Chapter 1612: Guanghan Realm

Han Li could only repeatedly express his humility.

The rest was straightforward.

At Qianjizi's command, some of the armored guards immediately left to summon more personnel, temporarily sealing off an area of several miles. The inn itself was naturally requisitioned.

Han Li could only offer a wry smile when he saw Xiang Zhili, who had been summoned and informed of the situation, wearing a look of surprise.

Afterward, Han Li followed the plump elder out of the inn. The token, known as the "Guanghan Command Token," remained in the inn under the watchful eyes of numerous armored guards. Bai E and Cang Ying didn't linger; they soon departed. Only then did Qianjizi leave with Han Li.

However, he did not fly through the city with magical light. Instead, a beast carriage, pulled by two golden, lion-like spirit beasts, was waiting patiently on the street beside the inn.

The plump elder invited Han Li into the carriage. To Han Li's surprise, the golden lion-like beasts seemed to generate wind from their paws, galloping through the air a few feet above the ground.

Qianjizi had no intention of conversing with Han Li in the carriage. After a couple of casual remarks, he sat opposite, closing his eyes to rest.

Han Li's expression remained unreadable, but his mind raced with various thoughts, constantly pondering Qianjizi's true intentions for taking him.

Even after hearing Qianjizi's words about repaying a debt of gratitude, Han Li didn't believe he could truly rest easy. While he had indeed saved Jia Tianmu, that spiritual puppet had already repaid the favor.

What he could rely on now was the Guanghan Command Token. Once activated by his blood essence, it seemed to require his cooperation to enter what they called the "Guanghan Realm." If this were the case, he might be able to use this opportune moment to pursue the idea of the super teleportation array.

After repeatedly pondering the situation, Han Li realized that he was still useful to the various Tianyun races and that there was no immediate danger. With this understanding, his heart calmed.

The beast carriage he was now riding was clearly much faster than before. In a short time, it traversed a considerable portion of the city, reaching the corner where the Eight Cloud Mountains were located.

Through the window, Han Li could faintly see the eight colossal mountains, each thousands of feet tall. A strange expression flickered across his face as he wondered if Qianjizi truly intended to take him to his dwelling.

After a while, as they neared one of the large mountains, the beast carriage suddenly lifted into the air, changed direction, and bypassed the mountain, flying directly towards its rear.

Han Li was somewhat surprised. Moments later, as the beast carriage truly emerged from behind the mountain, he discovered a small, several-mile-wide castle that had seemingly appeared out of thin air.

Although not vast in area, this castle was surrounded by multiple layers of defensive walls, perhaps seven or eight in total. The walls progressively grew taller from the innermost to the outermost layer. The outermost wall alone was over a hundred feet high, while the innermost layer appeared to be nearly a thousand feet tall. From a distance, it resembled a colossal tower more than a conventional castle.

Activating his Bright Sight Spirit Eyes, Han Li clearly saw that at intervals of roughly a hundred feet along the city walls, a silver-white statue stood guard.

These statues varied in form, some beast-like, others humanoid. The largest stood over a hundred feet tall, while the smallest were seven or eight feet high. They remained utterly motionless, yet an inexplicable malevolent aura emanated from them.

Additionally, atop the walls, rows of green-armored guards, armed with halberds, patrolled in perfect formation. However, they exhibited no signs of life, revealing them to be humanoid puppets.

At each of the castle's four corners stood a tall, crystal-clear pillar, colored yellow, blue, red, and green, soaring into the clouds. Countless large runes flickered and shifted across their surfaces, making them appear profoundly mystical and remarkably eye-catching.

As Han Li watched, secretly astonished, the beast carriage flew directly above the castle, then circled once before landing in front of an unusual, emerald-green hall at the castle's center.

Stepping down from the beast carriage, Han Li subconsciously glanced up at the hall. A several-foot-long plaque hung above the entrance, inscribed with the three golden characters: "Spirit Conduit Hall."

Han Li's heart stirred, and he immediately thought of his own spiritual puppet.

Could this hall be related to spiritual puppets, or was it merely a coincidence?

As he pondered this, Qianjizi's chuckle suddenly came from behind him:

"Fellow Daoist, please enter," Qianjizi said. "This is a crucial location for our Myriad Ancient Race, serving as the place where we conduct important discussions in Cloud City. It's quite rare for members of other races to be granted entry into this hall."

"Thank you for your high regard, Senior; I am truly honored," Han Li replied with a slight bow.

In the presence of this peak Body Integration stage cultivator, Han Li dared not show any disrespect, keen to avoid bringing trouble upon himself. Qianjizi's lips curved into a slight smile, and with a wave of his hand, he stepped inside.

At the entrance to the main hall, a white-robed guard stood on each side. Upon seeing the elder approach, they remained expressionless, seemingly oblivious.

Han Li was somewhat surprised by this, and couldn't help but glance at them twice, realizing something. "It seems Fellow Daoist Han has noticed as well," the plump elder chuckled softly without turning his head. "These two hall guards are spiritual puppets, Upper Race Ninth-Tier beings capable of guarding this hall day and night. Aside from us old fellows and a few special individuals who can bring others inside, if anyone else approaches the Spirit Conduit Hall by even a single step, these puppets will attack without hesitation."

"Upper Race Ninth-Tier!" Han Li gasped. His expression, as he looked at the two white-robed puppets, couldn't help but turn somewhat peculiar.

These puppets were equivalent to cultivators at the peak of the Void Refinement stage. If ordinary cultivators had two such puppets at their side, they could surely dominate anyone below the Body Integration stage. Using them merely as guards for this hall was truly a waste of talent. Han Li gazed at the two expressionless puppets with a click of his tongue, feeling a surge of envy. But by then, Qianjizi had already entered the hall, so Han Li could only follow closely.

Although the Spirit Conduit Hall seemed unusual from the outside, its interior was surprisingly simple. Aside from the main chamber, there were only two side halls, one on each side.

The main chamber itself contained nothing eye-catching besides several dozen metal pillars, each as thick as a person.

Qianjizi walked directly to the two rows of chairs in the center of the main hall and unceremoniously took the main seat.

"Fellow Daoist Han, please take a seat as well," Qianjizi said with a chuckle. "Because the Guanghan Command Token is a significant matter, I've already summoned two other elders from our clan. Currently, in Cloud City, all decisions concerning the Myriad Ancient Race are made by the three of us."

"So that's how it is!" Han Li nodded thoughtfully. "It seems this Guanghan Command Token truly is an artifact of great importance."

Han Li realized that throughout their journey, he hadn't noticed Qianjizi making any unusual moves, yet a message had already been sent out. Truly worthy of a peak Body Integration stage cultivator.

"Fellow Daoist, you're not from the Thunderclap Continent, are you?" Qianjizi asked suddenly, his gaze flickering.

Han Li's heart tightened for a moment, but then he quickly relaxed and nodded frankly:

"That's correct; I am indeed from another continent. Has Fellow Daoist Jia mentioned my request to use the super teleportation array to you, Senior?"

"While Master Jia did indeed mention it to me," Qianjizi said with a light chuckle, "if you were from the Thunderclap Continent, how could you not recognize the Guanghan Command Token, let alone activate it so easily?"

"Oh? Is the Guanghan Command Token that famous?" Han Li said with a wry smile. "I don't recall seeing any mention of it in the texts I've read. I hope Senior can enlighten me."

Han Li wasn't concerned that Jia Tianmu had told Qianjizi about his situation. In fact, it would have been somewhat strange if the Myriad Ancient Race's puppet master hadn't mentioned the teleportation array.

"It's not surprising at all that those texts don't mention it," the plump elder said, a hint of slyness flashing in his eyes as he chuckled. "While the Guanghan Command Token holds considerable renown, it's not something an individual can use on their own. Without the backing of an entire clan, obtaining the Guanghan Command Token yet hoping to enter the Guanghan Realm would be nothing but a pipe dream. Furthermore, ordinary texts outside wouldn't naturally record such information. However, if one's cultivation reaches the Upper Race realm, it's rare for anyone not to know about this."

"Requires the power of a clan!" Han Li stroked his chin, asking tentatively, "This Guanghan Realm must be extraordinary, otherwise, why would various races expend so much effort in vain?"

"It's far more than just extraordinary," the plump elder replied, staring at Han Li with a half-smile. "If one could truly obtain certain items from the Guanghan Realm, it might even influence the prosperity or decline of an entire clan. Of course, even upon entering the Guanghan Realm, these treasures are incredibly elusive. The Guanghan Realm's greatest significance lies in its spiritual energy, which is more than ten times denser than that of our Spirit Realm. Additionally, all the spiritual herbs and fruits found there are extremely rare in the Spirit Realm."

"A place with such dense spiritual energy?" Han Li's face showed disbelief.

"Hehe, Fellow Daoist, what do you imagine the Guanghan Realm to be?" Qianjizi chuckled, stroking his chin. "A spatial rift, perhaps? Or a minor sub-realm attached to the Spirit Realm?"

"Please enlighten me, Senior!" Han Li asked respectfully.

"Although we cannot be entirely certain," the plump elder said, his smile fading, "we are seventy to eighty percent confident that the Guanghan Realm is a fragmented space attached to the True Immortal Realm." He pondered for a long moment before uttering each word.

"The True Immortal Realm!" Even with Han Li's cultivated composure, he instantly lost his voice upon hearing those words.

"Indeed, it's likely a discarded space from the True Immortal Realm," Qianjizi continued, his expression becoming indifferent. "Those who entered this space previously discovered what were suspected to be immortal dwellings, and even remains. However, no one has ever encountered a truly living immortal." Meanwhile, Han Li sat stunned in his chair, speechless.

"There's no need to be so surprised, Fellow Daoist," the plump elder said, a strange smile reappearing on his face. "We still haven't been able to truly confirm this conjecture. Furthermore, the dwellings and remains discovered in the Guanghan Realm have not yielded any genuinely useful items like treasures or cultivation techniques. It's not as if anyone can just enter and obtain heaven-defying treasures. Even the spiritual herbs and fruits are mostly hidden away, requiring diligent search."