Chapter 252: Ghost Spirit Sect

As Han Li stepped onto the third floor, several spiritual senses immediately swept over him, making him feel a jolt.

These individuals all appeared to be at the Mid-Foundation Establishment stage of cultivation, considerably stronger than him, a cultivator at the Early Foundation Establishment stage. Four years of secluded cultivation in his cave abode had only brought his magic power close to the Mid-Foundation Establishment stage, but there was still a final barrier he hadn't broken through. This left Han Li feeling somewhat regretful.

However, he mused that this was quite normal. After all, cultivating to near Mid-Foundation Establishment in just four years was already much faster than most cultivators. This final barrier was his first bottleneck since reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, and it couldn't be overcome simply by relying on elixirs; it most likely required a certain fortuitous opportunity.

Otherwise, even taking more elixirs would only deepen his magic power slightly, but this level of cultivation could not be easily transcended.

As Han Li pondered, he casually surveyed everything on the floor.

Everyone on the third floor was a cultivator who had reached the Foundation Establishment stage. However, it was clear that these cultivators were divided into two groups. One group consisted of cultivators from the Seven Great Sects, whose attire Han Li was very familiar with. The other group, dressed in a variety of mixed and disparate styles, was composed entirely of cultivators from other countries.

There were only five cultivators from the Seven Great Sects, but they were all seated at one table, whispering to each other, appearing quite close. In contrast, although there were seven or eight foreign cultivators, most of them sat one or two per table, calmly sipping tea with indifferent expressions, and showed no signs of whispering or conversing among themselves.

This contrast of activity and stillness made Han Li sense an atmosphere of hostile confrontation.

Han Li's arrival naturally caught the attention of the other cultivators. Aside from the few who had initially scanned him, everyone else also looked in his direction. Without hesitation, Han Li walked towards the table of the Seven Great Sects' cultivators, as he was, after all, supposed to be one of them.

As Han Li approached, the other cultivators withdrew their gazes, pretending not to notice him. Meanwhile, the individuals from the Seven Sects stood up with smiles, welcoming him.

Han Li's Yellow Maple Valley attire required no introduction; these individuals were naturally just as familiar with it.

“I am Han Li of Yellow Maple Valley! Greetings, Senior Brothers and Senior Sister!” Han Li adopted a humble demeanor. Among the five individuals before him, three appeared to be at the Mid-Foundation Establishment stage. The other two were at the Early Foundation Establishment stage, just like him.

“Ah, Junior Brother Han! I am Wuzi of the Pure Void Sect, and this is Junior Brother Wuyouzi. These three are Junior Brother Wu of the Spirit Beast Mountain, Senior Brother Ba of the Giant Sword Sect, and Junior Sister Fang of the Celestial Citadel.” The elder of the two Daoists at the table courteously returned Han Li's bow and briefly introduced those present.

“Since Junior Brother has arrived, please try the Yan family's famous Snow Bell Tea first! This tea house specifically provides this premium grade to us foreign cultivators!” The cultivator surnamed Wu from Spirit Beast Mountain was a smiling middle-aged man. As soon as Han Li sat down, he immediately picked up the teapot on the table and poured Han Li a cup of spiritual tea, its white mist swirling around it.

Han Li nodded with a smile, then took a small sip.

Regardless of whether the person was genuinely making tea for him, everyone still needed to maintain appearances.

“Excellent tea!” Even Han Li, who wasn't particularly discerning about tea, couldn't help but utter a word of praise.

As soon as the tea entered his stomach, a refreshing chill, like ice and snow, immediately rose from his abdomen. Then, an unparalleled fragrance filled his mouth and lips, leaving a lasting, endless aftertaste!

Upon hearing this, the cultivator surnamed Wu smiled even more broadly.

“Junior Brother Han, you look unfamiliar. I wonder which Senior Master of Yellow Maple Valley has recently taken you as a disciple?” The Junior Sister, who was in her twenties with an ordinary appearance, asked forthrightly.

“My master is Li Huayuan. It has only been a mere few years since I reached Foundation Establishment and was formally accepted as his disciple! I hope Senior Brothers and Senior Sister can offer me some guidance!” Han Li said, seemingly with a sincere expression.

“How can we presume to offer guidance? We should all be learning from each other. Since Junior Brother Han was accepted by Senior Uncle Li and dispatched to handle matters independently at such a young age, you must have extraordinary abilities. There’s no need to be so modest!” The speaker this time was the middle-aged man from the Giant Sword Sect. Although he appeared honest and sincere, his words were incredibly watertight, which surprised Han Li somewhat.

Han Li naturally offered a few modest replies. As a result, apart from the silent, short, and thin Wuyouzi, Han Li quickly warmed up to the other cultivators.

“What were you all discussing earlier?” After exchanging a few pleasantries, Han Li finally steered the conversation to the main topic with a casual inquiry.

“Nothing much! We were just speculating on why so many cultivators from other countries have suddenly come to Yanling Fort. It’s quite unusual! Although the Qiankun Pagoda Talisman Treasure is precious, it shouldn’t have such immense appeal.” Wuzi’s expression suddenly turned serious as he answered Han Li’s question.

It perfectly hit upon what was puzzling Han Li, making him nod repeatedly in agreement.

“We’ve been discussing it for a while, but we still can’t figure it out.”

“The possibility that a rare treasure is about to appear here, thus attracting them, isn’t high. If that were truly the case, not just Foundation Establishment cultivators would be here; Core Formation experts would have flocked in long ago, and it wouldn't be this peaceful. As for other reasons, they simply can't explain this situation.” The woman surnamed Fang from Celestial Citadel continued.

“Let’s not make wild guesses. I imagine everything will be revealed in two days, on the opening day of the Treasure Seizing Assembly. However, I have an unsettling feeling about the Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators who appeared today. I just feel these people are extraordinary! It’s truly surprising that they could cause the Yan family disciples to suffer repeatedly. Do any of you know their origins?” The middle-aged man surnamed Wu asked, frowning, his jovial expression completely gone. It seemed he was genuinely disturbed by those cultivators.

This question immediately caused most people, including Han Li, to exchange bewildered glances.

Most of them were hearing about this sect for the first time. After all, just by its name, one could tell it wasn't a benevolent faction; they were most likely demonic cultivators. It was unclear which country's sect they belonged to, to be able to make the Yan family, who were the local magnates, so wary, even after so many disciples were injured, without immediately turning hostile. It seemed their formidable power was undeniable.

However, while it applied to most, there was naturally one person who reacted differently from the others. This person turned out to be Wuyouzi, who had remained silent all along. Only his expression remained unchanged, as if he knew about the Ghost Spirit Sect. This made the others feel a glimmer of hope.

“Junior Brother, do you know anything about this Ghost Spirit Sect?” Wuzi asked, greatly surprised. His junior brother usually disliked socializing but enjoyed reading various books and scrolls, so it wasn't impossible that he knew something!

“The Ghost Spirit Sect, one of the Six Demonic Sects of the Heavenly Net Kingdom, specializes in ghost and demon manipulation techniques, and is also proficient in poison arts and some dark arts. Although it is the weakest sect among the Six, it is still a third stronger than our Yue Kingdom's most powerful sect, the Concealed Moon Sect.”

Wuyouzi looked up, and after coldly uttering these few sentences, he sealed his lips once more. However, these few sentences alone were enough to make the others' expressions change dramatically.

“A demonic sect from the Heavenly Net Kingdom? No wonder the Yan family is so tolerant and forbearing! That is a superpower several times larger than our Seven Sects. In our region, apart from the Righteous Alliance of the Wind Capital Kingdom, no other country's cultivation forces can single-handedly resist their invasion.” This time, the man from the Giant Sword Sect spoke, his face turning grave in alarm.

“You can’t be mistaken, can you? Why would such a major power suddenly come to our Yue Kingdom and even participate in such a small Treasure Seizing Assembly?” The woman surnamed Fang said, a hint of disbelief in her tone, naturally carrying a few traces of doubt.

“‘Records of the Southern Sky,’ Volume Two, Chapter Four!” Wuyouzi stated coolly.

“Ah…” The female cultivator didn't understand at first, but after a moment, she grasped his meaning.

This was a complete set of texts that all major sects possessed, specifically introducing the customs, culture, and interesting anecdotes of various countries in this region. It seemed to genuinely touch upon matters of the cultivation world, but because there were so many volumes, the female cultivator had only briefly skimmed a few and then couldn't be bothered to read them in detail. Could it be that information about the Ghost Spirit Sect could actually be found in this book?

Perhaps sensing that not only she, but also the others, wore confused expressions, Wuyouzi reluctantly spoke again:

“In this part of the second volume, not only the Ghost Spirit Sect, but also the other five sects are briefly introduced!”

Seeing Wuyouzi's certainty, the others finally believed what he said. Now, everyone, besides being horrified, began to ponder the implications of the Ghost Spirit Sect's sudden appearance at the Yan family's location. Han Li also habitually rubbed his nose, falling into deep thought.

Were the Six Demonic Sects of the Heavenly Net Kingdom planning a full-scale invasion of the Yue Kingdom?

No, that couldn't be right. There were two small countries, Jiang and Cheqi, between the Yue Kingdom and the Heavenly Net Kingdom. Even if they were to invade, they would first have to deal with the sects of these two smaller countries.

Although these two countries were small, their cultivation world strength was not weak at all. They were comparable to the combined strength of the Seven Sects of the Yue Kingdom. No matter how powerful the Six Demonic Sects were, it was impossible for them to effortlessly conquer the two countries without a sound.

Furthermore, the Righteous Alliance of the Wind Capital Kingdom was eyeing them covetously from the side! Presumably, they wouldn't be given an opportunity to expand their power.

After some deliberation, Han Li finally ruled out the worst-case scenario.