Chapter 1603: Reuniting with an Old Acquaintance

Han Li’s voice was soft, but to the old man, it resonated like thunder, jolting him awake from his slumber.

“Ah, a guest has arrived! I’ll find a superior room for you right away, senior.” The old man, who had been slumped over, jolted upright, startled awake. He then hastily pulled out a strange, gleaming white magical artifact resembling a ledger from beneath him and quickly began searching through it.

Han Li frowned at this.

The old man before him was also a cultivator. How could he show no vigilance at all? It seemed he had genuinely fallen asleep, not merely feigning it.

A thought flickered in Han Li’s mind. He casually glanced at the old man’s face, and the next moment, he gasped in surprise:“You… Senior Brother Xiang? You’re still alive! How are you here?”

The old man’s face was sallow and slightly sickly, yet his eyes held a subtle shrewdness. It was Xiang Zhili, who had entered the spatial node in the Human Realm ahead of them years ago—his nominal “Senior Brother Xiang.”

His soul lamp, along with those of Old Devil Hu and Old Monster Feng, had extinguished one after another shortly after they entered the node. They had long been presumed to have perished.

Now, seeing him suddenly, how could Han Li not be greatly astonished? His voice even trembled slightly.

Upon hearing Han Li’s words, the old man, who had been looking down and searching for something, paused. After a moment, he slowly raised his head to gaze at him.

“Junior Brother Han, is that really you?” the old man murmured, his expression a strange mix of crying and laughing.

“It is I. Your cultivation and aura, how…?” Han Li replied, while unconsciously sweeping his spiritual sense over Xiang Zhili. His expression then became uncertain.

Xiang Zhili, who had already been a Nascent Soul cultivator in the Human Realm, now shockingly had a cultivation level only around the Core Formation stage. His aura was extremely weak, as if he had suffered a severe loss of vitality.

“Junior Brother Han, you also came to the Spirit Realm through the spatial node, didn’t you? And your cultivation has greatly advanced. However, this isn’t the place to talk. No guests will come for a while. Follow me, let’s find somewhere else to speak.” Xiang Zhili stared blankly at Han Li for a long moment, his expression shifting. Suddenly remembering something, he hastily stood up and led Han Li towards a side door in the main hall.

Han Li hesitated briefly but followed him.

Beyond the side door was a long corridor lined with exotic flowers and plants. Xiang Zhili didn’t lead Han Li far; he simply pushed open a nearby stone door and invited Han Li inside.

“Junior Brother, please sit. This old man never imagined he’d live to see you again. But I’m quite a sight in this dilapidated state; I was truly too ashamed to be seen.” As soon as they sat down, Xiang Zhili said this with a bitter smile, his voice utterly dejected, completely unlike the formidable cultivator he had been in the Human Realm.

“What happened to you all when you passed through the node back then? Are the other two still alive?” Han Li was silent for a moment before directly asking what he wanted to know.

“Old Monster Feng and Old Devil Hu perished. We had terrible luck passing through the spatial node. We encountered spatial storms multiple times in a row. The last time, two waves of spatial storms overlapped and erupted simultaneously. Of the three of us, only I survived. But I also lost almost all my cultivation from frequently using life-saving secret techniques. This little cultivation I have now, I painstakingly regained it bit by bit over the years.” Xiang Zhili sighed, speaking with a hint of helplessness.

“That spatial node is indeed extremely dangerous. It’s a great fortune that Senior Brother Xiang managed to survive. However, your soul lamps left in the Human Realm had extinguished. And how did you end up on Thunderous Continent? Why didn’t you appear in the ascension grounds of the human race?” Han Li offered a word of comfort, then asked, puzzled.

“The extinguishing of my soul lamp was likely related to the life-saving secret technique I used. That ‘Life-Exchange Great Art’ truly is akin to exchanging one’s life for another. As for why I’m on this continent, I’m not quite sure either. I was swept into the spatial storm, and although I relied on the secret art to save my life, as soon as I exited the spatial node, I found myself here in Tianyun. Had I not encountered someone to rescue me, I might not even be alive now. Listening to Junior Brother, it seems you emerged from the node into the human territories of the Spirit Realm. In that case, the spatial storm in the node must have been too strange, blowing us off course.” Xiang Zhili’s expression became unpleasantly grim as he recalled his experience in the spatial node.

This time, Han Li didn’t interject, merely nodding as if in thought.

“Senior Brother Xiang, why are you working here? What’s your relationship with the owner of this inn? Have you not considered returning to the human race?” Han Li didn’t press further on the previous topic but asked with a focused expression.

“The owner of this inn is a Stonecocoon clansman, and he’s the one who saved my life back then. He has a kind heart, and his cultivation isn’t weak; he seems to have some status within the Stonecocoon tribe. I’m helping him partly to repay his kindness and partly because I truly have nowhere else to go. I can only assist him temporarily. As for returning to the human race, I’ve long given up on that. Although the Thirteen Tianyun Tribes do control a teleportation array capable of crossing continents, it’s said that each activation consumes so much that even a Saint-level existence could be ruined, and it can’t be activated with ordinary spirit stones. Even if my cultivation were at its peak, I would be far from qualified to use such a formation. Moreover, even if by some slim chance I could teleport to Fengyuan Continent, with my current low cultivation and severe vitality loss, there’s no hope of passing through the Savage World to reach the human territories. In my current state, I’ve completely lost the possibility of advancing to the Void Refinement stage, and I don’t intend to take any more risks. I’ve decided to live out my days here.” Xiang Zhili shook his head, his expression dimming slightly as he spoke.

Hearing Xiang Zhili’s words, Han Li found himself at a loss for comforting words and fell silent for a moment.

“Oh, by the way, I haven’t asked about your experiences, Junior Brother. Although I can’t return to the human race, I’d still like to hear about the situation of the human race in the Spirit Realm. Could Junior Brother give me a general overview?” Xiang Zhili suddenly remembered something and asked, his expression slightly brighter.

“There’s not much to say about my experiences. I simply followed the coordinates you sent back then. After cultivating to the Nascent Soul stage, I also found that node. Then, I entered the node together with the Ice Phoenix, who had also advanced to the Nascent Soul stage. My luck was a bit better, though. Although I also encountered a spatial storm, I managed to tear through space and escape with the help of the Ice Phoenix’s spatial divine ability. As for the human race, from what I know, they can barely maintain a foothold in the Spirit Realm and are just capable of self-preservation!” Han Li briefly recounted his own experiences, omitting any mention of his own past loss of cultivation. And regarding the human race, since it wasn’t a secret, Han Li selected some information to share with him.

“Three Realms and Seven Lands! Saint-level Rulers and Demon Kings! So, our human race in the Spirit Realm also has quite a few Integration stage cultivators. In that case, this old man can finally feel a little relieved.” Xiang Zhili listened intently, and it was only after a long moment that he finished hearing Han Li’s account, letting out a long breath.

Han Li fell silent again, but after a short pause, his eyes flickered a few times before he suddenly spoke:“The Thirteen Tianyun Tribes truly have a super teleportation array! Senior Brother Xiang, where did you learn of this?”

“Heh heh! What, Junior Brother, are you also interested in that teleportation array? The matter of super teleportation arrays isn’t really a secret. Not only do the Tianyun have one, but the Horned Chi and Night clans also possess one. Among the major clans nearby, perhaps only the Roaring clan hasn’t constructed one. If you ask me, Junior Brother, I’d say forget about it. That continent-spanning teleportation array is not something anyone below the Integration stage is qualified to use. Moreover, you aren’t even a member of these clans, so your chances are even slimmer. Thankfully, the Thirteen Tianyun Tribes aren’t too exclusive towards other foreign races. Junior Brother Han, why don’t you stay here and cultivate? You could keep me company. It wouldn’t be too late to try to return to the human race after your cultivation has greatly advanced. Oh, by the way, what stage have you reached in your cultivation now? I can only sense that your aura is much stronger than it was in the Human Realm, but I can’t discern your exact cultivation level.” Xiang Zhili smiled faintly, then asked with curiosity.

“Regarding the teleportation array, I’ll need to consider it further before saying anything. As for my cultivation, I was fortunate enough to advance to the Void Refinement stage not long ago.” Han Li had no intention of hiding his cultivation and stated it calmly.

“Void Refinement? Junior Brother, you actually cultivated so quickly! Does that mean you no longer suffer from the woes of dwindling lifespan?” Hearing this, Xiang Zhili’s mouth twitched, and he couldn’t help but feel intensely envious.

“Nominally, one’s lifespan becomes limitless. But with the Grand Heavenly Tribulation occurring every three thousand years, how can one truly achieve eternal life? The tribulations become more ferocious with each passing one. If one doesn’t ascend to the True Immortal Realm, one will eventually perish.” Han Li said with a faint smile.

“You can’t say that. Once Junior Brother advances to the Void Refinement stage, your lifespan will be in the tens of thousands of years at least. You can greatly relax and cultivate slowly from now on. With your aptitude, who’s to say you can’t cultivate to the final step and eventually ascend to the Immortal Realm?” Xiang Zhili grinned, shaking his head repeatedly.

“Ascend to the True Immortal Realm! Among our human and demon races, over tens of thousands of years, there have been countless individuals with extraordinary talent. But how many have truly reached the final step? I can only take one step at a time!” Han Li said with a bitter smile.

“Heh heh, let’s discuss this matter later. Junior Brother Han, please stay at my inn for now. I still need to look after the inn. When I have time tonight, I’ll visit your room, and we can talk in more detail. You won’t refuse this old man’s visit, will you?” Xiang Zhili glanced towards the door and then said with a faint smile.

“Mm, that works. I also have a few things to ask Senior Brother about, now that I’ve just arrived in Cloud City.” Han Li’s eyes flickered, and he nodded, readily agreeing.

Xiang Zhili then personally led Han Li to a secluded, excellent room in a quiet corner and saw him settled in.

He then returned to the main hall.

In his room, Han Li set up an isolation restriction, then sat down cross-legged, deep in thought.

Unexpectedly encountering Xiang Zhili here forced him to ponder the situation carefully.