Most of these cultivators were originally disciples taken in by Qi Lingzi and the others, while the remainder were new followers recruited over the past three years by Hai Dashao and his companions when they ventured to the territories of the human and demon races.
According to Han Li's plan, not only would this expansion happen over the next three years — every decade or so going forward, he intended to further increase the number of disciples under his banner.
In this manner, he was confident that within a few centuries, the total number of his followers would rival that of an ordinary major sect. And after several thousand years of careful cultivation, there would be no shortage of disciples at the Deity Transformation and Void Refining stages on the island. As for those with exceptional potential, it was not entirely impossible for them to eventually reach the Body Integration stage.
By this time, Han Li had also named his residence the "Qingyuan Palace."
He was certain that the name Yuanhe Island's Qingyuan Palace would soon resound throughout the entire Fengyuan Continent.
Now, under the gaze of several thousand Qingyuan Palace disciples, Han Li slowly emerged from the silver palace accompanied by Silver Moon, Zhu Guo'er, and a handful of direct disciples including Hai Dashao.
"All of you, rise. I will soon be departing the island on an extended journey. While I am away, all mundane affairs on the island will be handled by Yuetian. As for everything within the Qingyuan Palace, it will be managed by your Auntie Silver Moon. Do any of you have objections?" Han Li turned around and addressed the group behind him in a calm, even tone.
"We will obey our Master's orders without question." Every last one of them, whether Hai Dashao or the newly admitted disciples such as Lan Yao, bowed and replied in unison.
"Are you truly not planning to take me with you? I may have fallen to the Void Refining stage, but all my divine abilities remain intact. Moreover, I now possess a Body Integration-level spiritual avatar. Even if I were to encounter an ordinary Mahayana cultivator, I would have at least some ability to protect myself." Silver Moon fixed her gaze on Han Li and spoke slowly.
"That won't do. Your spiritual avatar has just undergone the transfer of true essence — it will require roughly ten years of consolidation before it can be considered truly complete. During that period, you must remain here at Qingyuan Palace. Only then can I depart with peace of mind." Han Li shook his head without the slightest hesitation.
"Since Brother Han has truly made up his mind, this little sister will say no more. Do take care on your journey." Silver Moon's eyes flickered briefly, and she let out a soft sigh.
"Rest easy. If things go well, I may return within a hundred years or so — it shouldn't take too long. Shi, Zhu Guo'er, let's be off." Han Li's expression softened, and a faint smile crossed his face. He then issued instructions to Bai Guo'er and Patriarch Hua Shi as well.
The next instant, a ripple of spatial distortion appeared above the silver palace, and a colossal vessel as black as ink materialized in the air.
Han Li's figure blurred, and in the next moment he had appeared at the bow of the ship.
Zhu Guo'er and Shi respectfully acknowledged the command, each transforming into a streak of rainbow light that shot straight toward the massive vessel.
After a brief interval, while the cultivators atop the peak bowed once more in farewell, the Mo Ling Sacred Ship let out a low hum and rose into the sky.
Several sharp, piercing sounds tore through the air, and the great vessel vanished completely beyond the horizon.
……
Across a vast expanse of emerald-green grassland, tens of thousands of ox-headed, horse-bodied beasts stampeded forward in a desperate, thundering rush.
Most of these creatures were ordinary wild animals that had not yet developed even the rudiments of spiritual awareness. Only a handful had reached the level of low-grade spirit beasts — some sprouted pairs of wings from their backs and flew directly, while others stirred up gusts of spirit wind to envelop their bodies as they rolled onward in a furious torrent.
Without warning, a piercing shriek split the sky from behind them. Crimson light swept across the heavens, and three colossal heads — each the size of a mountain — materialized above the stampeding herd.
All three heads were covered in thick, coarse scales of oily green. Their eyeballs were a deep, sickly yellow, and their pupils were narrow, elongated, and piercingly sharp. They were unmistakably the heads of enormous pythons.
The moment the three heads appeared, they all opened their massive jaws in unison, revealing rows of fangs like giant blades, and sucked downward with savage force.
A deafening boom echoed across the entire grassland.
Three torrents of light — green, yellow, and red — swept downward, blanketing the grassland below in an all-encompassing wave.
In an instant, every last beast in the stampeding herd, whether or not it possessed spiritual awareness, shuddered violently, then rose into the air and hurtled straight toward the gaping maws of the three serpent heads — like moths flinging themselves into a flame.
In the span of just a few breaths, over ten thousand of the ox-headed, horse-bodied creatures had been swallowed whole by the three serpent heads.
The central head tossed its crown upward and let out a satisfied burp, a look of contentment crossing its features. It swayed once, then began to blur and dissipate — seemingly about to vanish just as it had appeared.
But at that very moment, one of the other serpent heads on either side suddenly flashed with a sharp gleam in both eyes. It turned toward a particular stretch of empty space to one side, let out a sharp hiss, and then spoke in a voice like rolling thunder:
"Who has come uninvited to this humble retreat of mine — Green Plains Abode?"
Its words startled the other two serpent heads into alertness. All four eyes snapped toward the same direction, and a fierce, murderous light blazed within them.