Not long after that, Han Li walked out of the tree hollow and flew off.

Han Li was even more cautious this time around. During his entire journey, he used his spiritual sense to its greatest extent. Upon hearing even the wind rustling the grass, he would immediately go into hiding. After all, it would be extremely dangerous to negligently run into a cultivator with his current cultivation.

Thus with paranoid levels of carefulness, Han Li eventually arrived back at his underground cave after taking up nearly twice the time he had been away. Only after he entered his Five Elements Reversal Formation did he truly let out a breath of relief.

As for Crooked Soul, he was still obediently sitting at the side of the formation. When Han Li saw that Crooked Soul had remained in the exact same posture that he had left him in, he couldn’t help but smile.

Han Li knew that restoring his cultivation wasn’t a matter requiring merely three or four years. As such, he didn’t meditate or take any pills to cultivate. Instead, he spent the following days wholeheartedly focused on restoring the ancient transportation formation.

Under his current circumstances, travelling to a country far away was much too dangerous. He could only hope that he would be able to use the ancient transportation formation after restoring it.

Although Han Li’s cultivation had greatly declined, it did not obstruct his restoration work. After a sleepless week, he had completely finished its restoration.

Han Li, a normally cool-headed person, felt his heart stir as he looked at the completed ancient transportation formation.

He was at the most crucial step with regards to failure or success. He had to test whether another transportation formation was safely connected to his. If the other end of the transportation formation was damaged or if it no longer existed, then it would naturally be of no use. He could only bury his thoughts of using the transportation formation and find another path forward.

With that in mind, Han Li calmly placed down low-grade spirit stones one after another on the edge of the transportation formation.

When he finished placing the last spirit stones, Han Li hastily took several steps back and couldn’t help but look on with bated breath.

This ancient formation that was created countless years ago suddenly hummed and flashed with yellow radiance before quickly fading away into darkness.

Han Li’s heart dropped! Could it be that the ancient transportation formation on the other end was disabled? This would mean that everything he had done was a complete waste!

Han Li couldn’t help but reveal complete disappointment. But still, he was unresigned. He began walking in circles around the transportation formation with hands behind his back while occasionally muttering to himself.

He suddenly stopped and tightly creased his brow as if he had thought of something. He then crouched down and picked up the low-grade spirit stone at the center of the formation.

Han Li took a close look at it and let out a breath of cold air. The spirit stone was spent and no longer held any trace of Spiritual Qi.

Han Li revealed a thoughtful expression before suddenly brightening up. Without the slightest hesitation, he took out several sparkling mid-grade spirit stones and exchanged them with the low-grade spirit stones he had placed down before.

If he had guessed correctly, the formation didn’t activate because low-grade spirit stones provided an insufficient amount of Spiritual Qi.

After placing down the final spirit stone, the transportation formation immediately started to emit a muffled hum before erupting with huge spiritual ripples. A blinding yellow light shot out from the center of the formation spell and shot outside the cave. The Five Elements Reversal Formation was unable to block it in the slightest.

When Han Li saw this, he was stunned. But something immediately came to mind, and his face turned deathly pale.

At nearly the same time, he suddenly heard huge rumbling sounds from outside the cave. Although he was protected by the huge formation, Han Li still felt the earth-quaking vibrations.

Han Li’s expression grew tense, and he hastily beckoned Crooked Soul as he walked toward the transportation formation.

He couldn’t help but hesitate. He truly had no idea where the transportation formation would take him. He had originally planned to verify what kind of place was at the other end. After confirming the absence of danger, he would then decide whether or not he should remain there. But now that the ancient transportation formation was exposed, this would be a trip of no return.

While Han Li was hesitating, he heard a frightening boom from above and looked up in fright.

He saw that the cave roof had been ripped away by some unknown magic tool and blinding sunlight shot through, clearly illuminating what was occurring in the cave. A large group of Devil Dao cultivators hovered above the now-exposed cave. They all revealed astonishment once they saw Han Li and the ancient transportation formation shining with yellow light.

“You again?” A furious yell came from the crowd of Devil Dao cultivators. Three people flew out.

The one in the middle wore a silver mask, the Ghost Spirit Sect’s Young Master Wang Chan. Two eccentrics stood beside him: a shriveled, white-haired old man and a young child with red lips and white teeth -- the Li Brothers[1. First introduced in chapter 254. They are Core Formation cultivators and the Ghost Spirit Sect Young Master's personal bodyguards.] who previously appeared at Yan Ling Castle.

“Ancient Transportation Formation!” When the Li Brothers saw the origin of yellow radiance, they couldn’t help but look at each other and shout out in pleasant surprise.

Wang Chan stared blankly for a moment. He then asked ecstatically, “Did you see correctly? Is it really an Ancient Transportation Formation?” Wang Chan’s voice trembled slightly. He clearly understood what an intact ancient transportation formation signified for one’s sect.

The shriveled Li Brother chuckled. Just as he thought of saying something, his expression suddenly grew stricken, “Not good! That brat is about to use it. Quickly, stop him!” As he said this, he shot a streak of black light straight toward Han Li.

He knew that once the transportation formation was activated, there would be a moment of delay before it could be used. That delay was more than enough for him to kill any junior several times over.

But just as his magic treasure flew into the cave, a brilliant light erupted, and a rainbow barrier blocked the streak of black light.

The old man was surprised for a moment but immediately recovered. With a sinister expression, he yelled, “Everyone, attack! This brat has laid down a formation spell. We must break through it as quickly as possible or else it will be too late!”

Upon hearing the order from their sect elder, the Devil Dao cultivators promptly released their magic tools as if they had woken up from a dream. Even Wang Chan and the childlike Li Brother struck down upon the spell formation.

Han Li’s Five Elements Reversal Formation was merely a simplified version of the grand formation. Under the attacks of two Core Formation cultivators and a crowd of Foundation Establishment cultivators, the rainbow light barrier immediately distorted and appeared as if it were about to collapse.

At that moment, Han Li had already brought Crooked Soul with him to the center of the formation. With a command medallion in hand and tightly shut eyes, he muttered under his breath, completely ignoring the attacks of the Devil Dao cultivators.

“A Greater Displacement Medallion! That brat actually has such a magic tool?” The old man snarled in a fluster upon clearly seeing the command medallion in Han Li’s hand. He suddenly linked his hands together and a huge amount of black light threads surged, shooting down at the light barrier below.

The formation released several cries before finally reaching its limit and the rainbow light barrier exploded!

Without the strange rainbow light to protect him, the overbearing wave of attacks was about to engulf Han Li.

But at that very moment, Han Li opened his eyes and spouted out one word with an icy tone, “Transfer!”

The yellow light suddenly surged. Within the yellow radiance, Han Li and Crooked Soul disappeared without a trace. The wave of attacks had completely missed their mark.

The Devil Dao cultivators in the sky were left dumbstruck.

The complexions of Wang Chan and the Li Brothers were ashen. Since they didn’t have a Greater Displacement Medallion, they were unable to chase after Han Li.

A moment later, the transportation formation’s yellow light suddenly faded away. Upon seeing this, Wang Chan and his guards grew incomparably furious.

Naturally, they knew that Han Li, the one who had just used this formation, had destroyed the other end. Even if they found a Greater Displacement Medallion, they would be unable to use the formation.

Wang Chan, with bitter resentment still fresh in his heart, was unwilling to give up. Using his status as the sect’s Young Master, he sent for several cultivators to guard the formation day and night for the mere purpose of preventing Han Li from escaping should he repair the formation and return. If that time came, he would make certain to capture Han Li alive and properly repay him for the great kindness of repeatly obstructing his plans.

But shortly afterwards, the Devil Dao would begin the next step of their expansion, and the Ghost Spirit Sect’s Young Master would start to oversee campaigns in other areas. As a result, this matter was quickly dropped to the back of his mind.

As for the cultivation world of the Heavenly South Region, it would remain in turmoil for a long time to come.

In the next two years, an alliance would be formed by the remaining countries to resist the powers of the Devil Dao and Righteous Dao Alliance, known as the “Heavenly Dao Alliance”; this created yet another superpower within the Heavenly South Region.

The three superpowers had near equal strength and campaigned against one another. After a short amount of time, it seemed that they had reached a stalemate.

As for the Six Sects, they eventually arrived at the Nine Nations Union. They contended with the local sects for natural resources such as spirit veins and spirit stone mines, managing to establish a new foothold. Naturally, if the Moulan Tribe’s Spell Soldiers were to invade the nine countries, the six sects would dispatch men to combat them. They no longer possessed the same leisure they had back at the State of Yue.

As a result, many Foundation Establishment cultivators and Core Formation experts perished in battle against the Spell Soldiers. Han Li’s former master, Li Huayuan, was one such example, dying in an intense battle that took place over ten years later.

But in contrast, a new generation of Six Sect cultivators quickly matured. Many Core Formation cultivators eventually rose from the ranks of their Foundation Establishment cultivators...