February 12, the hour of the tiger. The outskirts of the Ten Thousand Poisons Marsh, southwestern Heavenly South.
Thick poisonous fog churned like ink, its miasma mingling the sickly sweetness of corrosion-bone grass with the pungent stench of ten thousand poisons flowers. An ordinary cultivator would grow dizzy after breathing in even half a mouthful.
Han Li stood on a rise at the marsh's edge, his Water-Magnetic Sword angled toward the fog. Grand void spiritual power flowed through the star patterns on its blade, shutting out every wisp of poison that approached. Behind him, three thousand elite cultivators of the Righteous Path Alliance stood ready: Mo Chenzi led a thousand from the Star Palace as the vanguard; Nangong Wan and thirty Moon Shadow Guards concealed themselves in the shadows; Lu Yun led two hundred disciples of the Ten Thousand Sword Mound in laying a Sword Grove Formation to guard the rear; and disciples of Yellow Maple Valley and the Seven Mysteries Sect wielded weapons improved using the Blood Fiend Battle Method, tasked with eliminating anyone who slipped through the net.
"Han Li," Mo Chenzi said, turning his hand to produce a Star-Magnetic Detection Talisman. Its paper glimmered in the poisonous fog. "We've pinpointed the Ten Thousand Poisons Pool at the heart of the marsh. Myriad Gu True Cultivator is holding an alliance meeting with cultivators from the Loose Demon Alliance. There are roughly fifty of them, including two at the nascent soul stage."
Han Li nodded, and a system screen appeared in his sea of consciousness: [Myriad Gu True Cultivator's weaknesses: relies on the Myriad Gu Bag to control poisonous insects. His main body has nascent soul late stage cultivation but weak defenses. Vulnerable to star-magnetic power and purification-type techniques.]
He looked up at Nangong Wan. "The Moon Shadow Guards