The person who walked in was, surprisingly, a tall woman of about twenty years of age with purple hair and a short white horn several inches long on her forehead. Her appearance was dignified and elegant, and she gazed at Han Li with a trace of a smile.
The true face of this Bai family ancestor was rather unexpected!
"What? Surely Fellow Daoist Han didn't know beforehand that I was a woman?" The purple-haired woman laughed lightly and addressed Han Li.
"Fellow Daoist Bai Yunxin indeed never mentioned this to me. I was somewhat rude — I've made a fool of myself in front of the Fairy." Han Li was, after all, no ordinary person. After cupping his fists toward the woman, he quickly composed himself, though a hint of surprise still lingered in his eyes.
"It's no matter. This isn't the first time I've encountered such a reaction. After all, the title 'Heaven-Veiling Recluse' is easily misunderstood. But this title has been passed down through more than ten generations of our Bai family ancestors, so even though my demonic cultivation has reached great completion, I cannot simply change it." The purple-haired woman smiled gracefully and offered a brief explanation.
This helped Han Li understand. Some families did indeed preserve certain titles and positions across generations, using such practices to strengthen family cohesion and continuity.
Though the practice might seem somewhat frivolous, from what Han Li knew, it actually seemed quite effective.
By now, the purple-haired woman had seated herself across from Han Li. With a wave of her hand, the several maidservants who had been standing at attention nearby obediently withdrew from the hall, gently closing the main doors behind them.
"I hear from my disappointing junior that Fellow Daoist Han is a reclusive cultivator who doesn't venture out much. In that case, it's no wonder this is my first time hearing your name. But your demonic cultivation seems quite refined — you should have advanced to the Devil Venerable realm quite some time ago. Otherwise, how could I be unable to see through your exact level of cultivation?" The woman's spiritual sense swept faintly over Han Li, and her beautiful eyes glimmered as she asked.
"I cultivate the Path of Slaughter and prefer to practice in desolate regions infested with devil beasts, so I've had little contact with outsiders. As for when I advanced to the Devil Venerable realm, you've guessed wrong — it's only been a few hundred years. The reason you can't see through my cultivation is simply that the demonic arts I practice are somewhat unusual." Han Li chuckled, his reply hovering between truth and falsehood.
At the same time, he also sent a thread of spiritual sense probing toward the Heaven-Veiling Recluse, but that wisp of sense vanished like an ox entering the sea, yielding no result whatsoever. This sent a slight chill through his heart.
It seemed this woman either possessed some powerful treasure for protection, or she cultivated a remarkable art capable of concealing her aura.
As for the possibility that her magical power far exceeded his own — that was naturally quite unlikely. After all, Han Li's current cultivation was deep and profound, nearly double that of an average cultivator at the same level. He simply refused to believe that the woman before him could have cultivated magical power even denser than his own.
"The Path of Slaughter!" The purple-haired woman started upon hearing Han Li's words. The doubts that had lingered in her mind dissipated considerably, though a barely perceptible look of joy surfaced on her face. "Although I haven't had much exposure to such demonic arts, I know that fellow cultivators who practice the Path of Slaughter possess actual combat strength far exceeding that of ordinary peers. If that's the case, then I truly was remiss in my courtesy!"
"The demonic arts of the Path of Slaughter, while powerful, are genuinely difficult to cultivate. If I hadn't determined that solitary seclusion and slaying a few devil beasts alone would never be enough to break through my current bottleneck, I probably wouldn't have come out at all." Han Li said calmly.
"I don't cultivate the Path of Slaughter, but I've similarly been stuck at a bottleneck for a thousand years. Once one enters the Devil Venerable realm, any further advancement becomes extraordinarily difficult — most likely requiring a certain amount of fortune to succeed."
It seemed Han Li's words had touched a sore spot for the purple-haired woman. She sighed softly and expressed her wholehearted agreement.
"I've long heard that the Illusory Roar Desert is one of the Sacred Realm's famous forbidden zones, so I made a detour here. I hope to rest and recuperate in the city for a period before entering the desert to temper myself. If I can find some opportunities within, that would be even better." Han Li nodded, then abruptly shifted the topic.
"Although our Bai family isn't a particularly large clan, we do have some influence locally and are quite familiar with the Illusory Roar Desert. If Fellow Daoist has any needs, feel free to ask. I will instruct our clan members and disciples to provide you with every convenience." The purple-haired woman's eyes gleamed as she spoke.
"Since you've said so, I do actually have one matter in which I could use the Bai family's assistance." Han Li gently patted his palm on his knee and offered a slight smile.