Han Li rose from his seat and adjusted the strap of his travel bag. The Lu family hall was still filled with candles and incense from their mourning ritual, their flames flickering in the quiet air.
"I've fulfilled Doctor Lu's final request," Han Li said, voice calm and respectful. "It's time I take my leave."
But before he could step toward the doors, Madam Lu suddenly stood in his path, eyes sharp and determined.
"You… saved us. Now you are leaving why not stying with us here ?"
Han Li bowed slightly.
"It was my duty as his disciple. Nothing more."
"That's nonsense!" she snapped, her voice trembling—not with anger, but desperation. "You are alone. We are alone. Why not stay? This is your home now."
Han Li shook his head.
"A home without belonging feels more like a cage."
Madam Lu clenched her fists.
"Then… then what if I offer you something more?"
She glanced at her daughter, who flushed red.
"Marry Meng'er. Stay here. Become our family."
Lu Meng's heart skipped—shock, embarrassment, and the tiniest spark of hope swirling in her gaze.
Han Li froze—not in shock, but in heavy silence.
For a moment, the room held its breath.
Then he exhaled softly.
"Madam Lu… Miss Meng. I am grateful, truly. But my path is not one paved with warm hearths or peaceful mornings. The cultivation world is different. Once I step into it fully, I may never return to mortal affairs ."
He placed a thin book on the table — worn, stitched, and heavy with handwritten notes.
"This is Doctor Lu's personal medicinal manuscript… and my own annotations. Miss Meng—your father always believed you had talent. Carry on his legacy."
Lu Meng slowly took the book, fingers trembling.
"Brother Han…" she whispered, eyes turning misty.
"You're really not staying,.
Han Li paused.
"No. I'm leaving and I must.
Just as he turned again, Lu Meng hurried forward and caught his sleeve.
Brother han wait ...
She disappeared into her room and returned with a carefully folded map. The parchment was old yet preserved with care.
"This map… Father guarded it for years. He said this map has path to immortal mountain. He searched many times for cultivators at immortal mountain, but found nothing. But now…" Her eyes shone with quiet belief. "With the upcoming gathering of the Seven Righteous Sects… perhaps the mountain will reveal itself."
Han Li accepted the map, bowing slightly.
"Thank you, Miss Lu."
"Then—stay," she pleaded softly. "The gathering won't begin for another half month. There is still time."
Han Li gave her a bittersweet smile.
"No. Before left for the cultivation world… I must return home. To the people who raised me."
His final words lingered like fading incense.
And then—he left.
The courtyard was silent long after his steps vanished. Only the rustle of wind and distant lanterns flickering remained.
Han Li flew through the sky, his figure like a drifting cloud. In just five minutes, he crossed one hundred kilometers.
The senior's techniques… truly astounding.
If I could open those secrets doors hidden in that space… who knows how far I may reach?
After two days of travel, farmland and familiar forests appeared below.
His village.
He descended quietly.
Lanterns hung from houses. Music floated through the air. People laughed over food and wine.
A wedding celebration.
Han Li stepped into his family courtyard unnoticed. His mother was laughing with neighbors. His father poured wine proudly.
Han Li's eyes warmed—and ached. It was his second uncles wedding.
He sat alone in the kitchen, picked up a still-warm steamed bun, and took a bite.
Soft.
Just like every meal his mother made when he was small.
Tears gathered silently at the corner of his eyes.
He placed a bag of silver and several strengthening pills on the table.
With a shaking breath, he whispered:
"Mother… Father… you've done enough. From now on… we walk different paths. If I stay, I won't be able to leave. And if I can't leave… everything I endured, everything I gained… would be meaningless."
He stepped outside and looked at his parents one last time from the shadows.
They were smiling.
Happy.
Unaffected.
Safe.
A final tear slid down his cheek.
"May you live without worry… I hope you forget me."
Then — with a soft push of spiritual energy — Han Li rose into the sky, leaving his village behind, becoming a fading speck against the vast blue horizon.
After half an hour.....
Han Li descended from the sky like a falling leaf, light yet unsteady. The moment his boots touched the earth, his legs trembled—not from fear, but from pure exhaustion. His lungs expanded sharply, drawing in the cold mountain air that burned his chest.
Flying…
It looked effortless from afar.
But reality was different.
His qi was nearly drained—like a lantern flickering against the final breath of wind.
Han Li placed a hand against a towering boulder streaked with emerald moss. The stone felt cool—grounding. His heartbeat slowly steadied, yet a faint weakness lingered in every muscle.
"So this… is the cost of soaring above mortals," he whispered, a tired smile tugging at his lips.
But in his eyes, there was no regret—only growing hunger.
As long cultivation is high you can do big things so can you fly high, fast and long.
During that brief flight, he had touched the taste of true freedom.
Mountains became small. Rivers stretched like silver threads. The world… no longer felt vast and unreachable.
Power wasn't just strength—
It was liberation.
Han Li took out the ancient map from his spirit pouch and carefully unfolded it. The parchment smelled of age and travel. Strange symbols, faded pathways, and mountains shaped like claws and fangs sprawled across its surface.
His fingertip rested along the marked route.
"Still thousands of kilometers…" he murmured, his voice calm yet resolute. "Days of travel… perhaps more."
A cold breeze swept through the valley, rustling his robes as if testing his resolve.
Han Li sat down cross-legged beneath a towering pine. Its branches shadowed him from the sky like a silent guardian. He took out a small red colourd strength pill, placed it in his mouth, and closed his eyes.
Qi surged.
Warmth spread through his meridians, burning away fatigue and renewing strength. Like spring thawing winter, energy blossomed within him—gentle at first, then fierce.
Hours slipped by.
The moon climbed high, painting silver light across his figure. Mist drifted through the forest. Somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled—lonely, haunting, ancient.
Finally, Han Li opened his eyes.
They were sharper—like blades polished under starlight.
His exhaustion was gone.
His spirit was calm.
His determination… unshakeable.
Han Li rose to his feet, tightened his grip on the map, and gazed toward the distant horizon where mountains touched the heavens.
With a single step, he lifted into the air—robes fluttering like wings—
and vanished into the the sky... '
After several days of flight—crossing forests, rivers, and endless rolling clouds—Han Li finally arrived before a towering range that pierced the heavens.
Immortal Mountain.
Mist coiled around its peaks like living dragons. Strange lights flickered between ancient pines, and a faint spiritual pressure pressed against his skin, both warning and welcoming.
Han Li landed gently on the stone path beneath him. His sword hummed faintly before disappearing back into his spirit pouch.
He stared upward.
The mountain was vast—much larger than the crude lines drawn on the old map. The parchment had guided him here, but did not explain where or how to proceed.
For the first time in days, uncertainty stirred in his heart.
Where is the entrance? How does one enter?
Han li heard foot step ,
A young man—perhaps twenty, dressed in plain robes—approached with a friendly smile. His appearance was ordinary, but his gaze was clear and respectful.
He clasped his hands into a polite bow.
"Greetings, fellow cultivator are you looking for your way to immortal gathering.
Han li fastly Greeted back and answered yes that's in the West don't you know.
Thank you senior brother I really did not knew ham li replied.
Oh! Then why don't we wakk together ,
Han li talked to himself, this guy looks simple and is only at tier 8 so it is not a oroblem in walking together.
Okay, this senior let's go.
Han li had supressed hi tier to 5 . So the young man did not know han li was 13 tier qi cultivator.
Elsewhere… Masked Moon Sect
Far away, atop a grand celestial peak, a breathtaking woman in white robes sat cross-legged upon a massive stone platform carved with crescent patterns. Long black hair cascaded like a waterfall, and an icy, ethereal aura surrounded her.
Her eyes suddenly opened—cold, sharp, and impossibly beautiful.
She was a core formation cultivafor.
Without a word, she rose and stepped forward. Her body lifted into the air naturally, as though the heavens themselves held her aloft.
Just then, another young woman approached—also stunning, though lacking the unparalleled grace of the first.
" Ning'er… you've come out of seclusion."
The woman in white smiled and said
Senior sister " And nodded slightly.
"This year's disciple selection will be held at the Immortal Mountain. As the leading envoy, you must depart immediately."
"Yes, Senior Sister."
A massive flying spirit ship—glimmering with inscriptions and spiritual protection—hovered nearby. Several female disciples waited beside it, robes fluttering like petals in the wind.
With a final bow, the younger woman stepped aboard.
The spirit ship trembled—then soared into the clouds, heading directly toward the gathering.
The woman in white stood watching it disappear, her gaze unreadable—calm, distant… yet faintly curious.