“I wouldn’t do this without some confidence. Besides, if you want the spirit fruit, Miss Ziling, are you unwilling to take even this small risk?” Han Li’s lips curled slightly as he spoke with a faint, enigmatic smile.
“Knowing Brother Han as I do, you would never take risks unless absolutely certain. It seems you must have some secret technique to avoid those invisible spatial rifts. In that case, I’ll gladly defer to your judgment.” After a brief pause, Ziling’s bright eyes flickered thoughtfully before she suddenly let out a soft, charming laugh. With a flash of white, she gracefully stepped onto the Wind-Riding Chariot.
Han Li gave her a surprised glance but remained silent as he too flew into the chariot. In an instant, under Han Li’s command, the chariot transformed into a streak of white light, soaring through the sky.
Han Li’s deduction proved correct. After only half a day of pursuit, near a stretch of barren land, they finally caught up with the Ghost Spirit Sect members. Elder Zhong and his group were in disarray, struggling to free themselves after a disciple accidentally triggered an ancient minor restriction.
With Han Li’s caution and fully deployed spiritual sense, Elder Zhong remained unaware of their presence. From a distance, Han Li scanned the scene with his spiritual sense and confirmed that the ancient restriction’s spiritual fluctuations were weak—it could only delay the Ghost Spirit Sect for a short while, unable to truly trap an early Nascent Soul cultivator like Elder Zhong for long.
Yet this brief delay was a rare opportunity for Han Li, allowing him to widen the gap between them.
Steering the Wind-Riding Chariot, Han Li took a calculated risk, deviating from their original path in a wide arc. Soon, bypassing several spatial rifts, he left the Ghost Spirit Sect far behind and approached a lush, verdant mountain range. Recognizing it, Han Li slowed the chariot to a halt.
“Perfect, this is the place. Look at that bird-shaped peak—it matches the marker exactly,” Ziling exclaimed excitedly, her gaze lingering on Han Li with admiration.
Truth be told, though Ziling had earlier expressed full confidence in Han Li, her heart had been in her throat as he raced the chariot at breakneck speed. Yet, to her astonishment, Han Li’s chosen route proved utterly safe—avoiding all spatial rifts and ancient restrictions, bringing them here without incident.
Unbeknownst to Ziling, Han Li himself felt a surge of relief. While his Clear Spirit Eyes helped him evade spatial rifts, their luck in avoiding hidden ancient restrictions was sheer fortune.
Keeping his thoughts to himself, Han Li silently studied the peculiar peak in the distance. The direction indicated by the bird’s beak should mark the final location.
“Brother Han, shouldn’t we move? Or should we destroy this peak before leaving?” Ziling asked anxiously after a moment of silence.
“According to the jade slip, the final marker is in a desert, within a thousand miles of this peak, correct?” Han Li suddenly inquired.
“Exactly. What are you thinking?” Ziling caught on.
“Simple. If we destroy this peak, the enemy will recognize it as the next marker. The final marker is in a desert—an obvious location they’ll eventually find, just as we traced our way here. The only way to buy time is to conceal this peak with an illusion array, hoping to mislead them into missing it,” Han Li explained calmly.
“That makes sense, but how can we hide such a massive peak with an illusion array strong enough to fool a Nascent Soul cultivator’s spiritual sense? Do you also practice illusion techniques?” Ziling asked skeptically.
“I’m no expert in illusions, but someone else is,” Han Li replied with a faint smile.
With a flick of his sleeve, a streak of white light shot out, landing on the ground in a dazzling flash. A graceful, beautiful woman in white robes materialized—Silvermoon.
“Greetings, Master,” she said with a bow.
“Who is she?” Ziling gasped in shock.
“This is Silvermoon, my subordinate. Silvermoon, can you set up an illusion array to conceal that peak quickly?” Han Li asked nonchalantly.
“If Master provides the necessary tools and with my illusion techniques, it’s possible. But I can’t guarantee it will fool a Nascent Soul cultivator’s spiritual sense. And my illusions aren’t permanent—they’ll dissipate after two days,” Silvermoon replied respectfully.
“Do your best. Two days will suffice,” Han Li said, retrieving two sets of array tools from his storage pouch and handing them to her.
“Yes, Master!” Silvermoon accepted the tools and set to work.
Han Li then turned to the bird-shaped peak, his eyes glinting coldly. With a swift motion, he unleashed a massive azure sword aura that coiled around the peak like a dragon, slicing off its bird-like features before returning to him.
Ziling stared in awe. Though she knew Han Li’s abilities surpassed her own as a Core Formation cultivator, the sheer power of his sword aura without even summoning his core treasures left her stunned.
Meanwhile, Silvermoon swiftly set up the arrays, shrouding the peak in mist. Then, transforming into a silver light, she soared above the peak and exhaled a cloud of pink mist that blended seamlessly into the illusion, making the entire mountain vanish, replaced by dense forest.
Han Li nodded in satisfaction.
Far away, in an underground hall, Marquis Nanlong and Old Man Lu were relentlessly attacking a shimmering golden barrier with their treasures. The barrier, now thin but radiant, bore silver Buddhist scripts swirling across its surface.
Despite their exhaustion, the two pressed on, their attacks causing the barrier to tremble. Finally, with a thunderous explosion, the barrier shattered.
“It’s broken! We’ve done it!” Old Man Lu cried out in triumph.
The golden light vanished, revealing the unprotected treasures on the altar. Even these seasoned schemers felt their hearts race at the sight.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage