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Before Han Li could even lament about Mo Juren's situation, he had to get busy with Su Ning, because the Wild Wolf Gang's sneak attack last night had caused heavy losses to the Seven Mysteries Sect.

If the Wild Wolf Gang hadn't been so hastily prepared, they might have been able to wipe out the Seven Mysteries Sect in one fell swoop.

As dawn broke, the Seven Mysteries Gate was in complete disarray.

Amidst the broken walls and ruins, the wounded disciples lay scattered about, their cries of agony rising and falling.

The air was filled with a pungent smell of blood and the bitter aroma of herbs.

Han Li squatted down beside a disciple whose chest had been pierced by a blade of energy, holding a silver needle between his fingers and carefully sealing his acupoints to stop the bleeding.

"Hold the wound and don't let him move around." Han Li's voice was low, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Senior Brother Han...am I going to die?" The disciple asked, his face pale and trembling.

Han Li did not answer, but took out a pale green pill from his pocket and put it into his mouth: "Swallow it, it will relieve the pain."

This is a "Qi-restoring pill" that he secretly made using the spiritual herbs he had accelerated with the Palm Heaven Bottle over the past few days. Although the method was particularly rough, the effect was several times stronger than ordinary wound medicine.

Not far away, Su Ning was directing Zhang Tie and his other disciples to move the wounded.

Zhang Tie's muscles were bulging all over his body, and he could lift a strong man with one hand. He moved steadily through the ruins.

His skin had regained its normal color and luster, but a faint metallic sheen could still be seen shimmering in the sunlight...

Those are remnants of the "Elephant Armor Technique".

"Senior Brother Su! The east wing has collapsed, and there are people trapped underneath!" a disciple rushed in to report.

Su Ning's eyes narrowed, and he moved like lightning, instantly arriving in front of the ruins.

He placed one palm on the collapsed beam, and his spiritual power surged within him, allowing him to lift the thousand-pound beam with his bare hands!
"Hurry up and save people!"

The disciples hurriedly dragged their fellow disciples out from underneath.

No one noticed that the moment Su Ning's palm touched the beam, a barely perceptible fluctuation of spiritual energy emanated from it...

If he hadn't deliberately controlled his strength, the beam would have been crushed into dust long ago.

Seeing the Seven Mysteries Sect disciples suffer casualties because of his schemes, Su Ning remained unusually calm.

Because this is what is known as the martial arts world. Once they choose to embark on this path, it means there is no turning back.

Of course, even if they live a mundane life in the mountain village, they will still have to endure human suffering, because this is the unchanging nature of the human world.

……

After working until evening, Han Li finally had a chance to catch his breath.

He leaned against an ancient tree, took out the Palm Heaven Bottle from his robes, and gently stroked the obscure and difficult-to-understand patterns on the bottle with his fingertips.

At this moment, Han Li was thinking that if he could refine a large number of pills, not only would his cultivation speed increase, but he could also save more fellow disciples...

Just as this thought crossed his mind, he heard footsteps behind him.

"Junior Brother Han." Su Ning had appeared behind him unnoticed, her gaze fixed on the small green bottle in his hand. "What's this?"

Han Li froze, instinctively wanting to hide the Heavenly Bottle, but then he thought again...

Now that Doctor Mo is dead, and Su Ning has saved him and Zhang Tie, there seems to be no need to hide it anymore.

Moreover, after spending time together, Han Li discovered that Su Ning was not a petty person who would steal what others desired.

“A… magical artifact that can accelerate the ripening of spiritual herbs,” Han Li answered cautiously, while observing Su Ning’s reaction.

Surprisingly, Su Ning simply nodded slightly, showing no sign of greed: "Good stuff, keep it safe. Never show it to anyone again."

Han Li was stunned: "Senior brother, you're not interested?"

Su Ning smiled and said, "Everyone has their own opportunities! I believe my opportunities are no worse than yours."

After saying that, he looked at Zhang Tie, who was busy in the distance, and said, "Besides that, I am more concerned about what will happen to the Seven Mysteries Sect next."

Han Li followed his gaze.

At the mountain gate, several elders were arguing fiercely, and words such as "Wild Wolf Gang," "retaliation," and "withdrawal" could be faintly heard.

"Junior Brother Han, do you think the Seven Mysteries Sect can hold out?" Su Ning suddenly asked.

Han Li remained silent for a moment, then shook his head: "If the Wild Wolf Gang hadn't been unprepared last night, the Seven Mysteries Sect might have already been wiped out."

“Therefore, we should make plans as soon as possible.” Su Ning’s voice was soft, but it sent a jolt through Han Li.

Han Li never expected that Su Ning had already prepared to leave.

"Senior brother, where do you want to go?"

“The ‘Changchun Gong Fragment’ that Mo Juren made us cultivate is a cultivation technique for immortality, so we need a real cultivation world.”

"The true world of cultivation?"

"Yes! It's a world where we can travel the world and live forever."

"..."

……

Meanwhile, in Jiayuan City, Jingzhou.

The Mo family mansion still had its vermilion gates and high walls, with maids and servants coming and going in droves.

As Madam Yan was sitting in the hall enjoying tea, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest, and her teacup shattered on the ground with a "crack".

"Madam?" A maidservant rushed forward in a panic.

Madam Yan pressed her hand to her chest, her face pale: "I don't know why, but my heart is suddenly pounding..."

"Madam, should I call a doctor for you?"

"No need! Gather all the forces of our Mo family. From now on, we must be outwardly relaxed but inwardly vigilant. I sense that something big is about to happen in Jiayuan City."

"Yes! Madam."

Little did she know that this was the moment when Mo Juren would die.

Thinking something big was about to happen, this strong woman took precautions.

But the course of fate has already changed...

Without Han Li's intervention, the Mo family would neither decline due to the internal strife of the "Jingjiao Society" nor suffer bloodshed due to the Yan family's revenge.

After all, the world can function normally even without anyone, and the Yan family's methods don't necessarily mean their family will be destroyed.

Perhaps, this is the best outcome for them, mother and daughter.

After all, Mo Caihuan no longer needs to fantasize about mortals cultivating immortality; perhaps she will find an ordinary man to spend her short life with.

……

Three days later, the Seven Mysteries Sect's leadership finally made a decision...

They abandoned the mountain gate and dispersed into hiding.

“The three of us should go too,” Su Ning said to Han Li and Zhang Tie.

Zhang Tie scratched his head: "Senior Brother Su, where are we going?"

“Naturally, that is the true world of cultivation.” Su Ning’s gaze was distant. “The Seven Mysteries Sect is just a tiny place. The true world… is much further away.”

Han Li gripped the Heavenly Bottle hidden in his sleeve and suddenly spoke, "Senior Brother Su, could you take me with you?"

Su Ning laughed: "Of course! Although there are too many calculations and conspiracies in the master-disciple relationship, the feelings between us brothers are genuine."

"Senior brother, thank you."

No one knows how this decision will change their fate, or how it will stir up a storm in the entire cultivation world...

……

Inside the Seven Mysteries Sect's medicine hall, the heavy smell of medicine mingled with the stench of blood. Li Feiyu lay on a simple bamboo couch, his handsome face contorted with pain.

The wound on his right shoulder, pierced by a poisoned arrow, had turned black, and purple poisonous veins spread towards his heart like a spider web.

"Make way! Make way, all of you!" Zhang Tie's rough voice rang out from outside the door. He pushed aside the disciples who were watching like a wall, clearing a path for Su Ning and Han Li behind him.

Li Feiyu's unfocused gaze suddenly sharpened.

These three disciples, whom he usually disregarded, had now become his last glimmer of hope.

"Bone-corroding poison?" Su Ning hovered his fingertip three inches above the wound, and a wisp of azure spiritual energy probed in like a thread. "The poison has invaded the heart meridian."

The surrounding disciples gasped in shock.

Li Feiyu gave a bitter laugh: "It seems that I, Li Feiyu, am going to..."

"Shut up." Han Li suddenly interrupted coldly, taking out three silver needles from his robes. "If you want to live, don't speak."

The needle tip flashed with a ghostly blue light and precisely pierced Li Feiyu's three acupoints: Tiantu, Tanzhong, and Qihai.

Li Feiyu trembled violently, letting out a beast-like whimper.

"Hold him down." Su Ning formed a hand seal, and a swirling blue vortex appeared in his palm, which he slowly pressed against the wound.

Zhang Tie immediately stepped forward and used his large, fan-like hand to firmly press down on Li Feiyu's struggling body.

Zhang Tieke, who had mastered the "Elephant Armor Technique," was a body-refining fanatic, making it very easy for him to deal with Li Feiyu, who was already severely injured.

"Ah—!" As the vortex entered his body, Li Feiyu let out a scream that was not human, and foul-smelling black blood gushed from his wound.

Su Ning's medical skills are naturally very superb, and it would not be difficult for him to cure Li Feiyu.

Moreover, Su Ning had a strange idea: since Han Li often killed and set fires to Li Feiyu, it would be very exciting if Li Feiyu also went to venture into the world of cultivation.

Three days later, at dawn, Li Feiyu found Han Li washing medicine by the stream.

"Here you go." He tossed over a jade bottle. "The 'Marrow Extraction Pill' made by the Seven Mysteries Sect can stimulate potential, but it will deplete your lifespan."

Han Li caught the medicine bottle, his brows furrowing slightly: "Why are you telling me this?"

The stream gurgled as Li Feiyu unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a strange blue pattern on his chest: "I have been taking it for three years, and now the poison has seeped into my bone marrow."

He looked directly into Han Li's eyes, "That day you were able to cure the bone-corroding poison, perhaps..."

Han Li's fingers, which were gripping the medicine bottle, turned slightly white.

On a distant hillside, Su Ning, who was instructing Zhang Tie on his training, seemed to sense something and glanced in their direction.

Why are you resorting to such short-sighted tactics?

"I am a prodigy! At the very least, I must pretend to be one."

"But your genius is just a flash in the pan."

"Haha, isn't the epiphyllum a famous flower? It's much more dazzling than those roadside weeds."

"..." Han Li never expected Li Feiyu's thinking to be so extreme, but in the end he nodded and agreed, "I need time to study it."

At the same time, he thought to himself that perhaps the spiritual herbs that the Heavenly Bottle had accelerated could neutralize the poison...

Li Feiyu suddenly knelt on one knee: "Han Li, if you can cure this poison, my life, Li Feiyu's life, is yours!"

"Li Feiyu, you're exaggerating! We entered the Seven Mysteries Sect at the same time, so naturally we need to help and support each other as much as possible."

"..."

At this moment, Li Feiyu was undoubtedly very moved. He used to consider himself a prodigy of the Seven Mysteries Sect, but he didn't have much contact with Su Ning, Han Li, and Zhang Tie.

However, to his utter surprise, he now hopes to be named and have Han Li save his life. This sudden and complex situation makes Li Feiyu feel somewhat ashamed.

……

Under the clear moonlight, four figures sat around a campfire in the abandoned training ground.

"So you really want to leave?" Li Feiyu turned the wooden stick used to roast the wild rabbit, the firelight dancing on his angular face.

Through this period of deliberate networking, Li Feiyu has gained a general understanding of the plans of the four members of Su Ning.

In fact, the entire Seven Mysteries Sect is in a state of panic right now, and very few disciples truly want to stay.

Zhang Tie wolfed down the rabbit leg, mumbling, "Senior Brother Su said there are even more powerful martial arts and a wider world outside!"

"To be precise, it's cultivation techniques and the cultivation world," Han Li corrected, his gaze occasionally glancing at the bulging cloth bag at Li Feiyu's waist.

There they found the Seven Mysteries Sect map and tokens they needed for their trip.

Su Ning gently stroked a fragment of bronze beside him: "If Senior Brother Li is willing to come along..."

“Alright! I’ll join.” Li Feiyu said decisively, “Anyway, the Seven Mysteries Sect is now practically defunct.”

He suddenly lowered his voice, "But before we leave, we can go to the library and get some 'souvenirs'."

Han Li's pupils contracted slightly.

This is clearly an attempt to steal the sect's secret manual!
But when he looked at Su Ning, he noticed a faint smile playing on the corners of the other's lips.

Only then did Han Li realize that Su Ning had also harbored this intention all along...

In fact, all cultivators below the Foundation Establishment stage are mortals, and these martial arts techniques are still very useful. Close combat is always a way to strengthen the body.

……

At dawn, the guards at the Seven Mysteries Sect's Scripture Pavilion are at their most lax.

Li Feiyu leaped onto the roof like a nimble cat, a thin thread flying out from his sleeve and precisely wrapping around the window frame on the third floor.

“Follow me.” He gestured.

Han Li followed closely behind, the Heavenly Bottle in his arms slightly warm.

Zhang Tie stayed on the perimeter to keep watch, his extraordinary hearing allowing him to detect footsteps within a hundred feet.

However, the most surprising thing was Suning...

He seemed to be able to foresee all the traps and mechanisms, and could always signal everyone to avoid them before they were triggered, which showed how powerful his divine sense was.

"We've arrived." Li Feiyu pried open the iron door to the innermost room, where the Seven Mysteries Sect's signature martial arts techniques were neatly arranged: the Seven Absolute Sword Manual, the Illusionary Yin Finger, the Heavenly Gang Step...

Han Li was suddenly drawn to a dusty iron box in the corner.

When he touched the box, the Heavenly Bottle suddenly trembled violently!

"Quick, let's go!" Su Ning turned around abruptly. "Someone's coming!"

Just as the four of them jumped out of the window, a piercing alarm sounded in the library.

As Li Feiyu ran, he looked back and saw the Grand Elder's furious figure appear at the window.

"Interesting." He licked his lips. "There's no going back now."

On the mountain path shrouded in morning mist, the four of them stopped and looked back in the direction of the Seven Mysteries Gate.

"Senior Brother Su, where to next?" Zhang Tie asked, carrying a huge bag on his back.

Su Ning unfolded the map he had taken from the Scripture Pavilion and pointed northeast: "Tai Nan Valley! The Ascension Ceremony held there once every ten years is our opportunity to step into the world of cultivation."

"Cough cough cough..." Li Feiyu suddenly coughed violently, black blood seeping from between his fingers.

Han Li silently handed over a porcelain bottle: "This is a newly prepared medicine that can temporarily suppress the toxicity."

As the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds, the figures of the four young people gradually disappeared at the end of the winding mountain road.

No one could have imagined the kind of waves this strange, hastily assembled team would stir up in the future...

...(End of chapter)