High in the sky, a streak of azure light advanced steadily, its faint green radiance barely concealing a remarkably young man. He idly toyed with a pale-red jade slip in one hand, a faint smile playing on his lips.
This was none other than Han Li, who had recently departed from the Heavenly Mechanism Hall. The jade slip in his hand naturally contained the secret technique for refining a mustard seed space.
“Who would have thought that the mustard seed space, despite its great reputation, would have such straightforward refining steps? Most of the required materials are quite common. If that’s the case, refining one shouldn’t be too difficult,” Han Li murmured to himself within the glow of his flight.
“Heh, can this really be called a mustard seed space? At best, it’s just a spatial rift that allows for fixed-point teleportation. A true mustard seed space is a treasure that can be carried on one’s person and entered at any time,” a child’s lazy voice suddenly echoed in Han Li’s ears.
“Your words hold some truth, but given the power of us human realm cultivators, how could we possibly refine such a treasure? Even the Qiankun Belt you mentioned and the Black Wind Banner I once possessed are merely artifacts with minor spatial abilities—far from being true mustard seed spaces,” Han Li retorted dismissively.
“That’s a fair point. From what I know, even in the Spirit Realm, true mustard seed spaces can be counted on one hand. And every owner of such a treasure is among the highest echelons of the Spirit Realm—otherwise, they would have long been seized by covetous rivals. Now that you’ve obtained this spatial refining technique, are you planning to raid the Yin Luo Sect for the Ghost Luo Banner next? But, Fellow Daoist, do you intend to charge straight into their mountain like this?” the child chuckled in response.
“Of course not. Even though the Yin Luo Sect now has only one Great Cultivator left, it remains one of the Ten Great Demon Sects. Who knows what formidable restrictions or trump cards they might have hidden? The Yin Luo Sect is an ancient sect with deep roots—I have no intention of risking my life recklessly,” Han Li shook his head.
“Then what do you propose?” The child’s curiosity seemed piqued.
“Simple. ‘To catch the bandits, first catch their leader.’ If we can eliminate the Yin Luo Sect’s sect master first, the remaining Nascent Soul elders will be much easier to deal with. Besides, didn’t we already gather intelligence in the market? Over the years, many major demonic sects have coveted the Yin Luo Sect’s position among the Ten Great Sects. Their sect master has been frequently traveling outside lately. We just need to seize the right opportunity and eliminate him outside Fangmang Mountain. Without their Great Cultivator, no matter how powerful the sect’s restrictions are, they won’t pose much of a threat. But before we act, we must first identify other targets. Once we strike, we can’t afford to drag things out—if a Deity Transformation cultivator notices and intervenes, we’ll be in serious trouble,” Han Li’s voice darkened.
“That makes sense. While Great Cultivators in the human realm rarely act, if you truly intend to annihilate such a major sect, they might not sit idly by,” the child chuckled.
This time, Han Li did not respond, but a cold glint flickered at the corner of his mouth. He stowed the jade slip away and abruptly doubled his speed, vanishing into the distance in the blink of an eye.
—
Over half a year later, in an unnamed mountain range at the border of Fengzhou and Hangjun, a massacre was unfolding in the sky.
About five or six black-robed cultivators were commanding over a thousand bronze-armored corpse puppets, encircling several dozen other cultivators in varied attire and launching relentless attacks.
These bronze-armored corpses were all of considerable strength, and with the black-robed cultivators joining the assault, the battlefield was soon engulfed in overwhelming corpse energy. Within the time it took to finish a meal, all but a few of the highest-ranking Core Formation cultivators had been devoured by the puppets.
The remaining few were barely holding on.
Just then, a metallic roar pierced the heavens from the distant horizon. The sound was so sharp that the battling cultivators felt as if needles were stabbing their ears, followed by a deafening buzz.
Upon hearing this roar, the black-robed attackers paled, while the besieged cultivators’ spirits soared, their faces lighting up with hope.
In the distance, spiritual light flickered, accompanied by the rumble of thunder as a massive emerald-green demonic cloud, spanning several acres, surged toward them at incredible speed. In mere moments, it had closed the gap by hundreds of feet, nearing the battlefield.
“So, it’s Fellow Daoist Bi of the Blood Bone Sect who’s leading this assault on our sect?” A cold voice suddenly rang out above the battlefield. A flash of black light later, a blurred figure materialized out of thin air.
With a flick of his sleeves, the figure transformed into an inconspicuous streak of gray light, shooting straight toward the oncoming demonic cloud.
“Fang the Demon!”
A startled cry erupted from the cloud, which immediately changed course and fled in retreat.
“Hmph, since you’ve trespassed into our sect’s territory, you won’t be leaving,” a cold snort followed. The gray streak of light darkened into pitch-black, its speed doubling as it gave chase.
The two figures vanished into the horizon in mere moments.
Seeing this, the black-robed cultivators regained their composure and intensified their assault with the bronze-armored corpses. The trapped cultivators, however, turned ashen at the mention of “Fang the Demon.” Though they fought desperately, killing many puppets, they were ultimately wiped out.
The black-robed cultivators then retrieved pitch-black leather pouches, storing the bronze-armored corpses within. Instead of leaving, they stood whispering among themselves, their gazes occasionally flicking toward the distant sky.
After some time, a streak of black light appeared on the horizon, speeding toward them.
The black-robed cultivators immediately ceased their chatter, standing at attention in two rows.
The black light halted before them, revealing a figure shrouded in dark mist.
“Greetings, Sect Master!” The black-robed cultivators bowed deeply, their faces filled with reverence.
“Have all the Blood Bone Sect members been dealt with?” the shadowy figure asked indifferently.
“Rest assured, Sect Master. All seventy-three Blood Bone Sect infiltrators have been eliminated—not a single one escaped,” a tall elder stepped forward and replied respectfully.
“Bi Huo, one of their elders, had his physical body destroyed by me. I only spared his Nascent Soul. After this, the Blood Bone Sect won’t dare to target us again. Hmph, if not for our sect’s lack of manpower, I’d have led an assault on their headquarters myself,” the figure said coldly.
The other black-robed cultivators remained silent, awaiting further orders.
After a long pause, the shadowy figure spoke again, “There’s nothing more to do here for now. Return to the sect. I have some matters to attend to alone and may be delayed.”
“As you command!”
Without hesitation, the black-robed cultivators transformed into streaks of light and departed, vanishing into the distance.
Alone in the sky, the shadowy figure hovered motionlessly, his gaze fixed on the horizon as if frozen in time.
After an indeterminate period, he suddenly spoke:
“Fellow Daoist, having watched for so long, isn’t it time to show yourself? Or must I force you out?”
With that, the figure sharply turned his head toward an empty patch of sky, his tone turning hostile.
“Oh? Sect Master Fang truly lives up to his reputation as the leader of the Yin Luo Sect, to have detected my presence. But you dismissed your disciples before exposing me—are you afraid of implicating them?” A calm, unfamiliar male voice replied. A flash of azure light later, a young man in green robes appeared, his hands clasped behind his back.
This was Han Li, and the shadowy figure was none other than his target—the Yin Luo Sect’s sect master, Fang.
To ensure he intercepted Fang accurately, Han Li had spent over half a year surveilling the Fangmang Mountain Range, where the Yin Luo Sect’s headquarters lay, before finally seizing this opportunity and tracking him here.
“It’s you?” The sect master’s figure shuddered upon recognizing Han Li’s face, his gaze turning venomous.
“It seems Sect Master Fang remembers me,” Han Li replied calmly, his expression unreadable.
“So, you’ve truly reached the late Nascent Soul stage. Have you come here to kill me?” The sect master’s dark mist dissipated, revealing a pale-faced man in his late twenties, his eyes flickering with eerie green light.
“Precisely. Since I’m here, only one of us will leave alive,” Han Li said leisurely, as if discussing trivial matters with a friend.
“Good, very good. Even if you hadn’t come, I would have sought you out in the South Sky. Rumors claim you killed Qian the Demon and Frost Li the Transcendent of the Small Extreme Palace. Frankly, I never believed it. But now that you’ve delivered yourself to me, I couldn’t ask for more. The debt of my wife’s death and the deaths of our elders—I’ll settle them all today!” The sect master’s expression twisted before he threw his head back in maniacal laughter.
With a spin, his body was engulfed in a surge of black mist. Ghostly wails echoed as several towering figures emerged ominously within the darkness.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage