Chapter 504: Reverse Star Alliance

"What big news? I just came out of seclusion a few days ago. Tell me about it!" Han Li asked, looking indifferent.

"Since Senior asks, we will naturally tell you the truth. However, may I inquire about Senior's esteemed name?" the old man asked cautiously, hands clasped respectfully.

Hearing this question, Han Li was somewhat surprised. After tilting his head and pondering for a moment, he spoke with a faint, enigmatic smile: "It seems you're quite cautious. I am a guest elder of the Myriad Sound Sect. My surname is Han. Have you heard of me?"

"So it's Elder Han of the Myriad Sound Sect! Then you're no stranger at all. Our sect's Immortal Snow Flute and your esteemed Sect Master Ziling are close friends! Our two sects have always maintained good relations," the old man said, letting out a long sigh of relief after Han Li revealed his identity, then speaking with a beaming smile.

Seeing the other party's expression, implying they were all "on the same side," Han Li paused, then burst out laughing.

Han Li's laughter, however, caused the old man's expression to stiffen, making him feel somewhat uneasy.

"Did I say something wrong?" the old man wondered suspiciously.

"I never get involved in sect affairs, and I don't care if what you said is true or false," Han Li said, his smile fading. "Just answer my questions properly. I won't deliberately make things difficult for you without reason. Now, tell me, what major event has truly happened recently?"

"How could I deceive Senior? Everything I said earlier was true. The situation is like this..." the old man began, forcing a smile and almost swearing an oath. However, as Han Li's gaze turned cold, he immediately began recounting the events:

"Some time ago, a rumor suddenly spread throughout the Scattered Star Seas, claiming that the Heavenly Star Dual Sages had fully mastered their Primordial Magnetic Divine Light and were about to emerge from seclusion. The Star Palace intends to use this opportunity to begin purging disobedient or uncontrollable forces. Most people initially believed it was just another baseless rumor, but to everyone's surprise, only a few days after the rumor surfaced, the Star Palace actually issued the 'Heavenly Star Decree' to all major and minor forces. It ordered all sect leaders and island lords to appear before the Heavenly Star Dual Sages in Heavenly Star City upon receiving the decree, otherwise, they would be annihilated under the charge of disrespecting the Star Palace," the old man elaborated.

"Order all forces to meet the Heavenly Star Dual Sages? Are you sure about that?" Han Li narrowed his eyes, speaking with disbelief. "Would the Star Palace issue such a clearly provocative command?"

"Indeed," the old man said with a bitter smile. "When this Heavenly Star Decree reached all forces, most people were stunned! If it were during the Star Palace's peak power, issuing such a command wouldn't be surprising. But now, neither the Righteous Path nor the Demonic Path are subservient to them. This move is truly perplexing."

"So, the cultivators I've encountered along the way were all going to meet the Heavenly Star Dual Sages?" Han Li asked, frowning as he re-examined the group.

"That's hard to say!" the old man replied, a hesitant, vague expression on his face.

"What do you mean, 'hard to say'?" Han Li asked, a strange expression flashing across his face.

"Senior, I haven't finished explaining everything yet. Not long after the Star Palace issued the Heavenly Star Decree, the Righteous Path and the Demonic Path suddenly announced they were joining forces to form an organization called the 'Anti-Star Alliance.' They claim to break the Star Palace's hegemony over the Scattered Star Seas and completely end its rule. Wan Sangu, the Grand Protector of the Righteous Path's Myriad Dharma Sect, and the 'Six Paths Extreme Sage,' currently the foremost figure of the Demonic Path, simultaneously assumed roles as the two leaders of the Anti-Star Alliance. As soon as the Anti-Star Alliance was established, numerous sects and organizations affiliated with both the Righteous and Demonic Paths joined, and many other forces also responded. More than a dozen Nascent Soul stage rogue cultivators, powerful figures, also joined and took on the position of elders. This Anti-Star Alliance, surprisingly, also emulated the Star Palace. They issued a 'Ghost Token' called the 'Anti-Star Decree' to other forces, declaring that any force that goes to meet the Heavenly Star Dual Sages will automatically become an enemy of the Anti-Star Alliance and will not be spared. Furthermore, they announced that they would attack Star City soon, and other forces are free to go and observe to demonstrate their stance," the old man concluded, looking helpless.

Upon hearing this, Han Li remained outwardly composed, but inwardly, he was momentarily stunned.

Such a significant event had actually occurred within the short period he was trapped in the Void Heavenly Palace. It was truly unexpected!

For a moment, Han Li's mind was in turmoil.

Suddenly, a thought struck Han Li, and he calmly looked at the old man, asking: "What kind of Ghost Token is that Anti-Star Decree? Do you have one on you?"

"Although our sect received one of these decrees, it's with our Sect Master," the old man replied, momentarily stunned. "However, I did copy the appearance of the token into a jade slip. Would Senior like to see it?" he then added ingratiatingly.

"Hmm, let me see," Han Li said, nodding with an apathetic expression.

Upon hearing this, the old man immediately rummaged through his storage pouch and pulled out a yellow jade slip. Without daring to delay, he presented it to Han Li with both hands.

Han Li took it without ceremony, swiftly probing it with his divine sense to scan its contents. His expression subtly changed!

Indeed, it was identical to the demonic-faced token that the Six-Linked Palace Elder had shown to Bird Ugly that day. Although its external appearance had changed slightly, it clearly originated from the same source.

It seemed the Righteous and Demonic Paths had been secretly colluding for a long time, meticulously infiltrating other forces with spies many years ago.

Han Li was surprised inwardly, but outwardly, he expressionlessly returned the jade slip to the old man.

"So, you're going near Heavenly Star City to observe the imminent battle between the Star Palace and the Anti-Star Alliance, and then decide where your allegiance lies?" Han Li asked casually.

Hearing Han Li's words, the old man showed a hint of embarrassment.

"Yes, Senior," the old man replied. "We were indeed ordered by our Sect Master to go and observe the situation. After all, our Three Immortals Sect is not a major power; we can only adapt as circumstances change. However, during this period, the Anti-Star Alliance has already attacked the outer islands of Heavenly Star City and gained a significant advantage. Several islands have even directly declared allegiance to the Anti-Star Alliance. Next, it's probably time for the struggle over the inner islands. Furthermore, some ill-intentioned individuals have also taken this opportunity to stir up trouble. Many rogue cultivators, small sects, and minor factions have met with misfortune; they've either been left as corpses in the wilderness or completely wiped out," the old man explained, also pointing out with some concern why the traveling cultivators all appeared so cautious.

"I see. All right, now that the situation has been made clear, you may leave," Han Li said indifferently, satisfied with the old man's answer, and waved his hand gently.

"Then I shall take my leave, Senior," the old man said, greatly relieved and overjoyed by Han Li's words. He quickly bowed and bade farewell.

Although Han Li didn't appear to be particularly malicious, being in the presence of an unfamiliar Core Formation stage cultivator still made the old man feel apprehensive. Without further delay, he quickly led his group away from the area.

Han Li, meanwhile, remained rooted to the spot, deep in thought.

A major war had finally erupted between the Star Palace and the Righteous and Demonic factions, which was mixed news for Han Li.

On the positive side, the war would undoubtedly engross the majority of those powerful old figures. They all belonged to either the Righteous or Demonic factions, making their non-participation impossible. This meant they couldn't fully focus on tracking the Void Heavenly Cauldron and him, which significantly enhanced his safety.

On the negative side, the outbreak of war would cause him significant trouble in returning to Heavenly Star City. At the very least, checks on cultivators entering the city would certainly become much stricter, particularly for Core Formation stage cultivators like himself. Moreover, if the war had already erupted before he could return to Heavenly Star City, his chances of entering the city would likely be completely dashed. The Star Palace would hardly allow other cultivators to freely enter the city at such a critical moment.

Thinking of this, Han Li sighed inwardly.

In the following few days, he intercepted several more groups of low-level cultivators, and their accounts were all largely similar. This confirmed the news' authenticity for Han Li, putting him in a difficult position.

Han Li was currently floating on the sea surface, staring blankly into the distance, a look of hesitation on his face. He looked up at the azure sky. Suddenly, with a flip of his palm, a small green bottle appeared in his hand.

It was precisely the bottle containing the Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Milk.

Looking at the small bottle, Han Li's face showed a trace of helplessness.

To use this item so quickly felt like a waste of a heavenly treasure!

But if he didn't, he feared that by the time he reached Heavenly Star City, the Anti-Star Alliance would have already launched its offensive. Then, not only would he be unable to enter Heavenly Star City, but he wouldn't even be able to escape to the Outer Star Seas via the teleportation array.

After pondering for a long time, Han Li finally gritted his teeth, opened the bottle cap, and carefully poured a few drops of the transparent, viscous liquid into his mouth.

After putting the small bottle away, he draped the blood-red cloak over himself, instantly transforming into a streak of blood-red light that shot forth, vanishing without a trace.

Over the next half-month, whenever Han Li's magic power was nearly depleted, he would drip some spirit milk into his mouth and then continue traveling ceaselessly using the ancient Blood-Red Cloak artifact. This way, Han Li naturally greatly shortened his original journey, traveling at a speed almost identical to that of an ordinary Nascent Soul stage cultivator.

As a result, along the way, some Core Formation stage cultivators he occasionally encountered mistakenly took Han Li, shrouded in blood-red light, for an esteemed Nascent Soul stage senior. They respectfully gave him a wide berth, no one daring to obstruct him for even a moment.

Furthermore, no cultivator dared to harbor any ill intentions toward this "Nascent Soul stage expert."