Chapter 1830: A Grasp, a Punch, a Palm

After muttering to himself, Han Li's face was filled with regret. It was not strange that a secret art had been used to restrict the spiritual sense of this couple from the Long Family. All larger families would do this to their core disciples to prevent important secrets from being leaked if a family member fell into the hands of outsiders. However, the information about the woman was not a secret, so Han Li naturally obtained the details he sought with ease. Indeed, not long ago, a woman matching Young Master Hai's description arrived here with three others. After a detailed discussion with the Long Family head, she was taken to rest. Among the other three, one's appearance was undoubtedly Qi Lingzi. However, the spiritual sense of this man and woman couldn't reveal their current location.

Han Li frowned slightly, glanced at the two unconscious figures on the ground, and then suddenly stomped his foot. A yellow light rippled outwards, and a large pit, about ten feet deep, silently appeared. With a flick of his sleeve, a streak of green light coiled out, effortlessly sweeping the couple into the pit. Then Han Li formed a hand seal with one hand and lightly pointed at the large pit. Instantly, a yellow light emerged from the pit. After a flash, the pit vanished without a trace, and the ground suddenly became as flat as before, showing no other marks.

Only then did Han Li raise his gaze and look towards the edge of the forest. Everything on this level was indeed completely different from his previous dwelling. Outside the forest, there was a misty white expanse, within which a hazy, indistinct section of city wall could vaguely be seen. A blue glow flashed in Han Li's eyes, and with a shift of his body, his visible form became enveloped in a layer of gray mist. These mists were clearly a profound restriction, and upon contact with the gray light, part of them directly merged into it. Han Li's figure also instantly became indistinct and difficult to discern.

Han Li only advanced about a hundred yards before his eyes brightened, and he reached the edge of the mist. Not far away, a light golden castle surrounded by walls over ten yards high appeared. White-robed cultivators, some with swords on their backs, others holding sabers, stood along the city walls. Within these city walls, numerous pavilions and towers could vaguely be seen, connected together. In the very center, a golden pagoda several hundred yards high towered majestically.

Han Li wasn't afraid of the Long Family cultivators seeing him. He focused his gaze and looked at the golden pagoda twice. According to the spiritual sense information from that Long Family couple, the Long Family Old Ancestor, who was roughly at the late-stage of his cultivation, and several other Refinement Void Elders of the clan, resided in this pagoda. However, as soon as that Long Family Old Ancestor obtained the Sky-Shattering Battle Pill Diagram from the auction, he immediately invited several array and artifact refining masters from the clan to the pagoda, where they began to study the diagram without leaving. As for the other Grand Elder at the Body Integration stage, it seemed he had just left for some matter. This significantly reduced Han Li's risk of exposure. As long as the Long Family Old Ancestor didn't suddenly scan the entire castle with his spiritual sense without reason, Han Li was confident he wouldn't be easily discovered by others.

With these thoughts in mind, Han Li no longer hesitated to act. Black light shimmered around his body, and he flew out of the mist, drifting directly towards a section of the city wall. A white-robed cultivator stood upright on the city wall. Suddenly, he seemed to feel a slight breeze pass by him. He couldn't help but look around and simultaneously swept his spiritual sense across the vicinity, but found nothing unusual. A hint of doubt flashed across the white-robed cultivator's face, but he immediately shook his head and resumed his original posture. He naturally didn't know that an outsider had just, in that very instant, deftly floated past him to the other side of the city wall and landed on an unusually clean, white street inside.

But strangely, for the next period, he closed his eyes and stood motionless on the street, sensing something. After an unknown amount of time, he opened his eyes with a somber expression and muttered a few words in a voice barely audible. "The connection is severed! It seems someone else helped conceal them. In that case, I'll have to search room by room. Fortunately, this place isn't very large, and those at the Refinement Void stage can be found quickly." As soon as he finished speaking, his figure moved, transforming into an invisible breeze, and darted towards a nearby cluster of buildings, vanishing into a pavilion.

Almost simultaneously, in a pavilion far from Han Li's location, the old woman and her companions were sharing a room with a purple-robed elder whose appearance was extremely menacing. The purple-robed elder had just hung a crescent-shaped jade pendant, shimmering with unusual light, around the neck of a young Taoist priest. At this moment, he calmly addressed the old woman: "This Moon-Tying Heart Jade possesses the miraculous ability to block spiritual sense detection. As long as that person isn't extremely close, they won't be able to find this young Taoist priest. With this, your family can safely reside here again."

"Thank you for your assistance, elder brother!" The old woman respectfully bowed to the purple-robed elder, expressing her deep gratitude. The black-browed old man beside her also wore an ingratiating smile, while the slender youth nearby maintained a somewhat calm expression.

"You two are truly bold, daring to provoke a Body Integration cultivator. If it weren't for Ming'er's awakened true dragon blood, I would never take you in. Not even you, my sister, would be an exception. Furthermore, you absolutely must not harm this young Taoist priest before Father finishes studying the warship diagram and exits seclusion. Although I don't foresee any issues, this matter involves offending a Body Integration old monster, so it's necessary to consult Father first. If you dare to act on your own, don't blame me for being ruthless then." The purple-robed elder's expression grew somewhat stern as he spoke.

"Of course. It's been many years since I last saw Father; I wish to see him again this time. Moreover, both my husband and I will likely be unable to survive the next great heavenly tribulation. At that time, I will have no choice but to entrust our son to you, elder brother. Fortunately, once Ming'er's internal ailment is cured, his aptitude is no worse than other Long Family disciples, and he shouldn't disgrace the Long Family name." The old woman's expression dimmed, and she forced a smile as she spoke.

"Hmm, you don't need to worry about Ming'er; I have my own arrangements. As for seeing Father, I'm afraid that's mostly impossible. You know as well as I do that any Long Family woman who disobeys the clan's arrangements and insists on marrying an outsider is no longer considered a Long Family member. Furthermore, Father cultivates the notorious Heartless Dao divine ability, making it impossible for him to see you again. After this matter is resolved, Ming'er will stay, and you two can leave on your own." The purple-robed elder shook his head without hesitation. Hearing the purple-robed elder's words, the old woman was greatly disappointed! With a somewhat grim expression, she wanted to offer further pleas, but the purple-robed elder merely waved his hand and left the room.

In the blink of an eye, only the old woman's family of three and the young Taoist priest Qi Lingzi remained in the room. "It seems we can only follow his words for now. Husband, take this young Taoist priest down to the secret chamber on the first floor." The old woman's face alternated between anger and resignation for a while before she spoke with some resentment.

"My dear, there's no need to worry. Haven't we anticipated all of this? Your brother not turning us away just because a Body Integration old monster is involved is already a great fortune amidst misfortune." The black-browed old man advised with a bitter smile.

"I know what to do, you don't need to say anything more! Just take the young Taoist priest down quickly." The old woman clearly wasn't listening to the black-browed old man's words, merely waving her arm with a grim expression. The black-browed old man sighed, kept his mouth shut, and approached Qi Lingzi.

"Boy, you can keep the inheritance artifact for a few more days. Soon, that inheritance artifact will belong to our Ming'er. No one will be able to stop it then." The old man muttered, then with a flip of his hand, a green copper bell suddenly appeared. Qi Lingzi, restrained by the secret art, naturally paid no heed, standing motionless and unresponsive. Just as the old man was about to shake the copper bell in his hand, a faint male voice suddenly echoed above the room.

"No one can stop it? What if I decide to stop it?"

"Oh no, he's here!" The black-browed old man immediately cried out in alarm. Without even thinking, he tossed the copper bell in his hand. It instantly transformed into a giant bell that descended, aiming to trap Qi Lingzi within it. The old woman beside him reacted even faster. With a drastic change in her expression, she fiercely waved her sleeve, and two streaks of black light simultaneously shot out. One immediately transformed into a sheet of black light, engulfing the slender youth and, with a flash, bringing him back to the old woman's side. The other hovered and spun, vaguely transforming into a one-horned black python that sprayed black lotus flowers, protecting both the old woman and the youth. The old woman herself took a deep breath, then suddenly let out a piercing shriek from her mouth. However, the only result of her actions was a disdainful sneer.

Suddenly, space above the giant bell, formed from the copper bell, rippled. A fuzzy, golden fist flashed out from the nearby void and lightly struck the giant bell. With a resonant 'boom,' the green talismans on the bell's surface churned, and it shattered as if made of clay, turning into a ball of green light that vanished into thin air. Then the golden fist, with a backhand motion, struck out into the void towards the black-browed old man. It appeared weightless, as if devoid of any power, yet the black-browed old man suddenly let out a scream the next moment, his body sent flying backward like a sack. Almost simultaneously, another golden-furred large hand appeared out of thin air in front of the old woman and swiftly grabbed downwards like lightning. With a tearing sound, the black lotus flowers in front of the old woman and her close-fitting protective spiritual light were ripped apart. The golden-furred hand seized the old woman by the neck, lifting her feet off the ground.