Chapter 655

"How? You recognize me?" Han Li asked the black-robed elder with a faint gaze, his eyes flickering with unusual light.

"No, I mistook you for someone else. How could a junior possibly know a senior!" The black-robed elder shuddered under Han Li's icy gaze and stammered in frantic denial.

"Mistaken me?" Han Li merely stroked his chin, his gaze shifting away from the elder and sweeping over the others, as if he truly believed the man's words.

The gray-clad man glanced at the elder with mild confusion; though equally startled, he was in dire straits and had no time for other concerns—he only wished to flatter Han Li further and slip away unnoticed.

But Han Li did not wait for him to speak again; he spoke slowly:

"Since you are Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators and have discovered my whereabouts, you've simply drawn bad luck. Your lives—I take them!" As soon as the words left his lips, Han Li's expression turned icy. He swept his sleeve, and over a dozen emerald sword lights surged forth. As they exited the sleeve, they flickered in the wind, multiplying into thirty or forty blades that swept down upon the group like a tidal wave.

The gray-clad cultivator's face paled instantly at the chill in Han Li's voice. When he saw the terrifying power of Han Li's attack, his face turned ashen.

He had no intention of surrendering. Without hesitation, he spun rapidly, and countless black mists erupted around him, shielding his form. Then, a golden and a silver flying fork shot out from the mist, transforming into two monstrous golden and silver serpents that blocked the path ahead. Simultaneously, the gray-clad cultivator pushed his escape technique to its limit, turning into a streak of black smoke that fled backward, utterly abandoning the black-robed elder and the others to their fates.

The Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators were thrown into panic; all except the elder were instantly decapitated by the slashing emerald sword qi, offering not the slightest resistance. As the elder trembled in terror, Han Li flicked his finger—a slender emerald thread, hidden among the sword qi, shot instantly into the elder's body, and the man collapsed face-down at once.

Seeing this, Han Li no longer paid attention to the elder. His gaze shifted to the gray-clad cultivator, who had fled over a hundred zhang away, and a cold smile curled on his lips.

He calmly pointed at the sword lights. Instantly, over a hundred emerald lights converged into a single massive emerald greatsword. Then Han Li softly uttered, "Go."

The greatsword emitted a low, resonant hum, shuddered once, and transformed into a ten-zhang-long emerald rainbow, chasing the black smoke with impossible speed. In an instant, blinding emerald light exploded outward.

The gray-clad cultivator screamed. Whether the golden and silver serpents born from the flying forks or the protective black mist generated by his technique—all were obliterated in a single strike of the greatsword. Even the cultivator himself turned into a shower of crimson mist.

Only then did Han Li calmly recall his treasure. His gaze darkened as he turned back to the unconscious elder.

After a brief thought, Han Li raised one hand without hesitation. The elder's withered body shot upward with a soft whistle and landed in his grasp. A flash of emerald light appeared as his other hand pressed firmly onto the elder's skull.

After a full cup of tea's time, flame erupted in Han Li's palm. The elder vanished into ash, dissolving into thin air.

"So he was an outcast of the Joyful Sect. Dong Dong Xuaner! I never expected she'd also formed a Golden Core. But why send people to find me? This is truly odd." Han Li floated in midair, arms behind his back, a faint look of surprise on his face.

The black-robed elder's past was indeed complicated. He had once been a disciple of the Joyful Sect, but after committing a grave offense and violating sect rules, fearing soul extraction and spirit refining, he changed his name and identity and fled into the Ghost Spirit Sect, hiding ever since.

Han Li naturally did not care about such matters. What surprised him was that the elder had once served under Dong Dong Xuaner, when she had already formed her Golden Core. She had sent him and several other Joyful Sect disciples to desperately search for Han Li, even risking their lives by infiltrating the Nine Kingdoms Alliance to secretly track his whereabouts.

At that time, Han Li had already reached the Chaotic Star Seas. The matter naturally faded away.

It was then that the elder had seen Han Li's portrait—hence his shock upon recognizing him now.

Now, Han Li was deeply puzzled. He did not harbor any delusions that Dong Dong Xuaner fancied him, so her persistent search for him must conceal some hidden motive.

Unfortunately, the black-robed elder held low rank and knew nothing of the details.

After pondering for a while, Han Li still could not fathom why Dong Dong Xuaner sought him. He shook his head and set the matter aside.

No matter what her original reason or intent had been in sending people to find him, years had passed—chances were, it no longer mattered. And as a Nascent Soul cultivator now, he had no need to take it seriously.

With this thought, Han Li briefly disposed of the Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators' corpses, cast one last glance toward the former sect grounds of Huang Feng Valley, and departed from Mount Taiyue.

Unbeknownst to Han Li, at the same moment he slew Yu Hong, within a hidden meditation chamber at the former site of the Moon Conceal Sect, a pale-faced, gaunt, robed Daoist sat in deep meditation. Suddenly, he frowned and sighed deeply, reaching into his robe to pull out a dull, lifeless bone tablet.

The robed Daoist toyed with the tablet for a moment, then narrowed his eyes slightly, a shadow of cold malice flickering across his face.

After a while, he rose and stepped out of his meditation chamber.

Passing through a long corridor, he entered a grand hall, sat expressionlessly upon the stone chair in the center, and with a flash of white light, a small bronze bell appeared in his hand.

With a single, casual shake, the bell rang out with a deep, resonant tone—its sound echoing far beyond measure.

He then retracted the bell, sat motionless, and fell silent.

Moments later, three Core Formation cultivators rushed in from side doors—two men and one woman—standing solemnly below the elder, each bearing expressions of deep reverence.

"Just now, the life sigil on your sixth brother's spirit tablet went dark. He must have been murdered. I don't know how it happened, but no disciple of my Soul Shatter Sect may die without justice. Find the killer, bring him alive before me. I'd like to see who dares this." The robed Daoist spoke calmly, as if ordering a trivial errand.

"Yes, Master. We three shall act immediately," the three cultivators replied in unison, startled but bowing respectfully.

"Hmm. I hope the next time I summon you, the killer is already bound in the Captured Immortal Prison." The robed Daoist—Soul Shatter True Person of the Ghost Spirit Sect—nodded, rose, and left the hall without another word.

The hall was left with only the three Core Formation Soul Shatter Sect disciples.

"Fifth sister, send a message to the Taiyue branch immediately—see if they know anything about the sixth brother's death. If not, order them to dispatch men to track the killer's trail. Que Sect Brother! You're on good terms with the branch leaders of other outposts—ask if they've noticed any unfamiliar high-level cultivators in Yue State recently. As for us, each of us will send our most capable disciples to investigate the last known location of the sixth brother—look for any clues. Once we receive news, we'll act together and capture him. After all, whoever killed the sixth brother must be powerful. We must proceed with caution." The lean, black-clad cultivator spoke with clear, orderly logic after only a moment's thought.

The other two were a woman in her thirties, still radiating charm, and a brooding, elegantly dressed scholar brimming with dark aura.

The woman smiled faintly in response. The scholar frowned slightly, showing signs of hesitation, then reluctantly nodded after a pause.

"Que Sect Brother, I know you and the sixth brother never got along—even had disagreements. But this matter was ordered by our Master himself. If you fail, you know the consequences. Don't forget what happened to Second Brother and Seventh Brother when they failed their tasks." The black-clad man fixed his gaze on the scholar, coldly.

"How could I? Though I had disputes with the sixth brother, he is now dead—and this is our Master's command. I will spare no effort. Third Brother, rest assured." The scholar's face paled; he forced a laugh.

"Good. You understand the stakes. Now, divide your tasks." The black-clad man relaxed slightly.

The two men and one woman then left the hall, each to carry out their assignments.

Several days later, Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators indeed traced the vanished disciples' path to the site where Han Li had slain them. After careful investigation, Han Li's former cave was exposed.

Upon hearing the news, the three Soul Shatter Sect disciples personally led a group of disciples to Mount Taiyue. They stood before Han Li's abandoned cave, staring at the massive pit left behind after the spiritual spring had been moved. All three exchanged uneasy glances.

Meanwhile, far away, in another location:

Han Han Yunzhi and the Liu woman, along with the several Yu Ling Sect disciples, appeared atop a stretch of towering, rugged mountains, swiftly passing through the region and entering Yue State.

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