However, even as Han Li sighed, he was somewhat puzzled!

Although Han Li wasn’t proficient in bewitchment techniques, Han Li knew a thing or two about them.

Every cultivator mastered the “Heaven’s Eye Technique”. It could even be considered the most basic of bewitchment techniques. If the gap in magic power between two cultivators was far too great and the stronger cultivator caught the other party off-guard by looking at his eyes while activating the Heaven’s Eye Technique, then the cultivator on the receiving end would become stunned during a fight.

Other kinds of bewitchment-type magic techniques also relied on a huge disparity in magic power in order to control the victim’s mind by force.

By common conventions, there wasn’t a large enough gap between Dong Xuan’er’s early Foundation Establishment cultivation and that glamorous man’s mid Foundation Establishment cultivation where a gaze would immediately control her to such an absurd degree. If the other party were a Core Formation cultivator casting the bewitchment technique, then it would be somewhat possible.

However, from that glamorous man’s expression and his resentful expression when he departed, this did not seem to be the case at all. It was absolutely impossible that he was a Core Formation cultivator pretending to be a Foundation Establishment cultivator in order to play with them.

With this thought, Han Li finally felt somewhat more at ease. After all, with that glamorous man’s resentful expression when he left, Han Li would have to be diligently on guard.

When he had lifted his head in contemplation, he noticed that Dong Xuan’er’s lovely, pitiful appearance had long disappeared as she was flirting with the other two.

Seeing this scene, Han Li secretly let out a sigh and stood, wanting to head back to his room.

However, when Han Li put his hand on the wooden door, having not yet open it, he suddenly heard a man’s loud voice from outside the inn.

“Guests of the inn, listen well. Tomorrow, the Treasure Seizing Assembly will be divided into two divisions. The cultivators of this country will be conducted on the west side on Yan Ling Castle. The cultivators of other countries will be conducted on the east side. We request all guests to arrive early. Those that arrive late will automatically be disqualified.”

After this voice repeated this message three more times, the speaker seemed to have left.

When Han Li heard these words, he was startled. But soon after, he didn’t pay it any mind and walked into his room.

Although Han Li was surprised at the separation of cultivators in the competition, he didn’t sense that anything was inappropriate.

After all, if cultivators of the seven sects and foreign cultivators were to compete, they were certain to provoke no small amount of incidences. This kind of xenophobic mentality was common in all places. This could clearly be seen at the previous confrontational circumstances in the teahouse.

As Han Li though this, he sat cross-legged on his bed, intending to meditate and refine Qi throughout the night as preparation for tomorrow’s Treasure Seizing Assembly.

....

In some room inside Yan Ling Castle, the glamorous, devilish man sat on his wooden chair. Several men and women in front of him respectively made reports. As the man listened expressionlessly, a slight radiance flashed through his eyes. No one knew why he then coldly smiled.

....

At this moment, on the west side of Yan Ling Castle’s mountain peak, there were over ten green-robed Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators bustling about, burying a few things underground. The Ghost Spirit Sect’s young master and the two Core Formation Experts were indifferently looking down at the scene from the midair.

“How are things? This last-minute Yin Fire Great Formation is so feeble. Will it be effective?” the Ghost Spirit Sect’s young master suddenly asked.

The old man of the Li Brothers coughed a few times, he said while shaking his head, “Young Sect Master, be at ease! There is no problem at all. Although this is a last-minute formation spell, our disciples are managing it. It will be able to display its trapping efficacy. Naturally if the late Foundation Establishment cultivators in the formation used the might of some particularly astonishing magic tools, this may not be the case, but the large majority of these cultivators are certain to be unable to escape.”

“En, I am feeling relieved! The twelve guards I brought from the Ghost Spirit Sect won’t remain idle. That should be more than enough to handle the stragglers who escape the net!” The Ghost Spirit Sect’s young master said without worry.

The Li Brothers felt there was no problem and didn’t further speak.

In truth, if they didn’t require the souls and primordial spirits of these cultivators to be completely intact, the two Li Brothers would be able to take care of it. Exterminating a few Foundation Establishment cultivators was a trivial matter, but how could they be bothered to do so! The Li Brothers thought with pride.

....

Several thousands of kilometers away, in a secret room of Yellow Maple Valley, seven to eight Core Formation Experts had gathered together, nervously listening to a spotlessly clean yellow-robed old man speak. After listening to the old man’s words, all of their complexions grew extremely dark.

Han Li’s master Li Huayuan, Female Immortal Hong Bi, and even that fatty Lei Wanhe was among them. Their expressions were all extremely disturbed.

Not long after the cultivators left the secret room, the entirety of Yellow Maple Valley flurried with zeal.

Sound transmission talismans fluttered down throughout the whole sky. Below the storm of talismans, a storm of cultivators was disorderly rushing about on flying magic tools. A few moments later, groups of cultivators left Yellow Maple Valley during that very night, separately rushing forth in different directions.

This very scene equivalently unfolded in the other six sects. Furthermore, every sect had messengers rushing back and forth without end. It seemed as if the cultivation world of the State of Yue had become bloodthirsty overnight.

In the following days, clans of all sizes in the State of Yue received a conscription order sealed by a Sect Master of the Seven Great Sects, calling upon each of the clan's outstanding disciples. Disobedience would be met with violent extermination from an enforcement squad.

Naturally, when the conscription order arrived at the Yan Clan three days later, no one responded. By the time, the Yan Clan was already deserted.

....

Because Han Li and the other Seven Sect cultivators were too far away, they naturally did not know of this matter.

As a result, on the second day, just as light had begun to shine, a few cultivators had arrived on the west side of the mountain peak. A huge spell formation had already been established at that location. At the center of the formation were two middle-aged men dressed in Yan Clan apparel with their eyes closed.

At the back of the spell formation was a short stone platform. On that stone platform stood over ten Yan Clan members faintly covered in mist, talking about something. It seemed they were waiting for all the cultivators to all be present before starting the assembly.

Han Li had already arrived on the mountain peak. He hadn’t appeared with Dong Xuan’er but rather arrived early by himself. On the mountain peak, he ran into a middle-aged Giant Sword Sect disciple surnamed Ba who had also arrived early. The two were chatting when something suddenly came to Han Li’s mind.

“Elder Brother Ba, what does this spell formation do? Do you know?” After Han Li sized up the huge spell formation several times, he had found it irksome each time. After a moment of chatting, he couldn’t help but ask this.

“I am embarrassed. This one doesn’t understand much about spell formations, but I reckon it should be a protective barrier type restriction! After all, a competition between Foundation Establishment disciples must be contained, else the small mountain wouldn’t be able to withstand our bustling!” The cultivator surnamed Ba stoked his chin, not paying it much mind.

“Oh! That seems likely!” Although Han Li said this, he faintly felt an uneasy air from the spell formation. This was not something he could sense with the deepness of his magic power but rather a reaction completely stemming from his intuition.

Han Li wrinkled his brow and looked in every direction. At this moment, over thirty cultivators had already arrived. The Daoist Priests from the Clear Void Sect, that woman surnamed Fang from Heavenly Imperial Castle, and others he recognized began to appear. Furthermore, they all gathered into groups of three and four to talk about a few things.

“Brother Han, let us greet them! Wu Fazi and the other have already arrived!” The cultivator surnamed Ba saw the others assemble and suggested this to Han Li with a smile.

“Brother Ba, do not hesitate to go! This little brother still has a few things to think about. Please do not let me trouble you!” Han Li lightly shook his head, unwilling to join together with so many people. It seemed a bit too troublesome.

The Giant Sword Sect Disciple shrugged his shoulders. Although he was a bit puzzled, he walked over by himself. After all, such good opportunities to make friends with cultivators from other sects were hard to come by, so he wouldn’t lightly let it go.

When Han Li saw the man surnamed Ba leave, he didn’t stay at that location. Instead, he habitually sought a secluded location and walked to the farthest corner away from the spell formation. Then he indifferently looked at the movements of the other cultivators.

An hour later, Dong Xuan’er and that Senior Martial Brother Feng had finally arrived. Furthermore after they arrived, they entered the crowd of Yellow Maple Valley cultivators. Not long after, Dong Xuan’er stirred up many intimate reactions from several men as if she were a fish in water. In addition, there was no trace of that Yan Yu who originally kept close to her side. Han Li felt somewhat surprised from this.

At this moment, the many cultivators who donned Yan Clan clothing on the stone platform were actually Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators counting the number of people that appeared.

“Young Master, we are still short two people. Furthermore, it is not longer early. Should we further wait?” After they counted the number of people, a Ghost Spirit Sect cultivator reported this to the Ghost Spirit Sect’s young master.

“We don’t need to wait any longer! Immediately notify the two elders to start the great formation! If time runs too long, a few clever cultivators may sense that something isn’t right. That would be even worse! As for those two cultivators who didn’t appear, from the twelve guards, have guard eight and guard twelve go and exterminate them. Regardless of the reason why they didn’t appear, do not let them leave Yan Ling Castle alive!” The Ghost Spirit Sect’s young master didn’t hesitate to give his command. Killing intent permeated throughout his words.