Chapter 1766: Cloud City Chaos

Han Li's expression was a little strange when he saw this scene. Although he knew that breaking through a bottleneck in the Guanghan Realm significantly increased one's chances, it was still astonishing compared to the Spirit Realm that each of the two teams had a cultivator who advanced to the Integration Stage.

Fortunately, the Guanghan Realm opened only once every ten thousand years. Otherwise, the number of Integration Stage cultivators on Thunder Continent would likely far surpass that on the other two continents.

However, Han Li was still puzzled as to why he had been teleported out before everyone else. Was it just a coincidence? He couldn't help but murmur to himself.

Naturally, Han Li didn't know that all of this was related to the Xuantian Fruit sealed within his arm. As a Xuantian treasure containing the laws of another realm, even while sealed, it was strongly repelled by the Guanghan Realm's laws, affecting him, its owner, far more intensely than other ordinary foreign races. Therefore, he was the first among everyone to be sent out of the Guanghan Realm.

At this moment, the chaotic scene before them left the Heavencloud cultivators, who had just returned from the Guanghan Realm, wide-eyed and almost unable to believe what they were witnessing. They had only been gone for about a year, so how had the flames of war suddenly reached Cloud City, which was supposed to be in the rear?

However, those who returned alive from Guanghan were naturally not ordinary individuals. Knowing that this was not the time to question the reasons, several impatient ones immediately flashed with spiritual light, released their treasured artifacts, and prepared to join the battle in the sky.

But just then, a fleeting red light flashed in mid-air, rapidly descending. After a few blinks, it appeared at low altitude between the two magic formations. It was an elderly man with a somewhat familiar face. He wore pale blue battle armor, and his eyes were slightly yellowish.

"Fellow Daoists, you've finally returned. The elders are not here, as they are countering high-tier existences of the Horned Chi Race. However, Senior Weng instructed that if any of you were teleported back, you should immediately proceed to the Myriad Ancient Race's Spirit Communication War Fortress." The old man, whose race was unknown, urgently shouted to Han Li and the others. He then tossed down a token-like object before flashing with a light of escape and returning to high altitude.

Raising both hands, the old man unleashed a dense torrent of crimson thunder-fire, surging towards a Horned Chi warrior who was seizing the opportunity to charge at him. The Horned Chi warrior roared, and clusters of white light flames erupted from his body. With a rumble, the two immediately clashed in battle.

Below, Han Li and the others exchanged glances upon hearing this. The token was drawn into the hand of the middle-aged man who had advanced to the Integration Stage. After carefully examining it with his spiritual sense, his expression shifted, and he tossed it to Fairy Yue in the opposite magic formation.

"Yes, it's real. I know this fellow Daoist who delivered the message. It's Fellow Daoist Yu from the Azure Race. He's an enforcement guard of the Elder Council," Fairy Yue confirmed after inspecting the token in her hand.

"In that case, we shall follow the orders. I imagine Senior Weng's command has a deeper meaning," the middle-aged man said after a slight pause for thought. His words subtly carried an air of command. After all, he had now advanced to the Saint Race level, and naturally, Shi Kun and others of his previous cultivation level could no longer be compared to him.

The others subconsciously felt a little uncomfortable hearing his tone, but they had no objections and mostly nodded silently. Immediately, those within the magic formations soared into the sky and flew off in another direction within Cloud City.

Along the way, although they occasionally encountered Horned Chi individuals attempting to intercept them, without any Saint-tier existences present, how could they be a match for two early Integration Stage cultivators and so many late Void Refinement Stage cultivators? They were all easily struck down.

After moving a short distance away from the magic formations, Cloud City, though still chaotic, clearly had a greater presence of Horned Chi individuals. Battle-boats, war-beasts, and armored warriors of the Horned Chi Race, of various sizes, were densely spread throughout all parts of the city.

Han Li even saw a super puppet, nearly ten thousand feet tall, lying motionless on the ground below. Its body, originally as pristine white as jade, now resembled a dilapidated mountain peak, with no intact parts remaining. Han Li was startled by the massive puppet but immediately recalled the twelve giant spherical objects that guarded Cloud City. Without a doubt, this was one of the puppets formed from the Twelve Cloud City Guards. For such an existence, rumored to be comparable in strength to an early Integration Stage cultivator, to be destroyed and fallen here, showed the might of the Horned Chi army. It was highly probable that Cloud City could not be saved this time.

What unsettled him even more was that they hadn't encountered a single Saint-tier existence on their journey. It seemed as if all existences of that tier from both sides had completely vanished from the city. Had the top-tier cultivators from both sides gone outside the city for a decisive battle? Han Li pondered silently as he continued to fly.

Along the way, neither Liu Shui'er nor Shi Kun spoke to him, treating Han Li like a complete stranger. As for Fairy Yue, besides her initial confirmation of the token, she said nothing else. She occasionally glanced at Han Li and merely smiled, without sending any special voice transmissions. Han Li didn't pay much attention to this. Instead, his heart felt heavy due to the chaos in Cloud City. With the Horned Chi army having invaded Cloud City, he wondered if there would be any unforeseen changes regarding the use of the super teleportation formation.

Thus, without encountering any obstructions from Saint-tier or higher existences, the group rushed directly to Eight Cloud Mountain in one go, even jointly destroying several battle-boats and hundreds of war chariots along the way. Upon reaching this place, all traces of the Horned Chi vanished. Instead, they saw groups of Heavencloud armored warriors everywhere. Within the eight spiritual mountains, treasures shone brightly, and layers of restrictive fluctuations emanated outwards. In the nearby mist, bronze war chariots and huge puppets of various colors were also visible, spread throughout. This place was surprisingly heavily guarded.

Han Li and the others were greatly surprised, but before they could step forward to inquire, a team of over a hundred armored warriors approached them. The black-faced man leading them seemed to recognize a few of them and immediately burst into laughter, grinning widely: "Fellow Daoists, you've finally returned from the Guanghan Realm! Senior Weng is awaiting your news at the Spirit Communication War Fortress. Please follow me!" The black-faced man's aura was extremely peculiar; even Han Li couldn't immediately ascertain his cultivation level, only faintly sensing that the other party seemed to possess some special, terrifyingly powerful divine ability.

"It's Senior Bing! How dare we trouble you to wait for us again?" Fairy Yue and the middle-aged man who had advanced to the Integration Stage were greatly surprised upon seeing the black-faced man and immediately stepped forward to bow. Liu Shui'er and other regular residents of Cloud City also approached with changed expressions to pay their respects. Han Li subconsciously frowned slightly but then calmly cupped his hands in greeting.

"Fellow Daoist Yue and Fellow Daoist Ning have already advanced to the Saint Tier. You can now treat me as an equal; there's no need to be so polite. Everyone, please come with me to see Senior Weng!" The big man cheerfully waved his hand at Fairy Yue and the other who had advanced.

"What? Senior Weng is in the fortress!" The middle-aged man surnamed Ning was first startled, then overjoyed. The others also let out a collective sigh of relief. With this Grand Ascension Stage Heavencloud Grand Elder present, they figured the situation, however bad, couldn't get much worse.

The black-faced man smiled and nodded, saying nothing more, and directly led them flying towards a certain mountain peak. Han Li and the others naturally followed closely, while the hundred-plus armored warriors split into two teams, guarding them on the left and right.

A moment later, after the group crossed a tall mountain, a castle several li in size appeared before their eyes. This castle was enclosed by high walls, on which silver-white statues crouched. They varied in form, some animal-shaped, others humanoid. The largest were over a hundred zhang tall, while the smallest were seven or eight zhang high. Each stood motionless, yet an inexplicable malevolent aura emanated from them. On top of the city walls, there were also rows of green-armored guards holding long halberds, patrolling neatly. However, they had no life fluctuations at all; they were entirely humanoid puppets. Near the castle, there were also more than a dozen metallic puppets, hundreds of zhang tall, each standing with a sword or saber in hand. At a low altitude near the castle, there were inexplicably five or six strange light formations, over ten zhang wide, shimmering with eerie spiritual light. Their mysterious purpose was unknown.

This was precisely the Myriad Ancient Race's castle that Han Li had visited once before. This place was also the Myriad Ancient Race's headquarters in Cloud City, but at this moment, the numerous streaks of light flying in and out of the castle clearly belonged to various races, indicating it had become a temporary command center.

Led by the black-faced man, Han Li and the others landed directly in front of the Spirit Communication Hall. After being scrutinized by the two white-robed guards at the entrance, they all entered the hall. There weren't many people in the main hall, only three. One of them sat calmly and composedly in a chair, who was none other than the Grand Ascension Stage Heavencloud cultivator, the young man surnamed Weng. The two standing beside him were only Void Refinement Stage cultivators, both respectfully listening to the young man's instructions.

"Greetings, Grand Elder!" As soon as Fairy Yue and the middle-aged man entered the hall, they immediately led the others forward to bow in respectful greeting.

"Oh, you've returned. Excellent, excellent! Two of you have even advanced to the Saint Race level. All of you may rise," the young man said with a slight gleam in his eyes and a smile playing on his lips when he saw Fairy Yue and the middle-aged man surnamed Ning.

Fairy Yue and the others naturally obeyed and stood up. The young man surnamed Weng then cast his gaze over the other individuals. Han Li wondered if it was his imagination, but he felt that the smile in the young man's eyes seemed even more pronounced after seeing him than when he acknowledged Fairy Yue and the middle-aged man's advancements. Recalling how the other party had inexplicably gifted him the "Sky-Gang Seal" back then, Han Li felt a slight unease in his heart.

Fortunately, after a glance at Han Li, the young man shifted his gaze and waved a hand at the two individuals beside him. Immediately, the two Void Refinement Stage cultivators discreetly bowed and exited.