Chapter 316: Invitation from Qi Liang
Somewhere in the central region of the Bell Toll Mountain Range, all of the snow and ice within a radius of hundreds of thousands of kilometers had melted away, revealing the lush greenery underneath.
The sky was as clear and bright as a blue crystal, and white clouds were hanging between the mountains, while resplendent five-colored light shone through the heavens. Countless cranes were flying through the clouds while letting loose clear cries, and the entire place resembled an immortal paradise.
At the center of the area was a pristine white mountain that was very smooth and uniform, resembling an enormous white jade pillar.
The mountain severed halfway up with an extremely smooth cross-section, looking as if it had been sliced into two by a giant blade, creating an enormous plateau that served as a plaza.
Even though only half the mountain remained, the white plaza was still situated far above the clouds.
At the center of the plaza was a huge white jade platform that was close to 10,000 feet tall with countless runes engraved onto its surface.
A staircase led from the platform all the way down the plaza, and there were thousands of round cushions placed on the steps of the staircase.
The ground surrounding the plaza was also riddled with countless cushions that stretched all the way to the edges of the plaza, and this platform on the White Jade Peak was where the preaching ceremony was set to take place.
Prior to the commencement of the ceremony, the plaza was completely deserted.
No more than several hundred kilometers away from the White Jade Peak was a city that stretched for thousands of kilometers, complete with countless lavish pagodas and pavilions that were concealed within the cloud and mist.
In contrast with the deserted White Jade Peak, this city was extremely lively and bustling, and there were countless streaks of light flying through the air above the city.
Occasionally, people would fly out of the city in different directions, while others converged toward the city from afar.
Right at this moment, a streak of azure light arrived from the distance, then faded to reveal Han Li.
He cast his gaze toward the White Jade Peak in the distance, then quickly withdrew his gaze before descending toward the city down below.
The entire city was enshrouded within a huge azure light barrier with Blaze Dragon Dao disciples stationed all around it.
Upon his arrival, Han Li was immediately welcomed by a young Blaze Dragon Dao disciple, who extended a deep bow toward Han Li upon seeing his inner sect elder robes, then said, "Welcome, esteemed elder. Apologies for the delay, but according to the rules of the sect, anyone who enters White Jade City must first have their identity verified."
"That's fine," Han Li replied as he pulled out his elder badge.
The young disciple pulled out a white jade talisman that he waved at Han Li's badge, and a layer of white light emerged from the talisman to form a small screen of white light that displayed Han Li's image and information.
The disciple took a glance at the information on the light screen, then flipped a hand over to produce an azure badge as he said, "Thank you for your cooperation, Elder Li. I'll open the restriction for you right away."
With a wave of the badge, a streak of azure light shot out from within before vanishing into the light barrier that encompassed the city.
The light barrier then shuddered before an opening that was large enough to fit a person appeared on its surface, and Han Li stowed away his elder badge before flying into the city through the opening.
He made his way along a street, traveling deeper into the city while inspecting his surroundings, and a hint of surprise soon appeared in his eyes.
Only after entering through the light barrier did he discover just how beautiful and lavish the buildings in the city were. The wide streets extended throughout the city like a system of cobwebs, and they were lined with opulent shops, presenting a stunning sight that didn't lose to any of the large cities that he had seen before.
Outside of his cultivation, he had made frequent forays throughout the Bell Toll Mountain Range during the past years, but he had never visited this place before.
The shops that lined the streets were selling all types of wares, including materials, pills, and treasures, all of which were of quite a high caliber. The wares being sold weren't inferior in the slightest to those sold in the markets in the Blaze Dragon Dao, and there were some things that were very rarely seen even in those markets.
Many of the shop owners clearly weren't Blaze Dragon Dao disciples. Instead, they were most likely from subsidiary powers to the Blaze Dragon Dao, and they were aiming to sell some specialty local products during the leadup to the preaching ceremony.
After walking along the street for a while, Han Li stopped in front of a materials shop.
From the entrance, he could see dozens of shelves inside, all of which were laden with precious materials.
At this moment, the shop was filled with customers, and business appeared to have been booming.
After a brief pause, Han Li stepped into the shop, and he was immediately greeted by a young red-robed attendant.
"What materials are you looking for, Senior? We have a comprehensive inventory of all types of spirit materials at competitive prices..."
Before the young attendant had a chance to finish what he was saying, an elderly man who appeared to have been the shopkeeper hurriedly approached Han Li as he said, "Go see if the other customers need any help, I'll attend to this customer myself."
The young attendant faltered slightly upon hearing this, then promptly departed.
"Welcome, esteemed elder. What materials are you looking for today? I am from the Yi Clan in the west, and our clan has been selling spirit materials for generations. We are a reputable business, and I'm sure you won't be disappointed by our wares," the elderly man said in a respectful manner.
Han Li didn't waste any time with words as he flipped a hand over to produce a jade slip, which contained a list of the remaining ingredients listed in the dao pill recipe, as well as the other two primary ingredients for refining the Myriad Axis Pill.
The elderly man accepted the jade slip from Han Li, but after inspecting its contents, an apologetic look appeared on his face as he said, "These are all extremely precious items, and I'm afraid our shop does not have what you're looking for."
"Do you know where I'll be able to buy these things?" Han Li asked.
"I've only ever seen these materials in scriptures, and I've never heard of any being sold," the elderly man replied with a shake of his head.
Han Li nodded calmly in response, then took back his jade slip before turning to leave, and the elderly man hurriedly accompanied him out of the shop.
After emerging from the shop, Han Li continued to walk along the street, and a short while later, he made his way into another large materials shop.
A short while later, he emerged from the shop, once again without any luck, but he remained unfazed as he continued onward.
……
Close to a day later, Han Li emerged from a huge materials shop in the central area of the city, and his expression didn't betray much emotion, but internally, he was starting to feel quite frustrated.
Thus far, he had visited most of the materials shops in the city, yet not only had he not been able to find what he was looking for, he wasn't even able to gather any leads on where he could find the ingredients on his list.
There were still some shops left for him to visit, but seeing as the largest shops didn't have what he was looking for, the chances that he would find success in the remaining shops were quite slim.
With that in mind, he heaved a faint sigh and was just about to continue onward when a voice rang out from behind him.
"Brother Li!"
Han Li turned around to discover a white-robed man approaching him with a smile, and it was none other than Qi Liang.
"Long time no see, Brother Qi," Han Li greeted with a smile.
He had spent the majority of his time in seclusion, while the rest of his time was spent on completing various missions, so it had already been close to 300 years since he had last met Qi Liang.
Qi Liang was just about to say something when his eyes abruptly widened, and he was silent for a long while before finally finding his voice again. "Brother Li, your aura... Could it be that you've already reached the mid-True Immortal Stage?"
"Indeed. I encountered some strokes of fortune during the past few centuries, and I recently managed to make a breakthrough," Han Li replied in an ambiguous manner.
Qi Liang could tell that Han Li didn't want to speak much on this matter, so he refrained from prying any further. "I am truly envious, Brother Li."
"When did you get here, Brother Qi?" Han Li asked, promptly changing the subject.
"I got here a few days ago, and I've been exploring the city ever since, but I didn't see you before this. Could it be that you only just arrived? Why didn't you come a little earlier? This place has already been thriving for quite some time," Qi Liang said with a smile.
"Sounds like you've been busy, Brother Qi. My original intention was to come here a bit earlier, but I was delayed by some matters," Han Li explained with a smile.
"I suppose you haven't really missed much. Generally speaking, the most precious treasures will only appear much closer to the preaching ceremony. By the way, I just so happen to be on my way to an exchange event for True Immortal Stage fellow daoists. Would you be interested in tagging along?" Qi Liang asked.
Han Li's eyes lit up slightly upon hearing this, and he immediately nodded in response. "Of course!"
"I knew you wouldn't pass up such a great opportunity. The event venue is just up ahead, and it should be starting soon," Qi Liang said with a smile as he led the way forward.
"I didn't know there was such a lavish city in the sect. Why is it that I've never heard anyone speak of it before?" Han Li asked.
"White Jade City and the White Jade Peak are very important locations in our sect, and under normal circumstances, this city is closed to the outside. Entry is only granted during important occasions like the preaching ceremony," Qi Liang explained.
"I see," Han Li replied with a nod.
The two of them continued to chat, and after making their way down the street for a while, they turned onto another street, this one lined with buildings that were even more lavish and opulent, and many of them were enshrouded within light barriers of different colors.
Han Li noticed that whenever the cultivators walking down the street cast their eyes toward these buildings, they would always do so with awe and veneration on their faces.
"This is the place," Qi Liang declared as he stopped in front of a three-story pavilion.
This building was also enshrouded within a white light barrier that made it impossible to see into the building, giving it quite an aura of mystique.
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