A Reputation Established; An Invitation Extended

Han Li’s brow furrowed slightly at the voice transmission, then smoothed just as quickly.

“Silvermoon, release the restrictions and let the two Falling Cloud Sect Elders in. This matter must be addressed sooner or later. But once the restriction is opened, do not show yourself. Your demon fox form, though skilled in concealment and illusion, cannot hide your demonic aura from Nascent Soul cultivators.” Han Li gave the order without changing his expression.

“Yes, Master.” Silvermoon replied respectfully, before walking lightly toward the exit.

A moment later, the two Falling Cloud Sect Elders waiting outside the stone mountain saw the scenery before them shift. What had appeared to be an ordinary rocky hill was suddenly covered in a thick, azure light-mist that shrouded the entire peak. Within the mist, baleful qi surged skyward, and talisman characters drifted through the air—a clear sign of a formidable restriction in place.

The silver-haired old man exchanged a glance with the middle-aged man surnamed Lü. Both could only force a bitter smile.

Their guest had carved out a cave dwelling within Falling Cloud Sect territory and laid down such powerful formations without either of them having the slightest awareness of it. It was a considerable loss of face to admit. At the very least, they would not escape a round of teasing from a few close friends.

Just then, Han Li’s calm voice emerged from within the light-mist.

“I have been presumptuous in borrowing the Sect’s spiritual land for my cultivation without first informing you两位, Fellow Daoists. I hope you will not take offense. I will release the restriction now. Please, enter and speak.”

Han Li’s words were deliberately polite and conciliatory.

“Haha! What are you saying, Fellow Daoist? For you to take a liking to our Falling Cloud Sect and form your Nascent Soul here is an honor for the Sect. How could we possibly be displeased? If anything, it is we who are somewhat embarrassed for coming empty-handed, without a congratulatory gift for your Nascent Soul success.” The silver-haired elder laughed heartily, as if he bore no resentment at all.

“You flatter me, Elder. To be able to form my Nascent Soul here is already a great kindness I have received.” Han Li replied evenly.

At these words, the azure light-mist roiled violently before parting to form a passage several zhang wide before the two Elders.

Seeing this, the silver-haired elder and Lü did not hesitate. They flew directly into the passage, emerging in an instant before a large stone gate standing wide open. Before it stood a green-robed youth of twenty-odd years—ordinary in appearance, with a faint smile on his lips. It was Han Li, come out to greet them.

“Please, come in, Fellow Daoists.” Han Li smiled and gestured toward the cave dwelling.

“We will intrude, then.” The silver-haired elder returned the courtesy with a slight bow, and the two followed Han Li through the stone gate.

Behind them, the azure light-mist rolled and sealed the passage, the restriction closing seamlessly as before. Both Elders sensed this but, confident in their position within Falling Cloud Sect, had no reason for concern.

After a short walk down the passage, they entered a spacious hall.

“Please, try some spiritual tea I have brewed.” Han Li said once the two were seated. With a thought, a giant ape puppet entered, holding a tea tray. On it were three cups of freshly brewed clear tea, which it set before each of them. The puppet then turned and withdrew, expressionless.

“Excellent tea! But I must say, I did not expect Fellow Daoist Han to practice the art of puppet mechanisms. That is quite rare.” The silver-haired elder sniffed his tea, took a sip, and praised it lightly. His gaze lingered on the direction the giant ape puppet had retreated, a hint of surprise in his voice.

“It is nothing. I merely have a rough understanding of the puppet arts and have crafted a few for convenience. They are hardly worthy of your attention, Fellow Daoists.” Han Li replied casually.

“Heh! You are too modest, Fellow Daoist. That giant ape may be a puppet, but judging by the spiritual energy it carried, it could surely match a Foundation Establishment cultivator in combat.” Lü, the middle-aged man, was equally surprised by Han Li’s puppet skills and probed further.

“It is true that such a puppet can strike with force comparable to a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator. But its movement and attack patterns are far too rigid. And the materials needed to craft one are costly enough to buy a top-grade magic tool.” Han Li shook his head slightly and listed the puppet’s flaws in an offhand manner.

“Even so, Fellow Daoist, your puppet is remarkable. If a low-level disciple carried one for self-defense, it would be more than sufficient. But this mechanical puppet art seems to originate from the Thousand Bamboo School in the Far West. Might you be a cultivator from that region?” The silver-haired elder praised the puppet while subtly probing Han Li’s origins.

Hearing this, Han Li smiled faintly and narrowed his eyes. He understood the elder’s intent perfectly but kept his expression neutral as he replied:

“I learned the puppet art from an obscure ancient text. Whether it is connected to the Far West, I cannot say. But I am aware that Far West cultivators are skilled in the puppet arts. I have long planned to visit the region and exchange techniques with them. As for myself, I am a genuine Tian Nan cultivator. I was born in the Yue Kingdom but was forced to flee when the Six Demonic Sects invaded.” Han Li delivered this explanation, half-truth and half-concealment, without missing a beat.

“So you are from Yue Kingdom. That is somewhat unexpected. Your appearance is so youthful, Fellow Daoist. How many years have you cultivated? Does your cultivation art have a beauty-preserving effect?” Lü exchanged a glance with the elder and finally asked the question that had been on his mind.

From the start, he had found Han Li’s youthful appearance striking. Any cultivator who reached the Nascent Soul stage would be at least three or four hundred years old. Even Lü himself had entered the Nascent Soul stage at nearly four hundred.

“My cultivation art does not have such an effect. But by chance, I once took a Youth-Accelerating Pill. It locked my appearance at the moment I consumed it, with no further change. As for my age… calculating roughly, I am a little over two hundred years old.”

“What? Two hundred years?” Lü’s initial thought upon hearing of the Youth-Accelerating Pill had been, “As expected.” But when Han Li stated his age, his expression shifted sharply to one of shock.

“Are you saying you have truly cultivated for only two hundred years, Fellow Daoist?” The silver-haired elder’s mind churned as well, and he spoke slowly.

As far as he knew, there had been cultivators in Tian Nan who had formed a Nascent Soul after only two hundred years of cultivation, but they numbered no more than a handful. Every single one of them had been a peerless genius, and most had indeed become earth-shaking figures. Among them, there were even legends of those who had vanished after breaking through to late Nascent Soul, said to have ascended to another realm.

The young cultivator before him claimed to have cultivated for only two hundred years. Did this not imply that he, too, might break through the early Nascent Soul stage and become an existence of extraordinary significance?

“Is something wrong with forming a Nascent Soul at two hundred?” Han Li’s eyes flickered with a trace of doubt. He knew that forming his Nascent Soul earlier than most was unusual, but he had not realized the deeper implications. His knowledge of matters concerning Nascent Soul cultivators was fragmentary at best, and he had rarely encountered opportunities to learn more.

“No, nothing is wrong. It is simply that a Fellow Daoist as young as yourself forming a Nascent Soul has startled us both. It seems your future prospects are boundless.” The silver-haired elder sighed lightly, a note of envy in his voice.

In that moment, he had already made up his mind. Regardless of whether Han Li’s words were true, they—the Falling Cloud Sect—would do everything in their power to win over a Nascent Soul cultivator. They must not become his enemy. Best of all would be to persuade him to formally join the Falling Cloud Sect.

Beside him, the middle-aged Lü’s expression was complex, but he soon regained his composure. After a brief exchange through voice transmission with the silver-haired elder, both faces turned serious.

Han Li watched silently without showing any dissatisfaction. Instead, he took the opportunity to lift his teacup and take a few unhurried sips.

By the time the silver-haired elder and Lü seemed to have finished their discussion, the elder suddenly spoke.

“Since Brother Han remains a rogue cultivator, I will take the liberty of asking an impertinent question. Now that you have formed your Nascent Soul, do you have any destination in mind?”

“Destination? I have not yet decided. The Yue Kingdom is now under demonic path control, and I offended the Ghost Spirit Sect in my younger days. Returning is impossible. As for other places…” Han Li trailed off, his expression pensive, as if he could not make up his mind.

“If you do not disdain our Falling Cloud Sect for its weakness, why not formally join us? Though we are far from the Ancient Sword Sect’s influence, and we fall slightly behind the Hundred Artifices Academy, we have no exclusive cultivation method or rigid lineage tradition. Our principle has always been to incorporate the strengths of many schools. If you join, you will stand on equal footing with my brothers and me. We will not treat you as an outsider.” The silver-haired elder spoke with solemn sincerity. It was plain to see that these were genuine words.

“Become an Elder of your Sect?” Han Li’s brow furrowed slightly, and a trace of hesitation appeared on his face.