Chapter 435: Virtual Heaven Palace

After a brief moment of contemplation, Han Li slowly spoke, meeting Wen Qiang's expectant gaze. "Since Brother Wen is also a member of the Myriad Sound Sect, you should know that I am merely an elder in name and never interfere with the sect's internal affairs. However, if this matter is truly as Brother Wen described, and Fellow Daoist Siyue has suffered such a great injustice, I will certainly mention it to Fellow Daoist Ziling when I see her. Whether Fellow Daoist Zi will heed it, though, is hard to say."

Wen Qiang felt a slight disappointment that Han Li didn't immediately take full responsibility for the matter. However, he also knew that his relationship with Han Li was not deep, and for Han Li to save his daughter and him, and offer this much help, was already a great act of past friendship. He had no complaints and repeatedly expressed his gratitude with a thankful expression. He then prompted Wen Siyue to bow deeply to Han Li once more, but Han Li declined with a smile.

However, Han Li seemed to have a lingering question and asked, "Isn't Fellow Daoist Siyue a disciple of Envoy Zhuo? Haven't you mentioned this to him?"

Upon hearing Han Li's words, Wen Siyue's expression grew even more crestfallen. She softly explained, "Senior Han, you might not know, but the person who instructed me to come here for this task is a close relative of my master. My master also hoped that I would form a cultivation partnership with that person, but I refused. This made my master very angry!"

As she finished speaking, the woman's face showed an expression of helplessness, making her appear tragically beautiful and captivating, which momentarily stunned Han Li. He quickly averted his gaze and turned to Wen Qiang, saying, "I have other important matters to attend to and probably cannot travel with you. I must take my leave now."

After saying this, Han Li cupped his hands in a farewell gesture to both of them. Naturally, Wen Qiang and his daughter found it difficult to say anything to persuade him to stay. After they quickly reiterated their gratitude, Han Li smiled faintly, transformed into a streak of green light, and soared into the sky.

They watched the direction where the green light disappeared. Wen Qiang and his daughter were silent for a moment. After a while, Wen Siyue finally spoke with a touch of dissatisfaction in her soft voice, "Father, you never told me you were an old acquaintance of Elder Han from our sect! And from your conversation, it seems you knew this senior even before he reached the Core Formation stage. Can you tell your daughter about it? You know, Elder Han is quite mysterious to us disciples!" As she spoke, her initial complaint turned into curiosity.

After hearing his daughter, Wen Qiang sighed. He then said with a touch of affection, "Your father and Senior Han have only met a few times; we don't have a deep connection. And when I first met him, his cultivation was similar to mine, not very high. When I suddenly saw his portrait in the Hall of Offerings, I was truly startled, and my mind couldn't settle down for several days afterward. It's truly incredible that he managed to reach the Core Formation stage and become an elder of our sect!"

As Wen Qiang spoke, the memories of meeting Han Li resurfaced in his mind, causing him to stop talking and momentarily lose himself in thought. Seeing this, Wen Siyue seemed to know what her father was thinking. She quietly waited by his side, and silence fell between the father and daughter once more. Only the rustling sound of the wind blowing their clothes could be heard. The desolate sea area nearby suddenly became lively.

Every now and then, cultivators would rapidly fly towards this location, then soar high into the sky with great surprise. There, a majestic and enormous palace floated motionless in the air.

The palace, about a hundred *zhang* tall, was entirely constructed from flawless white jade, exquisitely beautiful, and emanating a faint, soft glow. It was enveloped by a dense, golden light barrier, suspended about a thousand *zhang* high in the sky. The cultivators who arrived wasted no time flying towards the palace. After a flash of white light, they easily passed through the light barrier and entered the palace.

On this day, a streak of green light rapidly approached. It suddenly stopped when it reached the sea surface below the palace. The green light receded, revealing a young man with an ordinary appearance. It was Han Li, who had been searching according to the map.

He looked at the silk map in his hand with some doubt, then gazed around, but there was nothing in the vast emptiness. He then stared at the sea below for a long time, still finding nothing. The doubt on Han Li's face deepened. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he abruptly looked up.

"Hiss!"

Upon seeing the palace in the clouds, like a celestial jade tower, Han Li gasped, his face filled with astonishment.

He stared blankly at the palace for a long time before recovering his senses. However, he didn't approach rashly. After a moment of contemplation, his expression shifted, and with a flash of green light, he vanished without a trace.

Moments later, a crimson cloud rapidly flew over. It stopped not far from where Han Li had disappeared. The cloud then dispersed, revealing an old man with red hair, holding an identical silk map in his hand. He glanced down at the map, then surveyed his surroundings with cold eyes, and without hesitation looked up at the sky. He immediately spotted the aerial palace, and his face filled with delight. Afterward, the red-haired old man, without a second thought, transformed back into a crimson cloud and flew towards the sky.

As soon as the old man entered the golden light barrier with a flash of white light, Han Li's figure reappeared nearby. His brows were tightly furrowed, and his expression was unpredictable.

Over the next seven or eight days, Han Li patiently remained hidden and observed two more Core Formation cultivators fly through the light barrier into the palace. They, too, each held a silk map.

Finally, Han Li couldn't wait any longer. On this day, he flew to the golden barrier himself, and with a flip of his hand, he produced the map. As he slowly infused spiritual power into the map, a white spiritual light immediately emanated from it, enveloping Han Li. Then, Han Li took a light step, and as if nothing was there, he passed through the golden light barrier and entered.

He looked back at the light barrier, then at the exceedingly magnificent palace, and without further hesitation, flew towards it.

Only as Han Li flew closer to the palace did he notice three large, silver ancient characters, "Void Heaven Palace," inscribed above the entrance, which was over ten *zhang* high. These three characters were not only imposing but also incredibly sharp and piercing in their strokes. He had only looked at them for a short while when his eyes began to ache faintly. This startled him greatly, and he quickly lowered his head, not daring to look again, his heart filled with extreme alarm.

Glancing at the deep palace entrance, Han Li gritted his teeth and cautiously stepped inside.

Upon entering the palace gate, Han Li was astonished. Before him was a straight, narrow corridor that stretched as far as the eye could see. The corridor was also built from clear and transparent beautiful jade.

If that were all, it would have been fine, but this corridor, though only two or three *zhang* wide, was thirty to forty *zhang* high. Walking through it made one feel extremely suppressed and uncomfortable.

Han Li frowned, then released his spiritual sense after a moment's thought, but his expression immediately changed slightly. As soon as his spiritual sense touched the surrounding walls, it was unceremoniously bounced back, unable to penetrate even slightly, let alone explore the palace's interior.

A glint flashed in Han Li's eyes as he intently gazed at one of the jade walls. Only then did he notice a faint, almost imperceptible glow flickering on it, which would be impossible to detect without close inspection. It seemed the entire corridor had been sealed with restrictions by someone of great power.

Han Li extended a finger and gently stroked the beautiful jade for a moment. Although he couldn't identify the exact type of restriction, the unfathomable spiritual power contained within it made Han Li's heart tremble slightly. He silently withdrew his finger, then, with one hand resting on his chin, he pondered quietly in the corridor for a moment before resuming his walk forward.

Han Li squinted his eyes, unhurriedly looking left and right within the corridor. Since this place had restrictions, he didn't need to fear ambushes from anyone lurking nearby and could boldly proceed.

However, this corridor, resembling a small canyon, was truly long. Han Li walked for the duration of a meal before finally meandering to its end.

An exit radiating a watery blue light appeared before him. Han Li's spirits lifted slightly, and he quickened his steps, hurrying towards it.

What met his eyes made his pupils contract, and his heart suddenly jolted in surprise. Within the blue light before him was a massive, square hall.

The hall was three to four hundred *zhang* wide, incredibly grand and spacious; even thousands of people entering simultaneously would not make it feel crowded. Even more remarkably, dozens of thick jade pillars stood evenly distributed throughout the hall.

These jade pillars were so massive that they would require several people to encircle them. Each was meticulously carved with various rare birds and exotic beasts, some Han Li had seen, others he hadn't. Every single one was lifelike and full of spiritual energy, with no two alike.

And atop some of these pillars, dozens of cultivators, dressed in various attires, were either standing or sitting. With the exception of a few individuals, each of these cultivators occupied a single pillar, and no one spoke loudly; they were all engaged in their own activities.

Han Li's arrival only drew lazy attention from a small fraction of the cultivators, but a few among them revealed expressions of surprise. Han Li, meanwhile, showed a wry smile, for he recognized these individuals as well!

If you enjoy "A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality," please add it to your bookshelf and recommend "Illusion City" to your friends!