Chapter 40: Cloud-winged Bird

"You're getting too carried away. This kid is incredibly shrewd; he's no easy target. Don't snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and fall into his hands when success is so close." Suddenly, another young man's voice echoed in Doctor Mo's mind.

Doctor Mo's expression changed instantly, his face seemingly covered in frost as he coldly rebuked:

"Yu Zitong, stop meddling in my affairs. I don't need your lessons. If I succeed, you'll naturally reap the benefits. However, the cultivation method you gave me still seems to have flaws. Are you hoping for an accident to befall me?" Doctor Mo's suspicion was palpable in his words.

The voice seemed to fear Doctor Mo. After hearing his threat, it hastily explained:

"How could there be a mistake? Haven't you tested it on animals? As for one of them dying, it was simply due to your unfamiliarity with the cultivation method. Besides, the one that died shouldn't hinder your plans, right?"

"Hmph! It better be. It's a pity I can't practice more, or I'd be even more confident." After hearing the voice and recalling his last cultivation experiment, Doctor Mo's last shred of doubt vanished.

After he finished speaking, the voice seemed to learn its lesson and no longer responded. Only Doctor Mo remained, muttering nervously to himself. The atmosphere in the room became eerily strange.

Meanwhile, Han Li was in an inconspicuous gully. It was even more secluded and hidden than the place where he had met Li Feiyu.

The terrain here was long and narrow, forming a straight line shape, wedged between two steep small peaks. Both ends of the gully were completely blocked by dense bushes, making passage impossible. There was no other way out, except for a rope secretly lowered from the top of the shorter peak.

Moreover, dense thorn bushes grew here, occupying large areas and leaving only a small clearing for Han Li. At the top of the gully, countless unknown vines were interwoven, forming a natural green canopy. This ensured that Han Li didn't have to worry about anyone accidentally passing by and seeing him below.

Han Li placed his belongings under a large rock and returned to the center of the clearing. He closed his eyes for a moment to ponder, then opened them, revealing a determined expression. He softly said, "Let's start with the most difficult one: the Soft Bone Skill."

And so, Han Li began his solitary path of cultivation.

Unbeknownst to him, a small yellow bird perched on a branch not far away, watching him day and night. It only refrained from flying back to report to its master because it saw no attempt from him to escape.

Time flew by quickly; half of the four months had passed in the blink of an eye.

At this time, the gully was empty; Han Li, who was once there, had vanished. Only the small yellow bird remained, calmly preening its feathers, seemingly oblivious to the disappearance of its monitored target, as if it had completely forgotten its task.

Suddenly, another small grey bird flew into the gully, passing through the green vines above. After circling a few times, it landed on a yellow wooden stake at the edge of the clearing, appearing to intend to rest before flying off again.

The small yellow bird turned its head, gazing haughtily at its newly arrived counterpart. It then displayed a human-like look of derision, seemingly disdainful of the grey bird.

The newcomer stood on one leg, scanning its surroundings, and finally spotted its kin. It stretched its wings, as if preparing to fly over.

Suddenly, an unexpected event occurred: a withered, yellowish hand descended from above and snatched the bewildered grey bird.

This sudden change terrified it. It struggled desperately, but it couldn't break free from the hand's grip.

Only then did the bird realize that the wooden stake beneath its feet had, at some point, transformed into a yellow-robed youth. The youth had dark skin, an ordinary appearance with thick eyebrows and large eyes, and nothing particularly striking about him except for his somewhat clear gaze.

The youth smiled, watching the bird struggle in his hand. Only when it was almost completely exhausted did he loosen his grip and gently say:

"Go on, don't be so foolish next time! Make sure to look carefully before you land."

The bird suddenly gained its freedom, disregarding its counterpart, and frantically flapped its wings, flying out of the gully without a backward glance.

After watching the bird fly away, the youth stood still for a long moment before slowly muttering to himself:

"It seems my Aura Concealment Skill and Stealth Technique have reached a certain level of proficiency. Next, it's time to practice the assassination techniques for enclosed spaces."

Having said this, Han Li moved towards a newly built small wooden hut nearby. As he passed the tree where the small yellow bird was perched, he couldn't help but glance up.

Han Li had noticed this peculiar bird more than half a month ago. It had been constantly perched on a nearby branch, watching him, seeming remarkably intelligent.

The first time he saw it, Han Li was captivated by its intelligence and grew fond of the small yellow bird.

He tried to lure it away, but no method—be it coaxing, enticing, or setting traps—worked. The bird showed no intention of falling for anything, occasionally looking at him with a disdainful gaze, as if he were a fool, which left Han Li feeling amused and frustrated.

Later, in frustration, he tried to approach it by force. But before he could get close, it would immediately spread its wings and fly into the sky. The moment Han Li moved away, it would fly right back to its original spot, leaving him to simply stand there and stare.

Thinking of this, Han Li turned away somewhat dejectedly, no longer paying attention to it. In truth, he had vaguely realized that the bird's origins were likely connected to Doctor Mo, possibly sent as his eyes and ears to monitor him.

However, Han Li didn't care. As long as Doctor Mo wasn't personally monitoring him, what specific information could a mere bird convey? Besides, he truly adored this intelligent little creature and couldn't bring himself to use harsh or cunning methods against it.

Meanwhile, Doctor Mo was in a stone chamber, using beast bone powder to draw a peculiar formation. As he drew, he was discussing something with the other person in his mind, completely unaware that Han Li had already seen through his surveillance methods.