Han Li was also quite tempted upon hearing this. He knew very well that on the path of immortal cultivation, having a wise master to offer guidance could save one from many detours and greatly benefit one’s training.
However, this Venerable Li was not someone easily fooled. Han Li had many secrets of his own, and prolonged contact with him would likely lead to the discovery of inconsistencies. If questioned, he would undoubtedly be digging his own grave.
Moreover, judging by the “sincere advice” Venerable Li had given earlier, he was certainly not the type to value mentor-disciple bonds. Most likely, he would enforce the law of the jungle even between master and disciple, resorting to treasure theft and silencing witnesses.
After carefully considering these points, Han Li’s initially stirred thoughts quickly settled down.
The other disciples of Yellow Maple Valley bore no such burdens. They were all rolling up their sleeves, high in morale. Now, they were not just fighting for survival but also striving for their future prospects.
Han Li instinctively glanced at Junior Sister Chen and noticed her cheeks flushed, her delicate fists clenched, and a determined glint in her eyes. She seemed to have made up her mind.
Sighing inwardly, Han Li lost interest in paying attention to the others from Yellow Maple Valley and instead turned his gaze toward the Clear Void Sect opposite.
The Daoist priest was animatedly addressing his disciples, occasionally making impassioned expressions that elicited cheers from the young Daoists. They all appeared highly motivated, clearly thoroughly indoctrinated. Of course, there were also some older Daoists who remained calm and unmoved throughout.
Han Li found this quite amusing and was watching with keen interest when suddenly, someone shouted:
“Look, the people from Masked Moon Sect are here! That’s the Heavenly Moon Divine Ship!”
Startled, Han Li looked up toward the sky.
A white dot appeared at the horizon, gradually drawing closer.
It moved extremely fast and soon arrived above the desolate mountain. It was a massive ship carved from cyan jade, its exterior adorned with gold-leaf depictions of dragons and phoenixes, exuding extreme luxury. A large white light barrier enveloped the entire ship.
Onboard stood a large group of men and women dressed in white, led by a charming woman dressed like a young married woman. Her every movement was captivating and utterly enchanting.
Once the jade ship landed and the light barrier was withdrawn, the woman parted her apricot-blossom lips slightly and said, “Greetings, Senior Brothers and Uncle Qiong! Nichang pays her respects.”
Venerable Li and the Daoist priest did not dare neglect her and hurriedly returned the greeting. However, the elder known as Qiong bared his teeth in a grin, his figure suddenly blurring before disappearing into the air, leaving behind only a sentence and a smug, strange laugh.
“I’ll return to this place in seven days. Have the bets ready in advance! This time, I’m certain to win!”
The Daoist priest and Venerable Li exchanged glances, puzzled by the elder’s overwhelming confidence. They had just observed the disciples of Masked Moon Sect—while clearly stronger than those of their two sects, they were not so formidable as to justify such boastfulness!
The young married woman, her beautiful eyes shifting with curiosity, asked a few questions. When she learned the details of their bet, she couldn’t help but burst into laughter, her body trembling like a flower branch, utterly captivating.
The charm of this young married woman left many young male disciples from the three sects staring dumbfounded, almost drooling.
However, Venerable Li and the Daoist priest were in no mood to appreciate the beauty before them. Seeing her reaction, their hearts sank, and they both felt as if they had been tricked. Their expressions turned bitter.
Could it be that Masked Moon Sect had some hidden ace up their sleeve, capable of suppressing both their sects at once?
Though filled with frustration, the two maintained their dignity and felt too embarrassed to ask the young married woman for an explanation. As for the beautiful young woman—Fairy Nichang—she was more than happy to play ignorant and steer the conversation toward other amusing topics.
Meanwhile, the male disciples of Yellow Maple Valley, including Han Li, had already turned their attention to the newly arrived group of female disciples.
They had long heard that Masked Moon Sect advocated dual cultivation techniques, requiring at least half of their disciples to be female, and only those with exceptional looks were accepted.
Now, seeing them in person, the rumors proved true. These women were each enchanting and breathtakingly beautiful, leaving the male disciples drooling and lost in wild fantasies.
Han Li fared slightly better. Although momentarily overwhelmed, he relied on his extraordinary willpower to quickly regain his composure and calm his mind.
It was then that he noticed the female disciples of Masked Moon Sect seemed accustomed to being stared at by so many people. They continued chatting and laughing without any change in expression, and some even flirtatiously winked at those staring, leaving them weak-kneed and disoriented.
In contrast, the male disciples reacted with anger. They glared furiously, especially protective of the young women beside them, as if wanting to retaliate against every pair of eyes that lingered.
Han Li smiled faintly. Seeing how the men and women stood in pairs, it was clear that even if they weren’t actual couples, they were likely paired for cultivation purposes. That explained the male disciples’ anger—they probably already considered the women beside them their private property, even if the women themselves didn’t share that view.
Han Li also noticed that the angry glares from the male disciples were directed not only at those from Yellow Maple Valley but also at the Clear Void Sect.
Curious, he turned to look and indeed saw the young, hot-blooded Daoists stealing glances at the young women before quickly averting their eyes, as if afraid of being caught, appearing extremely furtive.
Han Li struggled to suppress his amusement, fearing he might burst out laughing.
Whether it was his imagination or not, Han Li felt that the female disciples of Masked Moon Sect were winking and flirting more with the young Daoists than with those from Yellow Maple Valley.
This left him speechless for a while.
However, upon further reflection, Han Li’s heart grew solemn. These disciples had not come here to flirt but to engage in life-and-death battles within the forbidden area. If the young disciples of other sects were to encounter the female disciples of Masked Moon Sect, they would likely be at a disadvantage even before fighting began. After all, it was not easy for most people to ruthlessly attack such charming women.
What puzzled Han Li even more was that all the disciples Masked Moon Sect had brought this time, regardless of gender, were exceptionally young. There wasn’t a single older individual among them, which seemed highly unusual. If these people were all old monsters who had preserved their youth, Han Li refused to believe it. Given their frivolous behavior, they appeared to be in their twenties at most, with no trace of maturity.
Yet, the Bloodlight Trial was famously a suicide mission. It was impossible for so many young people to willingly throw their lives away. Even if there were, it was unlikely they would all come in pairs, with emotions deep enough to face life and death together—Han Li absolutely refused to believe that.
Both Yellow Maple Valley and Clear Void Sect had some older individuals in their ranks.
These elders were nearing the end of their natural lifespans. Even if they did not participate in the expedition to the forbidden land, they would not have much time left. Therefore, they were making one final desperate attempt. If they could successfully obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill and, by chance, advance to the Foundation Establishment stage, they would completely reverse their fortunes. Although there was no hope of further advancement to the Core Formation stage, gaining an extra hundred years of life would be an unexpected windfall.
Although not many elders participated in the Bloodlight Trial with this mindset, the two sects combined had seven or eight such individuals. Yet, Masked Moon Sect had none, which Han Li found rather suspicious. Venerable Li and the Daoist priest also seemed to sense something amiss. Their expressions grew even darker, and though they continued conversing with Fairy Nichang of Masked Moon Sect, their absent-mindedness was obvious to everyone.
Before long, the other four sects arrived one after another. The ones that left the deepest impression on Han Li were the Giant Sword Sect and the Spirit Beast Mountain.
The Giant Sword Sect consisted entirely of men, all dressed in black robes and carrying giant unsheathed swords as tall as a person on their backs. Their expressions were cold and ruthless, each emanating a overwhelming murderous aura.
As for the Spirit Beast Mountain disciples, they wore gaudy, eye-catching garments and carried numerous pouches and bags of various kinds, with something alive seemingly squirming inside. This sight sent chills down the spines of disciples from other sects.
The members of the Saber Transformation Village and Sky Fortress, aside from their differing attire, seemed relatively normal in Han Li’s eyes. Like the disciples of Yellow Maple Valley, many were whispering among themselves or appeared tense and nervous.
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