After traveling for the better part of a day, Han Li finally arrived at the outskirts of the central zone.
To his great surprise, the journey had been completely uneventful; he hadn’t encountered any more ambushes from others!
Naturally, he didn’t know that those who had arrived earlier in this direction had already been wiped out by the so-called “elites.” Meanwhile, those behind him had been intercepted and eliminated by Feng Yue and the Treasure-Bearing Maiden.
As a result, even if a few stragglers remained, they had already given up any hope of seizing treasures. They found hidden spots to conceal themselves and lay low, like turtles retreating into their shells. This was the ultimate survival strategy for the weak during the Bloody Trial!
Han Li, however, had no intention of following their example. He needed the three main ingredients to refine his Foundation Establishment Pill. So now, he stood before a stone wall several zhang high, staring intently at it with a peculiar expression.
Not far from the wall stood an ancient-looking bronze gate, engraved with patterns and archaic scripts that Han Li couldn’t decipher.
The gate was wide open, indicating that someone had already entered.
Based on the information Han Li had, there should be four such bronze gates, each corresponding to a different direction. These were the only entrances to the central zone. The rest of the area was enclosed by seemingly low stone walls.
Anyone foolish enough to try jumping over the walls instead of using the gates would be in for a nasty surprise—they would be shredded to pieces by the wind-based restriction spells embedded in the walls.
Han Li, of course, knew this and had no intention of making such a reckless attempt. The reason he was staring so intently at the wall was that it was indeed unusual—it bore something ordinary walls didn’t have.
On the wall, three individuals, each dressed differently, were impaled through their limbs by thick ice spikes, pinned in a spread-eagle formation. They had clearly been dead for some time, with no signs of life remaining.
The blood that had flowed from their wounds had congealed into purplish-black clots, staining the wall and the ground below. Han Li deduced that these people had likely been alive when first pinned to the wall but had eventually bled to death in agony.
No clues or markings were left near the three corpses. Yet, with a little thought, anyone could see this was a warning—a brutal display meant to intimidate later arrivals and deter them from entering the gate.
Han Li studied the agonized expressions on the corpses’ faces for a moment, then licked his dry lips and walked expressionlessly toward the bronze gate. It seemed the gruesome sight hadn’t affected him at all.
But in truth, Han Li knew himself all too well. What he had just seen had sent chills down his spine! The manner of their deaths suggested that the perpetrator was likely psychologically twisted. Falling into such a person’s hands would be a fate worse than death—prompt suicide might be a mercy.
Still, Han Li had come this far. He couldn’t possibly turn back now out of fear. Even if there were mountains of blades or seas of fire ahead, he had no choice but to press on!
With a heart full of trepidation, Han Li stepped through the gate. Outwardly, however, he remained calm and composed, strolling as casually as if he were in his own backyard.
The moment he entered, a scene of breathtaking beauty unfolded before him—a paradise filled with birdsong and the fragrance of flowers. Rare blossoms, exotic grasses, and peculiar trees of all kinds were everywhere. Silver chrysanthemums as large as bowls, blood-red strange trees, fragrant purple herbs, and yellow bamboo as thick as a man’s waist—all were rare treasures seldom seen in the outside world. Amidst this lush vegetation, a winding gravel path stretched from where Han Li stood into the distance, obscured by foliage, with no end in sight.
Han Li was momentarily stunned but instinctively took a deep breath. The spiritual energy here was incredibly rich! Infused with the vibrant essence of plants, it filled his lungs and invigorated his spirit.
No wonder such a paradise could nurture heaven-defying spiritual medicines! Han Li marveled inwardly.
“Hey, kid! Had enough of the view?”
“Who’s there?”
A harsh, grating voice suddenly rang out, putting Han Li on edge. He couldn’t help but shout in response.
“Heh! Now that you’ve had a look, you can die in peace!” The voice ignored Han Li’s question, instead muttering to itself in a strange tone.
At the same time, two green shadows silently shot out from a flower bed, lunging toward Han Li’s back.
Although his back was turned, Han Li’s heightened spiritual sense had already detected the threat. His expression darkened. Without moving his upper body, he instantly shifted several feet to the side, allowing the two green shadows to shoot past him.
In that brief moment, Han Li caught a glimpse of the attackers—long, straight objects as thin as chopsticks, entirely green with faint black patterns. Their appearance was bizarre.
But in the heat of the moment, Han Li had no time to ponder. Even though he had easily dodged the attack, he remained vigilant, not daring to let his guard down. The gruesome fate of the three outside the gate was still fresh in his mind, and he had no intention of sharing their end.
With a grim expression, Han Li’s eyes darted around, trying to locate the hidden enemy. Suddenly, the person emitted a series of strange, hissing whistles that grated on the ears.
Han Li was momentarily puzzled, but before he could deduce the opponent’s intention, his expression changed drastically. He shot backward不可思议ly, putting several zhang between himself and the threat before stopping.
What had prompted this reaction were the two green shadows that had just flown past him. Not far ahead, they suddenly twisted and moved, unfurling pairs of faint green, semi-transparent wings.
They were two winged flying snakes! During their initial attack, they had kept their bodies rigid, leading Han Li to mistake them for inanimate objects. Now, with a gentle flap of their wings, they executed a 180-degree turn at lightning speed, their agility rivaling Han Li’s own Cloud-Treading Steps.
The two snakes now reared their heads, four small green eyes gleaming with cold malice, poised to attack Han Li once more.
“Kid, you’re quite fast! But no matter how quick you are, can you outrun these two Manghuang Mountain flying snakes? Just乖乖 let my beloved snakes bite you—it won’t hurt a bit!” The hoarse voice carried a hint of surprise at Han Li’s speed, yet brimmed with absolute confidence in his serpents, lacing his words with mockery.
“Bullshit!”
Han Li cursed inwardly but didn’t voice it aloud. Not out of fear, but because the two strange snakes had already transformed into green streaks, charging at him with afterimages trailing behind.
Mid-flight, they split up, arcing in two separate curves to flank him from left and right.
Seeing this, Han Li had no time for retorts. He silently cursed again but focused on retreating backward at a speed nearly matching the green shadows. In the blink of an eye, he had circled the small area several times with the snakes in pursuit, not daring to pause for even a moment.
This time, he relied solely on the spirit boots on his feet for speed, not using Cloud-Treading Steps or Wind-Riding Technique.
This wasn’t due to overconfidence or underestimating his opponent. After two intense battles and pushing the boots to their limits during testing, his stamina hadn’t fully recovered. Unless absolutely necessary, he avoided techniques that drained his energy, like Cloud-Treading Steps. The same applied to Wind-Riding Technique—stacking it on top of the spirit boots’ enhancement would put too much strain on his body, hindering his recovery.
Of course, Han Li had no intention of letting the two snakes harass him indefinitely.
Although he didn’t dare to activate a protective barrier casually—slowing himself down to test its effectiveness against the snakes—he had plenty of ways to deal with them. Earlier, he had been mostly focused on the snakes’ hidden master, which was why he had let the reptiles chase him for so long. Now, seeing that the master seemed content to rely solely on the snakes to kill him, Han Li decided it was time to act.
His mind made up, Han Li flipped his hand, and a Fireball Talisman appeared in his palm. He pinched it between two fingers, ready to activate it and roast these exotic “delicacies.”
“Tread-Cloud Boots?”
“Stop! I have something to say!”
The raspy voice suddenly recognized the spirit boots on Han Li’s feet, filled with disbelief and shock. He immediately called for a halt, using some method to recall the two green shadows. The snakes paused mid-air and retreated back into the foliage, disappearing from sight.
Han Li frowned upon hearing this. After a moment’s hesitation, he held back from activating the talisman but kept his other hand cautiously resting on his storage pouch.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage