“Great success stage? Heh, that’s just the two sage’s wishful thinking. They didn’t even bother to consider why no one had truly cultivated the Divine Essencefused Light despite it having been so widespread in the Scattered Star Islands for countless years. Of course, it could be considered good luck for them if an Essencefused Mountain would unknowingly emerge from the ocean floor and be transported back to Heavenly Star City. But returning to the main point, the Divine Essencefused Light is something that can only be cultivated by relying on external objects. I completely suspect that the founder of this cultivation art wrote it as a joke. What cultivation art in this world could possibly control all five elements? In addition, their cultivation of this technique is completely meaningless. Even if they don’t succeed in cultivating this technique, their cultivation realm alone already makes them an exceptional existence in this world.” Grandmaster Zenith Yin refuted.

“I hope it is as Senior says!” Although Scarletflame was still somewhat worried, he could only agree.

“As for those who escaped, there were two from the eighteen that managed to break free from the Heavenwide Corpses, in addition to Fairy Violet Spirit and her sect’s envoys. This was quite unexpected!” Grandmaster Zenith Yin revealed a peculiar gaze as he stroked his short, thin beard.

“That’s right. Fairy Violet Spirit carried her sect protecting treasure on her: the Wood Dragon Tablet. By relying on its protection, she was able to bring herself and her sect envoys to safety. However, the other two who escaped were quite strange. From a distance, I saw that the two released a large number of human-like mechanical puppets. Although their offensive and defensive abilities were very lacking, being able to control over a hundred of them all at once was quite unusual.” Eccentric Scarletflame was also surprised and nodded his head in agreement.

“Let them be. There is no need to concern ourselves over two small fish! If I weren’t restricted by the limited amount of magic power I hold post possession, I would’ve been able to use other methods to prevent them from escaping before my eyes. Still, the most important goal has been fulfilled; the traitorous disciple has been captured. I will be bringing him back to find out where he took the ruined Heavenvoid Map.” Grandmaster Zenith Yin spoke indifferently as if he didn’t care in the slightest that Han Li and Crooked Soul had fled.

Having heard this, Eccentric Scarletflame let the matter drop. Not longer after, he said his farewells to Grandmaster Zenith Yin and flew off after turning into a black cloud.

After seeing Eccentric Scarletflame disappear into the horizon, Grandmaster Zenith Yin faintly sneered. He slowly extended his hand and relaxed his fingers, revealing a several-inch-large white ball of spiderwebs

As Zenith Yin gazed at the spidersilk, he revealed a strange, captivated expression.

“Bloodjade Spider! I truly didn’t think I’d see them again. It seems the heavens haven’t abandoned me! I still have a chance!” After Grandmaster Zenith Yin muttered to himself, he suddenly howled with laughter as he faced the sky. Elder Zhao and the others paled in complete shock.

Grandmaster Zenith Yin abruptly stopped his hysterical laughter and loudly shouted, “Go! We’re returning to the island!” Afterwards, he grabbed hold of the floating, middle-aged cultivator and led the way back.

Han Li naturally didn’t know what had happened fifty kilometers away. He remained underground for an entire month due to his trepidation before emerging with absolute caution. After he carefully scanned the vicinity to confirm that nobody was nearby, he wordlessly flew back to Heavenly Star City with Crooked Soul.

This trip had left him greatly shaken; he had nearly lost his life. But what made him most gloomy was that he had braved this great danger without anything to show for it. He reckoned the Heaven Lightning Bamboo had fallen into the hands of Grandmaster Zenith Yin. As such, he could only return to Heavenly Star City in dejection.

Heavenly Star City was as flourishing as it had been in the past. When the Star Palace gatekeepers respectfully addressed him as Senior, Han Li was unable to feel any happiness since he had recently escaped from death and entered the city with a miserable expression.

But when he returned to his cave residence on the thirty-ninth layer, he was stunned.

A sound transmission talisman was peacefully floating outside the cave residence’s restrictions.

Han Li’s expression darkened as he frowned. He then took out the authority talisman and somewhat unwillingly shot out a green light from the medallion. The sound transmission talisman was enveloped by the green light and shot towards Han Li in a streak of fiery light.

Han Li then shot out a speck of white light from his finger and struck the talisman, causing it to vigorously ignite and release the beautiful voice of a woman.

Han Li was initially stunned upon hearing this, but he soon revealed anger.

That was the voice of Lady Fan! She dared to so shameless come knocking on his door despite having put him through such hardship.

The belly full of rage Han Li had been stifling since that day suddenly bursted out. His hand immediately flashed with red light and formed a fist-sized fireball, intending to throw it out and destroy the sound transmission talisman. However, the next words she said stirred Han Li’s heart, and he stilled his hand.

A short moment later, Lady Fan’s voice faded away. Han Li casually extinguished the fireball in his hand and grabbed his chin, sinking into deep thought.

To tell the truth, Han Li was slightly surprised that the three female cultivators were able to escape. However, he currently didn’t hold the slightest goodwill towards them.

She had requested for him to meet them at some inn and raised the topic of the Heaven Lightning Bamboo, faintly speaking as if they were in possession of it. This caused Han Li to become beyond furious and his emotions to become unstable.

But in the end, Han Li decided to go see them after some more thought. He wouldn’t agree to assisting them with any matters of revenge and would merely have to purchase the bamboo above the market price. He was sure that any others wouldn’t regard the Heaven Lightning Bamboo as useful as it would be to him and would only consider the item to be of little interest.

After all, rare wood attribute materials were normally used as a core material for magic treasure refinement, apart from some peculiar magic treasures. After dissolving the bamboo’s impurities, there wouldn’t be enough leftover material to refine even a dagger as Lady Fan had described the small stalk of Heaven Lightning Bamboo to be only a few inches long.

With that thought, Han Li headed toward the inn with roused spirits.

An hour later, Han Li arrived at the Grand Flourish Inn and entered a room on the third floor along with Crooked Soul.

The inn was quite particular, as the first two floors were for mortals and the third floor was reserved for the use of cultivators.

Han Li leisurely found the mentioned room. However, the room door was covered in a layer of faint white light. It was clear a formation had been set down as a method of detection.

Having seen this, Han Li couldn’t help but reveal a trace of self-mockery. It seemed the beautiful women had been greatly startled by the recent events as well.

Han Li lightly shook his head before using his hand to shoot a speck of white light towards the restriction, causing it to release a series of ripples.

No sound came from within a room, but a short moment later, Han Li felt a wave of spiritual sense quickly fly around him and Crooked Soul before returning into the room.

Then with a flash of white light, the door’s restriction disappeared. Fairy Violet Spirit’s clear and cold voice then said, “So these two Seniors have arrived. Please, come in! Us sisters have been waiting for you for quite some time.”

Han Li pushed the door open with a calm expression and slowly walked in with Crooked Soul in tow.

The room’s arrangements were simple, and apart from a red wood table and a few tasteful rattan chairs, there were no other items. However, Han Li was shocked to find that there was an unfamiliar woman with a languid expression in the room where the Exquisite Sect Members should have been.

The woman wore yellow clothes and had a predictably flawless, pale face with bright and clear eyes. She turned to look at Han Li with a slight smile.

After a moment of surprise, he doubtfully asked with hesitation, “You’re Miss Violet Spirit?”

Although he hadn’t seen Fairy Violet Spirit’s true appearance, he had heard that she possessed peerless beauty. Han Li blinked with slight confusion and thought, ‘Surely this isn’t her? Although this young, yellow-clothed woman was very pleasant to the eyes, it definitely didn’t match her grand reputation. Could it be this wasn’t her true appearance?’

“Senior seems shocked! Is it because Wang Ning’s true appearance causes Senior Han disappointment? Sorry to disappoint you, but this really is my true appearance!” The yellow-clothed woman saw through Han Li’s shock and indifferently spoke with a slight smile.

“True appearance?” Han Li attentively looked at the young woman’s face for a moment before wordlessly shaking his head. Although he didn’t see anything amiss with her appearance, seeing neither any illusion techniques or other alternations, he still didn’t believe that this was actually Fairy Violet Spirit’s true appearance.

After all, there were many strange treasures in this world. It wouldn’t be considered off if there were at least one or two that could mask one’s true appearance and change their face to another.

Over-obvious foreshadowing?