Upon hearing these words, the burly man’s heart sank, but he dared not show any anger. Instead, he forced a smile and said, “Senior, our Li Clan settled on Snowpeak Ridge with the explicit permission of Senior Long. If you wish to take it, of course, you may. But could you allow this junior to first inform Senior Long?”
“Senior Long? Are you trying to intimidate me with him? Whoever it is, if they have any objections, let them come find me. But if anyone remains on this mountain half a day from now, don’t blame me for being ruthless!” Han Li’s eyes narrowed, his expression turning fierce.
The burly man’s face changed drastically, and he was about to speak again when Han Li, unwilling to waste any more words, flicked his sleeve. A gust of azure wind surged forth violently.
Startled, the man instinctively activated his protective spiritual light, but he was immediately overwhelmed by an immense spiritual pressure. The words on his lips were forced back by an invisible force.
The two elderly men, who had relied on magical tools to stay airborne, didn’t even have time to activate their defenses before the wind sent them spinning uncontrollably in the air, unable to steady themselves.
Terrified, they tried to cast protective spells, but their spiritual power seemed to be inexplicably suppressed, as if they had been directly immobilized.
At that moment, the two elders were utterly petrified!
Fortunately, the wind dissipated as quickly as it had appeared. By the time the two elders regained their balance and looked ahead with pale faces, they found the distant space empty—Han Li had vanished without a trace.
“Ancestor, when did that man…” one of the black-robed elders stammered, trembling with fear as he turned to the gray-robed man.
“Order all clan members to pack immediately. We must leave this mountain within two hours!” the gray-robed man said with a grim expression, taking a deep breath.
“What? Abandon Snowpeak Ridge? Our Li Clan fought hard to defeat the Seven Friends of Snowpeak to claim this spiritual mountain, and we haven’t even held it for a century! And with such tyrannical behavior, surely Senior Long won’t stand idly by?” the black-robed elder exclaimed in disbelief.
The other elder remained silent but wore a conflicted expression, clearly reluctant to give up their hard-won territory.
“Hmph, you two are fools. That man’s cultivation is unfathomable. He wouldn’t act so brazenly without backing. The spiritual pressure he exerted was far greater than Senior Long’s—likely a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. With such power, even if Senior Long has ties to us, he’d feign ignorance rather than risk provoking such a figure for the sake of our small Li Clan. And though that man was domineering, at least he gave us time to leave. If he had slaughtered us all without hesitation, who would dare seek justice for us? Have you forgotten that the world of cultivation is one where the strong prey on the weak? When we took this mountain, it was only because we were slightly stronger than the Seven Friends of Snowpeak. As long as our core disciples survive, we can always seize another spiritual mountain elsewhere. That’s far better than provoking a Nascent Soul cultivator and courting annihilation!” The gray-robed man’s face darkened as he berated the two elders.
The two elders finally nodded in realization.
The trio then descended swiftly, disappearing into the mountain below.
Within the time it took to eat a meal, the mountain was in complete upheaval.
Figures darted about on foot or on flying artifacts, rushing through pavilions, caves, and mountain paths. Though panic was evident, the evacuation proceeded in an orderly manner, avoiding outright chaos.
A little over an hour later, two groups of cultivators—one airborne, the other on land—marched away from the mountain in a grand procession, numbering over two hundred. Most were Qi Condensation cultivators, with fewer than twenty capable of flight.
Their pace was swift, and soon they were far from the mountain, heading beyond the mountain range.
Such a large-scale movement naturally drew the attention of nearby factions, who sent envoys to investigate.
The Li Clan members held nothing back, openly revealing the truth.
Upon learning that Snowpeak Ridge had been claimed by a Nascent Soul cultivator, the envoys were shocked and hurried back to discuss countermeasures.
The sudden arrival of such a formidable figure was a cause for alarm—whether it boded well or ill remained uncertain. But given the forceful occupation of Snowpeak Ridge, the latter seemed more likely.
While nearby factions were thrown into turmoil, Han Li had quietly appeared atop a boulder on Snowpeak Ridge’s summit. He released his spiritual sense, meticulously scanning the mountain for any hidden cultivators.
After a while, he opened his eyes, satisfied, and without a word, flipped his hand to produce a set of formation disks and flags.
With a flash, he transformed into an azure streak, circling the mountain in an instant. By the time he returned to the summit, the formation tools were gone.
At that moment, thick white mist rose from all directions, soon engulfing the entire mountain in a sea of fog.
Inspecting the barrier formed by the formation, Han Li nodded in approval.
This formation set, taken from Qian Laomo’s storage pouch, was of high quality. While it posed no threat to Nascent Soul cultivators, Core Formation cultivators would struggle to escape if trapped.
Still, Han Li wasn’t done. He plucked a spirit beast pouch from his waist and tossed it into the air, forming a hand seal and pointing upward.
The pouch opened, releasing a frigid gust carrying a dozen crystalline, winged centipedes—the Six-Winged Frost Centipedes.
The centipedes circled above Han Li, chirping excitedly, clearly invigorated by the icy environment.
Han Li smiled faintly.
With a mental command, the twelve centipedes shot into the surrounding mist, vanishing from sight.
Between the illusion formation and the centipedes—each comparable to a Core Formation cultivator—even an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator would find it difficult to breach the mountain.
Now truly at ease, Han Li wasted no time. Using his spiritual sight, he located the mountain’s most spiritually dense point, then employed Earth Escape to tunnel inside. There, he expanded a space and released the Sky Mystery Mansion, floating gently into the dwelling.
After settling his spirit insects, Han Li immediately entered the secluded cultivation chamber, sitting cross-legged and closing his eyes to meditate.
This session lasted an entire day and night.
When he reopened his eyes, his expression was serene, his mind utterly calm.
He pressed a hand to his storage pouch, retrieving a vermilion gourd. Tipping it, a thumb-sized, emerald-green pill rolled out—the “Infant Nurturing Pill,” the primary objective of his recent journey.
According to the Nine Serenities Sect’s Elder Fu, refining this pill would take at least half a year. Han Li had no intention of delaying. The sooner he absorbed its power, the greater the benefits for his cultivation and future battles.
He swallowed the pill, immediately sensing a cool, soothing sensation, soon followed by threads of warmth.
Not daring to delay, he stored the gourd, closed his eyes, and formed hand seals, resuming his meditation.
Had another cultivator observed Han Li’s internal state, they would have seen his two-inch-tall Nascent Soul open its eyes within his body, spewing strands of azure infant fire to envelop the emerald pill, slowly refining it.
The chamber fell utterly silent, as if devoid of life.
Days turned into months, and before long, over half a year had passed. The chamber remained undisturbed, but outside Snowpeak Ridge, several groups had come and gone.
Among them were Core Formation cultivators from nearby factions, high-ranking rogue cultivators drawn by rumors, and even a silver-robed elder—the only Nascent Soul cultivator among the visitors.
Yet no matter who came, upon encountering the boundless white mist and receiving no response to their calls, they could only retreat in frustration.
The silver-robed elder, unwilling to concede, once ventured into the mist. But after a brief struggle amid sharp insect cries, he was forced to retreat, one arm encased in ice.
Though unharmed, he dared not challenge the barrier again, sighing in resignation. The presence of such formidable spirit insects made it clear the occupant had no desire for visitors—and the elder had no wish to provoke someone clearly his superior.
Before long, news spread across a hundred-thousand-mile radius: a mighty senior had taken residence on Snowpeak Ridge, one even the long-dominant “Senior Long” dared not oppose.
All factions took notice.
A thousand-mile radius around Snowpeak Ridge became a de facto forbidden zone, with passing cultivators detouring widely to avoid disturbing the recluse.
For over half a year, the mountain remained tranquil, its occupant showing no interest in local affairs—a relief to the uneasy factions.
But on this day, unbeknownst to all, Han Li finally completed refining the Infant Nurturing Pill and opened his eyes.
His face glowed with a radiant light, a clear sign of significant progress in his cultivation.
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