"Rest assured, Master. I devoured Senior Azure Dragon's Nascent Soul in a single gulp — he no longer exists in this world. Before dying, though, he stopped suppressing the poison and unleashed a desperate technique that damaged my own vital energy. I had to meditate outside for two days before slipping back into the city with a group of scouts from Sky Abyss City. No one could possibly have detected me." The Leopard Qilin Beast grinned widely as it spoke.
"Hmm, you did well this time. With this taken care of, I can focus entirely on breaking through the late-stage bottleneck without any lingering worries." A faint smile appeared at the corner of Han Li's mouth upon hearing this.
"Hehe, with Master's cultivation talent and all the preparations you've made, this breakthrough is sure to succeed. Let me congratulate you in advance on your great advancement in cultivation." The Leopard Qilin Beast blinked its eyes and let out a string of light laughter.
"Hopefully so. Since you've already achieved human form, there's no need for you to stay in the Spirit Beast Ring anymore. You can cultivate in the secret chamber next to mine. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask Qi Lingzi and the others. I'll instruct them to provide everything you require." Han Li's expression turned solemn.
"Thank you, Master! I've been wanting to leave the Spirit Beast Ring for a long time. I'll go cultivate in the adjacent chamber right away. When Master begins secluded cultivation, I'll come back to stand guard!" The Leopard Qilin Beast was overjoyed and immediately took its leave.
Han Li naturally had no objections. After a few words of reminder, he let it go.
Once the Leopard Qilin Beast's figure had vanished, Han Li took a deep breath, grabbed at the empty air with one hand, and a message talisman materialized. He tossed it outward, then closed his eyes and resumed meditation.
A short while later, a woman's voice suddenly came from outside the secret chamber: "Brother Han, you're calling me over now — could it be that you're about to attempt breaking through the late-stage bottleneck in the coming days?"
The voice was exceedingly pleasant to hear, yet carried a hint of cool detachment — it was none other than the Ice Phoenix.
"Fellow Daoist Feng guessed correctly. I do indeed have that intention." Han Li opened his eyes and replied with complete calm.
...
Several days later, in a meeting hall within Sky Abyss City, seven or eight members of the Elder Council had gathered together to discuss a certain matter.
Among them were Zen Master Jinyue, Fairy Silver Light, and others.
"So it's true — Senior Azure Dragon has really fallen! What a tremendous loss. At a time like this, his death is a great blow to both our races." The silver-haired elder in white robes, seated in the place of honor, sighed as he spoke.
"Had Senior Azure Dragon not left a Life Soul Tablet in the Secret Hall after joining the Elder Council, I wouldn't have wanted to believe it either. According to the guards at the hall, his soul tablet shattered on its own within half a day of his departure from the city." Zen Master Jinyue replied with a bitter smile.
"Hmph, Senior Azure Dragon brought this upon himself. Knowing full well that demon creatures were everywhere nearby, he still insisted on forcibly teleporting away. I'd say he has no one to blame — he walked his own path to death." Fairy Silver Light gave a cold snort as she spoke.
"Heh heh, Senior Azure Dragon may not necessarily have fallen to the demons. Perhaps someone else was behind it! Didn't the guards at the teleportation hall say another person left using the teleportation array along with Senior Azure Dragon? Perhaps Senior Azure Dragon died at that person's hands." A large man clad in a black leather robe suddenly spoke up with a laugh.
"Are you implying something about Fellow Daoist Han?" Fairy Silver Light's face darkened slightly upon hearing these words.
"Fairy Silver Light, please don't put words in my mouth. I never said any such thing. I merely said that Senior Azure Dragon may not necessarily have fallen to the demons." The big man's expression shifted slightly as he denied it outright.
Clearly, he was very wary of Han Li and had no desire to offend him easily.
Fairy Silver Light smiled faintly but ultimately said nothing more.
"Forget it. Since Senior Azure Dragon forcibly left Sky Abyss City, it shows he no longer acknowledges himself as a member of our Elder Council. In that case, there's no need for us to investigate further. The most important matter right now is the demon army laying siege to the city!" The silver-haired elder furrowed his brow and spoke slowly.
"But Senior Azure Dragon was a Body Integration cultivator of the human race — and a mid-stage one at that. To have died so inexplicably… it will be difficult to explain to the cultivators in the city. Moreover, might this affect Fairy Lin Luan's attitude toward our city?" The cultivator surnamed Gu from the Douyuan Pavilion spoke with a thoughtful expression.
"What is there to explain? If we don't mention it, how would anyone else learn of Senior Azure Dragon's death? Even if we intended to investigate the matter thoroughly, it would have to wait until the demon tribulation is over. In the face of the catastrophe currently threatening both our races with annihilation, everything else must come second. As for Fellow Daoist Lin, she is exceptionally intelligent — I trust she understands the rights and wrongs of the situation." The silver-haired elder's voice grew cold and grim.