: Backup Plans, Contingency Plans

Han Li took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "Before Brother Lu went into seclusion, did he mention how long it would take? Or did he leave any instructions?"

Xin Ruyin led him to sit in the pavilion in the courtyard and explained, "No, Senior Lu is refining pills and treating my illness, which takes a great deal of mental and physical exertion. His seclusion time should not be too short."

A moment of silence fell over the surroundings.

"Fellow Daoist Han?"

Seeing that he remained silent, Xin Ruyin tentatively asked.

Han Li suddenly came to his senses, "Judging from your complexion, young lady, you look completely refreshed compared to what I've heard. Congratulations on breaking free from your shackles."

Upon hearing this, Xin Ruyin smiled faintly. "Thank you for your concern, fellow Daoist. Thanks to Senior Lu's good fortune, I am now out of danger."

Han Li marveled at Lu Jianghe's extraordinary abilities, which allowed him to defy fate and change his destiny to this extent. He smiled bitterly to himself, realizing that his arrival was truly unfortunate.

At the same time, he hesitated, wondering how long he could stay here.

If we leave now, Lu Jianghe will come out of the pass right after we leave, which would be a complete disaster.

Seeing that the other party had a deep frown and seemed preoccupied, Xin Ruyin asked, "Fellow Daoist Han seems to have urgent business with Senior Lu?"

Han Li knew that hiding it was pointless, and besides, Xin Ruyin was the one who repaired the array diagram.

"To be honest, I came here today for that ancient teleportation array. The situation at Jingu Plain is likely to change drastically, and this place has become a vortex of trouble. Staying here any longer would be extremely dangerous. Brother Lu once said that once Miss's Dragon Roar Body is healed, she will use the teleportation array to leave Tiannan, and I thought I would go with her."

Xin Ruyin was quite surprised when she heard this.

Lu Jianghe was by no means the frivolous person who would casually reveal important matters.

However, Han Li spoke with absolute certainty, even directly pointing out the core secret of the ancient teleportation array.

Her mind raced as she deduced the most likely possibility.

Either Han Li's relationship with Senior Lu was so deep that it far exceeded her previous understanding.

Either the source of this matter is related to Han Li.

Having learned about Lu Jianghe's way of handling things over this period of time, there is absolutely no way he would tell such a secret to an ordinary person, even a close friend, without any reason or reservation.

Xin Ruyin made no attempt to hide her surprise. She looked up at Han Li with obvious doubt and scrutiny in her eyes.

Han Li, being extremely perceptive, immediately noticed the confusion in Xin Ruyin's expression.

Seeing that the other party seemed to have misunderstood, he quickly explained, "Miss Xin, there is no need to worry. That incomplete corner of the ancient teleportation array diagram was originally given to Brother Lu by me. I thought that he was knowledgeable and might be able to find a way to repair it, so I entrusted the diagram to him and asked him to study it."

Xin Ruyin suddenly realized what was going on after hearing this.

She nodded slightly, and her doubts vanished instantly.

That makes sense.

The array diagram was created by Han Li himself, so he naturally knew the details.

Senior Lu took over the repairs and prepared to leave with her, naturally informing Han Li about the original owner of the array diagram's purpose and whereabouts.

The entire incident was successfully concluded.

It makes sense.

"Then Fellow Daoist Han can wait here for a while. Once Senior Lu has finished his seclusion, we can leave together."

Hearing Xin Ruyin's honest words, Han Li gave a helpless bitter smile. "I have the Art of Pulling Mechanism, so I can only stay here for five or six days at most. If Brother Lu fails to come out of seclusion, I'm afraid I'll have to go back to Huangfeng Valley first."

Upon hearing this, Xin Ruyin frowned slightly.

Knowing that Han Li's words were true, Huangfeng Valley, a major sect, had no qualms about controlling its disciples.

Five or six days is a long time for a cultivator to undergo a deep meditation, and it is difficult to guarantee when they will wake up.

"I see……"

A trace of worry crossed Xin Ruyin's face.

I can completely understand Han Li's situation.

Imagine you join a sect, where you can use its resources and techniques.

But when they need you, they turn around and run away.

How is that possible?

Do you really think the sect's law enforcement hall is just a formality?

This is the fundamental significance of tracking techniques like "the art of tracking."

All major sects possess such methods, but they are usually too lazy to use them when things are peaceful.

After all, the resources and protection that can be obtained by relying on a powerful sect are far superior to those of independent cultivators.

In the battle between good and evil, even Core Formation cultivators fell one after another.

The teleportation array was a matter of life and death for them, so you can imagine how urgent their situation was.

She hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Fellow Daoist Han, is there any room for maneuver? If the deadline arrives and you have to return, is there any way to find another opportunity to escape?"

Han Li's bitter smile deepened, and he shook his head helplessly: "The situation at the Jingu Plain front is critical. Although my cheap master allowed me to come out to handle personal matters, he also made it clear that the time was limited. If I do not return by the deadline, the Enforcement Hall will definitely activate the 'Traction Technique' to track me down. If I am accused of desertion, I will have no way to defend myself. It will be a pipe dream to leave at will. Now I can only hope that Brother Lu can complete his cultivation soon."

Xin Ruyin reached out and took the teapot from the stone table, pouring out some tea.

With a sudden inspiration, the tea in the cup instantly became warm, steaming up.

With a gentle push of her slender hand, she presented the teacup to Han Li and said softly, "Fellow Daoist Han, why don't you stay here for a few days? If Senior Lu comes out of seclusion, things won't be so complicated."

Han Li took the teacup, took a small sip, and then, as if remembering something, looked up and asked, "Is the repaired corner currently in Miss Xin's possession?"

Upon hearing this, Xin Ruyin frowned slightly, a hint of wariness flashed in her eyes, and her expression became clearly guarded.

She looked directly at Han Li and said calmly, "Why is Fellow Daoist Han asking about this now?"

Seeing Xin Ruyin's reaction, Han Li immediately realized that she had misunderstood again.

He took out an ancient-looking token from his storage bag. The token was neither gold nor jade, and it felt cool to the touch. On the front were four obscure ancient seal characters.

"Miss Xin, please don't misunderstand. I have no ill intentions. I just wanted to know if you had a piece of the repaired array diagram in your possession. Would you allow me to take a look? I would like to take this opportunity to go to the location of the original ancient teleportation array and personally compare and confirm it to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

As he said this, Han Li placed the token in his hand on the stone table.

The Great Teleportation Order gleamed faintly in the sunlight.

"Of course, in exchange, this 'Great Teleportation Token' can be temporarily kept by you, young lady. This item is of utmost importance. You should know that during teleportation, without the protection of this Great Teleportation Token, even if the ancient teleportation array is fully repaired, it will be difficult to resist the erosion of the turbulent currents in the spatial channel. Teleporting would be tantamount to suicide."

Han Li spoke somewhat hurriedly, explaining his entire plan.

"What I mean is, if Senior Lu is unable to emerge from seclusion for the time being and time is of the essence, I can take this repaired section and head to the location of the ancient teleportation array first. I can personally compare and attempt to restore the complete array diagram to see if it is feasible. If everything goes smoothly and the array itself is indeed usable, that would be even better, saving Senior Lu the trouble of confirmation. This is truly a precautionary measure to buy time."