Chapter 215: Han Li, the Master of Veiled Words; Chrysanthemum Douluo's Slow Realization
"Oh? Tell me more."
Han Li turned his head with interest, ignoring the battle happening nearby it was too weak to be worth watching.
Yue Guan exchanged a glance with Ghost Douluo, signaling him to keep an eye on the fight, before refocusing on Han Li. "After learning that you entered the Slaughter City, Nana also wanted to go in. However, she was ultimately stopped by the Pope, who sent her and the other two to train in Death Canyon instead. They only just came out recently."
"Death Canyon?"
Han Li paused for a moment before recalling that it was a training ground fully controlled by the Spirit Hall. Guang Ling had mentioned it briefly before, but since the trio's strength had been increasing rapidly and Han Li himself had other motives for entering Slaughter City, the topic had never come up again.
"Oh, not bad, I suppose."
Alright, Han Li admitted he couldn't really think of anything to praise, so he just responded symbolically.
Yue Guan could hear the perfunctory tone in his voice and couldn't help but twitch his lips. Understood he wasn't impressed.
In truth, he had a fairly good impression of Han Li. At the very least, Han Li had taken good care of the plants Yue Guan had given him. Later, they even traded some high quality medicinal herbs, and Han Li had gifted him a few rare plant seeds.
Though those flowers were now being cared for by Dugu Bo which annoyed him slightly there wasn't much to complain about overall.
"Not planning to return to Spirit City anytime soon?"
Yue Guan glanced at the two unfamiliar girls behind Han Li. There was something about them that felt oddly familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.
"Not really. I haven't traveled much since leaving, so I might as well explore a bit before heading back. Otherwise, the Pope will just keep looking at me like an eyesore."
Han Li joked casually. Now that he was no longer lacking the ability to protect himself, he had naturally become bolder.
But his words left Yue Guan momentarily speechless. He had no way to respond to that and didn't dare to, either.
"By the way, have you gathered the soul bones I requested?"
Han Li didn't dwell on the topic and instead remembered that Spirit Hall still owed him soul bones as part of his privileges as the Holy Son.
His group was growing larger, and their needs were increasing.
"We've collected three so far. Two more are still missing suitable candidates."
Relieved by the shift in conversation, Yue Guan quickly answered. As someone who handled many such matters, he had personally overseen the collection efforts. But even as he spoke, he couldn't hide the jealousy in his voice.
"Good. I'll have to make time to pick them up. Don't let them mysteriously turn into tournament prizes or something."
Han Li's words made Yue Guan's eyelid twitch.
"Oh, right. Elder Ju, Elder Gui, why don't you both just resign from your Elder positions and come work in the Worship Hall with me instead? I'll throw in the last two soul bones as a signing bonus."
Han Li glanced at the two of them, half joking, half serious.
Yue Guan's body stiffened slightly, and even the black mist surrounding Ghost Douluo rippled unconsciously.
To be honest, for a brief moment, they were tempted.
But, dear Holy Son, shouldn't this kind of offer be made in private? The Pope's disciple is standing right there, you know?
"Thank you for your generosity, Holy Son, but the two of us are satisfied with our current positions. We can only express our gratitude."
Yue Guan responded swiftly, his gaze subtly drifting toward Hu Liena.
Only heaven knew how much he regretted his words the moment he said them. He felt like slapping himself.
"Alright, then. When I get my hands on the last soul bones, I'll extend the offer again."
Han Li smirked as he observed their reactions. He wasn't surprised by their reluctance and even deliberately left room for future discussions.
Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo exchanged a silent look before choosing to keep their mouths shut. Talking too much with this guy was a dangerous game it was best to say as little as possible.
Their conversation wasn't particularly quiet, so naturally, Hu Liena and the others could hear them.
And under Han Li's provocation, she snapped.
She unleashed a precise soul skill, landing a direct hit on the Ghost Fox they were battling. After Xie Yue broke through its defenses, her soul flame struck true, finishing the beast. A black soul ring slowly emerged from the corpse, floating in the air.
Hu Liena exhaled deeply, adjusting her breathing before walking toward Han Li's group.
"Oh? Well, well, long time no see."
Seeing that they hadn't even stabilized their breathing yet before coming over, Han Li smirked slightly and greeted them.
Hu Liena, who had been charging over with aggression, suddenly felt like she was throwing a punch into thin air.
She had been all fired up, ready for confrontation, but his relaxed attitude made all her momentum feel utterly useless.
What was she supposed to do now? Make a scene and embarrass her teacher?
Looking at Han Li's smiling face, she had no choice but to hold back and formally salute him. "Greetings, Holy Son."
Behind her, Xie Yue and Yan also bowed in unison.
"Not bad, you've reached Soul King. You've worked hard keep it up."
Han Li spoke in an easygoing tone.
But upon hearing this, Yan who had been standing behind the others couldn't help but tremble slightly.
A few years ago, this was exactly the tone Han Li had used to speak to them. And it was during that battle that they had been utterly crushed and humiliated.
Especially him.
Back then, many high ranking members of Spirit Hall had held great expectations for him. But after that battle, he had become a joke, a symbol of foolishness and weakness.
Wherever he went, he felt like people were whispering behind his back, mocking him.
Now, hearing that same tone again, a deep seated fear rose within him. He couldn't even bring himself to meet Han Li's gaze.
Noticing her teammate's reaction, Hu Liena grew even more furious, but all she could do was clench her teeth and fists tightly.
What could she say? That Yan was weak?
Yan wasn't weak at all. Among their peers, he was one of the strongest. It was just that their opponent was even stronger.
Even she, if she faced Yan directly, couldn't guarantee a 100% victory.
But against Han Li the boy who was even younger than them yet had sent them plummeting into disgrace what could she say? What could she do?
Aside from her brother, Xie Yue, she wasn't much stronger than Yan. Like him, Han Li had become her nightmare, her heart demon.
Countless times, she had woken up in the middle of the night, haunted by the memory of the punch that had sent her crashing down.
"Your Holiness, will you be participating in the Soul Master Tournament six months from now?"
Hu Liena finally spoke after holding it in for so long, her voice stiff and forced.
"Me? I wouldn't bully the kids like that. But Bing'er and the others might compete under the banner of Tianshui Academy."
Han Li chuckled at her stubborn expression and shook his head, casually gesturing toward the girls behind him.
"You're not participating?"
Not only were Hu Liena and her two teammates surprised, but even Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo turned to look at him in shock.
In their minds including Bibi Dong's it was a given that Han Li would participate in this tournament.
"Is there some rule that says I have to compete?"
Han Li smiled as he asked.
"Well, no, but I always assumed you'd represent the Worship Hall," Yue Guan blurted out without thinking.
"Elder Ju, that kind of statement isn't great for unity. Worship Hall, Pope's Hall at the end of the day, we're all Spirit Hall."
Han Li immediately threw the accusation back at him, then pointed to the girls behind him. "Besides, everyone already knows about Tianshui Academy's situation. With them competing, that's more than enough. Even if something unexpected happens, we can still guarantee that the championship will belong to Spirit Hall."
"Of course, I don't mean to say I don't trust the three of you," Han Li continued with an apologetic smile, looking at the trio who were just about to explode. "I just prefer to be cautious. I'm sure everyone can understand that. After all, everything is for the sake of Spirit Hall."
His words, combined with his seemingly sincere apology, completely stifled their anger.
Once again, he had referred to them as kids, subtly implying that they weren't up to the task. Hu Liena was absolutely livid. But with the reason he had given and his act of apologizing first, what could they say? That Bibi Dong hadn't been teaching them the same thing all along?
Over the past few years, Bibi Dong's situation had become increasingly difficult. While she still held the title of Pope, her authority had been gradually divided.
And the catalyst for all these changes was standing right in front of them Han Li.
"His Holiness is correct. Whether to participate or not is entirely your decision," Yue Guan quickly stepped in to smooth things over, noticing that the trio's emotions were becoming unstable. He also took the opportunity to shift the conversation toward the girls behind Han Li.
"These five ladies behind you are they all reserve members of Tianshui Academy?"
"It wouldn't be fun if I spoiled it. You'll find out when the time comes."
Han Li dodged the question. After all, while they were all from Spirit Hall, their factions were different. It would be inappropriate to reveal too much.
"Very well. We'll look forward to their performance."
Yue Guan immediately understood the situation. He had no interest in prying and ended the topic there.
"Sounds good. But Hu Liena, shouldn't you take some time to adjust and absorb your soul ring?"
Han Li had already taken a moment to confirm the soul ring's age it was around 25,000 years, an improvement from before. It seemed Bibi Dong had given her some extra benefits. Was it that fox tail?
"That's right, Nana. You should focus on absorbing your soul ring first."
Yue Guan chimed in, urging her as well.
He wasn't worried about the other two, but Hu Liena was a walking time bomb, and he had no interest in getting caught up in unnecessary drama. It was best to use the soul ring as an excuse to send her away for now.
"Understood, Grandpa Ju."
Hu Liena bit her lip, unwillingly glancing at Han Li before eyeing the girls behind him. Only then did she finally move toward the floating soul ring and sit down to begin her meditation.
"Your Holiness, would you like Ghost Douluo and me to assist you?"
With the potential conflict defused, Yue Guan was in a much better mood and offered his help.
"No need. The soul beasts we're hunting aren't particularly strong we can handle it ourselves. You two should focus on them instead."
Han Li shook his head, declining the offer.
Having them help? That was a joke. Exposure wasn't the issue he was more concerned that the scene would end up scaring them.
"Alright then. Since our meeting here was just a coincidence, I won't disturb you further. I have matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave."
Han Li smiled before casually adding, "Elder Ju, if you have time, you should chat with Old Man Dugu. He's been thinking about you a lot lately."
With that teasing remark, he motioned to his group.
"Xie Yue, see you around."
He gave Xie Yue a polite nod before turning back toward their original path.
As for Yan, he never once looked up at Han Li the entire time, making any form of greeting completely pointless.
Watching Han Li and his group disappear from view, Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo exchanged glances before shaking their heads with wry smiles, refocusing their attention on the three remaining students.
Nothing highlighted the gap between people more than direct comparison.
Compared to Han Li's composed demeanor and the confident aura of the girls behind him, their own three students were completely overshadowed.
Especially Yan he didn't even have the courage to meet Han Li's gaze. If he couldn't even handle that, what was the point of nurturing him?
Fortunately, Xie Yue's performance wasn't bad. Unlike Hu Liena, he wasn't so easily swayed by emotions.
Perhaps taking Xie Yue as a disciple and focusing on training him would be a better investment.
For the first time, Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo seriously considered the idea. After all, Xie Yue was already being neglected in Spirit Hall Bibi Dong only paid attention to him because he was Hu Liena's brother. The care he received was merely scraps.
Rather than letting his potential go to waste, why not bring him under their wing?
After all, their own treatment under Bibi Dong wasn't much better. In a way, they shared the same struggles. Xie Yue was a rough gem that shouldn't be left unpolished.
At that moment, a small white flower was carried by the wind, drifting into Chrysanthemum Douluo's line of sight.
He suddenly froze in place.
It hit him.
He finally realized why those two unfamiliar girls behind Han Li had seemed so strangely familiar.
It was because of their aura.
Immortal herbs. They were absolutely immortal herbs.
One of them, at least, was undoubtedly the Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone the very plant that shared the same name as his Martial Soul.
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