Stirrings Overseas: Remains in the Ghost Mist

Han Li cultivated the path of immortality, but he did not believe in the so-called Mandate of Heaven.

To him, cultivating to become an immortal was merely a means to pursue eternal life.

Even if a true immortal appeared before him, he would be awed and respectful at first, but he could never sincerely submit and obey without question.

When Fairy Ziling and Ge Li heard Han Li's blunt words, they were momentarily taken aback, their expressions turning somewhat awkward.

In truth, Han Li was not the only one who thought this way. Most cultivators regarded the matter of the "Crying Soul Beast" as nothing more than a legend. It was just that under normal circumstances, no one spoke as directly as Han Li had.

After all, topics concerning fate and the Heavenly Dao were still treated with a degree of taboo.

At this moment, the black-robed figure had already led the "Crying Soul Beast" deep into the Ghost Mist, completely disappearing from sight.

Han Li gazed at the mist, then a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Let's go too. Since someone is kind enough to clear a path for us, we would be remiss not to take advantage of it."

"Fellow Daoist Han, what do you mean?" the old man named Ge asked, as if not quite understanding.

Of course, the old man knew exactly what Han Li meant. If Han Li had not agreed to join forces, he would have done the same himself.

But just moments ago, he had dismissed the black-robed figure with contempt, and now he had to rely on that same person's efforts to traverse this Ghost Mist. Facing Han Li and the fairy, he naturally found it a bit hard to swallow his pride.

So he simply played dumb, letting Han Li say it first.

Han Li gave the old man a knowing, half-smiling look but said nothing, taking the lead toward the direction where the black-robed figure had vanished.

Fairy Ziling followed without the slightest hesitation.

Ge Li hesitated for a moment, then, his face reddening, followed as well.

As soon as the grey-white Ghost Mist sensed living people approaching, it roiled to life as if animate, surging toward the three of them in rolling waves.

If an ordinary mortal were entangled by this grey-white mist, their vital blood would be drained completely, turning them into a mummified corpse. Their soul would then become part of the Ghost Mist, forever trapped in the ghostly path, unable to escape.

But Han Li and the other two were cultivators, so they did not fear this simple Ghost Mist.

Light flashed around the three of them as each employed their own method of protection.

Ge Li raised his hand, releasing a pale red umbrella that slowly revolved about three meters above his head.

A reddish light pillar enveloped the old man. Wherever the Ghost Mist touched this red light, it emitted a sizzling sound, then strange green smoke curled up, accompanied by faint wails and howls.

The remaining mist, as if possessing intelligence, only brandished its tendrils menacingly outside the red light, daring not approach further.

Fairy Ziling released four fist-sized orb magic tools that circled around her, forming a portable barrier about three meters wide.

This barrier was pure white, crystalline, and square in shape, repelling all the Ghost Mist away from her.

Han Li's method of protection was the strangest of all.

Aside from a faint green light emanating from his body, he did not use any magic tools or treasures. The Ghost Mist, upon nearing him, was instantly struck by several bolts of pale lightning that dissipated it into nothingness.

This peculiar sight naturally drew puzzled glances from Ge Li and Fairy Ziling, but they were tactful enough not to ask.

Fairy Ziling, though curious, vaguely thought of Divine Thunder Bamboo but was not certain.

As if unaware, Han Li continued walking at the front.

This was not because he wanted to play the hero. In this environment filled with ghostly qi on all sides, there was essentially no difference between walking in front and walking in the rear.

It was better to take the lead so he could be the first to sense danger.

As for those lightning bolts, they were merely a projection of part of the sword qi from his Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords onto his shield.

Only the Azure Origin Sword Art's body-protecting sword-shield technique allowed one to draw upon part of a flying sword's power without actually releasing the treasure.

This was a method Han Li had recently comprehended on his own.

Given the evil-repelling nature of the Gold Lightning Bamboo, dealing with this Ghost Mist was a trivial matter.

Of course, Han Li did not draw out the full power of his Gold Lightning Bamboo swords; the lightning was merely a pale white, so he was not afraid of others recognizing it as Gold Lightning Bamboo.

But his divine sense, far surpassing that of ordinary cultivators, had been fully extended since entering the Ghost Mist, on guard against any sudden attack from a hidden ghost or fiend.

After all, even with their spiritual vision, they could not see far through the thick mist.

However, the trail left by the black-robed figure was very easy to follow. A path about three meters wide, noticeably lighter than the surrounding mist, could be clearly seen with the naked eye.

Han Li and the others simply followed it.

Whether this was due to the black-robed man's technique or the abilities of the Crying Soul Beast was unclear.

To Han Li, it did not matter, and he could not be bothered to ponder it.

The more formidable the Crying Soul Beast, the more advantageous it was for those who followed.

Maintaining an impassive expression, he carefully watched his surroundings while walking with an uneven gait, as the ground beneath his feet was pitted and uneven, damp and slippery, as if heavy with moisture.

They walked for an unknown period without any incidents.

Unnoticed, they had followed the black-robed figure deep into the Ghost Mist.

The color of the mist gradually shifted from grey-white to a deeper black.

But as time passed, Han Li's expression darkened, and his brows began to knit together.

With a crisp snap, Han Li stopped and looked down at his feet.

Fairy Ziling and the old man, curious, gathered around as well.

Han Li squinted for a moment, then moved his foot aside.

Beneath it was a pile of white bones, still wrapped in a shimmering blue robe that did not seem ordinary.

Nearby were the shattered fragments of a sword, broken into several pieces, its texture translucent and pure, as if it still retained some of its spiritual nature.

It seemed this was the remains of an unfortunate cultivator who had perished here.

A strange light flickered in Han Li's eyes as he shook his head.

Judging by the lingering spiritual nature of the treasure fragments, this person must have been a cultivator of no small skill in life.

But after dying here, not even his bones had been collected, a far cry from the glory he once enjoyed. Truly tragic.

This served as a stark reminder that on the path of cultivation, one misstep could lead to irredeemable disaster, sometimes with an outcome even worse than that of ordinary mortals.

This cultivator's soul had likely already become part of the Ghost Mist or transformed into a vengeful spirit, making it difficult to re-enter the cycle of reincarnation.

As Han Li lamented this, he glanced at his two companions.

Fairy Ziling's face was somewhat pale. When she saw Han Li looking at her, she managed a forced smile.

But Ge Li's expression was peculiar.

He stared at the blue robe for a long while, then suddenly flicked his finger, sending a fireball the size of an egg onto it.

Before it could even touch the cloth, the fire went out.

"Cough! It's indeed him!" Ge Li murmured, his face turning somber.

"What, Fellow Daoist Ge, you recognize him?" Han Li raised an eyebrow, speaking calmly.

Fairy Ziling also showed a curious expression.

"This person should be a cultivator I met a few times—Jade True Person. He formed his Core much earlier than I did, and this fire-repelling robe he wore was made from century-old Ice Silk Worms, so ordinary flames cannot get near it. It was a somewhat famous treasure. I heard he participated in the last opening of the Void Heaven Palace, but he never returned. I never imagined he would fall here, unable to even pass the first trial. Truly unfortunate." Ge Li let out a long sigh.

Han Li was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked a question that made the old man pause.

"Compared to you, Fellow Daoist, how much higher were Jade True Person's cultivation and treasure power?" Han Li asked calmly.

Ge Li seemed to understand what Han Li was driving at. Stroking his beard, he replied with certainty:

"When he was alive, his cultivation was at the late Foundation Establishment stage, and he was said to be on the verge of breaking through to Core Formation. His magical power should have been far greater than mine. Moreover, he possessed a rare ice-attribute mutated spiritual root and cultivated a famous ice technique, which I cannot match. As for treasures, I never saw him fight, so I cannot judge, but they should not be inferior to mine." As he spoke, his expression grew more troubled.

"Then there should be a formidable creature nearby. I found it strange to begin with that even with the Crying Soul Beast clearing the way, we encountered no wild ghosts or souls along the path. The black-robed figure could not possibly have cleared all the nearby evil spirits for us." Han Li also spoke with a serious expression.