Deep within the Poison Dragon Marsh, the miasma was so thick it seemed impossible to dissolve, and the light was dim as dusk. Huge bubbles rose from the sludge from time to time, releasing a nauseating stench when they burst. The venomous insects and demonic beasts here were stranger and stronger as well. Han Li even sensed several distant demonic auras comparable to cultivators at the eighth or ninth layer of Qi Refining, but he used his powerful spiritual sense to avoid them in advance, unwilling to invite complications.
Following the fragmentary memories obtained through soul searching, and comparing his map with subtle differences in the surroundings, Han Li moved through the labyrinthine marsh like the most seasoned hunter, gradually approaching the area known as the "Yin Corpse Cave."
The deeper he went, the heavier the cold, deathly aura in the air became. Even the cries of venomous insects so common in the marsh grew scarce, and a heart-chilling silence spread around him.
At last, Han Li stopped beneath a cliff completely shrouded in miasma as thick and black as ink. At its base stood an enormous cave mouth of unfathomable depth, like the hideous, gaping maw of a giant beast. Jagged rocks lined its edges, bearing faint traces of excavation, though the roughness left by years of erosion and yin energy was far more pronounced. Above the entrance were two indistinct ancient characters. Without Han Li's powerful spiritual sense, they would have been almost impossible to decipher-Mystic Yin.
The Mystic Yin Cave... Han Li repeated inwardly. The name certainly suited it. The yin energy swirling around the entrance was ten times denser than outside. An ordinary Qi Refining cultivator who approached would likely have their body invaded and their blood frozen within moments. To him, however, this yin energy was a potent tonic. The dark spiritual power within him began circulating on its own, even conveying a faint sense of pleasure.
He did not rush inside. Instead, he condensed his spiritual sense into a thread and cautiously extended it into the cave. A simple warning restriction seemed to have been placed at the entrance, but its construction was crude, and he easily skirted it. His spiritual sense stretched several dozen yards inward. The passage gradually sloped downward, and crude carvings began appearing on the stone walls on either side, depicting bizarre scenes of corpse manipulation, soul refinement, and sacrifices to evil gods. Their primitive, ancient style differed entirely from the schools of the present cultivation world. They did indeed seem to be remnants of antiquity.
At the end of the passage lay an enormous underground cavern. Cold winds howled within, and at least twenty or thirty shadowy figures could be discerned. All wore the cloaks of the Black Fiend Cult. Most were in the Qi Refinement middle period, while five or six had reached the late period. They were busy around an area at the center of the cavern shrouded in faint black light. It appeared to contain a ruined stone platform covered in intricate runes, with a recess at its center. The black light emanated from that recess, forming a barrier that blocked their probing.
So they really are trying to break the restriction... Han Li understood. That stone platform was likely the entrance to the ancient cultivator's abode, or the key to accessing it. His spiritual sense swept across the cavern before settling on a black-robed man sitting cross-legged in one corner.
The man took no part in breaking the restriction. He merely sat quietly, as though standing guard. His aura was like an abyss, obscure and unfathomable, far surpassing that of every cultist around him. It exerted tremendous pressure on Han Li's spiritual sense!
Foundation Establishment! And he was certainly no mere newcomer to the realm. He was at least at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, and possibly even in the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage!
This was the Black Fiend Cult deacon stationed here!
Han Li's heart tightened, and he quietly withdrew his spiritual sense. With his current strength midway through the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, combined with his many methods, he might barely be able to hold his own against a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage. Against someone at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, however, his chances of victory were vanishingly small. Worse still, there were dozens of cultists inside.
Forcing his way in was certainly not the best course.
He concealed himself in the miasma near the entrance, waiting quietly for an opportunity like the most patient venomous snake. Since the Black Fiend Cult was expending such effort to break the restriction, things could not remain calm forever. Either breaking it would cause a disturbance, or they would have to leave to find something needed to undo it. That would be his opportunity.
Time passed little by little. Rumbles occasionally sounded from within as the cultists invoked spells and attacked the restriction, but the black barrier merely rippled faintly and remained firmly in place.
Just as Han Li was considering whether to seek another approach, something changed without warning!
Inside the cavern, the Black Fiend Cult deacon, who had been sitting motionless all this time, suddenly opened his eyes. Two sickly green beams shot from them as he snapped his gaze toward the entrance, his voice shrill and piercing as a night owl's cry:
"What skulking rat dares spy on our holy cult's sacred grounds? Get out here!"
Before his words had faded, powerful Foundation Establishment pressure erupted from the cave like a mountain collapsing and a tidal wave crashing down, instantly locking onto Han Li's hiding place! At the same time, he flicked his sleeve. A streak of dark light shot through the entrance like lightning and transformed in midair into an enormous ghost claw. With a shrill Ghost Howl, it snatched down at Han Li's head!
I've been discovered!
Han Li was startled. He had not expected this Foundation Establishment deacon's spiritual sense to be so keen that he could detect his earlier probing! And the man had opened with a killing move, showing no mercy whatsoever!
Faced with a ghost claw capable of easily crushing a late Qi Refining cultivator to death, Han Li was alarmed but not rattled. He knew he could not retreat now. If he did, he would surrender the initiative and be surrounded by the cultists pouring from the cave. Death would be certain!
Only by attacking instead of defending and creating chaos could he seize a sliver of hope!
"Old ghoul, you think you're worthy?"
Han Li let out a long cry and stopped concealing himself. Dark spiritual power erupted from within him like a volcano! His hands moved rapidly before his chest, condensing his pure dark spiritual power into an enormous round shield edged with flickering, sawtoothed black light-Shadow Shield!
At the same time, he opened his mouth and spat out a stream of black energy so condensed it seemed solid. Though released later, it struck first, shooting toward the enormous ghost claw like an arrow! This was the new method he had comprehended after devouring vast numbers of yin souls and bringing about a qualitative change in his dark spiritual power-Soul-Eroding Darkglow!
Boom!
The Soul-Eroding Darkglow struck the ghost claw first. The claw, formed from pure yin fiend energy, hissed like ice and snow beneath the sun. The black energy on its surface rapidly dissipated, greatly weakening its power! Immediately afterward, the Shadow Shield slammed into the weakened ghost claw!
Bang!
A deafening crash rang out. Surging shock waves scattered a broad swath of the surrounding miasma! Han Li shuddered violently and slid several yards backward, the taste of blood rising in his throat. But he had taken the blow head-on! Cracks covered the Shadow Shield, yet it had not shattered!
"Oh? Dark attribute spiritual power? With a soul-eroding effect as well?" The Foundation Establishment deacon inside the cave gave a soft exclamation, clearly surprised that Han Li had withstood his attack and possessed such an unusual cultivation art. But he did not pause. With a flicker, he appeared at the entrance like a ghost, his sickly green eyes fixing coldly on Han Li.
"Whoever you are, trespassers die!"
He thrust out his withered hand. Sickly green nails a foot long sprang from his fingertips, carrying a foul wind as they clawed straight at Han Li's face! The strike was too fast for the naked eye to follow, and the sinister, poisonous spiritual power it contained could easily pierce a high-grade defensive magical artifact!
At the same time, dozens of Black Fiend Cult members poured from the cave like a tide. Bone spikes, poisonous mist, and ghostly shadow spells swept toward Han Li, blotting out the sky!
A powerful Foundation Establishment enemy before him, dozens of cultists closing in behind!
The situation was as precarious as a stack of eggs!
Yet astonishing fighting spirit and ferocity blazed in Han Li's eyes! Rather than retreat, he punched straight toward the Foundation Establishment deacon's sharp claws! Dark spiritual power as thick as ink enveloped his fist, faintly forming the phantom of a hideous ghost head!
"Demonic Fiend Fist!"
This was a killing move he had derived and fused on his own from the many cultivation-art fragments he had absorbed through the Slaughter System! It pushed the corrosive and devouring properties of dark spiritual power to their limit!
Fist met claw, but instead of a thunderous impact, there came a teeth-grating hiss of corrosion! The dark spiritual power on Han Li's fist frantically ate into his opponent's nails and protective spiritual light. Meanwhile, the Foundation Establishment deacon's sinister, poisonous spiritual power clung like maggots to bone, trying to burrow into Han Li's body!
Both men jolted and retreated half a step! They had actually fought to a standstill!
"How is that possible?!" For the first time, horror appeared in the deacon's eyes. He was at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage! His opponent was clearly only at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, yet the strength and quality of his spiritual power were no weaker than his own? What kind of monster was this?
In the instant his opponent's mind reeled, Han Li used the recoil to slide backward like a darting fish. At the same time, he flicked both hands repeatedly, sending dozens of black needle shadows as fine as ox hairs toward the cultists surging up behind him like a torrential downpour!
"Shadow Needles!"
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
Screams immediately erupted! The several Qi Refinement Middle Period cultists at the front had no time to react before the black needle shadows pierced their protective spiritual light and pinned them dead to the ground! The assault of the cultists behind them faltered!
Seizing the opportunity, Han Li's figure flickered. Without the slightest hesitation, he shot like lightning deeper into the marsh, toward the thickest miasma!
"Trying to run? Stay right here!" The Foundation Establishment deacon was furious. Despite taking action himself, he had allowed a Qi Refining junior to escape his grasp and even kill several cultists. It was an utter humiliation! His body transformed into a streak of black smoke as he pursued relentlessly! The surviving cultists also gave chase, shouting after them.
A fierce chase unfolded deep within the Poison Dragon Marsh, where danger lurked on every side!
Han Li pushed Shadow Step to its limit, his figure flitting unpredictably through the marsh as he used the tangled terrain and thick miasma to change direction repeatedly. The Foundation Establishment deacon had profound cultivation and greater speed, but in this strange environment, he could not close the distance for the moment. Instead, Han Li repeatedly harassed him with Soul-Eroding Darkglow or Shadow Needles fired backward, driving him into a thunderous rage.
One fled and the other pursued. In the blink of an eye, they had traveled dozens of miles deeper into the marsh.
Just as Han Li was considering a way to escape, the miasma ahead suddenly thinned, revealing a relatively dry stretch of scattered rocks. At its center stood an ancient, badly ruined altar built entirely from some kind of enormous black stone!
The altar was only about ten feet tall, covered in the scars of time, with what appeared to be a depression at its center. What alarmed Han Li even more was that, as he approached it, the dark spiritual power within him began stirring uncontrollably, as though responding to some powerful summons!
When the Black Fiend Cult's Foundation Establishment deacon pursuing him saw the altar, he first froze. Then, as though recalling something, his eyes suddenly blazed with boundless greed and fervor!
"The Profound Yin Altar?! The legendary place where mystic yin true fiend aura is nurtured?! Hahaha! Heaven is helping me! Boy, it seems you're destined to become the main material for the Mystic Yin Fiend Corpse I'll refine!"
He held nothing back any longer, his speed abruptly increasing by another thirty percent. An even more solid enormous ghost claw reached toward Han Li's back, blotting out the sky and sun!
An eerie altar ahead, a powerful Foundation Establishment enemy behind!
Han Li swept his gaze over the ancient altar with its ominous aura, feeling the abnormal agitation of the spiritual power within him. Gritting his teeth, he did not veer away. Instead, he accelerated toward it!
Riches must be sought amid danger! This altar might hold my chance of survival!
Like a moth diving into flame, he charged resolutely into the rocky area, making straight for the altar's center!
Behind him, the Black Fiend Cult's Foundation Establishment deacon wore a savage grin of certain victory, and the ghost claw descending from the sky was already within arm's reach!
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