Chapter 349: Thought-Provoking

Han Li stayed in this inn's secret chamber for nearly two years.

During this period, he occasionally emerged from seclusion a few times, each time changing his appearance to wander around various shops in the city, paying attention to the movements of the outside world and the Immortal Palace, while also seeing if there were any spiritual materials worth purchasing.

Perhaps because the Black Wind Sea was indeed too remote, no one from the Northern Cold Immortal Palace had yet appeared in Guanlan City. However, news of the upheaval at Candle Dragon Dao had still spread here, becoming the most sensational event in the entire Northern Cold Immortal Domain in recent years.

Han Li naturally paid close attention to this matter. Upon learning that Hu Yan had not fallen into the hands of the Northern Cold Immortal Palace, he felt an inexplicable sense of relief, though he was puzzled as to why the Immortal Palace had not issued a wanted notice for him at the immortal inns in Huanglan Continent.

Moreover, it seemed that Bai Li, one of the thirteen Golden Immortal Dao Masters of Candle Dragon Dao and a half-step Tai Yi, had not actually perished at the hands of Xiao Jinhan.

Although this person had no connection to him, Han Li was still pleased to see it. After all, he was also wanted by the Northern Cold Immortal Palace, and having someone else divert the Immortal Palace's attention was certainly not a bad thing.

One day, in the center of Guanlan City.

The five-story white pagoda emitted a dazzling light, and a blue beam of light rose from its top, shooting into the sky with considerable momentum.

Many cultivators in the city were gathered around the white pagoda, watching those who entered the tower, not hiding their envious expressions.

Those who could enter the tower naturally had obtained the qualification for teleportation. It was said that in recent years, many cultivators had reaped benefits from the Black Wind Sea, which was the main reason why Guanlan City, a small town built only a hundred years ago, had become so prosperous.

Among the crowd, a white-faced scholar holding a folding fan stared unblinkingly at the white pagoda, his face expressionless, as if lost in thought.

Suddenly, he stepped out from the crowd, closed his folding fan, and walked toward the white pagoda.

This person was none other than Han Li in disguise.

After entering the white pagoda and passing through a short corridor, the view opened up into a spacious hall of about a hundred zhang in size. At the entrance of the hall stood two black-robed cultivators, one on each side.

Han Li found their robes familiar; they were the attire of Black Wind Island.

“Please show your teleportation token and guarantee certificate,” said the gray-haired man on the left, nodding slightly at Han Li, his tone calm.

Without a word, Han Li flipped his hand and produced two items, handing them over.

The man took out a white jade gui and shook it slightly. A white light emanated from it, enveloping the two items. The jade gui flashed with crystal light, and two fist-sized golden runes appeared briefly before vanishing.

“Please enter, friend,” said the hunchbacked old man on the right in a hoarse voice.

Han Li nodded slightly and walked in.

The hall was rectangular, with white jade tiles on the floor and dense runes inscribed on the surrounding walls, emitting a milky white light that made the entire hall bright and clear.

Inside the hall, besides several black-robed cultivators from Black Wind Island, there were already over twenty cultivators in various attires, waiting quietly in small groups.

The teleportation array was at the deepest part of the hall. Although not yet activated, it emitted faint spatial fluctuations.

Han Li's arrival did not attract much attention; aside from a few glances, the others ignored him.

Han Li casually swept his gaze across the hall while walking to an empty corner, where he sat down cross-legged.

Although his expression remained calm, his heart stirred slightly. The white-clothed man with concealed cultivation whom he had encountered by chance two years ago when he first entered Guanlan City was standing less than ten zhang away.

If it were only that, he wouldn't think much of it; after all, it wasn't strange for a True Immortal to want to enter the Black Wind Sea.

But around this man were five or six other cultivators, all of whom, despite their different attires, had concealed their True Immortal cultivation and appeared as Combined Movement cultivators. Among them, a middle-aged man with sword-like brows and a square face, with a resolute demeanor, was clearly a late-stage True Immortal, the highest cultivation level among those present besides himself.

Such a considerable force traveling together to the Black Wind Sea was indeed thought-provoking.

However, as long as these people did not interfere with him or concern him, Han Li naturally did not want to meddle. He just became more vigilant toward them.

Time passed bit by bit.

After about an hour or so, more than ten additional cultivators had entered the hall.

“Hehe, sorry to keep you all waiting. The time to activate the teleportation array is almost here.” With a clear voice, a black-robed old man with white hair and a youthful face appeared from somewhere.

The crowd stirred, and many who had been resting with closed eyes stood up.

Han Li also rose with the others and recognized the old man; he had met him once before—it was the loose immortal called “Old Yi.”

“I believe you all know that times have changed. Before entering the Black Wind Sea, please pass through this sensing array one by one,” said the white-haired old man, sweeping his gaze over the crowd while raising a hand and pointing at the void before him.

Hum!

Several jade tiles on the floor between the old man and the crowd suddenly shone with golden light, and golden runes flew out, intertwining to form a golden, hazy ring about a zhang in size.

Within the ring, clusters of golden light of varying sizes could be faintly seen darting and leaping about, emitting a hissing sound.

A flash of blue light flickered in Han Li's eyes and vanished. He noticed that each cluster of light was composed of countless golden seal scripts, appearing extraordinarily profound. His expression remained unchanged, but his heart sank.

Most of the cultivators present seemed to have anticipated this scene; aside from a few who looked surprised and whispered among themselves, the rest began to pass through the ring one by one.

Whenever someone passed through the ring, the golden light clusters around it would tremble slightly and undergo some changes.

The white-haired old man had been staring at the ring all along, as if observing something.

Before long, over a dozen people had passed through the ring and entered the teleportation array. Even the white-robed cultivator whom Han Li had noticed earlier passed through safely, with no anomalies occurring.

"Fellow Daoist, I am Luo Shi of Wumeng Island. I left the Black Wind Sea region centuries ago due to clan affairs. It seems this step did not exist back then. Has something happened in the Black Wind Sea region in recent years?" Han Li did not step forward immediately but instead quietly asked a nearby purple-haired young woman at the Combined Movement stage.

From her attire, she appeared to be a cultivator from Nanli Island in the Black Wind Sea region. He recalled that this island also belonged to the Black Wind Island faction.

"It's only natural that you wouldn't know, having been away for so many years. This is a new rule set by Island Master Lu a hundred years ago. I'm not entirely sure of the specifics either; it seems to be related to a heretic cultivator." The purple-haired young woman, who was about to step toward the ring, glanced at Han Li and explained.

"I see. Thank you for clarifying, Fellow Daoist." Han Li smiled and cupped his hands.

The purple-haired young woman waved her hand casually and then walked forward.

"A heretic cultivator..." Han Li took another look at the golden ring, his thoughts racing.

When the young woman mentioned "heretic cultivator," his first thought was of himself. After all, he had killed Tao Yu, a Golden Immortal with significant background, while at the True Immortal stage. It was quite possible that the North Cold Immortal Palace had labeled him a heretic cultivator.

But soon, he dismissed this idea.

Not only had he never heard of any connection between Black Wind Island and the North Cold Immortal Palace, but the fact that this identity-checking restriction had existed for a hundred years indicated that it had nothing to do with him. After all, a hundred years ago, he was still in the Candle Dragon Sect and had not done anything out of line.

Moreover, the white-robed cultivator who had concealed his cultivation had not triggered any reaction from the array, suggesting that the one who set up this restriction was not concerned with a cultivator's true cultivation level.

During Han Li's hesitation, the cultivators present had passed through the golden array one by one, leaving only a few behind. The other True Immortals who had concealed their cultivation were already inside the teleportation array.

He took a light breath, stepped forward, and placed one foot into the golden ring.

The golden light clusters around the ring trembled, and a gentle force enveloped his body, flowing over him like streams of water.

Han Li's heart tightened, but he maintained a calm expression and continued walking forward.

One step!

Two steps!

Three steps!

The white-haired old man stood with his hands behind his back, staring at the golden array with a solemn expression.

The golden ring was not large. Han Li took four or five steps and crossed it without any anomalies.

He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Soon after, the remaining few cultivators also passed through the sensing array without any unusual occurrences.

Seeing this, the white-haired old man nodded, raised one hand to dispel the golden ring, and with a flick of his other sleeve, shot out streaks of blue light that landed on Han Li and the others, manifesting as blue talismans.

The next moment, Han Li felt the teleportation array beneath his feet blaze with light, and everything before his eyes was filled with white.

After a long while, his body suddenly sank and stabilized, and the scene before him cleared, revealing a circular hall.

Han Li still had some memory of this place; it was inside the Heavenly Star Tower of Black Wind Island.

"Welcome, fellow Daoists, to the Black Wind Sea region." A hunchbacked old woman in a black robe stood before the array, speaking with a smile.

Everyone cupped their hands to the hunchbacked old woman, then left the teleportation array one after another, heading toward a nearby circular doorway.

Han Li mingled with the crowd and walked slowly.

Suddenly, as if noticing something, he paused slightly in his steps.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the white-robed cultivator had not followed the crowd but had stopped inside the hall after exiting the teleportation array.

Also remaining in place were the several True Immortal cultivators who had concealed their cultivation.

The hunchbacked old woman did not seem to say anything about this.

This piqued Han Li's curiosity even more.