The green-skinned woman continued her answer, “As for why you were ambushed, it was because the wood tribe’s higher echelon altered the scope of the Dream Sifting Tree’s detection. I fear they detected you as soon as you entered. Fortunately, the upper echelon of the wood tribe doesn’t view Black Leaves Forest with much importance. It only sent a single lower silver-tier wood spirit to oversee it. Otherwise, it would’ve been difficult for you to escape them.”
The young white-robed woman, Ye Ying, slowly said, “So it was like that! Older Sister Chu, these last thousand years must’ve been hard on you.”
“It’s nothing. These past few years in the wood tribe haven’t been spent in vain. I’ve grasped many of their secrets. I’ve even made connections in the tribe, but I am certain I am now exposed. I cannot continue to stay here.”
Han Li felt his heart stir.
Ye Ying smiled, “Deep Heaven City is possible on the brink of another war. Even if nothing happens, the clan master plans on calling you back. With your current cultivation, there is no point in continuing to hide here.”
However, her smile seemed to provoke her injuries and she coughed several times, causing her face to turn paler.
“Is the young master alright? How about you take another Phoenix Spirit Pill?” Ye Chu proposed with a tense expression.
“No need! There aren’t many left. I’ll leave them for something else.” Ye Ying shook her head.
“What? Is Lady Ye heavily injured?” Han Li blinked.
Ye Ying curled her lip and unhappily said, “That silver-tier tree spirit landed a clean blow. Would you say the injury is grave?”
“If it is an ordinary internal injury, I have several medicine pills for that. Perhaps they’ll be useful.” Han Li said with a calm tone. He then waved his sleeve and summoned several medicine pills in her direction.
Ye Ying raised her brow. She reached out for the air and summoned them into her grasp. She then opened them and took a few whiffs.
Having some medicinal knowledge, she wore an astonished expression and immediately uttered their names, “Wondrous Grass Pill, Hundred Blessings Pill, Returning Spirit Water… Brother Han is quite generous to present these sacred medicines to me. In that case, I won’t hold back.”
With her status, Ye Ying could’ve prepared a few of them, but she felt disbelief that a Deity Transformation cultivator could take out so many of them in a single breath.
The young woman blinked and promptly opened the bottles, swallowing several of the pills, revealing her trust in Han Li.
Han Li felt some admiration for her decisive actions.
Of course, she most likely had some sort of secret technique, so she had no fear there was something wrong with the medicine pills.
After she swallowed the pills, color returned to Ye Ying’s face. Then, she glanced at Han Li and asked, “Ah yes, how did you find me? If I’m not mistaken, your invisibility talisman seems to be a silver rune talisman. Might I know its name? This is the first time I’ve seen such a high-grade silver rune talisman.”
“I have a bit of experience with tracking techniques. As for the talisman, it is called the High Zenith Invisibility Talisman. It is something I unintentionally came across. Its effects are truly marvelous. I was quite astonished when you were able to see through it. May I know how you did it? I fear even a Spatial Tempering cultivator would have trouble seeing through it.” Han Li smiled and returned her question with a question.
“I cultivate a technique that happens to penetrate most concealment techniques. It wasn’t odd that I could see through it. Brother Han need not take it to heart.” Ye Ying pursed her lips into a mysterious smile.
When Han Li heard this, he could only wryly laugh.
Although he knew her answer was false, it was difficult to continue asking her about it.
Ye Ying then said, “There is still another matter! Older Sister Chu, you should be carrying the information on the Wood Tribe. We should take advantage of this moment to send it over to Deep Heaven City in case of any surprises.”
“Yes, Young Master.” The green-skinned woman promptly replied.
Han Li wore a calm expression, but he felt slight.
Ye Ying reached for her storage bracelet and took out a sparkling silver square plate. The green-skinned woman then opened her mouth and spat out an emerald jade slip.
Han Li also possessed a plate. It could transport exquisite objects to Deep Heaven City. After a single use, the spell plate would be destroyed.
Since Ye Ying used her own teleportation plate, Han Li didn’t need to do anything else. According to the tool refinement masters of Deep Heaven City, it was something that had been recently developed. Otherwise, if Ye Chu originally brought one, Han Li and the others wouldn’t have needed to make the journey.
Ye Ying waved her hand and struck the spell plate with a white spell seal. Suddenly, it brightly shined white.
She then tossed the spell plate in front of her and it turned into a foot-large spell formation. It spun throughout the air and began to hum.
“Let’s be quick. Although it is only a small-scale spell formation, it can alert the Wood Tribe,” Ye Ying quickly said.
Ye Chu tossed the jade slip without another thought. When it landed inside the light formation, it floated in midair.
Ye Ying then struck the plate with another spell seal.
Silver talisman characters suddenly appeared from the spell formation and it roiled. The jade slip then disappeared with a clear ring.
Soon after, the light formation vanished and the silver plate returned to normal.
However, the plate’s engravings had completely disappeared and the plate was thoroughly cracked.
Han Li felt joy and he flipped his hand to produce an azure jade talisman. He stared at it with complete attention.
It was the Myriad Distance Talisman that Deep Heaven City’s higher echelon had given him before he set off for the mission.
Ye Ying smiled when she saw this and put away the destroyed plate. Then she took out her own Myriad Distance Talisman and attentively looked at it.
Ye Chu remained expressionless and stood still.
For a time, silence filled the air.
When the time it took to finish a cup of tea had passed, Han Li’s and Ye Ying’s Myriad Distance Talismans brightly shined and they released a string of talisman characters.
Han Li’s heart fluttered as he committed each of the characters to memory.
The characters densely covered the entire jade talisman. Then, light withdrew and the jade slip turned dim once more.
At that moment, Han Li smiled.
What Deep Heaven City had sent over was clearly the method to dissolve the restriction on his bottle of Earth Cleansing Pills. It appeared the city had recognized that their mission was completed and that they were granted freedom.
Feeling ecstatic, Han Li turned his sights on Ye Ying.
When the woman stared at her Myriad Distance Talisman, her lips curled, clearly satisfied with the contents of what was displayed.
Han Li’s heart stirred.
The woman didn’t need Earth Cleansing Pills. It was unknown what the city’s higher echelons pledged to her to make her brave this danger.
The young woman finally looked through the contents of the jade talisman and she put it away. She then giggled at Han Li and said, “What? Brother Han should’ve acquired what he wanted as well.”
“That’s right,” Han Li replied with a smile.
The young woman said with a deep tone, “In that case, let’s hurry away. Even if you have other plans, you can’t possibly want to stay in the Wood Tribe’s territory either.”
Han Li stared at the young woman for a long while and slowly nodded.
When she saw Han Li’s answer, he felt happy and gave the green-skinned woman a command.
Ye Chu acknowledged her and released a treasure from her hand.
It was a foot-long yellow wooden bird puppet.
Ye Chu cast a spell seal and the bird rose into the air. Meanwhile, light quickly radiated from it. In the blink of an eye, it turned over forty meters wide.
It appeared vivid and true to life.
Ye Ying and Ye Chu wordlessly jumped on top of it. With some brief surprise, Han Li followed after them.
Ye Chu shouted a command and the bird’s huge wings unfolded, instantly surrounding them in a ball of yellow light as they streaked through the sky.
Ever since Han Li grouped up with the two, none of them had yet to mention their other teammates. It was as if they hadn’t existed.
When the wooden bird flew for half a day, a silver streak shot off from the horizon and flew several circles around the island where the cultivators were. It then flashed, hurrying off in the direction where the wooden bird fled.
A month later, a ball of yellow light swept across the wilderness. It was the wooden bird, carrying Han Li and the other two.
Ever since they set off, Ye Chu had been utilizing the wooden bird with her entire power. They were as fast as lightning and she had no intention of slowing down.
In this case, they were able to arrive at the entrance of the Southern Skyline in such a short amount of time.
Han Li and the two women couldn't help but feel relief.
But at that moment, storms suddenly surged in front of them and thunder roiled. The sky turned incredibly dark as dark clouds roiled around them, covering over half the sky. Faint howls could be heard past the cooming thunder.
The howls weren’t loud, but they were muffled, giving them an imposing presence. The two women’s expressions vastly changed when they heard them.
“This is…” Han Li narrowed his eyes and wore hesitation on his face.
At that moment, several huge silver arcs flashed from the dark cloud and thunder rang from it. Like a huge mountaintop penetrating the clouds, two faintly golden eyes opened from the black sky. It rigidly stared at the wooden bird from a distance.
Under the darkness, Han Li sensed an icy Qi suddenly crawl up his back and instantly envelop his body. For a time, he wasn’t able to move his body in the slightest.
