Mortal: I am the young sect master of the Thousand Illusions Sect

Wang Chan changed the subject, revealing the true ruthless scheme behind their arrival, which was also a vicious contingency plan hidden by the Ghost Spirit Sect.

"Besides that, I have one more request."

"Tomorrow's treasure hunt will draw Foundation Establishment cultivators from all four directions of the Yue Kingdom to Yanling Fortress, resulting in a large number of participants."

"I plan to secretly set up a Yin Fire Array at the Yanling Fortress Treasure Hunt. When the event begins and the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Yue Kingdom gather, I will activate the array to refine them all, leaving only their souls."

"These pure Foundation Establishment souls are just right to help Fairy Ruyan temper her foundation, cleanse her meridians and body, and successfully change her cultivation method to the Blood Spirit Technique of my Ghost Spirit Sect, so as to solidify her foundation and break through the shackles in one fell swoop."

These words immediately triggered a surge of murderous intent within the hall, revealing a vicious and ruthless malice.

This Yin Fire Formation, seemingly paving the way for Yan Ruyan, is in reality a blatant attempt to undermine her future and eliminate her family's resources.

The cultivators participating in the treasure hunt were all new generation disciples and promising talents from various forces in the Yue Kingdom, with countless large and small sects and aristocratic families involved behind them.

Even Foundation Establishment cultivators from other countries have come to participate in this treasure hunt.

Once all the blood is sacrificed, it will mean becoming an enemy of the seven sects of Yue Kingdom and all the cultivators in the world, committing a heinous taboo and incurring the wrath of the masses.

At that time, the Yan family will be at the center of the vortex, burdened with the grave crime of blood sacrifice, their reputation ruined, and enemies of the world. They will have no way out and will be bound to the dilapidated ship of the Ghost Spirit Sect forever.

Yan Yan understood, a chill creeping into his heart, but his face remained impassive as he calmly refused: "Sacrificing cultivators with blood and slaughtering geniuses from all sides is far too outrageous. My Yan family would never dare to participate in such a matter, much less offer any assistance."

After a pause, he gave a vague answer that completely distanced him from the matter: "Tomorrow's treasure-hunting event will be held as scheduled by my Yan family in accordance with the rules, allowing cultivators from all sides to enter the fortress and gather here."

"But once the people have gathered, all subsequent actions, including the encirclement and blood sacrifice, will have nothing to do with my Yan family."

"How to set up the formation, how to intercept, and how to carry out the operation are all decisions made by Young Master Wang alone. My Yan family will never interfere or get involved in any of the consequences."

What he wanted was to completely sever ties, to avoid bloodshed and leave no evidence, so that the Ghost Spirit Sect could bear all the enormous guilt alone.

Wang Chan carefully considered these words and instantly understood Yan Yan's thoughts.

He knew that Yan Yan wanted to stay out of it and clear himself of any involvement, but as long as the Yan family tacitly allowed it and provided the venue and the flow of people, his goal would be achieved.

If things go smoothly, people will only assume that the Yan family is colluding with the Ghost Spirit Sect, and will not investigate the details. In the end, the Yan family will not be able to escape involvement.

Having figured this out, Wang Chan's lips curled into a cold smile, and he readily agreed: "Alright. Since Senior Yan is unwilling to get involved in karma, then so be it. The conference will proceed as scheduled tomorrow, and all other matters will be handled by my Ghost Spirit Sect."

The deal was finalized, but each side harbored its own ulterior motives and calculated against the other.

……

As dusk fell and the setting sun dipped below the horizon, the twilight descended.

The golden-red afterglow poured down, covering the layered eaves of Yanling Fortress and gilding the ancient, heavy gray-blue tiles with a warm, crimson glow.

The ancient castle, solemn and imposing during the day, is softened by the gentle twilight, gaining a touch of composure and tranquility.

As the evening breeze rustled through the forest, it brought a refreshing coolness from the mountains. The entire castle gradually quieted down, returning to the unique tranquility of dusk.

In the deep twilight, Tian Buque walked into Qingping Pavilion with a cold expression and hurried steps. Behind him was only one of the two demons of the Chen family, his figure thin and his aura tense.

Seeing his expression, Su Mixin's eyes flashed with understanding. She asked softly, "Senior Brother Tian, ​​you don't look well this time. Didn't Miss Dong Xuan'er come back with you?"

Upon hearing this, Tian Buque's face grew even more gloomy, his brows furrowed with a hint of resentment and unwillingness. He replied in a deep voice, "On the way, we ran into that cultivator from Huangfeng Valley who came to Yanling Fortress with Dong Xuan'er to participate in the treasure-hunting event. He brought several people with him and deliberately came forward to confront and obstruct us."

"I am mindful of your previous instructions to avoid any unforeseen complications. I fear that if we act rashly, the commotion will be too great and will alert the Ghost Spirit Sect's garrison, disrupting the entire plan."

"Therefore, I suppressed my urge to take action and prevented the two elders of the Crimson Serpent from showing themselves. I withdrew temporarily, leaving only one person to secretly follow and keep a close watch on their movements."

Su Mixin nodded slightly, her expression calm and composed: "It's alright. Tomorrow will be the day when the big picture is revealed and the true intentions are out in the open. It won't be too late to settle everything then."

"I will send a message to the Yan family later, instructing them to keep a close watch on the two of them and not give them any chance to escape beforehand."

Upon hearing this, Tian Buque felt a slight relief from his inner turmoil, and his tense expression softened considerably. He solemnly cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Junior Brother Su."

After Tian Buque turned and went back to his room to rest, the Qingping Pavilion hall suddenly became quiet. Su Mixin, who had been calm and composed just moments before, now had a strange expression on her face, her heart filled with confusion and doubt.

He pondered to himself: How could something happen that's the same as in the original story? My involvement has already changed the original trajectory, hasn't it? Could it be that the will of Heaven has intervened?

……

As night deepened, lights gradually illuminated various parts of the fortress, creating a scene of interplay between light and shadow, and a profound stillness.

In the inn at the foot of Yanling Fortress, Han Li sat upright on the couch, meditating and breathing exercises to stabilize his cultivation.

Suddenly, a loud and clear voice came from outside the house, piercing through the night and spreading throughout the inn and alley. It was the steward of the Yan family in the fortress giving an order in public.

"The rules for tomorrow's treasure hunt will be set separately! Cultivators from the Yue Kingdom will compete together on a mountain peak in the west."

"All cultivators from other countries and regions shall proceed to the eastern mountain peak to compete. The two peaks shall be divided into separate arenas, each adhering to its own rules, and no one shall be allowed to disrupt the competition!"

The announcement echoed through the streets and alleys, clear and distinct.

Upon hearing this, Han Li's eyes remained unmoved, and his heart showed no change whatsoever.

This division of space was merely a routine adjustment and of little importance. He did not delve into its deeper meaning, but remained calm and focused on his daily cultivation, breathing in spiritual energy and refining his foundation.

Unbeknownst to anyone, this seemingly ordinary division of the venue concealed a deadly trap.

At this moment, the West Mountain Peak, which will be reserved for the local cultivators of the Yue Kingdom to compete tomorrow, is no longer as quiet as usual.

The entire mountain was heavily guarded, and the atmosphere was cold and somber.

More than ten Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators were scattered throughout the mountains, each performing their duties and methodically setting up the Yin Fire Array. Wang Chan and the Li brothers hovered in mid-air, hands behind their backs, their cold gazes sweeping over the entire scene, intently supervising the array's setup and not overlooking the slightest oversight.

On this turbulent night, a shocking piece of news, enough to overturn the entire cultivation world of Yue Kingdom, spread like wildfire throughout the seven sects: the demonic sects of Tianluo Kingdom were about to launch an invasion of Yue Kingdom, and their armies were ready to go.

For a time, the entire cultivation world of Yue Kingdom was filled with panic and turmoil, with layers of fear and anxiety enveloping the entire world.

Of course, at this time, the closed Yanling Fortress was still peaceful and stable.

……

The night passed in a flash, and the dawn broke through the deep darkness, the light of dawn spreading across the Yanlingbao mountains, dispelling the chill and gloom of the night.

A thin mist rises from the mountains, the sky and earth are clear and bright, and a brand new day quietly arrives.

As dawn broke, voices rose from inside and outside Yanling Fortress, and the much-anticipated treasure hunt finally began as scheduled.

After tidying up, Han Li left the Fengyue Inn alone and headed straight for the small mountain on the west side, following the rules announced yesterday.

The small hill on the west side is no longer what it used to be.

The entire central area of ​​the small mountain was completely enveloped by an enormous and mysterious formation, which firmly sealed off the entire peak.

The array's spiritual light patterns are hidden among the rocks and soil, densely packed and crisscrossing, exuding a cold and eerie aura, far surpassing ordinary mountain-protecting arrays and competitive arrays.

At the core of the formation stands a heavy earthen and stone arena, its surface flat and wide, built specifically for this cultivator competition.

On the arena, more than ten Yan family cultivators stood silently. They were all dressed in the same clan robes, and a thin mist surrounded them, obscuring most of their figures and auras. They stood silently with solemn expressions, waiting for the cultivators from various sects of Yue Kingdom to arrive.

When Han Li arrived, several Foundation Establishment cultivators who were participating in the treasure hunt were already waiting at the venue.

Before long, several figures arrived on the wind. They were all disciples from the seven sects of Yue Kingdom that Han Li had met in the fortress in the past few days, including the five people who had a pleasant conversation at the Tianheju Tea House the day before yesterday. However, Su Mixin was nowhere to be seen.

When the group met, they all looked at the enormous array before them, which was both imposing and had an eerie aura, with expressions of astonishment.

Han Li's gaze was fixed on the flowing spiritual light array patterns around him. His brows furrowed slightly as he asked in confusion, "In past treasure-hunting competitions, there has never been a rule to set up large-scale binding arrays. Today, this West Mountain Peak array is mysterious and strange. What is its purpose?"

Several disciples from the seven sects shook their heads, looking bewildered, all helpless and unable to explain.

"We only know ordinary meditation and martial arts, and our knowledge of formations is very limited. We can't see the slightest clue at all."

"Yes, Yanling Fort's sudden change of venue and strange formation is really strange. However, our cultivation is too low to guess their intentions."

Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, but no one understood the secrets of the formation, let alone the deadly trap hidden within.

Upon hearing this, Han Li stopped asking questions and returned his gaze to the array with its flowing spiritual runes. Although his mastery of arrays was not particularly profound, he was very experienced.

A strange sense of unease crept in, and an indescribable anxiety lingered in my heart. I had a feeling that today's treasure hunt was not as simple and peaceful as it seemed on the surface.

Time passed slowly, and the opening of the treasure hunt was getting closer and closer. More and more cultivators gathered at the summit, and the atmosphere became increasingly tense.

Just then, a charming and graceful figure walked through the crowd and slowly entered the arena, merging into the ranks of the seven sects of cultivators.

Han Li looked up and saw Dong Xuan'er, who had arrived at the small hill on the west side as scheduled.

After a moment's thought, Han Li whispered his apologies to the giant sword-wielding cultivator surnamed Ba beside him, then slowly retreated to the very edge of the corner, away from the core of the formation.

Then he coldly observed the actions of the other cultivators.