“However, to risk one’s life for a mere woman—I overestimated him,” the black-robed man muttered again, glancing toward a nearby spot where an extremely crude teleportation array stood. His eyes flickered with calculation.
When he sensed that Han Li was only a few dozen miles away, he suddenly stood and strode toward the teleportation array. Moments later, amid a flash of white light, he vanished without a trace.
Han Li, too, had sensed the black-robed man’s presence and had been cautiously approaching. Abruptly, the man’s presence disappeared, leaving Han Li momentarily stunned. *Did he use some concealment technique to ambush me?* With this thought, Han Li grew wary, heightening his vigilance.
But as he cautiously neared the summit of Tianzhu Mountain and spotted the conspicuously crude teleportation array, his expression darkened. His gaze shifted to a newly erected slate beside the array, where four sharp, inch-tall characters were carved: **”Latecomers will not be waited for!”**
Han Li muttered the words under his breath, his face twisting in frustration. *How cunning.*
Though his mastery of formations told him this crude array couldn’t transport him far, the risk remained—what if it led straight into an ambush? Worse, once teleported, he had no guarantee that the silver-haired elder and others could track him.
The message on the slate made it clear: the other party had no intention of meeting him now and offered no room for negotiation. If he delayed, the man might truly leave, and that would spell disaster. Han Li couldn’t gamble on whether the other party would follow through—after all, he had killed the dual cultivation partner of the Yin Luo Sect’s leader. If this was indeed the sect master, such ruthlessness was plausible.
His face darkened with indecision before he finally steeled himself. First, he swept the area with his divine sense, confirming no hidden enemies lurked nearby. Then, he took out a voice transmission talisman, whispered a few words, and sent it flying as a streak of red light toward his original path.
Without further hesitation, he detached a spirit beast pouch from his waist and cast it into the air. A swarm of three-colored Gold Devouring Beetles surged forth, forming an armor around him.
With a flick of his sleeve, a small blue shield shot out, hovering defensively before him. His other hand turned over, revealing a delicate, gauze-like handkerchief—a protective treasure gifted to him by Nangong Wan.
Han Li lowered his gaze to the handkerchief, a flicker of emotion crossing his eyes. He traced its smooth surface with his fingers, standing in silence for a brief moment.
Then, after reinforcing himself with multiple protective barriers, he stepped into the teleportation array. Taking a deep breath, he sent a spell into one of its corners. A brilliant white light erupted, and Han Li vanished.
Thousands of miles from Tianzhu Mountain, on a nameless islet in the center of a lake, white spiritual light flared. Han Li’s figure materialized.
The moment he appeared, ignoring the disorientation of teleportation, he immediately activated the blue shield before him, expanding it to cover most of his body. Yet no attack came. Only then did he steady himself and survey his surroundings.
**”No need to worry. Dealing with an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator like you, I have no need for ambush tactics—though I’ve heard you’re no ordinary early-stage cultivator.”**
The unfamiliar voice came from a black-robed youth standing thirty-odd zhang away, hands clasped behind his back, watching him impassively.
Han Li’s eyes narrowed. *This isn’t the Yin Luo Sect’s leader.* Could another demonic cultivator be behind this?
**”If you don’t resort to ambushes, then why use such underhanded means to place a Soul-Sealing Curse on my partner?”** Han Li’s voice was icy, his gaze sharp. He couldn’t discern the youth’s cultivation level, which only heightened his wariness.
The surroundings were a swampy wasteland—muddy pits, damp air, and a distant grove of stunted trees. The faint sound of lapping waves suggested a nearby lake.
Han Li frowned briefly before smoothing his expression. He sensed faint spiritual fluctuations—traps had been laid here. Though likely not formidable, they stripped him of any terrain advantage.
**”Heh. Without such methods, would you have obediently come? I may have some skill, but I’m not foolish enough to take on your entire sect.”**
**”You’re not the Yin Luo Sect’s leader?”** Han Li’s tone shifted abruptly.
**”Do I resemble him in any way?”** The youth smirked.
**”No. But infiltrating Luoyun Sect, harming someone, and leaving unscathed—I didn’t know your sect had someone like you. Why didn’t you appear during the great war?”**
**”While I’d love to explain, I didn’t bring you here for idle chatter. Have you brought your Golden Lightning Bamboo treasure?”**
Han Li remained silent, his stare frigid.
**”Ahem. If you’re stalling, you’ll be disappointed. The teleportation array I set up is special—it can only be used twice before self-destructing. It’ll take your allies at least half a day to find you. Plenty of time to settle our business.”**
**”If you want to know whether I have the Golden Lightning Bamboo, why not first tell me how to lift the Soul-Sealing Curse?”**
The youth’s smile vanished. **”The method is in this jade slip. But first, show me the treasure.”** He produced a black jade slip, his gaze piercing.
**”Fine. The Golden Lightning Bamboo is valuable, but my partner’s life matters more.”** Han Li clasped his hands, then parted them with a crackle of golden lightning. A small azure arrow appeared between his fingers.
The youth’s eyes gleamed with greed before he flicked his wrist, sending the jade slip floating toward Han Li at a snail’s pace.
Han Li, understanding the ploy, did the same with the arrow.
As the two objects passed each other, both men relaxed slightly. But upon inspection, their expressions soured.
**”This is your Golden Lightning Bamboo treasure?”** The youth crushed the arrow into ash with silver-white flames.
**”And I’ve never heard of basic elemental techniques lifting a Soul-Sealing Curse.”** Han Li’s hand flared with blue fire, freezing and shattering the jade slip.
**”It seems we don’t trust each other. No matter. I’ll ask one last time—hand over the treasure, and I’ll leave the cure. Refuse, and I’ll take it from your corpse.”** The youth’s aura darkened, his face twisting with menace.
**”Funny. I was thinking the same. Since you cast the curse, the method must be in your mind. After I kill you, I’ll extract it from your soul.”**
**”Search my soul? You’re the first in centuries to dare say that. I’ll leave you a whole corpse.”** The youth laughed coldly, sending spells flying. Seven blinding white pillars erupted around them, each bearing a silver-white flood dragon that roared skyward.
**”Seven Dragon Pillars! Master, retreat!”** Silvermoon’s panicked voice rang in Han Li’s ears.
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