“Thank you for your trouble, fellow Daoist.” Although the other party’s cultivation was not high, a Holy Son of the Scarlet Flame Clan still did not dare to be negligent.
Among the three clans, the Scarlet Flame Clan had the most members, having dispatched seven Holy Sons at once. The Five Lights Clan came next with five.
The fewest were from the Skywing Clan—even including Han Li, they only had three. And this was under the condition that the Skywing Clan had held nothing back, while the other clans surely had some Holy Sons they had not yet sent out.
Moreover, most of the Holy Sons from these two clans were at least mid-stage Deity Transformation cultivators, far surpassing Bai Bi and Lei Lan in strength.
It was clear that the Skywing Clan had indeed declined in power among the Feiling Tribes. No wonder the upper echelons of the Skywing Clan had gone to such lengths to recruit Han Li. It was only natural for the stronger branches to set their sights on them.
The law of the jungle was universal among all races in the Spirit Realm.
Lost in thought, Han Li walked alongside Bai Bi, Lei Lan, and several members of the Five Lights Clan, trailing behind the Scarlet Flame Clan members.
Subconsciously, the two groups maintained a considerable distance between them.
Among the many Holy Sons of the Scarlet Flame Clan, Han Li was most wary of a man with a sinister expression and murderous eyes.
Though there were others in the Scarlet Flame Clan with cultivation levels similar to his, only this man had given Han Li a sense of danger upon their first meeting.
Thinking this, Han Li narrowed his eyes slightly as he gazed at the man’s retreating figure.
“What’s the matter, Brother Han? Are you very interested in Zhu Yinzi?” A charming woman in her twenties from the Five Lights Clan suddenly smiled and addressed Han Li.
Among the Skywing Clan delegation, Han Li, though a counterfeit Holy Son, possessed the genuine cultivation of a high-level Flying Spirit General. Thus, both the Five Lights and Scarlet Flame Clans regarded him as the leader of the Skywing Holy Sons.
Coupled with his unfamiliar face and his appearance as a hidden trump card of the Skywing Clan, the other two clans paid him extra attention.
On the journey, with Elder Jin Yue and others nearby, there had been no opportunity for conversation. Now that they had separated from their elders, this woman from the Five Lights Clan was the first to speak.
Of course, this was also because the Skywing and Five Lights Clans had always been on good terms.
The Holy Sons of the Scarlet Flame Clan would never initiate a conversation.
“Nothing much. This Brother Zhu carries a heavy aura of killing intent—his combat experience must be considerable,” Han Li replied indifferently.
“It seems the rumors of Brother Han cultivating overseas are true. Zhu Yinzi is quite famous among our younger generation. He has ventured into the Abyss alone seven times, and though he never went too deep, he has slain many renowned demons. He is on par with Ao Qing of the Seven Peaks Clan and Fei Ye of the Nanlong Clan. It is said his abilities even rival those of a mid-level Spirit Commander,” the Five Lights Clan woman replied with a smile, unafraid of being overheard by the Scarlet Flame Clan members ahead.
“I see,” Han Li nodded impassively and said no more.
Seeing Han Li’s indifferent demeanor, the woman grew even more intrigued, but before she could speak further, the group was led by the white-robed girl to several pavilions six or seven stories high.
Turning back, the girl said,
“Each of your three clans may choose one pavilion to reside in. There is one thing this humble servant must remind you: on Jade Emperor Peak, aside from the training grounds to the east, fighting is strictly forbidden elsewhere. Violators will face either physical punishment or, in severe cases, the revocation of their cultivation.”
“We understand. Thank you, miss,” most of the group replied with a chill in their hearts, while a handsome Scarlet Flame Clan man voiced his gratitude.
“My name is Xiao Zhu. From now on, I will be responsible for all your needs. Feel free to seek me out if you require anything,” the white-robed girl said with a sweet smile, curtsying to Han Li and the others before taking her leave.
Afterward, the group exchanged no further words, each selecting a pavilion to settle into.
Han Li chose the top floor, while Bai Bi and Lei Lan took the two floors below.
After months of nonstop travel, even Han Li felt exhausted.
Without a word, he sat cross-legged on the bed and began meditating to rest.
When he opened his eyes again, the sky outside had grown dim.
Lightly stepping off the bed, he stretched and calmly descended the stairs.
Below, Bai Bi was still meditating in his room, while Lei Lan was nowhere to be seen.
Han Li was slightly surprised.
He remembered Elder Jin Yue’s stern warning before their departure—they were not to separate easily while outside, lest they give others an opportunity to strike.
After a moment’s thought, Han Li, still uneasy, walked out of the pavilion with his hands behind his back.
These two were crucial to the success of the Abyss Trial—he couldn’t simply ignore their absence.
“Oh? Isn’t this Brother Han? What a coincidence!” Just a few steps outside the pavilion, a lazy voice rang in his ears.
Han Li’s gaze flickered as he turned toward the source.
A round-faced young man emerged from another pavilion—one of the Scarlet Flame Holy Sons—wearing a broad smile.
Han Li’s expression remained neutral, but inwardly, he sneered.
If this was truly a chance encounter, it would be a miracle. More likely, the man had been lying in wait for their appearance.
Though he didn’t know the other’s intentions, they certainly weren’t good.
Han Li stared at him in silence.
“Haha, Brother Han, why so distant? Though our clans may have some conflicts now, there’s no need for such tension before entering the Abyss. If your clan truly merges with ours in the future, we might even become brothers,” the Scarlet Flame youth said, unfazed by Han Li’s coldness.
“If our clans do merge, that might indeed happen,” Han Li narrowed his eyes, then suddenly smiled faintly.
The abrupt shift in expression caught the round-faced youth off guard, but he quickly recovered and chuckled.
“I am Chi Tian, and this is my first time at Jade Emperor Peak as well. Why don’t we explore together?” the Scarlet Flame Holy Son suggested, as if they were old friends.
“With you?” Han Li raised an eyebrow.
“Fighting is forbidden here. Are you afraid I’ll ambush you?” Chi Tian laughed.
“I fear no ambush, but I have no interest in companionship either,” Han Li’s expression darkened again.
Chi Tian, sensing he was being toyed with, flashed a sharp glare before finally dropping his smile.
“Brother Han, are you looking for your clan’s Sister Lei?” the round-faced youth said slowly after a pause.
“What do you mean?” Han Li’s voice turned icy.
“Nothing much. I merely saw Sister Lei Lan leave earlier with our clan’s Senior Sister Hong Sha. They mentioned going to the training grounds to broaden their horizons. I thought I’d save you the trouble of searching,” Chi Tian said with a forced smile.
“In that case, I should thank Brother Chi for the reminder,” Han Li inwardly frowned but showed no outward reaction. With a slight cupped-fist salute, he drifted away.
Watching Han Li’s retreating figure, Chi Tian’s eyes gleamed before he snorted coldly.
“Well done, Junior Brother Chi.” Once Han Li had vanished down the distant path, a calm voice sounded from the pavilion behind them.
A tall, lean man emerged—his skin far darker than the average Scarlet Flame clansman, his eyes brimming with killing intent.
“Senior Brother Zhu! This was a trivial task—anyone could have done it. But why pay such attention to him? Any one of us could easily handle him, even if he is a high-level Spirit General,” Chi Tian turned and said respectfully.
“You’re mistaken, Junior Brother Chi. If this man is who I suspect, none of you are his match,” Zhu Yinzi said, stunning the round-faced youth.
“You knew of him before?” Chi Tian was dumbfounded.
“You recall the incident a few months ago when Tian Ming and the others returned empty-handed, don’t you?” Zhu Yinzi countered.
“I heard some of it. It’s said Senior Brother Tian Ming not only failed his mission but also lost a high-level Scarlet Howl Beast and damaged a secondary Fire Dragon Pearl,” Chi Tian replied hesitantly.
“The one who repelled Tian Ming single-handedly and slew the Scarlet Howl Beast was likely this very ‘Holy Son Han,'” Zhu Yinzi licked his lips, his expression turning peculiar.
“Impossible! Senior Brother Tian Ming is a mid-level Spirit General, and the others were all Spirit-ranked. That Scarlet Howl Beast’s power rivaled a mid-level Spirit General’s!” Chi Tian paled, struggling to believe it.
“Tian Ming described the man’s appearance to me himself. Combined with the fact that this Skywing Holy Son was recently recalled from overseas, it must be him. His strength is likely at least that of a high-level Spirit General—otherwise, Tian Ming wouldn’t have retreated knowing they were outmatched,” Zhu Yinzi said darkly.
“So the Skywing Clan still has some tricks up their sleeves. When their Holy Master fell, it was said they had no Holy Sons left and would surely be absorbed by our Scarlet Flame Clan. Yet now they produce three Holy Sons, one of whom is a high-level Spirit General. Truly unexpected!” The round-faced youth blinked, still half in doubt.
“It’s nothing surprising. The Skywing Clan was once one of the strongest branches of the Feiling Tribes in ancient times. It’s only natural they’d have some hidden reserves. But the elders have made it clear—even if we must ally with other clans to divide the Skywing Clan, we cannot allow them to produce another Holy Master. This Han Li is likely their most promising candidate, so before entering the Abyss, we must ascertain his true abilities. I don’t act without certainty,” Zhu Yinzi said gravely.
“Senior Brother is wise. Let us also head to the training grounds. He will surely go there,” Chi Tian grinned.
“Naturally. The Skywing Clan has few Holy Sons to begin with. If he ignores this entirely and something happens, he won’t escape blame,” Zhu Yinzi chuckled.
With that, the two soared into the air, flying eastward.
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