“Not good, another high-level cultivator is approaching,” the old man exclaimed in alarm.
“How could another high-level cultivator come to such a remote island? Did your subordinates leak any information?” The glamorous woman’s face darkened as she turned to the gray-robed elder with shock and anger.
“I never mentioned the purpose of this trip to any of my disciples. How could there be any leak?” The old man hastily shook his head, speaking gravely.
“Don’t panic prematurely. Perhaps this person is just passing by. Let’s act according to the situation!” The blue-robed youth, however, remained calm.
Hearing this, the glamorous woman and the old man had no choice but to regain their composure.
At that moment, the green light that had seemed distant moments ago arrived nearby in the blink of an eye with a piercing sound. They could even faintly discern the silhouette of a man within the green radiance.
“Such incredible speed!”
The trio’s expressions changed drastically, a sense of foreboding rising in their hearts.
After a few more flashes, the green light hovered directly above them. The glow dissipated, revealing a green-robed cultivator who appeared to be only in his twenties. This unexpected sight left the gray-robed elder and the others momentarily stunned.
“Is this Demon Lake Island?” The young man swept his gaze over the three and asked expressionlessly, his tone carrying an air of command.
The old man and his companions felt their hearts sink slightly. When they probed Han Li’s aura with their spiritual sense, they were horrified.
The young man’s spiritual power far surpassed theirs, clearly indicating he was at least a Nascent Soul cultivator. This was nearly the worst possible scenario.
“This is indeed Demon Lake Island. May we ask what instructions you have for us, Senior? We are at your service,” the gray-robed elder suppressed his unease, bowed respectfully, and forced a smile.
“If this is Demon Lake Island, then I haven’t come to the wrong place. Hmm, what are you doing here…?” The young man glanced at the group of low-level cultivators by the lake who seemed at a loss, then paused slightly before revealing a faint, enigmatic smile.
“Junior needed to refine a few special magic tools and required a large amount of Jade Copper, so I brought some disciples to gather more,” the gray-robed elder replied, his heart pounding, but he had no choice but to continue the lie.
The cultivator before him didn’t seem like an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator. No matter how subtly he probed with his spiritual sense, he couldn’t accurately gauge the other’s cultivation level—something he had never encountered before.
After all, he was a late-stage Core Formation cultivator. Logically, even a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator shouldn’t be able to conceal their aura from him.
“Jade Copper? And you’re using these seal-breaking arrays to gather it?” The young man crossed his arms, glanced at the arrays set up by the low-level cultivators by the lake, then looked down at the emerald-green lake surface before chuckling softly.
The skepticism in his laughter was unmistakable.
Sweat beaded on the gray-robed elder’s forehead. He never expected the other party to be well-versed in array formations. Typically, array masters weren’t high-level cultivators, and powerful cultivators rarely wasted time studying arrays.
The arrays he had set up weren’t common either—they were relatively obscure. Yet, the other party recognized them at a glance, indicating profound expertise in array formations.
The glamorous woman and the blue-robed youth immediately became docile, lowering their heads and deferring entirely to the elder.
But this meant the elder had to face the young man alone.
Internally cursing his companions, the elder could only grit his teeth in frustration.
After all, Nascent Soul cultivators weren’t known for their patience. Now that he was the sole interlocutor, the danger was palpable.
“Senior, please don’t misunderstand. Junior has a keen interest in array formations and set these up merely to test their effects,” the elder blurted out in desperation, offering a plausible excuse.
The young man’s expression remained unchanged as he scrutinized the trio, then suddenly uttered words that sent chills down their spines.
“What’s your relationship with Barbarian Beard?”
“Senior, what do you mean? We don’t quite understand,” the glamorous woman raised her head and couldn’t help but interject.
“Your cultivation techniques differ, but they all bear traces of Barbarian Beard’s Tuo Tian Demon Art. Others might not notice, but I…” The young man smirked faintly.
“Senior knows our master?” Realizing deception was futile, the blue-robed youth took a deep breath and tacitly admitted.
Hearing this, the elder and the glamorous woman grew visibly uneasy.
“We’ve only met a few times. So, you’re here to retrieve treasures from the lake bottom? Barbarian Beard claimed only he knew the location of his hidden treasure cave. Yet here you are. Either he lied to me, or you three learned of it through other means.” The young man muttered the last part to himself.
To the trio below, his words struck like thunder, leaving them dumbfounded.
Even with their earlier foreboding, having their secret exposed so bluntly left them reeling.
Had this been a Core Formation cultivator, they would’ve attacked without hesitation. But against a Nascent Soul cultivator, recklessness was out of the question.
Moreover, the implication that their master might have revealed the location personally left them utterly bewildered.
Could their master still be alive?
The thought sent their expressions fluctuating between hope and dread.
“We are indeed disciples of Master Barbarian Beard. May we ask how you address our master?” The glamorous woman was the first to regain composure, forcing a smile.
“I call him Barbarian Beard, of course. As for you three… Hmm? Seems this little island is quite lively. Who’s hiding over there? Show yourself!” Han Li’s calm tone shifted abruptly as he raised his hand and flicked his fingers toward a hill by the lake.
Several green threads shot out, transforming into streaks of green light that slashed fiercely toward the hill.
The glamorous woman paled instantly at the sight.
With a series of deafening booms, the hill was cleaved in half. But to the astonishment of the young man and the elder, a bald, burly man emerged from within.
His face was rugged, and his entire body gleamed gold, as if his attire were forged from pure gold.
The man held a golden shield, deflecting the sword lights with a semi-circular barrier, and stared at Han Li in shock.
“Golden Flower Venerable!” The gray-robed elder gasped upon recognizing the golden-clad man.
At that moment, a streak of red light shot toward the bald man, circling once before landing behind him, revealing a graceful figure—none other than the glamorous woman.
“Junior Sister Cai, you’ve colluded with Golden Flower Venerable!” The gray-robed elder, no stranger to treachery, quickly grasped the situation and roared in fury.
The blue-robed youth’s expression darkened as well.
Clearly, the glamorous woman had planned to ally with the golden-robed man to eliminate them once the cave was opened, monopolizing the treasures.
“Hmph, what right do you two have to judge me? Senior Brother Wu, didn’t you secretly inform the Blood Light Sect to ambush me? And Junior Brother Lei, you’ve joined the Wooden Sword Pavilion of Grass Capital Island, planning to marry their leader’s daughter. Your dowry? All the treasures from this cave! If not for my wits, I’d be dead the moment the cave’s restrictions were broken. But now, don’t expect your reinforcements. The Venerable has already intercepted them. I served Barbarian Beard for years—his legacy should be mine alone. The Venerable has promised to marry me properly.” The glamorous woman laughed triumphantly, standing intimately beside the golden-robed man.
“If that’s the case, why did you seek us out in the first place? Why not retrieve the treasures alone?” The blue-robed youth, though momentarily flustered, steadied himself and asked coldly.
“If not for the profound restrictions at the lake bottom, and the fact that only you two inherited Barbarian Beard’s array expertise, why would I share the treasure with you?” The glamorous woman sneered, now openly hostile.
The elder and the youth’s faces twisted in anger.
“Enough. Settle your grievances later. I’d like a word with this fellow Daoist first.” The golden-robed man frowned, cutting off the woman.
She obediently fell silent.
“Fellow Daoist, are you also here for Barbarian Beard’s hidden cave?” Golden Flower Venerable scrutinized Han Li, his voice measured. As an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, he couldn’t discern Han Li’s depth, filling him with wariness.
“Indeed. I’ll take what’s at the lake bottom. If you’ve no business here, you may leave.” Han Li hovered mid-air, his words drawing stunned looks from all present.
The golden-robed man’s anger flared, but so did his caution. Such boldness suggested formidable power.
Suppressing his rage, he retorted sternly, “Fellow Daoist speaks lightly. Do you expect me to leave empty-handed while you claim the treasures?”
Golden Flower Venerable’s tone turned icy.
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