The night was black as ink, and silence shrouded the Seven Mysteries Sect, broken only by the rustle of mountain winds through the treetops. Inside Cold Pool Cave, Han Li slowly opened his eyes, their brilliance held in check. His aura had fully stabilized at the peak of Foundation Establishment early stage; only an opportunity stood between him and the middle stage. He toyed with the Jade Slip containing the Essence-Concealing Technique that he had obtained from the Scripture Pavilion. Though tedious to practice, the technique was remarkably effective. After more than a month of painstaking cultivation, he could conceal his aura at roughly late-stage Qi Refining. Unless someone with divine sense far surpassing others of the same cultivation deliberately examined him, discovering his true cultivation would be exceedingly difficult.
"It's time," Han Li murmured, rising to his feet. The opening of the Blood-Colored Forbidden Land was imminent, and he still lacked several obscure materials for making special talismans and setting up concealment formations. Even the sect's Market Towns might not stock everything, so he needed to try his luck at Flowing Cloud Market, a gathering place for Rogue Cultivators outside the mountain gates.
He changed into an utterly inconspicuous gray Rogue Cultivator's outfit and activated the Essence-Concealing Technique, suppressing his aura to around the tenth level of Qi Refining. Like a phantom, he slipped soundlessly out of Cold Pool Cave, merged into the deep night, and sped toward the mountain gates.
Flowing Cloud Market lay in a valley a hundred li from Seven Mysteries Mountain. It was a gathering place where nearby low-level cultivators and Rogue Cultivators exchanged supplies, with dragons and fish mingling together. Han Li was no stranger to the place, having visited several times in earlier years. Following a familiar route through several dark alleys, he arrived before a squat stone building bearing a sign that read "Hundred Goods Shop." Its storefront was small, but an entirely different world lay inside. Shelves were laden with strange and unusual materials, and the air carried a mingled scent of medicinal herbs, ores, and demonic beast materials.
The shopkeeper was an old man with drooping eyelids who looked half asleep, his cultivation at around the eighth level of Qi Refining. Without wasting words, Han Li handed him a written list of materials.
The old man raised his eyelids and glanced at the list. A barely perceptible flicker passed through his clouded eyes as he drawled, "'Yin marrow sand,' 'Centennial corpse moss,' 'Phantom fox tail'... None of these things you're looking for are particularly common, fellow cultivator." As he spoke, he slowly rummaged among the shelves.
Han Li stood calmly with his hands behind his back, but his divine sense spread like invisible ripples, silently enveloping the entire shop and an area several dozen zhang around it. He also quietly activated the Profound Yin Spirit Eye, secretly observing the subtle fluctuations in the old man's vital energy and the circulation of his spiritual power.
A short while later, the old man placed several wooden boxes and jade bottles on the counter. "I have some yin marrow sand and corpse moss, both of decent quality. As for phantom fox tail... sorry, the shop is currently out of stock. However, I heard that someone killed a Phantom Fox near Black Wind Cave a few days ago. There might still be some materials left."
"Black Wind Cave?" Han Li's brow creased almost imperceptibly. The place was a dangerous spot with a fearsome reputation among Rogue Cultivators. This lead seemed rather too convenient.
"Thank you for the information." He paid the spirit stones, put away the materials, and turned to leave without hesitation.
The instant he stepped across the shop's threshold, something changed!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three exceedingly faint whistles rang out simultaneously from three different shadowy corners! Rather than flying directly at Han Li, they shot toward the ground in front of him, behind him, and to his left, moving too quickly for the naked eye to follow!
Formation flags!
Three streaks of black light struck the ground and activated instantly. A pale gray, transparent barrier rose like an upturned bowl, enclosing Han Li and a small patch of ground outside the shop! Runes flowed across its surface, cutting off the inside from the outside. A powerful suppressive force descended abruptly, making even the circulation of Han Li's spiritual power somewhat sluggish!
"Three Talents Spirit-Locking Formation!" A cold gleam flashed through Han Li's eyes as he recognized it at once. His enemies had clearly planned this well in advance, calculating even his route and the moment of his departure with utmost precision!
At the same time, four indistinct black figures plunged from the rooftops at the alley entrance, seemingly blended into the night! All wore black cloths over their faces, leaving only their eyes exposed. Their movements were agile, and their spiritual fluctuations were unmistakably at Qi Refining great perfection! The leader had even reached the second level of Foundation Establishment! The four worked in seamless coordination. One attacked head-on with a saber, its light fierce and sharp; another cast an earth-element spell, sending stone spikes thrusting from the ground to restrict Han Li's movement; a third concealed himself, waiting for an opening to fire arrows from hiding; and the second-level Foundation Establishment leader formed hand seals, sending an icy mental assault straight into Han Li's sea of consciousness!
Their attacks surged like a tide, sealing every escape route in an instant! This was clearly a well-trained team of killers!
The Shadow Killer Sect! Han Li snorted inwardly. Nangong Wan's warning had indeed come true. They had actually dared strike within the Seven Mysteries Sect's sphere of influence. Clearly, they were determined to kill him!
Despite the danger, Han Li remained composed. He made no attempt to confront the formation head-on or force his way out, which would have played straight into their hands. He instantly released the Essence-Concealing Technique, and the formidable spiritual pressure of Foundation Establishment early stage erupted! At the same time, he pushed Shadow Step to its limit. His figure became like insubstantial smoke, twisting and flickering uncannily through the gaps between saber light, stone spikes, and hidden arrows at the last possible instant. He evaded the entire first wave of their coordinated attack!
The Foundation Establishment leader's mental assault struck Han Li's barrier of divine sense, which far surpassed that of others at his level, and vanished like a clay ox sinking into the sea. It only made him shake his head slightly.
"Foundation Establishment?! The intelligence was wrong!" Horror appeared in the leader's eyes, but his hands never stopped moving. "Change formation! Kill him with everything you have!"
The four intensified their attacks, and the formation's suppressive force abruptly grew stronger!
"Ants trying to shake a tree!" Han Li's gaze was icy, his killing intent boiling. Holding nothing back, he curled his right hand, and the Shadow Blade slipped soundlessly into his palm, its edge blazing with black light!
"Profound Yin Binding!"
With a low shout, he formed a seal with his left hand. Several black threads finer than hair appeared out of thin air and wound around the assassin firing arrows from hiding as though alive! The assassin's figure faltered, his movements instantly slowing severalfold!
"Die!"
Han Li moved like lightning. The Shadow Blade traced an uncanny arc, slipping around the frontal saber-wielder's guard and precisely slashing the throat of the archer temporarily trapped by Profound Yin Binding!
Splat!
Blood burst forth! His eyes filled with incredulous terror, the assassin clutched his throat and collapsed, his aura extinguished in an instant.
[Ding! Killed one Qi Refining great perfection Shadow Killer Sect Assassin. Plundered a portion of his vital energy and soul.]
One strike, one kill! A slight fluctuation passed through the formation!
"Fourth Brother!" The remaining three glared with eyes nearly splitting in fury! Shocked and enraged, the Foundation Establishment leader whipped his hands through the air, launching several pitch-black bone spears at Han Li amid shrill ghostly shrieks!
Han Li neither flinched nor backed away. Activating Shadow Step again, he became a phantom and easily slipped past the bone spears. He fixed his gaze on the assassin casting earth-element spells and thrust a Soul-Eroding Finger toward him from a distance!
Hiss! A concentrated gust of icy finger force struck first despite being launched later. The assassin felt as though a needle had stabbed his soul. His spell broke off instantly, and his protective spiritual light rippled violently!
Seizing that opening, Han Li had already closed in. Like a venomous snake darting from its den, the Shadow Blade stabbed straight toward the assassin's heart!
"Don't even think about it!" the saber-wielding assassin roared. Throwing himself forward, he swept his saber out in a ribbon of light, trying to besiege Wei to rescue Zhao.
"Get lost!" Without even looking, Han Li struck out with his left hand using Profound Yin Palm. Its yielding force arrived first despite being unleashed later, slamming into the flat of the saber!
Clang! The saber-wielding assassin felt an irresistible force crash into him. The web of his hand split, his saber nearly flew from his grasp, and he staggered backward from the impact.
Meanwhile, the Shadow Blade pierced the earth-element assassin's heart without obstruction.
[Ding! Killed one Qi Refining great perfection Shadow Killer Sect Assassin...]
In the blink of an eye, two of the four were dead! The formation's barrier shook violently, teetering on the verge of collapse!
The Foundation Establishment leader and the saber-wielding assassin were terrified out of their wits. With no will left to fight, they turned and tried to flee using the formation's remaining power.
"Trying to leave now? Too late!" Han Li's killing intent soared. How could he let them escape? He took a deep breath, and that faint yet deadly wisp of pseudo core flame flickered into existence at his fingertip again!
"Go!"
The dark red thread of flame shot forth at astonishing speed as though possessed of intelligence. It caught the saber-wielding assassin in an instant and ignited the moment it touched him! He let out a piercing scream as the cold flames devoured him within a few breaths, reducing him to ashes!
The Foundation Establishment leader was scared nearly out of his soul. Burning his blood essence, he sharply increased his speed and charged toward the edge of the formation!
"Break!" Gathering all his strength, Han Li slammed a Demonic Fiend Fist into the weakest point of the barrier!
Boom!
The Three Talents Spirit-Locking Formation shattered at the impact! Fragments of its barrier scattered in every direction!
The Foundation Establishment leader had barely escaped the formation and had not yet had time to rejoice when a ghostlike figure appeared behind him. Carrying the chill of death, the Shadow Blade settled against his neck. An icy voice sounded as though it came from the deepest netherworld:
"Speak. Who sent you? The Black Fiend Cult, or the higher-ups of the Shadow Killer Sect?"
The leader went rigid. Feeling the bone-piercing killing intent against his neck and the bizarre flame that could burn him to ashes at any moment, his psychological defenses crumbled completely. "It... it was a Black-Class Kill Order from the Shadow Killer Sect... The client... only the hall master knows the client's identity... All I know... is that the target was Han Li of the Seven Mysteries Sect... dead or alive..."
"A Black-Class Kill Order?" Han Li's gaze turned cold. The Shadow Killer Sect's kill orders were divided into four classes: Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow. Black-class orders were already reserved for important targets. "How many more informants do you have inside the sect?"
"I... I don't know... I only follow orders..." the leader said in a trembling voice.
Han Li wasted no more words and activated the Soul Searching Technique, forcibly rifling through the fragments of his memories! Sure enough, the information concerning the client had been sealed by a restriction that would destroy his soul upon contact. Han Li obtained only information about some peripheral Shadow Killer Sect outposts and methods of contact, along with the detailed plan for this ambush.
After casually finishing off the leader, Han Li swiftly cleaned up the battlefield, collecting the four men's Storage Bags and useful magical artifacts. He flicked out a handful of pseudo core flame, burning the bodies and every trace away.
The entire encounter, from the ambush to his slaughter of the attackers, had taken barely a dozen breaths. Flowing Cloud Market remained silent, as though nothing had happened.
Han Li stood in the shadows at the alley entrance, his eyes cold. The Shadow Killer Sect's pursuit was more urgent than he had expected, and its methods more ruthless. This time, it had been four at Qi Refining great perfection and one at Foundation Establishment early stage. What about next time?
He touched the materials he had just bought inside his robe, then recalled Black Wind Cave and the Phantom Fox mentioned by the old shopkeeper. Was it coincidence, or a deliberate attempt to steer him there?
"It seems I can't linger in Flowing Cloud Market either." Han Li took a deep breath, suppressing the surging killing intent within him. His enemies lurked in the dark. He had to be even more careful.
Rather than returning to the sect, he changed direction and slipped toward the seldom-traveled depths of the Seven Mysteries mountain range. His most pressing task was to turn the materials into talismans and formations as quickly as possible, further strengthening himself. Before the Blood-Colored Forbidden Land opened, even the slightest carelessness could plunge him beyond redemption.
In the night, his figure resembled a lone wolf merging into the darkness. Only his eyes gleamed with a cold light, calm and resolute. The road to vengeance held deadly dangers at every step, but he feared nothing.
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