At this moment, the burly man finally turned around, casting a complex glance at the old man’s corpse before letting out a soft sigh.
“What’s the matter, Fellow Daoist Meng? Still reluctant to part with the Ghost Spirit Sect?” Among the Qi Condensation disciples, a seemingly ordinary middle-aged cultivator suddenly spoke up, then raised his hand to summon a silver-white flying sword that had been circling in the air.
In a flash, the flying sword transformed into a silver streak and shot back, landing in his hand.
The old man had been killed by this very flying sword, which the middle-aged cultivator had secretly unleashed from behind. Moreover, this person, who had initially appeared to be at the Qi Condensation stage, now revealed a late Foundation Establishment cultivation level.
“Since I’ve already decided to join your Demon Flame Sect, naturally, I won’t regret anything. It’s just that although I wasn’t particularly close to this man, we had met several times in the past. Feeling a bit sentimental is only natural,” the burly man surnamed Meng replied indifferently.
“It’s best that you think this way, Fellow Daoist Meng. The Ghost Spirit Sect has long been in decline after losing two Nascent Soul cultivators and a large number of Core Formation cultivators over a hundred years ago. They no longer deserve to monopolize an entire nation. This time, our Demon Flame Sect, the Spirit Beast Sect, and the newly risen Blood Slaughter Sect have joined forces. The Ghost Spirit Sect has no chance of survival. Soon, the Blood Slaughter Sect will replace the Ghost Spirit Sect’s position among the demonic factions. Your decision to defect to our sect was truly wise,” the middle-aged cultivator chuckled darkly.
At this point, the auras of the other individuals suddenly shifted as well, revealing Foundation Establishment cultivation levels. All of them were actually disciples of the Demon Flame Sect.
“As long as your sect keeps its promises to me, I’ll naturally cooperate fully,” the burly man surnamed Meng replied with a forced smile.
“Haha, rest assured about that, Brother Meng. With your talent, once this battle is won, my master will personally take you in as a disciple. That’s far better than struggling alone in the Ghost Spirit Sect with no guidance. But this place is indeed remote. Hiding a large group of people here ensures the Ghost Spirit Sect won’t notice. It’s all thanks to the concealment talismans my master gave me before we left. Otherwise, it would’ve been hard to evade this man’s spiritual sense,” the middle-aged cultivator said smugly, glancing at the corpse on the ground.
“It’s also fortunate that there’s an ancient teleportation formation here, giving me an excuse to lure him to this remote location. Otherwise, even if we could kill him in one strike, there are over a dozen Qi Condensation disciples here. If they activated any restrictions or sent out alarm talismans, it would’ve been troublesome. Now that he’s dead, I can gather the other disciples and eliminate them all at once,” the burly man said coldly, his expression darkening.
“Good, Brother Meng’s plan is excellent. Let’s proceed as agreed,” the middle-aged cultivator nodded approvingly.
Meanwhile, another person swiftly retrieved the old man’s storage pouch and incinerated the corpse with a fireball, reducing it to ashes in an instant.
Just as they were about to leave the stalactite cave, the neglected ancient teleportation formation suddenly emitted a buzzing sound. The entire formation lit up with white light, activating on its own—as if someone was being teleported in.
This sudden turn of events stunned the burly man surnamed Meng and the middle-aged cultivator.
Hadn’t the old man claimed this formation had long been abandoned? How could it suddenly activate now, of all times?
“Destroy the formation! No matter who’s coming through, we can’t afford any complications now!” the middle-aged cultivator reacted swiftly, shouting as he flung his flying sword toward a corner of the formation.
The others quickly followed suit, summoning their own magical tools in an attempt to destroy the teleportation formation instantly.
Several deafening explosions later, the ancient formation remained intact. While inactive, even a low-level cultivator could easily destroy it. But once activated, the formation was infused with powerful spiritual energy, making it impossible to dismantle without at least Core Formation cultivation. Otherwise, ancient cultivators would’ve faced disaster if disruptions occurred during teleportation.
Under the shocked gazes of the group, the figures of a man and a young girl gradually materialized within the formation, their forms flickering as if still disoriented from the teleportation.
The middle-aged cultivator scanned the girl first, confirming she was only at the Qi Condensation stage, and relaxed slightly. In the cultivation world, appearances could be deceiving—a girl who looked like a teenager might actually be a centuries-old high-level cultivator. However, a man appearing in his twenties was unlikely to be too powerful, as few male cultivators practiced age-preserving techniques.
Just as he was about to scan the young man, the latter shook his head as if recovering from the teleportation. Panicking, the middle-aged cultivator barked an order without further delay.
“Attack! Kill them now!”
Assuming the girl was weak and the man too young to be a major threat—likely no higher than Foundation Establishment—he decided to strike while they were still disoriented, eliminating any potential future trouble.
“Wait! Don’t attack!” The burly man surnamed Meng, however, paled in horror upon seeing the young man’s face and urgently tried to stop them.
But the other Demon Flame Sect disciples, taking orders from the middle-aged cultivator, ignored his plea and unleashed their magical tools at the pair in the formation. The middle-aged cultivator, misunderstanding the burly man’s reaction, assumed the newcomers were his acquaintances and deliberately turned a blind eye.
As the glow of four or five magical tools engulfed the two figures, a bone-chilling snarl echoed through the cave.
“You dare seek death!”
With a deafening explosion, a blinding burst of cyan light erupted from the formation, resembling a miniature cyan sun. Every magical tool that touched the light shattered instantly.
Then, several golden sword beams shot out from the cyan light, piercing through all the attackers—except the middle-aged cultivator—in a flash. They collapsed without a sound, their corpses littering the cave floor.
Only the burly man surnamed Meng remained unharmed, frozen in place, his face deathly pale as he dared not move, fearing the young man’s wrath.
“So, you recognize me?” The young man stepped out of the formation, his icy gaze sweeping over the burly man. Behind him, the teenage girl followed obediently, clearly his subordinate.
The young man was none other than Han Li, who had spent over a month repairing the teleportation formation in the Chaotic Star Seas before finally returning to the Tiannan Region. The girl was Tian Qin’er, whose talent in formations had greatly impressed him.
“When I was younger, I once witnessed your heroic display during the invasion of the Mulan people alongside a senior from my clan. I’ve never forgotten your appearance,” the burly man stammered, bowing deeply to Han Li.
“The Mulan invasion? Heh, that was indeed long ago. I’m surprised you remember my face. But you’re a disciple of the Ghost Spirit Sect, aren’t you? Are these your fellow sect members?” Han Li narrowed his eyes, his tone indifferent.
“I am from the Ghost Spirit Sect, but these people are from the Demon Flame Sect,” the burly man hesitated, but under Han Li’s piercing gaze, he involuntarily blurted out the truth.
“Demon Flame Sect? At least you’re honest. Had you claimed they were your sectmates, I’d have killed you on the spot. Their cultivation auras are clearly different from the Ghost Spirit Sect’s,” Han Li’s cold words sent a chill down the burly man’s spine, extinguishing any remaining thoughts of deception.
Tian Qin’er stood behind Han Li, curiously examining their surroundings, her eyes flickering with interest.
“I’ve no interest in why a Ghost Spirit Sect disciple is conspiring with Demon Flame Sect members. I only have a few questions for you. Answer truthfully,” Han Li continued.
“I’ll tell you everything I know,” the burly man replied hastily.
“I’ve been away from Tiannan for many years. Summarize the major events in the cultivation world over the past century,” Han Li commanded calmly.
“Yes! The most notable event was eighty years ago, when the Mysterious Wonder Sect of Tianlu Country was annihilated overnight by the Flame Spirit Sect. The details were…” The burly man obediently recounted the so-called “major events” of the past century under the intimidating presence of a Nascent Soul cultivator, not daring to omit or falsify anything.
Han Li listened impassively, occasionally interjecting with questions, which the burly man answered in exhaustive detail, eager to please.
After nearly an hour, the burly man finished his account and fell silent, nervously awaiting Han Li’s response.
“What about the Falling Cloud Sect? Any significant developments? Is Elder Cheng still in charge?” Han Li asked after a moment of silence.
“The Falling Cloud Sect? Given the distance, I’m not too familiar with your sect’s affairs. But I believe a Senior Lü is currently in charge,” the burly man replied uncertainly.
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