Chapter 261: Flying Snake

After nearly half a day's journey, Han Li finally reached the outskirts of the central area.

To Han Li's surprise, the journey had been uneventful, with no further ambushes from others. He naturally didn't know that those who had arrived earlier in this direction had already been thoroughly eliminated by the so-called "elites," and those behind him had been caught up and cleared out by Feng Yue and Duo Bao Nu.

Consequently, even if a few stragglers remained, they knew that claiming treasures was hopeless. They sought out hidden spots, concealed their tracks, and hunkered down like turtles. This was the infallible secret to survival for the weak in the Bloody Trials!

Han Li, needing three main ingredients to refine his Foundation Establishment Pill, would naturally not follow their example. Thus, he now stood before a stone wall several zhang high, gazing intently at it with a peculiar expression.

Not far from one side of this stone wall was an antique bronze gate. The gate was inscribed with ancient characters that Han Li couldn't understand, resembling mere patterns. The bronze gate was now wide open, indicating that someone had already entered.

According to the information in Han Li's mind, there should be four such bronze gates, each corresponding to a cardinal direction, serving as the only entrances to the central area. All other places were enclosed by seemingly low stone walls. If anyone tried to bypass the bronze gate and opportunistically jump over the stone wall into the central area, they would surely face disaster, cut into pieces by the wind-based restrictive spell attached to the wall.

Han Li was well aware of this and certainly wouldn't entertain such a foolish idea. His peculiar behavior of intently staring at the wall was entirely due to its distinctiveness; it contained "things" not found on ordinary walls.

On this wall, three individuals, dressed differently, were impaled through their limbs by large ice spikes, crucifixion-style, hanging in a row. They showed no signs of life, having been dead for quite some time. The blood that had flowed from their limb wounds had congealed into a purplish-black solid, staining the wall and the ground nearby. Han Li speculated that when these people were impaled, they were likely not yet dead but later perished from excessive bleeding.

No clues or markings were left near the three corpses. However, with a little thought, anyone could understand. This was someone making an example, establishing dominance over latecomers, and warning others not to enter through this gate again!

Han Li seriously observed their anguished expressions for a while, then licked his slightly chapped lips and walked towards the bronze gate expressionlessly, as if the trio's tragic end had no effect on him.

In reality, Han Li knew himself well; seeing that scene had indeed made his heart pound! The state of the three corpses indicated that the person responsible was most likely someone with a somewhat twisted mind. If he were to fall into that person's hands, a quick suicide might be a more merciful option.

However, Han Li had already arrived at this place, and he certainly wouldn't flee in panic because of a mere threat. Now, even if there were mountains of daggers and seas of fire ahead, he would brave it all!

And so, Han Li, filled with apprehension, stepped through the gate. Yet, on the surface, he remained completely composed, as if casually strolling through his own backyard.

Upon entering, a scene of a fairyland, filled with singing birds and fragrant flowers, unfolded before him. All sorts of exotic flowers, strange plants, and countless unnamed peculiar trees were everywhere. Silver chrysanthemums the size of bowls, bizarre trees red as blood, purple herbs emitting strange fragrances, yellow bamboo as thick as a person's waist—these were all rare items seldom seen in the outside world. Amidst these precious plants, a winding, meandering path of gravel extended from Han Li's current position into the distance, obscured by branches and leaves, seemingly without end.

Upon seeing this, Han Li paused slightly, but then instinctively took a deep breath. What rich spiritual energy! This spiritual energy, mixed with the strong scent of plants and trees, deeply permeated his lungs, instantly invigorating him. Such a blessed land, no wonder it could cultivate natural spiritual medicines! Han Li exclaimed with emotion.

"Kid, seen enough?"

"Who?"

A sudden, raspy voice startled Han Li, and he instinctively questioned.

"Hehe! Since you've had a look, now you can die in peace!" The person completely ignored Han Li's question, instead muttering to himself in a strange tone.

At the same time, two green shadows mysteriously shot out from a nearby flower bush, silently attacking Han Li from behind. Although his back was turned to the green shadows, Han Li's pre-emptively vigilant divine sense didn't miss them. His face sank, and his upper body remained still, but his body automatically shifted several feet sideways, allowing the two green shadows to pass by, one after the other.

In his haste, Han Li glanced at the green shadows; they were slender, straight like chopsticks, entirely green with faint black patterns, and quite strange in appearance. However, in the commotion, Han Li had no time to ponder. Even though he had easily resolved the opponent's attack, his expression remained solemn, not daring to be careless in the slightest. The tragic sight of the three people outside the gate was still vivid in his mind, and he had no desire to share their fate.

With a grim face, Han Li's eyes flickered, constantly scanning his surroundings, intending to locate the hidden enemy. But then, a sudden, eerie whistling sound emanated from the person's mouth, causing extreme discomfort to those who heard it. Han Li paused slightly upon hearing it, intending to ponder the other party's intentions, but suddenly his expression changed drastically, and he incredibly shot backward. This time, Han Li flew several zhang before stopping.

What caused Han Li to react this way were the two green shadows that had flown not far past him! Because they had suddenly twisted and moved not far in front of Han Li, while also unfolding a pair of translucent, pale green wings. They were, in fact, two winged flying snakes. Only when they attacked Han Li earlier, their bodies had been held rigid, causing Han Li to mistake them for inanimate objects. Now, with a gentle flap, their bodies suddenly turned 180 degrees. Their speed was as fast as lightning, in no way inferior to Han Li when he used his Flowing Smoke Steps. How could Han Li not treat them with extreme caution?

Now, these two flying snakes raised their heads, their four small green eyes emitting a chilling, icy coldness, baring their fangs and preparing to attack Han Li again.

"Kid, quite fast, aren't you! But no matter how fast you are, can you be faster than these two Savage Mountain Flying Snakes? Just let my beloved snakes bite you, and all your pain will be gone!" The raspy voice expressed surprise at Han Li's speed! But clearly, he had even more confidence in his flying snakes, which was why he spoke those mocking words.

"Bullshit!"

These two words were cursed by Han Li in his mind but were not spoken aloud! It wasn't that he feared the opponent and dared not speak; rather, the two strange snakes had already transformed into two green streaks of light, accompanied by several afterimages, rushing towards him. Mid-flight, they suddenly split in two, simultaneously tracing two arcs, changing their approach to encircle him from both left and right.

Seeing this, Han Li naturally had no time for verbal retorts. Besides cursing a few times inwardly, his body shot backward at a speed not much slower than the green shadows. In the blink of an eye, he was spinning rapidly around this confined area with the green shadows in pursuit, not daring to pause for even a moment. At this moment, he was purely relying on the spiritual boots on his feet for speed, not using the Flowing Smoke Steps or the Wind Control Art.

This wasn't Han Li being overconfident or intentionally underestimating his opponent; it was because he had just endured two fierce battles, coupled with the extreme training he underwent when he first acquired these boots, leaving his physical strength unrecovered. Therefore, unless it was a life-or-death situation, Han Li was unwilling to use the energy-intensive Flowing Smoke Steps. The same applied to the Wind Control Art; with the boost from the spiritual boots, adding the acceleration from the Wind Control Art would put too much strain on Han Li's body, severely hindering his recovery.

Of course, Han Li wouldn't allow the two flying snakes to pester him indefinitely. While he dared not casually activate his protective shield and slow down to test whether the shield or the strange snakes were stronger, he had plenty of ways to deal with two small snakes! It was just that he had been mostly preoccupied with the flying snake's master, who was hidden to the side and hadn't shown himself, which was why these two long worms had been able to follow him until now. Now, seeing that the person seemed determined to rely solely on these two flying snakes to kill him, Han Li naturally wouldn't hold back any longer.

With his mind made up, Han Li flipped his hand, and a Fire Snake Talisman appeared. He held the talisman between two fingers, ready to activate and throw it to "roast" some wild game!

"Cloud-Treading Boots?"

"Stop, I have something to say!"

The raspy voice suddenly recognized the spiritual boots on Han Li's feet, filled with incredible surprise, and immediately shouted out, requesting a ceasefire. He then somehow managed to call back the two green shadows! The two snakes paused, then flew back the way they came, disappearing into the vegetation. Han Li frowned upon hearing this and, after a moment's hesitation, did not throw the talisman in his hand, but his other hand remained cautiously pressed against his storage bag.