"Hmph! As a senior, you don't have to treat us so humbly. Go on, show us your strength!" The second of the Mengshan Five, a tall and slender man, suddenly exclaimed loudly at Han Li. This surprised the other three instantly, for in their minds, this second brother was always deliberate and cautious—never so impetuous! The thirty-something young man who had felt a familiar sense of recognition regarding Han Li suddenly recalled something, then burst into surprise and anger, shouting at the tall figure: "Brother Er, what are you trying to do? Are you deliberately trying to provoke this senior so that, in his anger, he'll kill us all?" As soon as these words left his mouth, even Han Li himself was momentarily taken aback, unsure of why the young man had said this. The second brother, however, instantly turned pale, saying nothing in defense. "Brother Si, are you mad? How could Brother Er, who's been so composed, suddenly want us all to die?" The young woman, hearing this, grew slightly annoyed and stepped forward to defend the slender, tall man. Then she turned back, intending to speak to the bearded elder, only to find his face dark and grim. Her heart skipped a beat, and she felt momentarily at a loss. "Old Second, isn't it because Third Sister is still in their hands that you'd like us all to die, so that only Third Sister might survive?" the bearded elder asked coldly. "Forgive me, Brother. You must know their methods—should Third Sister speak or reveal anything, she would endure relentless torment, suffering far worse than death. It would be far more painful for her to live through such agony than to pass away suddenly!" The tall elder finally flushed with embarrassment. The young woman, hearing this, grew pale, her lips moving slightly, yet nothing came out. "Hmph. Even though Third Sister is your consort, can you truly bear to sacrifice our three lives to save just one?" The middle-aged man, furious, thundered at the second brother. "Brother Two, though the fourth brother spoke rather sharply, he's not entirely without merit! Remember, when we five first pledged our brotherhood, we vowed to live and die together. Yet now, for your own personal reasons, you intend to deliberately see us all perish—how can that be justified?" The elder with a stern face spoke with evident disappointment. "Indeed, I do wish to see everyone perish. But what can I do? My third sister is now carrying my child—my own blood. I cannot allow the Li family line to come to an end. Otherwise, why would anyone willingly choose death over living? Who would want to die on their own?" The slender, tall man, flushed and pale in turn, clenched his fists and roared in response. This statement immediately caused both the elder and the man to pause, their expressions stunned—so much so that they momentarily found themselves at a loss for words. The woman, meanwhile, opened her mouth wide, her face filled with astonishment. "Have all of you finished?" "Then it's time for me to speak!" said Han Li, who had been quietly observing from the front all along, suddenly speaking with a cold, firm tone. The moment his words reached them, the three were startled and realized that the real person who had the power to decide their lives and deaths was actually this Foundation Stage cultivator standing before them. Immediately, all their indignation vanished, and they exchanged puzzled glances once again. "Whether you're truly trying to die or merely acting for show—I don't care! All I want to know is every detail about the person behind the scenes. Even if I must die, I want to be told everything first. Do you still think you have control over your own fate?" Han Li's tone was utterly cold and unyielding, causing the three men and one woman to visibly pale. "What you want to know—we don't have much to share. Moreover, they've placed a seal on us known as the 'Blood Curse,' which prevents us from revealing certain crucial details to outsiders. Otherwise, the seal will activate immediately, causing our hearts to rupture and us to die. The elder with the dark face gritted his teeth and finally spoke, clearly showing signs of yielding. "A blood curse? That's quite interesting—I'll have a closer look!" Han Li expressed keen interest, saying this with genuine enthusiasm. Upon hearing this, the elder's spirits lifted slightly. After a brief hesitation, he actively extended his arm, harboring a glimmer of hope. He indeed wished for Han Li to eliminate this long-standing threat, though he felt the chances were slim. The person who had originally cast the curse had been extremely confident, and since then, no cultivator had ever leaked any secrets after being afflicted by the blood curse. Those who had attempted to send messages or deliberately disclosed information had all perished on the spot. At that moment, Han Li seized the elder's wrist, and his spiritual energy began to flow smoothly through the elder's body. Han Li's expression became solemn and serious. The other three members of the Mengshan Five watched the two with intense focus, hoping that Han Li, the esteemed master, would indeed succeed in lifting the blood curse. After a cup of tea, Han Li set the elder's arm down and lowered his head, contemplating intently. After a moment, he raised his head, his expression unchanged, and asked the elder: "What was the修为 of the person who cast the spell? Did they recite any unusual incantations or utter any strange words?" As soon as Han Li posed this question, all four people on the opposite side expressed surprise, with a hint of delight mixed in. "Yes, they said some strange things we couldn't understand. They sounded like incantations, yet seemed to be in a dialect from some region—each of us is certain no one among us could grasp those words. The person who cast the spell was a cultivator at the Foundation Stage." The young man spoke excitedly before the elder could respond. "Moreover, after saying these words, they took a bowl of some dark, unknown blood and drew a peculiar symbol on each of our arms. No matter how we wash it, this strange substance won't come off. The elder quickly added, then revealed his entire arm, showing a strange, blackish symbol at the end. Han Li stepped forward and examined it carefully before nodding, then lowered his head again, thinking intently. Not long after, Han Li suddenly smiled mysteriously at them and said, "Now it makes sense! I believe I finally understand what this blood incantation is all about!" "Indeed?" the elder with the dark face said, his voice trembling, while the other three also looked utterly amazed. After all, this blood incantation had been like a sharp blade resting upon their necks, forcing them to obey the commands of others. If Han Li truly could eliminate this pressing concern, wouldn't they then regain their freedom and no longer be at the mercy of others? In fact, this so-called blood incantation is merely a verbal incantation! The very restrictions affecting you are entirely based on those peculiar chants. "It has nothing to do with that black blood or the symbols drawn on his arms—he's just pretending to be mystical!" Han Li explained calmly, as if he were certain of his words. Yet inside, he was quietly relieved by his good fortune. The spoken incantation technique had only been mentioned in a rare, obscure book he had come across while researching the Great Translocation Mandate that day—otherwise, he would have had absolutely no idea what to do. One method is to simply memorize the incantation; once I hold it in my hands and channel my spiritual energy to recite it aloud to you, the curse will be safely lifted. The other method involves me using my spiritual awareness to penetrate into your collective consciousness and forcibly erase the trace of the incantation. However, this approach requires the caster of the removal spell to possess a significantly greater spiritual awareness than the one who originally cast the curse—only then can the imprint be completely wiped out in one go. Yet, should this method fail, the curse will immediately be triggered, and the consequences will be severe—something you all should be well aware of," Han Li said, frowning and speaking with some irritation. "Really? It will immediately activate!" the young woman exclaimed, her voice rising in surprise. Back when the blood curse first manifested, the person who originally cast it had personally demonstrated its effects using a living human being, showing them all the gruesome scene firsthand. The recipient had been seen spitting out several shattered heart pieces, a sight that left a lasting impression on all of them. Now, with such vivid memories, they were deeply afraid of the blood curse and treated it with great apprehension. The other three members also looked visibly uneasy— Han Li glanced at the several of them, sneered, and was about to speak when the tall, slender second brother suddenly raised his head and said: "Master, please go ahead and forcibly lift the curse—there's no need to hesitate. All of us have been subjected to the same blood curse. If I am able to lift it, then surely the others can as well!" Actually, during holidays and festive periods, with our parents, our girlfriend, and some close friends, we always have a series of engagements—so we often have to postpone our updates or manage to post just one chapter. When we first promised our readers, we aimed to consistently update, striving for around 6,000 words per day. So, we can't really claim any delays or lapses. As long as we have time, we always sit at our computers, writing day after day—though our pace may be slow, sometimes taking several hours to produce just two chapters. We sincerely hope you can understand this! Going forward, we will strive to post two chapters per day. Should we manage only one chapter on any given day, we kindly ask for your understanding and patience!