Chapter 440: Purple Spirit Encounter Again

Han Li scarcely needed to ponder to be certain that what Venerable Xuan Gu said was very likely true. After all, for Star Palace to have stood firm in the Disordered Star Seas for so many years, it must have employed certain methods. It was also highly unlikely they would be here simply to supervise for no reason; they most probably had their own agenda.

Upon realizing this, a cold glint flashed in Han Li's eyes. Although he didn't respond to Venerable Xuan Gu, he immediately grew more wary of the two white-robed elders.

However, for the remainder of the time, the two white-robed elders remained motionless in their seats. They had completely entered a state of meditation, their eyes closed, and not a single word passed their lips.

Thus, in an eerie atmosphere, another three days passed.

During these days, only three or four new cultivators arrived, and no Nascent Soul stage cultivators appeared.

On the morning of the fourth day, an unexpected change occurred.

After a series of rumbling sounds, a white jade stone gate suddenly descended at the entrance of the hall without any warning, completely sealing off the entire chamber. The gate was pristine white, clearly imbued with powerful restrictions. Moreover, a faint thud echoed from the distant palace entrance, suggesting it had also been sealed.

At this, some people in the hall couldn't help but show a trace of panic. However, upon noticing that all the Nascent Soul cultivators remained calm, they too settled down with a sense of relief.

At this moment, the two white-robed elders from Star Palace calmly opened their eyes and abruptly stood up. Immediately, the gazes of the other cultivators fixed on them. Those who knew showed understanding, while those who didn't carried a hint of confusion. The Nascent Soul cultivators, however, watched the pair's actions expressionlessly, without uttering a word.

The two calmly walked towards the front of the main hall. But before they even reached their destination, a slight tremor ran through the ground at the far end of the hall. Then, several stone slabs on the floor emitted a dazzling white light. To everyone's astonishment, a small teleportation array, about a *zhang* (approx. 3.3 meters) in size, appeared there.

Among the many cultivators in the hall, surprisingly, no one could discern how the teleportation array had appeared. This greatly astonished many self-proclaimed extraordinary cultivators.

The two white-robed elders, however, approached the teleportation array unperturbed, bowing slightly as they began to meticulously inspect it. After a while, they exchanged glances and nodded.

"All right, this teleportation array is fine. From here, you'll be transported to the outer hall of the Heavenly Void Hall. May you all fare well."

Having said this, the two white-robed figures stepped onto the teleportation array, one after the other. As two flashes of white light erupted, their figures vanished without a trace.

At this, the other cultivators in the hall couldn't help but exchange bewildered glances. But before they could react, Wan Tianming, accompanied by the old Daoist and the thin, dark-skinned old man, unhesitatingly floated down from the jade pillar, entered the teleportation array, and were transported away.

Only then did the other cultivators realize what was happening. Those who were closer immediately hurried over. Instantly, white light flashed continuously at the teleportation array, and in a blink of an eye, less than half of the cultivators in the hall remained. Venerable Xuan Gu had also slipped in among them, leaving ahead of others.

A strange light flickered in Han Li's eyes. He couldn't help but glance at Patriarch Jiyin and the others. To his surprise, Patriarch Jiyin also looked at him with a meaningful gaze, which startled Han Li greatly. He quickly averted his eyes, feeling even more uneasy. It seemed Patriarch Jiyin truly wouldn't let him off the hook!

Feeling a sense of gloom, Han Li simply stood up and walked forward.

Patriarch Jiyin saw Han Li's action and a strange, cold smile appeared at the corner of his lips. This prompted Wu Chou, who had been silent beside him, to finally ask in a low voice: "Patriarch, you seem quite interested in that young man. Is there something unusual about him?"

Wu Chou was genuinely curious.

"Nothing much," Patriarch Jiyin shook his head, speaking somewhat nonchalantly, "it's just that this person is of great use to me. I must borrow his aid." He seemed unwilling to divulge the details to Wu Chou. This left Wu Chou, who had always been a favorite of Patriarch Jiyin, feeling a bit confused.

Just then, "Scholar Qingyi," dressed in scholarly robes, gave a light cough and slowly said: "Shouldn't we be leaving too? There are barely any people left in the hall now." Patriarch Jiyin paused, glancing at the few remaining cultivators in the hall. He responded with a slight smile: "Of course. If we don't go now, the teleportation array will disappear. It won't reappear for another month."

As soon as he finished speaking, Patriarch Jiyin pulled Wu Chou along, transforming into a dark cloud and gently drifting down. Seeing this, Scholar Qingyi and Barbarian Beard also leisurely flew down from the jade pillar. The beautiful woman, however, had already left earlier. It seemed she deliberately wanted to avoid associating with Patriarch Jiyin and his group.

Han Li found himself on a small, extremely desolate hill. Glancing around, he couldn't help but be taken aback. For, not far from him, there were only two men and one woman; all other cultivators were nowhere to be seen. Among the two men and one woman, the female cultivator showed a look of pleasant surprise upon seeing Han Li appear. It was none other than Fairy Zi Ling. Without hesitation, she walked towards Han Li with a smiling expression. The male cultivator who had originally been with her had apparently been teleported elsewhere. This made Han Li give a wry smile, sensing an impending troublesome situation.

As for the other two, they were an old man in gray robes and a masked figure shrouded in a black robe. The old man was unremarkable, but the black-robed figure was enveloped in dark green mist, clearly indicating he was a demonic cultivator practicing devil arts. These two stood apart, seemingly at odds with each other.

As Fairy Zi Ling now approached Han Li, she naturally drew the attention of the other two, who also began to scrutinize Han Li. The old man's gaze was amiable, and he even offered Han Li a kind smile. The black-robed figure, however, had icy eyes, devoid of any emotion. Han Li, maintaining a normal expression, glanced back at the two without showing any unusual reaction.

At this moment, Fairy Zi Ling had already reached Han Li and said with a light chuckle: "I didn't expect to be teleported with Senior Han. It seems I'll have to trouble Elder Han to look after me. Otherwise, this humble one might not even pass the first stage!" As she spoke, Fairy Zi Ling's lips pursed slightly, showing a hint of embarrassment.

Han Li frowned upon hearing this. Instead of immediately replying, he asked with a puzzled tone: "Miss Zi Ling, your cultivation has advanced significantly, reaching the late Foundation Establishment stage. This is indeed cause for celebration. However, why would Fellow Daoist Zi come to a place like this? It's far too risky. After all, even Core Formation cultivators might not be able to guarantee their safety in this Heavenly Void Hall." Although Han Li only had a partial understanding of the Heavenly Void Hall, it didn't hinder his assessment of the danger involved in this trip, and he naturally felt somewhat bewildered.

Hearing Han Li's question, a trace of bitterness appeared on Fairy Zi Ling's delicate face, and she spoke with a helpless tone: "This humble one didn't wish to come here either. But Fellow Daoist must have noticed. I am currently in the False Core stage, and I'm about to attempt Core Formation. However, Zi Ling's aptitude isn't great, and the supplementary pills I could gather are pitifully few. So, I had no choice but to purchase a fragmented map of the Heavenly Void at a high price from someone else and come here to try my luck. After all, I've heard that the Heavenly Void Hall contains an abundance of spiritual herbs. Perhaps Heaven will smile upon me and allow Zi Ling to encounter a few spiritual herbs that are extremely beneficial for Core Formation! Moreover, I've already made up my mind to only attempt the first stage and then stop. I won't try to venture into the second stage!"

Fairy Zi Ling's expression dimmed, her brows clouded with a sense of despondency. Han Li sighed inwardly upon hearing this, falling silent. If it weren't for his cultivation of the "Three Revolutions Heavy Yuan Art" and the "Great Evolution Art," and his abundant spiritual herbs to forcefully increase his chances of Core Formation, he would likely have been even more hopeless than Fairy Zi Ling in front of him.

Thinking of this, Han Li felt a sense of empathy for her. On second thought, the Heavenly Lightning Bamboo had, after all, come from her, and the Marvelous Sound Sect sent him a certain amount of spirit stones every year. Although the amount wasn't large, he still owed her a favor. Why not take this opportunity to repay it?

After considering this, Han Li's expression softened slightly, and he spoke in a calm tone: "Since we are here together, I will naturally look after you somewhat. However, if I genuinely encounter a situation where I cannot even protect myself, Miss Zi will have to devise her own escape strategy."

"Thank you, Elder Han. Zi Ling naturally understands this and will certainly not hold Elder Han back." As soon as Fairy Zi Ling saw Han Li agree, her delicate face instantly brightened, momentarily radiating such brilliance that Han Li couldn't help but stare in a daze.

Subsequently, Han Li, feeling he had lost his composure, turned his head away, his face slightly flushed, no longer daring to look further.