Han Li raised his head and scanned the surroundings. The people from Seven Xuan Sect, Wild Wolf Gang, and the other smaller factions all had pale faces, looking at him with terror in their eyes.
The recent events—whether it was seizing the "flying sword," killing the Golden Light Man, or effortlessly turning over thirty powerful figures, including Jia Tianlong, into ash—had made it clear to everyone that Han Li was not only a cultivator like the dwarf, but also a ruthless one, not someone to be taken lightly.
Everywhere his gaze landed, people looked away, too afraid to meet his eyes. Han Li had truly become a figure that everyone feared.
"Get lost now, unless you want me to send you all on your way too," Han Li suddenly said, coldly addressing the direction of the Wild Wolf Gang.
His voice wasn't loud, but to the ears of the thousands of people on the mountain, it was like a thunderclap. Terror swept through them instantly.
"Run! If you don't, he might burn us all again!" Someone shouted out in fear.
Instantly, the Wild Wolf Gang and the other minor factions erupted into chaos. Everyone scrambled to flee, pushing and shoving their way down the mountain in a panic. The narrow path was flooded with people, and many were trampled underfoot as they rushed to escape.
In mere moments, the entire Sunset Peak had emptied, leaving only the disciples of Seven Xuan Sect behind.
Wang Juechu, watching the scene unfold, was filled with a mixture of shock and joy. He had never imagined that his sect's crisis would be so easily resolved, and Jia Tianlong could be eradicated so thoroughly. This brought him great joy, but also some unease.
He knew that Han Li's abilities, especially his divine techniques, could easily crush Seven Xuan Sect if he so desired. The sect's position could quickly become even more precarious than that of the Wild Wolf Gang had been.
Wang Juechu's momentary happiness was replaced with a sense of caution. His heart tightened as he turned his gaze to the center of the arena.
"Huh? Where is Dr. Han?" Wang Juechu's eyes widened in surprise.
At that moment, he realized that Han Li, the very person who had just single-handedly obliterated their enemies, was no longer in his original position.
"Has anyone seen Dr. Han?" Wang Juechu quickly asked his disciples.
"No idea!"
"Didn't notice."
…
Almost everyone shook their heads, clueless. They had all been so shocked by Han Li's terrifying display that they hadn't dared to keep their eyes fixed on him. With his ghostly movements, Han Li could vanish into thin air at will.
"Don't look for him. I saw him just now—he mixed in with the crowd leaving the mountain," the gray-clad cultivator, who had recovered from his shock, suddenly spoke up.
"Leaving the mountain? Where would he go?" Wang Juechu sighed and mumbled, his face full of complexity.
As his eyes scanned the crowd, his gaze unexpectedly landed on someone.
Wang Juechu's eyes lit up, and a sly smile tugged at his lips, revealing a wicked expression.
At that moment, Li Feiyu, who had been gushing with excitement over Han Li's sudden rise to power, was chatting with Zhang Xiuer, completely unaware that someone had shifted their focus onto him.
The Wild Wolf Gang and the other factions quickly withdrew from the Rainbow Mist Mountain, making haste to leave the Seven Xuan Sect's territory. As Wang Juechu and the other high-ranking disciples of Seven Xuan Sect were severely weakened, they didn't bother pursuing them.
For a long time afterward, both the Wild Wolf Gang and Seven Xuan Sect lay low and recuperated.
The long and drawn-out battle between Seven Xuan Sect and the Wild Wolf Gang quickly spread across the region, becoming a legendary tale full of magic and martial arts. It was talked about among both the righteous and the wicked, and even common people couldn't help but share it as an entertaining story. It never lost its allure.
In this tale, the conflict started with a duel between a peerless swordsman wielding a sword light and a sword immortal with flying swords. The sword immortal's flying swords, which were incredibly mystical, proved superior to the swordsman's sword technique, defeating the swordsman in an overwhelming manner. Just when it seemed that victory was within reach, a dark force appeared— a fiery demon. This demon killed the sword immortal, taking advantage of the weakened state of both sides, and set the entire battlefield ablaze, reducing nearly a thousand people to ash. Unfortunately, the Wild Wolf Gang's leader perished within this fire. The demon, driven by its insatiable desire for destruction, was ultimately struck down by heavenly lightning, its body obliterated, and its whereabouts disappeared thereafter.
When Han Li heard this version of events in Shen Shou Valley from Li Feiyu, he was stunned into silence for a long while. Li Feiyu, on the other hand, was laughing so hard he could barely stand up.
By now, it was the fifth day after the death duel.
That night, in the chaos of the fleeing crowds, Han Li had quietly slipped away with the flow of people, making his way down the Sunset Peak. He then met with Qu Hun and returned to the valley.
Once back at the valley, Han Li immediately put up a "Closed for Visitors" sign at the entrance, refusing to see anyone. Several high-ranking disciples from Seven Xuan Sect, who had been planning to visit him, were turned away. They didn't dare to object, and after waiting for a while, they left in defeat.
For the next few days, Han Li began practicing the "Object Control Technique" using the strange little sword talisman he had acquired from the dwarf.
He knew his time was running out, so every day, before dawn, he would use his "Object Control Technique" to transform the talisman into a gray light and let it circle around the valley until his spiritual power was completely exhausted. Then, he would rest quietly, allowing his power to gradually recover, only to repeat the process as soon as his strength was replenished.
This monotonous practice continued for three days. By the end, Han Li felt he had mastered the basics of the technique's actual application and decided it was time to stop.