Chapter 692: Secret Meeting

A Mortal's Journey to Immortality

“My apologies for keeping Your Excellency waiting!” Han Li said politely, and Nanlong Hou ushered him into the stone room.

Han Li was momentarily stunned by the room's interior. It was empty; there was no one inside.

However, a sweep with his divine sense immediately revealed the spiritual restrictions within the room.

At the same time, Nanlong Hou also noticed Han Li's action. He smiled slightly and said:

“My minor tricks, of course, cannot deceive a fellow Daoist like you. Please follow me, Daoist Han!”

As he spoke, Nanlong Hou casually formed a spell seal, and a golden glow shot out from his sleeve.

After the golden glow, a patch of unremarkable ground in the room immediately shimmered with white light. The illusion vanished, revealing a dark, stone staircase.

Nanlong Hou descended without a word. After a slight frown, Han Li followed without hesitation.

The staircase was short; hardly had his front foot stepped in before his back foot landed in a small underground hall. A few moonlight stones cast a soft white glow, illuminating the area faintly and indistinctly.

Seven or eight cultivators were present. Six were seated, while one man and one woman stood side-by-side, seemingly together.

As soon as these individuals saw Nanlong Hou and Han Li enter, they all simultaneously turned their gaze towards them.

“It’s you!”

The standing man, upon seeing Han Li’s face, couldn’t help but exclaim in shock, his expression changing drastically.

It sounded as if he recognized Han Li.

Han Li was startled by the exclamation, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes as his gaze fell upon the face of this late-Core Formation cultivator. What he saw was a distinct silver mask. Han Li paused for a moment in surprise, then a hint of sarcasm appeared at the corner of his lips.

This man was none other than the young master of the Ghost Spirit Sect, who had once relentlessly pursued him to the point of desperation. The same silver mask, the same person beneath it, but the youthful arrogance of yesteryear was gone from his eyes, replaced by a sense of weariness and a hint of shock and anger.

“I never expected to encounter an old acquaintance here. This truly comes as a surprise to me!”

“How is this possible? You… you’ve formed a Nascent Soul?”

The Ghost Spirit Sect young master’s voice was somewhat hoarse compared to before, but the fear in his words was unmistakable to anyone.

“What’s going on? Do you know this fellow Daoist?” A black-robed figure seated opposite Wang Chan suddenly asked coldly.

“Second Uncle, this is the Yellow Maple Valley cultivator surnamed Han I told you about. Back then, he…”

“No need to explain. Daoist Han is already a Nascent Soul cultivator. Why would he bother with a junior like you?” The refined-looking middle-aged man, clad in a black robe, frowned and interrupted without hesitation, a hint of surprise flashing across his face.

Then, the man smiled gently at Han Li and spoke amiably:

“I am Wang Tiangu of the Ghost Spirit Sect. Regarding the past incident, my nephew was ignorant and caused offense. I hope, for my sake, that you will no longer hold it against him, Daoist Han.”

From the man’s tone, it seemed he knew a thing or two about Han Li’s past.

“Daoist Wang and I merely had a trivial misunderstanding back then. Many years have passed, so why would I still bear a grudge? You’re overthinking it!” Han Li glanced at the black-robed man and chuckled softly, as if truly intending to let bygones be bygones. Yet, inwardly, Han Li sneered.

That Ghost Spirit Sect young master had nearly taken his life on multiple occasions, even forcing him to risk a teleportation away from Tiannan. How could such a deep-seated grudge be so easily abandoned?

If not for the large number of Nascent Soul cultivators present, and the Ghost Spirit Sect Master also being here, he would have immediately taken the man’s life.

But for now, he could only observe who the others were. Were there also cultivators from the Demonic Dao?

Otherwise, he might fail to exact his revenge and instead be annihilated by their combined forces.

“Haha, so Daoist Han originates from Yellow Maple Valley. I thought you were originally a cultivator from Fallen Cloud Sect. However, it’s truly excellent that Daoist Han can let go of past grievances. After all, I’ve invited all of you here, and I certainly don’t wish to see any unpleasantness occur,” Nanlong Hou interjected at an opportune moment.

Upon hearing this, Wang Tiangu smiled faintly. Given his profound cunning, he naturally wouldn’t easily believe Han Li’s words.

Thus, he seemingly casually nodded and said:

“Daoist Han possesses such broadmindedness, which I truly admire. Please rest assured, Daoist Han. After we return, I will severely punish my nephew. However, it’s truly unbelievable that you managed to advance from the Foundation Establishment stage to the Nascent Soul stage in barely two hundred years. I presume that in a few more centuries, reaching the late Nascent Soul stage won't be impossible for you. We, with our duller aptitudes, are far inferior!”

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of all the other cultivators, including Nanlong Hou, changed.

Han Li inwardly cursed, feeling his teeth itch with hatred for this Ghost Spirit Sect cultivator.

Ostensibly, it was praise, but with those words, he had been pushed into the spotlight, becoming the target of everyone’s scrutiny.

“Is Daoist Han truly not yet three hundred years old?” After a moment of silence, a dark-skinned man seated in the corner asked with a strange expression.

“Sect Master Wang, you jest. I’ve only just formed my Nascent Soul recently, how could I aspire to something as far off as the late Nascent Soul stage, which is centuries away?” Han Li replied casually, his gaze sweeping over each person in the room.

Only then did he notice that besides Wang Chan, the stunningly beautiful woman beside him was also at the late-Core Formation stage, standing side-by-side with Wang Chan behind Wang Tiangu.

Observing her composed demeanor, she didn’t seem like an ordinary female cultivator.

He had heard that the Yan family, the foremost family in Yue State, immediately joined the Ghost Spirit Sect after leaving Yue State and married their Heavenly Spirit Root daughter, Yan Ruyan, to Wang Chan.

Could this be her? Han Li couldn't help but wonder.

As for the other six, all were Nascent Soul cultivators. Even a beardless old man in white robes was at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, just like Nanlong Hou.

Han Li cast an extra glance at this person. When his gaze met the old man's, he instantly shivered. That single glance was chillingly cold, as if it could freeze one's very bones and heart, causing Han Li to feel great apprehension. However, he calmly turned his head slightly, seemingly casually avoiding the gaze.

Seeing this, the old man’s lips curved into a faint smile.

At this moment, Nanlong Hou, with a normal expression, gestured for Han Li to sit down.

Han Li didn't stand on ceremony, found an empty chair, and sat down steadily and comfortably. Then, with a half-smile, he glanced at Wang Chan, whose eyes flickered with unease.

Because Wang Tiangu was present, the Ghost Spirit Sect young master, despite his extreme inner terror, had now regained his composure. However, the gaze he directed at Han Li naturally contained an indescribable apprehension.

His former rival, who had been at the same cultivation stage, had actually soared to the heavens and formed a Nascent Soul. This filled him with intense shock and anger, naturally leading to immense jealousy. Yan Ruyan, on the other hand, gave Han Li a few more glances, her eyes clear and bright, though it was unclear what she was thinking.

Seeing this, Han Li let out a cold laugh and no longer paid attention to the two.

As the host, Nanlong Hou stood in the center, his expression solemn, and spoke in a deep voice:

“Among you fellow Daoists, some belong to orthodox sects, some come from demonic sects, and others are solitary rogue cultivators. However, there’s one thing you all have in common: your divine senses are exceptionally powerful. This is precisely why I’ve invited you all to gather here. Some of you already know the general outline of the matter, but most fellow Daoists have not yet been informed. Therefore, I will explain the matter in detail again. Afterwards, you can decide whether or not to participate. If you are unwilling, I will absolutely not force you.”

Hearing this, Han Li's spirits lifted, knowing the main topic was about to be addressed.

“Heh heh! The others are fine. But what does it mean that these two juniors from the Ghost Spirit Sect are also here? Don't tell me their divine senses can compare to ours.” A cold-faced cultivator sitting opposite the black-robed man suddenly spoke without any warning. As he spoke, he fixed an unfriendly gaze on Wang Tiangu, seemingly having a past dispute with him.

Seeing this, Han Li’s heart stirred.

“Daoist You, you’ve misjudged this time. Although their cultivation levels aren’t high, they are skilled in secret arts. When they combine their divine senses, they are not weaker than ours for a short period. You must understand, cultivators with powerful divine senses like us are truly hard to find. Some of you have achieved something extraordinary, others possess innate exceptional divine sense, and some have treasures that can enhance your divine sense. Otherwise, would I be someone who does useless things?” Nanlong Hou, seemingly having anticipated this, spoke with confidence.

“If that’s the case, then consider what I just said unsaid!” the cold-faced cultivator said expressionlessly.

The other cultivators had no further objections and looked at Nanlong Hou, preparing to listen to his next words. “The purpose of gathering everyone here this time is actually to ask you all to accompany me on a trip to the Mulan Grasslands,” Nanlong Hou said slowly after sweeping his gaze over everyone.

“The Mulan Grasslands?”

As soon as Nanlong Hou spoke, most of the cultivators present were inwardly startled.

Upon hearing this, Han Li’s expression also changed drastically.