Han Li immediately prompted, "Please tell me what I can do, Senior. As long as it's within the realm of my capabilities, I'd be happy to lend you my assistance."
Instead of immediately replying to Han Li, Patriarch Ao Xiao turned to Daoist Xie with an apologetic expression, and said, "Brother Xie, I'll have to speak to Fellow Daoist Han in private about this matter."
Daoist Xie's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and he cast his gaze toward Han Li.
Even though there was no clause in their agreement that stated that he had to obey Han Li's orders, he was dependent on Han Li for the Faux Immortal Elixir that Han Li could provide, so he reflexively followed Han Li's lead in most matters.
Han Li considered the situation momentarily before giving a slight nod. "Please give us some alone time, Brother Xie."
What Patriarch Ao Xiao wanted to discuss with him was clearly going to concern secrets surrounding Silvermoon, so he didn't want anyone else to be present, even if that third party were only a puppet.
Daoist Xie nodded in response before rising to his feet and exiting the hall.
Once he left, the door was closed on its own amid a flash of white light, and he made his way over to Zhu Guo'er, who had been waiting outside this entire time.
Zhu Guo'er was alerted by the sound of his footsteps, and a hint of elation appeared on her face at the sight of him.
Several hours later, the door was opened once again amid a flash of white light, and Han Li emerged with furrowed brows, seemingly quite troubled by something.
However, his expression quickly returned to normal as he caught sight of Daoist Xie and Zhu Guo'er, and he said, "Let's go, Senior Ao Xiao has already arranged a place for us to stay; we'll remain on this ship until it returns to the territory of our united army."
After that, he led them toward the staircase that led to the lower levels.
Daoist Xie naturally had no objections to this and immediately followed along.
Zhu Guo'er was rather curious about what Han Li and Patriarch Ao Xiao had discussed, but she didn't dare to ask and could only repress her curiosity as she trailed along behind the two.
Over half a day later, Han Li was seated on a futon in an empty silent chamber on the second level of the ship. There was faint golden light emanating from his body, and his eyes were closed in a meditative state.
All of a sudden, he opened his eyes, and the golden light around his body faded as he said, "Come in, Fellow Daoist Ling Long."
"It's only been less than 2,000 years since we last met, but you've become so distant; please continue to refer to me as Silvermoon, Brother Han," Silvermoon sighed from outside the secret chamber.
"If you insist, then I'd be happy to oblige, Fellow Daoist Silvermoon," Han Li said as he swept a sleeve toward the door of the secret chamber.
In the next instant, light flashed from the door, and the restriction set up on it vanished as it swung open on its own, revealing none other than Silvermoon standing outside.
However, at this moment, her cold and aloof expression had completely disappeared. Her eyes were currently rippling with emotion, and there was a faint blush on her face that further accentuated her beauty, lulling even Han Li into a momentary bout of entrancement.
Silvermoon's expression changed slightly at the sight of the door being opened, and she strode into the secret chamber before stopping around 10 feet away from Han Li. She then suddenly smiled, and said, "Please forgive me for the rudeness I displayed while I was under the influence of my cultivation art."
After that, she drew another nearby futon into her grasp before also taking a seat across from Han Li.
A faint smile also appeared on Han Li's face as he replied in a gentle voice, "It's alright, I certainly won't blame you for the behavior you exhibit when it's outside of your control. Having said that you should've taken some more time to rest and adjust your mental state instead of coming to see me so soon."
"It's alright, the effect of the Art of Indifference is very minimal when I'm in my lucid phases. I was concerned that if I came too late, we would only be able to share a brief conversation before I become as cold and emotionless as a log again, and that would be very disappointing for both of us," Silvermoon replied with a smile.
Han Li faltered slightly upon hearing this before a wry smile appeared on his face. "Your personality hasn't changed at all during all these years; you still just blurt out whatever is on your mind."
"Hmph, you're one to talk! This personality of mine was something that I had to adopt while I was being enslaved by you! Otherwise, if you had become suspicious that I was hiding something from you, you would've immediately killed the frail little spirit beast that I was!" Silvermoon chuckled as she rolled her eyes at Han Li.
"Ahem, that's all in the past now, so let's leave it there. I didn't know who you were at the time; I just thought you were an ordinary fox demon!" Han Li cleared his throat in an awkward manner in response.
"Is that really the case? Perhaps you did indeed think that during the first few years, but I'm sure you became suspicious of me thereafter, yet you still didn't treat me any better!" Silvermoon accused with a hint of a smile on her face.
An earnest look appeared on Han Li's face as he said, "My cultivation base was very lackluster at the time, and it was all thanks to you that I was able to survive many perilous ordeals. Without your help, there's no way I would've even made it to the Spirit Realm at all."
"Hehe, I'm not here for revenge, Brother Han; I was really surprised when you asked that good friend of mine to relay a message to me in secret. I didn't think that you would be able to ascend to the Spirit Realm. After all, the spiritual Qi in the human world is far too sparse, and it's already very incredible for someone to reach the Deity Transformation Stage, let alone ascend to the Spirit Realm," Silvermoon said.
"I was merely lucky, and that's something else that I have to thank you for; if you hadn't revealed the location of that spatial node to me, I wouldn't have been able to ascend to the Spirit Realm so smoothly," Han Li replied in an earnest manner.
"The two halves of my soul had only just fused as one again at that point, and I had to return to the Spirit Realm right away, so that was the only thing that I could've done for you. However, it's really not worthy of a mention considering you saved my life," Silvermoon said in a nonchalant manner.
"You're being far too modest, Silvermoon," Han Li countered with a shake of his head.
Instead of discussing this matter any further, an excited look suddenly appeared on Silvermoon's face as she abruptly changed the subject. "By the way, did your enemies continue to pursue you after you escaped from Kunwu Mountain? And how did you progress to the Deity Transformation Stage later on?"
"Hehe, that's quite a long story. After I escaped from Kunwu Mountain, I traveled to the island of the North Night Palace in the Great Jin known as..." Thus, Han Li launched into a recount of his past exploits.
He spoke for over an hour, recounting not only his experiences in the human world after the Kunwu Mountain ordeal, he even gave her an account of his experiences in the Spirit Realm.
Compared to the average cultivator, Han Li's experiences naturally made for a far more enthralling tale, and Silvermoon was thoroughly enraptured by his story.
After he concluded his recount, Silvermoon also provided him with a recount of what had happened to her after her return to the Spirit Realm.
To Han Li's surprise, she made no effort to hide the details about Wolf Monarch Tian Kui and the inner demons that led to her decision to turn to the Art of Indifference, and Han Li found himself slightly entranced by her glowing smile.
Chapter 2154: Cottonwood City
All of a sudden, Silvermoon's smile faded, and she asked in a serious manner, "Brother Han, I heard from Grandfather that you have a way to decrease the influence of the Art of Indifference, but I have to remain by your side for a certain period of time; is that true?"
"Has Senior Ao Xiao already t
old you about this? It is indeed the truth. Senior Ao Xiao has a spiritual sense secret technique that can counter the Art of Indifference and allow you to continue cultivating, but this secret technique will only be effective for you when I cultivate it. Hence, you'll have to stay with me for some time," Han Li explained with a smile.
"Does my grandfather really possess such a secret technique? Why have I never heard him mention it before? And why is it that you have to cultivate it for it be effective on me?" Silvermoon asked with furrowed brows.
"In the words of your grandfather, the one who made the knot in the first place is required to undo the knot. I am the root cause of your inner demons, so you can only benefit from the secret technique when it's cultivated by me. This secret technique was something that Senior Ao Xiao created over 100 years ago precisely as a backup plan in the situation that something goes awry in your cultivation of the Art of Indifference. Once I cultivate the secret technique, you'll simply have to remain by my side, and the effects of the Art of Indifference will gradually be stripped away," Han Li explained.
"Is it really that simple? If I were to continue cultivating the Art of Indifference, its impact on me would only become exacerbated further and further; will this spiritual sense secret technique really be able to repress it?" Silvermoon was rather skeptical about this.
"I can't be sure of that as I haven't begun cultivating the secret technique yet, but it had been created after extensive arduous efforts were made by Senior Ao Xiao, so I'm sure it should be effective. On top of that, this spiritual sense secret technique should resemble the Art of Indifference in that the further I progress in it, the greater its effect will become," Han Li replied.
"Alright, but even if that secret technique does prove to be effective, how long would I have to stay with you? What if the effects of the Art of Indifference are never completely nullified? Would I have to stay by your side for the rest of my life?" Silvermoon asked.
"According to Senior Ao Xiao, you'll be able to undo the effects of the Art of Indifference on your own once you reach the Grand Ascension Stage," Han Le replied.
"The Grand Ascension Stage? That's an extremely distant goal for me. Looks like I'll have to stay with you for a very long time," Silvermoon said as a hint of a gleeful smile appeared on her face.
"You possess the Seven Star Moon Physique, which will grant you a greater chance than normal cultivators to progress to the Grand Ascension Stage, so don't be disheartened. Besides, during this process, perhaps Senior Ao Xiao will find another solution that won't necessitate progression to the Grand Ascension Stage," Han Li said with an encouraging smile.
"That's true, but it looks like I'll be staying with you for at least the next few centuries!" Silvermoon said with an elated smile.
After that, the two of them discussed some other things and even exchanged some cultivation insights and experiences.
Time quickly flew by, and as night was beginning to set in, Silvermoon rose to her feet to take her leave. "It's getting late, and my Art of Indifference is about to take effect again, so I'll have to go back to rest and meditate. Please forgive me if I display any rudeness toward you while the Art of Indifference is in effect."
"Rest assured, I won't take any offense to that," Han Li said with a smile as he also rose to his feet.
Thus, Silvermoon departed, and the door of the secret chamber was closed amid a flash of white light.
Han Li sat down with his legs crossed again, and his smile faded as a grim look appeared in his eyes.
......
After exiting the secret chamber, Silvermoon turned a few corners and arrived at a rather secluded corner before suddenly stopping in her tracks. "Come out Liao Ying; I have something to ask you."
Before she had even finished her sentence, spatial fluctuations erupted nearby, and a semi-transparent figure appeared before gradually attaining a substantial form, revealing it to be a slender black-robed woman.
The woman wore a copper wolf-head mask, and her hands were sheathed in a pair of black leather gloves. Not even a single inch of her skin was exposed, and she was hovering around a foot above the ground.
"What would you like to ask me, Young Mistress?" the masked woman asked.
"Liao Ying, you were in the hall during my grandfather's conversation with Brother Han, right? At the time, did my grandfather raise any other conditions to Brother Han aside from asking him to cultivate that spiritual sense secret technique? Don't keep anything secret from me," Silvermoon asked in a serious voice.
The masked woman smiled, and replied, "Master Ao Xiao transferred my contract to you, so I'm now a shadow guard of yours; I wouldn't keep any secrets from you. Initially, Senior Ao Xiao proposed for him to marry you as opposed to immediately mentioning the spiritual sense secret technique. Master promised that as long as Fellow Daoist Han agreed to this, not only would he share with Fellow Daoist Han his experiences and insights from his Grand Ascension Stage breakthrough, he would give Fellow Daoist Han most of the treasures in his collection as a dowry. However, Fellow Daoist Han refused that offer and only agreed to cultivate the spiritual sense secret technique."
"So Grandfather really did make such a proposal. He was most likely of the opinion that once I married Brother Han, the flaws in my mental state would be mostly repaired. However, with Brother Han's personality, there was no way that he was going to agree to this. If he had, I would've been rather disappointed in him. I'm sure Grandfather wasn't happy about being turned down, right?" Silvermoon asked.
"Master Ao Xiao was indeed rather displeased, but Fellow Daoist Han is no ordinary late-Body Integration cultivator, so Master Ao Xiao didn't say anything about the matter," Liao Ying replied.
"Of course. Brother Han is currently the most likely cultivator among the human and demon races to progress to the Grand Ascension Stage, so Grandfather wouldn't do anything to harm him no matter how displeased he was. Alright, you can go now, Liao Ying," Silvermoon sighed.
"I'll be taking my leave then." Liao Ying extended a slight bow before vanishing into thin air.
Silvermoon lingered for a while longer before also departing. The Art of Indifference was about to take effect soon, so she didn't dare to delay any longer.
......
In the secret chamber, Han Li was also reminiscing about his conversation with Patriarch Ao Xiao.
During their conversation, not only had Ao Xiao proposed for him and Silvermoon to get married, he also revealed something that came as quite a surprise to Han Li.
It turned out that Silvermoon's former dao companion, Wolf Monarch Tian Kui, had perished during a battle against the devilish army several decades ago, where he was ambushed by several devilish lords at the same time.
With him out of the way, Patriarch Ao Xiao no longer had any inhibitions about proposing a marriage between Han Li and Silvermoon, but Han Li had turned down the offer in a euphemistic manner.
In his heart, Silvermoon was more like a soulmate and a sister than a lover, so he naturally wasn't going to agree to marry her. [1]
However, he had made a decision that if Patriarch Ao Xiao's spiritual sense secret technique couldn't undo the effects of the Art of Indifference, then he would find a solution on his own.
With that in mind, he didn't think about the matter any further and closed his eyes to meditate.
Thus, during the next few days, Han Li began to cultivate the spiritual sense secret technique given to him by Patriarch Ao Xiao.
According to Patriarch Ao Xiao, once he cultivated this secret technique to a certain extent, he would automatically release a type of spiritual sense fluctuations that would repress the effects of the Art of Indifference.
Of course, this secret technique could also enhance one's spiritual sense, but obviously to nowhere near the extent that the Spirit Refinement Technique could.
Patriarch Ao Xiao had proclaimed the secret technique to be very difficult to cultivate, but much to Han Li's surprise and elation, he felt it to be extre
mely simple and straightforward.
After thinking about why this was the case, he realized that it most likely had something to do with his Spirit Refinement Technique.
The Spirit Refinement Technique was a secret technique from the True Immortal Realm, so in comparison, this spiritual sense secret technique was naturally extremely simple to cultivate.
In the short span of just two months, he had mastered the first few stages of the secret technique and achieved initial mastery.
During this time, Silvermoon had come to see him on several occasions during which she wasn't affected by the Art of Indifference, and they shared extensive conversations on each occasion.
After close to another month had passed, the ship finally entered the Wood Tribe territory that was still under the control of the united army.
However, it continued onward until it reached Cottonwood City, which was where the united army headquarters was situated.
Along the way, the ship encountered many patrol squads from different races, but all of them clearly recognized Patriarch Ao Xiao's flying treasures, and they all extended respectful bows from afar, not displaying any intentions to intercept it for examination.
Around half a month later, around a dozen gargantuan trees appeared in the distance.
Each of these trees was around 50,000 to 60,000 feet tall with diameters of around 300 to 400 feet, and they were all shimmering with a layer of green light.
These trees acted as pillars for a massive city that was split up into over 10 different levels. The entire city was constructed from all types of wood without any traces of stone or other construction materials to be seen, and atop the wooden city walls stood groups of guards from all races.
This was none other than the second largest city of the Wood Tribe and the headquarters of the united army, Cottonwood City.
1. In case anyone is confused, a soulmate doesn't necessarily always mean a lover. It can also just be a very close friend or something similar.
Chapter 2155: Mo Jianli
A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality c1-2248 Page 1237