A Mortal’s Journey to Immortality: Wang Yu’s Rebirth as the Reincarnation Dao Ancestor - Chapter 71

Chapter 71 Veteran Actor

The younger generation was unaware of what was happening here. They were kept outside by another layer of soundproof and sight-blocking barriers.

Han Li, however, accepted the storage bag with a clear conscience and immediately used his divine sense to examine its contents.

He hadn’t noticed anything unusual until he opened the blind box, and was both surprised and delighted.

This was because Fairy Hong Fu had given him so much.

Although there were no top-tier magic weapons or talismans, there were a large number of disposable items. For example, describing the talismans in the storage bag as a “cartload” might be an exaggeration, but a dozen—a total of twenty low-level high-grade “Explosive Flame Talismans” and five mid-level talismans—was definitely there.

Three of them were mid-level attack talismans.

Faced with such firepower, how many Foundation Establishment cultivators would dare not temporarily avoid its edge? In addition to the talismans

, there were also ten mid-grade spirit stones, three pills that could quickly restore mana, and six pills of four different types, including healing pills and detoxification pills.

Although the quantity of items was small, they were all very practical.

Especially the pills for restoring mana and healing injuries; they were clearly not the common, readily available items used by ordinary cultivators, but rather rare and precious treasures only available to Foundation Establishment and even high-level Core Formation cultivators.

Having dealt with various spiritual herbs extensively, he could at least recognize their value.

These few pills alone were probably worth more than two thousand spirit stones.

This showed how much Fairy Hongfu valued him and how generous she was.

A benefactor indeed.

“Grandmaster, may I ask, if a Qi Refining cultivator wants to forcibly contract a demonic beast that is about to break through its bottleneck and enter Level 2

, what are the chances of success?” “As long as you can defeat the beast or restrain it, forcibly contracting it isn’t difficult,” Hong Fu said. “However, if it enters Level 2 before you, and you’re still stuck in the Qi Refining stage, and you’ve just contracted it without developing any tacit understanding or bond, there’s a high chance it will backfire. Han Li, do you want to forcibly contract a demonic beast within the forbidden area?”

“Yes, Grandmaster, I want to use battle to sustain my strength!”

Once he snowballs his power, with a few more top-tier Level 1 demonic beasts protecting him, he’ll truly be an anomaly that no one of his level dares to provoke.

“A fine ‘use battle to sustain my strength’…”

Unfortunately, contracting a spirit beast doesn’t eliminate the drain on personal energy.

It not only depletes mana but also spiritual consciousness.

Lowering one’s own condition just to contract a demonic beast is unwise.

“I have a Tranquility Talisman here, which can make the demon beast less agitated and reduce its resistance and malice towards you. As long as its resistance is not strong, the consumption of your contract will not be too great.” As she spoke, Hong Fu took out another auxiliary-type intermediate talisman.

“And these two items…”

It was a bead and a token-shaped magic artifact.

“This bead and this restriction sphere are both personally crafted by me, and they can also help you control your contracted spirit beast. Once a spirit beast is bound by a restriction, it won’t be able to escape the restriction I placed within it until it reaches level 5.”

“These two items were originally prepared for a spirit beast that Xuan’er might take a liking to in the future. She doesn’t need them for now, so I’m giving them to you today. However, if you use these items, from now on, the spirit beast you contract will be more or less affected by my divine sense, and the restrictions within its body will be activated by my divine sense. Of course, once you come out of the forbidden area, or if you feel you can control the spirit beast, you can seek my help to remove the relevant restrictions from the spirit beast.”

He made no attempt to conceal the implications.

“Thank you for the treasure, Grandmaster.”

Han Li happily accepted them.

If he couldn’t form his core, giving the black dragon to Dong Xuan’er wouldn’t be a problem.

If he could form his core and cultivate two or three levels of the Great Evolution Technique to enhance his spiritual power, he could easily remove the restriction that Fairy Hongfu had left inside the Ink Dragon’s body using the two items.

After giving him some more instructions, Fairy Hongfu dispelled the inner barrier and took out several talismans from her storage bag, facing the other disciples participating in the trial:

“This is the Spirit Fusion Talisman. This talisman can temporarily connect the spiritual energy of two cultivators, making them inseparable. If two of you activate the Spirit Fusion Talisman before entering the forbidden area’s grand formation, there is a 50% chance that you will be teleported to the same location by the formation, achieving spatial synchronization.”

Teaming up would greatly improve safety. Ordinary

Qi Refining cultivators from various sects wouldn’t want to face two elite disciples at the twelfth or thirteenth level of another sect simultaneously.

Furthermore, teaming up would significantly increase the success rate of searching for spiritual herbs. And

if they encountered lone disciples from other sects, killing and robbing them wouldn’t be out of the question.

“I have eight here, enough for the sixteen of you to pair up,” said Fairy Hongfu calmly.

“High-level Spirit Fusion Talismans?”

The crowd gasped in surprise.

Understanding Hongfu’s intention, most of the disciples wore undisguised joy.

These talismans were rare on the market. Although they were only high-level beginner talismans, they were incredibly expensive for those in the Qi Refining stage, costing at least sixty or seventy spirit stones each—almost the price of a mid-level talisman. But with that kind of money, wouldn’t it be better to buy a fine high-level magic weapon? Saving it up for a few more years would even be enough for them to buy a top-level magic weapon.

Therefore, they all felt that Fairy Hongfu was truly generous.

Recalling the case of someone who exchanged a Foundation Establishment Pill for a large amount of cultivation resources to improve their cultivation, they admired this Grandmaster Hongfu even more. They also envied a certain ordinary pseudo-spiritual root even more.

Incidentally, their displeasure at Hong Fu Fairy’s decision to use them to gamble with experts from other sects also vanished.

In truth, this person had provided substantial and highly beneficial support.

Then,

everyone turned to look at Li Huayuan.

Surely he would also offer some practical support?

However, to everyone’s dismay, Grandmaster Li only offered verbal encouragement.

And he even offered a seemingly reasonable explanation for his actions:

“Don’t take to heart the matter of me and your Grandmaster Hongfu gambling your lives together. You might think I disrespected you, but this survival of the fittest is the unchanging essence of the cultivation world.”

“Today, you’ve witnessed the cruel reality of the cultivation world.”

“Listen carefully: in this cultivation world, whether it’s a reputable sect or a heretical sect, the pursuit is survival of the fittest and defying the heavens. However, the reputable sects emphasize gradual progress, letting things unfold naturally, and their cultivation methods are relatively gentle. The heretical sects, on the other hand, pursue rapid advancement and unrestrained actions, and their cultivation methods are far more domineering.”

“Whether it’s the righteous path or the demonic path, no matter what they say, in practice they still operate on the law of the jungle. We cultivators are no longer ordinary mortals; those with higher realms and greater strength often regard lower-level cultivators as ants. If they’re in a bad mood or disagree, a single strike to kill is commonplace.” “

Li…”

This seemingly lecturing, but actually defensive, explanation garnered understanding from many cultivators.

“Alright, junior brother, what’s the point of all that? Let’s think about how to increase our chances of winning.”

Fairy Hongfu stopped the conversation.

She didn’t think these words would have any calming effect.

Saying too much would only exacerbate the disciples’ prejudice against the sect elders.

Instead of rambling on, it would be better to offer something tangible to increase the disciples’ strength and survival rate.

“Senior sister, I…”

He was short of money.

It was only because there were so many disciples that he couldn’t ask; otherwise, he would have shamelessly begged for two Spirit Fusion Talismans for his other disciples. If the results were good this time, perhaps he could arrange for those disciples to try again next time?

Hong Fu Fairy, unaware of Li Huayuan’s predicament, would surely roll her eyes if she knew.

A Core Formation stage cultivator with a Three Yang Body, whose talent is second only to Heavenly Spiritual Root and Extraordinary Spiritual Root, why would he be so stingy?

“Everyone, have you decided how to form teams?”

Hong Fu Fairy asked the remaining twenty-five trial disciples.

After discussion, the disciples had already divided themselves into twelve groups.

Chen Qiaoshan and Chen Qiaoqian, both at the eleventh level of Qi Refining, and four others at the thirteenth level of Qi Refining, teamed up…

Only Han Li remained alone.

It wasn’t that no one had invited him; in fact, almost all the disciples at the twelfth and thirteenth levels of Qi Refining had extended invitations. But he had politely declined them all.

He knew very well that his purpose was very clear, and bringing another person from the sect would be very inconvenient. Besides, while others’ 1+1 was greater than 1, his 1+1 was mostly less than 1. He didn’t want to share the pie with a burden.

“Alright, let’s begin the draw. Those lucky enough to draw the best lot will receive the Spirit Fusion Talisman.”

Hong Fu didn’t show favoritism to anyone. She

was very generous. Seeing this,

Li Huayuan panicked:

“Senior Sister, to increase our chances of winning, I think it would be better for the disciples with higher cultivation levels to receive the Spirit Fusion Talisman first. The overall situation is more important…”

After saying this, he knew he had put himself at a disadvantage.

Sure enough, the gazes of the disciples with slightly lower cultivation levels towards him became strange. Although they didn’t show resentment on their faces, it was hard to say what they were thinking.

As for Fairy Hong Fu, before Li Huayuan could change his mind, she decisively nodded:

“Alright, it’s as Junior Brother says. The overall situation is more important.”

Li Huayuan: “…”

Faced with Hong Fu’s smile, he felt like he had been tricked.

He wanted to say something, but opened his mouth and didn’t know how to say it.

And so…

Of the eight Spirit Fusion Talismans, three fell into the hands of three teams composed of disciples at the thirteenth level of Qi Refining, one went to Han Li, and the other four to four teams composed of disciples at the twelfth level of Qi Refining.

Chen Qiaoshan and Chen Qiaoqian politely declined the talisman offered by Fairy Hongfu,

as they had prepared one beforehand.

To increase their chances of winning, they didn’t hide this fact.

As a result, they were not only praised by everyone as disciples of a prominent family, but also remembered as a token of goodwill by the lucky twelfth-level disciples who received the talisman.

“Everyone, I hope you will give it your all. If we ultimately defeat the Hidden Moon Sect, all those who return alive will receive additional rewards, including magical artifacts and pills, based on the number of spiritual herbs they brought,” Fairy Hongfu solemnly declared.

In truth, she had prepared two plans for victory.

Regardless of whether Li Huayuan emphasized the importance of the overall situation, she would ensure the Spirit Fusion Talisman fell into the hands of disciples with higher cultivation and stronger abilities. For example, she would give the tampered talisman tube to Junior Brother Li to manipulate.

Thus, Junior Brother Li would still shoulder all the blame.

“Hey, with this Spirit Fusion Talisman to form a team for us, where in the forbidden area can’t we break in? How can we not plunder the unlucky lone bastards from various sects?”

The disciples who received the talisman were naturally overjoyed.

Many who didn’t receive a talisman sighed:

“What a pity, what a pity.”

Just then, Dong Xuan’er took out a Spirit Fusion Talisman from her storage bag and gave it to the pair of weaklings whose cultivation was only at the eleventh level of Qi Refining:

“Come back alive.”

This caused the old man and the unknown boy to have red eyes and express their gratitude repeatedly:

“Thank you, Martial Uncle, thank you, Martial Uncle.”

This Spirit Fusion Talisman was originally prepared by her for Han Li. However, since Han Li did not choose to form a team, there was no need to keep it. And seeing the pathetic look on some people’s faces as if they were about to part with their lives, well, let’s give it to the weakest group. Han

Li, who was in the back corner, was deeply shocked when he saw this.

Seeing Xiang Zhili’s red eyes, he exclaimed, “Old actor!”

…

After thinking for a moment, he tossed the Spirit Fusion Talisman to a pair of Qi Refining Stage 12 cultivators.

“Master Han, what are you doing…”

One of them, who received the talisman, froze in place.

The other gaped in astonishment.

“I’m used to acting alone. You two probably need it more than I do,” Han Li said calmly. “Senior brothers, don’t force it. Try your best to come back alive.”

“Thank you, Junior Brother Han! Thank you, Junior Brother Han!”

The two who received the Spirit Fusion Talisman were overjoyed.

Seeing this, Fairy Hong Fu and Li Huayuan nodded in agreement.

Several other Foundation Establishment cultivators cast astonished glances.

The other Qi Refining cultivators seemed thoughtful, as if they understood a major reason why Hong Fu valued Han Li.

This small act of giving away the talisman impressed many in the room. But the truly remarkable one was Dong Xuan’er’s accidental success with that casual gesture.

“Interesting, very interesting. This little girl is quite something, actually giving me a Nascent Soul stage Spirit Fusion Talisman?”

But he had to admit, this warmth, devoid of any flattery, this purest kindness, was very pleasing to him. He

then glanced at the young female cultivator again, deciding to remember her.

…

From there, they flew north towards the border of the Yuanwu Kingdom. After several hours, the various groups finally arrived at a vast, boundless loess slope.

Here, besides piles of rubble, not even a blade of grass could be found; as far as the eye could see, it was all a vast expanse of yellow. There was also a faintly visible wind wall—this was the outer wind-attribute array of the Crimson Forbidden Land.

“Finally arrived.”

By this time, the sky was already dark.

Judging by the time, it was around three or four in the morning.

“Everyone, rest a bit, meditate and adjust yourselves…” several Foundation Establishment managers instructed.

Meanwhile, the Core Formation stage members began another discussion.

Led by Fairy Hong Fu, Li Huayuan and Fu Yunzi, both Core Formation stage members, were the first to agree. Although Qiong Laoguai and Ni Chang were unwilling, they couldn’t object. Ultimately, the Core Formation stage members unanimously decided to use the Moon Sun Pearl to dispel the fog of the forbidden land a day earlier, opening the central area a day ahead of schedule.

After everyone had rested for over an hour, as the sky began to lighten, a burly Core Formation man from the Giant Sword Sect suddenly stood up:

“It’s almost time.”

He then took a step forward.

The ground around him instantly churned, and enormous stone swords formed from stagnant stone rapidly emerged.

Turning mud into stone, gathering stone into swords—

these two intermediate-level techniques were effortless for this Core Formation cultivator, leaving the Qi Refining cultivators utterly astonished. The

Core Formation expert only took four steps forward, and four giant swords, each tens of feet long, burst from the ground behind him.

With a wave of his hand and a command to “go,” the four giant swords rose from the ground and whistled as they slashed towards the faintly visible wind wall.

This was merely a test.

If it was effective against the wind-attribute restriction outside the forbidden area, it meant the grand formation had weakened and it was time to begin.

As expected, the giant swords struck the wind wall, causing many gusts of wind to pause briefly:

“It works! We can attack together now.”

“Alright.”

The others didn’t hesitate.

The Fairy of the Hidden Moon Sect: A pink ribbon coiled into a drill and shredded countless wind blades within the wind walls.

The middle-aged man from Tianque Fortress: A dragon-shaped cane shot out a blinding golden light.

The burly man from the Giant Sword Sect: His dark magic sword expanded to over thirty feet in length, then cleaved the wind walls with overwhelming force.

The old woman from Huadao Dock: Her longsword, glowing red, unleashed seven or eight sharp blade energies, each over ten feet long.

The man from Spirit Beast Mountain: A large, enlarged yellow seal slammed into the wind.

The little old man from Yellow Maple Valley, Li Huayuan: His ruler spun rapidly, its silver orbs shooting out like shooting stars, shattering many wind blades within the forbidden area’s wind walls.

The middle-aged Taoist Fuyunzi from the Qingxu Sect: His magic sword, Qingjun, transformed into a dragon over ten feet long, its claws and teeth tearing apart the obstacles within the wind walls.

“Fellow Daoist Hong Fu, would you be willing to lend them a hand? That way, we can send the juniors in sooner…”

Old Monster Qiong chuckled.

This time, because of someone, he hadn’t left the group but had come along.

Hong Fu nodded slightly upon hearing this:

“That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

The next moment, she unleashed a blood-red flying sword, and dozens of scarlet sword beams, each tens of feet long, shot out. The power of one person alone could overwhelm the combined strength of the previous seven.

The disciples were utterly dumbfounded.

The seven Core Formation stage

cultivators from the seven sects could only smile bitterly. Even if all seven of them joined together, they probably wouldn’t be a match for Fairy Hong Fu alone.

The difference between the early and late Core Formation stages was quite obvious.

“Hehe.”

Old Monster Qiong didn’t mince words either.

He casually tossed something out.

The next moment, ripples began to spread across the wind attribute restriction array, and dangerous wind blades within the wind wall were annihilated in large swaths.

“What’s going on?”

The Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stage cultivators were all watching in vain, unable to see anything.

Those present at the Core Formation stage, including Fairy Hong Fu, were all secretly shocked.

The early Core Formation stage disciples, like the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stage disciples, hadn’t even seen how Old Monster Qiong attacked, yet the wind wall formation suffered an attack several times stronger than when they and Fairy Hong Fu had attacked together.

Only Fairy Hong Fu vaguely saw some afterimage.

Only Xiang Zhili saw everything clearly.

It turned out that just now, a magic weapon needle crafted primarily from the essence of five metals had been casually tossed away by Old Monster Qiong. This was none other than his second natal magic weapon, the Invisible Needle.

This Invisible Needle was invisible and formless, making it impossible for ordinary cultivators to detect. During its flight, it split into two, then four, then eight, instantly multiplying into dozens of needles.

These needles then rained down on the outer wind wall of the wind-attribute restrictive formation.

Although the impact was unseen by outsiders, the effect was that the wind-attribute formation was rapidly disintegrating, tearing open a gap in it.

Originally, it would have taken at least two or three hours for just seven early-stage Core Formation cultivators to tear open a small temporary opening in the outer barrier of the forbidden area. However, thanks to Fairy Hongfu’s intervention, this time was drastically reduced by at least half.

Furthermore, thanks to Old Monster Qiong’s intervention, it now only takes half an hour.

“So fast this time!”

one of the older disciples exclaimed in surprise.

Before the others could react, he took a running start and soared into the air, disappearing into the temporary opening.

“What are you all standing around for? Go in!”

Seeing the disciples of Tianque Fortress take the lead and rush into the forbidden area first, the Core Formation cultivators from Spirit Beast Mountain and Huadao Dock immediately reminded the younger disciples in their sects.

Han Li didn’t think much of it and entered as quickly as possible.

The other disciples from Huangfeng Valley and the Yanyue Sect, however, were not in a hurry.

Unbeknownst to Qiong Laoguai, Hong Fu had prepared a huge surprise for him: the unconventional tactic of pairing up using the Fusion Talisman.

However, neither Hong Fu nor Li Huayuan anticipated that the Hidden Moon Sect was equally well-prepared. Besides Gan Rushuang, the other 24 disciples would also be paired up using a Fusion Talisman. Compared to the pairs from Huangfeng Valley, there were even more pairs there.

Only Fuyunzi of Qingxu Sect had invested the least, had the highest expectations, and the most confidence.

Well, thankfully Fuyunzi knew nothing, otherwise his composure might have crumbled.

…

During the teleportation, the world spun.

But upon landing, he was unharmed.

This was the wonder of the restriction array.

Furthermore, the randomness of the teleportation only transported entrants to the outer perimeter of the forbidden area, not directly to the mist-shrouded, dangerous central area.

The Crimson Forbidden Area was roughly divided into three sections: the core area, the central area, and the outer area.

The core area was only briefly mentioned: a light curtain covered an area of dozens of miles, and no one could ever enter. The core area is located in the innermost basin of the central area, separated from the central area by a protective barrier. Near the core area, level-two demonic beasts roam.

Then there’s the central area, a ring-shaped mountain range spanning about a hundred miles, separated from the outer area by a wall.

This wall is literally separated;

between the two areas stands a high wall inscribed with restrictive formations.

At this moment, Han Li was randomly teleported to an area near the wall.

The wall, several meters high, resembled a mortal city wall. It didn’t appear particularly imposing, yet no one dared to climb over it.

“This is the forbidden area? The spiritual energy environment is indeed much better than outside, almost comparable to the spiritual veins and caves of Red Tassel Mountain.”

This is only the outer area.

The spiritual energy environment in the central area is even more abundant.

This is the main reason why various ancient spiritual herbs can grow here, while they cannot be sustained outside.

Glancing at his surroundings and comparing them to the map, he roughly determined his location:

“Southwest, around seven o’clock?”

Not a good landing point, but not bad either.

It wasn’t ideal because it was too close to the central city wall; he couldn’t very well turn around and search for spiritual herbs on the outer perimeter.

It wasn’t bad either because it was closer to the central area, saving him the arduous journey of hundreds of miles and allowing him to conserve his energy.

Furthermore, using the Moon Sun Pearl a day earlier to open the central area would further benefit his plan.

As for why Fairy Hongfu suggested using the Moon Sun Pearl a day earlier,

it was because of another jade slip she had given Dong Xuan’er.

After reading the jade slip, Dong Xuan’er offered her opinion to Fairy Hongfu,

explaining that this would be more advantageous for Huangfeng Valley.

Fairy Hongfu, considering the advantage of their side using the Spirit Fusion Talisman, realized that opening the central area earlier was indeed suitable; otherwise, their numerical advantage might not be effective later. Therefore, she requested that the Moon Sun Pearl be used a day earlier.

So why did Han Li go to such lengths to exacerbate the situation?

The reason is simple:

to disrupt the main force of the Hidden Moon Sect as much as possible, making it difficult for them to gain a numerical advantage.

Han Li was well aware of whether the Hidden Moon Sect was cheating using the Spirit Fusion Talisman.

The Hidden Moon Sect not only had Nangong Wan, a Core Formation stage cultivator, leading the team, but also had pairs of members using Spirit Fusion Talismans. Crucially, the prospective Daoist couples in the Hidden Moon Sect all cultivated combined attack techniques, the power of which rivaled even the ordinary attacks of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

He could handle one or two groups with his three top-tier level 1 spirit beasts.

But three or five groups? He’d have to run for his life.

He couldn’t afford to mess with them.

He really couldn’t.

If the two “Hidden Moon Twins,” Duobao and Diaowang, were also among them, his situation would be even more perilous.

Therefore, it was best to reduce the efficiency of the Hidden Moon Sect’s rendezvous.

Using the Moon Sun Pearl to sweep away the central fog and open the central area a day in advance was a highly effective method.

Didn’t you people from the Hidden Moon Sect plan to gather your main force within the forbidden area in two days and then begin your map-clearing campaign?

Fine.

We’ll shorten that to just one day.

Let’s see if you can still muster a large group.

Following the original timeline, the Hidden Moon Sect disciples successfully gathered their main force.

After two days of probing the forbidden area, seventeen disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect met with Nangong Wan at the agreed-upon location. Then, the main force began their map-clearing campaign, wiping out any monster lairs or underground stone palaces they encountered along the way, led by Nangong Wan.

High-ranking or top-ranking monsters—if they were chosen, they

were simply out of luck. They swept through everything in their path.

A dozen or so locations were cleared easily and with considerable success.

Because Nangong Wan only took the spiritual herbs she deemed worthy, she didn’t even glance at ordinary herbs with a medicinal potency of one or two hundred years. Under these circumstances, the disciples who were simply lying back and reaping the benefits all received incredibly rich rewards. Some could obtain six or seven mature spiritual herbs, while others could obtain ten or more.

The profits from one sect easily surpassed the combined profits of Huangfeng Valley and Qingxu Sect.

Moreover, this overwhelming advantage was achieved under two conditions.

First, during the battle at the Mo Jiao Stone Palace, several disciples ignored Nangong Zhi’s advice and insisted on using their magical artifacts to directly absorb the Mo Jiao’s elixir. Not only did they die, but their storage bags and the spiritual herbs within them were destroyed, leaving no trace – a truly enormous loss. Otherwise, the Yan Yue Sect could have obtained at least thirty or forty more mature spiritual herbs.

Second, Nangong Wan didn’t want the Yan Yue Sect to win too overwhelmingly, so she didn’t bring out many of the spiritual herbs she had harvested in the forbidden area.

Otherwise, her profits alone would have completely surpassed the combined profits of the three sects.

Furthermore, each herb was of good quality, with guaranteed medicinal age and potency.

This would likely have made even Core Formation cultivators like Li Huayuan and Fuyunzi green with envy and resentment.

To put it more bluntly: Nangong Wan, who is currently only at the early stage of Core Formation, has managed to complete the Nascent Soul stage in just over a hundred years, despite losing twenty or thirty years of cultivation!

Not just a hundred years to go from the late stage of Core Formation to the Nascent Soul stage, but a hundred years to go from the early stage of Core Formation to the Nascent Soul stage! A Nascent Soul cultivator

who is at most two hundred and forty years old!

Understanding this, one can see the overall level of gains the original team made from the forbidden area’s spiritual herbs.

Therefore, it’s necessary to persuade Hong Fu indirectly as well. Success means a more relaxed experience and greater gains. Failure means no significant loss.

“While I can’t lead a team to sweep through and harvest like Nangong Wan, with three top-tier demonic beasts, I can certainly challenge two or three underground stone halls marked as dangerous zones.”

The first place to go is the underground stone hall where the Ink Dragon resides.

…

Without any delay, Han Li removed the yellow silk robe representing the Yellow Maple Valley disciples.

This yellow robe not only offered little defense but was also extremely conspicuous,

especially in the dim light of the green grass and bushes.

People could see him from a great distance.

This was not good.

Next, he chose a camouflage uniform with green and gray as the main colors. He also prepared other mixed-color camouflage uniforms.

Wearing these camouflage uniforms, even at close range, would still make him easily detectable by divine sense.

From a distance, he blended seamlessly into his surroundings, and with the addition of an invisibility talisman, he was even less likely to be detected by those further away.

This was enough for him.

After changing into camouflage, he began to walk along the city wall. His

target: the south gate of the city wall.

His goal was simple: to get inside the walls as soon as possible to find a good place to rest and recuperate, and to thoroughly analyze any oversights in tomorrow’s operation. Of course, if he found an easy target, he could also make a killing.

“There are only four types of people entering this trial.”

The first type: the lowest rung of the food chain.

These people only have cultivation levels of Qi Refining eleven or twelve.

They lack top-tier magic weapons, powerful talismans, and various secret treasures; in short, their strength is meager.

They participate in the trial because their future is uncertain, and they are drawn by that tiny possibility, or perhaps for the sake of their families and offspring, thus eyeing the high-tier magic weapon and mid-grade spirit stones awarded by the sect. Then, it’s a matter of luck to stumble upon a spirit herb or two on the outskirts.

As long as they don’t return empty-handed, given the sect’s management’s low expectations, they won’t hold it against them. The sect’s investment will be worthwhile.

In other words, as long as they survive, they’ll not only receive a high-grade magic weapon from the sect but also a mid-grade spirit stone. If they find a spirit herb, there will be additional rewards—sweet!

This will make it easier for their descendants to embark on the path of cultivation.

Such things have happened countless times.

And there are always a few lucky ones who manage to survive and leave their future to the next generation or the generation after that.

The second type of person is those at the mid-level of Qi Refining, around the twelfth or thirteenth stage.

These people are considered elites among the sect’s disciples, but during the Blood Trial, they’re just bystanders. Not good enough for the top, but not bad enough for the bottom. They can only bully the weak and lazy. If they encounter the true elites of various sects, they’ll have to run away.

The third type of person is the predator at the top of the food chain.

These are the true elites of each faction, judged by the top fifty in the competition.

Of course, among them are formidable seed-level characters.

These are the top ten powerhouses in the competition.

For these people, participating in the trial is like playing house. Unless it’s a seed-level vs. seed-level matchup, it’s a brutal slaughter.

However, these people are still not at the very top.

The fourth type is the top-tier player.

For example, the extremely low-key Nangong Wan.

A dignified Core Formation cultivator disguised as a Qi Refining disciple to infiltrate, even though her strength is limited to the Qi Refining stage due to her cultivation technique, her Core Formation foundation is undeniable. She can casually throw around a bunch of mid-level talismans, and can barely activate the Vermilion Bird Ring magic weapon. A combination of attacks would be enough to overwhelm most people.

Okay, this level of top-tier isn’t the real top-tier either.

Because there’s also the cunning old fox Xiang Zhili, who pretends to be weak while actually being strong.

Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, and Deity Transformation are the levels in the human cultivation system.

Each level represents a world of difference in dimensions.

The Deity Transformation stage is practically a terrestrial immortal.

Xiang Zhili was a Nascent Soul cultivator,

and currently the strongest Nascent Soul cultivator in the human realm.

It was best not to provoke this extremely elusive old fox; otherwise, one might be caught off guard and die without even knowing why.

…

The journey was uneventful, except for one encounter with a low-level, low-grade demonic beast.

After easily killing it, he quickly arrived at the south gate.

It was still quite early. From his observation, no one had yet passed through the gate before him.

Upon entering the city wall, a vast expanse of five-colored flowers came into view.

As far as the eye could see, there were magnificent seas of flowers, flower corridors, and flower forests…

The ancient cultivator who created the Blood Forbidden Land was a man of refined tastes. While

other powerful figures collected rare and precious herbs to aid cultivation for future generations, this one brought all sorts of beautiful flowers and trees to this place, creating a flower belt a mile or two close to the inner city wall.

The numerous dangerous restrictions set up on the city walls were designed to prevent anyone from scaling the walls and trampling the flowers and plants.

“My initial draft stated that the several thousand-year-old herbs needed for the Youth-Preserving Pill could be found in this sea of flowers…”

“Because of the small bottle, I shelved this initial setting and didn’t specifically mention it in the text.”

Now, without the small bottle, would the initial draft’s setting still be effective?

“If I remember correctly, there’s a main ingredient in an ordinary sea of flowers about ten miles northwest of the inner city from the south gate.”

He wanted to try it, to see what luck brought.

If he was lucky, he could have another source of income.

Even if the initial draft didn’t work, it wouldn’t be a big deal; he wouldn’t lose anything. The round trip

would take at most half an hour.

He acted on his thought.

To avoid leaving any trace, he boarded a flying sword and flew at a low altitude.

During the flight, he summoned the Jade Mantis to accompany him, and the Wind Howling Eagle to keep watch from a slightly farther and higher location. He then took out a low-level, high-grade Golden Shield Talisman and activated it. He

wasn’t stingy at all.

Six small golden shields surrounded him, and the Jade Mantis provided protection, giving him a great sense of security.

Interestingly, the Jade Mantis and the Howling Eagle became much more active after being released, as if they had returned to an environment more suitable for their survival.

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he arrived at the predicted location.

This place was exactly the same as the flower sea, flower corridor, and flower forest near the city gate.

There was no medicinal fragrance of any spiritual herbs.

Only a strong, ordinary floral scent.

Even the forbidden land’s demonic beasts never seemed to visit this place.

Yet, amidst this vast sea of flowers, in an inconspicuous corner, in a small corner whose colors were obscured by countless vibrant blossoms, three seemingly frail black flowers were struggling to survive.

Because this flower patch was over two miles wide and connected with other flower patches, encircling the city wall, Han Li’s search was far from easy.

Thus, although the travel time was short, the meticulous search took a full hour.

During this time, he wanted to give up many times, but ultimately patience triumphed over impatience.

“Huh? Black little flowers…”

Each little flower has only seven petals, and each plant only grows seven leaves.

The three plants right now are exactly the same as those described in the records of Ulan, one of the main ingredients of the Youth-Preserving Pill.

Moreover, the older the Ulan, the deeper the black of its petals, and the stronger its medicinal power. The three plants right now are as black as three pieces of coal. The medicinal power must be up to standard.

“Found it!”

“It really exists?!”

This place has the opportunity he set in his initial draft.

What about the other areas? If there are opportunities in the other areas as well, his gains this time will be greatly increased.

“Let’s move.”

There is still plenty of time.

Fortunately, he was teleported to an area near the central city wall, otherwise he wouldn’t have had almost a whole day to explore the circular flower area used as a viewing area.

So for the next few hours, he began to run around the city,

looking for some of the complex settings from his initial draft.

More than an hour later, he arrived near the west city wall. On the way, he obtained another herbal material needed for the Youth-Preserving Pill.

Who would have thought that this seemingly ornamental flower area would hide a loophole that even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would only encounter as a small opportunity?

But thinking about it, he understood:

the area was too vast, with too many flowers, making it difficult to identify and find. Add to that the limited time, the small number of people, and their limited knowledge, and it became even harder to pinpoint the location.

Most importantly, there were no demonic beasts to guide them.

Even the demonic beasts weren’t interested; what could a low-level cultivator with no knowledge possibly discern?

Thus,

he found this loophole.

Even if he could use his intelligence advantage to find a small loophole, it would still take hours.

Meanwhile, near the west gate, a pair of eyes were already watching him.

“What is that person looking for?”

“This flower sea has been plundered many times before, and I haven’t heard of any precious spiritual herbs.”

If there were truly spiritual herbs that could aid cultivation, the demonic beasts of the forbidden area would have already acted as “guides.”

Little did this person know that some spiritual herbs wouldn’t attract the attention of demonic beasts, even those thousands or tens of thousands of years old.

This particular herb was a key ingredient in the Youth-Preserving Pill.

“Follow him and see what’s going on…”

The man had an idea.

He also felt that perhaps that person had discovered some benefit that no one before had found.

Meanwhile, Han Li had circled the city for over an hour, reaching a location slightly northwest.

He found several more herbs in a sea of flowers.

“What did that person pick? Did they really discover something?”

The person in the shadows brightened.

However, in a corner he hadn’t noticed, while he was focusing more on Han Li, a jade-green mantis slowly and silently approached him.

This quickly placed him in an awkward position, sandwiched between Han Li and the jade mantis.

“They’re well hidden. If it weren’t for the Wind Howling Eagle, I would have been followed without even realizing it,” Han Li thought to himself. (

Two chapters equal ten chapters, two thousand words each. Those who know, know.)

(End of Chapter)