"What? Is something wrong with this man? Or is his identity fake?" The burly man noticed the old man's expression and couldn't help but ask in surprise.
"His identity should be legitimate. Our disciples planted inside the Melody Gate have long since copied the portraits of the Melody Gate's two Elders. This person matches the image stored in that jade slip perfectly. He really is that Elder surnamed Han. Even if he'd used some secret art to alter his appearance, there's no way he could have escaped Elder Wang's sharp eyes at the port!" The green-robed elder stroked his beard, then raised one hand, and a jade slip glowing with a faint green hue appeared in his palm. He gave it a light wave before the burly man's eyes before putting it away.
"Then if there's no problem, why make that kind of expression?" The burly man snorted, clearly displeased.
"This Elder Han from the Melody Gate is no simple character. I'm afraid that in a one-on-one fight, neither you nor I would be his match." The green-robed elder pondered for a moment before delivering words that made the burly man freeze.
"What do you mean? He's just an early-stage Core Formation cultivator, same as us. And he's a rogue cultivator at that — how could he compare to us, who receive guidance from the Ancestor?" The burly man shook his head like a rattle drum, not believing a word.
The elder heard the burly man's words and showed no anger. Instead, he explained unhurriedly:
"Protector Liu should know that while the 'Seven Fiends Art' I cultivate can't be called a top-tier technique, it is extremely sensitive to the amount of murderous aura on a person. And the density of murderous aura on that man — in all my years among Core Formation cultivators, this is the first time I've seen anything like it. The number of cultivators who have perished at his hands is far from few."
"So what? If I slaughtered a bunch of low-level cultivators, I could do the same easily enough." The burly man put on a dismissive look.
"It's not the same at all. What you describe, while it can accumulate a thin layer of murderous aura, dissipates easily after some time passes. But the murderous aura on this man is not only dense and abundant — it's also piercingly cold and sinister. This kind of aura can only form from killing cultivators of the same level or above in great numbers. Unless one uses certain Buddhist or Daoist secret methods to purge it, this kind of murderous aura clings to a person permanently."
"Moreover, this man seems to know some wondrous breath-concealment technique. What he's revealing is less than a tenth of his true aura. And even at that fraction, the weight of his murderous aura is truly terrifying! An ordinary cultivator who faces him will find their illusion and bewilderment techniques greatly reduced in effectiveness. If they're caught off guard and engulfed by this aura head-on, their willpower will be momentarily seized. Being able to use seventy or eighty percent of their power would be a blessing in that state. If this man cultivated my 'Seven Fiends Art,' his progress would be a thousand miles a day." A cold gleam flashed in the elder's eyes as he spoke with a chilling tone.
The speaker naturally didn't know that while the number of Core Formation cultivators Han Li had killed was indeed quite small, the number of fifth-rank demon beasts — equivalent to early-stage Core Formation — that he had slain numbered in the hundreds. The murderous aura on his body far exceeded anything the elder could imagine.
"Protector Cang, why do you care about the murderous aura on his body? Are you thinking of taking him as a disciple? Don't forget, he's a Core Formation cultivator himself — he wouldn't submit to becoming your disciple." The burly man stared blankly for a moment, a puzzled look on his face.
"Taking him as a disciple? Of course that's out of the question. I'm simply interested in whatever method he used to accumulate such powerful murderous aura. There must be some trick to it." The elder said calmly.
At this point, the burly man lost interest entirely.
The technique of using murderous aura to advance one's cultivation — there were probably only a handful of obscure arts in the entire Scattered Star Seas that could do it. The one he himself cultivated was not among them, so the matter held no appeal for him.
However, the burly man suddenly remembered something and casually asked:
"You mentioned the Young Master has an interest in the Purple Spirit Fairy of the Melody Gate. How come I've never heard about this? Did the Young Master give you private instructions?" A flicker of suspicion appeared on the burly man's face.
"Heh heh! Does something like this really need the Young Master to spell it out? You know full well what cultivation method the Young Master practices, and the Purple Spirit Fairy is the most famous beauty in the entire Scattered Star Seas. If we can arrange this and present her to him, the rewards will naturally be considerable. Remember, the Young Master has already reached the late stage of Core Formation. With the Ancestor's guidance and protection, I'd say his Nascent Soul will form within a hundred years!" The elder said with an insidious chuckle.
The burly man's expression cleared with sudden understanding, and he nodded excitedly over and over.
"Then when do we make our move? The Young Master should be coming out of secluded cultivation soon." The burly man cracked his knuckles with a grim smile.
"There's no rush. It would be best to handle this after the great battle is over. Only after the Melody Gate has truly felt the power of our Spirit Severing Alliance will it be easier to make our move. And if they still refuse to submit — I've heard the Melody Gate once had its headquarters inside Heavenly Star City. We can simply find some excuse of them colluding with the Star Palace, and that girl will have no choice but to comply obediently." The elder spoke slowly, his expression perfectly composed.
"Good, we'll do it that way. They only have two early-stage Core Formation Elders — surely they won't try to stop a chariot with an arm! Cang Daoist friend is truly full of clever strategies!" The burly man burst into hearty laughter, delighted.
The elder smiled faintly at the words, while secretly feeling a swell of self-satisfaction:
"Just like this, I can use the Alliance's power to pressure that Elder Han from the Melody Gate. And when the time comes, I'll have him hand over the secret of accumulating murderous aura as well. Truly killing two birds with one stone!"
With this thought, the elder narrowed his eyes slightly, a strange, eerie look crossing his face.
…
Han Li flew away from the green-robed elder and the others, his遁光 arriving above the port in the blink of an eye.
After glancing at the busy Spirit Severing Alliance cultivators below, he was about to accelerate and leave the area.
But at that very moment, a powerful wave of spiritual sense descended from the sky without the slightest concealment, enveloping Han Li within it in an instant.
Han Li was startled, but he quickly kept his expression calm and hovered motionless in the air, not moving a muscle.
Just as he had anticipated in his heart — regarding Core Formation cultivators like themselves, there was no way the Spirit Severing Alliance would simply let them go based on a token alone.