The Execution

1,871 words

Chapter 273: The Execution

The moment Lü Tianmeng died, the several-foot-long ruler, now bereft of spiritual energy support, shattered into countless points of cyan light. These then converged, revealing the talisman's original form as it drifted lightly down, landing precisely between Han Li, Xuan Le, and the blood-colored spider.

Xuan Le watched Han Li with an expressionless face, making no move at all. Han Li glanced at the blood spider, then back at Xuan Le. Without a word, he raised a hand, and the white scale shield appeared before him. At the same time, eight beams of white light flared up around him, and eight Puppet Beasts materialized at his side.

Xuan Le's expression finally shifted slightly. He raised a hand, recalling the small yellow bell, and said flatly:

"I never expected Brother Han to be skilled in puppetry. But it seems your cultivation hasn't reached the mark yet. Do you really think these few puppets can contend with me?"

Han Li's expression did not change. He only asked coldly:

"You released that spider on purpose."

"Correct."

Xuan Le admitted it readily. With a flip of his hand, a red gauze-like cloak appeared in his grasp.

"Aren't you afraid your scheme will backfire, and the beast will end up killing you instead?" Han Li licked his slightly cracked lips and let out a cold laugh.

"Heh! Kill me? Just this fourth-rank beast, which has nothing but a tough shell and some brute strength?" Xuan Le taunted, his face full of disdain.

"But still, you'd better have a good time playing with this Crystal Spider. I hope you manage to keep your own little life!"

With that, he draped the gauze over himself. Though he remained standing there, every trace of his aura was instantly extinguished without a trace.

Han Li was somewhat surprised. He couldn't help but take a few deep looks at the gauze.

Xuan Le, wearing a faint smile, slowly retreated to a corner of the cave, completely adopting an air of non-involvement. Han Li's thoughts raced, and he quickly deduced the gauze's purpose. His face changed, and he hurriedly looked toward the spider.

The blood spider was now glaring at him with murderous intent, its two fangs grinding together again. It had already marked him as its prey.

After a brief moment of consideration, Han Li's form flickered, and he shot rapidly toward the corner where Xuan Le was.

But when the blood spider saw Han Li move, its blood-red light flared up, and it charged at Han Li as well.

However, the prepared Puppet Beasts opened their mouths in turn, shooting out beams of light that flashed past in an instant. These struck the blood spider squarely, knocking it head over heels several times in succession, temporarily preventing it from pursuing Han Li.

Seeing Han Li rushing toward him with such speed, Xuan Le's heart tightened.

He was extremely wary of Han Li's lightning-fast movement technique. There was no way he would let Han Li get close so easily. Without hesitation, he tossed the small bell at Han Li. At the same time, light burst forth from his body, and a fiery red leather armor materialized over him. The gauze had naturally lost its effect and was put away.

But as the giant bell descended toward him, Han Li raised his hand, and a small mirror appeared in his palm. A beam of greenish light shot out, immediately striking the bell which was about to enlarge, forcing it back to its original size and freezing it in midair.

"The Green Coagulation Mirror!" Xuan Le exclaimed in shock. How could he not recognize this famous top-grade magic tool of their own sect?

Instantly, Xuan Le began to panic!

He had thought the "Sky-Covering Bell" would at least buy him some time, but Han Li had rushed straight at him without any pause. How could he not be thrown into disarray?

Fortunately, his opponent was still over ten zhang away. Xuan Le hastily threw out a "Rain of Ice" talisman he had just drawn, which instantly transformed into a dense mass of ice cones that shot forward wildly. He figured that if Han Li used that white shield to block, his movement would definitely slow down, giving him enough time to activate a powerful magic tool he had just retrieved.

Seeing the large cluster of ice cones flying toward him, a cold light flashed in Han Li's eyes. Instead of blocking, he waved his hand and put the shield back into his storage pouch. At the same time, his speed suddenly doubled. His entire body twisted and contorted in an impossible manner, and he burst through the ice cone barrage without a single scratch.

Seeing this, the last trace of calm vanished from Xuan Le's face. His complexion turned deathly pale.

In the blink of an eye, Han Li was already before him. With no other choice, Xuan Le abandoned all thoughts of activating any magic tool. He could only pour all of his spiritual power into his fiery red armor, hoping to rely on the effect of this top-grade defensive implement to survive the immediate crisis.

Han Li saw the opponent's armor emit a dazzling light. Killing intent surged in his eyes. He opened his mouth, and a black, pointed object he had prepared long ago shot out from within. With a shrill whistle, it pierced into the opponent's armor at extreme speed, followed by an earth-shattering explosion.

Then, a massive cyan Sword Light appeared out of thin air. With a flicker, Han Li was already standing behind Xuan Le.

Xuan Le stood frozen on the spot. On his fiery red armor, at the chest, there was now a fist-sized hole. All the spiritual energy had been drained from the armor, rendering it useless. Without any warning, his head suddenly rolled from his shoulders. Han Li had shattered his armor and then directly severed his head with a Cyan Origin Sword Light. The storage pouch at his waist was, of course, also taken by Han Li as a matter of course.

Han Li looked at the storage pouch in his hand, feeling an indescribable sensation.

A late Foundation Establishment cultivator had been killed just like that. He probably couldn't believe it before he died.

But Han Li understood very well that his opponent had died at his hands for two reasons. One was the element of surprise, and the other was entirely due to the limitations of this narrow terrain.

If this had been a normal high-altitude duel between cultivators, his opponent would never have given him a chance to get close. With a distance of several dozen zhang between them, and the ability to fly using magic tools in the air, his opponent's speed wouldn't have been any worse than his own limit movement technique.

Moreover, to destroy the opponent's armor, he had used the single-use self-destruct magic tool refined from the Ink Flood Dragon's nascent horn, which had basically been a mutual destruction between the tool and the armor.

Speaking of this nascent horn, the shopkeeper who had refined the magic tool for him had constantly lamented. He said that if the Ink Flood Dragon's horn had been allowed to grow for another twenty or thirty years, it could have been refined into an extremely powerful magic tool. But because it had just grown and was too brittle, it could only be refined as a consumable item.

Still, looking at it now, using this item to kill a late Foundation Establishment cultivator was an incredibly good deal.

Just as Han Li put away the Green Coagulation Mirror and his opponent's small bell, a series of cracking sounds came from behind him. He paused for a moment, then without thinking, he slapped his storage pouch. Several second-level Puppet Beasts flew out from within. As for the original eight, their numbers had been thinned as the blood spider had closed in, tearing and gnawing them to pieces after a few moments.

Now, the blood spider turned its head and charged at Han Li once more.

Han Li raised his hand, and a pair of Black Flood Dragon Halberds flew out, suddenly expanding in size to intercept the giant spider in midair.

Then, the beam attacks from the Puppet Beasts followed immediately, continuously bombarding the beast's blood-red body. They finally pinned it in place, unable to advance.

In its desperation, the blood spider spat out several mouthfuls of web. But unfortunately, the moment Han Li saw the beast use this move, he immediately flickered his form and dodged out of the way. As for the Puppet Beasts, if one was slow to react and got even a thread of the web stuck to it, Han Li would immediately store it back into his pouch and summon a replacement, ensuring that the Puppet Beasts' sustained assault was never interrupted.

However, Han Li's initial idea of activating the Talisman Treasure to kill the beast had to be dropped. After all, using his own protective barrier or magic tools to directly withstand the spider's webs was not a wise move.

Having no other choice, Han Li sighed and could only maintain this level of suppression against the spider, not daring to slack off in the slightest.

A quarter of an hour later, just as Han Li had predicted, the blood-red color on the spider's body began to fade. The surface of its shell also started to show pockmarked scars. Clearly, the beast's true qi was nearly depleted. It could no longer coat its entire body with spiritual power to resist the attacks.

Just as a smile appeared on Han Li's face, the spider seemed to realize its peril. It tried several times to break free from Han Li's attack range and dash toward the cave entrance, but each time it was forced back by a flurry of beams from the Puppet Beasts. In the end, Han Li had it completely cornered and trapped in this spot.

When the last thread of the spider beast's true qi was exhausted, it could only curl up into a ball, completely incapable of fighting back. Han Li then took out his incredibly sharp Silver Light Sword, stepped forward, and with one swing, severed the spider's head. As expected, although the beast's shell was extremely hard, without the protection of its magical power, the Silver Sword easily broke through its defenses.

Then, Han Li sat down heavily on the ground nearby and was silent for a long time.

After a while, he surveyed the many dead cultivators scattered around him. For the first time, he felt the fragility of a cultivator's life. This brought a touch of sorrow to his heart. Perhaps, one day, he too would die at the hands of some cultivator, or end up in the belly of some beast.

After resting enough, Han Li first picked up the small ruler Talisman Treasure. Then, he searched every corpse and removed all their storage pouches.

Finally, he cautiously approached the teleportation formation. His gaze flickered uncertainly between the five-colored skeletal remains and the token they held.

"A Greater Teleportation Token! So this is what Lü Tianmeng called that token." Han Li fell into deep thought.

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Reading Guide Decoding

A Masterclass in Carnage: Han Li's Bloodiest Haul Yet

Cultural / Xianxia Notes

The Greater Teleportation Token (大挪移令) is a rare and precious artifact that allows a cultivator to activate ancient, long-range teleportation formations, often spanning entire regions or even worlds. In the context of the Blood Forbidden Land, such a token is the ultimate prize, likely granting access to a hidden inner zone or a direct exit from the trial. Its mention shifts the chapter's objective from mere survival to a high-stakes gamble for the rarest of treasures. Note the naming pattern: Greater Teleportation Token (大挪移令, Da Nuoyi Ling) vs. the Ascension Token (升仙令, Shengxian Ling). Both are tokens with immense value, but one grants access to a sect while the other grants access to the world itself. Han Li's decision to target Lü Tianmeng was not random; he understood the hierarchy of rewards in this blood-soaked arena. The "Terrain Trap" (地形陷阱) is a core tenet of mortal-stream philosophy. Han Li explicitly notes that his victory against Xuan Le was only possible because of the cave's narrow confines. In open-air, high-altitude combat, a late Foundation Establishment cultivator would never allow a Qi Condensation opponent to get close. The fight highlights how the naturally cautious protagonist weaponizes his environment to nullify the advantages of a higher-realm opponent. This is not heroism; it is cold, spatial calculus. The cave becomes an execution chamber, and Han Li, the executioner. The White Spider, initially a threat to all parties, is itself turned into a weapon of attrition against Xuan Le's patience and resources before being methodically put down. The "Mutual Kill" of Trump Cards: Han Li’s victory was bought at a steep price. He destroyed his Ink Flood Dragon horn, a one-of-a-kind consumable that could have been a future power-up, to shatter Xuan Le’s top-grade armor. This trade-off exemplifies the mortal-stream’s "you must spend money to make money" logic. A cultivator's accumulated wealth is not just for display; it is ammunition to be burned at the critical moment to bridge the power gap. Xuan Le, confident in his armor, failed to anticipate that Han Li would be willing to sacrifice such a rare and precious item for a single-decisive blow. This unwillingness to lose an asset is often the difference between life and death in this world.

Chapter Overview

This chapter is a masterclass in mortal-stream combat execution. Han Li capitalizes on the chaos of Lü Tianmeng's death, turning the enclosed cave into a killing floor. He systematically dismantles Xuan Le—a late Foundation Establishment cultivator—through a brutal combination of puppetry, terrain advantage, and a devastating trump card he's been saving since the Ink Flood Dragon fight. The White Spider, once a looming threat, is reduced to a resource-management puzzle, its true qi drained by an endless cycle of puppet barrages. The chapter closes with a rare moment of introspection from Han Li, a quiet acknowledgment of the fragility of cultivator life amidst the spoils of his victory. It's a cold, calculating, and deeply satisfying demonstration of why Han Li is more dangerous than any beast.

Key Plot Points

Xuan Le is cornered by Han Li's sudden display of puppetry, a skill he did not know Han Li possessed.
Xuan Le admits to intentionally releasing the White Spider, confident he can escape using his aura-concealing red gauze.
Han Li uses the Green Coagulation Mirror to neutralize Xuan Le's Sky-Covering Bell, negating his main line of defense.
Han Li charges through a barrage of ice spells using an extreme speed boost and a flexible movement technique, closing the distance instantly.
He deploys his ultimate trump card: the self-destruct magic tool refined from the Ink Flood Dragon's nascent horn, which shatters Xuan Le's top-grade fire armor.
With the armor destroyed, Han Li uses his Cyan Origin Sword Light to decapitate Xuan Le in a single clean stroke.
Han Li retrieves Xuan Le's storage pouch, adding a late Foundation Establishment cultivator's wealth to his own.
He methodically grinds down the White Spider, using a rotation of Puppet Beasts to avoid its webs and draining its true qi until its shell is vulnerable.
Han Li beheads the defenseless White Spider, adding a fourth-rank demonic beast core to his growing collection.
Alone among the carnage, Han Li experiences a rare but brief existential reflection on the fragility of a cultivator's life.
He collects the talisman ruler, searches all corpses for loot, and finally turns his gaze to the teleportation formation and the legendary Greater Teleportation Token.

Reading Guide

Get ready, dear reader, because Han Li just raised the stakes. This chapter is a perfect demonstration of why "preparation" beats "cultivation level" every single time. Notice how he didn't win by being stronger; he won by being smarter and having better toys. The Ink Flood Dragon horn, the Puppet Beasts, the Green Coagulation Mirror—these are all assets he gathered long ago, and now he's reaping the dividends. Pay attention to how he manages the White Spider fight. It's not a glorious duel; it's a tedious, boring, and highly effective resource-management game. He just sits there, letting his puppets do the work, until the beast runs out of gas. That's the Han Li way: let the enemy exhaust themselves against your preparation, then step in for the easy kill. The real treat is the Greater Teleportation Token. This isn't just a way out—it's a key to the absolute heart of the Blood Forbidden Land. Where will it lead? What ancient secrets are waiting? And more importantly, who else is still alive to compete for it? The chapter ends on a quiet, contemplative note, a rare moment of humanity from our usually cold protagonist. He’s seen a lot of death today, and for just a second, the mask slips. Enjoy the quiet before the storm, because Han Li is about to make a move for the ultimate prize.