Immortal Path in the Palm of a Mortal's Hand

Seven days before the opening of the Crimson Forbidden Land, in the council hall of the main peak of Spirit Beast Mountain.

Chen Fan and the other twenty-nine Qi Refining stage disciples stood solemnly in the hall. These thirty people were all selected by Spirit Beast Mountain to enter the Crimson Forbidden Land. The lowest cultivation level was Qi Refining Stage 11, and the highest was Qi Refining Stage 13, Great Perfection. They were all elites from their respective peaks, including personal disciples, nominal disciples, and even nominal disciples like Chen Fan.

At the head of the main hall, the sect leader sat on a jade throne, flanked by three Core Formation stage elders on each side. True Person Chiyun was also among them, his expression as calm and unwavering as ever. His gaze swept over Chen Fan without pausing, as if passing over a stubborn rock.

The sect leader coughed lightly, and the entire hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"The Crimson Forbidden Land will open in seven days. You thirty are the disciples of my Spirit Beast Mountain who will enter the forbidden land this time." The sect leader's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority. "Within the forbidden land, spiritual herbs abound and opportunities abound, but dangers also follow. In every opening of the forbidden land, less than half of the disciples have come out alive. You should all be aware of this."

A deathly silence fell over the hall. The word "half" meant that of the thirty people who went in, only about fifteen would come out alive. This number was already known when they registered, but hearing it from the sect leader's own mouth still made several disciples with slightly lower cultivation levels turn pale.

The sect leader paused briefly before continuing, "The sect will not send you into danger empty-handed. According to the rules of past generations, each selected disciple will receive one mid-grade spirit stone and may choose one top-grade magic weapon from the sect's treasury as an advance reward for this trip. Upon your return from the forbidden area, you will be further rewarded according to the quantity and grade of the spiritual herbs you have obtained."

After speaking, he waved his hand. Several disciples filed in through the side door, each carrying a tray. On the trays were three neat rows of storage bags, ten in each row, for a total of thirty.

Chen Fan took his storage bag and quietly probed it with his divine sense. Inside lay a spirit stone, about the size of a thumb, milky white in color, radiating a pure and rich spiritual energy far superior to low-grade spirit stones. It was a mid-grade spirit stone, one of which was equivalent to a hundred low-grade ones; its effects on cultivation and the activation of magical artifacts and formations were incomparable.

He carefully put away the storage bag, his face remaining expressionless, but inwardly he thought: a mid-grade spirit stone and a top-grade magic artifact—the sect's offer this time was quite generous. Then he considered that of the thirty people who went in, probably less than half would return alive to receive the subsequent rewards. The dead, of course, wouldn't need to pay. The sect had calculated this better than anyone else.

After distributing the spirit stones, a Foundation Establishment stage deacon led everyone to the sect's treasury to select magical artifacts.

The storehouse was hidden deep within the main peak's interior. Passing through three heavily guarded stone gates, one arrived at a spacious stone hall. Dozens of luminous pearls were embedded in the hall's walls, their shimmering light illuminating every detail within. Rows of stone shelves displayed various magical artifacts, categorized and arranged: swords, spears, halberds, axes, hooks, forks, bells, tripods, mirrors, and shields—a dazzling array. Each artifact was enveloped in a pale blue protective aura, its name and brief function displayed on its surface.

"Each person may choose only one item." The deacon stood at the door, expressionless. "Once chosen, touch the protective barrier with your magic to retrieve it. One incense stick's time, begin."

The thirty disciples immediately dispersed, each heading towards their preferred shelf of magical implements.

Chen Fan did not rush to act. He stood by the door, his gaze slowly sweeping across the entire stone hall. He already possessed a top-grade offensive magic weapon, the Golden Flame Spirit-Slaying Blade, whose power was sufficient. He also had a well-stocked reserve of talismans, over a hundred, enough to handle any consumption. At this moment, the only thing that could truly enhance his ability to survive was his defensive magic weapon.

He paused before the stone shelf displaying defensive magical artifacts. The shelf held over ten defensive artifacts of various kinds. Several shields, made of different materials—some heavy bronze, others shimmering silver, and still others engraved with ferocious beast heads. Several breastplates, small and exquisite, meant to be worn close to the body. There was also a piece of soft armor, entirely black and neatly folded, its surface subtly shimmering with spiritual light.

Chen Fan examined the descriptions on the light masks one by one.

"The Xuan Turtle Shield is crafted from the carapace of a second-tier Xuan Turtle and can withstand most attacks below the Foundation Establishment stage. Weakness: Fire-attribute attacks reduce its defense by half."

"Silver Mirror, made from high-grade silver, with metallic properties, offering balanced defense. Weakness: Vulnerable to lightning attacks."

"Black Scale Soft Armor, made from the belly skin of a second-tier Black Scale Python, is lightweight and flexible, and can be worn close to the body without hindering movement. Weakness: Slightly inferior defense against ice-attribute attacks."

Chen Fan's gaze lingered on the black-scaled soft armor for a moment. It was worn close to the body, allowing for unrestricted movement. This was far superior to a shield that required hand-held movement or a breastplate that only protected the chest. The soft armor protected all vital organs without taking up his hands.

As for his weakness in ice-attribute defense, he already has two layers of defense: the Golden Mirror and the Silver Armor. Even if the soft armor is slightly weaker in this attribute, the three layers combined are enough to make up for it.

He reached out and pressed his hand against the protective barrier, releasing a slight burst of magical power. The barrier shattered instantly, and the black-scaled soft armor fell into his palm. It was cool and supple to the touch, covered with fine scales, weighing only two or three pounds, and stitched together with spiritual tendons—the craftsmanship was extremely exquisite.

Chen Fan put the soft armor into his storage bag and turned to walk towards the door.

As he selected his items, his gaze casually swept over the other disciples in the hall. Most lingered in front of the offensive magic weapon shelves, while a few hesitated between defensive and support magic weapons. Only one figure made his gaze pause slightly.

She was a female cultivator.

She stood before the stone shelf displaying magical artifacts made of spirit beasts, intently examining the description of the light barrier surrounding a beast-taming ring. The female cultivator was about seventeen or eighteen years old, not very tall, wearing a light blue Daoist robe, with delicate features and a touch of naiveté in her eyes. Her cultivation level was at the eleventh level of Qi Refining, placing her in the lower-middle range among the thirty people.

Han Yunzhi.

Chen Fan silently recited the name in his heart. He remembered clearly that she was indeed a disciple of the Spirit Beast Mountain. In the original story, when Han Li encountered her in the Crimson Forbidden Land, he did not kill her as he had done to other cultivators, but spared her life.

Chen Fan withdrew his gaze, refraining from approaching her. He and Han Yunzhi were complete strangers, and striking up a conversation would only arouse suspicion. He also lacked Han Li's leisure to care for complete strangers. Once inside the forbidden area, everyone would rely on their own abilities and accept their fate. If they met within the forbidden area, and the other party harbored no murderous intent, he would not take the initiative to attack. He had neither the obligation nor the capacity to spare any attention to protect her.

……

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

The Crimson Forbidden Land is located on the northwestern border of the Yue Kingdom, about a thousand miles away from Spirit Beast Mountain. Thirty disciples of Spirit Beast Mountain, escorted by two Core Formation elders and five Foundation Establishment deacons, arrived at the assembly point a day before the forbidden land opened, aboard a huge flying spirit boat.

The rendezvous point was a desolate Gobi desert. Not a blade of grass grew, only weathered pebbles and cracked yellow earth; the view stretched out to the horizon. The seven camps each occupied a separate area, about a hundred feet apart, clearly demarcated.

Chen Fan stood at the edge of the Spirit Beast Mountain camp, his gaze sweeping over the other six faction camps.

The disciples of Yellow Maple Valley were all dressed in yellow robes, with maple leaf patterns embroidered on their chests. Their numbers numbered about thirty-five or thirty-six, slightly more than those of Spirit Beast Mountain. Most of them had composed expressions, clearly well-trained. Chen Fan's gaze swept over them, but he didn't see anyone particularly eye-catching. At this time, Han Li should still be quietly working as an outer disciple in Yellow Maple Valley, striving for the Foundation Establishment Pill; he was most likely also in this group. Chen Fan didn't investigate further, because hidden within that group was a Nascent Soul cultivator disguised as a "great god."

The disciples of the Hidden Moon Sect are all handsome men and beautiful women, dressed in gorgeous attire, with female cultivators making up the majority. Each of them possesses extraordinary beauty, and their eyes exude a subtle allure. This sect is renowned for its dual cultivation and illusion techniques, and its strength surpasses that of the seven sects.

The disciples of the Giant Sword Sect are the easiest to identify. Each of them carries a giant sword on their back, the blade more than twice as wide as an ordinary magical weapon and over three feet long. This sect only cultivates the way of the sword, and each disciple is highly skilled in swordsmanship, with their offensive power second to none among the seven sects. However, their defensive methods are relatively simple.

The disciples of Qingxu Sect wore green robes and exuded an air of otherworldly refinement. This sect was the only one among the seven sects that focused on Taoist cultivation. Its disciples were skilled in magical attacks and were also quite accomplished in talismans and formations.

The Huadaowu sect has the fewest disciples, with only about twenty. Each of them carries a curved sword at their waist, the scabbard engraved with various mythical beast patterns. Their martial arts are primarily based on swordsmanship, characterized by sharp and ruthless attacks, making them renowned for their lethality among the seven sects.