“What, do you recognize me?” Han Li’s eyes flickered with an unusual light as he gazed at the black-robed old man and asked indifferently.
“No, I mistook you for someone else. How could this junior possibly recognize a senior like you?” The black-robed old man shivered under Han Li’s icy stare and hastily denied, stammering.
“Mistaken?” Han Li rubbed his chin noncommittally, shifting his gaze from the old man to sweep over the others, as if he truly believed the old man’s words.
The gray-robed man shot a puzzled glance at the old man. Though equally surprised, he was too preoccupied with their perilous situation to dwell on it, merely hoping to flatter Han Li before making a quick escape.
Before he could speak again, Han Li said slowly, “Since you are Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators and have discovered my presence, consider yourselves unlucky. Your lives are mine to take!” As soon as these words left his mouth, Han Li’s expression turned frigid. With a flick of his sleeve, over a dozen green sword beams surged forth. Upon leaving his sleeve, the beams multiplied into thirty or forty, sweeping toward the group like a storm.
Hearing the coldness in Han Li’s voice, the gray-robed cultivator knew things had taken a dire turn. Seeing the terrifying display of Han Li’s attack, his face turned deathly pale.
Naturally, he wouldn’t wait for death. Without hesitation, his body spun rapidly, and countless black fumes erupted, enveloping him. A golden and a silver flying fork shot out from the fumes, transforming into two bizarre golden and silver pythons to block the incoming attack. Simultaneously, the gray-robed cultivator desperately activated an escape technique, turning into a streak of black smoke as he fled, abandoning the black-robed old man and the others.
The Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators were horrified. Apart from the old man, the rest were decimated by the green sword beams, their heads and bodies separated without any chance of resistance. Just as the old man was paralyzed with fear, Han Li flicked his finger, sending a slender green thread hidden among the sword beams into the old man’s body. The old man immediately collapsed to the ground.
Seeing this, Han Li paid no further attention to him and instead turned his gaze to the gray-robed cultivator, who had already fled over a hundred zhang away. A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.
With a casual point of his finger, the hundred or so green beams converged, instantly forming a massive emerald sword. Han Li then uttered a single word: “Go.”
The giant sword emitted a low hum, trembling before transforming into a ten-zhang-long green rainbow. With unimaginable speed, it caught up to the black smoke in an instant, erupting in a blinding burst of green light.
The gray-robed cultivator let out a blood-curdling scream. Both the golden and silver pythons and the protective black fumes were obliterated under the sword’s strike, and the cultivator himself was reduced to a bloody mist.
Only then did Han Li calmly recall his treasure, his expression unchanging as he turned his gaze back to the unconscious old man.
After a brief thought, Han Li raised a hand, and the old man’s withered body was sucked into his grasp with a “whoosh.” Green light flickered as his other hand unceremoniously pressed against the old man’s skull. After the time it took to brew a cup of tea, flames erupted from Han Li’s hand, reducing the old man to ashes that vanished into thin air.
“So he was a discarded disciple of the Harmony Sect. Dong Xuan’er—I never expected her to form a Golden Core. But why would she send people to look for me? That’s rather strange.” Han Li floated in the air with his hands behind his back, a trace of surprise on his face.
The black-robed old man’s background was indeed complicated. Originally a disciple of the Harmony Sect, he had committed a grave offense against sect rules and, fearing soul extraction and refinement, had changed his identity and fled into the Ghost Spirit Sect, hiding there ever since.
Han Li naturally had no interest in these details. What surprised him was that the old man had once served under Dong Xuan’er for a time. Back then, Dong Xuan’er had already formed her Golden Core and had dispatched him and other Harmony Sect disciples to frantically search for Han Li, even going so far as to risk infiltrating the Nine Nations Alliance to track him down.
At that time, Han Li had long since departed for the Chaotic Star Sea, rendering the search futile. It was during this period that the old man had seen Han Li’s portrait, hence his shocked recognition now.
Now, Han Li was utterly perplexed. He wasn’t vain enough to think Dong Xuan’er harbored feelings for him, so her persistent efforts to find him must have some ulterior motive. Unfortunately, the black-robed old man held a low rank and knew nothing of the reasons.
After pondering for a while, Han Li still couldn’t fathom Dong Xuan’er’s motives. Shaking his head, he dismissed the matter.
Whatever Dong Xuan’er’s intentions had been back then, years had passed, and it was likely irrelevant now. Moreover, as a Nascent Soul cultivator, he had no reason to concern himself with it.
With that thought, Han Li disposed of the Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators’ bodies, glanced in the direction of the former Yellow Maple Valley sect, and left the Tai Yue Mountain Range.
Unbeknownst to Han Li, at the very moment he killed Yu Hong, in a secluded meditation chamber within the ruins of the Veiled Moon Sect, a gaunt, stern-faced cultivator in a black robe suddenly frowned and sighed. Reaching into his robes, he pulled out a dull, lifeless bone plaque.
The black-robed cultivator toyed with the plaque for a moment before narrowing his eyes, a shadow of malice flickering across his face. After a while, he stood and left the meditation chamber.
Passing through a long corridor, he arrived at a grand hall. Sitting expressionlessly on the stone chair at the center, he produced a small bronze bell from his sleeve with a flash of white light.
With a casual shake, the bell emitted a deep, resonant toll that echoed far and wide. The cultivator then stowed the bell and sat silently, waiting.
Soon, three Core Formation cultivators—two men and a woman—hurried into the hall through side doors. They stood respectfully before the elder, their faces filled with awe.
“Just now, the spiritual light on your Sixth Junior Brother’s life plaque extinguished. It seems he fell victim to someone’s treachery. Though the details are unclear, no disciple of my Soul Shattering Sect shall die without justice. Find the culprit and bring him to me alive. I wish to see who dares cross us.” The black-robed cultivator spoke impassively, as if discussing a trivial matter.
“As you command, Master. We shall act immediately.” The three cultivators were startled but quickly bowed in unison.
“Good. I hope the next time I summon you, the culprit will be in the Immortal-Binding Prison.” The black-robed cultivator—Soul Shattering True Monarch of the Ghost Spirit Sect—nodded and left without another word.
The hall was now empty save for the three Core Formation disciples.
“Fifth Junior Sister, send a message to the Tai Yue branch immediately. See if they know about Sixth Junior Brother’s demise. If not, have them dispatch people to track the killer. Junior Brother Que, you have good relations with the other branch leaders. Ask them to investigate whether any unfamiliar high-level cultivators have appeared in Yue Country recently. As for us, we’ll each send our most capable disciples to trace Sixth Junior Brother’s last known whereabouts for clues. Once we have leads, we’ll act together. Given that the killer could defeat Sixth Junior Brother, we must be cautious.” The burly, black-robed cultivator among the three spoke methodically after a moment’s thought.
The other two—a still-charming woman in her thirties and a sinister-looking scholar in brocade robes—nodded in agreement. The woman smiled faintly, while the scholar frowned slightly before reluctantly nodding.
“Junior Brother Que, I know you and Sixth Junior Brother didn’t get along, but this is Master’s direct order. Failure would bring consequences you’re well aware of. Remember what happened to Second Senior Brother and Seventh Junior Brother when they failed.” The black-robed man fixed the scholar with a cold stare.
“Of course not! Though Sixth Junior Brother and I had our differences, he’s dead now, and this is Master’s will. I’ll do my utmost—you needn’t worry, Third Senior Brother.” The scholar named Que forced a laugh, his face paling.
“Good. Let’s proceed separately.” The black-robed man’s expression softened slightly.
With that, the two men and the woman left the hall to carry out their tasks.
Several days later, Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators traced the vanished group to the site of Han Li’s massacre. Further investigation revealed Han Li’s former cave.
Upon receiving the news, the three Soul Shattering disciples personally led a group to the Tai Yue Mountain Range. Standing before the pit left by Han Li’s relocated Spirit Eye Spring, they exchanged bewildered glances.
Meanwhile, in a distant land, Han Yunzhi and the woman surnamed Liu, along with several Beast Taming Sect disciples, traversed a rugged mountain range, hurriedly crossing into Yue Country.
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