Yellow Dragon Mountain: Reinforcements Arrive

Yellow Dragon Mountain Makes Its Name Known

Over half a month later, atop Yellow Dragon Mountain on the border of Yu State's Li Prefecture, a nearly forty-year-old bald-browed man paced back and forth in a hall within a cluster of pavilions, a trace of anxiety visible on his face.

After a short while, the man sat down heavily in a rattan chair, picking up a cup of clear tea from the table and taking a small sip. His restless mood had barely settled for a moment when a red beam suddenly shot in from outside, circling and dancing above the hall.

Seeing this, the man’s expression shifted. He reached out and beckoned to the red light. It fell into his palm, transforming into a ball of blazing flames.

The man immersed his mind in the flames, but his face immediately turned grim.

Silent for a moment, his expression somewhat iron-blue, he suddenly reached into his bosom and produced a small cyan bell.

Without a word, he extended a short, thick finger and tapped the bell.

Dong! A pleasant, melodious chime echoed through the entire hall, the sound lingering and spreading far into the surroundings. Soon, the same chime rang out from all over the summit of Yellow Dragon Mountain. Within the cluster of pavilions, multicolored lights rose into the air, and cultivators in various robes flew out hastily, then dispersed in all directions with practiced order.

Before long, a thick, strange green mist spread around the entire Yellow Dragon Mountain, turning the area for dozens of li into a bizarre sea of jade-green fog.

By then, several cultivators had appeared in the hall where the bald-browed man stood—three men and one woman, all at the Core Formation stage.

Two of the men, around thirty years old, looked identical—a pair of twin brothers. The other man was a middle-aged Daoist in a robe, holding a horsetail whisk. The sole female cultivator was petite, with delicate, beautiful features.

The four of them stood on either side of the man, all wearing grave expressions.

“Senior Lu, could the Dharma Warrior army really have arrived this quickly? Last we heard, wasn’t the unit heading this way still held up at Senior Bu’s position? Could the ‘Heavenly Wind Mystic Wave Formation’ guarding him have been broken in just seven or eight days? Is there a mistake somewhere?” the female cultivator asked hesitantly, her face full of disbelief.

“A mistake? I wish the man who sent that message talisman had made one. But this talisman was sent personally by ‘Humpback’ Bu. He’s gravely wounded. The routed cultivators and the pursuing army will reach Yellow Dragon Mountain soon. Let’s stop clinging to false hope. We won’t be getting reinforcements in time. We’ll have to face the enemy on our own first,” the bald-browed man sneered, said darkly.

The four Core Formation cultivators before him exchanged glances, then could only smile wryly and acknowledge the situation.

Just as the man was issuing several orders in succession, instructing the four to go their separate ways and prepare for the coming battle, another red beam shot into the hall. This made the man and the others pause, growing a bit wary.

The man froze for a moment but did not hesitate. He reached out and grabbed the message talisman.

Flames flickered in his hand. He listened carefully to the message within the talisman, and a look of extreme astonishment appeared on his face.

“Senior Lu, what’s happened? Have the Dharma Warriors already broken through?” the female cultivator asked, unable to hold back any longer. The other three tensed up at this, their expressions turning serious.

“No! It’s our reinforcements. Three Nascent Soul Daoists are already outside the great formation. Hong Ling, the four of you go out quickly to welcome the three seniors and invite them here,” the man said, his face brightening as he suppressed his excitement and spoke slowly.

The four Core Formation cultivators were overjoyed. After acknowledging the order and bowing to the man, they left the hall to receive the three fellow Daoists at the Nascent Soul stage.

…

On the outer edge of the green mist sea, three figures were floating high in the air, carefully examining the restrictive formation before them.

These three were, of course, Han Li and the other two Nascent Soul cultivators, who had traveled day and night to arrive.

Since they would have to rely on this great formation to contend with the Moulan Dharma Warriors, the three of them, after sending their message talismans, scrutinized the mist sea in silence, each trying to discern its mysteries.

Regardless of whether the formation was truly formidable, the sight of the seemingly boundless mist sea alone projected an extraordinary momentum.

As for Han Li, he stood apart with his hands clasped behind his back. A faint blue light flickered in his eyes as he observed everything before him, a thoughtful expression on his face.

They did not have to wait long. A white light suddenly appeared within the green mist before them. The mist rolled and churned, and a clear passageway emerged.

Old Man Ma and Gu Shuangpu, however, acted as if they hadn’t seen it at all. One looked up at the sky in silence, while the other kept his gaze fixed on a side of the mist sea, not blinking, as if trying to spot some anomaly.

Only Han Li wore a faint, gentle smile, looking calmly toward the entrance of the passage.

Moments later, four beams of light shot out from the depths of the passage. Their radiance converged, and three men and one woman appeared before Han Li and the others.

“This junior pays respects to the three seniors. May I ask for your honored names?” the dignified middle-aged Daoist stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

“I am Han, an elder of the Falling Cloud Sect. These two are Fellow Daoist Ma of the Haoran Pavilion and Fellow Daoist Gu of the Imperial Spirit Sect. There are seven or eight more Core Formation fellow Daoists behind us, but the three of us hurried ahead for fear of delaying the reinforcement. Now that the formation’s restrictions are open, are the Moulan cultivators about to arrive?” Han Li, seeing that the other two had no intention of speaking, smiled slightly and took the initiative to ask.

“So it is Senior Han. I am Chong Yunzi of the Pure Void Sect. These two are the Mu Rong brothers of the Yellow Maple Valley and Miss Li of the Carving Knife Dock,” the middle-aged Daoist quickly introduced, pointing to the twin brothers and the petite, pretty young female cultivator behind him.

“The Mu Rong brothers?” Han Li’s gaze swept over the faces of the twin brothers, a faint, knowing smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

“Is Fellow Daoist Nie well?” Han Li asked with a light chuckle.

“Senior knows Senior Sister Nie? The two of us have been guarding this great formation and haven’t seen our fellow sect disciples in several years,” the Mu Rong brothers replied, their faces brightening with surprise.

“Of course she’s well. I saw Senior Sister Nie not long ago. As for the two of you, it seems you truly don’t recognize me. That’s not surprising. We only met briefly back then, so it’s only natural you wouldn’t have a clear impression,” Han Li said, looking at the nearly identical twins with a smile.

The two had changed greatly, but Han Li could still identify them from features they had not lost.

Hearing Han Li’s words, the Mu Rong brothers were startled.

This “senior” before them seemed to be an old acquaintance of theirs! But how could the two of them have no memory of it at all?

Now that they looked again, after a second glance at Han Li, the Mu Rong brothers did feel a faint sense of familiarity. They exchanged a look, their faces full of doubt and surprise.

“Hehe! Since you two fellow Daoists can’t recall for now, we can talk about it later. For now, may we enter?” Han Li tilted his head, glanced at Old Man Ma and Gu Shuangpu, and said noncommittally.

“Of course. Please follow me, seniors. Senior Lu is waiting in the main hall,” said Chong Yunzi, snapping to attention and agreeing eagerly.

The four then led the way, and Han Li and the others calmly flew into the mist sea. Soon after they entered, the passage closed again as the green mist roiled and sealed itself.

Some time later, Han Li and the others met the bald-browed man in the main hall.

“Welcome, the three of you, for supporting our alliance. Aren’t these Brother Ma and Fellow Daoist Gu? And which of the fellow Daoists is this younger one? Could you introduce him to me?” the bald-browed man said, a full smile on his somewhat fierce face while immediately recognizing Old Man Ma and Gu Shuangpu. He seemed to know them. However, he was entirely unfamiliar with Han Li. After glancing at Han Li with curiosity, he asked in surprise.

“Hehe! It’s not surprising that Brother Lu doesn’t recognize him. Fellow Daoist Han here only succeeded in forming his Nascent Soul in recent years. He has a limitless future ahead!” Old Man Ma said with a chuckle, showing no surprise at seeing the bald-browed man.

“Oh, so he’s a newly advanced fellow Daoist. No wonder I’ve never met you before. In any case, I must thank all three of you for your great help. If I hadn’t received reinforcements, I honestly wouldn’t have been confident in holding out for more than a few days!” the man surnamed Lu said. A flicker of disappointment crossed his face upon hearing that Han Li was a newly ascended Nascent Soul cultivator, but he quickly recovered and expressed his thanks repeatedly.

This subtle change in the bald-browed man’s expression did not escape Han Li’s notice. He simply smiled and said nothing, showing no sign of displeasure.

The bald-browed man then exchanged a few words about past events with Gu Shuangpu before his expression turned serious, and he began to speak of the current perilous situation.