The Celestial Omen

Two hours later, as the daily peak of Yin energy approached, Yuan Yao turned her delicate face toward Han Li and spoke with sincere earnestness.

“In two hours, the Yin energy will reach its zenith for the day. That is when I will begin the Soul Reunion Art. The entire ritual should take two to three days. I must trouble Brother Han with protecting me during that time.”

Han Li nodded, then surveyed the valley. Frowning slightly, he asked, “Aside from a basic Illusionary Formation, you don’t seem to have laid any other defensive arrays here. If a powerful enemy arrives while I’m occupied, won’t you be in danger?”

“I know that well enough, Brother Han. But I don’t have any high-quality formation tools, nor the luxury of time for thorough preparation. I have no choice but to take the risk.” Yuan Yao bit her lip, a look of helplessness flickering across her jade-like face.

“In that case, leave the formations to me. I still have a few decent sets. They won’t stop a Core Formation cultivator, but they should give a Foundation Establishment cultivator some trouble. Better than nothing.” Han Li crossed his arms and rubbed his chin.

Having already come this far, he might as well see the matter through.

“Brother Han is also versed in formations? If that’s true, I will feel much more at ease while casting the spell. Many thanks for your help!” Delight flashed in Yuan Yao’s beautiful eyes.

Han Li did not reply. He gave a faint smile, then rose into the air to inspect the terrain around the valley. After a moment, he had a clear picture and slowly descended.

“There isn’t much time. I’ll start setting up the arrays now.”

With that, Han Li waved his hands, and a dozen tall, giant-ape puppets appeared on either side of him. He retrieved several formation sets from his storage pouch and distributed them to the puppets one by one. Then, standing still, he directed them with his spiritual sense as they busied themselves around the valley.

Yuan Yao watched the giant apes’ movements with mild curiosity for a moment before turning her attention to her own preparations. The Soul Reunion Art was no trivial matter—meticulous preliminary work was essential. She also needed to test the large formation beneath her feet to ensure there were no errors.

On the other side, with the help of the dozen giant-ape puppets, Han Li completed four or five quite effective defensive arrays in just over an hour. Though they could not stop a Core Formation expert, Foundation Establishment cultivators would not be able to break through easily.

At the center of the valley, Yuan Yao had also finished her preparations. She placed spirit stones around the formation, then struck the formation's eye with a hand seal to activate it. A low hum emanated from the array, and a dark, sinister light flickered to life. Wispy strands of black Qi appeared around the formation, converging toward the Cold Jade Coffin at its center.

Yuan Yao’s expression showed satisfaction. She quickly made another hand seal to deactivate the formation.

“No problems. Everything is in order.” She stepped out of the formation and spoke to Han Li with delight.

“Fellow Daoist Yuan, have you truly thought this through? Once you shatter your core, the path of cultivation will be effectively sealed off. You will have virtually no chance of reaching the Core Formation stage again.” Han Li looked at her cheerful expression and spoke slowly.

Yuan Yao’s smile vanished. She was silent for a moment.

“Sealed off is fine. The life I have now was stolen from fate anyway.” Her voice was calm.

“Brother Han cannot know the bond between my senior sister and me. That is why you speak as you do. Senior Sister Yan Li and I grew up together, entered the sect together, and cultivated side by side for decades. Even true blood sisters could not have been closer. When we killed the young master of the Green Sun Sect back then, Senior Sister took the counterattack for me. If not for that, it would be me trapped in that Yin Soul Wood right now, suffering endlessly. As long as my senior sister’s primordial soul can be preserved and she can regain a physical body, shattering my core is a small price to pay.” Yuan Yao raised a hand and brushed a stray strand of hair from her forehead, her expression indifferent.

Han Li’s face flickered with a trace of surprise at her words. After a moment’s thought, he nodded faintly and offered no further objection.

Yuan Yao returned to the formation and sat cross-legged before the Cold Jade Coffin. She waited silently for the perfect moment.

Neither spoke further. After some time, she glanced at the sky and slowly rose to her feet.

“It’s time. I’m beginning the ritual. Whether the Soul Reunion Art succeeds or fails, I, Yuan Yao, am deeply grateful to Brother Han for standing guard. Please allow me to pay my respects first.” She gave him a light bow, then, without further hesitation, formed hand seals and activated the formation beneath her.

Han Li sighed and slowly walked toward the edge of the valley. In a short while, the Yin energy here would gather to an extreme. Even with his cultivation, he did not wish to be too close.

He stopped not far from the valley entrance and glanced back at the scene inside. By now, a fierce Yin wind had risen, and a layer of dark, baleful light covered the entire area, with faint howls of vengeful ghosts emanating from within.

The Soul Reunion Art was indeed an extraordinary sight.

Han Li sat down cross-legged at the valley entrance, his expression unreadable. He slowly released his spiritual sense, monitoring the entire island and the surrounding sea.

…

Half a day later, Han Li remained seated in the same spot, motionless. But his brow was furrowed, and a faint, wry smile crept onto his face.

Now he understood why Yuan Yao had been so insistent on asking him to guard her. The commotion caused by the Soul Reunion Art was far beyond what he had expected—it was enough to make heaven and earth itself change color!

Slightly exasperated, he turned his head to look back at the valley. The Yin wind had now engulfed most of the space. Sand and debris flew everywhere, and the air was a hazy gray. The wails of ghosts pierced through the din. At the center of the formation near the coffin, a blinding black light pulsed. The concentration of Yin energy was enough to make one’s heart race.

But what truly left Han Li speechless was the massive cloud that had appeared above the island. It stretched over ten li in diameter, roiling with Yin energy and rumbling with thunder. It had gradually taken on a funnel shape, with its tip pointing directly at the valley.

Such an obvious celestial omen would certainly draw the attention of any cultivator active in the surrounding waters. By its nature, a phenomenon like this usually heralded either a treasure emerging or someone performing an art that defied natural laws. They would come to investigate.

Han Li just hoped he didn’t attract any particularly dangerous characters.

He was in the middle of this grim calculation when his expression shifted. He raised his head abruptly and stared in a certain direction.

…

To the southwest of the island, seven or eight streaks of light flew into view. They came to a halt over ten li away, hovering high in the air. The light faded to reveal several male and female cultivators.

Leading them was an old man with graying hair, a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Behind him were several much younger disciples, all at the seventh or eighth layer of Qi Condensation. Their matching blue silk robes marked them as disciples of the same sect.

The old man stood at the front, staring at the astonishing omen above the island with a shifting, uncertain expression.

“Uncle Zhao, let’s go check the island! Maybe a treasure is emerging!” a young female disciple in her early twenties suggested, growing impatient at the old man’s silent observation.

“Hui Ling, you’re too impatient. Even if this is a treasure manifesting, it looks more like a demonic artifact or a凶器. It could also be a senior cultivating some forbidden art here. Rushing in blindly would be the same as digging our own graves.” The old man glanced sideways at her and spoke in a tone of seasoned reprimand.

The young woman looked a little unconvinced, but she lowered her head and dared not argue further.

“Uncle, are we just going to wait here?” Another disciple, a slightly older young man, looked at the cloud above the island and spoke hesitantly.

“Don’t worry. With such a huge disturbance, others will certainly come. Once we understand the situation, we’ll act accordingly. Remember, our Tai Yang Sect has survived this long precisely because our disciples are cautious and never provoke trouble lightly. Even if an enormous benefit appeared right before our eyes, we’d have to ask ourselves if we had the life to enjoy it.” The old man seemed to be leading his disciples on a tour. He observed the island while delivering his lecture.

The young disciples naturally voiced their agreement.

Not long after the old man finished speaking, two more streaks of light—one yellow, one green—shot toward the island from the other side. Spying the old man’s group, they stopped about a hundred zhang away.

“Fellow Daoist Zhao of the Tai Yang Sect, would you happen to know what’s happening on that island to cause such a celestial omen?” A sweet female voice came from the light. The glow scattered, revealing a man and a woman.

The man was in his forties, dressed in black, his face wooden and stiff, like a dead thing. The woman appeared twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with a refined, dignified beauty. She was the one who had spoken, and she now addressed the old man with a gentle voice.