The strange phenomenon on the spirit-testing platform was like a boulder hurled into a tranquil lake, stirring towering waves among the Seven Mysteries Sect's upper ranks.
Inside a secret chamber behind the main hall, the atmosphere was so heavy it almost seemed to drip water. All the elders who had appeared in the square earlier were present. In addition, two Grand Elders who spent years in seclusion, their auras even more unfathomable, had been startled into emerging.
"A dark spiritual root... The records contain only scattered references to it. They say every appearance brings bloody rain and winds reeking of slaughter. It is a symbol of calamity and destruction." A Grand Elder with white hair and beard and brown spots covering his face spoke slowly, his hoarse voice weathered by the years.
"The ancient texts say, 'When the dark spirit appears, the netherworld opens; the immortal path weeps blood, and the Dao's legacy changes hands.'" The other Grand Elder, whose complexion was rosy as an infant's but whose eyes were sharp as a hawk's, continued, sweeping his gaze over everyone present. "Whether this boy will bring fortune or disaster is very hard to say."
The red-faced elder's brow furrowed. "But a variant spiritual root is one in ten thousand, especially a dark spiritual root as rare as this. If we nurture him properly, he could well become the opportunity our Seven Mysteries Sect needs to rise! Are we to turn away such heaven-sent talent over an insubstantial prophecy, or even... snuff him out?"
"Snuff him out?" The sinister-looking elder sneered. "You make it sound so easy, Elder Li! Everyone here has seen this boy's disposition. He killed decisively on the Sword-Grinding Path and spoke calmly beneath our pressure. Could an ordinary youth possess such mature judgment and ruthless methods? If we nurture him and he turns on us one day, who will bear the responsibility?"
"You are mistaken, Elder Wang," Steward Zhang could not help interjecting. "In the cultivation world, the weak are meat for the strong. Ruthlessness is not necessarily a bad thing. Besides, precisely because he is extraordinary, our Seven Mysteries Sect must spare no effort in nurturing him. Only by binding him with kindness and loyalty can we win his heart."
"Kindness and loyalty? Look at those eyes of his. Does he look like someone who can be moved by petty favors?" the sinister Elder Wang retorted.
The argument in the secret chamber grew increasingly heated. Voices of support mingled with cautious opposition, and neither side could persuade the other.
At last, the spotted Grand Elder who had spoken first tapped lightly on the table. The sound was quiet, yet it silenced everyone.
"Enough." A gleam flashed through his cloudy eyes. "The matter of this dark spiritual root has far-reaching implications. It is no longer something our Seven Mysteries Sect alone can decide. Report it to the Heavenly South Alliance immediately under the highest level of secrecy. In the meantime, provide this boy, Han Li, with the highest standard of treatment afforded to core disciples. Monitor his every move closely, but do not provoke him lightly, nor let him notice."
He paused and looked at the red-faced Elder Li. "Elder Li, you are relatively easygoing and deal with the disciples more often. You will take primary responsibility for interacting with Han Li, probing his disposition, and keeping him settled as best you can."
"Yes, Grand Elder." Elder Li solemnly accepted the order.
"As for Mo Juren..." An inscrutable light flashed through the spotted Grand Elder's eyes. "He noticed this boy before we did. Given his temperament, he would never let such 'fine material' slip away. Let master and disciple... get along on their own for now. Perhaps Doctor Mo can test the depths of this boy for us."
Everyone's heart tightened at his words. They understood the Grand Elder's intent—set a wolf upon a tiger and sit back to watch what happened.
Han Li was assigned a small private courtyard at the edge of the core disciples' area. Its surroundings were peaceful, and its spiritual energy was several times denser than in the outer sect. Besides the Peiyuan Pills and spirit stones Mo Juren had sent, another reward from the sect now lay on the table: a bottle of higher-quality Qi Condensation Pills, a low-grade magical artifact called the Azure Edge Sword, and a Core Disciple Token and robes.
[Ding! Sect resources obtained: Qi Condensation Pills ×5, low-grade magical artifact Azure Edge Sword ×1. Can be absorbed to increase cultivation.]
Without even looking at the Azure Edge Sword, Han Li put away all the pills. For now, magical artifacts were merely external aids to him. Increasing his own strength was what mattered. He sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, took out a Peiyuan Pill, and swallowed it.
The pill dissolved in his stomach, spreading gentle medicinal power. An ordinary disciple would have had to guide and refine it with great care, but with a thought from Han Li, the Slaughter System in his mind trembled faintly, generating an invisible devouring force. Like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, the medicinal power was swiftly and forcibly absorbed, transformed into pure spiritual power, and channeled into the qi sea within his newly opened dantian.
Its efficiency exceeded that of an ordinary person by more than tenfold!
This system really is an excellent aid to cultivation, Han Li thought. Pills that had required grueling hours of meditation to refine in his previous life could now be completely absorbed in an instant.
Just as he prepared to take a second pill, a somewhat flamboyant voice sounded outside the courtyard.
"Are you here, Junior Brother Han Li? Li Feiyu has come to pay you a visit!"
Han Li's gaze flickered. Li Feiyu? Brother Li? We were close in my previous life. I hope things remain the same between us in this one! Apart from him, Li Feiyu was one of only two disciples in this intake with a three-spiritual root. He came from the countryside and had a rather cold, aloof temperament.
He rose and opened the door. Outside stood a handsome youth in sumptuous brocade clothes, a long sword at his waist and an unmistakable air of superiority in his features. It was Li Feiyu. Several followers with fairly strong auras stood behind him, clearly disciples from the same intake who had already made him their leader.
At the sight of Han Li, a barely perceptible trace of jealousy flashed through Li Feiyu's eyes, but he quickly concealed it beneath an enthusiastic smile. "Junior Brother Han, congratulations! Your dark spiritual root truly makes us green with envy! I came especially to make your acquaintance. Since we will be in the same sect from now on, I hope you will look after me."
His words were polished, but the way he examined Han Li like a piece of merchandise, along with the faint hostility of those behind him, showed that this attempt to "make his acquaintance" was not as friendly as it appeared. News of the spirit-testing platform had evidently spread, and this Li Feiyu, who thought so highly of himself, had come to weigh up this disciple with a "variant spiritual root."
Han Li's expression remained calm, neither warm nor cold. "You flatter me, Senior Brother Li. It was merely luck."
Seeing his cool response, Li Feiyu's smile stiffened slightly before he continued, "There is no need to be so modest, Junior Brother. For cultivators like us, aptitude certainly matters, but resources and connections are equally indispensable. I entered the sect a few years earlier. If you do not mind, perhaps we could work together and share resources. We would surely establish ourselves in the Seven Mysteries Sect much faster."
His words carried both an attempt to recruit Han Li and a desire to show off.
Han Li sneered inwardly. Work together? He merely sees my astonishing potential and wants to invest early. But if Brother Li stands in my way, what should I do? What he needed was slaughter points, plunder, and the freedom of walking alone, not such a hypocritical alliance.
"I come from an itinerant cultivator's background and am accustomed to acting alone. I appreciate your goodwill, Senior Brother Li." Han Li rejected him outright, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.
Li Feiyu could no longer maintain his smile. One of his followers could not help shouting, "Han Li! Senior Brother Li kindly offered you his friendship, and you throw it back in his face! Do you really think having a variant spiritual root makes you so great?"
Han Li's gaze abruptly turned cold and swept toward the speaker. Those eyes were chilling to the bone, carrying a faint thread of killing intent. The follower instantly felt as though he had fallen into an ice cavern. His remaining words caught in his throat, and his face turned deathly pale.
"Do I need someone else to give me face?" Han Li's voice was quiet, yet it carried an invisible pressure. "If there is nothing else, please leave. I still need to cultivate."
He delivered the dismissal without the slightest courtesy.
Li Feiyu's face alternated between livid and pale. When had he ever suffered such contempt? But sensing the faint aura of danger around Han Li, and recalling the rumors of the spirit-testing platform and the Sword-Grinding Path, he ultimately did not dare lash out. He merely snorted. "In that case, we will not disturb your secluded cultivation, Junior Brother Han! Let's go!"
With that, he left in a huff, taking his followers, who were silent as cicadas in winter, with him. As he turned away, a trace of venom flashed through his eyes. Han Li, just you wait!
Having sent the uninvited guests away, Han Li was about to close the door when, from the corner of his eye, he spotted a woman in white standing silently beneath an ancient pine in the distance. He did not know when she had appeared.
The mountain breeze lifted her ink-black hair and a corner of her veil, offering a faint glimpse of the cool, otherworldly features beneath. She was not looking his way, merely gazing quietly at the distant mountains and sea of clouds, as though she stood apart from the world.
Yet Han Li's keen spiritual perception sensed that an exceedingly faint strand of spiritual sense had briefly lingered at his courtyard gate.
Was it her?
Han Li recognized the woman. She was none other than his Dao companion from his previous life. He had never expected to meet her this way in this life. Living a second life truly goes against the harmony of heaven. So many things are different from before! I hope things between us remain as they always were! It seemed the waters of the Seven Mysteries Sect ran deeper than he had imagined. The Wan'er of this life was certainly no ordinary elder, either.
[Ding! Attention from a special individual detected: Nangong Wan. Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. Status: curious, assessing. Host is advised to remain vigilant.]
Nangong Wan? An alias?
Something stirred in Han Li's heart, and he committed the system's notification to memory. He did not approach her or speak. He simply withdrew his gaze, as though he had noticed nothing, and closed the courtyard door.
Now was not yet the time to engage with these people. His most urgent task was to increase his strength.
Returning to the meditation room, Han Li sat cross-legged once more and took out all the remaining Peiyuan Pills and Qi Condensation Pills.
Mo Juren's bait and the sect's resources-he accepted them all without reservation.
Once I have devoured these pills and advanced my cultivation another step, it will be my turn to place the pieces on the Seven Mysteries Sect's board.
An icy gleam blazed in his eyes. Like a savage beast lying in wait, he began frantically devouring the pills' power. The spiritual energy around the courtyard faintly formed a weak vortex with him at its center.
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