A Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Wang Yu Transmigrates into a Book, the Dao Ancestor of Rein

Chapter 70 Wan'er, Don't Blame Your Brother Li for Being Unethical

All the way.

Li Huayuan did do something, too.

"Have you all received the Guiding Technique?"

The so-called "traction technique" is a marking spell cast on the group by several Foundation Establishment managers.

It allows the disciples of Huangfeng Valley to sense each other within the forbidden area.

That way, we can have someone to look after us.

The starting point is good.

"Put all the maps away..."

"Presumably, you all learned about the distribution of monsters within the forbidden area when you signed the registration agreement, right?"

Upon hearing this, all the Qi Refining stage cultivators nodded in agreement.

No one knows the exact number of demonic beasts roaming within the forbidden area. However, the information provided by the sect does specifically indicate which powerful demonic beasts reside in the numerous stone halls in the central area.

"The Crimson Forbidden Land is a treacherous place, teeming with demonic beasts. Areas marked with red dots on the map often harbor top-tier level 1 demonic beasts. Of course, top-tier demonic beasts guarding these areas will certainly possess more and better spiritual herbs. Proceed according to your own capabilities..."

Li Huayuan did not insist on this.

If more people survive, there will be more forbidden spiritual herbs.

"In the northeast corner of the map is Wulongtan (Black Dragon Pool), where you can find Hanyancao (Cold Smoke Grass)..."

"The northwest corner is..."

"The central area contains a ring-shaped mountain range, perpetually shrouded in mist. However, on the third day of the forbidden area trial, the Moonlit Pearl will dispel most of the mist and poisonous miasma within the hundred-mile-long ring-shaped mountain range. At that time, you may enter the ring-shaped mountain range to collect spiritual herbs. Within the ring-shaped mountain range, you can find the three main ingredients for refining the Foundation Establishment Pill..."

This is also the main area that everyone is targeting.

Sure enough, the mention of the three main ingredients of the Foundation Building Pill caused everyone's breathing to quicken.

Their gazes all sharpened considerably.

"In addition, it should be noted that flying on a sword is not prohibited within the forbidden area, but you must not fly too high. This is to avoid being targeted by the powerful flying beasts inside, and also to be careful not to collide with the wind-attribute restrictions in the high sky of the forbidden area."

"... "

Li Huayuan patiently explained all the precautions to everyone.

...

Following the path between the Yuanwu Kingdom and the Yue Kingdom, the silver-armored horned python flew for two days and two nights, finally arriving at an unnamed desolate mountain at dusk.

This place is located in the northeast of Jianzhou in the Yue Kingdom, and also in the northern part of the Yue Kingdom. The Bloodstained Forbidden Land is still some distance away from here.

The barren mountain is hundreds of feet high, with a vast Gobi Desert below it, which makes it quite conspicuous in this area.

The surrounding environment of the desolate mountain is extremely harsh. Choking sandstorms frequently sweep across the vast Gobi Desert, making it unbearable even for cultivators to linger, let alone mortals. This makes the area, spanning thousands of miles, virtually uninhabited.

Of course, the current situation here is not unrelated to the ancient demonic calamity.

After all, the pure spiritual energy that can suppress the boundless sea and the ten-thousand-foot demonic abyss is not something that comes easily.

"Rest here for the night. Tomorrow morning, we will head to the Crimson Forbidden Land together with the other six factions."

There was a gatekeeper speaking.

The group then learned from the stewards that this was the meeting place agreed upon by their Yellow Maple Valley and the other six sects of Yue Kingdom. Only when all seven sects had gathered would they set off together to open the forbidden area. It wasn't impossible for a single sect to open the forbidden area, but it would certainly incur the wrath of the others.

It is said that thousands of years ago, the righteous and demonic paths were constantly embroiled in internal strife. Over the millennia, this infighting was extremely severe, leading some major sects of both righteous and demonic factions to withdraw prematurely, such as the demonic sects Yu Ling Sect and He Huan Sect. This resulted in the various forces in the southern hinterland of Tiannan seizing the opportunity to divide it up, with the Yue Kingdom now falling under the control of the seven major sects.

Speaking of which, Yellow Maple Valley was once quite prosperous.

Thousands of years ago, a multi-elemental infant.

At its peak, about five or six hundred years ago, the family had four Nascent Soul cultivators.

They once joined forces with the Giant Sword Sect and several other sects to wipe out the Xuan Sword Sect, a major sect in the Yue Kingdom at the time, and established themselves in the chaotic Yue Kingdom. At that time, Patriarch Linghu was merely a Core Formation stage cultivator cheering from the rear…

Time passes.

The nearly nine-hundred-year-old Ancestor Linghu, through sheer perseverance, eventually became a Nascent Soul cultivator, the pillar of Huangfeng Valley. He was only one step away from the mid-Nascent Soul stage. In the turbulent hundred years to come, he would likely encounter another fortuitous opportunity, coincidentally advancing even further.

Unfortunately, the resources available in Tiannan to help one break through to the late Nascent Soul stage are far too scarce. Even an old tortoise like Linghu Chong will eventually turn into dust.

The decline of both the righteous and demonic paths, and their complete withdrawal from the heart of southern China, occurred approximately five hundred years ago.

However, although they withdrew from the public eye, they left behind countless hidden agents, such as the Spirit Beast Mountain and the Hidden Moon Sect at the time.

Around that time, a major sect from the small eastern kingdom of Jiang attempted to delay the arrival of the Seven Sects before they could enter the Crimson Forbidden Land. At that time, thousand-year-old spiritual herbs were frequently discovered within the Crimson Forbidden Land, attracting the envy of many high-level cultivators. The major sect from Jiang Kingdom was eager to snatch these treasures from the jaws of defeat.

result.

The Seven Factions are not the ones to suffer losses.

As soon as the forbidden area trial ended, they joined forces. A dozen Nascent Soul cultivators, along with a group of Core Formation cultivators and thousands of Foundation Establishment cultivators, stormed into the Jiang Kingdom, stormed the sect's gate, and forced them to hand over all the spiritual herbs they had harvested in the forbidden area and pay a large sum of spirit stones in compensation before they finally stopped.

Because of this incident, all the surrounding forces saw the unity of the seven factions, the "new masters of Yue," and that they were not the disorganized mob they had imagined. As a result, in the years that followed, no one dared to covet this land.

They were afraid of offending the Seven Factions.

"The Nascent Soul stage only lasts for a lifespan of a little over a thousand years."

Han Li sighed inwardly.

"Speaking of which, after the demonic path successfully invaded, how did the Ghost Spirit Sect, which occupied the Yue Kingdom, develop the Crimson Forbidden Land?"

At that time, the Ghost Spirit Sect only assigned Soul Shattering True Man to guard the Yue Kingdom.

The resources of the entire Yue Kingdom were transformed into the expansion funds for the Ghost Spirit Sect.

pity.

The time was ultimately too short.

Otherwise, the six demonic sects, including the Ghost Spirit Sect, which have divided up the southern hinterland, will only grow stronger.

There are definitely more than one family with five or six Nascent Soul stage cultivators.

...

Pulling himself back to reality, Han Li focused on reviewing the forbidden area strategy he had prepared beforehand.

Gathering information about the forbidden area in advance naturally requires some planning.

There are twelve guides in total.

It was planned according to the twelve o'clock position on the map.

When these disciples pass through the great formation and enter the forbidden area, they will be randomly teleported by another formation restriction.

Han Li wasn't sure if he would be coincidentally teleported to the same location as his original trajectory, but he had to make other plans.

This means to plan before you act.

"The best direction is undoubtedly due east or due south..."

Because the stone palace where the black dragon lies dormant is located in the southeast or northeast of the eastern region.

Furthermore, outside the crater, there is a city wall surrounding the central area. The city wall cannot be leaped over; one can only enter through the four city gates, and attempting to leap over it will result in being strangled by the wind-attribute restrictions on the wall.

In other words, the closest gate to that stone hall is the east gate.

The South Gate is the next best option.

The north gate will do.

The west gate is quite far.

By preparing follow-up strategies for different landing points in advance, he can act more effectively and potentially achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Just then, he heard footsteps beside him.

Han Li had specifically chosen this inconspicuous corner for peace and quiet. Unexpectedly, people still came this way.

Turning my head, I saw a plain-looking old man with a weathered face.

This person wasn't coming for him, but rather for a young cultivator not far away whose cultivation level was only at the eleventh level of Qi Refining:

"Junior brother, I've come to pay my respects. I wish to discuss the matter of our trip to the forbidden area with you. This matter concerns my life and death. Would you be so kind as to discuss it with me?"

Han Li glanced at the ordinary old man who was approaching the young cultivator, then calmly withdrew his gaze.

This guy is a big shot.

He is a Nascent Soul cultivator who came from the Great Jin Dynasty in search of the "Reverse Spirit Passage".

An ancient being who has lived for nearly two thousand years and is at the Nascent Soul stage.

It's best for him to avoid any contact with them for now, lest he be targeted and have his opportunities snatched away.

...

The night passed in the blink of an eye.

Originally, everyone thought they could set off for the forbidden area early in the morning, and they were quite looking forward to it. However, the nights in the Gobi Desert were anything but easy. One reason was the huge temperature difference between day and night, and another was that without any caves to shelter them, they could only endure the baptism of wind and sand.

They didn't want to waste any more time here.

It would be best to go to the forbidden area for the trial as soon as possible.

To their dismay, after waiting for another two hours, there was still no sign of the other six factions.

The Gobi Desert was scorching hot under the high-hanging sun, making it extremely uncomfortable. The worst part was that they didn't know how long they would have to wait. At this point, many disciples were becoming impatient.

Some disciples even harbored resentment towards Li Huayuan.

Even Han Li felt that Li Huayuan was somewhat unreliable:
"I don't know what this person was thinking, actually letting the sect's disciples arrive here a day early. Doesn't he understand that low-level disciples are very different from those in the Core Formation stage, and their energy and enthusiasm are very limited? After being wasted by various sects for several hours, the spirit that was previously stimulated by the heavy investment will probably be gone."

The so-called one blast, then decay, and exhaustion.

He had heard that the Hidden Moon Sect was always the last to arrive.

Despite being located in the heart of the Yue Kingdom, they always arrive much later than the Spirit Beast Mountain to the south, the Giant Sword Sect to the west, and the Qingxu Sect to the east. This is clearly an attempt to exhaust the strength and morale of the other sects.

Even though it's just a trivial detail, they're still trying their best to get it done, aren't they?
It's truly a case of: the smoke of battle already wafts before they even meet.

"Come in and sit down to wait."

Just then, Dong Xuan'er took out a set of array flags and, with a wave of her hand, arranged them to form a light barrier around them. The light barrier enveloped everyone, shielding them from the wind and sun. In an instant, she garnered a great deal of gratitude.

"Uncle-Master, please."

Dong Xuan'er even took out two prayer mats.

One is for my own use.

The other one was given to Li Huayuan.

"Ah."

Old Li nodded, a faint smile on his face.

Han Li was genuinely surprised by Dong Xuan'er's current way of dealing with the world.

How is this exactly the same as his way of dealing with people?
When did this girl learn that?

But as unexpected as it may be, I am also genuinely relieved.

Although Li Huayuan wasn't some extraordinary Core Formation stage cultivator, he was still a Core Formation elder with a Three Yang Physique, wasn't he? Perhaps in the future, we could entrust him with refining a few pieces of superior iron essence. Li Huayuan's iron-refining techniques, enhanced by his Three Yang Physique, were recognized throughout the Yue Kingdom as unparalleled among Core Formation stage cultivators.

Moreover, Dong Xuan'er's future patron is the Old Demon Yunlu, the second-in-command of the Hehuan Sect and also the hidden future leader. If this girl learns some worldly manners and serves the Old Demon well, he might wholeheartedly cultivate Dong Xuan'er, the successor of his bloodline and physique from a different generation.

It's entirely possible for this woman to become the next sect leader of the Hehuan Sect.

"Fellow senior brothers, I didn't bring many prayer mats, please forgive me." Dong Xuan'er then looked at the four Foundation Establishment managers, including the one surnamed Wang.

"Where, where..."

"Junior Sister Xuan'er, you're too kind."

The atmosphere instantly became joyful and harmonious.

The lower-ranking disciples, in particular, felt an even greater fondness for this senior disciple.

She's not only beautiful, but also such a nice person...

Even the old man Xiang Zhili glanced at Dong Xuan'er twice.

...

More than an hour passed, and by then the sun was high in the sky.

Finally, Li Huayuan, inside the formation, suddenly looked towards the southeast:

"Hmph, you've finally arrived."

Clearly, this person was also quite unhappy with the delaying tactics of the six factions:

Isn't Li's time time?

Half a day is enough time to go back and refine the refined iron in one place into a few grains of iron essence.

This cost him at least six or seven low-grade spirit stones less.

Li Huayuan saw a streak of light approaching from mid-air a hundred miles away.

Soon, several Foundation Establishment managers also noticed it.

After a short while, a few star-like lights appeared in the azure sky to the southeast, and those stars were rapidly growing larger. Soon after, a series of black dots appeared—figures.

A human figure is above, and stars are below.

The immediate impression it gives is that a group of cultivators are descending from the heavens, stepping on a blanket of starlight.

Such a spectacular sight caused a stir among the cultivators of Yellow Maple Valley.

"Quiet down! Look at what you've become! Isn't this the Qingxu Sect's flying magic weapon, the Snow Rainbow Silk? Don't make a fuss like you've never seen anything like it before." How embarrassing!

Although the Qingxu Sect's Snow Rainbow Silk is indeed very dazzling, their Yellow Maple Valley's Green Leaf Magic Artifact... was ultimately given away for free, wasn't it?

Han Li could see it clearly: the stars beneath the feet of the gray-robed Taoists of Qingxu Sect were actually a flawless white rainbow bridge, adorned with points of dazzling silver light, which made it so wondrous.

The rainbow bridge formed by Xue Hongling quickly disappeared and was collected by a middle-aged Taoist priest from the Qingxu Sect.

After putting away his magical artifacts, the Taoist priest traversed dozens of feet in a few steps and arrived beside Li Huayuan.
"Eh? Is it Master Li leading the team in Huangfeng Valley this time?"

"Hmph, Fuyunzi, if you, a mere Taoist priest, can come, why can't I, Li, come?" Li Huayuan said rudely, his hands behind his back.

"Oh dear, is Benefactor Li still holding a grudge about the bet from last time?"

The middle-aged Taoist priest had a beaming smile on his face.

Upon hearing this, Li Huayuan let out another cold snort:
"It took me more than ten years to refine such a piece of superior iron essence, and you, with your cunning tricks, tricked me into a bet and swindled that piece of iron essence from me. Now, I'm afraid it has already been refined into your natal magic weapon, the Qingjun Sword?"

"Haha, just as you said, it is indeed top-grade iron essence. After being refined into the Qingjun Sword, it has become even more powerful. It's all thanks to Benefactor Li's excellent craftsmanship. Anything made by you, fellow Daoist, is bound to be a masterpiece."

The middle-aged Taoist priest highly praised Li Huayuan's iron-smelting skills.

As he spoke, he deliberately showed off his natal magic weapon, the flying sword, which made Old Li so angry that he blew his beard and glared at him.

"Alright, Benefactor Li, it's just a piece of iron essence, you don't need to worry about it. This time, I've brought another good thing, its value is definitely far greater than that piece of iron essence last time. As long as Benefactor Li can gamble again this time and win the duel, it will definitely be enough to make up for the loss last time."

The middle-aged Taoist priest stroked his beard and said with a smile.

"No betting, no betting. You're probably eyeing the other two pieces of iron essence I'm refining in my furnace, aren't you? Fuyunzi, you old fox, let me tell you... don't even think about it."

He won't fall for the same trick twice.

He was deeply hurt by the last scam and hasn't recovered from it yet.

"Oh? Has Benefactor Li's standards become so high that he doesn't even care about the inner core of a level 5 demon beast, the Bloodline Flood Dragon?" The Taoist priest feigned surprise and disbelief.

"The Bloodline Dragon's inner core? And it's level 5?"

Li Huayuan knew perfectly well that the Taoist priest in front of him was no good, but he still couldn't help but be tempted.

"Hehehe, I've heard that you once stayed in the treacherous Panlong River in Yuanwu Kingdom for over thirty years, all for the sake of obtaining a dragon's inner core." Fuyunzi chuckled as he took out a jade box, inside which was a high-grade demon core covered in blood.

Upon seeing this, Li Huayuan's eye twitched:
"You actually managed to get it for me?"

"I went to great lengths to obtain this inner core," the middle-aged Taoist priest said with a smile, stroking his beard. His words were full of seduction: "If your silver-armored horned python could consume this core, it would only need to cultivate in seclusion for one or two decades to surely advance from a level 3 spirit beast to a level 4..."

"If one can cultivate diligently for another hundred years, it is not impossible to become a level 5 spirit beast."

A level 5 dragon-type demon core can not only enhance the bloodline of python-type demon beasts below level 5, greatly increasing their potential and raising their chances of reaching level 5, but it can also save level 3 demon beasts decades of cultivation.

Its value is considerable.

"Benefactor, I don't need to elaborate on how much a level 5 spirit pet can help us Core Formation cultivators, do I?" Fu Yunzi stroked his beard enticingly.

A level 5 demon core typically costs between 10,000 and 20,000 low-grade spirit stones in the Tiannan market.

Prices often fluctuate depending on rarity and functional characteristics.

For example, this Bloodline Flood Dragon's inner core might only be worth a little over ten thousand spirit stones to other cultivators, but in Li Huayuan's eyes, even twenty thousand spirit stones wouldn't be enough. He would accept even if the price doubled.

But it's clear that Fuyunzi won't trade with him using spirit stones.

"You old Taoist priest, you didn't bring out this Blood Thread Dragon's inner core to make fun of me, did you? Tell me, what do you want in exchange?"

"No, no, no, it's not an exchange, but rather I hope you will be willing to gamble with me again."

"Let's play another round?"

"Yes, let's gamble again."

"What are you gambling?"

"How about two pieces of iron essence?"

"You old man, do you want me to be your laborer?" Li Huayuan was practically ready to lose his temper at this point.

"How could you think that, Benefactor Li? As long as you win, you will not only not have to pay anything, but you will also get this level 5 demon core. This is the inner core of a level 5 demon beast that is on par with us."

Level 1 monsters are divided into low-level, mid-level, high-level, and top-level, corresponding to different stages of the Qi Refining stage.

A level 2 monster, comparable to the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

Level 3, Mid-Foundation Building. Level 4, Late-Foundation Building.

Level 5, early stage of Core Formation...

A demon beast's level 5 inner core is already comparable to a Core Formation cultivator's golden core.

"Should we follow the same rules as last time?" In the end, Li Huayuan couldn't resist the temptation.

"Of course, everything remains the same."

Fu Yunzi responded with bright eyes, overjoyed.

Secretly pleased, he reached out his hand to high-five Li Huayuan to establish a bet.

only…

"Clap!"

Two claps rang out, causing both Li Huayuan and Fuyunzi to change their expressions.

Especially Fu Yunzi, where was the slightest bit of joy? Instead, he started to wail.

Without him.

The person who gave him a high five was not Li Huayuan.

It wasn't him who high-fived Li Huayuan.

The person the two high-fived was an elderly man in a blue shirt, covered in greasy grime and patched up.
"Senior Qiong?"

Qiong Laoguai was the most powerful and senior man in the Yue Kingdom's Core Formation stage, and the only one to have entered the Pseudo-Nascent Soul realm. It could be said that he had one foot in the Nascent Soul stage, but due to certain reasons and his limited lifespan, he had no hope of forming a Nascent Soul.

This person enjoys playing around with other Core Formation stage cultivators, and because he is backed by the strongest of the Seven Great Sects, the Hidden Moon Sect, no Nascent Soul stage cultivator from any other sect would bother this old monster over trivial matters.

Over the decades, this gradually established his image as a bully and a scoundrel.

Of course, this person is a man of his word.

And jokes aside, they don't simply bully the weak.

"Hey, since it's a bet, wouldn't it be too lonely with just the two of you? How about we include this old geezer?" Old Monster Qiong chuckled, then turned to look at an extremely inconspicuous little hill in the distance: "Fellow Daoist Hong Fu of Yellow Maple Valley, congratulations on your great progress in cultivation, becoming the number one Core Formation female cultivator among the seven sects of my Yue Kingdom! Fellow Daoist, would you like to join in a game?"

"Master?" Dong Xuan'er was taken aback.

He was overjoyed.

Doesn't the master's emergence from seclusion signify progress in his cultivation?
Han Li blinked in astonishment: Fairy Hong Fu has broken through and emerged from seclusion? Late stage of Core Formation?!
"Sister?"

"The Fairy Hong Fu?"

Li Huayuan and Fuyunzi both looked in the direction that Qiong Laoguai was looking.

Sure enough, a flash of blue light appeared, and a dashing figure emerged.

Who else could it be but Hong Fu?

After another dozen or so leaps in mid-air, the distance of several hundred feet was shortened to almost touching.

"Brother Dao is indeed formidable. Despite my best efforts to conceal my aura, I am still completely exposed before you. You truly deserve to be the number one person below the Nascent Soul stage in our seven sects." His voice arrived before he did.

"Sister."

Li Huayuan, filled with excitement, took the lead and bowed.

"Junior Brother Li."

Hong Fu smiled and returned the greeting.

"Congratulations, Fairy Hongfu."

Fu Yunzi smiled, but his inner thoughts remained unknown to others.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Fuyunzi." Hongfu nodded.

"The fairy has entered the late stage of Core Formation before she is four hundred years old. She should have a chance to reach that stage. In a hundred years or so, our seven sects may be able to add another Nascent Soul Ancestor." Old Monster Qiong said solemnly.

"Brother Dao, you flatter me. How difficult is it to form a Nascent Soul? But you, Brother Dao, if you were to take a gamble, you might very well be able to shatter your core and form a Nascent Soul," Hong Fu said, clasping her hands in a fist salute.

Very kind of you.

"Thank you for your kind words, fairy."

Unfortunately, he knew very well that he was not capable.

Because of what happened back then, he has a mental deficiency, and it is an ineradicable hidden danger that he simply cannot overcome.

That was two hundred years ago, when he and his Daoist partner were still deeply in love and living happily ever after. On that day, the two of them went out to travel, but encountered a Nascent Soul cultivator from the number one sect of the demonic path in a nearby country. He was no match for the opponent, and his Daoist partner was forcibly abducted.

Later, although that guy released his Daoist partner, everything changed.

An unbreakable barrier has quietly formed between the beautiful woman and him.

Even if he doesn't mind.

However, his Daoist partner became increasingly resistant to him, and in the end, while searching for that person in the eastern demonic territory, she had an accident and died.

He didn't blame his partner for changing her mind; he only hated his own powerlessness at the time and the shamelessness of the Hehuan Sect members who bullied the weak. But as a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, he was no match for his Nascent Soul stage opponent—the gap in skill was simply too great.

Over the next few decades, he devoted himself to research and finally created the Invisible Escape Technique and the Invisible Needle Magic Treasure, earning him the title of the number one person below the Nascent Soul stage in the Yue Kingdom. He also felt that he had gained some confidence to fight to the death with Nascent Soul cultivators.

But news also came that the person from the Hehuan Sect had broken through the bottleneck of the early Nascent Soul stage and entered the middle Nascent Soul stage.

This left him utterly desperate.

This gave rise to intense inner demons.

The hidden danger erupted before he could even attempt to form a nascent soul for the first time.

It was fortunate that the attack occurred before the core shattered; otherwise, once the core was formed and shattered, it would have been too late to salvage the situation.

Moreover, if it weren't for the Grand Elder of the Nascent Soul stage who was protecting him in the sect, who noticed his abnormal state in time and helped him stabilize his fluctuating aura with precious secret medicine, he would have died from demonic thoughts and bloodlust.

In the decades that followed, he made many attempts, coming within a hair's breadth of the Nascent Soul stage, but the hidden danger of his inner demons remained, and attempting to break through to the Nascent Soul stage would undoubtedly result in his death. However, to eradicate this inner demon, he had to kill that old devil of the Joyful Union Sect.

But who would risk their life for him, a mere Core Formation cultivator? The opponent was a Nascent Soul elder from the number one sect of the demonic path.

Moreover, the opponent was a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator whose fame had spread throughout the entire southern region.

Aside from the one in the south and the two newly promoted Nascent Soul late-stage cultivators from both the righteous and demonic paths, how many mid-Nascent Soul cultivators can achieve this?
As long as the old demon lives, his inner turmoil will never be resolved.

If the knot in one's heart cannot be untied, the hidden inner demons will remain, which means that his state of mind is flawed and it will be difficult for him to successfully form an infant.

"Ugh…"

He, Qiong Laoguai, was exceptionally talented, and his abilities were among the best in the entire Yue Kingdom, yet he was thwarted by love.

The seven emotions and six desires are truly the greatest tribulation for cultivators.

"Perhaps I should follow my senior sister's example and switch to the Path of Ruthlessness in time?"

The ruthless path can be so cruel that it even severs one's own past memories.

Before going ashore, cutting off one's love interest is a basic tactic.

pity.

It's too late to change your practice now.

All he can do and wants to do now is to toy with the other Core Formation stage cultivators from the seven sects, seeking some amusement in the process. His temper seems to be getting increasingly eccentric, but in reality, it's just that the frustration in his heart is getting heavier and heavier, and he needs to vent it more and more.

Furthermore, the feeling of bullying the weak is really great.

He had tricked this fairy maiden before him decades ago. But not now.

There's a big difference between toying with a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator and toying with a late-stage Core Formation cultivator.

“Fellow Daoist Hong Fu, would you like to have a small bet? I don’t have anything to offer, so I’ll use these few Invisible Needle Talismans as the prize. What do you think?” Old Monster Qiong took out five golden talismans.

Each one represents an invisible needle talisman.

"nice one."

Hong Fu secretly went to the entrance.

Li Huayuan and Fuyunzi's eyes lit up.

They had heard of the formidable reputation of the Invisible Needle.

It's said that even some Nascent Soul cultivators find this treasure difficult to deal with. Of course, it certainly can't really threaten a Nascent Soul expert, but it's in a league of its own among Core Formation cultivators. If used well, it can sometimes be a game-changer or even a lifesaver.

Han Li's eyes lit up when he saw the five invisible needle talismans.

The target he set was quite high.

Even if it only contains one-tenth of the power of a true invisible needle magic weapon, it is enough to go toe-to-toe with a cultivator in the late stage of Core Formation, or even to kill those who underestimate their opponents.

If I can get my hands on one, I might be able to easily win over a certain place.

"How to bet?"

The Fairy Hongfu was also moved.

She can afford to get one herself, and Xuan'er should also have an extra piece of protective gear.

"I've heard that Fellow Daoist Hong Fu found a Xuanjin Grass that is at least two thousand years old more than twenty years ago. The Xuanjin Fruit that this grass produces is the main ingredient for refining the Xuanjin Pill. I suppose your breakthrough was made with the help of this pill?"

"good."

There's no denying that.

After obtaining the Xuanjin Grass, she spent twenty years searching in the Yue Kingdom and surrounding countries to gather all the necessary ingredients.

Such behavior inevitably aroused suspicion among those who knew the prescription.

"I wonder how many Xuanjin Pills you still have?"

"I refined a small batch of twelve last time, and now there are three left." As for how many are left, who can force her to answer truthfully?
"Are there only three left?" Old Monster Qiong frowned.

This is not easy to do.

Although the three Xuanjin Pills are precious, in terms of value, they are only equivalent to one and a half Invisible Needle Talisman Treasures.

Four pills are only equivalent to his two talisman treasures.

Continuing the bet clearly means he's at a disadvantage.

but.

The thought that the person leading the team into the Crimson Forbidden Land was the Grand Elder's closed-door disciple gave him no more worries: the advantage was in his hands.

In short, no matter what, the Hidden Moon Sect cannot possibly lose.

“Fellow Daoist Hong Fu, how about this? I won’t cheat you. We’ll use the total number of spiritual herbs brought by your Huangfeng Valley and Qingxu Sect as the standard. If my Yanyue Sect brings more spiritual herbs than the sum of your two sects, then I, Qiong, will win the bet, and you will need to take out those three Xuanjin Pills and ten thousand spirit stones.”

"If the combined strength of your Yellow Maple Valley and Qingxu Sect is greater than that of my Hidden Moon Sect, then you have won the bet and will receive two of my Invisible Needle Talisman Treasures."

Hong Fu pondered for only a moment before nodding in agreement: "Okay."

Upon hearing this, Old Monster Qiong grinned, then turned to look at Li Huayuan and Fuyunzi:
"As for the bet between me and the two of you, it will be based on the same principle. If my Hidden Moon Sect wins, I will take the Blood Thread Dragon's inner core and the two pieces of iron essence. If my Hidden Moon Sect loses, I will give away three Invisible Needle Talisman Treasures."

In fact, the Blood Thread Dragon's inner core and the two pieces of iron essence are not as valuable as the two Invisible Needle Talismans.

But he was confident he would have the last laugh, and worried that the two wouldn't be willing to gamble, so he was willing to suffer some losses.

"As for whether Fellow Daoist Li or Fellow Daoist Fuyunzi will obtain these three Invisible Needle Talismans from me, it depends on which of your disciples brings out more forbidden spiritual herbs..."

Win, take it all.

The loser gets nothing.

Li Huayuan and Fuyunzi exchanged a glance, both of them tempted.

"it is good!"

Admittedly, the disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect always bring out the most spiritual herbs among the seven sects, but it's rare for one sect to bring in as much as two. Surely this time can't be an exception?
"Clap clap clap..."

The four of them high-fived each other again, officially sealing the bet.

Fu Yunzi: This time, our sect has arranged for two disciples who ranked in the top ten of the competition and three disciples who ranked in the top fifty to participate. The team is still full, and our overall strength is much stronger than last time. He still doesn't believe it. The advantage is on my side.

Li Huayuan: The Chen family boy is among the top three in our sect's competition, and the Xu family boy is also among the top ten. In addition, there are three other disciples in the top fifty. The top combat power in our team is more than twice as strong as last time. There is no reason for us to lose... The advantage is in our hands.

Hong Fu: Han Li, don't let me down.

She had seen all the investments her own disciples had made in Han Li.

Winning against Qingxu Sect is no problem. As long as Qingxu Sect doesn't underperform, winning against Yanyue Sect is also very likely.

The advantage is mine.

Furthermore, she has another ingenious trick that can greatly increase her side's gains.

"Uncle Wang, Uncle Dong, you should also try your best to gamble against the Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Hidden Moon Sect, betting as much as you can. With Grandmaster Hong Fu taking action, we definitely won't lose." In the corner, Han Li took out two jade slips and gave one to Dong Xuan'er and the other to the Foundation Establishment cultivator surnamed Wang who had taken care of him during the Ascension Assembly.

After giving them the gifts, they quietly returned to the crowd.

Messages can be transmitted via jade slips to prevent eavesdropping.

He didn't want to be too conspicuous.

After examining the contents of the jade slip, Dong Xuan'er and the Foundation Establishment cultivator surnamed Wang both seemed to be deep in thought.

As for Han Li's confidence, what makes him so sure?
It wasn't the fairy Hong Fu's grasp that led him, but rather his Daoist partner "Nangong Wan" from his memory.

A dignified Core Formation stage cultivator, using a special technique to conceal his cultivation and impersonate a Qi Refining stage disciple to enter the forbidden area and bully the weak? Once exposed, the entire Hidden Moon Sect will become the target of public criticism, just like when they researched the Moon Sun Pearl. As long as Old Monster Qiong and the others from the Hidden Moon Sect don't want to escalate the situation, they'll have no choice but to swallow their pride and admit defeat.

"Wan'er, don't blame your brother Li for being uncivilized...!"

If he loses to the Hidden Moon Sect in terms of harvesting spiritual herbs, he will tell Fairy Hong Fu about it, and Fairy Hong Fu will definitely use this to her advantage and turn the tide.

...

An hour later, the other five factions arrived one after another.

When the Spirit Beast Mountain team arrived, Han Li couldn't help but be taken aback:
"Han Yunzhi and her brother?"

It turned out that Han Yunzhi and her brother had also come.

Han Yunzhi is currently at the eleventh level of Qi Refining, while her older brother is at the thirteenth level.

Because of his butterfly effect, the siblings' situations changed drastically. One had a higher cultivation level, and the other was uninjured; the changes were enormous.

The siblings' eyes lit up when they noticed Han Li in the Yellow Maple Valley group. However, despite having much to say, the three of them simply nodded in response and didn't say anything more in front of the people from the major sects.

And unsurprisingly, the Hidden Moon Sect team, traveling on the Heavenly Moon Divine Ship, arrived the latest.

What surprised all the factions was that the disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect were all remarkably young. They were all handsome men and beautiful women, and none of them were over thirty years old. The lowest cultivation level was Qi Refining Level 12, and more than half of them were at Qi Refining Level 13.

"As expected of the Hidden Moon Sect, they have real guts! They've arranged for all of their participants to be promising young disciples," Li Huayuan exclaimed.

To be able to reach the twelfth or thirteenth level of Qi cultivation at such a young age, one must either have a powerful background or possess exceptional spiritual talent.

In his view, wouldn't it be a pity if too many were lost within the forbidden area?

"How can a child develop a firm Dao heart and be useful if he doesn't see blood and experience some trials? If you want to become one of us, you must pass this test. What good is talent if you don't experience a few big scenes? Once you encounter those evil demons and heretics... Hmph! You'll definitely be treated like lambs and slaughtered! You've all been through this, so you should understand the reasoning behind this..." Old Monster Qiong snorted.

He didn't want the young talents in his sect to suffer a similar fate as he had, their Dao hearts damaged, and inner demons to fester.

Therefore, he practically wore himself out trying to persuade the young geniuses in the sect to participate in this trial and experience the trials.

If it weren't for that junior sister also needing to seal her cultivation to sneak in, he probably wouldn't have been able to recruit even a single promising talent.

Of course, even with his words and the personal leadership of Junior Sister Gan, plus other preparations and the fact that the disciples following Junior Sister Gan would not only be safe but also have a great harvest, he only arranged for two disciples who ranked in the top ten in the sect's aptitude assessment.

This is also the time.

Following Han Li's advice, Dong Xuan'er borrowed some money from her master and then gambled for fun, taking out 12,000 spirit stones to participate. Her actions surprised several Core Formation stage cultivators. She single-handedly left the five Foundation Establishment managers accompanying the Hidden Moon Sect at a loss.

However, considering who would lead their team into the forbidden area, the five Foundation Establishment managers immediately gritted their teeth and tightened their belts to make a bet with Dong Xuan'er.

When they looked at Dong Xuan'er, it was as if they were looking at a lucky charm.

After thinking for a moment, the Foundation Establishment cultivator surnamed Wang gritted his teeth and took out a thousand spirit stones to gamble.

Although the five Foundation Establishment stage managers of the Hidden Moon Sect felt even greater pressure, they still accepted all comers.

They won't lose anyway.

No matter how many come, it's all just to give them spirit stones.

"lets go."

...

On the way, Li Huayuan and Hong Fu specially set up a light shield and a cloud of mist to completely envelop the silver-armored horned python.

The light barrier is soundproof, making it difficult for outsiders with insufficient spiritual sense to hear the conversation inside. With Fairy Hong Fu personally taking action, even Old Monster Qiong wouldn't dare claim he could eavesdrop.

Fog obscures vision; those inside can see what's happening outside, but those outside cannot see what's happening inside.

After the light shield and fog were generated, Li Huayuan began the final morale-boosting exercise.

While Li Huayuan was giving the other disciples a pep talk, Fairy Hongfu tossed Han Li a storage bag:

"This is what you deserve for helping to persuade Xuan'er these past two years. You must have put in a lot of effort to help her achieve Foundation Establishment so early..."

To receive praise from a late-stage Core Formation cultivator was such an honor that it drew curious glances from Li Huayuan.

Han Li, of course, would not seek credit for himself.

"Grandmaster, it's not due to my merit, but rather because Uncle Dong is wise and understanding..."

Dong Xuan'er was very pleased to hear this and nodded repeatedly.

The Fairy Hongfu waved her hand:
"No need to say more, I know Xuan'er's personality all too well, she doesn't have that sense of self-awareness."

Dong Xuan'er's face immediately fell, and she felt a pang of bitterness in her heart: her master had a really big misunderstanding of her.

"Han Li, the items in the storage bag are all things I recently drew; they're nothing special. But you can use them, and they might even save your life in a critical moment, so don't refuse. Right now, your priority is to get out of the forbidden area alive."

Han Li found this very reasonable:
"This disciple thanks Master for the reward."

(End of this chapter)