Chapter 152: Grateful for Nature's Gift, Choosing to Walk with Destruction
Dugu Bo was swift. After arriving at the estate, they had only waited about two hours before he reappeared before them. The carriage started moving again, slowly heading toward the Phanos Province.
Ten days later, in Nuoding City.
A seemingly ordinary carriage entered the city and stopped in front of an inn. Several individuals, dressed in uniforms from an unknown soul master academy, stepped down. The middle aged man leading them appeared to be a teacher. After booking several rooms, he led his students inside.
This group was none other than Han Li and his companions.
The moment they entered their rooms, they wasted no time in removing their poor quality disguises, exhaling in relief.
"Just coming home, Han Li do you really need to be this cautious?"
Dugu Bo looked at Han Li, clearly confused.
"It's just for a few minutes. This city is too small, there's no need to make a big fuss."
"As for my home, I'll take you there tonight. Bear with it for the next two days."
Han Li glanced at them and casually explained.
"Is something going on? Do you need our help?" Shui Bing'er, keenly aware of his words, sensed that this trip needed to be kept secret.
"No need. Just a small matter I can handle it myself. Next time, I promise." Han Li reassured them.
"You don't need me to follow?" Dugu Bo interjected.
"No. I can take care of it myself. In fact, it's best if you don't expose your aura at all." Han Li looked at Dugu Bo seriously.
"Another one of fate's guidances?"
Dugu Bo raised an eyebrow. By now, he was used to Han Li's unusual instincts.
"Sort of. But this time, it's a little different. I think 'Nature's Gift' would be a more fitting name."
Han Li's lips curved into a slight smile, his eyes reflecting amusement.
"Nature's Gift?"
The others exchanged glances, silently speculating about what kind of treasure he had encountered this time.
"Well, you'll find out soon enough. It's a huge surprise."
Han Li chuckled, deliberately keeping them in suspense. He had no habit of jinxing himself before taking action.
After a simple meal, everyone returned to their rooms to wait for nightfall.
Under the dark sky, Nuoding City quickly fell silent something unique to a remote border town.
Unnoticed by anyone, Han Li and his group slipped out of the inn. The night shift attendant at the front desk was dozing off.
"This feels less like coming home and more like sneaking around like thieves."
Dugu Bo tugged at his robe, visibly uncomfortable. He hadn't even dressed like this when he wiped out entire clans in his younger days.
"Grandfather, what are you saying? Isn't this fun? It's a fresh experience."
Dugu Yan pouted at her grandfather, displeased by his lack of enthusiasm.
"My mistake. You're right, this isn't bad at all."
Seeing his granddaughter upset, Dugu Bo immediately changed his tune, making a complete 180 degree turnaround.
The rest of the group chuckled at their usual antics.
"Let's go. Han Li, which way is your house?"
Dugu Yan stood at the crossroads, glancing left and right, only to realize she had no idea where to go. The last time she had been here, she had only visited the City Lord's Mansion.
"Follow me."
Looking at the still familiar streets, unchanged after all these years, Han Li took Xiu'er's hand and led the way forward.
As they walked, he softly recounted stories of his and Xiu'er's childhood in this city, pointing out places where they had spent time together.
Listening to him, Xiu'er's previously somber mood gradually lifted, and she occasionally chimed in to fill in the gaps in his stories.
Two days ago, they had already visited Xiu'er's former village.
With no inhabitants left, the entire village was now overgrown with Blue Silver Grass, blending into the wilderness. Only a few structures, not yet completely decayed, served as remnants of a past where people had once lived.
Xiu'er silently gazed at the village where she had once lived. She walked around what remained of her collapsed home before finally breaking down, crying uncontrollably.
After seven years, she had returned to this place, facing the fears and nightmares that had haunted her.
She was no longer afraid, but her loved ones would never return.
Han Li stood by, watching her cry in silence. His parents in this life had also perished here. No one spoke meaningless words like "stay strong" or "move on." Such words only served to reopen wounds.
"Han Li, I will never let a single fallen soul master go."
After crying, those were Xiu'er's first words to Han Li her second ever independent decision in life. The first had been choosing to take care of him.
"Alright. I'll take you to kill them."
Han Li responded with a smile, gently embracing her.
Nuoding City wasn't large. Even with their slow pace, listening to Han Li's stories and stopping occasionally, they arrived at their destination in just ten minutes.
They halted in front of a modest residence.
They wandered around the residence for nearly an hour, listening to Han Li and Xiu'er recount childhood memories. The others found their stories entertaining, while Han Li and Xiu'er felt deeply satisfied. In the end, it was just a simple home, but nostalgia made it feel much more significant.
After that, they returned to the inn and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, after breakfast, Han Li exchanged a few words with the group before leaving alone.
Outside the city, guided by his internal navigation, Han Li concealed the azure glow of his wings and soared swiftly through the sky, unnoticed. His destination Holy Soul Village.
From high above, he took only a brief glance at the village before continuing towards the depths of the surrounding mountains without hesitation. He wasn't the sentimental type.
Under the watchful eye of his "obedient son," Tang Hao, Tang San, and Xiao Wu had already left. They had chosen to travel on foot toward Soto City.
Now, without any financial support from the Spirit Hall, Tang San was much poorer than in the original timeline. Back then, he hadn't opted for a carriage, and now, it was even less of a possibility.
Han Li had planned this timing carefully, making real time adjustments as needed. Naturally, there was no risk of a clash.
With near perfect accuracy, Han Li arrived at a small waterfall.
As his body shot straight toward the falling water, the cascade suddenly froze into ice, forming a passage just wide enough for him to walk through.
The moment he stepped inside, Han Li retracted his wings and landed steadily on the slightly damp ground without leaving a single footprint.
He slowly examined the hidden cave. It was somewhat humid, as expected from being behind a waterfall, but otherwise decent.
A skylight like opening at the top allowed sunlight to filter in, keeping the cave from feeling too dark making it quite livable.
In the patch of light, a small mound of soil cradled a stalk of Blue Silver Grass with golden patterns on its leaves, swaying gently in the breeze. Everything seemed perfectly normal.
The cave itself was surprisingly clean, likely having been tidied recently.
"Looks like Tang Hao isn't as bad as I thought. Just… incredibly dumb."
Han Li shook his head and murmured softly.
"Does she still have consciousness?"
He scanned the Blue Silver Grass with his spiritual power but found nothing.
"She does, but at the same time, she doesn't. The Blue Silver Emperor's consciousness is still in deep slumber, and her soul is quite incomplete. Right now, she only reacts on instinct no different from a hundred year old Blue Silver Grass."
The will of the world provided an immediate response.
"Hmm. Then forget it. I was thinking of having a conversation, but it doesn't matter. I only need her body and her soul bone."
Han Li stepped forward and collected both the plant and the soil it was rooted in, storing them in his bracelet.
Then, he turned to his right, extending his hand to pull a lead box from a hidden spot within the cave using his soul power.
Click.
The box opened, revealing a blue gold soul bone radiating a strong life aura.
"Quality, appearance, completeness, and attributes everything checks out. As expected of a soul bone willingly left behind during a conscious sacrifice."
Han Li evaluated it briefly before tossing the lead box aside and storing the soul bone.
Taking one last look around the cave, he then released several unconscious soul beasts in strategic spots.
"Hopefully, the Wind Baboon is fine."
Leaving those words behind, Han Li walked out of the cave without looking back.
The moment he took off into the sky, the waterfall behind him instantly thawed, causing water to crash down even more turbulently than before.
"Make sure they destroy it completely. And don't let the nearby villagers get caught up in it."
Issuing one final instruction to the will of the world, Han Li then flew back toward Nuoding City.
Meanwhile, on the road to Soto City, Tang Hao and Tang San suddenly halted in their tracks.
At the exact moment Han Li had taken the Blue Silver Emperor, both father and son felt their hearts tighten painfully. A strange sense of loss washed over them as if something important had vanished.
After standing in a daze for a moment and finding nothing wrong, they dismissed it as exhaustion from travel.
In the Divine Realm's central hub, several members of the God Realm Committee watched the unfolding scene with various expressions.
Asura remained silent, showing no visible emotion.
In their observations, Han Li's actions had just caused Tang San and his father's fate energy to dissipate by nearly twenty percent.
Now, Tang San's fate had fallen below that of the girl with the Angelic inheritance.
As for Han Li himself, they couldn't get a clear view due to interference from the will of the world, but it was certainly no lower than Qian Renxue's.
"Asura, if I'm not mistaken, his next destination should be your inheritance site. I'll accompany you to supervise him."
Destruction suddenly spoke with a serious tone, turning to look at Asura.
"I know you're looking for a successor too, but don't lower your standards. You must be strict no favoritism."
The other members of the God Realm Committee exchanged glances but ultimately chose to remain spectators.
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