All three Sword Talismans had been activated. Had Hu Jie run into some terrible danger?!
He had left Hu Jie three Sword Talismans, each containing one of the three strands of Primordial Sword Qi within him. Just now, he had sensed that the three strands of Primordial Sword Qi in his body had lost their connection to the talismans.
A grave look flickered across Ye Jing's face. The three strands of Innate Sword Qi in the talismans shared the same origin as the Innate Sword Qi in his body.
Now that he had reached the Peak of Humanity, the power of those three strands of Innate Sword Qi had grown beyond measure.
Even an ordinary Peak of Humanity would be no match for those three strands of Innate Sword Qi.
What kind of peril had Hu Jie faced that he had to bring out all three Sword Talismans in succession to defend himself?
Had Hu Jie managed to escape danger?
Hu Jie was the only friend Ye Jing knew at the Hanlin Academy. Now he might also be able to overthrow the tyranny. Whether for public or private reasons, Ye Jing did not want Hu Jie to come to harm.
Well, there was nothing for it but to make the trip. If Hu Jie really could overthrow the Great Li Dynasty, that would be no bad thing.
Putting on his mask, Ye Jing swept his long sleeve, and a crack opened in the space before him. He stepped alone into the rift and vanished from the room.
The night was dark, the wind fierce, and crows cried out.
"Eunuch Cao, the Misty Ghost Forest lies ahead. That rebel Hu Jie entered it, so his death is all but certain. Why don't we just..."
Outside the Misty Ghost Forest, beneath an ancient tree, Commander Lin looked toward the forest in the distance, a trace of lingering fear in his eyes.
"What? Afraid to die?"
"This subordinate wouldn't dare."
Eunuch Cao shot Commander Lin a glare. Terrified, Commander Lin immediately dropped to his knees and kowtowed.
A vicious glint flashed in Eunuch Cao's eyes. He said grimly, "That Hu Jie was carrying three Sword Talismans. It took us every ounce of effort to suppress them. As expected, there must be an expert backing him."
"An expert whose three Sword Talismans had such power—who can say Hu Jie doesn't have other gifts from him?"
"The Misty Ghost Forest devours the vitality of the living, and ordinary people who enter are doomed. But we can't rule out Hu Jie having some other means!"
"Commander Lin, send the troops into the Misty Ghost Forest at once. I want to see Hu Jie alive or dead. Whatever the cost, that rebel must die here today."
"Yes, Eunuch Cao."
Commander Lin no longer hesitated. He immediately ordered the Great Li Vanguard Camp behind him into the Misty Ghost Forest.
The Misty Ghost Forest was dim all year round, and it was almost impossible to see the sun or moon. White bones and scattered remains littered the ground. Since the forest's appearance, no one knew how many lives it had stolen.
As Eunuch Cao walked through the Misty Ghost Forest, he was secretly startled. The place truly was uncanny.
He had been at the Peak of Humanity for a hundred years, and now had advanced another step, reaching the realm of Entering the Dao. The vitality within him should have been surging.
Yet he had barely set foot in the forest before his vitality began to drain away. Though the loss was nothing to him, he was no ordinary person. He was at the height of his powers, and even his vitality was steadily ebbing away. For Commander Lin, that would be nothing short of a catastrophe.
Sure enough, he looked toward Commander Lin. The man, who had only just passed middle age, already looked older. A few white hairs were showing amid his dark locks.
"Eunuch Cao, sh-should we... should we keep going?"
Commander Lin had clearly noticed the strange effect as well. Terror flickered in his eyes, but Eunuch Cao's authority kept him from showing it openly. The trembling in his voice betrayed his fear.
Eunuch Cao's expression darkened. The soldiers of the Trapped Formation Camp were elite troops of the Great Li army.
The Great Li forces were now suffering one defeat after another against King Zhennan's army and the Rebel Army led by Hu Jie. If the Trapped Formation Camp perished here too, it would be adding frost to snow for the already embattled Great Li.
"Commander Lin, take the Trapped Formation Camp and withdraw from the Misty Ghost Forest. Wait outside. I'll capture Hu Jie myself."
After ordering Commander Lin to lead the Trapped Formation Camp away, Eunuch Cao headed alone into the depths of the Misty Ghost Forest.
The farther he went, the more alarmed Eunuch Cao became. The deeper he ventured into the forest, the faster the vitality within him drained away.
Only because he was at the Peak of Humanity, with vigorous vitality, could he withstand it. An ordinary minor cultivator of the Innate Realm would have had every last drop of vitality stripped away by now.
What kind of place was this Misty Ghost Forest, to be able to drain a person's vitality so thoroughly?!
A hint of retreat crossed Eunuch Cao's eyes. But he gritted his teeth and continued deeper into the Misty Ghost Forest.
The Rebel Army was nothing but a loose heap of sand. Hu Jie was the one who had bound that sand into a single rope. Remove Hu Jie, and the Rebel Army would immediately fall apart again.
Without Hu Jie, the Rebel Army was no cause for concern. And without the Rebel Army's help, King Zhennan's forces wouldn't amount to much either.
Only by removing Hu Jie could the Great Li troops turn the tide.
With that thought, Eunuch Cao quickened his pace. But before long, a figure suddenly appeared in the empty space ahead and blocked his way.
"Just who are you, to dare stand in my way? Do you truly mean to make an enemy of the Great Li Imperial Family?"
Looking at Ye Jing, who had appeared without warning, Eunuch Cao's eyes filled with wariness. He hoped to make Ye Jing back down by invoking the Great Li Imperial Family.
Ye Jing slowly descended from the air, his expression calm. "At the level you and I have reached, can the Great Li Imperial Family really do anything to us?"
"I truly don't understand why someone at your level would still choose to be a lapdog of the Great Li Imperial Family."
"Hu Jie has the people's support. If you leave now, I can spare you. Otherwise, don't blame me for showing no mercy with my sword."
Ye Jing wasn't feeling so charitable that he wanted to spare the eunuch of the Great Li Imperial Family. He had noticed what was going on as soon as he entered the Misty Ghost Forest.
Hu Jie was only at the Grandmaster Realm. He wouldn't last long in the Misty Ghost Forest, while this eunuch had reached Entering the Dao.
Even though Ye Jing had reached the Peak of Humanity, eliminating someone of this caliber would take considerable effort.
Hu Jie had already been in the Misty Ghost Forest for some time. The longer this dragged on, the more perilous his situation would become. Once all the vitality in Hu Jie's body had been devoured, even Ye Jing wouldn't be able to bring him back.
For Hu Jie's sake, Ye Jing hoped the eunuch would back down. He had no wish to clash with him.
"Showing no mercy with your sword? Could you be the master of those three Sword Talismans?"
"That's right. Since you know I'm the master of those three Sword Talismans, you should understand you're no match for me. Leave at once, before you throw your life away."
When Ye Jing admitted it, Eunuch Cao's expression turned exceedingly grim. He had already experienced the Sword Talisman master's strength. In all of Great Li, perhaps only the Sword Sect Master could surpass him.
With his own strength, it was all but impossible to defeat the Sword Talisman master.
Was he really going to let Hu Jie escape this calamity? A trace of unwillingness flashed through Eunuch Cao's eyes. Then, as if he had thought of something, he burst into laughter.
"Ha ha ha! Sword Talisman master, you nearly fooled me. You want me to back down so you can hurry off and save Hu Jie."
"Hu Jie entered the Misty Ghost Forest some time ago. With his cultivation, he surely won't last much longer. Given enough time, the vitality in his body will be devoured completely."
"Nice try, Sword Talisman master. No matter what, I won't let you have your way today. I'll keep you occupied!"
With that, he charged at Ye Jing.
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