A Mortal’s Journey to Immortality: Wang Yu’s Rebirth as the Reincarnation Dao Ancestor - Chapter 70

Chapter 70 Wan’er, Don’t Blame Your Brother Li for Being Unethical

Along the way,

Li Huayuan hadn’t been idle.

“Have you all received the Guiding Technique?”

The so-called Guiding Technique was a marking spell cast by several Foundation Establishment managers on everyone.

It allowed the Yellow Maple Valley disciples to sense each other within the forbidden area,

thus providing mutual support .

The intention was good.

“Put away the maps…”

“Presumably, you all learned about the distribution of demonic beasts within the forbidden area when you signed the registration agreement, right?”

Upon hearing this, the Qi Refining stage disciples nodded in agreement.

No one knew the exact number of demonic beasts distributed within the forbidden area. However, the information provided by the sect specifically marked which powerful demonic beasts were located in the many stone halls in the central area.

“The Crimson Forbidden Area is treacherous and teeming with demonic beasts. Areas marked with red dots on the map often contain top-tier level 1 demonic beasts. Of course, top-tier demonic beasts guarding spiritual herbs will certainly have more and better quality. You should assess your own abilities…”

Li Huayuan didn’t insist on this.

“The more survivors, the more forbidden herbs we can gather.”

“In the northeast corner of the map is Wulongtan, where you can find Cold Smoke Grass…”

“In the northwest corner is…”

“The central area has a ring-shaped mountain range, perpetually shrouded in mist. However, on the third day of the forbidden area trial, the Moon Sun Pearl will dispel most of the mist and poisonous miasma within the hundred-mile-long ring-shaped mountain range. At that time, you can enter the ring-shaped mountain to collect herbs. Within the ring-shaped mountain range, you can find the three main ingredients for refining Foundation Establishment Pills…”

This was also the main area everyone was targeting.

Sure enough, upon mentioning the three main ingredients for Foundation Establishment Pills, everyone’s breathing quickened.

Their eyes sharpened considerably.

“Also, please note that while flying on swords is not prohibited within the forbidden area, you must not fly too high. This is to avoid being targeted by the powerful flying beasts within, and also to be careful not to collide with the wind-attribute restrictions high above the forbidden area.”

“…”

Li Huayuan patiently explained all the precautions to everyone.

…

Following the path along the border between Yuanwu Kingdom and Yue Kingdom, the Silver-Armored Horned Python flew for two days and two nights, finally arriving at an unnamed desolate mountain at dusk.

This place was located in the northeastern part of Jianzhou in Yue Kingdom, also in the northern part of Yue Kingdom; the Crimson Forbidden Land was still some distance away.

The desolate mountain was several hundred feet high, with a vast

Gobi Desert below, making it quite conspicuous in the area. The surrounding environment was extremely harsh; choking sandstorms frequently swept across the Gobi Desert, making it unbearable even for cultivators, let alone mortals. This made the area virtually uninhabited for thousands of miles around.

Of course, this situation was not unrelated to the ancient demonic calamity.

After all, the pure spiritual energy capable of suppressing the boundless sea and the ten-thousand-foot-deep demonic abyss was not obtained for nothing.

“Rest here for the night. Tomorrow morning, we will head to the Crimson Forbidden Land with the other six sects,”

a Foundation Establishment manager said.

The group then learned from the stewards that this was the meeting place agreed upon by Huangfeng Valley and the other six sects of Yue Kingdom. Only when all seven sects had gathered would they set off together to open the forbidden area. While it wasn’t impossible for a single sect to open the forbidden area, it would certainly incur the wrath of the others.

It was said that thousands of years ago, the righteous and demonic paths were locked in internal strife. This infighting was extremely severe over the millennia, leading some major sects of both paths to prematurely withdraw, such as the demonic Yuling Sect and Hehuan Sect. This resulted in the southern hinterland being divided up by various forces, with Yue Kingdom falling under the current ownership of the seven sects.

Huangfeng Valley had its share of glory in the past.

Thousands of years ago, it boasted a sect with multiple Nascent Soul cultivators.

At its peak, about five or six hundred years ago, it even had a sect with four Nascent Soul cultivators.

It had joined forces with the Giant Sword Sect and several other sects to destroy the then-major sect of Yue Kingdom, the Xuanjian Sect, and established itself in the chaotic Yue Kingdom. Back then, Patriarch Linghu was merely a Core Formation cultivator cheering from the rear… Times

have changed.

Nearly nine hundred years old, Patriarch Linghu, through sheer perseverance, eventually became a Nascent Soul cultivator, the pillar of Huangfeng Valley. He was only one step away from the mid-Nascent Soul stage. In the turbulent hundred years to come, he might even stumble upon an opportunity to advance further.

However, resources in Tiannan that could help break through to the late Nascent Soul stage were extremely scarce. Even an old tortoise like Patriarch Linghu would eventually turn to dust.

The decline of both the righteous and demonic paths, their complete withdrawal from the heart of Tiannan, occurred approximately five hundred years ago.

However, while they outwardly withdrew, they left behind countless hidden agents, such as Spirit Beast Mountain and the then-existing Hidden Moon Sect.

It was also around that time that a major sect in the small eastern kingdom of Jiang attempted to use delaying tactics to enter the Blood Forbidden Land before the seven sects. At that time, thousand-year-old spiritual herbs could still be found from time to time within the Crimson Forbidden Land, which aroused the envy of many high-level cultivators. The major sects of the Jiang Kingdom even considered snatching them from the tiger’s mouth.

However,

the Seven Sects were not ones to suffer losses.

As soon as the forbidden land trial ended, they united, with over a dozen Nascent Soul stage cultivators leading a group of Core Formation stage cultivators and thousands of Foundation Establishment stage cultivators into the Jiang Kingdom. They stormed the sect’s gates, forcing them to not only hand over all the spiritual herbs harvested from the forbidden land but also to pay a large sum of spirit stones in compensation before finally stopping.

Because of this incident, all the surrounding forces saw the unity of the Seven Sects, the “new masters of the Yue Kingdom,” and that they were not the disorganized mob they had imagined. Therefore, in the years that followed, no one dared to think of interfering in this place,

fearing to incur the wrath of the Seven Sects.

“The Nascent Soul stage is only a lifespan of a little over a thousand years,”

Han Li sighed inwardly.

“Speaking of which, after the Demonic Path successfully invaded, how did the Ghost Spirit Sect, which occupied Yue Kingdom, develop the Crimson Forbidden Land?”

At that time, the Ghost Spirit Sect only assigned one True Person of Shattered Souls to guard Yue Kingdom.

The entire resources of Yue Kingdom were used as resources for the Ghost Spirit Sect’s expansion.

Unfortunately,

the time was too short.

Otherwise, the Ghost Spirit Sect and the other six Demonic Sects that divided up the southern hinterland would only have become stronger and stronger.

There would definitely not have been more than five or six Nascent Soul stage cultivators in one sect.

…

Withdrawing his thoughts, Han Li calmed down and reviewed the forbidden land strategy he had prepared in advance.

Naturally, he had to make some strategies after collecting information about the forbidden land in advance.

There were twelve strategies in total,

planned according to the twelve o’clock position on the map.

When these disciples passed through the great formation to enter the forbidden land, they would be randomly teleported by another kind of formation restriction.

Han Li wasn’t sure if he would be coincidentally teleported to the same location as his original trajectory, but he had to make other plans.

Planning before acting was essential.

“The best direction is undoubtedly due east or due south…”

because the stone palace where the black dragon lurked was located in the southeast or northeast of the eastern region.

Furthermore, outside the ring mountain, there was a city wall surrounding the central area. The city wall couldn’t be leaped over; one could only enter through the four city gates, forcibly leaping over or being killed by the wind-attribute restrictions on the wall.

In other words, the closest gate to that stone palace was the east gate. The south gate

was next best

. The north gate was also acceptable.

The west gate was quite far.

And by preparing a strategy for each landing point beforehand, he could act more effectively and perhaps achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Just then, he heard footsteps beside him.

Han Li had specifically chosen this inconspicuous corner for peace and quiet. Unexpectedly, someone was still coming this way.

Turning his head, he saw a small, unremarkable old man with a weathered face.

This person wasn’t coming for him, but rather towards a young cultivator at the eleventh level of Qi Refining not far away:

“Junior brother, I come to pay my respects. I’ve come to discuss the forbidden area with you. This matter concerns my life and death. Would you mind discussing it?”

Han Li glanced at the ordinary-looking old man approaching the young cultivator, then subtly withdrew his gaze.

This man was a powerful figure. He

was an old monster from the Great Jin Dynasty, searching for the “Reverse Spirit Passage.”

A Nascent Soul stage ancient being who had lived for nearly two thousand years.

It was best for him to avoid any interaction with him now, lest he be targeted and have his opportunities stolen.

…

The night passed in a flash.

Originally, everyone thought they could set off for the forbidden area early in the morning, and they were quite looking forward to it. However, the nights in the Gobi Desert were anything but easy. One was the huge temperature difference between day and night, and the other was that without a cave to shelter them, they could only endure the baptism of sandstorms.

They didn’t want to waste any more time here.

It would be best to head to the forbidden area for trials as soon as possible.

To their dismay, after waiting for another two hours, there was still no sign of the other six sects.

The Gobi Desert, scorching hot under the high sun, was extremely uncomfortable, and the worst part was not knowing how much longer they would have to wait. At this point, many disciples were growing impatient.

Some even harbored resentment towards Li Huayuan.

Even Han Li felt that Li Huayuan was somewhat unreliable:

“I don’t know what he was thinking, actually letting the sect’s disciples arrive a day early. Doesn’t he understand that low-level disciples are vastly different from those in the Core Formation stage, with very limited energy and enthusiasm? Being wasted by these sects for several hours, the initial momentum, fueled by the heavy investment, is likely to be gone.”

He

had heard that the Hidden Moon Sect was always the last to arrive.

Despite being located in the heart of the Yue Kingdom, they always arrived much later than the Spirit Beast Mountain to the south, the Giant Sword Sect to the west, and the Qingxu Sect to the east. It was clear they were trying to wear down the other factions’ strength and morale.

Even though it was just a minor detail, they were all trying their best, weren’t they?

Truly, the battle was already underway before they even met.

“Come in and sit down to wait.”

Just then, Dong Xuan’er took out a set of array flags and waved them around, forming a light screen. The light screen shielded everyone from the wind and sun. In an instant, she received a lot of gratitude.

“Uncle-Master, please.”

Dong Xuan’er even took out two futons.

One for herself.

The other was given to Li Huayuan.

“Hmm.”

Old Li nodded, a faint smile on his face.

Han Li was genuinely surprised by Dong Xuan’er’s current way of dealing with people.

How could this be so similar to his own?

When did this girl learn this?

But surprise aside, he was genuinely pleased.

Although Li Huayuan wasn’t some extraordinary Core Formation stage cultivator, he was still a Core Formation elder with a Three Yang Body, wasn’t he? Perhaps in the future, he could ask him to refine some high-quality iron essence. Li Huayuan’s iron-refining technique, enhanced by his Three Yang Physique, was recognized throughout the Yue Kingdom as unparalleled among Core Formation stage cultivators.

Moreover, Dong Xuan’er’s future patron was the Old Demon Yunlu, the second-in-command of the Hehuan Sect, and also its hidden future leader. If this woman learned some worldly etiquette and served the Old Demon well, he might wholeheartedly cultivate Dong Xuan’er, the successor of his generational bloodline and physique.

It was entirely possible for her to become the next sect leader of the Hehuan Sect.

“Fellow senior brothers, I didn’t bring many prayer mats, please forgive me,” Dong Xuan’er said, turning to the four Foundation Establishment managers, including the one surnamed Wang.

“Not at all…”

“Junior Sister Xuan’er, you’re too kind.”

The atmosphere instantly became harmonious.

Especially the lower-level disciples, whose goodwill towards this senior aunt increased dramatically.

Not only was she beautiful, but she was also so kind…

Even the old man Xiang Zhili glanced at Dong Xuan’er more than once.

…

Another hour passed, and the sun was high in the sky.

Finally, Li Huayuan, within the formation, suddenly looked southeast:

“Hmph, they’ve finally arrived.”

Clearly, he was also quite displeased with the six sects’ delaying tactics:

wasn’t his time valuable?

Half a day was enough to go back and refine a few grains of iron essence from the refined iron in one area.

This meant he’d lost at least six or seven low-grade spirit stones.

Li Huayuan noticed a streak of light approaching in the sky a hundred miles away.

Soon, several Foundation Establishment managers also noticed it.

After a short while, the Qi Refining cultivators saw several star-like lights flashing in the azure sky to the southeast, and those stars were rapidly growing larger. Before long, a series of black dots appeared—figures.

The figures were above, the stars below.

The immediate impression was that a group of cultivators were arriving from beyond the heavens, riding on a blanket of starlight.

This extraordinary sight caused a stir among the cultivators of Huangfeng Valley.

“Quiet down, look at what you’ve become! Isn’t this just the Qingxu Sect’s flying magic artifact, the Snow Rainbow Silk? Don’t make a fuss like you’ve never seen anything like it before.” How embarrassing!

Although the Qingxu Sect’s Snow Rainbow Silk is indeed very dazzling, their Yellow Maple Valley’s Green Leaf Magic Artifact… was ultimately a free gift, wasn’t it?

Han Li could see clearly that the stars beneath the feet of the Qingxu Sect’s gray-robed Taoists were actually a flawless white rainbow bridge, adorned with dazzling silver light, which explained its mystical appearance.

The rainbow bridge formed by the Snow Rainbow Silk quickly disappeared, collected by a middle-aged Taoist from the Qingxu Sect.

After collecting the magic artifact, the Taoist took a few steps in the air, crossing dozens of feet to arrive beside Li Huayuan:

“Eh? Is it Benefactor Li again leading the Yellow Maple Valley team this time?”

“Hmph, Fuyunzi, if you, this Taoist priest, can come, why can’t I, Li Huayuan, come?” Li Huayuan stood with his hands behind his back, his tone very impolite.

“Oh dear, is Benefactor Li still holding a grudge about the bet from last time?”

The middle-aged Taoist priest asked with a sly smile.

Li Huayuan snorted again,

“It took me over ten years to refine such a piece of superior iron essence, and you, with your cunning tricks, tricked me into making a bet and swindled that iron essence from me. Now, I’m afraid it’s already been refined into your natal magic weapon, the Qingjun Sword?”

“Hahaha, just as you say, it is indeed superior iron essence. After being refined into the Qingjun Sword, its power has increased even more. It’s all thanks to Benefactor Li’s skill; anything you produce, fellow Taoist, is bound to be a masterpiece.”

The middle-aged Taoist priest highly praised Li Huayuan’s iron-refining technique.

As he spoke, he deliberately showed off his natal magic weapon, the flying sword, making Old Li so angry that he glared and puffed out his beard.

“Alright, Benefactor Li, it’s just a piece of iron essence, you don’t need to worry about it. This time, I’ve brought another fine item, its value far exceeding that of the last piece of iron essence. If you can gamble again this time and win, it will surely make up for your loss last time.”

The middle-aged Taoist stroked his beard and smiled.

“No, no. You’re probably eyeing the other two pieces of iron essence I’m refining in my furnace, aren’t you? You old fox, let me tell you… don’t even think about it.”

He wouldn’t fall for the same trick twice.

The last time he was fooled, it had hurt him deeply, and he still hadn’t recovered.

“Oh? Benefactor Li’s standards have become so high? You don’t even care about the inner core of a level 5 demon beast, the Bloodline Flood Dragon?” The Taoist feigned surprise and disbelief.

“The inner core of a Bloodline Flood Dragon? And a level 5 one at that?”

Li Huayuan knew the Taoist in front of him wasn’t any good, but he still couldn’t help but be tempted.

“Hehehe, I’ve heard that you, benefactor, once stayed in the treacherous Panlong River of Yuanwu Kingdom for over thirty years, all for the sake of obtaining a dragon’s inner core.” Fuyunzi chuckled, taking out a jade box containing a high-grade demon core covered in blood-red veins.

Li Huayuan’s eyes twitched upon seeing this:

“You actually got it?”

“I went to great lengths to obtain this inner core.” The middle-aged Taoist stroked his beard and smiled, his words full of seduction: “If your silver-armored horned python could consume this core, it only needs to cultivate for one or two decades to definitely advance from a level 3 spirit beast to level 4…”

“If it could then cultivate diligently for another hundred years, becoming a level 5 spirit beast wouldn’t be impossible.”

A level 5 dragon-type demon core could not only enhance the bloodline of python-type demon beasts below level 5, greatly increasing their potential and raising their chances of reaching level 5, but it could also save a level 3 demon beast decades of cultivation.

Its value was undeniable.

“Benefactor, I don’t need to elaborate on how much a level 5 spirit pet would help us Core Formation cultivators, do I?” Fu Yunzi stroked his beard enticingly.

A level 5 demon core typically fetches ten to twenty thousand low-grade spirit stones in the Tiannan market. Prices

fluctuate depending on rarity and function.

For example, this Bloodline Flood Dragon core might only be worth a little over ten thousand spirit stones to other cultivators, but in Li Huayuan’s eyes, twenty thousand spirit stones wouldn’t be enough. Doubling the price would be acceptable.

But clearly, Fu Yunzi wouldn’t trade with him for spirit stones.

“You old bastard, you didn’t bring out this Bloodline Flood Dragon core to amuse me, did you? Tell me, what do you want in exchange?”

“No, no, no, not an exchange, but rather, I hope you can gamble with me again.”

“Gamble again?”

“Yes, gamble again.”

“Gamble on what?”

“How about two pieces of iron essence?”

“Old bastard, do you want me to be your laborer?” Li Huayuan was practically ready to explode at this point.

“Why would you think that, Benefactor Li? If you win, you’ll not only avoid any cost, but you’ll also receive this level-five demon core. This is the inner core of a level-five demon beast of the same rank as us.”

Level-one demon beasts are divided into low, mid, high, and top ranks, corresponding to different levels in the Qi Refining stage.

Level-two demon beasts are comparable to the early Foundation Establishment stage.

Level-three is equivalent to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

Level 4, late Foundation Establishment stage.

Level 5, early Core Formation stage…

A level 5 inner core of a demonic beast is already comparable to the golden core of a Core Formation cultivator.

“Still the same rules as last time?” In the end, Li Huayuan couldn’t resist the temptation.

“Of course, everything as before.”

Fu Yunzi replied with bright eyes, overjoyed.

He reached out his hand to form a bet with Li Huayuan.

But…

“Clap clap!”

Two claps rang out, causing both Li Huayuan and Fu Yunzi to change their expressions.

Especially Fu Yunzi, where was the slightest bit of joy? Instead,

he began to wail. The reason was simple. The

one who clapped with him wasn’t Li Huayuan. And the one

who clapped with Li Huayuan wasn’t him either.

The object of their claps was an old man in a blue robe, covered in greasy dirt and patched clothes:

“Senior Qiong?”

Old Monster Qiong, the man with the highest cultivation and seniority among the Core Formation cultivators of Yue Kingdom, and the only one to have entered the Pseudo-Nascent Soul stage. It could be said that he had already stepped into the Nascent Soul stage, but due to certain reasons and his limited lifespan, he had no hope of forming a Nascent Soul.

This person enjoyed playing around with other Core Formation stage cultivators, and because he was backed by the strongest of the seven major sects, the Hidden Moon Sect, no Nascent Soul cultivator from any other sect would bother this old monster over trivial matters.

Over the decades, he gradually established an image of a bully and a rogue.

Of course, this person was still very true to his word.

And while he joked, he wouldn’t simply bully the weak.

“Hey, since it’s a bet, wouldn’t it be too lonely with just the two of you? How about including this old geezer?” Old Monster Qiong smiled and then turned to look at an extremely inconspicuous little hill in the distance: “Fellow Daoist Hong Fu of Yellow Maple Valley, congratulations on your great progress in cultivation, becoming the number one female Core Formation cultivator among the seven sects of my Yue Kingdom! Would you like to join in a round?”

“Master?” Dong Xuan’er was stunned for a moment.

Then she was overjoyed.

Her master’s emergence from seclusion meant that his cultivation had improved.

Han Li blinked in astonishment: Fairy Hong Fu had broken through her seclusion? Late-stage Core Formation?!

“Senior Sister?”

“Fairy Hong Fu?”

Li Huayuan and Fu Yunzi both looked in the direction Old Monster Qiong was looking.

Sure enough, a flash of azure light appeared, and a dashing figure emerged.

Who else could it be but Hong Fu?

With a dozen or so leaps in mid-air, the distance of several hundred feet was reduced to mere inches.

“Brother Dao is indeed powerful. Although I tried my best to conceal my aura, I still couldn’t hide from you. You truly deserve to be the number one person below the Nascent Soul stage in our Seven Sects.” Her voice preceded her arrival.

“Senior Sister.”

Li Huayuan bowed first, filled with excitement.

“Junior Brother Li. ” Hong Fu

returned the bow with a smile.

“Fairy Hong Fu, congratulations.”

Fu Yunzi smiled, but his inner feelings were unknown to others.

“Fellow Daoist Fu Yunzi, greetings.” Hong Fu nodded.

“Fairy, you’ve already reached the late stage of Core Formation before you’re even four hundred years old. You should have a good chance of reaching that level. In a hundred years or so, our seven sects might gain another Nascent Soul ancestor,” Old Monster Qiong said solemnly.   ”

Brother, you flatter me. How difficult is it to form a Nascent Soul? But you, if you were to take a gamble, might be able to shatter your core and condense your Nascent Soul,” Hong Fu said, clasping her hands in a fist salute. She was very polite.   ”Thank you for your kind words, Fairy.”   Unfortunately, he knew very well that he couldn’t succeed.   Because of what happened back then, his mental state was flawed, and it was an ineradicable hidden danger; he simply couldn’t   overcome the inner demon. That was two hundred years ago, when he and his Daoist partner were still deeply in love and inseparable. That day, they were traveling when they encountered a Nascent Soul elder from the number one sect of the Demonic Path in a nearby country. He was no match for him, and his Daoist partner was forcibly taken away.   Later, although that fellow released his Daoist partner, everything changed.   An unbridgeable gap had quietly formed between him and his beloved.   Even if he didn’t mind.   His Daoist partner, however, became increasingly resistant to him, and ultimately perished in an accident while searching for that person in the eastern demonic territory.   He didn’t blame his partner for her change of heart; he only hated his own powerlessness at the time, and the shameless bullying of the Hehuan Sect member. But he, a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, was utterly powerless against a Nascent Soul cultivator—the gap was simply too vast.   For the next several decades, he diligently studied and finally created the Invisible Escape Technique and the Invisible Needle Magic Treasure, earning the title of the strongest cultivator below the Nascent Soul stage in Yue Kingdom. He also felt he had gained some confidence to fight to the death against Nascent Soul cultivators.   But then news arrived that the Hehuan Sect member had broken through the bottleneck of the early Nascent Soul stage and entered the mid-Nascent Soul stage.   This filled him with utter despair,   giving rise to a powerful inner demon.   Before his first attempt at forming his Nascent Soul, the hidden danger erupted.   Fortunately, it occurred before his Core shattered; otherwise, once the Core shattered, it would have been too late to salvage the situation.   Furthermore, if it weren’t for the Grand Elder of the Nascent Soul stage protecting him, who noticed his abnormal state in time and stabilized his fluctuating aura with precious secret medicine, he would have died from demonic rage and bloodlust.   In the decades that followed, he made numerous attempts, coming within half a step of the Nascent Soul stage, but the lingering inner demon meant certain death if he attempted to break through. To eradicate this inner demon, the old demon of the Joyful Union Sect had to die.   But who could risk their life for him, a mere Core Formation cultivator? The opponent was a Nascent Soul elder from the number one demonic sect.   Moreover, the opponent was a Nascent Soul stage elder whose fame resounded throughout the entire southern region.   Besides the one in the south and the two newly promoted late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators from both the righteous and demonic paths, how many Nascent Soul stage cultivators could do that?   Without the old demon’s death, his inner knot could not be untied.   Without untiing the knot, the lurking inner demon remained, destined to leave him with a flawed state of mind, making it difficult for him to successfully form his Nascent Soul.   ”Sigh…”   Old Monster Qiong, with his extraordinary talent and brilliance, was among the best of his kind in the entire Yue Kingdom, yet he stumbled because of love.   The seven emotions and six desires truly are the greatest tribulation for cultivators.   ”Perhaps, I should learn from my senior sister and switch to the Path of Ruthlessness?”   The Path of Ruthlessness, when it becomes ruthless, even severs one’s own past memories.   Before reaching the shore, cutting off one’s beloved is basic practice.   Alas.

It’s too late to change his cultivation method now.

All he can do, and all he wants to do now, is toy with the other Core Formation cultivators from the seven sects, finding amusement in it. His temper seems increasingly eccentric, but in reality, it’s just that his inner frustration is growing heavier, and he needs to vent it more and more.

Besides, the feeling of bullying the weak is really quite enjoyable.

He had toyed with this Red Dust Fairy decades ago. But not now.

There’s a big difference between toying with a mid-Core Formation cultivator and toying with a late-Core Formation cultivator.

“Fellow Daoist Red Dust, would you like to make a small bet? I don’t have anything particularly impressive to offer, so I’ll use these few Invisible Needle Talismans as the wager. What do you think, Fellow Daoist?” Old Monster Qiong took out five golden talismans.

Each one represented an Invisible Needle Talisman.

“Good stuff,”

Red Dust thought to herself.

Li Huayuan and Fuyunzi’s eyes gleamed even brighter.

They had heard of the Invisible Needle’s reputation.

It was rumored that even some Nascent Soul cultivators found it difficult to deal with. Of course, it certainly couldn’t truly threaten a Nascent Soul cultivator, but among Core Formation cultivators, it was in a league of its own. Used well, it could sometimes be a game-changer or even a lifesaver.

Han Li’s eyes lit up when he saw the five Invisible Needle Talismans.

The setting he gave was quite high.

Even if it only contained one-tenth of the power of a true Invisible Needle Treasure, it would be enough to exchange blows with a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, or even kill those who underestimated their opponents. If

he could get one, he might be able to easily take over a certain place.

“How do we gamble?”

Fairy Hong Fu was equally tempted.

She could make one herself, and Xuan’er should also have an extra defensive treasure.

“I heard that Fellow Daoist Hong Fu found a Xuanjin Grass that was at least two thousand years old more than twenty years ago. The Xuanjin Fruit that this grass produces is the main ingredient for refining Xuanjin Pills. Presumably, Fellow Daoist was able to make a breakthrough by relying on the power of the pills, right?” “

That’s right.”

There was no denying that.

After obtaining the Xuanjin Grass, she spent twenty years searching in Yue Kingdom and surrounding countries to gather all the necessary ingredients.

This kind of activity inevitably aroused suspicion among those who knew the pill formula.

“How many Xuanjin Pills do you have left, friend?”

“I refined a small batch of twelve last time, and now I have three left.” As for how many were left, who could force her to answer truthfully?

“Only three left?” Old Monster Qiong frowned.

This was troublesome.

Three Xuanjin Pills, though precious, were only equivalent to one and a half Invisible Needle Talismans.

Four pills were worth two of his talismans.

Continuing the gamble would clearly put him at a disadvantage.

However,

the thought that the person leading the team into the Crimson Forbidden Land was the Grand Elder’s closed-door disciple gave him no more worries: the advantage was on his side.

In short, no matter what, his Hidden Moon Sect could not possibly lose.

“Fellow Daoist Hong Fu, how about this? I won’t cheat you. We’ll use the total number of spiritual herbs your Huangfeng Valley and Qingxu Sect brought as the standard. If my Yanyue Sect brings more spiritual herbs than your two sects combined, I’ll win the bet, and you’ll need to give me the three Xuanjin Pills and ten thousand spirit stones.” “

If the total from your Huangfeng Valley and Qingxu Sect is greater than my Yanyue Sect’s, you’ll win the bet and receive my two Invisible Needle Talismans.”

Hong Fu only hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement: “Okay.”

Upon hearing this, Old Monster Qiong grinned and then looked at Li Huayuan and Fuyunzi:

“As for my bet with you two, it will also be based on this standard. If my Yanyue Sect wins, I’ll take the Blood Thread Dragon Inner Core and the two pieces of Iron Essence. If my Yanyue Sect loses, I’ll give you three Invisible Needle Talismans.” In fact

, the Blood Thread Dragon Inner Core and the two pieces of Iron Essence were not even as valuable as the two Invisible Needle Talismans.

He was confident he could have the last laugh, but worried the two wouldn’t be willing to gamble, so he was willing to suffer some losses.

“As for who will obtain these three Invisible Needle Talismans from me, Fellow Daoist Li or Fellow Daoist Fuyunzi, it depends on which of your disciples brings out more forbidden spiritual herbs…” The winner

takes all.

The loser gets nothing.

Li Huayuan and Fuyunzi exchanged a glance, both tempted.

“Alright!”

Admittedly, the disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect always brought out the most spiritual herbs among the seven sects, but it was rare for one sect to bring in as much as two. This time couldn’t be an exception, could it?

“Clap clap clap…”

The four high-fived each other again, officially finalizing the bet.

Fuyunzi: This time, our sect has arranged for two disciples who ranked in the top ten of the competition and three disciples who ranked in the top fifty to participate. The team is still full, and the overall strength is much stronger than last time. He still didn’t believe it. The advantage was in my hands.

Li Huayuan: The Chen family boy is among the top three in our sect’s competition, and the Xu family boy is also among the top ten. Furthermore, there are three other disciples in the top fifty. Our team’s top combat strength is more than double what it was last time. There’s no reason we should lose… The advantage is on our side.

Hong Fu: Han Li, don’t let me down.

She has seen all the investments her disciples have made in Han Li.

Winning against Qingxu Sect is no problem, as long as Qingxu Sect doesn’t underperform. Winning against Yanyue Sect is also very likely

. The advantage is on our side.

Moreover, she has another ingenious plan that can greatly increase their gains.

“Uncle Wang, Uncle Dong, you should also try your best to gamble against the Foundation Establishment stage cultivators of Yanyue Sect, betting as much as you can. With Grandmaster Hong Fu’s help, we definitely won’t lose.” In a corner, Han Li took out two jade slips and gave one to Dong Xuan’er and the other to the Foundation Establishment stage cultivator surnamed Wang who had helped him during the Ascension Assembly.

After giving them the items, he discreetly returned to the crowd.

Using jade slips to communicate prevented eavesdropping.

He didn’t want to be too conspicuous.

After examining the contents of the jade slip, Dong Xuan’er and the Foundation Establishment cultivator surnamed Wang both seemed thoughtful.

As for Han Li’s confidence,

it wasn’t based on Hong Fu Fairy’s confidence, but rather on his Daoist partner, “Nangong Wan,” whom he remembered.

A dignified Core Formation cultivator, using a special technique to conceal his cultivation and impersonate a Qi Refining disciple to enter the forbidden area and bully the weak? If this were exposed, the entire Hidden Moon Sect would become the target of public criticism, just like when they discovered the Moon Sun Pearl. Unless Old Monster Qiong and the others from the Hidden Moon Sect wanted to escalate the situation, they would have no choice but to swallow their pride and admit defeat.

“Wan’er, don’t blame your brother Li for being unethical…!”

If he lost to the Hidden Moon Sect in terms of harvesting spiritual herbs, he would tell Fairy Hong Fu, who would definitely use this to her advantage and turn the tide.

…

An hour later, the other five sects arrived one after another.

When the Spirit Beast Mountain team arrived, Han Li couldn’t help but be taken aback:

“Han Yunzhi and her brother?”

It turned out that Han Yunzhi and her brother had also come.

Han Yunzhi was now at the eleventh level of Qi Refining, and her brother was at the thirteenth level.

Because of his butterfly effect, the siblings’ situations had obviously changed drastically. One had a higher cultivation level, and the other was uninjured; the change was enormous.

When the siblings noticed Han Li in the Yellow Maple Valley team, their eyes lit up. However, even though they had a lot to say, the three of them only nodded in response and did not say anything more in front of the people from the major sects.

And unsurprisingly, the Hidden Moon Sect team, which traveled on the Heavenly Moon Divine Ship, arrived the latest.

But what surprised the other sects was that the Hidden Moon Sect disciples this time were all unusually young. They were all handsome young men and beautiful young women, none of them older than thirty. The lowest cultivation level was Qi Refining Stage 12, with over half at Qi Refining Stage 13.

“As expected of the Hidden Moon Sect, they have real guts! Arranging for all these promising young disciples to participate in the trial,” Li Huayuan remarked.

Reaching Qi Refining Stage 12 or 13 at such a young age meant either they had powerful connections or exceptional spiritual roots.

In his view, it would be a pity if too many perished in the forbidden area.

“Children who haven’t seen bloodshed or experienced some trials won’t have a firm enough Dao heart to be useful. To become one of us, this is a hurdle they must overcome. Without experiencing some major events, what good is talent? If they encounter those evil demons and heretics… hmph! They’ll definitely be treated like lambs and slaughtered! You’ve all been through this, you understand the reasoning behind it…” Old Monster Qiong snorted.

He didn’t want the young talents in his sect to suffer a similar fate as him, damaging their Dao hearts and breeding inner demons.

Therefore, he practically wore himself out trying to persuade the sect’s little geniuses to participate in this trial and experience the trials.

If it weren’t for his junior sister also wanting to seal her cultivation and sneak in, he probably wouldn’t have been able to

recruit even a single promising talent. Of course, even with his persuasion, with Junior Sister Gan personally leading the team, plus other preparations and the disciples accompanying Junior Sister Gan ensuring their safety and potentially making a fortune, he only arranged for two disciples who ranked in the top ten in the sect’s aptitude assessment to participate.

It was at this time that

Dong Xuan’er, following Han Li’s advice, borrowed some money from her master and then gambled for fun, taking out 12,000 spirit stones to gamble. Her spending surprised several Core Formation stage cultivators. She single-handedly left the five Foundation Establishment managers accompanying the Hidden Moon Sect at a loss.

However, considering who would lead their team into the forbidden area, the five Foundation Establishment managers immediately gritted their teeth and tightened their belts to gamble with Dong Xuan’er.

They looked at Dong Xuan’er as if she were a gift of wealth.

The Foundation Establishment manager surnamed Wang thought for a moment, then gritted his teeth and took out a thousand spirit stones to gamble.

Although the five Foundation Establishment managers of the Hidden Moon Sect felt even greater pressure, they still accepted all bets.

Anyway, they wouldn’t lose.

No matter how many came, they were just giving them spirit stones.

“Let’s go.”

…

On the way, Li Huayuan and Hong Fu specially erected a light barrier and a cloud of mist to completely envelop the Silver-Armored Horned Python.

The light barrier could block sound, and outsiders with insufficient divine sense could not hear the conversation inside. With Fairy Hong Fu personally taking action, even Old Monster Qiong dared not say he could eavesdrop.

The mist, on the other hand, blocked vision; those inside could see the situation outside, but those outside could not see the situation inside.

After the light barrier and mist were generated, Li Huayuan began the final morale boosting.

While Li Huayuan was giving the other disciples a pep talk, Fairy Hongfu tossed Han Li a storage bag:

“This is what you deserve for helping to persuade Xuan’er these past two years. You must have put in a lot of effort to help her achieve Foundation Establishment so early…”

Receiving praise from a late-stage Core Formation cultivator was such an honor that even Li Huayuan cast a curious glance at him. Han

Li, naturally, wouldn’t take credit:

“Grandmaster, it’s not my doing, but rather that Uncle Dong is sensible and understanding…”

Dong Xuan’er was very pleased to hear this and nodded repeatedly.

Fairy Hongfu waved her hand:

“No need to say more. I know Xuan’er’s personality too well; she doesn’t have that kind of self-awareness.”

Dong Xuan’er’s face immediately fell, and she felt a pang of bitterness in her heart: her master’s misunderstanding of her was truly profound.

“Han Li, the items in the storage bag are all things I recently drew; they’re nothing particularly valuable. Besides, you might find them useful, and they could even save your life in a critical moment, so please don’t refuse. Your priority now is to get out of the forbidden area alive.”

Han Li, hearing this, found it very reasonable:

“This disciple thanks Grandmaster for the reward.”

(End of Chapter)