Over the past few days, along a certain stretch of border between the Kingdom of Yu and the Kingdom of Beiliang, teams of cultivators and mages descended from the sky on both sides—separated by dozens of miles—riding their magic tools and treasures. They then methodically used existing outposts to establish vast encampments, one after another.
Overnight, imposing battle formations of all kinds began to emerge in rapid succession. This desolate, rarely visited region had transformed into a churning maelstrom of wind and clouds, brimming with killing intent.
Small squads of cultivators and mages also took to the air, patrolling and standing watch around the encampments, as if terrified of a sudden enemy assault.
As day followed day, more and more cultivators and mages converged on the area. Defensive restrictions of all sizes spread across both sides of the border, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
However, at the very center of the boundary, patrolling squads from each side occasionally crossed paths. Though they regarded each other with cold stares, they still managed to restrain themselves from coming to blows.
After all, fighting now would serve no purpose in the grand scheme of things. Both sides swallowed their anger and waited in silence for the life-and-death battle to come.
By the sixth day, the grand formations and restrictions on both the Tianlan and Mulan sides were more or less complete. Everyone began to keep close to camp, conserving their strength and resting. Even the number of patrollers was drastically reduced for a time. However, high-rank cultivators started appearing frequently among the patrol squads.
The leadership of both the mages and the cultivators were also inside their camps, frantically devising final strategies for the decisive confrontation.
The northern side of the Tianlan cultivator encampment faced the direction of Tianyi City, so naturally the restrictions and defensive arrangements toward the mage side were somewhat sparser. But not a single sentry or patrol was missing—in fact, there were slightly more than usual.
Under these circumstances, a squad of a dozen or so cultivators was flying at a leisurely pace roughly twenty miles from the main encampment.
Leading the group was a beautiful young woman in her twenties, a cultivator at the early Core Formation stage, while the cultivators following behind her were all at the Foundation Establishment stage.
With the great battle approaching, none of them dared to be careless. Even though this was merely a routine patrol, the entire group remained highly alert, casting their gazes in every direction.
Only the young woman leading them appeared somewhat composed, though she had extended her spiritual sense to its maximum range, sensing every anomaly in the vicinity.
Suddenly, the young woman's expression shifted. She halted her flight and raised her head in surprise, gazing into the distance.
The other cultivators were taken aback, and immediately looked in the same direction, on guard as if facing a formidable enemy. But they saw nothing.
"Senior Xiao, you…?"
A blue-robed cultivator asked in a puzzled tone, but before he could finish his sentence, a flash of white light appeared on the distant horizon. A speck of light materialized and came hurtling toward them.
"What incredible speed!" one of the cultivators cried out involuntarily.
In the blink of an eye, the white dot had grown noticeably larger, and within the radiance there seemed to be something faintly visible.
"It must be some senior cultivator arriving. But according to regulations, we still need to go up and make inquiries. You all wait here," the young woman said calmly, her refined features radiating composure as she issued her orders without the slightest haste.
Then, with a flash of yellow light, she flew straight toward the white glow.
The other cultivators exchanged wide-eyed glances but said nothing.
They were not fellow disciples of the young woman, and their cultivation levels and seniority were far lower, so naturally none of them dared voice any objection.
The young woman had only flown a short distance before she halted, because the point of light had already arrived before her, transforming into a dazzling ball of radiance that abruptly stopped. Inside, there appeared to be some strange cart-like magic tool, with blurry human figures visible within.
"This junior, Xiao Cuier of Yellow Maple Valley, greets the senior. Might the senior reveal their identity? This junior is acting under orders, and I humbly ask for your understanding." Though inwardly startled, the beautiful young woman greeted the visitor in her pleasant voice.
"Oh? Xiao Cuier?" A surprised voice came from within the white light.
"Does the senior know this junior?" Xiao Cuier blinked her clear, bright eyes, an expression of astonishment crossing her face.
Among the Nascent Soul cultivators she knew, none matched this particular appearance. Yet the voice sounded somewhat familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere before.
As the young woman stared at the ball of light in puzzlement, the white glow flickered several times, dimmed, and revealed everything within.
Standing atop a strange white flying cart were two young cultivators—a man and a woman.
The man wore a plain blue-green robe and had an ordinary appearance. The woman, however, wore a white dress and was stunningly beautiful.
"Uncle-Master Han!" The moment she caught sight of the blue-robed man's face, Xiao Cuier covered her mouth with a slender hand and cried out in shock.
Her beautiful eyes were filled with disbelief!
"Young lady, you've grown up. You look quite different from how I remember you." Han Li examined the young woman, and looking at that familiar, pretty face, a faint smile appeared on his own.
"Uncle-Master Han, it really is you! Sister Nie and Brother Lei told me about your advancement to Nascent Soul, but I still had a hard time believing it." Xiao Cuier said joyfully, her expression bringing her back to the days when she had first met Han Li as a young girl.
"Running into them back then was just a coincidence." Han Li smiled and said lightly.
He had been the one to personally bring this girl into Yellow Maple Valley. Although they hadn't had much contact, she held a somewhat special place in his mind. On top of that, she had been Senior Ma's direct disciple back in the day. Naturally, Han Li could not treat her the same way he treated Nie Ying or Lei Wanhe, with no regard for old sentiments whatsoever.