Back then, to prevent the Duanshui Gate disciples from escaping and alerting other enemies, Han Li had to act personally. Using both the Gauze Mist Footwork and the Wind Riding Technique at once, he dispatched all his opponents in the blink of an eye. This left Li Feiyu, who had been about to join the fight, completely stunned. Only then did he realize Han Li's true strength.
Once he recovered, Li Feiyu mistakenly believed Han Li's astonishing skill was solely due to cultivating the Blink Sword Technique.
The thought nearly drove him mad on the spot, giving him the impulse to cripple his own cultivation and switch to learning the Blink Sword Technique. Fortunately, what little rationality he retained told him this was already impossible for him, considering both time and aptitude.
So, during the rest of their journey, Li Feiyu couldn't stop venting his jealousy to Han Li, sighing dramatically that Han Li had been incredibly lucky to learn such a powerful secret technique.
Han Li, for his part, couldn't be bothered with his now thoroughly sour friend. Instead, he began ruthlessly eliminating the enemies they encountered along the way, no longer hiding his strength.
Every enemy seemed utterly helpless against Han Li's bizarre footwork. They couldn't even withstand a single move before perishing, including several high-ranking experts among them.
Thus, under Han Li's awe-inspiring display, the two easily reached Elder Li's residence and met Ma Rong. From him, they learned that Elder Li and Zhang Xiuer had already headed for Sunset Peak.
Hearing this grim news, Li Feiyu's face turned pale.
He knew that Sunset Peak, currently, could accurately be described as a dragon's pool or a tiger's den. Zhang Xiuer going there was practically equivalent to stepping one foot into the gates of hell.
With no other choice, the two briefly consulted each other before leaving Elder Li's residence and heading towards Sunset Peak. Before they departed, a minor commotion occurred.
That Sect Master Wang's lackey, the annoying fatty, tried to stop them from leaving by once again producing a command token. He threatened them with sect rules, insisting they stay.
Li Feiyu was already burning with anxiety, his mind entirely occupied with concern for Zhang Xiuer's safety. He had no patience for talk of sect rules. A single palm strike sent the blabbering fatso crashing to the ground, unconscious. He then ordered the fatso's subordinates to stay and protect the others while he and Han Li left without delay.
As soon as they neared Sunset Peak, the sheer number of enemies startled them. Realizing a frontal assault was impossible, they quickly devised a clever plan.
They knocked out two Duanshui Gate disciples, donned their clothes, and under the cover of darkness and confusion, stealthily blended into the crowd assaulting the mountain. With the flow of people, they easily made their way up Sunset Peak, arriving in time to hear the words Sect Master Wang was currently speaking. As for Qu Hun, because his appearance was too conspicuous, he had been left hidden in a secluded spot at the foot of the mountain.
Hearing that Sunset Peak might hold a mutual destruction trap like this, Li Feiyu couldn't contain his doubt and began relentlessly questioning Han Li, hoping his friend could give him some reassurance.
"Forget about whether it's true or not. Right now, the most important thing is to quickly get into the main hall, meet up with your little lover, and then sneak back down the mountain quietly. You know, whether it's true or false, staying here is far too dangerous!" Han Li finally replied in a low voice.
"That's certainly the truth, but how are we supposed to sneak in under so many eyes?" Li Feiyu said with a furrowed brow and a distressed look.
"Sigh! All we can do is wait a bit longer and see if any opportunity comes up," Han Li replied, equally at a loss for what to do.
Just as the two of them were hiding behind the crowd, burning with anxiety, the ground beneath their feet suddenly began to tremble. At first it was very slight, but it quickly intensified. Many people couldn't stand and fell to the ground, while quite a few rocks also rolled down the slope as the peak shook.
"Run! The mountain is collapsing! That Wang fellow wants to perish together with us!" someone reckless suddenly shouted in the panicked crowd.
Upon hearing this, most people grew even more terrified. Some ignored Wang Juechu's earlier warning entirely and scrambled towards the path entrance, trying to flee the peak they believed was on the verge of collapse.
*Boom!* A tremendous collapsing sound reached their ears, and the ground shook violently for another moment.
Hearing this thunderous noise, everyone assumed the entire peak was starting to cave in and felt a surge of despair. It was too late to escape now.
Jia Tianlong was both alarmed and furious. Although he was still surrounded by his fiercely loyal Iron Guards, his mind was a blank slate, utterly uncertain of what to do.
He couldn't help but turn his gaze to the Golden Light Sage, his supposed pillar of support. But after seeing the panic on the Sage's face, he let out a bitter laugh.
So this esteemed Sage couldn't even save himself!
Jia Tianlong's previous respect for the man instantly diminished significantly.
"Heh heh! I thought the Wild Wolf Gang were fearless heroes, but it turns out you're just a band of disorganized rabble!" Suddenly, Wang Juechu's mocking words rang out. Despite the chaos on the peak, his voice clearly reached everyone's ears, a testament to the purity of his cultivation.
As his words trailed off, the trembling of the ground miraculously stopped, as if the entire peak had, in that instant, quelled its fury and returned to calm.
Only then did people realize that the stone hall everyone had been focused on had vanished without a trace, leaving behind a huge, gaping hole several acres in size. Some bolder individuals stepped forward, peered over the edge, and gasped. The hole was pitch black; they couldn't see the bottom, knowing only that it was unfathomably deep.
"Jia Bangzhu, does this evidence perhaps prove my words?" Wang Juechu asked coldly.
Jia Tianlong's face had turned somewhat ashen. He didn't reply immediately, but instead scanned his surroundings.
He saw that everyone on his side, from ordinary gang members and members of other gangs to even his own Iron Guards standing beside him, wore looks of lingering shock. No one looked composed.
Seeing this, Jia Tianlong understood in his heart that his plan to annihilate the Seven Mysteries Sect tonight in one stroke had failed. It seemed he had to retreat first and then consider his options later.
"You can state your conditions," he said, turning back with great reluctance and a hint of gritted teeth in his voice. "But you should also know that even like this, we're still evenly matched on the surface. Don't push your luck too far!"
(End of Chapter)