Mortal: I am the young sect master of the Thousand Illusions Sect

Chapter 56 What a coincidence, Han Daoyou!

At this moment, seventy miles away from the spirit stone mine, on a sheltered spot on a barren hillside, Han Li stood amidst the sand, gazing into the distance in the direction of the spirit stone mine, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

Just now, the mine tunnel collapsed, and he and Xuan Le and others fled in panic, falling into an underground stalactite cave in their haste.

The group wandered through the dark and winding caverns, venturing deeper and deeper until they reached the end of the passage. With nowhere else to go, they had to lie low for half a day. Guessing that the demonic cultivators had already retreated, they dared to turn back and escape the mine in different directions.

At the end of the cave, he inadvertently discovered something unusual: the texture and color of that stone wall were slightly different from the surrounding rock walls, and there were several extremely fine cracks hidden along the edge. The traces were subtle but could not escape his eyes. It was clearly a hidden passage that someone had deliberately blocked with similar stone.

He didn't make a fuss about it at the time, but now that he's all alone, he can't help but think about turning back to investigate.

Being cautious and suspicious by nature, he initially couldn't help but feel he had to back down, worried that there might be danger involved.

But then he thought about it again. Before the war started, this spirit stone mine was guarded by only one or two Foundation Establishment cultivators all year round. Even if the hidden passage was full of mysteries, it was probably related to the Foundation Establishment cultivators who used to guard this place. With his current Foundation Establishment cultivation, he could probably handle it with ease.

After weighing the pros and cons, Han Li finally suppressed his hesitation, gritted his teeth, and flew towards the spirit stone mine again.

……

Half an hour later, Han Li stood once again at the end of the stalactite cave.

At this moment, the cave was deep and silent, with not a sound of human voices around.

Han Li cleared his mind of distractions and slowly stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the stone wall inch by inch, carefully comparing the rock patterns and examining the cracks, not missing the slightest abnormality.

A moment later, a glint flashed in Han Li's eyes, and he muttered to himself with certainty, "It was indeed sealed off by someone!"

The next instant, a clear and leisurely voice suddenly rang out without warning not far behind, breaking the silence in the cave:

"Fellow Daoist Han, what a coincidence!"

The sudden voice startled Han Li, causing his mind to tremble and his body to tense up instantly.

He didn't notice anyone approaching from beginning to end.

Han Li reacted with lightning speed. A flash of light appeared under his feet, and he instantly swept several feet to create distance before suddenly spinning around and turning his head.

Upon seeing the white-clad figure ahead, his eyes instantly filled with vigilance, and his expression suddenly darkened.

The person who arrived was none other than Su Mixin.

Without the slightest hesitation, Han Li quietly placed his right hand on the storage bag at his waist, his five fingers loosely clasped, his fingertips slightly taut, and his spiritual energy secretly circulating throughout his body, already entering a state of combat readiness.

His eyes were sharp and wary, fixed on Su Mixin across from him, not daring to relax for a moment.

Han Li still remembers every scene at Yanling Fortress clearly.

This young master of the Thousand Illusions Sect is unpredictable and extremely cunning.

The other party revealed that they had secretly investigated his background and had even tricked him.

Even now, he still can't see through Su Mi's heart, let alone figure out her true stance.

Enemy? Or friend?

The two faced each other from a distance, a silent tension permeating the air. Han Li stared intently at Su Mixin, waiting for her to continue.

Looking at his wary expression, Su Mixin smiled slightly, her tone carrying a hint of mockery: "It's only been half a month since we last met, why are you so wary and hostile towards me, Fellow Daoist Han?"

Han Li's expression was serious, with a hint of questioning: "I am just an ordinary disciple of Huangfeng Valley. I have only met Young Master Su a few times, and our encounter was purely by chance. It is one thing for Young Master Su to secretly investigate my background, but why did you have to drag the grudge of the Ghost Spirit Sect's young master onto me for no reason, putting me in danger?"

Facing Han Li's stern questioning, Su Mixin remained unmoved and calmly replied, "An ordinary disciple? Fellow Daoist Han is far too modest. In such a vast cultivation world, how many cultivators have pseudo-spiritual root foundations?"

He then casually added, "As for Wang Chan, he's nothing but a piece of trash. His little grudges are not worth mentioning. Fellow Daoist, you don't need to take them to heart."

Han Li was somewhat speechless. If he had the same background and support as the other party, he wouldn't dare to take him lightly either.

Su Mixin took in his helpless expression, her smile fading slightly, the previous teasing gone: "Fellow Daoist Han, there's no need for this. I have no ill intentions towards you; on the contrary, I admire you quite a bit."

He pointed to the blocked stone wall and said bluntly, "As for the hidden passage you just explored, there was indeed an opportunity here, but I just took it away. You don't need to waste your time exploring it anymore; this place is now empty."

Han Li's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly understood the reason for the other party's appearance. He cupped his hands slightly, his expression respectful yet distant: "In that case, I apologize for my abruptness. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave."

Having said that, he was about to leave, not daring to linger any longer with this unfathomable figure.

"Wait a minute."

Su Mixin's voice rang out at the right moment, stopping him in his tracks.

At this moment, Su Mixin spoke sincerely: "Han Li, I want to tell you the truth today. The seven sects of Yue Kingdom are weak, and their Nascent Soul level combat power is far inferior to that of the demonic path. Facing the conquest of the demonic sects of Tianluo Kingdom, they have no hope of victory, and their destruction is only a matter of time."

He looked directly into Han Li's eyes and extended an olive branch: "I am willing to give you an opportunity. The gates of the Thousand Illusions Sect are open to you. As long as you are willing to join my ranks, I will directly grant you the title of a true disciple, with all the benefits and resources you could possibly have, far exceeding anything you could obtain in the Yellow Maple Valley."

The conditions were extremely generous, and Han Li couldn't help but be moved for a moment, but this emotion was fleeting.

Han Li didn't hesitate for a moment. He immediately composed himself, cupped his hands in greeting, and firmly refused, "Thank you for your kindness, Young Master Su. I belong to Huangfeng Valley, and I dare not betray the kindness of the sect's cultivation. Please forgive me for being unable to comply."

Su Mixin scoffed, "I've investigated your background thoroughly. How could I not know what happened to you in Yellow Maple Valley? When have you ever received any training or guidance from me?"

"Alright, I know you're wary of me now. How about this: when the Battle of Huangfeng Valley ends and you're still alive with nowhere to escape, you can come back here and wait for me. I'll set off to meet you here as soon as I receive news of the defeat of Yue Kingdom."

"I'll give you two choices then. The first, of course, is to join my Thousand Illusions Sect. The other, which involves a fair trade, will offer you a new path."

Upon hearing this, Han Li gave Su Mixin a deep look, then slowly nodded, "Alright!"

After saying this, he said no more, turned and walked past Su Mixin, and in a flash, he left the deep stalactite cave.

……

Su Mixin returned to the teleportation array and monitored the area with the live map all night to confirm that Han Li would not return and that there were no other cultivators within a hundred miles.

He then took out some mid-grade spirit stones and filled several grooves in the teleportation array.

Holding the Great Teleportation Token in his hand, he activated the teleportation array.

A blinding yellow light pierced the sky.

"Chaotic Star Sea, here I come!"