Chapter 653

"Hmph! Nonsense. This woman is perfectly fine; she has some connection with me as well. But since she saw some of our dealings today, it's best to quietly erase those memories. Otherwise, if word leaks out by accident, not only will I be in trouble, but she'll invite death upon herself." Han Li sneered, his tone sharp.

He said no more, a flash of green light crossing his face as he pressed his open palm against the woman's head, activating the "Dream Guidance Technique" recorded in the Dark Yin Scripture, sealing and altering the relevant memories so she would believe she had merely encountered a generous elder cultivator who generously bestowed upon her a Foundation Establishment Pill and some medicinal pills. All memories tied to Han Li were completely sealed away.

This secret art of altering another's spiritual sense was far beyond the Control Spirit Technique, the Wu You Needle, or the Forget-Dust Pill. Unless a cultivator of vastly superior cultivation base personally undid the spell, there was no way to reverse it.

Yet this technique could only be used when the cultivator's cultivation base vastly surpassed the target's; otherwise, the recipient risked severe spiritual sense damage.

Han Li had only dared to use it because the woman's cultivation was far too low.

After a full quarter-hour, Han Li finished the spell; the woman remained unconscious.

He gently placed the woman back on the chair, then took the opportunity to pay respects at the pavilion housing the spirit tablets of Xin Ru Yin and Qi Qi Yunxiao, reducing the head of the Fu family's ancestral elder to ashes before quietly leaving.

…

"Master, what exactly is inside the jade slip? You seem to value it greatly." Yin Yue, having reverted to her spirit form, asked curiously within Han Li's mind.

"It's a manual on ancient battlefield arrays from the Primitive Era, containing several profound ancient formations. At my current level of array comprehension, I can't grasp them anytime soon. But besides the arrays, the very end records a peculiar secret technique—I found it quite intriguing." Han Li said slowly as he flew high through the sky.

"Secret technique? With your current knowledge and the complete Dark Yin Scripture, what secret technique could possibly interest you?" Yin Yue laughed softly, yet her curiosity deepened threefold.

"Have you ever heard of the famed divine art 'One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones'?" Han Li smiled faintly, speaking calmly.

"What? Are you saying this manual records that Daoist sect's supreme art!" Yin Yue's light laugh cut off abruptly; her voice trembled with excitement.

"Of course not," Han Li denied outright.

"Ah? Then why mention that Daoist divine art? Are you teasing me? I said such an anti-heaven technique—how could the Daoist sect ever let it leak? Even they don't know if it's been lost!" Yin Yue deflated.

"The technique recorded in the jade slip isn't the One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones—but it is a similar demonic divine art called 'Xuan Mu Hua Ying'." Han Li's previously calm expression turned peculiar, a flicker of excitement visible in his eyes.

"Xuan Mu Hua Ying? What kind of art is that? I've never heard of it." Yin Yue paused, startled.

"I've never heard of it either—but this art is a genuine method for cultivating a second primordial spirit, even capable of nurturing a second Nascent Soul." Han Li's voice grew solemn.

"A second Nascent Soul! Really? Can this art truly achieve that? Even if it's not as powerful as One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones, it's still a divine art of comparable rank!" Yin Yue perked up again. The greater Han Li's power, the closer she drew to her goal.

"Whether it's real or not, I don't know yet. I must return to the Luoyun Sect and study it carefully. But the arrays recorded earlier in the jade slip are undeniably ancient formations. Since they're copied onto the same jade slip, they're likely genuine." After a brief surge of emotion, Han Li's voice regained its calm.

"Hmm, someone actually delivered this technique straight to your doorstep—your fortune truly is remarkable. But although demonic secret arts are nearly as potent as Daoist ones and somewhat easier to cultivate, they always carry some degree of haste and greed, leaving behind numerous flaws. The more powerful the art, the more obvious the drawbacks. Master, you must examine this technique closely for any hidden dangers." Yin Yue remembered something and warned him.

"I know that already—I'll be cautious. If there are any flaws, I won't cultivate it." Han Li replied with full clarity.

Hearing this, Yin Yue relaxed. But then she asked, slightly puzzled:

"Master, the direction you're flying now doesn't seem to be toward Xi Country. Aren't you planning to return to Luoyun Sect?"

"Not yet. Since I'm already here, I intend to visit Yue Country. After all, I was born there—there are still some worldly ties I must sever. Otherwise, lingering attachments will disturb my heart, hindering my future cultivation progress." Han Li sighed, speaking frankly.

"That's wise. At your current level, only by completely severing all worldly ties can you truly pursue the Supreme Dao." Yin Yue fell silent for a moment, then agreed.

"Enough talk. I'm going all out now." Han Li spoke coldly, ending the conversation, then suddenly transformed into a streak of green light, breaking through the sky at a speed several times faster than before—vanishing in an instant.

Han Li did not know that, thousands of miles away, several green-robed cultivators were secretly discussing something in a forest, each face etched with fear.

"What do we do? Several more days have passed, and we still have no trace of the Spirit Infant. If we don't recover it within three months, the sect will surely send an Enforcement Officer." A burly man, visibly frantic, spoke to the others.

"Hmph! The order to recover the Nascent Soul within three months was probably just the Ancestor's angry words. Everyone knows that once the Supreme Wood Spirit Infant breaks free of its seals, none of us Foundation Establishment cultivators can reseal it. But if we have no clue at all to its whereabouts, we're truly doomed." A middle-aged scholar with a cold, grim face spoke equally grimly.

"But this isn't our fault! It was Master Ning, who was assigned to guard the Spirit Infant, who dismissed us juniors and defied orders, attempting to forcibly merge with it—and got backfired and killed. By the time we arrived, the Spirit Infant was already gone. We have tools to suppress and track it, but its speed is too great—we can't catch it. And now, since it's been isolated by the seal, we can't sense it at all." A plain-looking green-robed woman spoke anxiously in her defense.

"Save that explanation for the Enforcement Officer when he arrives. Fortunately, we've heard that Mistress Han and Master Liu are coming to assist us. With their Wood Spirit Roots and cultivation levels, even if the Spirit Infant is sealed, they should still be able to locate it. Still, I'm curious—how could anyone have sealed such a ferocious thing as the Supreme Wood Spirit Infant without special tools? It's inconceivable." The scholar snorted, deeply puzzled.

"Enough. Regardless of who sealed the Spirit Infant, if we find that person's whereabouts, we'll save our lives. Didn't you hear the message? Ancestor Kuang will personally intervene." The last speaker, an old man with faintly yellow eyebrows, spoke coldly.

"Second Brother is right—we're lucky just to keep our lives. But the problem is, one of our teleportation arrays is broken. Masters Han and Liu must fly two full days through the air to reach the next teleportation array under our sect's control. By my estimate, they should arrive in one or two days. During that time, could the cultivator who sealed the Spirit Infant have left Yuanwu Country for another? We don't even know which country he's from." The burly man frowned, showing concern.

"Hehe! You four don't know yet—Mistress Han and Master Liu are the designated candidates to merge with the Spirit Infant. Years ago, they specifically cultivated a secret art prepared for this very purpose. Even from afar, they can sense the direction of the Spirit Infant. The cultivator who sealed it cannot escape their perception." The old man spoke with grim confidence.

Hearing this, the other three relaxed slightly, exhaling in relief. But the scholar's eyes flickered with doubt.

"Still… could the cultivator who sealed the Supreme Wood Spirit Infant be the same one who exterminated the entire Fu family? Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence? The Spirit Infant vanished near the Fu estate—and days later, the Fu family was wiped out. Our plan to use the Fu family's influence has collapsed. Could that person have known of our connection to the Fu family and deliberately struck so brutally?"

"Ninth Younger Brother, you're overthinking. How could the enemy possibly know about our sect's minor ties to the Fu family? It's almost certainly coincidence. Still, two Nascent Soul elders appearing in the same place at once is highly unlikely—perhaps it really is the same cultivator." The woman first shook her head, then, after analysis, began to waver between doubt and belief.

"Oh? What do you mean by 'same person'? Tell us." A soft, youthful female voice drifted lazily from behind a large tree. A white shadow flickered, and two slender, graceful white-robed women appeared side by side before them.

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