Chapter 917: The Great Ruin

"Brother Li, please have a seat. We've been waiting for you." Chen Yang said to Han Li with a slight smile, a hint of excitement in his expression.

Han Li took note of Chen Yang's expression, cast a discreet glance at the Crab Immortal, and found a seat next to Gu Qianxun and the others.

"I've called you here today to discuss a great opportunity with the three of you." Chen Yang said directly.

"Opportunity?" Han Li and the others were taken aback.

"This may come as a surprise to you. Let me put it this way: a secret realm has appeared deep within the Jilin Hollow, filled with countless treasures—a once-in-a-million-years opportunity. City Lord E Kuai has decided to suspend the Five-City Tournament and lead the top sixteen contestants to explore it together." Chen Yang said with a smile.

Han Li frowned slightly upon hearing this.

This was indeed sudden. Out of the blue, a secret realm appears?

"City Lord, is this true?" Gu Qianxun and Xuan Yuanxing, however, showed signs of excitement.

"Absolutely true." Chen Yang laughed.

"City Lord, could you elaborate?" Han Li asked after a moment's thought.

"Brother Li hasn't been in the Jilin Hollow long and doesn't know much about it. The Jilin Hollow is extremely mysterious. Although our Xuan City has been rooted here for countless ages, we haven't fully explored it; our knowledge is still very limited. The depths of the Jilin Hollow are filled with shifting voids, hiding many secrets and countless rare treasures. The top-tier treasures circulating in Xuan City—like the prizes for this tournament, the Tianlin Meteorite Crystal and the Liuyan Blood Cloud—all come from there. The secret realm that has now appeared is the largest in nearly a million years, a truly rare opportunity." Chen Yang explained.

Han Li's heart stirred at these words, but he kept his composure.

Gu Qianxun and Xuan Yuanxing grew even more excited.

"Oh, so it is indeed a treasure land. But with so many rare treasures, it must also be very dangerous, right?" Han Li asked after a moment's thought.

"Naturally. Such secret realms are filled with all kinds of unknown dangers—benefits and risks coexist. Therefore, you three must consider carefully. If you're unwilling to go, there's no need to force yourselves." Chen Yang nodded and added.

The three fell into contemplative silence.

Chen Yang did not urge them, sitting quietly and waiting.

Han Li's mind raced as he glanced sidelong at the Crab Immortal.

The Crab Immortal stood with eyes downcast, expressionless, but one of his fingers hanging at his side twitched almost imperceptibly.

Han Li's heart stirred slightly, and he suddenly asked:

"City Lord, I have a question. The Puppet City people appeared outside the city a few days ago, seemingly poised for a major attack, but then suddenly retreated. Their movements are so suspicious—could it be related to this secret realm?"

"Brother Li's guess is correct. The Puppet City people appeared suddenly indeed for the secret realm. They will also send people to join the expedition." Chen Yang said, glancing at Han Li.

Gu Qianxun and Xuan Yuanxing stiffened, then showed complex expressions and remained silent.

The Puppet City was Xuan City's mortal enemy. If they encountered each other in the secret realm, it would be a fight to the death. Their presence multiplied the danger several times over.

"Since the City Lord speaks so highly of the secret realm, I'll go and see it for myself." Han Li said after only a brief consideration, nodding.

"Good. Fellow Daoist Gu and Fellow Daoist Xuan Yuan, what do you think?" Chen Yang was secretly pleased that Han Li agreed, and turned to look at Gu Qianxun and Xuan Yuanxing.

"Such an opportunity—I naturally wouldn't want to miss it." Xuan Yuanxing took a deep breath, his hesitation fading, and nodded.

"Since Fellow Daoist Li and Fellow Daoist Xuan Yuan are both willing to go, though I am a woman, I won't back down either." Gu Qianxun, seeing that Han Li and the other had agreed, seemed to shed her own hesitation and smiled.

"Good. With all three of you agreeing to go, our Qingyang City won't be weaker than the other four cities in this expedition. You three go back and rest for now. The departure date hasn't been set yet; I'll inform you personally when it's time." Chen Yang said with a smile.

Han Li and the others agreed, then took their leave.

"Oh, and one more thing: this matter is still a secret. Keep it to yourselves and don't tell anyone else." Chen Yang added with a warning.

The three were startled, then agreed and left.

After they left, Chen Yang also rose and left the residence, heading toward the City Lord's mansion.

Half a month later, early morning.

On a spacious white stone plaza in the City Lord's mansion, the air was filled with chatter as sixteen or seventeen people stood around.

They were gathered in groups, vaguely forming five teams.

The leftmost team had the most people, five in total, led by a pair of men and women in white fine bone armor—none other than Xuan City's Zhu Ziyuan and Zhu Ziqing siblings.

"This trip is different from usual. You weren't among the sixteen, so listen to your brother and stay in Xuan City. Wait for me to return." Zhu Ziyuan frowned, looking at his sister beside him.

"I don't care. I want to be with my brother. Don't think you can leave me behind. Besides, the City Lord has already agreed, so your objection is useless." Zhu Ziqing said with a smile.

Zhu Ziyuan had never defied City Lord E Kuai, and hearing his sister say this, he could only sigh and say no more.

To their left was the Baiyan City team, led by the pig-faced youth Fang Chan.

His earlier defeat seemed to have had no effect on him at all; he was still holding a thick animal bone greasy with oil, gnawing on the golden-crisp meat, his face beaming with heartfelt joy.

The neighboring Zhixuan City team was not in such high spirits. Their leader, Feng Wuchen, had a face as dark as water, standing without a word to his two companions, occasionally glancing toward the Qingyang City group on the right.

After half a month of rest, his injuries had healed considerably. His severed right arm had been somehow repaired, seemingly attached with a new arm, wrapped in white bandages like Duan Tong's.

Next to them was Qingyang City's Han Li and his two companions, and further right was the Tongyu City trio.

"Fellow Daoist Gu, the City Lord's mansion has gathered the top sixteen of the Five-City Tournament here today. It seems we'll be departing soon, but I still don't know exactly where we're going." Han Li asked in a low voice.

"The suspension of the Five-City Tournament was already quite strange, and this temporary alliance between Xuan City and Puppet City is even stranger. Both sides seem to be keeping it very secret. I have no information either." Gu Qianxun frowned slightly and said.

Xuan City and Puppet City had been hostile enemies for countless millennia. That they could form an alliance to do something together was unimaginable to everyone, given the countless battles and deaths over the years, each side bearing a heavy blood debt.

"A place that requires both sides to set aside their differences and join forces... it can't be a good place." Xuan Yuanxing said worriedly.

"Didn't City Lord Chen Yang say earlier that this trip has strict strength requirements, so only the top sixteen of the tournament are allowed? If anyone among the sixteen is afraid, they can withdraw voluntarily; no one is forcing them." Gu Qianxun laughed.

"That's true, but the City Lord also said that although the risks are high, the rewards are bound to be enormous. Who would willingly give that up? If it weren't for that, I wouldn't be so worried and conflicted." Xuan Yuanxing said with a bitter smile.

Han Li wasn't very concerned about all this; he was more focused on finding a way to break the Black Calamity Worm curse and learning the whereabouts of Shi Chuankong and Zi Ling.

With the Five-City Tournament suspended, his agreement with Madame Liuhua couldn't be fulfilled for now. Once he left Xuan City, it would be difficult to inquire about Shi Chuankong.

As he was thinking, footsteps came from one side of the plaza. Han Li looked over and saw a group of more than ten people approaching.

Leading them was naturally Xuan City's City Lord, E Kuai.

Behind him, Chen Yang and the other four city lords, along with Madame Liuhua, walked in a line. Behind them followed five or six others.

Han Li's eyes swept over them, and the first he saw were the Crab Immortal following Chen Yang and the hawk-nosed, gloomy man behind Madame Liuhua.

However, when his gaze passed over the remaining four, his expression changed slightly.

Walking side by side with the gloomy man was a tall, slender man in black tight-fitting clothes, his face covered from the middle of his nose down by a white bone mask, revealing only a pair of deep purple eyes.

Most distinctive was his head of slightly curly short white hair, ear-length, falling behind his head.

That man was unmistakably Shi Chuankong!

Han Li was overjoyed and was about to use his mind to contact him when he saw Chen Yang gently shaking his head, signaling him not to act rashly.

Han Li frowned, his heart stirred. Looking more carefully at Shi Chuankong, he found the latter's expression indifferent, his gaze not shifting at all as he walked—clearly not right.

What was going on? Han Li frowned, puzzled.

"What's wrong?" Gu Qianxun noticed Han Li's unusual behavior and asked.

"Nothing. I suddenly thought of an old acquaintance and got distracted." Han Li smiled, his expression returning to normal.

Gu Qianxun looked doubtfully toward Shi Chuankong but saw nothing.

Han Li withdrew his gaze and looked toward E Kuai and the others.

E Kuai led the group to the platform at the front of the plaza, scanned the crowd, and said directly:

"I believe your city lords have already given you some information. The Five-City Tournament was interrupted not because of the Puppet City invasion, but because the 'Great Ruin' has appeared, requiring a joint exploration by Xuan and Puppet Cities. As the top sixteen of the tournament, you will be the main force of this expedition, accompanying us into the 'Great Ruin.'"

The expressions of everyone present changed slightly, a mix of surprise and worry on their faces.

Han Li, seeing this, asked via voice transmission: "Fellow Daoist Gu, what exactly is this Great Ruin?"