Han Li feigned complete ignorance, insisting that his current cultivation level was solely the result of rigorous training. As for his astonishingly rapid progress, he recounted a pre-prepared story about accidentally consuming a mystical fruit in his childhood, attributing everything to that fruit. This was an excuse he had specifically crafted for such situations.
Han Li knew that a lie must be seventy percent truth and thirty percent fabrication to be believable. Thus, the mystical fruit he described was not a product of pure imagination but rather a legendary immortal fruit known as the “Dragon Scale Fruit,” which had been passed down through the ages. It was said that consuming this fruit could lead to a complete bodily transformation and even ascension to immortality in broad daylight. Whether such a fruit truly existed, Han Li had no idea—after all, no one had ever actually eaten one.
Upon hearing Han Li’s description of the fruit, the well-read Uncle Wang’s eyes lit up. He actually managed to find an ancient book titled “Records of Rare Objects and Strange Tales” and located the entry on the “Dragon Scale Fruit” to verify Han Li’s story.
At this point, Han Li naturally seized the opportunity to confirm it, leaving Uncle Wang exclaiming in amazement.
Han Li also told him that once the fruit was picked, the plant would immediately wither and die, and even if one returned to the original spot, there would be no second fruit to be found. This effectively cut off any further inquiries or attempts to search for another fruit, thoroughly sealing off the topic.
As for whether Uncle Wang would become greedy and believe the story enough to search for another immortal fruit elsewhere, that was no longer Han Li’s concern. Let him busy himself with that!
Moreover, Han Li was well aware that despite Uncle Wang’s seemingly convinced and enlightened demeanor, he couldn’t be sure how much of his story the man actually believed. He suspected Uncle Wang was half-doubting and half-believing. Thus, Han Li decided it would be best to avoid Uncle Wang as much as possible in the future, staying cautious to prevent any suspicion.
However, Han Li believed that once he successfully reached the Foundation Establishment stage, his status would change dramatically. Even if Uncle Wang still had doubts, he would likely think twice before provoking Han Li. After all, in the world of cultivation, strength spoke louder than words.
Thus, Han Li managed to gloss over the issue of his cultivation techniques. Perhaps out of guilt for putting Han Li through the earlier questioning, Uncle Wang made no trouble for him during the registration process, smoothly completing all the procedures. He also reminded Han Li of some precautions for the upcoming Forbidden Land expedition and advised him to prepare early.
Han Li expressed his gratitude profusely before taking his leave.
Upon returning, he informed the old man and temporarily handed over his duties at the herb garden to focus entirely on preparing for the Bloody Trial.
The old man fell silent for a long time upon hearing this, giving Han Li a look that seemed to say, “You’re doomed,” which left Han Li feeling uneasy for quite some time.
To his surprise, however, Uncle Ma wordlessly tossed him two bottles of elixirs before leaving. “One for internal use, one for external application,” he said coldly before flying off on his artifact. This gesture warmed Han Li’s heart slightly.
After two years of interaction, Han Li had come to understand that although the old man had a peculiar temperament, he was kind-hearted beneath his cold exterior, albeit overly obsessed with alchemy. His treatment of Han Li now indicated that he regarded him almost like a nephew, which touched Han Li.
Three days before the expedition to the Forbidden Land, Uncle Wang finally sent a message talisman to Han Li, urging him to gather at the assembly hall for departure.
When Han Li arrived, all the disciples who had signed up for the Bloody Trial were already there, sizing each other up.
With over ten thousand Qi Condensation disciples in the entire Yellow Maple Valley, Han Li naturally didn’t know all of them. However, one woman stood out—someone he knew all too well. Not only did he recognize her, but he had also seen and comforted every part of her body. It was Junior Sister Chen, who had nearly been assaulted by “Senior Brother Lu.”
Speaking of which, after Han Li killed “Senior Brother Lu,” it caused quite a stir in Yellow Maple Valley. Although Senior Brother Lu had not yet reached Foundation Establishment, he possessed a rare mutated spiritual root, making him a low-level disciple of considerable interest to the higher-ups.
After returning, Junior Sister Chen, for reasons unknown, never spoke of that night’s events to anyone, keeping silent about the entire incident.
As a result, Senior Brother Lu’s prolonged disappearance was treated as a missing person case. After some futile searches by the sect, the matter gradually faded away.
Such disappearances were not unheard of in the valley. Senior Brother Lu was neither the first nor would he be the last to meet such a fate.
Once the commotion died down, no one in Yellow Maple Valley mentioned Senior Brother Lu again, as if he had never existed. This relieved Han Li but also sent a chill down his spine.
It seemed that most cultivators were indeed detached and emotionless. If he were to disappear one day, the sect’s reaction would likely be even more indifferent. He would probably be forgotten in the blink of an eye, with no one bothering to inquire about his whereabouts.
It appeared that his low-profile and cautious attitude since joining the sect had been the right approach.
After all, the path of cultivation was long and fraught with unpredictability. If he drew attention to himself or did something foolish to stand out, a low-level cultivator like him, without backing or connections, could easily be crushed by some irresistible powerful force at any moment. The likelihood of being reborn and embarking on the path of cultivation again was almost negligible.
Although Han Li had never been a firm believer in reincarnation, his exposure to the world of cultivation had made him somewhat open to the idea.
Junior Sister Chen’s demeanor had clearly changed. Whether due to the betrayal she experienced, she now appeared cold and elegant, with an aura that kept others at a distance. Several young men attracted by her beauty attempted to approach her but were rebuffed.
Perhaps men had a tendency to be drawn to the unattainable, for her aloofness did not diminish her beauty but instead added a mysterious charm that captivated the male disciples around her. This allure was far greater than the submissive image she had once projected around Senior Brother Lu.
Yet, seeing this, Han Li could only grimace inwardly.
Without a doubt, another woman who viewed men as venomous scorpions had emerged. After experiencing betrayal from her lover, she would likely never easily show favor to any man again and might even choose to remain alone for the rest of her life.
Junior Sister Chen did not recognize Han Li. After he deliberately passed by her a few times, he received only icy glances, clearly indicating that she saw him as just another show-off trying to get her attention.
Han Li breathed a sigh of relief. The hallucinogenic effects of the Joyful Union Pill were indeed powerful—she had no memory of him at all. With this, his last worry was completely dispelled.
However, recalling her passionate and alluring naked form from that night and comparing it to her current frosty demeanor, Han Li felt a mix of warmth and regret.
In a way, her participation in the Bloodly Trial was largely due to him. Having lost her Foundation Establishment Pill, her only chance to reach Foundation Establishment was to take a risk, just like him. After all, the expedition to the Forbidden Land was the only way to obtain another Foundation Establishment Pill.
This time, the disciples from Yellow Maple Valley participating in the expedition could truly be described as elite and well-prepared. There were five or six disciples at the peak of the thirteenth level of Qi Condensation alone.
Most of the remaining disciples were at the twelfth level, with Junior Sister Chen at the mid-twelfth level.
Only three disciples were at the eleventh level: aside from Han Li, there was an elderly man with white hair and a youth of about sixteen or seventeen. The sight sent a chill down Han Li’s spine—the three of them were likely the so-called filler disciples or cannon fodder.
According to past conventions, each of the seven major sects could send no more than twenty-five low-level disciples to the Forbidden Land, with fewer being acceptable but not more. In previous years, they often couldn’t even gather enough participants, with only a dozen or so joining the Bloody Trial.
This time, however, not only had they reached the maximum number, but so many elite disciples had also emerged. This indicated that the herb gathering in the Forbidden Land would far exceed ordinary standards, and the survival rate would likely be less than a quarter.
Faced with this expected scenario, Han Li could only curse inwardly but had no other choice. Without a doubt, these elite disciples had been promised greater rewards by the sect’s higher-ups; otherwise, they wouldn’t be here.
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