Chapter 735: Huanglong Mountain

More than half a month later, atop Huanglong Mountain, bordering Lizhou in the Yu Kingdom, within a complex of ornate buildings, a burly man in his forties with sparse eyebrows was pacing back and forth in a large hall, a hint of anxiety evident on his face.

A moment later, the man sat down in a wicker chair, picked up a cup of clear tea from the table, and took a small sip. Just as his troubled mind began to settle for a moment, a red light suddenly shot in from outside, circling above the hall.

Seeing this, the man's expression changed. He extended his hand and beckoned to the red light; instantly, it descended into his palm, bursting into a fiercely burning flame.

The man's consciousness immersed itself in the flame, but his face immediately turned grim.

After a moment of silence, the man, his face somewhat ashen, suddenly reached into his bosom, and a small green bell appeared in his hand.

Without hesitation, he tapped the bell with a short, thick finger.

With a "clang," a melodious and resonant bell chime echoed throughout the entire hall, its continuous echoes spreading far in all directions. Subsequently, similar bell chimes rang out across the entire summit of Huanglong Mountain, and various colored lights rose from within the complex of ornate buildings. Cultivators, dressed in diverse attire, hastily flew out from them, then systematically dispersed in all directions.

Soon after, a dense, strange green mist enveloped the entire area around Huanglong Mountain, transforming the surrounding dozens of miles into an eerie, emerald-green sea of fog.

At this moment, several cultivators appeared in the hall where the sparse-browed man was: three men and one woman, all at the Core Formation stage of cultivation.

Among them were two men in their thirties, identical in appearance, who were actually twin brothers. Another man, dressed in a Taoist robe and holding a whisk, was a middle-aged Taoist priest.

The sole female cultivator was petite, with very delicate features.

The four of them stood to the man's left and right, all with solemn expressions.

"Senior Lu, have the Mulan spellcasters truly arrived so quickly? The last time we received news, wasn't the contingent of spellcasters heading here still blocked by Senior Bu? Has Senior Bu's 'Skywind Profound Wave Array' been broken in just seven or eight days? Is there some mistake?" the female cultivator asked hesitantly, her face full of disbelief.

"Mistake? I wish the person who sent the message had made a mistake," the sparse-browed man sneered, speaking grimly. "But this message was sent personally by Bu Tuozi, and he is severely wounded. The defeated cultivators, along with their pursuers, will reach Huanglong Mountain soon. Don't hold onto false hope. We won't get reinforcements in time; we can only face the enemy alone."

Upon hearing these words, the four Core Formation cultivators before him could only exchange glances, nodding in bitter acknowledgment.

Just as the man consecutively issued several orders, instructing the four to split up and prepare for the impending battle, another red light suddenly shot in. This startled the man and the others, filling them with surprise and doubt.

The man also paused for a moment, but without the slightest hesitation, he reached out and snatched the message-talisman.

As the flame flickered incessantly in his hand, he heard the message within the talisman clearly, and an extremely peculiar expression appeared on his face.

"Senior Lu, what has happened? Have the Mulan spellcasters already arrived here?" the female cultivator finally couldn't help but ask. Upon hearing this, the other three simultaneously tensed, their eyes showing solemn expressions.

"No! Our reinforcements have arrived," the man said, smiling broadly and slowly suppressing his excitement. "Three Nascent Soul stage fellow Daoists are just outside the grand array. Hongling, the four of you quickly go out to greet these three seniors and invite them here."

At once, these four Core Formation cultivators rejoiced. After receiving the order and bowing to the man, they immediately left the hall to greet the three Nascent Soul stage fellow Daoists.

Meanwhile, on the periphery of the green sea of fog, three individuals were floating high in the sky, continuously observing the restrictive grand array before them.

These three were, naturally, Han Li and two other Nascent Soul cultivators who had traveled day and night to arrive there.

As they would have to rely on this grand array to contend with the Mulan spellcasters, the three of them, after sending the message-talisman, silently scrutinized the sea of fog, hoping to discern its intricacies.

Regardless of whether this array was truly formidable or not, just a glance at the seemingly boundless sea of fog instilled an extraordinary aura in those before it. Han Li, alone, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, blue light flickering in his eyes as he observed everything before him, a thoughtful expression on his face.

The three didn't wait long. The green mist before them suddenly emitted a burst of white light, and after churning for a moment, a clear passage appeared.

However, the elder surnamed Ma and Gu Shuangpu showed no reaction, as if they hadn't noticed. One gazed silently at the sky, while the other continued to stare at the sea of fog to one side, not blinking, as if trying to discern something unusual.

Only Han Li wore a faint smile, calmly looking towards the entrance of the passage.

A moment later, four dazzling arcs of light shot out from deep within the passage. The light receded, revealing three men and one woman before Han Li and the others.

"Junior greets the three seniors. May I ask for your esteemed names?" The dignified middle-aged Taoist cultivator stepped forward and respectfully bowed to Han Li and the others.

"I am Han, an elder of the Falling Cloud Sect," Han Li said, seeing that the other two had no intention of speaking. He smiled faintly and continued, "These two are fellow Daoist Ma from Haoran Pavilion and fellow Daoist Gu from Imperial Spirit Sect. There were originally seven or eight other Core Formation fellow Daoists behind us, but we three came ahead to avoid delaying the support. Now that the grand array's restrictions are open, are the Mulan people arriving soon?"

"Ah, Senior Han! I am Chongyunzi of the Pure Void Sect," the middle-aged Taoist replied, then hurriedly introduced, pointing to the twin brothers and the charming young female cultivator behind him, "These two are the Murong brothers from Yellow Maple Valley, and Miss Li from Blade Transformation Dock."

"The Murong brothers?" Han Li's gaze swept over the twin brothers' faces, a faint, ambiguous smile playing on his lips.

"Is fellow Daoist Nie doing well?" Han Li asked with a light chuckle.

"Senior, do you know Senior Sister Nie? We haven't seen our fellow disciples for several years because we've been guarding this grand array," the Murong brothers replied, their faces showing pleasant surprise.

"Of course, she's doing very well. I just saw her not long ago," Han Li said, looking at the almost identical twin brothers, and smiling subtly. "It seems you two really don't recognize me, though. It's understandable; we only met briefly back then, so it's normal that you wouldn't have much of an impression."

These two had changed greatly, but he could still see from them...

Upon hearing Han Li's words, the Murong brothers were surprised.

According to what this "senior" before them said, he seemed to be an old acquaintance of theirs. Yet, they had no memory of him whatsoever.

But then again, now that they looked at Han Li again, the Murong brothers truly felt a sense of familiarity, as if they had met him before. This made them exchange glances, filled with surprise and doubt.

"Haha! Since you two fellow Daoists don't remember for now, let's discuss this later," Han Li said noncommittally, tilting his head to glance at the elder surnamed Ma and Gu Shuangpu. "Can we go in now?"

"Of course. Seniors, please follow me. Senior Lu is waiting for you in the main hall," Chongxuzi quickly agreed, brightening up. He had been a bit confused by the fact that Han Li knew the Murong brothers.

Then, the four led the way, and Han Li and the other two unhurriedly flew into the sea of fog. Soon after Han Li and the others flew in, the passage resealed itself as the green mist churned once more.

A short while later, Han Li and the others met the sparse-browed man in the hall.

"Welcome, three of you, to support the Spirit Alliance here," the sparse-browed man said, his somewhat fierce face full of smiles as he greeted them. He immediately called out the names of the elder surnamed Ma and Gu Shuangpu, apparently recognizing them. "Aren't these two Brother Ma and fellow Daoist Gu? And this very young fellow Daoist, who might they be? Could you introduce them to me, Lu?" However, the man was quite unfamiliar with Han Li; after a curious glance at him, he asked in surprise.

"Haha! It's not strange that Brother Lu doesn't recognize him," the elder surnamed Ma said, chuckling, showing no surprise upon seeing the sparse-browed man. "Fellow Daoist Han only successfully formed his Nascent Soul in recent years; his future is limitless!"

"Oh, so a newly advanced fellow Daoist," the man surnamed Lu said. "No wonder I've never seen fellow Daoist before! Nevertheless, I must thank the three of you for your strong support. Without your reinforcements, I really wouldn't have the confidence to last for a few days!" Upon hearing that Han Li was a recently advanced Nascent Soul cultivator, he showed a flicker of disappointment, but then quickly recovered and expressed his gratitude repeatedly.

The sparse-browed man's brief flash of disappointment naturally did not escape Han Li's eyes, but Han Li merely smiled without speaking, showing no hint of displeasure on his face.

The sparse-browed man then chatted with Gu Shuangpu about some past events, before his expression turned serious, and he began to discuss the current perilous situation.