Wuji Island, Central Peak Wuji Mountain.
Two black stone demon statues, each ninety feet tall, stood before the mountain gates. Dark red bloodstains that had yet to fade seemed to cling to their fangs.
The chains in their hands were wound three times over, and the runes on the links gleamed coldly-this imposing display looked ten times more savage than the stone Buddhas of Cold Mountain Temple.
Han Shi had just reached the foot of the statues when two black-robed disciples hurried up to greet him.
"Envoy Han, please come inside. The Second Elder is waiting in the Guest Hall." Their smiles did not seem feigned; even the angles of their bows were almost identical.
Han Shi muttered inwardly.
On his last visit, the inspections in the surrounding waters alone had put him through several rounds of trouble.
This time, though, never mind inspections-they had barely asked him a single question. Even his guide was a Foundation Establishment steward wearing a silver crown, who kept saying:
"The Second Elder specifically instructed us that Envoy Han is an honored guest. All the restrictions along the way have been disabled for you, so please proceed freely."
Such a reception was no easy thing to come by.
Even cultivators from the Shushan Sword Sect, or even the Blissful Union Tower, would not necessarily have received such courtesy.
As they passed through the first stone gate, Han Shi could not help taking a few extra looks.
The runes on the lintel were not drawn by hand. Instead, they looked as though they had been chiseled out with an iron spike, their grooves uniform in depth and even their corners perfectly square.
He had visited quite a few sects. Their runes were either traced by cultivators with spiritual power or formed naturally. This was his