Chapter 1276: Space Node

Chapter 7: Traversing the Human Realm

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After flying for just over ten miles, Han Li's divine sense detected an anomaly in the sky ahead, without the three of them needing to say much. His divine sense stirred, and his escape speed quickened slightly.

After flying for a while longer, their escape lights finally stopped.

Han Li squinted slightly, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on a massive, hazy light cluster in the sky. He couldn't help but gasp inwardly.

The light cluster was circular, with a diameter of about a mile. Although it was somewhat indistinct and dim, upon closer inspection, it appeared unfathomably deep. The halo of light it emitted rotated slowly, giving off an eerie sensation that seemed to draw one's entire mind into it.

“This is the spatial node!” Though he knew it must be, Han Li still exhaled softly before asking.

“Yes, Senior! This is indeed the node that Grandmaster and the others entered. To maintain the stability of this entrance, Grandmaster and the others expended immense effort to set up a special seal, temporarily sealing it. This not only ensures the node remains as stable as possible but also reduces spatial fluctuations to a minimum, preventing it from attracting the attention of other cultivators in the Five Dragon Sea,” replied the middle-aged female cultivator among the three Core Formation cultivators.

However, her expression turned somewhat somber when she mentioned Xiang Zhili. Evidently, the three of them were well aware that Xiang Zhili and the others' Soul Lamps had extinguished.

“So that’s why,” Han Li murmured, “I wondered why the spatial fluctuations here were so weak. Fellow Daoist Xiang and the others truly put in a lot of effort.” Upon hearing this, Han Li couldn't help but sigh softly, then gazed silently at the light cluster in the sky, his eyes flickering.

However, seeing this, the three Core Formation cultivators exchanged glances, as if conveying something to each other.

“Senior, there’s something this junior would like to tell you,” one of the male cultivators said suddenly, after a moment of hesitation.

“What is it?” Han Li asked, a hint of surprise in his voice as he turned to look at the man.

“Well, the three of us have been guarding this place for over two hundred years, and we’ve noticed that even with Grandmaster Xiang’s seal, this spatial entrance began to experience brief tremors about a hundred years ago. As time progresses, the tremors occur at shorter intervals. Initially, they happened once every few years, lasting only a day each time, but now they occur annually, lasting for half a month,” the male cultivator replied candidly.

“Such a thing is happening!” Han Li asked, startled, his expression subtly changing. “Are you saying the seal can no longer maintain this node entrance?”

“I’m afraid so,” another male cultivator respectfully explained. “At this rate, within a century at most, this spatial node, even if it doesn’t collapse, will become extremely unstable. It might be impossible for you, Senior, to enter as easily as Grandmaster Xiang and the others did.”

“Just over a hundred years? That short?” Han Li’s expression turned grim.

“That’s just our speculation, perhaps we’ve overthought it,” the female cultivator quickly said with a forced smile.

“Whether it’s speculation or not, I’ll know if I stay here for a few years. I intend to thoroughly study this node and won’t be leaving anytime soon,” Han Li slowly stated after some thought.

Xiang Zhili’s three disciples naturally had no objections and quickly affirmed his words.

Han Li then waved his hand, instructing the three to return to the small island first, as he wished to stay alone for a while longer.

In the blink of an eye, only Han Li remained beneath the massive light cluster.

He looked up at the massive light cluster in the sky, his expression uncertain. Clearly, the words of the three earlier had left him troubled. If, as the three had said, the entrance could only be maintained for just over a century, then he would have to enter this node within that time. From a time perspective, it would be too rushed, and the risk of demise would undoubtedly multiply. However, if he didn't seize this opportunity, even with over a thousand years of lifespan remaining, it would likely be difficult for him to find another way to enter the Spirit Realm. Otherwise, why would Xiang Zhili and Old Monster Feng and the others have painstakingly waited until now, only to enter without hesitation once they found a node? As for the node information he still held, which he hadn't yet given to Xiang Zhili and the others, only a few locations remained. He held no hope that any of these remaining places would actually contain another usable spatial node. As Han Li pondered, his face grew exceptionally grim.

He remained beneath the massive light cluster for most of the day before turning his escape light and flying back.

His escape light arrived above the small island, and he slowly descended.

The three cultivators had long since cleared out the largest pavilion for Han Li and cleaned it meticulously, ensuring that 'Senior Han' would have a comfortable stay.

Han Li was extremely satisfied with their performance. Moreover, although the three might not have achieved great merits in guarding this spatial node, they had certainly put in strenuous effort. He immediately gave each of them three treasures and several bottles of elixirs.

The three Core Formation cultivators were naturally overjoyed and extremely grateful.

Afterward, Han Li used a Ten Thousand-Mile Talisman to directly contact Nangong Wan and others who were far away in the Starfall Sea. He instructed them to send several reliable Core Formation cultivators recently recruited to the island, specifically requesting that Tian Qin'er come along as well.

Tian Qin'er, aided by his elixirs in her cultivation, had consequently spent most of her time researching various array formations and restrictions. Her innate talent for formations was already astonishing, and with so much time now dedicated to it, her achievements were naturally extraordinary. In terms of the Dao of Formations alone, she far surpassed Han Li. For his impending entry into the spatial node, he would truly need to rely on her profound array formation skills.

In the time that followed, Han Li would go to the massive light cluster for a period almost every day, observing the changes in the node entrance, then return to the island to ponder intensely.

A year later, Tian Qin'er, accompanied by four Core Formation cultivators from the island, finally arrived.

Han Li immediately allowed the original three Core Formation cultivators on the island to depart, letting his own subordinates take over everything there.

Although Tian Qin'er was still lingering at the late Core Formation stage, after consuming a bottle of Sun-Reverting Water specifically left by Han Li, her lifespan was still far from its limit. As for whether she would be able to form a Nascent Soul later, that depended on her own fortune.

As soon as Tian Qin'er arrived, Han Li immediately took her to examine the spatial node, to see if there was a way to extend and strengthen the seal’s power, thereby gaining more time for him.

Unfortunately, although Tian Qin'er’s mastery of array formations had reached an incredible realm, when faced with a spatial node, an existence involving spatial power, after months of intense contemplation, she could only devise a method to gradually strengthen the seal. However, she only had a twenty to thirty percent chance of success that this method could truly prevent the entrance from collapsing.

Although the chances weren't very high, Han Li, having no other immediate solutions, could only let her proceed. As for the rare materials required to set up the array, with Han Li’s divine abilities, it was naturally a simple matter for him to leave the Misty Sea for a trip and gather them all in the Five Dragon Sea.

Thus, Han Li remained in this place for three to six years. During this period, he made a disheartening discovery. The spatial node indeed experienced tremors every year or so, just as Xiang Zhili’s disciples had described. However, the intervals between tremors became shorter each year, the duration of the tremors also gradually increased, and they grew increasingly violent. As a result, Han Li’s joy at having recently advanced to the Divinity Transformation stage completely vanished.

After watching Tian Qin'er complete the rearrangement of an extremely complex array formation and add another layer of seal to the spatial node, he began to consider whether to seize this opportunity to first search various parts of the Human Realm for special protective treasures and secret techniques, preparing for his entry into the spatial node.

However, just a few days before he planned to set off, a spiritual light flickered in a certain direction outside the Misty Sea, and a ball of silver light emerged, then shot rapidly towards the Misty Sea, reaching its edge in an instant.

The light receded, revealing a peerlessly graceful woman in silver robes. She appeared to be around twenty years old, with finely arched brows, a delicate nose, and brilliant eyes that subtly shimmered with silver light.

The woman surveyed the Misty Sea before her, then with a turn of her palm, a jade slip appeared. After scanning it with her divine sense, a hint of a smile appeared on her exquisite face.

“So this is indeed the spatial node those youngsters from the Demonic Heaven Sect mentioned,” the woman murmured. She, too, surprisingly knew of the spatial node’s existence. Then, without hesitation, she moved, once again transforming into a silver light and flying off.

After the sea mist churned for a moment, the woman completely disappeared into it.

The Misty Small Island was no longer undefended as it had been when Han Li first arrived. While setting up the seal for the outer spatial node, Tian Qin'er had also meticulously arranged several profound array formations around the small island. Their power was sufficient to temporarily trap even a Nascent Soul cultivator.

As a result, the silver-robed woman, caught unawares, plunged directly into these restrictions as soon as she arrived above the small island.

As the restrictions were triggered, innumerable bolts of lightning and fire suddenly appeared in the surrounding space, raining down upon the woman. Following this, dense arrays of wind blades and ice cones also struck consecutively.

The silver-robed woman was initially startled, but then let out a cold snort. Her escape light receded, and she raised a single hand. Immediately, a surge of white, hazy cold wind soared up from her body, its volume rapidly expanding. In an instant, it swept outwards, forming an incredibly vast cyclonic storm, its momentum astonishing.

A thunderous roar echoed loudly in the air. Wherever the hurricane passed, all attacks were drawn in and shredded to pieces. They were utterly unable to harm the silver-robed woman in the slightest.

With such a massive commotion, the four Core Formation cultivators stationed on the island naturally couldn't have failed to notice. Startled, they immediately transformed into streaks of escape light and shot towards the sky.

Inside the hurricane, the silver-robed woman, upon seeing someone fly out from the island, a hint of killing intent flashed in her brows as she raised a delicate hand and pointed a finger at the four cultivators, as if intending to launch something at them. But just then, Han Li’s faint voice suddenly sounded in the woman’s ear: “Fairy Feng, please show mercy! These individuals are my subordinates, acting under my orders. I hope Fellow Daoist will not hold it against them.”

“It’s you?” Upon hearing this, the silver-robed woman’s expression changed drastically, but her raised hand slowly lowered.

(Yesterday's second update!) (To be continued)