"That person is an old acquaintance from years past — I haven't seen him in a very long time. I was simply startled to run into him just now." Dong Xuan'er's expression was somewhat peculiar, but she answered in a calm tone.
"An old acquaintance? That man is an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, yet he's attending today's gathering, and he looks so young. He must be that elder from the Falling Cloud Sect who's recently risen to fame. Come to think of it, his surname is also Han, and his given name is exactly the same as the person you once mentioned. Could it really be him?" To everyone's surprise, Old Devil Yunlu did not take offense at Dong Xuan'er's curt reply. Instead, he asked calmly, almost as if their relationship was anything but ordinary.
Hearing the old devil's words, Dong Xuan'er's face paled slightly, but she remained silent without uttering a single word.
A cold gleam flashed through Old Devil Yunlu's eyes. He let out a cold snort and pressed no further, though a shadow of displeasure flickered across his brow.
When the old devil brought Dong Xuan'er to the entrance of the main hall, those Core Formation cultivators standing guard were all trembling with apprehension. They asked only a couple of perfunctory questions before hastily waving them through. Naturally, Dong Xuan'er was not permitted to enter — she could only be led by one of the cultivators to a side hall to rest.
After Han Li passed through the entrance gates, he soon spotted the doorway to the main hall and immediately quickened his pace to enter.
The hall's interior was arranged very simply. Apart from the massive stone pillars, the large open space in the center was dotted with exquisitely crafted wooden chairs, placed several zhang apart — there were sixteen or seventeen in all.
Scattered across these chairs were seven or eight cultivators, each bearing a different expression.
When they saw Han Li enter, some cast him cold glances, some ignored him entirely, and others simply kept their eyes closed in meditation — every one of them going about their own business as if no one else were there.
However, one of them, upon seeing Han Li, broke into a friendly smile and waved him over, saying: "Fellow Daoist Han, you've emerged from seclusion. If you don't mind, take a seat beside me."
This man was none other than Long Han of the Luanming Sect, the person in charge of the Heavenly Dao Alliance.
"Thank you, Brother Long!"
Han Li did not refuse. He took a seat in a chair beside Long Han, glanced briefly at the assembled cultivators, then sat quietly without a word.
A moment later, Old Devil Yunlu's figure appeared at the entrance as well.
Spotting everyone in the hall, he let out a chuckle, walked over to an empty chair, and sat down with a grand, self-important air.
Not far from where he sat, there happened to be an old man in blue robes. This person held a small emerald-green jug in one hand and a white jade wine cup in the other, drinking and pouring for himself as if no one else existed.
The moment Old Devil Yunlu sat down nearby, a strong whiff of perfume drifted over, immediately causing the old man in blue to shoot him a glare before silently cursing his ill fortune.
The old devil paid no mind to the old man's displeasure. Instead, his gaze flickered several times before settling on Han Li sitting across from him at a diagonal, and he began examining Han Li with renewed interest.
Now it was Han Li's turn to feel uneasy.
He furrowed his brows, then simply closed his eyes gently, his face becoming completely expressionless. In his mind, however, he was pondering the relationship between the old devil and Dong Xuan'er.
Back when Dong Xuan'er had been abducted by the young master of the Double Harmony Sect, she had subsequently joined the demonic sect. Though the old devil's reputation was notoriously vile, he shouldn't have made a move on a disciple of his own sect. There had to be some other connection between them.
Otherwise, the old devil would have had no reason to attend this gathering, nor to bring Dong Xuan'er along.
Just as Han Li was feeling somewhat puzzled, people continued to stream into the hall one after another.
These people were all mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, of course. Some were acquainted with those who had arrived earlier, while others harbored deep grudges against them. As a result, the hall was periodically filled with greetings and barbed remarks.
By now, Old Devil Yunlu had already shifted his gaze away from Han Li.
But Han Li remained perfectly still, not even lifting an eyelid. He felt that among the mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, he barely knew anyone, so there was naturally no need to go around greeting anyone.
"Fellow Daoist Soul Shatter! I didn't expect to see you here as well. I hear your Nine Soul Secret Art has already reached perfection. What a cause for celebration!"
"Soul Shatter!" This greeting caught Han Li's attention, and he couldn't help but open his eyes.
He saw a gaunt, refined old man in dark robes entering through the hall's entrance. Inside the hall, a cultivator in black robes was enthusiastically greeting him.
The old man in dark robes paused in surprise for a moment, then immediately walked over with a face full of smiles.
"What's wrong? Have you met True Person Soul Shatter before, Fellow Daoist Han?" Long Han, sitting nearby, noticed Han Li's reaction and asked with a smile.
"No. I've only heard Senior Brother Cheng mention this person — apparently his abilities are quite formidable." Han Li's expression remained unchanged as he spoke, making no mention whatsoever of the fact that he had once killed several members of the Soul Shatter Gate during his trip to the Yue Kingdom.
"Haha, that's no surprise. I recall that Elder Cheng once crossed swords with this man and came off a little worse for it. Naturally, the impression stuck. But with your current reputation, Fellow Daoist Han, there's no need for you to worry about him. However, among the mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, there is one person you'd best not cross. Even the three great cultivators of Tiannan would find him a headache to deal with." Long Han smiled faintly and spoke in an advisory tone.
"Someone who can give the three great cultivators a headache? Does such a person actually exist?" Han Li's eyebrows twitched in surprise.
"Of course there is. This person once fought Fellow Daoist Zhiyang, one of the three great cultivators. Although he was nearly killed, he still managed to wound Zhiyang slightly and escape. So he is almost universally acknowledged as the strongest existence below the three great cultivators. It's just that he's always been a loner. Whether he'll even show up for something as significant as the invasion of the Dharma Masters is anyone's guess. Otherwise, he'd be quite a powerful ally." Long Han explained in detail.