Han Yi approached the charred corpse and examined it closely. The fatal wound hadn't been inflicted by the Yin Thunder Talisman; the Spirit Talisman had merely ripped open the flesh, paralyzing the body and temporarily stripping away its defenses.
Body Refiners, renowned for their formidable physiques, were particularly vulnerable to lightning-based spells. The Spirit Void Finger, launched immediately afterward, had capitalized on this vulnerability, overwhelming the defenseless body and delivering the killing blow.
Han Yi felt relieved that his cautious approach had allowed him to defeat the strongest opponent he had faced thus far.
He retrieved the halberd, which had been blasted dozens of meters away, and stored it in his Storage Pouch. The halberd's unique material and the fact that it had been hurled away early in the battle meant it remained unbroken and undamaged, its gilded surface gleaming as brightly as ever.
Next, Han Yi knelt down and took the youthful Body Refiner's Storage Pouch from the charred corpse. Following his usual habit, he searched the surrounding area and discovered a pouch smaller than an ordinary Storage Pouch.
Han Yi picked it up.
The black pouch, roughly the size of his palm, was made of an unidentifiable material that felt neither metallic nor stone-like. It was so light that it seemed weightless; when held in his hand, he could barely sense its presence beyond its soft, warm texture.
Han Yi examined the black pouch in his palm, but couldn't identify it. He casually tried to toss it into his Storage Pouch, but froze mid-motion.
The pouch remained motionless.
Can't store it?
Thinking he might have made a mistake, Han Yi scanned it with his divine sense and tried again. This time, he felt it clearly: the pouch wasn't resisting storage; rather, the Storage Pouch simply couldn't accommodate it.
Until now, he had never encountered anything that couldn't be stored in his Storage Pouch.
Recalling a piece of common Cultivation knowledge he had once heard, Han Yi's face suddenly lit up with delight.
"Could this... could this be a Cosmic Pouch?"
Now wasn't the time for exploration. Han Yi tucked the pouch securely into his robe, then confirmed that there was nothing of value within a fifteen-meter radius beyond the charred corpse. He turned and sprinted toward the perimeter.
Two hours later, a youth in crimson robes appeared before the blackened corpse. He knelt to identify the body, then abruptly stood, exclaiming in shock:
"Senior Brother Liao Yan!"
"Senior Brother Liao was killed? This... this can't be possible!"
"How could that Sword Immortal, only at the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining, possibly kill Senior Brother Liao, a seasoned Qi Refining cultivator?"
The youth's expression suddenly shifted dramatically, his face paling.
"Damn it! This is bad! Senior Brother Liao is Martial Uncle Qi's disciple, and his status is extremely sensitive. If he dies here, we're in deep trouble."
"Moreover, he was carrying Martial Uncle An's Cosmic Pouch. The contents of that pouch are far more important than this entire mission."
"I need to inform Senior Brother Han immediately."
This youth was the same cultivator who had been working alongside Han Xuxiao, the Blood God Son of the Blood God Sect.
Their roles had been divided: Han Xuxiao focused on suppressing the Tiger Demon and relentlessly pushing forward, disrupting Profound Pill Sect disciples traveling in groups, while Liao Yan collected the valuable spirit plants originally guarded by the Demon Tiger. Once his task was complete, they would jointly hunt down the Profound Pill Sect disciples.
Earlier, the youth had informed Liao Yan about encountering a Sword Immortal, a revelation that sparked great interest in the senior brother.
Sword Immortals were renowned for their unparalleled combat prowess. Body Refiners, on the other hand, sought immortality through physical means. Naturally, the prospect of facing a Sword Immortal was an exciting one for Liao Yan.
The youthful cultivator vanished in a flash, determined to report the situation to Han Xuxiao. This was a major incident. If the Cosmic Pouch was truly lost, Martial Uncle An's wrath would descend upon them all.
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, two cultivators in blood-red robes suddenly appeared before the charred corpse. One was the youth who had been here before, and the other was Han Xuxiao, the Blood God Son of the Blood God Sect.
Han Xuxiao's expression had shifted from serene composure to grim determination, a flicker of icy killing intent in his eyes. He crouched down to examine the body.
"It's definitely Liao Yan."
"He wasn't killed by the Sword Immortal. Someone else did this."
A faint crimson glow emanated from Han Xuxiao's fingertip as he gently pressed it against the charred remains. With a swift upward motion, he extracted a wisp of dark red energy from the corpse. He pinched the energy between his fingers.
"This energy feels... familiar..."
Han Xuxiao's brow furrowed momentarily before smoothing out.
"I know now. It's the Profound Pill Sect disciple who killed Shi Heng."
"To think he could kill Liao Yan... This disciple is far more dangerous than we imagined."
"Continue organizing the hunt for the other Profound Pill Sect disciples," Han Xuxiao said casually, a hint of excitement flickering across his face. "I'll retrieve the Cosmic Pouch and, while I'm at it, eliminate this one."
No sooner had the words left his lips than he formed a cultivation technique with his fingers, focusing it on the wisp of dark crimson energy at his fingertip.
Soul-Chasing Technique.
The wisp of energy floated gently upward, then shot forth like a lethal arrow, streaking toward its target.
Han Xuxiao vanished from his spot. When he reappeared a hundred meters away, his blurred figure flickered briefly before dissolving into thin air once more, leaving no trace behind.
The youth left behind sighed in relief. "With Senior Brother Han on the case, anyone below the Profound Pill Sect's top ten is as good as caught."
"If we retrieve the Cosmic Pouch, we can avoid Martial Uncle An's wrath. Otherwise..."
The youth shuddered, recalling the rumors about Liao Yan's true status within the sect, as well as the ruthless methods employed by Martial Uncles Qi and An. A cold chill ran down his spine.
Meanwhile, on the other side...
After Han Yi left, he didn't search for Chu Jinmo. Instead, he headed straight for the edge of the mountain range. With only twenty percent of his mana remaining, his Light Body Technique was slightly slower than before, but still comparable to that of an average Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement cultivator. From there...
The rest of the journey passed without incident.
As he emerged from the forest, Han Yi spotted three Transcending Calamity Immortal Ships hovering a few hundred meters away. Numerous Inner Sect disciples stood or sat cross-legged on the decks. A wave of relief washed over him.
"Finally, I'm back."
Scanning the crowd, Han Yi noticed He Fengdi, Chu Jinmo, and Shen Ru, the trio from their earlier group of seven, gathered together. His face lit up, and he hurried toward them.
Suddenly...
A terrifying aura surged from behind, closing in rapidly. Without a second thought, Han Yi bolted forward without turning around, leaping onto one of the Immortal Ships with a swift whoosh.
At the same moment...
A middle-aged man in a black Profound Robe, who had been meditating on the ship, leaped to his feet in fury.
"Hmph! Blood God Sect! You've signed your own death warrant!"
The Profound-Robed Cultivator, a long saber strapped to his back, drew his blade and slashed outward. A massive arc of dark-red blade light, over ten meters long, erupted from the bow of the Immortal Ship, its edges crackling with bizarre black flames.
Whoosh!
A massive blade of light slashed horizontally through the air.
Emerging from the forest with terrifying power was a Blood God Sect cultivator clad in crimson robes. His gaze pierced through the blade of light, bypassing the Profound-Robed Cultivator entirely, and locked onto Han Yi, who had already boarded the Immortal Ship. A flicker of murderous intent flashed in his eyes.
This was none other than Han Xuxiao, the relentless pursuer himself.
He had never anticipated that Han Yi would flee without pause, sprinting straight out of the mountain range. Even with the Soul-Chasing Technique guiding him at full speed, he had arrived a step too late.
Too bad I can't kill you this time, he thought. But next time, you won't escape. He burned Han Yi's appearance and aura into his memory, vowing to eliminate him at their next encounter.
Then, his attention finally shifted to the colossal blade of light bearing down upon him from mid-air.
His eyes lit up with sudden excitement. Clasping two fingers together, the Crimson Longsword sheathed behind him suddenly soared into the sky to meet the oncoming strike.
Boom!
A deafening roar shattered the air, shaking the forest and causing the Immortal Ship's automated defensive formations to flicker with radiant spirit light.
Before the shockwave subsided, the Crimson Longsword returned to its sheath, and Han Xuxiao retreated calmly.
The Profound-Robed Cultivator, his eyes gleaming with divine light, lunged forward after unleashing his blade strike.
"The Flameblood Sword?"
"Han Xuxiao?"
"Hmph, since you've come seeking death today, you shall find it here."
With a whoosh, the Profound-Robed Cultivator vanished into thin air, reappearing at the spot where Han Xuxiao had stood moments before. He took another step forward, his figure dissolving as he gave chase.
On the Immortal Ship, panic erupted.
Han Yi, who had just scrambled aboard and hadn't even caught his breath, felt a chill run down his spine, overwhelmed by the realization that he had narrowly escaped death.
That cultivator was after me.
He blocked a Foundation Establishment Stage attack? Who is he?
Thank goodness I got here first.
These thoughts raced through his mind in quick succession. Just then, the middle-aged Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator seated at the front of the Immortal Ship flickered into motion, giving chase and vanishing instantly.
Of course, the Immortal Ship carried more than one Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator in its escort, so the passengers weren't too concerned about this.
However...
Even as the spiritual energy storm of clashing blade light and sword qi still raged ahead of the Immortal Ship, a disciple suddenly stood up and exclaimed in alarm, "It's Han Xuxiao!"
The disciple's face was grim. Han Yi recognized him as a cultivator at the peak of the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement, who had ranked in the top twenty during the Inner Peak Great Competition.
The fact that this man looked so troubled, and that Han Yi even knew his name, meant that the Blood God Sect member they had faced was no ordinary opponent.
On the Immortal Ship, hushed discussions rippled through the small groups of disciples that had gathered. After calming his initial shock, Han Yi approached Chu Jinmo, who was coming to greet him.
"Junior Brother Han, thank you for saving me," Chu Jinmo said, cupping her hands in a gesture of gratitude. Though still pale, she appeared unharmed. The silver longsword she carried on her back had regained its composure, looking like an ordinary Magic Artifact without a trace of its earlier divine aura.
Han Yi smiled. "Senior Sister Chu, there's no need for such formality."
Chu Jinmo's expression turned solemn. "This is a life-saving debt, Junior Brother Han. You may disregard it, but I will never forget it."
Han Yi returned the gesture. "Senior Sister Chu, you're exaggerating. If I were in danger, I'm sure you wouldn't stand idly by either."
Chu Jinmo nodded gravely. "If you ever face peril, Junior Brother Han, I would gladly risk my life to save you."
Han Yi chuckled, impressed by her straightforward sincerity. Chu Jinmo was truly a woman of genuine character.
Both Chu Jinmo and Han Yi understood that their bond was not romantic, but rather the camaraderie of fellow sect members.
Soon after, Chu Jinmo led Han Yi toward He Fengdi and Shen Ru, who were sitting cross-legged in meditation a dozen meters away. The four exchanged nods of greeting.
"Junior Brother Han, you were incredibly fortunate," He Fengdi said, studying Han Yi thoughtfully. "If you had been even a step slower, Han Xuxiao would have caught up to you, and you surely would have met your end."
"Senior Brother He, you know him too?" Han Yi asked, puzzled. "Han Xuxiao? Who exactly is this person?"