After the big man arrived, no other cultivators showed up for quite some time. The three of them simply went about their own business, with none making any effort to strike up conversation with the others.
Nearly half a month passed before the miasma had mostly dissipated. Only then did astonishing streaks of light finally appear at the horizon. Two brilliant rainbows flew side by side, streaming toward the mountain peak like bolts of silk.
After circling once above the three, the lights landed precisely in the spot between them, and a man and a woman emerged.
The man was none other than the old man surnamed Fu from the Nine Abyss Sect. The woman was a beautiful figure dressed in black, with slightly thick eyebrows, though her face was as cold as frost.
"All three fellow Daoists have arrived as promised — this is truly an honor for me. I had originally made contingencies in case some of you might not come, but it seems those won't be necessary now." The old man surnamed Fu swept his gaze over Han Li and the other two, his face brimming with delight.
The beautiful woman in black beside him, however, remained coldly silent.
"I came this time, but if what you have to say doesn't interest me, I'll be on my way immediately," the big man said with a cold laugh, his tone none too polite. "I'm at a critical juncture in breaking through a bottleneck, and I don't have time to waste on trivial matters."
"Rest assured, Brother Yuan! You've already seen fellow Daoists Han and Bai — could you really fear that I would deceive you with empty words? Before we proceed, let me introduce everyone. This is my junior martial sister, Chang Zhifang, an Inner Hall Elder of the Nine Abyss Sect. Brother Yuan is a local here, hailing from the Poison Saint Gate of the Southern Border — we'll be relying on your connections this time. Fellow Daoist Han is an independent cultivator from overseas, with astonishingly powerful abilities. Fellow Daoist Bai..." The old man surnamed Fu pointed to Han Li and the others, introducing them one by one.
When the old man surnamed Fu described Han Li's abilities as astonishing, both the big man and Bai Yaoyi shot Han Li a surprised glance.
Han Li was briefly stunned upon hearing this, then furrowed his brows:
"You flatter me far too much. My cultivation is quite ordinary — I have no idea where you got the idea that my abilities are extraordinary," Han Li said, his surface expression calm.
"Why bother hiding it any longer? I've heard that not only did you eliminate old Xiao, an early Nascent Soul cultivator, in the Jin Capital, but after the underground auction, you also destroyed the notorious Evil Fire Arhat in a single exchange. With a cultivation level this high, is there really any need for false modesty?" The old man surnamed Fu said meaningfully.
"Fellow Daoist Han killed the Evil Fire Arhat?" The big man surnamed Yuan's expression changed dramatically as he abruptly turned to stare at Han Li.
Bai Yaoyi's bright eyes flickered, a hint of shock appearing in them as well.
Only the beautiful woman in black seemed to already know about this, showing no reaction whatsoever.
"Elder Fu may have misunderstood. I did kill an arrogant early Nascent Soul cultivator in the Jin Capital, but that so-called Evil Fire Arhat was not my doing — it was another cultivator entirely. Do you really think a lone independent cultivator like myself possesses such heaven-defying abilities?" Han Li said with a bitter smile, sounding somewhat helpless.
"Another cultivator? I did hear that there were two cultivators with similar appearances confronting the Evil Fire Arhat at the time. Could it really not have been you who struck?" The old man surnamed Fu's expression relaxed imperceptibly, though his words still carried a note of skepticism.
"Elder Fu thinks too highly of me. If I had the strength to instantly kill a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, why would I have bothered avoiding those people from the Yin Luo Sect back then? I could simply have strolled right out, and no one would have dared stop me." Han Li stroked his chin, speaking evenly.
"There's logic in what you say. But although old Xiao's cultivation wasn't particularly high, he was extraordinarily cunning and well-versed in several escape techniques. The fact that you killed him is no small feat. By the way — do you happen to know the cultivator who killed the Evil Fire Arhat that day? Could it be some reclusive great cultivator from overseas? Tsk tsk, someone reaching such heights yet remaining completely unknown — that sort of thing could only happen out in the distant seas." The old man surnamed Fu clicked his tongue a few more times in wonder, seeming quite interested in the matter of the ancient demon from that day.
"I did hear something, though. The day the Jin Capital auction ended, not far from the underground trading post, a ghost-demon-like creature with two heads and four arms appeared. It devoured several Nascent Soul-level cultivators on its own — and I heard that if not for a powerful cultivator stationed at the trading post who drove the creature away, all of those cultivators would have perished. Brother Han, were you also there for that?" the big man surnamed Yuan suddenly asked.
"The cultivator who killed the Evil Fire Arhat and I merely crossed paths a few times — we have no real connection. As for the demon creature, that must have happened after I had already left the area. I know nothing about it." Han Li shook his head slightly, his expression unchanged.
"I see. What a pity, then. Otherwise, if we could have recruited that fellow Daoist, our chances might have been a good deal better." The old man surnamed Fu gave a few dry laughs, seemingly unwilling to dwell on the matter further.
But the big man surnamed Yuan rolled his ox-like eyes, his face still full of suspicion.
Just then, Bai Yaoyi parted her cherry lips and spoke:
"Fellow Daoist Fu, you invited us here several years ago — isn't it about time you told us some details? If I didn't owe you a small favor from the past, I wouldn't have traveled all this way."
"That is only natural. However, this matter is no small thing. It would be best to set up some restrictions first before going into detail with all of you." The old man surnamed Fu readily agreed. He then flicked all ten fingers toward the empty air around them, and over a dozen streaks of eerie green fire shot outward.
With a series of pops, the green flames burst open one by one, transforming into clouds of green mist that vanished in a flash.