Han Li glanced at the storage pouch at his waist.
After returning the ancient lamp, though he hadn't mentioned anything about it, the Mulan Dharma Masters had sent back both of his seized treasures — the Purple Pincer Net and the Ancient Basket — along with the materials they'd delivered.
It seemed these Mulan folk understood well enough that if they wanted to remain in Tiannan for the long term, they naturally couldn't afford to offend too many high-level cultivators.
Returning these ancient treasures was likely a gesture meant to ensure he'd harbor no resentment.
After all, a cultivator with such formidable power at such a young age would make even the Mulan Divine Masters somewhat wary.
The moment the treasures were returned, Han Li gave the Purple Pincer Net to Silver Moon.
Although she could only use it when she took the form of a fox, she had made several significant contributions recently. Han Li was not a stingy man and naturally wanted to show his appreciation.
The Purple Pincer Net was something she'd used with great ease, making it the perfect reward.
Whether it was because word of their alliance with the Mulan had spread, the Tuwu had grown hesitant for the time being.
Though they'd dispatched a large number of cultivators to the edge of the grasslands, they hadn't launched any immediate attack. They were simply observing the movements of Tiannan and the Mulan in silence, showing no signs of causing trouble anytime soon.
But the more the Tuwu acted this way, the heavier the hearts of Lord Zhiyang and Long Han became.
The gravity of the enemy's posture suggested they truly harbored grand ambitions. Most likely, they really were planning to move against Tiannan.
Seeing that this standoff might become a drawn-out affair, and that disciples from Tiannan's various sects couldn't remain stationed here indefinitely, a round of discussion led to the implementation of a rotation system much like the one the Nine Nations Alliance had employed before.
All sects would send elite disciples to take turns garrisoning positions near the borders of the two Mulan kingdoms. Should the Tuwu launch an attack and the Mulan find themselves hard-pressed, these disciples could naturally rush to provide some support.
The remaining cultivators were free to return to their respective sects.
As an elder of the Falling Cloud Sect, Han Li and Senior Brother Lu naturally had no shortage of duties. It wasn't until most of the disciples had already departed that he was finally able to extricate himself and head back to the Falling Cloud Sect.
Lu Luo still had matters to attend to and would be delayed a few more days, so Han Li set off on the return journey first.
Along the way, Han Li didn't waste a moment, using the Wind Riding Chariot to cover ground, which shaved nearly a quarter off his travel time. But once he entered the Kingdom of Xi, he put the chariot away to avoid drawing too much attention.
Now, a distance of just over a hundred li was virtually nothing to Han Li — he could cross it in the blink of an eye.
When the distant silhouette of Yunmeng Mountain came into view, the image of Nangong Wan's lovely face surfaced unbidden in his mind, and a look of joy spread across his face.
...
"What is going on?" Han Li stared at the silver-haired elder inside a rarely used secret chamber deep within the Falling Cloud Sect, each word deliberately measured, his face dark with the grim aura that preceded a storm of rage.
Having only just returned to the Falling Cloud Sect, before he could even make it back to his cave dwelling, he'd been intercepted halfway by the silver-haired elder and brought to this chamber, which was suffused with a frigid, yin-cold energy.
Here, Han Li had been met with a shocking sight — Nangong Wan.
But she had been transformed into a girl of seven or eight, sealed within an ice wall from which wisps of frigid air drifted. Her eyes were tightly shut, motionless, lost in unconsciousness.
How could Han Li not be shaken with alarm and fury?
"Ahem! Junior Brother, if only you'd returned half a month earlier. Sister Nangong's troubles began only half a month ago. If you'd been here, perhaps you could have prevented this. However, your lady is not in any immediate danger to her life. It's just that her body has been afflicted with a Soul Sealing Curse from the Demonic path. This method is the only way to delay the curse's activation." The silver-haired elder gave a bitter smile and slowly explained.
"A Soul Sealing Curse? How could Wan'er have been hit by such a sinister curse? Isn't this dark art supposed to have been lost in Tiannan long ago? Could it be...?" At the elder's words, Han Li was first stunned, but then something struck him, and a look of alarmed suspicion crossed his face.
Seeing that Han Li seemed to have guessed something, the silver-haired elder didn't press further but instead recounted Nangong Wan's ordeal in full detail.
It turned out that on a certain morning half a month ago, Nangong Wan had gone as usual to a small hill near her cave dwelling to gather the yin dew of heaven and earth, used for cultivating her Reincarnation Art of the Pure Maiden.
But to her surprise, the moment she arrived, a man in black robes appeared without warning.
Without a word, the moment he laid eyes on Nangong Wan, he unleashed an extraordinarily powerful Demonic path technique, smashing through several of her protective treasures in rapid succession. Utterly terrified, Nangong Wan let out a piercing cry for help and fled with all her might toward her cave dwelling.