Five bodies of Gao Clan warriors lay sprawled across the ground. Their deaths were neither gruesome nor drawn-out—swift and peaceful.

  For Han and his team, dealing with these five was a foregone conclusion. Failure was simply not an option—only the scale of their victory varied.

  Looking at the corpses, Han realized that this was their first time taking down warriors in the Black Mountain, even though they had been the earliest ones to enter.

  Compared to other ruthless hands in the shadows, they were practically merciful.

  Seeing Han’s silence, Zhang Yuantao patted him on the shoulder.

  “No need to dwell on it. The grudge between Taibai and the Gao Clan runs deep—there’s no room for compromise.”

  “If they didn’t die, we would have.”

  Han shook his head, knowing Zhang Yuantao had misunderstood. He wasn’t sympathizing with the Gao Clan.

  When the Gao Clan sent people to kill him, they certainly felt no pity. Ever since Gao Hong hired assassins and lost his life, the conflict had become irreconcilable.

  “In Black Mountain, this is nothing unusual,” Shen Long added.

  “Our Taibai Sect is young, and our disciples are few, but over the years, countless members of other factions have mysteriously perished in these mountains.”

  “On the surface, everyone is cordial, but behind the scenes, animosities have long been piling up.”

  “No need to say more. Junior Brother knows what he’s doing,” Bai Ruoyue interrupted, having just collected their spoils—three spatial pouches.

  “A good haul. Let’s go deeper.”

  If one didn’t have omniscient foresight, this method of acquiring wealth was undoubtedly the fastest. No wonder so many warriors lurked in the shadows, doing exactly this.

  The temptation was simply too great.

  As they moved forward, Han and his group occasionally witnessed others chasing wild beasts.

  If the hunter was still far from the prey, they had no qualms about intercepting it and swiftly vanishing afterward.

  If the chase was already in its final moments, and the prey was practically in someone else’s hands, they refrained from stealing and instead passed by quietly.

  Taibai was not a sect of saints, but they had their own code of conduct.

  Upon reaching the midsection of Black Mountain again, Han’s face suddenly changed, surprise flashing in his eyes.

  “What’s wrong?” Bai Ruoyue immediately asked.

  She was extremely perceptive—any shift in Han’s expression never escaped her notice.

  “I sense a large gathering of warriors in that direction.” Han pointed north.

  “That’s strange…”

  “Could it be the emergence of a treasure?” Bai Ruoyue’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

  “We were only away for three days, and something big already happened?”

  “My father lied to me!”

  “…Your master didn’t, though.” Han’s expression turned odd.

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  “I don’t sense any treasure there, yet for some reason, many people have gathered.”

  From an overhead perspective, there were about twenty warriors in that location—all at the Visceral Tempering stage—but strangely, no treasure in sight.

  Only a Tempered Marrow-stage wild beast and…

  A painting?

  Han was baffled as he examined its details:

  [Serpents of Longevity: A mystical painting by Xuan Kongzi, so lifelike it creates an immersive illusion.]

  Han had never heard of Xuan Kongzi.

  But there was no way a painting could be a naturally occurring treasure in Black Mountain, and it wasn’t a magical artifact either.

  After relaying this to his companions, Bai Ruoyue and the others were equally puzzled.

  The painting’s details were vague—merely hinting that “something” was there.

  Might as well put on an act and play along.

  “Could it be a heavily wounded Tempered Marrow beast?” Shen Long speculated.

  “That’s suicide,” Bai Ruoyue remarked. “Even if it’s on the brink of death, a single swipe could obliterate an entire group of Visceral Tempering warriors. No treasure is worth that risk.”

  Han remained silent. His cultivation level prevented him from seeing more details about the beast, so he wasn’t sure if it was truly weakened.

  “Should we take a look?” Shen Long asked.

  “Let’s observe from a distance first and see if my instincts pick up anything,” Han replied.

  This situation was too bizarre. Charging in blindly would be reckless.

  Besides, those high-tier wild beasts were terrifying. The last time they entered Black Mountain, they had avoided them at all costs. If one even appeared at the edge of his omniscient vision, they had steered clear immediately.

  As they continued treasure hunting and encountering beasts, Han noticed the number of warriors in that mysterious location rising—it had already reached thirty.

  At one point, a three-person team from Tianyang County left that area, heading outward.

  Han’s mind stirred—he led his group to “coincidentally” bump into them.

  An elderly man and a middle-aged couple, all on guard when they met.

  “You three just came from that place?” Zhou asked, pointing in the direction.

  “Hmm?”

  The old man, his vitality already declining, studied them before nodding.

  “Yes. We didn’t want to get involved in the mess, so we left early.”

  “You planning to join the fun?”

  “We’re considering it,” Han responded. “But we’re unsure what’s really going on.”

  “There are too many people—mostly Visceral Tempering warriors,” the middle-aged man shook his head.

  “And those two Bone Refinement-stage wild beasts… they’re not to be trifled with. Even if there really is a Hundred-Year Longevity Herb, seizing it won’t be easy.”

  Hundred-Year Longevity Herb? Two Bone Refinement-stage beasts?

  Han was completely baffled—where was all this coming from?

  “How many beasts are actually there?” Han asked. “Some say three Bone Refinement, others claim it’s a Tempered Marrow beast. No one seems sure.”

  The man chuckled. “If there really were a Tempered Marrow-stage beast, forget the Longevity Herb—even if there were treasures ten times more valuable, no one would dare approach.”

  Han wanted to continue questioning, but the middle-aged woman beside the man subtly pulled him away, and their group quickly departed.

  “I’ve heard of the Hundred-Year Longevity Herb,” Bai Ruoyue said.

  “Consuming it grants an additional twenty years of life, restoring one’s vitality to its peak state.”

  Han’s eyes widened—if true, this was even more potent than his Life Extension Gu.

  He immediately contacted Lu Qingmo for confirmation.

  “Yes, such a treasure exists,” she admitted. “But whether it would appear in Black Mountain right now, I’m not certain.”

  “By the way, have you ever heard of a painting that makes you feel as though you’re physically inside it, like it’s real?” Han asked.

  Lu Qingmo sounded surprised. “Why do you ask?”

  “Just thought I looked dashing in Black Mountain and wanted to immortalize my heroic moments.”

  “…”

  Lu Qingmo paused, while the others stared at him in disbelief.

  Shameless!

  “There are indeed such paintings. Some artists reach a level where their skills, combined with Daoist techniques, can make painted figures seem real. But usually, they are mere illusions.”

  “So they do exist…” Han was intrigued. “One day, I’ll commission a master to paint me.”

  Are you serious?!

  Setting that thought aside, Han continued his investigations. The more he listened to warriors heading toward the so-called “Longevity Herb,” the clearer the truth became.

  Everything pointed to an elaborate setup.

  As dawn broke, they heard a thunderous roar from the direction of the supposed treasure.

  Han turned his omniscient gaze there.

  Six Visceral Tempering warriors vanished in an instant.

  The Tempered Marrow-stage beast had moved.

  Dozens of warriors were slaughtered like grass. Only a handful managed to flee, but the beast pursued them relentlessly.

  Han remained silent.

  This… was Black Mountain.

  And then, something else caught his attention.

  A lone figure was sprinting toward the massacre site—unnaturally fast.

  More importantly, the name floating above them made Han’s eyes narrow in shock.

  Celestial Mother Cult Follower: Lian Cheng.

  Soul Wandering Technique. Visceral Tempering-stage warrior.

  A painting… A massacre… And now, the Celestial Mother Cult?

  Han’s mind raced.

  What the hell is going on?