Han Li raised his head and looked out beyond the arena. Whether they were from the Seven Mysteries Sect, the Wild Wolf Gang, or any other faction, every person wore a deathly pale expression, staring at him with eyes brimming with fear.
After all, snatching away the "flying sword," killing Jin Guang Shangren, and turning dozens of experts — Jia Tianlong among them — to ash in the span of moments — all of these acts made it abundantly clear that Han Li was not only a cultivator of the same caliber as the dwarf, but also a man of ruthless methods, certainly no benevolent or merciful soul.
Wherever his gaze landed, people instinctively lowered their heads and averted their eyes. Not a single person dared meet his stare. In that moment, Han Li truly embodied the phrase "feared by all who laid eyes on him."
"Still haven't scrammed? You wouldn't happen to be thinking of staying on this mountain — wanting me to send you on your way too?" Han Li suddenly said in a cold voice toward the Wild Wolf Gang's side.
His voice wasn't particularly loud, but to the thousands of people on the mountain peak it struck like a bolt from the blue, sending them into immediate panic.
"Run! If we don't leave now, he might start burning people again!" someone shouted first.
In an instant, the Wild Wolf Gang and the smaller factions descended into chaos. They trampled over one another in a mad rush toward the foot of the mountain. The dense mass of bodies packed the narrow downhill path so tightly that not a single drop of water could have slipped through. Along the way, who knew how many people were trampled to death or crushed underfoot.
Before long, all of Sunset Peak had been emptied. Apart from the disciples of the Seven Mysteries Sect, not a single member of any other faction remained.
Wang Juechu was caught between relief and disbelief. He had never imagined that the sect's crisis would be resolved just like that — and that Jia Tianlong would be obliterated so thoroughly. Beyond his wild joy, a trace of unease crept in.
He understood perfectly well: since this person could help the Seven Mysteries Sect through this catastrophe without breaking a sweat, then with the same divine powers, he could just as easily crush the Seven Mysteries Sect into the ground — perhaps even reduce it to a state worse than the Wild Wolf Gang's current one.
At this thought, the heart he had just set at ease tightened once more, and his gaze drifted involuntarily toward the center of the arena.
"Huh? Where is Doctor Han?" Wang Juechu's eyes widened in shock.
The figure he now considered both an extraordinary expert and an unpredictable variable — Han Li — was nowhere to be seen.
"Did anyone see where Doctor Mo went?" Wang Juechu hurriedly asked those around him.
"No idea!"
"Wasn't paying attention..."
Virtually everyone shook their heads. It was hardly surprising. Everyone else had been thoroughly cowed by Han Li's terrifying display of burning men alive. Who would have dared keep their eyes locked on such a fearsome figure? And with those ghost-like movement techniques of his, vanishing without a trace would have been child's play.
"Don't bother looking for him. I saw the man earlier, mixed in with the crowd heading downhill. He's already left Sunset Peak," the gray-robed man — his complexion noticeably improved — suddenly spoke up.
"Left the mountain? Where would he go?" The sect master forced a complicated, bitter smile and murmured to himself.
As his gaze swept across the surroundings, it happened to land on a particular person.
Wang Juechu's eyes suddenly lit up, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly upward, revealing a crafty, old-fox expression.
At that very moment, Li Feiyu — still buzzing with excitement over his friend's sudden transformation into an otherworldly expert — was chatting away with Zhang Xiuer, utterly unaware that someone had already set their sights on him.
And so, the Wild Wolf Gang and the other factions beat a hasty retreat from Cai Xia Mountain, and without pause fled through the night out of the Seven Mysteries Sect's territory. The Seven Mysteries Sect leadership under Wang Juechu, having suffered severe losses themselves, did not send anyone in pursuit.
For a long time afterward, both the Wild Wolf Gang and the Seven Mysteries Sect withdrew to lick their wounds and rebuild their strength.
This dramatically twisted battle between the Seven Mysteries Sect and the Wild Wolf Gang soon spread across the land spanning thousands of li, becoming a local legend with the flavor of immortals and demons. Not only did the figures of both the righteous and underworld circles speak of it at length, but even ordinary folk relished it as a story to be told for years to come.
In the tale, the battle began as a duel between an unrivaled swordsman who wielded sword qi and an immortal sword cultivator who commanded flying swords. In the end, the sword immortal's flying sword proved wondrous and unfathomable, surpassing the swordsman's sword qi by a wide margin, and the swordsman was decisively defeated. At that moment, the great villain — the Fire Demon — made his appearance. Not only did he seize the opportunity to kill the sword immortal while both sides were severely weakened, but he then went on a demonic rampage, setting ablaze nearly a thousand faction members present, the leader of the Wild Wolf Gang among the unfortunate dead. In the end, the Fire Demon's killing spree was too great, and he provoked the wrath of heaven. He was struck down on the spot by celestial lightning from above, leaving behind not a trace of bone or flesh — which was why, in the end, no sign of him could be found.
When Han Li heard this thoroughly demonized version of himself recounted by Li Feiyu from his dwelling in Divine Hand Valley, he froze in place, stunned and speechless for a good while. Meanwhile, Li Feiyu had already collapsed in laughter, clutching his belly and unable to straighten up for what felt like an eternity.
It was now noon on the fifth day since the death duel had concluded.
That evening, Han Li had taken advantage of the chaos to slip quietly down Sunset Peak with the crowd. After finding Qu Hun, the two of them returned together to the valley.
The moment he was back, Han Li hung a "closed for visitors, will not receive guests" sign at the valley's entrance, turning away the several Seven Mysteries Sect leaders who had come through the night to pay their respects.
Of course, given Han Li's fearsome reputation by now, not one of them dared voice any dissatisfaction, let alone enter the valley without permission. After waiting for a time, they slunk back the way they had come.
In the days that followed, Han Li used the talisman inscribed with the small sword to begin practicing the Object Control Technique.
He knew the time left to him was running short. And so, day after day, before dawn had even broken, Han Li would activate the Object Control Technique, transforming the talisman into a streak of gray light that circled and danced ceaselessly through the valley until every last drop of his magical power was exhausted. Then he would sit in quiet meditation, letting his power slowly recover. The moment his strength returned to normal levels, he would drive the talisman once more and resume training.
In this manner, Han Li repeated the exercise over and over. This monotonous and tedious training continued for three full days, until he judged that he had grasped the essential fundamentals of actually applying the Object Control Technique. Only then did he officially bring his practice to an end.
(If you, dear reader, are enjoying this story, don't forget to add it to your collection.)
(End of Chapter)