45-53

Chapter 45. Agreement Reached

The elderly man in gray was filled with a brimming spirit, letting out a roaring laughter, "Little girl, your cultivation partner is truly a coward, deserting you in a crucial moment! Perhaps if you two had faced me together, you could've resisted for a few rounds, but now, you can only be broken one by one! I'll capture you first, then tear your cultivation partner to pieces!"

Immediately after, a colossal black claw stretched out, striking towards Chu Ruolin.

Confronting the early-stage Foundation Establishment old man before her, Chu Ruolin's icy gaze was filled with murderous intent and rage.

Shu Han, who had already fled several hundred steps away, silently apologized in his heart.

"Sorry, with my life hanging by a thread, I had no choice but to use you. I know you're not simple, you surely won't be easily killed by that old ghost."

Suddenly, he felt the shock of a violent collision behind him.

Shu Han opened the map, planning to find another mine tunnel far from this location to hide again. However, soon he heard the voice of the old man in gray coming from behind.

"You little rabbit, wait for me!"

Shu Han's back went cold, and he broke into a run. Did Chu Ruolin in white fall so quickly?

"Wait for your death!"

But then, he suddenly found that he was unable to move his feet. Despite controlling his Flowing Boots, pinching the Wind Control technique, he should be fleet-footed, taking ten steps in one stride, yet he not only did not move forward an inch but continued to be pulled backward. At this moment, he saw faint glowing threads entwining his body, dragging him backward.

This force was irresistible, he felt like a leaf being swallowed by a whirlpool, and even struggling in vain was useless.

"What?!"

Shu Han was terrified, when did the gray-robed old man have such a technique? If he had such a terrifying technique, why didn't he use it earlier? Why did he chase him all this way with such a painstaking effort?

The pull was getting stronger, the surrounding scenery began to rush by rapidly, in an instant, Shu Han was dragged back into the massive mine cavern he had just been in. At this point, he found the gray-robed old man had been beaten into a mess, his body also entwined by the glowing threads. And the source of those many threads was surprisingly Chu Ruolin, hanging in the center of the mine cavern!

A terrifying aura rippled wave after wave throughout the mine. Shu Han was completely stupefied as he looked toward Chu Ruolin. She was also a Foundation Establishment power! Moreover, her Foundation Establishment aura was steadily climbing. The old man in grey was terrified to his core, murmuring, "Early Foundation Establishment... Mid Foundation Establishment... Mid peak... Late Foundation Establishment... Heavens, her aura is still rising! Who on earth is she?"

Hearing the old man's words, Shu Han realized he had just escaped the wolf's den only to enter the tiger's cave!

Late Foundation Establishment! This was beyond comparison, it was suicide!

Chu Ruolin in white was perched high above, coldly observing the ashen-faced old man and youth below. Her white veil fluttered along with her rising aura, intermittently revealing her startling visage.

"You've angered me, you're both doomed!"

As her words fell, the glowing threads that entwined the two tightened immediately. The fragile threads instantly became as sharp as blades, the next moment ready to tear Shu Han to shreds.

Fear gripped Shu Han's heart, he immediately stimulated the Eight Treasure Kirin Armor to its full power. The eight-colored treasure light erupted, but the threads paid no heed to the treasure light's defense, cutting through the Eight Treasure Kirin Armor as if it were tofu. The armor immediately shattered into fragments on the ground, and the next moment, it would be Shu Han's body that turned into fragments.

This is the end of me!

However, the next moment, a five-colored brilliance converged in the mine. The old man's voice sounded again.

"A Core Formation expert has visited this mine, what a rare guest! But your action has disturbed the balance of my layout! I'd rather you leave the mine and let these youngsters fight."

Chu Ruolin stared at the head formed by the five-colored light, speaking coldly, "Hand over the top-grade spirit stone to me and I'll leave this place. If not, I'll turn this place upside down to get you out!"

The old man burst into laughter, "A little girl dares to ask me for the top-grade spirit stone! Your fluctuating cultivation level is not enough to make me take real action. Since you want to stay and play, I'll give you the opportunity, but your cultivation level must be suppressed!"

As he finished speaking, the face made of spirit energy transformed into a giant hand, mercilessly smashing down toward Chu Ruolin in white.

"How dare you!"

Chu Ruolin retaliated fiercely, pushing back the falling giant hand.

In an instant, blinding radiance filled the entire mine, a terrifying aura pressed down, Shu Han quickly curled up, deploying his Extreme Cold Mystical Iron Shield to protect his body, just managing to resist the spiritual pressure erupting from their battle.

When the pressure dissipated, Shu Han rose to his feet and saw a white figure falling from mid-air. The spirit energy once again transformed into the old man's face, roaring with laughter.

"Girl, you are far from being my match! I'm issuing a new task now. If any insignificant ant doesn't want to participate in this killing competition, just kill this woman in white. I, myself, will escort you out of the mine and gift you five thousand low-quality spirit stones!"

Chu Ruolin in white quickly sat cross-legged, a mouthful of fresh blood she couldn't help but spew out stained her white veil. Now, her aura was really suppressed, even to the point where she was in the twelfth layer of the Qi Refining stage, without any Foundation Establishment period's power.

Seeing this, the old man in grey got up laughing heartily, looking maliciously at the seated Chu Ruolin, "Who would have thought, I, Old Black Claw, would be able to kill a Core Formation cultivator one day!" He turned to Shu Han, shouting, "Hey, lad, both of us were nearly killed by this Core Formation cultivator. How about we put down our enmity for now, team up to kill this woman, and I won't move against you anymore!"

Shu Han also laughed, "That's exactly what I wanted! In that case, please make the first move, senior, and I will provide support from the rear."

"Good! Let's do this!"

Saying this, the old man in grey extended his black claw toward Chu Ruolin who was in meditation.

However, Shu Han was behind, commanding the Heavenly Quadrant Sword Formation, turning it into a giant sword, directly slashing toward the grey-clothed old man's neck.

The grey-clothed old man's forward black claw was a feint. Suddenly, a small sword sheathed from his hairpin met Shu Han's giant sword.

Clang!

The two swords collided, neither able to overpower the other. Both of them retreated after their unsuccessful attacks, shouting in unison.

"I knew it! You old ghost (kid), you've got no good intentions!"

Shu Han sighed deeply, "It seems neither of us trusts each other. Before other cultivators come, let's just settle this directly!"

The old man in grey smirked, "Kid, your proposal suits me just fine! If you wish to die, how can I not oblige?"

"Let's see who's really courting death!"

Shu Han pulled out his trump card, the Four Phases Array Plate, from his storage bag and firmly stomped it on the ground.

Crash!

Four mid-grade spirit stones flowed out in a line, falling into the four slots of the Four Phases Array Plate. Immediately, a vast amount of spiritual power burst out from it.

The grey-clothed old man was taken aback.

"Four mid-grade spirit stones, kid, you're so rich?"

Shu Han laughed wildly, "Old dog! You're still oblivious as death approaches! Four Phases Array, execute!"

With that, he slapped his hand on the Four Phases Array Plate, and a dazzling spiritual light exploded from the plate.

The grey-clothed old man was frightened by Shu Han's wild words and immediately urged all his strength to activate the power around him. Black energy enveloped him in an instant, and the black little sword also began to spin at his brow. However, after waiting for a while, he found that nothing came out of the strange magic tool. The old man couldn't help but scoff, "Boy, stop trying to scare..."

Boom!

A massive pressure came from the sky, and the grey-clothed old man was unable to resist instantly, directly being forced to kneel on one knee. He looked up in horror to see four layers of intricate array patterns intersecting above his head, rotating around each other like a grinding wheel, gradually compressing his living space.

The grey-clothed old man was greatly frightened, his power and defenses were being rapidly erased. He was unwilling, not understanding how this Qi Refining stage boy had such a strange magic treasure!

The grey-clothed old man gritted his teeth, directly spitting out a mouthful of essence blood, transforming into a blood mist to wrap around him. In an instant, his magical power greatly increased, actually resisting the grinding of the Four Phases Array patterns.

Shu Han was nervous, the four middle-grade spirit stones on the Four Phases Array Plate were rapidly fading. This meant that the spirit power in them was being quickly consumed.

Under the grinding of the Four Phases array patterns, the grey-clothed old man weakened a bit more. He spat out essence blood once again, and his level of magical power had a temporary rebound.

He was unwilling, thinking if he had known earlier, he would not have provoked this troublesome boy. This strange magic treasure was actually something even he, at the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage, couldn't contend with. If it weren't for the essence blood he burst out, his body would have been ground away by now. He stared at the Four Phases Array Plate in Shu Han's hand, also seeing the four middle-grade spirit stones rapidly losing spiritual power.

"Almost there! Just need to hold on a bit longer, drain the spiritual power from the spirit stones, then this boy will have no other options."

Finally, he saw the middle-grade spirit stones on the Four Phases Array Plate squeeze out the last bit of spiritual power, and indeed, the pressure on his body greatly reduced. The grey-clothed old man couldn't help but laugh heartily, immediately rising his magical power to counterattack, but what happened next made him feel like his liver and gallbladder were about to split.

Shu Han calmly discarded the four dim middle-grade spirit stones and nonchalantly pulled out another four from his storage bag.

Puff!

The grey-clothed old man spat out a mouthful of old blood. This was not his method of self-destructing essence blood to enhance his magical power, but he was truly infuriated to the point of vomiting blood.

"How rich are you, kid..."

Shu Han laughed heartily, again fully urging the Four Phases Array Plate. The grey-clothed old man finally couldn't hold on, all his black energy was dispersed, and like a dead dog, he was smacked into the stones by the Four Phases Array patterns. Shu Han mentally commanded, and the Heavenly Quadrant Sword Formation immediately flew over.

The grey-clothed old man didn't even have time to react when he suddenly felt a chill below his neck. His neck was pierced by the Heavenly Sword.

"You stinky kid..."

The grey-clothed old man breathed his last.

Shu Han quickly rushed over, directly putting the body of the black-clothed old man into his storage bag.

At this moment, he couldn't help but feel a secret delight. He never thought that the Four Phases Array Plate would be so powerful, making an early stage peak of the Foundation Establishment powerless to resist. Moreover, he got a Foundation Establishment stage corpse, which would be useful in the future for his External Incarnation Technique if he could get out. Then he looked at the Four Phases Array Plate and found that a crack had appeared on the edge. This made him heartbroken.

It seems that the owner of Treasure Light Pavilion was right, this Four Phases Array Plate really couldn't be used many more times.

Packing up the Four Phases Array Plate, Shu Han looked at Chu Ruolin who was sitting cross-legged next to him, and immediately had the Heavenly Quadrant Sword Formation circling beside him.

Feeling Shu Han approaching, Chu Ruolin opened her cold eyes and stared at him, saying icily, "Boy, do you want to make a move against me? Fine, I'm at a disadvantage now, not only severely injured but also suppressed by that old ghost. If you want to make a move, just come and see if you can do it!"

Shu Han squatted in front of her, staring into her eyes, and he felt conflicted.

In the end, Shu Han sighed and said, "Senior, it's true that I was the first to offend, but I was being chased by that old man and had no other way, so I thought of shifting the trouble elsewhere, just seeking self-protection. I hope senior can understand."

"Understand?" Chu Ruolin hummed, "You clearly had the power to kill that man, but you put the blame on me. You dared to be disrespectful and made a move, how can I understand?"

Shu Han scratched his head in embarrassment and said, "Well, after all, in order to survive here, I have to reserve some means. Anyway, whatever I do is wrong, it's all my fault, I didn't mean to make an enemy of seniors, nor did I want to take advantage of others' difficulties. So senior, please take care, I have to hide for a while."

Chu Ruolin looked surprised, "Now is your only chance to kill me. If you don't kill me now and I recover from my injuries, you won't have this opportunity anymore! And considering what you did just now, I will not let you go."

Shu Han smiled bitterly, "Wow, then I pray that I won't meet senior in the future."

With that, Shu Han turned and wanted to leave. In theory, Chu Ruolin did have the intent to kill him, and now was indeed a good opportunity to kill Chu Ruolin in return. But he didn't dare!

Shu Han was sure a Core Formation stage senior like Chu Ruolin would have some cards up her sleeve. Even if her magic power was suppressed, even if she was severely injured, if he pushed her too hard, he would definitely lose his life.

Let others deal with her. After all, she was now the target of public criticism, and she certainly wouldn't have time to deal with him.

"Wait!"

Chu Ruolin stopped Shu Han.

"Come back!"

Shu Han shook his head decisively, "I won't come back!"

Chu Ruolin was irritated, she angrily said, "If you don't come back, don't blame me for being ruthless, I'll kill you directly!"

Shu Han immediately turned around and returned to Chu Ruolin's side.

"Senior, you still have your cultivation suppressed, how can you be so overbearing? You should be able to protect yourself. Please don't make things difficult for me!"

Chu Ruolin said, "Although my cultivation is suppressed, and I can't deal with many cultivators, I have more than enough power to kill you."

Next, Chu Ruolin weakly took off her bloody veil, revealing her stunning face. Shu Han was taken aback when he saw her face. He had never imagined that there could be such a breathtakingly beautiful woman in this world. But he quickly shook his head, no matter how beautiful, this was a formidable enemy!

Chu Ruolin scrutinized Shu Han and coldly asked, "Boy, how old are you? What's your name?"

"Senior, my name is Shu Han, and I am twenty years old."

Chu Ruolin frowned, "You are able to fight with a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator at the age of twenty? Are you joking with me?"

Shu Han was at a loss for words and stammered, "This... purely a matter of luck... Senior, how old are you?"

"Eight hundred and twenty-three."

Shu Han: ...

While regulating her breath, Chu Ruolin said to Shu Han, "I see you are cunning, but your heart is not bad, and your strength is considerable. How about this, you protect me in the vein, we will write off the insult you caused me, and I owe you a favor. How does that sound?"

"This... I can't do that!"

Shu Han thought to himself: if I were to protect you, I'd have to be capable of doing that! Everyone in the vein is looking for you right now, how can I be an enemy of so many cultivators?

Chu Ruolin smiled faintly, "I say you can, so you can! Moreover, you don't need to protect me for too long. Just hold on for forty-nine hours, I can recover to the Core Formation stage, easily break through the barrier here, and take you out with me."

"Is... is that possible?"

Suddenly Chu Ruolin's eyes burst with murderous intent.

"Only dead people can refuse me!"

Shu Han almost wanted to cry, couldn't your overbearing attitude be used for self-protection? Why do you have to threaten me?

He reluctantly said, "Since senior has said so, I can only try my best to protect you. The target here is too big, please move with me."

But Chu Ruolin said, "I am concentrating on breaking the restriction that the old ghost put on me and can't move for the time being, you carry me!"

"In that case, I'll take the liberty!"

After that, Shu Han opened the map. The area where they could move had shrunk by a third. He chose a marginal mine tunnel and decided to hide there for a while.

Then he picked up Chu Ruolin and ran.

Chu Ruolin exclaimed, never expecting that this boy would dare to directly hold her in his arms. She gritted her teeth and said angrily, "At this time, you still dare to take advantage of me? Can't you carry me on your back?"

Shu Han held back the urge to roll his eyes.

"I thought there is a blind spot behind. If someone attacks from behind, I could still block it for the senior. But if the senior prefers that, I will follow your will."

Shu Han turned his hand and tossed Chu Ruolin to his back, supporting her thighs and sprinting.

Chu Ruolin was even more embarrassed. Having her legs held by someone, and her chest constantly bumping into this young boy made her feel utterly humiliated.

"You might as well hold me in front..."

Shu Han: ...What on earth are you trying to do?

Chapter 46. Level Up Difficulty

Shu Han carried Chu Ruolin and ran all the way. Along the way, they indeed encountered a few who were blind to their situation. Shu Han didn't hold back and used all his skills, killing these low-cultivation cultivators in an instant. In the end, they didn't encounter a large group of people and successfully reached the edge of the five-color barrier.

The barrier was rapidly advancing, and Shu Han put Chu Ruolin down to conserve his strength.

Chu Ruolin noticed that this little boy, who was only in his twenties, was surprisingly mature and steady. He was methodical and clear in his actions. When dealing with enemies, he was decisive and ruthless, which made her admire him.

"Hey, kid, are you really only in your twenties? Your mentality is like those old antiques that are hundreds of years old."

Shu Han opened his eyes and smiled, "Part of it is my personality since I was young, and the other part is due to my past experiences in the sect."

Chu Ruolin chuckled, "An interesting boy. I don't accept male disciples, but if you can keep me safe, I can make an exception and accept you as my disciple."

"Thank you for your kindness, senior. I already have a master. Although my master is no longer with us, I still respect him in my heart. I don't want to choose another sect."

"Heh! If others heard about me accepting disciples, they would betray their masters and join me, but you refused me for a dead person? That's not acceptable. After we leave this place, either you become my disciple or you become a corpse, it's your choice."

Shu Han: ...

"But senior, this is different from what you said before!"

Chu Ruolin huffed, "I promised to take you out, but I never said you would be alive. No one can refuse me, especially a Qi Refining stage brat like you."

Shu Han was speechless, "Aren't you supposed to be focusing on breaking the suppression in your body? How can you concentrate if you keep talking?"

"Hmph! The method within my body is automatically breaking it, what does it have to do with what I say? Besides, it's pitch black in this tunnel, and the more I look at it, the more boring it becomes. Boy, keep me company and talk, tell me about your short twenty-year life."

Under the dim light, Shu Han looked at Chu Ruolin's face, and couldn't help but say, "Senior, are you scared?"

Chu Ruolin glared, biting her teeth, and rebuked, "What a joke! Would I be afraid of a bunch of Qi Refining stage ants?"

"You didn't talk this much when you were sure of winning."

Chu Ruolin's chest heaved up and down, angrily said, "I did not! I did not!"

Shu Han gestured for her to be quiet, "Keep it down, don't let others hear you. To tell you the truth, I am also scared, scared to death."

Shu Han sighed and said, "Without hiding from senior, I came from afar and have not been in Great Cloud for a full month. I have witnessed the cruel fights among the cultivators. In your eyes, the other cultivators in the vein are ants, but they are different in my eyes. They are all people who have struggled to survive in a dangerous hell, you should not underestimate their desire to live."

Upon hearing these words, Chu Ruolin fell silent. She said solemnly, "You're right, I am scared. I can't use my many magic treasures and spells. For the first time in my hundred years of cultivating, I need to rely on someone else to survive. You'd better protect me, or I won't let you off!"

"Don't worry, since I've promised, I will do my best to protect you!"

Looking at Shu Han's sincere gaze, Chu Ruolin's hanging heart felt somewhat safe. She took out a shiny sachet from her storage bag.

"Kid, the formation treasure you used earlier was not bad, but it seems to consume quite a bit of middle-grade spirit stones. I have more than a hundred here, you take them. If you encounter an emergency, don't hesitate to use them. If worse comes to worst, I'll give you a formation treasure when we get out!"

Shu Han looked at the sachet handed over by Chu Ruolin but didn't take it.

"Senior, to tell you the truth, that formation treasure can't be used too many times, and there's no need for so many. You don't need to use these middle-grade spirit stones to motivate me. When it's time to fight hard, I will definitely do so."

Chu Ruolin was surprised, "Even middle-grade spirit stones don't attract you? Kid, do you know the value of middle-grade spirit stones? You can't gather this many middle-grade spirit stones in your entire life!"

Shu Han said, "Indeed, but a gentleman doesn't live off others' charity. I just want to make you feel at ease. I'm not the kind of person who only cares about gains and losses. If I only want to fight for you after receiving this bag of spirit stones, then I may also betray you for more benefits in the future."

However, Shu Han thought to himself: Middle-grade spirit stones? I can have as many of those as I want. Can you come up with something more practical?

Chu Ruolin frowned. This was the second time she was rebuffed by Shu Han. The first time she wanted to take him as a disciple, he actually refused. The second time she wanted to give him an astronomical number of spirit stones, he still didn't accept.

Suddenly, Chu Ruolin's temper flared. She wanted to belittle Shu Han but couldn't find a reason after much thought. She could only huff, "You're so sanctimonious! The person I hate the most is hypocrites like you!"

Then, Chu Ruolin's restless emotions calmed down a bit, she no longer kept chattering, just occasionally spoke up. Shu Han had no choice but to chat with her intermittently. He realized that this senior, who was over eight hundred years old and highly cultivated, was actually not much different from ordinary girls. When they were nervous and panicking, they needed someone to comfort them. The only difference was that the former was highly cultivated and rarely panicked.

In this way, Shu Han wandered with Chu Ruolin on the edge of the five-color barrier, and they safely passed six hours.

Shu Han looked at the map, and the five-color barrier on the surface had shrunk to a circle. He thought that at this rate, in eight hours, the five-color barrier would encircle everyone in a very small range. That would be the real life-or-death moment!

At this time, the old man's voice echoed in the mine again.

"How did this girl find help after I had a nap? This is against my original intention. Now, the real-time location of this Foundation Establishment girl will be marked on everyone's map. And the reward is doubled, offering ten thousand lower-grade spirit stones!"

Hiss!

All the people in the mine stopped their struggles, stunned by the ten thousand lower-grade spirit stones. Killing that cultivator who was now unarmed would not only get them immediately teleported out of the underground mine, but they could also get ten thousand spirit stones!? They all opened their jade map, and a red dot flashed on everyone's map, which was exactly where Shu Han was hiding with Chu Ruolin.

"Kill!"

"First come, first served!"

The remaining eighty-three cultivators rushed toward that location.

Chu Ruolin turned pale with fright, but she was furious, "This is too much! I will wipe them all out when I get out!"

Shu Han quickly stopped her and tried to calm her down, "Alright! Can you spare them?"

Chu Ruolin looked at Shu Han and relented, "Alright, for your sake, I'll let them go. So, what should we do now? You can't abandon me!" After speaking, she took the initiative to hold onto Shu Han's arm tightly.

Shu Han was also extremely nervous at this moment. All the remaining cultivators were coming towards them. How could he stop them? Right now, it seemed that the only option was to leave Chu Ruolin. But he had already promised to protect her, and if he ran away now, she would certainly not let him go. She might not be able to kill all the other people, but if she only wanted to kill him, Shu Han had every reason to believe she had the means!

Suddenly, Shu Han looked at the mine tunnels around him and had a plan.

Alright! You all know my position and are coming for me, right? Then let you pay the price along the way!

Chapter 47. Trap

After making up his mind, Shu Han picked up Chu Ruolin and ran.

At this moment, Chu Ruolin's face was pale, and she didn't blame Shu Han for his audacious action. She clung tightly to his neck and asked nervously.

"What are you going to do?"

Shu Han ran while setting up Fire God talismans along the way.

After an analysis, Shu Han felt that constantly avoiding would eventually lead to a dead end. Since their location was exposed and there was no way to hide, he could only take the initiative! He estimated that all the cultivators in the mine were now flocking to Chu Ruolin, which gave him a great opportunity to trap and annihilate them.

Breathing heavily, he answered, "Since they are all flocking over, let's capture them all at once! Don't blame me for being ruthless at this point! It's all for survival, my friends, I apologize in advance!"

Chu Ruolin was stunned. She didn't expect this cautious little guy to have such a plan! What did he base this on? He was only at the Qi Refining stage, and he dared to say that he wanted to wipe out all the cultivators in the mine!? Was it because of a few talismans that she didn't even rate?

But soon, Shu Han's actions firmly slapped her in the face. She didn't think much of the Fire God talisman, but there were just so many!

Shu Han moved very quickly, running like the wind through several branching mine tunnels.

At least ten Fire God talismans were affixed to each tunnel.

"Where did this kid get so many talismans?"

Shu Han was speechless.

This is a lot? Then you really should meet my former sect leader and ask him how he died.

Soon, Shu Han's supply of Fire God talismans was completely exhausted. But he still felt it was not enough. He came to a cave and placed his treasured Purple Thunder Pearl at the top of the cave.

Seeing Shu Han's arrangement along the way, she immediately understood his intention. She patted Shu Han's forehead and couldn't help but praise, "Good boy, you're smart and ruthless! If your cultivation level increases in the future, you will definitely be a powerful figure!"

"I don't dare to say whether I'll be a powerful figure or not, let's first survive this!"

After the arrangement was completed, holding Chu Ruolin, Shu Han prepared to go ahead and lure the enemies.

"Senior, the success or failure hinges on this moment. If you have any trump cards, could you please tell me? So I can make full plans."

At this point, Chu Ruolin could only fully rely on this Qi Refining boy. She said, "I can't use any magic treasure or spells above the Foundation Establishment stage. There are almost no specific ones for the Qi Refining stage. Now only a Flame Sun talisman can be used, but..."

"But what?"

"This talisman can threaten the peak cultivators of Foundation Establishment. If I use it with my current ability, I will also be affected by its aftermath."

Shu Han extended his hand, "Senior, there's no need for you to take action. Please give this talisman to me and I will use it at the right moment."

"With your cultivation, you would be directly shocked to death if you use this talisman!"

"No need to worry about me, senior. I will take care of my own life!"

With that, Shu Han rushed with Chu Ruolin toward the deep layers of the five-color barrier, standing at the intersection of a mine tunnel. Gradually, he felt the agitation of spiritual power coming from all directions.

"They're here!"

Shu Han threw out two Frost Smoke bombs and immediately ran back.

A team immediately shouted, "Smoke interference! He's trying to escape!"

"He can't run, the map constantly marks her!"

"First come, first served, I want those ten thousand spirit stones!"

Several teams met at the intersection, with a few people fighting as soon as they saw each other. All of them showed their abilities and rushed toward the red dot on the map from all directions.

The shouts of killing continued behind Shu Han. He dared not be careless and urged his Flowing Boots to run as fast as possible.

Suddenly, five people popped out of the mine tunnel intersection in front of him. Shu Han was taken aback. He hadn't expected anyone to come from this direction.

In an instant, he understood. The other people weren't fools. The mine tunnels were all interconnected. They had probably calculated that Shu Han would pass this point and take a shortcut from other directions.

Seeing Chu Ruolin in Shu Han's arms, they all showed malicious smiles.

"Little brother, hand over the little beauty in your arms, and let us hold her for a while!"

"Protecting her, you're going to die too!"

Chu Ruolin was so angry that her face turned red. When had Qi Refining cultivators ever dared to disrespect her?

"Shu Han, kill them!"

Shu Han didn't hesitate and continued rushing forward, throwing out two more Frost Smoke bombs.

In the narrow mine tunnel, these people already had difficulty surrounding him. Now, with the interference of the Frost Smoke affecting their spiritual perception, they were completely disoriented. But Shu Han, with his Cloud Walking Step, relied on his ability to discern direction by sound and charged into the smoke with his Heavenly Sword.

"Here he comes! Quick, defend!"

The five men huddled together. Their spiritual perception couldn't locate Shu Han in the smoke, they only heard footsteps getting closer, unaware that Shu Han was already overhead with his Gang Tian Sword.

With a leap, Shu Han split into three. The Heavenly Sword, Green Dragon Spear, and Thunderbolt Giant Axe struck simultaneously. The five men were not high in cultivation. Under Shu Han's lightning-fast attack, three were instantly killed and two were seriously injured.

However, Shu Han didn't linger as the surrounding pursuers had already caught up. He held a middle-grade spirit stone and quickly drew spiritual power, ready for an emergency.

Chu Ruolin lay on his back, leaning close to his ear, and exclaimed, "Good boy, your moving skill just now was really good! Without using any magic power, you instantly got behind the enemy. What kind of move was that?"

"Mortal martial arts, Cloud Walking Step."

Chu Ruolin was surprised, "You've learned mortal martial arts?"

Shu Han replied, "Anything useful is good. In the narrow areas of this mine, as long as I don't encounter a Foundation Establishment cultivator, I can make these Qi Refining cultivators suffer by relying on my martial arts alone."

Chu Ruolin was intrigued and patted Shu Han on the back of his head, "Interesting. Teach your martial arts to me in the future!"

"I'm sorry, it's a technique from my school, I can't teach it to others."

"You..."

Shu Han closed his eyes and began to connect with the over a hundred Fire God talismans he had placed in more than a dozen mine tunnels. He felt that most of the people had already entered the tunnels where he had laid his ambush. Immediately, he brought Chu Ruolin to the edge of the mine where he had hidden the Purple Thunder Pearl.

At this moment, a group of people rushed out of the tunnel first and entered the mine. Seeing Shu Han standing at the edge of the mine with Chu Ruolin on his back, they were all overjoyed, but also wary of each other, and rushed towards Shu Han.

Shu Han struggled for a moment, then showed a decisive expression and shouted the word "Explode"!

In an instant, a dazzling purple thunderbolt exploded on the walls of the mine. The dozen or so cultivators who rushed in were shocked by the instantaneous explosion of the Purple Thunder Pearl. Their internal organs were displaced and they fell to the ground like geese shot in the sky.

Purple electricity the thickness of a bowl instantly spread throughout the mine from the top. The huge stone walls of the mine collapsed from the top, like the inside of an egg, and large rocks fell down. Seeing this, Shu Han immediately flew away with Chu Ruolin.

At the same time, big explosions occurred in the dozens of mine tunnels covered by the Fire God talismans. The cultivators in the explosion were either killed directly by the sudden fire, severely injured, or buried alive by the collapsing tunnel.

The cultivators in the central mine tunnel, hearing the continuous explosions and the miserable screams of the cultivators, were all scared out of their wits. Then they found that the tunnels around them had collapsed, they had nowhere to go and were eventually swallowed by the flames of the Fire God talismans.

Just like that, what was originally a slaughter that would have taken more than a dozen hours and cost not more than a hundred cultivators, was now almost down to zero in a matter of moments.

Inside the rocks at the center of the vein, the old voice couldn't help but praise.

"This young man is calm and ruthless, with extraordinary means. But how will you pass the next stage?"

Chapter 48. Ambush

After running through a dozen or so tunnels in one breath, the trend of the tunnel collapse finally stopped.

Shu Han opened the map and found that he was at least a thousand feet away from the original explosion point. They were now very close to the central area of the five-colored barrier. All the tunnels in the explosion area had completely collapsed. Even if there were survivors, they wouldn't be able to get here anytime soon.

Shu Han brought Chu Ruolin to another tunnel and carefully placed her down from his back.

Seeing his pale face and trembling hands, Chu Ruolin couldn't help asking, "Are you scared, kid?"

Shu Han gave a wry smile, sat next to her, looked at his trembling hands, and admitted, "Yes, senior, I'm scared. My parents have always taught me that human life is precious. In our village, if someone dies accidentally, the entire village would be scared for a long time. Although I may have killed one or two people along the way, killing all the cultivators at once... this..."

"Try to accept it."

Chu Ruolin closed her eyes and advised, "This is how the cultivation world is. What does it matter if you kill hundreds or thousands of people at once? The most important thing is to keep oneself safe. Don't die because of the kindness that remains in your bones."

"I'm kind?"

"At least you feel guilty and remorseful for what you did. The people I have encountered, let alone killing hundreds of Qi Refining cultivators, even if they have to kill everyone in Great Cloud, they wouldn't blink an eye." Chu Ruolin suddenly opened her eyes and said seriously, "If you have the chance to compete with them in the future, the kindness you have will take your life!"

Shu Han's trembling hand clenched into a fist, and he took a deep breath, "Thank you for your advice, senior!"

Then, Shu Han took out the Four Phases Array Plate and said, "Most of the cultivators who threatened you should be dead, but there may still be some remnants. You can safely unseal yourself, I should be able to handle them."

"Kid?"

"What can I do for you, senior?"

Chu Ruolin asked, "Do you really not want to take me as your master?"

Shu Han smiled and said, "Of course, it would be great to become your disciple. But my master has been very kind to me. If it weren't for my master's protection, I would have died long ago. My master is not yet cold in his grave, and I would feel guilty if I were to change allegiance."

"Well, I won't force you. What do you want, I can satisfy you."

Shu Han scratched his head and said, "If you really want to help, could you get me some Foundation Establishment Pills?"

Chu Ruolin looked at him in surprise.

"Foundation Establishment Pills?"

Shu Han's heart tightened, "Is... is it difficult? I'm really in urgent need of Foundation Establishment Pills. The reason I came to the mine this time was to find top-grade spirit stones for building my foundation. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been trapped here with you."

Chu Ruolin rolled her eyes.

"I thought you would ask for something more valuable. I'd be too embarrassed to even give away Foundation Establishment Pills!" Chu Ruolin said, "Forget the Foundation Establishment Pills, it's too shameful. Once my power is restored, I will personally perform the Golden Core Initiation Method for your Foundation Establishment."

Shu Han was overjoyed at hearing this and thanked her profusely with a beaming smile.

Seeing the usually calm Shu Han suddenly become as ecstatic as a child, Chu Ruolin couldn't help feeling proud.

No matter how composed he is, he's still just a twenty-year-old boy.

Time quietly passed, and the five-colored barrier was getting smaller and smaller. During this time, no one else came to find them. The entire mine seemed empty as if everyone had died in the explosion.

Shu Han's tense heart gradually relaxed. He thought to himself that there should be no one left. If there were, they would have followed the map and arrived by now. So, he relaxed his consciousness. His high-alert mental state over the past few hours had given him a slight headache.

The spiritual light on Chu Ruolin's forehead became more and more intense. Shu Han thought to himself, after a while, this Core Formation senior should recover her cultivation. From her tone, it seemed that she was no longer pursuing the previous misunderstanding.

I hope she is a person who keeps her promises. Otherwise, when will I be able to reach the Foundation Establishment stage? My cultivation technique does not allow me to delay any longer.

The scenery in the mine was monotonous. As he guarded Chu Ruolin, Shu Han felt a bit tired and thought about lying down next to her for a nap. After a nap, the senior's power should be restored. Then all problems would be solved.

Thinking so, Shu Han comfortably lay down. The continuous hustle in the mine these past days had made him sore all over. He took a deep breath, and his consciousness gradually blurred. Many familiar faces one by one floated before his eyes. His parents, younger sister, Erdan, Goudan, and his master...

Suddenly, he saw the shadow of Mu Wan'er. Shu Han reached out to touch it, but Mu Wan'er was drifting farther and farther away. He vaguely saw her anxious face, as if she was saying something.

"Sister Wan'er, what are you saying?"

He couldn't help focusing his attention to listen, but he heard Mu Wan'er saying these words.

"Little Han! Danger! Wake up quickly!"

Whoosh!

A cold sensation from the depths of his soul jolted Shu Han awake from his half-awake, half-asleep state.

Something's wrong!

Without thinking, Shu Han quickly pulled Chu Ruolin into his arms, summoned his Extreme Cold Mystical Iron Shield in front of him, formed a giant sword with the Heavenly Quadrant Sword Formation to guard his back, and released ten Armor Protection Talismans forming a turtle-shell-like shield. Moreover, Shu Han immediately activated his Triple Rotation Protective Shield with all his might!

Boom!

Two attacks came from opposite directions at the same time.

Shu Han's chest felt like it was being pressed by a mountain, and he spewed out a mouthful of blood. He and Chu Ruolin were smashed directly into a deep pit in the wall of the mine.

Crack!

He tried to grip his Extreme Cold Mystical Iron Shield with his trembling hand, but this indestructible shield actually shattered right in front of him.

Chu Ruolin was unharmed. She was lying in Shu Han's arms, and when she saw a large bloodstain on her white gown, she looked up to see that Shu Han was already in a state of collapse. She quickly patted Shu Han's face, shouting, "Kid! Wake up! What just happened? Why did you suddenly end up like this?"

Shu Han's trembling hand took out a bottle of pills from his storage bag. He guzzled them all down as if they were free, and his complexion improved a bit.

Chu Ruolin helped him to stand up, and Shu Han shouted with a trembling voice, "Are you not ashamed to still be doing such underhanded tricks at the Foundation Establishment stage?"

At this time, two shadows drifted out from the shadows of the mine. A man with a hawk nose and a man with a square face was revealed.

The hawk-nosed man shouted, "Ying Feiyue, you lied to me! You said your Mystifying Miasma would affect Foundation Establishment cultivators. How did this Qi Refining stage kid wake up in time?"

The square-faced man cursed, "Didn't you see the Core Formation stage cultivator next to him? I used a large dose, and it was certainly detected by the Core Formation stage cultivator. However, I didn't expect this kid to wake up and even block our joint attack."

"Enough! This female Core Formation cultivator is no longer combat capable. So, according to the division we made earlier, I'll kill this Core Formation cultivator and get the bounty. You kill this kid and complete the killing competition to get the top-grade spirit stone."

Chapter 49. The Compound Surname Shangguan

The hawk-nosed man looked at Shu Han and Chu Ruolin, clapped his hands, and praised, "Worthy of a Golden Core stage cultivator. Really good means to trap and kill all other cultivators at once. Ying Feiyue, I told you before, Golden Core stage cultivators must have something up their sleeves. It's fortunate that you didn't go with those fools."

The square-faced man thanked him with a salute, "After we get out safely, I really need to thank you. If I had been in the middle of that chain explosion just now, I wouldn't have been able to escape unscathed either. But let's cut the chatter, I'll help you kill this Golden Core cultivator first, so she doesn't have the chance to make another move!"

"Alright!"

Chu Ruolin, supporting Shu Han, looked at the two early-stage Foundation Establishment men in front of her and snorted angrily, "Just Foundation Establishment stage and you dare to lay your hands on me? If you harm even a hair of mine in this vein, the Sky Palace Sect will make you have nowhere to hide in heaven or earth!"

Sky Palace Sect!

The square-faced man and the hawk-nosed man stopped in their tracks, looking at each other, both with horror in their eyes.

The hawk-nosed man asked, "Who are you from the Sky Palace Sect?"

Chu Ruolin took out a silver-shining token from her storage bag and scolded, "Audacious scum! I am Shangguan Ruolin, the palace master of the Jade Sky Palace of the Sky Palace Sect. Retreat immediately, or there will be no place for you in the entire Great Cloud once I give the order."

Shangguan Ruolin.

The square-faced man was shocked, and asked in horror, "Your compound surname is Shangguan... and you're a palace master of the Sky Palace Sect. Is the sect master of the Sky Palace Sect, Elder Shangguan Wentian, your..."

Chu Ruolin scolded, "Is there a need to ask more?"

The two were immediately scared into shivering, and their intense killing intent subsided instantly.

Shu Han glanced at the awe-inspiring Chu Ruolin, no, it should be Shangguan Ruolin, but found that her face, despite the display of identity and imposing manner, was full of unwillingness and bitterness. He didn't know what the Sky Palace Sect was, but judging from the terrified reactions of the two men, it must be a powerful entity among the hundreds of sects in Great Cloud.

The hawk-nosed man murmured, "That token is unmistakable. She is definitely from the Sky Palace Sect. In that case, her father must be the Nascent Soul elder of the Sky Palace Sect. However, if we quietly get rid of her here, no one will be able to get the news out."

The square-faced man panicked, "Are you mad? The Nascent Soul elder can predict the future. How can we hide from him? We can't afford to provoke him!"

The hawk-nosed man frowned, "That's true, but how do we survive if we don't kill these two?"

The scene fell into a stalemate, but Shu Han seized the opportunity to quickly swallow his pills and recover his magic power and injuries.

However, that aged voice rang out again.

"Haha, so you're the daughter of Shangguan Wentian! In the old days, I met your father. At that time, he wasn't a Nascent Soul stage cultivator yet. Now he's ahead of me in becoming a Nascent Soul! But since your father is already a Nascent Soul, finding a top-grade spirit stone shouldn't be too difficult for him. Why did he let you come to my mine alone?"

Shangguan Ruolin seemed unwilling to discuss this topic and retorted, "That's none of your business."

The old man changed his tune, "Well since you're here, you must follow my rules. I'm not intimidated by your father's name. You two Foundation Establishment stage cultivators, go ahead and make your move. In my vein, even old ghost Shangguan doesn't have the ability to calculate."

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Ruolin immediately became furious, "How dare you! If you incite others to conspire against me, you will end up with no place to bury!"

"Haha! Don't underestimate me because I'm not a Nascent Soul stage. Even if your father came personally, he couldn't do anything to me! Now that there are only four of you left in the entire vein, stop hiding. I don't want to wait any longer, let's get straight to the climax!"

In an instant, the entire mine shone with five-colored light, and the large five-colored barrier rapidly shrank, enclosing the four of them in the mine like an eggshell, sealing all the mine tunnels leading out.

The square-faced man and the hawk-nosed man looked at each other, and the killing intent rose again. Now, it's a matter of life and death.

Shu Han felt a chill from head to toe. He was injured, his two premium defensive magic tools were completely damaged, and the Fire God Talisman and Purple Thunder Pearl had been exhausted. Even if the Four Phases Array Plate could still be used, it could only deal with one Foundation Establishment cultivator. Now, with two attackers and no way out, he was walking down a path of no return.

What should he do? Shu Han racked his brains, but couldn't come up with a solution.

Shu Han looked at Shangguan Ruolin, and she also turned to look at him.

In Shu Han's eyes, there was a desperate despair, but in Shangguan Ruolin's eyes, there was a trace of hesitation.

At that moment, Shu Han saw a glimmer of hope in Shangguan Ruolin's eyes. He sighed deeply in his heart. Life is like a drama, all depending on the performance. If he wanted to survive, he had to go all out today!

Shu Han immediately rallied his spirits and split into three.

The main body took out the Four Phases Array Plate and stepped back two steps, protecting Shangguan Ruolin behind him. The two avatars held the Heavenly Quadrant Sword Formation and the Thunderbolt Giant Axe, standing ready in front of them, staring at the two Foundation Establishment cultivators with hostile intent.

The hawk-nosed man laughed, "A Qi Refining stage trying to intervene? Ying Feiyue, this kid is your prey, finish him quickly."

Ying Feiyue laughed, "To deal with a Qi Refining stage brat isn't it easy?"

He leaped into the air, his calf whipped out, and surprisingly, a shiny crescent blade flickered in his calf, directly aiming for the heads of Shu Han's two avatars.

Looking down on me?

Shu Han's main body immediately took out four spirit stones, slapped the Four Phases Array Plate, and shouted, "Four Phases Array Pattern! Strangle!"

Boom!

Ying Feiyue had just jumped up, only to be struck down by the Four Phases Array Pattern from the air. For a moment, he was pinned at the bottom of the mine, unable to move.

Shu Han's avatar immediately lifted the Heavenly Quadrant Sword Formation and was about to go over and slay him.

Ying Feiyue shouted in horror, "What kind of pattern is this? Old Geng, don't just stand there, come and help! This kid is not ordinary!"

The hawk-nosed man sneered, "Useless guy, can't even handle a Qi Refining stage!"

Having said that, he shouted, spewing out three columns of fire, which exploded right in front of Shu Han's avatar, with power comparable to more than a dozen Fire God Talismans.

This intense firelight prevented Shu Han's two avatars from approaching Ying Feiyue, who was pinned down by the array pattern. His two avatars were immediately surrounded by a sea of fire.

Then, from the sea of fire, the hawk-nosed man rushed out, and a long centipede suddenly spat out from his mouth. The centipede spread its wings, moving swiftly, turning into a black light, and in the blink of an eye, it rushed to Shu Han's avatar with the giant axe, biting viciously at the neck.

Hiss!

The intense pain of the avatar made the main body shudder.

Shangguan Ruolin watched him anxiously from the back, her eyes full of worry.

The avatar bitten by the flying centipede immediately showed purple-black stripes all over his body. The intense poison caused the avatar's magical power to freeze instantly, and the body began to quickly rot. Seeing the unfavorable situation, Shu Han didn't dare to directly retrieve the avatar, fearing that the terrifying poison would be brought back to the main body.

Therefore, he steeled his heart and directly detonated that avatar.

Boom!

The explosion sent the raging sea of fire flying.

Shu Han's main body spewed a mouthful of blood on the Four Phases Array Plate.

The explosion of the avatar meant a direct loss of a third of his magical power and vitality. However, this was not over yet. Shu Han's eyes hardened, if he was to explode, he might as well explode thoroughly!

The explosion sent the hawk-nosed man flying, also shattering the flying centipede.

The hawk-nosed man's eyes were aflame. He had never expected that this kid would detonate his avatar without thinking, causing him to lose a precious Silver-winged Centipede.

Quite ruthless!

However, before he could react, a Four Phases Array Pattern descended from the ceiling, pressing on his head.

Whoosh!

An unknown object was thrown out from the explosion, a Thunderbolt Giant Axe.

At this moment, although the Four Phases Array Plate suppressed the two Foundation Establishment cultivators, the cracks on it spread rapidly. The four medium-grade spirit stones also quickly decayed.

The hawk-nosed man reached out and caught the flying Thunderbolt Giant Axe. To his surprise, the axe thrown over did not have any attack power.

Could it be out of magical power?

He was wondering when the thunderous axe he held in his hand suddenly began to violently surge.

Bang!

The axe exploded directly in his palm, and a thunderbolt as thick as a bowl mercilessly whipped his body.

"Ah!" he screamed.

Chapter 50. All About Acting

"Ah!"

The hawk-nosed man, instead of killing Shu Han, was blasted into a state of charred blackness all over his body, with his hand bloody.

Ying Feiyue, who was resisting the Four Phases Array Plate, saw this scene and immediately shouted, "Old Geng, this kid is not easy to deal with, let's kill him together first!"

The hawk-nosed man's eyes were full of dark clouds, "Just what I wanted! Break this damn array together!"

The two of them worked together, starting to resist the Four Phases Array Plate with all their strength.

"Rise!"

The cracks on the Four Phases Array Plate were spreading rapidly, and it was about to give way.

Shu Han threw out the final avatar's seal, the four Heavenly Swords returned from the avatar to surround the main body, and the avatar instead took out the slightly less powerful Green Dragon Spear and unhesitatingly rushed towards Ying Feiyue.

Ying Feiyue, seeing Shu Han charging at him, hurriedly gathered his magic power and conjured a round shield in front of him.

Shu Han's avatar threw out the spear, which turned into a green dragon and directly wrapped around Ying Feiyue's round shield.

Bang!

Without hesitation, the Green Dragon Spear exploded instantly, and the terrible power blasted the round shield aside.

The hawk-nosed man was terrified at the sight.

Shu Han detonated two top-grade magic tools without hesitation. Top-grade magic tools were also rare treasures for them! But this kid directly used them as bombs!

The avatar took advantage of the opportunity to move forward with the Cloud Walking Step and started a physical fight with Ying Feiyue.

Under the pressure of the array pattern, Ying Feiyue was unable to use his magic power to fight back. Punch after punch, kick after kick, Shu Han drove him back continuously. However, with the protection of his magic power, Shu Han's punches and kicks could only cause flesh wounds.

Shu Han, gasping for breath, saw that the Four Phases Array Plate was about to be damaged and knew that the time had come. He stuck the four Heavenly Swords around Shangguan Ruolin and said in a casual tone with a hint of entrustment, "Senior, these four Heavenly Swords may seem like scrap metal in your eyes. However, these were entrusted to me by my master before he passed away. I originally wanted to find the descendants of my master to return them. But it seems like I don't have the opportunity now. If you can escape, please find the descendants of the Bai family of the Great Cloud Refiners and return this sword formation to them. I would be greatly appreciative."

Shangguan Ruolin stared at him, seeing the Flame Sun Talisman he had given her in his hand.

"You don't have to do this... We don't actually know each other."

Shu Han smiled resolutely, "I know I can't escape today's catastrophe. Whether I fight or not, I will die. Since both options lead to death, I could save the senior's life, which would be a gain. Senior, you once said that the path of cultivation is ruthless. I hope I can make you change this view slightly. Take care!"

Having said that, Shu Han held the Flame Sun Talisman in his main body, wore the Flowing Boots, and his body shot out a long shadow as he rushed towards the two Foundation Establishment stage cultivators trapped in the Four Phases Array Pattern.

The moment Shu Han's main body rushed forward, the avatar that was entangled with Ying Feiyue exploded.

The explosion left Ying Feiyue covered in dust, his spiritual energy dissipating.

The hawk-nosed man shouted, "Ying Feiyue! His main body is rushing towards us, hurry up, let's kill him together!"

Crack!

Shu Han's Four Phases Array Plate instantly exploded into pieces.

This valuable formation treasure finally came to an end.

Having lost the pressure from the Four Phases Array Pattern, the two men, who had just fought a while ago, hated Shu Han to the core. They immediately activated their lifebound magic treasures and rushed towards Shu Han.

Shu Han held his breath, his attention was not on these two men but focused on sensing the situation behind him.

In his heart, he was shouting, "Damn it! The senior doesn't seem like a ruthless person, I've done so much, doesn't she want to use her real trump card?"

Just now, he noticed the hesitation in Shangguan Ruolin's eyes, feeling that this woman must have hidden cards to play with, but for some reason, she didn't want to use them. Shu Han knew that if he wanted to truly survive, relying on himself would definitely not be enough, Shangguan Ruolin had to make a move!

However, when these two men came to kill him, Shangguan Ruolin still had no intention of making a move. Shu Han sighed deeply in his heart.

"No other way, I made a wrong bet, remember not to go into the mine shaft in my next life."

The Flame Sun Talisman in his hand was burning brightly.

Shangguan Ruolin, seeing the flame leaping in Shu Han's hand, took a deep breath and sighed, "Since you are willing to risk your life, I can't be outdone by you!" Turning around, her eyes were filled with a raging fire, and her cold and arrogant demeanor returned.

"Get out of my way!"

Whoosh!

A cold hurricane swept across, and the Flame Sun Talisman in Shu Han's hand disintegrated in an instant. The two men attacking Shu Han were pinned against the stone wall by this sudden hurricane.

Shangguan Ruolin proudly floated in the air, her white silk dress fluttering in the wind. At this moment, a Golden Core flew out of her forehead. The Golden Core was surrounded by burning karma fire, and as the fire burned, Shangguan Ruolin's demeanor became colder and more majestic.

Shu Han took a deep breath, looking at the rising Shangguan Ruolin, his heart was filled with newfound excitement.

Finally, the senior made a move! Wouldn't it be better to do it earlier, instead of making me nervous?

Shangguan Ruolin's aura was rising, but her face was filled with an ashen expression. Her clear eyes looked at the two Foundation Establishment cultivators, she waved her jade hand, and in an instant countless fine threads were scattered, and the two men were turned into minced meat under the threads before they even had a chance to beg for mercy.

At this moment, a phantom was projected from her lifebound Golden Core. It was a man full of majesty. He was handsome and elegant, but his eyes were icy cold.

"Lingling, you've violated the agreement and used the secret technique I taught you. According to the bet, you've lost. While you still have the strength, hurry back and don't make things too embarrassing."

After saying this, the phantom dissipated.

At this moment, a face made up of countless multicolored spiritual energy appeared, and the old man laughed, "Oh, isn't that the old ghost Shangguan? You've become so young! Tsk, Nascent Soul is indeed wonderful, you can even rejuvenate. But it seems that there's quite a conflict between you father and daughter."

Shangguan Ruolin glared and scolded, "It's none of your business!"

Having said that, she caught Shu Han in mid-air out of thin air. The Golden Core was spinning in her hand and was ejected in an instant. The might of the Golden Core directly smashed the multicolored barrier, Shangguan Ruolin wanted to fly out of the mine vein with Shu Han directly.

"That's not gonna happen! I've taken a liking to this boy, you can't take him away!"

In an instant, a giant hand made of spiritual energy grabbed Shu Han and dragged him directly into the rock wall.

Shangguan Ruolin was both shocked and angry, she shouted, "You old ghost, give me that boy! Otherwise, I will return to Sky Palace Sect immediately and call someone to flatten your mine vein."

The old man laughed, "No problem, feel free! But rest assured, I am gifting him a chance, not harming him."

Shangguan Ruolin was about to explode when suddenly her magical power became disordered and she almost fell.

The old man laughed, "Girl, your father is right. There's a big problem with your technique, you'd better hurry back to the Sky Palace Sect."

As he spoke, the old man's phantom gradually disappeared. Shangguan Ruolin slapped her palm but only succeeded in shattering the rock wall.

"Give Him Back To Me!"

Chapter 51. Reunion with Master Mystical Dragon

In the beginning, Shu Han only felt himself being tugged back and forth by two massive forces. Then, all of a sudden, his vision became an assortment of strange and colorful scenes, and he found himself in this dazzling cavern. Here, low-grade spirit stones paved the floor, and mid-grade spirit stones made up the walls. The radiant lights of the five elements were dazzling, and the variety of spirit stones was innumerable. The majestic spiritual energy made him feel as though he had arrived in a fairyland.

Looking around, in the center of the cavern, there was a gem glowing with a brilliant, multi-colored light. Shu Han immediately recognized it - it was the legendary top-grade spirit stone! He walked over and saw this round and smooth top-grade spirit stone lying on a five-colored stone altar. The altar itself was filled with an impressive amount of spiritual energy. After some observation, Shu Han believed the altar was made from high-grade spirit stones!

Shu Han carefully admired the top-grade spirit stone but noticed a golden orb that seemed to be encapsulated within. As he was about to touch the dazzling top-grade spirit stone, an ancient voice emagic powered from within.

"Boy, it's one thing to look, but you're thinking of touching me?"

Damn!

Shu Han jumped three feet high and quickly retreated. The top-grade spirit stone was talking! He recalled Kang Guangwen once mentioned that top-grade spirit stones possess spirituality. Could the old man who arranged this entire situation actually be this top-grade spirit stone?

Shu Han bowed respectfully, "This junior has offended, please forgive me, senior!"

Then, the top-grade spirit stone flew up, and the abundant spiritual energy transformed into the figure of an old man. The old man looked Shu Han up and down, then nodded approvingly, "Not bad, not bad. You not only stood out from more than two hundred cultivators but also made a Golden Core cultivator sacrifice himself for you. Boy, you're impressive!"

Shu Han modestly replied, "It was merely luck. Senior once said that the victor would be rewarded with a top-grade spirit stone. Is that true?"

"Of course not!"

Despite being a spiritual body, the old man sat on the high-grade stone platform with crossed legs, completely nonchalant as he said these words. He pointed to himself, "As you can see, I am a top-grade spirit stone, and the top-grade spirit stone is me. I can't just give myself to you. That would be morally wrong! And you're a man!"

Shu Han: ...

What an unconventional old man.

"Then what business does the senior have with me?"

The old man laughed, "Naturally, it's a good thing. While I can't give you the top-grade spirit stone, I can offer something else! For example, I can give you a master-disciple relationship! And teach you an ultimate technique that is unparalleled in ancient times!"

Again?!

Shu Han was helpless. Why does everyone want to take him as a disciple?

"This... This junior is undeserving..."

The old man frowned and said, "I haven't even mentioned it yet, and you're already rushing to refuse! My technique, once mastered, triples the magic power reserves of a cultivator at the same level!"

Shu Han: "... The technique I'm practicing does the same!"

Old man: "... And that's not all, once you master my technique, you can split into three without losing any combat power, directly tripling the strength of a cultivator at the same level!"

"I can do that too!"

At this point, both of them looked puzzled.

The old man said, "My technique is called Mystical Dragon Triple Rotation Divine Art!"

Shu Han widened his eyes, "That's what I'm cultivating too!"

The old man stood up in surprise, "No wonder your fighting style looked so familiar to me! Turns out you are practicing the same technique I created! Who is your master, and what is his cultivation level? Has he reached the Golden Core stage?"

Shu Han had no choice but to answer, "The one who passed this technique to me is the previous head of my sect, at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, his name is Master Mystical Dragon."

"Bullshit! When did I become your sect leader!"

Shu Han was stunned, "Senior... Are you Master Mystical Dragon?"

"Obviously, who else would it be if not me? The Mystical Dragon you're talking about must have been a disciple I took on over a hundred years ago. Tsk, what a waste, it's been so many years and he's still only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, and he even dares to use my name."

Having just sent off one Master Mystical Dragon, here comes another Master Mystical Dragon. Shu Han sighed in his heart, hoping that this old man wouldn't want to refine pills or something!

The old man said, "Since you're practicing my technique, consider yourself my disciple. Come, let me see to what extent your inner magic power circulation has reached."

With that, Shu Han was pulled by an invisible force, and the old man held his hand, immediately exclaiming, "Holy shit, five spiritual roots! You've certainly refreshed my knowledge! How could a five-spiritual-roots cultivator develop enough magic power to cultivate my technique to the twelfth level? Interesting, very interesting!"

Shu Han replied, "That's because my master heavily nurtured me and gave me many elixirs..."

The old man nodded, "Your internal magic power feels floaty, it indeed seems like you've consumed quite a lot... No, not quite a lot, but piles of elixirs, to achieve your current level. I'm really curious, why did your master have such a unique idea, to use so many elixirs to cultivate a five-spiritual-roots waste?"

Shu Han was embarrassed, "My aptitude has disappointed you, senior."

"No!" The old man let go of Shu Han's hand, smiling appreciatively, "You're mistaken, boy. Your appearance has delighted me immensely!"

"Five spiritual roots and you're delighted?"

The old man said leisurely, "Boy, to be a Nascent Soul cultivator, do you think it's more important with unparalleled talent or to persevere and work hard?"

Shu Han replied, "I believe both are important and neither can be neglected."

"No, that's totally wrong! Neither of those matters!"

Shu Han was confused, "Then what's important?"

The old man gave a mysterious smile, "Opportunity is the most important."

Then he stood with his hands behind his back and spoke with ease, "I have roamed the cultivation world for three thousand years, and I have met countless cultivators who possess both talent and perseverance. Why is it that after countless years, Nascent Soul cultivators are still rare in this world? That's because these favored children of the heavens lack the most critical element, and that is the opportunity!

Many talented and diligent cultivators struggle their whole lives to form their Golden Core, but there are some people who just lie there and successfully form their Golden Core, isn't that infuriating?! That's the power of opportunity!

Opportunity is an elusive thing, it's hard to quantify and evaluate. However, looking at you, with your five-spiritual-roots talent, you've managed to cultivate to such a state and stand out among a crowd of cultivators. I can sense that you're a person of great opportunity! Perhaps, you might be the key to my escape from this predicament!"

Finally, the conversation turned to the crux of the matter.

Shu Han asked, "Why are you trapped, senior, and what can I possibly do to help you get out?"

The old man pointed to the top-grade spirit stone inside him and said, "This top-grade spirit stone is what trapped me."

The old man continued to explain, "I am a person with unparalleled talent and opportunities, and I reached the peak of the Core Formation stage at a very young age. I was just one step away from the Nascent Soul stage! Unfortunately, that one step is as difficult to cross as a chasm, and it is unreachable. Boy, you are also practicing this technique, so you must know the drawbacks of it."

Shu Han nodded, "The bottleneck is unreachable!"

"That's right! The Mystical Dragon Triple Rotation Divine Art that I created is immensely powerful, but the bottleneck is too difficult to break through. With my talent, if it were any other technique, I would have definitely reached the Nascent Soul stage. But to break through to the Nascent Soul stage with this technique requires a massive amount of spiritual energy, so much so that another Nascent Soul stage cultivator would need to transfer all their magic power to me in order for me to possibly succeed."

A chill ran down Shu Han's spine, the Nascent Soul bottleneck was terrifying indeed!

The old man said, "But no Nascent Soul cultivator would do that, so I traveled around and finally found traces of top-grade spirit stones here."

Chapter 52. Open Conspiracy

"Items that contain all five elements of spiritual energy are extremely rare in this world, and top-grade spirit stones are of course no exception. In my younger years, I visited many places but couldn't find any top-grade spirit stones, I was even close to forcibly taking them from those reclusive Nascent Soul ancestors!"

Shu Han was astounded, "You were planning to rob a Nascent Soul cultivator?"

The old man replied proudly, "Don't underestimate the technique I created. Once cultivated to the peak of the Core Formation stage, it's no weaker than a Nascent Soul Early Stage cultivator! However, those Nascent Soul ancestors who possess top-grade spirit stones are not to be trifled with. Fortunately, during the final rotation of the technique, I found this top-grade spirit stone in this vein. Otherwise, my Golden Core would have exploded and I would have died."

You created an ultimate technique and almost got killed by it. Truly unparalleled.

"Top-grade spirit stones have spiritual consciousness and are extremely difficult to deal with. This one has even developed its own spirit. I spent nine years guarding this vein just to capture this little thing. However, when I was absorbing it, this cunning thing actually retaliated, gathering the spiritual energy of the entire spiritual vein and transforming my body into a spirit stone. Luckily, my foundation was deep enough to keep my Golden Core from extinguishing, but I was trapped inside this top-grade spirit stone."

As he spoke, the illusory old man pointed at the top-grade spirit stone inside his head.

Shu Han suddenly realized, so that the golden sphere was the old man's Golden Core.

The old man sighed, "In the blink of an eye, hundreds of years have passed. I finally managed to erase the spiritual consciousness of the spirit stone, but my Golden Core has been sealed inside this top-grade spirit stone by the residual spiritual energy, preventing me from achieving the Nascent Soul stage. However, my physical body has been destroyed, and this spirit stone, even if it's my new body, I can't destroy it from the inside."

"I pondered for many years and finally found a solution. This solution requires another Golden Core, cultivated with the same technique as mine, to resonate with my Golden Core both internally and externally, and absorb the sealing spiritual energy of this top-grade spirit stone together."

The old man sighed again and continued, "Unfortunately, in these hundreds of years, I have taken many disciples in the vein, but none of them managed to reach the Core Formation stage. Later, I reflected that I had always chosen disciples based on talent. I was enlightened by others and realized that without opportunity, no matter how talented, it's difficult to cross the bottleneck of the Core Formation stage. Therefore, I set up this competition, to find the person with the most opportunity, and boy, that's you."

Shu Han listened in silence and couldn't help but ask, "Can you guarantee that I can cross the Core Formation stage's bottleneck?"

The old man laughed, "Of course, I can't guarantee that. It's just a hopeful attempt. In the future, I will continue to take in disciples, after all, I can't hang my hope on a single tree."

Shu Han: ...

"I haven't been able to break through the Foundation Establishment bottleneck until now, let alone the Golden Core stage."

The old man released a misty spiritual energy and laughed, "This is your victory prize. I will personally infuse the spiritual energy of the top-grade spirit stone into you with my Golden Core. A five-element spirit stone for a five spiritual roots cultivator, and with the same technique as me, it couldn't be more appropriate. Boy, are you satisfied with my arrangement?"

However, the old man didn't see the expected joy on Shu Han's face.

Shu Han muttered in his heart: Senior Shangguan Ruolin also promised to help me achieve Foundation Establishment through her Golden Core. In my opinion, Senior Shangguan is much more reliable than this old fart. Master Mystical Dragon? This name doesn't sound like a good person.

"Boy, are you not happy with this reward?"

The old man seemed to see his thoughts and laughed, "You're hoping for Shangguan girl to help you achieve Foundation Establishment, aren't you? Let me give you a piece of advice, don't get too close to that girl when you're weak. Besides, there's a problem with her technique. Even if she could help you achieve Foundation Establishment, it won't be as effective as a top-grade spirit stone coupled with a Golden Core from the same technique. I can lay the most solid foundation for you, clear the falsehood of magic power caused by the previous consumption of pills, strengthen your roots, and cleanse your marrow."

Despite the old man's eloquent words, Shu Han's suspicion did not diminish. He couldn't help worrying, "May I ask, senior, I'm grateful for your great kindness in using the essence of your Golden Core to help me achieve Foundation Establishment. But after Foundation Establishment, if I can't achieve Golden Core to save you..."

"You're worried that I might have a trick up my sleeve when helping you achieve Foundation Establishment?"

Shu Han remained silent, thinking: you wouldn't restrict me without having a trick up your sleeve, are you doing charity?

The old man looked at Shu Han and laughed loudly, "You really are cautious, boy, but don't worry, I disdain to have a fallback in your body. However, if you don't have the ability to cultivate to the Golden Core stage after Foundation Establishment, it would indeed waste my efforts, and naturally, there should be a penalty."

Shu Han's heart skipped a beat. Indeed, this Master Mystical Dragon is not a good guy.

"Hahaha, look at your face! I've said I won't harm you, boy, you can rest assured."

Shu Han couldn't help asking, "Then if I fail, how will you punish me?"

"Punish? I don't need to punish you, have you forgotten what technique you are practicing?"

With this statement, Shu Han had an epiphany. If he couldn't cultivate to the Core Formation stage, he would definitely die from the swelling and rupturing of his meridians due to Mystical Dragon Triple Rotation Divine Art!

Looking at Shu Han's ashen face, the old man couldn't help laughing loudly, "Ah, this is my technique, cultivation is like rowing against the current, if you don't advance, you'll explode! Exciting, isn't it, boy?"

You old bastard, you left this rotten technique to harm people.

Shu Han said solemnly, "What if I manage to form the Golden Core, but don't want to save you, senior?"

The old man said nonchalantly, "That's easy. I only passed on the technique up to the Golden Core stage. If you want to advance further, you must come back and ask me for the latter half of the technique. Otherwise, you'll explode sooner or later."

The more Shu Han heard, the angrier he got. He asked urgently, "Can't I change the technique halfway?"

The old man laughed and looked at Shu Han's stiff face with interest, saying, "You can't! I personally helped you with Foundation Establishment, so to change the technique, you'd have to destroy your cultivation base. At best, you'll become a mortal, at worst, you'll die instantly and in great pain. So, if you're lucky enough to achieve great cultivation in the future, you can only come to save me. There's no other way!"

Shu Han admitted defeat, bowed, and said, "Your plot is impeccable, senior."

"I've been in the cultivation world for three thousand years, I don't resort to so-called scheming. Now that you know the road ahead, sit still for me, and let me help you with Foundation Establishment."

Shu Han sat down as instructed, emptied his mind, and concentrated on operating the Mystical Dragon Triple Rotation Divine Art.

Master Mystical Dragon's illusory body disappeared, revealing the top-grade spirit stone itself. The top-grade spirit stone floated above Shu Han's head. In an instant, a five-color brilliance burst forth, making the whole spirit stone cave begin to flicker. Countless spiritual energies responded to the command of the top-grade spirit stone, converging into a torrent and flowing into Shu Han from all directions.

Foundation Establishment is the foundation of the great Dao.

The Golden Core in the top-grade spirit stone began to shine, bringing down rich five-element spirit energy like flowing water. The majestic spiritual energy poured into Shu Han from the Baihui acupoint on his crown, flowed down from his facial points, and went straight to his Dantian. After circling in the Dantian, it flowed into the Huiyin, Weimen, and Mingmen, then rose from the spine, reached the Dazhui and Yuzhen, and returned to the Baihui, forming the Great Circulation.

In Shu Han's consciousness, he felt as if his entire body was immersed in an ocean of spiritual energy. He was like a small boat floating on the ocean of spiritual energy, rising with the tide. The previously insurmountable Foundation Establishment was now within reach.

Chapter 53. Achieving Foundation Establishment

Time passed, and unaware of the flow of years in the mine, Shu Han had been sitting there for three months. During these three months, Master Mystical Dragon, looking at Shu Han who still hadn't successfully achieved Foundation Establishment, was growing increasingly annoyed.

"Damn it, who was it that told me that opportunity is more important than talent? Pah! This kid has consumed so much of my Golden Core essence, yet he still hasn't achieved Foundation Establishment! I must have been crazy to have chosen this mixed-spirit-rooted kid. Any random dog from the White Feathers Sect would be stronger than him."

After another three days, Shu Han finally awoke from his immersive cultivation. A wave of spiritual might rippled from his body. His magic power was solid and ample, his foundation firm and profound, and his body had undergone a metamorphosis as if he had become a new person.

"Is this the Foundation Establishment stage?"

Shu Han couldn't help but feel a surprised joy, the sensation of distended meridians had also disappeared.

"What else could it be? I've put in so much effort."

Shu Han turned to see the illusory Master Mystical Dragon. Master Mystical Dragon didn't have a physical body, but Shu Han could tell from his illusory face that his mood was extremely bad. He hastily bowed respectfully, saying, "Thank you, senior. Your great kindness and virtue, I will never forget."

"Forget about never forgetting, let's just forget each other in this world of cultivation. Damn it, if someone like you can form the Golden Core, I'll smash my head into the top-grade spirit stone."

Shu Han was taken aback, "Why would senior say such a thing?"

Master Mystical Dragon said irritably, "Forget it, consider it as a three-month charity work. Now, go away, and come back to me with the Golden Core!"

Three months? I was in closed-door cultivation for three months?

Shu Han didn't understand where Master Mystical Dragon's anger was coming from. Just as he was about to say goodbye, before he could utter a word, he was flung away by the illusory sleeve of Master Mystical Dragon.

In an instant, space seemed to flow in front of his eyes. With a swoosh, he burst out of the pile of dirt into the sky.

The intense sunlight, the clear air, the moist earth. Shu Han couldn't help but feel exhilarated as he sat on the ground.

After staying underground for so long, Shu Han realized how wonderful life above ground was. He lay on the grassy field, in high spirits, but his mind started to ponder.

On this trip to the mine, his cultivation had finally reached the Foundation Establishment stage. He clenched his fist, feeling the profound magic power all around him, like a mighty river. He estimated he had reached the middle stage of the early Foundation Establishment. Moreover, his magic power felt incredibly solid, and only now, having the comparison, did he realize how hollow his previous magic power was. That must be the side effect of forcibly increasing his cultivation level with elixirs.

Then, he started to think about his belongings. The Eight Treasure Kirin Armor, Extreme Cold Mystical Iron Shield, and the captured Green Dragon Spear and Thunderbolt Giant Axe were all damaged in the mine. Now, except for the Flowing Boots on his feet, he didn't have a single top-grade magical tool. However, all of these didn't matter. The most important thing was that he had lost the Heavenly Quadrant Sword Formation!

That day, during his fight with the two Foundation Establishment cultivators, the Heavenly Quadrant Sword Formation was protecting Shangguan Ruolin, and it must be with her now.

Shu Han felt guilty. The Heavenly Quadrant Sword Formation, at this point, wasn't powerful enough for a Foundation Establishment cultivator like him. But it was a relic left by his master, and he planned to return it to his master's clan someday.

Three months had passed, and Shangguan Ruolin must have returned to the Sky Palace Sect. Was he supposed to go to the Sky Palace Sect to retrieve the Heavenly Quadrant Sword Formation?

Just thinking about it gave Shu Han a headache. He began to search the storage bag of the grey-robed elder. After killing him with the Four Phases Array Plate, Shu Han collected a black small sword and a black claw from his remains. He didn't yet have a personal magical treasure, so he might as well use the old man's magical treasures in the meantime. Otherwise, he would be unarmed when fighting against others.

Without a magical treasure, the deterrence power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator drops significantly.

Upon opening the grey-robed elder's storage bag, Shu Han easily found the black claw and the black small sword, along with a secret manual of a technique called "Black Wind Mysterious Technique".

After casually flipping through it, Shu Han sighed. As expected, it was junk and not comparable to the Mystical Dragon Triple Rotation Divine Art. But even junk seemed attractive to Shu Han now. After all, not every technique was as exploding as the Mystical Dragon Triple Rotation Divine Art.

Thinking of this, Shu Han started to feel a headache. He knew that he had to start planning for his subsequent cultivation advancement. He remembered the Bai Family Artifact Refining Manual. There was only one Foundation Establishment stage pill recipe that could help improve cultivation, called the Great Essence Pill.

He would have to follow the old path of pill consumption for advancement again. Although this would lead to hollow magic power, Shu Han had no other options. Without the aid of pills, he might as well just drop dead on the spot.

The recipe for the Great Essence Pill was ready, and none of the medicinal ingredients were rare. But Foundation Establishment stage pills were not like Qi Refining stage pills. The failure rate was much higher. To produce a stable output of pills, Shu Han had to get a decent alchemy furnace and a stable source of fire.

The alchemy furnace was not a problem; Shu Han wasn't short on spirit stones. The fire source, however, was more difficult.

For the Foundation Establishment stage pills, a cultivator's pill fire could no longer meet the temperature requirement. A more stable and fiercer earthly fire source was needed. But earthly fire sources were all occupied by various sects. Shu Han thought it seemed that he had to join a sect to steadily progress in his cultivation. Or he could get the legendary heavenly fire!

Shu Han shook his head. Heavenly fire was so rare, it was more realistic to join a sect. Then, he turned his attention to the two magical treasures.

The black sword was called the Pursuing Sword. Its appearance was actually average. It was probably a magical treasure that the grey-robed elder had forged himself. It was an ordinary magical treasure for an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

The classification of magical treasures is not the same as magical tools, and their quality is basically determined by the cultivator's cultivation level.

Shu Han cut his finger with the Pursuing Sword, and the blood that gushed out was immediately absorbed by the sword.

Suddenly, Shu Han felt a sense of connection with his mind, as if the Pursuing Sword was another arm of his.

This feeling was very strange. When Shu Han had a thought, the Pursuing Sword immediately enlarged, turned into a black light, and cut down a dozen trees around him.

Shu Han was delighted. This Pursuing Sword was even more powerful than the Heavenly Quadrant Sword Formation, and it was faster, making it difficult to defend against. Fortunately, the fight had taken place at the bottom of the mine that day. The flying sword wasn't good at maneuvering in such a place, otherwise, Shu Han wouldn't have been able to deal with the grey-robed elder so easily. He then turned his attention to this peculiarly shaped black claw.

As soon as Shu Han claimed it with a drop of blood, the black claw directly entered his hand.

"This must be that old man's personal magical treasure, let's see what it does!"

Shu Han had a thought, and countless black gases rose from his right hand, enveloping his whole body.

"This black gas can actually shield spiritual sense! No wonder I didn't have any reaction when the old man approached me in the mine tunnel that day."

Then, he stretched out his right hand. A large black claw flew out from his hand.

Crack!

A giant boulder the size of a house was effortlessly lifted high by the black claw. With a bit of force from Shu Han, it was immediately crushed into powder.

"What terrifying power!"

Shu Han was overjoyed. He thought to himself that he was fortunate not to have been caught by the claw that day.

Suddenly, Shu Han heard a commotion from the direction of the woods. This place was near the Heaven-grade vein of the White Feathers Sect, it wouldn't be the White Feathers Sect disciples patrolling the mountain, would it?

Shu Han quickly jumped onto the branches of a tree, the black claw in his hand released a black gas that enveloped him as he silently observed the movement over there. Then he heard a familiar voice.

"You bunch of ignorant Qi refining cultivators, if you dare to chase me again, I'll really turn against you!"

Shu Han was surprised and delighted. Was this Senior Shangguan Ruolin? But why did her tone sound so strange?