"What's wrong? Is there something off about this person? Or is his identity fake?" The burly man noticed the old man's expression and couldn't help but ask in puzzlement.
"His identity should be fine. Our disciples infiltrated the Wondering Sound Sect long ago and copied the portraits of both its elders. This person is identical to the recording within this jade slip — he is indeed that Han-surnamed elder. Even if he'd used some secret technique to alter his appearance, he absolutely couldn't slip past Elder Wang's divine sense at the port." The green-robed elder stroked his beard, then raised one hand. A jade slip glowing faintly green materialized in his palm, which he waved briefly before the burly man's eyes before tucking it away.
"If there's no problem, then why make that face?" The burly man snorted, somewhat displeased.
"This Han-surnamed elder from the Wondering Sound Sect is no simple matter. I'm afraid that neither you nor I could defeat him in a one-on-one fight." The green-robed elder pondered for a moment, then delivered words that made the burly man freeze.
"What do you mean? He's just a Foundation Establishment cultivator at the same early stage as us — and a rogue cultivator at that. How can he compare to us, who receive guidance from the Holy Ancestor?" The burly man shook his head like a rattle drum, refusing to believe it.
The elder showed no anger at these words. Instead, he explained to the burly man at an unhurried pace: "Protector Liu should know that although the 'Seven Fiends Force' I cultivate isn't considered a top-tier technique, it is extremely sensitive to the amount of killing aura on a person. And the killing aura emanating from that individual — among Foundation Establishment cultivators, this is the first time I've encountered anything so heavy. The number of cultivators who have perished at his hands is by no means small."
"What of it? If I slaughter enough low-level cultivators, I could accumulate that much easily enough." The burly man put on an unconcerned expression.
"It's not the same thing. When you do it, although you can indeed accumulate a thin layer of killing aura, it dissipates easily after a short time. But the killing aura on this person is not only dense and abundant, it is also razor-sharp and chillingly cold. That kind of aura can only form from killing an excessive number of cultivators at the same level or above. This type of killing aura is permanently bound to the body unless Buddhist or Daoist secret techniques are used to cleanse it.
"Moreover, this person seems to know some wondrous breath-concealing technique. What he reveals is less than a tenth of the true amount. Even so, the sheer weight of it is staggering! An ordinary cultivator facing him would find their illusion and charm techniques greatly diminished. If caught off guard and that killing aura shrouds them head-on, their willpower would be seized in an instant. They'd be doing well to exert seventy or eighty percent of their true power. If this person cultivated my 'Seven Fiends Force,' his progress would absolutely be a thousand miles in a single day." A cold gleam flickered in the elder's eyes as he spoke.
When this man said such things, he naturally had no idea that although Han Li had killed very few Foundation Establishment cultivators, the number of fifth-level demon beasts — equivalent to early Foundation Establishment — he had slain numbered in the hundreds. The killing aura on his body far exceeded anything the elder could imagine.
"Protector Cang, never mind his killing aura. Don't tell me you want to take him as a disciple? Don't forget he's also a Foundation Establishment cultivator — he wouldn't bow to become your student." The burly man blinked, a trace of confusion on his face.
"Take him as a disciple? Of course not. I'm simply interested in the method he used to amass such powerful killing aura. There must be some trick to it." The elder said calmly.
Hearing this, the burly man lost all interest entirely.
After all, techniques that leveraged killing aura to advance one's cultivation — there were probably only a handful of obscure methods in the entire Chaotic Star Sea. The art he cultivated wasn't one of them, so he had no desire whatsoever.
However, the burly man suddenly remembered something and asked offhandedly: "You mentioned that the Young Master has his eye on the Wondering Sound Sect's Fairy Zi Ling. How come I've never heard about that? Did the Young Master give you private instructions?" A hint of suspicion showed on his face.
"Heh heh! Would we need the Young Master to spell it out? Don't you know what technique the Young Master cultivates? And this Fairy Zi Ling is famous throughout the entire Chaotic Star Sea as the greatest beauty. If we can arrange things and present her to him, the rewards will be enormous. Remember, the Young Master has already reached late Foundation Establishment. With the Holy Ancestor's guidance and protection, I'd say he'll achieve Nascent Soul within a hundred years!" The elder said with a sinister chuckle.
The burly man's expression cleared with sudden realization, and he nodded excitedly over and over.
"Then when do we make our move? The Young Master should be emerging from seclusion soon." A savage grin spread across his face as he cracked his knuckles.
"There's no rush. It would be best to handle this matter after the great battle is over. Only by letting the Wondering Sound Sect witness the might of the Opposite Star Alliance will it be easier to make our move. And if they still refuse to submit — I hear the Wondering Sound Sect once had their headquarters in Sky Star City. All we need to do is find some pretext that they were colluding with the Star Palace, and I guarantee that girl will obediently fall into line." The elder spoke in an even, unhurried tone.
"Good, that's the plan then. They only have two early Foundation Establishment elders — would they really be so foolish as to try to stop a wheel with a mantis's arms? Fellow Daoist Cang truly is full of clever stratagems!" The burly man threw back his head and roared with delighted laughter.
The elder gave a faint smile at these words, while secretly thinking with a measure of smugness: "Once that's done, I can use our influence to pressure that Han-surnamed elder from the Wondering Sound Sect. When the time comes, he'll obediently hand over the secret of amassing killing aura as well. Truly killing two birds with one stone!"
With that thought, the elder narrowed his eyes slightly, and a strange, eerie expression crept across his face.
…
Han Li flew away from the green-robed elder and his companions, his遁光 reaching the skies above the port in the blink of an eye.
He glanced at the busy Opposite Star Alliance cultivators below and was about to accelerate away from the area.
But at that very moment, a powerful divine sense descended from the sky without any attempt at concealment, enveloping Han Li within it in an instant.
Han Li was startled, but he immediately maintained a calm expression, hovering motionless in midair.
Just as he had anticipated in his heart — the Opposite Star Alliance would never simply let a Foundation Establishment cultivator go based on nothing more than a token.