Chapter 708: Misfortune Moves East

**Volume 5: Rising to Prominence**

A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality VIP, Volume 5: Rising to Prominence

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As Marquis Nanlong spoke, he brushed his hand over his chest, and a soft, hazy white light flashed. The previously sunken area instantly returned to normal.

Wang Tiangu and the others' expressions subtly changed. However, the old man surnamed Yun said, his face unmoved: "There's no need to worry, gentlemen. He's merely using a secret technique to temporarily control his injuries. He's not fine! Besides, why bother with this boy named Han? Send one person to tie him down, and the rest of us will deal with Marquis Nanlong first."

After the old man finished speaking coldly, he calmly pointed a finger at the silver wheel in front of him. This magic treasure immediately transformed into a silver rainbow, flying to his head, then showering a large expanse of silver light that enveloped his entire body. Within the silver light, the old man's figure appeared ethereal, almost indistinct.

Clearly, this individual also knew that Marquis Nanlong bore an intense hatred for him, so he sought not merit, but simply to avoid fault.

Wang Tiangu frowned slightly, seemingly finding some sense in this. He turned his head and spoke to the cultivator surnamed You beside him: "Brother You, I'll leave this boy to you for now. You don't need to fight him to the death; just keep him occupied for a short while. Once Marquis Nanlong is dealt with, his end will come."

Wang Tiangu finally stopped concealing his killing intent towards Han Li. After giving Han Li a cold, sinister look, several feet of black light suddenly erupted from his body, and he instantly merged into the darkness, appearing incredibly bizarre. Seeing this, the old woman and the dark-faced man also released their magic treasures and slowly began to encircle the area. "No problem, Fellow Daoist Han is all mine!" the cultivator surnamed You chuckled. A hazy white jade ruyi scepter silently slipped from his sleeve, and he then took a few steps forward, facing Han Li with a faint, enigmatic smile. (wap.yys8.net member upload.)

For him, tying down a newly advanced Nascent Soul cultivator was a trivial matter. This was far safer than directly confronting Marquis Nanlong, a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator.

Han Li stared at the cultivator surnamed You, standing motionless. But the moment the old woman left the staircase, his heart rate drastically increased. A hand, concealed in his sleeve, firmly gripped an ancient treasure.

Just then, Marquis Nanlong suddenly flicked his hand backward. A sheet of golden mist shot out, simultaneously enveloping the three jade boxes on the jade bed behind him. It then flew back into his hand.

"Catch!" Marquis Nanlong flung his hand without a moment's hesitation, and one of the jade boxes shot towards Han Li. This action caught everyone by surprise, and naturally, no one had time to stop it.

Han Li easily caught the jade box. But he blinked, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

"Since Fellow Daoist has not colluded with them, I shall gift you this jade box. If it truly contains the secret of the Demonfall Valley, and you manage to leave this place alive with it, then consider it your stroke of fortune." Having done all this, Marquis Nanlong clasped his hands behind his back and spoke meaningfully.

Upon hearing this, Wang Tiangu, the old man surnamed Yun, and the others couldn't help but drastically change their expressions.

Han Li lowered his head to look at the jade box in his hand, then pursed his somewhat dry lips. A sudden urge to burst into maniacal laughter swelled within him, but with his exceptional rationality, he suppressed it. It was truly ludicrous that something coveted by every cultivator in the pavilion would be voluntarily handed to him. (YY Book Bar)

Marquis Nanlong's actions, of course, were not born of good intentions. Given Wang Tiangu and the others' determination to acquire the jade box, handing it to Han Li was clearly a tactic to deflect trouble onto someone else. It aimed to distract some of Wang Tiangu's group, thereby greatly reducing the pressure on Marquis Nanlong and allowing him to escape. However, this man was truly adaptable and decisive, capable of painfully giving up a treasure he had just acquired. He indeed possessed the qualities of a formidable figure. But since the treasure was now in his hands... *Heh heh!*

After a cold chuckle, Han Li unhesitatingly flipped his palm, and the jade box vanished, stored away in his storage pouch.

"Chan'er, you two assist Fellow Daoist You. Don't let that boy named Han escape by any trickery. The fight here is enough for us old fellows." Wang Tiangu's expression darkened, and he ordered without hesitation. He was exceptionally calm; his judgment hadn't been clouded by the jade box treasure. He only dispatched Wang Chan and one other, the weakest of their group, to keep an eye on Han Li, without assigning more people to deal with him.

The others exchanged glances but said nothing more. While the treasure was enticing, they reasoned that once Marquis Nanlong was eliminated, dealing with Han Li, a mere early-Nascent Soul cultivator, would be effortless.

"Yes, Second Uncle! I've been wanting to meet this Senior Han!" Wang Chan's eyes flashed with a cruel light, and he agreed with a sinister chuckle. He then beckoned to Yan Ruyan and walked towards Han Li.

Seeing this, Han Li cast a calm glance at the two, his expression betraying no change.

Amusingly, despite the tense atmosphere in the pavilion, neither Wang Tiangu's group nor Marquis Nanlong intended to make the first move. It wasn't out of any lingering sentiment between the parties. Rather, everyone knew that Marquis Nanlong was now a cornered beast; once he attacked, it would be earth-shattering. He might even resolve to drag one or two opponents down with him. The desperate counterattack of a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator was terrifying, and these old cultivators were keenly aware of it. Naturally, no one was willing to make the first move and bear the brunt of his fatal strike. Furthermore, they weren't afraid of the delay itself. As long as Marquis Nanlong had no time to meditate and recover, his injuries would only worsen, which would be more advantageous for them.

Strangely, Marquis Nanlong also remained motionless, as if completely unconcerned by his injuries. However, the crimson flush on his cheeks grew even more vibrant, now appearing as vivid as dripping blood.

This made Wang Tiangu and the others even more hesitant to act rashly, fearing that the opponent had already employed a formidable life-or-death secret technique. They all stared at Marquis Nanlong with cold, unblinking eyes.

As for the cultivator surnamed You on the side, he held similar thoughts regarding Han Li: as long as he could keep Han Li tied down, that was enough. Therefore, he had no intention of making the first move either.

Wang Chan, on the other hand, wanted to kill Han Li immediately, but confident that his cultivation was insufficient, he naturally dared not act rashly.

As a result, although killing intent permeated the pavilion, a temporary silence settled.

A moment later, Han Li, whose face showed contemplation, suddenly let out a soft sigh. Though not loud, it was quite noticeable in the prevailing silence. However, the Nascent Soul old monsters in the pavilion were all cunning and sly. Apart from the cultivator surnamed You opposite him, no one else even twitched an eyelid, and no one was distracted enough to cast a glance.

Wang Chan, across from him, pursed his lips, a flicker of derision in his eyes. In their minds, Han Li would naturally only make his move after Marquis Nanlong initiated the attack. Only then, amidst the chaos, would he have a slim chance of survival.

But what no one expected was that after sighing, Han Li actually made a move.

Han Li, his expression unchanged, raised a hand, and a dark, indistinct object appeared within it.

The cultivator surnamed You narrowed his eyes. Before he could clearly discern what it was, Han Li unceremoniously tossed the object into the air. After spinning around in the air, it instantly expanded wildly, becoming seven or eight *zhang* in size in the blink of an eye. Like a massive wall, it stood horizontally between the two, immediately separating them.

Only then did the cultivator surnamed You get a clear look: it was a dark, oppressive small mountain, emitting black light all over, its nature as a treasure unknown. However, after a moment of surprise, he showed no panic. Instead, he pointed a finger at the jade ruyi magic treasure in front of him.

Instantly, the jade ruyi began to hum loudly, followed by a burst of white light. Within the swirling halos of light, a massive white tiger materialized. Although the tiger appeared somewhat indistinct, the moment it took form, it immediately opened its cavernous maw. A searing white beam, as thick as a bowl, flashed out and struck directly onto the black small mountain.

A tremendous "rumble" sounded, and the white light instantly submerged more than half of the small mountain.

Wang Chan, on one side, also reacted. Without hesitation, he formed a hand seal, and a thick, blood-red mist suddenly erupted from his body, engulfing his figure. Simultaneously, a nauseatingly bloody stench instantly filled the entire pavilion. Meanwhile, Yan Ruyan, her beautiful face expressionless, also formed a hand seal. A similar blood-colored mist appeared around her, but this time there was no bloody scent; instead, it carried a strange, sweet aroma that made anyone who inhaled it feel drowsy and their spiritual sense immediately unclear.

Seeing this, the cultivator surnamed You felt even more reassured. While controlling the white tiger from the jade ruyi to emit another beam of light, he slapped his storage pouch with one hand, and a small, pale blue gourd, about an inch in size, appeared in his palm.

Just as he was about to unleash the gourd in his hand, he suddenly heard a faint rumble, like distant thunder, seemingly from across from him. He was startled, and his vigilance heightened. Without hesitation, he formed a hand seal, and a thick, white light barrier immediately appeared around him.

Almost simultaneously, a silver electric arc flashed beside him, and Han Li's figure, with wings on his back, appeared practically pressed against his defensive light barrier.

"Ah, you..."

The cultivator surnamed You's face paled in alarm, but having considerable combat experience, he quickly raised the blue gourd in his hand. A dazzling blue electric arc shot out from the gourd's mouth. But the moment the blue electric arc shot out, Han Li showed no intention of dodging. Instead, he blankly opened his mouth and gently blew. A slender, thread-like wisp of blue flame shot out from his mouth, effortlessly piercing through the white light barrier and flying straight towards the cultivator surnamed You.