The cultivator beside the Young Master of the Ghost Spirit Sect acknowledged the order and transmitted a message to the disguised Li brothers sitting within the formation. However, he then turned back with a puzzled expression and reported to the Young Master again, “Young Sect Master, the two elders say that three cultivators are too far from the formation. Once activated, the formation won’t be able to restrain those three. They request that the Young Master find a way to lure them closer!”
The Young Master of the Ghost Spirit Sect looked somewhat surprised and frowned slightly.
This situation was somewhat unexpected. Logically, the range of the hastily arranged Yin Fire Formation was already quite large, yet there were still people outside its reach—this was rather peculiar.
Thinking this, Wang Chan, the Young Master of the Ghost Spirit Sect, raised his head to look ahead. Sure enough, beyond the formation’s control range, he spotted three individuals outside its influence.
Two of them were a male and a female cultivator from the Masked Moon Sect, whispering intimately under a large tree in the northeast corner, seemingly trying to avoid others while engrossed in their affair. To the due west, near a rock about ten zhang beyond the control boundary, stood an ordinary-looking young man in a yellow robe, calmly observing everything on the mountain peak. This was none other than Han Li, who always prioritized caution.
“So it’s these three!” Wang Chan murmured thoughtfully.
After a brief moment of contemplation, he whispered a few instructions to the Ghost Spirit Sect cultivator beside him. The subordinate nodded repeatedly in acknowledgment.
Then, the Ghost Spirit Sect cultivator, disguised in the Yan family’s attire, stepped out of the earthen platform and the mist. Standing not far from the formation, he began shouting loudly, “All guests attending the conference, please come forward to draw lots and register. Once the numbers are confirmed, the Treasure Hunt Conference will officially begin…”
His shout immediately caught the attention of the other cultivators, who instinctively began moving closer to the formation. Even the Masked Moon Sect couple reluctantly stepped forward and entered the formation’s restraining range.
Seeing this, Wang Chan’s lips curled into a faint smile beneath his mask. However, when his gaze shifted to Han Li in the west, the trace of a smirk on his face froze.
In his eyes, Han Li remained completely still, showing no intention of stepping forward to register. Instead, he crossed his arms and watched with interest as the cultivators gradually gathered.
“Which sect does that man belong to?” Wang Chan asked coldly after a long pause.
“Judging by his attire, he should be a cultivator from the Yellow Maple Valley,” a Ghost Spirit Sect cultivator nearby replied cautiously, sensing the Young Master’s displeasure.
“Tell the two elders to begin. This Yellow Maple Valley disciple is quite interesting. I’ll take care of him myself to stretch my limbs,” Wang Chan said calmly, though a bloody hue flickered in his eyes, as if emanating a faint scent of blood.
“Yes, Young Master!” The Ghost Spirit Guards behind him shuddered slightly and responded respectfully.
…
From a distance, Han Li stood by the mountain rock, seemingly smiling as he watched the cultivators register. However, if anyone had looked closely, they would have noticed that his smile was stiff and forced, with beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
“That Yan family member is a Ghost Spirit Sect cultivator!” This realization had struck Han Li like a thunderbolt moments earlier.
Initially, when the Ghost Spirit Sect disciple disguised as a Yan family member appeared, Han Li had no suspicions. He had even intended to step forward after hearing the call to register.
But when the man waved to summon the cultivators, Han Li was shocked to notice that the “Yan family member” had half-inch-long, dark green nails—exactly like those of the yellow-haired freak from the Ghost Spirit Sect he had encountered before.
Stunned, Han Li felt as if cold water had been poured over his head, sending a chill down his spine.
“Ordinary people don’t have dark green nails like these. Could this person be…”
After making this terrifying and unbelievable speculation, Han Li naturally refused to take another step forward.
While he tried hard to maintain a smile on his face, his eyes darted around, scrutinizing his surroundings. Everything seemed normal, with no signs of an ambush. Could the man’s nails really be just a coincidence?
As soon as this thought emerged, Han Li dismissed it. There couldn’t be so many coincidences in the world. Even if it were a coincidence, he wasn’t willing to take such a risk, especially since the formation seemed so suspicious.
With this in mind, Han Li didn’t hesitate any longer. He reached out, and the Divine Wind Boat immediately appeared in his hand. But before he could throw it out, a lazy voice suddenly sounded from above him: “I didn’t expect someone as young as you to be so sharp-eyed! You noticed the flaw so quickly and want to escape? Don’t you want to save your fellow disciples?”
Han Li’s heart sank. Without a second thought, he pushed off the ground with his toes and leaped backward, putting over ten zhang between himself and the voice before stopping. Then, he slapped his body with one hand, and a red protective shield enveloped him. Simultaneously, a green glowing shield appeared贴身 around him inside the red one.
A faint sound of surprise came from the air, perhaps in admiration of Han Li’s quick reaction or astonishment at his skill in deploying two layers of protection simultaneously.
Hearing this, Han Li felt slightly reassured and looked up solemnly.
Dozens of zhang high in the air, a green-robed figure wearing a silver mask stood on a several-zhang-long giant pitchfork, riding the wind. The pitchfork was entirely green, enveloped in a black aura that sent chills down one’s spine.
Seeing this, Han Li felt a cold dread and blurted out, “Young Master of the Ghost Spirit Sect?”
“Heh! It seems introductions aren’t needed. It’s good that you recognize me! So, will you enter the formation voluntarily and live a little longer, or shall I extract your soul right now?”
The bloody hue in Wang Chan’s eyes was much thicker than when he was on the earthen platform. His eyes were mostly red, with a faint hint of savagery reflected in them. This made Han Li’s heart race, wondering what terrifying secret technique the other was practicing.
However, when he heard Wang Chan mention the “formation,” Han Li couldn’t help but glance sideways. What he saw made his face darken with fear.
At some point, a massive black light barrier had enveloped an area of over a hundred zhang centered around the giant formation. The barrier was filled with thick, black-red mist, making it impossible to see inside. Moreover, it was completely silent, as if there was no one within.
Around the barrier stood eight green-robed cultivators, intently watching everything inside the black curtain without even glancing toward their Young Master.
It seemed the Young Master’s subordinates had utmost confidence in him.
After a quick scan, Han Li swiftly withdrew his gaze, not daring to be distracted any further.
Without a doubt, although the Young Master of the Ghost Spirit Sect was only at the mid Foundation Establishment stage, he was an extremely formidable opponent. A single misstep, and Han Li would remain here forever.
With this in mind, Han Li extended one hand, and a point of white light emerged from his palm. It grew rapidly in the wind, transforming into a white scale shield that positioned itself in front of him. With his other hand, he tossed the Divine Wind Boat into the air behind him, where it floated steadily about seven or eight zhang away.
Han Li’s plan was to immediately mount the Divine Wind Boat and make his escape. Only a fool would stay and fight the Young Master of the Ghost Spirit Sect head-on here!
Forget whether he could even defeat the Young Master of a major sect—even if he could, there were still plenty of helpers waiting in the wings. Han Li had no ability to fight against overwhelming odds, nor would he be foolish enough to try.
So, as far as Han Li was concerned, the best course of action was to return to Yellow Maple Valley as quickly as possible and report the collusion between the Ghost Spirit Sect and the Yan family. That would be fulfilling his duty. As for Dong Xuan’er and Senior Brother Feng, they would have to rely on their masters to rescue them.
Seeing Han Li’s actions, Wang Chan burst into wild laughter, carrying a hint of madness that sent shivers down Han Li’s spine.
“Trying to run? Where do you think you’re going? Die!”
With that, the Young Master of the Ghost Spirit Sect suddenly spun on his pitchfork, and in an instant, a thick, blood-red mist surged out from his body. It transformed into a blood cloud over ten zhang tall, menacingly rushing toward Han Li.
Seeing this, Han Li didn’t dare hesitate any longer. He leaped onto the Divine Wind Boat and channeled all his spiritual power into it. In the blink of an eye, both he and the boat turned into a streak of white light, swiftly shooting into the sky to escape.
“Haha! Kid, you don’t know this, but my Blood Spirit Art’s escape technique is exceptionally fast. There’s no way you can get away!”
Wang Chan’s manic laughter closely followed Han Li.
Without even looking back, Han Li could indeed sense that the other’s voice seemed to be getting closer and closer.
It appeared that this guy’s escape technique was truly faster than the Divine Wind Boat at full speed. Han Li’s face turned pale with dread.
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