“Not good!” Han Li cursed inwardly, feeling extremely frustrated. He had intended to stay far away from trouble, yet now it had come knocking at his door.
The three figures behind him exuded extraordinary auras, clearly all being cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage or higher. However, the gray mist ahead flickered between weak and strong, clearly belonging to someone severely injured—likely just an unlucky soul being pursued.
Seeing no way to avoid the three pursuers, Han Li steeled himself and abruptly veered to the side, hoping that the trio, busy with their chase, might overlook a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator like him and simply fly past.
Yet, just as he had shifted his course by a dozen feet, Han Li suddenly halted mid-flight, his expression flickering with suspicion as he glanced around.
At that moment, the gray mist whooshed past him. Hidden within it was a pale-faced cultivator wearing a tall crown, who cast a cold glance at Han Li before his eyes flashed with an odd glint. The mist then shot dozens of feet away in an instant.
Suddenly, a deafening rumble echoed from all directions, and a massive yellow gourd, several meters tall, materialized a hundred feet away. With a shake of its opening, a torrent of yellow sand surged forth, directly engulfing the fleeing gray mist.
“Soul-Scattering Sand!” The figure in the mist gasped in horror, hastily swerving to avoid the deadly sandstorm.
“Haha! Brother Xuanye, it’s too late to flee now!” A booming laugh rang out as a yellow-robed man with a thick beard appeared atop the gourd. With a hand seal, deep-yellow sand mist rose from all directions, blotting out the sky. Within the mist, faint flickers of banners could be seen.
The cultivator in the gray mist paled, glancing downward to find the same yellow haze covering the low sky—the sandstorm had enveloped an area spanning miles.
Xuanye the King, hidden within his corpse qi, halted his flight, his face deathly pale as he glared venomously at the yellow-robed man. The white hurricane and black demonic cloud behind him arrived like shooting stars, flanking him on either side.
“Brother Xuanye, you’ve already suffered a blow from the Supreme Yang Ruler of the Taiyang Sect’s Elder Song. Your incomplete Corpse King body is severely injured, and now you’re surrounded by the three of us. Why resist? If you obediently surrender your Corpse King Pearl and allow us to place restrictions on you, we might spare your life. After all, we’ve had dealings for years—I’d hate to see you perish so utterly,” the yellow-robed man said calmly.
“Sandstorm Venerable, I knew it was you. The moment I left the ancient tomb, I felt uneasy—you’ve been tracking me since then. This trap must have taken you years to set. To monitor me for a decade, you’ve truly gone to great lengths. But do you really think this meager sand formation can hold me?” Xuanye remained eerily composed, his voice icy.
“It seems my earlier words were wasted. Don’t blame me for being ruthless now! Though, we didn’t expect you to carry the Corpse King Pearl on you—otherwise, you’d never have made it this far. Oh, and I forgot to mention—to ensure this plan’s success, I borrowed a small portion of the Blue Crystal Divine Sand that the Heavenly Stone Matron spent a century refining. It’s already mixed into the Soul-Scattering Sand. If you’re hoping to escape via earth遁, forget it.” The yellow-robed man revealed this with a smirk.
“Blue Crystal Divine Sand? That old hag treasures it like her life—she’d never lend you half a gourd! You’re lying!” Xuanye scoffed, though his face briefly betrayed unease.
The Sandstorm Venerable only chuckled darkly, refusing to elaborate, which deepened Xuanye’s unease.
Strangely, despite their advantage, the trio made no move to attack, as if wary of Xuanye’s desperation or plotting something else. Xuanye, meanwhile, was content to stall—he had already sent a distress signal, and reinforcements would arrive soon.
A tense silence settled among the four.
Unbeknownst to them, a fifth person was trapped in the sand formation—Han Li, who had been inadvertently caught in the array.
Han Li remained silent, hoping to avoid notice until the battle erupted, giving him a chance to slip away. But his plan was foiled when a shrill voice emerged from the black demonic cloud.
“This junior is in the way. Let’s deal with him before handling our main business.” The hidden demonic cultivator had set his sights on Han Li.
“Fine. Better than having him interfere later,” the yellow-robed man said indifferently, barely glancing at Han Li.
Fury surged in Han Li’s heart. It seemed he had no choice but to use his final seal release—otherwise, he’d lose his life to this absurd misfortune.
As the demonic cloud churned with excitement, a dark serpent formed and lunged at Han Li. Without hesitation, Han Li formed a hand seal, chanting a low incantation. A ghastly green mask flickered over his face before five emerald orbs shot from his body and vanished.
The black serpent reached Han Li’s head, jaws gaping, but he calmly flicked a golden arc into its maw. The serpent convulsed and dissipated.
Then, Han Li’s aura erupted—a vast, overwhelming pressure radiated from him, his body wreathed in azure light.
“Fellow Daoists, why drag me into your feud? I’m merely passing through,” Han Li said coolly, watching the stunned expressions of the four.
The yellow-robed man and the others gaped—this “junior” was actually their equal, having concealed his true strength.
Xuanye, though recognizing Han Li as the one who took the Golden Light Shield, was equally shocked by his cultivation.
Han Li quickly scanned the sand formation with his spiritual sense, frowning at its complexity. Breaking it by force would be troublesome.
“Fellow Daoists, I’ve made myself clear. I won’t interfere, but open a path for me to leave,” Han Li demanded.
“May I ask your name, and why you’re in the Snow Ridge Mountains?” the yellow-robed man asked cautiously.
“Han. Just passing through. Satisfied?” Han Li’s tone turned icy. His seal release was time-limited—he had no patience for games.
“Opening the formation now would risk letting Xuanye escape. Stay a while longer, and we’ll release you after dealing with him,” the yellow-robed man offered, feigning reluctance.
“Ha! If you trust them, you’re doomed. Once they kill me, they’ll silence you next. Join me in breaking the formation—my cave is nearby. Escape there, and these three are no threat. I swear on my heart demon to repay you richly,” Xuanye interjected solemnly.
Han Li’s expression remained neutral, but the yellow-robed man’s face darkened.
“Think carefully. Helping him means opposing us three. In this formation, even together, you’ll lose. Stay put, do nothing, and I’ll release you unharmed—I swear on my heart demon,” the yellow-robed man threatened and coaxed.
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