The masked woman raised her eyebrows upon seeing this and a hint of surprise flashed through her eyes.
"I'd advise you not to go sending out voice transmission talismans, fellow Daoist. I don't want to be attacked by two cultivators of the same cultivation base as mine at the same time. As far as I'm aware, I haven't done anything to offend the Star Palace, so why do you harbor so much enmity toward me?" Han Li asked in a cold voice. At the same time, a layer of azure flames surfaced along the large azure hand, instantly reducing the streak of fiery light into nothingness.
"There seems to be a misunderstanding, Fellow Daoist Han. I have no intention of harming you. I'm merely attempting to express my gratitude toward you for saving my daughter all those years ago." The masked woman fell silent for a moment before a smile suddenly appeared on her face. The heavy atmosphere within the palace was suddenly relieved with her words.
"Daughter? Could it be that Fellow Daoist Ling is..." Han Li faltered slightly before an enlightened look appeared on his face. His expression also eased in response.
He knew that this woman's true intention clearly wasn't to express gratitude to him, but he decided to defuse the situation by playing along with her lies.
Han Li didn't consider it to be a problem to engage a late-Nascent Soul cultivator in battle. After all, he had slain late-Nascent Soul cultivators in the past and now that he had progressed to that cultivation base himself, he was far more powerful than he once was. However, at the same time, he was not interested in making enemies everywhere he went.
Furthermore, he was currently situated in the Heavenly Star City and was naturally rather wary of the Divine Essencefused Light.
"It seems you've already guessed it; Yuling is our only daughter and if it weren't for your help all those years ago, she would have most likely perished already. My Dao Companion and I have always been very grateful toward you," the masked woman said in a warm voice.
"No wonder Fellow Daoist Ling's aptitude is so exceptional; it makes sense that she's the daughter of the Heavenly Star Sages!" Han Li smiled in response.
"Surely you jest, Brother Han. In terms of cultivation aptitude, no one is a match for you. You've progressed from the Core Formation Stage to the late-Nascent Soul Stage in less than 200 years. That's simply unheard of! No one has been able to cultivate at such a phenomenal rate in the history of the human world; Yuling cannot compare to you." The masked woman chuckled as she shook her head.
She was very stunned by Han Li's insane rate of progression, and was trying to indirectly prompt him to reveal how he had made such extraordinary strides.
Han Li could naturally read between the lines and sense the indirect questions being posed, but he merely gave an ambiguous smile and didn't speak any further on this topic.
"I've heard a lot about the two Heavenly Star Sages and I would love to have a good chat with you, but I still have important matters to attend to, so I'm afraid I can't stay any longer. I would like to use the Star Palace's teleportation formation; you don't mind, do you?"
Han Li glanced at the teleportation formation before turning back to appraise the masked woman.
"Of course not! I have a guest elder badge here that you can take if you'd like. I know that with your status, you wouldn't actually want to become a guest elder at the Star Palace. This is just something that I'm lending to you on behalf of my Dao Companion and myself. With this badge, you'll be able to summon and use all of the resources of the Star Palace in the outer seas. Please accept it as a gesture of our gratitude." The masked woman immediately accepted Han Li's request and pulled out a shiny golden badge from a storage pouch hanging from her waist, which she tossed toward him.
Han Li was rather surprised by this gesture and he reflexively caught that golden badge being tossed at him. He examined the badge with a cursory glance before replying, "Thank you for your hospitality." After a brief hesitation, Han Li placed the badge into his storage pouch.
A hint of elation flashed through the masked woman's eyes upon seeing him accept the guest elder badge. She then took this opportunity to say, "When you return from the outer seas, my Dao Companion and I want to extend a formal invitation for you to come join us at our cultivation spot and discuss some experiences on our paths to the Deity Transformation Stage. Would you be interested in that?"
"Deity Transformation Stage? I've only just progressed to the late-Nascent Soul Stage and I would love to exchange cultivation experiences with cultivators of the same level, but my top priority is to fortify my cultivation base for now. However, if I do get the chance, I would visit you and your Dao Companion for sure." Han Li contemplated momentarily before turning down her invitation with an apologetic expression.
Late-Nascent Soul cultivators were extremely rare in the human world and to be able to hold a discussion with such cultivators was indeed a rare opportunity. However, he didn't want to plunge himself into a perilous situation for this opportunity. With his current power level, he was confident that he would be able to take on several late-Nascent Soul cultivators at once and emerge from the battle unscathed. However, that didn't mean that there was nothing in the human world that could pose a threat to him aside from Deity Transformation cultivators.
If he weren't careful, he could be trapped in an ancient restriction or some kind of powerful large-scale formation spell. If he were to be attacked by late-Nascent Stage cultivators in that situation, the outcome may not fall in his favor.
Thus, he immediately decided to tactfully turn down her invitation to visit their cultivation spot. A hint of disappointment appeared on the masked woman's face upon hearing this.
As for whether she actually harbored ulterior motives in the invitation that she had extended to Han Li, even she couldn't be sure of that herself.
However, seeing as Han Li had turned her down, she was naturally not going to force the issue. Instead, she merely moved on to other conversation topics and continued to chat amicably with him.
Han Li gave a few polite responses before taking his leave.
The masked woman didn't try to stop him. Instead, she stepped away to the side, allowing him access to the teleportation formation. At the same time, she drifted away even further into the distance as a gesture of reassurance to Han Li, indicating that she wasn't going to disrupt his teleportation.
A faint smile appeared on Han Li's face and he paid this no heed as he strode on ahead.
The two Star Palace cultivators hurriedly stepped aside in a respectful manner, granting Han Li free passage to the teleportation formation.
However, as they did so, the Core Formation Stage couple and their disciples were revealed to him.
The graceful man didn't dare to say anything, either, and he immediately tried to drag his daughter away to get out of Han Li's path. However, to his surprise, the Core Formation Stage woman with whom he had been happily married to for over 100 years suddenly made her way over to Han Li, before extending a respectful bow.
"Wen Siyue pays her respects to Senior Han! Congratulations on progressing to the late-Nascent Soul Stage, Senior! If it weren't for your help all those years ago, I wouldn't be standing here today." This Core Formation Stage cultivator was none other than the woman who had almost become Han Li's servant in the Outer Star Seas, Wen Siyue.
"Siyue... You... You Recognize this senior?" The graceful man was rather flabbergasted.
Han Li turned toward the woman and said calmly, "Long time no see. I see you've also reached the Core Formation Stage; looks like you haven't been slacking off with your cultivation. Otherwise, with your aptitude, it would've been slightly difficult for you to reach this stage."
"It's all thanks to the pills you left for me, Senior. Otherwise, I would've never reached the Core Formation Stage!" Wen Siyue replied in a respectful manner.
"Your father and I are old acquaintances, so it was only right for me to help you out; you don't need to thank me. You look like you're in a hurry to get to the outer seas as well. Let's go tog
ether. This woman is an acquaintance of mine; you wouldn't mind if I took these people with me to the outer seas, would you?" Han Li turned and asked the masked woman.
"Of course not! Feel free to take them with you." the masked woman replied without any hesitation.
"You have my thanks."
Han Li nodded and didn't say anything further to Wen Siyue. Instead, he merely raised a leg and somehow appeared in the teleportation formation after taking just a single step. He had clearly just employed the "Distance Minimization Technique" that only late-Nascent Soul cultivators were capable of unleashing.
Wen Siyue and the others were all startled to see this before turning to Han Li with awe and veneration in their eyes. Only the thin and frail young woman's eyes lit up with curiosity as she looked at Han Li.
Han Li cast an incantation seal toward the edge of the formation before pulling out his Greater Teleportation Medallion. Just as white light began to glow within the formation, he turned to the masked woman with a smile, and asked, "By the way, I don't seem to have learned your name yet. Would you be so kind as to disclose it to me?"
"My name is Wen Qing." The masked woman was slightly taken aback by this question initially, but she still replied with a smile.
Right in this instant, Han Li disappeared amid the white light, and it was unknown whether he had heard her response or not.
The smile on the masked woman's face immediately disappeared.
She said in a frosty voice, "For granting them access to the teleportation formations, both of you will receive 20 lightning whiplashes each as a punishment. If you dare to do this again, I won't be so kind."
"Thank you for sparing our lives, Palace Master! We definitely won't ever do it again!"
The two petrified Star Palace cultivators were both horrified and elated upon hearing the punishment dictated by the woman. They were elated as the punishment was a lot less severe than they had thought it would be, but also horrified in that 20 lightning whiplashes would most likely make them bedridden for an entire month.
After delivering this verdict, a flash of light erupted from the masked woman's body and she disappeared on the spot.
Chapter 1136: A Helping Hand
After the masked woman left the Starry Sky Palace, the two Star Palace cultivators heaved a collective sigh of relief. The younger of the two glanced at Wen Siyue and the others, and a hint of anger flashed through his eyes.
If it weren't for these people, they wouldn't have been caught red-handed and have to suffer the torment of the lightning whips.
The Star Palace cultivator put on a stern expression and was just about to hurl some insults at the group to vent his frustration, when the elderly man suddenly turned to Wen Siyue with a respectful look, and said, "You sure are fortunate to have been able to make Senior Han's acquaintance. This is an extremely rare opportunity. With Senior Han's guidance, you'll be able to easily progress to the Nascent Soul Stage in the future."
The elderly man's cold demeanor toward Wen Siyue and the others had completely disappeared.
The other Star Palace cultivator was initially stunned by this turn of events, but he was then enlightened by the elderly man's words. He immediately swallowed the insults that he was about to hurl before plastering a smile across his face.
In his fit of rage and frustration, he had forgotten that these people had a connection to a late-Nascent Soul cultivator. They were not people that measly Core Formation cultivators like them could mess with.
"Indeed, Brother Huang is right. Perhaps we'll be counting on you two for assistance in certain areas in the future, fellow Daoists. Here are your spirit stones. We'll cover your teleportation costs this time!"
The Star Palace cultivator plucked the storage pouch that was full of spirit stones off his waist and offered it up to the Core Formation Stage couple. Even though his heart was throbbing with pain, he still forced an enthusiastic and hospitable look onto his face.
The graceful man took a glance at the storage pouch and hesitated momentarily. However, Wen Siyue decided to turn them down with a warm smile. "My Dao Companion and I are extremely grateful to you two that you're willing to teleport us to the outer seas; how could we take back our spirit stones? Please accept them as repayment for your kindness. I'm in a bit of hurry to catch up to Senior Han, so I hope you can teleport us over as quickly as possible."
"Of course. I'll change the spirit stones and you'll be able to teleport immediately." The Star Palace cultivator could tell that Wen Siyue really didn't want to take back the spirit stones, so he could only put them away again in a sheepish manner.
His body then flashed over to the teleportation formation, where he leaned down and began to change the spirit stones that had just been used for the previous bout of teleportation.
Meanwhile, the elderly man was still conversing with Wen Siyue and her Dao Companion, trying to indirectly dig up more information about Han Li.
The graceful man knew absolutely nothing, so he couldn't provide any answers. As for Wen Siyue, she merely smiled and provided ambiguous replies, clearly reluctant to disclose any information.
A short while later, the spirit stones on the teleportation formation had been swapped over.
Wen Siyue really was in a hurry to catch up to Han Li, so she could only turn down the two Star Palace cultivators' further attempts to make conversation, plastering the teleportation talisman onto her body before leading everyone else into the formation.
White light flashed again as all seven of them disappeared.
The two Star Palace cultivators glanced at one another and sighed in unison before wry smiles appeared on their faces.
On the other end of the teleportation formation, within a stone chamber over around 100 feet in size, Wen Siyue and her group emerged amid a burst of white light.
Moments later, the seven of them recovered from the bouts of dizziness that always struck following teleportation.
Wen Siyue hurriedly looked around, upon which her heart immediately sank.
The stone chamber was completely empty, thus devoid of Han Li's presence.
"Wait here for me; I'm going to see if Senior Han is still nearby," Wen Siyue hurriedly instructed before rushing out the stone door without waiting for a reply from her Dao Companion.
The graceful man wanted to say something, but swallowed his words in the end after a brief hesitation. However, his brows were slightly furrowed as he looked on at Wen Siyue's departing figure.
Wen Siyue walked out of the stone chamber, and her eyes immediately lit up. The chamber was situated on a broad stone platform and the platform was, in turn, located on the peak of a steep mountain. The platform was surrounded entirely by sheer cliff faces that no mortal would have been able to climb up.
However, the cause for her elation was that Han Li was standing in a corner of the stone platform, conversing with a cultivator in Star Palace robes.
He stood with his hands behind his back and was speaking in a leisurely manner.
The burly and menacing mid-Core Formation cultivator was like an obedient lamb in the face of Han Li, nodding and bowing incessantly while providing answers to Han Li's questions with a fearful expression.
It appeared that this man was the Star Palace cultivator guarding the teleportation formations on this end.
Wen Siyue took a moment to compose herself, but she didn't immediately approach Han Li. Instead, she waited in silence as Han Li conversed with that Star Palace cultivator.
After a while, Han Li waved a hand and seemed to have asked all of the questions that he had.
The burly man extended a deep respectful bow before striding toward the stone chamber.
Only then did Wen Siyue make her way over to Han Li.
"Thank you for your help back there, Senior Han. If it weren't for you, not only would we have been unable to make it to the outer seas, we could have been in deep trouble as well," Wen Siyue said with a respectful bow.
Han Li wore a calm expression
as he glanced at the woman, and asked, "Don't mention it. You were only caught because of me, so it was only right for me to lend you a hand. Your trip here seems to be rather urgent. Is there some important matter you have to attend to?"
"You have helped me a lot already and I should be content with the assistance I've received, but please forgive me for being greedy. My daughter is severely ill and could die at any moment. Please lend me your assistance again, Senior." Wen Siyue began to shed tears as she spoke and it was quite clear that she really was extremely concerned for her daughter.
"That poisoned little girl is your daughter?" A flash of light appeared in Han Li's eyes, but his expression still remained calm and collected.
"She is! You truly have an exceptional eye to be able to identify the cause of my daughter's illness, Senior Han!" Wen Siyue turned to Han Li with a hopeful expression upon hearing Han Li's words.
"I overheard some parts of your conversation already. Haven't you already found a way to cure the poison? Why are you still coming to me?" Han Li asked.
"Indeed, my Dao Companion and I received guidance from a great man, telling us that the demon core of the White Yang Demon Fish could be used to create a pill that would cure this poison. However, this pill can't completely eradicate the poison. Even if it can temporarily save my daughter's life, her physique would be ruined and her cultivation path would be as good as over. You're a late-Nascent Soul great cultivator, Senior, so you must have a better solution. Please help us, Senior," Wen Siyue urgently explained.
"I see." Han Li didn't immediately agree to help her. He merely fell silent as a contemplative look appeared on his face.
Wen Siyue's heart was extremely uneasy, but she didn't dare to rush Han Li for an answer. She could only stare up at Han Li with a pitiable beseeching look on her face.
Han Li looked up at the dazzling sun in the sky, then down at Wen Siyue's gorgeous features, and to her surprise, he said, "When did Brother Wen pass away?"
Wen Siyue was slightly taken aback to hear this, but a dejected look then appeared on her face as she replied, "When I returned to the inner seas all those years ago, Father had already disappeared. I've searched for him for several decades, but am still yet to find any leads. Unless Father has reached the Core Formation Stage, he has most likely already left his world."
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