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Inside the bamboo house atop Qingluan Peak, a dim lamp burned, illuminating three faces with distinct expressions.

The night wind blew through the gaps in the bamboo window, causing the lamplight to flicker and cast distorted shadows on the wall.

Han Li pushed a cup of spiritual tea to the table. The tea was emerald green and emitted a faint fragrance.

"Senior Brother Su, Senior Brother Li, I received definite news from Uncle Ma today." His voice was extremely low, as if afraid of being overheard by invisible ears outside the window. "If you want to obtain the materials for Foundation Establishment Pills, the only way is to participate in the Blood Forbidden Land Trial, which is held once every sixty years."

"The Crimson Forbidden Land?" Li Feiyu raised an eyebrow, his fingers unconsciously tapping the hilt of his sword at his waist, producing a crisp metallic sound.

"It is said that this place is an ancient battlefield, filled with murderous aura, and that only one in ten cultivators who enters survives."

Su Ning gently stroked the rim of his teacup, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes: "Junior Brother Han, this matter is no small thing. Have you inquired about it thoroughly?"

"I have already verified this with Senior Brother Xiang Zhili, who participated in the last trial." Han Li took out a yellowed animal hide map from his pocket and carefully laid it on the table.

The map is stained with blood, and some areas are even corroded with holes, clearly showing the ravages of time.

"This is a topographical map drawn by Senior Brother Xiang himself."

The three of them bent down to look at each other without prior arrangement.

In the center of the map, a heart-shaped area is marked with cinnabar, surrounded by densely written annotations, and in some places, skull symbols are drawn.

“Blood Spirit Valley…” Li Feiyu’s fingertip hovered above the red area, without actually touching it. “It is the main production area of ​​Jade Marrow Mushroom and Heavenly Spirit Fruit, and also the place where the disciples of the Seven Great Sects fought the most fiercely.”

Han Li nodded: "Tell Senior Brother that of the twenty-three people who entered Blood Spirit Valley during the last trial, only two came out alive."

The room fell silent for a moment, with only the crackling sound of the burning lamp wick clearly audible.

Outside the window, an owl let out a mournful cry, as if foreshadowing something ominous.

“Junior Brother Han,” Su Ning suddenly spoke, his voice calm and steady like a still well, “Have you thought this through? With our pseudo-spiritual root aptitude, even if we struggle in the outer sect, we can at most get a steward position, and we'll never even glimpse the Foundation Establishment stage in our entire lives. But this Crimson Forbidden Land…”

He paused, then added, "It might be a dead end."

Han Li did not answer immediately.

He got up and walked to the window, looking at the bright moon in the distance, which was half-hidden by dark clouds.

The scene of my first visit to Yellow Maple Valley three years ago is still vivid in my mind...

The disdainful looks from the inner disciples, the sullen face of the senior brother in charge when he withheld pills, and the confusion and resentment about the path of cultivation in the dead of night.

“Senior Brother Su.” Han Li turned around, his eyes flashing with unprecedented determination. “Do you still remember the oath we took when we entered the sect? ‘I would rather fight to the death on the path of immortality than seek immortality in the mortal world.’ I must go to this trial.”

Li Feiyu suddenly slammed his hand on the table and stood up, the long sword at his waist ringing out: "Well said! Cultivating immortality is about defying the heavens. What kind of cultivator is one who cowers in fear? I, Li Feiyu, will accompany you on this journey!"

"Moreover, we both have pseudo-spiritual roots, and one or two Foundation Establishment Pills may not be enough to establish our foundation." Han Li then looked at Su Ning in front of him and added.

Su Ning looked at his two junior brothers, then chuckled and took out three copper coins from his sleeve, tossing them onto the table.

The copper coins spun around and eventually all landed face up, a lucky omen.

"Since it is fate, the three of us brothers will venture into this den of dragons and tigers."

A hint of emotion flashed in Han Li's eyes.

He knew that Suning was always cautious, and that making this decision was no easy feat.

The three exchanged a smile, raised their cups and drank together. The bitterness of the spiritual tea spread on their tongues, but it could not conceal the passion burning in their hearts.

"The market will open in three days." Han Li put away the map and lowered his voice. "We need to prepare enough magical artifacts and talismans. Especially life-saving items, we must buy them no matter how high the price."

Li Feiyu stroked his chin: "I know a few senior brothers from the Forging Pavilion. Maybe I can get some good stuff."

“I’ll be in charge of gathering intelligence.” Su Ning tapped the table lightly with his fingertip. “The list of disciples from the seven major sects participating in the trial, their preferred techniques, and their commonly used magical artifacts—the more detailed the better.”

The three discussed for a long time until dawn before they dispersed.

Han Li stood in the morning light, watching the departing figures of his two senior brothers, and subconsciously touched the mysterious little bottle at his waist.

He has never told this secret to anyone, not even his closest fellow students.

"The Crimson Forbidden Land..." Han Li murmured to himself, a complex look flashing in his eyes.

……

Three days later, in Huangfeng Valley Market.

Han Li wore a gray bamboo hat and coarse linen clothes, completely concealing his face.

He moved casually among the crowds, seemingly nonchalant, but in reality, he was secretly using his Mingqing Spiritual Eyes to carefully examine the spiritual energy fluctuations of each magical artifact.

"Fellow Daoist, take a look at this set of Xuan Yin Needles? They are specially designed to break through protective spiritual light, making them virtually invincible to those below the Foundation Establishment stage!" A vendor with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face stopped Han Li and mysteriously took out a brocade box from his robes.

Han Li stopped, his gaze sweeping over the seven thin needles in the box that gleamed with a cold, eerie blue light.

In the vision of the Ming and Qing spiritual eyes, the spiritual energy flowing within two of the needles was noticeably sluggish, indicating that they were damaged internally.

"Fifty spirit stones," Han Li stated his bottom line.

The stall owner's expression changed: "Fellow Daoist, you jest. This is..."

"The second and fifth from the right have hidden damage," Han Li interrupted. "If too much spiritual power is poured into them when using them, they might explode on the spot and injure their owners."

The stall owner was shocked upon hearing this. He hurriedly looked around and, after confirming that no one was paying attention, lowered his voice and said, "Fellow Daoist has good eyesight... Sixty spirit stones, consider it making friends."

Han Li shook his head, making a move to leave.

"Fifty-five! That's the lowest price!" The stall owner hurriedly grabbed Han Li's sleeve. "To be honest, I got this set of needles from a seriously injured cultivator... cough cough, anyway, the price can't be any lower."

In the end, Han Li made the deal for fifty spirit stones plus a bottle of low-grade healing pills.

He had just put the Xuan Yin Needle into his storage bag when he suddenly sensed a sharp sword aura coming from not far away.

Following his senses, Han Li saw Li Feiyu standing in front of a weapon stall, holding a long, crimson sword and examining it closely.

The sword's patterns flowed like flames, and with a slight flick of Li Feiyu's wrist, sparks drifted down.

"The Crimson Flame Sword, with its explosive fire effect, can injure even a Foundation Establishment cultivator with a single strike!" The stall owner, a burly man with a face full of scars, spoke in a booming voice, "Two hundred spirit stones, fair and square!"

Li Feiyu sneered and suddenly flicked his fingers against the sword.

Amidst the crisp sound of the sword, he keenly detected a barely audible noise.

"The sword core Fire Spirit Jade already has three cracks. It will be unusable after three more uses at most." Li Feiyu tossed the sword back onto the stall. "One hundred spirit stones, not a penny more."

The burly man's face instantly turned red: "Bullshit! My sword..."

"I am Li Feiyu from the Mountain Patrol Hall," Li Feiyu interrupted coldly. "Should I ask my master to come and appraise me?"

The burly man's momentum immediately deflated, and he muttered resentfully, "One hundred and twenty... at least let me break even..."

The final transaction was completed for one hundred spirit stones.

When Li Feiyu turned around, he saw Han Li. The two nodded to each other in tacit agreement, and then went their separate ways to continue their respective shopping.

Han Li traversed most of the market town and arrived at a small talisman shop.

The shop was dimly lit, with only a few ordinary talismans scattered on the shelves, indicating that business was rather slow. "What do you need, fellow Daoist? Our talismans are reasonably priced..." The shop owner was a hunched old man who coughed incessantly as he spoke.

Han Li looked around to make sure no one was following him, then whispered, "I heard your shop has a teleportation talisman?"

A glint of light flashed in the old man's cloudy eyes, before he regained his composure: "Fellow Daoist, you jest. Such a life-saving item..."

"Two Qingyuan Pills." Han Li took out a jade box and placed it on the counter. "Exchange them for three Earth Escape Talismans, plus ten Vajra Talismans."

The old man's hand trembled slightly as he opened the jade box.

The two emerald green pills in the box exuded a rich vitality, with faint cloud patterns flowing on their surface, clearly indicating that they were of superior quality.

"This..." The old man swallowed hard. "Fellow Daoist, please wait a moment."

He turned and went into the inner room, and a moment later he brought out a wooden box covered with talismans.

"Three Earth Escape Talismans, ten Vajra Talismans, and five Concealing Qi Talismans are just extras," the old man said in a low voice. "I only ask that if you need any more pills in the future, you give priority to my shop."

Han Li nodded in agreement and quickly completed the transaction.

After leaving the talisman shop, he did not immediately meet up with his two senior brothers, but instead headed towards the most magnificent building in the center of the market—Wanbaolou.

Wanbaolou is a three-story building with upturned eaves and corners, and two lifelike stone kylin statues stand in front of the entrance.

As soon as Han Li stepped through the gate, a beautiful female cultivator came forward to greet him.

"What does this fellow Daoist need? Our establishment has all kinds of magical artifacts, talismans, and pills." The female cultivator's voice was sweet, but her gaze swept over Han Li's simple clothes, revealing a hint of disdain.

Han Li didn't take it seriously and said directly, "I want to see top-tier offensive and defensive magic weapons."

The female cultivator was taken aback, then forced a smile and said, "Top-tier magical artifacts are very expensive, at least..."

Han Li took out a storage bag from his waist, gave it a gentle shake, and the sound of spirit stones colliding inside was crisp and pleasant.

The female cultivator's expression changed instantly, and her attitude immediately became respectful.

"Fellow Daoist, please follow me to the private room on the second floor."

Inside the private room, Han Li saw Wanbaolou's prized possession—the Golden Cicada Mother-Child Blade.

This set of magical artifacts consists of nine flying blades, one large and eight small. They are golden in color and emit a buzzing sound when suspended in the air, as if they were alive.

"The Golden Cicada Mother-Child Blade: the mother blade is the main attacker, while the child blade waits for the opportune moment. Few below the Foundation Establishment stage can rival it," the cunning shopkeeper enthusiastically introduced. "It only costs three hundred spirit stones."

Han Li activated his Ming and Qing spiritual eyes and discovered that this set of magical artifacts was indeed of superior quality, with spiritual energy flowing smoothly.

He then examined the Giant Sword, the Xuan Tie Flying Shield, and other items, but his gaze was finally drawn to a silver bead the size of a longan.

"This is……"

"Heavenly Thunder Seal!" The shopkeeper's expression turned grave. "It contains a sealed Heavenly Thunder power, capable of severely injuring a Foundation Establishment cultivator if caught off guard. However, the price..."

"How many?"

"Five hundred spirit stones, no bargaining."

Han Li pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Do you have any talismanic treasures?"

The shopkeeper's pupils contracted slightly as he cautiously surveyed his surroundings before taking out a golden jade slip from his robes: "Golden Brick Talisman. Once activated, it transforms into a ten-foot-long golden brick to suppress enemies, its power comparable to a full-force attack from a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator. However, its uses are limited..."

After some haggling, Han Li acquired the Golden Cicada Mother-Child Blade, the Giant Sword, the Xuan Iron Flying Shield, the Heavenly Thunder Child, and the Golden Brick Talisman for the exorbitant price of 1,200 spirit stones.

When it came time to pay, he hesitated for a moment, then bought an additional top-tier magical artifact, the Minghong Blade, and a Chaoyang Sword.

"These two items are gifts for friends," Han Li explained simply.

Just as he was about to leave, a commotion suddenly broke out on the stairs.

Han Li turned his head and saw a female cultivator dressed in white slowly walking upstairs surrounded by a crowd.

The female cultivator wore a light veil, revealing only a pair of eyes as bright as stars, and exuded a chilling aura that kept strangers at bay.

Their eyes met briefly in the air, and Han Li felt a strange tremor in his heart, as if something was gently stirring deep within his soul.

The female cultivator paused slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes.

"That's Fairy Nangong from the Hidden Moon Sect," the shopkeeper whispered a reminder. "She's said to be at the Core Formation stage. Fellow Daoist, you'd better..."

Han Li withdrew his gaze, lowered his straw hat, and hurriedly left.

The strange palpitation only gradually subsided after I had walked quite a distance.

As evening fell, the three met in the agreed-upon private room of the teahouse.

Han Li laid out the purchased items one by one, and finally took out the Minghong Blade and the Chaoyang Sword and handed them to Su Ning and Li Feiyu respectively.

“This…” Li Feiyu grasped the Chaoyang Sword and felt the surging fire spirit power emanating from the sword, which was several times purer than the one he bought at the stall.

Su Ning gently stroked the exquisite cloud patterns on the Minghong Blade, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Junior Brother Han, this is too precious."

At the same time, Su Ning also realized that the future Han Laomo had lowered his guard and at least trusted him, Li Feiyu, and Zhang Tie.

"The Crimson Forbidden Land is extremely dangerous. The better our two senior brothers are, the greater our chances of survival will be."

Han Li said sincerely, "Besides, if it weren't for my senior brothers' help all these years, I'm afraid I would have already..."

"Alright! Alright." Li Feiyu interrupted with a loud laugh, "We're all brothers, why are you saying such formal things? Come on, let's see what good stuff Senior Brother Su has gotten his hands on."

Su Ning took out a jade slip from his robes, his expression solemn: "This is the information I've collected over the past three years on elite disciples from various sects. It includes the illusionary weaknesses of Fairy Ni Chang from the Hidden Moon Sect, the lower body flaws of Han Tianya from the Blade Transformation Pavilion, and the natal spirit beast habits of that 'Beast Taming Prince' from Spirit Beast Mountain..."

Han Li probed the jade slip with his divine sense, and the more he read, the more alarmed he became.

The intelligence was so detailed that it even recorded the personal grudges and peculiar habits of some disciples.

One can imagine how much effort Suning has put into this.

"Oh, right." Han Li suddenly remembered something and set up a soundproof barrier. "Senior Brother Xiang also mentioned that there is an ancient cultivator's cave in the center of the forbidden area, which is said to contain the formula for the Golden Core Pill."

"The Golden Core?" Li Feiyu gasped. "That's..."

Su Ning raised his hand to stop him, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily: "Let's put this matter aside for now. Our primary objective is the Foundation Establishment Pill materials; everything else is secondary."

The three then discussed in detail their route, contingency plans, and communication methods, continuing until mid-month.

As Han Li left the teahouse, he glanced up and saw a crimson cloud on the horizon slowly drifting toward the Blood Forbidden Land, its color as striking as blood under the moonlight.

"The forbidden area will open in seven days." Su Ning followed his gaze, his voice low, "After this journey, I wonder if the three of us will still be able to..."

"We definitely will." Han Li interrupted him, his tone firm. "We made a promise that we would not only come out alive, but also build our foundations together and pursue the path to immortality together."

Li Feiyu laughed loudly: "Haha, well said! I'll treat you to the finest spirit wine then!"

The laughter of the three drifted away on the night wind, while the red cloud in the distance grew even more vivid, as if silently foreshadowing the coming bloodshed.

...(End of chapter)