Chapter 1138: Surging Winds and Rising Clouds

"Forget it. With that madman Shi Kongmo around, it's understandable that you failed. But the Vial Gourd is something the Sovereign requires. For now, the Heavenly Court has temporarily diverted few personnel to prepare for the Bodhi Feast. Moreover, the Gold Origin Immortal Domain is under the influence of the Nine Elements Temple; sending others to investigate would be inappropriate. Thus, the task of tracking down the Vial Gourd must still be carried out by your Immortal Prison. Do not fail a second time, understand?" The white figure paused again before speaking slowly, his tone much gentler, and the pressure that had been swirling in the hall gradually dissipated.

"Yes, I understand. I will immediately dispatch all Surveillance Immortal Envoys to the Gold Origin Immortal Domain to investigate Han Li's situation. This time, I will surely retrieve the Vial Gourd." Qimozi was overjoyed at this. If he could continue tracking Han Li, there was still considerable hope of seizing the "Great Five Elements Illusory World Technique." So he agreed happily.

"There's no need to make such a big fuss. Keep it low-key externally but tight internally. Now that your physical body is destroyed, I will send someone later to deliver a Celestial Fire Sacred Lotus to help you rebuild a Dao body." The white figure then added.

"Thank you for your grace, sir!" Qimozi was delighted again and bowed.

"You may leave." The white figure waved a hand and said indifferently.

Qimozi bowed once more and was about to walk out.

Just then, a mass of red clouds flew in from afar. Without any announcement, it flew directly into the hall and transformed into a red-haired woman.

This woman appeared to be about twenty years old, with skin like凝脂, brows like paintings, and eyes like drawings. She could be described as captivatingly beautiful and exuding boundless charm. Her figure was exceptionally graceful, and her tight red dress clung to her delicate curves, inspiring infinite longing.

However, despite her beauty, the red-haired woman's expression carried an undisguised arrogance, like a blazing rose that would not allow anyone to approach.

"Oh, isn't this Prison Master Qimozi? I heard that you suffered a defeat on your recent mission and your Dao body was destroyed. I thought it was just a rumor, after all, the Prison Master is recognized as a genius Da Luo in the Heavenly Court. I never expected it to be true." The red-haired woman looked Qimozi up and down, chuckled, and said in a crisp, pleasant voice full of mockery.

A flash of anger appeared in Qimozi's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it and did not flare up.

"Greetings, Lord Baiyun." The red-haired woman said nothing more. She turned and bowed to the white figure on the platform, her movements casual, without the fearful reverence Qimozi had shown.

"Ah, it's Chimeng. No need for formalities. Was the trip to the Green Forest Immortal Domain smooth?" The white figure chuckled, speaking to the red-haired woman in a very gentle tone.

"Everything went smoothly. The tasks you assigned have been completed. I purchased three thousand Green Heart Immortal Fruits, six thousand Earth Mother Flat Peach Fruits, and ten thousand Red Spiral Jade Fruits. All have been delivered to the Hundred Delicacies Department and registered." The red-haired woman raised an eyebrow slightly and said.

"That's good. All these items will be used for the upcoming Bodhi Feast, so there must be no mistakes." The white figure nodded.

"Rest assured, sir. I personally inspected every immortal fruit; all are of superior quality." The red-haired woman clasped her hands and said.

"Chimeng, you are meticulous in your work, so I am naturally at ease. The journey to the Green Forest Immortal Domain was arduous. Go and rest well." The white figure nodded again and said.

"It was just a trip; I don't feel particularly tired. Earlier, I overheard you and Qimozi discussing something about the Vial Gourd. Could it be the treasure stolen from the Nine Elements Temple back then?" The red-haired woman's eyes flickered as she asked.

Qimozi, who had a poor relationship with Chimeng, was about to take his leave but stopped upon hearing this, his expression changing slightly.

"Indeed, it is that item. The Sovereign has issued a strict order to retrieve it. Are you also interested in this matter?" The white figure said.

"Of course I'm interested in anything the Sovereign specifies. Moreover, on my way back, I received a message from my grandmother asking me to inquire about this matter." Chimeng said with a light laugh.

"Fellow Daoist Chirong? Has she emerged from seclusion?" The white figure was startled and asked.

Qimozi's body also trembled, as if he was very afraid of that name.

"My grandmother emerged from seclusion a few years ago and instructed me to send her regards to Lord Baiyun." Chimeng glanced disdainfully at Qimozi and said to the white figure.

"Over the years, I have been managing the affairs of the Heavenly Court on the Sovereign's orders. Unfortunately, I am not adept at this, and there have been many oversights. It's good that Fellow Daoist Chirong has emerged. I will soon request the Sovereign to hand over the acting authority to her, so I can take a break." The white figure laughed.

"Lord Baiyun is joking. During your tenure as acting head of the Heavenly Court, warfare across the immortal domains has greatly diminished, and prosperity has flourished. No other Dao Ancestor, if placed in charge, could have done as well as you. My grandmother once said that among the many Dao Ancestors of the Heavenly Court, Lord Baiyun may not be the most powerful in terms of magic power, but in governance, you are unmatched." Chimeng smiled sweetly and said.

"Haha, that is Fellow Daoist Chirong's praise of me." Dao Ancestor Baiyun laughed heartily.

"Since Fellow Daoist Chirong is interested in the Vial Gourd matter, Qimozi, you should inform Chimeng about the details." Dao Ancestor Baiyun then said to Qimozi.

"Yes." Qimozi hesitated briefly but still agreed and carefully recounted the intelligence regarding Han Li.

"I see. This Han Li is quite an interesting person. Ascending from the lower realm only twenty or thirty thousand years ago, he has already reached such a level. Such a rapid cultivation speed is unprecedented." Chimeng's lips curled slightly, showing a hint of interest.

"Chimeng, you may not know this, but the Vial Gourd is a celestial treasure. With such a treasure by one's side, seizing the creation of heaven and earth is not surprising." Dao Ancestor Baiyun said slowly.

"I see. Lord Baiyun, Qimozi's Dao body is destroyed and cannot recover in a short time. Moreover, he personally failed in dealing with Han Li. If others from the Immortal Prison were to act, the result would likely be the same. Why not leave the task of capturing Han Li to me? I will surely bring back both Han Li and the Vial Gourd for your disposal." Chimeng nodded in understanding and then said.

"Fellow Daoist Chimeng, the task of retrieving the Vial Gourd has already been assigned to me by the lord. My previous failure was due to carelessness. This time, I will bring the Annihilation Time Golden Wheel and will surely complete the mission successfully." Qimozi grew anxious and immediately said.

"Qimozi, without a Dao body, how can you complete the mission? Rebuilding a Dao body and consolidating your cultivation will take considerable time. Do you intend to wait until everything is ready before pursuing Han Li? Given his alertness, by then he might have fled to who knows where." Chimeng sneered.

Qimozi raised an eyebrow, about to retort.

"Qimozi, what Chimeng says makes sense. Since your Dao body is not yet formed, stay in the Heavenly Court and recuperate for now." Dao Ancestor Baiyun suddenly raised his hand to stop Qimozi from continuing.

"Yes." Qimozi was stunned. Under Dao Ancestor Baiyun's gaze, he said reluctantly.

"Chimeng, since you have volunteered, the task of capturing Han Li is yours. However, Qimozi has already failed once; you must not fail again." Dao Ancestor Baiyun looked at Chimeng and said solemnly.

"Rest assured, Lord Baiyun. I am not like some people. Just wait for my good news." Chimeng giggled, then flickered, transforming into a red cloud and flying out, disappearing in an instant.

Qimozi did not stay long either and soon took his leave. The hall was left with only Dao Ancestor Baiyun.

"Fellow Daoist Chirong, your reach is getting longer and longer, heh heh..." Dao Ancestor Baiyun stood up, gave a cold laugh, and then turned to walk toward the back of the hall.

...

At that moment, in another palace in the Heavenly Court, built entirely of translucent pink crystals.

A woman in a green dress sat there, none other than the Wonderful Law Celestial Venerable.

Her expression was somewhat gloomy as she looked at a dark red jade token before her, on which a pattern of a earthy yellow toad could be faintly seen.

However, the jade token was now cracked and broken into several pieces.

Two green-dressed maids stood nearby, their faces full of fear.

"How are the life tablets of Lan Yuanzi and Lan Yan?" The Wonderful Law Celestial Venerable slowly asked.

"Lan Yuanzi's life tablet is also cracked, but not completely shattered. As for Lan Yan's life tablet, there is no abnormality, but we have been unable to contact her. She may have been captured." One of the green-dressed maids quickly replied.

Hearing this, the Wonderful Law Celestial Venerable narrowed her beautiful eyes and remained silent for a moment.

"Holy Envoy, the Temple Master has also heard of this matter and just sent a message, expressing great anger over the failure to retrieve the Vial Gourd this time." Another green-dressed maid hesitated and said softly.

"I understand. You may leave." The Wonderful Law Celestial Venerable frowned and waved her hand.

The two green-dressed maids bowed and quickly withdrew.

"Han Li... it seems I have underestimated you. In that case, I will personally take action and see just how capable you really are." The Wonderful Law Celestial Venerable stood up and said slowly.

As her voice fell, her figure flickered and vanished without a trace.

...

In the northwestern border region of the Lesser Gold Origin Immortal Domain, the terrain was flat and the land fertile. The population density was much higher than in the Gold Origin Mountain Range, and there were many sect forces. The number one sect of the Lesser Gold Origin Immortal Domain, the Heaven-Piercing Sword Sect, was located here.

Beyond the northwestern border lay an endless sea. The sea was rich in spiritual energy, but it was exceptionally turbulent, often giving rise to massive storms. Hence, this sea was called the Storm Sea.

The Storm Sea was abundant in various resources, attracting countless people to seek treasures. Its popularity was no less than that of the Gold Origin Mountain Range.

On the coast stood a huge city called the Golden Abyss City.

Golden Abyss City covered an extremely vast area and was incredibly prosperous, making it the premier city of the Lesser Gold Origin Immortal Domain.

The city's prosperity was partly due to the Storm Sea attracting countless treasure seekers, but the most important reason was that Golden Abyss City housed a cross-domain teleportation array connecting to the Greater Gold Origin Immortal Domain. Countless people traveled between the two places, creating the city's bustling atmosphere.

Outside Golden Abyss City was a huge square, dozens of miles in size, crowded with people coming and going, bustling and lively.

At every moment, streaks of light flew in from afar and landed here, or some people soared into the sky from here and flew into the distance.

A dark green light flew in from afar and stopped in the square outside the city, revealing a dark green flying boat. On the boat stood two figures, who were Han Li and Lan Yan, having finally arrived after more than ten years of travel.

"As expected of the largest city in the Lesser Gold Origin Immortal Domain, truly magnificent." Han Li looked at the almost boundless Golden Abyss City ahead and nodded in praise.

"This Golden Abyss City... is passable. When Fellow Daoist Han reaches the Greater Gold Origin Immortal Domain and goes to the Nine Elements City, you will know what a truly great city is." Lan Yan chuckled and said.

"Oh, is that so? Then I am looking forward to it more and more." Han Li said indifferently, flipped his hand to put away the Ink Dragon Flying Boat, and flew toward Golden Abyss City.