a cultivator’s lifespan. That was incredible.
No wonder even Nascent Soul seniors had come running eagerly.
(Since the story is reaching a climax, I need to carefully outline the details and the overall plot. I’m afraid I’ll have to slow down the update pace for the next couple of days. My sincere apologies! There will only be this one chapter today. Everyone, get some rest early!)
(Chapter end)