In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.

The final form of the Soul Devouring Saber Art was proving even more difficult to comprehend than Han Lie had imagined.

The concept of “Unity” sounded simple on paper—a fusion of Soul Hook and Soul Sever. But the actual process of forging these two distinct techniques into one cohesive strike was a different matter entirely. Integrating the unique, defense-bypassing lethality of Soul Hook into the massive area-of-effect destruction of Soul Sever, and having that lethality scale perfectly across a range of several miles… was no easy feat.

Following the execution method described in the manual, Han Lie had mentally swung his saber over ten thousand times within his meditative trance. Yet, he hadn’t managed a single slash that truly embodied the essence of “Unity.”

“Almost there!”

After another consecutive thousand swings, a surge of joy rose in Han Lie’s heart. That last mental slash was off by less than one percent. The unique, soul-hooking lethality had nearly permeated the entire several-mile-long saber light.

However, it was this final one percent that became the true bottleneck.

Han Lie spent another full seven days and nights in arduous cultivation. Even in his meditative state, he began to feel a phantom strain in his arms, his spirit weary from the relentless repetition.

Boom!

Another slash was unleashed in the void of his mind. A violent explosion of energy resonated within the spiritual space, shattering the lingering doubts.

At that moment, Han Lie abruptly opened his eyes, which had been closed for nearly a month. A sharp, terrifying light flashed within his pupils.

“Haha, This Daoist Master has succeeded!”

Feeling the cultivation memories and enlightenment flooding into his mind, Han Lie laughed excitedly. After nearly a month of grueling effort, he had finally fully grasped the true meaning of “Unity”!

“Now, I can freely execute a slash that carries the soul-severing ability across a vast range. No more aiming, no more dodging.”

“Meow!”

Just as Han Lie was basking in the satisfaction of his breakthrough, a familiar cry echoed from the window. Xiao Zi, who had been gone for over a month, leaped onto the tea table.

“Quick, give me the Thousand Flower Pill!” The cat demanded in a commanding tone, looking imperious despite its fluffy appearance.

“?”

Han Lie raised an eyebrow. “Mission accomplished?”

His eyes lit up. If so, this was truly a double blessing.

“Whether it’s accomplished or not is beside the point! I’ve been keeping an eye on the Saintess for you for so long; shouldn’t you reward me with a Thousand Flower Pill for my hard labor?” Xiao Zi stated with unjustified confidence, puffing out her chest.

“…”

Han Lie found himself unable to refute such shameless logic. He immediately took out a pre-purchased Thousand Flower Pill and tossed it over.

Xiao Zi gave a light leap, swallowing the pill mid-air with a satisfied gulp.

“Alright, hurry up and tell me. Did your long surveillance yield any actual results?”

“Of course it did, meow!” Xiao Zi licked her paws, looking smug. “When I was coming back, the Saintess left her Violet Cloud Palace. If I’m not mistaken, she’s probably going to do some shady business!”

“You’re sure?” Han Lie narrowed his eyes slightly. Why did he feel Xiao Zi’s intel was a bit… circumstantial?

“Hmph, are you looking down on this cat? After observing her for so many days, wouldn’t I know the smell of a scheme when I sniff it?” Xiao Zi raised her head, radiating confidence.

“Fine, I’ll trust you this once.” Han Lie stood up, adjusting his robes. “In which direction did the Saintess go?”

Regardless of the reliability, he had to check. It was worth the risk.

“I don’t know what that place is called. In short, she headed towards a dense forest on the western side,” Xiao Zi said.

“I see!”

Hearing the description, Han Lie already had an idea. Barring any surprises, it was likely the same secluded spot where he had coincidentally seen Bai Ling acting suspiciously before.

Leaving dozens of Spirit Stones with Xiao Zi as emergency rations, Han Lie hurriedly left the hut.

Dark clouds obscured the moonlight, plunging the Heavenly Void Sect into a deep, oppressive gloom.

With his Breath Concealment Technique fully activated, Han Lie completely masked his aura, becoming one with the shadows. He moved silently through the darkness, heading straight for the forest path that wound past Zhuo Hongyi’s residence.

Before long, his patience was rewarded.

Han Lie spotted Bai Ling’s figure. She was walking on a bluestone path, her pace leisurely, seemingly just an aimless stroll. Under the residual glow of the distant street lamps, Han Lie could see her expression—she looked somewhat absent-minded, perhaps even troubled.

He shadowed her for a long time. After taking a large, convoluted detour to shake off any potential tails, Bai Ling eventually arrived at that familiar, secluded forest path.

Glancing left and right to confirm she was unobserved, Bai Ling vanished into the dense treeline with a flash of movement.

Han Lie frowned in the shadows and followed immediately.

The forest was pitch black; without the moonlight, one couldn’t see their own hand in front of their face. The only sound was the rustling of leaves in the wind and the soft crunch of Bai Ling’s footsteps on the fallen foliage.

Relying on these faint sounds, Han Lie pinpointed her location with predatory precision.

Deep within the forest, Bai Ling’s footsteps suddenly ceased.

Han Lie, perched high in the canopy of an ancient tree, froze instantly. He held his breath, his control absolute, though he could hear the rhythmic thumping of his own heart.

One hour passed…

Two hours…

Bai Ling remained motionless, and Han Lie dared not make a sound. They were deadlocked in the dark silence of the night.

Crunch!

Suddenly, an extremely faint footstep broke the stillness.

Han Lie pricked up his ears, his heart leaping into his throat. He didn’t dare exhale.

Crunch… crunch… crunch!

This time, Bai Ling took only a few steps before stopping again.

A few minutes later.

Flap flap flap!

The sound of beating wings shattered the forest’s silence. Something was flying out of the woods.

“It’s here!”

Seizing the moment, Han Lie moved. He transformed into a streak of lightning, intercepting the carrier pigeon mid-flight with terrifying speed.

His hand clamped around the bird. A small, rolled note was tied to its leg.

Han Lie deftly removed the note and released the pigeon, allowing it to fly on unharmed.

The entire sequence happened in the blink of an eye.

Han Lie landed softly on the forest floor, merely ten meters from where Bai Ling stood. He extended his palm, and a strand of fiery red spiritual energy ignited, illuminating the clearing in an eerie crimson glow.

“Old Man Lin… you…!”

Not far ahead, Saintess Bai Ling stared at Han Lie, her face pale with shock and astonishment.

“Good evening, Saintess,” Han Lie smiled, his voice calm and polite.

He unfolded the note and quickly scanned its contents under the light of his spiritual fire.

The content was largely as he had anticipated. To summarize: Bai Ling briefly described her current predicament—likely the pressure from Ye Qingxuan and the failed assassination attempts—and requested that ‘the other side’ provide her with a solution.

“Old Man Lin, when did you get here!?” Bai Ling’s voice trembled, her panic visible.

Han Lie carefully tucked the note into his robe.

” This Senior has been following you since shortly after you left the palace. You’ve made so many moves against This Senior; it’s time for This Senior to make one move of his own.”

Han Lie’s eyes gleamed in the firelight. This wasn’t just a move.

It was checkmate.

“You… what are you talking about? I don’t understand!” Bai Ling took a step back, continuing to feign ignorance.

“You don’t understand? Then let me help you understand.”

Han Lie began to recount her crimes, ticking them off on his fingers as if listing family treasures.

“If I remember correctly, when Captain Liu Li of the White Tiger Squad came to arrest This Senior for the first time, it was you who instigated it, right? It was also you the second time.”

“On that second occasion, you had people from the Sun Moon Sect launch a major attack on the Heavenly Void Sect’s No. 9 Spirit Stone Mine to divert attention. The person who tried to assassinate me that night… was you, wasn’t it?”

“Though I don’t know what method you used to alter your voice, the timing was too perfect.”

He took a step forward, the red light casting long, dancing shadows.

“The third time, you sent Cai Zhen and Yun Xia to seduce me, intending to kill me when my guard was down.”

Han Lie’s smile vanished, replaced by a look of cold, hard steel.

“Saintess… I remember every single one of these debts clearly.”