At the spot where Feng Yue had originally stood, there was nothing left but a pair of calves still wearing boots. Han Li's coveted storage bag was nowhere to be seen.
With a carp-like flip, Han Li sprang to his feet and rushed over in a panic. After searching the area where Feng Yue had vanished for a long time, he still couldn't find the storage bag.
"Could the Heavenly Thunder Seed be that powerful? It actually reduced both him and the storage bag to ashes?" After circling the small patch of ground several times, Han Li finally reached a frustrating conclusion.
Unwilling to give up, Han Li expanded his search radius several times over, but the result remained the same. However, he did manage to pick up the Duobao Woman's small mirror and crystal ball, as well as the small knife talisman treasure that had reverted to its talisman form since its owner was dead.
Han Li looked at these three items, then thought about the Heavenly Thunder Seed he had lost, the Silver Hook and Azure Cord—two superior-grade magic tools—and the storage bag destroyed by the Heavenly Thunder Seed. He looked up at the sky, speechless!
But regardless of what happened after this great battle, he was ultimately the winner, much better off than that fellow Feng Yue who had been reduced to ashes!
Han Li could only console himself with such self-deprecating thoughts, unsure whether he had gained or lost.
At the thought of Feng Yue, Han Li instinctively glanced at the only remains of that person in this world—the pair of calves that were only complete from the midpoint down. He shook his head slightly, then raised his hand and released two fist-sized fireballs that shot straight toward them. Since the person was already dead, these things naturally had to be completely destroyed to prevent any trouble if discovered by others.
With two soft "bangs," the flames immediately engulfed them. In the blink of an eye, everything except those black boots had turned to ash!
Han Li nodded in satisfaction and turned to leave.
"Boots? Wait!"
"How could ordinary boots remain unscathed under the Fireball Technique?"
Having taken just a small step away, Han Li immediately realized his mistake. He quickly turned back and looked at the seemingly ordinary boots with a peculiar expression.
Looking more closely, he did notice something unusual. These boots not only hadn't been damaged by the Fireball Technique, but they also bore no scorch marks whatsoever, and they faintly emanated a subtle spiritual energy.
"Magic tool?"
Han Li felt somewhat uncertain.
After a moment's hesitation, he walked over and bent down to pick up the pair of black boots.
"Thin, soft, but very resilient! They shouldn't be cloth boots or silk boots—more like leather boots made from some kind of animal hide." After feeling them for a while, Han Li came to this conclusion.
Being closer now, the faint spiritual energy on the boots became even more apparent to Han Li.
This was indeed a magic tool! And most likely one made from the hide of some kind of demon beast.
Looking at these leather boots, Han Li vaguely thought of something. He couldn't wait to take off his cloth shoes and put on these leather boot magic tools.
Very comfortable, very soft, as if wearing nothing at all! That was Han Li's first impression when he put them on.
He examined the boots on his feet for a while, but nothing unusual had happened yet.
Frowning slightly, Han Li took a small step forward.
With a "whoosh," Han Li's figure suddenly flickered, and he found himself floating several feet away.
"Wind-Riding Technique! No, it's much faster than the Wind-Riding Technique!" Han Li thought with delight.
Now, the secret of Feng Yue's incredible speed was finally revealed to Han Li. That fellow must have relied on these boots to move so erratically, fast as lightning.
Wearing these boots, Han Li began walking slowly across the small clearing, gradually getting used to their performance. He walked faster and faster, eventually even using the Luo Yan Steps to accelerate.
If Han Li's previous speed at its limit had made his figure blurry and even leave afterimages, then after putting on these boots, his speed had increased to the point where several identical phantom figures would appear simultaneously in the area, all performing the same movements with the same smile. But when all the phantoms gradually converged toward the center, they merged back into Han Li standing alone in the middle of the clearing.
Han Li stood frozen in place, seemingly deep in thought. But suddenly, he burst into wild laughter, doubling over until tears nearly streamed down his face.
After laughing for quite a while, still bent over, a flash of green light enveloped his body, and he suddenly transformed into a gentle breeze, vanishing from the air without a trace.
At this moment, the entire clearing was silent, with no sound except the occasional rustle of wind blowing across the ground.
A series of booming sounds suddenly rang out. The nearby trees began splitting apart from the middle, one after another, the cuts as smooth and clean as a mirror's surface, though no one was visible around.
The speed at which the trees were splitting increased rapidly. In a short time, within dozens of meters, all the trees had been reduced to bare stumps.
Only then did Han Li, shrouded in a faint green light and drenched in sweat, reappear, but with the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, his face filled with unconcealed joy.
The Luo Yan Steps, the leather boot magic tool, plus the Wind-Riding Technique's enhancement, had made Han Li fast enough to temporarily escape even a normal person's naked-eye tracking, as if he had become invisible.
According to Han Li's estimation, even with a cultivator's superior eyesight and the boost of the Heavenly Eye Technique, at his full speed, he would appear as only a faint shadow to them—enough to pose a huge threat when they hadn't activated their protective spells.
Now, with just a thought, Han Li could instantly leap to any spot several meters away. Even for distances of ten or more meters, he could arrive within a single breath.
Of course, this speed that exceeded human physical limits could only be maintained for a very brief moment. Any longer, and his entire body would collapse entirely. After all, for Han Li's current physical condition, sustaining such high-speed movement was still a bit too demanding.
But for him, that brief time was enough to kill an opponent dozens of times over, especially when using the silk thread magic tool—its power would be multiplied!
Han Li lowered his head, gently caressing the leather boots on his feet with emotion for quite a while, feeling that this item was truly perfect for him. Even if someone offered to trade a talisman treasure for it, he wouldn't even consider it!
With renewed confidence, Han Li excitedly surveyed his surroundings.
When he saw the yellow-robed woman's corpse, he sighed softly, then used a small fireball to blast out a large hole, burying the woman's body right there in the most rudimentary way. This was the extent of what Han Li felt he could do.
After completing everything, Han Li's figure flickered and disappeared into the dense forest. He needed to hurry to the central area now.
What Han Li didn't know was that after the first day's slaughter in the entire Forbidden Ground, only seventy-some disciples from the various sects remained—nearly two-thirds fewer than when they had first entered. Most of the elite disciples from each sect had already arrived near the central area, preparing to begin the second day's systematic purge.
All those they considered weak would be ruthlessly eliminated, one by one.
Of course, the deceased Duobao Woman and Feng Yue of Heavenly Gate Fortress, whom Han Li had killed, had originally been among the designated slaughterers as well. But now that they were dead, everything naturally came to nothing!