"Ah, so you've only recently come out of a lengthy seclusion; it's no wonder that I'm not familiar with the two of you. About the patriarchs and other Sacred Ancestors..." A hesitant look appeared on Hu Yan's face.
A faint smile appeared on Han Li's face upon seeing this, and he said, "Let me guess, the patriarchs and Sacred Ancestors are currently dealing with the Stemborer Queen, and you were told not to tell anyone about this, is that correct?"
Chapter 2218: Sacred Ancestor Xie Lian
Hu Yan faltered slightly upon hearing this before a relieved look appeared on his face. "So you already know about the Stemborer Queen. In that case, there's nothing for me to hide."
"I heard about the Stemborer Queen quite a few years ago, and it's why I decided to come out of seclusion. However, I'm not too familiar with the current situation in our holy realm, so you'll have to enlighten me," Han Li said.
"Yes, Senior. I only began hearing about these things in the past decade or so, so I don't know too much, either. What I do know is that these stemborers in our holy realm were once normal devilish insects that mutated after coming into the contact with the aura of the Stemborer Queen that seeped through the seal. Following their mutations, these stemborers become significantly more powerful, and their reproductive abilities are also enhanced by close to a hundredfold. Otherwise, they wouldn't have become such a huge problem in such a short time."
Hu Yan paused momentarily here before continuing, "According to what I've heard, the three patriarchs and other Sacred Ancestors are indeed dealing with the Stemborer Queen at the original sealed site. In the beginning, things seemed to be going quite well. With assistance from powerful beings of other realms, the seal was constantly being bolstered, and it appeared that the Stemborer Queen would be sealed away again. However, close to 30 years ago, the original sealed site suddenly lost all contact with the outside world, and no one knows what's happening in there."
"They lost contact? How is that possible with so many Grand Ascension Stage beings there? Hasn't anyone gone there to assess the situation?" Han Li asked with furrowed brows.
"By the time it was discovered that contact had been lost, it was already too late. Countless stemborers had appeared around the original sealed site, taking over many of the nearby cities. There are even high-grade stemborers among them that possess Body Integration Stage powers, and their presence makes it impossible for anyone to access the original sealed site," Hu Yan replied.
"Body Integration Stage stemborers? Considering how fearsome the Stemborer Queen is, it's no surprise to see stemborers of this level. Aren't there some Sacred Ancestors who haven't entered the original sealed site yet? Why aren't they doing anything?" Han Li asked.
"I don't know what those Sacred Ancestors' intentions are, but I haven't heard of any of them traveling to the original sealed site to examine the situation there. As for why that is, that's not something for a lowly city lord like me to know," Hu Yan replied with a wry smile.
"Interesting. It seems that the other Sacred Ancestors must know something that we don't. Among the Sacred Ancestors that have yet to enter the original sealed site, which one is closest to Black Gourd City?" Han Li asked.
"The Sacred Ancestor closest to this city is Sacred Ancestor Xie Lian of the Myriad Flower Mountain Range. Three years ago, Senior Xie Lian eradicated all of the stemborers near the Myriad Flower Mountain Range," Hu Yan replied.
"Where is the Myriad Flower Mountain Range? Do you have a map of that area?" Han Li asked in a nonchalant manner.
"I do. I once traveled to the Myriad Flower Mountain Range to request an audience with Senior Xie Lian, so I have a copy of the map of that area," Hu Yan said as he immediately produced a stone shard before offering it to Han Li with both hands.
Han Li accepted the stone shard before briefly injecting his spiritual sense into it, upon which a smile appeared on his face. "That's all I needed to know; you can go now, Fellow Daoist."
"Yes, I'll be taking my leave now, Senior." Hu Yan was very relieved to hear this, and he extended a respectful bow before departing.
A group of high-grade devilish beings that were waiting nearby immediately gathered around Hu Yan, and they flew into the city together.
"Let's pay this Sacred Ancestor Xie Lian a visit," Han Li said in a calm manner.
Silvermoon and Daoist Xie naturally had no objections to this.
Thus, Han Li raised a hand to release a black devilish flying carriage, and the three got onto the carriage before it flew away as a streak of black light.
......
A month later. Han Li's trio appeared in the air above a lush mountain range that looked as if it could easily belong in the Spirit Realm.
"So this is the Myriad Flower Mountain Range. I have to say, this Sacred Ancestor Xie Lian has found a really nice and scenic location. Where is he residing on this mountain range?" Silvermoon asked.
"The map indicates that this Sacred Ancestor Xie Lian is living on a mountain known as Sky Facing Peak, which is situated at the center of this mountain range," Han Li replied with a smile.
"In that case, it shouldn't be too hard to find him. However, our visit is quite abrupt, and we didn't get a chance to gather any information on what type of person this Sacred Ancestor is; I hope he's not too inhospitable," Silvermoon mused.
"Hehe, regardless of how hostile and inhospitable he may be, we have to make him tell us what's happened in the original sealed site; only then can we devise a plan for how to proceed. Of course, it would be even better if we can directly find out the whereabouts of Senior Ao Xiao and Senior Mo Jianli," Han Li said in a confident manner.
A hint of concern flashed through Silvermoon's eyes at the mention of her grandfather, and she nodded in response.
"Let's go. This mountain range isn't very large, so it won't take us much time to get to Sky Facing Peak."
Thus, Han Li set off as a streak of azure light, followed closely by Silvermoon and Daoist Xie.
Several hours later, the mountain range parted, and a massive white mountain that extended all the way up into the clouds appeared up ahead.
The mountain was hundreds of thousands of feet tall, and its top half was entirely covered in white ice and snow, while its bottom half was enshrouded within layers of black mist, within which fierce winds and ghastly howls could be heard.
Han Li's trio stopped close to 10 kilometers away from the mountain, and Silvermoon was quite startled by the mountain's peculiar appearance. "This Sky Facing Peak really is no ordinary mountain."
"This is just an illusion. It'll work on normal devilish beings, but it can't fool the likes of Brother Xie and myself," Han Li said with a faint smile as blue light flashed within his eyes.
"An illusion?" Silvermoon's eyes widened as she carefully appraised the mountain in the distance, but couldn't find anything amiss.
Han Li chuckled as he made a hand seal, and a third demonic eye instantly appeared on his glabella.
He then let loose a low cry, and a translucent pillar of light that was around as thick a human thumb shot forth before vanishing into the distance.
All of a sudden, a burst of powerful energy fluctuations erupted in the distance amid a resounding boom, and ripples surged through the air several kilometers away, following which the scene up ahead completely transformed.
The massive mountain disappeared, and a huge basin with an area of around 100 kilometers took its place.
At the center of the basin was a beautiful mountain that was tens of thousands of feet tall, and in contrast with the gargantuan foreboding mountain from before, this one was riddled with exotic plants and flowers and enshrouded within a layer of resplendent five-colored light.
Han Li's gaze was immediately drawn to a palace on the mountain summit.
The palace was around several acres in area and was entirely of an exuberant green color, looking as if it had been constructed from fresh wood.
"So this is the true Sky Facing Peak!" Silvermoon murmured to
herself.
A faint smile appeared on Han Li's face, yet just as he was about to say something in response, when a female voice suddenly rang out from the scenic mountain.
"Who has paid my Sky Facing Peak a visit? Please forgive me for not coming out to greet you sooner, fellow daoists."
As soon as the voice trailed off, a streak of green light rose up into the air from the palace before flying directly toward Han Li.
After just a few flashes, the streak of light faded close to 200 feet away, revealing a woman in a green palatial dress.
Han Li's expression changed drastically as soon as he caught sight of the woman, and he exclaimed, "Bao Hua? Wait, you're not Bao Hua!"
The woman was extremely similar to Bao Hua in appearance, but upon closer inspection, one would discover that she carried herself in a manner that was completely different from Bao Hua.
"The three of you must not be from our holy realm, right? Otherwise, there's no way you would've mistaken me for Bao Hua," the woman said as she carefully appraised Han Li's trio.
At this point, Han Li had reverted back to his usual calm expression, and he said, "We came directly to see you, so we had no intention of concealing our origins in the first place. Having said that, you gave me quite a surprise; may I ask if you're related to Bao Hua in any way?"
"Bao Hua and I are identical twins. All of the Sacred Ancestors of our holy realm are aware of this, so I knew you had to be from a foreign realm," the woman replied.
"I see, no wonder you bear such a close resemblance to Bao Hua. I'm sure you already know why we're here, right, Fellow Daoist Xie Lian?" Han Li asked with a hint of a smile on his face.
"You're here to find information about what's happening in the original sealed site, right?" Xie Lian asked.
Chapter 2219: White Light Realm
"Oh? You don't seem surprised by our visit, Fellow Daoist Xie Lian," Han Li said as his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Are the three of you from the Spirit Realm or the Black Flame Realm?" Sacred Ancestor Xie Lian asked in an expressionless manner.
"How can you be so sure that we're from one of those two realms?" Han Li asked.
"Among the realms that have sent out powerful beings to assist our holy realm, only the Black Flame Realm and Spirit Realm are still yet to contact us," Sacred Ancestor Xie Lian replied.
"What do you mean by 'us'?" Han Li asked as his expression changed slightly.
"I'm referring to the Sacred Ancestors who have still yet to enter the original sealed site. Even though I've been residing in seclusion in this mountain range, I've kept in constant contact with the other fellow daoists. For foreign beings like you who want to learn about the situation in the original sealed site, your best option is naturally to seek out one of us," Xie Lian replied.
"I see. We are indeed from the Spirit Realm. Judging from what you just said, it seems you're very familiar with the situation in the original sealed site," Han Li said.
"So you're from the Spirit Realm. You look rather familiar, Fellow Daoist; have you entered our holy realm before?" Xie Lian asked with a contemplative expression, seemingly completely unbothered by the fact that Han Li's trio had come from the Spirit Realm.
Han Li faltered slightly upon seeing this before a smile appeared on his face.
"I have indeed visited this realm once before. It looks like you've already identified me, so why ask a question you already know the answer to?"
"So you really are the cultivator with the Han surname that Yuan Yan and Liu Ji had once placed on their wanted list. Back when you left our holy realm, you were still a Body Integration cultivator, yet you're already at the Grand Ascension Stage now. I finally understand why those two held you in such high regard. In that case, this fellow daoist must be Fellow Daoist Xie from the Devilish Origin Sea. I'm one of the very few Sacred Ancestors who have yet to travel to the Devilish Origin Sea to see Brother Xie; it's a pleasure to meet you now," Xie Lian said, completely ignoring the early-Body Integration Stage Silvermoon.
It was clear that she didn't regard anyone below the Grand Ascension Stage as worthy of her attention.
Daoist Xie's expression remained indifferent, and he displayed no intention of replying.
However, Han Li raised an eyebrow as he said, "Seeing as you've identified Brother Xie, I won't have to make an introduction. You still haven't given me any information about what's happening in the original sealed site."
"I know a thing or two about the situation there, but this is a very important matter that we shouldn't be discussing here. Please come with me to my palace first, fellow daoists," Xie Lian invited.
Han Li cast his gaze toward the mountain down below, and his brows furrowed ever so slightly.
An amused look appeared on Xie Lian's face as she chuckled, "Are you worried that I would try to plot against you, Fellow Daoist Han?"
"I'm sure someone of your lofty status wouldn't stoop to something like that, unless you're confident enough to think that you can take on two Grand Ascension Stage beings at once," Han Li chuckled.
"Then please go ahead," Xie Lian said with a smile as she turned slightly to the side.
Thus, Han Li swept a sleeve through the air, releasing a burst of golden light that encompassed both Daoist Xie and Silvermoon before flying toward the mountain in the distance, followed closely by Sacred Ancestor Xie Lian.
The five-colored light enshrouding the mountain parted, and Han Li and the others flew into the restriction before landing in front of the entrance of the palace on the mountain peak.
Right at this moment, a pair of burly men in a set of strange attire emerged from within the palace.
These two men had very dark skin and were both wearing suits of silver armor. However, their arms were bared and etched with a series of crimson spirit patterns. Furthermore, their eyes were of a shimmering silver color and were devoid of pupils, presenting a very peculiar appearance.
One of the two men was completely bald, while the other had a head of disheveled long hair.
Both of them had thick golden bands around their arms and were very muscular in appearance.
As soon as their eyes fell upon Han Li, a slight chill ran down Han Li's spine, and he murmured, "Those two are both Grand Ascension Stage beings!"
Silvermoon immediately drew a sharp breath upon hearing this.
Indeed, both of these burly men were also Grand Ascension Stage beings, but their auras were completely different compared to those of devilish beings.
"Are these three also reinforcements from another foreign realm, Fellow Daoist Xie Lian? Why is there a Body Integration Stage being among them?" the bald man asked in a gravelly voice.
"Fellow Daoist Han, these two are Brother Jin Chai and Brother Shi Ding from the White Light Realm; they arrived here around half a month earlier than the three of you. Brother Jin, this is Fellow Daoist Han and this is Fellow Daoist Xie; both of them are from the Spirit Realm," Xie Lian introduced with a smile.
"The Spirit Realm? Isn't that the realm that was in conflict with your Elder Devil Realm not long ago? I thought they weren't even going to send anyone," the bald man said with a hint of disdain in his voice.
"If the Stemborer Queen breaks out of its seal, all of the nearby realms will be in grave peril, so our Spirit Realm naturally can't just stand by and watch. Having said that, it's the first time I've heard of the White Light Realm," Han Li said in a calm manner.
"Hmph, your ignorance is truly astounding. Don't tell me you've only just progressed to the Grand Ascension Stage," the bald man said in a cold voice, while his companion remained completely silent and expressionless, just like Daoist Xie.
Han Li was just about to say something in response when Xie Lian interjected, "I'm sure you didn't come to my palace to bicker with one another, right, fellow daoists? Seeing as all of you came here for the Stemborer Queen, let's talk about that. You've always wanted to hear about the situation in the original sealed site, right, Brother Jin? Now that Fellow Dao
ist has also arrived, I'll elaborate on the situation to all of you."
Jin Chai's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and he nodded in response. "Brother Shi and I are naturally happy to hear what you have to say."
After that, Jin Chai returned to the palace with his companion, and Xie Lian turned to Han Li before making an inviting hand gesture. "After you, Fellow Daoist Han."
Han Li gave her a faint smile before making his way into the palace with Silvermoon and Daoist Xie, followed by Sacred Ancestor Xie Lian.
"We pay our respects to Mistress Xie Lian!"
The palace wasn't very large, but the corridor behind the front gate was lined with around 40 female servants in palatial dresses, and they all extended respectful bows toward Sacred Ancestor Xie Lian.
"Prepare some spirit fruits and spirit tea; we have some important guests," Xie Lian instructed.
Some of the servants immediately gave affirmative responses before departing, while Han Li and the others followed Xie Lian into the main hall of the palace.
The two Grand Ascension Stage beings from the White Light Realm were already seated there, and their lips were trembling slightly as they communicated with one another through voice transmission.
Han Li's trio took a seat across from those two, while Xie Lian sat down on the main seat.
"Fellow Daoist Xie Lian, now that everyone's here, can you disclose the information to us?" Jin Chai asked in a direct manner.
Xie Lian's smile faded slightly upon hearing this, and a serious look appeared on her face. "Of course, but before that, I have a question for all of you: have you come here to help our holy realm seal the Stemborer Queen again, or are you here to rescue your brethren from your respective races?"
"Why do you ask, Fellow Daoist Xie Lian? Do these two objectives conflict with one another?" Jin Chai asked as his expression changed slightly.
A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality c1-2248 Page 1272