Han Li left the Hundred Mechanisms Hall, but instead of returning directly to his courtyard, he circled around to a secluded cliff on the mountain behind it. The mountain wind whipped his blue-green robes. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing into the distance. He seemed to be admiring the sea of clouds, but in truth, he was digesting the information gleaned from the disturbance in the market and planning his next moves.
The Black Fiend Cult mission offered both danger and opportunity-a fine chance to quickly acquire resources and Slaughter Points. Before that, however, he needed to bring himself to peak condition and learn as much as possible about his opponents.
As he pondered, an aged, slightly hoarse voice sounded behind him without warning:
"Young man, too much killing intent makes you easy to break."
Han Li's heart tightened. His body remained still, but his spiritual sense swept backward like a tide. Despite his powerful spiritual sense, now comparable to that of a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, he had failed to notice anyone approaching!
Some thirty feet behind him, an old man had appeared at some unknown point. He wore a worn gray robe, had graying hair, and possessed a face so ordinary it would vanish in a crowd. He was crouching on the ground, idly poking a few loose stones with a twig, as though he were merely a common old man from the hills.
Yet Han Li's nerves went taut in an instant. Anyone who could approach him without a sound had to possess cultivation far above his own! Foundation Establishment at the very least, perhaps even higher!
"Who might you be, senior?" Han Li turned and offered a clasped-hands salute. His tone was calm, but his spiritual power was already circulating silently, ready to unleash his strongest strike at any moment. The Slaughter System was also on standby, analyzing the energy fluctuations emanating from the old man. Its feedback, however, was indistinct, as though some power had obscured them.
The gray-robed old man tossed away the twig, dusted off his hands, and stood. His cloudy eyes settled on Han Li, and a hint of an ambiguous smile appeared on his face. "Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is that you're an interesting lad. A dark spiritual root, decisive in killing, ruthless and merciless-and yet far too calm for a boy your age."
He paced forward, his gaze almost tangible as he studied Han Li from head to toe, as though admiring a priceless treasure. "The Seven Mysteries Sect's shallow pond can hardly nurture a true dragon like you. That old fox Mo Juren thinks you're meat on his platter, little knowing he may have invited a wolf into his home."
Han Li's pupils contracted slightly. This old man had laid bare the subtle, dangerous relationship between him and Mo Juren! Just who was he? What did he want?
"I don't understand what you mean, senior." Han Li's expression remained unchanged as he continued to feign ignorance.
"Heh, no matter if you don't understand." The gray-robed old man waved a hand and walked to the cliff's edge, standing beside Han Li. As he gazed at the churning sea of clouds, he abruptly changed the subject. "Lad, how much do you know about the Blood-Colored Forbidden Land?"
The Blood-Colored Forbidden Land?
Han Li's heart jolted! He remembered that name from the fragments of his previous life's memories! It was an ancient hidden realm on the edge of the Heavenly South Continent, one that opened only once every few centuries. It was said to have been a trial ground for an enormous sect in antiquity. After that sect's destruction, the trial ground had become a deadly realm filled with opportunity and slaughter. It contained not only rare natural treasures and inheritances of ancient cultivation methods, but also countless powerful restrictions and demonic beasts. It was perilous beyond measure, long a burial ground for Foundation Establishment cultivators; Qi Refining disciples who entered faced nine chances of death for every chance of survival! Yet each opening still drew countless Heavenly South cultivators, one wave following another.
Judging by the timing, the next opening of the Blood-Colored Forbidden Land seemed not far off!
Why had this old man suddenly brought it up?
"I've heard a little. It's said to be a place where great danger and great opportunity coexist," Han Li answered cautiously.
"Great danger? Great opportunity? Well said!" The gray-robed old man chuckled, a sharp gleam flashing through his eyes that utterly belied his ordinary appearance. "The forbidden land will next open in three years. When that time comes, the great sects and cultivation clans of the Heavenly South will all send their elite disciples inside to compete for that slender chance at immortality."
He turned his head and gave Han Li a meaningful look. "With your dark spiritual root and ruthless temperament, keeping you trapped in the Seven Mysteries Sect is truly a shameful waste of heaven's gifts. Don't you want to brave the Blood-Colored Forbidden Land? To contend with the finest young talents of the entire Heavenly South for that road to the heavens?"
Han Li's heart gave a violent thump. The Blood-Colored Forbidden Land was undoubtedly an ideal place to rapidly strengthen himself and plunder resources! The slaughter there would far surpass the petty scuffles within the Seven Mysteries Sect! If he could enter, then with the Slaughter System, his cultivation would surely make a terrifying leap!
But the risks were equally enormous. That place was a meat grinder for geniuses, where even Foundation Establishment cultivators could fall. At merely the Qi Refinement Fifth Layer, no matter how many tricks he possessed, he could hardly guarantee his safety.
"You jest, senior. The forbidden land is perilous, and my cultivation is low. How could I dare covet it?" Han Li suppressed the stirring in his heart, continuing to retreat in order to advance.
The gray-robed old man seemed to see through his thoughts, but did not expose them. He merely said mildly, "Low cultivation? Heh, I never judge people by the surface alone. Your true combat strength is probably no worse than that of some disciples at the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining. Besides, there are still three years until the forbidden land opens. With your talent, three years should be enough for you to grow capable of protecting yourself."
He turned his wrist, and an irregularly shaped, dark-red token appeared in his palm. An ancient character meaning "blood" was carved into it, and it exuded a faint baleful aura.
"This is a Forbidden Land Token, one of the credentials for entering the Blood-Colored Forbidden Land. When the time comes, only those holding such a token can be escorted to its entrance." The old man tossed the token to Han Li. "The token is yours. Whether you go is your decision. If you choose to go, bring it to Soulbreak Cliff deep in the Falling Cloud Mountains on this day three years from now and wait. Someone will meet you there."
Han Li caught the token. It was icy to the touch, and a barely perceptible scent of blood lingered beneath his nose. He swept it with his spiritual sense. Its internal structure was complex and contained a peculiar spatial fluctuation; it did not seem counterfeit.
"Why are you helping me, senior?" Han Li asked the most crucial question. There was no such thing as a free meal. The old man surely had some purpose in giving him this token.
The gray-robed old man grinned, exposing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "Helping you? I simply don't want to see a fine piece of timber, a beautiful piece of jade, ruined by the likes of Mo Juren. And while I'm at it... I'm placing a spare piece on the board. If you truly emerge alive from the Blood-Colored Forbidden Land and manage to stir the winds and clouds of the Heavenly South, that would be rather interesting. If you die inside, all I've wasted is a token."
His words were blunt and cold.
Han Li fell silent for a moment, then put away the token and solemnly saluted the gray-robed old man. "Thank you for the token, senior. I will consider this matter carefully."
Whatever the old man's purpose, this Forbidden Land Token truly represented an opportunity he urgently needed. The Blood-Colored Forbidden Land had stirred his desire!
"Mm. Stay alive, lad. Don't let that old ghost Mo swallow you before the forbidden land even opens." The gray-robed old man waved a hand. His figure gradually blurred, as though merging into the air, then vanished. Only one final, barely audible warning remained. "Be careful of that woman Nangong Wan. She is no simple character..."
Nangong Wan?
Han Li's gaze sharpened. This old man had even singled out Nangong Wan? It seemed the waters of the Seven Mysteries Sect ran far deeper than he had imagined.
Han Li alone remained at the cliff's edge. He rubbed the baleful Forbidden Land Token in his hand, shifting lights flickering in his eyes.
Three years... the Blood-Colored Forbidden Land...
This was undoubtedly a shortcut to greater power, but it was also strewn with thorns and death.
To go, or not to go?
Almost without hesitation, Han Li already had his answer.
In this life, having chosen the path of slaughter, how could he shrink back in fear? Opportunity had to be sought amid danger! He would go to the Blood-Colored Forbidden Land, without question!
But right now, the first thing he needed to resolve was the danger before him-Mo Juren!
The old ghost was like a sharp sword hanging over his head and had to be eliminated as soon as possible. Otherwise, never mind entering the forbidden land in three years-it was uncertain whether he could even live that long.
"Mo Juren..." Han Li murmured the name, his killing intent spreading as though it had taken physical form. "It's time to bring your death forward."
He turned and strode down the mountain. His shadow stretched long beneath the setting sun, carrying an unyielding resolve to press forward.
Acquire resources, grow stronger, kill Mo Juren! Then point his sword at the Blood-Colored Forbidden Land!
Before you continue