"Oh, so Fellow Daoist Evil Lotus doesn't seem particularly surprised by our arrival." Han Li narrowed his eyes and said meaningfully.
"Are the three of you from the Spirit Realm or the Dark Flame Realm?" The Evil Lotus Sacred Ancestor looked Han Li and his two companions up and down several times before suddenly asking in an expressionless voice.
"The Spirit Realm? The Dark Flame Realm? How can Fellow Daoist Evil Lotus be so certain that we three come from these two realms?" Han Li's gaze flickered as he asked.
"Because the only realms that previously sent powerful cultivators to aid our Sacred Realm—and have yet to send anyone else to seek us out—are the Dark Flame Realm and the Spirit Realm." The Evil Lotus Sacred Ancestor replied coldly.
"Us several?" Han Li's expression shifted.
"That's right. Naturally, I'm referring to us Sacred Ancestors who haven't yet entered the Origin Seal Land. Though I've been temporarily residing here in the Myriad Mountains, I've never lost contact with several of the other Fellow Daoists. If you newcomers from other realms wish to understand the situation in the Origin Seal Land, naturally the first ones you'd seek out would be us." Evil Lotus replied unhurriedly.
"So that's how it is. The three of us are indeed from the Spirit Realm, so Fellow Daoist's guess was correct. But it seems you must know very well what happened in the Origin Seal Land?" Han Li pondered for a moment before speaking slowly.
"So you're from the Spirit Realm! Your face looks rather familiar—have you been to our Sacred Realm before?" The green-robed palace-dressed woman didn't immediately answer Han Li's question. Instead, she stared at his face for a moment before suddenly asking thoughtfully, seemingly unconcerned that he and his companions were from the Spirit Realm—as if she were entirely unaware that the two realms had just concluded a great battle not long ago.
Han Li was slightly startled upon hearing this, but quickly broke into a smile.
"I did indeed visit your realm once before. It seems Fellow Daoist Evil Lotus has already recognized me, so why ask what you already know?"
"My, my. So you're that cultivator surnamed Han who was once jointly hunted by Yuan Yan and Liu Ji! When you left the Sacred Realm, you were only at the Integration stage, and now you've already advanced to Mahayana. I finally have some understanding of why those two took you so seriously. In that case, this Fellow Daoist beside you must be Fellow Daoist Crab from the Demon Source Sea. I'm probably one of the very few Sacred Ancestors in the Demon Realm who has never visited Brother Crab at the Demon Source Sea. But looking at things now, perhaps it's not too late." Evil Lotus sighed, then shifted her gaze to Daoist Crab.
As for Silver Moon, an early-stage Integration cultivator, she didn't even spare her a glance.
Clearly, for her, beings below the Mahayana stage simply didn't warrant her attention.
Daoist Crab's expression remained wooden, with no intention of responding.
Han Li raised his eyebrows and asked with a lowered expression: "Since Fellow Daoist has also recognized Brother Crab, that saves me the trouble of introducing him. Regarding the matter of the Origin Seal Land, it seems you still haven't answered my question?"
"I do indeed know some things about the Origin Seal Land. However, this matter is no small affair, and this is hardly a suitable place for conversation. The three of you should follow me below for a proper discussion." The green-robed palace-dressed woman swept her gaze around, and the coldness on her face suddenly melted away.
"Below? Does Fellow Daoist intend to invite us three to your cave dwelling?" Han Li glanced at a nearby peak shrouded in five-colored radiance and asked noncommittally.
"What, does Fellow Daoist Han fear I might pull some trick?" The palace-dressed woman chuckled lightly, and a hint of feminine charm suddenly appeared between her brows.
"How could I possibly think such a thing! With Fellow Daoist Evil Lotus's standing, you wouldn't stoop to such petty matters. Unless you truly believe you can contend with two Mahayana-stage cultivators simultaneously." Han Li yawned, his true thoughts completely hidden.
"Then please, three Fellow Daoists." The palace-dressed woman stepped aside slightly, a smile on her face.
Han Li didn't stand on ceremony. He flicked his sleeve, and a swath of golden radiance swept outward to both sides. Carrying Daoist Crab and Silver Moon along, he transformed into a streak of golden light and shot toward the distant peak.
The Evil Lotus Sacred Ancestor's body blurred, transforming into a ball of green light that also flew off.
The five-colored radiance enveloping the peak parted to allow Han Li's group and the palace-dressed woman to pass through the protective restrictions in succession. They all landed together before the palace gates at the summit.
Just then, the shadow of a figure flickered before the doors, and two burly men in bizarre attire walked out.
These two had dark skin and wore silver-gray battle armor, but the exposed skin on their arms and faces was marked with rows of vivid crimson spiritual patterns. Their eyes were entirely silver-bright, devoid of visible pupils—an exceedingly eerie sight.
One of them had a gleamingly bald head, completely without a single hair, with an exceptionally fierce countenance.
The other had disheveled hair, thick golden rings adorning both arms, and an extremely powerful build.
When their gazes swept over, they were as sharp as blades and swords. Even with Han Li's cultivation, he couldn't help but feel a slight chill creep across his skin.
"Mahayana-stage existences!" Han Li was inwardly startled and murmured under his breath.
Silver Moon's face changed upon hearing this, and she drew in a sharp breath.
These two dark-skinned burly men were also Mahayana cultivators, yet the aura radiating from their bodies was entirely different from that of demon cultivators—it gave Han Li an utterly unfamiliar sensation.