However, Han Li was not in a hurry! The central area of the forbidden land was vastly different from the outer regions.
In the areas outside the central zone, spiritual herbs and rare fruits grew mostly in an irregular and scattered manner. They could be found in any corner of these regions, generally following a first-come-first-served rule. Those who obtained them would immediately flee far away. As a result, conflicts over spiritual medicines were relatively rare in these areas. Instead, more people died due to large-scale purges by others or some individuals killing to seize treasures.
However, the central region was different! According to the accounts of disciples who had managed to return in the past, the central area was vast, covering nearly more than one-third of the entire forbidden land. It was enclosed by stone walls forming a massive circular structure. Starting from the periphery of the four bronze gates, the entire area was divided into three outer layers, much like the skin, flesh, and core of a fruit—distinct and quite peculiar.
The picturesque place where Han Li now found himself was the outermost layer of the central area.
According to the information, the distance from here to the next layer was not large, only about a mile wide. Within this range, although the flowers, plants, and trees were all rare and scarcely seen in the world, very few of them were actually useful as spiritual medicines for cultivators. Most were merely for ornamental or decorative purposes.
Many people from the seven major sects speculated that this layer was intentionally designed by the master of the forbidden land to serve as a garden. The dazzling and eye-catching flowers, plants, and trees were originally meant to please the master. If one wanted to find something useful here, it would be better to search in other areas of the forbidden land, which would be more efficient.
The truly valuable high-grade spiritual medicines for cultivators were produced in the second layer of the central area. Most disciples from the various sects who entered this place came specifically for this layer. Among these medicines were the three main ingredients for refining Foundation Establishment Pills, which naturally became their primary target. Han Li was equally determined to obtain these spiritual medicines.
Speaking of the second layer, it had truly astonished Han Li when he first read the related information.
This second layer was entirely a massive ring-shaped mountain range, perpetually shrouded in thick, impenetrable mist. Within these mountains, there were natural spiritual sites such as caves, hidden valleys, and cliffs, as well as artificial structures like stone houses and halls. Various natural spiritual medicines grew in these places.
The information exchanged between the ugly man and Han Li mainly consisted of distribution maps of these spiritual medicines. Since no one could guarantee that their existing information would cover the area they ended up in, having more distribution maps was naturally better. This made it easier to match their location and search according to the maps.
However, the mist on this mountain was too thick and heavy! Once cultivators entered the mountain, they would quickly become completely lost after just a few steps, forced to feel their way forward slowly. Whether they could find their way out again depended entirely on luck.
What was even more troublesome was that the ring-shaped mountains were inhabited by countless demonic beasts, ranging from low-tier first-grade Flame Mice and Wind-Chasing Rabbits to top-tier first-grade Golden Light Pythons and Ice-Fire Wolves. These included almost all types of first-grade demonic beasts that the seven major sects had either heard of or not.
Among them, lower-tier beasts could be handled by sixth or seventh-layer cultivators with ease, with one person capable of dealing with seven or eight. However, if they encountered high-tier top-grade beasts, even the elite disciples of the seven major sects would have no choice but to flee.
Fortunately, the latter type of demonic beasts was extremely rare on the mountain, and most of them served as guardians for specific spiritual medicines, making it unlikely to encounter them casually outside.
Therefore, the majority of the more troublesome demonic beasts were still upper-tier first-grade. However, if several elite disciples joined forces, they could easily deal with them. Of course, if someone encountered one alone, a bloody battle would be unavoidable.
Whether it was the mountain mist or the demonic beasts lurking within, if the proud elite disciples had encountered only one of these challenges, they might still have reluctantly attempted to risk entering the mountain to gather herbs. But with both obstacles present, these disciples could only stare at each other helplessly. Entering the mountain under such circumstances would undoubtedly be a one-way trip!
Thus, in the early years, the first few batches of disciples who entered the forbidden land only gathered ordinary spiritual medicines in the outer areas of the central zone and never ventured into the ring-shaped mountains.
However, after several attempts, a disciple from the Masked Moon Sect painstakingly refined a treasure called the “Moon Sun Pearl.” This artifact could neither attack nor defend. Its sole purpose was to emit a peculiar light capable of dispelling various types of mist and poisonous miasmas. It was specifically prepared by this disciple for the forbidden land expedition.
Sure enough, the Masked Moon Sect disciples who obtained this treasure shone brilliantly in the next opening of the forbidden land.
Behind the backs of the other sects, they dispersed most of the mist and returned from the ring-shaped mountains with a rich haul. Using the resources gathered from this expedition, they refined a large number of Foundation Establishment Pills, extensively recruited disciples, and significantly boosted their sect’s strength. This firmly established the Masked Moon Sect as the top cultivation sect in the Kingdom of Yue.
However, as the saying goes, there are no walls without cracks. News of the Masked Moon Sect’s massive harvest of natural spiritual medicines in the forbidden land using the “Moon Sun Pearl” eventually leaked out. Soon, the other six sects, unwilling to let them monopolize the benefits, came knocking.
Unwilling to provoke collective anger but also reluctant to hand over the pearl, the Masked Moon Sect, after much negotiation and bargaining with the other six sects, finally offered the pearl as a shared treasure among the seven major sects.
Thereafter, the pearl was held in rotation by the seven sects. After each forbidden land expedition, the sect in possession of the pearl would hand it over to another sect for safekeeping.
Regardless of which sect held the pearl, once inside the forbidden land, its disciples had to use the treasure at a prearranged time under the supervision of disciples from the other sects. They were strictly forbidden from deliberately advancing or delaying the timing of dispelling the mist.
This ensured that all disciples who arrived at the central area in time could enter the ring-shaped mountains simultaneously to gather spiritual medicines, making the process extremely fair.
While these conditions seemed to put the Masked Moon Sect at a significant disadvantage, forcing them to abandon their dream of monopolizing the forbidden land’s spiritual medicines, it actually spared them from annihilation and allowed them to grow stronger over time.
Today, the Masked Moon Sect stands out among the seven major sects, its strength is unfathomable! The other sects would need to form alliances to have any hope of opposing them!
This was also the reason Han Li was not anxious and could calmly engage in hypocritical exchanges with the ugly man in front of him!
This time, the seven major sects had agreed on the timing for dispelling the mist before even entering the forbidden land: the morning of the third day.
Han Li had rushed to the central area without rest earlier because he feared being ambushed on the way, which would delay his entry into the mountains. Now that he had already entered the central area, there was no need to rush anymore! Even if he hurried to the second layer now, he would only be staring helplessly at the mist there!
As for the third layer at the center of the forbidden land, it was even more mysterious!
Standing atop the ring-shaped mountains, one could clearly see a giant pagoda towering a hundred zhang high at the center of the vast area enclosed by the second layer. Surrounding the pagoda was a dense green forest, sealing it off completely. This was the so-called third layer, the innermost core of the forbidden land!
When the experts of the seven major sects heard their disciples’ descriptions, they immediately knew this was the original residence of the forbidden land’s master. They grew extremely eager for the treasures inside the pagoda!
However, at the boundary between the second and third layers, an unknown powerful restriction was still in operation, blocking all disciples attempting to break through. This restriction was simply impossible for mere Qi Refinement disciples to break, while Foundation Establishment cultivators and above could not enter the forbidden land. Thus, what lay inside the pagoda remained an unsolved mystery!
Han Li had no interest whatsoever in the giant pagoda in the third layer! For him, being able to find enough natural spiritual medicines in the second layer and retreat unscathed would be something to thank heaven and earth for, with divine blessings.
After patiently dealing with the ugly man for a full quarter of an hour, Han Li finally freed himself from the man’s pestering and disappeared into the nearby vegetation. Before vanishing, he glanced back and saw that Zhong Wu was still lazily lingering in place, showing no intention of leaving.
It seemed these “experts” would not rest until they had eliminated ninety percent of the other disciples trying to fish in troubled waters! Han Li guessed that similar actions were likely taking place at the other three gates.
While pondering this, Han Li searched for something far away from the bronze gate.
Under a towering tree, Han Li discovered an inconspicuous tree hollow, which delighted him. He crawled inside, set up some minor protective measures at the entrance, and then, without another thought, fell into a deep sleep.
Han Li needed a good rest. Who knew what might happen tomorrow morning when the mist over the ring-shaped mountains was dispelled? The best strategy was to restore his condition to its peak.
However, he believed that not many disciples from the various sects would be standing before the ring-shaped mountains tomorrow, waiting for the mist to be dispelled. And each one of them would likely be no easier to deal with than Feng Yue.
Han Li slept extremely soundly, only slowly waking up in the early morning of the next day. The most critical day of the forbidden land expedition had finally arrived!
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