Stirring Winds

1,825 words

Chapter 261: Stirring Winds

Han Li was puzzled, despite his astonishment.

He wasn’t an expert in soul-confusion arts, but he knew a little about them.

The “Celestial Eye Technique,” which almost every cultivator practiced, could be considered the most basic form of soul confusion. If two cultivators were far apart in magical power and realm, a user of the Celestial Eye Technique could lock eyes with their opponent, potentially causing their mind to waver and leaving them vulnerable in a fight.

Other types of confusion arts relied primarily on a vast disparity in magical power to forcibly seize control of an opponent’s mind.

Dong Xuan’er was at the early Foundation Establishment stage, while the gaudy man was at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. According to common sense, such a small gap shouldn’t have allowed her to be subdued just by meeting his eyes. That was preposterous. Unless he was a Core Formation cultivator specializing in confusion arts, then it might be possible.

But judging by the gaudy man’s demeanor and the venomous look on his face as he left, nothing about him seemed to fit that description. It was highly unlikely that a Core Formation cultivator would pretend to be a Foundation Establishment cultivator just to toy with them.

This line of reasoning finally set Han Li’s mind somewhat at ease. After all, he took that man’s parting look of hatred very seriously.

When he looked up from his thoughts, he saw Dong Xuan’er flirting and laughing with the two men again, her pitiable demeanor from moments ago having vanished without a trace.

Seeing this, Han Li sighed inwardly. He stood up to return to his own room.

But just as his hand touched the wooden door, before he could push it open, a man’s booming voice came from outside the inn.

“Attention, guests of the inn! The Treasure-Seizing Assembly tomorrow will be held in two groups. Cultivators of our own nation will gather on the western peak of Yanling Fort. Cultivators of other nations will gather on the eastern peak. Please arrive on time tomorrow morning. Anyone who is late will be considered to have forfeited the competition.”

The voice repeated this announcement three times before the speaker seemed to leave.

Han Li was startled by this news, but then he didn’t mind it. He pushed the door open and went out, returning to his own room.

He was a bit surprised that cultivators from different nations would compete separately, but he saw nothing wrong with it.

If the Seven Sect cultivators and cultivators from other nations were to compete together, it would definitely cause a lot of trouble. The psychology of excluding outsiders was the same everywhere. He had seen this clearly during the confrontation at the teahouse that day.

As he thought this over, Han Li sat cross-legged on his bed, preparing to meditate and cultivate his qi for the night, getting ready for the Treasure-Seizing Assembly tomorrow.

…

Inside a certain house in Yanling Fort, the gaudy, demonic man sat on a wooden chair. Several men and women stood before him, respectfully reporting something. The man listened expressionlessly, a glint of light flashing in his eyes from time to time, and he let out a cold laugh for no apparent reason.

…

Meanwhile, on the western peak of Yanling Fort, over a dozen green-robed cultivators from the Ghost Spirit Sect were busy at work on the summit, burying objects into the ground. The Ghost Spirit Sect’s Young Master and two Core Formation cultivators were suspended in mid-air, watching everything below with cold eyes.

“How is it? This temporary Yin Flame Array has been weakened so much, will it still be effective?” the Ghost Spirit Sect’s Young Master suddenly asked.

“Rest assured, Young Master! There’s no problem. Even though it’s just a temporary formation, with the two of us brothers presiding over it, it can still unleash one or two-tenths of its power to trap the enemy. Of course, if there’s a late Foundation Establishment cultivator inside, or someone holding a magic tool of particularly astonishing power, that’s another matter. But the vast majority of cultivators certainly won’t have the ability to escape.” The old man among the Li brothers coughed a few times and said in a shaky voice.

“Mm, that’s reassuring then! The Ghost Spirit Twelve Guards I brought with me aren’t idle. Their strength is more than enough to deal with a few stragglers!” the Ghost Spirit Sect’s Young Master said without a shred of worry.

The Li brothers heard this and, seeing no further issues, fell silent.

In truth, if the brothers didn’t need to preserve the souls and primordial spirits of these cultivators intact, they could have killed them all themselves with ease. What was the need for all this trouble? The Li brothers thought to themselves with arrogant pride.

…

Inside a secret chamber of the Yellow Maple Valley’s main stronghold, thousands of li away in the Taiyue Mountain Range, seven or eight Core Formation cultivators had gathered. They were listening intently to an old man in a yellow robe with white hair and beard, whose expression shifted with the elder’s words.

Han Li’s master, Li Huayuan, Fairy Hongfu, and the fat man Lei Wanhe were all present, and their expressions were equally uneasy.

Before long, after the cultivators in the secret chamber had come out, the entire Yellow Maple Valley erupted into a frenzy.

High in the sky, various transmission talismans flew in a chaotic storm. At lower altitudes, waves of cultivators flew about on their magic tools in a flurry. After a while, hastily assembled teams of cultivators set out from Yellow Maple Valley into the night, heading in unknown directions.

The same scene was playing out in the other six sects. Messengers shuttled back and forth between the sects all night long. It seemed as though, overnight, the entire cultivation world of the Yue Kingdom had become imbued with a murderous tension.

In the following days, every major and minor clan in Yue Kingdom received a conscription order jointly signed by the sect leaders of the Seven Great Sects. The order demanded that all clans dispatch their most outstanding disciples for standby duty. Those who disobeyed would have their entire clan exterminated by an enforcement team composed of cultivators from the Seven Sects.

Of course, no one was present to receive the conscription order sent to the Yan family three days later. The Yan family home was already empty.

…

Since Han Li and the Seven Sect cultivators in Yanling Fort were too far away from their own sects, they knew nothing of these events.

So, as soon as the sky began to lighten the next day, some cultivators arrived early at the small western peak. A massive magic formation had already been constructed there. Inside the formation, two middle-aged men dressed in Yan family attire were sitting with their eyes closed in meditation.

Behind the formation was a low earthen platform. On the platform, a dozen or so people, also dressed in Yan family clothes but partially obscured by a light mist, stood and talked amongst themselves. It seemed they were waiting for all the cultivators to arrive before starting the assembly.

Han Li had also arrived at the peak. He had not come out with Dong Xuan’er but, out of habit, had set out a bit earlier on his own. On the peak, he happened to run into the middle-aged man surnamed Ba from the Giant Sword Sect, who had also arrived early. The two of them naturally began to chat idly.

“Brother Ba, do you know what that formation is for?” Han Li asked, after sizing up the enormous formation several times and finding it somewhat unsettling.

“I’m ashamed to say, I don’t know much about formations. But I’d guess it’s some kind of barrier or restriction. After all, if we Foundation Establishment cultivators are really going to spar, we’ll need to be confined to a certain area. Otherwise, this little hill wouldn’t survive a few bouts from us!” the cultivator surnamed Ba said, rubbing his chin dismissively.

“Oh! That’s certainly possible,” Han Li replied, but he could still vaguely sense a disturbing aura emanating from the formation. This had nothing to do with the depth of his magical power; it was purely a matter of intuition.

Han Li frowned and looked around. Over thirty cultivators had already arrived. He recognized a few familiar faces: the pair of Taoists from Qingxu Gate, the woman surnamed Fang from Tianque Fortress, and others. They had all arrived and were gathering in small groups, chatting amongst themselves.

“Brother Han, let’s go over and say hello! Look, Wu Fazi and the others are all over there,” the cultivator surnamed Ba said, looking in the direction of the other groups, and smilingly suggested.

“You go ahead, Brother Ba! I have a few things to think over, so I won’t disturb your conversation,” Han Li said with a slight shake of his head. He didn’t want to gather with so many people; it would draw too much attention.

The cultivator from the Giant Sword Sect shrugged. Though a little puzzled, he went over on his own. After all, the chance to build good relations with so many cultivators from other sects at once was rare, and he wasn’t about to give it up.

Seeing the cultivator surnamed Ba leave, Han Li didn’t stay where he was. Out of habit, he found a very remote corner, the farthest point from the magic formation, and walked over. Then he stood there, coldly observing the movements of the other cultivators.

Half an hour later, Dong Xuan’er and her fellow disciple, Senior Brother Feng, finally arrived. As soon as they got there, they joined a group of Yellow Maple Valley cultivators. Dong Xuan’er quickly became as thick as thieves with the male disciples, laughing and chatting with ease. Yan Yu, who had been glued to her side the entire time, was nowhere to be seen, which surprised Han Li.

At this moment, the dozen or so cultivators on the earthen platform, who were dressed in Yan family attire but were actually Ghost Spirit Sect members, were counting the number of people present.

“Young Master, two people are still missing. And it’s already getting late. Should we wait a little longer?” a Ghost Spirit Sect cultivator reported to the Young Master after finishing the headcount.

“No more waiting. Immediately notify the two elders to activate the grand formation. If we delay any longer, some clever cultivator might sense something is wrong, and that would be even worse. As for the two cultivators who haven’t arrived, have the Eighth and Twelfth of the Twelve Guards hunt them down. No matter why they didn’t show up, they cannot be allowed to leave Yanling Fort alive.” The Ghost Spirit Sect’s Young Master gave the order without a moment’s hesitation, his voice dripping with murderous intent.

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Reading Guide Decoding

The Trap Is Set: A Nation Mobilizes While Han Li Smells a Rat

Cultural / Xianxia Notes

Soul Confusion Arts and the Celestial Eye: The text mentions that the “Celestial Eye Technique” is not just a basic perception spell but also a primitive form of mind-control. In xianxia, many foundational techniques have dual or hidden combat applications. Here, Han Li’s wariness stems from a disciple of the Moon-Masking Sect seemingly using it to instantly control another cultivator. The insight is that the power of such arts scales with the difference in cultivation level. A small gap (Early vs. Mid Foundation Establishment) should result in resistance, not instant submission, which is exactly why Han Li smells a rat. This reinforces the rule that in this world, an unexpected outcome is rarely a coincidence and is almost always a sign of a deeper, more dangerous power at play.
The Ghost Spirit Sect’s Means: The Ghost Spirit Sect is preparing a “Yin Flame Array” to trap and kill their enemies. While the exact nature of this array is new, the principle is a standard xianxia trope: a demonic sect will go to great lengths to collect souls and essence. The Li brothers, the grotesque pair of one ancient and one childlike Core Formation cultivators, are a deliberate visual of how demonic cultivation can warp the physical form. Their presence underscores that this is not a low-stakes skirmish but a surgical strike by a major power.
The “Chicken Rib” and “Two-Sided Fear”: While not directly named in this chapter, the underlying dynamics are built on these previously established concepts. The formation is a “chicken rib” to the Li brothers—a tool too weak for their power, but more than enough for their prey. The standoff between Han Li and the Ghost Spirit Sect is a textbook “Two-Sided Fear”: the sect doesn’t know Han Li is a variable, and Han Li doesn’t yet know the full scale of the trap. This mutual ignorance is the only thing keeping the field from immediate chaos.
Conscription Orders as Sect Power: The scene of the Seven Great Sects issuing a joint conscription order to every clan in the nation, with death as the penalty for refusal, is a stark illustration of feudal authoritarianism in a xianxia world. The sects are not just schools; they are governing bodies with the power of life and death over every mortal and minor cultivation family. The Yan family’s flight is not just an escape; it is a declaration of rebellion against the entire established order, whether they intended it or not.

Chapter Overview

The calm before the storm finally breaks. Chapter 261 masterfully orchestrates a multi-layered thriller, cutting between Han Li’s quiet, suspicious observation within Yanling Fort, the meticulous preparation of a Ghost Spirit Sect ambush on the western peak, and a sudden, seismic shift in the entire cultivation world back in the Yue Kingdom. While Han Li remains focused on the personal dangers of the Treasure-Seizing Assembly, the reader is granted chilling omniscience: a trap is being set, and the entire nation is sliding toward war. The tension is no longer a matter of winning or losing a competition, but of who will survive the slaughter.

Key Plot Points

Han Li’s analysis of the possessed woman: Han Li is baffled by what happened to Dong Xuan’er. He knows that using a basic Celestial Eye Technique to control someone requires a massive realm gap, not a mere sub-stage difference. He’s deeply unsettled, suspecting either a Core Formation cultivator is hiding his cultivation or something far stranger is at play. His relief is temporary and fragile.
Dong Xuan’er’s return to form: After her ordeal, Dong Xuan’er immediately falls back into her flirtatious, manipulative routine with the male Yellow Maple Valley disciples. Han Li sighs and withdraws, his wariness fully reignited.
The Assembly Announcement: An anonymous voice announces the rules for the Treasure-Seizing Assembly: cultivators of the Yue Kingdom will gather on the west peak, foreigners on the east peak. A seemingly sensible separation that Han Li accepts without fuss, but which is clearly a setup for a targeted massacre.
The Ghost Spirit Sect’s trap: The Ghost Spirit Sect’s Young Master, along with the Li brothers (two Core Formation cultivators), is overseeing the burial of a weakened Yin Flame Array on the western peak. They plan to activate the formation once everyone is inside, killing all the Yue Kingdom cultivators while preserving their souls and primordial spirits for the sect’s evil arts.
The missing attendees and pursuit: Two cultivators fail to show up. The Young Master, without hesitation, orders the Ghost Spirit Twelve Guards to hunt them down and kill them to prevent any information leak.
The Yue Kingdom erupts: A massive shift happens thousands of miles away. The Seven Great Sects are mobilizing. Core Formation elders, including Li Huayuan and Fairy Hongfu, are seen receiving urgent orders. The entire cultivation world is preparing for a full-scale war, and conscription orders are sent to every clan, threatening extermination for disobedience. The Yan family, having already fled, is the only one spared this threat.
Han Li’s unsettling intuition: On the morning of the Assembly, Han Li ignores the forced camaraderie of the other cultivators. He chooses a remote corner, farthest from the magic formation, and watches with cold suspicion. He feels a deep, instinctive unease from the formation that logic cannot explain.

Reading Guide

Alright, buckle up. This chapter is where the thriller-level pacing truly kicks in. Forget a simple treasure hunt—we’re now watching a massacre being set up in real-time while the entire cultivation world lights up with war drums.

Pay close attention to Han Li’s internal conflict. He can feel something is wrong. That nagging intuition that makes him drift to the farthest corner of the assembly area is what separates a survivor from a corpse in this world. He doesn’t have the facts—he has vibes. And he trusts them. This is a masterclass in Han Li’s “Mortal Stream” survival instinct.

The real treat here is the narrative parallax. We, the readers, get to see the Ghost Spirit Sect setting the trap, the Yue Kingdom mobilizing for war, and the foolhardy cultivators at Yanling Fort walking right into the net. It creates a deliciously agonizing tension. You want to scream at the characters to run!

This is the classic “the world is bigger than the local event” moment that RMJI does so well. The battle at Yanling Fort is about to become a small, messy footnote in a much larger war that’s breaking out all across the country. Get ready for a climactic explosion in the next few chapters.