Mortal: Li Feiyu, who came from the realm of a supreme being

After securing a spot in the Crimson Forbidden Zone, Li Feiyu threw herself into even more meticulous preparations.

Unlike other disciples who collected offensive and defensive magical artifacts and hoarded talismans, his preparations seemed rather "strange".

The seemingly legitimate formation was inscribed inside the cave.

The gold box, neither gold nor iron but hard in texture, was engraved with some seemingly profound but actually nonsensical runes.

He would occasionally light a candle in the secret room, as if he were practicing some kind of evil technique.

Chang Hao occasionally scanned the area with his divine sense, but could only shake his head, unable to see through what his disciple was up to.

About half a month after the arena battle, Chang Hao summoned Li Feiyu and Han Yunshu to his side.

He took out a jade slip that shone with a bluish light and handed it to Han Yunshu, his tone serious: "This is the 'Withering and Flourishing Technique,' a wood-type cultivation method that the Ancestor recently acquired for you. It can lead directly to the Core Formation stage. Yunshu, after you establish your foundation, you should switch to cultivating this method. The cultivation method that you explored on your own before... is ultimately a wild path, not as solid as the orthodox method."

"Thank you for bestowing the Dharma upon me, Master!" Li Feiyu reacted quickly, immediately pulling Han Yunshu to bow in respect.

The cultivation method for the Core Formation stage is very important; it's always a good idea to take it first.

Chang Hao nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to Li Feiyu, his expression carrying a hint of warning: "Feiyu, I know you are quite capable and have high standards. Ordinary early Foundation Establishment cultivators probably don't even catch your eye. But the dangers of the Crimson Forbidden Land are far more than just the battles between disciples of other sects. The poisonous insects and demonic beasts, the strange environment, and even the ever-changing nature of the secret realm itself all require your utmost vigilance."

Having said that, he took out a simple gray sachet and handed it to you: "This item is called 'Fragrance Without Muscle Odor.' It is not a magic treasure and has no offensive or defensive capabilities, but it can completely conceal the wearer's aura and body odor. Even the most olfactory beasts will find it difficult to detect. It should be of help to you."

Li Feiyu took the sachet, which was slightly warm to the touch, and a faint, almost odorless, herbal scent lingered around her nose.

This item was far more useful to him than an ordinary attack weapon. It would save him a lot of trouble when he was stealthy, avoiding monsters, and acting in the shadows.

Chang Hao pondered for a moment, then rummaged through his body and pulled out a three-inch-long, dark gold metal fragment shaped like the tip of a dagger.

The edges of the fragment were jagged, yet it exuded a chilling sharpness.

"This is a fragment of a magical artifact I acquired a hundred years ago. I've always wanted to repair it, but I couldn't find suitable materials. Its material is extraordinary. Although its spiritual essence has been greatly damaged and it no longer possesses the power of a magical artifact, it is still incredibly sharp and retains a trace of its ability to break through defenses. You can take it and use it as a special throwing knife. It might be able to break through some troublesome defenses in a critical moment."

"Thank you, Master, for bestowing this treasure upon me." Li Feiyu solemnly accepted it.

The fragment was heavy and cold to the touch, clearly not an ordinary material for refining weapons. Even without the power to activate it, its sharpness and ability to pierce through qi made it an absolute weapon of mass destruction in close combat or surprise attacks.

"Yes, prepare well and don't slack off. After returning from the forbidden area, focus on your cultivation and break through to the Foundation Establishment stage. Don't cause any more trouble." Chang Hao waved his hand and turned to leave, his back revealing a subtle and complex emotion.

No sooner had their master left than Senior Brother Yue Qing's signature booming voice echoed from outside the cave: "Junior Brother! Junior Sister! Do you have some free time today to spar a few more times?"

Over the past year, Yue Qing has developed a strong interest in Li Feiyu's unique sword technique that blends martial arts with immortality. He often comes to learn from him, and he feels that he has benefited greatly from each exchange. He even vaguely feels that the bottleneck in his sword intent, which has been stagnant for many years, has loosened.

Several times during close combat, he was actually chilled by Li Feiyu's seemingly ordinary sword moves, and subconsciously created distance, switching to the throwing knife techniques that Huadaowu was good at.

"Senior Brother Yue, the forbidden area is about to open, and we both need to focus on preparations. We can discuss the sparring later when I return," Li Feiyu politely declined.

"The Crimson Forbidden Land?" Yue Qing was stunned upon hearing this, his voice suddenly rising several decibels. "You're going to that godforsaken place? Does the sect lack your Foundation Establishment Pills?"

In his view, special talents like Han Yunshu and Li Feiyu, who possessed Heavenly Spiritual Roots, were the future pillars of the sect and should be carefully protected. Why would they willingly venture into dangerous places? Core Formation cultivators were the true face of a sect.

"Yun Shu isn't going; it's just me. Master has already agreed," Li Feiyu explained.

Yue Qing opened his mouth, then remained silent for a moment. Even if it was just Li Feiyu alone, this was still outrageous enough.

With his dual spiritual roots, coupled with the terrifying combat power and comprehension he displayed, he was also a key figure being cultivated by the sect. At this moment, Yue Qing even had some doubts.

This junior brother... could he be born with a bloodlust, which is why he's so obsessed with entering those battlefields?

"Uh... this..." Yue Qing rummaged around in his pocket for a while and only managed to pull out a jade bottle, which he stuffed into Li Feiyu's hand. "I don't have any treasures to offer, but this bottle of 'Spirit Replenishing Pill' is of decent quality and can quickly restore lost spiritual power. You might find it useful."

"Thank you, Senior Brother." Li Feiyu accepted the pill.

Yue Qing's lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just sighed and shook his head: "Ah, never mind, be careful in everything, we'll talk about it when we get back."

Several months passed in the blink of an eye, and the day when the Crimson Forbidden Land would open was finally approaching.

Inside the secret chamber of the cave, Han Yunshu sat cross-legged in meditation, lightly touching his brow with his fingertips.

As she focused her mind, wisps of shimmering white light slowly emerged from her ancestral aperture, condensing at her fingertips into a warm, soft pearl the size of a pigeon's egg.

The moment the light orb left her body, her face turned visibly pale for a moment, and her aura weakened considerably, as if some of her original essence had been drained away.

After a short rest, Han Yunshu, holding the "Primordial Divine Source" which was condensed from part of her own spiritual essence and the life force of the "Nuwa Mending the Heavens Technique", got up and walked towards the secret chamber where Li Feiyu was in seclusion.

Their cave dwellings are quite "back to basics". Apart from the necessary training rooms that have been renovated and equipped with spirit-gathering and protective formations, most of the rest of the place retains the original rugged appearance of the mountainside.

The room was dimly lit, with only a single, blood-red candle burning quietly.

The candlelight flickered, casting a dim, swaying light that stretched Li Feiyu's figure, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, into a long, distorted silhouette, which appeared somewhat eerie and unpredictable on the stone wall.

Several strange objects were laid out in front of him, including the golden box.

"Brother Li, the time is approaching. Elder Fang has already summoned the disciples and we are preparing to depart," Han Yunshu said softly, handing over the spirit-guiding bead in her hand.

Li Feiyu opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them. He took the light bead, sensing the life force and spiritual imprint within it that faintly connected to his own aura. He nodded, carefully put it away, and then began a final check of his belongings.

The "Mysterious Tortoise Shell" shield and "Azure Spirit Rope" purchased from Suspended River Valley; the "Fragrant Incense Without Muscle Odor" and the fragment of the magic weapon "Golden Sharp Blade" bestowed by his master; the "Spirit Renewal Pill" given by his senior brother; the large number of talismans, array plates and special medicines he prepared in Xiangyuan City; and that crucial golden box... all were confirmed to be correct.

Finally, he took out the black demon mask he had casually bought in Xiangyuan City. The mask was crudely made, covering only the upper half of his face, with a ferocious appearance and two empty holes in the eye sockets. The moment he put on the mask, Li Feiyu's temperament changed abruptly; his original calm and reserved demeanor was replaced by an icy and mysterious aura that kept strangers at bay.

He and Han Yunshu exchanged a glance, and without saying a word, they headed together to the sect's assembly point.

The leader of the team was Elder Fang, a burly man with a full beard who was in the early stage of Core Formation.

The twenty-odd Qi Refining disciples from Huadaowu who had secured their spots had assembled and boarded a medium-sized flying boat.

Li Feiyu swept his gaze across the crowd and immediately spotted Han Tianya.

The other person was also looking at him, their eyes cold and filled with undisguised hostility.

This is not surprising. Han Tianya is quite capable, and if he wanted to, it wouldn't be difficult for him to obtain another spot through other channels.

Ignoring all the gazes around him, Li Feiyu simply bowed to Elder Fang at the bow of the ship before walking straight to a corner of the flying boat, sitting cross-legged, and closing his eyes to rest.

His face was covered by a black mask, and his aura was cold. Coupled with the special treatment of being personally escorted by Han Yunshu, a fairy with a heavenly spiritual root, his identity was already self-evident.

The disciples on the boat all had different expressions.

Some scoffed, thinking he was putting on airs and trying to please the crowd; others hesitated, their eyes darting around, wanting to step forward and form an alliance, but were deterred by his cold aura; still others secretly grumbled, thinking that this "Senior Brother Li" would probably not only kill disciples from other sects once he entered the forbidden area, but might even casually kill his own people...

Elder Fang stood at the bow of the boat, shaking his head inwardly.

Senior Brother Chang actually had the heart to put this precious disciple in there?

Judging from this stance, he's clearly determined to fight this one-on-one to the very end.

He had naturally heard rumors about Li Feiyu, such as "capable of fighting Foundation Establishment cultivators in close combat" and "elite Qi Refining cultivators would find it difficult to withstand even a single blow," which left even a Core Formation cultivator like himself speechless.

Why would such a freak insist on going to such a dangerous place as the Blood Forbidden Zone?

Could it be... that he truly has a peculiar temperament and is addicted to killing? Elder Fang couldn't help but feel a trace of doubt and vigilance.

The flying boat pierced through the clouds and mist, flying for three full days before finally arriving at the mountain range where the entrance to the Crimson Forbidden Land was located.

The Huadaowu group arrived earlier, with only the Qingxu Sect and the Giant Sword Sect arriving first. After disembarking, Li Feiyu remained silent, finding a quiet corner to meditate, ignoring the curious, inquisitive, or hostile gazes around him.

His unique appearance, wearing a hideous demon mask, made him stand out among the many Qi Refining disciples who were either nervous, excited, or pretending to be calm. It was hard for him not to attract attention.

Despite the throngs of gazes, Li Feiyu remained unmoved, his aura as deep and still as a mountain.

In the past two days, he did not recklessly release his divine sense to investigate, so as not to attract the attention of high-level cultivators or trigger the vigilance of others. He only relied on his advantage of having all nine orifices open and his extraordinary senses to see in all directions and hear in all directions, collecting fragmented information from the scattered conversations and expressions of disciples from various sects.

It wasn't until the third day that the people from Huangfeng Valley finally arrived.

Li Feiyu's gaze instantly locked onto the silver-armored horned python, and soon he spotted a familiar yet unfamiliar figure in the crowd—Han Li.

Compared to when they parted ways at Shenshou Valley in Jingzhou a few years ago, Han Li is now more upright and his skin is still dark. However, he has lost some of the youthful exuberance in his brows and gained more composure. In fact, there is even a faint trace of gloom and hostility that is out of place with his surroundings.

Just then, a low murmur arose among the disciples of Huadaowu:

"Look, that dark-skinned kid over in Yellow Maple Valley... isn't that the legendary 'Ghost Hand'?"

"It was him, no doubt! I heard that a while ago in Jinma City, some ignorant disciple from Tianque Fort got into a fight with him, and he ended up pressing a claw into his chest, and the guy... his whole body melted like wax! His flesh and bones turned into a puddle of mud! That scene... tsk tsk, it's said that everyone who saw it had nightmares!"

"Ghost Hand Han Li... that's quite an eerie nickname. How did such a ruthless person emerge from Yellow Maple Valley?"

"Who knows? They say the martial arts he practices are incredibly evil..."

As Li Feiyu listened to these whispers, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly beneath his mask.

Good heavens, a "ghost hand"?

This nickname... Mo Juren can rest in peace now.

Moreover, judging from the aura Han Li is exuding at this moment, it seems that he is not deliberately keeping a low profile, but rather there is a kind of restrained sharpness and... restlessness?

"Strange, could it be related to the *Burning Inferno Technique*? It seems that forcibly cultivating and activating this martial art with only a minor mastery of the Inner World has more hidden dangers than anticipated." Li Feiyu thought to himself, "But it's alright. Although the martial arts essence of melting and burning everything has a reverse effect on him, as long as all nine orifices are opened, coupled with the natural healing power of the *Longevity Technique*, he will recover quickly."

The "Burning As You Want" technique is, after all, an exterior-level martial art, and its true meaning is domineering and ruthless. It's normal that Han Li, who has only opened seven orifices, cannot control it at will.

It seems I'll have to pass on the "Ice Heart Manual" to him when we meet later, otherwise he definitely won't be able to control himself in the high-pressure environment of the Blood Forbidden Land.

Li Feiyu silently observed Han Li, noticing that he stood with several fellow disciples, his expression calm, seemingly unconcerned about the fearful and wary gazes directed at him, even displaying a hint of indifference.

'My temperament has indeed become more composed. Compared to my contemporaries in the original work, I am now more calm amidst activity. I should be able to maintain this for a few days.' Thinking of this, he glanced again at an old man in Yellow Maple Valley who was looking for people to team up with.

Sigh, the mindset of a Nascent Soul cultivator is truly extraordinary; he's so immersed in playing a Qi Refining cultivator.