Chapter 162: The Blood God's Assassination Attempt

Three months later, Han Yi returned from the Blood Sea to Profound Blood Peak. Soaring hundreds of feet above the ground on his sword, he gazed down at the city below.

He hovered at the edge of Profound Blood Peak, directly above Profound Blood City.

The city had undergone a dramatic transformation. A year prior, when they had first arrived, it was known as Blood Sea City. Before the cultivators evacuated, they had deliberately destroyed it, and demonic creatures had ravaged the ruins, reducing the once-grand Immortal City to a desolate wasteland.

Now, Profound Blood City had more than tripled in size. Countless towers and pavilions pierced the sky, and cultivators thronged its streets in endless streams.

His gaze swept outward, tracing the line of eighteen Immortal Towns stretching from Profound Blood City toward the Blood Sea. While their scale might be better described as Immortal Towns, each rivaled Profound Blood City in prosperity.

Both Profound Blood City and the surrounding eighteen Immortal Towns were enveloped in protective Formation Arts. With mystical vision, one could even glimpse the thriving Spirit Veins beneath their foundations, pulsing with endless spiritual energy.

Today marked Han Yi's final day guarding the Blood Sea.

For the past half-month, cultivators from the eighteen Immortal Towns had been mobilized to patrol the Blood Sea. This month-long period was merely a joint defense operation.

Moving forward, the Profound Pill Sect would station two to three Foundation Establishment Elders along the Blood Sea's edge each month. Their primary role wouldn't be to eliminate demonic creatures, but rather to monitor and issue warnings.

Other Foundation Establishment Elders were free to travel between the Main Sect in the Profound Pill Mountain Range and the Profound Blood Branch Sect.

Han Yi sighed inwardly, marveling at how much the landscape below had transformed in just a year.

Looking up at the sect structures atop Profound Blood Peak, his emotions shifted again.

Dozens of palaces had already been constructed around the Profound Blood Hall. Given time, this Branch Sect would rival the Main Sect in strength. How the relationship between the two would be coordinated, however, was beyond Han Yi's concern.

Composing himself, Han Yi stepped onto the Green Ripple Sword. With a flash, it carried him into Profound Blood Hall and into a side chamber—the Profound Blood Peak's Elder Council Hall.

"Junior Brother Han, an Immortal Boat returns to the Sect tomorrow. Will you be returning or staying?" Gu Yu asked again as Han Yi entered, seeking confirmation.

"Naturally, I'll be returning to the Main Sect," Han Yi replied.

Gu Yu wasn't surprised. "I knew you'd want to go back."

"We're returning to the Sect tomorrow, led by Senior Brother Li. The Transcending Calamity Immortal Ship will be waiting outside Lian Family City. Besides you, seven Foundation Establishment Elders and sixty-three Inner Sect Disciples have also applied to return."

Han Yi nodded, his belongings already packed in his Storage Pouch, ready for departure.

The next day, Han Yi escaped Profound Blood Peak, glancing back one last time. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it might be a very long time before he returned. While the place had its merits, it still couldn't compare to the comfort of Azure Dragon Peak.

Silently bidding farewell, Han Yi turned and descended, flying towards one of the eighteen Immortal Towns.

Lian Family City, true to its name, was an Immortal City leased by the Lian Clan. Though a Foundation Establishment family, the clan boasted seven Foundation Establishment cultivators, with their Patriarch at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Stage.

When Patriarch Lian learned of the Spirit Vein splitting near Profound Blood Peak, he decisively abandoned his family's holdings in Nanyang County to seize one of the newly divided veins.

The Spirit Vein beneath Lian Family City was a Third-Tier Spirit Vein. A Peak Foundation Establishment cultivator cultivating at its core node stood a high chance of using it to advance to the Golden Core Stage.

This was precisely why Patriarch Lian had made such a decisive move. If he could leverage this opportunity to advance to the Golden Core Stage, the Lian Clan would undoubtedly rise to new heights.

Han Yi had met this ambitious leader once and held a favorable impression of him.

In truth, most of the eighteen Immortal Cities at the foot of Profound Blood Peak shared similar origins. Some were founded by entire clans relocating en masse, others by gatherings of powerful Rogue Cultivators, and several were established through joint ventures by multiple families. Their purpose was undeniably the same: to secure access to the Spirit Veins.

Spirit Veins were the lifeblood of any faction.

At that moment, an Immortal Boat hovered in the sky outside Lian Family City, already carrying over a hundred people.

Han Yi arrived using an Escape Technique and landed on the vessel, his eyebrows arching in surprise. The boat wasn't solely occupied by cultivators from the Profound Pill Sect; there were outsiders as well.

"Senior Brother Li, who are these people?" Han Yi asked Li Wenbin, the leader of their group.

Li Wenbin was a middle-aged cultivator with a ruddy complexion and a broad forehead. Even when half-closed, his eyes were larger than those of ordinary people.

"Those are disciples of True Person Boyi," Li Wenbin replied. "They happened to be traveling in the same direction, so we agreed to share the journey. Besides, they paid well, and since it's on our way, it's no trouble."

Li Wenbin's voice boomed as he gestured to a group of over a dozen cultivators standing nearby. Seeing him point, they bowed respectfully, their expressions deferential.

True Person Boyi, originally named Tian Boyi, was a Rogue Cultivator who had reached the Golden Core Stage. He had seized control of one of the Eighteen Immortal Cities, gathering a following of cultivators around him. Among them were six Foundation Establishment experts and numerous Qi Refining practitioners, making his faction a significant power beneath Profound Blood Peak, even stronger than the Lian Clan.

Han Yi withdrew his gaze, moved to the side, and sat down cross-legged in meditation.

Since Li Wenbin had made up his mind, Han Yi saw little point in objecting. Even if he did, his volatile senior brother's past behavior suggested it would be futile.

Might as well let it be, Han Yi thought. Besides, most of the rogue cultivators on this Immortal Boat are at the Qi Refining Stage, with only one at the Early Foundation Establishment Stage. Any unexpected situation should remain manageable.

Some Inner Sect Disciples from the Profound Pill Sect who knew Han Yi had initially considered approaching him. However, seeing him retreat to a quiet corner, closing his eyes in meditation, they wisely decided not to disturb him.

Half an hour later, when everyone had boarded, Han Yi opened his eyes and surveyed the occupants of the Immortal Ship. He realized that all the familiar faces from his group—Gu Yu, He Fengdi, and others—had chosen to stay behind.

Everyone makes their own choices, and that's perfectly understandable.

Han Yi closed his eyes again.

The Transcending Calamity Immortal Ship beneath him slowly powered up and gradually accelerated.

This type of Immortal Ship was relatively large. During his Qi Refining Stage, Han Yi had once traveled on one to the Myriad Demon Mountain Range to complete a Sect Mission.

Back then, the journey from the Profound Pill Mountain Range to the Myriad Demon Mountain Range had taken two or three days. This time, traveling from Profound Blood Peak to the Profound Pill Mountain Range would take even longer—about five days, according to the information he had gathered.

After the Immortal Ship flew past Taibai County and entered Nanyang County, the passengers began to relax. They were now just a day's journey from the Profound Pill Sect's Main Sect, well within safe territory.

As the ship flew over a vast mountain forest,

Suddenly,

The void trembled and distorted. A bolt of lightning descended from the heavens with incredible speed. Han Yi had barely opened his eyes when it struck the Immortal Ship. Only then did the deafening roar of thunder reach his ears.

The ship shook violently.

Crack!

Over a dozen Mid-Grade Spirit Stones in the control core shattered.

"Not good!" Han Yi's heart pounded.

Li Wenbin, who had been meditating at the ship's control core, reacted even faster. With a thunderous roar, he leapt to his feet. "What cowardly vermin dares attack the Profound Pill Sect?"

The sky was empty, yet a second thunderbolt crashed down, even stronger, faster, and more violent than the first. The initial strike had caused minimal damage to the Immortal Ship; its sole purpose was to pinpoint the target for the second.

Han Yi's eyelids twitched wildly as he witnessed the fusion of Formation Arts and Spirit Talismans. An ominous premonition surged through his heart, reaching a fever pitch.

His fears were confirmed.

This time, the thunderbolt slammed into the Immortal Ship with a deafening explosion that shook the heavens. Everyone on board below the Foundation Establishment Stage suffered temporary hearing loss.

The Spirit Light shielding the ship flickered violently before vanishing completely. Stripped of its protection, the Immortal Ship plummeted downward. Foundation Establishment cultivators leaped into the air, gathering Qi Refining disciples and swiftly descending to the ground.

A cold, sinister voice echoed from above:

"Profound Pill Sect."

"We're here to slaughter the Profound Pill Sect."

As the voice faded, over a dozen figures, previously concealed in the high altitude, materialized before the crowd.

"Xiao Keng! Yuan Changtian!"

"This is bad! Profound Pill Sect members, flee immediately!"

Li Wenbin's face paled as he turned to flee. Having also mastered the Sword Control Technique and the Li Fire Sword Manual, he instantly propelled himself three hundred meters away on his sword.

"Too late to run," one of the figures sneered.

"Kill him first, then we'll deal with the others at our leisure."

Two figures transformed into streaks of light, flanking Li Wenbin as they gave chase.

Simultaneously, the other Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators emerging from the Void mercilessly slaughtered those who had fallen from the Immortal Ship and were attempting to flee.

Meanwhile, Han Yi's expression shifted dramatically as he clearly saw the thirteen figures materialize from the Void. Abandoning all hope, he plummeted into the dense mountain forest below, the dozen Inner Sect disciples held aloft by his Mana descending with him.

"Scatter and run!" he barked, before vanishing into the woods.

For him—no, for everyone present—survival lay solely in flight. Resistance offered no chance of victory; total annihilation was inevitable.

Han Yi had clearly observed that the thirteen hidden figures were all Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators from the Blood God Sect who had escaped a year prior.

Worse still, Xiao Keng and Yuan Changtian were at the Peak Foundation Establishment Stage.

Li Wenbin would have struggled against even one of them, let alone two. This explained his decisive retreat.

The Immortal Ship had carried a total of nine Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators on this mission: eight from the Profound Pill Sect and one outsider.

Among the eight Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Profound Pill Sect, only Li Wenbin and one other had reached the Late Foundation Establishment Stage. Two were at the Mid-Foundation Establishment Stage, while the remaining four, including Han Yi, were at the Early Foundation Establishment Stage.

The thirteen Foundation Establishment cultivators emerging from the Void consisted of three Late-Stage, four Mid-Stage, and six Early-Stage practitioners.

With such a disparity in strength, they stood no chance against the Blood God Sect's thirteen Foundation Establishment cultivators. Even a suicidal stalemate seemed unlikely. Overwhelmed by a terrifying sense of impending doom, Han Yi trembled uncontrollably.

"Damn it! How did the Blood God Sect know we were taking this route?"

This crisis was every bit as perilous as the Red Phoenix City incident a year prior. Back then, he had faced Mo Wen and Yu Ming, relying on tactical planning and a Divine Soul Battle to survive. His survival had hinged equally on his skill and sheer luck.

But this time was different. There were no Heavenly Soul Sect cultivators present—only members of the Blood God Sect, several of whom were at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage.

Han Yi feared no Early Foundation Establishment opponents. Even against Mid-Stage cultivators, he could activate a Divine Soul Secret Technique in dire circumstances. And if all else failed, the Third-Tier Spirit Talisman Yuan Shun had given him could obliterate a Mid-Stage opponent.

However, against a Late Foundation Establishment cultivator, Han Yi's chances of victory were slim. Even a Third-Tier Spirit Talisman—equivalent to a full-power strike from a Golden Core cultivator—couldn't guarantee a one-hit kill against a Peak Foundation Establishment cultivator. These experts possessed their own hidden defensive measures and might be willing to pay a steep price to withstand such an attack.

This was Han Yi's assessment of his own strength after a year of reflection.

The Blood God Sect cultivators had strategically chosen this mountain forest, positioning themselves precisely between two Immortal Cities. Even if they tried to flee to the nearest city, the time required would be more than enough for their pursuers to catch up and kill them several times over.

This was clearly a meticulously planned ambush.

!

There was an internal traitor.

Han Yi's heart skipped a beat as he recalled the non-Profound Pill Sect cultivators aboard the Immortal Ship. A cold fury welled up within him.

If there was one place where trouble was most likely to arise, it would undoubtedly be from those outside the Profound Pill Sect.

They had grown complacent.

The past year of peace had lulled everyone in the Profound Pill Sect into believing that the remnants of the annihilated Blood God Sect wouldn't dare resurface, perhaps having even fled to distant Great Qin.

To their astonishment, the enemy dared to resurface a year later, catching them completely off guard.

But dwelling on the past was useless now. Survival was the only priority.

The other Inner Sect Disciples, now abandoned, paled in unison. Having survived the devastating battle a year prior, they didn't freeze in panic but scattered swiftly, their fates now resting on the whims of destiny.

Whoosh!

Han Yi's Peak Perfection Light Body Technique transformed his movements into a phantom shadow, silent and incredibly fast—the swiftest among the fleeing Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Behind him, distant explosions and ferocious roars echoed from the sky and the ground. Han Yi didn't dare glance back, knowing that even a split-second hesitation could mean the difference between life and death.

The sounds of destruction gradually faded into the distance.

A full quarter-hour passed before Han Yi finally emerged from the mountain forest, believing he had escaped with his life.

Whoosh!

A dazzling crimson Sword Light suddenly erupted ahead, piercing through the air and striking his eyes. His body, reacting instinctively, managed only a slight sidestep.

Thud.

The sword light grazed Han Yi's cheek, spraying a cluster of blood droplets.

Before he could even register the pain, Han Yi had already retreated over thirty meters in a burst of speed.

Damn it! he thought, realizing his mistake. His attention had been almost entirely focused behind him, never expecting Blood God Sect cultivators to ambush him even at the edge of the forest.

"Hmm?"

A soft murmur echoed through the air.

A cultivator in a gray-white robe descended from the sky. With a casual wave, the Blood Sword that had grazed Han Yi's cheek hovered before him.

"I recognize you."

"It seems luck has been on your side, allowing you to survive this long and even achieve Foundation Establishment."

"But today, your luck runs out."

The cultivator's face turned cold, his tranquil eyes concealing a volcanic rage.

Han Yi, now thirty meters away, touched his cheek and wiped away the blood. When he focused on the cultivator, his pupils constricted slightly.

He had only seen this man once.

Yet during his Late-Stage Qi Refining days, the name Han Xuxiao, the Blood God Son of the Blood God Sect, had been legendary.

Now that Han Xuxiao had advanced to the Foundation Establishment Stage, he no longer bore the title of Blood God Son.

Back in the Myriad Demon Mountain Range, Han Yi had killed a Halberd-Wielding Youth, a Spirit-Body Dual Cultivator, and fled into the forest. He narrowly boarded the Immortal Ship just before Han Xuxiao arrived. Had he been a moment slower, Han Yi, with his mere Seventh Layer Qi Refining cultivation, would have been instantly defeated and killed by the legendary Han Xuxiao, regardless of how potent his skills might have been.

At the time, the pressure exerted by the Top-Grade Magic Artifact Blood Sword had been immense, no less daunting than the pressure he now felt from Late-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.

But times had changed. Back then, his weakness stemmed from insufficient time and a late start. After over a decade of arduous cultivation, both he and Han Xuxiao stood at the Early Foundation Establishment Stage. If Han Yi remained weak now, he would truly betray the Proficiency Panel and might as well abandon the path of cultivation.

Han Yi couldn't afford to waste time; his pursuers could appear at any moment.

With a gentle wave of his hand, the Green Ripple Sword behind him returned to its sheath.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, a black Broken Sword materialized before him—the Black Light Broken Sword.

This Broken Sword, a gift from Yuan Shun, might be incomplete, but its power far surpassed any other weapon in Han Yi's arsenal.

His Divine Sense surged violently into the Black Light Broken Sword.

Han Yi's face twisted into a fierce grimace.

Plunged into sudden misfortune and relentlessly pursued, Han Yi's primary concern was the three Late Foundation Establishment cultivators on his tail. As for any Early Foundation Establishment cultivator foolish enough to stand in his way, they were simply courting death.

The sword lived up to its name.

A faint flicker of black light, barely perceptible, and it vanished.

Too fast. To Early Foundation Establishment cultivators, its speed appeared as instantaneous teleportation.

Thirty meters away, Han Xuxiao maintained his arrogant facade, but inwardly, he had never underestimated Han Yi. When Han Yi sheathed the Green Ripple Sword only to draw a strange, broken blade, a sudden terror gripped him—a premonition of death.

As his face paled, the Blood Sword before him transformed into a crimson streak of bloodlight and lunged forward.

Simultaneously, four spirit talismans materialized instantly, mana surging through them as spirit light pulsed.

One was a Second-Tier offensive talisman; the other three were Second-Tier defensive talismans. Han Xuxiao was confident that the layered defenses of these three talismans could withstand even an attack from a newly advanced Mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl, stretched a hundredfold.

Even as the talismans emerged from his storage pouch, the black light had already shattered the crimson streak. The Blood Sword, unable to withstand even a kshana of resistance, splintered into fragments. The black light's velocity remained virtually unchanged.

Then...

The frozen space-time outside had no effect on the Blacklight's speed. It sliced effortlessly through Han Xuxiao's forehead, piercing clean through.

This strike carried terrifying power, directly obliterating the Divine Soul within his Sea of Consciousness Space.

Han Yi barely had time to react before frantically retreating.

Two of the four Spirit Talismans had already been activated. A blazing inferno erupted from Han Xuxiao's hand, spreading rapidly in all directions.

Simultaneously, a defensive Spirit Talisman in his other hand activated, a layer of gray light swiftly enveloping his entire body.

A deafening explosion shook the earth, shattering over a dozen trees along the forest's edge.

A figure burst through the flames, instantly recalling the Black Light Broken Sword. Without hesitation, he stepped onto the blade and fled at low altitude, barely glancing at the aftermath of the explosion, let alone Han Xuxiao's Storage Pouch.

When life was at stake, a Storage Pouch was utterly worthless.

The battle had begun and ended swiftly.

Han Xuxiao, the once-invincible legendary Qi Refining expert and Blood God Son of the Blood God Sect, now lay defeated by a single strike from Han Yi's sword.

Barely a minute had passed when a cultivator appeared at the edge of the forest.

Before him lay half a corpse—one intact arm still connected to the torso. In the palm of the intact hand rested two unactivated Spirit Talismans. No other complete piece of flesh could be found around the remains.

A dozen meters away, a shattered Blood Sword lay on the ground, its tip pierced through as if by something impossibly sharp and indestructible, forcefully broken apart.

"Junior Brother Han..." the cultivator murmured.

With a gentle wave of his hand, he retrieved the two unactivated Spirit Talismans and the Storage Pouch from Han Xuxiao's remains. Then, he raised his head, a sinister grin spreading across his face.

"Rest assured, Junior Brother Han," the blood-robed cultivator growled. "Your Senior Brother will avenge you."

He produced a Spirit Talisman and tossed it onto Han Xuxiao's corpse.

The talisman ignited, releasing a wisp of gray smoke that coalesced into an arrow pointing in the direction of Han Yi's escape.

A Soul-Tracking Talisman.

The blood-robed cultivator seized the wisp of smoke, which remained tangible and did not dissipate. With a slight flick of his wrist, he set off in pursuit of Han Yi.