Speaking of which, this was the second cultivator Han Li had eliminated whose primordial spirit had left its body.
Most cultivators wouldn’t use the technique of spirit flight to preserve their lives during battles. That’s because spirit flight requires a certain amount of time to cast, and during that time, the caster cannot move freely.
But in battles between ordinary cultivators, who would give you the time to cast a spell and escape? They would have killed you dozens of times over in the time it takes for your primordial spirit to leave your body. Only cultivators who have reached the Core Formation stage can use their spirit infant to allow their primordial spirit to leave the body instantly.
This Senior Martial Brother Lin was just as unlucky as that Yu Zitong from back then!
He had originally intended to pass over Han Li’s cave residence and return directly to the Yellow Maple Valley to seek treatment and reinforcements. Instead, he had accidentally stumbled into Han Li’s great formation and was trapped there by the illusions and transformations within, unable to move even a step. He could only watch helplessly as the poison took his life, forcing him to resort to spirit flight.
This led to Senior Martial Brother Lin being filled with resentment toward the master of the formation. Coupled with his genuine need for a body to be reborn, he immediately attacked Han Li upon seeing him, determined to seize his body without a second thought.
But he never expected that Han Li would be so quick. Even caught off guard, Han Li managed to subdue his primordial spirit in one move, causing it to dissipate into nothingness.
Now that the man was dead, Han Li naturally wouldn’t waste any more thoughts on a corpse. Outside his cave residence, he still had a heap of troubles to deal with.
Although the attacks from the Thousand Bamboo Sect were fierce, Han Li noticed that the formation showed no signs of being breached. This put his mind at ease.
Moreover, he was certain that this group wouldn’t dare linger for too long.
Although this area was relatively remote, located on the outskirts of the Tai Yue Mountain Range, it still fell within the territory of the Yellow Maple Valley. After causing such a commotion, Han Li doubted they would have no reservations. He guessed that, unable to break the formation, they were now in a difficult position, unable to advance or retreat.
Truth be told, Han Li had even considered handing over Senior Martial Brother Lin’s body to them to send them on their way.
But the signs of spirit flight on the body were too obvious. If they only received the body, they might become even more unwilling to let the matter rest. So, it was better to stay holed up inside the formation like a turtle retreating into its shell. After all, they had no means to break the Inverted Five Elements Formation.
Speaking of which, Han Li felt rather proud of himself! He had been so foresighted to set up this formation in advance.
Otherwise, he would have been caught off guard and become their prisoner long ago.
Although the formation seemed secure for now, Han Li didn’t dare return to his cave for a nap. Instead, he fetched a bluestone stool from inside and sat down, closing his eyes to rest.
Perhaps because they were using puppet attacks, the assault lasted longer than Han Li had expected, which frustrated him somewhat.
After more than an hour of relentless bombardment, the formation finally underwent its first change. The previously calm formation began to emit a faint blue light, covering the entire area above it. The attacks of light arrows and pillars hitting it created ripples like water waves.
Seeing this, the Thousand Bamboo Sect members grew excited. After all, this change indicated that the formation wasn’t impervious to force—they could intensify their efforts to break it. If it had remained as calm as it was at the beginning, Huang Long and the others would have seriously considered retreating.
Just as the Thousand Bamboo Sect members planned to launch a stronger attack and Han Li’s expression shifted slightly, a thunderous roar suddenly echoed from far away: “Where did these brats come from? How dare you act so recklessly in the Tai Yue Mountain Range and attack the cave residence of our sect’s disciple! If you’re tired of living, I’ll send you on your way!”
The sound was so powerful that even Han Li, protected by the formation, felt his ears ringing and his face pale. As for the few Thousand Bamboo Sect members outside the formation who faced the sound directly, they staggered and nearly fell off their bamboo rafts.
“It’s a Core Formation cultivator! Let’s retreat!” Although Huang Long looked rough and fierce, he was actually the most cunning among them. Upon hearing the sheer force behind the newcomer’s voice, he was terrified and immediately tried to flee.
But clearly, Huang Long had underestimated the speed and profound power of a Core Formation cultivator. Just as they hurriedly recalled their puppets and tried to escape, lightning and thunder suddenly flashed in the distant sky, followed by a burst of white light. A silver streak shot toward them, reaching them in the blink of an eye. The group was scared out of their wits, abandoning their remaining puppets and scattering in all directions.
But the massive silver light, over ten zhang long, gave Huang Long and the others no chance. It suddenly split into six or seven smaller silver streaks, each targeting one of the Thousand Bamboo Sect members in mid-air.
“Senior, spare us! We are—” Huang Long cried out in terror, trying to say something, but the silver lights didn’t pause even slightly. With a gentle twist and a few faint thunderclaps, these would-be escapees were reduced to ashes, Huang Long included.
Then, all the silver lights converged, revealing an extremely obese man.
His eyes were squeezed into two narrow slits, and the layers of flesh under his chin piled up one upon another, making it impossible to tell how thick they were. Combined with his waist as thick as a giant barrel, this was undoubtedly the most obese person Han Li had ever seen.
Yet, this man was a Core Formation cultivator, and from the techniques he used, he practiced the rare thunder-attribute spiritual root technique. This truly astonished Han Li!
Regardless, this senior had saved Han Li and was also an elder of the Yellow Maple Valley. So, without hesitation, Han Li opened the formation and hurriedly flew out to greet him.
Stopping before the obese man, Han Li bowed respectfully and said, “Junior Han Li pays respects to Senior Uncle. Thank you for your assistance, Senior Uncle! May I ask for your esteemed name?”
The obese man had been scrutinizing Han Li since he flew out. Seeing Han Li’s respectful and courteous demeanor, a slight smile appeared on his large face. His first impression of Han Li seemed quite favorable.
“I am your Senior Uncle Lei Wanhe. You may call me Senior Uncle Lei. Why were these Thousand Bamboo Sect members attacking your cave residence for no reason? Did you provoke them?” The obese man went straight to the heart of the matter, showing that Senior Uncle Lei was not someone easily fooled.
Han Li felt a chill but maintained a calm expression as he gave a simplified account of what had happened, omitting his trip to the Heavenly Star Sect market and the destruction of Senior Martial Brother Lin’s primordial spirit.
Lei Wanhe’s expression remained neutral until he heard that Senior Martial Brother Lin had died from poison in the formation. He then said with a moved expression, “So it was that kid from the Thousand Bamboo Sect. I knew accepting him into the Yellow Maple Valley would bring trouble. But I never thought that after all these years, he would still be hunted down and killed. Sect Leader Jin’s heart is indeed narrow.”
Senior Uncle Lei Wanhe showed no grief, only a slight sigh. He then said, “Where is Martial Nephew Lin’s body? Take me to see it.”
“At once, Senior Uncle. This way, please!” Han Li didn’t dare refuse and quickly led him into the formation.
As they walked, Han Li felt secretly relieved. Fortunately, he had been too preoccupied with the Thousand Bamboo Sect members to touch the storage pouch or other items on Senior Martial Brother Lin’s body. Otherwise, things would have been very awkward.
“Hmm! This formation of yours is quite extraordinary. It seems even if I hadn’t intervened, those scoundrels wouldn’t have been able to do anything to you,” Lei Wanhe remarked shortly after entering the Inverted Five Elements Formation, already discerning its intricacies.
“Hehe, this is just a set of high-grade formation flags I bought at a high price from the market. How could it possibly catch Senior Uncle’s eye?” Although pleased by the praise, Han Li remained humble.
“No, this formation must have significant origins. Even if I were to force my way through, it would take considerable effort to break it,” Lei Wanhe shook his head like a rattle drum, firmly disagreeing.
By then, they had arrived at the location. Senior Martial Brother Lin’s body was still lying there intact.
At the sight, the obese man waved his hand, and the body flew into his large, fan-like hands. Lei Wanhe then proceeded to examine it without ceremony.
“It seems you told the truth. He died from the Gu poison of the Gu Poison Sect in the Far West,” the obese man said, nodding after his inspection. This sent a jolt through Han Li’s heart.
“However, before his body completely failed, his primordial spirit should have escaped. Did you happen to see it, Martial Nephew Han?” the obese man casually tossed the body aside and asked Han Li unhurriedly.
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