Published: September 5, 2025
Chapter 683: Secret Meeting
“Thank you for waiting so long, Lord Junhou!” Han Li politely greeted before being invited by the Marquis of Nanlong into the stone house.
The scene inside startled Han Li—empty and deserted, not a single person in sight.
But when he swept his spiritual awareness around, he detected the fluctuations of a formation within the room.
At the same time, the Marquis of Nanlong noticed Han Li’s actions. He smiled faintly and said, “Such a small trick of mine naturally can’t escape your notice, Fellow Cultivator Han. Please follow me.”
With that, the Marquis casually made a hand seal, and a golden glow shot out from his sleeve.
After the golden light passed, a seemingly inconspicuous patch of ground inside the room suddenly flickered with white light. The illusion vanished, revealing a dark stone stairway.
Without a word, the Marquis of Nanlong descended the stairs. Han Li frowned slightly but didn’t hesitate to follow.
The stone stairs were short; almost as soon as his front foot stepped in, his back foot appeared inside a moderately sized underground hall. The soft white light of a few scattered moonlight stones illuminated the place with a gentle, flickering brightness, making the scene somewhat blurry but still clear.
Seven or eight cultivators were inside; six were seated, while a man and a woman stood side by side, apparently together.
Upon seeing the Marquis and Han Li enter, all their gazes swept over to them.
“It’s you!”
The standing man’s face paled dramatically at the sight of Han Li, and he involuntarily shouted.
Judging by his tone, he seemed to recognize Han Li.
Han Li was momentarily stunned. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he fixed his gaze on this late foundation formation stage man’s face.
What greeted him was an impressive silver mask. Han Li paused for a moment, then a sneer curled at the corner of his mouth.
This man was none other than the Young Lord of the Ghost Spirit Sect—the desperate pursuer who had once hunted him down—wearing the same silver mask, with the same person beneath it.
But the eyes that looked back at Han Li no longer held the youthful arrogance from before. Instead, they carried a trace of weariness and a hint of shock and anger.
“Unexpected to see an old acquaintance here. It truly surprises me, Han Li!”
“How is this possible? You… have condensed into a nascent soul?”
The Young Lord’s voice was hoarser than before, but the fear and astonishment in his words were clear to all.
“What’s going on? You know this fellow cultivator?” a man in a black robe seated in front of Wang Chan suddenly asked coldly.
“Second Uncle, this is the Han from Yellow Maple Valley I mentioned to you before. Back then, he…”
“No need to say more. Fellow Cultivator Han has already reached the nascent soul stage. How could he still be on the same level as you juniors?”
The middle-aged man in the black robe, with a refined appearance, showed a flash of surprise but frowned and sharply cut him off.
Then, turning a warm smile to Han Li, he spoke kindly:
“I am Wang Tiangu of the Ghost Spirit Sect. Regarding the past, my nephew was reckless and at fault. But for the sake of goodwill, I hope Fellow Cultivator won’t hold grudges.”
From his tone, it seemed he knew something about Han Li.
“The incident back then was just a minor matter between Wang and me. Years have passed, and Han Li would never hold a grudge. Please forgive any offense!” Han Li cast a glance at the black-robed man and smiled lightly, as if genuinely willing to let bygones be bygones.
But inside, he sneered bitterly.
That Young Lord of the Ghost Spirit Sect had nearly taken his life multiple times and even forced him to risk teleporting away from Tian Nan. Such hatred could never be so easily forgotten.
If it weren’t for the many nascent soul cultivators present—and the Ghost Spirit Sect’s sect master himself—Han Li would have taken that man’s life immediately.
For now, he needed to observe what kind of people were here, and whether there were any demonic path practitioners.