Starlight brilliantly radiated from the plate. After a short moment, it expanded into a ten-meter-wide disc of light. It spun in the air and its surface twinkled with golden starlight that soon gathered at its center like a galaxy.
After a huge tremble, a meter-thick pillar of golden light erupted from it, penetrating the faint yellow clouds above.
A world-shaking quake sounded and soon, the clouds near the pillar of light roiled, causing the entire ninth floor pocket dimension to shake.
This beam lit up the sky with a faint yellow hue, producing several black cracks with the column at its center. As time went on, the cracks became greater in number and gathered with increasing density.
As beautiful otherworldly notes rang through the air, a giant passage opened around the pillar. Myriad fist-sized rainbow lights littered the air in gorgeous light.
The foot-wide plate slowly floated up the golden pillar until it arrived at the passage. It stopped at the entrance and twinkled with golden light, clearly belonging to the Star Defying Plate that Ling Long earlier released.
On the ground, silver light gradually faded into Ling Long’s figure. She lifted her delicate head to look up at the passage and a bit of loneliness was betrayed in her eyes. Suddenly, her body blurred, arriving above the wheel of light as she slowly floated towards the passage in the sky.
When she drew closer, it seemed to react as it began to hum. The Star Defying Plate faintly trembled as well and began to revolve as if it were becoming excited from being so near to the passage.
Ling Long faintly smiled at the sight and took a deep glance at Han Li. Then without any hesitation, she raised her hand, releasing a streak of yellow, white, and red light in his direction.
Han Li was stunned, but soon saw that she didn’t mean him any harm. He unconsciously waved his sleeve and swept the incoming lights in an azure mist. The tri-colored lights was taken into his hand, revealing a white jade slip, a blood blade, and the last Worldbreaker Talisman.
Han Li felt his heart tremble, but he remained silent. Then, he heard her sigh and leisurely said, “That contains information relating to reverse spirit streams and spatial nodes. It is far more extensive than what I gave the other two, I’m sure you’ll make good use of it. I have no use for the talisman or the blade up above, so I’ll be giving them to you. Since it will be hard for you to leave the mountain with the spirit treasures in your possession, I’ll be offering you one last bit of help.”
Before Han Li realized what she meant by help, Ling Long raised her finger and pointed at the Star Defying Plate above her.
It let out a series of rings and its center pointed at Han Li.
Light glared from it, releasing a beam that shifted in midair and strangely warped in front of Han Li, only for it to scatter and cover both him and the human-like puppet behind him.
Without a reaction, Han Li and the puppet disappeared without a trace.
With that done, Ling Long turned and finally entered the passage.
As a radiant glow flowed out from the portal, Ling Long and the Star Defying Plate were bound together. Then with a thunderous roar, the passage violently blurred and she disappeared.
The entrance immediately collapsed afterwards, slowly breaker apart before disappearing in one last burst of beautiful radiance.
Then, the ninth floor spatial pocket was left to silence and complete ruin.
Xiang Zhili, Corpse Xiong, and Lin Yinping walked out from the depths of the Devil Suppressing Pagoda. In the moment Han Li disappeared, Xiang Zhili looked at the sky and wore an odd expression.
“Did Fellow Daoist Xiang discovered something?” Although Corpse Xiong had comparatively inferior cultivation, he had great backing and spoke bluntly as he had no fear of Xiang Zhili suddenly turning hostile.
“It’s nothing,” Xiang Zhili frowned, twirling a finger through his beard, “It's possible I was mistaken. I feel like something had disturbed Kunwu Mountain’s Seal, but I haven’t discovered anything with my spiritual sense.”
Corpse Xiong silently smiled and said, “It should’ve been a fluctuation from the seal’s weakening. No one should have the power to disturb a barrier this large.”
“That should be the case... ah yes, I heard you mention that this was all incited by the Ye Clan. Are they all dead now? The Ye Clan Grand Elder was a late-Nascent Soul cultivator, so he should have some ability.”
Corpse Xiong dryly laughed and said, “The other Ye Clan cultivators have already died to the devil. Though I haven’t seen the Clan’s Grand Elder after I entered the ninth floor. He should’ve died by the hand of the devil as well.”
Xiang Zhili snorted and a cold light flickered through his eyes, “It’s no matter. Regardless if he lives or not, since he’s provoked a large calamity, the Ye Clan has lost their right to exist. After I return, the greatest clan in the Great Jin will change. Surely your Myriad Demon Valley doesn’t have any objections to this.” His easy and relaxed expression became completely stiff and expressionless.
Corpse Xiong’s heart jumped and he replied, “Of course not. Although the Ye Clan had friendly relationships with the valley, they made a grand mistake and should be erased by all rights.”
“It is good that Fellow Daoist Xiong thinks so,” Xiang Zhili then changed the topic and coldly said, “Fellow Daoist Lin, after you leave, you should immediately return to the plains. You’ve overstayed your welcome and should refrain from sending more people to the Great Jin in the future.”
“I understand. After I leave the mountain, I will immediately return to the plains.” When Lin Yinping met Xiang Zhili’s expressionless gaze, her heart shuddered and she abandoned any thoughts otherwise.
Furthermore, she was still under Han Li’s restriction. If he somehow managed to survive, it would be best to avoid another meeting to avoid any potential coercion. Furthermore, she wished to return to the Endless Sky Temple and see if their Nascent Soul cultivators could figure a way to dissolve the restriction.
When Lin Yinping respectfully agreed, Xiang Zhili’s hostility waned and thought to say something else when a white streak suddenly tore through the air towards them in an instant.
Corpse Xiong was greatly alarmed and he prepared to intercept it. But suddenly, he felt the air freeze around him and a giant pressure weighing down on him.
Xiang Zhili indifferently said, “Fellow Daoist Xiong, don’t panic. It’s a flying sword messenger from the Heavenly Devil Sect’s Fellow Daoist Hu.”
Soon after, Xiang Zhili raised his hand and beckoned to the incoming light.
The light circled in the air before dropping down into his hand, fading to a small white sword. Corpse Xiong also felt the pressure disappear from his body.
Although it had been a harmless action, it left his body laced with cold sweat.
Xiang Zhili pressed the sword between his hands and lowered his head in silence. Then, he tossed it back into the air and it disappeared in a white flash.
“Let’s go,” Xiang Zhili looked in the direction of the white flash and calmly said, “Fellow Daoist Hu has already entered the mountain. We will meet together with him. Then, we’ll gather the sects of Nanjiang and immediately reseal the mountain.”
Corpse Xiong and Lin Yinping naturally raised no objections and acted without any regard to Ling Long and Han Li.
Somewhere on a beautiful mountaintop in Nanjiang, several Qi Condensation cultivators were having a discussion on a small pavilion about the recent happenings of the region.
A white-robed middle-aged man was listing out guesses on what could be inside the seal when a golden beam flashed above them. In a thunderous explosion, a pillar of light shot out and destroyed most of the building.
The cultivators watched with amazement as an azure-robed cultivator and a silver silhouette appeared within the column of light. The azure-robed cultivator staggered as if he suddenly grew unsteady and waved his hand, causing the silver silhouette to suddenly disappear.
Those low-grade cultivators were shocked into statues.
After Han Li regained his balance, he looked around him and spotted several cultivators below him. With a blunt voice, he asked, “Where is this place?” Although he spoke flatly, it carried an unyielding tone.
These low-grade cultivators were eventually roused from their shock and turned their sights on Han Li. They all had vastly changed expressions, unable to see through his cultivation.
The white-robed cultivator had the highest cultivation in the group. Although he was inwardly terrified, he managed to gather the courage to say, “This is Gold Image Mountain. May I ask Senior for his name?”
Paying no heed to his attention, Han Li expressionlessly asked, “Gold Image Mountain? I’ve never heard of it. Are we still in Nanjiang?”
A shorter cultivator quickly replied, “This is Nanjiang’s Zhonglou Prefecture!”
“Ah, I see!” Han Li nodded with a stirred expression.
The Zhonglou Prefecture was the province neighboring to the Puyun Prefecture where Kunwu Mountain was sealed. It appeared he hadn’t teleported far.