Chapter 333: Order

After carefully putting away several items, Han Li looked up at the sky and moved towards a corner of the radiant, embroidered forest.

A moment later, Han Li pulled out the azure formation flag that was stuck into the base of a giant bamboo stalk. Instantly, the boundless, radiant barrier vanished without a trace. Han Li smiled faintly and turned to head towards the other corners.

Before long, Han Li had retrieved all the formation flags and disks from the bamboo forest, carefully placing them into his storage pouch as if they were exceptionally precious. After witnessing the power of this newly improved "Inverted Five Elements Formation," Han Li regarded it as extremely valuable.

When Han Li unhurriedly returned to his original spot, intending to depart using a magical artifact, he noticed something on the ground: the corpse of Emperor Yue, which resembled a pile of mud. It seemed that once the radiant barrier dissipated, the body had fallen from the sky.

Han Li frowned, let out a soft sigh, and flicked his finger. A fist-sized fireball flew over, incinerating Emperor Yue's corpse into ashes. This individual was once a remarkable figure, yet after death, he was reduced to mere dust. This filled Han Li with endless emotion.

Next, Han Li slapped his storage pouch, and a golden light shot out, striking an empty space nearby and creating a large pit. Then, with a gentle flick of his sleeve, a soft breeze carried all the ashes securely into the pit.

Suddenly, a white light flashed, and Han Li's intended act of burial immediately paused. With a surprised gesture, he waved his hand, and a misty white silk handkerchief floated out of the pit, landing in his palm.

"This is..." Han Li's eyes quickly scanned it, revealing a look of confusion.

The handkerchief was slightly yellowed, indicating its extreme age. Woven from an unknown material, it emitted a faint, clear, fluorescent glow, which formed a map.

Han Li's curiosity was piqued, and he eagerly examined the map. However, after scrutinizing it several times, he lost interest. Upon closer inspection, he confirmed that it was definitely not a map of Yue State. It depicted an unfamiliar place, and the map was clearly incomplete—he couldn't tell if it was half of a full map or only a fraction of it.

However, the map had only just been discovered within the ashes. It seemed Emperor Yue must have hidden it within his body using some secret method; otherwise, the beast puppets would have detected it much earlier. Considering this, the map was clearly no ordinary item!

Han Li mused thoughtfully, then placed the incomplete map inside the jade box where he kept his Five Elements Pills. This was not the time for deciphering mysteries. He should quickly find the others. After all, with Emperor Yue dead, the aftermath would truly be a headache!

When Han Li found Chen Qiaoqian and the others in front of the Cold Palace, another piece of unwelcome news arrived. Inside the Black Fiend Sect Master's secret chamber within the Cold Palace, they had discovered Wu Xuan's corpse. He had recently died after his vital essence was completely completely drained by a blood sacrifice.

Han Li was startled at first upon hearing this, but then he let out a wry smile, saying nothing. Now, due to the Black Fiend Sect incident, their sect had lost so many Foundation Establishment cultivators. He feared Li Huayuan would not be pleased with him upon their return. After all, he was ultimately responsible for initiating the situation.

Feeling utterly helpless, Han Li simply entrusted the aftermath to Chen Qiaoqian, Zhong Weinang, and the others, and then found an excuse to return to the Qin Residence first. However, what he never expected was that as soon as he returned to his abode, an unexpected person appeared before him.

"Greetings, Martial Uncle Han!" the brocade-robed middle-aged man respectfully saluted.

"Nephew Ma! What urgent matter brings you to me at this late hour?" A hint of surprise flashed in Han Li's eyes.

Han Li had just rushed back from the imperial city and was surprised to find this sect disciple, who was responsible for communications in Yue Capital, waiting for him in the courtyard. And judging by the situation, he had been waiting for quite some time.

"Martial Uncle, I just received news. There's an order from above: all disciples at or above the Foundation Establishment stage must immediately proceed to the Seven Sects' main camp at the border. The opposing side has issued a declaration of decisive battle; the Six Devilish Sects intend to engage us in a final showdown in two months. The order also requests the recall of all personnel. Additionally, a message slip from Martial Ancestor Li arrived at the same time!" the brocade-robed man said solemnly.

After speaking, he pulled out a command token and a jade slip, handing them to Han Li. Han Li was slightly startled but calmly took both items and began to examine them carefully.

The command on the token was indeed as the man had stated: all Foundation Establishment disciples on external missions were required to assemble at the border camp within one month of receiving the order, as the date for the decisive battle against the devilish sects had been set. The spiritual emblem at the end of the token was also authentic.

After verifying the command token, Han Li extended his spiritual sense into the jade slip. Inside, a phantom image of Li Huayuan appeared, and his message was unusually brief. He simply stated that the Qin Residence no longer needed protection, as they had received news that the devilish sects' plan to infiltrate the secular realm of Yue State and cause trouble had been canceled for unknown reasons. Han Li and the other disciples could safely return to the border.

Listening to the few words from Li Huayuan's phantom image, Han Li felt such intense frustration that he almost wanted to spit blood. He forcibly suppressed the vexation in his heart before withdrawing his spiritual sense.

"I am aware of this matter. Leave the command token and jade slip with me; I will inform the others!" Han Li said, looking at the items in his hand and pondering for a moment.

"Then I shall trouble Martial Uncle!" The middle-aged man hesitated slightly before respectfully replying. He then took his leave of Han Li.

Han Li simply uttered "farewell" and watched the man fly away. Then, he let out a soft breath and slowly pushed open the door to enter the house.

The next morning, Han Li, Song Meng, and a few others sat in the living room, discussing their departure from Yue Capital.

"Before joining the great battle, I need to return to my family first, and then I'll head to the camp! So I won't be traveling with you all," Chen Qiaoqian said, gently biting her red lip shortly after reading the command token.

"I need to return Senior Brother Liu's belongings to the Liu family!" Zhong Weinang said, her face looking somewhat haggard, her eyes slightly red. Although not explicitly stated, her intention to travel alone was clear.

"I don't have anything particular to do. Junior Brother Han, let's return together," Song Meng said cheerfully, patting Han Li's shoulder beside him, showing his easygoing nature.

"No, Fourth Senior Brother! I also have some personal matters to attend to," Han Li replied with a smile, having already made other plans.

"Is that so? Well, then forget about it!" Song Meng looked quite disappointed.

"How about I accompany Junior Brother Song back?" Chen Qiaoqian's only surviving senior brother suddenly suggested with a smile to Song Meng.

Song Meng was immediately delighted, as this meant he would have someone to spar with on the journey. Witnessing this, Han Li couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. He hadn't expected that even after such a bloody battle, this Fourth Senior Brother remained unchanged.

And so, everyone agreed to go their separate ways the next morning.

In the afternoon, Han Li went to inform Qin Yan of their safety. Qin Yan was overjoyed, and Han Li then conveyed their intention to depart the following day. Upon hearing this, Qin Yan hastily spoke some words of retention, but Han Li politely refused with a faint smile. Seeing this, the other party had no choice but to give up.

After leaving Qin Yan, Han Li walked towards his residence. Unexpectedly, as he passed through the small garden on his way, Chen Qiaoqian was there, her back to him, dressed in a white dress. She seemed to be admiring the flowers and plants, coincidentally blocking his path.

Seeing this, Han Li paused slightly, naturally feeling awkward about passing by without a word. "Senior Sister Chen, what a coincidence!" Han Li greeted her with his usual expression, intending to walk past her.

However, Chen Qiaoqian suddenly twisted her slender waist, turning her body slightly, and her beautiful, flower-like face turned to Han Li. "It's not a coincidence! I was waiting specifically for you!" Chen Qiaoqian said, her cherry lips slightly parted. Her autumn eyes gazed directly at Han Li, a complex expression on her face.

"Waiting for me..." Han Li appropriately showed a hint of surprise. Yet, for some reason, he felt a mix of bitterness and joy in his heart.

"I heard that White Chrysanthemum Mountain, in the outskirts of Yue Capital, is incredibly beautiful and a major scenic wonder nearby. Would Junior Brother Han accompany me to see it?" Chen Qiaoqian asked after a moment of silence, uttering words that greatly surprised Han Li.

"Alright!" Was it a strange impulse or fate? Han Li had originally intended to refuse, but upon meeting the hint of sorrow in her eyes, he found himself unconsciously changing his answer.

"Wonderful, Junior Brother Han! Let's go now. Once the sun sets, we won't be able to see anything," Chen Qiaoqian said, a blush rising to her face as she heard Han Li's agreement. Her joyful expression further enhanced her unparalleled beauty.