Han Li had just settled down when the sound of something cutting through the air echoed from the distant sky. Wan Tianming and two other Nascent Soul cultivators descended from above.
After casting a glance toward Xuan Gu and Scholar Qing Yi, they sneered and relocated to another spot, gathering together in whispered conversation. No one could tell what secret matters they were discussing.
Patriarch Ji Yin saw this and let out a soft snort through his nose, then closed his eyes to rest.
Han Li couldn't maintain the same composure as Ji Yin. Instead, his gaze remained fixed on a particular direction, as though he were observing something. But if anyone had paid close attention to Han Li's eyes, they would have noticed that his stare was slightly unfocused — he was clearly absent-minded, lost in thought.
After the time it takes to eat a meal, five or six cultivators arrived one after another.
Among them were two white-robed elders from Star Palace, who showed up as if nothing were out of the ordinary. The only Nascent Soul cultivator who still hadn't appeared was Barbarian Devil Beard.
After waiting for another half hour, there was still no sign of Barbarian Devil Beard.
At this, Wan Tianming and the others cast peculiar looks toward Ji Yin's side. Meanwhile, Ji Yin and the scholarly elder still wore expressions of perfect calm.
Han Li sat closer to the two of them and secretly noticed that beneath their composed facades, a trace of anxiety leaked through their gazes.
Clearly, with Barbarian Devil Beard absent, these two old monsters of the Demonic path knew they were no match for the Righteous cultivators, and they were growing worried.
Time trickled by.
Ji Yin and the scholarly elder could no longer maintain even their surface composure. Their expressions turned grim, and they began frequently glancing up at the sky.
Although this space seemed to have no distinction between day and night — the sunshine was constant — Han Li estimated in his mind that roughly a full day had now passed.
Could it be that Barbarian Devil Beard, the strongest expert of the Demonic path in the Void Heaven Hall, had truly met with some mishap? Han Li began to suspect as much.
If something like that really happened, he honestly couldn't tell whether it would be fortune or disaster for him.
Just as Han Li, Ji Yin, and the others were unable to rest easy — and as the Righteous cultivators' gazes grew ever more hostile — a piercing shriek rang out from beyond the sky, a sound that could bore through metal and stone. The howl rose like giant waves, each surge higher and fiercer than the last, shaking every seated cultivator until expressions of horror crossed their faces.
Patriarch Ji Yin and the scholarly elder, however, relaxed the moment they heard it. They exchanged a knowing smile.
The scholarly elder even chuckled softly and murmured: "Seems like Barbarian Devil Beard is in a fine mood. He must have stumbled upon some pleasant surprise."
"Hmph! What pleasant surprise could he possibly find here? At best, he managed to pluck the Longevity Fruit without too much trouble." Patriarch Ji Yin shook his head dismissively.
The scholarly elder smiled faintly, about to say something more, when a golden-yellow sphere of light suddenly appeared at the far edge of the sky. It streaked toward them like a meteor, and in the blink of an eye it had arrived above the assembled cultivators.
The elder immediately fell silent.
A strange light flickered in Han Li's eyes as he stared at the figure within the golden orb, his heart pounding with alarm.
He was far from the only one. Every cultivator witnessing the might of the "Celestial Demon Art" for the first time wore the same expression of shock.
Because the Barbarian Devil Beard, wreathed in the golden sphere, looked utterly bizarre — like some demonic deity that filled onlookers with dread.
At this moment, not only did his entire body radiate sharp golden light, but his bare hands, feet, and face — exposed beyond his robes — had sprouted dense, copper-coin-sized golden scales.
These scales gleamed like they were forged from pure gold, rippling with a cold, sinister luster. One glance was enough to tell they were incomparably tough — seemingly indestructible.
"So that's the Celestial Demon Art? It really does seem formidable!" Wu Chou, seated on Patriarch Ji Yin's other side, sucked in a sharp breath, staring blankly. He appeared thoroughly shaken by Barbarian Devil Beard's appearance.
"Hmph, nothing but a turtle shell! When the Extreme Yin Grand Art is cultivated to its ultimate realm, it's no weaker than the Celestial Demon Art." Patriarch Ji Yin shot Wu Chou a cold look upon hearing his words, clearly displeased.
Wu Chou suddenly remembered that his grandfather was on bad terms with Barbarian Devil Beard. Praising the man like this was practically asking to make Patriarch Ji Yin unhappy.