Chapter 213: Returned

"Deputy... Deputy Sect Master Xiong, I have managed to accumulate these six thousand merit points over many years. But I truly do not have those three hundred immortal spirit stones. Could... could I compensate with top-grade spirit stones instead?" Zhu Feng's face was grim as he tentatively asked.

"I can grant you some leeway. Gather them within ten years and give them to me, and this matter will be settled." Xiong Shan glanced at him and said coldly.

"This... very well." Zhu Feng replied with a mournful expression, his voice strained.

"Remember, after you leave here, you are not to mention this matter to anyone, or I will not let you off. Now, get out!" After extorting a hefty sum from Zhu Feng, Xiong Shan's mood did not improve much, and he issued a blunt dismissal.

Upon hearing this, the others quickly agreed. Having toiled for most of the day without earning a single merit point, they dared not say anything more and left dejectedly.

After leaving the restricted area, Han Li and Qi Liang walked in silence until they reached the Teleportation Hall, where they exchanged bitter smiles and farewells before each teleporting back to their cave dwellings.

Upon returning to his cave dwelling on Red Cloud Peak, Han Li immediately conducted a thorough examination of his body. Only after confirming that Xiong Shan had not planted any mark on him did he relax slightly and enter the secret chamber to sit cross-legged and recuperate.

A few days later.

On a solitary peak near the northeastern edge of the Bell Cry Mountain Range, a gaunt old man dressed in snow-white robes with a Daoist topknot stood on a bare boulder at the summit, gazing up into the sky to the southwest.

The sky there was clear, as if washed clean, empty and devoid of anything, yet the old man's eyes sparkled with excitement as he looked, and his face was full of anticipation.

But after a moment, a flash of green light suddenly appeared on the horizon, where there had been nothing before.

Within a few breaths, the green light rapidly expanded, revealing a giant green sword that flew swiftly toward him.

"Just as I thought!"

The gaunt old man's eyes lit up, and a hint of a smile curled at the corners of his mouth.

The next moment, his entire aura suddenly shifted, his spirit and energy reaching their peak, revealing his full cultivation at the early True Immortal stage.

He was originally a rogue cultivator from the seas outside the Guyun Continent, having only recently arrived near the Bell Cry Mountain Range. He had merely intended to rest on this solitary peak for a few days, but while meditating, he sensed a strange flying sword with an aura comparable to an immortal artifact hurtling toward him.

The old man was himself a True Immortal realm cultivator proficient in the way of the sword. Without sensing the presence of the sword's owner, greed arose in his heart, and he decided to intercept the sword.

Seeing the flying sword approaching, the old man's figure shot up, transforming into a dazzling white light that pounced toward the sword.

The Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords, now transformed into a giant sword, were not being controlled by Han Li at the moment, but they still instinctively resisted, emitting a faint "zzz" sound from the blade.

The old man paid no heed, his hands wrapped in spiritual light as he reached out and grabbed toward the sword's hilt.

With a thunderous "boom!"

A blinding golden light suddenly flared on the giant green sword, and countless golden electric threads, like dragons and snakes, burst forth wildly, enveloping the void for dozens of yards around and forming an impenetrable golden thunderball, from which a miserable scream emerged.

Then, the golden thunderball suddenly contracted and vanished.

A charred, withered corpse, emitting streams of white smoke, fell from the sky. Before it even hit the ground, a mountain breeze blew it into black powder that scattered in the wind.

The giant green sword, seemingly exhausted from the exertion, lost its radiance and reverted into seventy-two flying swords that descended into a valley below.

...

Two months later, above a remote snow valley near the northeastern edge of the Bell Cry Mountain Range, a young man in a green robe slowly descended from the sky and entered the valley.

This man was tall and had starry eyes—it was Han Li, who had followed the spiritual connection all the way here.

Earlier, worried that Xiong Shan might be secretly watching him, he had stayed in the secret chamber cultivating for nearly a month after returning to his cave dwelling, without leaving even a step.

As he had expected, Xiong Shan did not let go of any suspicious trace and even secretly sent people to his territory, seemingly to keep an eye on him.

Han Li estimated that similar situations would occur in the territories of the others, including Mo Xie.

However, everyone, including Mo Xie, probably had to turn a blind eye to this, or else they might make things worse and arouse even more suspicion.

Only after confirming that Xiong Shan had gradually relaxed his vigilance did Han Li secretly conceal his tracks, leave Red Cloud Peak, and fly all the way here.

After landing, he immediately dashed deep into the valley and finally stopped by a green, deep pool at the valley's end.

His gaze swept over the pool, and he saw that its surface, though seemingly calm, was actually filled with countless extremely fine sword qi. If even a small piece of gravel fell in or a withered leaf drifted in, it would be instantly shredded.

Knowing that the Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords were in the pool, Han Li focused his mind and summoned the flying swords.

With a "splash,"

The once mirror-like surface of the deep pool immediately began to churn like boiling water in a pot.

A series of "puffing" sounds rang out!

Seventy-two flying swords shot out of the pool one after another, hovered briefly in midair, and then flew toward Han Li.

Seeing this, a smile appeared at the corner of Han Li's mouth, and he stood motionless.

The flying swords, glowing with green light, circled around him like a group of children, dancing joyfully up and down, emitting faint, trembling hums.

"Finally... returned!"

After a long separation, Han Li let out a long breath before raising his hand to caress each of the flying swords one by one, as if repeatedly patting the shoulders of old friends, feeling the somewhat familiar yet unfamiliar aura emanating from them, his heart filled with myriad emotions.

Since the flying swords had devoured the pure sword essence of hundreds of high-grade flying swords, their aura had naturally been greatly enhanced. However, out of caution, Han Li did not immediately test the current power of the swords; instead, he cast a secret technique to conceal the aura of the sword bodies.

Only after confirming that no one would detect anything unusual did he carefully and solemnly store them one by one into his body.

Back then, when only two of his flying swords were taken by the ancient demon, he was already overjoyed upon recovering them. Now that the seventy-two flying swords were regained, his joy went without saying.

As for the substantial increase in the swords' power, it was an extra bonus, a blessing in disguise.

……

Not long after, without alerting anyone, Han Li quietly returned to Chixia Peak.

As soon as he returned, he had Meng Yungui gather everyone.

“Greetings, Elder Li!”

In a meeting hall within the residence, Meng Yungui, Sun Buzheng, and eight others bowed and paid their respects in unison.

“Over the years, you have managed my cave dwelling in an orderly manner and have not neglected your cultivation. You have not let down my intentions. Yungui, take these pills and distribute them to everyone later.” Han Li said, standing with his hands behind his back.

As his words fell, he flicked his sleeve, and a streak of green light flashed into Meng Yungui's hand—a delicate storage bracelet.

“Thank you, Elder Li, for your generous gift!” Meng Yungui and the others, overjoyed, bowed again in thanks.

Although Han Li did not appear often, he occasionally bestowed rewards, including pills greatly beneficial for Core Formation cultivation, which had filled their hearts not only with respect but also with genuine gratitude.

Especially Meng Yungui, who had successfully condensed his Nascent Soul during this period, becoming a true Nascent Soul stage cultivator.

“Starting today, I will go into seclusion, and Chixia Peak will be closed for a time. I will activate all the restrictions and receive no external guests!” Han Li scanned the crowd and instructed.

Hearing this, Meng Yungui and the others were startled and quickly agreed.

“During my seclusion, Sun Buzheng, you will lead a few people to guard the cave dwelling.” Han Li looked at Sun Buzheng and said.

“Yes, Elder Li, rest assured, I will be diligent.” Sun Buzheng immediately replied.

“Yungui, among everyone here, you have the highest cultivation. I give you a task: go outside and seek out novel and rare spiritual herbs, seeds or seedlings of spiritual plants, the more the better. Don't worry too much about the cost.” Han Li then instructed Meng Yungui.

“Yes.” Meng Yungui was taken aback for a moment, then immediately agreed.

“Here are some spirit stones and two magic treasures for your protection. If you accomplish this task well, those two treasures will be granted to you as a reward.” Han Li said, flipping his hand to produce a storage artifact and handing it to Meng Yungui.

As Meng Yungui's divine sense probed into the storage artifact, a gleam of surprise and joy lit up his eyes. He said solemnly, “Thank you, Elder. I will surely complete the task and not disappoint your expectations.”

Seeing this, the others also showed envy in their eyes.

The magic treasures in the storage artifact must be extraordinary, otherwise they would not have made Meng Yungui so excited.

Especially Sun Buzheng, who felt both envy and regret.

His cultivation had originally been a notch above Meng Yungui's, but over the years, Meng Yungui had made successive breakthroughs, surpassing him and breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage earlier.

Had he known this day would come, he would have worked harder in cultivation over the years, and perhaps the reward would have been his.

Meng Qianqian stared at Han Li with her big eyes, also revealing a hint of hopeful light. Today, she was dressed in a snow-white robe, looking graceful and elegant.

“Alright, go about your tasks.” Han Li nodded with a smile to the few of them, then turned and walked back into the cave dwelling.

“Farewell, Elder Li.” The group bowed and said in unison.

Meng Qianqian's pretty face slowly turned pale, and she did not bow along with the others.

With a soft “boom,” the cave dwelling gate slowly closed.

“You few, come with me.” Sun Buzheng greeted Meng Yungui, then picked a few people and immediately set to work.

Meng Qianqian gazed at the tightly shut stone door, biting her lip lightly, her heart filled with indescribable melancholy.

“Qianqian, what's wrong?” Meng Yungui saw his sister's low spirits and came over to ask.

“It's nothing…” Meng Qianqian said, then lowered her head, a layer of mist forming in her eyes.

From start to finish, Han Li had not looked at her even once.

“Alas… Elder Li and we are not from the same world. You should understand that.” Meng Yungui, knowing well his sister's feelings, sighed softly.

Hearing this, Meng Qianqian's delicate body trembled slightly.

Then she raised her head, her gaze gradually becoming resolute.

Seeing his sister like this, Meng Yungui could only shake his head and sigh.

This sister was outwardly gentle but inwardly strong; once she decided something, even he, her brother, could not change it.

Perhaps this was not necessarily a bad thing.

Meng Yungui smiled faintly, set the matter aside, and began pondering how to accomplish the important task entrusted to him by Han Li.