Chapter 507: Conflict Resumes

"A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality," Volumes 3 and 4: Winds Rise Overseas

"What's wrong? Is there something off about this person, or is their identity fake?" the burly man couldn't help but ask upon seeing the old man's expression.

"Their identity should be fine. Our moles within the Spirit Resonance Sect already copied the portraits of their two elders. This person looks exactly like the image recorded in this jade slip. It is indeed Elder Han, no doubt. Even if they used some secret art to change their appearance, they wouldn't escape Elder Wang's discerning eye at the harbor!" The green-robed old man stroked his beard, then raised his hand. A greenish jade slip appeared in his palm, which he briefly displayed before the burly man before putting it away.

"If there's nothing wrong, then why the strange expression?" the burly man snorted, a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice.

"This Elder Han from the Spirit Resonance Sect is not simple. I'm afraid neither you nor I would be able to defeat him in a one-on-one fight," the green-robed old man said after a moment of contemplation, causing the burly man to freeze in surprise.

"What do you mean by that? Isn't he just an early-stage Core Formation cultivator like us? And a rogue cultivator at that. How could he compare to us, who are often guided by the Sacred Ancestor?" The burly man shook his head like a rattle-drum, completely disbelieving.

The old man wasn't offended by the burly man's words. Instead, he calmly explained, "Guardian Liu, you should know that although my 'Seven Fiends Art' isn't considered a top-tier cultivation method, it's extremely sensitive to the amount of malevolent aura a person carries. The malevolent aura on that person is the heaviest I've ever encountered among Core Formation cultivators. The number of cultivators who have perished by this person's hand is far from small."

"What's so special about that? If I were to eliminate a lot of low-level cultivators, I could easily achieve the same," the burly man said dismissively.

"That's not the same. While you could accumulate some weak malevolent aura by doing that, it would easily dissipate over time. However, the malevolent aura on this person is not only dense and abundant but also incredibly sharp and chilling. This should only form from slaying too many cultivators of the same rank or higher. Unless this kind of malevolent aura is dispelled using certain secret Buddhist or Taoist methods, it generally clings to a person permanently. Furthermore, this person seems to possess some mystical technique for concealing aura, as the malevolent aura they reveal is less than a tenth of their true amount. Even so, the weight of their malevolent aura is truly astonishing! When ordinary cultivators confront this person, not only are their illusionary and mind-affecting spells greatly diminished, but if they're caught off guard and enveloped by this malevolent aura, their willpower will be temporarily seized. They'd be fortunate to utilize even seventy or eighty percent of their full cultivation. If this person were to cultivate my 'Seven Fiends Art,' their cultivation would undoubtedly advance by leaps and bounds." The old man's eyes glinted with a cold light as he spoke grimly.

When the old man said this, he naturally didn't know that while Han Li had indeed slain very few Core Formation cultivators, he had killed hundreds of Level Five demonic beasts, which are equivalent to early-stage Core Formation cultivators. The intensity of Han Li's malevolent aura far exceeded the old man's imagination.

"Guardian Cang, never mind how much malevolent aura he carries. Are you suggesting..."