Crow Immortal: I Can Duplicate Infinite Resources

Chapter 253: An Unexpected Encounter

According to the groveling Daoists, the Mystic One Sect had indeed tightened their borders. Rogue Cultivators attempting to enter the Mystic One Market were subjected to rigorous interrogations, and any unaffiliated cultivators found wandering near the Sect’s perimeter were routinely stopped and questioned.

If a Rogue Cultivator could answer their questions smoothly and present a pre-approved entry token, they were generally waved through. However, if they stumbled over their answers or were recent arrivals to the region, they were flagged as highly suspicious. The Mystic One Sect’s subsequent interrogations were brutal. Some Rogue Cultivators had been killed on the spot; others were dragged into the Sect’s dungeons, never to be seen again.

Those who came prepared, however, fared much better.

From his time in Wanchun Valley, Han Yu already possessed a solid understanding of the Mystic One Sect’s political leanings. Hearing about these drastic new measures, he quickly deduced their true purpose: counter-espionage.

Sects that played both sides of a conflict were inherently paranoid. The Mystic One Sect trusted no one. They didn’t trust their former allies, the Spirit Sword Sect and Wanchun Valley, and they certainly didn’t trust the Central Heaven Domain invaders, the Myriad Phenomena Sect and the Little Sky Net Sect. Terrified of infiltration from all sides, they had locked down their borders.

Their paranoia perfectly mirrored the current state of the entire Southern Region. Regardless of their original stances, every Sect was now caught in the crossfire, their nerves frayed to the breaking point.

Drip… Drip…

Supervisor Liu’s blood continued to patter against the stone floor. Suspended high above the hall, the massive man hung completely motionless, his face pale and eyes glazed.

Having spilled every secret they knew, the remaining Daoists knelt in petrified silence, terrified to even breathe too loudly.

Han Yu stood amidst them, quietly processing the intelligence.

Seeing him deep in thought, Temple Master Lin swallowed hard and carefully broke the silence. “Senior Li… do you perhaps wish to visit the Mystic One Market? Are you finding the prospect of securing an entry token troublesome?”

Han Yu’s eyes slid toward the old man.

“Our Seeking Truth Daoist Temple might be able to assist you with that,” Temple Master Lin offered, his voice trembling slightly despite his desperate attempt to maintain a helpful smile. “We currently have seven official waist tokens issued by the Mystic One Sect. Senior Li, you are welcome to take one. If you travel under the identity of a Seeking Truth Daoist Temple cultivator from the Yulin Kingdom, their patrols won’t treat you with such harsh suspicion.”

“Oh?” Han Yu arched an eyebrow.

“W-which seven?” Temple Master Lin stammered, misinterpreting Han Yu’s interest. “There is mine, Supervisor Liu’s, Guest Receptionist Ma Quan’s…” He hastily rattled off the remaining names and their corresponding cultivation levels.

After a moment’s consideration, Han Yu selected the token belonging to a cultivator named Zuo Zhiheng, who was recorded at the fifth layer of Qi Refining.

Watching him take the token, Temple Master Lin felt a chill run down his spine. This man is terrifyingly sinister, he thought. His cultivation is vast, yet he initially claimed to be at the eighth layer of Qi Refining to lower our guard. Now, he plans to disguise himself as a meager fifth-layer initiate. Heaven only knows how many more Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators are going to fall into his traps.

Regardless of Han Yu’s bloody plans, the Temple Master was certain of one thing: the Seeking Truth Daoist Temple could absolutely not afford to provoke him again.

With the token secured and his questions answered, Han Yu flicked his wrist. The Star Luo Threads vanished. Supervisor Liu crashed to the floor in a heap of blood and groan.

Just as Han Yu turned to leave, the temple’s head chef scurried into the hall, bowing nervously. “T-the vegetarian banquet is ready, if the honored guest wishes to dine…”

The Daoists, still kneeling and traumatized, collectively ignored the chef. Who in their right mind would dare invite this monster to stay for dinner? They all plastered fake, strained smiles on their faces and respectfully bowed as Han Yu walked past them.

Han Yu stepped into the courtyard and summoned his flying sword. He rose into the air, fully intending to leave the Yulin Kingdom behind.

But before he even cleared the temple’s perimeter walls, his Divine Sense flared.

There were Little Sky Net Sect disciples nearby.

A moment later, a streak of white cut across the sky. Seven cultivators, dressed in pristine white robes and riding silver-white Heavenly Secret Spindles, flew directly toward the Seeking Truth Daoist Temple, intercepting Han Yu head-on.

Seeing Han Yu hovering over the courtyard, the lead disciple pointed a finger at him. “You there! Are you a cultivator of the Seeking Truth Daoist Temple?”

“No,” Han Yu replied flatly.

“Then you aren’t permitted to leave!” the disciple barked, his tone arrogant and commanding. “Descend to the temple with us. We have questions for you!”

Han Yu frowned. “Regarding what?”

He hadn’t even reached the Mystic One Sect’s checkpoints, yet he was already being harassed by the Little Sky Net Sect. It was an absurd coincidence—until he remembered the silver spindle he had acquired from Old Daoist Li just yesterday. Ah, Han Yu realized. They’re tracking the artifact.

“We ask the questions. You answer them,” the disciple sneered. “Descend. Heaven’s will dictates all truth and falsehood.”

Han Yu’s gaze swept over the seven white-robed cultivators. Having studied the Heavenly Secret Spindle, he could easily gauge their strength based on the resonance of their artifacts. Two of them were at the Foundation Establishment stage. The remaining five were merely Qi Refining disciples.

Han Yu felt a surge of cold confidence. He certainly wasn’t afraid of them. In fact, following them down might prove highly beneficial. It was a perfect opportunity to gauge the Little Sky Net Sect’s current deployment in the region, and if things went poorly, he could harvest a few more Heavenly Secret Spindles to feed his Star Luo Threads.

Without a word, Han Yu guided his sword back down to the temple courtyard, followed closely by the seven white-robed cultivators.

Temple Master Lin, Ma Quan, and the others were still in the hall, hastily tending to Supervisor Liu’s wounds. Seeing Han Yu land again, followed by a squad of strange cultivators, they hurried out, their faces pale with shock.

“Senior Li! Why have you returned?” Temple Master Lin asked, his eyes darting to the white-robed figures. “And who are these—”

“Temple Master Lin,” Han Yu said, his tone utterly indifferent. “I was just taking my leave when I encountered these seven esteemed disciples of the Little Sky Net Sect. They ordered me to land, claiming they had questions for your temple, and for me as well.”

Temple Master Lin and the others gasped. The Little Sky Net Sect?! They were one of the apex powers of the Southern Region, headquartered near the Great Desert Dynasty—tens of thousands of miles to the north, separated from the Yulin Kingdom by several national borders. What in the heavens were they doing here?

Despite his shock, Temple Master Lin inwardly cursed his rotten luck. First we host a passing tiger in Rogue Cultivator Li Ya, and now a flock of crossing dragons lands in our courtyard. The Little Sky Net Sect was an absolute monolith; offending them meant total annihilation.

Suppressing his panic, the white-haired Temple Master stepped forward, bowing so deeply his back was nearly parallel to the ground. “Esteemed disciples of the renowned Little Sky Net Sect, I am Lin Yixuan, a Foundation Establishment cultivator. I humbly serve as the Temple Master of the Seeking Truth Daoist Temple and the State Preceptor of the Yulin Kingdom. I respectfully greet you.”

He kept his head bowed. “May I ask what matters you wish to inquire about?”

Hearing that Temple Master Lin was a Foundation Establishment cultivator with official state backing, the lead Little Sky Net Sect disciple relaxed slightly, though his arrogant, superior sneer remained firmly in place.

“We seek information,” the lead disciple announced loudly. “Since your temple is the preeminent local power in the Yulin Kingdom, you must monitor all visiting cultivators. Tell us, in the past two days, have any highly aggressive, violent cultivators passed through your territory? The kind who resort to lethal force at the slightest provocation?”

The moment the words left his mouth, Ma Quan’s eyes instantly darted toward Han Yu.

The lead disciple caught the subtle movement. His heart leaped. Is it true? Did Heaven’s Will guide me directly to the murderer of our sect brother?

His gaze swept past Ma Quan and landed on the open doors of the grand hall. Just inside, a massive pool of bright red, semi-coagulated blood stained the polished tiles.

The disciple’s eyes narrowed dangerously. He pointed at the gore. “And what is that? Why is there a fresh pool of blood in your reception hall?!”

“This—” Temple Master Lin stammered, his face turning ashen as he, too, looked at Han Yu.

If the blood was the result of an internal temple dispute, Lin could have spun a dozen convincing lies. But the blood belonged to Supervisor Liu, and the man who spilled it—the terrifying Rogue Cultivator Li Ya—was standing right there. Why should Temple Master Lin risk the wrath of an apex Sect to protect a man who had just nearly slaughtered them? Lying to a major Sect offered zero benefits and guaranteed total destruction.

Besides, they hated the man. If the Little Sky Net Sect disciples wanted to fight this monster, Temple Master Lin was more than happy to let them.

Following their Temple Master’s lead, the rest of the Seeking Truth Daoists subtly shifted their gaze, staring pointedly at the disguised Han Yu.

The lead Foundation Establishment disciple clapped his hands in triumph. “Indeed! Heaven’s Will never errs! It has guided me straight to the culprit!”

He drew his sword and leveled it at Han Yu’s chest. “Since you are clearly the source of this bloodshed, speak quickly! What is your name? Where are you from? What is your cultivation level? And why are you here?!”

Han Yu looked at the tip of the blade. He chuckled, a low, dark sound, and clasped his hands behind his back.

“Since you believe so fervently in Heaven’s Will,” Han Yu said, his voice echoing with cold amusement, “you should understand that your arrival here today… is also Heaven’s Will.”

He tilted his head, his eyes locking onto the arrogant disciple. “So why haven’t you fallen to your knees to pay your respects? What are you waiting for?”