Han Li felt a bitter taste in his mouth. Despite all his caution and vigilance, he had still fallen into an ambush—and worst of all, he was now outnumbered in a one-against-many situation.
He was currently in a place referred to in the records as the “Thread of Sky,” an extremely treacherous area. Without flying on a magical instrument, this narrow path was the only route leading to the central zone.
On either side of the path stood incredibly steep and perilous peaks. Even someone like Han Li, who possessed martial arts skills and considerable lightness technique, dared not attempt to climb them.
As for flying directly over the area on a magical instrument—that was outright suicide, making oneself an obvious target for attacks. Unless absolutely necessary, no disciple from any sect would be foolish enough to attempt it. The tragic experiences of past seniors had made it clear: flying on magical instruments was strictly forbidden within the forbidden zone. Those who attempted it would only end up dead.
When Han Li first entered the area, he hesitated for a long time but ultimately didn’t dare to take a shortcut by flying over the peaks. Instead, he obediently followed the narrow path, slowly making his way on foot.
Given the danger of the area, Han Li remained extremely cautious, his nerves taut throughout the journey. Yet, despite his vigilance, as soon as he stepped out of the path and before he could even sigh in relief, he found himself trapped with no warning—blocked from both front and back by two individuals.
Seeing the fierce expression on the bearded man’s face, Han Li knew that trying to talk his way out would be useless. He immediately cast a defensive Water Shield spell on himself, summoned his Flying Sky Shield, and gripped his Golden Beetle Blade in one hand while readying his few remaining high-level初级符箓, including the Earth Prison Technique.
The bearded man and the person behind him coldly watched Han Li’s every move, showing no intention of interrupting or launching a preemptive attack. They seemed utterly confident, fully assured of their ability to handle Han Li with ease.
This was hardly surprising. The person behind the bearded man was already at the peak of the twelfth layer, while the bearded man himself had reached the thirteenth layer. Facing Han Li, who was only at the eleventh layer, they naturally felt completely in control.
Seeing this, Han Li licked his slightly dry lips and smirked inwardly. Since they were underestimating him, he would make full use of that advantage.
Quietly, he shifted his position slightly, placing himself at an angle to the two to avoid being attacked from both front and back. As expected, the two did not seize the opportunity to strike.
Facing the strongest opponents he had encountered since entering the world of immortal cultivation, Han Li felt no fear. Although he usually tried to avoid direct confrontations, this didn’t mean he lacked confidence in himself. He knew that while his spiritual power was inferior, making prolonged battles disadvantageous, his top-tier magical instruments and talismans could easily bridge the gap.
If push came to shove, he could always use the Heaven Thunderbolt to eliminate one of them effortlessly—though whether he was willing to use it was another matter entirely.
Still, Han Li was puzzled. Why had the bearded man and the disciple from Tianque Fortress not turned on each other but instead joined forces? While it might be normal for fellow disciples from the same sect, these two clearly belonged to different sects.
“Brat, you’ve got some nerve! Outside the forbidden zone, you dared to mock me and flirt with that wretched woman. Now, you’ll pay with your life!” the bearded man snarled viciously.
He then turned to the Tianque Fortress disciple and said, “Brother Yan, this brat has a score to settle with me. Leave him to me. I want to properly ‘entertain’ him and make him understand that the world of immortal cultivation isn’t so easy to navigate. In his next life, he’ll learn to think twice before offending anyone!”
The Tianque Fortress disciple shrugged indifferently and replied, “Do as you please. I’ll keep an eye on things from the side. But don’t repeat last time’s mistake of capsizing in a ditch! I don’t want to owe you another life-saving favor.”
“Haha, that was just a fluke! Dealing with this rookie, half my strength is more than enough,” the bearded man retorted, his face flushing slightly before curling his lips in disdain.
“Tch, suit yourself. I’d hate to hear bad news about you one day because of this. After all, we’ve been drinking buddies for years. It’s not easy to find someone with a compatible temper,” the Tianque Fortress disciple shook his head, seemingly exasperated by his friend’s arrogance. Still, he didn’t believe Han Li posed any real threat to his old friend, especially since he was keeping watch.
Han Li listened to their conversation clearly, picking up on some clues and finally understanding the situation. These two were actually old friends, and their relationship seemed quite solid.
This was troublesome. Their coordination in battle would undoubtedly be far more seamless than that of temporary allies. From the sound of it, they had collaborated multiple times before.
Han Li couldn’t help but feel frustrated.
“It seems I’ll have to use thunderous means to take down one of them first. The other will be easier to handle afterward. But this is just too bizarre! Weren’t the disciples from each sect randomly teleported? How did these two end up together in the same place? There’s no justice in this!” Han Li thought bitterly, feeling both suspicious and resentful of their luck.
Unbeknownst to Han Li, the Tianque Fortress disciple was also gloating about their fortunate reunion.
As he watched the bearded man approach Han Li, his thoughts drifted to the key contributor to their gathering—the Soul Fusion Talisman.
These high-level Soul Fusion Talismans are truly effective. As long as you and your companion activate them simultaneously right before entering the forbidden zone, your spiritual energies temporarily merge, and the restriction will teleport you to the same location. Although I’ve heard the success rate is only about fifty percent, and the cost is exorbitant—far beyond ordinary high-level talismans—we succeeded! We ambushed several disciples from various sects who passed through the area and reaped a great harvest.
“Besides, I’m no fool. Spending a fortune and taking great risks to enter this forbidden zone isn’t just for those coveted spiritual herbs that everyone is eyeing. It’s to legitimately kill and plunder here, making a hefty profit without any consequences. As long as we work together and avoid those seemingly formidable experts, we can easily achieve our goal. When the time is right, we’ll hide away until it’s time to leave safely. This is a perfect plan, one only I could have conceived!” The Tianque Fortress disciple grew smug at the thought of his bright future outside, his attention drifting away from the impending battle.
At that moment, the bearded man took off a green leather pouch and advanced toward Han Li with a sinister grin, seemingly ready to attack.
However, perhaps influenced by his friend’s reminder, he midway used a talisman to summon a green protective barrier around himself, bolstering his defense.
Seeing this, Han Li frowned, feeling a headache coming on.
He had been wary of the Spirit Beast Mountain techniques and had planned to exploit the man’s carelessness to take him out first. But now that the man had activated his defensive spell, it would no longer be easy to accomplish quickly.
Of course, if he used the Heaven Thunderbolt, no amount of tricks would save the man. But that was a one-time consumable item, and Han Li had no intention of using it unless it was a life-or-death situation.
Since this man was no longer an easy target, Han Li turned his attention to the Tianque Fortress disciple on the other side.
Noticing that the man had his hands behind his back, gazing at the sky deep in thought, completely oblivious to the situation, Han Li felt a surge of delight. He knew an opportunity had presented itself.
Without hesitation, he hurled the Earth Prison Technique talisman in his hand toward the bearded man.
The talisman transformed into a yellow light mid-air, shooting toward its target. It formed a larger yellow barrier outside the bearded man’s green defensive shield, trapping him firmly inside and preventing him from advancing even an inch.
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