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

Nangong Wan's Vermilion Bird Ring shone brightly, and she was about to make another move.

Lu Yan hurriedly waved his hand: "Senior, please hold your hand! This junior admits defeat, admits defeat!"

He patted his storage bag, and a treasure chest flew out, simple yet exquisite, with a faint glow of precious light.

"The treasure is here, and I am willing to return it." He held the treasure chest in both hands, his face showing a pained expression.

"I only beg you, senior, to spare my life. I was blind and ignorant, and offended you. I deserve to die. I return this treasure to you untouched."

Nangong Wan stared at the treasure chest in his hand, her brows furrowing slightly. So quick?

She glanced at the signs of a fight on the ground, then at the layers of defensive spiritual light on Lu Yan's body, and suddenly realized what was going on.

This person had fought the Ink Dragon, and his spiritual energy was probably almost depleted. Knowing that he couldn't win, he wisely admitted defeat.

They're quite clever, actually.

"Throw it over here."

Lu Yan tossed the treasure chest over as instructed, and Nangong Wan caught it and examined it carefully. The jade box felt warm and smooth to the touch, and the lid was inlaid with gold thread patterns.

"Grandmaster, wait!"

A female disciple of the Hidden Moon Sect suddenly spoke up: "Grandmaster, this treasure chest is not right. It seems to be smaller than described in the intelligence."

Nangong Wan's expression changed.

The pained look on Lu Yan's face vanished instantly, replaced by a smile.

"burst."

boom!

The treasure chest exploded, and violent spiritual energy fluctuations mixed with countless tiny metal fragments scattered in all directions.

Nangong Wan was the first to be hit. Although she managed to activate her protective magic weapon in time, she was still forced to retreat several steps by the blast.

"you!"

She looked up and saw that the Qingxu Sect Taoist had already escaped from the stone hall, and he was standing at the door waving his hand.

Countless talismans poured down like a torrential rain.

Fireball Talisman, Ice Spike Talisman, Golden Blade Talisman, Lightning Strike Talisman.

There were thousands of them, densely packed together.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The light from the exploding talisman almost engulfed the entire hall, and the violent impact shook the stone hall three times.

Smoke and dust filled the air, and pebbles flew everywhere.

Behind the pillar, Han Li stared in disbelief, his face filled with shock.

A Core Formation cultivator and a group of Hidden Moon Sect disciples were all tricked into this state by one person.

That's way too damn sneaky! Even the fighting techniques recorded in the Blink Sword Technique aren't this sneaky! Looks like I'll have to be more careful when trading with people in the future.

The explosion finally subsided, and the smoke and dust gradually dissipated.

The hall was littered with corpses, with only Nangong Wan still alive.

But the situation wasn't good either; his clothes were torn to shreds, and the murderous intent in his eyes solidified into a tangible form.

"Qingxu Sect! Su Huanzhen! I'll remember you!"

At this moment, the Small Five Elements Temporary Restriction at the entrance has been activated, and the light curtain flows, sealing off the entire stone hall.

Nangong Wan rushed to the barrier and reached out to touch the light screen.

"This is... the Minor Five Elements Temporary Restriction?"

Her hand slowly fell to her sides, and she glanced back at the corpses scattered on the ground.

That Qingxu Sect Taoist priest had long since disappeared, and the entire main hall was sealed off completely.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled.

I never imagined that she, a dignified Core Formation cultivator, would fall to such a state.

Just then, a slight noise came from the corner.

"Who?"

Han Li slowly walked out from behind the pillar. He had just witnessed the woman being blown away and all the disciples dying. Now, she should... should be unable to defeat him, right?

Nangong Wan stared at him, first stunned, then her gaze became complicated.

The Minor Five Elements Temporary Restriction requires two Qi Refining Level 13 cultivators to work together to open it.

If we could also raise this kid to the thirteenth level of Qi Refining.

Her gaze fell on Han Li, and she scrutinized him carefully.

It's ordinary, very ordinary.

He was of average appearance and average talent, exuding the aura of an ordinary passerby.

She, Nangong Wan, a woman of unparalleled beauty and a Core Formation cultivator, actually wanted to be with this kind of...

Her ears were burning slightly, but she had no other choice; it was better than being trapped here to die.

Nangong Wan took a deep breath, suppressing the shame in her heart: "You've been hiding here the whole time? Why didn't you come out just now?"

Han Li calmly replied, "Senior has brought so many disciples with him. If I were to come out rashly, what if Senior thinks I've seen something I shouldn't have and decides to kill me to silence me?"

Nangong Wan was slightly taken aback, then gave him a deep look.

For such a young age, he has a very deep mind.

Just as she was about to say something, the face of that Qingxu Sect Taoist priest suddenly flashed through her mind—even more sinister than this kid in front of her!

Nangong Wan snapped out of her thoughts and said in a deep voice, "My cultivation technique is somewhat special; it can temporarily boost your cultivation level. When the time comes, the two of us can work together to break this restriction."

"But it's just that..."

"That's it?" Han Li asked, puzzled.

Nangong Wan didn't know how to start the conversation and paced back and forth in frustration.

"The method is a bit shameful."

Han Li was stunned. Shame? He looked at Nangong Wan's cold face, then at her tattered clothes, and suddenly understood something.

His face flushed red.

"Senior, this..." Although Han Li had some expectations in his heart, reason prevailed over desire, and he took a half step back: "This junior has not lost his primordial yang, and this matter concerns the foundation building, so please forgive me, senior."

Nangong Wan frowned, her tone cold: "You haven't lost your Yuan Yang? You? A pseudo-spiritual root and you want to establish your foundation?"

Han Li remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he sighed silently.

He knew he was not very talented, but hearing it from someone else still stung.

"I know I am dull-witted, but there is still a glimmer of hope," Han Li said neither humbly nor arrogantly. "If I lose my vital essence, even this glimmer of hope will be gone."

Nangong Wan stared at him, a sudden surge of annoyance rising within her.

She had already thrown her pride away by taking the initiative to speak up, and this guy, instead of being grateful, was trying to reason with her?

"You think I'm discussing this with you?" Nangong Wan was already in a bad mood, and being rejected only made things worse, causing her voice to turn cold.

Han Li was silent for a moment: "If you had other ideas, you wouldn't have come to me."

Nangong Wan was taken aback; this kid was quite stubborn.

She took a deep breath, then another.

"Do you want to be trapped here for the rest of your life?"

Han Li stood there, his mind racing, and soon he had an idea.

He sighed and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture: "This junior can cooperate with you, senior, but... shouldn't you offer some compensation?"

A hint of anticipation flashed in Han Li's eyes, but he concealed it well and no one noticed.

I don't know what they're expecting. Is it compensation? Or something that's about to happen?

Nangong Wan was stunned: "What?"

Han Li's voice remained calm, but tinged with a hint of melancholy: "This junior has poor aptitude, and even establishing a foundation is difficult for me. Having lost my vital essence this time, it will be even more difficult for me in the future. If senior would be so kind as to bestow some spirit stones and pills upon me, it would give this junior a way to survive."

Nangong Wan stared at him, unsure whether to be angry or amused.

This kid looks honest and simple, but he's quite shrewd.

"Fine." She gritted her teeth and took out all the spiritual herbs she had collected since entering the forbidden area: "Is this enough? After we leave, hand them over to your sect, and you can exchange them for five Foundation Establishment Pills."

Han Li looked at the corpses scattered on the ground and said seriously, "They should still have some in their storage bags, right?"

Nangong Wan almost choked on her breath.

"you!"

"Senior, you are a dignified Core Formation cultivator. These mere herbs are surely not worth mentioning." Han Li remained neither humble nor arrogant: "These were exchanged for my future by this junior."

Nangong Wan stared intently at him, her chest heaving.

After a long silence, she squeezed out a single word through gritted teeth: "Okay."

Han Li chuckled and cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you, senior. I will accept your thanks without being too polite."

Nangong Wan took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"come over."