123: The soul leaves the body and crushes it with one blow

“But Brother Han, I believe your strength is not bad, and getting a ranking will certainly not be a problem.”

Looking at Han Li, Bai Yi said with a smile.

“Brother Bai, you jest. I don’t have the slightest confidence myself.”

Han Li shook his head.

“I have some information on those Cangjian Palace Disciples. Do you want it?” Bai Yi asked.

“Oh?” Han Li put down his wine cup and looked at Bai Yi.

“Junior Brother, don’t underestimate our Demon Suppression Division’s intelligence network. You might have some information on these Disciples, but it’s definitely not as detailed as mine.”

Bai Yi smiled, and as he spoke, he took out a Jade Slip and handed it to Han Li.

Taking the Jade Slip, Han Li quickly scanned it.

Comparing it with the information he already knew, there were indeed some things he wasn’t aware of.

“How is it?” Bai Yi asked with a smile, watching Han Li open his eyes.

“Thank you, Brother Bai. This information is indeed very clear.” Han Li nodded.

“Haha, it’s nothing, just a small favor.” Bai Yi chuckled.

“Brother, you’re abusing your power for personal gain.” Bai Yu blinked from the side.

Bai Yi: “...”

“What do you know.” Bai Yi glared at Bai Yu, who stuck out her tongue.

Looking at the brother and sister, Han Li also smiled… Night completely enveloped Tianling City.

Tianling under the night sky was even more brightly lit.

The residence, the small courtyard.

With continuous toasts, Han Li had drunk quite a bit of wine.

“Brother Han, don’t go back. Just stay here. Besides my brother and me, there’s only my Revered Master here.”

Looking at Han Li, Bai Yi said.

Han Li shook his head, “No need. It’s not far, I’ll be there in a moment.”

“Alright then, I’ll see you out.” Bai Yi nodded. Han Li didn’t refuse and also nodded.

However, just as he stepped out of the small courtyard, Han Li stopped and looked at Bai Yi.

“Brother Bai, I have something to ask. I wonder if Brother Bai can do me a favor.”

Bai Yi: “?”

“What is it?” Bai Yi asked, looking at Han Li with surprise.

“I wonder if Brother Bai has any information on the Three Demonic Sects?” Han Li asked.

“Information on the Three Demonic Sects?”

Bai Yi was slightly taken aback. Looking at Han Li, he frowned, “Brother Han, what do you need Demonic Path information for?”

“I had some conflict with the Demonic Path before, so I want to understand their situation.” Han Li explained.

Bai Yi lowered his head.

Seeing this, Han Li immediately said, “If it’s inconvenient for Brother Bai, then just pretend I didn’t mention it.”

Bai Yi shook his head, looking at him, “That’s not it. Our Demon Suppression Division naturally has information on the Demonic Path. However, this information is stored in the Wu Capital, so I definitely can’t give it to you now. How about this, if you come to the Wu Capital, let me know, and I can prepare it for you.”

Hearing this, Han Li showed joy and immediately clasped his fists, “In that case, thank you, Brother Bai.”

“Haha, it’s a small matter.” Bai Yi chuckled.

Immediately, the two walked towards the entrance of the residence. As they neared the entrance, a black-robed middle-aged man appeared before them.

“God Realm!”

Looking at the black-robed middle-aged man in front of him, Han Li instantly felt a terrifying Aura.

“Revered Master!”

Bai Yi immediately spoke upon seeing the black-robed middle-aged man.

“It seems this is the Supervisor of the Demon Suppression Division.” Hearing Bai Yi speak, Han Li instantly understood.

Bai Yi’s Revered Master was the Supervisor of the Demon Suppression Division, and also its highest commander.

A giant who held power over the Demon Suppression Division.

“Junior Han Li of Qingyuan Sect greets Senior.” Han Li clasped his fists and bowed.

The Supervisor’s gaze swept over Han Li, then looked at Bai Yi: “Is this your friend?”

“Yes, Master.”

Bai Yi nodded.

“Hmm, then it’s fine. This person is good.” The Supervisor nodded, then strode away. Bai Yi looked at Han Li beside him, and the two exchanged a glance, then stepped out of the residence.

After bidding farewell to Bai Yi, Han Li headed towards the Qingyuan Sect residence… Outside the study in the residence, Bai Yi’s figure appeared.

He knocked on the door, and a voice came from inside. Bai Yi walked into the study, where the Supervisor was currently seated at the desk.

“Revered Master!”

Bai Yi stepped forward to salute.

“Smelling of wine, you drank quite a bit, didn’t you?” The Supervisor closed the memorial in his hand and looked at Bai Yi.

“I met a friend and had a few more drinks.” Bai Yi scratched his head, his face slightly flushed.

“This Han Li is not simple.” The Supervisor said to him.

Bai Yi nodded, “I’ve also seen his strength; he is indeed very strong. Back when he was in the Innate First Realm, he could easily kill the Blood Devil Taoist of the Xiantian Second Realm.”

“This person’s Qi and blood are abundant, his Foundation is very strong, and his True Qi surpasses that of ordinary people. He might achieve an excellent performance in this tournament.” The Supervisor said.

“Revered Master has a Wisdom Eye; I feel the same way.” Bai Yi nodded.

The Supervisor: “...”

“But his strongest aspect should be his Mental Energy. His mental will is very powerful, almost comparable to the mental will of the Divine Aperture.”

“!!!”

Comparable to the mental will of the Divine Aperture!

Hearing this, Bai Yi’s pupils instantly constricted.

Coming from his Revered Master’s mouth, he had no choice but to believe it.

However, this was indeed somewhat unbelievable.

A mental will comparable to the Divine Aperture, could it be that he possessed some extremely rare special Physique?

The thought flashed through Bai Yi’s mind.

“This is also a good Opportunity. You can observe and learn more. The Disciples of the Nine Provinces Twelve Sects are also good; there are things worth learning from them.” The Supervisor said, looking at Bai Yi.

Bai Yi calmed the waves in his heart and nodded: “Revered Master, rest assured, Disciple will study diligently.”

Bai Yi looked at him and said, “Revered Master, you went out this trip, how did the discussions go?”

“It was alright. This Wu Wuji is indeed good, but unfortunately, he is not a person of our imperial court.” The Supervisor sighed deeply.

“Wu Wuji is Han Li’s Senior Brother.” Bai Yi said.

“Oh?”

“Is that so?” Hearing this, a strange look flashed in the Supervisor’s eyes.

“Yes, he’s also my cousin’s Junior Brother. We met by chance and later became friends.” Bai Yi nodded.

“Did you give him your Demon Suppression Token?” The Supervisor said indifferently.

“...To be honest, Revered Master, I gave it to him.” Bai Yi nodded.

“Buzz—”

As soon as his voice fell, a flash of light appeared in the air, and a black token emerged.

“Take it. You need it yourself too.” The Supervisor said indifferently, looking at Bai Yi.

“Thank you, Revered Master.” Bai Yi nodded.

“Go and rest.”

“Yes!”

...Returning to the residence, Han Li happened to meet his two Senior Brothers coming back from outside.

After greeting them, Han Li returned to his own small courtyard.

In the room, Han Li sat cross-legged on the bed, closing his eyes, an invisible Mental Energy spreading out.

After Cultivating in the Spiritual Spring today, he felt that his Mental Energy and Soul had improved slightly.

In the Heavenly Court, the Mental Energy and Soul sat in the center.

The next moment, the Mental Energy and Soul suddenly opened its eyes, took a step, and directly stepped out of his Heavenly Court.

“Buzz—!”

A light lit up between Han Li’s eyebrows, and an illusory small figure stepped out from his glabella.

Soul Emergence!

Han Li suddenly had this premonition.

Concentrating his mind, he successfully achieved Soul Emergence on his first try.

With his consciousness within his Soul, Han Li saw himself on the bed, motionless.

In the room, candlelight flickered.

The Mental Energy and Soul stood in the Void Realm, feeling very light.

And at this moment, a wisp of breeze suddenly came from outside the window.

The breeze gently caressed, seemingly nothing, but in Han Li’s eyes, this wisp of breeze was like a storm, and his Mental Energy and Soul instantly swayed slightly.

Concentrating his mind, Han Li stabilized his Soul.

His Soul floated, arriving at the window. Outside, the bright moon hung in the sky, and the starlight was dazzling.

When Han Li looked towards the sky, he felt his Soul being pulled by an invisible gravitational force, as if to drag his Soul into the Nine Heavens.

A feeling of lightness and comfort swept over him, as if he was about to fly to Immortal Ascension, but in an instant, Han Li quickly sobered up. With a whoosh, his Soul directly retreated into his Physical Body.

On the bed, Han Li instantly opened his eyes.

“That was close, I almost fell for it...”

Han Li looked out the window at the calm night sky, but after Soul Emergence, it had changed.

The gravitational force just now was the pulling force of heaven and earth. If he had allowed his Soul to be pulled, then entering the Nine Heavens would not have been flying to Immortal Ascension. He would have inevitably been torn apart and shattered by the power of the Nine Heavens, completely Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering.

“Still not strong enough...”

“But being able to achieve Soul Emergence is already good. After this, when I Cultivate the Heavenly Evolution Divine Art and improve my Mental Energy and Soul, it might be possible to roam the heavens and earth in the future.”

Withdrawing his gaze and calming the distracting thoughts in his mind, Han Li closed his eyes and entered a semi-sleep state, his True Qi automatically circulating in a cycle… The next day, Han Li left the residence early in the morning and went directly to soak in the Spiritual Spring.

He didn’t return until dark, after a full day.

A full day of soaking in the Spiritual Spring and Cultivating for improvement.

In his Dantian, a strong earthy yellow light permeated.

Having entered the proficient stage, the improvement was no longer as fast. In one day, it only increased to about twenty percent.

However, it also greatly increased his Azure Wood Earth Emperor True Qi, making it more abundant and completely dominant.

Han Li felt good about this level of improvement in one day.

He also planned to stay in Tianling for a few more days after the Nine Provinces Tournament ended to further advance his Azure Wood Earth Emperor True Qi to the next stage before leaving.

This was much more time-saving than Cultivating outdoors… Another night passed, and the next morning, Han Li followed the Grand Elder and the others to the venue of the Nine Provinces Tournament.

Today would be the official opening day of the Nine Provinces Tournament.

A fierce struggle was about to begin… Tianling City, at the highest point of the island, was a huge venue.

It could accommodate hundreds of thousands of people.

And this was the venue for the Nine Provinces Tournament. Standing in the venue, one could overlook most of Tianling City.

This was also the center of Spiritual Qi.

Legend has it that beneath the venue was the central convergence point of super Spiritual Veins.

When Han Li and his group arrived, the entire venue was already packed with people.

The sparring among the Twelve Sects was a rare grand event in the Nine Provinces.

Innate realm clashes were also very exciting to watch.

Tickets for the tournament venue even cost as much as ten thousand taels of silver each.

And this was just the price for standing tickets.

Seated tickets were ten times that price.

Good seats were basically out of the question; they couldn’t be bought with money alone.

Despite this, the entire venue was still packed with people.

There were never a shortage of rich people.

In addition to people from the Twelve Sects, there were also smaller Schools from all over the Nine Provinces who came to observe.

The imperial court also sent representatives, and various great aristocratic families. The best seats were basically occupied by the Twelve Sects and the imperial court.

Others could only watch from different areas.

Fortunately, the venue area was vast, but even so, it was still packed with people.

The people from the Twelve Sects of the Nine Provinces Tournament entered through a special passage.

Stepping into the venue, the dense crowd presented a visually striking impact.

“Hundreds of thousands… adding them up, there must be a million!”

Han Li muttered to himself.

However, this number was within the normal range.

Besides watching in the venue, similarly, the various high-rise pagodas in Tianling City were also bustling with people.

If those were counted, it would be far more than a million, even tens of millions.

Stepping into the venue, Wu Wuji and the Supremes of the other eleven Sects were in the same position.

Those who could be here had basically entered the God Realm.

Besides the twelve Supremes of the Twelve Sects, there were also the Supremes from the imperial court.

The Demon Suppression Division Supervisor Han Li had met was also among them.

The City Lord of Tianling City, as well as the court representative, the current Grand Revered Master, was also a God Realm giant.

The other few God Realm Supremes were all high-ranking court officials, as well as the patriarchs of various top-tier aristocratic families.

There were as many as twenty-six God Realm Supremes alone.

This was also the first time Han Li had encountered twenty-six God Realm Supremes.

An unprecedented grand occasion in the Nine Provinces.

The other members of the Twelve Sects were divided into twelve areas, and Han Li also followed to the area belonging to the Qingyuan Sect.

The Disciples and personnel of the other great Sects had basically all arrived.

The Qingyuan Sect was quite awkward, as among its Disciples, there wasn't a single Peak of the Acquired Realm practitioner.

This had never happened in previous Nine Provinces Tournaments.

However, there was one point: Wu Wuji's Breakthrough into the God Realm, this change, even if the Qingyuan Sect had no Peak of the Acquired Realm Disciples, still brought considerable glory.

The difference between Innate and God Realm was completely different.

One step was a transcendent transformation!

However, the gazes received were still different.

The only top-tier great Sect without an Peak of the Acquired Realm Disciple.

Tianxuan Sect and Golden Spirit Sect were both better than Qingyuan Sect.

“If Senior Brother hadn’t made a Breakthrough, this time, winning the championship would definitely not be a problem,” Baili Changqing sighed.

“The influence of a God Realm Breakthrough is greater; even if the Nine Provinces Tournament is lost, it’s incomparable,” Bai Xiaoxiao said.

“Just do your best; it’s fine if you fail,” the Grand Elder said.

However, despite his words, Han Li clearly felt the Grand Elder’s gaze.

Han Li could only pretend not to see it.

All he could do was fight with all his might.

Whether he could achieve a good ranking would only be revealed in the actual combat.

—

“Clang!”

“Clang!”

“Clang!”

... As soon as the hour of Si arrived, the loud bell rang out, its sound spreading from the venue, almost sweeping across half of Tianling City.

The noisy venue quickly quieted down.

On the high platform of the venue, more than a dozen divine lights descended, and Wu Wuji was prominently among them.

Han Li and the others’ gazes simultaneously turned to the high platform.

The entire audience watched.

Thirteen God Realm Supremes, one of whom was the current Grand Revered Master representing the imperial court, Lu Chunqiu!

Dressed in luxurious robes, his Aura was extraordinary.

Standing on the high platform, Lu Chunqiu’s voice instantly rang out, “Today is the Nine Provinces Tournament, held once every ten years, and also a sparring session between the twelve top Sects of my Wu Dynasty. I am honored to be the opener of this tournament, and I also hope that more Prodigies will emerge within my Wu Dynasty…”

On the stage, Lu Chunqiu spoke eloquently, delivering a classic opening speech, and soon, thunderous applause erupted in the venue.

The twelve Supremes of the Twelve Sects each said a sentence.

The thirteen Supremes descended from the stage, and then four figures stepped onto the high platform.

They were the hosts of the Nine Provinces Tournament.

Each of them had the Cultivation of the Peak of the Acquired Realm.

Their strength was formidable.

After announcing the rules and order of the competition.

The bell rang again, and all eyes in the audience turned to the central Void Realm.

Light appeared, and a mirror was presented before their eyes.

In the mirror, there were names of one hundred and twenty people in total.

The Disciples of the various Sects of the Twelve Sects were also displayed before everyone’s eyes.

The Nine Provinces Tournament, the competition was one-on-one!

The rules were very simple: as long as no one died, everything else was fine.

Of course, there was also a time limit; it could not exceed half an hour at most.

“Now, I announce that this Nine Provinces Tournament officially begins!”

On the stage, the host’s voice spread throughout the venue, and in the Void Realm, the mirror shone with light, and two names appeared, with the names of their respective Sects behind them.

It was clear at a glance.

And the first match was a duel between Qingyuan Sect and Tianxuan Sect.

“Junior Brother Shang, good luck!”

Bai Xiaoxiao looked at Shang Tang, and Han Li and the others also looked at Shang Tang.

Looking at the names that appeared, Shang Tang’s face showed no change. He stood up, stepped out of his seat, and quickly arrived at one of the six-star Grand Formations in the center.

At the same time, a Disciple from Tianxuan Sect also appeared on the six-star Formation.

Buzz—!

The Formation light activated, and the next second, the two disappeared into thin air. At the same time, a four-sided mirror appeared in the Void Realm.

It was very large, each mirror measuring a hundred zhang in size.

Within the mirror were the figures of Shang Tang and the Tianxuan Sect Disciple.

The four-sided mirror allowed the battle inside to be clearly seen from every angle.

Competing within the spatial Formation, outside, one could clearly see everything happening inside through the spatial Formation mirror.

The environment was not fixed; it could be high mountains, deserts, or Gobi deserts; these were all randomly changed by the spatial Formation.

The internal space was vast, allowing for the full unleashing of one’s strength.

The spatial Formation arranged for the Nine Provinces Tournament was also strong enough to withstand God Realm attacks, so there was no need to worry about other situations.

Han Li was not clear about Shang Tang’s strength, but he could clearly understand it from this battle.

The bell rang, and the first battle instantly began.

Shang Tang and the Tianxuan Sect Disciple also made their moves at the same time.

Powerful martial arts were unleashed, instantly colliding in an intense confrontation.

Here, no one would easily concede. Conceding directly, unless the strength gap was too great, would be equivalent to losing face for the Sect in front of everyone, and the consequences would be severe.

Watching the battle in the mirror, Han Li did not let his guard down.

Those who could participate in the Nine Provinces Tournament were not to be trifled with.

Each of them possessed extremely powerful strength... After a battle lasting the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Shang Tang proved to be superior and ultimately won.

Han Li and his group also broke into smiles.

However, the Tianxuan Sect’s expression was extremely grim.

Losing the first battle had a huge impact on the morale of the Sect.

“Junior Brother Shang, amazing!”

Bai Xiaoxiao gave a thumbs-up, her face beaming with smiles.

Shang Tang’s face was pale; this victory was a narrow one.

He was also not lightly injured.

The Grand Elder took out a Medicinal Pill and handed it to him. Shang Tang immediately swallowed the Medicinal Pill, quickly absorbed it, and a hint of color returned to his pale face.

The Qingyuan Sect’s opening victory also attracted many people’s attention.

The Grand Elder’s face broke into a smile.

Winning the first battle was still very crucial.

It boosted morale and swept away the previous slump.

—

The bell rang, and in the Spiritual Mirror, two names appeared again.

This time, it was Golden Spirit Sect versus Tai Xuan Sect.

Both were female Disciples.

Their Cultivation was both Xiantian Second Realm, making it difficult to discern who was stronger.

The second battle began, and the two entered the spatial Formation, appearing in a vast Gobi desert.

They instantly began to fight.

Lights intertwined, and multiple martial arts were unleashed, dazzling the eyes.

martial arts clashed, and Spirit Treasures collided.

The battle was equally fierce.

Pairs of eyes fell upon the mirror, and the entire venue was extremely quiet... “They’re going to lose…”

Watching the battle in the mirror, Han Li murmured. As soon as his voice fell, the female Disciple of Golden Spirit Sect was instantly sent flying, spitting out fresh blood, heavily injured and defeated.

The second battle, Tai Xuan Sect won!

“Junior Brother, your eyesight is good; your judgment is very accurate,” Baili Changqing said to Han Li from the side.

“It’s alright, just some analysis,” Han Li said.

Thunderous applause echoed throughout the venue. Golden Spirit Sect’s expression was not good, but seeing Golden Spirit Sect’s defeat, the people of Tianxuan Sect were all smiles.

Finally, he wasn’t the only one who lost the first battle, and the feeling of failure just now also improved a bit.

The bell rang again, and in the Void Realm Spiritual Mirror, two names appeared.

Xuling Sect, against, Qingyuan Sect!

“Junior Brother, it’s your turn!”

Baili Changqing spoke, and the gazes of several people turned to Han Li.

Han Li was also a little surprised, not expecting the third battle to be his own.

However, what was meant to come would eventually come, so Han Li quickly stood up, took a step, and entered the central spatial Formation.

The Disciple of Xuling Sect also quickly arrived at the spatial Formation.

Ye Yuan!

Looking at this Disciple from Xuling Sect, Han Li’s mind also presented specific information about him.

At this moment, the spatial Formation quickly activated, light rose, and the figures of the two quickly disappeared from their original positions.

The next second, Han Li entered the spatial Formation, a desolate desert.

And the Disciple of Xuling Sect was not far away.

“Clang—!”

A Sword Qi rang out, and this Disciple instantly revealed a top-grade Spiritual Artifact longsword.

Without any superfluous words, he slashed at Han Li with a single sword.

Sharp Sword Qi whistled through the air, a sword like a cold star.

“Buzz—!”

True Qi moved, and behind Han Li, a sword shadow instantly materialized.

“Clang—!”

The attacks collided, and the sword shadow, like a materialized divine sword, emitted the sound of metal clashing.

“Swish—!”

Han Li took a step, instantly appearing behind the Disciple, and a punch compressed the Void Realm, directly striking the Disciple’s body.

Sensing the power of this strike, the Disciple was startled. A flash of spiritual light, and a top-grade Spiritual Artifact shield instantly appeared.

“Boom—!”

The punch struck the shield, and terrifying power instantly erupted. Spiritual light flashed, and cracks even appeared on the shield.

“Pfft—!!”

Ye Yuan’s body was instantly sent flying, and a mouthful of fresh blood spurted out.

Even with the top-grade Spiritual Artifact shield to resist, he couldn’t block Han Li’s punch, and was instantly heavily injured and fell unconscious.

Ye Yuan fainted, and the battle instantly ended.

It took only a dozen breaths of time, and it was also the fastest battle.

“Impossible!!!”

Watching this scene, the Disciples of Xuling Sect instantly widened their eyes.

Instant kill!

He didn’t use any Magic Treasure, and it seemed he didn’t unleash any terrifying martial arts. Both were at the Xiantian Second Realm, but how could there be such a disparity?!

The faces of everyone from Xuling Sect changed.

Was this the Xiantian Second Realm?!

Even an Peak of the Acquired Realm practitioner wouldn’t crush someone so quickly.

This battle’s defeat was simply unexpected!