Chapter 88 Sent a Message to Li Huayuan! Han Li's Speculation!
Inside the cave hall, the spring water of the Spirit Eye Spring gurgled in a corner, and the misty spiritual energy permeated the air, like a thin white fog, flowing slowly under the soft glow of the luminous pearl.
Sunlight streamed through the cracks in the cave ceiling, casting dappled shadows on the floor that shifted slowly as the sun moved.
Xin Ruyin sat by the stone table, holding the repair diagram of the ancient teleportation array in her hands, but did not turn a single page for a long time.
Her gaze kept drifting to the window, a hint of worry in her eyes.
She had long since memorized the runes on the array diagram, but at this moment she couldn't concentrate on a single word.
Her fingers unconsciously traced the edge of the jade slip, a habitual gesture she made when she was thinking.
Xiao Mei approached with a tea tray, placed a cup of spiritual tea in front of her, and asked softly, "Miss, what are you thinking about?"
Her voice broke the silence of the cave. The purple sable raised its head from beside her feet, looked around drowsily, and then lowered its head to continue dozing.
Xin Ruyin put down the array diagram and said softly, "Even Senior Brother Han has returned. Does this mean the great war between Yue Kingdom and the Demonic Path is about to end?"
Her voice carried a hint of expectation, yet also a hint of unease.
Over the past year, although the flames of war have not reached the depths of the Taiyue Mountains, the news from the markets and towns has become increasingly unsettling.
Xiao Mei also came over, her eyes full of curiosity. The purple electric ferret followed her and lay down at her feet, its ears perked up.
"Yes, young master, Young Master Han is back. Does that mean we should stop the war? Were those demonic cultivators driven away? I heard from people in the market that the seven sects won several great victories this time, killing so many demonic cultivators. They should be scared now, right?"
Her tone was innocent, with a childlike optimism.
Zhou Ding sat opposite Xin Ruyin, holding a cup of spiritual tea in his hands, and shook his head upon hearing this.
His gaze pierced through the clouds outside the window, looking into the distance, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
"The demonic path came prepared this time and will not let this go so easily. This is only a temporary ceasefire, and both sides are resting and preparing for the next great battle. Soon, the great battle will resume, and it will be even more intense."
His voice was calm, yet carried a certainty, as if he had witnessed the future firsthand.
He thought of the plot in the original work.
Six months later, the great war broke out again, with a large-scale battle taking place in Jin Valley Plain. Tens of thousands of cultivators from both sides were involved, resulting in heavy casualties.
Those cultivators who usually cultivated peacefully in their caves were driven to the battlefield and died like ants.
The great battle at Jingu Plain will last for one or two years, and in the end, Ling Shou Mountain will betray them, resulting in a great defeat for the seven factions.
The entire Yue Kingdom fell into the hands of the demonic forces. The cultivators of the seven sects either died or fled, and their centuries-old foundation was destroyed in an instant.
Upon hearing this, Xin Ruyin's expression changed slightly.
Her fingers unconsciously tightened, and her knuckles turned slightly white.
"So... what should we do next?"
Zhou Ding reached out and took her hand, gently squeezing it.
Her hands were a little cold and trembling slightly.
He held her hand in his palm and warmed her with his body heat.
"Don't worry, the teleportation array has been repaired and the materials have been gathered. When the time is right, we will leave here and go to an unfamiliar place, far away from war, where we can cultivate in peace."
Xin Ruyin nodded, feeling somewhat relieved.
Zhou Ding held her hand, and the warmth of his palm gave her a reassuring strength.
Xiao Mei breathed a sigh of relief, hugging the purple electric ferret, and muttered softly, "That's good, that's good. Xiao Mei doesn't want to go to the battlefield. Those demonic cultivators are very fierce, and I heard they even eat people."
As she spoke, she hugged the ferret even tighter, causing it to squeak and struggle to escape.
Zhou Ding couldn't help but laugh when he saw her scared expression.
Xin Ruyin also laughed, and the atmosphere in the cave became much more relaxed.
But Zhou Ding did have something on his mind.
Although he was a disciple of Huangfeng Valley, he never felt a sense of belonging to the sect because he thought of how Linghu Laozu abandoned his disciples in the original story.
Those high and mighty ancestors, who usually enjoy the offerings from their disciples, only care about escaping for their own lives in times of crisis.
Such a sect is not worthy of his loyalty.
If there is anyone I truly care about, it is my master, Li Huayuan.
After all, Li Huayuan had treated him well.
From the moment he entered the household, Li Huayuan took good care of him.
They bestowed upon him the cultivation techniques, gave him elixirs, and offered their assistance when he encountered danger.
The Core Formation cultivator who always sat in the Green Wave Cave drinking tea seemed a bit aloof, but he truly fulfilled his responsibilities as a master to his disciple.
Although there are considerations of self-interest between master and disciple, the affection between them is genuine.
He could never forget the look in Li Huayuan's eyes when he bestowed the Invisible Needle Talisman upon him; there was expectation in his eyes, and also the love of a master for his disciple.
Zhou Ding sighed.
Although he was powerless to change the course of the battle, he could at least give his master a reminder.
He got up, walked to the desk, spread out a sheet of talisman paper, and picked up the talisman brush.
The talisman paper is made of the finest gold-patterned paper, and the talisman brush is made of century-old boxwood, with soft and elastic wolf hair at the tip.
The ink is a specially made spiritual ink, emitting a faint fragrance.
He dipped his pen in ink, pondered for a moment, and began to write a letter.
The letter was simple: Spirit Beast Mountain is an inside agent of the demonic path, and we must be wary when the great battle begins.
He wrote it very cryptically, without mentioning the source of the information or providing many details.
He wrote the letter in Xin Ruyin's name.
This way, you won't expose yourself, nor will it arouse too much suspicion.
He thought for a moment and then added, "I know I am but a humble person with little influence, but this matter is of great importance, and I dare not conceal anything. Regardless of whether the news is true or false, Master's extra caution will put my mind at ease."
After writing the letter, he folded the talisman and sealed it into a jade slip.
The jade slip was a plain blue color, without any markings, and looked just like the most ordinary kind.
"Xiao Mei".
Xiao Mei rushed over, and the sable jumped down from her arms and rolled on the ground.
"Young master, what is it?"
Zhou Ding handed her the jade slip.
"Take this letter to Han Li and have him pass it on to my master."
Xiao Mei took the jade slip, somewhat puzzled.
"Young Master, didn't you say you couldn't reveal your return? This letter..."
Zhou Ding shook his head.
"The letter was written in Ruyin's name. Just say that Miss received the news and felt it was of great importance, so she asked him to pass it on to Master."
Xiao Mei nodded, carefully put the jade slip away, and kept it close to her body.
"Then I'll go now."
Xiao Mei responded, picked up the purple electric sable, and skipped away from the cave.
Xin Ruyin walked to Zhou Ding's side, leaned on his shoulder, and whispered, "Zhou Lang, are you worried about Master?"
Her voice was soft and concerned.
Zhou Ding nodded.
"My master has treated me well. Although I can't go to the battlefield to help him, I can at least give him a heads-up. As for whether he believes it or not, that's beyond my control."
He paused, then continued, "Spirit Beast Mountain is one of the seven sects. I can't provide evidence, and my master might not believe me. But at least he'll be on guard. With that, he won't be caught off guard."
Xin Ruyin didn't speak, she just leaned against him quietly.
Sending a message to Li Huayuan was the last thing he could do.
This concludes the master-disciple relationship.
Whether the other party believes it or not is none of his business.
He would never expose himself to prove the authenticity of the information, much less risk his life on the battlefield.
Everyone has their own path to walk.
Li Huayuan chose to protect Huangfeng Valley; he chose to protect himself.
There is no right or wrong, just different choices.
……
Time flies, and half a year has passed.
In the past six months, the Taiyue Mountains have been much quieter than usual.
News from the front lines is becoming increasingly scarce, but every piece of news is alarming.
The battle was at a stalemate, with both sides conserving their strength and awaiting the final decisive battle.
Inside the alchemy room.
Zhou Ding sat cross-legged in front of the alchemy furnace, with various spiritual herbs laid out before him.
The flames in the furnace leaped and danced, illuminating the entire alchemy room in a fiery red glow, and waves of heat swept over us.
He is refining the Foundation Establishment Elixir.
Last time, Zhou Jin collected a lot of the main ingredients for refining Foundation Establishment Pills from the Crimson Forbidden Land.
These pills were naturally prepared for Xin Ruyin and Xiao Mei.
With the abundance of cultivation pills given to them by Zhou Ding, their cultivation levels advanced by leaps and bounds.
Xin Ruyin has already reached the ninth level of Qi Refining, and is not far from Foundation Establishment.
Although her Dragon Roar Body was suppressed by the Yin-Yang Creation Technique, her cultivation speed was still slower than that of ordinary people.
He was able to reach the ninth level of Qi Refining at this age entirely thanks to Zhou Ding's generous supply of elixirs.
Xiao Mei has also reached the seventh level of Qi Refining. Although she is still a little short, it won't be long before she does.
This little girl used to be playful and unwilling to cultivate diligently. But ever since Xin Ruyin enlightened her that day, she seems to have become a different person. She obediently meditates and cultivates every day and never slacks off.
Once they successfully establish their foundation, they will have an extra layer of self-protection in the Chaotic Star Sea.
Zhou Ding carefully controlled the heat, putting one spiritual herb after another into the alchemy furnace.
His movements were skillful and precise, and he knew every step by heart.
This year,
His alchemy skills have improved rapidly, and he is now able to refine most Foundation Establishment stage pills.
From initial repeated failures to now being able to successfully complete seven or eight out of ten batches, only he knows the hardships he has endured.
He stared intently at the alchemy furnace, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead, but he was completely unaware of it.
Just then, the outer array restrictions were triggered.
Zhou Ding frowned, and with a thought, the Little Golden Earth Listening Technique was activated instantly.
An invisible wave spread in all directions, penetrating the walls of the alchemy chamber, the rock strata of the cave, and the array light curtain outside.
A moment later, a look of realization appeared on his face.
The person who arrived was Han Li.
Zhou Ding's heart skipped a beat, but his hands did not stop moving.
He put the last ingredient into the alchemy furnace, adjusted the heat, and only stood up after confirming that there would be no problem with the pill.
Han Li's arrival at this time is likely to inquire about the status of the ancient teleportation array.
Furthermore, another great battle is about to begin, and Han will immediately head to Jingu Plain.
In the original story, it was at this time that Han Li was recalled to the front lines.
He walked out of the alchemy room and into the hall.
In the hall, Xin Ruyin was studying the array diagram.
Sunlight streamed down from the cave ceiling, bathing her in a soft glow.
When she saw him come out, she looked up, a questioning look flashing in her eyes.
Zhou Ding whispered, "Han Li is here. He must be here to ask about the teleportation array."
Xin Ruyin nodded and put down the array diagram in her hand.
"Then I'll go and get ready."
Zhou Ding shook his head.
"No need. You continue studying the array diagram. Just let Xiaomei handle it. Remember, don't tell her I'm back."
He called Xiaomei over and gave her a few instructions.
Xiaomei was grinding paint inside when she heard the call and ran out, her hands still covered in red paint.
"Xiaomei, Han Li is here. Go out and deal with him. Just say the teleportation array is still under repair and will take time. Don't say anything else if you can avoid it."
Xiao Mei nodded, wiped her hands on her apron, straightened her clothes, and walked out of the cave.
Zhou Ding called her back and took out a communication talisman from his storage bag.
It was a pale yellow talisman, about the size of a palm, with simple runes drawn on it.
He pondered for a moment, then infused a wisp of his divine sense into it, leaving behind some messages.
He handed the talisman to Xiaomei.
"Give this communication talisman to Han Li and tell him that it was left by me before, so that he can look at it again when he gets back."
Xiaomei took the communication talisman, carefully put it away, and kept it close to her body.
Zhou Ding watched her departing figure and sighed inwardly.
"Junior Brother Han, with your style of doing things, you should be able to save your life, right?"
As fellow disciples, Han Li had a fairly good relationship with him.
From the initial transaction to his later visit seeking the Third Transformation Yuan Gong, and then to the reminder in front of Yan Family Fort, the two had few interactions, but they were still better than other fellow disciples.
Zhou Ding felt that he was about to leave and should do something.
Although I can't say it outright, I can still give you a reminder.
……
Outside the cave, Han Li stood with his hands behind his back.
As the sun set, the evening glow painted half the sky red. Golden sunlight fell upon him, gilding his grey robe with a faint golden edge.
He remained the same unassuming man, dressed in a drab gray Taoist robe, with an ordinary face, standing there inconspicuously.
When he saw Xiaomei come out, he bowed and greeted her politely.
"Little Mei."
Xiao Mei quickly returned the greeting with a polite smile.
"Young Master Han."
Han Li got straight to the point, a hint of urgency in his eyes.
"Miss Xiaomei, how is the teleportation array repair progressing?"
Xiaomei looked troubled and shook her head.
She sighed, her tone sincere.
"Young Master Han, that teleportation array is extremely complex; it can't be that fast. Miss said it will take at least some more time. Especially those ancient runes, each with dozens of variations; just understanding them will take a lot of time."
As she spoke, she counted on her fingers, looking very serious.
Han Li nodded and did not ask any further questions.
He knew how complex those ancient formations were; he had studied them himself and couldn't understand those winding runes at all.
Xin Ruyin's recovery within a year has far exceeded his expectations.
He asked again, his voice lower, "Still no news of Senior Brother Zhou?"
Xiaomei shook her head, a look of worry flashing in her eyes.
She lowered her head, her voice choked with emotion.
"No, not at all. Miss sent people to inquire several times, and they all said... they all said the young master might already be..."
She didn't finish speaking; she lowered her head, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Her eyes were red-rimmed, and tears were welling up in them.
Han Li remained silent for a moment, then said softly, "Senior Brother Zhou is a lucky man; he will definitely be alright."
Although he said that, he was still somewhat uncertain.
Where did Senior Brother Zhou go?
Why haven't we heard anything for so long?
Given Senior Brother Zhou's strength and caution, nothing unexpected should happen. But if nothing unexpected did happen, why didn't he come back?
Xiaomei nodded, wiped her eyes, and forced a smile.
Just as Han Li was about to take his leave, Xiao Mei suddenly took out a communication talisman from her bosom and handed it to him.
"Young Master Han, this was left to me by my son-in-law. He asked me to pass it on to you."
Han Li was taken aback upon hearing this.
Left over from before?
He took the communication talisman and examined it carefully.
The talisman was very ordinary; it was just a common communication talisman without any special markings.
The talisman paper was slightly yellowed, and it did look quite old.
"When did Senior Brother Zhou leave this?"
Xiaomei thought for a moment and then shook her head.
"I don't know. My son-in-law gave it to me before he left, saying that if he didn't come back, I should give it to Young Master Han. I didn't think much of it at the time and just kept it. Later, my son-in-law never came back, so I kept it and almost forgot about it."
She said this with a slightly embarrassed smile.
Han Li's doubts deepened.
But he didn't ask any more questions, carefully put away the communication talisman, and kept it close to his body.
He bowed and took his leave.
"Thank you, Miss Xiaomei. Goodbye."
Xiao Mei quickly returned the greeting and watched him leave.
Han Li's escape light quickly disappeared into the twilight, like a gray shooting star streaking across the sky.
……
Back in his cave, Han Li closed the stone door and sat cross-legged on the futon.
The cave was quiet. He took out the communication talisman, placed it in his palm, and remained silent for a long time.
The talisman was very light, yet it felt heavy to him.
He stared at the talisman for a long time, a strange premonition rising in his heart.
What message will Senior Brother Zhou leave behind?
He took a deep breath and probed with his divine sense.
The talisman contained only one sentence.
"The Yue Kingdom is doomed to defeat. Junior Brother Han, you'd better make a plan of retreat as soon as possible to avoid losing your life."
Han Li's pupils contracted.
His hand paused slightly, and his breath even stopped for a moment.
The entire cave seemed to fall silent, with only the sound of his heartbeat, thump, thump.
Is the Yue Kingdom doomed?
Why is Senior Brother Zhou so certain that the Yue Kingdom will be defeated?
He remembered Zhou Ding's reminder from last time.
The phrase "Yanjiabao is not a safe place; proceed with caution" is so accurate it's chilling.
At the time, he didn't understand why Senior Brother Zhou suddenly said that, but he suddenly realized it when he arrived at Yanjiabao.
That feeling was as if Senior Brother Zhou had known all along that something bad would happen at Yan Family Fort.
Now, he says that the Yue Kingdom will be defeated.
A strange chill surged through Han Li's heart, spreading from his spine to every part of his body.
His fingers unconsciously tightened, crumpling the communication talisman in his hand.
This senior brother of his seemed increasingly mysterious to him.
From the moment he began learning, Zhou Ding had been getting stronger and stronger at a speed that was beyond the reach of others.
Moreover, he seemed to know everything about things, as if he could foresee the future.
Han Li thought of many things.
Senior Brother Zhou clearly didn't go to Yan Family Fortress, yet he knew in advance that there was danger there.
He slipped away beforehand and has been missing ever since.
Could it be... that he foresaw this great battle and hid himself in advance?
Han Li was startled; this guess was becoming increasingly plausible.
Given Senior Brother Zhou's cautious nature, he is perfectly capable of doing such a thing.
He shook his head and stopped thinking about it.
Regardless of Zhou's background, at least he didn't have any ill intentions towards him.
Both of these reminders were meant to help him.
He kept this kindness in his heart.
He carefully put away the communication talisman, keeping it close to his body, then stood up and walked to the window.
Outside the window, the Taiyue Mountains loomed in and out of view in the twilight, shrouded in mist.
The distant mountain peaks stand silently between heaven and earth, like silent giants.
The Yue Kingdom is about to be defeated...
What should he do?
Han Li remained silent for a long time, a resolute glint in his eyes.
He also needs to prepare for his escape route as soon as possible.
Nongfu Spring 123's masterpiece, "In Yellow Maple Valley, I Have a Demonic Beast Doppelganger!", click to read now!