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"Brother Qi, I've worked so hard to find you!"
Not long after Qi Yuan entered Huangfeng Valley, a familiar voice called out with urgency.
Han Li.
Qi Yuan suddenly recalled that when he had killed Emperor Yue, he had promised to exchange the method of external incarnation with Han Li. However, caught up with forming his core, he had completely forgotten about it.
It wasn't a big deal—Han Li was the one who was anxious, not him.
A young man with an unremarkable appearance landed in a gust of wind. His dark eyes held excitement, though he quickly restrained himself.
Qi Yuan coughed and said, "Junior Brother Han, long time no see. Your cultivation has caught up with mine."
Han Li had reached the late stage of Foundation Building, though he was still far from forming his core. Without the chance to visit Chaos Star Sea to buy Sky Fire Liquid and Snow Spirit Water—and given his four-element spiritual roots—forming a core would be difficult.
But Qi Yuan believed that once Han Li obtained the method of incarnation, he would do everything possible to acquire the necessary spiritual objects and continue on the path of immortality.
Han Li gave a wry smile. He had cultivated a Fire Cloud Grass for five thousand years before setting out to search for Qi Yuan.
What he hadn't expected was for Qi Yuan to vanish.
After inquiring all over Yue State without finding any trace of him, Han Li had felt more lost than if the sky had collapsed.
How could he dare to split his power without first turning Qu Hun into a Golden Core cultivator?
At times, Han Li had even wondered if Qi Yuan was playing a trick on him—giving him the Blood Condensation Five Elements Pill but not the Incarnation Method just to mess with him.
After thinking it over, he dismissed the idea.
He had done business with Qi Yuan before and didn't believe he was that type of person.
Still, Qi Yuan's disappearance had left him at a loss. Eventually, he had come up with a plan: stay in Huangfeng Valley and wait.
Chen Qiaoqian was Qi Yuan's woman. As long as she was alive, Qi Yuan would return to see her.
"Where has Senior Brother Qi been these past few years? You left no trace in all of Yue Kingdom…"
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Han Li gestured for them to find a quieter place to talk.
Qi Yuan understood his intent and nodded with a smile.
A Secluded Spot
Han Li set up a restriction to prevent eavesdroppers and got straight to the point. "Brother Qi, you should know what I'm here for. Do you still have the method of incarnation?"
He was actually worried that Qi Yuan might have traded it away for other treasures.
Qi Yuan extended his hand, and with a flash of light, several pages of paper appeared, covered in intricate symbols. Alongside them were some Tianleizi and talismans. He smiled.
"I never forgot our agreement. This is the complete method of incarnation."
Han Li couldn't hide his joy. He patted his storage bag, and a jade box appeared in his hand. Handing it over, he said, "This is the Fire Cloud Grass I found in a volcanic region. It's five thousand years old. Senior Brother Qi, please inspect it."
The two exchanged treasures and carefully verified them.
Qi Yuan opened the jade box, revealing a palm-sized spiritual herb. Dark red in color, it radiated intense fire energy. Its irregular cloud-shaped leaves confirmed its five-thousand-year potency.
Han Li's swordsmanship was precise—even in transactions.
So stingy… not a single extra leaf.
After confirming the method was authentic, Han Li stowed away his prize and nodded. "Senior Brother Qi, I'll take my leave now. See you another day."
"Alright, Junior Brother Han, take care."
Qi Yuan smiled and discreetly tucked the Fire Cloud Grass into his sleeve.
Han Li removed the restriction and swiftly departed.
Qi Yuan flew toward Chen Qiaoqian's cave but then changed direction, heading to Han Yunzhi's residence.
Might as well bring her along to avoid unnecessary drama later.
As expected, when Qi Yuan explained his departure, both Chen Qiaoqian and Han Yunzhi grew emotional. In the end, he had no choice but to sit with them all night, talking and guiding them until they calmed down.
Since Nangong Wan might not always be able to care for them, he left behind plenty of treasures and elixirs, instructing them to cultivate diligently.
Not long after, Madam Lan arrived from Yuanwu Kingdom. Upon seeing Qi Yuan had reached the Golden Core stage, her mature face lit up with a captivating smile. She enthusiastically, even aggressively, served him.
Qi Yuan, recalling how the Dao Zhong Mo Ling Jue hadn't fully imprinted on her last time, made sure to reinforce it this time—just in case.
When she finally left, she had to hold onto the wall for support.
After spending a few days in Huangfeng Valley, Qi Yuan received a letter.
The Righteous Alliance had agreed to take action.
With their involvement, the war in Yue State would drag on.
This meant Nangong Wan wouldn't lose her mobilization power, allowing her to continue protecting Chen Qiaoqian and the others.
Now, Qi Yuan could head to Chaos Star Sea with peace of mind.
Under the reluctant gazes of the two women, his figure turned into a streak of light, leaving Huangfeng Valley and flying toward the ancient teleportation array.
For a long time after that, there was no trace of him in Tiannan.
The head of the sect, Zhong Lingdao, had no choice but to mark Qi Yuan's status as "traveling outside, life or death unknown."
Spirit Stone Mine
Several hours later, Qi Yuan arrived at a collapsed spirit stone mine. It was deserted.
Slowly descending, he found the hidden entrance and slipped inside.
The tunnels twisted like a labyrinth, unmarked and confusing.
After wandering for an hour, he finally reached the ancient teleportation array—only to see that Xin Ruyin and the others had already completed its repairs.
"Who's there?"
Xiaomei raised her weapon at the noise. When she saw Qi Yuan, she beamed. "Miss, Senior is here!"
Xin Ruyin's lips curled into a smile.
Yan Ruyan, standing nearby, straightened her posture and fixed her gaze on Qi Yuan.
Qi Yuan nodded at them, then quickly set up a fog formation and illusion restriction to hide the teleportation array's presence.
"Ruyin, add a formation to block the light during transmission. We can't risk attracting attention."
"Understood," Xin Ruyin replied, getting to work immediately.
Within moments, everything was set.
Qi Yuan stepped onto the array and motioned for the others to follow. He retrieved intermediate-level spirit stones from his storage bag and embedded them into the grooves.
Holding the bright blue Great Teleportation Order in his hand, he channeled his magic power into it.
A strange force surged forth, activating the ancient array.
A dazzling light shot into the sky but was blocked by the protective formation.
Qi Yuan swept his spiritual sense over the surroundings and felt a twinge of emotion.
Goodbye, Tiannan.
He called out, "Teleport!"
The array patterns flared with radiant yellow light, engulfing Qi Yuan and the others. The space around them distorted—
And they vanished.
The ancient teleportation array stood alone in silence.
Meanwhile, at the Front-Line Base Camp
Far away, Nangong Wan suddenly sensed something and soared into the sky. Her phoenix-like eyes gazed into the distance, a rare trace of longing and worry flickering across her cold face.
That little brat really left…
At that moment, a figure appeared beside her. Nichang, dressed in a luxurious palace gown, looked puzzled. "Junior Sister, why did you suddenly rush out?"
Nangong Wan withdrew her gaze, her expression hardening. She rose into the sky, her voice resolute.
"Senior Sister Nichang, come with me. We have enemies to kill."
(End of Chapter)