Chapter 1853: Calculations

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Volume Ten: War in the Demon Realm

Upon hearing the Long Family Patriarch's words, Longdong felt resentful but dared not show any defiance. He could only repeatedly nod in agreement.

The black-robed man standing beside the Long Family Patriarch, however, cast a surprised glance at the Patriarch, his lips subtly moving a few times.

A whispered message immediately reached the Long Family Patriarch's ears:"Brother Long, what did you mean by what you just said...?"

"Huiwu, do you still remember the mysterious demonic ape I fought at Nine Immortal Mountain?" The Long Family Patriarch's voice was also clearly transmitted to the black-robed man's ears.

"Of course. Brother Long, didn't you think it might be a demonic cultivator from Sacred Isle?" The black-robed man's expression subtly changed.

"Heh heh, indeed! But after a thorough investigation, I discovered that the demonic ape came for a junior Qi Refining cultivator who had been mistakenly brought to the Long Family. And that junior just happens to be a registered disciple of this 'Fellow Daoist Han.'"

"Such a thing! Does Brother Long believe this person is connected to Sacred Isle?" The black-robed man gasped, muttering to himself.

"Perhaps there's a connection, or perhaps it's just a personal tie with that demonic ape; I cannot be certain. But one thing is clear: with the demonic tribulation upon us, the Long Family should avoid unnecessary trouble. Although this person's cultivation level may not seem significant to you or me, to advance to the Integration stage so quickly suggests they are no ordinary early-stage cultivator. They either possess powerful divine abilities or carry some extraordinary treasure." The Long Family Patriarch replied calmly.

"As Brother Long said, it's indeed unwise for the Long Family to easily make enemies at this time. However, if we face the Gu Family during the upcoming grand ceremony, should we still give way to him?" The black-robed man nodded first, then subtly transmitted, his brow furrowed.

"That won't be necessary. We will proceed as planned for the True Spirit Grand Ceremony. If we truly encounter this person, there's no need to hold back. It would be a good opportunity to observe his true capabilities. If he indeed possesses great divine abilities, perhaps he could even be included in 'that matter' when the time comes." The Long Family Patriarch said without hesitation.

"Understood, Huiwu. I'll handle the ranking competition during the ceremony shortly." The black-robed man let out a low chuckle, then fell silent.

The Long Family Patriarch, with his eyes slightly closed, remained expressionless, as if the preceding conversation had never taken place.

Meanwhile, Fairy Xiaofeng and Elder Xiao were startled by Han Li's earlier actions.

Although the Gu and Long families were at odds, Han Li's blunt manner towards the Long Family Patriarch greatly worried the two, who felt their own family lacked a Grand Elder to back them up.

However, seeing that the Long Family Patriarch unexpectedly did not make a big deal out of it, they were both relieved and somewhat bewildered.

Han Li, on the other hand, maintained a composed expression, giving no indication of the intent behind his previous actions.

Yet, in the eyes of the other smaller and medium-sized families, he now seemed profound and unfathomable, with some unable to resist discussing matters related to him.

"Oh, Ying'er! This Fellow Daoist Han, who saved you back then, is quite bold. To dare to confront that old monster from the Long Family as an early-stage cultivator... it seems he either possesses formidable divine abilities himself or has some powerful backing. No wonder even my little Ying'er couldn't sway him." The speaker was a female cultivator from one of the True Spirit families seated in the front rows.

This group was seated near the Long Family and other cultivators, and like the Gu Family members, most were women.

The speaker, seated at the very front of this group, was a girl who appeared to be seventeen or eighteen years old, dressed in a five-colored feather robe, with a cheerful, smiling expression.

On either side of her sat a beautiful young woman in her late twenties and a white-haired old woman.

"Ancestor, it's not surprising at all that Ying'er's appearance is not exceptional enough to catch Senior Han's eye." Another white-robed girl, standing behind the beautiful young woman, immediately flushed crimson upon hearing the comment and replied somewhat stutteringly.

It was none other than Ye Ying, who had met Han Li at the Myriad Treasures Assembly!

This girl and the feather-robed maiden bore a striking resemblance, about fifty to sixty percent similar.

"Is that so? But I think my little Ying'er is adorable no matter how you look at her. It seems this young Han's taste is truly poor. Otherwise, if he joined our Ye Family, he wouldn't just gain immense benefits, but he could also marry my most beloved granddaughter." The feather-robed maiden chuckled, her voice as clear and melodious as a nightingale, causing those nearby to involuntarily look their way.

Although a restrictive spell had been cast, preventing cultivators from other families from hearing her words, the mere gazes from her nearby family members were enough to make Ye Ying's face flush crimson. She dared not interject with her ancestor's words again and lowered her head as much as possible.

"Mother, please stop teasing this girl. You really are something; why must you deliberately tease Ying'er every time?" The beautiful young woman beside them couldn't help but playfully chide the maiden.

"Heh heh, what's so strange about that? Among these juniors, only Ying'er resembles my younger self a bit, though her temperament is quite different. Of course, I need to guide her a little. Otherwise, a beautiful lady acting like a cold block of wood all day long… would be quite dull." The feather-robed maiden replied, shaking her head slightly, appearing unconcerned.

Hearing the maiden's reply, even the young woman, who appeared exceedingly dignified and composed, could only offer a wry smile and remained silent.

As for the other male and female cultivators of the Ye Family, including the old woman, they couldn't help but chuckle softly at the conversation.

At the same time, two Integration stage cultivators from another prominent family were conversing quietly.

"Although that old hag Tianli didn't come, this young man named Han isn't easy to deal with either. Should we still proceed with our original plan later? After all, the plan we discussed with the Lao Family was specifically aimed at her." A dignified man in luxurious robes said, his brow slightly furrowed.

"Why wouldn't we act? It's her luck that old hag didn't show up. This young man Han has no grievance with us, but since he's here to assist the Gu Family, we must teach him a lesson. Although we are also only early-stage Integration cultivators, we've advanced tens of thousands of years before him. Even without combining our strengths, it would be enough to show him the gap. Moreover, all we need to do is deplete his magic power and force him to reveal most of his strength. The true tough battle can be left to the Lao Family. Since that old hag isn't attending this ceremony, the Lao Family is probably secretly delighted." A strange man beside him, wearing a half-bronze mask that only revealed half of his baby-like tender face, replied indifferently.

"You're right, Brother. Besides, that old hag Tianli wasn't a match for the two of us combined back then, so this young man certainly won't be now." The man in luxurious robes considered for a moment, tilting his head slightly, then smiled in agreement.

"This time, Fairy Tianli isn't attending the True Spirit Grand Ceremony, and only a mere early-stage Integration cultivator is holding the fort. This is a golden opportunity for our Lao Family to rise! During the upcoming matches, if we encounter other families, we can go easy on them. But when it's our turn to challenge the Gu Family, we must spare no effort, even at the cost of our primordial energy." A gloomy voice resounded grimly from one of the families in the back rows.

"Yes, Ancestor!"Many others in the smaller families also had their own discussions.

At this point, Han Li had naturally withdrawn his gaze and looked downwards again.

Between his fingers, a thumb-sized golden gourd had appeared unnoticed. It flickered in and out of sight as if it had no physical form, yet other than this, there was nothing extraordinary about it.

For some reason, Han Li was playing with it with great interest, seemingly unable to put it down.

And so, time slowly passed, with dozens of True Spirit family members waiting patiently.

Finally, after more than two hours, a spiritual light suddenly flashed at the center of the Myriad Spirit Platform. A milky-white magic array appeared out of nowhere on the bluestone. Initially only a few zhang in size, it spun rapidly, then burst with light and expanded enormously, becoming about an mu (acre) in size.

Runes of various colors began to surge out from the magic array, emitting bursts of buzzing sounds.

The entire Myriad Spirit Platform trembled slightly the moment the magic array appeared.

As if in response, a series of piercing cries echoed from the surrounding mountain walls. Then, hundreds of massive light pillars, without any warning, shot up from where the cries originated. Each was as thick as a water vat, shimmering with dazzling five-colored light.

Under the influence of the light array, the sky above the canyon suddenly became overcast with dark clouds, stirred by a furious gale. Then, amidst soul-stirring thunder, arcs of purplish-golden lightning, as thick as giant pythons, materialized in mid-air.

"Ah, it's tribulation lightning!" Many True Spirit family disciples, attending the Myriad Spirit Grand Ceremony for the first time, were already dumbfounded by the preceding celestial phenomena. Upon seeing the purplish-golden arcs, they immediately cried out in alarm, causing a commotion.

"Hmph, a bunch of useless creatures! What's there to be surprised about? The Myriad Spirit Lord is about to appear. The sacrificial ceremony can begin. What do you all think, Fellow Daoists?" The Long Family Patriarch, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them, rose from his chair, and said coldly, his face utterly expressionless.

Though his voice was not loud, it was exceptionally clear to everyone present, causing the somewhat flustered disciples to involuntarily calm down and exchange bewildered glances.

"Naturally. As per tradition, this ceremony will still be presided over by Brother Long," said the man in luxurious robes from the Feng Family, laughing heartily as he also rose to his feet.

"This junior has no objections!""This junior also has no objections. After all, Brother Long has the highest cultivation among us!""Please, Brother Long!"The other families also agreed one after another.

"Since none of you have any objections, let's present the offerings first," the Long Family Patriarch said, nodding after looking up at the sky.

At this moment, the purplish-golden arcs of lightning interwoven above the canyon had formed an immense electrical net. Combined with the massive light pillars emerging from around the canyon, they had created a gigantic cage.

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