Before long, Yuan Kun successfully purchased all the necessary items and, accompanied by two subordinates, left the small town, flying toward Linglong Mountain on their magical tools. However, barely twenty or thirty miles from the town, a flash of silver light appeared in the air ahead, revealing a strikingly beautiful and alluring young woman who stood there with a bewitching smile, gazing at the trio.
“We are disciples of the Moon Veil Sect. May I ask who you are, Senior?” Though Yuan Kun’s cultivation was low, the bizarre manner of the woman’s appearance immediately alerted him to her extraordinary nature. He quickly invoked the name of his sect, hoping to deter any sudden hostility.
But the woman didn’t even wait for him to finish. With a light, tinkling laugh, she parted her crimson lips and exhaled a cloud of pink mist. Though the mist seemed to drift slowly, it reached the three men in an instant, enveloping them completely.
Pitifully, with Yuan Kun’s shallow cultivation, he had no means of resistance. The moment a faint, sweet fragrance reached his nose, his mind grew heavy, and he lost consciousness. All three men collapsed and plummeted toward the ground.
The woman showed no hesitation. With a flick of her sleeve, a streak of white light shot forth, wrapping around the three and pulling them swiftly to her side. After glancing down at them with a playful glint in her eyes, she enveloped herself in silver light and vanished with the trio in tow.
After flying for over ten miles, the silver light descended into a deserted forest. There, a young man in a blue robe sat cross-legged beneath a large tree, his expression serene as he meditated.
The silver light abruptly appeared before him, then dissipated, leaving Yuan Kun and his two subordinates lying silently at the young man’s feet. The woman gracefully landed beside him and stood respectfully, saying, “Master, I’ve brought them. They claimed to be disciples of the Moon Veil Sect, so I believe we have the right targets.”
“Did you alert anyone else?” the young man asked calmly, opening his eyes. This was none other than Han Li, who had traveled tirelessly for over half a month to reach the Northern Liang Kingdom.
Since he intended to secretly seek out Nangong Wan, he had no intention of making a conspicuous visit to the sect, lest it invite unnecessary complications. Thus, he needed to gather specific information about the Moon Veil Sect’s situation on Linglong Mountain. He had lingered in the small town for a day, searching for Moon Veil Sect disciples.
Having risen from the ranks of low-level cultivators himself, Han Li knew well that lower-tier disciples of cultivation sects, unlike their high-level counterparts, had not completely severed ties with the mortal world. The nearest towns to their sects were naturally where these disciples frequently appeared.
With Han Li’s formidable spiritual sense, no cultivator in the town could escape his detection.
Originally, Han Li had targeted another Moon Veil Sect Qi Condensation disciple, but when Yuan Kun, dressed in a steward’s attire, appeared, Han Li shifted his focus. A higher-ranking disciple would naturally know more.
After attaching a wisp of his spiritual sense to Yuan Kun and instructing Silvermoon to abduct the trio once they left the town, Han Li had come to this forest to wait.
“Master need not worry. Given their level of cultivation, subduing them was effortless, and no other cultivators noticed,” Silvermoon replied dutifully, sensing Han Li’s somber mood and refraining from any casual banter.
“Good. You’ve done well. Your fox form excels in illusions. Use that ability in tandem with my Dream Induction Technique to make him reveal everything unknowingly,” Han Li said coldly, casting an indifferent glance at Yuan Kun.
“As you command, Master,” Silvermoon responded promptly.
She turned and exhaled another cloud of pink mist, this time spreading several zhang wide, enveloping the three unconscious figures on the ground.
Han Li stood and slowly stepped into the mist. Soon, faint green light flickered within the swirling haze.
Despite its name, “Linglong” (Exquisite) Mountain bore no resemblance to anything delicate or refined. Far from appearing small and elegant, the mountain was instead bloated and oddly shaped.
Though it lacked subsidiary peaks, the main mountain sprawled over dozens of miles. Its lower half was unusually gentle, almost devoid of steep inclines, resembling a vast, elevated slope.
But from the waist of the mountain upward, the terrain abruptly turned treacherous—sheer cliffs and jagged ridges clashed starkly with the lower half. Moreover, the spiritual energy here surged dramatically, making it suitable only for Core Formation cultivators and above to establish their cave abodes.
To prevent aerial invasions, the upper half of Linglong Mountain was fortified with numerous formidable formations and restrictions. Low-level disciples had no choice but to ascend via designated paths.
Han Li now stood at the foot of Linglong Mountain on an ancient bluestone street, hands clasped behind his back as he gazed toward the summit, a trace of warmth flickering in his eyes.
His appearance had drastically changed. Using the “Shape-Shifting Art,” he had altered his form and features to match Yuan Kun’s exactly, while suppressing his own cultivation to the Qi Condensation stage.
After extracting the information he needed from Yuan Kun and his subordinates, Han Li restrained them and left them in a hollow tree before boldly heading to Linglong Mountain. With Yuan Kun’s steward token and the intelligence gleaned from the Dream Induction Technique, he effortlessly infiltrated the Moon Veil Sect’s mountain gate.
The place where he now stood was a market established by the Moon Veil Sect at the foot of Linglong Mountain, where thousands of disciples traded and exchanged goods. Among the shops were several that dealt in mundane items, managed by none other than Steward Yuan.
Instead of rushing straight to the summit, Han Li calmly delivered the goods Yuan Kun had procured to the relevant shops. Only after receiving respectful farewells from the shopkeepers did he step outside, casting a distant glance toward the mountaintop.
According to the memories of the three disciples, Nangong Wan, though not in seclusion due to her impending marriage, rarely received visitors. Even high-ranking disciples within the sect found it difficult to meet her.
As for why Nangong Wan had agreed to become the cultivation partner of Wei Lichen from the Hua Yi Sect, the three low-ranking disciples knew nothing, which disappointed Han Li slightly.
However, their memories revealed that Nangong Wan, as the youngest female Nascent Soul cultivator in the Moon Veil Sect, was revered by low-level disciples for her peerless beauty. Many male disciples secretly harbored admiration for her—Yuan Kun included.
Despite having seen Nangong Wan only two or three times in decades, Yuan Kun had become utterly infatuated. Upon hearing of her impending marriage, he had privately mourned for a long time.
When Han Li uncovered these memories, he couldn’t help but feel exasperated.
After delivering the goods, Han Li attended to a few minor tasks as per Yuan Kun’s usual routine. Fortunately, Steward Yuan wasn’t particularly sociable within the sect, so no one noticed anything amiss.
As dusk approached, Han Li deemed it time to act. Following Yuan Kun’s habits, he leisurely began his ascent.
Though Yuan Kun’s cultivation was only at the Qi Condensation stage, his steward status granted him a modest residence on the second level of Linglong Mountain—far from a cave abode, but sufficient.
Disguised as Yuan Kun, Han Li encountered no obstacles entering the second level. However, the occasional Foundation Establishment cultivators they passed either regarded him with disdain or ignored him entirely.
In a secluded spot, Han Li rubbed his chin and chuckled wryly. It seemed Steward Yuan’s standing wasn’t particularly high, save for a handful of subordinates.
Instead of heading to Yuan Kun’s small pavilion, Han Li flew low along the mountain path toward the summit. Though the airspace elsewhere appeared empty, he knew it was laced with formidable restrictions and avoided them carefully.
At the boundary between the second and third levels, two Foundation Establishment cultivators on duty abruptly halted him.
“Yuan Kun! What are you doing here? You know this area is off-limits to you,” one of them, a fair-faced man, barked sternly.
“Esteemed Uncles, this disciple… wishes to see Ancestor Nangong. Might you relay the request?” Han Li stammered hesitantly.
“What? Yuan Kun, have you lost your mind? You want to see Ancestor Nangong? Are you dreaming?” The two cultivators were aghast, immediately rebuking him harshly.
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