Han Yi walked towards the city gate at a normal pace.
Just as he opened the gate, a figure lurking in a dark, secluded corner outside the courtyard suddenly jolted awake.
"He's out! The bastard's finally out!"
The man nearly cried with excitement. He had been squatting there for two months, and this was the courtyard's owner's first time leaving. Even the most dedicated cultivators didn't endure such extreme isolation—it was utterly absurd.
He remembered Guan Sheng's instructions and initially planned to turn back immediately and report this to the Profound Fire Pill Shop. But after a moment's hesitation, he abandoned that idea and decided to secretly follow Han Yi instead.
Hmph, let's see what kind of shady business you're up to.
Fifteen minutes later, the man watched eagerly as Han Yi passed through the city gate and disappeared into the distance. He finally stopped, torn between continuing to follow and turning back.
After some deliberation, he resolved to retreat. He was only at the Qi Refining Third Layer himself; even if he caught up, he might not be able to stop Han Yi.
He regretted not rushing straight to the Profound Fire Pill Shop when Han Yi first emerged from the courtyard. But fortunately, no one else knew about this yet. As long as he kept his mouth shut, Guan Sheng would remain unaware.
That settled it.
Having made up his mind, he quickly turned back and rushed to the Profound Fire Pill Shop to inform Guan Sheng that Han Yi had just left the courtyard.
Guan Sheng listened, narrowed his eyes, and smirked sinisterly.
"He actually ventured out? I thought he'd wait until the one-year deadline was up."
"Hmph."
"Let's see what tricks he's trying to pull."
"Our original plan is compromised. We missed that perfect opportunity two months ago, but thankfully, we can still salvage it."
Suddenly, a puzzled expression crossed his face.
"But where could he possibly be going? Instead of coming to the Profound Fire Pill Shop, he's heading in the opposite direction!"
"There aren't any other markets that way—just the city gates."
"Wait a minute."
Guan Sheng abruptly stood up, his eyes widening in horror.
"He's trying to escape!"
The man standing before him trembled, terrified that his unauthorized pursuit of Han Yi would be exposed. He could only feign a bewildered expression. "Escape?"
Guan Sheng strode out from behind the counter and headed for the door.
"Don't worry about it. Watch the Pill Shop for me. I'll be back soon. If anyone asks, tell them I've gone to collect supplies."
Guan Sheng's voice faded as he strode twenty meters from the Profound Fire Pill Shop, turned the corner, and disappeared down the street.
The person behind the counter quietly exhaled in relief.
"Thank goodness he didn't find out I took matters into my own hands."
"Still, Old Guan guessed so accurately. He truly lives up to his reputation as a cunning old fox."
"Heh, that fool who fled through the city gate won't get far. He's definitely heading to his doom."
Meanwhile, outside Mengshan City, Han Yi turned back to gaze at the bustling, peaceful city gate. He chuckled bitterly, realizing his paranoia might have been unwarranted.
Perhaps there had never been any real danger at all—it was all a product of his overactive imagination.
Still, safety came first.
Han Yi recalled how he had disrupted Guan Sheng's important business. Guan Sheng would surely hold a grudge.
Yet he felt no regret. He silently vowed to compensate Guan Sheng tenfold for this misunderstanding once he grew stronger.
Lingering no longer, Han Yi turned and continued on his way.
Instead of taking the nearly straight path down the mountain directly to the Profound Pill Sect, he deliberately detoured, first moving away from the sect's direction before circling back toward the Profound Pill Mountain Range.
This was all part of the meticulously planned journey he had devised before setting out.
As a cultivator at the Qi Refining Third Layer, his physical strength and endurance far surpassed those of ordinary mortals. He strode with astonishing speed, even faster than most horses, and felt no fatigue.
Compared to his previous descent from the mountain, this journey was more than twice as fast. Although the route was longer, the overall travel time remained roughly the same.
This too was part of his plan.
Mengshan City belonged to Nanyang County, one of the thirteen counties of Shu Prefecture within the Great Qian Immortal Kingdom.
The Profound Pill Sect was situated within the Profound Pill Mountain Range, which spanned the Three Prefectures of Taibai, Nanyang, and Luofeng, forming the core of the sect's sphere of influence.
The closest city to the Profound Pill Mountain Range from Mengshan City was Lin'an City, while the farthest was White Serpent City.
Han Yi arrived in Lin'an City at dusk. He found an inn specifically catering to cultivators, with partitioned rooms protected by Formation Arts, and paid three taels of Spirit Sand for the night.
The next morning, he resumed his journey, veering right to take a winding route toward the Profound Pill Mountain Range.
Unbeknownst to Han Yi, Guan Sheng, who had left Mengshan City shortly after him, had arrived in Lin'an City even before Han Yi reached White Serpent City.
For five days and five nights, Guan Sheng squatted outside Lin'an City's gates.
His thoughts shifted from "He didn't pass me on the road; he must have entered Lin'an City" to "I'll wait."
By the second day, his patience began to fray: "Still no sign? Could he have taken up permanent residence here?"
On the third day, frustration boiled over: "Damn it! Why would he be staying in Lin'an City?"
By the fourth day, desperation crept in: "Should I go inside and look for him? No, Lin'an City is too vast. Finding him would be impossible. I'll just keep waiting. I refuse to believe he's as slow as a tortoise."
Finally, on the fifth day, Guan Sheng exploded: "That damned brat! He's driving me mad!"
Guan Sheng departed, carrying a deep-seated resentment and utter helplessness toward Han Yi.
On his way back, he meticulously reviewed every action and expression he had shown Han Yi. Everything seemed flawless. Yet, he had failed to trap the boy in his snare—a bitter disappointment.
Now, he had to rush back and erase key information from his earlier schemes to prevent any unforeseen consequences.
Fear had taken root.
Of course, he had briefly considered going directly to the town at the foot of the Profound Pill Mountain Range to ambush Han Yi. But the thought had barely surfaced before he dismissed it. That place was heavily guarded, with Immortal Path Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed there year-round.
If he were caught, he'd be finished.
His only backing within the sect was an Outer Sect steward, and even that steward's patron was merely a Foundation Establishment Stage Peak Lord from the Outer Sect. With two layers of connections removed, there was no guarantee they'd risk protecting him.
He gritted his teeth, itching to kill Han Yi, but he wasn't desperate enough to resort to mutual destruction.
Five days later, as Guan Sheng returned to Mengshan City, Han Yi once again ventured into the Profound Pill Mountain Range.
He breathed a sigh of relief as he entered the territory of Little Spirit Void Peak.
Finally, I'm back safe and sound.
He immediately headed for the Outer Peak Management Hall.
Each Outer Peak had such a hall to handle its affairs.
Han Yi presented his retained Outer Sect Disciple identity token. Under the astonished gaze of the hall steward, he paid ten Spirit Stones, received a voucher, and hurried to the cultivation chamber at the rear of the hall.
After entering his designated chamber, he activated the Formation Arts using a Formation he had previously placed there.
Han Yi took a deep breath.
The dense Spirit Qi from the main node of the Second-Tier Spirit Vein flooded his senses. The rich energy permeated his body, instantly dispelling the fatigue of his journey.
These cultivation chambers truly live up to their reputation.
The concentration of Spirit Qi here is remarkable.
Expensive, but clearly worth every Spirit Stone.