Chapter 302: Blood Curse

"Humph! As a senior, you don't need to humiliate us like this. Just use whatever methods you have!" the tall, thin second brother of the Five Friends of Mount Meng suddenly shouted at Han Li, completely disregarding the fact that their lives were in Han Li's hands.

This greatly surprised the other three, as in their minds, this second brother always planned before acting and was never one to be so impulsive!

The young man, about thirty years old, who had found Han Li somewhat familiar, racked his brain. As if suddenly remembering something, he immediately shouted at the tall, thin man, a mix of shock and anger in his voice:

"Second Brother, what do you mean by this? Are you deliberately trying to provoke this senior so that he kills all of us in a fit of rage?"

As soon as these words were uttered, not only the dark-faced old man and the young woman, but even Han Li himself was slightly taken aback, wondering why the young man would say such a thing.

The second brother's face instantly turned incredibly pale, and he offered no defense.

"Fourth Brother, are you mad! Why would Second Brother, who is perfectly fine, want us to die?" the young woman retorted, somewhat angrily defending the tall, thin man.

The woman then turned back, looking as if she wanted to say something to the dark-faced old man, but what met her eyes was an extremely gloomy expression.

Her heart instantly sank, and she became somewhat flustered.

"Second Brother, is it because Third Sister is still in their hands that you want us all to die so she can live?" the dark-faced old man asked coldly.

"I'm sorry, Eldest Brother," the tall, thin second brother finally said, a look of shame on his face. "You should know their methods. If we reveal anything, Third Sister, who is still in their hands, will surely suffer a hundred tortures, wishing she were dead. It would be better if she just dissipated her soul quickly!"

The young woman's face turned incredibly pale as she heard these words. Her lips moved several times, but nothing came out.

"Humph! Even if Third Sister is your Dao companion, how can you bear to sacrifice our three lives for hers?" the thirty-something young man angrily roared at the second brother.

"Second Brother, though Fourth Brother's words are a bit harsh, they're not unreasonable! Remember, when the five of us became sworn siblings, we vowed to live and die together. But now, for a selfish thought of your own, you're deliberately trying to kill us all. How can you justify that?" The dark-faced old man's voice was filled with disappointment.

"Yes, I did want to get us all killed. But what choice did I have? Third Sister is carrying my own flesh and blood; I cannot allow our Li family line to end! Otherwise, living a terrible life is better than a good death—who would willingly seek death?"

The tall, thin man's face flushed and paled repeatedly as the two spoke. He couldn't help but clench his fists and roar back.

These words immediately made the old man and the young man pause, their faces showing shock. For a moment, they were speechless.

The woman, meanwhile, gaped, her face filled with astonishment.

"Are you all finished talking? If you are, then it's my turn to speak!" Han Li, who had been observing coldly from the front, suddenly said in an icy tone.

The sound of his voice immediately startled the three. Only then did they remember that the one who truly held their lives in his hands was this Foundation Establishment cultivator standing before them.

Instantly, all their indignation vanished without a trace, and they exchanged glances once more.

"I don't care if you genuinely wish to die or if you're putting on a show for me! I only want to know all the information about the person behind this. Even if you truly want to die, you can only do so after telling me what I want to know. At this point, do you still think your lives are yours to control?" Han Li's words were filled with ruthless indifference, causing the three men and one woman's faces to change drastically.

"What do you want to know? We don't know much," the dark-faced old man said, gritting his teeth and appearing to have surrendered. "We've been placed under a restriction called the Blood Curse. We can't reveal any important information to outsiders, or the restriction will immediately activate, rupturing our hearts and killing us."

"Blood Curse? Interesting. Let me examine it!" Han Li said with considerable interest, his curiosity greatly piqued.

Hearing this, the dark-faced old man's spirits lifted slightly. After a brief hesitation, he proactively stepped forward and extended his arm, holding a glimmer of hope.

He also longed for Han Li to remove this serious hidden danger, but he felt the chances were very slim.

This was because the person who had cast the curse had been very confident, stating that after being cursed with the Blood Curse, no cultivator had ever leaked their secrets. Those who had tried to tip off others or deliberately reveal secrets had all died on the spot.

At this moment, Han Li grabbed the old man's wrist, and spiritual power slowly flowed within the old man's body. Han Li's expression changed, becoming extremely solemn.

The other three of the Five Friends of Mount Meng also intently watched the two, hoping that Han Li, this expert, could indeed find a way to break the Blood Curse.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Han Li released the old man's arm and lowered his head in deep thought.

A moment later, he raised his head and, with an unchanging expression, asked the old man:

"What is the cultivation level of the person who cast the curse on you? And when they cast the curse, did they utter any strange incantations or peculiar words?"

As soon as Han Li asked this, the four people opposite him simultaneously showed surprise, mixed with a hint of joy.

"Yes, they did," the young man excitedly replied, without waiting for the dark-faced old man to respond. "They said some strange things we couldn't understand. It seemed like an incantation, but also like a dialect from some specific region. All of us were sure no one could understand those words. And the one who cast the curse was a Foundation Establishment cultivator."

"And after saying those words," the old man quickly added, "they also took a bowl of black blood, whose contents we didn't know, and drew a strange symbol on each of our arms. We can't wash that dreadful thing off." He then bared his entire arm, revealing a blurry, strange symbol at its end.

After Han Li stepped forward and examined it carefully for a few moments, he nodded, then lowered his head again, deep in thought.

Not long after, Han Li suddenly looked up, smiled mysteriously at them, and said:

"That confirms it! It seems I understand what this Blood Curse is all about!"

"Senior, are your words true?" the dark-faced old man asked, his voice trembling slightly. The other three also showed looks of disbelief.

It must be known that this Blood Curse was like a sharp blade held to their necks, forcing them to obey those people's commands. If Han Li could truly remove this major threat, wouldn't they regain their freedom and no longer be at others' mercy?

"This so-called Blood Curse is actually just a 'Word Curse'!" Han Li explained calmly, appearing completely confident. "The restriction affecting you relies entirely on those strange incantations. The black blood and the symbols drawn on your arms have nothing to do with it at all; that person was just playing tricks!"

However, inwardly, he was secretly marveling at his good fortune.

This 'Word Curse' technique, fortunately, had been mentioned in a very obscure book when he was researching the Great Teleportation Command back then. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had a single clue.

"Senior, can you remove this curse?" This time, it was the young woman who couldn't help but speak.

"I don't know."

Han Li's cold words made the hearts of these few people sink, and their initial expressions of wild joy couldn't help but recede.

"Senior, what do you mean by that?" the dark-faced old man quickly asked cautiously, forcing a smile.

Now, the key to breaking the curse was in Han Li's hands, and he dared not offend Han Li in the slightest.

"There are two ways to remove a Word Curse," Han Li said impatiently after frowning slightly. "One is to know the incantation to break the curse. If I have it, I can simply chant it with spiritual power once towards you, and it will be safely removed. The other is for me to use my spiritual sense to invade your spiritual sea and forcefully erase the traces of the Word Curse. This method requires the curse remover's spiritual sense to be far superior to that of the curse caster; only then can the imprint be erased in one go. However, similarly, if it fails, it will immediately trigger the Word Curse, and you should be very clear about the consequences."

"What? It will activate immediately!" the young woman couldn't help but exclaim.

The bloody scene after the Blood Curse activated was vividly remembered by them, as the person who cast the curse had demonstrated it to them using a living person on the spot.

The wretched sight of the cursed person spitting out fragments of their ruptured heart was fresh in their minds, which is why they blanched at the mention of the Blood Curse and feared it so greatly.

The faces of the other three were equally grim. Wasn't this asking them to gamble with their lives?

Han Li glanced at them, gave a cold chuckle, and just as he was about to say something, the tall, thin second brother suddenly looked up and said:

"Senior, please proceed with forcefully removing it from me. All of us were subjected to the Blood Curse by the same person, so if I can be freed from this curse, my other brothers surely can too!"

As soon as these words were uttered, the other three gaped in astonishment, staring blankly at him.

"Second Brother, what are you doing? This is too dangerous!" the woman anxiously pleaded after she came to her senses.