"Ming Zun… that 'Ming Zun' of the Helian Trading Alliance?" Liuyi's heart jolted, and the words escaped his lips before he could stop them.
The Helian Trading Alliance's reputation was such that he could hardly have failed to hear of it.
"Hehe, I didn't expect that my modest reputation had reached Fellow Daoist's ears. Brother Liuyi, there's no need for concern. The sole reason our alliance has mobilized so many to extend this invitation is the blood-sacrifice demon who has been causing upheaval on other continents. We bear absolutely no ill will toward you personally." Ming Zun said with a smile.
"That demon has already arrived on the Fengyuan Continent!" Liuyi's expression changed dramatically upon hearing this.
"Well… our alliance hasn't confirmed that yet. However, I believe it is only a matter of time before it appears on Fengyuan. You think the same, don't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have such an expression on your face." Ming Zun said, entirely unruffled.
"Hmph. Fellow Daoist Ming has come in person — it seems I have no real choice but to agree. Very well, I'll make the journey with you. However, I'm currently at a critical stage in restoring my true essence…" Liuyi's expression shifted uncertainly. After sweeping his gaze across the five Mahayana cultivators before him, he finally decided to yield for the time being, though he still seized the opportunity to press his conditions.
"Ha, that's easily arranged. Our alliance may lack many things, but pills we can certainly provide. As long as Fellow Daoist Liuyi accompanies us back, all the pills needed for your recovery will be on us. This fairy here — you must be Fellow Daoist Bing Feng?" Ming Zun laughed heartily, readily agreeing, before suddenly turning to address Bing Feng beside her.
"I wouldn't dare claim such regard. This junior is indeed Bing Feng. But how does the senior know of me?" Bing Feng was startled. Not daring to be negligent, she bowed with hands folded before the red-haired elder.
"No need to be so formal, Fellow Daoist Bing Feng. I recently met Fellow Daoist Han of the human race. He personally mentioned you to me and asked that I look after you should our paths cross." Ming Zun replied with unusual geniality.
"Brother Han…" A flash of joy crossed Bing Feng's face, but after a brief moment of thought, she said respectfully, "This junior will accompany the senior to visit your alliance as well."
Nearby, Liuyi's expression soured somewhat upon hearing Han Li's name.
"Then I thank you both, Fellow Daoists. There are certain matters I'd like to discuss with you in detail along the way." Ming Zun smiled faintly at this. He formed a hand seal with one hand, and violent spatial fluctuations immediately rippled through the sky above. A bronze tower ship over a hundred zhang long tore through the void and materialized, slowly descending toward them.
At this point, Liuyi and Bing Feng had no intention of going back on their word. Without delay, all of them flew up and boarded the massive vessel hovering overhead.
With a thunderous boom, the tower ship transformed into a streak of azure light and shot through the sky, vanishing into the distance.
……
One month later. Han Li was in the sealed chamber of Qingyuan Palace, refining Evil-Banishing Divine Lightning, when his expression suddenly shifted. He halted the hand seals he was making, azure light flickered across his body, and an azure talisman flew out from his sleeve. It circled once in the air and then abruptly transformed into several lines of glowing azure text, hovering in the air before him.
After only a brief glance, Han Li's eyes narrowed involuntarily.
"So Bing Feng and Liuyi have already been found. The Helian Trading Alliance moves swiftly — it seems they are indeed somewhat confident about this joint effort. Though I'm too occupied to go myself, there are matters that must be investigated firsthand. I'll need to send someone."
Han Li murmured with a sigh. Then, something else occurred to him. He formed a hand seal with one hand, his lips moving silently several times.
At the same moment, in a side chamber deep within Qingyuan Palace, Patriarch Shi — who had been cultivating with his eyes shut — heard Han Li's voice transmitted directly into his ears. Startled, he listened intently for a moment, then immediately left the chamber.
Half a day later, Patriarch Shi departed Yuanhe Island in haste.
……
Three months later.
Within the forbidden territory of the Jiaochi Clan — one of the ten most powerful races on the Fengyuan Continent — over a hundred Jiaochi warriors stood silently beside an enormous hall. They were broad-faced and large-eared, with heads uncannily resembling those of swine, yet their bodies were massive and powerful.
Suddenly, a deep buzzing hum emanated from within the hall, accompanied by faint spatial fluctuations.
The leading guards among them — those with the highest cultivation — immediately exchanged uneasy glances and, without a word, strode into the hall together.
After navigating a winding, twisting corridor, they emerged before a vast chamber shrouded in a hazy white barrier of light. Within the barrier, a massive spell formation covering roughly an acre emitted a faint spiritual glow, clearly in the midst of activation.
"What's going on? Who could be teleporting from another continent at this hour? Commander Fei, did you receive any prior orders?" One of the slightly shorter Jiaochi guards narrowed his gaze and asked coldly of the guard beside him — a man who carried an enormous sword strapped to his back.
"No. Our transmission hall received no notification of anyone teleporting through. Could it be that some lord from the other side has an urgent matter and used the formation without advance notice?" The sword-bearing guard shook his head, his tone somewhat hesitant.
"That's certainly possible. Either way, we'll know soon enough who's come to Fengyuan at such a time." The shorter guard furrowed his brow but still gestured cautiously to the others, signaling them to stay alert.
The remaining guards immediately dispersed and took up positions, sealing off every exit.
Almost the instant they finished, the great spell formation let out a resonant chime. A swirl of radiance erupted at its center, and two hazy silhouettes — one tall, one short — materialized out of thin air.
The guards' eyes swept over the pair, and the shorter guard immediately changed color, barking out a challenge: "Something's wrong — you're not members of our clan. How would those in charge on the other side allow outsiders to use the intercontinental formation at this time?"
"Heh heh. Those people on the other side? Kill them all, and you can teleport through on your own." A faint voice drifted from within the formation. The radiance within subsided, finally revealing the true faces of the two figures.