Chapter 1143: Aid

Volume 7: Traversing the Human Realm

Seeing the masked woman truly depart from the Starry Sky Palace, the stern-faced man heaved a sigh of relief, and, still shaken, he and the old man straightened up. He then glanced at Wen Siyue and her companions, his eyes instantly flashing with annoyance.

If not for them, he wouldn't have been caught red-handed and would not be facing the Thunder Whip punishment soon.

Just as the stern-faced man’s expression hardened and he was about to utter some unpleasant words, the old man beside him suddenly bowed his hands and spoke with extreme politeness to Wen Siyue: "Your esteemed couple truly have extraordinary fortune, to be connected with Senior Han. This is an opportunity that comes once in a millennium! With a little guidance from such a senior, I imagine reaching the Nascent Soul stage will be no difficult feat."

The old man’s previous cold demeanor towards Wen Siyue and her companions had completely vanished.

Initially, the stern-faced man looked astonished, but after hearing the old man's words, he suddenly understood. The words he was about to speak immediately caught in his throat, and his expression transformed into a beaming smile.

How could he forget that these people were connected to a late-Nascent Soul cultivator? They were not someone mere newly-formed Core Formation cultivators like themselves could afford to offend.

"Indeed, Brother Huang speaks the truth. Perhaps my brother and I will need to ask for your assistance in the future. Please take back these spirit stones, fellow Daoists. The cost of this teleportation is entirely on us."

The stern-faced man pulled the previously received pouch full of spirit stones from his waist. Though it pained him, he returned it with both hands, forcing a facade of enthusiasm.

The refined man looked at the storage pouch in front of him and hesitated for a moment, but Wen Siyue, beside him, smiled gently. "We are already immensely grateful that you are willing to teleport us to the outer sea. How could we be so ungracious as to take back the spirit stones? Please accept them, fellow Daoists. However, I am now eager to catch up with Senior Han, so I hope you can allow us to proceed immediately."

"No problem, I'll just change the spirit stones, and we can teleport right away!" Seeing that Wen Siyue genuinely had no intention of taking back the pouch of spirit stones, the stern-faced man awkwardly assented fully.

Then, with a few shifts of his body, he reached the teleportation array. He bent down and began replacing the spirit stones that had been used once.

Meanwhile, the old man surnamed Huang stayed by Wen Siyue and her husband, conversing with them and subtly trying to inquire about the background of Senior Han, the late-stage cultivator.

The refined man was completely bewildered, knowing nothing at all. Wen Siyue, however, responded vaguely with a smile, naturally unwilling to disclose any information easily.

A moment later, the teleportation array's spirit stones had been replaced.

Wen Siyue was truly anxious to pursue Han Li. Without further pleasantries with the stern-faced man, she immediately affixed the teleportation talisman to herself and swiftly led the others into the array.

A similar flash of white light occurred, and the seven figures vanished completely.

Upon seeing this, the old man and the stern-faced man exchanged glances, exhaled a long breath, and then both gave a wry smile.

On the other side of the teleportation array, in a thirty-meter-square stone chamber, a teleportation array shimmered with white light, and the figures of Wen Siyue and her six companions emerged.

A moment later, the seven recovered from the dizziness of teleportation.

Wen Siyue hastily scanned her surroundings, her heart suddenly sinking.

The vast stone chamber was empty; there wasn't a single person.

"Wait for me here; I'll go see if Senior Han is still nearby," Wen Siyue quickly said to the refined man. Without waiting for his reply, she hurried towards the stone door.

The refined man wanted to ask something, but after a slight hesitation, he remained silent, merely watching Wen Siyue's slender back with a slight frown.

As Wen Siyue stepped out of the stone door, her eyes suddenly brightened. The stone room was situated on a wide stone platform, which itself was located at the summit of a perilous peak, surrounded by sheer cliffs that ordinary mortals could never ascend.

But what excited her was that Han Li was standing on one corner of the stone platform, conversing with a long-haired cultivator dressed in Star Palace attire.

With his hands clasped behind his back, he spoke calmly.

The grim-faced Core Formation mid-stage man, who had originally appeared fierce, listened to Han Li like a docile lamb, continuously nodding and bowing, answering Han Li's questions with trepidation.

It seemed this person was likely the Star Palace cultivator guarding this side of the teleportation array.

Wen Siyue composed herself and did not immediately approach. Instead, she stood obediently in place, quietly observing Han Li's conversation with the man.

After a while, Han Li waved his hand, seemingly having finished his inquiries.

The burly man bowed deeply and respectfully, then took a few steps back before striding towards the stone room.

Only then did Wen Siyue gracefully approach Han Li.

"Thank you for speaking up and helping us earlier, Senior. Otherwise, my husband and I might not have been able to reach the outer sea, and could have faced great trouble," Wen Siyue said respectfully after a humble bow.

"It was nothing. You were implicated because of me, and it was merely a small effort on my part. Is there something else you are so eager to come for?" Han Li remained calm, glancing at her as he spoke nonchalantly.

"Siyue knows she might be a bit greedy. Senior has already helped me multiple times, and I should be content and repay your kindness. However, my young daughter is critically ill, her life hanging by a thread. I beg Senior to be merciful and help us one more time." As Wen Siyue spoke, her eyes reddened, on the verge of tears. It was clear that, with a mother's heart, she loved her daughter dearly.

"The girl who was afflicted by that strange poison… is she your daughter?" Han Li's gaze flickered, and he spoke slowly, showing no unusual emotions, his thoughts unreadable.

"Precisely! Senior possesses keen insight to discern my daughter's ailment with just a glance." Seeing Han Li pinpoint the root cause of her beloved daughter's illness with a single sentence, Wen Siyue's spirits lifted, and her beautiful eyes filled with hope.

"I overheard some of your conversation. Haven't you already found a detoxification method? Why bother seeking my help again?" Han Li responded noncommittally.

"So Senior already knows about this. Indeed, my husband and I were once advised by a master that the inner core of the White Egret Fish Demon could be refined into a spirit pill for detoxification. However, this pill cannot completely eliminate the poison. Even if it temporarily saves her life, her constitution will be severely damaged, and she will make no further progress on the path of cultivation. Senior is a great late-Nascent Soul cultivator; surely you must possess other miraculous methods. We beg your mercy," Wen Siyue explained urgently.

"I see," Han Li did not immediately agree, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Wen Siyue was extremely anxious, yet dared not press him, only gazing at Han Li with pleading eyes and a face full of supplication.

Han Li looked up at the dazzling sun in the sky, then down at the beautiful young woman's delicate face before him. Suddenly, he asked a question that greatly surprised her.

"When did Brother Wen pass away? Was it through sitting meditation or corpse decomposition?"

Wen Siyue was naturally stunned by the question but immediately replied with a saddened expression.

"When I returned to the Inner Sea back then, my father was already nowhere to be found. I searched diligently for decades, yet found no clue whatsoever. If my father was unable to form his Golden Core, he is likely no longer among the living."

"The path of cultivation is inherently fraught with thorns; no one knows how far they can go. If it were other strangers asking me to save someone, I would most likely ignore them. However, since you have encountered me repeatedly, it seems we truly have some karmic connection. Moreover, as you are the descendant of an old acquaintance, and it is still early, I shall first examine the little girl before deciding," Han Li finally nodded.

"Thank you for your mercy, Senior!" Wen Siyue was naturally overjoyed at his words and immediately began to kneel before Han Li.

"This is not the place to save people. I will wait for you at the inn in the small town down the mountain. You can come over later."

Han Li flicked his sleeve, and an invisible immense force lifted Wen Siyue, preventing her from kneeling. Immediately, a flash of green light enveloped him, transforming him into a green rainbow that shot down from the stone platform.

Wen Siyue was momentarily stunned but then swiftly moved, happily floating back towards the stone room.

A short while later, the group of seven transformed into several streaks of light and pursued Han Li in the direction he had vanished.

"That Han fellow has already advanced to the late Nascent Soul stage?"

Within the Inner Star Sea, countless miles away, inside a cavern on Heavenly Star City's Holy Mountain, an incredulous male voice echoed, making the entire cavern hum.

The speaker was none other than the male of the Heavenly Star Dual Sages.

"Indeed. I too found it hard to believe, but after scanning with my divine sense multiple times, it is undeniably true," a calm female voice followed. The masked woman, Wen Qing, had already removed her veil, revealing a slightly pale but beautiful face, as she sat cross-legged on a shining jade platform within the cavern.

"If that's the case, his cultivation talent surpasses even ours," the man's voice deepened, seemingly having composed himself after receiving the news.

"It seems likely. As far as I know, he should have been less than two hundred years old before his disappearance. Such a cultivation speed is unparalleled even among the previous lords of the Star Palace. You and I only barely reached the late Nascent Soul stage around five hundred years of age." Wen Qing sighed softly, a hint of melancholy in her tone.

Anyone who once believed themselves to be a rare genius would find it unsettling to suddenly realize they were merely viewing the sky from the bottom of a well.

"If that's the case, with the help of the Ethereal Heaven Cauldron, even if he has only recently advanced to the late stage, he could contend with either of us. No wonder you changed your mind and let him go. But after interacting with him, what was your impression?" The man frowned.

"Impression? This person is extremely cautious, yet also quite bold. No, not bold, but rather..." Wen Qing furrowed her brows, her gaze flickering uncertainly.

"What, difficult to describe?" The man sounded somewhat surprised.

"It's not that he's difficult to describe, but as I recall now, I've noticed something peculiar," Wen Qing said slowly, after a moment of hesitation.

"Peculiar?"

"It is somewhat peculiar. Thinking back now, he clearly knew I was one of the Heavenly Star Dual Sages and that he was within Heavenly Star City, yet he acted fearlessly before me. This is quite strange. Even possessing the Ethereal Heaven Cauldron wouldn't be enough to grant such confidence. Moreover, when I faced him at that time, I inexplicably felt a hint of fear, as if he were incredibly formidable – a feeling I haven't experienced in a very long time." Wen Qing's expression shifted between light and shadow as she recalled the encounter.

"You cultivated the Spirit Serenity Art back then, and your inexplicable premonitions are usually highly accurate, rarely deviating significantly. So, this person truly possesses a terrifying quality," the man's voice also grew solemn.