The blood-red demonic qi of Black Wind Valley churned like boiling water in the night wind. Han Li stood atop the jagged rocks of Soulbreak Cliff, three li outside the valley. Nascent soul profound water surged within his sea of consciousness as he sifted through the intelligence he had obtained three days earlier-the defense map, the location of the great formation's core, the sect leader's vulnerabilities during seclusion, the secret letter from his inside man, Bloodhand Scholar... Each piece of information was a fragment of a puzzle, gradually assembling a complete blueprint for revenge.
Below the cliff, a sea of clouds roiled. The blood-red halls within the valley were faintly visible, like the gates of hell.
"The Blood Moon Sacrifice is in three days. The sect leader will have to emerge from seclusion to oversee it." Han Li released a wisp of star power from his fingertips, forming a three-dimensional map of Black Wind Valley on the rock face. Amid shifting light and shadow, the locations of the Blood Soul Tower, the Blood Pool Hall, and the protectors' residences appeared in minute detail. "The protectors will gather at the Blood Soul Tower then, leaving the valley's defenses thin. That will be our chance to strike from within and without."
His gaze swept over the marker for a stone pillar in the northeastern corner. The fissure in the great formation there resembled a savage scar. "This gap is the key to breaking the formation."
At midnight, Han Li used the Star-Magnetic Concealment Art to infiltrate Ghost-Crying Alley, the Blood Fiend Cult's secret hideout in the city. A foul stench rode the cold wind through the alley, and a faded blood-red token hung above the entrance to an abandoned residence. He used Ghost-Crying Old Man's token to bluff his way through a