Chapter 2442: Plan Set

“Since we can confirm the opponent is an immortal who has descended, do we know their purpose for coming to the Spirit Realm? Our realm lost contact with the Immortal Realm long ago, and for an immortal to descend directly, enduring the suppression of our realm’s laws, must require an unknown, immense cost. I find it hard to believe it was merely an accidental fall into our realm,” the old man said, taking a deep breath.

Han Li shook his head. “That’s still very unclear. I haven’t received any similar news from the Helian Merchant Alliance. Aside from the fellow Daoists who have perished and the various creatures sacrificed in the blood ritual, it seems no one has even made contact with this immortal, let alone investigated their purpose for descending.”

Mo Jianli stroked his beard and chuckled. “If I were in charge of the Merchant Alliance, I would spare no effort to investigate this matter thoroughly.”

“Brother Mo makes an excellent point,” Han Li nodded, noncommittally. “Very well, I will immediately convey this suggestion to Daoist Mingzun and see if he has any way to pursue it. However, I don’t think the chances are very high.”

“Even if the chance is small, we must strive for it,” Mo Jianli said gravely. “As long as we understand the opponent’s purpose for descending, we will most likely grasp their weakness, which can be greatly exploited whether we are fighting or negotiating with them.”

“Besides this matter, has Brother Mo thought of any other useful suggestions?” Han Li pressed the old man.

After a moment of thought, Mo Jianli asked again, “I just heard Brother Han say that two acquaintances of yours have formed an enmity with this immortal and were pursued by them all the way to Thunder Sound Continent before their whereabouts became unknown. Is this true?”

“Daoist Mingzun told me himself, so it’s likely correct,” Han Li replied with a light chuckle. “Neither of these old acquaintances is human; one is a close friend, while the other’s allegiance is still uncertain.”

“In that case, Brother Han should try to contact them,” Mo Jianli said slowly. “Although we don’t know how they incurred the true immortal’s enmity, if we can ascertain their whereabouts, our race can gain a certain degree of initiative.”

Han Li frowned. “Is Brother Mo suggesting that we use them as bait if necessary?”

Mo Jianli scoffed, “If that true immortal truly pursues them to Fengyuan Continent, where else could they hide? Whether it’s to save their lives or to lure the immortal to a specific location, they will likely have to act as bait. Daoist Mingzun of the Helian Merchant Alliance probably shares this idea, which is why he explicitly told you about it.”

“Hmm, as for bait, it seems they were used as such once in the Blood Heaven. It’s uncertain if it would still work; we can discuss this in detail later,” Han Li pondered for a while before nodding. “However, if they genuinely come to our human race seeking refuge, both by reason and sentiment, they would willingly cooperate with our actions. But contacting them now is not easy. When I return, I will instruct my disciples to do so.”

“It would certainly be best if these two fellow Daoists are willing to cooperate,” Mo Jianli said with a wry smile. “As for whether that true immortal will fall for the trap, Brother Han needn’t worry. The fact that he dared to sacrifice hundreds of millions of living beings shows his utter recklessness. Or perhaps, he simply doesn’t put us lower-realm cultivators in his eyes, and he would step into a trap even if he knew it was one. I hope this true immortal’s purpose for this trip doesn’t involve setting foot on Fengyuan Continent. Otherwise, even if your alliance manages to win, it will likely lead to a bloodbath across the continent, and who knows what price each race will pay. After all, the opponent is a genuine immortal!”

After a moment of silence, Han Li sighed in agreement. “Given this true immortal’s unfathomable powers, schemes indeed wouldn’t be of much use. I hope things don’t truly escalate to that point.”

“Indeed, Brother Han joining the alliance was, broadly speaking, not a mistake,” Mo Jianli said, first showing a hint of shame, then his expression turning serious. “Otherwise, no single race on Fengyuan Continent would be able to contend with this true immortal alone. Unfortunately, my strength is merely average among Mahayana cultivators, so I can’t offer much significant help. But rest assured, once you return, focus on cultivating and increasing your strength as much as possible. During this period, I will handle all matters concerning our race. I will quickly arrange for the temporary evacuation of densely populated cities, moving most of the population to more remote areas for shelter. This way, even if our human race is affected, the losses can be minimized. Additionally, I will re-establish powerful restrictions in these major cities as a precaution against the unforeseen.”

After pondering for a moment, Han Li readily agreed. “Brother Mo’s words are indeed wise and mature. Let us proceed as you have suggested for now. I won’t linger here either; I’ll return to Qingyuan Palace tomorrow.”

The two continued conversing in the hall for over half an hour before Mo Jianli finally stood up to take his leave.

Han Li and Nangong Wan escorted the human Mahayana cultivator to the deck and watched him transform into a white rainbow and vanish into the distance.

Once the white rainbow completely disappeared from the horizon, Nangong Wan finally turned to Han Li and asked, “Husband, will you truly enter seclusion again after we return?”

Han Li stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Indeed, that is my intention. During this trip, I obtained several profound secret arts. While it’s unlikely I can fully comprehend all of them in a short time, even a little more understanding could prove to be of great use then.”

Nangong Wan’s eyes flickered, and a hint of melancholy appeared on her face. “Yes, Husband, your idea is correct. It’s just that I never expected that right after returning to our race, the entire human race might immediately face such a great catastrophe. For cultivators like us, continuing our path is truly not an easy feat.”

Hearing this, Han Li burst into laughter. “Wan’er, you’re overthinking it. Cultivators like us naturally defy the heavens; various tribulations are normal. We just need to break through them. Heh heh, what’s the point of fighting people? Fighting against the heavens is where the real fun is.” He then flicked his sleeve and turned to walk back into the ship’s cabin.

Nangong Wan was momentarily startled by Han Li’s demeanor, but then something clicked, and a slow smile spread across her lips. Her steps became lighter as she followed him.

The next day, the massive black boat that had been hovering above Tianyuan City shuddered, then emitted a rumble as it broke through the air and departed.

Two months later, in the Boundless Sea, in front of Qingyuan Palace on Yuanhe Island, the black boat slowly descended.

On the vast plaza below, shouts echoed to the heavens!

Tens of thousands of cultivators from both human and demon races prostrated themselves on the bluestone ground, welcoming the return of their Patriarch, Han Li.

Figures flickered on the black boat, and Han Li and Nangong Wan walked down side-by-side, followed by Old Ancestor Huashi, Zhu Guo’er, and others.

“Welcome back, Patriarch!”

The greetings from over ten thousand people reverberated across the entire plaza, every face filled with reverence.

Han Li nodded without a word and strode towards the main gate of Qingyuan Palace. Nangong Wan’s face showed no unusual expression, but she was greatly surprised internally.

Although she had previously heard Han Li mention establishing a foundation among humans, she had never imagined such a massive scale and so many disciples.

After all, she thought her husband had only recently achieved the Mahayana stage, and even with strong tribal support, everything should still be in its initial stages.

In front of Qingyuan Palace, Hai Dashao, Han Li’s direct disciple, stood respectfully with his hands clasped. As soon as Han Li approached, he stepped forward and bowed, greeting him:

“Your disciple greets Master, and congratulates Master on his return to the palace.”

Han Li first nodded expressionlessly, then gestured to the white-robed woman beside him with a finger. “This is your Mistress, Nangong Wan. Come and pay your respects.”

Hai Dashao was startled at first, but then overjoyed. He performed a grand bow to Nangong Wan, exclaiming, “Yuetian greets Mistress! Master has finally brought Mistress back!”

“Rise,” Nangong Wan said with a light chuckle, scrutinizing Gu Yuetian. “So you are Gu Yuetian. Your master has told me about you. You certainly look impressive.”

“Thank you for the compliment, Mistress!” Hai Dashao was overjoyed to hear this.

Han Li, however, put on a stern face. “Hmph, he just has a decent appearance. If he put even one-third the effort into cultivation as Qi Lingzi, his cultivation wouldn’t be so low.”

Hearing this, Hai Dashao quickly dropped his smile, muttering in a barely audible voice, “I already try my best in daily cultivation, but how can I compare to Senior Brother, that cultivation maniac?”

Nangong Wan couldn’t help but smile sweetly at this sight.

Although Han Li heard him, he ignored it, gave his disciple a glare, and led the others through the main gate.

Only then did the numerous disciples on the plaza rise, led by some individuals, and retreat from the plaza in an unusually orderly fashion.

Naturally, the fact that Qingyuan Palace now had a new mistress became a lively topic of discussion among them.

After Han Li took his seat at the head of the main hall in Qingyuan Palace, he had the cultivators from Little Spirit Heaven taken away and arranged. Then, he casually asked Hai Dashao:

“Where is your Aunt Silvermoon? Why haven’t I seen her?”

“Reporting, Master,” Hai Dashao replied, glancing at Nangong Wan sitting beside Han Li, his expression somewhat unusual. “Aunt Silvermoon entered seclusion not long after you left, and she should be at a critical point in her cultivation, so she can’t emerge immediately to see you.”

Nangong Wan smiled slightly and instructed, “Oh, it’s a pity that Sister Silvermoon is still in seclusion. I wanted to have a good chat with her and reminisce about our time in the Human Realm. But since she’s still in the palace, we’ll meet eventually, so there’s no rush. Yuetian, as soon as your Aunt Silvermoon emerges from seclusion, inform me immediately.”

“Yes, Mistress. Your disciple understands!” Hai Dashao replied with a straight face, though he secretly stuck out his tongue. His constantly darting eyes, however, betrayed a hint of what he was thinking.

Han Li found this both irritating and amusing. He rolled his eyes at Hai Dashao and then waved his hand, dismissing him.