A Mortal’s Journey to Immortality: Wang Yu’s Rebirth as the Reincarnation Dao Ancestor - Chapter 72

Chapter 72 Revenge Should Not Be Waited Until Tomorrow

His five senses were constantly extended, and he occasionally used his Heavenly Eye Technique to scan his surroundings, but he hadn’t found anything.

However, Feng Xiaoying had just detected a disturbance in a flowerbed in the distance!

In that sea of flowers, even though there was no wind, several petals moved. Then, clumps of flowers began to sway slightly, as if being brushed against by someone’s trouser leg.

This was unavoidable.

After all, to catch up with him flying on his sword, his speed couldn’t be too slow, nor could he be too far away.

Such subtle movements, at a distance of over two hundred feet, were beyond Han Li’s Qi Refining stage senses to detect. His opponent knew this too.

But Feng Xiaoying in the distance detected it!

He let out a long cry as a warning!

Such beastly cries were not uncommon within the Blood Forbidden Land, so they didn’t attract any special attention from the other party.

Han Li, however, understood the warning and decisively released the Jade Mantis to flank from a blind spot. He cast an invisibility talisman and a concealment talisman on the Jade Mantis, making it difficult to see with the n*ked eye and detect with spiritual energy, thus enhancing its stealth. He also activated a wind-controlling talisman and a lightness talisman, increasing the little mantis’s speed.

That’s right.

Spirit beasts can actually use talismans.

This was a self-reflection he gained after the incident with Senior Brother Lu.

At that time, he hadn’t used these talismans on the Jade Mantis, giving Senior Brother Lu more opportunities to sense danger. Otherwise, even if Lu Chengfeng was extremely sensitive to changes in the surrounding wind, with the Jade Mantis’s significantly increased speed, he wouldn’t have had time to react.

In other words, he should have used useful auxiliary talismans on spirit beasts with higher combat power to maximize their effectiveness. Even

if he hid well, he wouldn’t be charging into battle. Even if

the spirit beast had high attack power, being discovered early was bad, and insufficient speed causing some plans to fail was even worse.

Sometimes, it’s time to change your thinking.

In other words, this follower was facing an upgraded version of Han Li, whose combat experience had improved.

Thus, the Jade Mantis was now almost within ten zhang of him, and the one lurking in the shadows hadn’t given any warning.

Han Li, meanwhile, continued circling the city without making a sound.

However, just as he took off and flew a hundred zhang, the opponent moved again,

preparing to follow .

But at that moment, the Jade Mantis suddenly leaped up!

Ten zhang was covered in less than a second!

A little over half a second!

That was almost the speed of a Foundation Establishment stage sword flyer.

This sudden attack sent chills down the spine of the person in the shadows.

Turning to use his Heavenly Eye Technique to find the source of the danger, he only saw two flashes of golden-blue cold light:

“No…!”

The blade’s foot sliced through what seemed like an empty space, and the next moment, two lines of blood appeared. Following closely behind was a splatter of bright red.

The color was exactly the same as the surrounding sea of flowers,

even more vibrant and vivid than many of them.

“The people of Tianque Fortress? Their ability to hide is good, but they lack real strength.”

Han Li flew back, saw the dead Tianque Fortress disciple, took his storage bag, and then cast a fireball spell.

He then used an invisibility talisman to leave.

This place wasn’t far from the west gate entrance, and there were bound to be people lurking around; he didn’t want to attract any more attention.

“Three high-grade beginner talismans, eight mid-grade beginner talismans, and over twenty low-grade talismans; three high-grade magic weapons, three mid-to-low-grade magic weapons; one mid-grade spirit stone, and twenty-two low-grade spirit stones…” Other miscellaneous pills and other items weren’t worth many spirit stones;

all the items added up were only about six hundred spirit stones.

Bah, poor bastards!

This was only the first day in the forbidden area; everyone hadn’t yet experienced much depletion. At this time, while each cultivator might not have the most abundant possessions, they were certainly well-prepared and not far behind.

Even so, the man following him still possessed only this pitiful amount of wealth, a stark contrast between his poverty and his audacity that left

Han both amused and exasperated. “With such meager resources, he dares to try and ambush me?”

He truly didn’t value his life.

“Only this high-level concealment talisman is decent; no wonder he hid so well…”

For

the rest of the time, Han Li maintained his invisibility as much as possible.

Each talisman consumed only once an hour. He had prepared six in his bag, enough for him to circle the inner city walls in the remaining time.

Therefore, he explored every resource point described in the initial draft without missing a single one.

The harvest was quite good.

After more than two hours of travel, upon reaching the northeastern corner, he had already found three main ingredients for refining the Youth-Preserving Pill. A quick check of the herbs’ age revealed that none were of insufficient age or potency.

This was thanks to the unique environment within the forbidden area.

Although the Crimson Forbidden Land has never received replenishment from the outside world, it has always been in an awkward situation of having nothing to lose and its spiritual herb production decreasing year by year. However, the environment here has always been very similar to that of ancient times, even exactly the same. This allows the cultivators of the seven sects to discover new spiritual herb seedlings during their explorations every five years.

Given enough time, these seedlings will eventually mature.

The flower area has never withered in the sixty to seventy thousand years since ancient times, and the ornamental flowers have always been vying for beauty, thanks to the ancient environment preserved within the forbidden land.

In the inner city of the forbidden land, in the northeastern region where the flower sea is located

, Han Li, using an invisibility talisman, began searching through a large flower field.

He had been very careful.

However, some things are still unavoidable.

Just as he was searching for herbs, less than eighty feet away from this flower field, two cultivators had used a ground-sinking technique to sink a small area of soil and dug a hole underneath for hiding.

The spiritual sense of a Qi Refining stage cultivator can only penetrate cracks at most, not enough to penetrate walls.

Naturally, they were unaware of the two lurking underground.

“Brother Xu, it seems this trip to the forbidden area was worthwhile. Putting aside everything else, as long as we capture the Yellow Maple Valley cultivators who are picking those strange ornamental flowers outside, even if we don’t pick any spiritual herbs later, the harvest won’t be too small.”

The middle-aged man in the Huadaowu attire looked at the young man in the Giant Sword Sect attire and chuckled.

He had risked a great deal of money to enter this place, not only to gather forbidden herbs, but also to openly kill and plunder for a fortune.

Crucially, with a little preparation, there would be no aftereffects.

Han Li was clearly their lucky break.

“Brother Wang is right. This man is sneaking around gathering herbs; he must have discovered something. Perhaps the flower garden area, which has been overlooked by the Seven Sects, holds great benefits unknown to us,”

the young man from the Giant Sword Sect nodded.

Both of them were at the thirteenth level of Qi Refining, their magical power not weak. Moreover, the two of them were working together and had the advantage of a sneak attack.

“But how exactly should we divide the spoils?”

“Whatever the other party has on them, we’ll split it 50/50, as usual. As for the secret of the flower area? Once we get out alive, we’ll inform our respective elders and receive our rewards. What do you think, brother?”

“Alright, it’s settled then.”

Judging from their conversation and demeanor, they had clearly known each other for a long time, as if they had been friends for many years.

“Heh, it’s quite a coincidence. Your Xu family of Panqiu Mountain and my Wang family of Dingyang Mountain have been linked by marriage for generations. Although our two families are thousands of miles apart and have different surnames, after more than ten generations, we are practically one family, intertwined.”

For example, one’s great-grandmother was the other’s great-great-grandmother.

“Indeed, although many members of the Xu family have joined the Giant Sword Sect, and many members of the Wang family have joined the Blade Transformation Pavilion, the relationship between the seven sects is not like that of other countries, where sects scheme against each other and the situation is delicate and tense. The seven sects are not only outwardly harmonious, but also intricately connected through numerous cultivation families.”

Even though Panqiu Mountain and Dingyang Mountain are tens of thousands of miles apart and located in different continents within the Yue Kingdom, the interests of cultivators are intertwined.

The two families are a successful example of intermarriage.

In the original timeline, the Chen family of Huangfeng Valley almost took in a son-in-law from another major cultivation family. If the two families continue to intermarry, many of their younger generations will inevitably be related.

“Shall we make our move now?”

“No rush, wait until he gets a few more feet closer, a little closer…”

The two then launched their attacks with lightning speed.

One activated a low-level high-grade Flame Talisman, instantly unleashing over thirty high-temperature fireballs the size of washbasins:

“Go!”

The other activated a low-level high-grade Earth Spike Talisman, and in the next instant, ten-foot-long stone spears burst forth from the ground, rapidly spreading like a stone forest:

“Stab!”

Because the two were simultaneously chanting their incantations underground, their magical power fluctuations were initially not apparent, causing Han Li’s five senses to be unaware of their presence until they emerged from the soil. By the time he sensed it, the two had already gained the upper hand.

Not only that, but each of them also activated a set of two Mandarin Duck Flying Swords and a small knife.

The Mandarin Duck Swords resembled two mandarin ducks playing in the water, gentle and agile yet sharp.

The Black Light Knife was a top-tier magical weapon. Forged from the core materials of a level 2 dark-attribute demon beast, it emitted a black light after activation, possessing the high-level Dark Light Technique. The Dark Light Technique not only affects the opponent’s five senses but also imbues the Black Light Blade with a corrosive spiritual energy property, allowing it to gradually corrode the spiritual energy of other elemental magical artifacts upon contact. It’s truly vicious. It can also use a collision of spiritual energy to counteract five parts of the five elemental forces with three parts of its own power—truly bizarre.

Following the talisman is the magical artifact; this wave is both a not-so-weak probing attack and a deadly sneak attack.

Being targeted with such a display, Han Li immediately jolted.

Looking up and scanning with his divine sense, he was slightly surprised:

“Two people…wait, disciples of the Giant Sword Sect and disciples of the Blade Transformation Dwelling? How did these two families end up together?”

He had been on edge the entire way, constantly vigilant of his surroundings.

He hadn’t relaxed his guard even while gathering herbs.

While the two had the initial advantage, it was only a slight one. Trying to ambush him wouldn’t be so easy.

“You’re using high-level talismans and magic weapons right off the bat, huh…you two are really going all out against me.”

“Hey, how many waves of people have been targeting me now, all for the sake of collecting the main ingredients for the Youth-Preserving Pill?”

He’s already used invisibility talismans and concealment techniques, but few are willing to give him any peace.

“Since you don’t want me to have any peace, then I’ll just have to make you my stepping stones.” Seeing the approaching force, Han Li’s gaze instantly turned icy.

Attacking him from dozens of feet away? They’re seriously underestimating his vigilance.

The next moment, a small, colorful shield appeared in front of him.

[Colorful Cloud Shield]: A top-tier rare magic weapon.

It has a high level of spirituality.

As long as magic power is injected, the Colorful Cloud Shield will automatically protect its owner, without requiring the user to expend too much mental energy to control it.

This small Colorful Cloud Shield was something he rented a month or two in advance from Dong Xuan’er after the incident with Senior Brother Lu.

It was a small reward that the little rich woman received from the big rich woman a long time ago when she broke through her cultivation.

To rent the Rainbow Cloud Shield, Senior Brother Lu had given Dong Xuan’er his Azure Dragon Flag as collateral.

Besides the Rainbow Cloud Shield, two Azure Dragon Chains emerged from his storage bag beside him, beginning to construct another defense.

His body was also covered in activated, high-level rubbings, forming a third line of defense.

In his hand, he held a mid-level defensive rubbing.

If the Azure Dragon Chains couldn’t withstand the opponent’s attacks, he would activate this mid-level Heavy Light Talisman.

At the same time

, he retreated, his movements like a leaping antelope, dodging left and right, feigning a temporary retreat. He secretly manipulated the Azure Jade Mantis, which had been hidden nearby without moving.

The little creature’s colors blended perfectly with the surrounding greenery, and with the invisibility and concealment talismans, it left no trace. Now, receiving its command, it began to slowly stealthily move towards the direction from which the two attacks had come.

“Boom boom boom…”

Half of the thirty-odd fireballs, each the size of a washbasin, launched by the Flame Talisman missed their mark, exploding on the ground and creating craters several feet in size. The rest landed on the multicolored shield and light barrier that had expanded several times in size, without causing a ripple.

The sharp earth spikes and spears, lacking their suddenness, were all dodged, but they caused devastating damage to the once vibrant flower area.

The tearing sword winds fared the same way, “buzzing” as they sliced the surrounding air and the ornamental sea of flowers into gruesome pieces, with less than half of them striking the Rainbow Cloud Shield.

However, how could the power of a low-level high-grade talisman or the sword energy of a flying sword, which lacks concentration, break through the protective barrier formed by a precious magic weapon?

Furthermore, Han Li wasn’t stubbornly standing still to take all the attacks head-on.

Although he didn’t fully reveal his Luo Yan Wind-Riding Step, he was seriously dodging.

“Such fast movement!”

On the opposite side, the young man from the Xu family of the Giant Sword Sect and the middle-aged man from the Blade Transformation Valley both narrowed their eyes.

After witnessing Han Li’s rapid reactions and swift actions, their hearts sank.

Seeing the Rainbow Cloud Shield easily deflect two high-grade talismans and the attacks of the Mandarin Duck Swords, their hearts tightened even more.

This guy from Yellow Maple Valley was definitely a tough opponent.

“This is getting tricky.”

“Then we absolutely cannot hold back.”

Kill!

The two rushed forward.

The Black Light Blade transformed into a black light, immediately following the Flame Talisman and the Earth Spike Talisman.

The closer a magic weapon is to their Qi Refining stage, the easier it is to control, and the more skillful they become. As the two drew closer, the blade and sword light indeed sharpened.

However, Han Li was prepared. Two ten-foot-long azure dragon chains had already formed a spiral tornado outside the golden light of the Rainbow Cloud Shield, protecting Han Li and the double light shield at the very center of the storm’s eye. The

black blade met the azure dragon chains head-on, one cunning, the other powerful and heavy.

One aimed to break through the surface, the other used sheer force to achieve a miracle.

Moreover, since both were top-grade magic weapons, the quality of their materials was not much different (the azure dragon chains were made of slightly better materials).

Thus, a stalemate was reached for a short time. It wasn’t

until the Mandarin Duck Swords arrived that the combined power of the two top-grade magic weapons broke through the seemingly weak azure dragon chains’ defenses, creating an opportunity for the black blade to strike.

“An opportunity.”

The middle-aged man from the Blade Transformation Pavilion’s eyes lit up. “As expected of the Mandarin

Duck Swords, which were hard-won.”

The young man from the Giant Sword Sect also showed a smug look on his face.

Weren’t his Mandarin Duck Swords also top-grade magic weapons? While a single sword might not be a match for the Black Blade, when drawn together, they could rival it:

“Brother Wang, hurry!”

“Understood.”

The middle-aged man from the Blade-Transforming Pavilion pointed to a small black dagger, and the black light on the Black Light Blade immediately intensified, then effortlessly broke through the two temporarily entangled Azure Dragon Chains, heading straight for the light shield erected by the Rainbow Cloud Shield.

“It’s done…”

The two men smiled.

However, Han Li, who was dodging and manipulating the two treasures, also smiled: They’ve taken the bait!

The next instant, he braced himself, and the light shield of the Rainbow Cloud Shield expanded by about a foot!

The Azure Dragon Chains also suddenly exerted their force, briefly shaking off the Mandarin Duck Swords before abruptly contracting without warning, rapidly constricting space inward, and in the blink of an eye, they were tightly attached to the light shield of the Rainbow Cloud Shield.

Then, the Rainbow Cloud Shield’s colorful light shield and the Azure Dragon Chains shrank simultaneously,

continuing to compress their own defenses.

Between the Azure Dragon Chains and the Rainbow Cloud Shield, the Black Light Blade, which had been leaping and bounding about, was now firmly sandwiched between the two, like a sandwich filling. It couldn’t move an inch.

“You think you can restrain my Black Light Blade like this?

What a joke. “

The middle-aged man grinned.

The black light on the small knife he controlled grew even denser, and a corrosive stench filled the air.

This was the Black Light Blade’s ability to corrode the spiritual essence of magical artifacts.

Refined iron objects would instantly corrode and rust upon contact with the corrosive black light.

Even top-tier magical artifacts were not entirely unaffected by this black light. After a major battle, it was common for the spiritual essence of top-tier magical artifacts to be damaged.

“This is… dark attribute magic? Heh, I didn’t expect to see something so good at defiling other people’s magical artifacts.” Han Li narrowed his eyes.

He could clearly feel the magic power he had applied to the Azure Dragon Chains being consumed exponentially.

Realizing this, he understood the general situation.

He reached into his storage bag and took out a mid-level talisman.

As the talisman appeared and was activated, a soft, colorful light began to fill the protective barrier around Han Li. When the light overflowed and collided with the black light, the black light strangely began to dissipate.

Upon seeing Han Li’s situation, the middle-aged man from Huadaowu was initially stunned, then his eyes widened in disbelief:

“That’s… a Purifying Light Talisman? A mid-to-low-level Purifying Light Talisman that can dispel many kinds of impure power?”

How could this person from Huangfeng Valley possess such an extremely rare talisman?

To create a Purifying Light Talisman, one first needs a talisman-making master who has cultivated the Purifying Light Technique. The prerequisite for cultivating the Purifying Light Technique is possessing the Light Spiritual Root, one of the most special spiritual roots.

Only by simultaneously meeting multiple conditions such as the Purifying Light Technique, a talisman-making master, and a Light Spiritual Root can such a special talisman as the Purifying Light Talisman appear.

The Purifying Light Talisman is precisely the nemesis of those exotic treasures that specifically corrupt people’s magical artifacts and even magical weapons.

But the question arises:

how did such a rare and precious talisman end up in the hands of the Huangfeng Valley cultivator?

Does the other party have a powerful background?

As for where Han Li’s Purifying Light Talisman came from,

it wasn’t a gift from Fairy Hongfu, but rather provided by Dong Xuan’er.

This was a contingency plan Han Li had prepared in advance when considering Duobao Nu, one of the Twin Heroes of the Hidden Moon Sect. The Purifying Light Talisman is an extremely rare and precious item for Qi Refining cultivators and most Foundation Establishment cultivators. However, for the Hong Fu lineage, there might be a way to obtain it. And there was a compelling reason to acquire some and keep some on hand.

The reason is simple: Hong Fu Fairy’s rival in the Core Formation stage was Duobao Nu’s grandmother. The peak of the mid-Core Formation stage in the Hidden Moon Sect possessed a powerful ancient treasure specifically designed to corrupt other people’s magic weapons.

For Dong Xuan’er, the original benchmark was naturally Duobao Nu.

In short, the grudges and feuds between previous generations should be carefully considered by future generations.

Therefore, long ago, Hong Fu Fairy paved the way for her grandniece. Just like the path Duobao Nu’s grandmother paved for her, such as the top-grade magic weapon “Azure Condensation Mirror” and the rare top-grade magic weapon “Red Rust Pearl.” These are all top-tier replicas of ancient treasures…

The Azure Condensation Mirror needs no introduction, and the Crimson Rust Pearl, capable of destroying magical artifacts, is equally priceless.

Since Han Li knew that Duobao Nu of the Hidden Moon Sect would participate in this trial and would be carrying such a powerful top-tier magical artifact as the Crimson Rust Pearl, how could he not take precautions?

The Purifying Light Talisman was prepared for this.

However, before it could be used on Duobao Nu, it landed on the middle-aged man of the Blade Transformation Pavilion.

This kind of talisman, like the mid-level Vajra Talisman and ordinary talisman treasures, can be used continuously until its spiritual power is exhausted, at which point it becomes a worthless piece of paper. Using some now to counter the black blade is perfect.

Thus, the black light rapidly dissipated and faded.

Afterwards, no matter how the middle-aged man of the Blade Transformation Pavilion activated the small black blade, this exquisite top-tier magical artifact only trembled in the cracks, unable to break free from its restraints.

“Hmph. Want to defile my magical artifact? This black blade alone is not enough,” Han Li sneered inwardly.

At the same time, it accelerated the process of eroding the alien magic power on the small black knife.

“My knife…”

The middle-aged man from the Blade Transformation Pavilion was extremely anxious.

He thought of rushing forward to forcibly take it back, because the closer he was, the greater the force he could control. However, he was pulled back by the young man from the Greatsword Sect who was still wielding the Mandarin Duck Twin Swords in his offensive.

“Brother Wang, hold on.”

But Han Li was already preparing to take back the black knife

, whose struggle had been halved. As long as the alien magic power residing on the black blade was exhausted and it stopped struggling, this top-tier magic weapon would be his for the taking:

“Thank you for the treasure, fellow Daoist.”

He was a polite person and had to express his gratitude verbally.

Intentionally exposing a flaw that doesn’t even exist is a common tactic used by predators.

It’s common in mid-to-high-level battles, but rarely seen in fights between low-level cultivators. This is because low-level cultivators may not have enough experience in using flaws as traps, and often small flaws turn into real blunders.

But he was different.

He had a mid-level talisman as a backup, and he had recited the incantation down to the last note, ready to activate it at any moment. Moreover, he had a protective shield formed by a low-level high-grade defensive talisman as a precaution. He had room for trial and error.

Besides, he and Dong Xuan’er had practiced this many times before, and practice made perfect.

This time, he seized the opportunity even better.

“Damn it!”

The middle-aged man angrily took out another excellent high-grade magic weapon and was about to step forward.

Unsurprisingly, he was stopped by the young man again:

“Brother Wang, calm down. This is clearly meant to provoke you.”

However, on the other side, the struggle of the little black knife was weakening, and Han Li had already begun to sheathe his sword.

“Fellow Daoist of Huangfeng Valley, how about we shake hands and make peace, turning hostility into friendship? While it was wrong of me and Brother Xu to ambush you, we’ll compensate you with whatever spirit stones you need. I also have a spirit herb here; it’ll definitely fetch a considerable reward from our sect. Moreover, I’ll remember this favor; my Wang family of Huadaowu will certainly remember your kindness.” The middle-aged man pleaded.

“Go dream about it.”

Anything is possible in dreams.

Shake hands and make peace? Turn hostility into friendship? What a joke!

This is an attack, a matter of life and death; are you playing house?

You’re kidding.

The middle-aged man gritted his teeth: “Then what do you intend to do?”

Han Li didn’t answer.

He wasn’t a magnanimous person.

He had already made up his mind: to seize the treasure and kill, to vent his hatred.

The Azure Dragon Chains shrank and tightened again, trapping the Black Light Blade within them, preventing it from even trembling.

Following closely were several low-level spirit-sealing talismans. Any magical artifact affixed with this talisman will have its residing magical power quickly dispersed. It is one of the commonly used low-level talismans for retrieving lost treasures.

Upon seeing this, how could the middle-aged man remain calm?

“Give me back my Black Light Blade…”

“Brother Wang…calm down…”

“Get out of my way. Calm down, calm down, where’s my grandmother?” The middle-aged man shoved the young man away violently, throwing down a hateful remark: “It’s not your treasure that’s been lost, it’s my treasure, Wang Mazi’s treasure! Of course you can calm down!”

Losing his most reliable and dependable treasure within the forbidden area meant all his subsequent plans would be overturned.

The price was too high.

Don’t talk to him about calming down now; just help him retrieve his treasure, otherwise, you won’t even be relatives anymore.

“You from Yellow Maple Valley, you deserve to die!”

The middle-aged man from Huadaowu was extremely angry, wishing he could tear Han Li to pieces.

He still had one more treasure; at close range, it should be able to break through the entanglement of the two chain-like magical artifacts and free the Black Blade.

But he had to be quick.

Just as he sped through a grove of flowers, approaching the optimal twenty-zhang range for his attack,

“Brother Wang, be careful!”

came the Xu family youth’s exclamation from behind.

The Mandarin Duck Twin Swords abandoned their entanglement with the Azure Dragon Chains and flew straight towards him like a chasing star.

At that moment, his five senses screamed, and goosebumps rose spontaneously all over his body.

But the event happened too suddenly, leaving him no time to react: a cold glint flashed, so fast that he only had time to turn his head and see a golden-jade afterimage darting out from the side. The afterimage approached with incredible speed, a pair of bladed feet flashing with cold light magnified, magnified, magnified in his pupils…

and then, his vision began to spin.

“Thud.”

His head hit the ground.

He had actually been beheaded by a top-tier Azure Jade Mantis in one strike?

“Brother Wang…”

The youth secretly regretted that he had hesitated for a second and failed to keep up in time.

If he had caught up, the top-tier magic shield surrounding him would have automatically protected the two of them, thus saving this relative who had previously shown him so much kindness.

Unfortunately.

“You little thief, prepare to die!”

The young man from the Giant Sword Sect was also filled with rage. In a fit of anger and hatred, he didn’t even consider retreating, instead intending to continue sparring with Han Li.

Of course, the young man did have reason to be proud.

After all, he was among the top twenty in the Giant Sword Sect’s competition.

With a set of top-tier flying swords and a top-tier magic shield in hand, he didn’t think he would be easily killed. Moreover, he had several low- to high-tier talismans, a mid-tier defensive talisman, and a mid-tier auxiliary talisman, enough for him to escape quickly if things went wrong. His

previous setback was simply due to his underestimation and carelessness.

Well, his real purpose in taking the initiative was actually to retrieve Brother Wang’s storage bag as soon as possible!

Looking at his brother’s corpse, he felt a deep pain.

Looking at his elder brother’s lost storage bag, his heart ached even more:

“Brother Wang, I will avenge you.”

May your spirit in heaven lend me a hand.

“Heh.”

Han Li snorted softly, not uttering any more words.

Before him, whether the young man escaped or not, he was already a dead man.

Not only did he ambush him, but he also threatened to kill him. This kind of grudge could not be resolved outside; it had to be a fight to the death. Otherwise, his mind would not be at peace.

So, as he retrieved the small black knife, he patted the spirit beast pouch at his waist, releasing a colossal beast over ten feet tall—the Fiery Boar. As soon as the Fiery Boar appeared, he leaped onto the giant’s back and controlled it to launch a fierce attack. To the side, accompanied by the Azure Jade Mantis, in front of him, the Rainbow Cloud Shield remained operational, and two Azure Dragon Chains, one on the left and one on the right, like two dragons peeking out, coiled around the flying Mandarin Duck Swords.

The overall momentum was quite impressive.

As he passed the corpse of the middle-aged man from Huadaowu, he casually pulled out a storage bag.

With another wave, a fireball struck the body, obliterating all evidence.

The young man from the Giant Sword Sect felt a chill run down his spine and

turned to flee without looking back. He was so hasty that he didn’t even have time to retrieve his twin swords before activating a mid-level Wood Escape Talisman and fleeing for his life.

He knew very well that his top-tier shield couldn’t withstand the impact of a powerful top-tier spirit beast like the Ganglie Boar.

A direct confrontation would mean certain

death. And a rather humiliating one at that.

“This guy from Huangfeng Valley was actually hiding his strength? Damn it, damn it…”

So, he decisively used the Wood Escape Talisman, allowing him to move swiftly through vegetation.

Wherever there was vegetation, the Wood Escape Talisman could carry the activated person, allowing them to disappear into the trees and quickly travel thirty miles.

Of course, only the most powerful individuals could travel dozens of miles in one go using Wood Escape.

He had used this talisman twice, and the remaining spiritual power could only help him escape for ten miles at most.

Fortunately, ten miles was enough.

Tracking methods at the Qi Refining stage couldn’t cover that far.

“Trying to escape?”

Han Li retrieved the Mandarin Duck Swords, now powerless without their master’s mana and divine control, extracted a portion of their exotic mana, and immediately transferred it into a mid-level tracking talisman.

Then, he quickly summoned his spirit beast and used a mid-level wood-escape talisman to follow.

He was a man who didn’t let revenge linger.

If the other party escaped today, he’d change his name.

“Today, Han Li demands an explanation!”

…

A quarter of an hour later.

On a large tree twenty miles away,

a corpse hung high.

It was the young man from the Giant Sword Sect.

Before his death, he was filled with disbelief:

“Why couldn’t a mid-level wood-escape talisman help me escape?”

“The other party wasn’t a Core Formation cultivator, how could they have tracked me so quickly?”

Although Han Li wasn’t a Core Formation expert, he possessed a mid-to-late Core Formation cultivator who had personally drawn a mid-level tracking talisman.

After receiving the storage bag, they also gained a pile of various items worth at least a thousand spirit stones.

Adding the storage bag from the middle-aged man in Huadaowu, along with the top-grade magic weapon dagger and the pair of mandarin duck swords, their total net worth was very close to three thousand spirit stones.

“Truly impressive. No wonder the Blood Trial is so attractive to the most elite Qi Refining disciples from various sects, such as Feng Yue of Tianque Fortress, Zhong Wu of Lingshou Mountain, the old man surnamed Li from Huadaowu, and the Zhang family Taoists of Qingxu Sect, who act as deadbeats. No wonder these guys are fighting over the so-called forbidden spiritual herbs in the Blood Forbidden Land. Their main purpose is probably to kill and plunder without much trouble to enrich themselves…”

Killing an elite from another sect could yield hundreds or even thousands of spirit stones worth of various supplies.

Even if the value diminished after reselling, they could still secure seventy or eighty percent of the profit.

Not to mention, killing two or three so-called elites with top-grade magic weapons, and then casually taking out a few thugs and bystanders. Therefore, obtaining supplies worth several thousand spirit stones in a single trip might be an exaggeration, but obtaining items worth three or four thousand spirit stones is not impossible.

Such a profit…

well, let’s not even talk about a profit of three or four thousand every five years. Even a profit of two thousand every five years would tempt most Foundation Establishment cultivators to take action, let alone a Qi Refining cultivator who is smart and powerful but lacks a strong background and can only fight, struggle, and risk their lives?

If they do this a few more times, and as long as these people don’t fail each time, after a few more times, the merit accumulated from harvesting forbidden spiritual herbs will be enough to exchange for two or three Foundation Establishment Pills. In terms of hidden wealth, they could easily accumulate tens of thousands.

Once they reach Foundation Establishment, they’ll immediately become hidden millionaires among Foundation Establishment cultivators.

As for the spiritual root issue?

For ordinary people with three spiritual roots, one Foundation Establishment Pill is definitely insufficient for Foundation Establishment, so what about taking two or three in a row?

“Tsk, quite the money-maker. No wonder Feng Yue, despite having no significant background, managed to obtain a small talisman treasure.”

Feng Yue of Tianque Fortress, with a very ordinary background, possessed a talisman treasure. And the value of this talisman treasure was comparable to, or even higher than, a Foundation Establishment Pill in the Yue Kingdom.

This was clearly abnormal.

The real reason was the substantial profits Feng Yue, the “madman,” brought from slaughtering his sect’s disciples in the Blood Forbidden Land.

He had already entered twice.

This was the third time.

The wealth he accumulated from his previous two and even his first entry might have given him the financial means to buy ordinary talismans worth thousands of spirit stones each.

“Interesting, very interesting…”

“Was that guy a deliberate act by the Seven Sects, or an unexpected product of serendipity?”

Han Li smiled.

Then he thought more deeply.

“Each sect’s harvest of spirit herbs is always the largest and best brought out by those troublemakers. I suppose what the Core Formation experts find most troublesome are these troublemakers who create chaos? But equally, they also love these outstanding individuals who can generate profit and value in the forbidden area trials…”

In other words, as long as the troublemakers are still around, the trials of each sect have a basic guarantee.

Considering the significant profits brought by the troublemakers, the trouble they cause is insignificant to Core Formation cultivators. The key is that the troublemakers’ actions involve the interests of the Core Formation experts themselves. Therefore, in the past Blood Trials, the Core Formation cultivators of various sects not only didn’t suppress their own troublemakers, but instead encouraged more troublemakers to actively participate in the Blood Trials, bringing more spiritual herb profits to their sects and the leading elders. They were

just cannon fodder in the Qi Refining stage, not worth mentioning

. Even if they died, it was because they were less skilled.

This is how the “debt dodger economy” took root in the Blood Forbidden Land.

…

Not long after Han Li left,

a barefoot giant wearing the robes of the Giant Sword Sect appeared under the tree.

He had followed the commotion caused by the intense spiritual energy clash a quarter of an hour earlier.

Seeing the tragic state of his fellow disciple, the barefoot giant’s eyes showed not anger or pity, but rather a hint of eagerness:

“Good skill! Even the Xu family’s son was killed. This person’s methods are extraordinary; I must catch up and spar with him.”

Saying this, he ignored the young man’s corpse hanging in the tree and chased after the path Han Li had taken.

(End of Chapter)