Now that he had determined the causes of death for both, Han Li could only wish his departed senior a smooth journey to the afterlife, and a swift rebirth. Without further hesitation, he began to search thoroughly on both bodies. After all, with the two now lifeless, their storage bags were surely his to keep. He went through the search once, and still found nothing. His expression grew serious, and he carefully went over the search again—still nothing. Han Li felt a sudden shiver run through his entire body, his heartbeat quickening noticeably. There must have been a fourth person here—this very person had taken the storage bags! Though it was likely that this individual had already departed from the scene, he could not rule out the possibility that he was still observing nearby, using the two corpses as bait, hoping to detect any flaw in his movements. Across the cliff, a broad expanse of reeds stood tall, reaching over one meter in height, easily concealing human footsteps. Han Li, facing the bodies and crouched slightly, was directly opposite the grassy area—this only deepened his unease. Perhaps the person was hidden right behind him. Han Li's posture remained unchanged, still in a crouched stance, appearing as if he were fully absorbed in the corpse before him. Yet in reality, he was fully alert, having quietly drawn forth his implements and scrolls, and had silently extended his spiritual awareness, seeking to detect any potential snipers. The results of his spiritual probe did not surprise him—everything in the vicinity was normal, with no unusual fluctuations in the ambient qi. This was no surprise at all. If someone truly were concealed nearby, they would certainly have employed the "Conceal Qi Technique" to mask their own spiritual energy, rendering them undetectable. Han Li's purpose in conducting this spiritual search was merely to stir up potential anxieties—indeed, to make any imagined adversaries hesitate and refrain from acting. And the outcome truly matched his expectations: either he had been unnecessarily worried, imagining threats that simply did not exist, or the observers, seeing no favorable moment to strike, had remained still, conserving their breath and deciding not to act. A moment later, Han Li stood up, turned around, and coldly surveyed the vast expanse of reed grass several times before suddenly leaping into the air without a word. After several jumps, he became a dark dot, gradually fading into the distance. When Han Li's figure had completely vanished, an unexpected rustling sound suddenly arose within the otherwise silent reed thicket. Then, a slender figure stepped out—none other than a young lady dressed in flowing white robes. Though she appeared only about fifteen or sixteen years old, her appearance was pure and innocent, radiating genuine charm and childlike simplicity. To see such a delicate and graceful young woman emerge in this place of life and death—indeed, nothing short of astonishing. By her attire, she clearly belonged to the Yan Yue Sect. The young lady glanced toward the direction where Han Li had disappeared, smiled gently, and in a surprisingly mature tone murmured to herself: "Her courage and composure are acceptable, but her magical power falls short. It seems her potential is even more limited—there appears to be little room for growth." Otherwise, once he makes it out alive, he'll surely prove to be a promising talent!" "But looking at his final escape—clearly a form of light-footedness from the worldly realm, and quite competent as well—it's truly interesting!" The young girl gently lifted the tip of her chin, her large eyes reflecting genuine curiosity. If Han Li had heard this, he would have been left utterly stunned. The assessment was so precise and incisive, with only a few brief remarks that sharply highlighted all his strengths and weaknesses—seeming to know him better than he himself did. "I'll give you this once, but I'm off to attend to my own matters now. However, next time we meet, little one—you'll find it much harder to escape!" The girl furrowed her nose, forming a playful, subtle crease, and spoke with a touch of reluctance. It seemed as though Han Li had become a new toy in her possession, drawing her strong interest and making her reluctant to let him go. In the end, the young girl pouted slightly, then reached up and pulled out a scroll. With a wave of her hand, she vanished in a brilliant green glow. If anyone had witnessed this scene, they would surely have been heartbroken, cursing the girl for being a wastrel—how could she have so casually discarded such a rare and precious "Wood Transmutation Technique" scroll in the immortal realm? After all, this was a mid-level, initial-rank scroll. Most people would treat it as a family heirloom, only using it in life-or-death situations. It was truly the ultimate lifeline for escaping peril. Yet, Han Li was unaware of all this, and therefore didn't feel any regret. He had no idea that there was a notable woman who had taken a special interest in him. He was even delighted with his own ease in overcoming his current difficulties. As for whether or not there were truly spies stationed somewhere, Han Li decided not to pursue it further—after all, the closer one approached the center, the more enemies one would inevitably encounter. Such clever ambushes and surprise attacks have gradually become routine, frequently occurring. Preserving one's own life and making every effort to avoid unnecessary conflicts are now the guiding principles of Han Li's actions. Moreover, Han Li has not truly come away empty-handed from the two bodies. Upon reflecting on this, Han Li extended his hand, and a cluster of nearly transparent silk threads appeared in his palm—precisely the linear artifact he had picked up en route, the one that had slain a disciple of the Giant Sword Sect. With a slight infusion of inner energy, the silk threads gradually straightened, eventually forming a long, straight strand nearly fifteen zhang in length. As Han Li skillfully manipulated the silk, he immediately sensed its remarkable capabilities. Indeed, this is an ideal weapon for unsettling opponents. Thanks to its nearly invisible nature and its resilient, sharp cutting power, Han Li is confident that when he strikes, he can cause an enemy's head to fall without the opponent even realizing what has happened. Indeed, he had no idea what substance this thread was made of—how much more versatile it would surely be if it were even longer! With his growing enthusiasm, Han Li effortlessly used the thread to split nearly a dozen large trees right in two, finding it far more effective than he had anticipated. Unbeknownst to Han Li, at that very moment, on a meadow not far from the heart of the sanctuary, two groups of disciples—one from Hua Dao Wu and the other from Qingxu Sect—had clashed and were engaged in fierce combat. Each group numbered around five or six, making their forces equally matched and truly evenly matched. This marked the first major clash of arms during the Blood-Colored Trial, as both parties sought to gain an early entry into the central zone to harvest the medicinal herbs. Eliminating the opponent on the spot would have been a clear advantage. In the end, the Qingxu Sect's priests proved superior, defeating most of their adversaries. The two Hua Dao Wu disciples, though wounded, managed to retreat, while the Qingxu Sect disciples themselves were the first to successfully enter the central zone. In the central region, a variety of rare flowers and fruits, along with celestial treasures, flourish, guarded by powerful first-tier beast creatures capable of matching even the peak performers of foundation-stage cultivators. Each time a beast is slain and its medicinal properties harvested, as long as a new medicinal plant emerges in the area, the beast reappears mysteriously—though not necessarily of the same kind as the previous one. This phenomenon has left the senior cultivators of various sects deeply puzzled: could it be that these beasts also arise spontaneously, sustained by the celestial qi of the land? This notion fundamentally challenges their long-held understanding. According to their belief, beasts should be wild animals that, over years of unconscious absorption of the essence of the sun and moon, occasionally evolve into beings with supernatural powers. The probability of such evolution, however, is no greater than the rate at which human cultivators emerge among ordinary people. Moreover, for years, disciples from various sects have only been able to gather medicinal herbs in the outer periphery of the central region, and as they approach the core, they are often trapped or eliminated by still-active seals and traps. And the deeper they went, the more tenacious the spirit beasts became, proving utterly impossible to repel by these mere foot soldiers—so they were forced to merely hover at the outer perimeter! For now, they would first have to see whether the Qingxu Sect's disciples could act swiftly enough to secure the medicinal herbs. At this very moment, however, Han Li faced the greatest crisis of his journey to the sacred precinct—blocked at a narrow passage by one envoy from the Lingshou Mountain and another from the Tianque Fort, one on each side. The large Han from Lingshou Mountain, Han Li recognized well—he was the one who had once glared at him with a thick beard. Now, he stood with a fierce grin, fixing Han Li with a look that clearly said, "You're done." (If you find this enjoyable, please don't forget to bookmark the book!) ------------ Chapter 83: The Spirit Seal Han Li found a bitter taste in his mouth. He hadn't expected, despite his utmost care and caution, to be ambushed—especially in such a dire situation, being outmatched by a force of more than one! At this point, the area he found himself in was known in the records as the "One-Line Sky," an extremely hazardous environment. If he didn't fly with his vehicle, the only route leading to the central region was a narrow path flanked on both sides by sheer, towering cliffs. Even for Han Li, a man skilled in worldly martial arts with strong agility, the climb up these steep peaks was something he dared not attempt lightly. To simply fly overhead with his vehicle—something that would surely be a suicide move, openly exposing himself as a target—was utterly unthinkable. No disciple from any sect would ever do such a thing. Past tragedies of their elders had already made this clear: flying with a vehicle through the inner sanctum was strictly forbidden, and failure to comply would result only in death. When Han Li first entered this area, he hesitated for a long time, but ultimately decided against taking the shorter route and flying over the peaks. Instead, he resolutely followed the narrow path, walking steadily and slowly. Of course, aware of the peril at this very spot, Han Li was especially cautious throughout the journey, keeping his nerves constantly taut. Yet even so, as soon as he stepped out of the intersection, before he could ease his breath, without any warning at all, he found himself blocked from both front and back by these two. Seeing the fierce expression of the man with a beard, Han Li knew that any further verbal arguments would be useless. He immediately cast a defensive water shield around himself, then summoned his flying shield, and at the same time grasped his weapon, the "Jin Fu Zi Mu Ren," as well as the last few mid-to-high-level scrolls he had—the "Earth Prison Technique." The man with the beard and the one behind him watched Han Li’s every move with calm eyes, showing no intention to intervene or launch an immediate attack. Their composure suggested full confidence—they were certain of their ability to subdue Han Li. It was no surprise, then! The man behind was already at the peak of the twelfth level, let alone the man with the beard, who had mastered the thirteenth-level technique. They, facing this eleven-tier rookie, naturally felt confident—this would be a mere breeze! Seeing this, Han Li gently moistened his slightly dry lips and quietly chuckled under his breath. Since the others were so overconfident, he would make full use of that. Without making a sound, Han Li subtly shifted his stance, positioning himself to form a flanking angle with the two opponents, thus avoiding being attacked from both front and back. Indeed, the two failed to capitalize on this opportunity. Though facing his strongest adversary yet since entering the cultivation world, Han Li did not feel particularly intimidated. While he had always tried to avoid direct confrontations, this did not mean he lacked confidence. Though his magical power was significantly weaker, less suited for prolonged battles, his top-tier artifacts and talismans fully compensated for this shortfall. Should things truly come to a crunch, he could summon the "Heavenly Thunder Child" to eliminate one of them—something that would surely be effortless. Whether or not he chose to do so, however, was another matter entirely. Yet Han Li had a few questions: why hadn't the man with a beard and the representatives from Tian Que Fort fought against each other, instead choosing to unite? For fellow disciples from the same sect, this was quite normal. But these two were clearly not from the same sect at all! "Ha ha, that was absolutely a surprise! Now, when it comes to handling this rookie, I only need to bring half my strength—and I’ll be more than sufficient!" The man with the beard flushed slightly at first, then gave a dismissive shrug and spoke with condescension. "Well, good luck then! I certainly don’t want to hear about your demise one day. After all, we’ve been close friends for years—finding someone with a similar temperament isn’t easy!" The man from Tian Qu堡 shook his head, clearly troubled by the other’s arrogance. Yet he didn’t believe his current opponent posed any real threat to his longtime friend. After all, he was still watching closely. These two clearly have a strong synergy when facing off together—far more difficult to handle than the temporary alliances of ordinary people. It seems they've worked well together on more than one occasion! Han Li couldn't help but feel deeply frustrated. "It seems I'll have to take decisive action, focusing on eliminating one of them first—then the other will be much easier to deal with. But this is truly strange! They were originally randomly assigned to different sects and sent to various locations. Yet somehow, they've managed to gather and be transported to the same place. What a miracle!" Han Li thought bitterly, deeply questioning and resentful of their remarkable fortune. Han Li didn't know that the man from Tian Que Pavilion was equally delighted, thinking deeply about this very event. This man, upon seeing the man with a beard approaching Han Li, immediately found his thoughts stirred, recalling the key factor that had enabled him and his friend to come together—the "Fusing Spirit Seal." The High-Level Spirit-Weaving Scroll is truly useful—just as one steps into the sacred precinct, if both the user and their companion activate the scroll simultaneously, their spiritual energies are temporarily linked, allowing them to be transported to the same location despite the restriction. Though it's said the success rate is only around fifty-fifty, and the price is remarkably high, far exceeding even ordinary high-level scrolls, they managed to succeed and have now concealed themselves here, jointly eliminating several disciples from various sects passing through, securing a substantial harvest! Then, once the timing was right, he would retreat to a safe spot and hide there, staying until the appointed time—only then could he emerge safely! What a perfectly flawless plan—something only he himself could have conceived! As Tian Que Castle's man envisioned his bright prospects beyond, he became increasingly self-absorbed, his mind no longer focused on the great battle looming ahead. At that moment, the man with a beard removed one of his green leather pouches and approached Han Li with a grim smile, clearly preparing to strike. Yet, perhaps inspired by a reminder from his friend, he cast a scroll halfway through, activating a glowing green shield that strengthened his defenses. Seeing this, Han Li furrowed his brow, feeling a growing sense of frustration. He had originally been wary of the strategies of Ling Shu Mountain and had intended to exploit this man's momentary lapse to eliminate him first. But now, with this enhanced defensive spell in place, it would no longer be something he could achieve in the near future. Of course, if the "Heavenly Thunder Son" were summoned, no matter how many means the person possessed, they would be useless—yet that would be a one-time expenditure, and Han Li would never summon it unless it came to a matter of life and death or a decisive moment. Since this option failed, Han Li naturally turned his attention to the disciples of Tian Que Pavilion on the other side. Seeing that the man was standing with his hands behind his back, gazing upward at the sky, deep in thought, completely oblivious to what was unfolding here, Han Li felt a surge of delight—knowing he had a favorable opportunity. Without hesitation, he suddenly cast the "Soil Prison Technique" scroll he was holding directly at the man with the beard. As a result, the scroll transformed into a beam of yellow light, striking the man and forming a larger yellow aura beyond his defensive green shield, thus firmly trapping him in place, completely immobilizing him.