When a dark-green lotus the size of an acre appeared on the horizon, Han Li, Xie Lian, Jin Cha, and the others stood upon its petals.
"So this is where the gathering is to be held. Old Monster Yellow Sand certainly picked a fine spot," Han Li remarked, surveying the yellow earthen city not far away. He offered a light laugh, making it impossible to tell whether the remark was praise or mockery.
Hearing this, Xie Lian chuckled softly and replied: "Daoist Huang's Earth-Dry Demonic Art is unmatched among the Devil Realm's earth-attribute techniques. As long as he remains within a desert, he can even hold his own against a forefather-level powerhouse such as Bao Xiang. Besides, Old Monster Yellow Sand has always been a loner who never associated casually with others. Holding the gathering here naturally puts the rest of us at ease."
"So that's the reason. No wonder he chose to hold the gathering at his own cave abode. I can overlook this earthen city—it's nothing more than an ordinary spiritual treasure—but these ten thousand puppets are quite impressive. Every single one possesses the strength of the Void Refining stage. That truly comes as a surprise to me," said the bald, broad-shouldered man. His gaze swept over the armored puppet sentries, and a rare look of gravity crossed his face.
"These Earth-Dry Divine Guards are a unique type of puppet that Old Daoist Huang developed himself. Both their refinement and their control require the Earth-Dry Demonic Art as a foundation. However, these Divine Guards can only display their true power on the ground—once they leave the sand and soil, their strength immediately drops by nearly half. That said, as long as they remain in an environment rich in earth-attribute spiritual energy, they're nearly impossible to destroy, which makes them excellent bodyguards. Even us Mahayana ancestors would find it quite troublesome to eliminate so many at once." Xie Lian giggled as she offered the explanation.
"That's true enough. Opponents that are practically indestructible have always been the most annoying kind." This time, Jin Cha nodded repeatedly in emphatic agreement.
During the brief exchange, the dark-green lotus had already carried the group over the earthen city and descended slowly toward it.
The instant his feet touched the ground, Han Li's gaze swept across the gilded palace gates, and a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes.
With a spiritual sense as powerful as his, he still could not penetrate the golden palace before him. That alone proved it was truly extraordinary—surely one of Old Monster Yellow Sand's most prized treasures.
Xie Lian, acting very much like the hostess, gestured for Han Li's and Jin Cha's groups to follow, then led two female disciples through the palace gates ahead of them.
"Let's go."
Han Li smiled faintly and walked toward the entrance with Crab Daoist and Silver Moon in tow.
The typically brash and unbridled Jin Cha studied the golden palace for a careful moment, a trace of hesitation flickering across his face.
But just then, the long-haired, brawny man beside him strode forward without the slightest expression on his face.
Jin Cha blinked, then gave a bitter smile and followed.
The instant Han Li's foot crossed the threshold, he felt a wave of restriction energy surge beneath his feet. A wash of azure light flew upward, sweeping him, Crab Daoist, and Silver Moon inside.
Silver Moon's expression shifted in alarm. Spiritual light flickered across her body as she prepared to unleash a defensive ability, but at that moment Han Li's calm voice reached her ears.
"Don't be alarmed. This restriction means no harm."
Silver Moon's heart instantly steadied at his words, and the spiritual light around her dissipated.
The azure radiance surged and billowed, the surrounding scenery blurred, and the three of them vanished from the gateway.
The next instant, inside a splendid and mysterious hall, a pale-blue light array flickered into existence, and Han Li reappeared with Crab Daoist and Silver Moon.
Dozens of gazes, sharp as blades, fell upon the three of them at once, and several murmurs of surprise rippled through the hall.
"Oh? Human cultivators!"
"Isn't that the Golden Crab from the Devil Source Sea?"
…
Han Li heard the remarks but kept his expression unchanged as he swept his gaze around.
The three of them had materialized squarely in the center of the hall. On every side, clusters of two, three, four, or five—over a hundred figures of varying heights were gathered. They were divided into more than thirty groups arranged around the hall's perimeter.
A small fraction of them sat in chairs, while the rest stood respectfully to one side.
Xie Lian had already made her way to one corner of the hall and taken a seat. Her two female disciples stood behind her with their hands clasped.
"Daoist Han, Brother Crab, please take a seat." The moment she settled into her chair, Xie Lian turned to Han Li with a dazzling smile.
Han Li nodded. After casting another glance toward the spots where the murmurs had originated, he led Crab Daoist and Silver Moon to another corner of the hall, where the three of them sat down.
The instant Han Li sat, seven or eight spiritual senses probed his body without the slightest courtesy.
Han Li's face darkened, and a cold snort escaped his nostrils.
The snort was soft.
But each of those probing minds was struck as though by a clap of thunder—rings echoed in their ears and their very souls shook, knocked several degrees off balance.
The owners of those spiritual senses felt a jolt of alarm and immediately withdrew their probes, not daring to scan Han Li any further.
The other Mahayana cultivators who witnessed this exchanged glances of surprise, and several found their estimation of Han Li quietly rising.
Just then, Jin Cha and the long-haired brawny man materialized in the hall as well. After taking in their surroundings with a sweep of their gazes, they paused briefly on Han Li, then walked over with hearty laughter and took the two remaining empty chairs nearby.