"So Old Freak Che truly intends to enter the spatial node soon?" Old Freak Feng had clearly heard this for the first time and couldn't help but cry out in surprise.
"That's right. But even the fastest timeline means another hundred or two hundred years of preparation. After all, only Heaven knows just how dangerous entering a spatial node truly is."
"So that means Old Freak Che's lifespan is nearly at its end. Otherwise he wouldn't be this impatient — he'd keep searching for a more suitable node." After a long pause, the horse-faced old man let out a long breath.
"Old Freak Che wouldn't elaborate, but nine times out of ten, that's the case. Otherwise, given his cautious and calculating nature, how could he be so reckless? And truth be told, it's not just Old Freak Che — the rest of us are all facing our lifespan limits within the next few centuries." Xiang Zhili's expression turned grim.
"Fellow Daoist Han, we've said quite a lot. What do you think?" Old Freak Feng's face was equally unpleasant, but he suddenly turned to
"What Senior Xiang says makes a great deal of sense. I truly don't have much time left to search for spatial nodes on my own. I can hand over the records to you all, but there is one condition — if a suitable spatial node is found, I hope you will notify me promptly so I can come and inspect it and make preparations in advance. I trust that none of you intend to keep anything from me?" Han Li replied with a calm, almost offhand expression.
"What kind of condition is that? Even without you saying it, Junior Brother Han, we would do so naturally. In fact, we may very well enter the spatial node together, so we can lend each other a hand." Xiang Zhili brightened at these words, feeling rather satisfied that Han Li hadn't made an outrageous demand.
Han Li nodded and raised his hand, sending a streak of white light toward Xiang Zhili. It was an ordinary white jade slip.
Xiang Zhili's eyes lit up as he snatched the jade slip from the air. After scanning it briefly with his spiritual sense, a look of delight spread across his face.
"Excellent, excellent. Not only are there many more spatial node records in here, there's actually also the method for setting up the teleportation formation of the Reverse Passage. If we can decipher this formation, we may find other uses for it as well. Junior Brother Han is very generous. Naturally, we will not go back on our word. Here are two Myriad-Mile Talismans — please take them for now. The moment we find a spatial node, we'll send word immediately." Beaming with pleasure, Xiang Zhili produced two jade talismans from his sleeve and tossed them over.
Han Li caught them with a subtle movement of his hand, flipped his palm, and stored them away.
Old Freak Feng had been watching Han Li's actions the entire time. Seeing that Han Li had handed over the jade slip, the coldness in his expression softened somewhat.
"Oh, that's right — Junior Brother Han, there's something else I need to mention. With your current abilities, ordinary late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators are no match for you at all. That means the rules previously agreed upon among us Deity Transformation cultivators will likely need to apply to you as well. You should be mindful going forward — what happened with the Yin Luo Sect cannot be repeated." After carefully storing his own jade slip, Xiang Zhili suddenly remembered this matter and hurriedly added a word of caution.
"Rules?" Han Li's expression shifted.
"Nothing too complicated. It's simply that Deity Transformation cultivators possess power far too great, and if any one of them were to act recklessly, it could disrupt the order of the Human World. So long ago, all Deity Transformation cultivators in the Human World jointly established a rule: once one reaches the Deity Transformation stage, not only is fighting among them prohibited, but they are also forbidden from taking part in any affairs of the cultivation world. This time, you wiped out a great number of Yin Luo Sect Nascent Soul cultivators in one stroke, including a Grand Cultivator, which has already caused some unnecessary turmoil in
Han Li listened to this, stunned for a moment, then broke into a grin.
"Truthfully, it's not necessary. I've always kept myself out of sect affairs. As for the Yin Luo Sect matter, it was their cultivators who went to Tian Nan to target me first. I merely struck back a little. This won't happen again." Han Li replied with a clarifying explanation.
"The Yin Luo Sect business is in the past now. It's best if Junior Brother Han can think of it that way. By the way, do you have any pressing matters recently? If not, why not accompany Fellow Daoist Feng and me on a trip to Motuo Mountain? I can introduce you to Brother Hu as well. Fellow Daoist Hu intends to take several Nascent Soul female cultivators as concubines in the near future, and he's sent me an invitation. Fellow Daoist Feng, you must have received one too?" Xiang Zhili abruptly changed the subject and made this sudden proposal.
"Of course I received one. Otherwise, why would I be here? I hear the three concubines he's taking this time are not only all at the early Nascent Soul stage, but each one is an absolute beauty. He's quite fond of them. That said, this will already be the fifth or sixth time we've gone to Motuo Mountain because of Old Devil Hu's concubine-taking. That old devil really does know how to stir up a fuss. His demon palace is already full of stunning women sent by his various underlings — why does he need to take more concubines?" Old Freak Feng furrowed his brow, but spoke with a tone of resignation.
"Haha, as if you don't know, Brother Feng. Because of the cultivation technique Old Devil Hu practices, he can't live without women. But when he truly encounters a woman who catches his eye — particularly one who is still a virgin — he becomes remarkably solemn and dignified. He never takes their virginity lightly. Instead, he goes to great lengths to invite close friends and hold a proper ceremony to take them as concubines, giving them an official status. Besides, the old devil has no formal dual-cultivation partner, so these titled concubines are quite different from his ordinary handmaidens. Every single one of them is deeply favored!" Xiang Zhili laughed heartily.