‘Heavenvoid Hall?’ In his alarm, a thought resounded through Han Li’s mind.
The three jade palace halls shared the exact same style as the Scattered Star Sea’s Heavenvoid Hall.
There were carved from single portions of fine jade and shined with a faint gorgeous light.
However, these buildings were only a third of the size of Heavenvoid Hall when he saw it floating in the air.
Han Li forcefully stifled his surprise and took another look. Eventually, he concluded that his impression was correct and that there was no doubt a relationship between the three buildings and Heavenvoid Hall. However, the gates to the halls laid bare as there were no signs on top of them.
With a raised brow, Han Li asked, “This is the sect’s inner palace? It is in place of rich spiritual Qi as expected, but the three large halls appear quite aged. What's the history behind them?”
Elder Ren glanced at the three buildings and answered, “You’re talking about Spirit Void Halls? These three buildings were here before the sect was established. It was said that the sect ancestor and several of his good friends used their vast abilities to place them here. They are even more marvelous to behold from the inside.”
“The Spirit Void Halls?” Han Li repeated its name with an odd look in his eye.
Elder Ren wore a mysterious smile and said, “Do they interest you, Brother Han? Apart from important affairs, the halls will remain sealed. It is only under the approval of half of the sect elders that the Spirit Void Halls are opened. As for the reason, it isn’t something that I can tell!”
Han Li smiled back and asked no further questions. Suspicions of prying into the secrets of another sect could have great consequences.
Additionally, even if the three halls had any relationship to Heavenvoid Hall, it had little to do with him. The most important treasure of Heavenvoid Hall was already in his possession.
“Fellow Daoist Han, please follow me. The Pure Focus Pavilion is over there. As it seems that Junior Martial Sister Bai views you importantly, I’ll bring you to where she receives her close guests. It is rather serene there.”
“Is that so? I am honored.” Han Li smiled.
Elder Ren smiled back and took to the air, bringing Han Li over to one of the mountain walls before landing in front of a pavilion.
The building was three stories tall with each floor being over thirty meters tall. Its body was constructed from emerald wood and was mostly embedded into the mountain. There was a yellow signboard that hung on its entrance with the words “Pure Focus Pavilion” engraved in silver lettering.
As Han Li in front of it, a white-robed woman walked out from the building. When she saw the two, she momentarily paused in surprise and respectfully said, “I pay my respects, Martial Senior Ren. And this must be Senior Han?”
“Correct,” Han Li calmly replied, “Is Fairy Bai inside?”
The beautiful woman stood slightly to the side and faced Han Li, saying, “Master had just emerged from her seclusion and is stabilizing her magic power in the pavilion. She has sent me to welcome you, Senior Han. I hope you don’t take offense!”
Revealing little surprise, the woman wryly smiled and said, “Martial Senior Ren, you’ve put me in a difficult position. You should know that Master has already told me that she does not wish to see you. When Junior Martial Sister Gong allowed you to see her, she was punished severely after the fact.”
Elder Ren blushed, but soon, he shifted his gaze, “But this time is different. I am accompanying Brother Han. Will she refuse to see me along with Brother Han?”
When Han Li heard this, he smirked and said little else.
“This…” A hesitant expression appeared on her face.
“Yan’er, let your Martial Senior Ren in. I will see him!” Bai Yaoyi’s voice sounded from the pavilion.
“As you command!” The woman’s expression relaxed and she withdrew further to the side. “Martial Senior Ren, please come in.”
Elder Ren’s face lit up when he heard Bai Yaoyi’s voice and a trace of happiness lit up on his face. His lips immediately moved, sending a voice transmission to Bai Yaoyi inside.
“Senior Martial Brother Ren Bi, how about you talk after you enter? Why are you speaking while Fellow Daoist Han is still outside? Do you want us to appear rude?”
Han Li stroked his chin and smiled silently.
With embarrassment on his face, he said, “How careless of me. Brother Han, let us talk inside!”
“What? I’ve always seen Brother Ren as a friendly person!” Brother Han replied with a beaming smile. He now realized that the reason why the man made such efforts to befriend Han Li was that he held affections for Bai Yaoyi. This greatly reduced Han Li’s wariness towards him.
With the woman guiding the way, the two entered the Pure Focus Pavilion.
The first floor couldn't be considered to be very large as it was only sixty meters wide. There were a set of simple bamboo table and chairs but there were pots of blooming yellow flowers that surrounded the corners. They were all particularly fragrant.
Bai Yaoyi didn’t immediately descend to meet them, but when the two took a seat, her voice sounded from above, “Brother Han, please wait a moment. My cultivation technique is a bit peculiar. Once I finish circulating it, I’ll head down immediately to see you. Brother Han may as well sample our sect’s Snow Spirit Fruit for the time being.”
Once that was said, Bai Yaoyi’s disciple clapped her hands and two young white-robed women walked in, each holding a vermillion wooden plate with a branch filled with thumb-sized translucent berries.
Once they placed the plates on the table, the two women respectfully withdrew.
“The Ice Spirit Fruit is exclusive to our sect. Even our inner palace elders acquire a few every year. Not only is the fruit delicious, but it also contains pure ice spiritual power. If an ice-attributed cultivator regularly consumed them, it would greatly aid their cultivation.” When Ren Bi saw the fruits, he introduced them to Han Li and casually tossed one of them into his mouth.
When Han Li saw this, he followed suit and tossed one into his mouth. As soon as he bit it, he felt pure glacial Qi roil in his mouth.
Although he didn’t cultivate ice-attributed techniques, he harbored peak glacial flames within his body, such as the Purple Apex Flames and the Great Yin Trueflames. As such, he was able to swallow them without any problem.
With an interested gaze, he took another one and tossed it into his mouth.
When Ren Bi saw this, shock momentarily appeared on his face.
The Ice Spirit Fruits were quite famous, providing even Nascent Soul cultivators benefits in their consumption. However, cultivators who didn’t practice ice- or fire-attributed cultivations arts would suffer internal frostbite if they carelessly consumed one.
Han Li, who emitted pure wood-attributed spiritual power, was able to swallow one and displayed little surprise. Taking two such fruits were something that even a fire-attributed cultivator such as himself didn’t dare to do.
As Ren Bi was inwardly shocked, footsteps sounded from above to reveal a gorgeous white-robed woman walking down the stairs.
Han Li narrowed his eyes and he immediately stood up with a hearty smile, “Fairy Bai, it's been over ten years. I trust you are doing well?”
Ren Bi’s face happily lit up, “Junior Martial Sister Bai, you’ve finally agreed to see me!”
“On the day that we parted, I knew that Brother Han wouldn’t have made an appointment without reason. For the past several years, I’ve been waiting for your arrival in the sect. Your arrival has been expected,” Bai Yaoyi beamed a smile at Han Li, but then she turned to Ren Bi and her face turned cold, “As for you, Senior Martial Brother Ren, I wouldn’t have agreed to see you if it weren’t for Brother Han!”
Ren Bi rushed to speak, “I’ve already found a method to resolve the problem. I definitely won’t leave you disappointed.”
Bai Yaoyi shook her head and said, “In that case, speak of it later. Fellow Daoist Han has come a long way. Leave that matter for later!”
Ren Bi’s expression blanked a moment as if something immediately came to mind. He then smiled, “That’s fine, I’ll find an opportunity to talk about it in more detail in the future. Now, I am already very happy that you’ve agreed to see me.”
Bai Yaoyi nodded with a neutral expression and sat down at the main seat at the table. Han Li and Ren Bi sat back down.
After examining her, Han Li smiled and said, “Fairy Bai, your cultivation has vastly increased since the last time I saw you!”
Bai Yaoyi beamed in response, “Brother Han must be joking. My abilities can’t hope to compare to yours!”
She clearly remembered Han Li’s display of abilities at the Yin Yang Cave and Kunwu Mountain, and therefore treated him with the utmost respect.
When Ren Bi heard Bai Yaoyi’s respect for Han Li, his expression changed and he examined Han Li once more in surprise.
Bai Yaoyi continued, “Brother Han, when you mentioned paying a visit to North Night Palace, you should’ve had some purpose in mind.”
Han Li’s face turned pensive for a moment before answering with a grin, “Since you raised the question, I will be forthright. It is true, I came to North Night Palace because I had a request for you.”
