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After devouring so much azure tribulation lightning, the golden net above Han Lis head swelled to several times its original size, encompassing an area over 200 feet in size.

As soon as the first wave of tribulation lightning ceased, even thicker bolts of azure lightning materialized up above before crashing down as the second wave.

Han Li made a hand seal before extending a finger and rapidly scribbling something in the air with his fingertip.

Golden light flashed and a shimmering golden rune was inscribed in mid-air. Following an explosive thunderclap, the rune transformed into a bolt of golden lightning that hurtled up toward the air.

The golden arc of lightning then disappeared into the golden lightning net in a flash, causing the entire net to tremor.

The balls of light that were hovering within the net of golden lightning converged toward the same spot to form a vast expanse of golden light, within which runes were shimmering erratically. fгeeebove.cm

During this split-second, the second wave of azure lightning was already descending with devastating might.

The same scenes appeared again.

The powerful bolts of azure lightning quickly disappeared without a trace into the vast expanse of golden light. However, the second wave of tribulation lightning was far more powerful than the first, as evidenced by the fact that the vast expanse of golden light was tremoring violently from the lightning strikes while the golden net of lightning continued to expand.

Moments later, a series of cracks finally began to appear amid the golden light, and it was slowly being vanquished by the tribulation lightning.

Without the golden light posing as an obstacle, the bolts of tribulation lightning struck the net of lightning directly.

The two clashed, and golden and azure light intertwined, creating a thunderous commotion.

Despite how ferociously powerful the bolts of heavenly lightning were, the golden lightning net remained resolute, managing to keep most of the azure lightning at bay.

The occasional stray bolts of heavenly lightning that managed to sneak through were all vanquished by Han Lis Divine Essencefused Light.

Standing atop the mountain summit, Han Li looked up at the dark clouds overhead, but showed no intention of unleashing his Divine Devilbane Lightning. He seemed to have some other course of action in mind.

After a while, the golden net of lightning was finally shattered, and the second wave of tribulation lightning also ceased.

However, the dark clouds in the sky were only surging more violently, and within the span of a few breaths, balls of azure lightning had appeared up above.

Each ball was around the size of a human fist, and they were clearly imbued with far more power than the bolts from the previous wave of tribulation lightning.

Han Li adopted a more serious expression as one of his hands turned white while the other turned black, and he thrust both palms into the air.

All of a sudden, the grey light overhead congealed, following which the projection of a miniature black mountain surfaced within it.

Almost at the exact same moment, five wagon-wheel-sized skull projections appeared above the grey light, and all of them opened their mouths in unison.

Five-colored flames tumbled forth, instantly forming a protective barrier over the Divine Essencefused Light.

Han Li then let loose a low cry, and the miniature azure cauldron above his head swelled to more than 10 times its original size amid a flash of brilliant spiritual light, transforming into a massive cauldron that was around 10 feet in size.

Azure light tumbled within the cauldron alongside an indistinct rumbling sound.

The third wave of tribulation lightning came crashing down in a merciless manner.

The balls of azure lightning were like massive chunks of hail, and they were far more fearsome than the previous two waves of heavenly lightning.

However, Han Li had been able to withstand two-colored tribulation lightning even when he was only at the early-Deity Transformation Stage, so he certainly wasnt going to be fazed by these azure balls of lightning.

The lightning balls crashed into the five-colored flames, and an incredible scene ensued.

All of the balls of lightning became extraordinarily slow after entering the five-colored flames, as if theyd been trapped.

In the blink of an eye, over 100 balls of lightning had been frozen in mid-air.

Han Li made a hand seal, and grey light erupted from the miniature mountain projection, sweeping up all of the balls of lightning.

At the same time, brilliant azure light erupted from the massive cauldron down below, and all of the lightning balls appeared at the cauldrons opening. Countless azure threads then shot forth, dragging all of the balls of lightning into the cauldron.

A faint smile appeared on Han Lis face upon seeing this. An hour later, the dark clouds in the air above dissipated, and the lightning tribulation drew to a conclusion.

Han Li had already arrived back in the secret chamber of the Wood Essence Cave. He was seated with his legs crossed on a futon, while a small azure cauldron hovered before him.

The lid of the cauldron had already been removed, and electricity was flashing within alongside the occasional dull thunderclap.

Han Li stared at the cauldron for a while before waving a hand toward it and drawing it into his grasp.

He patted the cauldron with his hand, and it tremored before producing an egg-sized ball of lightning.

The ball of lightning was flashing erratically, but it was unable to escape from the azure threads by which it was bound.

This was the heavenly tribulation lightning that Han Li had procured.

This lightning naturally couldnt compare to the golden and silver heavenly lightning that hed captured in the past, but it was still a lot more powerful than normal lightning.

Having been given the opportunity, Han Li was naturally going to secure as much of this lightning as possible to refine some lightning beads with.

One lightning bead or two could perhaps only pose a threat to Spatial Tempering Stage beings, but if a dozen or so were to be hurled at once, even Body Integration cultivators would be forced into retreat.

Aside from the first two waves of heavenly lightning, all of the subsequent lightning had been drawn into the Heavenvoid Cauldron.

There was enough azure lightning in there to refine several tens of lightning beads in one go.

However, due to the power of the heavenly lightning itself, these lightning beads were going to be slightly inferior compared to the ones hed refined in the past.

Even so, with so many lightning beads at his disposal, they could serve as one of his trump cards in the face of unforeseen threats.

Even though this heavenly tribulation hadnt posed any threat to him, each successive heavenly tribulation was more devastating than the previous one. By his estimations, he would only be able to transcend seven or eight more tribulations of this nature before things would get rather out of hand for him.

As for the major heavenly tribulations that befell Spatial Tempering Stage beings, even the first of such tribulations were extremely dangerous, and there was no lack of Spatial Tempering Stage beings in history whod fallen to their first tribulations.

However, that was only something for Han Li to worry about in the future. For now, he had to think about how he was going to escape.

Han Lis expression darkened again as he considered the perils that he was going to face in the future.

During this past year, Mu Qing had truly done everything in her power to instruct him. Furthermore, he was quite proficient in using lightning himself, so he had made steady and fast progress. It appeared that it wouldnt be an issue for him to fulfill Mu Qings requirements within two years.

Perhaps it was due to this that Mu Qing had been a lot more benevolent toward him of late, and after instructing him in the way of mastering his divine lightning, she would occasionally answer some of his cultivation questions as well.

At her lofty cultivation base, her guidance in cultivation was naturally extremely invaluable to a mere Deity Transformation cultivator like Han Li.

However, Han Li naturally wasnt going to allow himself to be imprisoned just because of the improved treatment he was receiving.

During this time, he had snuck around the mountain on several occasions to search for any holes in the restriction, as well as researched potential methods to erase the four tracking marks within his body.

If he could find solutions to these two issues, hed be able to escape.

However, the results yielded by his efforts were very disheartening.

The restrictions around the Wood Essence Cave was unimaginably profound, transforming the entire cave into a massive cage from which there was simply no escape for him.

Of course, that wasnt to say that he couldnt destroy the restriction by force. After all, his Divine Essencefused Light and Spirit Engulfing Heavenly Flames were both extremely effective in this respect.

However, if he were to attempt to do this, Mu Qing would immediately be alerted to what he was up to, and things would not end well for him.

As for the tracking marks planted in his body by the four demon monarchs, they were even more troublesome. The marks seemed to have taken root in his body, and refused to be removed regardless of what he tried.

The only way was to use the nascent flames within his body to slowly refine them, but these were marks left behind by four Body Integration Stage demon monarchs, refining them was far from simple!

Setting aside whether the demon monarchs that had planted the marks in him would notice what he was doing, even if he were to take a massive risk and forcibly refine the marks, it would still take him at least three or four years.

As such, he was feeling quite depressed. However, Han Li was certainly no ordinary person, and he did manage to devise a feasible strategy.

In a dire situation, he could use the powers of his Divine Essencefused Light and Divine Devilbane Lightning to temporarily mask the four tracking marks in his body.

Han Li hadnt tried this method to see if it would work as doing so would most likely alert the four demon monarchs, but with his understanding of those two abilities of his, he estimated that there was at least a 70% chance that it would succeed.

Of course, this masking effect would only work on a temporary basis. As soon as the four demon monarchs sensed what he was doing, theyd be able to forcibly summon the tracking marks from within a certain distance, and he most likely wouldnt be able to conceal himself for long.

As such, this was only going to be a last resort.

Han Li exhaled deeply as if he were trying to expel all of the frustrations in his heart. He then tossed the miniature cauldron in his hand forward and prepared to begin refining lightning beads.

Even though this was a place where Mu Qing had once cultivated, hed set up restrictions here again, so he wasnt afraid that shed be able to see what he was doing.

Thus, loud thunderclaps erupted within the secret chamber as Han Li set about refining one lightning bead after another.

Several days later, a streak of green light flew over the nearby garden, then disappeared in a flash through the doors of Han Lis secret chamber.

Only after a long while were doors opened, and Han Li emerged from within with furrowed brows and a peculiar look on his face.

This was the date for his weekly lesson yet, so why was had Mu Qing summoned him using a voice transmission talisman?

This was something that hadnt ever happened during the past year.

Thus, Han Li made his way slowly down the path in the garden with a hint of confusion in his heart.

There were already over 30 extra thumb-sized lightning beads in his storage bracelet, all of which were shimmering with azure light. Han Li had exhausted most of the heavenly lightning that hed procured to refine these lightning beads, and if it werent for Mu Qings voice transmission talisman, he was preparing to refine all of the heavenly lightning in his Heavenvoid Cauldron in one go.

When Han Li finally made his way into the hall, he was surprised to discover that not only was Mu Qing seated in the hall, there was a crimson-robed figure sitting off to the side.

This crimson-robed figure was none other than Di Xue.

Fellow Daoist Han, Fellow Daoist Di Xue would like to see you, Mu Qing said in a calm voice as she held a teacup in her hand.

Many years ago, hed unintentionally nurtured a shot of Golden Lightning Bamboo, thereby allowing him to refine his Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords, as well as to attain the Divine Devilbane Lightning, but never would he have thought that this lightning would have such stunning origins, nor have some kind of special refinement method.

If the Divine Devilbane Lightning really was one of the five-elemental true lightnings of the Spirit Realm and its power could truly be significantly increased, then it would become staggeringly powerful. In that case, it would immediately become one of his trump cards. Being able to master his Divine Devilbane Lightning would certainly be a good thing, but having to go to this infernal river place was most definitely going to incur a massive risk for him.

If he werent careful, it was quite possible that he could die in the process. Thankfully, it appeared that there were still around six years left before hed have to face that ordeal, so he could carefully consider his situation during that time, perhaps allowing him to devise some kind of plan to avoid this peril.

Furthermore, it was quite a surprise to see Yuan Yao again here. Many years ago, shed been willing to sacrifice her own Core Formation Stage cultivation base to save Yan Li, and that was naturally worthy of respect and admiration.

However, after the passage of so many years, it was yet to be seen whether she was still someone who cherished her bond with others. After all, the most fickle thing in this world was ones heart.

However, Yuan Yao had refrained from revealing the fact that they were acquaintances, and that was quite a relief to Han Li.

Even though he didnt have to hide the fact that he was merely impersonating Flying Spirit Tribe being, he still didnt want his true origins to be revealed to the earth abyss demon monarchs.

Han Li silently recalled all of the memories he had of Yuan Yao. They had met on several occasions, the first of which was in the secret chamber within the Heavenvoid Hall. At the time, she was bathing in a spring, and the image of her flawless body flashed through his mind, sending a slight stir through Han Lis heart.

However, Nangong Wans figure then surfaced from the bottom of his heart, and a sense of clarity immediately returned to Han Lis mind. After so many years, if everything had gone smoothly, she wouldve most likely reached the Deity Transformation Stage in the human world as well.

Han Li wondered how long it would take for him to be reunited with his beloved Dao Companion here in the Spirit Realm. Nangong Wans appearance and voice, as well as the memories of the intimate times theyd spent in the Heavenly South Region flashed through Han Lis mind, and a faint smile appeared on his face as he basked in those warm memories.

A long while later, when Nangong Wans voice gradually faded from his mind, another set of exquisitely beautiful facial features surfaced in his heart, and he was once again lulled into a period of sentimental recollection.

After the passage of an indeterminate period of time, Han Li heaved a long sigh and finally returned to his senses as a wry smile appeared on his face.

He didnt think that Yuan Yaos appearance would trigger such a long walk down memory lane for him. Thankfully, there wasnt anyone nearby who bore ill will toward him. Otherwise, he wouldve been in some peril, having been completely absorbed in his memories.

However, seeing as he was unable to depart from the earth abyss anytime soon, he would always get opportunities to meet Yuan Yao again. As such, he didnt have to be in a hurry to contact her.

With that in mind, a contemplative look appeared on his face again.

Three days later, Han Li stood before a small mountain, looking at a strange mountain face, the entirety of which was as green and translucent as jade. A hint of surprise quickly flashed through his eyes.

This is the Wood Essence Cave that I cultivate in during the seclusion. There are very few places in the Spirit Realm with such abundant wood-attribute spiritual Qi, and those using wood-attribute cultivation arts will be able to enjoy rapid progress in their cultivation here, Mu Qing introduced in a proud manner.

Han Li had turned up to meet Mu Qing as instructed, and Mu Qing had taken him over several mountains, then entered a restriction that was filled with dense mist before finally stopping in this strange place.

They were quite far away from his previous living quarters, and it was quite a surprise that Mu Qing had set up her cultivation venue here.

However, the entire green mountain face was as smooth as a mirror with not a single cave to be seen.

Han Li swept his spiritual sense over the mountain face several times, but was unable to discover anything more than what met the eye. Thus, a peculiar look appeared on his face.

Mu Qing stepped forward and swept a hand gently over the mountain face. Green light flashed over the mountain face, following which a large opening appeared, revealing a green passageway that led straight into the heart of the mountain.

The entrance to the passageway had been sealed by a layer green light barrier, and there was also a series of strange runes carved onto the surrounding rock face, creating quite a discreet and mysterious camouflage effect.

Han Li was quite flabbergasted to see this. How had his powerful spiritual sense been unable to detect this passageway?

It appeared that these earth abyss demon monarchs really did have some unfathomable abilities, he was going to have to take extra care around them from now on.

Mu Qing led the way into the passageway, having been completely unaffected by the green light barrier. Han Li hesitated momentarily before following suit.

The light barrier posed no impediment to him, either, and soon after hed passed through it, the entrance of the passageway disappeared again.

Not only that, but the entire green mountain face also turned completely dull and lusterless not long after that.

On the other end, Han Li walked behind Mu Qing in this passageway for a long while before they finally reached a hall that was not very large.

The entire hall was empty, and there was nothing else in there aside from seven or eight openings that led to other places. As soon as Han Li entered this hall, he could sense the rich wood-attribute spiritual Qi emanating from the walls around him, and that was something that filled him with both elation and concern.

He was elated the wood-attribute spiritual Qi was so abundant here, and it seemed that with such exceptional facilities, mastering the Divine Devilbane Lightning in two years wasnt entirely impossible. However, at the same time, he was concerned by the fact that Mu Qing was willing to let him use such an exceptional cultivation venue. This indicated that she was intent on keeping him, and it wouldnt be easy for him to escape from this demon monarchs control in the future.

Come with me, Ill set up a place for you to stay. Youll be spending the upcoming two years in here, and youre forbidden to take so much as a single step out of this Wood Essence Cave. Ive already set up an extremely powerful restriction in the surrounding area. Unless I open it for you in person, theres no way that you can leave this place, Mu Qing said in an indifferent voice that was full of confidence.

Han Lis lips twitched, but he didnt say anything as he silently followed Mu Qing into one of the passageways that led away from the room.

After passing through a large garden filled with strange and exotic plants, Han Li was brought to a large yellow gate that was refined from some kind of unknown metallic material.

Mu Qing stopped here, and said, This is a secret chamber that I often meditate in, but Ill let you live in it for now. From now on, Ill instruct you in mastering the Divine Devilbane Lightning once every seven days. At midday on the seventh day, just come to the hall to find me. Alright, you can go in now, Im going to another secret chamber. Aside from a few important places that Ive set up restrictions at, you can go anywhere you like in here.

Thank you for your kindness, Senior! Han Li hurriedly expressed his gratitude.

However, Mu Qing merely took an indifferent glance at Han Li before departing, disappearing from sight after she rounded a corner.

Only then did Han Li heave a faint sigh and strode into the secret chamber beyond the metallic yellow doors.

Time passed by in a flash, and a year flew by in the blink of an eye.

On this day, within a vast expanse of mist, a strange phenomenon suddenly appeared in the air above a mundane-looking small mountain.

Countless dark clouds converged at low altitudes, following which azure lightning flashed amid rumbling thunderclaps. It was if a fearsome vicious beast was being born from the clouds.

All of a sudden, a black formation that was over 100 feet in size appeared amid a flash of black light on the mountains summit.

Two humanoid figures appeared, one of which was a slender female with black light swirling all over her body, while the other was an ordinary-looking young man in a set of azure robes.

These two were none other than Mu Qing and Han Li.

In the instant that the two of them appeared, loud thunderclaps erupted in the air above, following which the dark clouds began to tumble and surge violently. Countless azure arcs of lightning surfaced within those clouds, creating a formidable sight to behold.

Mu Qing looked up into the sky with a calm expression, and said, What a coincidence that your heavenly tribulation would arrive at a time like this. You possess the Divine Devilbane Lightning and have achieved an elementary level of mastery over the lightning, so you should be able to transcend this tribulation with ease. This will also be a good opportunity to further hone your affinity for lightning, and thatll be quite beneficial to improving your mastery of your Divine Devilbane Lightning. Ill leave you to your own devices, now. As soon as Mu Qings voice trailed off, she abruptly disappeared amid a flash of light.

Thus, Han Li was the only one remaining on the mountain summit.

He could only give a wry smile in this situation.

Never would he have thought that hed be beset with his second minor heavenly tribulation in the Spirit Realm under such circumstances.

Thankfully, hed been consuming Earth Cleansing Pills regularly, so he was well prepared to handle this tribulation. The first bolts of lightning to fall were normal azure heavenly lightning, rather than the extremely fearsome two-colored tribulation lightning.

Even so, Han Li didnt dare to get complacent in the slightest. After all, this was his second minor lightning tribulation, and it was certainly not something to be scoffed at.

Han Li opened his mouth to expel a small azure cauldron, and at the same time, he laid his hand on the back of his head to summon a burst of grey light that created a light barrier around his body.

After that, he let loose a low cry as both of his hands balled up into fists. A resounding boom erupted as countless arcs of golden lightning erupted from his body, hurtling up toward the sky.

Moments later, a golden net of lightning took shape, and the golden lightning was even more dazzling than the tribulation lightning up above.

At the same time, more and more arcs of azure lightning began to appear, and they intensified in brightness at an alarming rate. Finally, countless arcs of azure lightning came crashing down with reckless abandon amid an earthshattering boom, heading directly toward Han Li. The arcs of lightning as thick as human thumbs, and they rained down in a torrential downpour, crashing headfirst into the net of golden lightning.

Han Li made a hand seal, and the net of lightning let loose a loud thunderclap as a blurry golden rune appeared over its surface, then transformed into vortex-like swaths of golden light.

A peculiar scene then ensued!

As soon as the azure arcs of lightning came into contact with the golden vortexes of light, the former disappeared into the latter in a completely soundless manner, as if the tribulation lightning had been devoured.

Thousands of arcs of azure lightning were engulfed in such a manner in mere moments while a small portion of them struck the golden net of lightning amid resounding booms, only to be deflected with ease.

The first wave of tribulation lightning had fallen, and Han Li didnt even bat an eyelid, having withstood this initial wave with ease.

The demon monarchs discussed many things in front of Han Li, but none of them mentioned Han Li in their subsequent discussion.

At this point, Han Li had already backed away to the side, and was secretly inspecting these demon monarchs.

In all honesty, the two most mysterious and unfathomable beings among these four demon monarchs were Liu Zu and Di Xue. The former was emanating a frosty aura that was extremely unsettling, and he didnt even seem to be a living being.

If it werent for the fact that it was clearly moving and speaking, Han Li wouldve been led to suspect that he was an inanimate object.

The latter was also quite unfathomable to him as both of the red-robed figures were completely identical in every single way. Their voices, statures, and auras were both completely identical, and both of them were referred to as Di Xue, thereby further adding to Han Lis confusion.

As for Mu Qing and the white-haired beauty, Han Li had roughly gleaned their origins. Mu Qings body was enshrouded in a layer of black that even his Brightsight Spirit Eyes were unable to see through, but he could glean a faint wisp of green through the black light.

In conjunction with the extremely pure wood-attribute spiritual power emanating from her body, Han Li was almost certain that she was a rare wood spirit demon, but he didnt know what kind of spirit wood her true body consisted of.

As for the white-haired beauty, her body contained the densest Yin Qi that he had ever seen.

Furthermore, judging from the conversation between the demon monarchs, Han Li could determine that she was a ghostly demon.

As such, the fact that she was able to manifest a body identical to that of a normal person was a sufficient indication of her power.

However, Han Li also noticed that Yuan Yaos body also contained dense Yin Qi, suggesting that she was also no longer a normal human. However, she wasnt a true ghostly being like the white-haired woman, so she had to have gone down a slightly different path.

Yan Lis situation was also identical to Yuan Yaos.

Judging from the auras emanating from their bodies, the two of them were only at the early-Deity Transformation Stage.

For them to be allowed to accompany the white-haired beauty with their cultivation bases suggested that the woman truly adored them, or was keeping them around for other purposes.

The discussion between the demon monarchs didnt last too long. There were occasional clashes of opinions, but they were quickly resolved through diplomatic votes.

After a while, everything had been discussed, and everyone got up to leave.

Mu Qing rose to her feet and saw off the demon monarchs in person.

When the two red-robed beings were on their way out, they just so happened to pass by Han Li, and one of them asked, Were you the one who destroyed the two puppets I sent out?

Han Li hesitated momentarily before bowing as he gave an honest reply, They were indeed destroyed by me. I was unaware that they belonged to you at the time, Senior, so please dont hold it against me.

Hehe, a couple of blood puppets arent significant enough for me to lose sleep over. However, I cant just let you get away with this. Why dont you do me a small favor at some point in the future to make up for this? Due Xue suggested.

Han Li faltered slightly upon hearing this, yet when he raised his head again, the two red-robed figures had already walked past him as if they hadnt said anything to him at all.

Han Lis brows furrowed, and he couldnt help but feel as if he had more trouble on his hands.

The white-haired beautys trio was the final group to depart, and they also walked past Han Li. The beauty merely smiled at him, yet didnt say anything. As for Yuan Yao, she remained completely expressionless, as if she couldnt even see Han Li.

In contrast, Yan Li blinked and was looking at Han Li with a contemplative light in her eyes.

Han Lis lips suddenly twitched in a barely noticeable manner, following which one of his hands suddenly clenched up into a fist within the sleeve of his robes.

As soon as everyone had left, Xue Du turned to Han Li with a smile, and said, Congratulations, Brother Han, everyone is holding you in very high regard?

What is there to congratulate me about? Im still completely in the dark about everything. Do you know what they were referring to when they were talking about true mastery of my Divine Devilbane Lightning, Senior Xue? Will it actually improve the power of my lightning? Han Li asked with a wry smile on his face.

To Han Lis surprise, Xue Du actually gave him a detailed response. Hehe, I do actually know a little bit about this. In ancient times, Divine Devilbane Lightning was the vastly renowned paramount wood-attribute divine lightning, and was one of the five-elemental true lightnings. It specialized in vanquishing devilish Qi and all evil creatures, and its power far exceeds that of even my Heavenly Blood Lightning. However, unless this lightning is refined through a special method, the wielder will only be able to unleash a tiny portion of its power. During the reign of the Evil Dragon Race in ancient times, they destroyed all of the Golden Lightning Bamboo they could find, essentially erasing the existence of Divine Devilbane Lightning off the face of the Spirit Realm, so its special refinement method naturally became lost. At the very least, I do not know of this method.

The Evil Dragon Race? Han Li faltered slightly upon hearing this.

He had never heard of such a race in the Spirit Realm back when he was in human territory.

Hehe, youve never heard of such a race, right, Fellow Daoist Han? That makes sense. Due to the excessively violent and oppressive way through which they treated other races during ancient times, a joint rebellion from all other races toppled their despotic rule. All of the current major races of the Spirit Realm rose into prominence in the aftermath of that epic war, while the name of the Evil Dragon Race fell into complete obscurity, Xue Du explained, giving Han Li a brief history lesson in the process.

Han Li was feeling a little overwhelmed by this information. How had the history books of the human race and Flying Spirit Race failed to record such a monumental event?

Despite his confusion, he refrained from asking any questions.

By the way, when I say ancient times, I mean well and truly in the distant past. At that point, your Flying Spirit Race hadnt even come into existence yet, so they naturally wouldnt have any records of this piece of history, Xue Du chuckled, seemingly having identified Han Lis confusion.

I see! Han Li was immediately enlightened.

According to the historical records of the human race, they had appeared in the Spirit Realm after the Flying Spirit Race, so it was no surprise that they didnt have records regarding this matter, either.

Just as Han Li and Xue Du were chatting with one another, footsteps sounded outside the wooden hall, and Mu Qing strode in through the doors.

Xue Du immediately ceased conversing with Han Li as he made his way over to Mu Qing and extended a respectful salute.

Mu Qing nodded in an errant gesture of acknowledgment before sitting back down on her giant golden flower, supporting her chin with a hand as she sat in silence.

She seemed to be mulling over a difficult decision, and she didnt say anything for a long while.

Han Li didnt know what was happening, so he cast a glance toward Xue Du to gauge his reaction. The blood wyrm wore a calm and collected expression on his face, seemingly already accustomed to such occurrences.

Listen up, Fellow Daoist Han, I dont care what youre thinking, but you have to master the Divine Devilbane Lightning under my tutelage within these two years. Once you do, Ill think of a way to waive the two year period you have to spend with that ghost hag, understood? Mu Qings voice sounded from within the black light.

Han Lis expression stirred slightly, and a wry smile appeared on his face as he replied, Ill be sure to do my best, Senior Mu Qing.

Hmph, youd better do your best! Otherwise, I wont let you go to that ghost hag without leaving you a memento to remember me with. Mu Qings voice suddenly became cold and forbidding.

Han Lis heart sank, and he could only fall silent.

Three days from now, move over to my Wood Essence Cave. Ill instruct you to master your lightning during these two years. Xue Du, Ill leave the preparations for the blood sacrifice to you during this time, Mu Qing instructed in an implacable voice.

Yes, Mistress! Xue Du was rather surprised to hear this, but he naturally accepted his orders.

Han Li also faltered slightly in response.

After that, Mu Qing waved a dismissive hand as she said, Alright, Im feeling a little weary, so all of you can go back for now.

Han Li and Xue Du could only depart after extending farewell salutes.

As soon as they exited the hall, Xue Du suddenly said, Tsk tsk, youre a lucky man, Brother Han. To think that my mistress is going to instruct you in person, this is a brilliant opportunity for you!

Is that so? I dont even know if I can master my lightning in two years. Han Li shook his head in a rather gloomy manner.

Haha, the fact that my mistress said what she just did indicates that she has confidence in you, so theres no need to worry, Brother Han. I still have some matters to take care of, so Ill be taking my leave now, Xue Du chuckled before flying away as a streak of crimson light.

Han Li stood on the spot and looked on at the departing streak of crimson light. Only after it had disappeared out of sight did he slowly return to his living quarters.

Not long after that, Han Li was back in his pavilion.

He immediately activated his restriction to prevent anyone from being able to conduct surveillance on him, then sat down on his bed with a dark expression.

A white later, he suddenly raised a hand and glanced at his palm. There was a black character around the size of a grain of rice that had appeared on his palm, and upon careful inspection, Han Li discovered that it was the character for yuan.

A peculiar look appeared on Han Lis face upon seeing this.

If he had been slightly skeptical about Yuan Yaos identity before, then all of that skepticism had now been wiped away.

This character was something that had appeared soundlessly in his hand when Yuan Yao had brushed past him earlier.

No trace of spiritual fluctuations had been set off during that process, so even the four demon monarchs were unable to detect anything.

It was quite astonishing that a mere Deity Transformation cultivator was capable of doing something like this.

Han Li extended a finger before gently tapping the yuan character on his palm.

A flash of green light erupted from his fingertip to wipe this character away. He then withdrew his hands into his sleeves and began to contemplate his situation with an indecisive expression.

After a few moments, he suddenly extended a palm again. A low thunderclap erupted as a fist-sized ball of golden lightning surfaced over his palm, and its mass was fluctuating slightly.

A series of shimmering strands of electricity were also flashing over its surface.

Han Li appraised the ball of lightning expressionlessly before suddenly narrowing his eyes.

Dont be so hasty to jump to conclusions, Fellow Daoist Lan. Fellow Daoist Han is far more powerful than his cultivation base indicates, and he possesses the Divine Devilbane Lightning. Even if his cultivation base were a rank or two lower, hed still be of great help to us if he could unleash the true power of his Divine Devilbane Lightning, Mu Qing chuckled.

Divine Devilbane Lightning isnt that easy to master. The higher ones cultivation base, the greater the likelihood that theyll be able to master this lightning. Im very skeptical that a Spirit General would be able to truly unleash the power of the divine lightning. If I recall correctly, youd have to at least be an early-Great Spirit General to be able to unleash the Divine Devilbane Lightnings full power, right? A red-robed being from another table spoke on this occasion, and his voice was quite sharp and piercing, akin to the sound of metal grating on metal.

Dont worry about that, Brother Di Xue. Even though Fellow Daoist Han is only a late-Spirit General, the purity and abundances of his magic power is only a tiny bit inferior compared to that of an early-Great Spirit General, so Im sure hes up to the task. Alternatively, do you have any suggestions for methods that could help us dispel the infernal river restriction? Mu Qing asked in a meaningful voice.

If this man really can help us break the restriction, then that would naturally be fantastic. I have no intention of stopping him, Im merely concerned that hes not going to be able to provide us with any substantial assistance, so please dont misconstrue my words, the other red-robed figure chimed in, and his voice was exactly the same as that of the man who had just spoken, as if they were the same person.

Mu Qings expression remained unchanged as she said, It would be best if that was indeed the case. Brother Liu Zu, Sister Lan, what do you two think of this?

As long as its beneficial to our grand scheme, Ill support it, the mysterious figure in the black cloak said in an emotionless voice.

However, the white-haired beautys brows were tightly furrowed, as if she were mulling over something.

What is it, Sister Lan? Do you have any alternative opinions youd like to air? Mu Qing asked.

This mans soul is remarkably powerful, and I was planning to refine his soul into one of my ghost monarchs, but I have to source other materials now. Besides, Xue Di and I discovered this person before you, so isnt it inappropriate for you to claim him like this? the woman said in a calm voice.

Hehe, are you saying youd like to instruct him instead, Sister Lan? But if Im not mistaken, youre vulnerable to lightning, are you not? In that case, how will you instruct him to master his divine lightning? If we miss out on this opportunity due to a delay on your end, well be regretting this for the rest of our lives, Mu Qing said with a faint smile.

Oh? It sounds like youre implying that you have a better understanding of Divine Devilbane Lightning than I do. Neither of us has attained this lightning before, so why does it make a difference who whether you or I instruct him? the white-haired beauty chuckled coldly.

I possess a wood spirit body. Back in ancient times, Divine Devilbane Lightning was the paramount wood-attribute divine lightning among the divine lightning of the five elements. Surely Im more qualified than anyone else here to instruct him. Mu Qings expression darkened slightly.

Thats not necessarily the case. Ive spent far more years cultivating than you have, and I believe that gulf in experience is more than enough to outweigh any other advantages you may have in this respect, the woman retorted in a cold and unyielding manner.

Mu Qings expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and she was just about to say something when Liu Zu interjected, Theres no need for an argument. Shouldnt we confirm whether Fellow Daoist Han truly possesses the Divine Devilbane Lightning before we discuss anything else?

This Liu Zu was clearly the most authoritative figure among the four, as evidenced by the fact that both women did indeed fall silent upon hearing his words. Mu Qing turned to Han Li with a calm expression, and said, Im sure youve heard everything weve just discussed, so Ill have to trouble you to unleash your Divine Devilbane Lightning again and display it to everyone present. Im sure you wouldnt refuse such a small request, right, Fellow Daoist Han?

A wry smile appeared on Han Lis face, and he wasted no time with words as he made a hand seal.

A rumbling thunderclap immediately erupted as brilliant golden light radiated from his body. Countless thin arcs of electricity surfaced from within his body before forming several thick bolts of golden lightning in the blink of an eye, creating quite a marvelous spectacle to behold.

Everyone in the wooden hall stared intently at the golden arcs of lightning, including Mu Qing, even though shed already seen it once before.

Liu Zu waved a sleeve toward Han Li, and a burst of black Yin winds rushed directly toward him.

Han Li raised an eyebrow before pointing a finger, sending a bolt of golden lightning hurtling toward the oncoming gust of Yin winds.

The golden lightning exploded amid a loud boom as soon as it came into contact with the black winds, and the latter faded like snow under the scorching sun, disappearing into nothingness in the blink of an eye.

Theres no mistaking it, this really is Divine Devilbane Lightning! Liu Zu nodded, and there was a hint of elation in his voice.

How many bolts of Divine Devilbane Lightning of that caliber are you capable of unleashing, Fellow Daoist? one of the red-robed figures suddenly asked.

Around 20, but after that, itll take a long time for the lightning to recover to its original power, Han Li replied.

He was completely lying in his response, in reality, he was able to unleash thrice the quantity of lightning hed proclaimed.

20 should be enough. The other red-robed figure cackled with glee upon hearing this.

Indeed. Even though the infernal river restriction is quite formidable, theres no way that itll hold up in the face of so many bolts of divine lightning. Alright, his divine lightning has been confirmed, lets discuss who will be instructing Fellow Daoist Han. Fellow Daoist Di Xue and I are quite unfamiliar with divine lightning, so we wont put our names forward. The issue at hand is that both Fairy Mu and Fellow Daoist Lan want to take Fellow Daoist Han under their wing, and its rather difficult to decide who is the better candidate. Heres my proposal, there are still a few years left until the implementation of our plan. For the first two years, we can get him to learn from Fairy Mu, and the two years after that will be spent under Fellow Daoist Lans tutelage. As for the final two years, those will be for Fellow Daoist Han to cultivate and digest what hes been taught on his own. Do either of you two have any objections? Liu Zu said in an emotionless voice.

Both of the women faltered upon hearing this proposal.

Hehe, thats a brilliant suggestion, Brother Liu Zu. Neither of the fellow Daoists seems willing to back down, so this is the best way to proceed, one of the red-robed figures cackled as he rubbed his hands together.

The white-haired beauty hesitated momentarily before nodding in response. Seeing as both Fellow Daoist Liu Zu and Fellow Daoist Di Xue approve of this arrangement, then I have no objections, either.

In contrast, Mu Qing remained silent with a contemplative look on her face.

A cold light flashed through Liu Zus eyes as he asked in a cold voice, Are you unhappy with this arrangement, Fairy Mu?

Of course not, well do as you say. Mu Qings heart stirred as she forced a smile onto her face.

Then its settled. These are all trivial matters anyway. Everything is building toward the implementation of our grand scheme. Fellow Daoist Han, well give you six years to master the true power of the Divine Devilbane Lightning. If youre able to do so, well take you to a place where brilliant rewards will await you. But if you cant master the divine lightning in six years, hehe… one of the red-robed figures began before his voice trailed off.

Even though he hadnt finished his sentence, the threat in his words was quite apparent. гeewenvel.com

Han Lis expression darkened a little upon hearing this.

Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Han. Youre able to attain this divine lightning at such a young age, so you must possess outstanding aptitude. For someone like you, mastering the divine lightning in six years will be no issue at all. However, in order to prevent you from attempting to do anything to our detriment, well have to place some restrictions on your body, the white-haired beauty said before suddenly raising a hand. A grey thread shot forth without any hesitation, reaching Han Li in the blink of an eye.

Han Lis expression changed drastically, and he reflexively tried to evade, but the nearby space suddenly tightened, following which he was completely immobilized by an enormous force.

Han Lis eyelids twitched, and after a series of thoughts flashed rapidly through his mind, he refrained from using any of his powers to try and resist.

He merely looked on as the silver thread disappeared into his body with a dark expression.

Almost at the exact same moment, Liu Zu, Mu Qing, and Di Xue released a ball of black Qi, an orb of green light, and a cloud of blood mist respectively, all of which also disappeared into Han Lis body in quick succession.

Only then did the enormous power weighing down on Han Li disappear.

He hurriedly conducted an internal inspection of his body with his spiritual sense, and his findings left him rather concerned, but also allowed him to heave an internal sigh of relief.

The restrictions that had entered his body were merely tracking symbols that wouldnt actually be able to harm him. However, with these things in his body, it would be next to impossible for him to escape.

Fellow Daoist Han, youll be staying in the Wood Immortal Valley for the next two years. After that, Fellow Daoist Lan will send someone to take you to her. That will be the extent of our discussion on this matter, lets discuss some other things now. Fellow Daoist Lan, I heard that youve refined almost all 8,000 profound ghosts, but youre still missing… Liu Zu quickly moved on to other subjects after settling this issue.

Everyone else listened while interjecting from time to time in a spirited discussion.

Throughout this entire process, the demon monarchs gave no opportunities for Han Li to speak, and they had no intention of hearing what he had to say.

But then again, he really didnt have the right to make his opinions heard in the face of four demon monarchs at the Body Integration Stage and above.

After all, regardless of whether it was in the human world or the Spirit Realm, power determined ones rights. A mere Deity Transformation cultivator like him was far too insignificant to take seriously.

As such, even though Han Li was feeling quite gloomy, he could only remain silent while pondering what he had just heard.

The demon monarchs hadnt revealed many details, but he roughly understood the situation now.

As expected, these beings wanted to borrow the power of his Divine Devilbane Lightning, and they wanted to use it to break some infernal river restriction.

However, what was it that they had said about truly mastering the Divine Devilbane Lightning? Could it be that there was some kind of unique method to maximize the divine lightnings power? Or was there another ability he could unleash with it?

Han Li was completely perplexed.

All of a sudden, Han Li sensed someone scrutinizing him, and he looked up just in time to meet a furtive glance from Yuan Yao.

Yuan Yao remained completely expressionless even after meeting Han Lis gaze, but Han Lis expression stirred slightly. Only after a while did he withdraw his gaze in an unhurried manner.

Hehe, its nothing much. I was just wondering how you were able to attain such a powerful body. Even though my Blood River Infernal Spike isnt renowned for its sharpness, for you to be able to repel it with your physical body alone is still incredible, Xue Du said after a brief pause. At the same time, he was looking into Han Lis eyes with an unblinking gaze.

So thats what you wanted to ask me. My body is indeed slightly more powerful than that of the average person, but thats only because I stumbled upon a few spirit medicines by chance in the past and consumed them to bolster my constitution. My body cant compare to the body of a wyrm like yours, Senior, Han Li replied in a calm manner.

I see. I suspected that to be the case. However, the final three-headed and six-armed projection you summoned to withstand my final attack doesnt seem to be the true spirit projection of your race, right, Brother Han? It felt rather familiar to me, but I cant recall where Ive seen it before. Would you be able to provide me with a reminder? Xue Du asked with a faint smile.

Oh, thats just a foreign cultivation art that I happened to obtain, and I decided to cultivate it, seeing as it was a rather useful ability, but Im not too familiar with its origins, either, Han Li replied in an extremely vague manner. In reality, his answer provided no answers whatsoever.

Xue Du was slightly surprised that Han Li was able to muster up such a wily response after downing so much wine, but he merely chuckled and spoke no further about this matter.

Thus, Xue Du only bade farewell to Han Li after seemingly becoming extremely inebriated. Han Li stood at the window of the pavilion, and his fake smile faded as he looked out at the departing Xue Du.

The middle-aged scholar stumbled unsteadily toward another pavilion that was only several thousand feet away from the one that Han Li was situated in. Han Lis brows furrowed slightly upon seeing this. At such close quarters, Xue Du would be able to constantly monitor his actions.

It appeared that he had been tasked with keeping an eye on Han Li.

With that in mind, Han Li strode away from the window.

At this point, the green-robed servant had already carried the dishes and wine urn away, and the room had been cleaned up to a pristine condition. She then stood respectfully off to the side, awaiting any instructions from Han Li.

Han Li waved a dismissive hand toward her, and said, You can go now, I want to take a rest. Ill be on the first floor, feel free to summon me at any time, Master Han, Bier replied obediently before departing from the room. After the servant had left, Han Li swept a hand over his storage bracelet to produce a stack of azure formation flags.

He then raised his hand, and a dozen or so streaks of azure flew in all directions around the room before disappearing into space. Han Li made a hand seal and cast an azure incantation seal, following which a dull thump erupted all around him. An azure barrier of light appeared on the walls of the room, creating a restriction. This restriction had no defensive properties, but it was quite effective in cutting off the spiritual sense of others.

Han Li knew that he had been imprisoned, but he still didnt want Xue Do to be able to see everything that he was doing. In the other pavilion, Xue Du had just sat down atop a futon with his eyes closed when his expression changed slightly, and he abruptly reopened his eyes. However, a cold smile then quickly appeared on his face as he closed his eyes again. At this point, Han Li had already laid down on his bed. Even though he was in a perilous place, there was nothing he could do about his current situation. Furthermore, he was rather exhausted from the ordeals hed been beset with during this earth abyss trial, so this was a good opportunity for him to relax and recuperate. He could consider strategies to try and escape after recovering to his peak condition. With that in mind, Han Li quickly fell asleep. He slept for an entire day and an entire night before finally waking up.

After getting up from his bed, Han Li did a series of stretches in an unhurried manner before sitting down in the wooden chair beside his bed, stroking his chin in deep thought. Mu Qing and Xue Du had tried to convince him that they wanted to entrust him with an important task from the very beginning, but Han Li didnt believe a word of that.

Setting aside everything else, with his countless years of battle experience, he could tell that the two of them had truly been intent on killing him initially.

As for why this Mu Qing suddenly changed her mind, that was definitely because shes unintentionally discovered something about him that could be used to her benefit.

However, it had only taken mere moments for her to change her mind, and the only clue that Han Li could think of was that she seemed to have been alarmed by his ability to use Divine Devilbane Lightning. Han Lis eyes flashed as this thought occurred to him. He felt like he was onto something.

However, despite the fact that the Divine Devilbane Lightning was extremely effective for anguishing all powers of darkness and evil, its efficacy was limited when the devilish Qi was of a high enough caliber. How could the power of his Divine Devilbane Lightning possibly have garnered the interest of a Body Integration Stage Demon Monarch like Mu Qing? If a devilish creature or evil spirit was too powerful even for her to deal with, then how was Han Lis Divine Devilbane Lightning supposed to do anything? Han Li was feeling rather perplexed. However, he didnt try to force himself to arrive at a conclusion. Instead, he merely exhaled and relinquished this train of thought for now. Seeing as they had found a worthwhile reason to keep him alive, then he would most likely be safe for now. As long as he remained alert, he was quite confident in his ability to escape from this place. Next, he only had to wait for Mu Qing to disclose everything to him before formulating a plan based on that information. Thus, Han Li decided to play the waiting game. As for escaping right away, the thought did cross his mind, but he didnt consider it for very long, seeing as Xue Du was residing so close to him.

His thoughts then strayed to Lei Lan and the others. Seeing as Mu Qing and Xue Du had both come after him, those three had most likely returned to the surface and passed the trial.

As such, he had fulfilled his promise to the Tian Peng Race and regained his freedom. As a result, the Tian Peng Vow of the Tian Peng Race would cease to have any further restrictive effect on him.

But then again, the Tian Peng Race was only concerned about whether Lei Lan and Bai Bi would be able to pass the trial, they didnt care whether Han Li died or not.

Han Li chuckled to himself before returning to his bed and taking a seat in a cross-legged manner. His expression smoothed out as he began to meditate.

…

Half a month flew by in the blink of an eye. During this time, Xue Du would occasionally come over to drink and chat with Han Li, but Han Li stayed in his room all day and made Xue Dus job quite an easy one. freewbne.com

On this day, Xue Du visited Han Li again, and he wore a serious expression as he said, Brother Han, my mistress would like you to meet her in the Wood Spirit Hall. She would like to introduce you to a few other seniors.

Sure. Thank you for informing me of that, Senior Xue, Han Li replied in a completely calm manner. Xue Du was starting to admire Han Lis mental fortitude. If he were in Han Lis shoes, he knew that he definitely wouldnt be able to remain so calm and collected.

Thus, Xue Du led Han Li out of the pavilion. After a while, Han Li appeared in front of the wooden hall again before entering through the doors behind Xue Du.

The setup within the hall was slightly different from when Han Li had last been here. There were three long tables set up on either side of the hall, with a group of people seated at each table. Han Li cast his gaze over to a table where only two people were seated. Both of their bodies had been hidden under long crimson robes, and Han Li was completely unable to glean their appearance nor their auras. As far as Han Li knew, these people could even be avatars of the same person.

On another table, there was a burly man wearing a black cloak, and a burst of glacial Qi was emanating from his body, making it feel as if the air around him had been frozen solid. At the final table sat three women.

One of them was a middle-aged beauty with a head of snowy white hair and an extremely pale complexion. She wore a green palatial dress and sat at the head of the table. Two young women sat at the table with her. One of them was quite petite with a sweet and adorable oval face and a pair of shimmering eyes. The other woman had a lithe and graceful figure with skin as fair as snow, and an expression as cold as ice. All three women were quite pale in complexion. None of the people on the first two ables caught Han LIis attention. Even though all of their cultivation bases were unfathomable to him, he had expected this to be the case prior to coming here, so he wasnt very surprised.

However, his calm facade finally cracked a little at the sight of the two young women on the final table.

He quickly composed himself again and his expression reverted back to normal, but the hint of shock in his eyes betrayed his true emotions.

How could it be them? Back when hed been separated from these two in the Scattered Star Seas of the human world, he hadnt heard anything about them again, and never would he have thought that hed encounter them here in the Spirit Realm. Seeing as the two of them were still alive, it appeared that they had successfully mastered the Soulrise Technique. Even though Han Li quickly turned his attention away from them, his heart was still reeling with shock.

The lithe and graceful beauty was none other than Yuan Yao from the Scattered Star Seas, and the petite woman beside her was naturally her Senior Martial Sister, Yan Li, who had almost perished all those years ago.

Back when he was starting to make a name for himself in the human world, hed encountered Yuan Yao on several occasions. He was touched by her determination to save Yan Li and gave in to her pleas in the end, deciding to provide her with his assistance. However, who wouldve thought that theyd encounter the legendary ghost mist along the way? He was sucked into the Umbra Realm as a result, and only managed to escape after an extensive struggle.

However, after emerging from there, Yuan Yao had disappeared. Now that he was encountering her again, she was seemingly ranked alongside the Demon Monarchs of the earth abyss, how was Han Li supposed to remain calm after making such a discovery? In the instant that Han Li made his way into the hall, everyone else also turned their attention toward him. However, Yuan Yao and Yan Lis reactions were quite different. A hint of astonishment had flashed through Yuan Yaos eyes upon catching sight of Han Li, but she immediately adopted an expressionless facade again, not giving away anything.

In contrast, Yan Li merely blinked with confusion, and it was quite clear that shed basically forgotten about Han Li, yet was struck by the feeling that he was rather familiar somehow.Hes just a Spirit General, are you sure hell be useful to us? the middle-aged woman sitting at Yuan Yaos table asked in a cold voice.

I see. No wonder you changed your mind then, Mistress. However, Master Di Xue singled out that man to be killed, so well have to give him a proper explanation. After all, hes certainly not the kind to forgive and forget, Xue Du chuckled.

Im well aware of that. However, make sure to keep a close eye on that Han brat before I reveal everything to him. Otherwise, itll be quite troublesome if he were to get away again, Mu Qing instructed.

Yes, Mistress. Ill be sure to keep a constant eye on him, Xue Du replied in a respectful manner.

Mu Qing nodded with a pleased expression before waving a dismissive hand, and Xue Du immediately recognized that as a cue for him to leave.

Meanwhile, Mu Qing sat still in contemplation for a while before suddenly laying a hand on the giant golden flower before her.

The massive flower tremored slightly, and a shimmering golden mirror of an antiquated design emerged from the flowers core.

There were runes flashing indistinctly over the mirror, and Mu Qing opened her mouth to expel a ball of green Qi onto the mirrors surface.

Golden light flashed, and the green Qi disappeared into the mirror, following which a layer of golden light appeared over the surface.

Moments later, an indifferent male voice sounded from within the golden light.

Why have you contacted me, Fellow Daoist Mu?

Mu Qing smiled upon hearing this voice, and she replied, Brother Liu Zu, I was wondering how your Yin Qi collection was going. Will you be able to supply sufficient Yin Qi for that ghost hag to refine a sufficient number of Yin Armor Profound Ghosts by the designated date?

After a brief silence, Liu Zu replied in a completely emotionless voice, Ive collected all of the Yin Qi there is on the lower levels. The Yin Qi on the first level is the most sparse, but I can gather quite a bit given sufficient time. There will definitely be enough for 8,000 of those profound ghost. Why are you suddenly asking me this, Fellow Daoist Mu?

Instead of answering the question, Mu Qing changed the subject. According to our plan, the 8,000 profound ghosts and all of Di Xues puppets are mere cannon fodder to pave the way for the Infernal River Ghosts. However, we have to employ another method to remove the restriction on the infernal river. The resources that we currently have at our disposal may not be all that reliable for that task.

Liu Zu immediately caught on to something, and his voice changed slightly as he asked, Have you found a good way to dispel this restriction, Fellow Daoist Mu?

Hehe, you sure know me well, Brother Liu Zu. I have indeed just discovered something of value, and I wanted to share the good news with you, Mu Qing chuckled.

So whats the good news? Liu Zus voice turned flat and emotionless again.

I found a being that can use Divine Devilbane Lightning. The infernal river restriction is predominantly comprised of Yin Qi, but the most troublesome element about the restriction is actually the infernal devilish Qi contained within it. The devilish Qi is extremely pure, and if we were to go ahead with our original plan, theres a good chance that it might fail. However, with Divine Devilbane Lightning on our side, that devilish Qi wont be an issue for us, Mu Qing said as a serious expression appeared on her face.

Divine Devilbane Lightning is indeed the bane of all devilish Qi, but in ancient times when the Evil Dragon Race ruled over the Spirit Realm, almost all of the Golden Lightning Bamboo in the Spirit Realm was harvested into extinction by them. At the time, all cultivators with Divine Devilbane Lightning or possessed this bamboo were also slain, how did you manage to find someone capable of using such divine lightning? Are you sure youre not mistaken? Liu Zu seemed to be rather skeptical of her claim.

Rest assured, Brother Liu Zu, the lightning unleashed by that man was most definitely Divine Devilbane Lightning. The only problem is that he doesnt seem to be aware of the true method to use this lightning. Hes merely unleashing it as part of his attacks as if it were merely normal lightning, and hes only able to make use of a tiny portion of its power as a result, Mu Qing chuckled coldly.

Oh, in that case, then that makes sense. That being mustve unintentionally come across some Golden Lightning Jade and attained this lightning by chance, Liu Zu analyzed calmly.

Hehe, I also believe that to be the case. Otherwise, if he were capable of unleashing the true power of his Divine Devilbane Lightning, even you and I would have to be wary of him. However, for us to encounter a being like at this time and in this place is a massive stroke of fortune for us. It appears that even the heavens is lending us its assistance, Mu Qing said with a smile.

If he really does possess Divine Devilbane Lightning, then hell naturally be a great help to us. However, why have you suddenly decided to tell me about this? Are there some troublesome circumstances involved? Liu Zu asked.

Your wisdom is truly unmatched, Brother Liu Zu! Truth be told, Di Xue asked me to kill this man and hand over his Yin soul to him. Im guessing that this most likely has something to do with the ghost hag, Mu Qing replied with a faint smile.

I see. So you want to keep this man for yourself and ask me to mediate. Liu Zu immediately understood Mu Qings intentions.

Exactly. You should be aware that I possess a wood spirit body, so my understanding of Golden Lightning Jade is unmatched among the four of us. If I can provide guidance to that man in person, he should be able to quickly master the true power of his Divine Devilbane Lightning before the initiation of our plan, Mu Qing chuckled in response, showing no intention of hiding anything.

Hmm, youre right, but this matter is quite important, so Ill have to discuss it with the others. The three of us will also have to see this man in person for verification purposes, Liu Zu finally replied after a lengthy period of contemplation.

That can definitely be arranged. All of you can gather at my abode in half a month. Ill leave it to you to inform the others, Brother Liu Zu. Ill make sure to prepare a splendid welcome for all of you,Mu Qing said with a smile.

Alright, well do as you say, Liu Zu agreed without any hesitation.

The golden light on the mirror then faded, and the voice transmission was cut off.

Hmph, its just as I expected, Liu Zu doesnt care whose hands this man falls into. But then again, hes the only one among us who doesnt fear divine lightning, so of course it doesnt matter to him. The other two most likely wont be able to accept this arrangement, though. Its too bad for them that Im the one who captured him, and theres no way Im handing over to them. Mu Qings cold voice reverberated throughout the spacious hall.

…

Han Li sat beside a round table, looking at the man who was pouring wine for him with a wide smile on his face in a speechless manner.

This was a scholar with a set of graceful features, and he appeared to be in his thirties. He was currently holding a green jade cup of wine and trying to propose a toast.

There were all types of delicious dishes, as well as a black urn on the round table. The urn was filled with delectable wine that was giving off a mesmerizing aroma.

The green-robed servant by the name of Bier was standing off to the side.

Come on, Brother Han, have a taste of our Wood Essence Wine. It was brewed using the essence of Myriad Year Spirit Wood, and even though it may not be as effective as the tea you had earlier, it can still bolster your spiritual sense. Once you have a few more cups of this wine, youll know how amazing it is, the middle-aged scholar urged in an enthusiastic manner.

Senior Xue Du, Im a complete lightweight when it comes to drinking. After the few cups Ive had, Im already at my limit. If I keep going, Im going to make an embarrassment out of myself, Han Li said in a resigned manner.

This middle-aged scholar was none other than the human form of that blood wyrm. As soon as Han Li had been led into the guest pavilion, he had immediately turned up and organized this massive feast for himself and Han Li.

Han Li was essentially being held as prisoner by them, so he naturally couldnt refuse. As such, he could only sit down by the table and dine with the blood wyrm.

Haha, at our cultivation bases, a few cups of spirit wine will barely have any effect. Could it be that you still hold a grudge against me from our earlier battle? Xue Du suddenly asked as he cocked his head to the side.

Hehe, if you hadnt mentioned it, I wouldve forgotten such a trivial event already, so I certainly wouldnt be holding any grudges. Alright, then, Ill have one more cup of wine. Han Li could only make a concession in the face of Xue Dus insistence.

He then poured himself a cup of wine before downing it in a single mouthful.

Bier immediately stepped forward to fill Han Lis cup with wine from the urn again, and Han Li furrowed his brows in response, but refrained from saying anything in the end.

Meanwhile, Xue Du smile as he said, Enjoy your time here in our Wood Immortal Valley. My Mistress clearly holds you in high regard, so she must have an important task for you to complete. Regardless of what that task is, youll definitely receive a rich reward for your efforts. Isnt that much better than going back to the Flying Spirit Race to be a so-called holy disciple? Im going to go as far as to say that our earth abyss can provide you with everything that the Flying Spirit Race can, and we can even give you things that the Flying Spirit Race cant. This is a brilliant opportunity for you, Fellow Daoist! Xue Du was trying to convince Han Li to switch his allegiance.

Han Lis lips twitched, and he didnt give a direct reply. Instead, he smiled, and asked, What level of the earth abyss is this? Would you be able to disclose that to me, Senior? And would you be able to tell me what Senior Mu Qing intends to do with me?

Unfortunately, thats something that I wont be able to tell you for now. However, everything will be revealed to you in half a month or a month at most by my mistress. As for what level of the earth abyss were currently situated in, thats something I can certainly disclose to you. This is the Black Mist Forest of the third level, Xue Du replied.

The Black Mist Forest! Is the forest enshrouded under Yin mist that traps all beings who enter it? Han Lis expression changed slightly upon hearing this.

Haha, thats the one. I didnt think that our forest would be so renowned in the Flying Spirit Race. Truth be told, my mistress set up a restriction in the forest, which is why no beings are able to escape from it, Xue Du replied with an amused chuckle.

I see. A wry smile appeared on Han Lis face, and he didnt say anything further.

After convincing Han Li to down a few more cups of Wood Essence Wine, Xue Du suddenly asked, By the way, theres something that Im quite curious about, would you be able to enlighten me, Brother Han?

Of course. Ill tell you everything I know. Han Lis heart stirred, and he immediately activated his Great Development Technique to completely dispel the hint of inebriation that was numbing his mind.

Thats him up ahead, right? He really does have some skill. However, if he can escape from me, then that would be a massive joke.A female voice sounded.

The ones within the streak of black light were none other than the black shadow woman and Xue Du.

They had managed to somehow track Han Li with unerring accuracy all the way to the first level. The woman chuckled coldly as she made a hand seal, and the black light around them immediately swirled before manifesting a black formation of light.

Light surged through the formation, and the woman and Xue Dus bodies blurred slightly before vanishing.

An incredible scene then ensued.

Just as Han Li was racing through the air, spatial fluctuations suddenly erupted up ahead, following which a massive black spell formation surfaced out of thin air.

Han Lis heart jolted with shock, and he wanted to stop, but it was already too late.

Unleashing the full power of his Thunderstorm Wings naturally allowed him to fly at an extraordinary speed, but what he gained in speed was compromised by a lack of control.

As such, he plunged headfirst into the black formation, having been unable to arrest his own momentum.

Han Li felt his world go dark, following which streaks of black light and gusts of Yin winds swept forth from all directions, as if hed entered through the gates of an infernal hell.

Han Li immediately unleashed countless arcs of golden lightning without any hesitation amid a string of loud thunderclaps.

All of the black light and Yin winds immediately exploded into nothingness as soon as they came into contact with this golden lightning, as if theyd met the bane of their existence.

Divine Devilbane Lightning! You possess lightning of this caliber? The womans surprised voice sounded from all around Han Li, following which the black light in the surrounding area began to swirl, and it was only picking up speed in its rotation.

Han Lis heart jolted with shock as all of the golden arcs of lightning around his body formed a golden lightning garment that settled over his body.

However, right at this moment, a womans giggling voice sounded.

Theres no need to be alarmed, Fellow Daoist. I bear no ill will toward you, I only wanted to invite you as a guest to my humble abode.

Han Li naturally wasnt going to be fooled by this as he flapped his wings to try and escape. However, the woman seemed to have predicted his actions in advance, and she suddenly thrust a palm toward him from afar.

A burst of enormous power crashed into Han Li, and such was its power that even with his current body, he was still unable to force his way through it.

Han Lis heart immediately sank. During this split-second delay, black light flashed within the massive formation, and all three of them disappeared at once. Han Li was struck by a rush of dizziness, and he immediately activated his Great Development Technique to regain his clarity of mind. Only then did he discover that hed been teleported to a tall platform that resembled a sacrificial altar. At this moment, he was standing atop a teleportation formation.

The woman and the blood wyrm were standing not too far away from him, and it was as if they hadnt even moved a single step since the beginning.

Judging from the dense aura of darkness in the surrounding air, this was most likely a level of the earth abyss that was deeper than the second level.

What was even more concerning to him was that there were seven or eight demons of different forms standing near the platform. All of the were half-humanoid half-demonic creatures, and they were at the Nascent Soul and Deity Transformation stages.

Looking at the buildings around the tall platform, he had clearly been teleported into the nest of some kind of demon beast.

In this perilous situation, Han Li didnt dare to engage in any reckless actions, and merely appraised the woman in silence.

This was most likely the Mistress that the blood wyrm had been referring to. Otherwise, how could she possibly possess such extraordinary abilities to be able to abduct him to this place with such ease?

Come and have a chat with me in the hall first, Fellow Daoist, the black shadow woman invited with a smile before flying toward the cluster of buildings in the distance.

Xue Du glanced at Han Li with a rather peculiar look on its face before also following the woman away. He didnt seem to be concerned in the slightest that Han Li would try to escape again.

Han Li looked around at the cluster of buildings, then up at the sky, and a wry smile appeared on his face.

The entire sky was filled with dense grey clouds, and there was a burst of indescribable spiritual power radiating from the sky along with flashes of black lightning. A powerful restriction had clearly been set up here, and it was definitely not one that hed be able to escape from in a short time.

However, judging from the womans words and actions, she didnt seem intent on killing him right away. As such, it was best to listen to what she had to say first, then see if there were any opportunities he could take advantage of.

With that in mind, Han Li was feeling slightly more assured as he followed the woman and Xue Du as a streak of azure light.

Han Li was led to the largest of the cluster of buildings by the woman and the blood wyrm.

He glanced at the demon beasts standing guard on either side of the wooden hall, and a peculiar look on his face.

All of these demon beasts were short ape-like creatures, each sitting atop a black Giant Spirit Flower with their roots planted deep into the soil outside the doors of the wooden hall.

A contemplative look appeared on Han Lis face, and he felt as if hed discovered why this woman was targeting him.

Without any further delay, Han Li strode into the hall under the menacing eyes of the apes outside.

The entire hall was completely empty aside from the black shadow woman and the blood wyrm.

There were two rows of wooden chairs lined up on either side of the hall, and the woman had already made her way over to a massive golden flower at the center of the hall. She then sat down with her legs crossed while the blood wyrm stood beside her in an obedient manner.

The woman gestured for Han Li to take a seat on one of the nearby wooden chairs before clapping her hands as she instructed, Bring some tea for our guest!

Moments later, a green-robed female servant with a set of fine and delicate facial features appeared within the hall, carrying a wooden platter, upon which was placed two white teacups.

The servant handed one cup to Han Li and the other to the woman, neglecting to prepare one for the blood wyrm.

However, Xue Dus expression remained unchanged as if he were already accustomed to such treatment. Han Li looked at the tea in the cup, and his lips twitched.

Within the pristine white teacup was a tiny pool of inky-black liquid that was emanating a rank odor.

Even just catching a whiff of this tea was making his expression change slightly, let alone drinking it.

He was able to instantly identify that there were several tens of types of lethal poison in this tea, and he had only been able to identify a small portion of its constituents.

Even with the poisons that hed identified, those would definitely be sufficient to kill a normal person the spot.

Han Li was indeed quite confident in his physical body, but he certainly wasnt going to go around drinking poison for no good reason.

The woman wore a faint smile on her face, and she seemed to have identified Han Lis reluctance. Rest assured, Fellow Daoist, I brewed this tea using 81 different types of lethal poison, yet all of them cancel each other out to create a completely harmless drink. On top of that, frequent consumption of this beverage is beneficial to ones spiritual sense.

She then took a sip of this tea to set an example, and he hesitated momentarily before also taking a small sip.

With the womans abilities, there was no need for her to try and kill him using poisoned tea as other more direct methods would suffice. As such, decided to go along with whatever she had planned. Furthermore, it appeared that she wasnt lying about this.

The putrid-smelling tea was extremely bitter, but after sliding down his throat, it transformed into a ball of heat that spread through his entire body via his meridians. At the same time, a cool sensation rushed into his mind, making him instantly feel more sharp and alert.

He quickly inspected his body with his spiritual sense, and was greatly relieved to find that he hadnt been poisoned.

Thank you for your hospitality, Senior, but may I ask why youve brought me here? This is my first time here in this earth abyss, and surely I havent done anything to offend you, Han Li said in a grim voice as he placed the teacup onto the table beside him.

The black shadow woman appraised Han Li carefully for a while, and only after Han Li was starting to get chills running down his spine did she reply in an unhurried voice. Ive invited you here because I have something important to discuss with you, but theres no hurry in that. You can stay here for a few days first, and Ill reveal everything to you after that. By the way, may I ask your name? My name is Mu Qing.

After a brief hesitation, Han Li decided to tell the truth. Junior Han Li pays his respects to Senior Mu Qing.

There was no point in lying about something like this, and if his lie were to be exposed, it would surely leave a bad taste in Mu Qings mouth.

So its Fellow Daoist Han. Bier, take Fellow Daoist Han to rest in the guest pavilion for now. Make sure to satisfy every single one of his needs. Mu Qings voice suddenly turned quite cold as she delivered an instruction to the female servant in the hall.

The green-robed woman faltered upon hearing this before immediately falling to her knees to accept the order.

As such, Han Li could only stand up and follow her out of the hall. Thus, Mu Qing and Xue Du were the only ones left in the building.

Mu Qing looked on in the direction that Han Li had departed in, and the expression on her face suggested that she was in deep thought. Meanwhile, Xue Du remained completely silent beside as if he were a mute.

Xue Du, dont you want to ask me why I changed my mind? Mu Qing suddenly asked.

My Mistress naturally has her reasons, theres no need for my lowly self to state any questions, Xue Du replied with a respectful bow.

Hehe, you sure know how to talk! Theres no reason for me to keep this a secret from you, I decided to change my mind naturally because Ive found a more worthwhile use for him than using him as a blood sacrifice, Mu Qing giggled.

Could it be that youre referring to his Divine Devilbane Lightning, Mistress? Xue Du asked as his heart stirred slightly.

Hehe, its exactly because of that. Premium blood sacrifices are hard to find, but I can always gather more given some time. However, with this divine lightning to assist me, the probability of success for our grand scheme will be increased by at least 10%. Do I need to elaborate on which one is more important? Mu Qing explained.

Upon hearing Han Lis cold words, Lei Lan and the others could naturally see that Han Li wasnt kidding. As such, they didnt dare to delay as they hurried over to the Infernal Flame Fruit trees, pulling out wooden boxes within which they could store the fruits.

Qin Xiao even took an extra fruit and handed the wooden box to Han Li with both hands.

Han Li accepted the box without any hesitation, sweeping a sleeve through the air, and the box disappeared amid a flash of azure light.

At this moment, Lei Lan and Bai Bi had also collected their Infernal Flame Fruits and gathered nearby.

Lets go! Dont pause or delay for anything, we have to get back to the surface as quickly as possible, Han Li said in a grave voice before flying away as a streak of azure light without providing any additional explanations.

Bai Bi and the others didnt know why he was suddenly in such a hurry to leave the earth abyss, but they could guess that this most likely had something to to with the blood wyrm. Even the unfathomably powerful Han Li was in such an urgent state, the other three were feeling even more uneasy.

Thus, Lei Lan and the others immediately set off in close pursuit.

The four of them disappeared into the distance in the blink of an eye.

Two days later, the giant golden flower still stood within that wooden hall on the third level of the earth abyss. The black shadow woman down below was stroking her chin, seemingly in deep thought.

At this moment, there was no one else in the hall aside from a pair of green-robed female servants.

All of a sudden, a streak of crimson light shot forth from outside the doors, following which the crimson light faded to reveal a crimson demon beast half-knelt within the hall.

It was none other than the blood wyrm that had just faced Han Li in battle!

I pay my respects to my mistress! the blood wyrm said in a respectful manner.

The woman turned an indifferent gaze toward the blood wyrm, and asked, How did it go? Were you able to kill those people and take their souls?

My Mistress, I was too useless and was unable to kill those people, Xue Du replied as it lowered its wyrm head even further.

Oh? So that means those people really are quite out of the ordinary. Not only was the woman not enraged, she was quite intrigued.

Yes, My Mistress. The others were quite ordinary in that they were only normal Spirit Generals, but one of them was able to take the full power of my Heavenly Blood Lightning head-on as a mere late-Spirit General as well as an attack from my Blood River Infernal Spike with his physical body alone, yet remain completely unscathed. You told me to return immediately if I encountered any mishaps, so I returned after may failed attacks, Xue Du recounted.

He was able to withstand your Heavenly Blood Lightning and Blood River Infernal Spike? The black shadow was already aware that she would be hearing some interesting news, but Xue Dus words still came as a surprise to her.

The blood wyrm paused momentarily before replying, Thats right, not only that, but that mans movement techniques and other abilities are also quite extraordinary. Even if I were to engage in battle with him and fight with all my power, I would still most likely have been defeated.

There are countless abilities in this world, so its not too much of a surprise that he was able to withstand your Heavenly Blood Lightning. However, being able to repel your Blood River Infernal Spike with just his physical body alone as a late-Spirit General really does suggest that hes quite an extraordinary being. It means that his physical body is extremely powerful, and he would be the ideal blood sacrifice. Very good, we should have prepared three premium blood sacrifices, yet Ive only found one, and I was just fretting over this matter. A hint of elation had crept into the womans voice.

What do we do next, Mistress?

Ill go in person and capture that man alive, then use him to conduct the final sacrificial ceremony. The womans voice suddenly turned quite sinister.

But Mistress, isnt Master Di Xue after this man? the blood wyrm reminded.

Due Xue clearly wants to kill these Flying Spirit beings for their Yin souls and use them for some kind of exchange. I only want this mans physical body, so theres no conflict of interest here. Why should I be concerned? the woman said in a cold voice, and her guess was spot-on.

Your wisdom is unmatched, Mistress! The blood wyrm was enlightened by her words.

We shouldnt delay any further. Di Xue, teleport to the second level with me, and lets hunt this man down together, the woman instructed.

Yes, Mistress! The blood wyrm immediately rose to his feet.

The black shadow on the giant golden flower flashed, the woman appeared beside the blood wyrm in a wraith-like manner.

She made a hand seal and began to chant something, upon which inky-black light poured forth from her body, sweeping up the two of them in the blink of an eye. Following a quick flash, the two of them disappeared amid the black light.

On the other end, Han Li and the others were flying with all their might, covering a distance that wouldve taken several days otherwise in just a single day. However, they were still racing along.

Thankfully, all of the dangerous demon beasts along the way had already been exterminated by them, and they were quite familiar with this route, having traveled it once already, so there was no need for them to stop for anything.

Even so, Bai Bi, Qin Xiao, and Lei Lan had expended a lot of spiritual power during such high-intensity flight, and they were struggling to maintain this pace. However, they didnt dare to complain in the slightest as the sight of the grim expression on Han Lis face, so they could only grit their teeth and continue onward.

A day later, a swamp appeared up ahead, and the second level exit was revealed to them.

Han Li heaved a faint sigh of relief upon seeing this before immediately leading the group into the exit without any hesitation.

Half a day later, Han Li and the others reappeared in the valley on the first level of the earth abyss.

At this moment, Han Li suddenly made a decision that had the others completely dumbstruck.

As soon as they exited the valley, Han Li suddenly said in a cold voice, Well split up from now on. Separate yourselves from me, and well fly back the surface as quickly as we can along different routes.

What? Why, Brother Han? Bai Bi and the others were all stunned to hear this.

With the situation as it currently is, I wont keep you three in the dark any longer. We may have caught the interest of a Demon Monarch level existence in this earth abyss. Even with my abilities, theres no way I can oppose such a fearsome being. I dont when theyll be able to catch up to us, but if we split up, theres a very good chance that theyll come after me, which means there will be a greater chance for you three to escape to the surface. On top of that, without having to take the three of you with me, Ill be able to flee without any inhibitions. There should be very few things on this first level that can pose a threat to you, so you should be safe here, Han Li explained.

How could a Demon Monarch level being have developed an interest in us? Are you sure you havent misjudged the situation, Brother Han? Qin Xiao immediately turned deathly pale.

I dont know the reason behind this, but thats all I have to say. Your lives belong to you, and you can choose whether you believe me or not. However, I suggest that its best for us to split up. Perhaps our pursuers will catch up to us soon, Han Li said in a brisk tone.

Lei Lan and the others glanced at one another upon hearing this.

It was just as Han Li had said, their lives belonged to them. Regardless of whether Han Li had misjudged or not, they could only regard this to be true. Furthermore, Han Lis judgment had been faultless throughout their journey, so there was a good chance that he was correct on this occasion as well.

As such, Lei Lan and the others could only follow his advice and fly toward another direction after Han Li flew off and left them behind.

As long as they could return to the surface, they would most likely be safe.

A streak of azure light sped through a set of barren plains in a frenzy, moving as fast as lightning. It traveled from one end of the sky to the other after just a few flashes, and it was racing along in a completely soundless manner.

Many demon beasts and demonic insects down below had noticed the streak of azure light in the sky, but they were nowhere near fast enough to catch up to it, so they could only look on as it disappeared into the distance.

Han Li was flying as quickly as he could while holding a pair of top-grade spirit stones to replenish his energy.

Back when he was traveling to the Spirit Realm through the spatial node, he had used up all of his Myriad Year Spirit Milk. As such, he had no choice but to use top-grade spirit stones instead. They were indeed extremely valuable, but in this dire situation, he certainly couldnt be stingy with them.

Han Lis decision to split up with the other three was a forced one. He had told Lei Lan and the others most of the truth, but he had hidden one thing from them, he had a feeling that those demons from earlier seemed to be targeting him, and didnt pay much heed to Lei Lan and the others.

In this situation, splitting up with them would make the rest of their journey to the surface a lot safer.

He had protected the two Tian Peng Race holy disciples throughout this trial, helped them secure Infernal Flame Fruits, and also led them safely back to the first level. He had done everything in his power, so the rest was up to those holy disciples themselves. He had to worry about his own safety now.

Up to this point, he hadnt noticed anything amiss nearby, and he wasnt too far away from the entrance that led up the surface, but Han Li didnt dare to get complacent, even in the slightest.

Not only did he not slow down, he instead expelled a mouthful of blood essence and unleashed a secret technique to accelerate even further. freewebnovel.c

If he could expend some energy to avoid a Body Integration Stage Demon Monarch, then that would most definitely be a wise decision.

However, after flying for over half a day, Han Lis expression suddenly changed drastically as he abruptly turned around to look behind him.

A streak of black light had appeared in the distant sky, and it was speeding straight toward him.

Furthermore, it seemed to be closing in rapidly.

A dark expression appeared on Han Lis face, and he immediately flapped his Thunderstorm Wings, appearing over 1,000 feet away in the blink of an eye.

He didnt have any means through which he could conceal himself, so he could only unleash the full power of this Thunderstorm Wings.

A faint cry of surprise sounded from within the black light, and Han Li felt as if it had been uttered right beside him.

His heart sank as he flapped his wings vigorously, launching himself through the air at an astonishing pace, as if he were trying to puncture space itself.

Staring at the recognizable demon, Han Li felt greatly surprised and apprehensive.

This wasnt the first time he had seen this demon.

He had killed a metamorphosed venomous flood dragon back in the mortal worlds Scattered Star Seas and it looked exactly the same as this demon. However, this blood wyrm wasnt a grade eight demon beast, but a fearsome existence at the high Spatial Tempering stage.

After exchanging an attack, he knew that the demons abilities were extremely fearsome. He was no ordinary Spatial Tempering-stage being.

Han Lis thoughts quickly churned, pondering if he could deal with the opponent before him.

The blood wyrm glanced at Han Li and solemnly said, It is truly odd for a spirit general to be capable of injuring me. It is no wonder my master had given me a warning.

Your master? Han Li felt his heart tremble.

Behind this fearsome high-Spatial Tempering grade demon was a greater demon at Body Integration stage. How could such an existence in the earth abyss set their eyes on him?

This was the first time hes arrived here.

Bewildered, Han Lis expression sank.

The blood wyrm wore an odd expression and mysteriously smiled, If you can block my next strike, I will immediately turn around and spare you for the time being.

Afterwards, the demon cared no for Han Lis amazed expression. He formed an incantation gesture and crimson light flashed from his body as a large blood mist spread in every direction.

The blood mist that earlier dispersed has returned, roiling as it concealed the crimson wyrms body.

With a strange incantation, the large blood mist began to form a huge blood cloud in the sky.

The cloud loudly roared with thunder and blinked with crimson light.

What ability is this? Han Lis heart was greatly shaken.

Although the clouds lightning had yet to drop, it gave him a feeling of dread.

Without another thought, he slapped the black of his head and released a large mist of grey light above him.

Following that, azure light flashed from the top of his head, summoning the Heavenvoid Cauldron. It released countless twinkling azure threads and formed a net below the grey screen.

Even so, Han Li still didnt feel safe. He spun his body to release seventy-two flying swords. They formed a sword screen as they rushed in circles around him.

As for his gold-silver lightning robes, they turned into layers of gold-silver talisman characters in front of him. Black mist also surged and he summoned his baleful armor.

In an instant, Han Li erected five layers of impenetrable defense.

Han Li then raised his arms and the black figure on his hand blurred, releasing a small foot-tall mountain. He flicked the fingers of his other hand to release five pulsing white skulls, each with a different colored flaming wandering around it.

When the blood wyrm saw this, he felt his heart jump and he hesitated briefly. He quickly circulated the blood essence in his body and pointed at the blood cloud in the sky.

The cloud flashed blindingly. Nine flaring bolts of blood lightning fiercely cleaved down from the sky, striking at Han Li in three waves. Each wave striking down with even greater lightning. Thunder rang trice. The first wave struck down on the grey light mist with two bolts of lightning.

Even the might of the Divine Essensefused was scattered away by the two bolts of blood lightning.

The second wave struck down with three bolts. In an explosive flash, the azure net was easily dissolved and struck down on the sword screen.

The seventy-two Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords seemed to form an imaginary defense.

The blood lightning directly struck through it and attacked the talisman characters formed from the lightning robes.

Worldshaking thunder clapped and the talisman characters turned into lightning balls, blocking the blood lightning.

The three lightning bolts were like snakes, attempting to spread down, but the gold-silver lightning furiously exploded in an astonishing display of power, unresigned to defeat.

But it was clear the blood lightning was more powerful. The blood lightning wildly flashed, scattering the silver-white lightning. The thinned three bolts of blood lightning continued to strike down on Han Lis baleful armor and released two muffled explosions.

Han Li effortfully released protections were destroyed in an instant. At that moment, the last wave of the thickest four lightning bolts was about to strike.

Han Lis expression sank. Without making any other movements, he released a bright golden light from his body. A three-headed six-armed projection appeared.

It moved and six sparkling golden arms directly reached up to the four blood bolts.

Although the Provenance True Devil Projection was hollow, it possessed might beyond imagination. Its six arms stirred and turned into balls of blurred golden lightning.

Four crimson bolts of lightning flashed, directly striking at the golden lightning.

The two sides struck and silence followed.

Two flashes of blood lightning flashed, and the six balls of golden light were no more.

Two unobstructed bolts of blood lightning directly struck the top of Han Lis head.

Han Lis figure blurred and he clenched his hands together. Then, he reached for the sky with his bare hands and met the two bolts of lightning with his fists.

His black-white fists suddenly expanded several times in size before the lightning struck them.

A grey mist and a roaming rainbow flame both spiralled around the fists and seemed to compress the nearby air.

Two explosions roared. Brilliant light radiated and Han Lis sleeves turned to ash, revealing the sparkling golden scales on his skin. His fist projections and the lightning erupted, turning into grey ash.

Han Li tumbled back and began to fall before he held himself up and regained his bearings. He raised his head and looked to the blood wyrm in the distance. Han Lis cold eyes seemed to express he suffered no injuries.

The blood wyrm felt his blood run cold and he couldnt conceal his surprise.

At that moment, the blood cloud flashed several more times before it faded away, exhausted of its power.

Although the blood wyrm was beyond astonished, he was unresigned and sullenly said, You were actually able to receive my twelfth fold Heavenly Blood Lightning. However, that wasnt my true cultivation art. And once I cultivate this to a deeper level, Ill be able to unleash four waves of blood lightning. Nevertheless, you wont be receiving any more.

When Han Li heard this, blue light flickered from his eyes, and his body blurred before he vanished.

In that next moment, a gale blew above the blood mist, following Han Lis bizarre appearance. He violently struck down with tens of sword light.

As the swordlight weaved through the air, the nearby space droned as white streaks were left in their wake. In the blink of an eye, the blood mist was submerged by the swordlight.

With the stir of so much sword Qi, the vague figure instantly sliced into countless pieces, but when the blood mist faded away, nothing was left, let alone the corpse of the blood wyrm.

Han Li was stunned. Before he looked around, the wild laughter of the blood wyrm sounded three hundred meters away. Since youve received my Heavenly Blood Lightning, I wont take the risk of further battling with you. Once I report this back to my master, they will certainly be interested in you. I believe well see each other soon.

Han Li quickly turned around and only heard the sound of fluctuating space and a faint blood-red flicker. Then, light flashed and the blood-red streak flashed through the sky.

Using some strange movement technique, the blood wyrm was able to travel over three hundred meters in only a few blurs with seemingly normal movements. In a few flickers, he was at the horizon, and with another, he was gone.

This speed exceeded even the full abilities of his Thunderstorm Sings.

A flicker of astonishment appeared on Han Lis face, but he remained still in the air.

A short moment later, he raised his hands and brought them in front of him.

His crystalline white hands was now faintly black and scorched.

He looked at them in silence.

The blood wyrm had to be the top subordinate of a Body Integration-stage demon.

If he truly fought to the death against the blood wyrm, his chances of victory was no greater than seventy percent, even if he used his Gold Devouring Beetles.

The Heavenly Blood Lightning was truly terrible. Furthermore, his treasures werent able to block it. His Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords were particularly useless against it.

From the wyrms words, this ability wasnt even fully cultivated. This caused Han Lis heart to stir.

However, what caused Han Li the most unease was the master that the blood wyrm mentioned. Needless to ask, he definitely wouldnt be a match against them.

Although Han Li felt greatly doubtful about how he provoked such a fearsome enemy, he didnt have the time to ponder over the matter and could only return as quickly as he could.

So long as he returned to where the Flying Spirit Tribe elders were, this great enemy wouldnt be able to do anything to him.

Han Li finished his thoughts after a moment of time.

He then turned his head and saw that the three were still battling the giant octopus-like demon. With a cold glint in his eye, he sent a golden streak downward.

When Lei Lan and the others saw the first streak, countless others began to rain down.

This originally fearsome octopus along with its dozen tentacles were instantly turned into countless pieces, scattering blood in every direction.

The golden light faded and Han Li appeared above the demons shredded corpse. He glanced at the three and coldly said, You have the time of thirteen breaths before I return. Hurry, collect the Infernal Flame Fruits! I wont wait for any of you!

Han Li spoke without any emotion in his voice.

Looking at the fog below, Han Lis eyes flashed blue, allowing him to clearly see through it.

He shook his sleeve, blowing a strong wind and clearing away most of the fog.

The bottom of the foggy area could be faintly seen.

There was a pond near it that was about three hundred meters wide. And about thirty meters away, there were tens of short trees but most of them were rotting.

A tree with black-green wood had black fist-sized fruits at the very top branch.

The fruits surface was rough and had countless thin cracks. Even odder, it had black Qi swirling into it.

Han Li narrowed his eyes. The fruit was similar to what was described in records.

When the others saw these fruits, they couldnt help but break into a smile.

Bai Bi happily said, Junior Martial Sister Lei was correct. It truly is an Infernal Flame Fruit.

Han Li took a deep glance at them and calmly said, Pick off the ripe fruits. There is enough for us all.

If the Chi Rong are lying in ambush for us on the third level, lets have them continue to wait, Lei Lan jokingly said, clearly expressing her happy mood.

Qin Xiao was also cheerful.

But when the three planned on descending on grabbing the fruits, Han Lis expression sank and he raised his arm without turning his hand, pointing at an empty space.

A loud crack sounded and a large rainbow hand appeared in the air.

It bluntly swiped down and crimson light flashed in response, summoning a blood-red hand to meet the attack.

A boom sounded as the hands struck one another. Rainbow and blood light intertwined and disappeared in a flash.

Yi!

How interesting!

The two different voices shouted.

The yelp came from Han Li who just turned around and saw what happened.

The other voice belonged to the tall figure in the ball of blood Qi where the large blood-red hand had appeared.

Han Li looked at the blood mist and solemnly said, Who is your esteemed self, and why are you acting so secretively?

It is truly suspicious that a mere spirit general can discover me. The person in the blood Qi let out a sinister laugh.

Han Li blinked and waved his arm at the other three and sternly commanded, Head down and collect the Infernal Flame Fruits. Ill deal with this person.

Yes!

As you command!

Be careful, Brother Han!

Although Lei Lan and the others werent able to see the power of the figure from the blood mist, Han Lis serious appearance caused their hearts to drop.

Afterwards, the three flew down towards the fruits.

The blood figure glanced at the three and spoke with an odd tone, What? Youre quite interested in those fruit trees. Hehe, although they arent anything good, they wont be so easily acquired.

Han Lis heart trembled and his spiritual sense stirred. He immediately thought to warn the three, but it was already too late.

A huge boom sounded. A wave suddenly rose out from the pond and several pink tentacles emerged from the wave, shooting out a dense barrage of countless icicles.

Having already landed at the pond side, they were greatly frightened.

As the Abyssal Flame Fruits were behind them, they didnt dare to dodge. With no other option, they unleashed their abilities to block the strike.

Lei Lan clapped her hands and unleashed several dense bolts of silver lightning. Bai Bi released a myriad of intertwining golden threads. As for qing Xiao, she opened her mouth and spat out a green mist.

The three abilities combined smoothly and knocked against the barrage of ice.

The deafening force of the impact forced the three several steps back.

What resulted from the many attacks was a scorching liquid on the ground and a messy bloody scene.

A painful wail cried out from the pond. Soon after, a wave of ice rose to reveal a brown octopus demon. When it glared at them with its strange green eyes, several tentacles emerged from the water and stretched forward. Each one rose over thirty meters high.

On the top of the demons head grew a dense batch of blue fur. Every time a tentacle swung, the fur released the cracking of torn space.

Lei Lan and the others felt their hearts sink. The wounded tentacles were restored to completion after they flickered with blue light.

The demon was unleashing its full strength as it regarded the ponds surroundings as its own territory. It raised its head and released a savage roar as its tentacles began to stir, glowing to blue light as they swept towards the holy disciples.

As the three were aiming for the Abyssal Flame Fruit, they couldnt afford to step away and could only confront the attacks head-on.

Suddenly, rolls of thunder and explosions repeatedly boomed at they sank into battle with the demon.

Up above, Han Li glanced at what was happening but didnt betray the slightest emotion from his face.

Although the demon appeared fierce, it would be defeated given enough time. Rather, the main enemy was the blood figure, he would have to deal with him carefully.

Han Li stared at the blood mist and asked, What relation do you have with the blood puppets that appeared before?

Hehe, blood puppets? You mean Eccentric Di Xue already sent people over here? They shouldve slaughtered you. Good, very good! It seems My trip was worth it. The blood figure let out a cold laugh. He clearly had no intention of answering Han Li.

Han Li frowned, feeling the swords in his body shake with anticipation.

At that moment, a sharp whistle sounded, causing his ears to ring dully.

Han Li was startled. Before he realized what happened, a cold wind attacked him. A hair-thin blood needle had attacked from a foot away and was about to bore into his skull.

At such a distance, Han Li could hardly react.

He simply saw a bloody glint and the needle devilishly arrived in front of him.

The blood figures lip stirred and formed an evil grin.

He had killed countless strong opponents with this ability and it had yet to fail.

A metallic clang sounded. The thin penetrating needle spun through the air, repelled.

Han Lis expression vastly changed and his arm blurred as he stretched it forward, grabbing the blood needle in his hand. The smile on the blood figures face froze.

Your physical body is able to block my Blood River Infernal Spike? The blood figure spoke with disbelief.

Han Li wordlessly retracted his fingers and saw a blood needle jumping in his palm as if it were alive. Layers of rainbow flames were wrapping around his needle.

Han Lis face was unsightly and his complexion was ashen. An extreme cold gripped his heart.

He was caught in a sneak attack that had truly left him on the verge of death.

If it wasnt for a body that was far stronger than demon beasts of the same grade with flesh as durable as magic treasures, anybody else wouldve died in that strike.

Even so, Han Li felt cold sweat cover his body.

It had been many years since he felt that he had this close a brush with death.

The figure in the blood mist was no less shocked than Han Li.

His opponent had a body that was sturdy to untold degrees. He couldnt help but doubt Han Lis identity as a Flying Spirit Tribe being, or as a powerful demon that took the form of one.

His expression wavered.

At that moment, Han Li slowly raised his hand and a strange light flickered from his eyes. Then, he let out a cold snort.

The figure in the blood mist felt an attack shake his mind as if it were being pierced with a needle. He was overcome with acute pain.

Although the figures spiritual sense was far stronger than demons of the same grade, his body couldnt help but sway from the pain, nearly bending down as a result.

At nearly the same time, his last trace of clarity sensed a wind blow behind him and he felt a strange coldness approaching his waist.

The figure was greatly alarmed and attempted to dodge, but his suffering spiritual sense distracted him, causing his movements to become delayed.

He could only let out a shout as blood light brightly shined from his body, summoning a strange azure scale armor around him.

Crackle. A golden light struck his armor. It penetrated only a few inches before it stopped entirely. The gold light faded away to reveal a foot-long sparkling golden sword.

It was one of Han Lis Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords.

Ten meters behind the blood mist, Han Li stood there with an astonished expression.

At the same time he used his Soulfright Thorn, he used lightning movement to turn to wind and strike at the figure from behind.

But he didnt expect that the figure would regain a trace of clarity and summon a strange scale armor that could block his incisive Bamboo Cloudswarm Sword.

What kind of armor is so durable?

Han Li felt amazed.

Youre courting death!

In that instant, the figure in the blood mist recovered from the Soulfright Thorn. He felt a lingering fear from Han Lis strike and in his rage, he turned around and released a crimson beam from his mouth.

However, Han Li wasnt so easily hit. With a wave of his wings, he vanished in a flash of azure-white lightning.

A short moment later, Han Li stood in his original place

His expression was calm as if nothing had happened.

At that moment, he heard a roar and the blood mist dissipated in a roil.

The figures true appearance was revealed, a blood-red demon with a wyrms head and a persons body!

A blood wyrm!

Han Li narrowed his eyes.