While the leaders of each sect were discussing the steps to open the forbidden ground, Han Li was far from idle—he was carefully studying the formidable fighters from every faction.
As for those experts at the peak of the thirteenth layer, Han Li planned to avoid them if possible, flee if he had to, and only resort to striking from behind if there was truly no other choice. He had no intention of repeating the same scenario as his battle with "Senior Brother Lu," draining himself of every last drop of Magical Power.
After all, this situation was entirely different from last time. He wasn't facing a single opponent here—he was up against a whole crowd of crazed cultivators. If he didn't conserve his strength and maintain the ability to fight back at all times, he would certainly be among the first eliminated.
While he was looking around and quietly mulling things over, Han Li suddenly felt as if someone was watching him. His heart skipped a beat, and he turned his gaze toward the source of that sensation.
A female disciple of the Spirit Beast Sect was stealing glances at him, her eyes darting away nervously. Her delicate features struck him as surprisingly familiar.
Surprised, Han Li mentally cycled through every woman he knew, and a slender figure emerged in his mind.
"It's her—the young girl who sold me the Golden Bamboo Brush at the Tainan Gathering! How did she end up joining the Spirit Beast Sect, and why is she participating in this Blood Trial!" Han Li finally recognized the girl, who had grown even more beautiful than before, though he was somewhat puzzled.
Yet he still remembered clearly how her cheeks would flush red at the slightest provocation, and he felt a great fondness for her.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but smile at her.
The girl clearly saw it—her cheeks instantly flooded with crimson, just as easily embarrassed as ever!
A bearded man stood behind her. He seemed to notice the exchange between the girl and Han Li, and his face darkened. He suddenly said something harsh to the girl, and she immediately turned pale, lowering her head in silence. She no longer dared to glance in Han Li's direction.
The man wasn't finished. He shot Han Li a vicious glare, his warning unmistakable.
Han Li furrowed his brow. It seemed the girl was having a rough time in the Spirit Beast Sect. The bearded brute was one of the dangerous fighters he had just been assessing—with a cultivation at the thirteenth layer. For the girl to be targeted by someone like that, she had surely endured a great deal of hardship.
However, Han Li wasn't a member of the Spirit Beast Sect, and once they entered the forbidden ground, anyone who wasn't an ally was essentially an enemy. He had no reason to show the man any deference. Without a care in the world, he suddenly pulled a face at the bearded man.
This little performance left the bearded brute's face red with fury, but there was nothing he could do about Han Li. He could only turn back and snarl a few more words at the girl, drawing sidelong glances from the nearby Spirit Beast Sect disciples, most of whom looked at her with undisguised contempt.
Han Li felt a surge of anger and sympathy for the girl. However, since they were too far apart, he couldn't make out exactly what the bearded man was saying.
To spare the girl further mistreatment, Han Li decided not to provoke this brute any further. Otherwise, he was confident he had enough tricks to make the man fume with rage—and be completely powerless about it.
Just then, the founding masters of each sect finished their discussion and returned to their respective ranks. They then led their juniors into the air, flying toward the legendary forbidden ground.
This time, the journey was short. After flying in the direction of the Yuanwu Kingdom border for only a few hours, they descended before a vast, boundless expanse of yellow earth slopes. There was nothing here but piles of stone—not a single blade of grass in sight. Everywhere one looked, the landscape was a uniform, hazy yellow.
"So this is the place?"
Han Li, like everyone else, was greatly surprised. It hardly looked like a place that could nurture celestial treasures.
The several Core Formation masters gathered together for a few more words, and then a tall, broad-shouldered expert from the Giant Sword Sect stepped forward on his own. He walked about a dozen paces ahead before stopping.
He extended his left hand, and a yellow glow surged forth as he grabbed toward the ground. A stream of mud, shaped like a yellow dragon, was lifted into the air and condensed in his hand into a massive sword made of yellow clay.
Then, with the fingers of his other hand, he gently swept from the hilt toward the tip of the blade. A white light blazed along the path his fingers traced, and in an instant the mud sword turned ashen gray—becoming a heavy sword of solid stone.
This mid-level earth-to-stone spell left the disciples of the seven sects marveling at the sight, their eyes wide with wonder.