Chapter 708: Meeting
Chapter 708: Meeting
Chapter 708: Meeting
After some further conversation, Daoist Xie returned to the Flower Branch domain, while Han Li drank by himself for a short while longer before suddenly leaving his room.
In a guest room at the end of the louchuan's third floor, Mo Guang was meditating with his eyes closed when his eyes suddenly sprang open, and he said, "Come in, Fellow Daoist Li. I've been waiting for you for quite some time."
The door of the room swung open, and Han Li made his way inside.
After casually setting up a restriction in the room, Han Li closed the door and asked, "You knew I was going to come?"
He swept his gaze across the room as he spoke to find that it was a lot larger than his, and the furnishings were also more intricate. On top of that, there was a dish of black fruits with fiery patterns on them placed on the table.
"Given the delicate situation that we're in, I figured that you would come and give me some advice on how to speak and act," Mo Guang said with a smile as he picked up one of the black fruits before biting into it, releasing the dark purple juices and wisps of black baleful qi inside.
"Not at all, Fellow Daoist Mo Guang. You've already lived for countless years, and you possess far more knowledge and experience than I do. On top of that, we're connected by the Heavenly Devil Contract, so there's no need for me to tell you how to conduct yourself. Instead, I've come here as I have something to ask you," Han Li said in a seemingly nonchalant fashion.
"Oh? What is it?" Mo Guang asked with a perplexed expression.
"I secured this bone bracelet from the body of that Gray Immortal on the first floor, and it looks to me like a storage tool used by Gray Immortals. I attempted to refine it using immortal spiritual power, but to no avail, and I've also tried to inject baleful qi into it, but that didn't work, either," Han Li explained as he pulled out the bracelet before tossing it at Mo Guang.
Mo Guang accepted the bracelet, and following a brief inspection, he smiled and confirmed, "This is indeed a storage tool."After that, he chanted an incantation, and wisps of baleful qi surged out of the palm of his hand as began to refine the bracelet.
Moments later, the baleful qi emanating out of his hand dissipated to reveal the bracelet again, and it released a burst of gray light onto the ground.
A small pile of gray crystals clattered onto the ground, accompanied by several weapons and a bunch of peculiar Gray Realm materials.
Han Li inspected the contents of the bracelet momentarily, then swept a sleeve through the air to stow half of the gray crystals into his own storage bracelet, while the rest of the items remained on the ground.
"What are you doing?" Mo Guang asked.
"You can keep what's here. We can't have a high-grade Void Integration Tribe cultivator walking around without a storage tool," Han Li explained, then promptly withdrew the restriction that he had set up in Mo Guang's room before bidding him farewell.
Following Han Li's departure, Mo Guang stood in his own room with a contemplative look on his face.
......
Over three years flew by in a flash.
The louchan had been soaring above the baleful clouds this entire time, but it was finally beginning its descent, having arrived at Serene Millet City.
Han Li and the others were standing on the deck of the louchuan, looking down below, and they could see a vast plain that was dotted with gray forts of different sizes, interspersed throughout which were around a dozen black rivers.
These gray forts all had conical rooves, and they were situated quite close to one another. The area wasn't bordered by any city walls, and it appeared that this was a concentrated settlement formed by countless stone forts.
At the center of the plain was a giant plaza and a dense cluster of these stone forts.
Before long, the louchuan descended onto the plaza, and Han Li and the others flew down from it.
"It's still quite early, so why don't you come with me to meet my father, Senior Jiang?" Miao Xiu proposed to Mo Guang as she led the way from the front.
"I'll follow your lead, Ms. Miao," Mo Guang replied with a dazzling smile.
Han Li and Shi Chuankong were trailing along behind him like a pair of obedient servants, even making it a point not to look around much.
After the group passed over the plaza, they made their way through a series of intricately crafted corridors before arriving at a giant stone palace, in front of which was a staircase of around a dozen steps.
They were approached by a gray-robed elderly man, who extended a deep bow toward Miao Xiu with an ecstatic expression as he greeted, "Welcome back, Young Mistress."
"Where's my father right now, Uncle Zhong?" Miao Xiu asked with a smile.
The elderly man took a glance at Han Li's trio, then pointed to the palace behind him as he replied, "Our monarch is currently entertaining some guests, so I'm afraid he won't be able to see you now."
"Uncle Zhong, these three behind me are Void Integration beings who've saved my life. Can you pass on a message to my father to see if he can meet with us first and postpone hsi current meeting to another time?" Miao Xiu asked.
The elderly man's expression instantly changed slightly upon hearing this, and he hurriedly replied, "Ah, these are esteemed guests from the Void Integration Tribe? Please wait a moment, Young Mistress, I'll pass on the message right away."
With that, he rushed into the palace, then returned shortly thereafter as he said, "You can go in, Young Mistress."
An elated look flashed through Miao Xiu's eyes upon hearing this, and she led Han Li's trio to the palace.
Right as they were about to enter the palace, the door suddenly swung open, and a young man from the San Miao Tribe emerged from the palace with a serious-looking middle-aged man behind him.
The man had a set of authoritative facial features, and he was giving off tremendous baleful qi fluctuations.
Han Li's pupils instantly contracted slightly at the sight of the man.
Even though he was wearing a black robe, and his hair had also turned black, Han Li was certain that this man was none other than the first dao lord of the Blaze Dragon Dao, Baili Yan!
They had last met briefly back when Han Li was fighting over the High Zenith Pills in teh Infernal Frost Immortal Manor, and he certainly wasn't expecting to see Baili Yan again in the Gray Realm.
Right as these thoughts were flashing through Han Li's mind, he passed Baili Yan by, the latter didn't even take a glance at him, clearly having failed to recognize him.
Upon entering the palace, Han Li spotted a middle-aged man seated on the main chair inside. His facial features bore some resemblance to Miao Xiu's, and it appeared that he was Monarch Miao Gao of the Black Teeth Region.
There were several black-robed figures standing beside him, and all of them appeared to be quite advanced in age. All of them turned to Miao Xiu with benevolent smiles on their faces, clearly very pleased with her safe return.
"Miao Xiu pays her respects to her father and elders," Miao Xiu said as she extended a slight bow.
"Greetings, Monarch Miao Hao, I am Jiang Gu of the Void Integration Tribe," Mo Guang said as he stepped forward while crossing an arm over his chest and touching his fist to his own shoulder.
"We pay our respects to Monarch Miao Gao," Han Li and Shi Chuankong said in unison while extending bows of their own.
Miao Gao had already stood up from his chair, and he returned Mo Guang's salute as he said, "I've already been informed of what happened at Wave Edge Lake by our carrier Gray Light Pigeon. Thank you for saving our Black Teeth Region and my daughter, Brother Jiang. Our Black Teeth Region may be secluded, but we're aware of the importance of repaying favors, so I've prepared a small gift for you. Please don't refuse it."
As soon as his voice trailed off, a white-haired elderly man approached Mo Guang before offering him a bone ring with both hands.
"You're too kind, Monarch Miao Gao," Mo Guang replied with a smile as he accepted the ring.
"Why have you come all this way to our Black Teeth Region from the Young Dawn Region, Brother Jiang? If you need anything, feel free to tell me, and our San Miao Tribe will do everything in its power to help you," Miao Gao said.
After communicating briefly with Han Li through voice transmission, Mo Guang replied, "I was out traveling with my servants here when I encountered an extremely powerful great demon and I pursued it all the way to the Six Moon Grassland. After that, I encountered the Gray Lizard Tribe by chance, and I heard that the Tamda Festival was coming up soon, so I decided to accompany them top broaden my horizons."
"I see. In that case, it sounds like it was fate that brought us together today. May I ask what is the great demon that you were hunting? Perhaps we can help you," Miao Gao said.
"That thing's already long gone. Otherwise, I wouldn't have decided to stay with the Gray Lizard Tribe. From here, I'm planning to complete my travels and return to the Young Dawn Region," Mo Guang replied with a smile.
"If you're traveling anyway, then why don't you stay in our Serene Millet City for a while? It would give us an opportunity to show you our hospitality," Miao Gao offered with a smile.
"In that case, I'll be in your care," Mo Guang replied.
"Xiuxiu, go and arrange a place for guests to stay, then come and see me in the inner manor," Miao Gao said.
Miao Xiu gave an affirmative response, then led Han Li's trio out of the palace toward a cluster of stone forts.
There were some huge, leafless flowers planted around the cluster of buildings, releasing wisps of black baleful qi, and the closer the deeper they went into the cluster of buildings, the more concentrated these flowers became.
Han Li wasn't surprised to see this. In the Gray Realm, baleful qi was essentially equivalent to the world's origin qi, and it stood to reason that the San Miao Tribe would arrange for its guests to stay in a place where baleful qi was most abundant.
Sure enough, Miao Xiu only stopped in her tracks upon arriving at the stone fort in the very heart of the cluster of buildings.
"This palace is reserved for our San Miao Tribe's most esteemed guests. Please enjoy your stay here, and if you need anything, feel free to inform me," Miao Xiu said with a smile.
"Thank you," Mo Guang replied with a smile.
Miao Xiu still had to see her father, so she bade Han Li's trio farewell before departing.
Han Li's trio entered the palace, then picked out rooms for themselves, and Shi Chuankong entered his room, while Mo Guang followed Han Li into another room.