A Mortal’s Journey to Immortality: Wang Yu’s Rebirth as the Reincarnation Dao Ancestor - Chapter 93

Chapter 92 Let’s watch a good show.

Han Li and his group naturally didn’t travel with Master Hong Fu and the others.

After meeting the Foundation Establishment cultivators waiting for them at the location specified in the Yan family’s invitation, they entered Yanling Fortress, hidden by a large formation within Yanliang Mountain.

Normally, one invitation only represents one spot.

However, the Yan family couldn’t possibly turn away those from the Yue Kingdom’s Core Formation stage without invitations.

Besides, Han Li and his group indicated that half of them were just there to broaden their horizons and wouldn’t be registering for the treasure-hunting competition.

Therefore, no unpleasantness arose.

On the contrary,

when the two Yan brothers saw the slightly charming Dong Xuan’er, the poised and elegant Nie Ying, and the innocent and carefree Zhong Weiniang—three different styles of beauty—their eyes softened considerably more than when they treated the other attendees.

“Gentlemen, please come in.”

Along the way, Han Li and his group gained a deeper understanding of the Yan family through the two young Foundation Establishment cultivators.

On the surface: One member is at the Core Formation stage, the current patriarch of the Yan family, over two hundred years old, in the mid-Core   Formation stage.

There are over ten elders over one hundred and fifty years old. About   twenty are Foundation Establishment stage members of the patriarch generation, over one hundred years old. Nearly thirty are Foundation Establishment cultivators of the middle and younger generations,   over fifty years old. There are over thirty new-generation Foundation Establishment cultivators under fifty years old.   Among them are sixteen ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators with average aptitude and comprehension, who are received by the brothers, Little Sixteen and Little Fifteen. Another ten or so with excellent aptitude and good comprehension are arranged to enter the Yan family’s [Martial Arts Hall] for elite training, where they will learn profound techniques and spells and be equipped with top-tier magic weapons suitable for their techniques.   Of course, compared to the blood cultivators of the Yan family’s [Hall of Life and Death], the so-called elites of the Martial Arts Hall are somewhat lacking. Several blood cultivators from the Hall of Life and Death are all skilled Foundation Establishment cultivators, having grown through life-and-death battles.   They can often fight two opponents of the same level in a contest of strength.   In addition, the Yan family has several hundred members at the Qi Refining stage.   The Yan family, hailed as the foremost cultivation family in Yue Kingdom, certainly didn’t earn that title through mere boasting.   As for mortals? Let’s not dwell on that.   The city of Qingliang outside Yanliang Mountain existed solely to facilitate the mortals of Yan Family Fortress’s quest for supplies.   The ten entered the city amidst laughter and conversation, traversing two small streets before reaching a fork in the road where they spotted a teahouse inn.   ”Gentlemen, we’ve arrived. This Tianhe Residence will be your lodgings for the next while. If you require anything, please contact the Yan family through the innkeeper,” said Xiao Shiwu politely.   Han Li and the others immediately returned the greeting:   ”Thank you, fellow Daoists of the Yan family.”   Then, Han Li, Dong Xuan’er, Liu Jing, Song Meng, Zhong Weiniang, Nie Ying, Murong Hao, and Murong Jie—eight people in total—stepped into Tianhe Residence.   This three-story teahouse, ten zhang tall, boasted a vast interior space.   Its architectural style was antique and imposing.   The first floor was occupied by ordinary people, mostly teahouse staff. The teahouse manager was merely a pseudo-spiritual root cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining.   Han Li and his group went straight to the second floor, which served as both the reception hall and the tea room. Currently, six or seven Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Giant Sword Sect and the Blade Transformation Dock were gathered around two tables, each discussing their own business. They were all Core Formation cultivators who had arrived earlier.   The third floor, further up, had thirty-six rooms.   Each room was spacious, with good lighting and ventilation, and some even included secluded meditation chambers.   The rooms on the third floor were for Foundation Establishment cultivators from various sects.   They were lucky to have arrived early enough to stay in one inn. If they had arrived a couple of days later, the place would have been full, and the eight of them would have had to go to different inns.   ”Greetings, senior brothers and sisters,” Han Li greeted them.   Dong Xuan’er and the other six echoed his greeting.   The two tables opposite them returned the greeting: “…”   The group then waited for a day.   The Tianhe Residence was nearly full of over thirty Foundation Establishment cultivators,   all from the seven major sects of the Yue Kingdom.   After a day of casual conversation, Han Li, who had become fairly familiar with the Foundation Establishment cultivators from the seven sects at the large inn, took the initiative to organize a small trade fair.   Eight of his people participated, and the cultivators from the other sects, seeing this, couldn’t refuse, especially since the trade fair itself was beneficial to them.   Thus, after the trade, each sect’s disciples got what they needed and gained something.   Han Li, on the other hand, successfully obtained some ironwood trees several hundred years old and a pill formula.   He collected the ironwood because three to five hundred years old ironwood could be used to refine level two puppets, and those over seven hundred years old were sufficient to refine level three puppets. He could exchange a batch now and practice later.   The pill formula was the ancient “Spirit Feeding Pill,”   which he had obtained from a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Qingxu Sect.   Seeing the spiritual herbs required in the formula, Han Li was quite amazed.   Spirit-Nourishing Pills are excellent elixirs for cultivating demonic beasts, increasing the growth rate of low- to mid-level demonic beasts several times, even ten times.   Normally, many demonic beasts with decent bloodlines need three to four hundred years of accumulation to reach level 4, and some with poor bloodlines take even longer. However, if they can consume Spirit-Nourishing Pills every now and then, they can complete the growth accumulation of three to five hundred years in a hundred or even seventy or eighty years. It   can practically be called a “sacred medicine” for low- to mid-level demonic beasts.   However,   the spiritual herbs used to refine Spirit-Nourishing Pills are extremely precious.   They are all spiritual herbs and fruits that are hundreds of years old.   ”These spiritual herbs and fruits are more than enough to refine Foundation Establishment pills suitable for Foundation Establishment cultivators, and they are even the main ingredients. A few types are enough to be used as auxiliary materials for related pills suitable for Core Formation cultivators. Using them on spirit beasts is simply extravagant.”   No normal person would do this.   They spend decades to gather one or two batches of pills, where would they have the time to use spiritual herbs to cultivate spirit beasts?   Are they crazy?   No wonder the other party was willing to trade the pill formula.   ”The spiritual herbs I harvested in the Crimson Forbidden Land are materials for refining the Spirit Feeding Pill. There are many such spiritual herbs in the forbidden land, especially in the lair of a level three demon beast, where there are many of the main materials for refining the Spirit Feeding Pill.”   ”In addition, there is a spiritual herb in the herb garden of Red Tassel Mountain that is a material needed for the Spirit Feeding Pill…”   However.

Even so, he still didn’t have the other main ingredient and two auxiliary ingredients for refining the Spirit Feeding Pill.

They weren’t available in the forbidden area either.

Even if they were, they probably wouldn’t be old enough. After all, if they were old enough, wouldn’t the guardian beasts consume them?

Without the Heavenly Bottle, it was too difficult to gather all the necessary materials for refining the Spirit Feeding Pill.

Even if he gathered all the types, the age wouldn’t be right.

It was troublesome.

And like other cultivators, he couldn’t possibly use spiritual herbs to cultivate some kind of spirit beast and delay his cultivation; he wasn’t that

kind of person who would put the cart before the horse. After completing this small trading session, Han Li and his companions immediately went to two other inns and teahouses where cultivators from the seven sects gathered.

After revealing their identities, the transactions proceeded smoothly.

One has to admit: Master Hong Fu’s reputation was truly effective.

Upon hearing that he was a junior disciple of Hong Fu, everyone showed him great respect.

Just then, a handsome man appeared before Han Li and his companions, smiling excitedly at Dong Xuan’er:

“Senior Sister Dong, you’re here too? Oh? Junior Sister Nie Ying is here too?”

The people from Huangfeng Valley, upon seeing this man, mostly looked puzzled.

Who was this person? “

It’s Senior Brother Feng, a disciple of Uncle Du,”

Dong Xuan’er said.

He had reached Foundation Establishment a few years earlier than the rest of them.

“So it’s him,”

Han Li thought to himself, remembering this person.

Wasn’t this the two jealous rivals?

“Senior Brother Feng,”

he greeted with a polite smile.

The Feng family, especially its members, were generally disliked by Master Hong Fu. This man, in particular, was undoubtedly disliked by Master Hong Fu because of his good looks.

However, he wasn’t entirely bad; at least he hadn’t backed down when facing Tian Buque, a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator.

In short, he was a family member who loved to be jealous, whose pursuit of the Dao wasn’t entirely firm, but who also knew a bit about chivalry.

“Junior Brother Han, it’s a pleasure to

meet you.” Feng Yu knew a thing or two about the Red Tassel Mountain lineage, so he naturally didn’t harbor any ill will.

In the Foundation Establishment circle of Yellow Maple Valley, who didn’t know that Senior Aunt Hong Fu had a highly admired pseudo-spiritual root disciple?

But seeing him today, Feng Yu felt that the rumors were too mild.

Senior Aunt Hong Fu’s admiration for Han Li wasn’t just simple; it was pure favoritism.

This mere pseudo-spiritual root actually possessed the cultivation of the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

Normally, for a pseudo-spiritual root, reaching Foundation Establishment was already a stroke of luck.

However, this Junior Brother Han not only reached Foundation Establishment, but also entered the mid-Foundation Establishment stage in less than ten years.

His cultivation far surpassed that of his senior brother.

And he himself had consumed a bottle of precious Foundation Establishment pills worth several thousand spirit stones before this! He had also been diligently cultivating in the early Foundation Establishment stage for over ten years! Yet, he was still surpassed in cultivation, and by a large margin.

It’s unimaginable how much Master Hongfu must admire and favor this Junior Brother Han to be willing to spend so much on spirit stones and precious pills to achieve this! It’s

simply outrageous.

It’s utterly unbelievable.

A pseudo-spiritual root, how many years has he been a disciple?

Twelve or thirteen years?

A little over ten years since his discipleship, and he’s already in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

His cultivation speed is so astonishing, he’s almost on par with geniuses with heavenly spiritual roots.

What a joke!

With Master Hongfu’s favoritism to this extent, this junior brother is no ordinary person. He has a limitless

future.

I must befriend him.

“…”

After finishing the small trade fair and embarking on his return journey, Han Li recalled Senior Brother Fengyu’s kindness, and felt an indescribable strange feeling in his heart.

Because he appeared before Dong Xuan’er left Hongying Mountain to go to the sect to be herself, this senior sister wasn’t praised to the skies by a group of admirers and suitors, and therefore, her personality wasn’t as willful and capricious as in the original trajectory. Furthermore, he occasionally offered emotional support, something the flatterers and suitors in the sect couldn’t provide. This meant that this senior sister not only didn’t dislike him, but actually got along quite well with him.

In addition, the cultivation method she chose during her Foundation Establishment wasn’t a seductive art, which greatly reduced her tendency to attract unwanted attention. Even though this senior sister still possessed a certain allure, her reputation was no longer as terrible as in the original story.

Therefore, this version of Dong Xuan’er not only lacked various bad tempers and wicked traits, but also possessed a more commanding presence,

very similar to Nie Ying’s bossy demeanor in front of the Murong brothers.

Dong Xuan’er changed.

This also subtly altered the life trajectory of this senior brother, Feng Yu.

For example, he no longer acted foolishly at will, but was now sharp-witted and knew how to avoid harm and seek advantage.

If it were that crazed suitor, she certainly wouldn’t have given him a friendly look before.

Many things changed.

“What’s wrong, Junior Brother? What are you thinking about?”

As they approached Tianhe Residence, Dong Xuan’er noticed Han Li’s absent-mindedness and guessed that he was probably preoccupied with something.

Han Li smiled after regaining his composure:

“Nothing, Senior Sister, just lamenting the vicissitudes of life.”

The others, puzzled by his mood and state of mind, could only remain confused.

“Alright, really nothing’s wrong. Let’s go back. The grand show will begin soon,”

Han Li said meaningfully.

Hearing this, everyone nodded, eagerly awaiting the official start of the Treasure Hunt.

Counting the time, three days had passed since they arrived at Yanling Fortress, and in two more days, it would be the day of the Treasure Hunt.

However,

the grand show Han Li spoke of wasn’t the Treasure Hunt itself.

It was tomorrow!

The day before the Treasure Hunt!

“Master, Uncle Lei, you mustn’t miss tomorrow morning’s good show.”

…

The day before the Treasure Hunt began.

Before dawn, a green cloud drifted in from the direction of Jiang Kingdom in the east of Yue Kingdom.

Green Cloud moved very fast, and soon crossed the border between Yue and Jiang and entered Yue territory.

Within the green clouds, numerous figures seemed to be present. If the green mist were dispersed, a sedan chair floating on its own could be seen within. Around the sedan chair, twelve figures in green robes followed in two columns. In the shadows, a child and an old man, both dressed in green robes, flanked the sedan chair.

“We’ve been traveling for seven or eight days, and we still haven’t reached the Yan family of Yanliang Mountain?”

A somewhat impatient voice suddenly came from inside the sedan chair .

A figure in green robes immediately stepped forward to report:

“Reporting to the young master, we have entered the territory of Yue Kingdom. We should arrive at Yanling Fortress in about two more hours.”

“Hmph, finally almost there. Whether the Ghost Spirit Sect can be completely controlled by my Wang family now depends on whether we can persuade the Yan family this time.” The voice inside the sedan chair was soft and impatient, yet full of anticipation. Clearly, they held great expectations for the Yan family.

At this moment, the old man and the child, who had been invisible before, appeared in the void.

The old man looked sickly.

The child looked like a mere child.

These two appeared harmless, but they were actually genuine Core Formation cultivators, renowned for many years. Their fearsome reputations were widespread even within the Yue Kingdom, and even more so in the Jiang and Cheqi Kingdoms.

After all, the Jiang and Cheqi Kingdoms, as the frontline forces against the Six Demonic Sects, had dealt extensively with the Ghost Spirit Sect of the Tianluo Kingdom. Among the Core Formation cultivators of the Ghost Spirit Sect, the Li brothers were two formidable warriors. In the decades of scattered battles, three Core Formation cultivators from the Jiang Kingdom had already died at their hands.

“Young Master, that Yan family patriarch is not easy to deal with; we should be careful,”

said the one of the Li brothers, who looked like a child. He appeared extremely innocent, but his rough, hoarse voice somewhat disrupted the atmosphere.

The person inside the sedan chair responded with a calm, confident, yet ruthless voice:

“Don’t worry, they can’t refuse the conditions I offer. I’m determined to obtain that Heavenly Spirit Root from the Yan family.”

If they truly didn’t know what was good for them, they would simply be destroyed.

The old man and the young girl exchanged a glance and said nothing more.

The group continued forward.

Green Cloud’s movement speed even increased by a third.

This group was a special operations team from the Ghost Spirit Sect, one of the six major sects of the demonic path.

The captain was the young sect master, Wang Chan.

The guards were the Li brothers and the Ghost Spirit Twelve Guards, personally trained by the young sect master.

The group’s purpose was twofold: first, to allow the Yan family to be recognized as their ancestor and return to the Ghost Spirit Sect after years of separation, thus strengthening the sect’s foundation; second, to obtain the young girl from the Yan family with a Heavenly Spirit Root, so that they could cultivate together with their young sect master, practicing the Ghost Spirit Sect’s strongest and most legendary top-tier demonic art: the Blood Spirit Great Art.

The Blood Spirit Great Art was hailed as one of the top ten demonic arts in the Southern Demonic Path, possessing immense power, but its cultivation conditions were extremely demanding, requiring exceptionally high spiritual root aptitude.

Ideally, it should be cultivated by a man and a woman with either a unique spiritual root or a Heavenly Spirit Root.

Dual cultivation was best.

Two geniuses with excellent spiritual root aptitude could greatly accelerate their cultivation speed and benefit from it both.

The Heavenly Spiritual Root is recognized in the cultivation world as a talent capable of forming a Core without bottlenecks, even reaching the late Core Formation stage without any obstacles. Once the Yan family girl becomes the young sect leader Wang Chan’s Daoist partner, their dual cultivation will essentially act as a speed-up cheat for him.

Especially after she reaches the late Core Formation stage, the young sect leader will not only benefit from dual cultivation but also gain even more through the “Supplemental Absorption” technique. Even the Nascent Soul stage will be relatively easier. After all, the young sect leader’s birth mother was drained by him in this way, which led to his current Nascent Soul cultivation.

Furthermore, if the Yan family girl can eventually form a Nascent Soul and become a Nascent Soul cultivator herself, she can then nourish the young sect leader, greatly increasing his chances of success.

In short, seizing a female cultivator with a Heavenly Spiritual Root as a Daoist partner to cultivate the Blood Spirit Technique together is definitely a great opportunity for the young sect leader.

It all depends on whether the Yan family is sensible enough.

…

What the Ghost Spirit Sect members didn’t realize was…

Hundreds of miles behind them, another group of people followed at a leisurely pace.

Leading them was a young man with an exceptionally handsome face.

“What tricks is Wang Chan playing? Why is he sneaking into Yue Kingdom? This direction… could it be the Yan family?”

The handsome young man narrowed his eyes:

“What is he doing at the Yan family? Is he trying to disrupt their treasure-hunting event? Or is he eyeing their Heavenly Spiritual Root?”

“If it really is for a woman…”

“Hmph, no matter which woman this bastard wants, I’ll snatch her away and use her for my own purposes. If she has a Heavenly Spiritual Root, I’ll definitely bring her back to the Joyful Union Sect. If I can have another Heavenly Spiritual Root Daoist partner for dual cultivation, and also snatch a few female cultivators with different spiritual roots from other sects at the Treasure Hunt as my cultivation vessels, I can definitely close the cultivation gap with my elder brother very quickly. If I can enjoy the benefits from the Heavenly Spiritual Root and female cultivators with different spiritual roots at the Core Formation stage, Core Formation will be a piece of cake for me, and even the chance of Nascent Soul Formation will increase by one point. At that time, what will my elder brother have to compete with me?”

The young man murmured, his eyes flashing with excitement:

“Snatch, I must snatch, snatch the woman that bastard Wang Chan has his eye on, snatch a few talented female cultivators participating in the Treasure Hunt as my cultivation vessels.”

Female cultivators with high-quality spiritual roots, or female cultivators with profound cultivation, are great tonics and elixirs for the male cultivators of their Joyful Union Sect. Similarly, high-quality male cultivators and those with high cultivation levels from outside are also excellent targets for exploitation by the female cultivators of the Joyful Union Sect.

Therefore, they must be snatched.

“Young Master, this… doesn’t feel quite right? The Ghost Spirit Sect is, after all, one of the six sects of our Demonic Path. If we snatch someone from Wang Chan, it might cause unpleasantness.” A handsome middle-aged man twitched his lips and said, “Besides, the Li brothers are here; they can easily hold off our subordinates. With just the few people we brought, we might not be able to defeat the Ghost Spirit Sect.”

They might end up getting into trouble instead of succeeding in their attempt to steal a chicken.

The man who spoke was also a Core Formation cultivator.

Moreover, he was a mid-Core Formation expert.

He was the handsome young man’s personal bodyguard and could also be considered his protector.

“Don’t worry, it’s alright,”

the young man said nonchalantly.

“I’m a generation younger than Wang Chan, and over twenty years younger than him. Everyone says I’m his junior. Well then, what’s wrong with a junior making a small mistake and taking something from him? He, as an elder, can’t be too petty, right?”

“Besides…”

“It’s not like I’m not returning it after using it!”

Most importantly, his father was the sect leader of the Hehuan Sect, the number one sect in the demonic path, with a mid-Nascent Soul cultivation level. He was also his father’s most beloved youngest son. In addition, his mother was also a Nascent Soul cultivator, and he had a second uncle and aunt who were both Nascent Soul cultivators. (The benefits of dual cultivation.) On

the other hand, Wang Chan was merely the young master of the Ghost Spirit Sect, the bottom of the six demonic sects, and his father was only at the early Nascent Soul stage. He also had a second uncle at the early Nascent Soul stage. The Wang family only had two Nascent Soul cultivators at most.

What could Wang Chan compare to him?

Would the Wang family of the Ghost Spirit Sect dare to stand up to the Tian family of the Hehuan Sect?

Even if he robbed Wang Chan, Wang Chan could only grit her teeth and accept it.

He felt no guilt about robbing Wang Chan. He

just found it amusing and enjoyable.

“By the way, with the invitations we intercepted from several sects in Jiang and Cheqi Kingdoms, my Foundation Establishment Blood Guards and I can easily infiltrate Yanling Fortress without being harassed. Ah Er, what about you? Your cultivation is too high; it might arouse the suspicion of the Yan family’s leader, making it difficult to infiltrate,”

Tian Buque asked.

“Indeed. Yan Family Fortress’s array is quite impressive, with early warning mechanisms to detect cultivation levels. If I were to infiltrate rashly, the array would likely detect me immediately. That would definitely expose your whereabouts, Young Master,”

the handsome middle-aged man nodded, his brows slightly furrowed.

Tian Buque thought for a moment and then said decisively,

“In that case, you can stay outside the fortress for now. Anyway, I’m infiltrating, so Wang Chan and the Yan family won’t notice beforehand. And even if they find me, what can they do to me?”

“Yes, Young Master, I will stay in the small mortal town outside for now. When you are about to take action, or if you encounter any major trouble, just crush this Purple Light Sensing Bead. I will arrive immediately.”

“Okay, that’s settled.”

The Purple Light Sensing Bead is a unique sensing and defensive magic weapon of the Hehuan Sect, and it always exists in pairs.

In terms of defense: it can form a protective light screen, and the two screens can overlap. In terms of perception: one can sense the location of the other, effective within a thousand miles. If one is crushed, the other will also sense it at the same time, and its spiritual light will dim. It will also be sensed within a thousand miles.

Although the Purple Light Sensing Bead is only a high-grade magic weapon, it is very practical.

Low cost, wonderful effect.

Although it is a high-grade magic weapon, it is mostly possessed by Foundation Establishment cultivators within the sect. The percentage of Qi Refining stage disciples of the Hehuan Sect who possess the Purple Light Sensing Bead is very small.

“Young Master, please be careful.”

…

Several hours later, the green cloud arrived near Yanliang Mountain.

It landed on a mountaintop and immediately sent people to contact the Yan family.

After confirming their identities, the Yan family did not prevent the Ghost Spirit Sect from entering the fortress.

On the contrary, they treated them with the utmost courtesy.

Although the Ghost Spirit Sect was new to the area, they did not want to spend their time peacefully. They immediately requested the Yan family to arrange ten rounds of sparring between their disciples, with ten people from each side competing in the arena.

In the morning, the Yan family lost four rounds and won only one.

In the first two rounds, the Yan family sent ordinary Foundation Establishment stage disciples, the brothers Xiao Shiliuzi and Xiao Shiwu. As a result, the two were easily defeated by two of the Ghost Spirit Twelve Guards, suffering severe injuries and unable to perform their previous duties of receiving guests.

In the third round, the Yan family fortress sent disciples from the Martial Arts Hall.

They won one of the three rounds, a narrow victory.

The other two matches ended in crushing defeats.

One of the clan’s disciples was viciously ambushed and carried away while lying on his back. The other’s magical artifact and secret technique were broken, leading to his defeat and subsequent execution.

Wang Chan, wearing a mask, even declared that the Yan Family Fortress should send its most elite blood cultivators from the Life and Death Hall, otherwise there was no point in continuing the competition.

In short, the

Ghost Spirit Sect had made a name for itself.

That night, Wang Chan finally met with the Yan Family’s mid-stage Core Formation ancestor and explained his purpose.

To demonstrate his sincerity, he even produced a rubbing of the Ghost Spirit Sect’s secret “Blood Spirit Great Technique.”

He also revealed a secret to the Yan Family: the Six Demonic Sects were about to invade the Yue Kingdom. The eight Nascent Soul sects of the Jiang and Cheqi Kingdoms, which had once served as a bulwark, had been wiped out more than ten days prior. The

Jiang and Cheqi Kingdoms had fallen.

Next would be the Yue Kingdom,

and the seven sects of Yue.

What would become of the Yan Family?

Should they be crushed along with the Yue Kingdom by the six demonic sects, or should the Yan family daughter with the Heavenly Spiritual Root be sent back to the Ghost Spirit Sect with her entire clan?

Upon learning of the impending demonic invasion, the Yan family patriarch hesitated.

The Yan family’s strategist group was horrified.

The Yan family’s higher-ups were shaken.

But what the Yan family and the Ghost Spirit Sect were unaware of was that two pairs of cold eyes were mingling in the crowd outside the city, observing the entire martial arts competition at the gates of Yanling Fortress. They also witnessed the Yan family allowing the Ghost Spirit Sect to enter the fortress.

This couldn’t help but make some deep thoughts.

“Junior brother, have we stumbled upon something extraordinary?”

Hong Fu, who always mingled among the common people as a low-level rogue cultivator, asked Lei Wanhe with a smile.

But her laughter carried a hint of coldness.

Lei Wanhe nodded upon hearing this:

“It seems the Yan family has a deep connection with the Ghost Spirit Sect. Could it be similar to the situation with the Hidden Moon Sect and the Spirit Beast Mountain? Are they all from the demonic path? If so, those little guys in the fortress are in trouble.”

“Don’t worry, the Ghost Spirit Sect doesn’t have many people. Even if they have two Core Formation cultivators, they can’t possibly deal with all the Core Formation disciples from various sects who have come to participate in the tournament.”

The seven sects of Yue Kingdom alone have sent nearly eighty Foundation Establishment cultivators to participate in the Treasure Hunt Tournament .

Not to mention the hundreds of Foundation Establishment cultivators from the surrounding Yuanwu Kingdom, Zijin Kingdom, Shayun Kingdom, Jiang Kingdom, Cheqi Kingdom, and others.

“So, the Ghost Spirit Sect and the Yan family can only make their move on the day of the Treasure Hunt Tournament! For example, they might lure these disciples into a pre-prepared array and use its power to defeat or trap them one by one?” Lei Wanhe speculated.

“Probably. No rush, we’ll see.” Hong Fu sneered. “I just hope that the Yan family member doesn’t make a rash choice, otherwise, the Yan family will disappear from the Yue Kingdom’s map in a couple of days.”

“Hmm, daring to scheme against the elite disciples of all the Core Formation cultivators of our seven sects, the Yan family is truly audacious and ruthless. Are they trying to sever our lineage?”

The thought of his three beloved disciples possibly perishing here filled Lei Wanhe with anxiety and fear, and he harbored deep resentment towards the Yan family:

“Hmph, fortunately, we both came this time, otherwise he might have succeeded. The consequences would have been unimaginable.”

Which of the Foundation Establishment cultivators from the seven sects’ Core Formation stage who came to participate in the treasure hunt weren’t highly valued disciples?

Which weren’t entrusted with great expectations by the Core Formation masters?

Many of them were truly there for the Qiankun Tower talisman treasure; they were definitely powerful figures.

Besides the powerful, there were certainly many talented ones as well.

The talented individuals came here to broaden their horizons, arranged by the Core Formation stage experts! For example, Nie Ying and the Murong brothers, and Zhong Weiniang.

These Core Formation seeds represent a significant portion; with smooth development, they might produce seven or eight Core Formation stage cultivators as pillars of their sects in the future.

Take Ma Yunlong of Tianque Fortress, for instance; he’s the most outstanding among the Core Formation disciples, possessing both strength and talent.

And yet ,

in the blink of an eye, they were all wiped out by the Yan family and the Ghost Spirit Sect, either killed or captured.

This was tantamount to severing the foundation of their seven sects for decades to come.

It was a move to leave their seven sects without a successor.

Therefore, in Lei Wanhe’s view, the Yan family’s scheme was truly ruthless.

“Yes, thank goodness we came,”

Hong Fu also sighed.

Then, the two exchanged a glance, thinking of a certain person.

Because their presence here was entirely due to that person.

“That kid Han Li, he actually managed to stumble upon this by accident?”

Lei Wanhe squinted, stroking his chin and clicking his tongue.

It felt somewhat miraculous.

“What do you mean by accident? Junior brother, you can’t just say things like that.” Hong Fu was displeased: “It’s because that child is very perceptive, he noticed the Yan family’s tricks early on, discovered their conspiracy, and that’s why he invited you, me, and Junior Brother Li to come in advance, and even asked us to invite our fellow cultivators from the other six sects. This way, we can counter the Yan family, destroy their conspiracy, and protect the outstanding disciples of our seven sects. That child has made a great contribution to the sect, and all the Core Formation cultivators in the seven sects owe him a favor.”

Is there anything wrong with what she said?

Of course not.

Because that’s exactly the truth.

It’s just that Master Hong Fu’s words were somewhat forced; she was only trying to gain some benefits for her disciple, and didn’t genuinely believe it from the bottom of her heart.

Lei Wanhe also just thought that his senior sister was flattering her disciple.

Thus, among all the possibilities, the most truthful and correct one was perfectly missed.

Meanwhile, Han Li, who was worrying about how to explain things to Master Hong Fu and his two senior uncles afterward, was truly worrying unnecessarily.

…

There was only one day left until the Yan family’s treasure-hunting competition.

On this day,

the Yan family patriarch, along with a group of elders and the Yan family’s Heavenly Spirit Root genius Yan Ruyan, finally made their choice.

That was:

the entire clan would return to the embrace of the Ghost Spirit Sect!

And they would tacitly agree to the Ghost Spirit Sect’s actions against the Core Formation cultivators of the Seven Sects of Yue!

Outside Yanling Fortress, on two mountain peaks, east and west.

One of the peaks was handed over to the Ghost Spirit Sect to set up a magic array to deal with the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Seven Sects.

The other peak was set up by the Yan family themselves, solely to trap the Core Formation cultivators from other countries who had been invited, preventing any of them from going so far as to help the cultivators of the Seven Sects of Yue. It was clear that the Yan family hadn’t yet gone so far as to offend all the Core Formation cultivators from several countries, including Yue, Yuanwu, and Zijin.

However,

the more they did this, the more they were hated by certain people in the shadows.

“You’re treating them differently, aren’t you?”

“Fine, very well, the Yan family is truly commendable.” Hidden in the shadows, Hong Fu gritted her teeth. She had witnessed firsthand the Yan family’s indulgence and support of the Ghost Spirit Sect, and the Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators setting up formations for the seven sects under the cover of night: “Well done, Yan family! It seems they’ve truly betrayed us. I, Dong, hate traitors more than

anything. The Yan family truly needs no further protection.” “Senior Sister, let the Hidden Moon Sect handle the Yan family. Our intervention is somewhat overstepping our bounds,”

Lei Wanhe reminded her.

“You’re right. The dogs the Hidden Moon Sect has taken in should be dealt with by the Hidden Moon Sect themselves. However, if they don’t satisfy us… hmph.”

“Don’t worry, the fellow Daoists of the Hidden Moon Sect also deeply hate this kind of traitor. Don’t forget how tragically that guy who leaked the sect’s secrets for a pittance died after the Moon Sun Pearl incident.”

If the Hidden Moon Sect were given more of the spiritual herbs from the central area of the Forbidden Land, they could quietly amass wealth and grow more than twice as large.

The Yue Kingdom would truly become the Hidden Moon Sect’s sole domain.

It’s a pity.

A promising situation was disrupted by a nobody; that traitor ruined the sect’s millennium-long plan.

The outcome was predictable.

But because of this, since then, the Hidden Moon Sect has hated traitors even more than the other six sects!

“Judging by the time, they should start arriving tomorrow. However, to avoid alerting them and hindering our success, Senior Sister, I need to intercept a few groups a few hundred miles away first, so everyone can quietly watch this show, lest they say we wronged the Yan family…”

“Hmm.”

…

On the western peak of Yanling Fortress, a dozen green-robed men were busy under the cover of night, occasionally burying things into the ground.

Meanwhile, the masked young sect leader Wang Chan and the Core Formation stage Li brothers watched coldly from mid-air.

“Gentlemen, how does the formation feel? This temporary Yin Fire Formation has been weakened considerably. Can it still deal with those Core Formation disciples from the seven sects? I don’t want to fail and embarrass myself.”

Wang Chan spoke softly.

“Young Sect Master, rest assured, there will be absolutely no problem. Although this Yin Fire Formation is only a temporary array, with my brother and I in charge, its effectiveness in trapping enemies can still be largely achieved. Of course, if there are multiple late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators within the array, or if they possess any particularly powerful magic artifacts, we can still tear open a gap and allow a few to escape,”

the elder of the Li brothers said with a light cough.

His body trembled, as if he were terminally ill and could collapse at the slightest breeze.

“With you two so confident, I feel much more at ease. As long as the vast majority are trapped within the array, the few who slip through will be more than enough for my Twelve Ghost Spirit Guards to handle. At the very least, I’ll stretch my muscles,”

Wang Chan nodded, no longer worried.

The Li brothers were extremely confident in their abilities.

In fact, if it weren’t for the need to preserve the high-quality souls and primordial spirits of these Core Formation disciples intact so that the Young Sect Master could cultivate the Blood Spirit Technique… The two brothers could easily wipe out a group of Foundation Establishment cultivators with the aid of their magical treasures. Why bother with all this trouble?

This was the arrogance of Core Formation cultivators.

…

In a private residence in Yanling Fortress.

A strikingly handsome young man, almost otherworldly, sat on a wooden chair, his eyes closed as if dozing.

Before him, several men and women knelt respectfully on one knee, reporting something to him. The

handsome young man was initially expressionless, merely tapping the armrest of the chair lightly with his knuckles. But then, as if he had heard something interesting, his eyes suddenly opened, flashing with a sharp light, followed by a series of inexplicable cold laughs.

…

Meanwhile.

Tens of thousands of miles away, in a secret chamber in Huangfeng Valley of the Taiyue Mountains.

Five Core Formation cultivators were gathered together, listening intently to an elderly man in a yellow robe with white hair and beard.

As the old man spoke, their expressions changed unpredictably.

The old man was none other than Linghu Ancestor, the true pillar of Huangfeng Valley.

The five Core Formation cultivators were Linghu Huiming, Huang Nie, Chen Ancestor, Uncle Du, and Feng Family Ancestor.

“At such a crucial moment, Junior Brother Li and the others actually had the leisure to go to Yanling Fortress to watch that treasure-hunting competition among the younger generation?! They’ve truly delayed important matters,”

Huang Nie said, frowning slightly,

his expression one of self-righteousness for the sect.

“Senior Sister Hongfu

and the others have indeed delayed important matters,” the handsome middle-aged Feng Family Ancestor nodded in agreement.

The other three Core Formation cultivators rolled their eyes at the two.

“Let’s contact Senior Sister Hongfu, Senior Brother Lei, and Junior Brother Li as soon as possible. According to the Ancestor, if Nascent Soul cultivators can’t participate, every additional Core Formation cultivator we have will greatly increase our chances of victory.”

“Then, who will go?”

It would be too slow for Foundation Establishment cultivators to go and deliver the message.

Just then, the white-haired, white-bearded old man in a yellow robe sitting high on the throne suddenly spoke:

“You all just do your own jobs. As for who will go and call them back? Hmm, I, this old body, will go. I’ll also take a look at the excitement over there.”

The five people looked at each other in surprise.

The patriarch was actually going personally?

…

A night passed.

Morning.

The Core Formation disciples who had gathered from all sides received a notification from the Yan family.

As expected, the cultivators from the seven sects of Yue Kingdom, along with the Core Formation disciples from other countries who had come to participate in the treasure-hunting competition, were divided into two groups. They

went to two different mountain peaks to participate in the competition.

“Something’s not right, there’s a problem!”

Han Li frowned.

He then led Dong Xuan’er, Nie Ying, and the others to a residential house.

“Junior brother, where are we?”

(End of this chapter)