A Narrow Trap

Chapter 183: The First Soul-Melting Talisman

Han Li’s mouth felt dry. He had been as careful as possible, yet he had still fallen into an ambush. And it was the worst possible scenario: outnumbered, with his path blocked from both front and rear.

The place he was in was what the records called “One-Sky Pass,” a terrain of extreme danger. Unless one was willing to fly on a magic tool—a suicidal act that would make one an obvious target—this narrow path was the only route to the central area. On either side rose sheer, treacherous cliffs. Even with his martial arts training and light-body technique, Han Li wouldn’t dare attempt to scale them lightly.

Flying directly overhead was out of the question. It was the height of stupidity, an invitation to be shot down. Unless there was no other choice, no disciple from any sect would be foolish enough to try. The bitter lessons of past seniors had made that abundantly clear. Within the forbidden land, flight was the surest path to a corpse-strewn end.

After much hesitation, Han Li had ultimately resisted the temptation to take a shortcut over the peaks. He had resigned himself to traveling the path on foot, with utmost caution. His nerves had been stretched taut the entire way. But even so, the moment he stepped out of the pass, without the slightest warning, two men had sealed off his escape routes, one ahead and one behind.

Seeing the savage expression on the bearded man’s face, Han Li knew that further talk was futile. He immediately cast a protective Water Shield over himself, summoned his Flying Swirl Shield, and readied the Gold Cicada Mother-Child Blade in his hand, along with one of his few high-grade elementary talismans: the Earthen Prison Technique.

The bearded man and his companion watched Han Li’s preparations coldly, making no move to interrupt or launch a preemptive strike. They seemed utterly confident, certain that dealing with Han Li was a foregone conclusion. Their composure was born of absolute assurance.

And why wouldn’t it be? The man behind them was already at the peak of the twelfth layer, and the bearded man himself was at the thirteenth. Facing an eleventh-layer novice like Han Li, they naturally felt victory was a trivial matter.

Seeing this, Han Li licked his slightly dry lips and let out a cold, silent laugh. Since they were so arrogant, he would happily exploit that weakness. Without a change in expression, he shifted his position slightly, angling himself so that he formed a triangular standoff with the two, preventing an attack from both front and rear. As he expected, they did not take the opportunity to strike.

Facing the strongest opponents he had encountered since stepping into the cultivation world, Han Li felt no particular fear. He might try to avoid head-on battles whenever possible, but that didn’t mean he lacked confidence. He knew his magical power was significantly inferior, making a protracted fight disadvantageous. But the top-grade magic tools and Talisman Treasure he carried were more than enough to bridge that gap.

And if absolutely necessary, he could deploy the Heaven Thunder Seed. Eliminating one of them would be a simple matter. Whether he was willing to use it, however, was another question.

Han Li was also puzzled. Why hadn’t the bearded man and the Skysky Fortress disciple fought each other? Instead, they had joined forces. It would be normal for brothers of the same sect, but these two were clearly from different schools.

“Boy, you’ve got some nerve!” the bearded man snarled. “Outside the forbidden land, you dared to mock me and make eyes at that bitch. Now you’ll pay for it with your life!”

He turned his head and said to the Skysky Fortress man, “Brother Yan, this kid and I have a score to settle. Let me handle him alone. I’m going to give him a proper ‘welcome.’ I want him to know the cultivation world isn’t so easy to navigate. In his next life, he should keep his eyes open before offending anyone!”

The Skysky Fortress man shrugged nonchalantly. “Suit yourself. I’ll keep an eye out. Just don’t get tripped up like last time, or you’ll owe me another life-saving favor.”

“Ha! That was a fluke!” The bearded man flushed slightly, then waved a dismissive hand. “Dealing with this rookie, half my strength is more than enough.”

“Tch. Do as you please. I just don’t want to hear news of your death one day. It’s not easy finding a drinking buddy with such compatible tastes after all these years,” the Skysky Fortress man said, shaking his head as if exasperated by his friend’s arrogance. Still, he didn’t believe the opponent before them posed any real threat. Besides, he was keeping a close watch.

Han Li listened intently to their unguarded conversation, gleaning valuable information and resolving some of his confusion. These two were not just allies; they were old friends, and apparently close ones at that.

This is a serious problem. The two were likely well-practiced in fighting together, making them far more dangerous than a typical temporary alliance. From their tone, it seemed they had coordinated more than once.

Han Li felt an intense frustration.

It seems I’ll have to resort to a swift, decisive strike. The best course is to eliminate one of them first. The other will be much easier to handle afterward. But this is infuriating! Disciples are supposed to be randomly teleported, yet by some stroke of luck, they ended up in the same place. There’s no justice in this! Han Li thought bitterly, seething at their incredible fortune.

What Han Li didn’t know was that the Skysky Fortress man was also inwardly congratulating himself on this very outcome. As he watched the bearded man approach Han Li, his thoughts drifted to the artifact that had made their reunion possible: the Soul-Melting Talisman.

“High-grade Soul-Melting Talismans are truly useful. As long as you use one on yourself and your friend just before entering the forbidden land, the talisman temporarily links your auras together, ensuring the formation sends you to the same location. I’d heard the success rate was only fifty-fifty, and the price was exorbitant, far more expensive than ordinary high-grade elementary talismans. But it worked. We succeeded. And now, here we are, lying in ambush and finishing off several disciples from other sects who passed through. A great harvest.”

“Besides, I’m no fool. I didn’t pay a fortune and risk my life in this forbidden land just to compete with a horde of others for those coveted spiritual herbs. I came here for a clean, profitable murder-and-treasure hunt, with none of the usual consequences. As long as the two of us work together and steer clear of those truly formidable experts, we can accomplish this goal with ease. Then, when the time is right, we just find a hiding spot and wait for the allotted time to expire. Then we walk out of here, safe and sound. A perfect plan, and only I could have come up with it!” The Skysky Fortress man, lost in reverie about the bright future that awaited him outside, grew complacent, his mind far from the impending battle.

At that moment, the bearded man took out a green leather pouch and advanced on Han Li with a sinister grin, clearly ready to strike.

Whether it was his friend’s warning that had gotten through to him or not, the man stopped halfway to cast a talisman, erecting a green protective barrier around himself.

Seeing this, Han Li frowned. This was becoming troublesome.

He had been wary of the Spirit Beast Mountain disciple’s methods and had planned to exploit his carelessness to take him out first. But now that the man had activated a defensive spell, it wouldn’t be a quick affair. Of course, if he used the Heaven Thunder Seed, the man’s defenses would mean nothing. But that was a one-use consumable, and Han Li wasn’t about to waste it unless it was a matter of life and death.

Since this path was blocked, Han Li naturally turned his attention to the Skysky Fortress disciple on the other side.

The man had his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze fixed on the sky, deep in thought, paying no attention to the events unfolding around him. Han Li’s heart leaped with joy. An opportunity had presented itself.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he hurled the Earthen Prison Talisman he had been holding straight at the bearded man.

The talisman transformed into a streak of yellow light in mid-air, shooting toward its target. It bypassed the green protective barrier and formed a larger yellow cage around the bearded man, trapping him firmly in place, unable to move forward.