Han Li gazed at the purple-gold thunderball for a while, then suddenly flicked his wrist and tossed it outward.
A deafening boom erupted.
No sooner had the thunderball flown several zhang away than it instantly detonated into a burst of crackling electrical light.
Strands of purple-gold lightning crackled and spiraled outward, and at their center, a grayish-white hole had appeared out of thin air—no larger than a chicken egg—yet from it emanated a faint ripple of spatial energy.
"As expected, it can directly tear through the void. The purified Evil-Banishing Divine Lightning is even more powerful than I had anticipated," Han Li murmured, a trace of delight appearing at the corner of his mouth.
Just then, a buzzing sound suddenly came from within his sleeve.
Han Li was momentarily startled, but his expression quickly turned serious as he remembered something, and he shook his sleeve.
A flash of spiritual light!
An azure talisman flew rolling out of his sleeve. After a brief shimmer, lines of cyan text scattered outward from its surface. They spun rapidly before arranging themselves into several densely packed rows of characters.
Han Li focused his gaze on the cyan characters for just a moment, and his expression shifted subtly.
"So this True Immortal has indeed set foot on the Wind Element Continent. In that case, this journey is unavoidable. If I can suppress him or drive him out of the Spirit World without involving the human race, that would naturally be the best outcome," Han Li thought to himself. Without further hesitation, he extended a finger and traced several quick gestures toward the floating cyan characters in the air.
Instantly, the cyan characters blurred and transformed into a different set of text before streaming back into the azure talisman and vanishing without a trace.
Seeing this, Han Li reached out with one hand and recalled the talisman. He then rose to his feet and walked out of the secret chamber.
Half an hour later, in the great hall of the Green Origin Palace, Han Li sat in the seat of honor, giving instructions to those gathered below.
Nangong Wan sat at Han Li's side, her seemingly calm face betraying a hint of worry.
Hai Dashao, Lan Yao'er, and the other disciples stood nearby with respectful expressions.
Even Silvermoon, who had been in seclusion, had appeared and taken a seat below Nangong Wan, her expression remarkably composed.
"In any case, this journey will be somewhat dangerous. While I'm fairly confident in my ability to protect myself, there are certain matters I need to put in order before I leave. While I'm away, all affairs of the palace will be handled by Wan'er first, with Yuetian and the other stewards assisting. Silvermoon is at a critical stage in her cultivation and should focus solely on her seclusion. Additionally, if something were to happen to me and I'm unable to return to the Green Origin Palace within a short time, you should jointly activate this talisman together. I've left additional instructions inside—simply follow what's written." With that, Han Li flipped his palm, and a purple-gold talisman appeared in his hand, its surface shimmering with faint threads of purple-gold lightning.
The moment the word "go" left Han Li's lips, the talisman transformed into a streak of purple-gold lightning and shot toward a great beam in the hall.
With a thunderous clap, the lightning condensed into a purple-gold spiritual rune that embedded itself several inches deep into the beam's surface. The edges were perfectly clean, as though it had been carved there from the very beginning.
Hai Dashao and the other disciples, naturally, had no objections.
Nangong Wan and Silvermoon exchanged a glance and both silently nodded.
Early the next morning, Han Li departed Yuanhe Island alone, riding a streak of light as he hurtled toward Heavenly Abyss City.
Similar scenes were playing out across various races on the Wind Element Continent.
The Mahayana powerhouses who served as pillars of strength for their respective clans had all received the same transmission. After each weighed their own reasons and considerations, most chose to immediately set off for the Heaven Beyond Heaven above the Land of Resonant Evil.
Some of the more self-confident Mahayana powerhouses were even brimming with excitement as they embarked on their journeys.
After all, the opportunity to slay or suppress a living Immortal was not something one could stumble upon easily. With a bit of luck, they might even obtain a heaven-defying fortune from this Immortal.
A little over ten days later, high above the subterranean world that housed the headquarters of the Helian Merchant Alliance.
Two figures hovered high in the void. The black-robed young man among them looked down at the completely deserted halls and structures below, his expression dark and ugly.
His vast divine sense had already swept through this subterranean world several times over. Not only were there no people to be found—even flying insects were nowhere in sight, as if every living creature here had vanished into thin air.
As for the restriction formations that had been set up throughout the subterranean world, they had been completely dismantled. Even within those buildings that should have been the Merchant Alliance's most important strongholds, not a single spirit stone had been left behind.
"Master, it seems the Helian Merchant Alliance received word ahead of time and managed to evacuate before we arrived," Yang Lu said respectfully from the side, inwardly surprised by what he found.
That the Helian Merchant Alliance—an organization of such renown—would retreat without a fight was something he had truly not anticipated.
"Hmph. They're not stupid, I'll give them that—knowing full well they can't stand against an Immortal on their own, they fled quickly enough. Fine, let them run. We'll go after those two juniors directly. They bear the soul imprints I planted on them; no matter how far they flee to the ends of the earth, they cannot escape my grasp. Heh—if we catch up to them, there might even be a pleasant surprise waiting for us." After a brief consideration, Ma Liang gave a cold snort and spoke.