Chapter 1386: The Demon Shadow Reappears

Upon hearing Long Dong's words, Han Li's eyes flashed, but he remained silent. The young woman and the white-browed youth exchanged glances, seemingly finding his reasoning sound, and did not voice any objections. However, the white-robed young woman blinked her beautiful eyes and suddenly spoke up: "It's quite strange that other cultivators are appearing in a place like this. We should prioritize our journey and avoid looking for trouble."

"Precisely because it's unusual, we need to find out why these people are here," Long Dong argued. "At worst, we won't enter the city; we'll just inquire outside. If something unexpected happens, there's no need to fear. Didn't Brother Li just say there are no cultivators above the Refinement Void stage in the city? In a few days, we'll enter the 'First Heaven' area. That region is extremely treacherous. If other unknown dangers appear nearby, we could all be completely wiped out there. It's always best to be cautious!" Long Dong's expression shifted, but after a moment of thought, he still shook his head. "Brother Long's point certainly has some merit," Xiaohong suggested a compromise. "How about we observe from a distance first, without alerting the cultivators inside? It won't be too late to reveal ourselves once we confirm there are no issues."

"That's a good approach, much more secure," Long Dong agreed, and nodded. Han Li stroked his chin, while the white-robed young woman smiled sweetly. Neither of them spoke again. Thus, the group changed direction, concealed their escape light once more, and silently headed towards the small city.

Given their cultivation levels, although they had significantly slowed their escape speed, they still covered several hundred miles in just a moment. A patch of green appeared on the distant ground. As they drew a little closer, they could see it more clearly: it was indeed a sizable oasis, surrounded not only by low shrubs but also featuring a lake several miles in circumference at its center. Next to the lake lay a small city, enclosed by a white stone wall several *zhang* tall. Only on the side facing Han Li and the others was there a huge city gate, over ten *zhang* wide. More than ten people in yellow robes, all cultivators around the Foundation Establishment stage, guarded the entrance. Outside the small city, near the lake, there were also some mortals with no spiritual power moving about, seemingly bending over to plant something.

Han Li's escape light halted, and he stopped. He then subtly swept his divine sense over the small city. Long Dong and the others nearby, observing this, also began to use their secret techniques to investigate. "Indeed, these are human cultivators, no doubt about it. There are no issues with either the mortals or the cultivators. There are quite a few cultivators in the city; seven or eight are at the Spirit Transformation stage. As for the Refinement Void stage, either there are none, or they've concealed their aura, making them currently undetectable," Xiaohong cautiously stated after employing her secret technique to scan the area. "Everything seems normal!" Long Dong gazed at the small city for a while before turning back to ask, "Do any of the other fellow Daoists have any findings?" "There are no signs of restriction fluctuations around the city, and it doesn't seem like any spell formations have been set up nearby. Also, have you all noticed? The temperature here seems much cooler, not nearly as hot as other places," the white-browed youth observed and commented. "It is indeed a bit unusual! However, the very existence of an oasis here is already incredible, so these observations don't necessarily indicate anything specific," the young woman mused.

"Why go to all this trouble? Wouldn't it be simpler for a few fellow Daoists to come into the city for a chat?" A unfamiliar voice suddenly emanated from above their heads. Han Li and the others were startled. Without a second thought, their figures flickered, and they instantly scattered, appearing several dozen *zhang* away in different locations, before cautiously looking up into the sky. They saw that, at some unknown moment, an elderly Taoist priest in purple robes had appeared high in the sky. He had kind eyes and a benevolent expression as he looked down at them. What greatly alarmed the young woman and the others was that this Taoist priest was actually a cultivator at the Mid-Refinement Void stage. Fortunately, he was a human cultivator; otherwise, they would probably have fled immediately. As Long Dong looked at the Taoist priest, surprise was mixed with a hint of disappointment in the depths of his eyes.

"Excuse me, senior! May I ask who you are and why you are here?" Xiaohong asked, taking a deep breath and speaking with a hint of deference. "So, fellow Daoists from the Black Phoenix Clan," the elderly Taoist priest said with a slight smile, making an inviting gesture with one hand. "This old man is Revered Master Ziyun, and this city was built by my clan. You might have some doubts, but this is not the place to talk. How about you come with me into the city for a chat?" "Revered Master Ziyun?" The young woman was startled that the other party had instantly recognized her origin. She immediately exchanged glances with Long Dong. Both of them found the name completely unfamiliar, as if they had never heard it before. The invitation from this person made them both show hesitant expressions.

"Fellow Daoists, there's no need to worry," the elderly Taoist priest said kindly, seemingly discerning the young woman and the others' concerns. "This old man has always lived in seclusion and rarely interacts with others, which is why few outsiders have heard my name. You all intend to pass through the 'First Heaven,' correct? If so, you should really listen to what this old man has to say. Some changes have occurred in the 'First Heaven' recently. If you proceed directly like this, the path ahead could be perilous." Upon hearing Revered Master Ziyun's words, Long Dong and the others, though unable to completely drop their guard, felt a slight relaxation. However, hearing that something had gone wrong in the 'First Heaven' made their expressions change drastically. "Since Senior is so generous, it would be rude for us juniors to refuse," Long Dong stated. Although he had changed his mind and was a hundred percent unwilling to enter the city, facing such a polite invitation from a Refinement Void stage cultivator, he couldn't find the words to refuse and could only grit his teeth and agree. Seeing that Long Dong had agreed, Han Li and the others found it even harder to raise any objections. They merely bowed to the old Taoist priest and all agreed. The smile on Revered Master Ziyun's face grew even more amiable. Laughing cheerfully, he descended with his escape light and led the group directly towards the city gate. Seeing this, the group did not presumptuously follow with their escape lights. Instead, they all used light body techniques, sticking closely behind the old Taoist priest. What seemed like a considerable distance was covered in just a moment by their deceptively slow but actually swift pace. They soon arrived near the oasis, even clearly seeing a few children playing by the lake. "Please excuse us, fellow Daoists," the old man explained with a smile. "My clan only recently relocated here from elsewhere, and we had to bring some of our mortal descendants along. There isn't much else here, but we do have several kinds of spiritual fruits rarely seen in the outside world. You must try some." Long Dong and the young woman felt somewhat enlightened by this explanation.

In just that brief moment, the group had already arrived right in front of the city gate. The Foundation Establishment cultivators guarding the gate bowed deeply to them, then split into two rows, clearing the path. The old Taoist priest flicked his wide sleeves and walked through first. Long Dong and the others' gaze swept over the gate guards. Seeing nothing amiss apart from their respectful expressions, they hesitated for a moment, then also walked through. Han Li, too, calmly walked between the two Foundation Establishment cultivators. Everything seemed perfectly normal!

But just then, a clear cry suddenly rang out from Han Li, and a burst of silver flame shot out, striking a nearby cultivator with a loud *boom*. The silver flame instantly flared, engulfing the person. The young woman and the others watched, dumbfounded.

"What is the meaning of this, sir? This old man kindly invited you, and you dare to attack my junior?" The old Taoist priest, who was walking at the front, changed his expression and roared. His figure suddenly flickered, and with a single step, he appeared directly in front of Han Li. With one hand raised, a large, glowing red hand came clawing down at Han Li's head. Han Li's face had initially shown a similar bewildered expression, but the moment the silver flame enveloped the Foundation Establishment cultivator, everything instantly became clear to him. By then, however, the large red hand had already descended over him, and an invisible immense force simultaneously constricted his body, as if tens of thousands of pounds of pressure were pressing down. A normal cultivator, in such a situation, would not only be unable to escape but probably wouldn't even be able to open their mouth. However, Han Li cultivated both magic and physical body. Furthermore, with the enhancements from spiritual fruits like the Dragon Carp Fruit, the Heavenly Corpse Bead, and secret techniques like the Bone Tempering Art, his physical strength was superior to even the white-browed youth and Xiaohong by several folds, even without activating the True Devil Arts of Brahma Saint. In such circumstances, the immense force that would cripple ordinary cultivators merely caused Han Li's shoulder to twitch and his body to slightly distort before he abruptly vanished from his spot. The next moment, he mysteriously reappeared over twenty *zhang* away. This was precisely the Gale Nine Transformations movement technique. With his current physical condition and cultivation, he could easily execute this movement technique even without activating his Wind-Thunder Wings.

"Quick, run! They are all puppets possessed by the Shadow Clan!" Han Li roared the moment he broke free. With a flicker, he instantly transformed into a streak of green light and shot through the air, escaping. At the same time, the cultivator enveloped by the silver flame let out an agonizing howl, and a grey shadow suddenly shot out from his body. However, the moment this shadow touched the silver flame, it instantly burst into fierce flames and was utterly consumed. From the moment the silver flame shot out from Han Li, to the old man's sudden attack being thwarted by him and his subsequent escape, it all happened in the blink of an eye. The young woman and Long Dong were initially bewildered. Before they could figure out what was happening, they heard Han Li's warning. Then, they saw the shadow puppet emerge from the silver flame, and immediately understood. Their faces instantly turned incredibly pale. "Go!" Without needing anyone's command, the four of them simultaneously activated their spiritual lights, transforming into four startling rainbows that shot towards the sky, attempting to escape. The old Taoist priest was momentarily stunned to see Han Li escape from his grasp. Seeing the other four also attempting to flee, he immediately snorted coldly through his nose and forcefully flung his sleeve towards one of the fleeing lights. Suddenly, countless red threads flew out from his sleeve, tightly coiling around the escape light. He then pulled back, forcibly yanking the escape light down from mid-air. As the spiritual light dispersed amidst the countless red threads, the escape light's owner, filled with shock and anger, was revealed.