Han Li only paused slightly near the valley entrance. With calm composure, he waited a short while, politely declining several groups who had recognized him as a high-level physical cultivator and had rushed to invite him, before drifting gracefully into the valley. This valley was merely one of several entry points for the human settlement of the Sunset Tomb. The rest of the areas had been artificially sealed off by cultivators using various extraordinary arrays. Naturally, some cultivators from the Sunset City were stationed near this single entrance, monitoring the situation closely to guard against any unforeseen incidents. Though these cultivators remained concealed in the shadows, it was said that even the lowest-ranked among them had achieved the Jiedan stage, with one cultivator at the Huashen stage stationed on duty. As Han Li advanced slowly through the valley, he quietly pondered the intelligence he had gathered from various sources over the past few days regarding the Sunset Tomb. At this moment, beneath his dark green robe, he wore a plain, unremarkable battle armor, and carried a long spear with its front end wrapped in cloth. The spear shaft was dark and substantial, but at its tip, several jade-like stones embedded in the stone glowed softly. The spear itself appeared in a pale silver hue, its material still indistinct. Several coils of the earth-jade sinew were tightly wound around his wrist, completely concealed by his sleeve. Naturally, the most crucial asset that enabled him to venture into the Sunset Tomb—the very reason he dared to take such a risk—was the pair of Immortal Immortality Jewels stored in his storage bracelet. With these two treasures, as long as he didn't encounter something of Lingxu stage or above, he would be safe. The valley grew wider and wider, and after traveling over a hundred miles, even the final faint trail vanished entirely. Standing still, Han Li surveyed the surroundings and sighed lightly. Without the ability to extend his spiritual awareness, things became quite inconvenient. Unable to assess the situation at a distance, he simply chose a direction at random and began to proceed. In the beginning days, aside from a few occasional small animals and some snakes and insects, no unusual occurrences took place, nor did any immortal beasts or people appear. After all, given the vastness of this region, such a circumstance was by no means surprising. However, five days later, before Han Li, an endless expanse of primeval forest unfolded—trees towering thirty to forty zhang high, with broad, lush foliage creating a deep, cool, and shaded atmosphere. From within, low, resonant roars of beasts occasionally echoed faintly. Han Li narrowed his eyes and observed for a moment, then suddenly lifted his leg and stepped into the forest. After a few sways, his form vanished behind the towering trees. With Han Li's current strength, even when employing the Luo Yan Step he had mastered during his human life training, he moved with the grace of a ghost through the dense undergrowth and tangled shrubs, as if becoming an intangible entity, flowing effortlessly through the forest. Should any other cultivator or physical-energizing practitioner witness this scene, they would surely hesitate to encounter or disturb Han Li in this area. Suddenly, as Han Li was advancing, a flash of silver surged forth, forming a silver thread that spiraled around a massive tree several zhang in girth before returning swiftly. A piercing roar erupted from behind the tree, followed by a gust of blood-charged wind. Out stepped a yellow giant bear, standing two zhang tall, with a single horn on its head, charging directly toward Han Li with fierce intensity. Yet Han Li barely wavered, his body shifting only slightly, and he moved several zhang away without a single pause, as if the bear had not existed at all. With a loud "thud," the bear had only advanced a few steps before its body burst into a fountain of blood, splitting cleanly in two from waist to hip. Behind it, the great tree groaned and split down the middle, its upper half collapsing directly downward, completely covering the bear's body. Han Li's single move had simultaneously severed the tree and slain the bear. However, the silver thread formed from the earth-jade sinew remained remarkably sharp, only now revealing its full power. At that moment, Han Li had already vanished into the dense forest once more, his figure fading in the shimmering light. Thus, Han Li's campaign of slaughter at the Sunset Tomb truly began. Three months later, deep within the Mòshān Mountains, a series of thunderous sounds echoed through the valley—sharp cries and roars blending into a continuous din. But after a single, resounding "thunderous boom," silence returned once again. Where the commotion had originated, Han Li stood on a horizontal beam elevated some dozen feet above the ground, his hands behind his back, his expression calm and composed. Around him, the bodies of a group of young, green-colored monkeys lay scattered across the ground, totaling over twenty. These monkeys were robust and well-built, their fur thick and coarse, and each bore two long, several-inch fangs that gave their faces a fierce, grim appearance. Yet their bodies were either torn into several pieces or pierced through the chest and throat with multiple fatal wounds, their blood pooling and spreading across the ground. What struck the observer most profoundly was a colossal monkey妖, covered in crimson fur, with three heads—two large and one small—pierced through the heart by a long black spear, firmly driven into the tree trunk some fifteen zhang away. Blood streamed from its seven orifices, its body riddled with wounds, just moments before it expired. "Only now have we reached this spot, and already encountered a jie-dan stage beast. The Sunset Tomb truly lives up to its reputation!" Han Li studied the giant ape's body carefully, murmuring to himself. Then, he raised his hand and gestured into the air. Instantly, the jade ring on his finger flashed with a soft glow, causing the black spear to tremble against the trunk before detaching and shooting back into the air. The ape's body then fell from the tree. Han Li grasped the spear in one hand and, with a swift motion, stepped into the dense forest, becoming a translucent figure. For a moment, the scene fell once again into complete silence. After a while, a flash of emerald light rippled across the surface of a nearby great tree, and a cluster of jade-like brilliance emerged. Within the hazy, translucent glow, a small figure—no taller than a foot—was clearly visible. She wore a long green gown, her features delicate and refined, her figure graceful and well-proportioned, appearing to be a beauty shrunk down tenfold. Gazing intently toward the direction where Han Li had vanished, her brows furrowed in concern. "Tian Ying, why did you not intervene earlier? This man is merely a high-ranking human cultivator of the physical cultivation tier. With our combined efforts, we could have easily defeated him." The green-robed woman glanced at the elder and replied calmly. "This person is at most equivalent to a Yuan'ing stage cultivator. With us two spiritual generals stepping in, it's nothing short of a mere gesture. There's no need to worry about so many details. Our spiritual clan has long been at odds with the human and feline-phantom clans. It would be advantageous to weaken the human forces whenever possible, so we should seize the opportunity and act accordingly." The yellow-robed elder shook his head, disagreeing with the woman's view. "If this person were truly easy to defeat, I would have no hesitation in engaging him. But he seems rather unusual. We should avoid making a scene, lest we disrupt the larger plans." The green-clad woman remained silent for a while before finally sharing her thoughts. "Unusual? Tian Ying, what have you noticed?" The yellow-clad elder was momentarily startled and quickly asked. "Do you think this person is truly a physical cultivator?" The woman's gaze flickered, then asked. "What do you mean by that? He has just defeated a condensed spirit beast with a spiritual artifact, and yet shows no spiritual energy fluctuations—what else could he be, if not a physical "You should know that my true form is a wood cherry spirit, enabling me to perceive certain things that ordinary people cannot. This person possesses an exceptionally powerful consciousness—almost on par with, if not surpassing, ours. As far as I know, no human cultivator of the physical refinement stage could achieve such a level of consciousness. It would only be possible among human cultivators who have reached the stage of Divine Spirit cultivation." The woman spoke slowly. "A powerful consciousness! You mean to say this person is not a physical cultivator, but rather a Divine Spirit cultivator posing as one?" Huang Shi Gong's face revealed astonishment. "I haven't detected any spiritual energy at all in this person. That said, it's not entirely impossible. After all, many human cultivation techniques are on par with, or even surpass, our spiritual lineage's innate abilities. Even if such a secret technique exists, it wouldn't be unusual. Our mission is to pursue the rebels and reclaim the divine blood. I don't wish to take unnecessary risks that might jeopardize the greater objective." The woman said solemnly. "You're absolutely right. If it truly is a Huashen cultivator, we wouldn't have a solid chance of defeating them. Should they escape, we'd have wasted everything. Yet, how cunning the human race truly is! The high-ranking beings among the yin and yang clans will surely face serious trouble. They never imagined that a Huashen cultivator could feign the role of a Body-Refining cultivator—even peers of the same level would suffer a major setback if unprepared." The elder in yellow robes added with a touch of satisfaction. "By the way, should both Tie Li and Chi Mei have arrived as well? With such a major event unfolding, we should have dispatched representatives from the Wuxing Clan. I'm just wondering which of the Water Clan's spiritual generals has been sent." The green-robed woman suddenly recalled something and asked. "That's unclear. However, the Water Clan is the most enigmatic among the five Wuxing clans, and their divine blood holds the greatest significance for them. It's no surprise at all if we send any particular general." The elder chuckled. "That's true, though I did hear some news upon my arrival—seems the Spirit-Resonance Clan also wishes to send representatives to intervene in this matter." The woman spoke with a hint of hesitation. "The Spirit-Resonance Clan? They have the audacity to send envoys when their own rebel is of their own kind." Upon hearing this, Huang Shi Gong grew furious. "It's true that's what they say, but the Spirit-Resonance Clan seems to believe that precisely because of this, they are even more entitled to pursue and eliminate the rebel." The woman replied softly. "Hmph. All well and good—still, they're after our Five-Element Clan's share of divine blood." Huang Shi Gong snorted, his anger still evident. "Well, regardless of the matter, the Spirit-Resonance Clan's representatives are likely well-versed in the affairs of both human and immortal clans. This gives them a distinct advantage in pursuing the rebel. I suspect the rebel has already established connections with the human clans. The human side will probably send reinforcements to support him. Therefore, we must secure the rebel and reclaim the divine blood before they unite." "The green-dress woman spoke solemnly." (First chapter!)