Published: August 27, 2025
Chapter 357: White Pool Mountain
The West Peak of White Pool Mountain was somewhat larger than Han Li had imagined.
At the summit, there wasn’t just an ancient temple; there were also more than a dozen stone pavilions of various sizes. Groups of immortal cultivators were already gathered inside, engaged in long conversations.
Of course, outside the pavilions and temple, a sparse number of cultivators were walking back and forth.
It seemed that some were eager and had arrived early for this gathering at White Pool Mountain.
Han Li hovered in the air above the peak for a while, then circled around once before landing in a secluded corner of the peak.
Then, accompanied by his quhun, Han Li casually walked toward a few nearby stone pavilions.
With Han Li’s powerful spiritual awareness, it didn’t take long for him to clearly overhear the conversations of the cultivators inside the pavilions.
One pavilion in particular, where four immortal cultivators were engaged in an animated discussion, caught Han Li’s attention.
After listening briefly, Han Li realized they were talking about the battle between the Seven Sects of Yue Country and the demonic path. Energized, he no longer hesitated and walked over.
“This devastating defeat against the demonic path not only forced the six sects of Yue Country to flee their homeland, but even our Yuanwu and Zijin countries now face impending disaster. Now it’s a matter of whether the demonic path will strike Yuanwu or Zijin first,” sighed a pale-faced middle-aged man among the four.
“Yes, although the six sects were severely weakened in the last great battle, the cultivators from the two nations who came to assist also lost fifty to sixty percent of their numbers! Now the Heavenly Star Sect and other immortal sects are in a real mess!” said a youth of about twenty years old, speaking with a hint of gloating.
Upon hearing this, two of the other elders showed no reaction and maintained calm expressions. But the middle-aged man who had spoken first chuckled bitterly and was about to say more.
At that moment, a voice came from the side.
“Although the great sects like the Heavenly Star Sect are in dire straits, our lives as rogue cultivators and immortal cultivation families will become even harder. The demonic path operates on the principle of ‘the weak are prey to the strong’. We will no longer be able to live so comfortably as today,” Han Li said as he slowly approached, voicing the bitter meaning behind the middle-aged man’s smile.
The four cultivators were startled at the presence of an outsider and immediately fell silent.
But when they saw that Han Li’s cultivation base was indistinct, all four showed some unease and stood up respectfully to greet him. The middle-aged man even hastily tried to excuse the youth’s remarks.
“Senior, my nephew just spoke casually earlier and had no disrespect toward the sects. Please don’t take offense!”
These men had mistaken Han Li for a high-stage cultivator from some immortal sect in Yuanwu Country.
The youth’s expression also tightened with nervousness.
“Hehe, fellow cultivators, please don’t misunderstand. I am just a rogue cultivator! I was merely making a casual remark,” Han Li said with a smile, explaining gently.
Hearing this, the four men relaxed. Although unsure whether Han Li’s claim was true, it was clear that he did not intend to press the issue regarding their earlier careless words.
With their respectful welcomes, Han Li sat down at the stone table inside the pavilion.
“It is our honor to have a senior arrive here. But with your cultivation base, why would you participate in such a low-level gathering?” asked the red-faced elder, who had the highest cultivation among them, somewhat reservedly.
It was understandable that he was surprised. After all, small local gatherings like those on White Pool Mountain rarely attracted foundation establishment stage cultivators. Advanced-stage cultivators would naturally attend higher-level meetings.