Chapter 523: A Drink with Old Friends
Daoist Hu Yan swept a sleeve through the air, and a burst of red light flashed over the table, upon which an orange wine jar appeared. The jar was around a foot in height, and judging from the antiquated patterns engraved onto its surface, it was clearly a very old jar of wine.
Even before the jar was opened, it was already releasing a mesmerizing aroma throughout the surrounding area.
Having discussed wine on so many past occasions with Daoist Hu Yan, Han Li had accumulated a great deal of knowledge on the subject, and he immediately exclaimed, "This is exceptional wine! Judging from its fragrance, this must be Seasonal Dream, right?"
"Precisely! This jar of Seasonal Dream was brewed using Cloudborn Fruits as the main ingredient, and I had to spent countless years brewing it," Daoist Hu Yan said as he removed the stopper from the jar, then conjured up three pristine white cups, all of which he filled with wine.
The wine was as clear and pure as a mirror, and it had a light red hue that was further accentuated by the white cup that it had been poured into.
Han Li took a sip, and his eyes instantly lit up as he praised, "This is indeed exceptional wine!"
As soon as the wine flowed into his mouth, it immediately transformed into a burst of heat that was as mellow as a cloud, filling his entire body with a sense of warm comfort.
On top of that, the wine also contained immense immortal spiritual power, instantly replenishing the immortal spiritual power that he had expended during his battle against the two palace masters.
"Of course! My cultivation aptitude can only be described as decent at best, but when it comes to brewing wine, just this jar of Seasonal Dream alone is sufficient testament to prove that I'm unmatched in the entire Northern Glacial Immortal Region!" Daoist Hu Yan replied in a proud manner.
"As soon as you have a bit to drink, you immediately start bragging like a fool!" Yun Ni scolded with a displeased expression, but she also took a small sip of wine from her cup.
The three of them exchanged some small talk, then began to talk about what had happened after they had parted ways in the immortal manor.
As it turned out, following Daoist Hu Yan and Yun Ni's departure, they immediately hid somewhere secluded, but not long thereafter, they were teleported out of the Infernal Frost Immortal Manor and ended up in the Black Wind Sea.
After some discussion, the two of them decided not to brave the Soul Stirring Winds again. Instead, they had the same idea of leaving the Black Wind Sea through the teleportation array. However, they encountered the Vast Flow Palace's cultivators there, so they disguised themselves before entering the teleportation pagoda.
"I knew it! Prior to stepping into the array, I detected two familiar auras nearby. That was you two, right?" Han Li chuckled.,
"Indeed. I didn't think you would have the courage to blatantly steal a teleportation spot right under the noses of the Vast Flow Palace cultivators! I have to say, I was really impressed at the time," Daoist Hu Yan also chuckled in response.
"By the time I got to Black Wind City, it was already right on the cusp of the scheduled teleportation, so I didn't have much of a choice," Han Li explained with a smile.
"How did you fare against Gongshu Jiu after we left, Fellow Daoist Li?" Yun Ni suddenly asked, and a serious look appeared on Daoist Hu Yan's face upon hearing this.
"Gongshu Jiu is already dead," Han Li replied in an indifferent voice as he took another sip of wine.
Daoist Hu Yan and Yun Ni had already guessed that this would be the outcome, considering Han Li was alive and well, but they were still very much taken aback by this answer.
"Your powers are truly unfathomable, Fellow Daoist Li. To think that even a High Zenith cultivator is no longer a match for you. Your cultivation aptitude is truly unmatched!" Yun Ni said as she raised her cup with a hint of admiration in her eyes.
"Even back in the Blaze Dragon Dao, I knew that there was something special about you, but never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that you would come so far in just a few centuries!" Daoist Hu Yan chuckled as he also raised his cup.
"You're far too kind, fellow daoists. Gongshu Jiu died by the hand of multiple people, and I only made a very minor contribution," Han Li said in a modest manner.
"Then what about that Gray Immortal?" Daoist Hu Yan asked.
"The Gray Immortal immediately left following Gongshu Jiu's demise, and he didn't target me. After that, I left the High Zenith Palace, but I was also suddenly teleported out of the immortal manor shortly thereafter. There was still supposed to be some time left until the closing of the immortal manor, so I presume someone was pulling strings behind the scenes," Han Li replied, refraining from telling the two about Mo Yu and Lu Yuqing.
"Indeed, there's a very good chance that the Gray Immortal was controlling everything from the very beginning. I've heard that he has some ties with the Infernal Frost Immortal Lord, and he was also clearly very familiar with all of the restrictions in the High Zenith Palace. It's a good thing that he's not a bloodthirsty individual. Otherwise, even if we managed to kill Gongshu Hong, there's no way we would've been able to escape from him," Daoist Hu Yan mused.
"We were indeed very fortunate. While it's true that he's a Gray Immortal, his personality seems to be different from what Gray Immortals are said to be like," Han Li remarked.
"The death of an immortal envoy is a very important matter, and I'm almost certain that there will be a new immortal envoy sent to the Northern Glacial Immortal Region soon to investigate this matter. All of those immortal envoys are skilled in secret techniques that allow them to identify members of the Reincarnation Palace, so do be careful," Daoist Hu Yan cautioned with a serious expression.
"Thank you for the warning, Fellow Daoist Hu Yan. I'll be sure to keep myself well-concealed from here onward," Han Li replied.
"With your powers, as long as you remain on your guard, you should be fine. If you can't stay in the Northern Glacial Immortal Region, then just leave," Daoist Hu Yan advised.
"Do you know of a way to leave the Northern Glacial Immortal Region?" Han Li asked with an intrigued expression.
"I heard from Dao Lord Baili that there exists an interregion gate in the Northern Glacial Immortal Palace that leads to other immortal regions. However, apparently, each teleportation expends an enormous amount of resources, so even the palace master may not be able to use it whenever he pleases. Hence, that's most likely out of the question.
Even if we manage to force our way to the interregion gate, we'll most likely be confronted by immortal envoys sent by the Heavenly Court before we manage to figure out how to activate the gate," Daoist Hu Yan replied.
"I've also heard about this. If this is an unfeasible route to take, then are there any alternatives?" Han Li asked.
"The alternative option would be to cross the primordial land between immortal regions. However, I've heard that such a journey is no less perilous than forcing our way into the Northern Glacial Immortal Palace, and even a High Zenith cultivator isn't guaranteed to be able to make the journey safely. Having said that, it's said that the Reincarnation Palace has carved out a relatively safe passageway through primordial land, but I don't know where this route is," Daoist Hu Yan replied.
Han Li nodded in response.
It seemed that Wyrm 3 had been telling him the truth.
"Fellow Daoist Li, the perils of the primordial land come primarily from how unchartered and unexplored it is. Many cultivators have tried to cross through it in the past, but most of them haven't lived to tell the tale, so I advise you not to pursue that path unless it's absolutely necessary," Yun Ni cautioned.
"Thank you for the advice, fellow daoists. I'll be sure to consider this matter carefully. May I ask what your plans are from here onward? Now that your identities have been exposed, I'm sure the Heavenly Court will be coming after you as well," Han Li said.
"We'll be sure to be on our guard as well, so there's no need for you to worry about us. To tell you the truth, Dao Lord Baili has already taken the High Zenith Stage, and a breakthrough to the High Zenith Stage is imminent for him. Once that time comes, we won't have to fear any immortal envoys!" Daoist Hu Yan replied.
"In that case, I'll be offering my congratulations to Dao Lord Baili in advance," Han Li said with a smile.
"At the moment, Dao Lord Baili is working on refining the High Zenith Pill, so he won't be able to come out of seclusion to see you. However, he's also very interested in you, so if we get a chance to meet again in the future, let's all share a drink together!" Daoist Hu Yan said with a wide smile.
"That sounds great to me," Han Li replied with a smile.
After that, the three of them began to discuss the state of the Northern Glacial Immortal Region and what the future likely held, following which the conversation shifted to sharing cultivation insights and experiences.
The jar of wine was quickly finished, but Daoist Hu Yan had a virtually endless stash of fine wines, and he immediately brought out a new jar.
The time flew by in a flash, and before long, day had already transitioned into night.
THe three of them were thoroughly enjoying one another's company, and they were reluctant to part ways, but it was time to say their goodbyes.
"It's about time that we left, Fellow Daoist Li. Look after yourself!" Daoist Hu Yan declared as he cupped his fist in a parting salute.
"Same to you, fellow daoists," Han Li replied with a nod.
Daoist Hu Yan stowed the table and chairs away, then swept a sleeve through the air, releasing a burst of fiery red light that encompassed both himself and Yun Ni.
The two of them then rose up into the sky before flying toward the setting sun in the distance, quickly fading out of sight.
Han Li stood with his hands clasped behind his back while his robes flapped audibly around him in the wind, remaining as still as a statue as he looked on at the setting sun.
A short while later, he swept a sleeve through the air to summon the green jade flying carriage, then sped away in another direction.
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