The woman surnamed Hua fared better, knowing that Han Li was an Nascent Soul cultivator whom even the palace's Elders treated with utmost gravity. Though the strike that had killed the beast didn't appear to be his own handiwork, it was certainly connected to this "Senior Han." Eliminating a sixth or seventh-level spirit beast would naturally pose no great difficulty for someone of his standing. The other two female cultivators also felt a wave of relief wash over them.
"Many thanks for Senior's aid! These beasts have already breached our Void Spirit Palace's main hall. We humbly ask that Senior lend us a hand." The female cultivator with the highest cultivation — at the false Core stage — bowed deeply to Han Li and spoke with great respect.
"Breached the main hall? Isn't your Void Spirit Palace layered with restrictions upon restrictions? How could something like this happen?" Han Li flicked his sleeve, and a violent gust of wind swept the beast's corpse out of the formation array in an instant. Only then did he ask in an indifferent tone.
"We're just as bewildered. We were patrolling inside the hall when suddenly a large group of beasts appeared within the grand hall without warning. It was as though they hadn't triggered the exterior restrictions at all — they invaded the main hall directly." The woman hesitated briefly before speaking, a note of puzzlement in her voice.
"I see. It seems these beasts employed some sort of special technique." Han Li murmured to himself in a noncommittal manner. There were countless bizarre secret arts and wondrous treasures in the world — no matter how improbable something might seem, it was hardly enough to truly surprise him.
Just as Han Li was about to say something more, the teleportation formation suddenly flickered to life once again.
This time, the three female cultivators of the Extreme Ice Palace were startled anew, but with Han Li — this "expert" — present, they were considerably more composed than before. They merely retreated a couple of steps and fixed their eyes unblinkingly on the formation before them.
The white light faded to reveal a plain-faced woman in her thirties. The moment she materialized, she vigilantly released a ring-shaped artifact to shield herself, only to freeze in surprise at the sight of Han Li and the three women standing before her.
However, when her gaze slid sideways and she caught sight of the spirit beast's corpse lying beside the formation, she studied Han Li a couple more times, and a look of delight surfaced on her face.
"Junior greets Martial Aunt Yao!" The three female cultivators recognized the woman at once and rushed forward joyfully to pay their respects.
The woman waved her hand at the three of them, then stepped out of the formation and walked up to Han Li. She drew her sleeves together and bowed.
"This junior greets Senior Han."
"You recognize me?" Han Li studied the woman for a moment. Her face looked entirely foreign to him, and he felt a flicker of curiosity.
"This junior is Yao Man. I once served as a patrol steward within the palace. During one of my patrols, I caught sight of Senior from afar." The woman replied deferentially.
"So that is how it is." Han Li nodded in a noncommittal fashion.
"May I ask whether Senior is currently together with several of our palace's Elders? The beasts have suddenly invaded the main hall of the Void Spirit Palace, and this junior has been dispatched to seek reinforcements from Grand Elder Hanli." The woman made no attempt to conceal her purpose. She asked directly in a respectful tone, her gaze involuntarily darting toward the hall's entrance a few times.
"Heh heh, I'm afraid Grand Elder Hanli has no attention to spare just now!" Han Li chuckled, his expression unchanged.
"This junior has heard something of the sort as well — it seems Senior and the others are engaged in something of the utmost importance with several of the palace's Elders. But this beast invasion is truly extraordinary. If the Grand Elder and the others don't appear soon, our Extreme Ice Palace may face utter catastrophe." The woman's heart grew anxious upon hearing his words.
"Oh? The invading beasts are that formidable? Isn't your Palace Master also a late-stage great cultivator? Even she can't handle them?" Han Li's eyes narrowed slightly as he asked.
"This junior was sent by the Palace Master's own orders to seek help here. By the time I departed, the Palace Master had already become entangled with a formidable beast and had no attention to spare for anything else." The woman gave a bitter smile.
"Grand Elder Hanli and the others have entered the Mystic Jade Cavern. If you believe you have a way to summon them, you may go there yourselves. I'll head over first and see what kind of beasts have arrived that even your palace cannot hold back." Han Li said this with perfect composure, then drifted forward and materialized within the teleportation formation.
"Senior, please be careful. The invading beasts are numerous over there, and I'm afraid the area around the teleportation formation may not be entirely safe either." The woman was taken aback but dared not try to stop him, offering only this tactful warning.
Han Li nodded. With one hand raised, he struck the formation with a streak of azure light. Instantly, white light began to flash, and the teleportation was about to commence. At that very moment, a flash of silver light appeared behind Han Li, and a green-robed figure materialized out of thin air. Then both of them vanished in the teleportation flash within the same heartbeat.
"Who was that?" The woman cried out in alarm at the sight.
"I don't know either, Senior Sister. That spirit beast just now—it seems that person was the one who killed it." The female disciple at the False Nascent stage hesitated for a moment, her voice uncertain.
"I've heard that several senior cultivators from outside our sect have arrived this time. It must be another one. You three stay here and hold the line if any enemies come through the teleportation. I'm heading to the Mystic Jade Cave to see if I can summon the Grand Elder and the others." Though the woman still harbored some unease about Han Li appearing here alone, she quickly remembered her duty and issued her orders to the other three women.
"At once!" The three female disciples bowed and acknowledged the command without hesitation. The woman transformed into a streak of white light and sped off toward the Mystic Jade Cave.
Meanwhile, Han Li had just stepped out of the teleportation array with his humanoid puppet. He had not yet recovered from the disorientation of teleportation when the puppet behind him suddenly flickered and vanished from where it stood.
Two screams rang out in quick succession, followed by a heavy thud as something collapsed to the ground.
Han Li turned toward the sound and saw a spirit beast's corpse lying in a pool of blood. Beside it stood a man and a woman—two Core Formation disciples of the Deep South Heaven Palace—gaping in disbelief as the humanoid puppet withdrew a gleaming silver arm from the chest of another spirit beast. The creature's lifeless body toppled to the floor.
This was unmistakably a hall identical to the one housing the teleportation array on the other side.
Han Li glanced briefly at the two Deep South Heaven Palace disciples, then paid them no further attention and strode toward the exit, for from beyond the hall's doors came the deafening sounds of explosive combat—it seemed there was still a fierce battle raging outside.