txolops Chapter 77 Han Li Arrives at Kui Xing Island
Chapter 77 Han Li Arrives at Kui Xing Island
At this moment, Han Xiaoliu felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, or as if a huge boulder was pressing on his chest, making even breathing painful and difficult.
He knew all too well what the term "Nascent Soul" meant.
He had died once.
In that instant, the soul was torn apart and the body disintegrated.
That's why he understands better than anyone else: the gap between great realms cannot be bridged by courage, skill, or a few magical treasures.
That was the crushing force of the laws of heaven and earth, the despair of ants looking up at mountains.
With a single thought, a Nascent Soul cultivator can reduce a Golden Core cultivator to ashes like a blade of grass.
He was merely a "pseudo-strongman" who had just reached the threshold of the Golden Core stage and had not even refined his natal magic weapon.
"run!"
This was his first instinct, ingrained in his very being: to seek immediate safety, flee far away, and reappear once the storm had passed.
On the path of cultivation, those who survive are never the bravest, but rather those who best know how to "escape".
But fate seemed determined to work against him.
Han Li, the guy who was supposed to meet up with Kui Xing Island as promised, has been nowhere to be found.
The appointed time had long passed, and the communication talisman had vanished without a trace, not even a single reply.
Did he encounter a powerful enemy? Be trapped in a secret realm? Or... simply forget about it?
He wouldn't wait until the plot starts before going to Kui Xing Island, would he? That would be disastrous! He didn't think he had Han Li's incredible luck, the ability to snatch chestnuts from the fire and safely pick up the scraps.
Han Xiaoliu dared not think about it too much; every possibility sent chills down his spine.
Even worse was Lei Peng.
This master of Kui Xing Island appears generous and open-minded, but in reality, his mind is as deep as an ancient well, and he is so sinister that it is appalling.
Like a rock in a latrine, it's both smelly and hard!
How wicked must a person be to have no friends? And surely no stranger would come to Kui Xing Island to kill him!
Han Xiaoliu was almost going crazy.
Looking at Lei Peng's unyielding and self-assured demeanor, he wished he could pry open Lei Peng's skull and etch the word "crisis" into the depths of his mind!
But he knew it was no use.
This kind of old fox only believes in the benefits he sees, and doesn't believe in the disasters that haven't yet come.
During the "Double Saints Festival" on Kui Xing Island, Tian Du Street was brightly decorated, bustling with people and lined with shops.
Han Li wore a simple, light gray robe, the fabric plain and unadorned, with a storage bag tied around his waist. He had a thin face and a calm, reserved expression.
To avoid suspicion, he used a concealment technique to deliberately suppress his cultivation to the level of the ninth level of Qi Refining. He walked with ease but appeared slightly "lagging behind," deliberately walking behind Qu Hun and disguising himself as a follower.
Qu Hun was tall and robust, wearing a wide-brimmed black hat, a dark mask covering his face, and a loose, coarse black and gray robe. He exuded the calm spiritual pressure unique to late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Although it was a human puppet, after being nurtured by Han Li for many years, its behavior had become intelligent, and it could nod and respond, just like a high-level cultivator.
The two walked to Tiandu Street, where two women were laughing and joking on the eaves of Yunmeng Pavilion. Suddenly, a clear, melodious dialect voice came from above:
"Hey—fellow Daoist, are you new here? Would you like someone to show you the way?"
Han Li looked up and saw
A woman dressed in a fiery red short skirt, with bright purple eyes, freckles on her face, petite and lively, dangling barefoot in the air, her ankle bells jingling softly.
Before she could finish speaking, she darted down the iron chain like a swallow, and in the blink of an eye, she stood smiling in front of Han Li, squinting her eyes and teasing, "Two beauties like us are accompanying you shopping... You've really hit the jackpot!"
Behind her followed a woman in a light blue dress. She had an oval face, snow-white skin, clear blue eyes, and a tall, graceful figure. She was also barefoot, and her wrists and neck were adorned with gold rings that shone brightly in the sunlight.
She didn't say anything, but smiled slightly and nodded gently, which was considered a greeting.
Both were at the peak of the Qi Refining stage, dressed boldly and flamboyantly with a strong exotic flair, attracting frequent glances from the surrounding cultivators.
Seeing Han Li's cautious expression, Yanli immediately struck up a conversation with him:
"Looks like this is your first time here, right? My senior sister and I know Tiandu Street like the back of our hand! We know exactly what each shop sells, the prices, and whether there are any rip-offs! Why don't we show you around? That way you won't waste your time!"
Han Li's eyes flickered slightly, but he remained calm and asked in return:
"Oh? Then... what conditions are required?"
Yanli and Yuanyao exchanged a glance, covered their mouths and chuckled. Yanli said playfully:
"Oh, you're such a smart person, senior! Don't worry, we only need a small commission, or... you can just buy some of the things we recommend!"
She then pointed towards the Yunmeng Pavilion behind her, her tone shifting to a sales pitch:
"My sister and I are currently acting as agents for a new shop called 'Youjian General Store,' selling Buddhist artifacts and talismans. The quality is good, and the prices are reasonable! If you're interested, we can take you there first?"
Han Li had already realized that the two women truly valued "Qu Hun," a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, while he was treated as an appendage.
To avoid any further complications, he decisively put on a "double act": controlling the melody to refuse, then giving Yanli an apologetic smile:
"I'm sorry, my master prefers to travel alone and is not used to traveling with others. Thank you for your kindness, farewell."
After saying that, he pulled Qu Hun away quickly, leaving Yanli looking bewildered, while Yuan Yao stared thoughtfully at their backs, a hint of disappointment and confusion flashing in her eyes.
Yanli pulled her senior sister aside and whispered, "That person's companion is a corpse puppet; he's probably not a good person. We'd better not have too much contact with him!"
Yuan Yao glanced at the two people walking away, said nothing, and pulled her junior sister away!
My junior sister has an exceptionally keen sense for ghosts and spirits; she won't be wrong! It's best not to get to know this kind of pervert who plays with corpses!
As the sun sets, the hustle and bustle of Tiandu Street on Kuixing Island gradually recedes.
Yanli pulled Yuanyao along, skipping back to the entrance of "Youjian General Store". Her hair still carried the salty scent of the sea breeze, and her face was beaming with the smugness of making a fortune today.
But as soon as he looked up, he saw Lu Xueqi, the little girl who always wore plain white dresses and had a cold, frosty look in her eyes, squatting by the threshold, her little hand supporting her chin, gazing at the distant sea in a daze.
She was holding a docile wild boar in her arms, as quiet as a painting.
"Sister Xueqi!" Yanli excitedly rushed over and hugged her shoulder, her voice full of excitement. "So many rogue cultivators came to the island today! We sold out all the talismans and low-level magic artifacts we brought with us, a whole three hundred spirit stones!"
Yuan Yao smiled slightly, gently patted Lu Xueqi's head, and said softly, "It must be hard for you to run the shop all by yourself."
Lu Xueqi blinked and asked softly, "Did anything interesting happen to you sisters?"
Upon hearing this question, Yanli's smile instantly froze, then transformed into a gnashing of disgust. She abruptly lowered her voice, as if afraid of being overheard by something filthy, and leaned close to their ears, saying hastily and resentfully:
"Don't even mention it! We ran into a... a demonic cultivator who played with corpses at the East Market intersection! That guy was wearing a black robe, his fingernails were jet black, and he had a terrifying human puppet with him! It was horrifying!"
As she spoke, a chill ran down her spine, and she instinctively hugged her arms tightly, as if the scene was still stuck in her mind.
Yuan Yao's expression also darkened, and a layer of frost appeared in her blue eyes.
Although my senior sister exaggerated, that person really didn't seem like a good person!
She was usually gentle, but now her tone was icy: "Those kinds of people... cultivate evil paths, create corpse puppets, treat living people as raw materials, and regard life as worthless. They don't have 'people' in their eyes, only 'things'."
"Exactly!" Yanli retorted angrily, her voice even lower, filled with the fear and disdain unique to young girls. "I've heard that some demonic cultivators extract the souls of their enemies and seal them into puppets, torturing them day and night just to hear their screams for amusement! There are even people who collect the skins of young girls and make 'beauty puppets' to display in their caves... Ugh! Just thinking about it makes me sick!"
She couldn't help but gag, her face contorting in disgust: "How can these people be called 'fellow Daoists'? They're nothing but beasts in human skin! If I ever run into them again, I'd rather self-destruct than let them touch a single hair on my head!"
Lu Xueqi's face turned pale as she listened, clutching the wild boar tightly in her arms, her voice trembling slightly: "Then...then will he come here?"
"Don't worry!" Yanli immediately puffed out her chest, patting her as if to feign composure. "Our shop has a boss, so there's definitely no danger!" She suddenly lowered her voice mysteriously, "There are many cultivators on the island; ordinary demonic cultivators wouldn't dare to cause trouble here!"
Yuan Yao didn't reply, but just looked thoughtfully at the closed door inside the shop.
She vaguely remembered that the young-looking cultivator had a calm demeanor and clear eyes, and was definitely not a member of the evil path.
But in any case, all three of them knew in their hearts:
Beneath the surface of this chaotic starry sea, undercurrents surge.
Those demonic cultivators who keep company with corpses and find pleasure in souls are forever the deepest nightmare for these lowly female cultivators.
It's not that I'm afraid of dying, but that I'm afraid of dying without dignity, of being desecrated, manipulated, and treated as an "object" to be exhibited and played with even after death.