45: Han Li's choice

"First, I need to find Han Li," Lin Feng decided in his heart.

He composed himself, spreading his Divine Sense out again to search meticulously.

Within this Blood Forbidden Ground, the terrain was complex, Yao Beasts ran rampant, and his Divine Sense was greatly suppressed. To find one or two specific people in such a vast crowd was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

But Lin Feng was different; he was too familiar with Han Li's aura. After all, he had been "spying" on Han Li for two and a half years.

"Hm?"

After searching for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Lin Feng's Divine Sense stirred slightly, and a faint, almost imperceptible smile touched the corner of his lips.

"Found him!"

His figure flickered, disappearing from his original spot. The next moment, he appeared high above a dense forest dozens of miles away.

To avoid unnecessary attention, Lin Feng slapped an Advanced Qi Concealment Talisman and an Invisibility Talisman on himself, perfectly concealing his aura and figure. Only then did he cautiously fly towards the direction he sensed.

Passing through layers of blood-red canopies, Lin Feng quickly stopped beneath a towering giant tree that would require over a dozen people to embrace.

A faint yet familiar aura emanated from a hidden tree hollow in this giant tree.

"As expected of Old Devil Han's style, cautious enough," Lin Feng chuckled inwardly.

His Divine Sense stealthily probed into the tree hollow, where he saw a plain-looking young man dressed in Huangfeng Valley Disciple robes, sitting cross-legged deep within the hollow, his eyes tightly closed, his body covered by a faint layer of spiritual light.

It was Han Li.

At this moment, Han Li was carefully performing a Qi Concealment Spell, reducing his aura to the extreme. This Qi Concealment Spell was an active Spell; once he made any movement or his magical power fluctuated, it would immediately fail, far less convenient and reliable than the Advanced Qi Concealment Talisman Lin Feng had casually thrown out.

Han Li hid within this tree hollow, his expression showing a hint of tension and unease.

After entering the Blood Forbidden Ground, he was randomly teleported to this area. Being new, and feeling the strong suppression of Divine Sense and the pervasive scent of blood in the air, he immediately found this hidden tree hollow to hide in, intending to observe the situation first.

After all, in this world, he had not experienced the life-and-death struggle with Lu Yunfeng, so he wasn't entirely confident in his true strength. The Cultivation world was full of dangers, so caution was paramount.

Just as Han Li held his breath and concentrated, outside the tree hollow, sounds of magical power fluctuations and clashing weapons suddenly rang out.

"Senior Brother from Huadao Wu, can you not spare this Junior Sister? Junior Sister is willing to serve Senior Brother for a night!"

At the brink of death, the woman finally disregarded shame and used a woman's greatest asset to tempt the other party. However, whether she would succeed, the woman had no confidence after witnessing the man's methods.

"Alright, put away your Magical Artifact, and I'll agree to you!" The speaker was an eighteen or nineteen-year-old young man in a green robe, with delicate features, rosy lips, and white teeth, looking like a handsome gentleman.

After saying this, the man suspended his two Flying Swords in mid-air, then looked at the woman with a slight smile.

The Yanyue Sect woman was overjoyed and hurriedly threw two flirtatious glances at the man. After a slight hesitation, she slowly lowered her silk scarf, collecting it into her hand, then puffed out her chest, about to say something.

Unfortunately, before her cherry lips could open, the handsome man's face suddenly revealed Killing Intent. He pointed a finger sharply, and the two red Flying Swords immediately crossed like lightning, scissoring downwards. The woman fell to the ground silently, blood flowing everywhere.

"Bitch! How dare a common hussy like you try to bewitch me, Han Tianya!" The handsome man's face showed disgust, and his voice suddenly became somewhat sharp. Then, he pulled out a fragrant handkerchief from his waist and delicately wiped the dust from his face, his movements very feminine and graceful, like a well-bred young lady.

"I should hurry on my way. Maybe I'll even run into a few people to relieve my boredom!" After muttering to himself, the man casually tossed the used handkerchief onto the woman's face and swayed his hips as he left.

Lin Feng, high in the sky, felt a chill. He hadn't expected such a 'gem' to exist in the Cultivation world!

Han Li, in the tree hollow, felt his heart tighten. He immediately circulated his Qi Concealment Spell to its extreme, even slowing his breathing significantly, fearing being discovered by the man who preferred other men.

Is this the cruelty of the Cultivation world? Outside, the Seven Sects were so harmonious, but he didn't expect that after entering the Blood Forbidden Ground, a disagreement would lead to a fight to the death.

Only when the Huadao Wu male Cultivator had gone far did Han Li let out a long breath, his tense nerves finally relaxing a little.

"It seems this Forbidden Ground is several times more dangerous than I imagined. I should find a place to hide first and wait for the commotion to pass," Han Li mused. His primary goal was the main ingredient for the Foundation Establishment Pill, and he didn't want to needlessly fight people, waste magical power, or even lose his life.

The scene of that Huadao Wu Cultivator killing the Yanyue Sect female Cultivator was still vivid in his mind.

"Old Devil Han is still Old Devil Han; this level of caution is indeed unmatched."

However, Lin Feng had no intention of letting Han Li hide away so peacefully.

"You've encountered a fellow Sect Junior Sister in danger; let's see if you, old demon, will save her or not!"

Lin Feng silently arrived a few miles away, his Divine Sense locking onto a Huangfeng Valley female Disciple who was cautiously picking Spiritual Plants. The female Disciple was about twenty years old, with delicate features and a cultivation of around Qi Refining Level 12.

Lin Feng flicked his finger, and an imperceptible magical power fluctuation struck a rock not far from the female Disciple.

"Clatter."

A light sound, exceptionally clear in the quiet forest.

"Who's there?" The Huangfeng Valley female Disciple was startled, suddenly stood up, and vigilantly looked towards the direction of the sound.

She didn't find anything unusual, but a warning sign had already arisen in her heart.

Lin Feng then repeated his trick, creating some subtle movements in another direction she was heading, while skillfully leaving a faint, peculiar fragrance, as if from a ripening Spirit Medicine, luring her closer to Han Li's location.

After doing this, Lin Feng did the same on the other side, leading another isolated Yanyue Sect female Disciple, who was at Qi Refining Perfection and whose Magical Artifacts glowed, indicating she was quite wealthy, towards the giant tree where Han Li was hiding.

"Now there's a good show to watch," Lin Feng, hidden in the clouds, waited leisurely.

Sure enough, not long after, the Huangfeng Valley female Disciple followed the "traces" Lin Feng had deliberately left, groping her way to the vicinity of the giant tree where Han Li was hiding.

Almost simultaneously, the Yanyue Sect female Disciple also arrived from another direction.

The two women almost ran into each other head-on.

Both women recognized each other's Sect robes at the same time, their eyes instantly becoming vigilant.

Within this Blood Forbidden Ground, encounters between Disciples of different Sects often meant conflict and slaughter.

"Leave your things and I'll spare your life!" The Yanyue Sect female Disciple raised her eyebrows and said coldly. She seemed accustomed to being pampered and didn't think much of the woman in front of her.

"Hmph, within the Blood Forbidden Ground, it's ownerless land. Whoever discovers it first claims it? What a joke!" The Huangfeng Valley female Disciple, having cultivated this far, was not to be trifled with and immediately retorted. She also saw that the other party's cultivation was slightly higher, but she had just sensed a fellow Disciple nearby, so she wasn't afraid of a fight.

"In that case, you can die!" The Yanyue Sect female Disciple clearly didn't want to waste any more words. She flipped her hand, and a crystal ball appeared in her palm, which she conjured towards the Huangfeng Valley female Cultivator.

"I'm not afraid of you!" The Huangfeng Valley female Disciple also refused to be outdone, taking out a Flying Sword and conjuring it to shoot directly towards the crystal ball.

The next moment, the crystal ball glowed brightly, and a red mist actually trapped the Flying Sword.

The Yanyue Sect female Disciple's cultivation was already a notch higher, and her Magical Artifact was even more formidable. After the crystal ball trapped the Flying Sword, she conjured a mirror that shot out beams of spiritual light, forcing the Huangfeng Valley female Disciple to retreat step by step.

"Puff!"

Carelessly, the Huangfeng Valley female Disciple's shoulder was grazed by the spiritual light, and blood immediately stained her clothes.

The Huangfeng Valley female Disciple cried out in pain, her face pale. She knew she was no match for the other party, and continuing the fight would likely cost her life.

She gritted her teeth, feigned a move, and turned to flee.

"Trying to run? Not so easy!" The Yanyue Sect female Disciple sneered, urging her crystal ball to pursue relentlessly.

The Huangfeng Valley female Disciple, fleeing in desperation, was heading precisely towards the giant tree where Han Li was hiding!

The bracelet on her wrist was now slightly warm, emitting a faint sensation. This was a token among Huangfeng Valley Disciples that allowed them to sense each other within a certain range.

"Hm? A fellow Disciple is nearby!" The Huangfeng Valley female Disciple's heart filled with joy, as if she had grasped a life-saving straw.

While desperately dodging the attacks behind her, she shouted loudly towards the giant tree: "Senior Brother ahead! Which Senior Brother is here? Please lend a hand, Junior Sister will be eternally grateful!"

Her voice was shrill, with a hint of a sob, and it carried far.

Inside the tree hollow, Han Li, who was just congratulating himself on having escaped a calamity, felt his heart tighten abruptly upon hearing the cry for help.

He peered out through a crack in the tree hollow and saw a female Disciple dressed in Huangfeng Valley robes, disheveled and covered in blood, fleeing towards him. Behind her, a Yanyue Sect female Disciple held a crystal ball, chasing her with Killing Intent.

"Should I intervene?" Han Li frowned, falling into a dilemma.

His purpose for this trip was the main ingredient for the Foundation Establishment Pill. It was naturally best not to cause extra trouble. Fighting with others would not only expose himself but could also attract more powerful enemies, or even cost him his life.

The scene of that Huadao Wu Cultivator slaying the Yanyue Sect female Cultivator was still fresh in his memory.

However, the other party was a fellow Disciple, and she was crying out for help by name. If he ignored her and watched her die in front of him, it seemed somewhat unjustifiable.

"Senior Brother! Save me! As long as Senior Brother is willing to help, Junior Sister will repay you handsomely!" The Huangfeng Valley woman's voice grew closer and more desperate.

She could already see the giant tree and sensed her fellow Disciple's aura within the tree, but that person still hadn't appeared.

Listening to the female Disciple's tearful and hopeful cries for help outside, Han Li grew increasingly agitated. He tightened his grip on the golden brick Talisman Treasure hidden in his sleeve and touched the Storage Pouch at his waist, which contained his unused [Golden Cicada Mother-Child Blades] and [Mystic Iron Flying Shield].

"Forget it, I'll see the situation first. If there's an opportunity, I'll help her, but if it's too dangerous..." Han Li's eyes flickered, still not planning to go out immediately.

Above the clouds, Lin Feng saw Han Li's hesitation and struggle clearly, and his brows furrowed slightly.

"He should have intervened by now in the original work, why is he being such a coward?"

Lin Feng was somewhat puzzled, then suddenly realized.

Under his intervention, the current Han Li had not experienced a life-and-death struggle with Lu Yunfeng, and his combat experience was rusty. Moreover, that Thunderfire Bead had been intercepted by Lin Feng, so Han Li probably wasn't too confident in his own strength at this moment.

He watched as the crystal ball's ray from the Yanyue Sect female Disciple, carrying a sharp cold light, was already striking towards the female Disciple's back, unavoidable.

And Han Li was still hiding in the tree hollow, only his forehead seeping with fine beads of sweat, seemingly engaged in a fierce internal struggle.

"How indecisive," Lin Feng thought, somewhat speechless.

But the female Disciple's predicament was his doing, and as a modern person, his moral compass wouldn't allow him to ignore it.

...