Chapter 401: Trying to Hide It Makes It More Obvious

A few days later, on Hailing Island.

A streak of green light shot across the sky from afar, rapidly approaching, and landed above the island. The遁光 faded, revealing the figure of a sturdy man.

The man was none other than Han Li, but at this moment he had transformed his appearance into that of a dark-skinned, ordinary-looking middle-aged man.

He hovered motionless in midair, his eyes flickering with blue light as he scanned the area below.

Just then, a buzzing sound came from a certain spot in the void above the island, and a layer of egg-shaped blue light screen emerged.

Then, with a tearing sound, a gap large enough for one person to pass through opened in the light screen.

“Is that Tianyu? Come in.” Before Han Li could make any move, a voice rang out.

Han Li raised an eyebrow, descended, and flew into the blue light screen in a flash. The gap then flickered and vanished, and the blue light screen also disappeared.

The space beneath the light screen was not large, a hemispherical area only about a hundred zhang in size, with a rather high temperature that felt quite hot.

As soon as Han Li entered, he was slightly startled.

A group of unfamiliar cultivators had gathered here, none of whom he knew. However, among them, a black-robed old man with a black beard who had been talking with someone was smiling at him. Beside the old man stood a yellow-robed woman with a pleasant appearance.

After a brief thought, Han Li recognized them as none other than Hu Yan Daoist and Yun Ni. Like himself, they had also transformed their appearances.

“I was delayed on the way and kept you waiting, Uncle-Master. My apologies.” Han Li cupped his hands and said, his gaze shifting to the people behind them.

Behind Hu Yan Daoist and Yun Ni stood nine cultivators dressed as Daoists.

All of them wore fiery red Daoist robes embroidered with a lifelike pattern of a fire crow, suggesting they were from the same sect.

The nine had unusually flushed faces and exuded intense waves of flame spiritual power, clearly all practicing fire-attribute techniques.

The three at the front were a white-haired old man with red beard and hair, a tall, bare-chested burly man, and a middle-aged beautiful woman of about forty.

The auras of the three were vast and enduring. Though not as strong as those of Hu Yan Daoist and Yun Ni, they were clearly Golden Immortal cultivators, with the old man being slightly more advanced than the other two.

“Come, Tianyu, let me introduce you. These are fellow Daoists from the True Flame Sect of Guyun Continent, who will accompany us into the Cold Flame Immortal Mansion to seek opportunities. This is Sect Master Xu Yangzi, and these two are Elder Zhen Yun and Elder Lu Lan. Three fellow Daoists, Tianyu is a junior of mine and my companion’s, alert and fairly capable, and should be of some use in the immortal mansion.” Hu Yan Daoist, in the guise of the black-bearded old man, chuckled as he made the introductions.

“So you are the three seniors of the True Flame Sect and the other fellow Daoists. I am Gu Tianyu. Greetings.” Han Li’s eyes flickered, and he smiled as he cupped his hands.

He was familiar with the name of the True Flame Sect.

This sect was secluded in a corner of Guyun Continent and was one of the few major powers second only to the Candle Dragon Dao. It specialized in fire-attribute techniques, but for some reason, its members rarely traveled abroad and seemed to keep a low profile, so the sect was not widely known.

In fact, before the upheaval at the Candle Dragon Dao, most of the major and minor powers on Guyun Continent were openly or secretly attached to the Candle Dragon Dao, and conflicts among them were common. As long as certain boundaries were not crossed, the Candle Dragon Dao naturally did not interfere and even welcomed such strife.

Although Han Li did not know the current state of the Candle Dragon Dao, with his experience and insight, he could more or less guess the situation on Guyun Continent. Calling it “when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter” would not be far off.

Now, Hu Yan Daoist suddenly bringing this sect along seemed somewhat like trying to hide something that only made it more obvious.

“Truly, the younger generation is formidable. Fellow Daoist Gu, we don’t even know where the entrance to the immortal mansion is yet, so talking about what happens after entering seems a bit too impatient.” Xu Yangzi merely nodded slightly at Han Li, then looked away and said.

The other two, the burly man Zhen Yun and the middle-aged beautiful woman Lu Lan, only glanced at Han Li noncommittally, clearly not paying much attention to a non-Golden Immortal like him.

Han Li merely smiled faintly, unconcerned, and walked over to stand behind Hu Yan and the others.

“Actually, I believe you three fellow Daoists are also aware of the news from the Wuchang Alliance. Although that place may not necessarily be the entrance to the immortal mansion, at least we have some clues.” Hu Yan Daoist said with a slight smile.

"Two fellow Daoists happened upon a treasure map and are willing to share this opportunity to enter the immortal mansion with our True Flame Sect. This is a sign of trust in our sect, and we are deeply grateful. However, after searching for so long and scouring nearly the entire Black Wind Sea without any results, this news comes suspiciously. I'm afraid it's mostly baseless." Xu Yangzi frowned and said.

"Brother Xu Yang, you are mistaken. Since we have searched for so long without any gain, now that this news has emerged, whether true or false, we should go to Red Moon Island to investigate." Yun Ni suddenly spoke up.

"Forgive me for speaking bluntly, but although this news has caused a stir within the Wuchang Alliance, no one knows whether it is true or false. It might be deliberately leaked by someone to set a trap on Red Moon Island, aiming to harm those who go there. If we go, wouldn't we be walking into a snare?" Zhen Yun shook his head vigorously.

"Indeed, it might even be a scheme set by the North Cold Immortal Palace. We must act cautiously in this matter." The middle-aged beauty Lu Lan also frowned.

"Three fellow Daoists, the Minghan Immortal Mansion opens only once every ten thousand years. Especially since someone discovered last time that it might contain hidden wonders, and there is a strong rumor of the 'Taiyi Pill,' which is said to be extremely beneficial for breaking through the Taiyi realm. Otherwise, why would the North Cold Immortal Palace and other forces go to such great lengths this time? This is a once-in-a-millennium opportunity for fortune. At this moment, are you three truly willing to back down?" Hu Yan Daoist frowned and said.

"Well... it's not that... but we should consider this carefully and prioritize safety above all." Xu Yangzi's expression shifted slightly.

The other two did not say much for a while, but doubt still lingered in their eyes.

Han Li saw this and frowned slightly.

These Golden Immortal cultivators of the True Flame Sect were probably attracted by the treasures in the immortal mansion, but now they were hesitant and lacked any drive. With the sect leader and elders having such temperaments, it was no wonder the sect had kept such a low profile before.

"I know you three are worried that the North Cold Immortal Palace is powerful and ambitious. Even if we had two or three times as many people, we would still be no match for them. But since the upheaval at the Candle Dragon Dao, although the Immortal Palace has grown stronger openly, it has also faced considerable resistance in secret. As far as I know, forces like the Cangliu Palace and the Fuling Sect are quite resentful toward the Immortal Palace, unwilling to end up like the Candle Dragon Dao. Especially since the North Cold Immortal Palace secretly sealed the entrance to the immortal mansion this time, it has incurred public wrath. I am certain that people from other forces will all go to Red Moon Island." Hu Yan Daoist sighed softly and said slowly.

"If this news is true and the entrance to the immortal mansion is under Red Moon Island, then everyone can join forces. Although the Immortal Palace is powerful, it cannot contend with everyone, can it? Even if it is a trap, it cannot trap all of us. Why should you three be afraid?" Yun Ni quickly added.

"When you put it that way, there is some truth..." Xu Yangzi stroked his beard, seeming swayed.

Zhen Yun and Lu Lan exchanged glances, their eyes wavering.

After all, setting aside the rumored Taiyi Pill, the various rare treasures in the mansion alone were enough to make them covetous.

"Time is running out. You three must make a decision soon. Think about it—with countless treasures inside, are you truly willing to get none and let them all fall into others' hands?" Hu Yan Daoist asked again.

A flash of heat flickered in Xu Yangzi's eyes.

"Of course, we cannot go carelessly. We must act cautiously and devise some strategies." Hu Yan Daoist nodded and said.

"Uncle Master, you are always meticulous. I assume you have already thought of a plan?" Han Li glanced at the True Flame Sect members and smiled.

Hu Yan Daoist gave a faint, noncommittal smile and waved his hand to dispel the surrounding restrictions.

He then flicked his sleeve, and a ball of blue light appeared out of thin air, transforming into a blue flying carriage with a rather peculiar shape. It had a cross-shaped windmill at both the front and back, shimmering with strange light and exuding strong spiritual energy, drawing the attention of the True Flame Sect members, including Xu Yangzi.

"This Water-Controlling Carriage is a rare treasure I obtained by chance when I entered the Minghan Immortal Mansion many years ago. It has excellent concealment effects. Riding this flying carriage should be much safer." Hu Yan Daoist said.

Han Li examined the carriage and felt a stir in his heart.

This carriage was clearly refined from some special spiritual materials, including rare water-attributed ones, and was covered with countless complex and profound spiritual patterns, emitting faint ripples of water law.

Because of his Heavy Water True Wheel, he had some insights into water law and vaguely felt that the law emanations from various parts of the carriage were likely related to concealment.

Han Li moved and was the first to fly onto the carriage.

Xu Yangzi hesitated for a moment on the spot, then seemed to make up his mind and flew into the carriage.

As he moved, Zhen Yun and Lu Lan, the two elders, along with their six attendant True Immortal cultivators, also flew into the carriage one after another.

Hu Yan Daoist and Yun Ni smiled and flew up as well.

After steadying himself, the former made a hand seal and shot out a spell. Various parts of the carriage emitted a peculiar blue light, like mist, enveloping the entire vehicle.

The blue flying carriage immediately became indistinct, emitting no aura at all, and even the faint traces of law fluctuations from before completely disappeared.