Just as Han Li returned to Cloud City and strode brazenly through its gates…
Tens of thousands of miles away, in some damp, frigid marsh deep within the Mojin Mountains, a hideous, swarthy-faced man clad in a long black robe sat cross-legged atop a peculiarly verdant stone, his eyes closed as he regulated his breathing.
With each inhalation and exhalation, wisps of faint black demonic qi swirled around the man as though they possessed a will of their own, coiling and dancing through the air.
The ugly man was clearly cultivating some wondrous technique, and had sunk so deep into concentration that the world around him had ceased to exist.
After an unknowable stretch of time, the man drew a deep breath, opened his mouth, and sucked every trace of the surrounding demonic qi into his belly in a single gulp. A look of satisfaction crossed his face as he opened his eyes.
But when his gaze swept casually about, his expression froze in the very next instant.
For no more than a dozen feet away, a woman in a snow-white dress, barefoot with raven-black hair, stood watching him with a playful smile.
She might not have been the most devastating beauty in existence — her mouth was even a touch too full — but those ink-dark, star-bright eyes, the straight nose carved as if from jade, and skin as flawless as fresh snow were more than enough to place her bearing far above any so-called "fairy" of the mortal world.
"Holy Ancestor! Black Crocodile greets the great one!" The moment the ugly man made out the woman's true face, he turned deathly pale. He rolled off the stone in a single, clumsy motion and prostrated himself before her in full kowtow.
This man was none other than the Black Abyss Crocodile, who had just recently completed his breakthrough.
Though he had caught up with the old man surnamed Yan and slain him, he had failed to obtain the Zhi Immortal, so he had retraced his steps to where he'd come from. Not long afterward, word reached him that the giant toad had been killed by Han Li instead. At that, the demon had been left gaping, and could only slink away with his tail between his legs.
He had eventually found this marsh and decided to settle here for a time, intending to consolidate his newly unstable realm. Yet the last thing he ever expected was that within barely a month, the white-robed woman he had assumed would remain slumbering indefinitely would come looking for him.
And with the unfathomable power she wielded as a Holy Ancestor, obliterating him would be no more difficult than turning over her hand. His heart hammered wildly, unsure whether this was calamity or fortune.
"Rise. Mm, you really have advanced to the Holy tier. Well done, well done. It seems all the countless spirit medicines that little Ming Luo fed you over the years were not wasted after all — though I suppose, even if you were truly hopeless, reaching the Holy tier was only a matter of time. It appears the Evil Dragon True Blood within you has been awakened as well." The woman smiled faintly.
"The great one knew about this too!" The ugly man's expression jolted, then twisted into a bitter smile.
"Of course I did. Otherwise, even though Ming Luo was quite fond of you, she never would have given you so many medicines. The Evil Dragon carries the most potent demonic constitution of all true spirit bloodlines. A fully matured, awakened member of the Evil Dragon clan can devour Outer Realm Demons directly and match an Outer Realm Devil Lord in combat without giving an inch. You have only inherited the dragon bloodline, yet I imagine your abilities are far from inferior to those at the mid-Holy tier. Even my three subordinates, were they to face you one-on-one, would have no guarantee of gaining the upper hand." Her words were laced with hidden meaning.
"The Holy Ancestor flatters this humble one's abilities far too greatly. How could I possibly compare with friends like Blood Arm and Iron Wing?" The ugly man's demeanor turned exceedingly humble, his words tumbling out in rapid succession.
"Little Ming Luo vanished during the great war of the Holy Realm under circumstances no one understands. She and I were as close as sisters. Since you have succeeded in your breakthrough, you will follow me for the time being. I intend to travel outside for a while, so prepare yourself." The white-robed woman shifted the conversation to the true purpose of her visit.
"The great one is leaving the Mojin Mountains!" The man started in alarm.
"That's right. What — you're unwilling to follow me?"
"To be allowed to stay at the great one's side is a fortune beyond what this lowly one could earn in a hundred lifetimes. Wherever the great one commands, I am ready to depart at a moment's notice." The white-robed woman's calm inquiry had sent a torrent of cold sweat cascading down the ugly man's face, and he hurried to explain himself.
"If that is how you feel, then there is no need to gather any belongings. Come with me." The white-robed woman seemed to find his reaction rather amusing, a glint of mirth in her eyes.
"Yes — this lowly one has always been alone and has nothing to pack in any case." The man nodded and bowed, scraping together an obsequious smile.
The white-robed woman revealed pearly teeth in a soft laugh, then gave a flick of one sleeve.
A swirl of pink blossomed outward, and a wondrous fragrance assaulted the senses as radiant light surged forth, engulfing both woman and man within its glow.
When the spiritual light faded and vanished, the spot was utterly empty. Not a single silhouette remained.
The white-robed woman had deployed a mighty divine ability to relocate both herself and the man from this place in an instant.
……
Cloud Dream Mountain, within Cloud City.
The moment Han Li returned to his cave dwelling, he first inspected every restriction and ward throughout the premises, and only after confirming that there were no signs of intrusion did he finally allow himself to collapse onto the large bed in his bedchamber. He sank into a deep, sweet sleep.
Though the trip to the Mojin Mountains had not lasted long, the perils within had been considerable. Beyond the tremendous expenditure of Magical Power, his mind was thoroughly exhausted, and he needed proper rest to recover.
He slept for two full days and two full nights.
When Han Li finally awoke of his own accord, he felt refreshed to the core, his entire being restored to peak condition.
He rose without delay, left the bedchamber, and headed straight for the secret chamber.
The Mojin expedition had yielded him no small number of gains, and he needed to sort through them properly.
Within moments, Han Li stood inside the secret chamber, a vast space several dozen zhang across. He flicked his sleeve toward the stone door, and not only did the entrance swing shut of its own accord, but layers of blue-green radiance blossomed from the surrounding stone walls, sealing the entire chamber tight.