Three-Star Dou Zhe, Fourth-Grade Opportunity

Whoosh!

The sound of wind splitting the air rang out.

Gu Han struck fast, ruthless, and precise.

To kill a snake, strike seven inches from its head. Those seven inches did not refer to an exact distance, but a proportion.

Like ordinary snakes, the Wind Nether Snake's heart was located at the seven-inch point. By proportion, that meant sixty to ninety centimeters from its head—the region of its heart and its fatal weakness.

Gu Han had already locked onto the Wind Nether Snake's seven-inch point within the Xuanwu Secret Realm. The instant it sank its fangs into flesh, he attacked from behind.

The Wind Nether Snake had no time to react before its heart was pierced through by his hard fingers carrying icy chill.

Splat.

With its heart pierced, the Wind Nether Snake instantly lost all strength, its body going limp.

Yet Gu Han did not let down his guard. With a wave of his hand, he stored both the Wind Nether Snake and the Earth Savage Bear in his Storage Ring.

After finishing all this, he took a deep breath and continued rushing toward the summit of Third Mountain.

At the same time, an eagle's cry rang out above the area on Fourth Mountain where Moon Shadow Grass had once been planted.

Immediately afterward, a massive figure descended from the sky and landed where the Moon Shadow Grass had grown.

It was over a zhang long, with a wingspan exceeding two zhang, and its entire body was covered in azure feathers.

This was a specialty Magical Beast of Misty Cloud Mountain: the Misty Cloud Eagle, a flying Magical Beast that was not skilled in combat.

Because they were difficult to breed, their numbers were not great, and their clan shared a good relationship with the Misty Cloud Sect.

Only direct descendants of the Misty Cloud Sect could possibly raise a Misty Cloud Eagle from childhood as a flying mount.

Even Nalan Yanran, the Young Sect Master, had not previously been qualified to raise a Misty Cloud Eagle.

Roar!

Discovering that the place where the Moon Shadow Grass had grown was completely empty, the Misty Cloud Eagle let out an angry cry that echoed through the entire mountain range.

After quite some time, the Misty Cloud Eagle came before the nearby pit, its sharp gaze sweeping across the traces of battle and the blood.

It keenly noticed the fur of the Earth Savage Bear and the Howling Moon Wolf, committing it to memory.

Should it encounter either of those Magical Beasts in the future, it would kill them without mercy.

The irritated Misty Cloud Eagle rose into the air and landed atop Misty Cloud Mountain not long afterward.

A Night Watch Disciple heard the commotion and came over with a yawn, his gaze falling on the message tube tied to the Misty Cloud Eagle's claw.

"Hmm!?"

Taking out the special Bamboo Message Slip within, the Night Watch Disciple discovered the Sect Leader's exclusive inscription upon it, instantly sobering up.

He carried the message slip with both hands to the side of the hall and placed it into a special clear spring.

The next moment, a line of words appeared on the Wooden Stele beside the spring: Nalan Yanran.

This indicated that Yun Yun had sent this Jade Slip to Nalan Yanran via the Misty Cloud Eagle.

"The Young Sect Master returned to the Nalan Family ten days ago. Someone will need to deliver it."

The Night Watch Disciple picked up the message slip and found Yun Chang, the Inner Sect Steward on duty at the Message Hall tonight, reporting the matter to him.

"A letter from the Sect Leader to the Young Sect Master?" Yun Chang accepted the message slip, his tone turning solemn. "Go. Call Kalon here."

"This disciple obeys." The Night Watch Disciple withdrew after receiving the order.

Before long, a man dressed in the Misty Cloud Sect's Inner Sect uniform entered the Message Hall and bowed to Yun Chang. "Greetings, Steward."

"Mm. Go personally to the Nalan Family and deliver this to the Young Sect Master." Yun Chang handed over the message slip.

"Yes." Kalon accepted the message slip. "Does the Steward have any other instructions?"

"No. Go quickly." Yun Chang waved him away.

Kalon bowed and withdrew, but rather than heading straight for the Nalan Family, he went to the Core Disciple residential area.

"Inner Sect Disciple Kalon requests an audience with Senior Brother Liu Ling." Kalon arrived before a small, elegant courtyard.

"What is it?" Liu Ling's voice came from within the courtyard.

"The sect has ordered me to deliver the Sect Leader's message slip to the Young Sect Master," Kalon replied.

The door of a house within the courtyard was pushed open, and Liu Ling stepped out. His eyes shone with frightening brightness. "Is that true?"

Meanwhile, Gu Han had already returned to the summit of Third Mountain and immediately entered the Xuanwu Secret Realm.

The Heaven and Earth Energy outside had become inclined toward Yin coldness due to the Yin Wind, then was swallowed and stored by the secret realm.

"Let the heart be as clear as ice, let the six senses be greatly settled, forget the self and guard the one..."

Gu Han skillfully circulated the Mysterious Ice Force.

His Dou Zhe Qi Vortex spun rapidly, driving Dou Qi through his Meridians along a special route. This heightened his sensitivity to Ice Attribute Heaven and Earth Energy, allowing him to swiftly devour and refine it.

This time, Gu Han was more focused than ever before. He could sense that his Qi Vortex had reached some sort of bottleneck.

Once, twice, three times... As he continued circulating the Mysterious Ice Force—

At last, after devouring a certain amount of Dou Qi, the Qi Vortex suddenly expanded.

"Three-Star Dou Zhe. I made it."

Gu Han exhaled a breath of clear air carrying a faint chill.

He had originally calculated that it would take another five days to take this step, even with the environmental advantage brought by the Yin Wind.

Once this particular season passed, he would no longer be able to maintain this speed and would need another opportunity.

He had not expected the Wind Nether Snake's ambush and the life-and-death crisis to let him complete his breakthrough ahead of time.

"Fortune and misfortune go hand in hand."

Gu Han stopped cultivating and prepared to visualize the Mysterious Turtle Shell.

Visualizing the Mysterious Turtle Shell was a meditation method he had developed on his own. It was more effective at restoring his mind than simply sleeping, and it could also increase his Soul Power.

Pile earth into a mountain, gather sand into a tower. As long as he persevered, even without the Soul Secret Techniques of ancient cultivators, his Soul Realm might still reach the Spirit Realm, Heavenly Realm, or even Emperor Realm.

"Past the Midnight Hour."

Gu Han planned to obtain his opportunity at the first possible moment today.

He had made a small fortune yesterday. Perhaps he could continue that luck today.

[Misty Cloud Eagle returned with a letter Yun Yun had written to Nalan Yanran. The letter said: "Your master will return from the frontline battlefield in seven days. At that time, I will assess your mastery of Dou Techniques. If I am satisfied, there will be a reward."

(This reward is the Fourth-Grade Heavenly Material Earthly Treasure, the Ice Toad Snow Pearl. Wearing the Ice Toad Snow Pearl directly allows one to remain calm and composed while cultivating. Swallowing it directly grants immunity to all poisons below Fourth-Order, as well as resistance to Fourth-Order and higher poisons. Ice Attribute cultivators who swallow it can add toad poison to their ice Dou Qi. Cultivators below the Da Dou Shi realm can raise their cultivation by a certain amount.)]

[Misty Cloud Sect Inner Sect Disciple Kalon was a spy planted by the Golden Goose Sect years ago. Through disguise, he successfully joined the Message Hall and regularly transmitted intelligence gathered within the Misty Cloud Sect back to the Golden Goose Sect. This time, he was tasked with delivering Yun Yun's message slip to Nalan Yanran. Knowing that Liu Ling was Nalan Yanran's simp, he intended to use this matter to befriend him.]

It had been a long time since he had received two pieces of information related to members of the Misty Cloud Sect, and Gu Han read them with great care.

When he saw the information about the Ice Toad Snow Pearl, a surge of desire rose in his heart.

Only in his hands could this thing display its greatest effect.

Unfortunately, it was a gift Yun Yun had prepared for her beloved disciple.

But the second opportunity gave him a sliver of hope that he could obtain the Ice Toad Snow Pearl.

"A spy, and one who joined the Message Hall, a place that frequently handles intelligence."

"This time, he wants to use the opportunity of delivering a message to befriend Liu Ling, the Pill King's disciple. He may even approach Nalan Yanran."

"If I directly tell Yun Yun this information..."

Gu Han felt that after rendering such great service to the Misty Cloud Sect, asking for an Ice Toad Snow Pearl would not be excessive.

However, as a mere Outer Disciple, it would not be easy for him to meet Yun Yun.

Still, geniuses always had privileges. It was difficult, but not impossible.

Yet even if he met Yun Yun, he could not explain how he had discovered that Kalon was suspicious.

"Looks like I'll have to return to the sect, keep an eye on Kalon, gather intelligence, and expose him reasonably."