Han Li was quite tempted. He understood clearly that on the path of immortal cultivation, having an insightful mentor to offer a few pointers could spare one many detours and greatly benefit one's practice.
But at the same time, this Ancestor Li was not someone to be trifled with. He had quite a few secrets of his own, and if he stayed close to the man for too long, he might be discovered. If Ancestor Li pressed further, it would surely be digging his own grave.
And judging from those earlier words of "sincere advice," this person was definitely not the kind to value any bond between master and disciple. He would most likely treat it as another case of the strong devouring the weak—even between teacher and student—and simply snatch what he wanted and silence the evidence.
Han Li's restless thoughts, once he turned them over carefully, immediately settled down into obedient restraint.
The other disciples of Yellow Maple Valley had no such burdens. Each of them clenched their fists and rubbed their palms, morale soaring. Now they were fighting not just for survival but also for their own futures.
Han Li subconsciously glanced at Junior Sister Chen and saw her cheeks flushed pink, her delicate fists clenched tight, a resolute light dancing in her eyes. She looked as though she had made up her mind.
He sighed inwardly and stopped paying attention to the other Yellow Maple Valley disciples. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the Pure Void Sect across from them.
That Daoist was still spraying spittle as he addressed his followers, occasionally striking an impassioned pose. The young Daoists responded with bursts of cheering, every one of them fired up. They had clearly all been thoroughly brainwashed. Of course, a few older Daoists kept composed expressions, unmoved by any of it.
Han Li found this quite amusing. He was watching with relish when suddenly someone shouted:
"Look! The Veiled Moon Sect is here—that's the Celestial Moon Divine Boat!"
Han Li looked up in surprise.
A white point of light had appeared on the horizon and was drawing rapidly closer.
Its speed was astonishing. Before long, it arrived above the barren mountain—an enormous ship carved from green jade, its hull decorated with dragons and phoenixes in gold leaf, impossibly luxurious, all enclosed within a massive white light barrier.
On the deck stood a large crowd of men and women in white robes, evenly divided between the sexes. At the head was a captivatingly dressed woman whose every gesture was suffused with charm, deeply beguiling.
The woman stepped down from the jade boat, dismissed the light barrier, and spoke with slightly parted lips: "Senior Brothers, Uncle-Master Qiong, Nichang greets you!"
Ancestor Li and the Daoist hastened to return the courtesy. But Elder Qiong simply flashed a toothy grin, his figure suddenly blurring before vanishing into thin air. Only his words and a triumphant cackle remained:
"In seven days, I'll return here—have your bets ready! I'm going to win this one for sure!"
The Daoist and Ancestor Li exchanged bewildered glances, wondering why the old man was so supremely confident! They had just appraised the Veiled Moon Sect's disciples. They were certainly stronger than their own sects' followers, but was that really enough for such bold boasts?
Her beautiful eyes drifted between them as she curiously inquired about the matter. When she heard the details of their wager, she burst into laughter, her delicate form trembling with mirth, utterly enchanting.
That alluring charm made many of the young male disciples from all three sects stare wide-eyed, nearly drooling.
But Ancestor Li and the Daoist had no attention to spare for the sight before them. Seeing her reaction, they both felt their hearts sink, sensing they had been duped. Their faces turned bitter.
Could it be that the Veiled Moon Sect truly had some killer weapon this time, capable of overpowering both their sects at once?
Both men maintained their dignity, and though seething with frustration inside, they were too proud to ask the other party what was really going on. Fairy Nichang—this beautiful woman—was more than happy to feign ignorance and steered the conversation toward other amusing topics.
Han Li and the other male disciples of Yellow Maple Valley had long since shifted their gaze to the large group of newly arrived female disciples.
They had heard that the Veiled Moon Sect practiced dual cultivation and required that at least half of its recruits be female—and that no one with insufficient beauty was ever accepted.
Now they saw that the reputation was well deserved. Every one of these women was exquisitely lovely, their faces as radiant as flowers and the moon. The sight left them salivating and daydreaming.
Han Li held up slightly better. Though momentarily overwhelmed, he relied on his unusual willpower to quickly rein in his mind and regain his composure.
Only then did he notice that the Veiled Moon Sect's female disciples seemed accustomed to being scrutinized by so many eyes at once. They chatted and laughed without the slightest change in expression, and some even flirted with a wink or two, leaving their observers weak in the knees.
The male disciples' reaction was the exact opposite. They glared daggers at everyone. They were particularly protective of the girls beside them, glaring back at anyone who so much as looked.
Han Li smiled faintly. It was easy to understand from the way men and women stood paired together—even if they were not truly lovers, they were certainly training partners arranged through their cultivation practice. That was why the male disciples were so angry; they had already claimed the girls beside them as their own, even if the female disciples did not necessarily see it the same way.
Han Li noticed that the male disciples' hostile stares were directed not only at Yellow Maple Valley but also at the Pure Void Sect.
Curious, he turned to look. Sure enough, those hot-blooded young Daoists were sneaking glances at the girls every so often, then quickly looking away as though terrified of being caught—acting in the most furtive manner.
Han Li had to suppress a laugh, afraid he might actually let it burst out.
He could not tell if it was his imagination, but it seemed to him that the Veiled Moon Sect's female disciples sent even more flirtatious glances toward the young Daoists than toward the Yellow Maple Valley group.
That left him speechless for a good while.
But then a sobering thought struck him, and Han Li felt a chill. They had not come here to flirt. They were about to fight a life-and-death battle inside the forbidden ground. If the other sects' young disciples encountered the Veiled Moon Sect's female disciples, they would likely lose before even striking a blow. After all, unleashing real force against those bewitching women was not something just anyone could bring themselves to do.
What puzzled Han Li even more was why every disciple in the Veiled Moon Sect's company, male and female alike, looked so young. Not a single one appeared to be any older. This was far from normal. If anyone claimed all these people were old monsters who had preserved their youthful looks, Han Li would never believe it. Judging by their frivolous behavior, they could not be more than twenty or so—there was nothing mature about them at all.
But the Blood Trial was a notorious death march. It was impossible that so many young people would volunteer to throw their lives away. Even if some did, it was unthinkable that they would all come in pairs, their emotions so deep that they were willing to face death together. Han Li would sooner believe the impossible than accept that.
Both Yellow Maple Valley and the Pure Void Sect had some elderly participants in their ranks. Those who joined did so because their natural lifespan was running out; even without entering the forbidden ground, they would not live much longer, so they sought one last gamble. If they could truly exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill and—by sheer luck—break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, everything would change. They would never dream of reaching the Core Formation stage, but an extra hundred years of life would be a windfall.
Though not many elderly cultivators joined the Blood Trial with this hope, the two sects combined had seven or eight of them. The Veiled Moon Sect, however, did not have a single one. In Han Li's eyes, that was genuinely strange.
Ancestor Li and the Daoist seemed to have sensed something amiss as well. Their faces grew even darker, and although they continued speaking with Fairy Nichang, their distracted manner was obvious to anyone who looked.
Before long, the remaining four sects arrived one after another. The ones that made the strongest impression on Han Li were the Giant Sword Sect and Spirit Beast Mountain.
The Giant Sword Sect was composed entirely of men, all dressed in black, each carrying an unsheathed great sword as tall as a man on their backs. Their expressions were coldly severe, and each one radiated a murderous aura.
The people of Spirit Beast Mountain wore garishly colorful robes and carried an assortment of pouches and bags on their persons. Something alive seemed to stir faintly inside them, making disciples from the other sects shudder uneasily.
The followers of Blade Transformation Dock and Celestial Gate Fortress, apart from their different attire, appeared at least normal in Han Li's eyes—much like the disciples of Yellow Maple Valley, whispering among themselves or looking visibly nervous.