The Price of Passage

Chapter 514: Stirrings Beyond the Seas – The Teleportation and the Condition

“Fellow Daoist, although you have rendered a helping hand to Brother Ling, there are still some necessary questions that must be asked. These are extraordinary times; I trust you can understand.” The yellow-faced cultivator stared into the distance where Ling Yuling had vanished for a long moment before finally coming to his senses. He sized up Han Li and spoke in a tone neither warm nor cold.

“If you have questions, Fellow Daoist, feel free to ask,” Han Li replied without any change in expression or the slightest hesitation.

“Good. Let us begin with your identity. I need to confirm it is genuine.” The yellow-faced cultivator gave a curt nod and said calmly.

Seeing this, Han Li offered a faint smile.

“I am an Elder of the Sublime Sound Sect. This is my identity token. And this is the control token for my cave-dwelling within the city. I trust Fellow Daoist can discern their authenticity.” Han Li reached into his storage pouch and retrieved two different tokens, casually handing them over to the other man.

“The Sublime Sound Sect? Check the records. See if there is an elder of that sect with this man’s face.” The yellow-faced cultivator accepted the tokens without ceremony and gave the command without turning his head.

The female cultivator standing behind him, who possessed a decently handsome face, was momentarily startled by the order but quickly responded. She began rummaging through her own storage pouch, eventually pulling out a jade slip and scanning it with her spiritual sense. Then she stared at Han Li a few more times before speaking respectfully:

“Protector Zhao, the Sublime Sound Sect does indeed have an elder surnamed Han. According to the portrait, the man matches perfectly.”

“Oh. These two tokens are also genuine. It seems his identity is not false!” The yellow-faced cultivator nodded with no particular expression upon hearing this.

“Alright. The rest of you, continue patrolling the vicinity. I will first take this Fellow Daoist to handle the entry procedures into the city.” The yellow-faced cultivator tossed the tokens back to Han Li and gave his orders.

“Yes!” the four behind him acknowledged in unison.

Without another word, the yellow-faced cultivator gestured to Han Li and shot off toward the Star City himself.

Transforming into a streak of azure light, Han Li followed closely behind.

Before long, the yellow-faced cultivator led Han Li to a spot near the high walls of the Heavenly Star City and arrived above one of the city gates.

Although no one else had come forward to question him along the way, Han Li released his spiritual sense to make a quick check and discovered at least four or five groups of concealed cultivators who had not revealed themselves. The majority were at the Foundation Establishment stage, but two Core Formation cultivators were also hidden among them without showing themselves.

Despite maintaining an unchanged expression, Han Li felt a chill in his heart. It seemed that after the attack on Nanming Island, the defenses had indeed become extremely tight. If he hadn’t had a guide to lead him in, sneaking into Heavenly Star City would probably have been no easy task.

The area near this city gate was rather desolate. Apart from over a dozen white-robed cultivators, no one was entering or leaving the city.

Drawing closer, Han Li noticed that the towering walls and the city gate were shimmering with a faint white light, as if some restriction had been activated.

After landing, the yellow-faced cultivator unhesitatingly made his way toward an old man who was the only one sitting among the white-robed cultivators. The old man had a short goatee, a face full of wrinkles, and was lying in a bamboo chair, resting with his eyes closed.

“Protector Yu! This is Elder Han of the Sublime Sound Sect. I have already checked his identity and tokens; there are no issues. I will trouble Protector Yu to explain the procedures after entering the city. I still need to continue my patrol of the outer perimeter, so I cannot stay long.” He clasped his hands in a salute toward the old man, seeming to hold a fair amount of respect for him.

Han Li’s gaze swept over the old man, and his caution increased by another three points.

This person was actually a mid-Core Formation cultivator. No wonder the yellow-faced cultivator did not dare to offend him.

“Sublime Sound Sect?”

The old man’s eyelids twitched as he slowly opened his eyes, as if still not fully awake.

“Yes. And this Fellow Daoist did lend Brother Ling a helping hand on the road.” After a moment of hesitation, the yellow-faced cultivator somewhat reluctantly added another sentence.

“Oh, now that’s unusual. I understand. Fellow Daoist Zhao, you may return.” A cold gleam flashed in the old man’s eyes, a glint of sharp light shooting from within, but it vanished without a trace in an instant. His voice still carried a forced, languid laziness.

The yellow-faced cultivator didn’t seem to mind the old man’s demeanor. After giving another salute, he ignored Han Li and flew away.

Han Li, for his part, stood calmly in place, watching the old man in silence without any sign of impatience.

“I’ve met that girl Zi Ling of your Sublime Sound Sect a few times. Indeed, she is a person of exquisite intelligence. But this elder of your sect—I’ve heard her mention you a couple of times, though I never had the chance to meet you. However, seeing you look so young, Fellow Daoist, could it be that you have also cultivated some technique for preserving youth, just like Fellow Daoist Ling? As far as I know, all such techniques are extremely Yin in nature. It does a man no good to cultivate them.” The old man squinted his eyes and stared at Han Li, speaking slowly.

“So, Fellow Daoist Ling is male-bodied? I myself have not cultivated any such technique; I merely swallowed a single Youth-Accelerating Pill some time ago.” Han Li was extremely composed, replying without changing his expression.

“Whether Fellow Daoist Ling is male or female, I’m afraid even within the Star Palace, very few truly know. I certainly would not know. But it is true that he cultivates a technique for preserving youth. Haha, Fellow Daoist Han is quite fortunate to have had the chance to consume such a rare pill as the Youth-Accelerating Pill.” The old man let out a low, soft laugh and spoke slowly with a leisurely air.

Han Li was slightly taken aback by these words. But at that moment, the old man continued:

“Alright, enough of this. Since someone has already verified your identity, I see no need to repeat the process. However, things are not as they usually are, so the rules are bound to be different. Listen carefully, Fellow Daoist. I will only explain this once.”

Han Li raised an eyebrow but pressed his lips together and said nothing.

“You now have two choices. First, you can temporarily join our side, the Star Palace, and be willing to assist us in resisting the enemy. If you do, you may move freely within the city without restrictions. After each mission, the Star Palace will provide generous compensation—we will not let our contributors work for nothing. The second option is that you do not wish to participate in the great battle and simply want to stay quietly in the city. That is also acceptable. The Star Palace will not force anyone. However, unless it is during designated hours, the entire city will be under martial law at all other times. Unauthorized movement away from your residence will not be tolerated. Our enforcement squads within the city have orders to kill without mercy. Now, Fellow Daoist Han, tell me your decision.” The old man’s expression suddenly darkened as he spoke in an icy tone.

A strange light flickered in Han Li’s eyes, and he fell silent for a moment, as if lost in thought.

Seeing this, the old man did not urge Han Li. But the eyes he had previously opened slightly narrowed again, and a faint, cunning look appeared on his face.

“May I ask, after entering the city, can I use the teleportation array to travel to the Outer Star Seas?” Han Li finally asked in a deep voice after a moment of deliberation.

“Originally, you could have, as long as you paid the spirit stones. But not now. If you want to go to the Outer Star Seas, you must first do something for the Star Palace.” The old man did not show any hint of surprise, as if Han Li’s question had already been part of his expectations.

“What sort of thing?” Han Li had a vague guess in his mind, but he still furrowed his brow and asked.

“It’s simple. During the upcoming great battle, you must complete a task for the Star Palace, or slay one Rebel Alliance cultivator of the same rank as yourself.” The old man smiled faintly and said lightly, a trace of subtle mockery at the corner of his mouth.

Hearing this condition, Han Li let out a bitter laugh inwardly.

It seemed that the Star Palace’s upper echelons intended to force cultivators who wanted to leave to stain their hands with the blood of a Rebel Alliance cultivator. On one hand, this would weaken the Rebel Alliance’s strength; on the other, it would ensure that these cultivators could never again lean toward the Rebel Alliance.

“On my way back with Fellow Daoist Ling, I already killed a cultivator of the same rank. Does that count?” Han Li let out a light breath, his expression turning serious as he asked.

“Killed one? You and Ling Yuling?” The old man looked somewhat shaken.

“That’s right.” Han Li nodded without hesitation.

“Unfortunately, that does not count. The kill must be made openly during the great battle, after you have submitted a formal request. No matter how many you killed before, it is useless.” The old man finally showed a hint of interest as he spoke slowly.

“How soon do you estimate the battle will begin?” Han Li rubbed his chin and asked thoughtfully.

“It should be soon. Probably within the next few days. Those Rebel Alliance fools didn’t capture the inner islands, so now they’re recklessly attacking Heavenly Star City. I suppose they’re aiming for a quick resolution.” The old man was a little taken aback by the question, but after sweeping his gaze over Han Li again, he quickly returned to normal and answered.

“I will register. After I kill one cultivator of the same rank as myself, I will have to be teleported to the Outer Star Seas.” Without much further deliberation, Han Li said coolly.

“Good! Wear this new ring well. With this ring as your proof, you are temporarily considered a member of the Star Palace. When the great battle begins, use this ring to receive your task or to register for battle.” After fumbling around on his person for a while, the old man pulled out a yellow, glittering ring and handed it over without expression.

(Your votes and support are still needed. If you don’t have any, even a blank vote is fine. Hehe! I won’t turn up my nose at it.)