When the dwarf mentioned that he was from the Ye family, he instinctively puffed out his chest, as if suddenly gaining a sense of reliance. His tone became noticeably more confident, clearly indicating his strong belief in the reputation of the Qinling Ye family.
Seeing the dwarf’s sudden surge of courage, Han Li deduced that the Qinling Ye family must be a renowned and prestigious cultivation clan.
However, the fact that the dwarf had panicked so intensely earlier, despite having such a powerful family as his backing, suggested one of two things: either he was lying about his identity, or he was merely an insignificant pawn within the family, whose life or death mattered to no one.
In a short span of time, Han Li reached a conclusion: eliminating this person would likely bring no significant consequences.
This inference completely dispelled the last trace of hesitation in Han Li’s mind, and his killing intent grew even stronger.
After all, a cultivator with inferior magical power and such foolish behavior was a rare find! Even without this life-and-death struggle, Han Li would never have let such a perfect prey slip away. Moreover, judging by the dwarf’s words and actions, he was clearly no virtuous individual, giving Han Li even less reason to hold back.
“The Qinling Ye family? That famously renowned Ye family?” Han Li feigned shock, as if he could hardly believe it.
Since the dwarf dared to use this name as his backing, it was likely that the Ye family held considerable prestige among cultivators, Han Li thought to himself.
“Indeed, it is that very Ye family. Since you are aware of the Ye family’s name, I trust you will not deliberately make things difficult for me?” Seeing the immediate effect of invoking the Ye family’s name, the dwarf instantly raised his voice with renewed confidence.
“The Ye family?” Han Li pretended to hesitate, scratching his head and showing a troubled expression, as if uncertain what to do.
Delighted by this reaction, the dwarf immediately resorted to a mix of pleas and threats, desperately trying to steer the situation in his favor, afraid that things might take a turn for the worse.
“How about this—I’ll take you to see the elders of my clan and let them decide how to handle this matter. What do you think?” Han Li said, appearing somewhat troubled.
“There’s no need for such trouble! This is just a minor issue. If you have to consult the elders over something so trivial, it might leave a poor impression and hinder your future prospects!” The dwarf, alarmed by the suggestion, quickly pretended to be concerned and urged Han Li against it.
By now, the dwarf had completely mistaken Han Li for an inexperienced young novice. He assumed Han Li was a disciple who had devoted himself to secluded cultivation within his family since childhood and had only recently ventured into the secular world for training. This would also explain why someone so young possessed such profound magical power.
“Thank you for your concern!” Han Li appeared genuinely touched. After a moment of thought, he reached into his robe and pulled out the talisman inscribed with a small sword.
“Since this is our first meeting, and you’ve shown me such consideration, I should return this treasure to you.” Han Li spoke earnestly, a hint of reluctance lingering in his expression.
Overjoyed, the dwarf never expected the young man before him to be so naive as to return a treasure already in his possession.
Without a second thought, fearing Han Li might change his mind, the dwarf quickly formed a hand seal and waved his hand, causing the golden shield around him to dissipate completely. He then reached out eagerly to take the talisman, shamelessly saying, “Since you are so sincere, I won’t stand on ceremony!”
Just as the dwarf’s hand was about to grasp the talisman, Han Li’s expression suddenly changed. With a look of astonishment, he cried out in alarm, “Clan Leader! Why have you come here in person?”
Hearing this, the dwarf shuddered in fear. Forgetting all about the treasure, he hurriedly turned his head to look behind him.
He froze. The area behind him was silent and empty.
“Oh no!” Even someone as foolish as the dwarf realized he had been tricked. Before he could turn back, he felt a surge of heat in his chest, followed by a blinding crimson light. In an instant, his body was engulfed in raging flames, and within moments, the dwarf was reduced to ashes.
Only then did Han Li let out a long sigh of relief, retracting the hand that had just launched the small fireball. Although it seemed simple to eliminate his opponent with a minor Fireball Technique, the entire process had required considerable cunning and had placed him under significant pressure. Successfully executing the sneak attack without a hitch filled Han Li with a sense of relief, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
Jia Tianlong, Wang Juechu, and the others had witnessed everything that had just happened, but they had no idea what had actually transpired. Since Han Li and the dwarf had kept their voices low to prevent others from overhearing, the onlookers, being too far away, had been unable to make out their conversation.
All they knew was that the dwarf had seemed fearful upon seeing Han Li. After a brief exchange, the dwarf had appeared to plead with Han Li desperately. Finally, they saw Han Li seize the moment when the dwarf turned his head to conjure a small fireball, effortlessly reducing the Wild Wolf Gang’s great supporter—the Golden Light Master—to a pile of ashes.
Jia Tianlong now tasted bitterness in his mouth, a bitterness that seeped deep into his heart and lungs. How had things come to this? The situation, which had initially been so favorable, had taken a drastic turn for the worse after the appearance of this seemingly insignificant Seven Mysteries Sect disciple. Even the Golden Light Master, an immortal cultivator, had been burned to death without a chance to fight back.
Wang Juechu, on the other hand, felt entirely the opposite of his rival. Gripping the sword at his waist tightly, he stared with excitement at Han Li, who was now squatting in an undignified posture, rummaging through the ashes on the ground. A fanatical expression spread across Wang Juechu’s face.
Han Li, too, was stirred, though not out of excitement. Rather, he was delighted to have retrieved a few items from the dwarf’s ashes that had survived the fire.
There weren’t many items: a talisman, a token, and a book.
The talisman was the one the dwarf had used to summon the golden light and form the protective golden shield. Although Han Li did not yet know the incantation to activate it, he was overjoyed. After all, what he lacked most at the moment was a means of protection.
The token was a pitch-black triangular plate. On one side, it was inscribed with the two ancient seal-script characters “Ascending Immortal” in gold, while the other side bore a silver character for “Order.” The token did not appear to be made of metal, yet it felt heavy and substantial. Its purpose, however, remained unknown.
As for the book, Han Li had assumed that since it had survived the Fireball Technique, it must be something extraordinary. But after flipping through a few pages, he realized it was merely a genealogy record—a family registry of the Qin clan. He had no idea what connection it had to the Golden Light Master, who had carried it so closely.
“The dwarf claimed to be from the Ye family, yet he carried a Qin clan genealogy. Could he be the illegitimate child of someone from the Ye family?” Disappointed, Han Li couldn’t help but entertain a malicious guess.
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