Chapter 1134: The Golden Boy Captured

Black Heaven Demon Ancestor naturally had little interest in the conversation between Han Li and the others.

He seemed quite excited by everything he saw, looking around incessantly. After a while, he came to the deep pit, crouched down, and stroked his chin as if pondering something. Suddenly, his figure flickered as he swooped down and landed in the center of the pit.

On the ground there, house-sized boulders of rock-fire still remained. Black Heaven seemed very interested in them, circling around the fireballs and occasionally reaching out his hand as if warming himself by a stove.

Just as Han Li and the others were speaking, another spatial fluctuation came from the void not far beside them.

A flash of light appeared, and three figures stumbled out from it.

Having just been through a fierce battle, Han Li and the others had not fully relaxed. Seeing these sudden arrivals, their immortal spiritual power surged, as if ready to fight.

The three seemed greatly startled as well. The leader, an old man with green skin covered in copper coin-like scales, flashed with crystalline light as six snow-white ice crystals emerged around him, emitting a chilling cold.

Beside him, a tall man with dark green skin as dry as tree bark seemed extremely afraid of the cold and quickly dodged aside. Green light swirled around him as countless green roots sprouted beneath him, plunging into the scorched earth.

Another old man in gray robes appeared much more normal. He looked like an ordinary person, standing tall with one hand behind his back. His robes billowed without wind, and golden ripples continuously emanated from within.

Just as everyone was at odds and about to strike, Liu Zicai suddenly called out:

"Huaiyangzi, could it be you, Fellow Daoist Huaiyangzi?"

This unexpected question not only surprised Han Li and the others but also stunned the three opposite.

The gray-robed old man frowned, carefully examined them for a moment, then fixed his gaze on Liu Zicai. After a long hesitation, he said in astonishment, "Liu Zicai, Fellow Daoist Liu... Is it really you?"

"It is I. Who would have thought that after all these years apart, we would meet again here and now." Liu Zicai smiled bitterly, speaking with some emotion.

"Fate plays tricks, fate plays tricks!" The gray-robed old man Huaiyangzi shook his head repeatedly.

Han Li and the others did not immediately lower their guard but looked at the two with strange expressions.

"Everyone, no need to be tense. Fellow Daoist Huaiyangzi is an old acquaintance, not an enemy." Liu Zicai was the first to retract his divine abilities, speaking to Han Li and the others.

The gray-robed old man also waved his hand, signaling the two beside him to withdraw their abilities.

Only then did everyone converge their auras and approach each other.

"I never thought that after so many years, I would see you again, Fellow Daoist Liu..." Huaiyangzi sighed, speaking with emotion.

"When you disappeared in the Mohai Immortal Domain back then, I went there to search for you. Unfortunately, after spending hundreds of years, I found nothing. I only knew that you went to explore a seabed secret realm in Wangchen Sea, and then you vanished without a trace. What really happened back then?" Liu Zicai asked in confusion.

"Back then, I was invited by an old friend from Mohai Immortal Palace to explore a secret realm deep in the Chijiao Trench. Unexpectedly, I was betrayed by that scoundrel and ambushed by the Immortal Palace's people. They fabricated many false charges against me, and then I was thrown into the Immortal Prison. Later, I was transferred and sealed in the Time Tower. It was only due to the recent变故 in the tower that I managed to escape." Huaiyangzi explained.

"What... I was also imprisoned in the Time Tower for many years, and I didn't know you were there too?" Liu Zicai exclaimed in surprise.

"You were also imprisoned in the tower?" Huaiyangzi looked Liu Zicai up and down with a suspicious expression.

"What, you don't believe me?" Liu Zicai frowned.

"It's not that I don't believe you, but for a cultivator of your cultivation level, if you had been captured by the Heavenly Court, your cultivation wouldn't have remained so intact. Didn't they extract your law power?" Huaiyangzi asked doubtfully.

After speaking, he glanced at the green-skinned old man and the withered tree man beside him; all three were equally puzzled.

"Extract law power? Could it be that the Heavenly Court did such evil to you... No wonder I felt that although your realm remains, your cultivation seems like a castle in the air, somewhat unstable." Liu Zicai examined him more closely and said.

"Not just me. Many cultivators in the Immortal Prison suffered the same fate. All their condensed and comprehended law threads were stripped away, and then they were thrown into the Time Tower." Huaiyangzi said bitterly.

"Speaking of which, although you never served under the Heavenly Court, you were always on good terms with them, a carefree rogue immortal. Why would they target you? Was there something special about your law threads?" Liu Zicai frowned.

"As for law power, it is all obtained through enlightenment. Even if it originates from the same source, it carries each person's understanding of the great Dao. Whose law power doesn't have some uniqueness? But the Heavenly Court doesn't seem to care about that. They have captured many cultivators, including humans, demons, and even plants and spirits. The law powers they cultivate have no commonality. This matter is strange from the inside out." Huaiyangzi shook his head.

"Senior Huaiyangzi, what did the Heavenly Court use your extracted law threads for?" Jiao San couldn't help asking.

Han Li was also very curious about this. Hearing Jiao San ask, he pricked up his ears.

"I don't know... From beginning to end, we never knew what they wanted so many law threads for. Compared to that, what I find stranger is why your law threads weren't stripped?" Huaiyangzi shook his head and said.

"We don't know either. I only remember that shortly after being imprisoned in the Immortal Domain, we were tricked by that scoundrel Wen Taisui into the Time Tower, and then we were imprisoned until now. By the way, where were you imprisoned in the Time Tower?" Liu Zicai asked.

"I and many other cultivators were imprisoned on the seventh floor of the Time Tower, but we were all sealed underground, in a semi-dormant state. I don't know how many years ago, the tower's binding power suddenly loosened, and we managed to slowly recover our law power, but we couldn't move freely." Huaiyangzi said.

"I see. I was imprisoned on the fifth floor, so no wonder we never met. Haha, we were in the same place for so many years, and if not for today's events, who knows when we would have reunited." Liu Zicai glanced at Black Heaven Demon Ancestor, who was still playing with fire at the bottom of the giant pit, and said.

Han Li listened to their words without much expression on his face, but inwardly he was shocked.

As the most authoritative official force in the True Immortal Realm, the Heavenly Court, regardless of the usual behavior of its various Immortal Palaces, ostensibly upholds justice and pacifies the immortal domains. In principle, it should not do anything too outrageous. If what Huaiyangzi said was true, then daring to commit such a heinous act without being discovered must mean they are plotting something significant.

Unfortunately, there were too few clues now, and he had no way to guess.

"Everyone, forgive me for speaking out of turn, but this place is not a good spot. I think we should leave as soon as possible. We can discuss matters later." Han Li said after thinking for a moment.

"Indeed. With such a big commotion here, the Heavenly Court will surely send people to clean up soon. Let's leave first and then plan." Jiao San nodded in agreement.

"What are your plans now, Fellow Daoist?" Liu Zicai looked at Huaiyangzi and asked.

"At this point, I have nothing to hide. Back then, the Reincarnation Palace wanted to recruit me, but I refused to play it safe. Now, I have nowhere to go. I don't know how the Reincarnation Palace is doing now, and whether they would still take me in." Huaiyangzi sighed.

"Senior, if you wish to join the Reincarnation Palace, I can recommend you." Upon hearing this, Jiao San cupped his hands and smiled.

At these words, the more than twenty people who had originally intended to follow Jiao San were first stunned, then showed varied expressions. After a few whispered words among them, the rest shook their heads and fell silent again.

"Oh, you are from the Reincarnation Palace?" Huaiyangzi looked Jiao San up and down, asking in surprise.

Jiao San smiled noncommittally.

"Without them, we would still be imprisoned in the tower." Before Jiao San could answer, Liu Zicai said.

"Good, good, good. It seems I owe a debt for being freed. I am willing to go with you to the Reincarnation Palace." Huaiyangzi was initially surprised, then repeatedly said "good."

After speaking, he asked the two beside him, "Fellow Daoist Moxu and Fellow Daoist Wuqi, what are your plans?"

"Our situations are similar to yours, and we feel a bond with you. Although we have luckily escaped, the Heavenly Court will surely not let us go. Let's join the Reincarnation Palace together." The green-skinned old man named Wuqi smiled gently.

The withered tree man seemed disinclined to speak, only nodding in response with a hoarse voice.

"Brother Han, what are your plans? Are you willing to return to the Reincarnation Palace with me?" Jiao San looked at Han Li and asked.

"After this experience, I have seen through it all. My feud with the Heavenly Court is growing deeper. The sooner I join the Reincarnation Palace, the sooner I have a backing. But this time, don't just give me an empty title of Reincarnation Son like before." Han Li shook his head and said.

"Perhaps by fate, Brother Han has a deep connection with the Reincarnation Palace. This time, you have helped me achieve no small merit. Once you enter the Reincarnation Palace, you will be a true core member. Our Palace Master also thinks highly of you and may even meet you personally." Jiao San smiled.

"That would be excellent. But regarding the matter of the Golden Boy you mentioned earlier, I am still waiting for your explanation." Han Li smiled and switched to voice transmission.

"This matter... I can't say too much for now. I can only tell you that the Golden Boy is currently imprisoned in the Nine Yuan Temple." Jiao San hesitated briefly before replying.

Han Li's expression changed slightly upon hearing this. He transmitted, "About the Golden Boy being captured by the Nine Yuan Temple, what exactly happened? You can at least tell me this."