A Mortal’s Journey to Immortality: Wang Yu’s Rebirth as the Reincarnation Dao Ancestor - Chapter 73

Chapter 73 Encountering Danger

Two more hours passed before Han Li finally returned to the south city wall.

Along the way, he collected several more materials for refining the Youth-Preserving Pill.

With this, he had collected all the main ingredients for the pill, only lacking the auxiliary ingredients which weren’t too difficult to gather.

Because of the time constraints and his desire to avoid attracting too much attention, he knew there were still many hidden flowers in the various flower fields.

“I’ll sell this information to the sect later.”

He could get some spirit stones.

Selling the information to high-level female cultivators who wanted the Youth-Preserving Pill might yield even more profit.

Just then,

two figures came into Han Li’s view from the shadows:

“Is that brother and sister?!”

One figure was tall and imposing, comparable to Qu Hun Zhang Tie. The other was petite and delicate, looking like a girl next door. These two were none other than Han Yunyi and Han Yunzhi, the brother and sister.

After much deliberation, especially considering the subsequent plans and the need to increase the success rate, he exhaled a breath of stale air and appeared in the siblings’ field of vision.

“A demon beast…”

“No, it’s a person!”

When the older brother, Han Yunyi, saw the figure suddenly appear in the distance, his eyes widened, his expression fierce.

The powerful aura of magic combined with his imposing figure was quite intimidating.

Han Yunzhi’s face tightened, her expression wary, and she immediately reached for her storage bag to retrieve her top-tier silk handkerchief magic artifact.

This area was several miles from the south city wall, but only a hundred feet from the ring-shaped mountain in the central area that was perpetually shrouded in mist. Occasionally, demon beasts would descend from the mist-shrouded mountain. Therefore, at first, they were mistaken for demon beasts coming down the mountain. It wasn’t

until the mist suddenly dissipated that the siblings realized the figure was human, not a demon.

“Huh? It’s you, the cultivator who sold me the pills at the Tai Nan Gathering?”

Han Yunzhi’s memory was clear; upon seeing Han Li’s face, she immediately recalled the events of a month before and after the Ascension Conference a few years ago.

Her hostility immediately lessened considerably.

“The Tai Nan Gathering three years ago…?” Han Yunyi was taken aback.

“Brother Han, Miss Han, it’s been many years. You both remain as impressive as ever. I congratulate you both on successfully joining the Spirit Beast Mountain, and especially congratulate Brother Han on your great progress in cultivation, becoming a master of the thirteenth level.” Han Li also smiled.

While speaking, he didn’t deliberately approach, maintaining a safe distance of mutual trust with the two.

Perhaps sensing Han Li’s sincerity, or perhaps truly remembering the kindness shown to him at the Tai Nan Gathering, the burly man no longer harbored the intense hostility he had shown a moment ago. He suddenly looked up, blinking repeatedly at Han Li.

Then the man slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing:

“I remember now, you’re that little brother. The one who sold pills to my sister, the one who deliberately included a few high-quality Red Jade Pills…”

“Yes, yes, it’s you, it’s you! Back then, thanks to you, little brother, you sold my sister those pills that could strengthen her foundation and enhance her magic power. Thanks to you, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have been able to break through to the eleventh level of Qi Refining before the Ascension Assembly, and it would have been very difficult to get a ranking…”

At the Ascension Assembly, two of his opponents were not simple.

One was comparable to him before his breakthrough.

The other was only slightly weaker than him after his breakthrough.

If he hadn’t received the pills from the one in front of him, he would not only have missed his chance to enter the sect and get a Foundation Establishment Pill, but he might also have been seriously injured during the Ascension Assembly, and his sister would have suffered as a result.

It was all due to the unconscious kindness of the person before them that the brother and sister had been helped:

“Brother, thank you so much for the medicine you gave me that day.”

Han Yunyi knelt down without warning, kowtowing three times in a row, leaving Han Li somewhat bewildered.

“It’s just a few pills, we were just having a fair trade, no need for such formalities.” Han Li waved his hand.

Saying too much is called expressing gratitude.

Not mentioning it, but keeping it in your heart, will make the memory deeper and the impression better.

“Back then, we were both rogue cultivators, and Miss Han looks so much like my little sister, which made me feel a bit more approachable and warm in this cruel world of cultivation. It’s a pity that my little sister doesn’t have spiritual roots, otherwise I wouldn’t be traveling alone. So, when I saw you two, I gave you a few extra pills.” Han Li touched his nose and smiled knowingly.

“I see.”

So she also has a sister.

Han Yunyi’s goodwill towards the young man before her increased greatly.

Han Yunzhi’s goodwill towards Han Li also increased greatly.

A sister with an older brother… is the happiest.

No wonder this person was willing to show kindness to her?!

The root of the problem lies here.

“Senior Brother Han, is there anything my brother and I can do for you?” The girl was very perceptive and went straight to the point.

“I would like to exchange maps of the forbidden areas with you two,” Han Li said earnestly.

The forbidden area maps he currently possessed were only those of Yellow Maple Valley, Blade Transformation Dock, Giant Sword Sect, and Heavenly Fortress. Among them, the map provided by the disciples of Heavenly Fortress was the most ordinary, not much more comprehensive than the public map provided by Yellow Maple Valley. The maps provided by Blade Transformation Dock and Giant Sword Sect, on the other hand, were much more detailed. Some areas not marked on the forbidden area maps provided by Yellow Maple Valley were specially marked on their maps.

Clearly, these were high-quality maps that had been continuously improved after multiple trials in the Crimson Forbidden Area.

Such privately completed maps were not forcibly reclaimed by the sect and were considered private spoils.

If an individual successfully established their foundation, they could sell them back to the sect later. If an

individual failed to establish their foundation, the map advantage would be a hidden advantage when entering the Crimson Forbidden Area again.

The sect still encouraged the surviving disciples from the last expedition to re-enter the forbidden area to explore and gather spiritual herbs.

“Brother Han, are we just exchanging maps and information?”

That’s all?

This greatly surprised Han Yunyi.

“Our fair exchange of information already violates the sect’s rules,” Han Li replied with a slight shake of his head and a smile.

The Han siblings naturally wouldn’t refuse such a small matter, especially since the information exchange would benefit their future exploration of the central area. Why not?

Once the deal was struck,

Han Li walked away.

Han Yunzhi then let out a heavy sigh and looked at her brother:

“Brother, Brother Han is truly a kind and understanding person.”

“Yes, he helped us so much back then, he did us a great favor, but this Brother Han took it all so easily, showing no intention of repaying the debt. Otherwise, we would be in a real dilemma…”

If Han Li made any slightly excessive demands, they would be ungrateful if they disagreed.

If they agreed, it would not only harm their personal interests but also significantly damage the interests of their fellow disciples and the sect, which would make them uneasy.

But exchanging maps and information was not such a difficult matter. Such small things were extremely common in the forbidden area. Among the disciples, besides competition and fighting, there was also cooperation and mutual benefit.

Taking out more spiritual herbs and medicines was the greatest return to the sect.

The so-called rules could be put aside for the time being.

“Sister, it was too hasty of you to risk coming in this time. This place is full of dangers. There are plenty of experts like Brother Han at the thirteenth level. Even I, your brother, may not be able to protect you completely…” Han Yunyi said to Han Yunzhi with a slightly worried and doting tone.

“Brother, don’t say that. We’ve been inseparable since we first met, and we’re bound to be together through thick and thin. How could I possibly let you venture into the Crimson Forbidden Land alone? We have to reach Foundation Establishment together. Besides, I might not succeed with just one Foundation Establishment Pill…”

“You’re a little genius with dual Water and Wood spiritual roots. One Foundation Establishment Pill gives you a very good chance of reaching Foundation Establishment in one go. Even if you fail, you can get another one in the sect’s grand competition in a few years, and you’ll definitely be able to reach Foundation Establishment.” Han Yunyi was very certain of this.

His little sister was now seventeen years old and at the eleventh level of Qi Refining.

Once she had perfected her basic cultivation techniques, and then took the Foundation Establishment Pill from the sect’s aptitude assessment, her chances of reaching Foundation Establishment in one go were very high.

But after he failed to reach Foundation Establishment the first time he took the pill more than half a year ago, his sister actually wanted him to take the other Foundation Establishment Pill that she had obtained during the aptitude assessment to try to reach Foundation Establishment?!

How could he, as her brother, ruin his sister’s path to immortality?

His sister’s love moved him, but also put immense pressure on him, leading him to resolve to venture into the Crimson Forbidden Land.

So, he secretly signed up.

However, to his surprise, his sister somehow found out and secretly signed up as well.

By the time he realized something was wrong, it was too late.

Fortunately, his sister was well-prepared, having obtained both a basic and a high-level Spirit Fusion Talisman.

Unfortunately, they failed to take advantage of the talisman’s 50% probability of teleporting to the same location within the forbidden land. But what was particularly fortunate was that the two siblings were very close, so close that he found his silly sister in just over an hour:

“Xiao Zhi, you can’t be so reckless in the future.”

“Hmph, who told you to stop listening to me now that you have some cultivation? I told you to use my Foundation Establishment Pill to try to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage again. If you succeed, wouldn’t my channels for obtaining Foundation Establishment Pills increase? With a Foundation Establishment stage brother helping me, I don’t believe that dual spiritual roots can’t overcome that hurdle. But you refused, insisting on secretly signing up for the Blood Trial, so of course I had no choice but to come along.”

Han Yunzhi was actually quite helpless.

If her brother were smart, she would be more at ease.

Unfortunately, her brother’s brain had been damaged by a fever when he was young. Sometimes he was bright and quick-witted, no different from normal cultivators of the same age, like now. But sometimes he was dull and simple-minded, like when he charged recklessly through the Tai Nan Small Gathering, knocking over countless stalls and causing much dissatisfaction, just like a naughty child.

In this situation, how could she let her brother enter the Crimson Forbidden Land alone?

She had to come along.

“Let’s not talk about this anymore. Let’s find an entrance that can penetrate deep into the central ring-shaped basin. Once the Moon Sun Pearl is used, we can’t fall behind.”

“Yes, this time we’re sure to have a great harvest.”

The two were about to continue their

journey when a barefoot man carrying a huge silver sword appeared in their field of vision. He was less than fifty feet away from them.

It was the barefoot man from the Giant Sword Sect.

“I just heard you two politely offering a Foundation Establishment Pill?”

Although the voice carried by the wind was blurry and he couldn’t hear it clearly, he was certain that the brother and sister were carrying a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Not only that, but there was also an elite among them with considerable cultivation, which further aroused his fighting spirit.

He was really lucky today.

“It’s that guy from the Giant Sword Sect…”

Seeing the barefoot man, Han Yunzhi panicked. She secretly regretted her lack of foresight, saying things she shouldn’t have while talking to her brother.

As for why she hadn’t considered using a soundproof talisman, it was mainly because Han Li had just hidden in this area, and where a cultivator had hidden, there usually wouldn’t be another one. Otherwise, the two of them would definitely not be able to stay quiet.

As a result, she miscalculated.

Han Yunyi also became nervous.

A person’s reputation precedes them; the person opposite them was one of the top five in the Giant Sword Sect’s competition, extremely powerful.

Even if the two of them joined forces, they might not be able to gain the upper hand.

“Let’s go, sister.”

The two siblings were decisive.

Feeling that they were no match, they immediately admitted defeat.

However, the barefoot man surnamed Yan disagreed with their escape:

“You two can escape, but do you want everyone to know that you possess Foundation Establishment Pills?”

This was a blatant threat.

“You…”

The two siblings were furious, and their fleeing steps suddenly stopped.

They weren’t without the ability to fight, but they didn’t want to fight a powerful figure to the death before the central area opened; it wasn’t worth it.

However, if the barefoot giant pressed them so aggressively, they weren’t incapable of trying to silence him.

Two against one, the advantage was in their favor.

Furthermore, Han Yunyi was confident that she could already fight the top ten in the Spirit Beast Mountain competition to a standstill. Even with her sister’s help, it would be difficult to kill the barefoot giant, but letting him know that they weren’t pushovers and that they were powerful enough to prove themselves.

“That’s right, let’s have a duel later. If you two win, we’ll pretend we never met, and I won’t reveal that you’re carrying a Foundation Establishment Pill.”

“But if you two lose, then the Foundation Establishment Pill is mine. I won’t harm you, and I’ll let you leave. What do you two think?”

The barefoot giant surnamed Yan said with a smile, spreading his hands.

“Nothing much,”

Han Yunzhi retorted.

She grabbed her older brother, Han Yunyi, and prepared to flee.

But the next moment, Han Yunyi changed his expression, becoming simple and dazed, his eyes exceptionally clear. His gentle aura could be felt even from twenty feet away.

“Sister, let’s not leave, okay? This man is so fierce, he’s trying to bully you, I want to beat him up.”

Han Yunyi pointed at the barefoot giant, his voice still rough, yet now carrying a childlike innocence.

Han Yunzhi, seeing this, thought to herself,

“Oh no.”

He’s having an episode.

Her brother is usually very polite and shrewd, but he can’t be provoked. Once provoked or anxious, he becomes seemingly simple-minded, but actually really wants to fight.

At this point, not even ten oxen could move him.

She had never been able to move him even once in her life.

In short, a fight was inevitable until the opponent retreated.

What to do?

After taking a deep breath, she gritted her teeth and made a decision:

“Senior Brother Yan, I’ll give you my Foundation Establishment Pill. Please spare my brother and me, okay? Don’t worry, I promise I won’t say a word about the Foundation Establishment Pill. We only entered the forbidden area to gather as many spiritual herbs as possible and return safely. And with the Foundation Establishment Pill, you won’t even need to risk your life in the central area.”

“Little girl, you’re giving me that Foundation Establishment Pill for free?”

The barefoot man was extremely surprised:

“Isn’t everyone entering the forbidden area for the Foundation Establishment Pill? And you’re just going to give it to me like this?”

“Only when we’re alive and in good condition can we venture into the central area to obtain enough spiritual herbs. If we fight you, even if my brother and I manage to escape unscathed, our magical power and condition will definitely plummet. How will we be able to enter the central area to gather herbs then?”

What’s the point of entering the Crimson Forbidden Area if we can’t gather herbs?

Han Yunzhi understood the stakes perfectly.

Anyone with a normal brain would have agreed.

Obtaining a Foundation Establishment Pill out of nowhere is like a windfall. To risk it all would be foolish.

However,

the barefoot giant the Han Yunzhi siblings encountered was a rather abstract character.

“No way, I have to fight you, I have to have a match!”

Han Yunzhi: “…”

Han Yunyi: “…”

Someone in the shadows: “…”

Is this guy out of his mind?

“Alright, alright, today I’ll see what this legendary martial arts fanatic from the Giant Sword Sect is capable of!”

Han Yunzhi summoned a level 1 high-grade spirit eagle and a high-grade white wolf.

These were the spirit beasts she had nurtured over the past three years.

At the same time, she held a top-grade magic artifact handkerchief, a valuable defensive treasure.

Han Yunyi summoned three level 1 high-grade tigers with piercing eyes.

At the same time, he held a top-grade magic artifact greatsword.

The clash between the two was imminent.

“Trying to win by numbers?” The barefoot giant was unfazed and began to stride forward.

…

At the same time.

The rest of the forbidden area was also in chaos, with various scenes of fighting unfolding.

Almost all the city gates were blocked off by the various sects’ outlaws.

For example, the western gate.

A young man named Han Tianya from Huadaowu had single-handedly killed five or six cultivators from various sects, including two elites at the thirteenth level of Qi Refining. He then posted their bodies on the city wall next to the gate, for other cultivators who wanted to venture deeper into the central area to gather spiritual herbs to see.

In reality, this was a warning to the other sects’ cultivators, telling competitors and slackers to

think twice before continuing .

This tactic did indeed scare away several people.

At least when alone, they dared not force their way through this city gate, fearing they would incur the wrath of the demonic Han Tianya.

“Hmph, that scoundrel Han Tianya is truly vicious and ruthless. Killing people is one thing, but hanging the corpses on the wall to establish his authority. Doesn’t he fear inciting public outrage? Does he think the other cultivators will fear him like this?”

A man and a woman arrived.

The man was a middle-aged man in his forties.

The woman was a beautiful young woman.

They were none other than the siblings Chen Qiaoshan and Chen Qiaoqian.

“Little sister, now you know how cruel the forbidden area is, right?” Chen Qiaoshan said gently.

“Big brother, he hung the corpses of two of our Huangfeng Valley senior brothers on the city wall! Aren’t you angry?” Chen Qiaoqian looked very angry, her face icy cold.

“That’s because those two were too weak and too reckless. If they had waited a little longer and gathered more fellow disciples, how could they have been so easily killed by Han Tianya? Although the Fusion Talisman brought us some convenience, it also made some people lose their composure, thinking that traveling in pairs would greatly increase their safety… Little did they know that when they developed this idea of relying on their fellow disciples, death was very close to them.”

Chen Qiaoshan persuaded them patiently.

Chen Qiaoqian also seemed to understand.

Her elder brother was right; the two senior brothers who died were too eager for quick success. If they had just waited a little longer, waited for one or two more fellow disciples to arrive, and entered the city gate together with three or four people, what could Han Tianya do even if he had help? He

couldn’t possibly be so impulsive as to start a group fight with the small team from Huangfeng Valley before the central area was even open, could he?

Even if Han Tianya himself was willing, the cultivators from Huadaowu around him wouldn’t be.

And Han Tianya alone couldn’t easily deal with three or four elite members of the sect who weren’t weak.

“Alright, let’s go in.”

Ignoring the figures hanging on the city wall, Chen Qiaoshan led the way and stepped inside.

“It’s the eldest son of the Chen family, a powerful cultivation clan. He’s gone in with another female disciple from Huangfeng Valley.”

“Will he be stopped by Han Tianya and those lunatics?”

“Are you stupid? That’s Huangfeng Valley’s strongest talent this time. It’s said he got into the top three in Huangfeng Valley’s sect competition. Han Tianya, that freakish transvestite, is powerful, but he might not be a match for the eldest son of the Chen family.”

“…”

Afterwards, no sounds of battle came from inside the city gate, no clashes between cultivators.

Only a muttered curse could be heard.

Han Tianya had left; he’d turned tail and fled the moment he saw Chen Qiaoshan.

He’d killed two people from Huangfeng Valley; he couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t displease Young Master Chen. He alone couldn’t possibly defeat Chen Qiaoshan. The difference in strength was too great.

“Brother Han?”

A Qi Refining 13th level elite from Huadaowu was stunned.

He had never seen Han Tianya, a seed-level elite of the sect, so cowardly.

What was a seed-level?

It was a powerful Qi Refining cultivator who could withstand a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s attack without being instantly killed.

Han Tianya was that kind of formidable figure.

“Brother Han, let’s join forces, why be afraid of Young Master Chen?” The Huadaowu elite also chased after him.

“You know nothing.”

A young man with a delicate face, who always liked to raise his pinky finger, glared at his fellow disciple. This guy had no idea of the Chen family’s prestige, nor did he understand the significance of the eldest son of the Chen family wielding the Golden Book and Silver Pen.

The Chen family, as one of the super-powerful families in the Yue Kingdom, didn’t take the “super” title lightly.

To be considered a powerful family, one’s ancestors must have produced a Core Formation stage cultivator

. To be called a super-powerful family, one’s ancestors must have produced a Nascent Soul stage ancestor.

One of the Chen family’s ancestors was a powerful Nascent Soul stage expert, and it was rumored to be a top-tier mid-Nascent Soul stage expert.

The reason the magic weapon “Golden Book and Silver Pen” enjoyed such a reputation among the many magic weapons in the Tiannan region was because of that ancestor of the Chen family.

The replica Golden Book and Silver Pen also belonged to the top-grade magic weapon category.

Crucially, the two top-grade magic weapons were a set!

This made Chen Qiaoshan’s strength unparalleled among the Qi Refining stage cultivators; few of the young Qi Refining prodigies from the seven sects of the Yue Kingdom could rival the eldest son of the Chen family. Of course, there were stronger Qi Refining stage experts; there were more than ten people at the same level as Chen Qiaoshan.

However, these ten-odd people definitely didn’t include Han Tianya.

Ask him to fight Chen Qiaoshan to the death?

Was he out of his mind?

…

Northern part of the Forbidden Area.

At the entrance to the North Gate.

An ugly, burly man from Spirit Beast Mountain was blocking the gate.

Seeing a figure approaching from the woods outside the gate, he immediately assumed another fool was trying to sneak through.

“Good, my babies can have another blood meal.”

The ugly man’s name was Zhong Wu, one of the culprits arranged by Spirit Beast Mountain for every Blood Trial.

His strength was quite good.

He had raised seven or eight high-level spirit beasts, and they weren’t the worst of the high-level demon beasts; on the contrary, they were top-tier.

The spiritual power of each spirit beast he raised was comparable to a cultivator at the eleventh or twelfth level of Qi Refining. Two of them were close to reaching the top level of Level 1, even comparable to two regular Qi Refining Level 13 elites.

This guy’s solo actions were essentially equivalent to having a bodyguard team of seven or eight Qi Refining Level 11 or 12 cultivators with him.

This was the main reason why Ugly Han was considered a seed-level expert of Spirit Beast Mountain.

“Huh? This person looks somewhat familiar?”

Zhong Wu narrowed his eyes unconsciously as he looked at the figure outside the city gate.

Even from a distance, the newcomer gave him a chilling and fierce feeling, even making this fellow expert feel goosebumps.

Upon closer inspection, four pairs of eyes immediately met:

“Old Feng?”

“Old Zhong? You’re the one guarding the north?”

This Old Feng was none other than Feng Yue, the Madman of Tianque Fortress.

“Old Feng, why is your killing intent so strong? Did you pull off something big?”

Zhong Wu probed.

Feng Yue frowned, saying nothing more.

Originally, after he followed and ambushed a female cultivator from the Hidden Moon Sect, his wealth skyrocketed after obtaining her storage bag—something to be happy about. After all, as he expected, he also discovered an unconsumed Foundation Establishment Pill.

It was because of this pill that he targeted one of the Hidden Moon Sect’s twin prodigies.

The two women had participated in the Hidden Moon Sect’s ten-year grand competition a few years ago and even won a prize, becoming famous overnight. They naturally received a Foundation Establishment Pill then. However, their cultivation hadn’t improved much over the years, which was very strange. There was only one explanation: they hadn’t consumed the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Otherwise, their cultivation shouldn’t be at the peak of the twelfth level of Qi Refining, but rather the thirteenth level.

Therefore, he decisively made his move

and, by sheer luck, succeeded.

But what he never expected was that his good deed was witnessed by the old man surnamed Li from the Transformation Blade Pavilion.

Normally, as fellow seed-level cultivators, they wouldn’t fight to the death.

But the one he killed was Duobao, one of the Hidden Moon Sect’s twin prodigies.

This woman’s grandmother was a Core Formation stage elder of the Hidden Moon Sect.

If his ambush and murder of Duobao Nu were exposed, his situation would be dire. Who knew if a Core Formation stage cultivator would be lying in wait for him?!

Therefore, he began hunting down the cultivator surnamed Li, intending to kill him to silence him.

However, in a direct confrontation, he gained no advantage whatsoever. The opponent’s Spirit Fox Step was extremely unpredictable; although his Cloud-Stepping Boots provided a significant boost to his speed and agility, he still couldn’t find any openings in the footwork. Ultimately, his shoulder was struck by the opponent’s top-grade rare magic weapon, the Dragon Head Staff, causing excruciating pain as if his body had been shattered. At that moment, even the protective aura formed by a low-level high-grade defensive talisman was useless against the opponent’s wooden staff.

The staff struck him like a dragon pouncing on him.

The high-grade defensive talisman shattered in less than half a breath.

Of course, he was also fortunate that the high-level defensive talisman blocked seventy or eighty percent of the damage, and his top-tier magic robe absorbed most of the remaining damage. Otherwise, he would have been killed and looted.

How could he be happy about that?

His murderous aura all the way stemmed from this incident.

The death of Duobao Nu absolutely could not be related to him. The news had to be kept secret.

Therefore:

“That old bastard must die…”

A secret is only a secret if only one person knows it.

Meeting Feng Yue’s fierce gaze, Zhong Wu felt a chill run down his spine: “Has this old Feng taken the wrong medicine today?”

…

Eastern part of the Forbidden Area.

A female disciple of the Hidden Moon Sect pointed at a male disciple at the thirteenth level of Qi Refining with dual spiritual roots and began to curse, her finger almost poking the man’s forehead:

“Useless trash! I told you to stop that person for me to torture and kill, and you let him get away? Are you trying to infuriate me?”

This woman was charming and beautiful. But her personality was extremely fierce, and her words were always vicious.

“Junior sister, listen to me…”

The man gritted his teeth, sweating profusely.

He had nowhere to vent his anger on this unruly woman assigned to him by the sect.

Originally, with his talent of dual spiritual roots, he should have been treated like a little genius wherever he went. His life should have been smooth sailing.

But ever since he met this woman, everything had gone wrong for him.

Recently, he had been suffering from severe internal strife.

But for his own sake and for the sake of his family, he retreated again and again, enduring again and again.

He had no choice; this woman’s elder was a Core Formation stage elder of the sect, someone he couldn’t afford to offend.

“Useless, useless, useless! How could the sect choose such a coward as your future cultivation partner? Just because of your slightly superior spiritual root talent? You’re a piece of trash, possessing only spiritual root talent and a thirteenth-level cultivation, in what other way are you better than me? Do you even think you’re worthy of me?”

“Hmph, I’ll divorce you when we get back. I must find someone else.”

“My Daoist partner absolutely cannot be a useless, useless, useless piece of trash like you, good in bed and good outside…”

“I’m so angry!”

the spoiled woman said bitterly.

Her divine sense remained locked on the man, observing every detail of her prospective Daoist partner.

Seeing that the man was merely clenching his fists, enduring his frustration, she felt even more disappointed.

“You spineless bastard, if I were to marry you, my life would be over.”

If her prospective Daoist had just slapped her, shown any manly courage, or even attacked her with a sword, murdered her, and disposed of the body, she would have looked at him differently.

Unfortunately,

he was just a coward who habitually dies in silence.

“Let’s go, let’s meet up with Master Gan…”

The headstrong woman suddenly regained her composure.

After giving the male cultivator a disappointed look, she turned and left first.

“Junior Sister…”

the male cultivator called out, but the woman ignored him.

What she wanted was a man whose cunning, strength, and talent could subdue her! A man who stood tall and dared to face the strong! Not a timid, harmless little lamb! She could take on three or five of these seemingly gentlemanly trash!

“Master Qiong is right, raising more of these little lambs is a waste of spirit stones…”

On the man’s side, he heard the headstrong woman’s forceful insults on one side and the desperate pleas and admonitions of his clansmen and loved ones on the other.

He was urged to seize this opportunity to be paired with the unruly girl.

He was begged not to bring disaster to the family that had given him life and raised him.

“Hoo…”

When did the family that had always protected him quietly become countless shackles binding him?

…

South.

Where Han Yunzhi and her brother were.

Trees were fallen in droves, the ground was cratered, with flames, quicksand, earth spikes, and ice cones.

Many talismans had been used.

The battle was extremely fierce.

“Little White, Little Gray…”

Han Yunzhi looked at the spirit bird with broken wings lying quietly on the ground and the dying white wolf with its waist split in two, her face filled with grief. Then, a look of indignation appeared. Of

the three high-level tigers that Han Yunyi had raised, comparable to cultivators at the eleventh level of the Refining Stage, one was dead, one was seriously injured and taken back to the spirit beast pouch to recuperate, and the other, slightly injured, was still fighting alongside Han Yunyi.

Across from the disheveled Han siblings, the barefoot giant sheathed the two sword beams emanating from his palms, the tension from the recent battle easing slightly.

He was only slightly overexerted in terms of mana; otherwise, he remained calm and collected.

“You siblings are quite strong.”

Facing attacks from multiple top-tier and upper-tier magic weapons simultaneously, along with attacks from spirit beasts on the ground and in the air, the pressure on him was considerable.

However…

who was he, Yan?

In his eyes, pressure was the driving force for growth.

“Go, sister, we can’t win.”

Looking at the broken top-tier magic weapon greatsword and upper-tier magic weapon small hammer, Han Yunyi gritted his teeth and transmitted his voice.

The opponent’s silver magic sword was incredibly strange, specifically targeting his and his sister’s magic weapons for direct confrontation. After several attempts, they had lost three upper-tier magic weapons, and their own top-tier greatsword had been destroyed by the opponent’s silver greatsword.

Now, the siblings only had three upper-tier magic weapons and a top-tier silk handkerchief—not intended for offense—that they could use.

They couldn’t afford any more pointless losses.

The crucial point was that two of their spirit pets had died, two were seriously injured, and one was slightly injured. Without timely treatment, the two seriously injured would likely not survive.

“Alright, let’s go.”

She remembered this grudge. She

would avenge it one day.

Even after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, she would have to settle things.

One could imagine how deeply the usually kind, timid, and gentle Han Yunzhi, the kind and forgiving little sister, was hurt by this barefoot giant.

“Big brother, where do we escape to?”

A simple escape would inevitably lead to being caught sooner or later.

“To the central area of the crater! We’ll use the fog to create distance! Don’t worry, I’ll have Erhuang lead the way…” Erhuang was the one of the three level 1 upper-tier tigers that had only suffered minor injuries.

“Going in before the fog has cleared? Okay, I understand.”

The central area of the crater was teeming with various lurking demonic beasts.

If a cultivator entered, it would be pitch black, and their divine sense would be severely restricted.

However, those spirit beasts with more acute senses of smell and hearing were much more at ease.

The next moment…

The two women each pulled out handfuls of low-to-mid-level attack talismans from their storage bags and unleashed a barrage of attacks on the barefoot giant. Han Yunzhi’s bundle also contained a high-level, low-grade, high-powered explosive flame talisman.

Each bundle cost nearly a hundred spirit stones. Faced with

such an onslaught, the barefoot giant had no choice but to temporarily retreat.

He was a martial arts fanatic with a tough exterior, but not a stubborn idiot.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Han Yunzhi and her brother immediately withdrew.

They fled towards the mist-shrouded crater.

Their speed was rapid; in the blink of an eye, they had covered twenty or thirty feet. Another smoke talisman interfered, causing the barefoot giant from the Giant Sword Sect to lose sight for a moment.

But the barefoot giant remained calm:

“Hmph, I was prepared for this.”

He planned to slip into the misty area of the crater, using the fog to interfere with his vision and spiritual sense; then, he could use his spirit beast’s sense of smell to determine his location while avoiding the dangers on the mountain. Alternatively, he could simply avoid the mountain altogether.

As long as he didn’t go up the mountain, he wouldn’t disturb those territorial beasts.

As long as he hid at the edge of the crater’s foot, even a great expert like him would find it difficult to track him down.

A good idea, but alas, he had encountered him.

“Buzz…”

A low-level high-grade defensive talisman formed a light screen on his body.

Then his speed increased dramatically, chasing after the brother and sister.

His silver sword even transformed into a flying sword, aiming straight at Han Yunyi, who was slightly behind protecting his sister:

“Leave the Foundation Establishment Pill behind.”

Han Yunzhi sensed it and was extremely anxious: “Hurry, hurry!”

Seeing this, Han Yunyi’s eyes gradually revealed a resolute look.

But just then,

the mist near the crater ahead surged violently, and the ground trembled slightly. Small stones bounced constantly, like a heavyweight animal running at high speed.

Immediately afterward, a huge black shadow, about ten feet tall, flew out from the mist of the crater.

“That’s…”

“A top-tier Level 1 Fiery Boar?”

The Han siblings were both shocked and frightened, thinking that their actions had alerted the local monsters, which was why they were being attacked.

A monster was charging in front, and a powerful enemy was pursuing them from behind.

What were they to do?

The burly man from the Yan family laughed heartily:

“Hehe, even the monsters are on my side…”

But soon, the siblings, as elite disciples of Spirit Beast Mountain, realized that the situation wasn’t as bad as they had imagined.

Because, having frequently dealt with various monsters and spirit beasts, they hadn’t seen any murderous intent in the Fiery Boar’s eyes.

“Brother, what’s going on? What should we do?”

“Go around it, charge through.”

Han Yunyi gritted her teeth.

She made her choice instantly.

Behind them, the barefoot man, who had been rapidly approaching with a smile on his face, suddenly stopped smiling: the Fiery Boar didn’t charge at the slightly altered Spirit Beast Mountain siblings, but instead pounced towards him with a “huffing and puffing” sound.

“What?”

He was stunned for a moment, his pursuit abruptly halted:

“It’s coming for me?!”

Realizing what was happening, he was furious.

“What a beast!”

Brothers, give me your recommendation votes! There’s a ranking list for recommendation votes; more votes can get you on that list and increase your exposure.

(End of Chapter)