Mortal: Starting by looting Han Laomo's entire herb garden

Han Li cautiously looked around and hid behind a pillar in the palace.

Immediately afterwards, several members of the Hidden Moon Sect filed in.

Nangong Wan glanced around the stone hall; the place where the treasure chest had been was now empty.

"What happened?" a female disciple exclaimed in surprise. "Where's the Black-Scaled Python? And the treasure chest? It's gone too?"

"Could it be that someone beat us to it, killed the Black-Scaled Python, and took the treasure?"

Nangong Wan carefully examined the inner hall: "I'm afraid someone beat me to it."

There were signs of a fight on the ground, with flying stones, cracked stone slabs, and several pools of dark purple liquid still hissing and emitting blue smoke, corroding deep pits.

"This is elixir?" She frowned slightly. "This is the elixir of the Ink Dragon, and... it has probably reached level two, making its strength comparable to a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator."

"What? A level two monster?"

"How is that possible?"

"Grandmaster, we..."

The disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect were all in a panic. How could they, a group of Qi Refining cultivators, possibly be a match for a level two demon beast, let alone a Black Dragon?

"Enough! What kind of behavior is this, all flustered and disrespectful!" Nangong Wan scolded angrily.

"It's my grandmaster."

Upon hearing the reprimand, the disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect appeared calm on the surface, but some of them had already begun to slowly retreat.

Nangong Wan appeared calm on the surface, but she was actually quite uncertain inside. If it were up to her Core Formation cultivation level, she wouldn't have much to fear.

However, due to his cultivation of the Pure Maiden Reincarnation Technique, he currently only possesses the combat strength of the Qi Refining stage, and he may not necessarily be able to defeat a level two Ink Dragon.

Thinking of this, she gritted her teeth. She had thought it would be a simple task, but she never expected something like this to happen.

If I were to die here, that would be a huge loss.

At this moment, a female disciple couldn't help but ask, "Grandmaster, what about the person who fought the Ink Dragon? Could the treasure chest have been... taken by him?"

Nangong Wan shook her head: "Impossible. That person in the Qi Refining stage couldn't possibly be a match for the Black Dragon. He probably took the treasure and went into its stomach. We shouldn't stay here any longer. Let's leave."

She didn't want to stay a moment longer; it would be terrible if she attracted the attention of the black dragon.

In the shadows, Lu Yan breathed a sigh of relief. Once these women left, he could also escape.

He didn't want to fight these people right now. He had already exhausted his spiritual energy dealing with the black dragon. Although he had subdued the black dragon, it was currently recuperating in the spirit beast bracelet and couldn't be released as a fighting force.

Avoiding combat would be ideal; it's not that we can't fight head-on, but rather that playing it safe is more cost-effective.

"Grandmaster!"

Just then, a sweet female voice rang out. It was Duobao's younger sister, one of the twin beauties known as the Moon-Covering Twins.

Looking at the fierce battlefield, she felt unwilling: "That black dragon is fighting with humans, it might already be seriously injured. If we could find it..."

"Shut up." Nangong Wan glanced at her coldly: "Even if a level two Ink Dragon is seriously injured, it's not something you can handle. Don't cause me any trouble."

"Yes, Grandmaster, I misspoke." The female disciple turned pale after being reprimanded.

Then, all the disciples retreated towards the door little by little, with Nangong Wan at the very back, always on guard against a sudden attack from the black dragon.

However, when the female disciple reached the temple gate, she suddenly took out a talisman from her storage bag.

"What are you doing?" Nangong Wan frowned.

"Grandmaster, I'll just put a talisman on the door. In case that person isn't dead, or if something chases after him, we'll know in advance," the female disciple said with a grin.

Lu Yan's pupils contracted in the shadows. Having read the original novel, he knew that there was a minor Five Elements Temporary Restriction at the entrance of the palace. Once triggered by the talisman, he would be trapped here and die.

The female disciple had already raised her hand, the talisman flashing with spiritual light, and was about to stick it on the door.

Lu Yan cursed inwardly: This is pointless! You've already chosen your own path to death!

Without time to think, the Cloud and Mist Boots beneath his feet shone brightly, and he transformed into a wisp of green smoke, rushing straight towards the palace gate.

"Someone's there!"

The female disciple gasped in surprise, her hand trembled, and the talisman almost fell.

"Who goes there!" Nangong Wan, who had been paying close attention to the movements inside the hall, reacted even faster, sending out a beam of spiritual light.

But Lu Yan was too fast, and the light flashed past his clothes.

Seeing that the other party was hostile, the other members of the Hidden Moon Sect all brought out their magical artifacts.

However, even with so many high-grade magical artifacts attacking together, they could only leave a tiny ripple on the Xuan Guang Amulet.

"A top-grade defensive magic weapon!" Nangong Wan's eyes widened in disbelief. There was actually someone among the disciples of the seven sects who was so arrogant.

At this moment, Lu Yan had already rushed to the entrance of the hall and kicked the female disciple who was in the way away.

With his physical cultivation, the female disciple didn't even have time to activate her protective aura before being kicked so hard that her eyes rolled back in her head.

Nangong Wan's eyes flashed with murderous intent: "How dare you! You actually dare to hurt someone in front of me!"

With a flick of her wrist, her natal magic weapon, the Vermilion Bird Ring, shot out, heading straight for Lu Yan.

boom!

The Vermilion Bird Ring slammed into the light shield, bursting out a blinding burst of spiritual light.

The Xuan Guang Amulet Shield trembled violently, its surface rippled wildly, and it was struck so hard that it flickered between light and darkness.

Seeing this, Lu Yan remained calm. The Yin-Yang Gathering Ring on his right index finger shone brightly, forming a black light shield within the white light shield.

A flash of light appeared on the Xuan Yuan Turtle on his shoulder, and an earth-yellow light shield emerged.

Lu Yan then affixed several more Vajra Talismans to his body, and the Taiyi Azure Cloud Robe he wore emitted a hazy, clear light.

The Azure Dragon Heartguard Armor inside shimmered with spiritual light, and the Five Elements Primordial Belt around the waist also released a five-colored light shield.

Nangong Wan's expression changed drastically. How many top-grade magic artifacts did this guy possess? Were there any people like that among the Seven Sects?

If she wasn't mistaken, the boots this person was wearing were also extraordinary.

Han Li, watching from the shadows, was astonished. He thought he was already quite wealthy, but he never expected there to be such a powerful expert among them.

Who is this person? I've never heard Senior Brother Lu mention him before.

Nangong Wan had calmed down by now: "Who are you? I know all the Core Formation elders from the seven sects. Which Core Formation elder's descendant are you?"

Lu Yan smiled faintly: "I wouldn't dare. I am Su Huanzhen of the Qingxu Sect, just an unknown nobody."

Nangong Wan stared intently at Lu Yan, then coldly snorted, "Fine, Su Huanzhen, I'll remember you. I'll ask you, did you kill the black dragon inside?"

"Ink dragon? What ink dragon? This junior doesn't know? It might still be in the water." Lu Yan pretended to be confused even though he knew the answer.

A disciple of the Hidden Moon Sect standing nearby angrily retorted, "Stop playing dumb! Did you steal the secret treasures inside the hall?"

Lu Yan didn't answer, but looked at Nangong Wan: "What attacked me just now must have been a magic weapon, right? Senior, you're a dignified Core Formation cultivator, quite old, yet you disguised yourself as a Qi Refining stage cultivator to infiltrate the Crimson Forbidden Land and bully juniors. I wonder what the other sects will think if they find out?"

"You!" Nangong Wan was furious.

What did he say? He actually said he was very old!?

Okay, okay, okay, you're dead today!

Han Li, hidden in the shadows, was struck dumb. Core Formation? That woman was actually a Core Formation cultivator!

If word got out that a Core Formation cultivator had infiltrated the Crimson Forbidden Zone by hiding among the disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect, the seven sects would be in an uproar.