Late at night, when all was quiet, Han Li slipped out of his room without a word to anyone and flew alone toward the imperial city on his magical artifact.
Standing atop his Divine Wind Boat, Han Li gazed at the colossal dark silhouette before him—the massive gates of the imperial city—and smiled faintly before soaring directly over them.
To Han Li, the so-called prohibition by the seven sects forbidding any disciple from entering the imperial city meant nothing. He only followed rules that benefited him; the idea that empty words could restrict him was utterly absurd!
He had never been one to blindly obey.
As these cold thoughts crossed his mind, Han Li had already flown to a height of over a hundred zhang above the imperial palace.
Under the cover of darkness, he silently surveyed his surroundings, his eyes scanning for secluded, inconspicuous spots. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he flew toward a royal garden overgrown with green bamboo.
Once above the bamboo grove, Han Li cautiously glanced around before suppressing his spiritual energy and descending slowly.
He was well aware that although the Black Fiend Cult had taken control of the entire imperial palace, it was impossible for them to station spies in every corner. Even with numerous sentries posted, he was confident that his mastery of the Nameless Art of Concealment would prevent the cult members from detecting him.
Moreover, from the young prince, he had already learned the usual sentry arrangements of the Black Fiend Cult. Even if there had been changes, as long as he avoided heavily guarded critical areas, Han Li felt quite at ease.
This place was clearly a forgotten corner of the imperial palace. The bamboo grove was filled with decaying leaves, emitting a faint rotting smell, and the branches, left untrimmed, grew densely and luxuriantly.
Looking at this acre-sized bamboo grove, Han Li showed a satisfied expression.
He formed hand seals and cast a soundproof barrier, enveloping the entire grove. Then, with a serious expression, he took out a set of formation flags and plates from his storage pouch—the improved “Inverted Five Elements Formation” given to him by Qi Xiaoyu.
“With this Inverted Five Elements Formation, even if the Black Fiend Cult Leader is incredibly powerful, I should be able to remain undefeated!” Han Li murmured to himself as he looked at the magical tools in his hand.
With renewed focus, he stepped into the dark bamboo grove.
Two hours later, Han Li emerged slowly, looking exhausted. Due to the tight schedule, he had only managed to set up a small part of the formation, but it should be enough. After confirming that no one had been around, he safely put away the soundproof barrier, summoned his Divine Wind Boat, and flew away.
Han Li’s solo journey into the imperial palace to set up the formation was completely silent, without alerting a single member of the Black Fiend Cult.
Under the orders of the Black Fiend Cult Leader, the four Blood Servants were highly vigilant. However, as Han Li had anticipated, they only set up dense sentry posts around the Cold Palace where the cult leader was in seclusion. Other areas were instead more relaxed than before, which was one reason Han Li could enter and exit so smoothly.
By the time he returned to the Qin residence, the sky had not yet brightened. Han Li decided not to sleep and instead meditated on his bed until dawn.
In the morning, he walked out of his room as if nothing had happened and joined the others in a large hall. They chatted and laughed as usual, discussing the upcoming battle, with no mention of the “Inverted Five Elements Formation.”
In Han Li’s mind, such a life-saving trump card was best kept known to as few people as possible.
If they could achieve a great victory without using the formation, that would be even better. The “Inverted Five Elements Formation” could remain his hidden ace.
His fellow disciples from Yellow Maple Valley, like Liu Jing, were unaware of Han Li’s thoughts. However, when the topic of the night’s battle came up, everyone showed eager and excited expressions.
Among them, aside from Liu Jing and a few others, most had no experience fighting Foundation Establishment cultivators. This was also a key reason Han Li was not optimistic about their upcoming mission.
Han Li always believed that cultivators who had never experienced bloody battles would inevitably suffer greatly when facing experienced opponents, regardless of their cultivation level. It wouldn’t be surprising if some lost their lives. Watching these people chat and laugh, he occasionally showed a strange expression in his eyes.
After all, which cultivator who reached the Foundation Establishment stage hadn’t endured immense hardships to achieve their current level? Yet after tonight’s battle, many of them might perish here. The thought filled him with deep regret.
“Junior Brother Han, could you accompany me for a walk?” Chen Qiaoqian, who had been laughing and chatting with Zhong Weiniang, suddenly turned to Han Li and issued the invitation.
This request not only surprised Han Li but also left several of Chen Qiaoqian’s fellow disciples speechless.
They all stared in disbelief at Han Li and their usually aloof junior sister, who was known for her coldness toward male cultivators.
Seeing Han Li’s stunned expression, Zhong Weiniang’s eyes sparkled as if she had thought of something. She leaned in and whispered something into Chen Qiaoqian’s ear.
Instantly, Chen Qiaoqian’s face flushed crimson. She shot Zhong Weiniang a fierce glare before gracefully walking out of the hall, clearly expecting Han Li to follow.
“Junior Brother, why are you still standing there? With a beauty like Junior Sister Chen waiting outside, what are you hesitating for?” Liu Jing walked over, patted Han Li’s shoulder, and joked.
Han Li rubbed his nose vigorously, wanting to force a wry smile but finding himself unable. He managed a dry chuckle and, under the envious gazes of the male cultivators, followed her out.
If he hesitated any longer, it would make him seem guilty! He saw no reason to be afraid of her.
Outside the hall, Chen Qiaoqian stood gracefully, gazing distractedly toward the garden. Hearing Han Li’s footsteps, she spoke coldly without turning around: “Accompany me to the garden. There are a few things I’d like to ask you.”
Without waiting for Han Li’s response, she walked toward the garden, as if certain he would agree.
Han Li watched her captivating figure, unconsciously furrowing his brows. After a moment’s thought, he smiled silently and followed.
Walking with a beautiful woman was indeed a pleasant experience.
Han Li followed a few steps behind, admiring her elegant figure, and felt that this outing was well worth it. Moreover, the memory of his past encounter with this beauty stirred indescribable emotions within him.
“I never expected that both my elder brother and I misjudged you back then. We thought you were just lucky to emerge victorious from the Bloody Trial. Little did we know that Junior Brother Han was an expert at playing dumb to outsmart others. Not only did you deceive us siblings, but you also fooled all the experts present at the time.” Chen Qiaoqian spoke calmly, her back still turned to him.
Han Li had anticipated this topic and showed no surprise. Scratching the back of his head, he replied lightly, “Senior Sister Chen, you flatter me. I was truly just lucky to have barely made it through.”
As he spoke, his expression remained completely natural, as though he were telling the truth.
“Are you still trying to deceive me, Junior Brother Han?” Chen Qiaoqian seemed angered by his words. Her voice turned cold as she suddenly turned around, her bright eyes icy.
Han Li feigned surprise, pretending not to understand why she was angry.
Seeing his expression, the once “Junior Sister Chen” grew even more furious.
“Fine, I won’t ask about the Bloody Trial anymore. But there’s one thing you must answer truthfully!” Her tone grew colder, yet her face carried a strange expression.
“What is it? Senior Sister Chen, feel free to ask. I will answer honestly,” Han Li replied, though he felt increasingly uneasy, maintaining an earnest facade.
“Seven or eight years ago, did you encounter anything on the eastern side of Taiyue Mountain?” As she asked this, a faint blush spread across her cheeks, and she looked slightly shy, anxiously awaiting Han Li’s response.
“Seven or eight years ago…” Han Li lowered his head as if deep in thought, though internally, his heart was racing.
“How is it that after all these years, she still hasn’t given up on finding me? And judging by her shy expression, could she have actually developed feelings for her rescuer?” Han Li wondered, perplexed.
It wasn’t that Han Li was oblivious to romance, but he had never considered forming a cultivation partnership with her.
For some reason, although he felt the usual attraction toward Chen Qiaoqian, when it came to matters of the heart, he automatically excluded her. Perhaps the memory of her intimate moment with that “Senior Brother Lu” still made it impossible for him to accept her.
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