"Is this Fellow Daoist Han?" The young married woman looked
She had witnessed Han Li dispel the spiritual pressure she had released just moments ago. Now, upon learning that the person who could heal the little girl was the same individual, she couldn't help but feel a chill.
She had clearly sensed that he was merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator, yet there was some indescribable aura of authority faintly radiating from him. It gave her the distinct impression that if he made a single move, she could be annihilated in a single strike.
"How could such a thing be possible?"
She silently exclaimed to herself, circulating the magical power within her body as she swept her spiritual sense over Han Li once more for a closer examination.
But this time, the imposing aura from Han Li's body had completely vanished, as if it had never existed in the first place.
Her thoughts raced, and her doubt only deepened. However, for the sake of the little girl called
"This concubine is named Yue Hua. I thank the three Fellow Daoists for your aid to my son-in-law and Guo'er! If you would not find it beneath you, I invite the three of you to rest briefly at my temporary cave dwelling. Yue Hua must properly repay the three of you for saving our lives!"
"Well..."
Facing a Core Formation cultivator, even though Hai Dashao and Qi Lingzi were usually quite brash, they couldn't help but feel somewhat uneasy, and couldn't help glancing toward Han Li.
As for Han Li, something seemed to cross his mind. After sweeping his gaze over the little girl called Guo'er, he nodded calmly:
"Since Fellow Daoist Yue invites us, then I, Han, and my two companions will impose upon you for a time."
"Not at all! It is Yue Hua's honor that you would visit this humble dwelling!" Upon hearing Han Li address her as an equal, the young woman was briefly stunned. Rather than showing displeasure, however, her face lit up with a hint of joy.
It seemed that Fairy Yue Hua had vaguely guessed at something.
The middle-aged man beside her, on the other hand, stood with his mouth slightly agape, his gaze toward Han Li filled with astonishment.
Others might not know, but he was well aware of just how proud and haughty his mother-in-law was. The fact that she was now being so courteous to a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator was almost inconceivable to him.
As for Hai Dashao and Qi Lingzi, this was their first time interacting with a Core Formation cultivator, and they hadn't noticed anything amiss. Upon hearing that Fairy Yue Hua intended to reward them generously, they both broke into wide grins.
Just as Han Li raised his hand to release the flying carriage and the group prepared to set off, a melody of ethereal celestial music drifted toward them from some distant direction.
The sound was pleasant and enchanting, carrying a beauty that seemed capable of lingering in one's ears for days.
Han Li, Fairy Yue Hua, and the others all paused upon hearing it, turning their gazes simultaneously toward the source of the celestial music.
In the distant sky, five-colored light and mist churned as two rows of armored soldiers wearing black battle armor, riding strange creatures with ox heads and tiger bodies, materialized one after another.
These soldiers all wore expressionless faces, wielding halberds, battle axes, and other magical weapons, urging the beasts beneath them forward in a slow advance.
When Fairy Yue Hua swept her spiritual sense over these riders, she immediately drew in a sharp breath.
Every single one of these riders possessed cultivation at around the Nascent Soul stage, and there were more than a hundred of them.
After these riders passed in formation after formation, dark, gleaming war chariots emerged from within the five-colored light.
Each one was exquisitely crafted, with three identically armored soldiers standing aboard each, and fierce-looking flying beasts harnessed to pull the chariots forward.
After the thirty-six identical war chariots had all flown past, pairs of cultivators in various styles of dress slowly appeared — old and young, male and female — all with concealed spiritual radiance and extraordinary presences.
Though there were only eighteen of these cultivators, every one of them was at the Perfected Late Stage of Void Refining.
After these cultivators passed, a deep rumble echoed from within the light and mist, and the faint outline of a two-story pavilion emerged — or rather, it was a colossal beast-drawn carriage shaped like a pavilion.
The carriage stood dozens of zhang tall, magnificent and splendid beyond measure. At the front, eight snow-white peacocks each ten zhang in size pulled the carriage forward.
On the first level of the carriage sat a group of palace maids dressed in colorful, five-hued robes.
Each one was beautiful and alluring, cradling pipas, holding flutes, and carrying various other musical instruments.
The celestial music was drifting languidly from the hands of these women.
But Han Li's gaze paid them no attention. Instead, it fell upon the second level of the carriage, where three figures sat around a jade-green table.
The table was laden with spirit fruits and fine wines, and the three were exchanging toasts and conversing about something.
However, Han Li's gaze shifted once more, landing on an enormous, gleaming silver banner atop the colossal carriage.
The banner was embroidered with dragons and phoenixes, emanating waves of restrictive magic continuously. And at its very center was a single ancient character the size of a peck measure — "Holy."
"The Holy Emperor — it's the banner of the Heavenly Origin Holy Emperor! This is the Holy Emperor's carriage!" Beside him, Fairy Yue Hua cried out in shock the moment she made out the banner on the distant colossal carriage.