Chapter 1560: Zhu'er and the Wuluo Tribe

Volume Seven: Traversing the Human World - Volume Nine: The Hundred Races of the Spirit World

At the foot of a small mountain lay a courtyard, consisting of several green wooden houses joined together.

The woman, guiding the white cloud, stopped before the small courtyard. Turning her head, she smiled and asked Han Li:

"Senior Han, how do you find this place?"

Han Li took a deep breath, sensing the rich spiritual energy that enveloped him. A look of satisfaction spread across his face, and he nodded slightly.

Delighted by his reaction, the woman immediately guided the white cloud into the small courtyard. She then raised her hand, seemingly pushing open a wooden door in the air, intending to send Han Li directly inside.

However, at that moment, Han Li suddenly smiled and said:

"There's no need to trouble you further, fellow Daoist. I can enter on my own."

As he spoke, Han Li swayed, then stood up from the white cloud and slowly floated down.

"Ah, fellow Daoist, you..." The woman froze, utterly astonished.

"Though my injuries persist, I should have no major difficulty moving around now," Han Li said with a faint smile.

"Congratulations, Senior. I had originally planned to send a few disciples to attend to you. But now it seems unnecessary; I imagine you prefer not to be disturbed." The woman's expression became composed.

"Indeed, I prefer not to have others present while I heal. This place is suitable; I'll stay here for some time. Regarding the Sun-Splitting Divine Elixir you mentioned, it would be best if it could be delivered soon. If it proves effective, I can quickly recover my magical powers and abilities, and only then will I be able to intervene and protect your clan," Han Li stated with a serious expression.

"Senior, please rest assured, of course. However, the Sun-Splitting Divine Elixir has been continuously refining in the earth-fire; it will take me several days to retrieve it. Please do not fault me for the delay," the woman readily agreed, offering an explanation.

"A few days' time is perfectly acceptable; I can certainly wait. Once you have the divine elixir, just bring it over and then you may leave. You can depart now; I am about to begin my recuperation," Han Li said calmly, nodding his head.

Hearing Han Li's clear dismissal, the woman, unwilling to overstay her welcome, promptly bowed and then guided the white cloud away.

Han Li stood still, gazing silently at the sky until the white cloud completely vanished beyond the horizon. Only then did he turn and walk toward the house with the open wooden door.

The house was not large, and its furnishings were remarkably simple, comprising only wooden furniture.

Han Li paid no attention to anything else. He walked directly to the wooden bed in a corner of the room, swayed, and settled into a cross-legged position.

He exhaled slowly, a hint of weariness appearing on his face.

"I didn't expect that merely standing for a moment would drain all the physical strength I had just accumulated. It seems the depletion of vital essence and blood is indeed severe," Han Li murmured. Then, with a single hand, he touched his storage bracelet. A faint white light flashed, and four or five small, differently shaped bottles materialized in his grasp.

Without hesitation, Han Li poured several pills from each bottle, stuffing them all into his mouth. He then quietly closed his eyes, focusing on absorbing the medicinal effects.

A moment later, he felt a surge of warmth in his dantian, followed by several streams of cool energy that immediately began circulating through his meridians, continuously nourishing the depleted areas of his physical body.

Han Li's heart lifted.

These elixirs, specially refined by him using ten-thousand-year spiritual herbs, truly lived up to their reputation as sacred healing medicines; their efficacy was remarkably potent.

Just a short while later, a faint golden light shimmered around Han Li's body, while above his head, a vague golden shadow, flickering erratically, became faintly visible.

Inside the wooden house, silence instantly descended.

***

At the same time, the woman guided the white cloud back to the earth city, landing in front of the grand hall in the square.

Dozens of low-ranking priests, dressed in white robes, were still quietly awaiting her there.

"'Yan Wu, come with me. And you, summon all the hunting teams who first discovered Mr. Han; I wish to question them thoroughly,' the woman commanded immediately."

"'Yes!'"

Among the white-robed snake-people, some immediately acknowledged the order. Meanwhile, the alluring snake-woman who had escorted Han Li obediently followed the older woman back into the grand hall.

"'You accompanied this individual all the way here. First, tell me your impressions of him and everything you observed. Do not omit a single detail!' the woman said with a grave expression."

"'I will certainly report truthfully! At that time, I was on duty at the port...' Yan Wu felt a surge of nervousness, but she meticulously recounted everything she had noticed during her journey with Han Li."

Although all the details sounded rather mundane, the woman listened intently, not blinking once.

***

Several hours later, the large man and the group of snake-people who had first discovered Han Li rode their lizard-beasts directly into the earth city, arriving before the grand hall.

After exchanging a few words with the white-robed snake-people guarding the hall entrance, they hurriedly stepped inside. However, it was a good half-hour later before this group re-emerged, accompanied by Yan Wu, the snake-woman.

At that moment, the woman sat on the main seat within the grand hall, leaning back against the chair. Her expression was uncertain, as if she couldn't make up her mind about something.

"'Is something troubling you, Mother?' a clear voice suddenly resonated softly throughout the grand hall."

"'Zhuer, have you returned? When did you come back to the clan?' The woman paused in surprise upon hearing the voice, then asked with a joyful expression."

In that very instant, a white light flashed before the woman, and a slender snake-person figure indistinctly materialized within the spiritual glow.

It was a snake-person maiden, approximately sixteen or seventeen years old, possessing unparalleled beauty and long, raven-black hair.

The maiden's hair bun was adorned with a string of shimmering, thumb-thick silver rings. Slung diagonally across her back were a large yellow bow and three white bone arrows. A dark leather pouch hung at her waist, and in her hand, she held a hazy white banner.

The maiden's lower body was also that of a snake, yet it was remarkably pale, with almost no visible scales.

The maiden stood gracefully, grinning at the older woman, her cheeks revealing two sweet dimples.

"'It truly is Zhuer! To think that after so many years, your cultivation has advanced to such a degree.' The woman was overcome with joy, quickly rising to embrace the maiden, her face alight with maternal affection."

"'I'm the one who's startled! Mother, it's only been a few years, and you've already broken through to the Shapeshifting stage!' The snake-person maiden, Zhuer, chuckled in response."

"'How could I possess the ability to break through a bottleneck that has remained for centuries? I merely consumed that Immortality-Refining Fruit,' the woman replied, her smile fading as she let out a soft sigh."

"'What? Mother, you consumed the Immortality-Refining Fruit! Wouldn't that significantly reduce your lifespan?' The maiden's expression changed drastically. She grabbed the woman's wrist and, after probing it with spiritual energy, her face turned utterly bloodless."

"'If one's life is gone, what good is a longer lifespan?' The woman offered a bitter smile, then suddenly recalled something and asked hopefully, 'By the way, did your master not return with you?'"

"'When I received the letter Mother sent, Master had just left the island to visit friends. Fearing something dire might happen to the clan and I wouldn't arrive in time, I first took a few island-guarding treasures Master had left behind and hurried back alone. As I entered just now, I happened to overhear Mother questioning others about 'Mr. Han,' so I temporarily refrained from revealing myself,' the maiden explained clearly, her face filled with worry."

"'Your master cannot come. This is indeed rather ominous.' The woman's face subtly darkened upon hearing this."

"'Mother, is the clan truly in such dire straits? I've brought Master's Heaven-Breaking Bow. As long as the incoming individual's cultivation and abilities aren't more than ten times mine, I should be able to eliminate them with a single arrow,' the maiden said, blinking her eyes, a mix of reassurance and confidence in her voice."

"'Zhuer, although your cultivation has advanced significantly, it is merely comparable to my own former level. Even if your cultivation were to increase tenfold, I fear it would still not be enough to contend with this great calamity. Only if your master were to personally intervene might there be a chance for salvation,' the woman said softly, stroking the maiden's head."

"'Although I arrived in haste, Mother, your words about this great calamity remain remarkably vague. What kind of major disaster has truly befallen our clan to cause you such worry, even to the point of consuming the Immortality-Refining Fruit and attempting to win over an unknown cultivator from a higher race?' The maiden, nestled in the woman's embrace, looked up at her mother's face, a distressed expression undeniably visible on her own."

"'You have already returned to this island; allowing you to leave again would likely pose an even greater danger. I shall tell you a thing or two about this matter,' the woman said, after a moment of hesitation, patting the maiden's shoulder."

"'I presume you are already aware that the other two clans have been annihilated.'"

"'Mm, Mother mentioned it briefly in her letter. But even so, there's no need for you to be so terrified, Mother. Those two clans were inherently weaker than our Fire Sun Clan, and their High Priests' cultivation levels were even inferior to your own before you consumed the Immortality-Refining Fruit.' Although the maiden's expression tightened, she deliberately spoke with an air of nonchalance."

"'But do you know what entity annihilated those two clans?' the woman said slowly."

"'Didn't you say there were no clues, Mother?' the maiden asked, startled."

"'Two entire clans were completely wiped out. No matter how secretive the act, how could it genuinely leave no trace?'"

"'If I'm not mistaken, the ones responsible were likely the Wuluo Clan, our Wa Clan's ancient sworn enemies,' the woman said, a flicker of fear crossing her face."

"'The Wuluo Clan! Impossible! According to ancient records, wasn't that clan completely eradicated by our Wa Clan countless millennia ago? How could they possibly appear in this sea region!' The maiden had clearly heard of the Wuluo Clan; her small face instantly paled, and her voice trembled as she spoke."

"'Precisely. Logically, during the war between the Wuluo Clan and our Wa Clan on the Thunder Roar Continent, all Wuluo individuals should have been utterly annihilated. However, it's not entirely impossible that some remnants might have hidden and fled overseas. Furthermore, apart from the Wuluo Clan, what other race possesses the sadistic habit of abusing our men while simultaneously devouring the flesh and blood of our women? What truly puzzles me is this: our three clans have been established here for thousands of years. If the Wuluo Clan has also been living nearby this entire time, why did they only choose to launch a sudden assault today?' The woman's face was grim, but as she spoke the final sentence, a hint of profound doubt flickered in her eyes.