A Mortal’s Journey to Immortality: Wang Yu’s Rebirth as the Reincarnation Dao Ancestor - Chapter 77

Chapter 77 The Beginning of Love, Hate, and Revenge

“Retract, Speed, Detain, Imprison, Lock!” Vermilion

Bird Ring, go!

Gan Rushuang formed a full moon with her hands and uttered the five-word incantation.

The next moment, a small ring flew out from the girl’s sleeve, sparkling with fire, moving incredibly fast, and gradually enlarging. After passing through the faint protective dark clouds, it slammed into the mouth of the black dragon that was biting at the young cultivator of the Hidden Moon Sect.

To be precise, it hit Xiao Liu’s chin.

“Aow…”

The magic weapon Vermilion Bird Ring rapidly heated up during its high-speed flight, turning fiery red, distorting the air and causing sparks to fly wherever it passed. After hitting Xiao Liu’s chin, it was so hot that it grimaced.

In theory, the hatred should have shifted.

However, to the surprise of the Hidden Moon Sect members, especially Gan Rushuang, the black dragon not only did not change its target, but instead relentlessly pursued the two disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect. It seemed the dragon was venting all its pent-up frustrations on its two junior disciples.

And so, the two disciples suffered terribly.

Even with decent top-tier magic artifacts, they were no match for the black dragon’s rampage.

One was sent flying, along with its magic artifact shield, crashing into the swamp below. The other was struck by its tail, exploding on the spot along with the light barrier erected by its defensive magic artifact.

“Junior Sister Zhang, Junior Brother Li…!”

The disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect watched in horror.

“You beast!”

Gan Rushuang angrily flicked her sleeve.

Her delicate nose twitched slightly.

Her hands rapidly formed hand seals again, and the Vermilion Bird Ring began to expand, suddenly conjuring hundreds of fireballs the size of washbasins around it.

Such techniques were far beyond the capabilities of a Qi Refining stage cultivator.

“Go!”

One after another, blazing fireballs flew straight towards the black dragon.

Most were dodged by the dragon using the terrain.

A small portion was blocked by Xiao Liu’s protective black cloud.

The remaining few struck its scales, merely tickling them for a moment.

“This…”

The cultivators were all taken aback.

Even Gan Rushuang was quite surprised.

Although her cultivation level was only at the thirteenth level of Qi Refining, and the power of her magic weapon was limited by her mana, making it difficult to unleash even a fraction of its full potential, the Vermilion Bird Ring was, after all, her natal magic weapon, and it had been refined for over ten years, already possessing considerable power. Therefore, it shouldn’t be something that a mere level 1 demon beast could easily contend with, right?

The previous demon beast lairs had also confirmed this.

Those top-tier level 1 demon beasts couldn’t withstand her full activation of the Vermilion Bird Ring.

Why was the Vermilion Bird Ring performing so poorly against this black dragon?

“No, it’s not that the Vermilion Bird Ring is ineffective, but rather that this black dragon is not simple…”

The more the girl thought about it, the heavier her heart became.

Immediately, she used the Vermilion Bird Ring, enlarging it to a width of about ten feet, and then, with a buzzing sound, it quickly appeared above the black dragon’s head. Before the giant mudskipper could attack the disciple of the Hidden Moon Sect who had fallen into the swamp, the Vermilion Bird Ring suddenly descended, swiftly and accurately encircling the black dragon’s body and rapidly shrinking. The shrinking Vermilion Bird Ring tightened even more, causing the black dragon great discomfort, and it immediately plummeted from mid-air. Then, flames blazed brightly on the Vermilion Bird Ring, the intense heat scorching the black dragon’s scales until they turned red, half of its body reflected in the flames:

“Awooo…”

The disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect, seeing this, were both worried and delighted.

“What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and attack, I can’t hold it for long, this beast is not right.” The girl urged.

Hearing this, the cultivators’ spirits lifted, and they all flew up to join the battle:

“Avenge our junior brothers and sisters…”

“Assist Master Gan…”

In the next instant, several red and blue beams of light attacked, landing on the black dragon’s scales.

The sharp, hissing sound of air being torn apart sent shivers down Han Li’s spine as he lurked in the shadows. If these attacks were aimed at him, his single mid-level defensive talisman would likely be insufficient to withstand them; he would need two or three to be safe.

After all, this was an attack comparable to the combined assault of several Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The Ink Dragon, having taken the brunt of the attack, was largely unharmed, only its protective ink cloud had dissipated by a small portion.

“Keep attacking! Don’t stop! This protective ink cloud won’t last long!” Gan Rushuang hurriedly ordered,

fearing her disciples would lose their composure.

The disciples, however, were quick to respond, unleashing several red and blue beams of light. Those without companions used their top-tier magic weapons or talismans to attack the giant mudskipper. This caused the Ink Dragon’s protective ink cloud to rapidly diminish, soon revealing its three-to-four-zhang-long, pitch-black body.

“Kill it!”

Even after the protective black cloud dissipated, the pillar of light from the Yin-Yang Guiding Technique didn’t stop; the ten disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect became even more vigorous.

Using their combined attack technique, they left bowl-sized bloody holes in the black scales of the black dragon’s body. The effect of penetrating its defenses far surpassed that of ordinary top-tier magic weapons.

The black dragon, Little Six, had been inexplicably beaten, and was naturally both shocked and enraged. Having been tormented by Han Li for a long time, it was already holding its breath, and now a group of human cultivators were attacking it in unison. Its pent-up anger had reached its limit:

“Roar!”

A furious roar followed.

Then, a huge column of water spewed from Little Six’s mouth.

The Hidden Moon Sect members were forced to dodge, temporarily halting their attack.

A huge fireball, intended to finish off the black dragon, collided with the water column, instantly creating a large amount of steam.

Seeing this, the girl, who looked only fifteen or sixteen years old, took out a mid-level defensive talisman and held it in front of her, dissipating the aftershocks.

At this moment, she couldn’t move, otherwise, if the Vermilion Bird Ring loosened, her side would suffer heavy casualties.

“Wait, something’s wrong…”

“Not good, be careful, I can’t hold this black dragon anymore!”

For some reason, the counterattack force transmitted from the Vermilion Bird Ring suddenly increased several times, becoming unusually strong. The Vermilion Bird Ring, activated by her current magic power, simply couldn’t withstand it.

“What? Can’t hold it?”

“How is that possible?”

The disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect were very puzzled.

But they all listened to the advice and moved away.

Then, just as the girl said, the magic weapon Vermilion Bird Ring suddenly expanded, forcibly stretched by the black dragon. The black dragon then lashed out with its tail, striking the Vermilion Bird Ring, which was unable to react in time, sending it flying far away.

Having taken the hit head-on, the Vermilion Bird Ring, being a magical artifact, was naturally unharmed. However, the Ink Dragon also took the opportunity to break free from the Vermilion Bird Ring, which was like a leech, and its figure disappeared into the spreading water vapor in the blink of an eye.

“Where did he go?”

Everyone looked around, wary of the swamp below.

Gan Rushuang released her divine sense and immediately discovered Han Li, who was cautiously and stealthily hiding.

A look of surprise flashed across the girl’s face .

After thinking for a moment, she felt that there was still something strange about the treasure chest, so she pointed out Han Li’s whereabouts:

“Where are you planning to go?”

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone looked in the direction.

At first, the disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect did not find anything, but when the willful girl threw an unknown talisman in that direction, the high-level concealment talisman on Han Li’s body immediately lost its disguise, exposing him to everyone.

“Huh? Someone’s there?”

“It’s someone from Tianque Fortress.”

“How come there are disciples from Tianque Fortress here?”

Everyone was extremely surprised.

“Could it be that this person beat us to it and took the spiritual herbs and the contents of the treasure chest?”

“Make him hand over the items. After all, we were the ones fighting the demonic beasts, and we even lost Junior Sister Zhang, Senior Sister Xiao, and Junior Brother Li.”

“That’s right, we have to make him hand over what he got here, otherwise we can’t let him leave.”

“Why say so much? Just kill him and take what he has.” The headstrong woman was still the fiercest.

While she and the other disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect were talking, they had already flown towards Han Li.

Han Li, at this moment, used the Luo Yan Wind-Riding Step to its fullest extent, heading straight for the only exit.

He didn’t want to clash head-on with so many disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect.

Even if he could control the Black Dragon to fight, he couldn’t guarantee that he wouldn’t be captured by the group of handsome men and beautiful women shouting for battle.

However, he was quite far from the exit passage, even farther than the Hidden Moon Sect disciples.

“I should have chosen a small mound closer to the exit to hide.”

Admittedly, with the help of the black dragon, he successfully lured the members of the Hidden Moon Sect to the center of the swamp, away from the exit. However, to avoid being detected by the Hidden Moon Sect’s spiritual senses, he had deliberately hidden in a corner of the swamp further from the exit. He had originally

planned to sneak away in the chaos, but the female protagonist in the book reacted so quickly.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Don’t run away.”

“Leave your things behind.”

The Hidden Moon Sect cultivators shouted as they flew on their swords.

Han Li, of course, paid no heed.

According to his calculations, he would reach the exit faster than the Hidden Moon Sect disciples.

That was enough.

Of course, to be on the safe side, he specially enhanced himself with a mid-level defensive talisman and threw out three mid-level explosive flame talismans, several high-level low-level talismans, and more than a dozen mid-level low-level offensive talismans while fleeing.

He spent no less than seven hundred spirit stones in one go.

The scene he created was quite terrifying.

Hundreds of fireballs the size of rice bowls, a multitude of wind blades, countless ice spikes, and a sudden wall of wind appeared.

The six cultivators from the Hidden Moon Sect who had flown in felt their scalps tingle at the sight. Five of them instinctively dodged to the sides or retreated rapidly. They were as fast as they had come, and even faster in their escape.

“Who is this person?”

“Where did he get so many talismans?”

To create such a spectacle, he must have a considerable number of mid-level talismans. This kind of person’s background is probably not simple.

However, the willful woman, instead of retreating, advanced:

“Trying to leave?”

With a light snort, she reached into her storage bag and took out two talismans and a mirror.

The first talisman was a high-level beginner-level flying talisman, granting her the ability to fly like a Foundation Establishment cultivator, faster than a Qi Refining cultivator’s sword flight.

The second talisman was an offensive mid-level golden wheel talisman, which, when activated, could form a powerful rotating golden wheel. However, the direction it was thrown wasn’t towards Han Li’s current location, but rather towards the only exit passage. The intention was to blast and block the exit, trapping them like turtles in a jar.

Then there was the mirror, the renowned top-grade magic artifact of the Hidden Moon Sect: the Azure Condensation Mirror.

The spoiled girl and her sister, Duobao, each possessed one.

This showed how much their Core Formation stage grandmother favored and doted on them.

The mirror light illuminated the talismans and spells Han Li had thrown, spells released after activating various talismans. In the area specifically illuminated by the mirror light, all spells froze in mid-air. No matter how many spells followed, they would all be immobilized by the Azure Condensation Mirror’s light. It was extremely strange.

Han Li’s pupils contracted upon seeing this.

The members of the Hidden Moon Sect brightened up:

“Well done, Junior Sister!”

The spoiled girl’s face showed a hint of smugness:

“Chase after him, don’t let him escape.”

Ahead, lacking the obstruction of a large amount of firepower, the disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect easily bypassed the remaining firepower and even endured the remaining firepower to continue the pursuit. The wind wall formed by the low-level high-grade wind wall talisman originating from Lu Chengfeng was completely unable to stop the pursuers.

But what made Han Li even more anxious and resentful was that the spoiled girl wanted to collapse the passage and seal off this place.

This was completely leaving him no way out.

“Fine, fine, you insist on keeping me here, huh?” With

a clap of her hands, the swamp area immediately stirred.

A figure shrouded in black mist broke through the mud and darted out, blocking the talisman spell that was bombarding the stone steps passage. The spoiled girl used the golden light wheel unleashed by the mid-grade talisman to slam into the figure shrouded in black mist.

“What is that?”

“It’s that black dragon.”

“Why is it taking the hit of Junior Sister Zhao’s Golden Wheel Talisman head-on?”

“Yeah, it feels like it’s helping that person from Tianque Fortress.”

At this moment, the black dragon’s injuries had completely disappeared, and its body, which was three or four zhang long, had swelled to five or six zhang in length. Its entire body was shrouded in thick black clouds, which were several times thicker than before. Beneath the black clouds was a pure white body. That’s right, the black dragon, its true form was now as white as jade.

The strike of the mid-level talisman hit the protective black clouds, only causing slight ripples, like water droplets falling on the surface of water, but it couldn’t penetrate the surface and hit the bottom. In other words, it failed to break through the defense.

“This black dragon has changed.”

“Its aura is much stronger…”

“Be careful, it has advanced! A level 2 black dragon is no less powerful than most level 3 demonic beasts. Be careful, this beast is not something you can handle.”

Gan Rushuang’s heart was heavy.

The Vermilion Bird Ring had been retrieved and used again to prevent the disciples chasing Han Li from being targeted by the black dragon and suffering misfortune.

Han Li’s eyes were cold:

“Fortunately, I fed Xiao Liu a Foundation Establishment Pill, which accelerated its advancement and transformation. Otherwise, Xiao Liu’s advancement would theoretically have to wait until the day after tomorrow. Even if it were forced to advance, it would still have to wait until the day after tomorrow. If it doesn’t make it in time, this time it might really be game over.”

Immediately afterwards, he took out more than twenty talismans without hesitation.

They were all offensive.

中级的三张，初级高阶的六张，初级中阶的十八张：

“去。”

这一手，让追击的几人手忙脚乱：

“这人怎么回事？怎么感觉比赵师妹的家底还要厚实？”

“他当真大有来头不成？”

同门的这些话，让收了青凝镜一路紧追不舍的刁蛮女呼吸一滞，面上原本的得意之色更是显得僵硬。

看向即将逃入通道的韩立之时，莫名加重三分敌意。

这一次，她深吸了一口气，随后启用祖母给她的保命底牌，也就是一张中级中阶的金御符，紧接着硬扛所有符箓攻势横冲直撞。面对所有符箓术法，不闪不避，怎一个“莽”字能形容。途径墨蛟身边时，甚至不忘丢出一张中级下阶的迟缓符给墨蛟。 After the talisman was applied to the black dragon, the flowing protective black clouds around it paused for a moment.

The Vermilion Bird Ring seized the opportunity to disappear into the black clouds, expanding and shrinking again before precisely wedging onto the black dragon’s neck.

It could only be its neck,

as its attempts to descend were firmly grasped by the black dragon’s two claws.

At this moment, a bulge appeared on the black dragon’s forehead—a dragon horn. A pair of claws grew from its front abdomen, and a pair of large bumps appeared on its lower abdomen—another pair of claws in the making. They hadn’t fully formed yet because the black dragon’s advancement was still ongoing and hadn’t ended.

“Roar…”

the black dragon roared, desperately trying to remove the Vermilion Bird Ring from its neck.

“Little Six, follow!”

Han Li, at the forefront of the passage, transmitted his voice.

The black dragon received the order, its cold gaze sweeping over the members of the Hidden Moon Sect in the swamp area, then, enduring the lingering effects of the Vermilion Bird Ring and the Slowing Talisman, it chased after Han Li in the passage. After its advancement, its speed was originally far superior to that of a Qi Refining stage cultivator, and even among Foundation Establishment stage cultivators, it was at the upper level—this was due to its innate talent. However, due to the interference of the Vermilion Bird Ring and the intermediate-level Slowing Talisman, it couldn’t go fast even if it wanted to.

Especially the Vermilion Bird Ring, it was too annoying.

“What’s going on? Why is the Ink Dragon chasing after us?”

Behind the spoiled girl, her prospective Daoist brother felt his mouth go dry.

It turned out that Han Li wasn’t alone in the passage at this time; there were two other people.

One was naturally the spoiled girl, and the other was the prospective Daoist brother whom the spoiled girl looked down upon.

The specific situation was as follows:

Han Li rushed into the passage first and then fled as fast as he could.

The spoiled girl and her Daoist brother followed closely behind, chasing relentlessly.

Han Li couldn’t abandon the Ink Dragon that he had painstakingly subdued, so he let the Ink Dragon follow, hanging behind the spoiled girl and her brother.

“Damn beast.”

The spoiled girl’s face turned slightly pale.

She thought it was the trouble caused by the talisman she had casually cast earlier.

Outside.

“Not good!”

Gan Rushuang’s divine sense intercepted Han Li’s last transmission and witnessed the black dragon’s subsequent actions, her expression immediately changing drastically. Only now did she understand that although this black dragon was wild, it had been tamed by the masked young man from Tianque Fortress.

“No wonder, no wonder this kid was able to take the treasure chests and spiritual herbs here…”

“But how is that possible? That’s a level 2 black dragon.”

Even though it hadn’t advanced before, only being a top-tier level 1 demon beast, the black dragon’s strength was no less than that of combat-type level 2 demon beasts.

How did the Qi Refining stage kid from Tianque Fortress tame a black dragon comparable to a level 2 demon beast?

Gan Rushuang couldn’t understand it, but she was certain that the treasure chest in the pavilion was fake.

It was most likely a trick by the brats from Tianque Fortress ahead.

“Chase!”

Upon receiving the order, the disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect rushed into the only stone staircase passage.

Three of them were close behind the Ink Dragon, only seventy or eighty feet behind.

Gan Rushuang and the others were much later, more than one hundred and fifty feet behind. After all, they had been the furthest away and were among the last to enter.

…

At the forefront, Han Li was the fastest, and he had also widened the distance between himself and the two unruly girls.

His Luo Yan Wind Control Step was the most useful in the current environment.

As soon as he exited the passage, he immediately summoned the Jade Mantis, the Ice and Fire Wolf, and the Ganglie Boar.

He maintained his intermediate-level defensive talisman and also acquired a rare top-grade Rainbow Cloud Shield.

In his hand, a dozen offensive talismans were ready to be activated at any time.

He would not be careless in the slightest when facing one of the Hidden Moon Twins.

The unruly girl and her Daoist brother, who were following closely behind, were now anything but calm. With cultivators from Tianque Fortress ahead and a Level 2 Ink Dragon chasing after them from behind, even though their sect members and grandmaster were not far behind, they were still in a state of panic and confusion.

This was the normal psychological reaction of cultivators who had not experienced great trials.

In the face of life and death, it was possible for their minds to go completely blank. It was already quite remarkable that they could still think of anything.

“What should we do?”

The Daoist brother’s heart was pounding, and his hands and feet were ice-cold.

He was the closest to the Ink Dragon.

He could almost smell the blood coming from the Ink Dragon’s gaping maw.

Therefore, he was the most nervous.

“It’s okay, let’s rush out of the passage. I have a plan.”

As she spoke, the willful woman took out a small Five Elements Talisman and held it in her hand:

“Beast, come on, I’ll give you a good beating in a moment.”

As soon as they rushed out of the passage, they started throwing talismans in the direction of Han Li. They threw all kinds of offensive talismans indiscriminately to prevent Han Li from ambushing them.

Fortunately, they had this trick up their sleeves, otherwise Han Li would have really succeeded.

In the empty space between the two sides, various talismans and spiritual lights were now exploding wildly. Flames and lightning collided, exploded, and splashed; wind blades and water tornadoes roared; ice spikes and earth spears clashed, so densely packed that there was hardly an inch of foothold. From a distance, the scene looked like a shower of flowers from the sky.

Moreover, the unruly woman was not only throwing offensive talismans, but also activating a small Five Elements talisman and throwing it towards the stone stair passage.

Han Li saw it clearly, and his pupils contracted sharply:

“Stop! You crazy woman, don’t you care about the lives of the rest of the Hidden Moon Sect?”

The small Five Elements talisman could trigger another ancient restriction within the stone hall passage.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, the unruly woman from the Hidden Moon Sect not only did not stop, but her eyes lit up and she became even more energetic.

“Little Six, hurry, hurry, hurry!”

Get out quickly!

The Ink Dragon received Han Li’s urgent telepathic message and immediately gripped the Vermilion Bird Ring with even greater ferocity, using the protective ink cloud to reach the exit even faster. And before the Lesser Five Elements Talisman landed on the stone steps and before the Lesser Five Elements Sumeru Restriction Array was activated by the talisman, the triangular head popped out first.

“Roar…!”

As soon as half of the black dragon’s body appeared, it lunged at the unruly girl.

It sensed the intense malice emanating from her.

This bite startled the unruly girl, causing her to retreat repeatedly, her expression changing drastically.

“Don’t attack yet, get out quickly.”

Han Li urgently called for a halt.

The spiritual light of the Lesser Five Elements Sumeru Restriction Array within the passage had already begun to emanate, a sign that it had been activated. Xiao Liu’s lower body absolutely could not remain in the passage.

Obeying the order, the black dragon stopped attacking and instead struggled to squeeze out of the cave entrance.

“Senior, quickly retreat back to the swamp area. Your disciple has activated the Lesser Five Elements Sumeru Restriction Array. Senior, you’d better pray for your own good fortune.”

Han Li believed that someone’s divine sense had been following him all along.

They must be able to hear his words now.

Sure enough.

Upon hearing this, the girl, who was almost at the very center of the passage, the most dangerous area, suddenly shuddered.

After only a moment of surprise, he immediately took out several level-two talismans and affixed them to himself and the disciples behind him. Then, he retreated into the underground swamp at top speed:

“Go back! Quick! Quick!”

The Lesser Five Elements Sumeru Forbidden Array was not something an ordinary cultivator could know.

Since the other party could speak so confidently and coherently, it was better to believe it than not.

The speed of the level-two escape talismans was indeed fast, helping the group fly thirty feet away in a short while. If it weren’t for the two who were dragging their feet, avoiding Gan Rushuang and hesitating to retreat, instead trying to use the power of the escape talismans to continue chasing, the group’s formation would not have broken down, and they could have retreated several more feet, or even a dozen feet.

But at this moment, the stone steps shook violently.

The stone steps beneath their feet began to twist and deform, and the surrounding walls seemed to come alive, trying to close in and seal the entire passage completely. This sight stunned the disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect.

Seeing this, Gan Rushuang’s heart skipped a beat, and cold sweat broke out on her forehead:

“It really is a Lesser Five Elements Sumeru Forbidden Formation!”

“Quick! Quick!”

She no longer cared about the two burdens behind her and led the rest of the group to rush towards the swamp area at top speed. This time, she used her movement technique and escape talismans to get to the front of the group, showing no intention of yielding to the group of hindrances.

She was now trapped in the situation and could hardly save herself.

“Whoosh whoosh whoosh…”

Several streaks of light rushed towards the exit leading to the swamp area.

The group felt the twisting speed beneath their feet and watched as the stone walls on both sides rapidly closed. They panicked and their limbs went weak. Fortunately, they had intermediate-level escape talismans to carry them. They were also lucky to have retreated a large distance earlier, otherwise they would definitely not have made it in time.

Finally, before the writhing stone staircase completely closed, Gan Rushuang was the first to rush out of the passage. Three other disciples also rushed out.

As for the other disciples?

“Grandmaster, save…”

Before they could finish their plea for help, the passage completely closed.

The four of them turned around, feeling a chill run down their spines and a wave of lingering fear.

Nothing more. The original stone steps had vanished, replaced by a seamless passage. A hand, seemingly reaching out from behind the wall, desperately tried to grab something. The next second, the outstretched arm slumped down with a thud, hanging precariously from the wall.

“Clatter, clatter…”

“Gulp…”

The three disciples, seeing this, some chattered, others swallowed hard.

What a close call! He was almost caught in the crossfire.

Luckily, he had heeded his master’s warning and hadn’t delayed.

Those who hadn’t listened or reacted slowly were now meat patties inside the passage.

Gan Rushuang was equally relieved!

She was grateful she had heeded the warning from that junior from Tianque Fortress, and grateful her judgment was correct. Otherwise, she would have had to forcefully restore her cultivation level, using her Core Formation stage cultivation to withstand the killing intent of the Lesser Five Elements Sumeru Forbidden Technique. As the creator of the cultivation technique, she could certainly manage that.

However, breaking the technique was easy, but concealing one’s cultivation level again was difficult. It was hard to imagine what the experts from the six major sects would think when they saw her, a Core Formation stage cultivator, leave the forbidden area .

Would it be a repeat of the scene from hundreds of years ago when the six major sects stormed the Hidden Moon Sect to force its way out?

Furthermore, no level four or higher demonic beasts had ever appeared in the forbidden area; it was hard to guarantee that there weren’t other terrifying restrictions targeting cultivation levels. She simply hadn’t triggered them. Once triggered, the consequences would be equally unpredictable.

Therefore, her hostility towards that masked cultivator from Tianque Fortress lessened, even disappeared, replaced by understanding and gratitude.

“Repaying evil with kindness? I owe you a favor, little fellow,”

Gan Rushuang thought to herself.

Therefore, her hostility towards that masked cultivator from Tianque Fortress lessened, even disappeared, replaced by understanding and gratitude.

But the next moment, her expression changed drastically:

“No! That’s not right! My Vermilion Bird Ring!”

Her natal magic weapon was still around the neck of the black dragon:

“You little thief, give me back my Vermilion Bird Ring…”

…

Above, in the stone hall.

The black dragon glanced at the closed stone staircase behind it, then at its missing tail, and immediately turned around, locking its gaze on the unruly woman with even greater rage:

“Roar…!”

It was all these two human cultivators’ fault, all those damned two-legged sheep’s fault, causing it to lose half of its tail:

Waaah, is a black dragon willing to cut off its tail to survive really okay?

Give it back its tail!

“Roar…”

Pulling off the out-of-control Vermilion Bird Ring from its neck, the black dragon charged straight at the two members of the Hidden Moon Sect.

“Junior sister, what have you done? Where’s the passage?” Where’s that wide passage, more than ten feet long? “

Grandmaster and the others…they…”

The Daoist brother looked utterly hopeless.

“I, I don’t know either. I just lost a small Five Elements Talisman.” The unruly woman was equally on the verge of tears.

She never imagined that her seemingly foolproof plan would lead to such a catastrophe.

A sect’s Core Formation stage master had been killed here by her own hand?

Seeing the Vermilion Bird Ring, a magical artifact, lose control and be easily removed by the Ink Dragon, she realized the gravity of the situation. She also realized what she was about to face:

“Senior brother, what should we do?”

Her Daoist partner, her senior brother: “…?”

Aren’t you always so decisive and assertive? Why are

you so subdued now? Go ahead and be assertive this time!

“Hehe, chasing me is so enjoyable, isn’t it?”

Han Li, retreating behind the many spirit beasts, grinned:

“Next, we should settle things properly.”

It’s a bastard not to avenge a wrong.

The Ink Dragon attacked.

…

The battle ended quickly.

The protective Ink Cloud withstood the barrage of talismans from the unruly woman, then spat out a mouthful of elixir! The elixir immediately broke through the seemingly solid defense formed by a mid-level defensive talisman and a top-tier defensive magic artifact, killing the woman first.

Han Li didn’t immediately kill the fellow disciple, but instead asked him a question:

“Who is your leader? Why do you call her Ancestor Gan?”

instead of Ancestor Nangong!

The man’s answer was straightforward,

revealing Gan Rushuang’s general background.

After hearing the male disciple’s words, Han Li remained silent for a long time.

Not Nangong Wan, but Gan Rushuang?

Why not Nangong Wan but Gan Rushuang?

The Hidden Moon Sect doesn’t even have a Nangong Wan?

How is that possible?

What’s going on?

Deep doubts lingered in his heart, leaving him completely baffled.

“Forget it, who cares who she is. Without the magic weapon Vermilion Bird Ring, without the talisman Golden Light Brick, we’re trapped in the underground stone hall with no way out. I don’t even know if we can get out before the forbidden passage closes.”

Thinking of this, he felt at ease.

After cleaning up the battlefield, casting a few fireballs, feeding the Ink Dragon healing medicine and storing it in his spirit beast pouch, he immediately left the area.

Half an hour later, he found a secluded spot and used a ground-sinking talisman to dig a hole for temporary shelter.

Then, he began to tally his spoils.

Xiao Liu was reliable; he had ambushed and killed three disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect, obtaining the storage bags of two of them. He had kept them hidden inside until after the battle.

Although the two storage bags were a bit dirty, the spiritual herbs, spirit stones, magical artifacts, talismans, and so on inside were all clean.

“Two storage bags, excluding the six spiritual herbs, the rest of the items are worth approximately two thousand four hundred spirit stones.”

In other words, a single Hidden Moon Sect cultivator had provided him with a gain of one thousand two hundred spirit stones. Even with a discount, he still had a thousand spirit stones in his pocket.

“No wonder they’re Hidden Moon Sect’s fat sheep; they’re much richer than disciples from other sects.”

This was even with top-tier magical artifacts lost in the battle and talismans used up; otherwise, they could have provided him with even more spoils.

Then he looked at his Daoist brother’s storage bag.

Common magical artifacts and talismans, etc., are worth more than four thousand spirit stones. Plus a small hammer talisman.

With such wealth and resources, he was definitely a top contender from various factions. His skills were indeed impressive; otherwise, he couldn’t have kept up with the speed of the spoiled girl.

Unfortunately, he encountered a level 2 Ink Dragon.

Even three or five more wouldn’t have been enough for the Ink Dragon to crush him.

And most importantly, this guy actually had a Foundation Establishment Pill! That’s right, this guy had a Foundation Establishment Pill! This was something he never expected!

“What’s this guy’s background?”

Regardless of all that, just the contents of this storage bag, even without counting the five spiritual herbs that were at least a hundred years old, were enough to make up for all his losses during the war.

Finally.

The spoiled girl’s storage bag.

“What’s inside?”

Han Li rubbed his hands and opened the blind box.

[Magic Weapon]:

Top-grade magic weapon, Azure Condensation Mirror.

A good item. In the eyes of a knowledgeable person, this mirror would be worth at least three to five thousand spirit stones.

Rare top-tier magic weapon: Dragon Flame Pearl. It contains the essence of a level 3 demon beast as a weapon spirit, thus it can summon weapon spirits to fight. Depending on the strength of the magical power provided by the user, the artifact spirit can unleash a power comparable to that of a level 3 demon beast in its previous life.

There are also three ordinary top-tier magical artifacts and three fine top-tier magical artifacts: the Gale Sword, the Fragrant Silk Handkerchief, and the Refined Steel Bracelet.

A dozen or so high-tier magical artifacts are gathering dust in a corner. Some are stained with blood, clearly the spoils of murder and robbery. The Refined Steel Bracelet is bloodstained.

“How many of his unlucky bastards did this woman kill?”

[Talismans]:

One talisman with a silk handkerchief pattern!

Eight mid-to-low-tier talismans!

Thirty-four beginner-to-high-tier talismans.

Nearly six dozen beginner-to-mid-tier talismans, totaling over one hundred.

“Hiss…”

This setup is no worse than his, even more extravagant.

[Spiritual Herbs]:

Six plants over a hundred years old. Among them, there are two of each of the three main ingredients for the Foundation Establishment Pill, totaling three.

[Other Aspects]:

Nine mid-grade spirit stones and over four hundred low-grade spirit stones. Even miscellaneous items could fetch hundreds or thousands of spirit stones.

And in this woman’s storage pouch, there was also a gleaming blue Foundation Establishment Pill!

This wasn’t some shrewish, monstrous woman; she was clearly a gentle and understanding money-giving maiden.

“If the shrewish women of the Zhao family are like this, what about the other treasure-hunting woman from the Zhao family?”

Wasn’t that another fat sheep?

“Speaking of which, has Feng Yue succeeded at this point in time?”

Should we try our luck?

Finally,

something very worth mentioning

is the magic weapon of the Core Formation cultivator from the Hidden Moon Sect: the Vermilion Bird Ring.

Although he can’t refine or activate this magic weapon now, that doesn’t mean he can’t use it for other things.

And lastly,

that golden treasure chest.

“Let me see what good things the ancient cultivators left behind.” Hopefully, it’s one of the items from the initial draft.

The treasure chest opened, its spiritual light still flowing.

Inside, there were eight boxes of various sizes.

The largest was a box about ten feet long, five feet wide, and two feet high.

Inside the box were five square, floor-like objects. Some were yellowish-brown, some were white, and some were pitch black. These five stones occupied most of the chest’s interior. At just one glance, Han Li took a deep breath, his heart pounding faster than ever. His previous composure vanished, replaced entirely by excitement.

The reason was simple: he recognized the five stones:

“The Essence of the Five Metals?!”

Also known as the Five Metals of Magical Treasures.

That’s right, the five stones were the essence of the Five Metals of Magical Treasures: Gold Essence, Silver Essence, Copper Essence, Iron Essence, and Tin Essence.

Each one was ten feet long, one foot wide, and two feet thick, square and weighing several thousand kilograms.

Even Li Huayuan could never refine any one of these five pieces of the Five Metals of Magical Treasures in his entire life.

“Ancient cultivators, what a grand gesture…”

(End of Chapter)