The Soul-Shattering True Monarch from the Ghost Spirit Sect didn’t show up, but instead, this somewhat unfamiliar elder appeared, which naturally surprised Han Li.
Deploying three Nascent Soul cultivators was indeed a rare and grand gesture for a major sect, but considering the dangers of the Fallen Devil Valley and the sheer number of treasure-seeking cultivators, it still seemed slightly insufficient. Could the Ghost Spirit Sect have some other backup plan?
Han Li pondered this while watching the Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators busily setting up a massive formation at the valley entrance. Naturally, none of the nearby cultivators disturbed them, instead observing coldly from the shadows. The Mulan shamans had gathered together, with the Confucian-robed Zhong and the woman surnamed Yue whispering among themselves.
Han Li stared at the formation with clear eyes and an unperturbed expression. However, after a short while, his expression suddenly shifted, and he looked up at the sky with a trace of suspicion.
At that moment, a dazzling white streak of light flashed in the distant sky, streaking toward them with astonishing speed, parting the clouds and mist in its wake. Other cultivators soon noticed the anomaly and looked up in surprise.
The white streak arrived above the valley entrance in an instant, its radiant light dissipating to reveal an expressionless elder in a blue robe.
“Wei Wuyi!”
“Why is he here?”
“Could the Nine Nations Alliance be determined to claim the treasures of the Fallen Devil Valley?”
As soon as the elder’s face became clear, the hidden cultivators stirred in shock. However, to everyone’s surprise, after Wei Wuyi appeared, he merely glanced down indifferently before slowly descending in front of the Ghost Spirit Sect members.
The sinister-looking middle-aged man smiled faintly and stepped forward with a cupped fist salute. “Brother Wei, you’ve finally arrived. I was afraid something had delayed you. If that were the case, we’d have to postpone entering the valley.”
“I gave my word, Brother Wang. I won’t change my mind lightly. However, you’d better not be lying. If the thing you mentioned isn’t in the valley, don’t blame me for turning hostile,” Wei Wuyi replied coldly, ignoring the middle-aged man’s smile. This was hardly surprising, given the longstanding tension between the Nine Nations Alliance and the demonic path.
“Rest assured, Brother Wei. I wouldn’t dare deceive you,” the middle-aged man said, unbothered by Wei Wuyi’s coldness, as he respectfully ushered him forward.
This scene left the surrounding cultivators dumbfounded. Wei Wuyi, the grand elder of the Nine Nations Alliance, was actually collaborating with the Ghost Spirit Sect. If there wasn’t something fishy going on, no one would believe it.
Han Li frowned at the sight. If a conflict arose with the Ghost Spirit Sect inside the valley and Wei Wuyi intervened, he would have no choice but to flee—something entirely unexpected.
After a brief consideration, Han Li glanced toward the Confucian-robed Zhong. If no other late-Nascent Soul cultivators intervened, these two would be the strongest inside the valley.
The Mulan Divine Master stood with his hands behind his back, watching Wei Wuyi calmly, his thoughts unreadable. In contrast, the woman surnamed Yue beside him looked surprised by Wei Wuyi’s appearance.
Despite the shock caused by Wei Wuyi’s arrival, all the cultivators quietly watched as the Ghost Spirit Sect members completed the formation.
After half a day, a massive formation spanning over a hundred zhang gradually took shape. Han Li, initially indifferent, now wore a look of suspicion. The formation seemed to resemble part of an ancient teleportation array he had studied, but with some simplifications and complexities—clearly modified.
Han Li narrowed his eyes, silently observing the formation. Though his knowledge of formations was considerable, he couldn’t discern its true purpose in such a short time, leaving him deep in thought.
Another hour passed before the formation was finally completed. Some Ghost Spirit Sect disciples began placing mid-grade spirit stones of various attributes around it. Wang Tiangu, who had been overseeing the setup, suddenly moved to the center of the formation and retrieved a jade box from his storage pouch.
The middle-aged man and the baleful elder showed no surprise, clearly aware of Wang Tiangu’s intentions.
Wang Tiangu carefully opened the box, revealing a golden spirit stone that shimmered brilliantly. The moment it was exposed, an astonishing surge of spiritual energy rippled outward.
“High-grade spirit stone!” someone exclaimed in awe. The other cultivators were equally shocked, and even Han Li’s expression flickered slightly.
While a high-grade spirit stone contained only the equivalent of a hundred mid-grade stones, exchanging even a thousand mid-grade stones for one was nearly impossible in the cultivation world. This was because pure high-grade spirit stone veins, due to their overwhelming spiritual energy, were easily discovered and had long been exhausted. The few remaining high-grade stones were sporadically found in low- or mid-grade veins, making them exceedingly rare.
Yet many ancient formations and restrictions required high-grade spirit stones to activate, and even ordinary formations gained a significant boost when powered by them. In battle, a high-grade spirit stone could replenish a Nascent Soul cultivator’s spiritual energy. Thus, their value was astronomical, and over time, they had become nearly extinct in the southern cultivation world.
As for legendary top-grade spirit stones, they had vanished entirely since ancient times, existing only in myths.
Watching Wang Tiangu carefully place the metal-attribute high-grade spirit stone at the formation’s center, Han Li couldn’t help but feel envious. Despite killing many cultivators, he had never obtained one, highlighting their rarity. Even when he later sought to trade for them in markets, it proved futile—most were hoarded by major sects for emergencies.
The fact that the Ghost Spirit Sect was willing to use one now showed their extreme seriousness about the Fallen Devil Valley. Then again, given the massive profits from selling Fallen Devil Tokens, this expenditure was negligible.
After securing the high-grade spirit stone, Wang Tiangu whispered something to the middle-aged man, who nodded and issued an order. All Ghost Spirit Sect members withdrew from the formation, each holding a pale yellow formation flag. They swiftly took to the air, arranging themselves in an odd formation above the array, their flags glowing faintly, ready for activation.
*Could this man be the Ghost Spirit Sect’s leader?* Han Li wondered, observing the middle-aged man’s authority over Wang Tiangu despite their similar cultivation levels.
At that moment, the middle-aged man rose into the air, shrouded in black mist, and swept his cold gaze over the crowd before speaking.
“I am Wang Tiansheng, leader of the Ghost Spirit Sect. I won’t waste words. The path into the valley is now prepared, and the spatial rifts have stabilized enough for entry. This formation was painstakingly developed by our sect’s formation masters over many years—a specialized teleportation array that can send people directly from the valley entrance to a specific location in the outer valley. However, due to its unique nature, it requires a metal-attribute high-grade spirit stone to activate. Our sect went to great lengths to obtain one, so only those with Fallen Devil Tokens—regardless of faction—may use it. Others will not be accommodated.”
“One more thing: this is a one-way teleportation, so the destination isn’t fixed. There’s a small chance of being sent into a spatial rift. If that happens, blame your own misfortune—our sect takes no responsibility. This method isn’t fully perfected, and we rushed its completion to save time. Those unwilling to take the risk may forgo it.”
After a pause, he added coldly, “Those without tokens, don’t think you can sneak in. We’ll teleport everyone at the end, then destroy the formation.”
His voice wasn’t loud, but it reached every ear clearly, sparking murmurs among the crowd. Some even used sound transmission to discuss privately.
“If we need this formation to enter, how do we leave? Will your sect set up another inside?” a young voice called from a nearby grove, filled with doubt.
Many nodded in agreement, sharing the same concern. Han Li, however, smirked inwardly, unfazed by the question.
“Your worry is unnecessary. Many ancient restrictions in the valley hinder entry but not exit. There are even intact ancient teleportation arrays inside that can send people out directly. Leaving is far easier than entering,” Wang Tiansheng replied impassively.
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