Mortal: Fifteenth Realm Sword Cultivator

Especially when he thought about how Lu Jianghe had seen the little green bottle that he cherished so dearly, Han Li felt a chill run down his spine and straight to the top of his head.

Han Li chanted this frantically in his mind.

Please don't recognize me, please don't recognize me...

I am no longer the skinny, dark-skinned boy I once was. I have grown taller and my face is now much more handsome and composed.

In addition, he was wearing a mask.

The other party may not be able to see anything amiss.

Lu Jianghe looked at the masked man who had barged in, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he let out a soft chuckle.

When these words reached Han Li's ears, they were like a thunderclap, startling him so much that his soul almost left his body.

Were you recognized?!

Sure enough, as it turns out, what you fear most is what happens.

"I knew that aura outside seemed vaguely familiar, but I didn't expect it to be you, Han Li."

The latter subconsciously opened his mouth under the mask, his Adam's apple bobbing, and the instinctive rebuttal almost slipped out.

But in the end, all attempts to conceal the truth vanished with that single word, "Han Li."

He took a deep breath, reached out and decisively removed the metal mask from his face, revealing his unremarkable face.

Han Li was initially puzzled, but after recognizing the other party's identity, he solemnly cupped his hands and said:

"You are... Brother Lu? It's been a long time. I never expected to meet you again in Yuanwu Kingdom."

Now that his identity has been exposed, any explanation would be futile and laughable, and might even be superfluous.

On the contrary, it may arouse unnecessary suspicion.

Why don't they dare to acknowledge each other?

Could it be that he feels guilty and is hiding some unspeakable secret?

For example... that little green bottle of unknown origin?

Rather than passively harboring suspicions, it's better to take the initiative and be honest with each other.

Han Li quickly made up his mind and decided to immediately play the emotional card.

The attempt was to gain the psychological upper hand in front of this "old monster," or at least to secure a relatively safe atmosphere for dialogue.

You must not let the other party notice anything unusual.

Lu Jianghe smiled and said, "Of course, of course."

As they were talking, the two peak Qi Refining cultivators saw the situation suddenly change and another Foundation Establishment cultivator arrived.

Knowing that there was no chance of success today, they exchanged a glance and quietly moved backward, intending to retreat and make plans for later.

However, just as they were about to make their move...

Their bodies were instantly pierced and cut as if by countless invisible threads.

The two muffled thuds were almost simultaneous.

Before he could even scream, his entire body disintegrated on the spot, turning into two tragically blooming blood-red flowers.

Lu Jianghe remained indifferent, raising his hand in a clenched fist. The two clumps of blood were drawn inward by an invisible force, collapsing and condensing into two tiny, pigeon-egg-sized, red blood beads that spun around in the blink of an eye.

The sudden, ruthless actions and the bloody scene that defied all reason caused Qi Yunxiao and Han Li to be shocked and horrified.

What kind of tactic is this?!

Without any incantations or spiritual energy fluctuations, killing and blood coagulation are accomplished silently and effortlessly with every gesture.

This was beyond their understanding of cultivators fighting.

"He exudes a strong murderous aura; it seems he's been involved in many murders, robberies, and highway robberies."

Lu Jianghe said in a flat voice.

His gaze swept over the two storage bags on the ground, and with a casual wave of his hand, they flew into the shelf next to him, as if they were ordinary odds and ends.

After doing all this, Lu Jianghe turned his gaze back to Han Li and joked:

"Young Han, come to think of it, it's been more than ten years since we last met, hasn't it? You've made good progress in the Foundation Establishment stage, it seems you have excellent spiritual root aptitude."

His tone was very casual, but it made Han Li's heart skip a beat.

"Brother Lu, you flatter me. I've just broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage and am planning to buy a set of formations to decorate my cave dwelling."

Han Li showed no sign of restraint and naturally took a few steps forward, deliberately avoiding the two floating blood beads in the air.

Besides.

He also noticed that the spiritual energy of the water here seemed to be more concentrated than before.

Seeing that he was out of danger, Qi Yunxiao was about to bow and thank him before leaving.

"What, are you already leaving? Putting aside the gift, you yourself said you would sell me the 'Inverted Five Elements Array' for 500 spirit stones."

Lu Jianghe's words froze him in place.

As he spoke, he held the two blood beads floating in the air in his hands and gently closed his five fingers together.

It was refined in an instant.

A few wisps of smoke rose up, then vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye.

Thus, the two living cultivators seemed as if they had never existed.

Not a trace of dirt or a drop of blood was left; everything was wiped clean.

Seeing this, Qi Yunxiao's eyelids trembled and his body shook.

With a determined heart, he knelt heavily before Lu Jianghe.

"Senior, I dare not lie to you. This 'Inverted Five Elements Formation' is not the work of a junior alone. It was jointly developed with a... a close friend whose life is hanging by a thread! She is now suffering from a strange disease, and her life force is waning. Only a thousand-year-old spiritual herb can prolong her life. I am foolish and have searched the entire market but could not find one. That's why I lost my mind and offered this formation in exchange for a thousand-year-old spiritual herb. I never expected it to bring such trouble..."

"This junior humbly begs the senior: if you possess any thousand-year-old spiritual medicine, regardless of its type, I am willing to offer this formation with both hands. Even if my soul is imprisoned, and I have to serve you like a slave, I will have no regrets, only asking to save my dearest friend's life!"

After saying that, Qi Yunxiao slammed his forehead heavily against the ground.

Han Li remained silent as he observed.

He felt pity for Qi Yunxiao's plea, but at the same time he was observing how Lu Jianghe would respond to this situation.

A person's character is most directly revealed in their choices when faced with the pleas of the weak or the oppression of the strong.

The pursuit of immortality and defying the will of Heaven boils down to the word "struggle."

However, not everything that can be done or not needs to be done.

As the old saying goes, those who bully the weak are more likely to fear the strong.

It looked like Qi Yunxiao's forehead was about to slam down hard.

Lu Jianghe waved his hand to help him up, saying, "No need for kowtowing, I'm not your ancestor."

The Buddha touched the black collar of his Buddhist robe, which was adorned with the words "Morning Dew," and continued, "Even if your close friend is a Foundation Establishment cultivator, being able to refine this 'Inverted Five Elements Array' shows that he is exceptionally talented in array formations. Here's what I'll do: I won't make things difficult for you. Just make me a new set of this array as payment."

Han Li thought to himself, "This request is reasonable."

With Lu Jianghe's unfathomable methods, seizing property by force would be effortless.

At the same time, he memorized the key information in the words.

For a Qi Refining stage cultivator to create such a powerful formation as the "Inverted Five Elements Formation," comparable to a sect's protective array, demonstrates extraordinary talent.

Upon hearing this, Qi Yunxiao's face lit up with joy, but it vanished in an instant, replaced by a sorrowful expression.

"Thank you for your understanding, senior. But Ruyin... if it weren't for the thousand-year-old spiritual plant to prolong her life, I really don't know if she could have survived until she could finish another set of the Reversed Five Elements Array."

The situation has reached a stalemate.

You've said both the good and the bad.

There's no such thing as a free lunch.