Chapter 1927: Meeting Up

A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality, Volume 10: Battle of the Demon Realm

From these two dazzling streaks of light, two astonishing spiritual pressures, characteristic of Body Integration stage cultivators, bore down aggressively upon the two Demon Honored Ones. One was an early Body Integration stage cultivator, the other a mid-stage one.

Seeing this, the burly Demon Honored One's expression shifted slightly. He cast two glances at the distant streaks of light, then grimly uttered the word "Go" to the cold young man.

No sooner had he spoken than he raised a hand, and a dark, several-zhang-long battle chariot shot forth. With a flicker of his body, he instantly mounted it.

The cold young man remained expressionless, but his figure blurred, and with a flash, he vanished from his original position.

The next moment, the phantom of the white-robed young man reappeared hundreds of zhang away. Then, with a single stride, his robes fluttering, his figure eerily vanished once more.

This demon seemed to have instantly transformed into an intangible form, reaching the horizon in just a few steps.

As for the burly Demon Honored One, with a loud laugh, the black battle chariot beneath his feet flashed, then, with a thunderous crackle, shot away like a black lightning bolt. After a few blinks, it became a tiny black dot and, just like the young man, abruptly vanished into the distant sky.

Witnessing this scene, Han Li's eyes flickered, but he showed no intention of pursuing them.

The Silverlight Fairy, standing beside him, was astonished by the burly Demon Honored One's incredible power, and remained rooted to the spot, her expression grim.

The strength of the leader commanding these elite Demon Honored Ones was somewhat beyond her expectations, and it was highly probable that there were other Demon Honored Ones among this elite group of demons.

If that were indeed the case, even with the two of them assisting the four major sects of Yitian City, the city would likely be difficult to defend.

Han Li's expression, however, quickly returned to normal. He carefully observed the two long streaks of light hurtling towards them, and a slight smile touched the corner of his mouth.

As the streaking lights converged, the dazzling rays flying from Yitian City paused and dispersed not far from the two, revealing the figures of a man and a woman.

The man, around forty years old, had a square, imposing face and wore a yellow scholar's robe. He held a thick white jade book in his hand, and surprisingly, two large brushes, one golden and one silver, were crossed and tucked behind his back.

The woman, appearing to be twenty-seven or twenty-eight, had a melon-seed-shaped face and a rather extraordinary demeanor. She wore a dark green palace dress and carried a purple flower basket in one hand.

"Sister Lin, are you alright? This junior sister has been ordered to come and support your sect this time." The Silverlight Fairy's beautiful eyes brightened with joy upon seeing the woman in the dark green palace dress, and she immediately called out loudly.

"To think it's Sister Silverlight who has come to support our city, this is truly wonderful! It seems your city has received the plea for help sent by our sect. But this fellow Daoist is unfamiliar; may I ask who he is?" The woman in the dark green palace dress, upon clearly seeing the Silverlight Fairy, also showed a mix of surprise and joy on her face. However, when her gaze landed on Han Li, she was slightly startled.

"Hehe, this is Fellow Daoist Han Li. Back at Nine Immortal Mountain, I, Qing, had the pleasure of meeting Fellow Daoist Han on a few occasions," the yellow-robed scholar said with a slight smile after glancing at Han Li, not waiting for Silverlight's introduction.

This person, it seemed, actually recognized Han Li.

"Ah, it's Venerable Qing Long of the Nine Stars Sect. Han greets you with respect." Han Li had found the scholar's face somewhat familiar. Upon hearing the introduction, he pondered for a moment, recalled the other party's identity, and immediately offered a light salute with a chuckle.

This Venerable Qing Long of the Nine Stars Sect was indeed a Body Integration stage cultivator Han Li had encountered two or three times at the Nine Immortal Mountain Exchange Conference, though he hadn't made an effort to form a deeper acquaintance.

"Last time we met, Brother Han was only at the early stage of cultivation. Now, after several centuries, you've actually advanced to a mid-stage cultivator—truly a cause for joy and congratulation!" The scholar smiled faintly upon realizing Han Li remembered him, but after sweeping his spiritual sense over Han Li's current cultivation, he couldn't help but show a look of astonishment.

"I merely had some fortunate opportunities over the years that allowed me to advance. I hadn't expected that after our parting back then, I would meet Brother Lin again today. As for this fairy, she must be Fellow Daoist Lin Luan, whom the Silverlight Fairy mentioned!" Han Li, naturally, used a common excuse to subtly gloss over his significant cultivation breakthrough, instead shifting the topic to the other woman in the palace dress.

"So it is Fellow Daoist Han Li, who has recently gained great renown. What Brother Han says is correct; this humble one is indeed Lin Luan. This time, we will greatly rely on the assistance of both Fellow Daoist and Sister Silverlight. If no other fellow Daoists of our rank come to our aid, Yitian City truly might not be able to hold out for another two months." As this Grand Elder of the Heavenly Emperor Sect spoke, her voice was unexpectedly melodious and pleasing, and her words clearly expressed deep gratitude.

"Sister Lin, what do you mean? Earlier, Brother Han and I witnessed the demon attack on the city from a distance. While those Myriad Manifestation Demonic Cavalry seemed quite formidable, your city didn't appear to let the enemy gain any advantage."

Hearing this, the Silverlight Fairy's gaze sharpened, and she asked with some solemnity:

"You two don't know, what appeared just now was merely a small fraction of the demon army. The main force is still stationed in the Middle Sword Mountain Range, tens of thousands of li away from here. And the reason these elite demons haven't dared to attack our city with their full strength is simply because they are waiting for a specific day to arrive," Lin Luan replied with a bitter smile.

"Waiting for a specific day?" The Silverlight Fairy asked, a hint of surprise and doubt in her voice.

"Fairy Lin speaks the truth. However, this is not the proper place for our discussion. Let us return to the city, and we can elaborate there. The demons are exceptionally cunning! Those two demonic overlords might very well bring two more Demon Honored Ones and return to this spot," Venerable Qing Long cautioned.

"Four Demon Honored Ones! Very well, let's enter the city first." Hearing this, the Silverlight Fairy's heart jolted, and she agreed without hesitation.

Han Li, naturally, had no objections.

Thus, the four immediately activated their escape lights and soared through the air towards Yitian City.

In the blink of an eye, the four reached the immense walls of Yitian City, where some human cultivators and a large number of bronze puppets had not yet managed to withdraw.

This prompted Han Li to take a few extra glances.

He observed that, regardless of their cultivation levels, these high-level cultivators all appeared quite weary. Some even had exceptionally pale faces, looking as though their vitality had been significantly depleted.

As for the bronze puppets, most displayed pitted cracks on their surfaces, and some even lacked limbs, appearing severely incomplete.

Han Li's face remained outwardly impassive, but he secretly frowned.

It seemed Yitian City had truly endured a difficult period recently.

The Silverlight Fairy's expression also grew somber as she witnessed all this.

Lin Luan and her companion could only offer bitter smiles and remain silent upon seeing this.

However, at this moment, another group of cultivators, clad in five-colored robes, swiftly flew onto the city wall on their magic tools. They immediately began casting spells to repair the damaged sections and re-engrave intricate and profound array patterns onto the ramparts.

Furthermore, teams of well-equipped strongmen re-ascended the city wall, replacing the human cultivators. These strongmen appeared quite spirited.

Upon seeing this, Han Li felt a slight ease in his heart.

Thus, Han Li and the Silverlight Fairy, led by the scholar and his companion, flew over the city wall and past several strict defense lines established within the city. They finally entered a hall situated in a corner of Yitian City.

Here, several Void Refinement stage cultivators were waiting with various expressions. However, upon seeing the four, they immediately stepped forward to salute and greet them, displaying considerable enthusiasm.

"These fellow Daoists are specifically responsible for the city's defense matters. With them present, I believe they can better explain things to both of you."

Upon noticing a hint of confusion from Han Li and the Silverlight Fairy, Venerable Qing Long immediately began to explain.

"I see!" Han Li nodded and, without further ado, he and the others took seats in the hall.

The Void Refinement stage cultivators, however, stood respectfully to the side.

"Sister Lin, Fellow Daoist Qing Long, it's time to thoroughly explain the current situation of Yitian City, isn't it? I also hope you can provide more detailed information about the demise of the two other fellow Daoists recently, so that Brother Han and I can be more vigilant," the Silverlight Fairy said as soon as she gracefully took her seat.

Upon hearing the Silverlight Fairy mention the two other fallen Body Integration stage cultivators, the expressions of everyone else in the hall subtly changed.

Venerable Qing Long's expression, in particular, grew somewhat grim.

Fairy Lin Luan, however, furrowed her delicate brows and replied with a hint of helplessness:

"Regarding the demise of those two fellow Daoists, there's really nothing more to say. Everything that could be revealed was already mentioned in the letter requesting aid. The Demon Honored One leading this attack on our city was exceptionally cunning. Initially, just like the recent siege, they only appeared with a small portion of the Myriad Manifestation Demonic Cavalry, and only two other early Body Integration stage Demon Honored Ones showed themselves. Due to a single misstep, the two fellow Daoists were lured out of the city by the Demon Honored Ones and fell into their ambush, suffering a combined attack from four Demon Honored Ones. They perished on the spot, unable to even escape with their nascent souls."

"So, these demons are truly exceedingly treacherous; no wonder those two fellow Daoists met such a disaster," the Silverlight Fairy sighed thoughtfully.

"Hmm, we certainly need to be more cautious. If possible, it would be best if both of you could briefly explain the divine abilities of those four Demon Honored Ones to me." Han Li's eyes flashed upon hearing this. After glancing between her and Venerable Qing Long, he nodded with a faint smile.

"Of course. Whether this city can be defended in the future will depend entirely on Brother Han and Fellow Daoist Silverlight. Regarding the information on these four demonic overlords, I will have someone prepare two copies and give them to each of you," Venerable Qing Long readily agreed.

"That would be ideal. Brother Qing, could you please clarify what you mentioned earlier about the demons waiting for a specific day? What exactly does that day refer to?" Han Li looked satisfied, but after some thought, he posed another question.

The Silverlight Fairy, hearing this, also nodded repeatedly.

"This day, of course, refers to the Day of Five Yang Transforming into Moon, which is two months from now. This day is precisely when the city-suppressing array, upon which our city relies, will become ineffective," Lin Luan said with a slightly dimmed, jade-like face, a hint of helplessness in her voice.