(Another one fell down! Everyone, push it up, don't let it fall! We're counting on you!)
Guanggui City was located at the southernmost part of Lan Prefecture. The city was not large, only a few hundred thousand people, just one‑fifth of the size of the largest city, Jiayuan City. However, the place was surrounded by mountains on three sides and a lake on one side, with a beautiful environment that made it a good leisure spot for the wealthy. Additionally, several rare fruits were produced here that could not be found elsewhere, so the small city had quite a reputation.
Tai Nan Mountain was not far west of Guanggui City. The mountain was over three thousand meters high and was perpetually shrouded in mountain mist, making it the fourth‑highest mountain in Lan Prefecture. At the top of this mountain sat a small temple—Tai Nan Temple. Because the temple’s divination and fortune‑telling were very efficacious, many high officials and nobles made the arduous journey every year to burn incense, make wishes, and donate large amounts of incense money to the temple. This kept the place’s incense burning continuously and its fame spreading far and wide.
At this time, in a forest at the foot of Tai Nan Mountain, a person sat cross‑legged under a dense giant tree, holding a red‑glowing object in both hands, rolling it back and forth against his dantian.
Suddenly, the person’s body trembled, and he grunted. The red light in his hand dimmed, revealing the object’s true appearance: it was a high‑quality green jade. Not only was the jade pure and flawless, but deep within it faint traces of red light seeped out, making it obvious at a glance that the jade was invaluable and no ordinary object.
The person slowly took the green jade away from his abdomen, then looked up at the sky, revealing the ordinary face of a young man—it was Han Li, who had disappeared from Jiayuan City.
Han Li lowered his head and looked at the object in his hand, unable to suppress a joyful expression.
From the time he obtained this Warm Sun Jade until now, he had been continuously expelling the cold poison from his body along the way. It had taken half a month before finally, today, it was completely eradicated—it was really not easy. Moreover, the feeling of sour itching penetrating the bones during the poison expulsion had caused Han Li no small suffering. Even now, recalling it made his heart tremble.
Nevertheless, this Warm Sun Jade was truly a remarkable treasure. It could actually contain his spiritual power, allowing him to expel the poison with twice the result with half the effort, making it much easier. If not for this discovery, he would probably still need another ten days or so to completely remove the poison from his body.
Thinking this, Han Li placed the jade into a wooden box beside him and then carefully stored it close to his body.
Then, Han Li stood up, stretched his somewhat stiff limbs, and reflected on his experiences over the past two months.
That day, after arranging everything, he went to the Mo Manor the next day, where he obtained information about Duba Villa and Ouyang Feitian from Madam Yan. Then, riding a fine horse provided by the Mo Manor, he traveled day and night and finally reached Duba Villa within ten days.
After several days of constant reconnaissance and infiltration, Han Li seized the opportunity when Ouyang Feitian was enjoying the moon alone, caught him off guard, unleashed all his magic tools, and activated the Sword Talisman, slicing off his head in one stroke and taking his life.
The entire process was surprisingly smooth and easy, without a single ripple, almost making Han Li wonder if the person he killed was a fake. Later, after examining several unique scars and birthmarks on the corpse that were exclusive to Ouyang Feitian, he confirmed that he had indeed killed the right person. Han Li then lamented as he carried the head back to Jiayuan City.
Returning to the Mo Manor, after handing Ouyang Feitian’s head to Madam Yan for verification, Han Li learned from her that Ouyang Feitian practiced the topmost external toughness technique in the martial world called «Overlord Armor.» He had already trained his entire body to be impervious to blades and spears, and even the sharpest divine weapons that could cut iron like mud could not harm him in the slightest. Yet, unexpectedly, Han Li had removed his head in a single blow.
Only then did Han Li understand that Ouyang Feitian had likely mistaken his Sword Talisman for some kind of concealed weapon, so he didn’t dodge, allowing Han Li to succeed so easily.
The rest was simple. After Madam Yan confirmed the head, she immediately took out the jade and exchanged it with Han for the antidote. After obtaining the jade, Han Li declined Madam Yan’s earnest attempts to keep him, having no interest in socializing with the Mo Manor people. He immediately left Jiayuan City again and headed for Tai Nan Mountain.
Along the way, Han Li detoxified himself while thinking about how to meet and befriend the cultivators of Tai Nan Valley.
Since he didn’t know whether they were good or evil, Han Li didn’t plan to just go knocking on their door. If the cultivators inside were all heretics and demons, then going to them would be like offering himself up as a meal for them to swallow!
Therefore, when Han Li first arrived at Tai Nan Mountain, he started asking people in several nearby villages about any strange tales and peculiar happenings at Tai Nan Mountain. And sure enough, he managed to glean some useful information.
According to the villagers, on the northern side of Tai Nan Mountain, there was a slope that was said to be very mysterious. This slope was perpetually covered by thick white fog, so dense that you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face.
Normally, it was common for Tai Nan Mountain to have some fog, but a place as thick as this, with fog all year round, was simply too incredible.
Therefore, some bolder villagers had ventured into it a few times. But strangely, every time someone entered, they would unknowingly lose their direction, but not long after, they would unknowingly walk out of the fog and return to their starting point, leaving everyone astonished.
Because the slope was so unusual, and entering it didn’t result in any major incidents, more villagers enthusiastically charged in, trying to unravel the mystery. But it seemed that this behavior angered the fog on the slope. From some day onward, all villagers who entered the strange slope could no longer walk out of the fog immediately. Instead, they would be trapped for two or three days until they were hungry and weak before they could emerge.
Thus, no one dared to enter the strange slope anymore. Finally, the villagers became accustomed to it and simply ignored it.