Автор: sergey

After about five minutes, the crimson light radiating from the bead suddenly receded, and the voice of an elderly woman sounded from within. What is it, Di Xue? Dont you know Im doing something very important right now?

The owner of the voice seemed to be quite displeased that shed been contacted at a time like this.

Hehe, its been several decades since we last talked. Are you so busy that you dont even have time to chat with an old friend? the red-robed being chuckled.

Quit the chit-chat and tell me what you want. Otherwise, dont blame me for cutting off the transmission. The elderly womans patience was clearly quickly on the wane.

Hehe, last time, what we decided on was for Mu Qing to conduct the sacrificial ceremony, Liu Zu to gather Yin Soul energy, while Im responsible for refining a large number of puppets. As for you, you were assigned the duty of nurturing the 8,000 Yin Armor Profound Ghosts, which are the most important elements of our plan. How are you going with that? the red-robed being asked, paying no heed to the impatience in the womans voice.

Hmph, why are you asking a question that you already know the answer to? I dont even know how many spies of youve planted among my subordinates, are you telling me that youre unaware of what my progress is like? the elderly woman replied in a cold voice.

Haha, its not like you havent done the same, your subordinates often appear at the location where Im refining my puppets as well. However, I want to hear you tell me about it in person this time, the red-robed being chuckled.

Alright, its not like this is a well-kept secret anyway. The nurturing of the 8,000 Yin Armor Profound Ghosts is progressing quite smoothly. As long as Liu Zu can supply sufficient Yin Soul Energy, its only a matter of time before I successfully nurture them. The only problem lies with the eight Yin Armor Ghost Monarchs required to lead these ghosts. I can only successfully refine them if I can obtain the soul of a being with a powerful spiritual sense. Such premium soul materials are not that easy to find, the elderly woman said in an indifferent voice.

Oh? How many of those ghost monarchs have you managed to refine? the red-robed being asked.

Only three at the moment. The success rate is quite low, the elderly woman replied in a slightly awkward voice.

Hehe, thats why Ive contacted you, Fellow Daoist, I want to provide you with that premium soul material youre looking for. The red-robed being rubbed his hands together with glee.

Since when did you develop an interest in Yin souls? the elderly woman asked with a hint of surprise in her voice.

Im not you or Liu Zu, I dont know much about ghostly beings. However, I just discovered a Flying Spirit Race being who was able to detect a wisp of my spiritual sense that I injected into a mud puppet. Even though it was only a wisp of my spiritual sense, thats sufficient indication of just how powerful that mans soul is. It should be ideal for you to refine those ghostly monarchs of yours, the red-robed being said.

Is it time for the Flying Spirit Races earth abyss trial again? For one of them to be able to detect your spiritual sense, could it be that one of those old monsters came down in person? A hint of caution crept into the old womans voice.

Dont worry, its just a little Spirit General, so he wont be able to do anything, the red-robed being said in a nonchalant manner.

If its just a Spirit General, then we should be fine. However, he must indeed possess quite a powerful soul to detect your spiritual sense. Ill be taking this gift, then. What do you want in exchange? The elderly woman was clearly aware that this information wasnt going to be offered to her free of charge.

Hehe, I love dealing with smart yet straightforward people like you. Its very simple, one Myriad Year Blood Fish will suffice as payment for the provision of detailed information on the target. If you want me to capture the target and deliver him to you in person, then thatll cost you two blood fish, the red-robed being replied.

Hmph, do you think Myriad Year Blood Fish grow on trees? Theres no way that one Yin soul can be worth two of them. I dont have any spare time right now. Bring the soul to me, and Ill give you a Myriad Year Blood Fish. Even then, its a massive bargain for you, the elderly woman harrumphed coldly.

Alright, one blood fish it is, then. Ill deliver the soul to you in 10 days, the red-robed being immediately agreed, clearly also of the opinion that this deal was quite a bargain for him.

By the way, what do Mu Qing and Liu Zu suggest we do with the holy disciples of the Flying Spirit Race? Should we kill all of them or allow them to scurry around on the first three levels like always? Theyre not going to impede our plan, are they? the old woman suddenly asked.

Were at quite a critical juncture at the moment, so we cant attract the attention of the Flying Spirit Race. As long as they dont negatively affect us and dont enter any level below the third one, just let them do as they please. Im sure Mu Qing and Liu Zu think the same, the red-robed being immediately replied.

Well do as you say, then.

After an indifferent reply, the old womans voice abruptly cut off, and the crimson light radiating from the bead also disappeared.

The red-robed being made a grabbing motion, and the bead instantly flew into his grasp before disappearing.

Their group consists of a mere late-Spirit General and a couple of early-Spirit Generals, so three early-Great Spirit General Blood Wood Puppets should be more than enough, the red-robed being murmured to himself before rustling a sleeve.

Three crimson shadows flew out from within his sleeve before landing on the ground before him.

Thus, three blurry crimson figures of different forms appeared in a half-knelt position.

Brilliant crimson light erupted from the eyes of the red-robed being as three crimson threads that were barely detectable to the naked eye shot forth from his glabella, then disappeared into the three blurry crimson figures in a flash.

The crimson figures immediately raised their heads, and at the same time, eerie green light appeared within their eyes.

Go and kill those three and bring their souls back to me, the red-robed being said in an emotionless voice as he pointed toward the copper mirror.

Crimson light flashed and the three puppets disappeared into a nearby wall as three streaks of crimson light.

The red-robed being then lay back down in his chair and closed his eyes again as if everything hed just done was completely inconsequential.

…

Within a mysterious set of mountain ranges on the first level, there was a sacrificial altar that was over 1,000 feet tall situated at the summit of a massive mountain that was enshrouded under grey Yin Qi. There was a massive greyish white eyeball that was around the size of a human head being offered on a platform on the altar, and the eye was completely bloodshot.

Countless grey threads were erupting out of the eyes pupil before being absorbed by the nearby grey Qi.

At the foot of the altar, a mysterious tall and broad figure in a black cloak was standing motionlessly on the spot.

…

On the sixth level of the earth abyss, within a massive palace that was enshrouded under green light, there was a beautiful woman with a head of snowy white hair and a set of pale facial features. She was standing beside a back pond that was over 1,000 feet in size while appraising everything taking place deep within the pond with a cold expression on her face.

Beside her stood two women who appeared to be in their twenties. Both of them were also very pale, but one was quite petite with a sweet and adorable oval face, striking male onlookers with the urge to hold her in their arms, while the other woman had a lithe and graceful figure, but wore a frosty forbidding expression.

There were formations of different sizes set up all around the pond, and inky-black runes were surging relentlessly from those formations into the pond.

At the center of the pond, there were several blurry pitch-black humanoid figures hovering motionlessly above the black water in the pond. freewbnove.com

Those black runes split up into several streams, disappearing into the suits of black armor being worn by these humanoid figures.

However, these humanoid figures remained completely still, as if they were inanimate objects.

The white-haired womans brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this.

Use the infernal flames! the white-haired woman suddenly said in a cold manner, and despite her appearance, her voice was that of an elderly woman. She was none other than the woman who had been communicating with the red-robed being earlier.

Yes! The two seductive women behind her immediately stepped forward, and following a flash of spiritual light, one of them produced a small black vial while a black banana leaf fan appeared in the grasp of the other.

Both of them raised their treasures in unison with solemn expressions on their faces.

A strange cry erupted as a fire wyrm with black flames all over its body flew out from within the vial, then plunged headfirst into the pond.

Black flames immediately erupted over the entire pond. Meanwhile, the petite woman waved her runed banana leaf fan through the air, seemingly with a lot of difficulty.

A vast swath of black flames immediately surged forth from her fan before also plunging into the pond.

The two flames seemed to share the same source, and they intertwined with one another, both flames burned with increased ferocity in a synergistic relationship, enveloping all of the blurry humanoid figures hovering over the pond.

The white-haired womans expression remained unchanged upon seeing this, but a hint of anticipation had appeared in her eyes.

…

At this moment, Han Li was flying through the second level, and he was naturally unaware of the fact that hed caught the interest of these fearsome beings.

However, after that strange bone-chilling sensation hed experienced earlier, he had become a lot more cautious.

Even as he flew rapidly through the air with Lei Lan and Bai Bi in tow, he was activating his spirit eyes at regular intervals to survey his surroundings, even if doing so required additional magic power expenditure.

As a result, Han Li was able to discover some low-grade and mid-grade demon beasts in advance, thereby allowing him to skirt around them to avoid these potentially troublesome beings.

As for normal beasts, those were no longer able to survive on the second level, so they naturally didnt encounter any more of them.

Due to the fact that Lei Lan and Bai Bi had expended a lot of magic power during their descent into the second level, the three of them werent able to fly very quickly. Both of the holy disciples were holding spirit stones in their hands to absorb the spiritual Qi within in order to recover as quickly as possible.

Thus, they flew for an entire day without encountering any troubles.

On the second day, Lei Lan and Bai Bi had completely recovered their magic power, yet there was still nothing happening, so Han Li decided to stop his frequent usage of his spirit eyes.

The three of them sped onward and entered a set of dark green mountain ranges.

During the afternoon of the second day, right after they had passed over a large mountain, a mishap finally occurred.

Spiritual light suddenly flashed in the distant sky, following which a sharp cry rang out. A streak of green light then appeared before hurtling directly toward them.

In the next instant, three balls of yellow light appeared behind the streak of green light in hot pursuit.

Han Li and the others immediately tried to take evasive measures, but it was also ready too late.

As such, Han Li furrowed his brows and came to a slow halt.

Lei Lan and Bai Bis expressions changed in unison upon hearing this, and they also hurriedly sprang back into the carriage.

Almost at the exact same moment, a faint cry of surprise suddenly rang out on the third level of the earth abyss, in a place that was pitch-black and completely devoid of light.

A fair and slender arm reached out of the darkness while holding a yellow wooden badge in the shape of a ghostly head.

What happened? The Eightface Beasts soul flame suddenly snuffed out! Hmph, that useless oaf cant even do something so simple! Looks the ones who destroyed my Giant Spirit Flower have some tricks up their sleeves. So be it, Ill take care of these trivial matters later. As long as these people havent left the earth abyss, Ill be able to find them no matter what, the woman harrumphed coldly in a confident manner before everything fell silent again.

Two days later, on the first level of the earth abyss.

A faint white shadow passed over a set of black grasslands. All of a sudden, a dozen or so black shadows sprang forth from the tall grass down below, pouncing straight toward the indistinct white shadow.

These were a dozen or so massive praying mantises with green eyes and sinister facial features. They were each around three feet tall and pitch-black in color.

Bursts of rumbling erupted from within the carriage, following which a dozen or so arcs of silver lightning flashed forth from within the white shadow, striking these praying mantises with unerring accuracy.

The praying mantises didnt even get a chance to utter a single sound before they were reduced to dust and blown away by the wind.

Four days later, a spirit carriage flew through the air in a careless manner, flying over a vast expanse of rugged rocks. There were several rock demons with bodies constructed from loose rocks down below, galloping as quickly as they could in pursuit of the carriage.

Countless golden threads suddenly shot forth from within the carriage, instantly puncturing the bodies of their rock demons before constricting in a violent manner.

Brilliant golden light flashed, an all of these rock demons perished, crumbling to the ground as loose rocks.

Seven days later, Han Lis trio stood in the air above a massive valley within which greyish-white mist was surging incessantly, and all three of them were carefully inspecting this valley.

Lei Lan and Bai Bis eyes were filled with elation, and the flying carriage that had carried them to this point was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps it had been destroyed by demon beasts on the way here or had been stowed away by Han Li. In any case, it was gone now.

Looks like this place is relatively safe. Lets go in. If we descend underground here for a day, well be able to reach the second level. This place is so secluded, so the exit on the other side will most likely be quite safe as well. It would be quite unlikely that someone would go to the trouble of setting up traps on the other end, Han Li analyzed before spreading his wings and leading the way into the mist.

The two Tian Peng Race holy disciples had already come so far, so backing down now was naturally not an option. As such, they also entered the mist with solemn expressions on their faces.

The grey mist wasnt very dense, so even after entering it, they could still roughly see everything just over 100 feet away from them.

However, there would occasionally be a few foot-long winged snakes that would fly out of the mist to try and attack the trio.

Of course, they were all slain with ease.

Two hours later, they finally emerged from the mist and arrived at the end of the valley.

At this moment, they were greeted by the sight of a massive rift on one of the valleys gigantic stone faces. The rift seemed to be leading extremely deep into the ground.

A smile appeared on Han Lis face upon seeing this rift, and he led the two holy disciples into it without any hesitation.

The three streaks of spiritual light flew on, and disappeared from view after rounding a few corners.

A day and a night later, a strange howling sound suddenly erupted near a massive rift that was leading downward.

A gust of fierce black winds erupted from the rift in a frenzy, completely coating the nearby rock face in a layer of ice, clearly indicating that it was extremely frosty.

However, three streaks of spiritual light took advantage of this opportunity to fly out from the gust of wind, appearing several hundred feet away after a few flashes. The spiritual lights then faded to reveal three humanoid figures.

They were none other than Han Lis trio.

The earth abyss winds in this passageway are far too fierce, I was almost unable to withstand them. Why didnt the information we received mention this at all? Bai Bis face was quite pale as he cast his gaze toward the spot from which the trio had just emerged.

The fact that this phenomenon wasnt detailed in the information we received indicates that its only appeared in recent years. Otherwise, the senior of our race wouldve definitely mentioned this to us. Lei Lan also appeared to have expended a lot of energy in flying through the earth abyss winds, and she couldnt help but glance at Han Li. freewbne.com

At this moment, Han Li had his arms crossed and was surveying his surroundings. He was completely unruffled, and it was as if hed just taken a stroll in the park rather than forcing his way through lethal earth abyss winds.

Could it be that theres such a massive gulf between early-Spirit Generals and late-Spirit Generals? Lei Lan thought to herself in a resigned manner. It was all thanks to Han Lis assistance that she was able to survive that ordeal at all. Otherwise, she may well have perished to those fearsome winds.

Weve already been delayed too much on the first level, so theres no point in wasting time searching for Infernal Flame Fruits on the second level. Lets head straight to the third level, Han Li said in an implacable voice as he withdrew his gaze.

The air here was rather humid, it appeared that they were situated in the air above a swamp-like area.

The two Tian Peng Race holy disciples were now well aware that Han Li was far more powerful than them, so they naturally didnt harbor any more discontent toward him. However, Lei Lan still couldnt help but express her concern after a brief hesitation.

I naturally have no objections there, but there are only three entrances from the second level to the third level, so no matter which one we take, theres a good chance that well encounter people from other branches. If we encounter the holy disciples from branches that bear ill will toward our Tian Peng Race… Lei Lan didnt finish her sentence, but the implications in her words were quite apparent.

Its not just a good chance, those branches wouldve definitely deployed people to those three entrances. Were most likely not their sole targets, either, the people from the weakest few branches will most likely all be targeted by them, Bai Bi sighed.

Hehe, if we encounter them, then well just have to fight. Well have to overcome this obstacle sooner or later. However, even if a powerful branch like the Chi Rong Race wanted to plot against our Tian Peng Race, theres no way that theyll station all of their holy disciples at the three entrances. The earth abyss trial takes place once every 300 years, so its just as important to them as it is to us. As such, they could only have stationed a half or even less of their members at the three entrances. In that case, it may not be easy to defeat them, but forcing our way through their barricade certainly wont be impossible, Han Li analyzed with a cold chuckle.

If that really is the case, then weve got some chances after all. Bai Bi and Lei Lan were reinvigorated by Han Lis encouraging words.

No one can guarantee exactly what the situation will be like. We can only work things out as we go, Han Li replied in a calm voice.

Which entrance are we going to choose? Two of them are relatively safer to get to while the other one is rather dangerous, Lei Lan asked with furrowed brows.

Seeing as we could encounter obstacles from the other branches regardless of which entrance we choose, then its naturally best to choose the one closest to our current location, Han Li decided without any hesitation.

In that case, well have to go to the Myriad Vine Path, Bai Bi said after a brief pause.

Han Li seemed to have some recollection of this name, and his eyes flashed as he enquired for confirmation, The Myriad Vine Path? Is that the entrance from the second to the third level connected by many ancient vines?

Thats the one. Aside from some demonic insects that may appear along that path, there are virtually no hazards to be encountered. If we have a smooth journey, we should be able to get there in half a month, Bai Bi confirmed.

That sounds good. Lets go to that entrance, then, Han Li said.

Lei Lan and Bai Bi had no objections to this, and both of them nodded in agreement.

Han Li flipped his hand over to produce a blue formation plate, which he shook in front of his eyes, thereby allowing him to confirm the direction they were heading in before leading the two holy disciples onward.

Not long after the three of them had departed, an inky-black figure emerged soundlessly from within the thick mud of the swamp. It turned an intense gaze toward the direction that Han Li and the others had sped away in, and a hint of red light flashed through its eyes.

The black figure then suddenly exploded like a bubble and disappeared on the spot.

All of a sudden, Han Li felt a chill run down his spine as he flew through the air. He immediately paused in his flight and glanced behind him.

What is it, Brother Han? At this point, Bai Bi had complete trust in Han Lis abilities and judgment, and he also stopped in a wary manner.

Blue light flashed through Han Lis eyes as he scanned his gaze across the ground behind them. Only after a while did he reply, Nothing. Perhaps it was my imagination.

The bone-chilling sensation that he had been struck with had already vanished, and it was as if it had never appeared in the first place.

For people like Han Li with excessively sensitive spiritual sense, it was quite often that he would sense peril where none actually existed. However, for something like this to happen in such a dangerous place was rather unsettling to him, and he simply couldnt bring himself to forget it.

Having said that, no demonic being would be able to escape the detection of his spirit eyes unless that cultivation base was far superior to his, so perhaps that spine-tingling sensation really had just been a figment of his imagination.

After a brief pause, Han Li could only arrive at that conclusion. He waved a hand toward Bai Bi and Lei Lan before continuing onward, but his expression had darkened significantly.

Unbeknownst to Han Li, there was a mysterious being whose entire body was enshrouded in a set of vibrant red robes lying down on a black wooden chair within the belly of a mountain in a deeper level of the earth abyss. There was a stone table beside the chair, upon which was placed a large copper mirror. There was a rather blurry image being depicted in the mirror, and the image was none other than that of Han Lis trio flying over the swamp.

Interesting! To think that hes even able to sense my mud puppet, looks like his spiritual sense far outstrips his cultivation base. Unfortunately, Im not really interested in refining Yin spirits, the red-robed being chuckled before sweeping a sleeve toward the mirror as if he were going to dispel the image, but its arm suddenly faltered as a contemplative look appeared in his eyes.

I almost forgot, that ghost hag seems to be collecting beings with powerful souls, so this man would be a good gift for her. I should be able to exchange him for a blood fish from her! the red-robed being murmured to himself.

He suddenly sat up as a hint of excitement flashed through his eyes, seemingly very pleased with his own lateral thinking abilities.

He rustled a sleeve, and a translucent bead shot forth before stopping in front of him.

He then made a hand seal, and a streak of red light disappeared into the bead in a flash, following which brilliant crimson light began to radiate from the bead.

The Weeping Soul Beast had already attained intelligence, and after communicating with it, Han Li learned that there was a burst of fearsome Yin soul energy lurking deep within those mountain ranges. It seemed that there was a ghostly being in there that was so powerful, even the Weeping Soul Beast felt threatened by its existence.

The Weeping Soul Beast was the natural bane of ghostly souls, so a ghostly being with Yin soul energy powerful enough to threaten it naturally had to be an extremely fearsome being.

That wasnt to say that the Weeping Soul Beast stood no chance against it, but Han Li simply wasnt willing to take the risk.

Thus, he immediately decided against entering the mountain ranges, choosing instead to take a further route, even if it meant spending more time on their journey.

This concerned the secret that was his Weeping Soul Beast, so Han Li naturally didnt explain everything in detail to Lei Lan and Bai Bi, he merely used some rather unconvincing excuses to placate them.

As such, the two Tian Peng Race holy disciples were a little displeased. Han Li merely chuckled coldly in his heart and paid no heed to the two holy disciples. It wasnt as if he planned to stay at the Tian Peng Race for a long time anyway, so he didnt have to care what these two thought about him. Everything would be fine as long as they didnt weigh him down in this trial.

With that in mind, Han Li provided no further explanations to Bai Bi and Lei Lan, and the two holy disciples werent interested in speaking any further about the issue, either.

Thus, the interior of the carriage became very quiet.

Among the three of them, Han Li stood at the front of the carriage and looked out into the distance, Bai Bi had his head lowered in deep thought, and Lei Lan had her eyes closed as she entered a seated meditative state.

Han Li spurred on the carriage to full speed, and it departed from the mountain ranges in moments, flying into the barren landscape again.

After a while, Han Lis expression suddenly changed slightly as he withdrew his gaze, then turned his attention to the direction behind the carriage with narrowed eyes.

Han Lis actions naturally attracted the attention of Lei Lan and Bai Bi.

The two raised their heads in unison, and Lei Lan opened her eyes to assess the situation.

They cast their gaze toward the direction that Han Li was looking in, only to discover a vast expanse murky greyness everywhere they looked. Due to the restrictions on everyones spiritual sense present within the earth abyss, neither of them were able to release their spiritual sense to survey the situation, so they could only turn to Han Li with curiosity in their eyes.

Han Li stood expressionlessly at the front of the carriage without saying anything, but there was blue light faintly shimmering within his eyes.

Brother Han… Bai Bi was finally unable to repress his curiosity any longer, but in the instant that he opened his mouth to raise a question, Han Li suddenly swept two fingers gently through the air.

A streak of golden light shot forth like lightning, and the scenes that unfolded next gave Bai Bi and Lei Lan a massive fright.

As the golden light flashed through the air, green Qi suddenly flashed, and a cloud of green mist appeared out of thin air, only to be sliced in half by the golden light.

A roar of shock and fury rang out from within the mist as the two halves of the green mist combined as one again.

The green mist then surged and transformed into a strange demonic ape with yellow fur all over its body.

It was none other than the Resentful Ape Beast that had just slain a Flying Spirit Race holy disciple earlier.

It had finally caught up to the flying carriage not long ago, and in its elation, it had attempted to sneak over to the carriage, then enshroud it with poisonous mist to kill Han Lis trio.

However, never would it have thought that not only was Han Lis spiritual sense far superior to that of normal Deity Transformation cultivators, his Brightsight Spirit Eyes were also capable of easily seeing through illusions and concealment techniques, thereby allowing him to immediately glean the demonic apes presence.

Lei Lan and Bai Bis hearts jolted with shock at the sight of the demonic ape, and they immediately sprang to their feet before flying out to either side of the carriage.

Even though they were unable to release their spiritual sense, it was still a testament to this demonic apes concealment and illusionary abilities that it was able to get so close to them without their detection. However, that begged the question of how Han Li had managed to discover them, given that he was also a Spirit General.

The two of them fixed their eyes on the demonic ape with wary expressions on their faces and befuddlement in their hearts.

At this moment, the flying carriage slowly came to a halt at Han Lis behest, and he appraised the demonic ape in an expressionless manner.

Are you three the ones who ruined my mistress sacrificial ceremony? the Resentful Ape Beast asked in a cold voice.

Bai Bis heart stirred upon hearing this, but he put on a smile as he asked, Sacrificial ceremony? What sacrificial ceremony? When did we ever do such a thing?

Did you destroy a Giant Spirit Flower back in the desert? That flower was being used as part of my mistress sacrificial ceremony! the demonic ape continued in a menacing voice.

No, Han Li immediately replied without even batting a single eyelid.

The calm and concise tone in his voice made even the demonic ape falter, and for a split second, it wondered whether it had pursued the wrong targets. However, it then turned its attention to Lei Lan and Bai Bi, and their facial expressions clearly betrayed Han Lis denial. As such, the demonic ape flew into a thunderous rage.

You have the essence of the Giant Spirit Flower all over your bodies, yet you still dare to try and fool me? Im going to eat all of you so I can report back to my mistress! the demonic ape roared as it transformed into a cloud of green mist that stretched for over 100 feet, hurtling directly toward the trio.

Insolent beast! Bai Bis smile faded as he flapped his wings toward the mist in one powerful motion.

Countless strands of golden threads shot forth, instantly puncturing the mist and filling it with holes.

However, green light swirled around the mist, and it made a full recovery in the blink of an eye.

On the other end, Lei Lan could sense that this opponent was quite troublesome to deal with, and she immediately made a hand seal. Two thick bolts of silver lightning shot forth from within her sleeves, striking the green mist before exploding with a resounding boom.

After the two bolts of lightning disappeared, the green mist faltered in mid-air, and two gaping holes that were each around 10 feet in size had appeared.

However, before Lei Lan had a chance to celebrate, the deriding cackling of the demonic ape rang out from within the mist.

The green mist managed to quickly regenerate once again before swelling in size and closing in with ferocious might.

Bai Bi and Lei Lans expressions both changed in unison. They had sensed that this demonic ape was a being to be wary of, but they didnt think that a mere Resentful Ape Beast would pose such a stern challenge. The two of them immediately sprung into action again. One of them flipped a hand over to produce a green wooden comb, while the other made a hand seal, and arcs of lightning began to crackle in the air in preparation for another attack.

However, Han Li merely harrumphed coldly at this moment, and finally joined the fray.

Azure light shimmered behind him as a massive azure bird projection appeared, then opened its huge beak.

An azure pillar of light shot forth from within its beak amid a dull thump, puncturing the center of the green mist in a flash.

The pillar of light then split up into countless azure threads before exploding in all directions.

Gale force winds were swept up as a violent hurricane wreaked havoc through the mist. All of the green mist was swept up by the gusts of wind before vanishing on the spot.

It was as if the green mist had been blown into oblivion by the wind.

Lei Lan and Bai Bi both faltered upon seeing this.

Could it be that this demon beast theyd found so troublesome to deal with had been destroyed by Han Li with a single attack?

However, Han Li showed no signs of stopping. A peculiar look appeared on his face as he abruptly summoned eight streaks of golden sword Qi, which struck eight different spots in the air behind him.

Eight unsettling cries erupted in unison, following which eight clouds of green mist emerged out of thin air, having just barely evaded the streaks of sword Qi.

Eight indistinct green projections of light that were even shorter than the demonic ape from before appeared in mid-air, and one of them exclaimed, You really are capable of detecting our presence!

Han Lis body blurred and in the next instant, he had turned around to face the green projections as he asked, It shouldnt be any surprise that Im able to see through such crude concealment techniques. What kind of demon beast are you? Youre not Resentful Ape Beasts, right? Theres no way that resentful ape beasts could possess these abilities. reewebove.com

Only then did Lei Lan and Bai Bi realize that there were enemies behind them, and they hurriedly turned around with shock and bewilderment in their hearts.

It was quite plain to see that these two possessed powerful cultivation bases and abilities, but they were sorely lacking in practical combat experience. It was no wonder that the Tian Peng Race elders werent optimistic about their chances of completing the trial on their own.

Hehe, dont even think about trying to goad me into telling you my origins! I may not be able to do anything to you on the surface, but here in this earth abyss, even if your cultivation base far outstrips mine, youre definitely no match for me! Another one of the green projections had spoken on this occasion, and eight projections threw their heads back and burst into raucous laughter in unison. Immediately thereafter, green light flashed and eight completely identical demonic apes were manifested.

Green light flashed from these apes hands, and all of them summoned green machetes as they rushed toward Han Lis trio.

Han Li raised an eyebrow as he abruptly raised a hand. The hand turned into a pristine white color, and he spread open his fingers to blast forth a swath of five-colored flames. The flames sped forth at a phenomenal pace, sweeping up the eight demonic apes in the blink of an eye.

Brilliant five-colored spiritual light then erupted from the flames, and the eight demonic apes were slowed down to less than a tenth of their original speed.

Han Li took this opportunity to expel a ball of shimmering silver flames out of his mouth.

The silver flames exploded at his behest, splitting up into eight silver flaming arrows that shot forth in a flash.

The eight silver arrows then punctured the bodies of the restricted demonic apes in an instant. These demonic apes were indeed quite powerful in the earth abyss, but never would they have thought that he would possess such a strange ability capable of slowing them down so significantly.

Thus, they were completely caught off guard, and even though all of the demonic apes could see the oncoming flaming arrows, they were simply far too slow to evade. They only had time to let loose a collective roar of shock and fury before fist-sized holes were punched into their chest, following which silver flames erupted to engulf their bodies.

All of the demonic apes were reduced to plumes of smoke by these silver flames in the blink of an eye.

They hadnt even managed the vast majority of their abilities before they killed, and not even a single wisp of their souls had managed to escape.

The silver flames converged to form a Fire Raven that reentered Han Lis body, and by that point, Lei Lan and Bai Bi were already completely flabbergasted.

Even though they had only had a brief clash with the demonic apes, they could tell that these demon beast were fearsome creatures, and that a prolonged and arduous battle would be required to kill them.

However, Han Li had slain these demonic apes in mere moments, and the stark contrast between expectations and reality had them in complete shock.

Only then did they truly understand the gulf between Han Li and themselves, and their expressions were rather strained as they looked at him.

Lets go. That ape mentioned a mistress earlier, and she most likely wont be as easy to deal with, Han Li said in an indifferent voice before stepping onto the flying carriage again.

The further they advanced in the canyon, the deeper they went into the abyss. The entire space up ahead was completely pitch black without even the slightest hint of light, as if theyd made their way down into an infernal hell.

However, all of the Chi Rong beings eyes were shimmering with piercing red light, allowing them to see in the darkness, so all of them remained quite calm.

Not long after that, a strange cry erupted from the darkness up ahead, and a vast flock of bird-sized bats with purplish-red eyes pounced toward them while letting loose sharp screeches.

Zhu Yinzi was flying at the forefront of the group, and he merely looked on with expressionlessly at the menacing oncoming bats before abruptly flapping his wings.

Countless feathers shot forth amid a flash of red light before transforming into countless streaks of fire that passed through the flock of bats in the blink of an eye.

A series of loud explosions erupted, and all of the bats plummeted from the sky as fireballs with not a single one surviving that attack.

Thus, the Chi Rong beings continued onward without even being slowed down at all, and quickly disappeared into the darkness.

As long as they kept flying along this canyon, theyd be able to reach the second level of the earth abyss after a day and a night.

…

On a vast stretch of red land, a massive black shadow flashed through the air, seemingly fleeing from something in a panicked manner.

Not long after the black shadow flew past, spiritual light flashed in the distant sky, and a dozen or so streaks of spiritual of different colors emerged, flying toward the same direction.

All of these beings had different types of wings growing from their backs, but they all had black tattoos on their faces. They were the beings of the Sevenpass Race, the number one branch among the Flyin Spirit Race.

The thin female child flying at the forefront of the group was none other than Ao Qing, whom all of the holy disciples were wary of.

Ao Qing looked on at the fleeing black shadow up ahead with a cold smile on her face and pursued it in an unhurried manner.

After a while, a burly man among the Sevenpass Race holy disciples couldnt help but suggest, Senior Martial Sister Ao, the direction that this Goldentusk Beast is escaping is diverging away from the entrance to the second level that were heading toward. Wouldnt it be best to kill it now rather than continue to follow it?

Wheres the hurry? Its very rare to encounter pack-dwelling mid-grade demon beasts like the Goldentusk Beast on just the first level of the earth abyss, so we naturally have to kill all of them at once. Are you doubting my ability to complete the trial just because we have to slightly delay our descent into the next level? Ao Qing asked in an emotionless voice.

The burly man was given a fright upon hearing this, and he hurriedly explained, Of course not! I wouldnt dare to think such a thing. Im just afraid that the Infernal Flame Fruits will be taken by the holy disciples from the other branches.

If we really do get there too late, then we can just take other peoples fruits. If that doesnt work, we can always go to the fourth level of the earth abyss, therell definitely be a cast quantity of those fruits down there, Ao Qing chuckled coldly in an implacable manner.

The burly man didnt dare to say anything else upon hearing that.

Thus, they continued to pursue the fleeing black shadow in an unhurried manner like a pride of lions toying with their prey.

…

Amid a vast expanse of rugged rocks, three Flying Spirit Race beings with blue feathered wings on their backs and scales all over their faces had surrounded a demon beast of darkness, and had launched a ferocious assault against it. This demonic creature had the head of a deer and the body of a human, and it was around 20 feet tall.

Black Qi was swirling around its body, and it held a massive black trident in its hands, managing to hold its own even in the face of several holy disciples. Furthermore, it seemed to only be growing more powerful as the battle wore on, and it was instead the three holy disciples who were slowly being forced onto the backfoot. гeewenvel.com

This was only the first level of the earth abyss, so they had no idea how a high-grade demon beast like the Deer-Faced Demon had ended up here.

However, seeing as this carnivorous demon beast was trying to prey on them, they had no choice but to fight for their lives.

Elsewhere, most of the Flying Spirit Race holy disciples on the first level had encountered unexpected troubles. However, there were also some holy disciples who had enjoyed remarkably smooth journeys, and were entering the second level as the Chi Rong beings had.

Meanwhile, in order to avoid the antagonistic Flying Spirit Race branches, Han Li had no choice but to head toward the most secluded entrance, and the flying carriage had flown for over half a day with the trio inside it.

Perhaps it was because this carriages concealment restriction really was working or because there werent many demon beasts on this route to begin with. In any case, they encountered no further complications during the rest of their journey, and after flying for two days and two nights, they had passed through two forests and a set of mountain ranges, arriving in a place deep within the first level of the earth abyss.

At this rate, it would only take them another day to arrive at the entrance to the second level.

Lei Lan and Bai Bi were quite elated by their progress.

However, after flying for several tens of thousands of kilometers further, a vast expanse of black mountain ranges suddenly appeared up ahead.

The three of them immediately stopped the carriage in alarm.

According to the map, there should be a set of plains here, why are there mountain ranges instead? Bai Bi murmured as he looked at the massive mountains up ahead.

Lei Lan was also rather dumbstruck.

Even from a distance, they could tell that all of the mountains in the mountain ranges were extremely tall. Some of them had extended to the very top of the underground world, leaving only small gaps between mountains through which one could pass, and that presented quite a daunting prospect.

No only knew just how long these mountain ranges extended for, nor whether there were any hazards awaiting them inside.

Han Lis eyes narrowed as suddenly exited the flying carriage, then descended onto the nearby ground to carefully inspect something.

Lei Lan and Bai Bi were rather surprised by what Han Li was doing, but after exchanging a quick glance, they also flew out of the carriage and landed beside Han Li.

From the signs nearby, it appears that this set of mountain ranges has only appeared here in the past century. It was most likely moved here by someone with unfathomable power, Han Li said in a slow voice.

Lei Lans face paled upon hearing this, and Bai Bis expression was also rather disgruntled.

Theres no need to panic. Even the Demon Monarchs in the deepest level of the earth abyss arent capable of such a monumental feat through their own power. This was most likely done through the assistance of some kind of treasure or formation. The only alternative possibility is that a True Spirit level demon beast has appeared in the deepest level of the abyss, Han Li said with a smile.

I see. As a holy disciple of the Tian Peng Race, Bai Bi was no ordinary being, and he quickly realized that Han Li was right.

Even so, the situation here isnt quite right. The desert that we passed through earlier also appeared out of nowhere. Why are the demon beasts of the earth abyss doing this? What could their intentions be? A concerned look appeared on Lei Lans face.

Perhaps this is all due to the beast torrent. Even if that isnt the case and theres another reason behind all this, theres no way that the earth abyss trial would be canceled. Hence, all we can do is get to the third level, then bring back the Infernal Flame Fruit as quickly as possible and report these sightings to the higher-ups in our Tian Peng Race, Han Li said in an unflustered manner. After all, he had many similar past experiences, so this was not something new to him.

Youre right, Brother Han. However, this set of mountain ranges really is quite peculiar. If we fly through the gaps between the mountains, who knows what dangers we could encounter? But if we try to go around it… Bai Bi said in a hesitant voice.

We definitely cant go around it, Lei Lan rejected before analyzing, According to the map, on one side of this land is the earth abyss wind belt, while the Black Abyssal Flying Ants nests lay on the other side. The earth abyss winds in the wind belt are far more powerful than the gusts weve encountered before, and the glacial power imbued within them can freeze us instantly, its a renowned restricted area. As for the ants nests, there are hundreds of thousands of flying ants in there. If we try to force our way through it with our cultivation bases, theres at least a 50% chance that wed all die in there.

So that means our only choice is to pass through these mountain ranges, Han Li murmured to himself as he stroked his chin.

Not necessarily. If we go around in an even larger circle, we can skirt around all of these hazards, but thatll take at least an extra seven or eight days. That delay could prove to be extremely detrimental to our search for the Infernal Flame Fruit. Lei Lan was becoming rather hesitant.

Meanwhile, Han Li was staring at the mountain ranges up ahead in silence.

At this moment, both Bai Bi and Lei Lan also fell silent, entrusting the final decision to Han Li.

After a while, Han Li finally made his decision. These mountain ranges give me a very eerie feeling, if we really do go through it, I feel like well encounter some extreme hazards. Even if we can force our way through the mountain ranges, well most likely have expended a large amount of magic power, and that certainly wont hold us in good stead for the rest of the trial. As for entering the second level a few days late, I dont think thats too much of an issue. With these few days of delay, the branches that are targeting us wont be able to predict our route and ambush us. Besides, there are so many trial-takers, and there wont be all that many Infernal Flame Fruits to be found on the second level. I intend to take you two to the third level anyway, so its better to waste some time rather than face the unknown dangers within those mountain ranges.

He then flew back into the flying carriage. Lei Lan and Bai Bi held a brief discussion through voice transmission upon seeing this before also returning to the carriage.

Brother Han, I think we should discuss this matter in further depth. Perhaps the mountain ranges arent as dangerous as we imagine, Bai Bi said as soon as he entered the carriage.

Even though he felt like Han Lis decision made sense, he still couldnt help but feel that wasting so much time was not wise.

Speak no further, I wont enter these mountain ranges, Han said in an indifferent voice, cutting off what Bai Bi was about to say next.

The carriage then shot forth toward another direction at his behest.

Seeing as Han Li was so determined, Bai Bi heaved a resigned sigh and fell silent. Lei Lan didnt contribute anything further to the conversation, either,

Unbeknownst to two of them, Han Li was not feeling anywhere near as resolute and assured as he appeared.

At this moment, a wisp of his spiritual sense was connected to the Weeping Soul Beast inside his spirit beast bracelet, trying to soothe the beasts violent and uneasy emotions. At the same time, he was wondering what could the cause of its emotional outburst.

Just as he was approaching those mountain ranges earlier, the Weeping Soul Bead within his body suddenly began to heat up. His heart jolted with shock in response, and he hurriedly established a connection with the Weeping Soul Beast in his spirit beast bracelet. As a result, he discovered that the beast was in an extremely abnormal ruffled state, growling incessantly while rushing around in an erratic manner.

Yes, Mistress! The short furry figure shuddered as it ducked its head even lower.

Go, now. Ill be returning to the third level on my own, the woman instructed before tapping a foot on the massive black flower beneath her.

Black light immediately flashed from the gigantic flower as silver formations of different sizes appeared over its surface. Silver light then flashed and bursts of inky-black mist billowed out from these formations, forming a sea of mist that enshrouded the entire giant flower in the blink of an eye.

A rumbling thunderclap erupted from within the mist, following which the sea of mist was dispelled by gusts of fierce winds amid a few arcs of flashing silver lightning.

The flower and the slender woman abruptly disappeared on the spot, and only the furry figure remained, still half-knelt on the ground.

After around the five minutes, the short humanoid figure finally rose to its feet and slowly raised its head, revealing a set of ape-like facial features and two pairs of ears. Its green eyes were quite small, but they were shimmering with a cold and sinister light.

This was a Resentful Ape Beast with dark yellow fur, and it seemed to have attained intelligence. The demonic ape appraised its surroundings before abruptly opening its mouth to expel a burst of yellow mist that enshrouded the remains of the giant flower.

An incredible turn of events unfolded!

Within this yellow mist, the Giant Spirit Flower quickly disintegrated into a vast expanse of viscous green liquid. The mist then swept up this green liquid and drew it into the demonic apes stomach.

The ape then closed its eyes while green light appeared within its nostrils and four ears. At the same time, its yellow fur had turned green and was shimmering faintly.

This Resentful Ape Beast stood still on the spot for a long while two of its four ears suddenly twitched slightly.

Not long after this, a ball of red light flashed from the distance.

There was a portly man within the red light who appeared to be in his thirties, and he had a pair of green wings on his back, as well as a pair of sharp horns on his head. A cunning light was shimmering from his beady eyes, and he was a holy disciple from one of the other branches of the Flying Spirit Race.

For some reason, he had chosen the same route as Han Li and the others, and he appeared to be traveling alone. However, this man appeared to be extremely cautious, so it had naturally already noticed the demonic ape up ahead.

Thus, the fatso stopped in mid-air several hundred feet away from the demonic ape before looking down at it with a hint of surprise on his face.

Even though the demonic ape had converted the remains of the Giant Spirit Flower into liquid and consumed it, the fissures on the ground from when the giant black flower had emerged were quite astonishing to behold.

Meanwhile, the demonic ape stood motionlessly on the spot with his eyes tightly shut while green light flashed within his nose and ears. It seemed to have completely detached itself from the outside world.

As such, this scene struck the onlooker with the illusion that the ape had just fought some kind of gargantuan being and had sustained severe injuries in the process. As a result, it was forced to entering a state of recuperation, thereby rendering it completely defenseless.

That was clearly the conclusion that the holy disciple had arrived at, and a hint of excitement appeared on his face at the sight of the demonic ape.

Even though the objective of this trial wasnt to kill demons, being able to slay a high-grade earth abyss demon beast would undoubtedly earn him bountiful rewards such as its demon core, as well as other ingredients and materials that could be procured from its body.

No one would be willing to give up a chunk of delicious meat that was there for the taking.

However, this holy disciple was extremely cautious and didnt spring into action in a reckless manner. Instead, he surveyed the demonic ape in silence from afar.

After a long while, the demonic ape still hadnt moved at all, and he was finally lulled into a sense of security. A sinister smile appeared on his face as he abruptly rubbed his hands together.

A ball of flames erupted from between his palms, and the flames then transformed into a log fiery spear that was around 20 feet in length.

The tip of the spear was extremely sharp, and it was enshrouded in a layer of scorching crimson flames.

The holy disciple then spread its wings and sped toward the demonic ape as a streak of red light.

Even though this holy disciple had a rather portly figure, he was unleashed some kind of secret technique that not only allowed him to fly extremely quickly, it also ensured a soundless flight, thereby resulting in an extremely stealthy approach.

In the blink of an eye, the streak of red light had appeared just over 100 feet away from the demonic ape, yet the demon beast remained standing motionlessly on the spot.

The holy disciple was ecstatic to see this, and he immediately thrust forth his spear without any hesitation.

The spear whistled through the air as a streak of red light before puncturing the demonic apes body in a flash.

However, an elated expression had only just appeared on his face before it changed drastically.

The body of the demonic ape had vanished right after the fiery spear had punctured it, and it was thus revealed to have only been a projection.

Crap!

The holy disciple immediately flapped his wings with alarm to try and flee the scene.

However, it was already too late.

A blurry green figure suddenly appeared in the air above before pouncing onto the mans body in a flash. A dull thump erupted, and a ball of green mist exploded before enshrouding the holy disciples entire body.

A bloodcurdling howl rang out as the red spiritual light around the mans body vanished like snow melting under the scorching sun, having been completely eroded by the green mist.

The holy disciple only flew for around 100 feet further before plummeting to the ground as a puddle of green liquid.

This holy disciple hadnt even had a chance to unleash any of his abilities before he had been slain.

At this moment, the green mist surged before manifesting into that demonic ape again.

The ape took a cold glance at the liquid on the ground before opening its mouth to consume it. In hindsight, this holy disciple really had perished in extremely unfortunate circumstances.

If everything had taken place above the ground, where he wouldve had full access to his spiritual sense, there was no way that he wouldve been deceived so easily by a projection, and he certainly wouldve sensed the demonic apes presence before it had gotten so close to him.

The demonic ape smacked its lips before murmuring to itself in a thoughtful manner, That was a Flying Spirit Tribe being, eh? That makes sense, considering the date of their trials commencement is about to arrive soon. That means the ones who had destroyed the Giant Spirit Flower were most likely from the Flying Spirit Tribe as well.

With that in mind, the demonic ape sniffed the air before turning its gaze toward the direction that Han Lis trio had departed in.

A sinister smile appeared on its face as it flew through the air as a cloud of green mist, disappearing into the distance in the blink of an eye.

…

What? You want us to take this? Lei Lans brows were tightly furrowed as she appraised the shimmering white jade badge in her had with bewilderment in her eyes.

Bai Bi was also holding an identical object with puzzlement in his eyes.

These two jade badges were both pristine and translucent with silver runes on their surfaces, and it was quite apparent that they were extremely valuable items.

Han Li had suddenly produced them a moment ago and asked the two holy disciples to carry the badges with them.

Aside from protective properties, the main functions of these badges are aura concealment and location tracking. If some kind of mishap occurs and we end up being separated, we may be able to find one another again using these badges, Han Li explained.

These two badges were treasures known as Limitless Badges, and hed purchased them in Deep Heaven City for a high price. The current situation was perfect for their usage. At this moment, they had emerged from the desert and were situated on a small mountain.

As a safety precaution, Han Li had produced these two treasures and was asking the two holy disciples to take one each.

Thank you for your kind offer, Brother Han, but I dont have a habit of carrying other peoples treasures, Lei Lan refused with a dark expression.

Bai Bi also shook his head with a faint smile on his face.

Han Li didnt force the issue, he merely stowed the jade badges away with a faint chuckle.

Seeing as youre unwilling to carry the badges, then so be it. However, seeing as mid-grade demon beasts have appeared even on the first level, it appears our journey wont be devoid of risk as wed initially thought. I have a flying treasure with concealment abilities. If we continue in our journey using it as a transportation device, it could spare us a lot of trouble, Han Li suggested.

Im fine with flying treasures, Lei Lan agreed with a smile on this occasion.

Bai Bi also nodded in response.

Han Li smiled as he swept a hand over his storage bracelet, upon which a yellow flying carriage that was narrow up front and wider at the back appeared before them.

The carriage appeared to have been refined from some kind of spirit wood and seemed to be very light. However, it also appeared to have been very intricately constructed, and many formations seemed to have been set up on it.

The carriage was around 70 to 80 feet in size, so it was more than enough to house the three of them.

This was one of the flying carriages that Han Li had collected prior to departing from Deep Heaven City so he had a variety to choose from depending on the situation.

Lei Lan and Bai Bi glanced at one another before following Han Li onto the carriage.

Han Li patted the flying carriage, casting several incantation seals into it. The carriage immediately tremored before a white barrier of light appeared over it, enshrouding the entire flying carriage within.

As the barrier of light swirled, the entire carriage gradually became transparent until it was virtually invisible.

The carriage then sped into the distance.

Brother Han, why didnt you use this treasure from the start? Bai Bi asked with a smile after inspecting the carriage for a while.

This carriage is very useful, but it has a flaw, Han Li replied in an ambiguous manner.

And what flaw is that? Lei Lan was also getting rather curious.

Hehe, if I want to use this carriages concealment ability, I have to power it with high-grade wood-attribute spirit stones, and the expenditure is quite high. Furthermore, aside from having decent concealment abilities and speed, this carriages defensive properties are quite lackluster, so it can easily be destroyed by attacks. As such, I wouldnt normally use it unless it was necessary to do so, Han Li explained.

Bai Bi and Lei Lan nodded in response and didnt make any further inquiries.

Thus, the flying carriage whizzed through the air, disappearing into the distance in the blink of an eye.

Unbeknownst to Han Lis trio, in the extremely far distance behind them, a ball of green mist faltered in mid-air before a low roar of rage erupted from within it. Immediately thereafter, it also accelerated as it hurtled ahead.

Within a canyon that was closes to the gate leading to the first level of the earth abyss, there was a group of seven or eight Flying Spirit Tribe beings advancing in a cautious manner.

The being leading the way had red skin and dark expression on his face. These were none other than Zhu Yinzi and the Chi Rong Race holy disciples.

Sure. Bai Bi was rather unwilling to comply with Lei Lans suggestion, but didnt offer any objections seeing as Han Li hadnt turned down this proposal.

Thus, the three of them changed directions and headed straight toward the place where the scent of blood was emanating from.

After flying for close to 10 kilometers, a smudge of green appeared up ahead, and there really was an oasis there that was around half a kilometer in size.

The three of them arrived in the air above the oasis in the blink of an eye.

In reality, the so-called oasis was black and yellow in color, and there were almost no tall trees there. Most of the plants growing on the oasis were a few short bushes and unknown weeds.

There was a pond that was over 100 feet in size situated at the center of the oasis, but the water within the pond was crimson in color. The bodies of a dozen or so black abyss beasts of different sizes littered the ground beside the pond, and they had all been punctured by a series of stone spikes.

The blood within these carcasses was flowing relentlessly into the pond, and the entire oasis was filled with the nauseating scent of blood and gore.

Why would these beasts have appeared in the desert? They should be inhabiting the forest that we just passed through, Lei Lan mused with a surprised expression.

Theyve only been recently slain. Otherwise, their blood wouldve coagulated, Bai Bi analyzed after some close inspection.

Meanwhile, Han Li appraised the situation before suddenly flying in circles around the oasis.

Moments later, he returned to his original spot and fixed his gaze on that crimson pond.

Did you discover something, Brother Han? Lei Lan asked in a curious voice.

I have, indeed, Han Li replied as he swept a sleeve toward the ground.

A burst of golden light shot forth before splitting up into seven or eight streaks of sword Qi that disappeared into the ground around the pond.

Lei Lan and Bai Bi both faltered upon seeing this, yet before they realized what was happening, a series of anguished howls suddenly erupted from the spots where the streaks of sword Qi hand punctured the ground, following which several bursts of black blood came flowing to the surface. The nearby ground exploded as several ape-like demons emerged.

Each and every one of these ape demons was several feet tall with two pairs of ears. They were all wielding crude stone spears, but the tips of those spears were emanating faint white light.

As soon as those apes appeared, Bai Bi recalled something before exclaiming, Those are Resentful Ape Beasts! That means this oasis is an illusion created by a Giant Spirit Flower!

Giant Spirit Flower? Lei Lan exclaimed while Han Lis eyes flashed.

Right at this moment, violent tremors ran through the ground beneath them amid a series of rumbling booms.

At the same time, a crimson shadow flew forth from the blood water in the pond, appearing in front of Han Li in a flash before pouncing viciously toward his face.

Lei Lan and Bai Bi were alarmed to see this, but the crimson shadow was far too fast for them to offer their assistance to Han Li.

However, Han Li himself merely harrumphed coldly as his arm shot forth in a blur.

Following a loud thump, a hand that was as pristine white as jade appeared before him like lightning, catching that crimson shadow firmly in its grasp.

Only then did the holy disciples catch a clear glimpse of the creatures. This was a crimson being that was around as thick as a human arm and resembled a long tongue. There was a fist-sized ball of flesh growing on the front part of its body, which was riddled with black spikes that were around an inch in length each, and all of these spikes were squirming incessantly.

However, it was as if Han Lis hand wasnt even made from blood and flesh as he was able to grasp directly onto those black spikes without any fear of injury.

Right at this moment, five white skulls suddenly emerged from his five fingers. The skulls opened their mouths in unison, and a burst of five-colored flames erupted from within.

Almost in the blink of an eye, the tongue-like creature was frozen into a strip of five-colored ice.

Han Li immediately swatted the frozen creature, and it shattered amid the sound of cracking chinaware before disintegrating into a swath of light.

A thunderous demonic roar erupted from the ground below, and it seemed to be filled with pain and fury. Crimson light swirled within the pond, and the blood water vanished in the blink of an eye. The entire oasis then crumbled amid a resounding boom, revealing a massive object.

The top of the object was absolutely gargantuan, while its bottom was extremely thin. It was a massive demonic flower of a similar size to the oasis that had been present until a moment ago.

The petals of this demonic flower were of the same silver hue as the sand in this desert, but the core of the flower was as crimson as blood and was formed from the blood pond. The tongue-like creature that had just attacked Han Li was only one of its thick filaments.

Not only that, but several tens of those so-called Resentful Ape Beasts were standing atop the flowers gigantic petals, and all of these beasts were looking upward with sinister expressions. At the same time, they made hurling motions with the spears in their hands, and several tens of foot-long stone spikes appeared before flying toward Han Lis trio.

So this is a Giant Spirit Flower? It is indeed quite interesting, but isnt this flower a mid-grade demon beast? Arent there supposed to be very few mid-grade demon beasts on the first level? Han Li mused with a faint smile.

On this occasion, there was no need for him to do anything. Lei Lan and Bai Bi raised their hands in unison, sending for a vast expanse of silver lightning and golden threads that intertwined to pulverize the oncoming stone spikes.

Just because there are very few of them doesnt mean that they wont appear, Brother Han. On top of that, we chose to commence the trial at a very bad time as this is the exact time period before the demon beast torrent of the earth abyss. Hence, its not all that strange to see mid-grade demon beasts appear on the first level, Lei Lan explained with furrowed brows.

Even though this was a mid-grade demon beast, it was far less troublesome of an opponent that those Yin Spider Wasps from before, so she remained completely unfazed.

Is that so? Ive heard that this flowers nectar is an exceptional pill refinement ingredient. Seeing as weve encountered one, why dont procure some of this nectar? Han Li suggested with a smile as he suddenly flicked his 10 fingers downward.

10 small golden swords shot forth from between his fingers, hurtling downward as 10 streaks of golden light.

A loud roar erupted from the core of the flower, following which countless red shadows shot forth, attempting to strike down the flying swords.

If a normal Flying Spirit Race being were to encounter such a ferocious attack, it would be quite a headache for them to deal. However, Han Li merely pointed a finger toward his flying sword, and brilliant golden light erupted from the swords, completely vanquishing the oncoming red shadows.

The golden light then swayed once again to manifest several tens of streaks of identical sword Qi that came raining down from above.

The Resentful Ape Beasts seemed to be aware that they were facing a crisis of life and death upon seeing this, and they let loose sharp screeches as they hurled forth their stone spears. All of the spears also transformed into tens of streaks of white light midflight as they flew toward the streaks of sword Qi.

However, these crude stone spears were naturally no match for the powerful Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords. As such, they were immediately reduced to powdered stone in the face of the sharp flying swords.

Immediately thereafter, the streaks of golden sword Qi merely flew around the Resentful Ape Beasts, and all of them were sliced in half.

At the same time, the streaks of sword Qi sliced viciously into the demonic flower, instantly shredding it into countless pieces. The massive flower crashed heavily onto the ground with large volumes of green liquid flowing from it all over the ground.

The Giant Spirit Flower and those Resentful Ape Beasts had been slain by Han Li in one fell swoop.

Lei Lan and Bai Bi were left with nothing to do, and they could only glance at each other with wry smiles on their faces.

Alright, Ill go down and get some nectar, and well continue in our journey after that, Han Li instructed as he withdrew his flying swords.

He then descended toward the ground before flipping his hand over to produce a small green vial, which he pointed toward the now incomplete core of the flower.

A burst of azure light immediately shot forth, sweeping over the flowers core and extracting balls of pink liquid that entered the vial.

Han Li shook the small vial, and a peculiar fragrance wafted toward him. A smile appeared on his face, and the small vial disappeared amid a flash of azure light.

Lei Lan and Bai Bi also descended before producing containers to extract some nectar for themselves.

Lets go. Han Li spread his wings and rose into the air again.

Bai Bi immediately followed suit as a streak of golden light. Lei Lan was about to do the same when she cast a glance at the remains of the giant flower on the ground, and for some reason, she decided to flick a finger toward it.

A loud thunderclap erupted as an arc of silver lightning shot forth, striking and destroying the yellow branch that remained connected to the demonic flower.

Only then did she spread her wings and fly toward Han Li and Bai Bi.

Thus, the three of them disappeared in the blink of an eye, and peace and quiet returned to the area.

Two hours later, the ground nearby suddenly tremored, following which several massive black tendrils abruptly emerged from the ground amid a resounding boom. Immediately thereafter, a black demonic flower that was several times larger than the Giant Spirit Flower that had just been destroyed appeared from the ground below.

The flower was like a gigantic mountain, and the tendrils connected to it slapped onto the ground, thereby allowing it to stabilize itself. Right at this moment, an enraged voice sounded from atop the flower. Who would dare to destroy the spirit flower?

At the center of the giant black flower, there was a silver wooden chair, atop which sat a slender figure holding a green leather whip with a set of blurry facial features.

Yellow light flashed, and a furry figure suddenly appeared before the silver chair. It immediately half-knelt onto the ground in an extremely respectful manner as it said, Theres no need to be enraged, Mistress. The flower appears to only have been destroyed recently, so the perpetrators couldnt have gotten far away. Allow me to do some investigating first.

Alright, then. I still have to conduct the sacrificial ceremony, so Ill leave this to you. Regardless of who it is, make sure that they die for what they did, the woman said in a cold voice before cracking her whip into the empty air.

A white rift appeared in a flash, and spatial fluctuations erupted nearby. Immediately thereafter, boundless black mist erupted from within the white rift, and it appeared that space had been torn open by the whip.

It was said that the earth abyss had seven levels, and each successive level was far more vast than the previous one. Even so, the area of the first level was certainly nothing to be scoffed at. As such, it would take around four to five days for Han Lis trio to reach the entrance they were heading toward.

The journey was quite smooth on the first day. They flew over a dense forest the entire time and occasionally encountered a few groups of suicidal beasts, but no mishaps occurred.

However, on the morning of the second day, all three of them were suddenly struck by the feeling that their surroundings had darkened significantly.

Han Li looked up with a surprised expression to find that the grey mist in the air above, which had been emanating faint light, had disappeared. It had been replaced by a vast expanse of black rocks that were situated in the air at altitudes of over 100,00 feet, and there were stalactites hanging from them.

There were even some lush patches of moss and vines growing along the surface of these rocks.

Theyd flown out of the area encompassed by the gate of the earth abyss and finally officially arrived in the first level of the underground world.

Thankfully, the trees here all glowed with a faint light, perhaps due to the fact that theyd been growing in darkness for long periods of time, and there were unknown minerals on the ground that were also shimmering faintly.

As such, their surroundings werent entirely pitch-black, and they could still see many things even from a distance.

It was just that the feeling in the air had completely changed in that surroundings seemed to have become more sinister and menacing.

Furthermore, the occasional clouds of black mist and gusts of frosty winds that swept toward them further contributed to this harrowing sensation.

However, what was especially worthy of note was that not long after theyd flown into this dark area, Han Li felt his spiritual sense being restricted, and he could only release it out of his body for several hundred feet.

He had mastered the Great Development Technique, so his spiritual sense was far superior to cultivators of the same cultivation base. As such, Bai Bi and Lei Lan were most likely only able to release their spiritual sense for several tens of feet at most.

With that in mind, Han Li cast his spiritual sense behind him, and sure enough, both of the holy disciples were wearing grim expressions on their faces.

However, none of them were all that surprised by this occurrence.

Prior to departing from the holy city, the Tian Peng Race elders had warned them about this.

Not only did intruders like them have their spiritual sense handicapped, even the native dark demon beasts of the earth abyss were also afflicted by this. However, these demon beasts had been dwelling in the earth abyss for a long time, so they were already accustomed to this handicap. In contrast, the beings of the Flying Spirit Race were naturally yet to acclimatize to this, and it was quite an unsettling experience for most.

In spite of this, Han Li remained completely unfazed. After all, it wasnt the first time that hed encountered a situation where his spiritual sense had been restricted, so he was quite experienced.

After flying onward for several more hours, Han Lis brows suddenly furrowed. He raised a hand and quickly pointed a finger toward the moonlight stones hovering up ahead.

All of these moonlight stones immediately exploded and disappeared into nothingness.

The azure light flashing from Han Lis body also faded as he came to an abrupt halt.

Their surroundings had become blurry and indistinct, and even the black winds sweeping toward them seemed to have cooled even further.

Bai Bi and Lei Lan had also reflexively faltered in their flight, but neither of them knew why Han Li had stopped.

A curious look appeared on Lei Lans face, but before the two of them had a chance to raise any questions, a gentle buzzing sound suddenly rang out from their surroundings. This sound then gradually intensified, following which countless green specks of light appeared before rapidly converging toward the three of them.

Yin Spider Wasps! Lei Lan immediately exclaimed with alarm.

Bai Bis expression also changed drastically upon hearing this.

Indeed. These low-grade demonic wasps are the most troublesome to deal with among all of the low-grade demon beasts of the earth abyss. They like to attack all moving and glowing objects, so they mustve been attracted by the moonlight stones, Han Li said in a calm voice.

Even without that introduction from Han Li, Lei Lan and Bai Bi were well aware of the behavioral patterns of these wasps.

Within the balls of green light, there were countless tiny sinister creatures with the upper bodies of spiders and the lower bodies of wasps. Their bodies were entirely green in color with an exception of a series of yellow rings, and they gave off a very sinister appearance.

From a rough visual estimation, it appeared that there were over 10,000 of these demonic wasps hanging in the air around them.

As such, even early-Spirit Generals like Bai Bi and Lei Lan were forced to regard the situation with caution.

It wasnt that they were fearful of these mere demonic wasps. It was just that with their vast numbers, killing all of them would expend quite a bit of energy, and they had only just entered the first level, so they didnt want to engage in any unnecessary battles.

However, these demonic wasps didnt appear to be willing to let them leave without a fight, so they could only prepare for battle.

One of them spread open their wings, which were crackling with thin arcs of silver lightning while the other made a hand seal, and faint golden threads of light appeared behind around their body.

Han Li glanced at the two of them before opening his mouth to expel a ball of silver flames.

The fireball transformed into a fist-sized silver Fire Raven in a flash.

The Fire Raven spread its wings before self-detonating on the spot, transforming into over 100 silver sparks that spilled forth in all directions.

An incredible scene then ensued.

As soon as the silver sparks entered the surrounding specks of green light, the latter was instantly snuffed out.

Even though there were only just over 100 of these silver sparks, the green specks of light in the surrounding area were completely unable to bypass them en route to Han Lis trio.

Bai Bi and Lei Lan were quite astonished to see this.

Yin Spider Wasps were renowned for being extremely troublesome to deal with, so they naturally werent that easy to destroy. These wasps were actually manifestations of a type of dark impure energy, so it was very difficult to kill them with normal attacks. Even if they were slain by physical attacks, they could draw upon the aura of darkness around them to recover to full health in a very short time. The only way to completely eradicate them was to completely destroy their bodies, leaving no trace behind.

That was why these demonic wasps were so renowned as troublesome obstacles despite the fact that they were only low-grade demon beasts. Of course, these demonic wasps only posed such a major hindrance in a place like this that was rife with the aura of darkness. If they were to appear above the ground, then theyd immediately lose this ability.

In fact, many other demon beasts in the earth abyss were significantly more powerful in this environment, and would be severely debilitated if they were to be taken out of their natural habitat.

This was also the main reason why the Flying Spirit Race was able to seal off the entrance to the earth abyss so effectively. If the earth abyss demon beasts didnt possess this glaring weakness, then the Flying Spirit Race wouldnt be able to restrict them so easily.

The Spirit Engulfing Heavenly Flames appeared to be drifting through the air in a gentle and harmless manner, but in reality, every single spark completely incinerated a Yin Spider Wasp as soon as contact was made, and even the aura of darkness within their bodies was completely engulfed.

As such, there was naturally no way for these wasps to recover.

Furthermore, the Spirit Engulfing Heavenly Flames possessed traces of spiritual nature, so they could attack enemies of their own accord even without instructions from Han Lis spiritual sense.

As such, Han Li merely stood in mid-air for a while with his hands clasped behind his back, and all of the Yin Spider Wasps were completely eradicated.

He then waved a hand through the air in a casual manner, and all of the silver sparks converged to form a fist-sized Fire Raven again, which disappeared into his body in a flash.

Lets go, Han Li prompted before flying ahead as a streak of azure light.

Lei Lan and Bai Bi could only forcibly repress the astonishment in their hearts as they followed along in silence.

Regardless of how conceited they were or what they thought of Han Li, after that display of power, they no longer expressed any signs of opposition to Han Lis orders.

Thus, the three of them travel through this humid forest for a day and a night before finally emerging on the other side.

The scenes up ahead changed drastically, and the trio was greeted by the sight of a strange silver desert. From afar, it appeared that every single grain of sand in the entire desert was emanating a cold light, creating an extremely bleak and barren sight.

Is my memory playing tricks on me? According to the annotations on the map, this should be a large river, why is it a desert instead? Han Li hovered in mid-air as he carefully inspected a formation plate with a hint of surprise on his face.

Youre right, Brother Han, this is indeed where a river should be on the map. Bai Bi and Lei Lan were also quite bewildered after inspecting their maps.

Could it be that the rivers dried out, and all of the water has seeped into the second level? Lei Lan speculated.

Doesnt look like it. Even if all the water has seeped away, whats this desert doing here? Han Li immediately shook his head in disagreement.

Then what do you think happened here, Brother Han? Bai Bi asked with a smile.

I dont know, but theres no need for us to delve any further into this matter. Were merely traveling, not conducting a geographic survey of the earth abyss. Lets keep going, just make sure to keep your guard up after we enter the desert, Han Li replied in a calm voice following a brief silence.

Thats true, Bai Bi chuckled.

Thus, the three of them flew into the silver desert up ahead as streaks of spiritual light.

Even though they had spoken about this place in a rather nonchalant manner, all of them reflexively flew a little fast after entering the desert, trying to get away from this slightly unsettling place as quickly as possible. freewenovel.cm

The three of them flew for tens of thousands of kilometers, but they were still greeted by nothing but silver grains of sand, and not even a single blade of grass had been sighted.

All of a sudden, Han Lis expression changed as blue light flashed through his eyes, and he abruptly turned toward a certain direction. Whats that?

What is it, Brother Han? Bai Bi asked with a hint of alarm.

There appears to be an oasis over there, and I can detect the scent of blood in the air, Han Li replied in a solemn voice.

I can also smell that, and its indeed coming from that direction, Lei Lan chimed in with furrowed brows.

Could it have been left behind by some earth abyss beasts? Bai Bi speculated in a hesitant voice.

That doesnt seem to be the case. The worlds origin Qi over there is clearly a little chaotic, which suggests that some kind of ability had been unleashed there. We should go and have a look, Lei Lan suggested.

Hehe, what are you all still thinking about? Could it be that you intend to stay here until three months later? A burst of loud laughter erupted from within the crowd, following which a humanoid figure sped toward the distance as a white blur.

There were several people behind him following along in silence, and they appeared to be brethren of his.

Seeing as someone was leading the way, many people in the crowd also banded together to fly toward the rift beneath the mist.

Moments later, only a small portion of people remained on the same spot.

These people were chatting among themselves, completely unfazed by the fact that their competition was getting a headstart on them.

Han Li and the Chi Rong beings were among these people.

Following a resounding boom, the massive gate behind them slowly fell shut. Five-colored light swirled over its surface, following which the gate disappeared without a trace.

A stir ran through the remaining people upon seeing this. Lets go. Han Li swept his gaze across the giant wall where the silver gate had disappeared before waving a hand and flying through the air as a streak of azure light following a flap of his wings.

Bai Bi and Lei Lan immediately followed along as a ball of silver light and a ball of golden light, respectively.

As soon as Han Li and the others departed, several beings from foreign races focused their attention on his group.

Aside from Chi Rong beings, there were a few holy disciples from other unfamiliar Flying Spirit Race branches, and all of them looked on with cold and sinister expressions as Han Li and the other gradually faded into the distance.

Only after Han Li and the others had disappeared into the mist for a long while did Zhu Yinzi also spur the Chi Rong beings into action.

At this moment, there were only beings a dozen or so Flying Spirit Race branches remaining at the foot of the massive wall.

Most of these were branches that were quite powerful and situated very high up on the rankings. However, these people all wore indecisive expressions, and they were casting occasional glances toward the two of the remaining holy disciples.

One of them was a thin female child with dark skin, she was none other than Ao Qing of the Sevenpass Race. In contrast, the other person was a tall and broad man in a suit of black wooden armor. The man appeared to over 30 years of age with an unsettling light flashing within his two pairs of eyes. There was a broadsword that was of the same stature as him strapped to his back, and it was shimmering with cold golden light. It was unknown why he didnt place such a large object into a spatial storage device.

For some reason, all of the remaining holy disciples of the other power factions were waiting to see what these two were to do, and no one else departed.

After a while, the stalemate continued, and Ao Qings brows furrowed slightly. She then giggled before flying away with a dozen or so of her brethren.

A cold light flashed through the eyes of the four-eyed man upon seeing this, and he strode forward, covering a distance of several tens of feet with a single step, pursuing Ao Qing as he also departed. Three men from the same race who were just as imposing as he was followed along behind him in silence.

All of the other Flying Spirit Tribe beings expressions eased at the sight of their departure.

Many people even immediately gathered together to discuss some things.

After a while, these people departed in several successive waves as if everything had been planned out in advance.

Thus, the several hundred Flying Spirit Tribe holy disciples all disappeared into the black lands up ahead.

The area near the massive wall was now devoid of all beings.

At the same time, Han Li, Bai Bi, and Lei Lan were slowly flying through the air at low altitudes of just over 100 feet. The completely still and motionless grey mist up above was only just over 200 feet above their heads, and it stretched for as far as the eyes could see. That, paired with its monotonous and stifling grey hue made for a very depressing and oppressive effect.

What was even more curious was that despite the fact that they were in such a narrow space, there were occasional gusts of stiff winds that blew toward them from up ahead, and those winds were quite chilly.

Of course, these winds couldnt harm Han Li and the others, who were all at the Deity Transformation Stage, and they were able to easily shield themselves with spiritual light.

Even though many holy disciples had set off before them, most people didnt take the same path. Instead, many of them intentionally looped around in a large circle before advancing from another direction. This was to avoid encountering the holy disciples from the other branches prior to entering the earth abyss, thereby potentially leading to conflicts.

Han Li had also done the same.

After flying for just over 50 kilometers, he led the other two holy disciples to stray away from their original trajectory, choosing to forge ahead from another direction instead.

A distance of over 5,000 kilometers wasnt all that far at all for holy disciples like them.

As such, even though theyd intentionally slowed their speed, they still arrived at their destination after two hours.

The scenes up ahead had undergone a change. The sea of mist that had originally hung quite low in the air had risen to a higher altitude here, and the frosty winds sweeping toward them were much fiercer here. The color of the winds had also turned into a dark grey, and as it buffetted their bodies, layers of black ice and frost instantly materialized on their spiritual light barriers.

Of course, these winds were still unable to pose any threat to Han Lis trio, but all of them thickened the layer of protective spiritual light around their bodies.

A while later, all of them had emerged from those strange black winds, and they appeared in an unfamiliar place.

This was a flat space with an indeterminate radius, and their surroundings were enshrouded by those frosty black winds. There was still the same grey mist hanging in the air, but its altitude had risen to over 10,000 feet, and it was tumbling and surging erratically, creating a vastly different sight from the sea of mist they witnessed during the previous parts of their journey. However, none of that caught the attention of Han Lis trio. Instead, all of them were looking down below.

The black land down below had completely disappeared, and a gargantuan bottomless abyss stood in its place. There was black mist wafting throughout the entire abyss, and gusts of frosty black winds would occasionally billow out from within.

Han Li scanned his eyes downward to discover that he was unable to determine the dimension of this abyss, just as hed been unable to ascertain the dimensions of the space they were currently situated in.

The three of them hung in mid-air by the abyss, and in the face of this vast space and colossal abyss, they were as insignificant as mere ants.

This appears to be the gate of the earth trial. Lets descend, but be on your guard. Even though its unlikely that well encounter earth abyss demons right away, its still better to be safe than sorry. After appraising the abyss for a short while, Han Li issued a calm instruction for flapping his wings and plunging into the abyss, disappearing into the black mist following a few flashes.

Bai Bi and Lei Lan immediately followed suit.

Han Li slowly descended into the abyss with azure light flashing all of his body, and seven or eight fist-sized moonlight stones hovering around him. These stones were radiating white light that illuminated everything within an area of over 300 feet.

Looking around at the tumbling mist nearby, Han Li heaved a faint internal sigh.

The mist hadnt been very dense when he had first descended into the abyss, and he was able to clearly survey his surroundings even without using his spirit eyes.

However, after descending for tens of thousands of feet, the mist immediately became several times denser.

With Bai Bi and Lei Lan following close behind him, he naturally wasnt going to use his spirit eyes unless the situation absolutely demanded its usage, so he summoned these moonlight stones instead.

As such, he was able to see his surroundings with relative clarity.

However, it was just as hed expected, this earth abyss gate was extremely vast, and even though they were so deep within the abyss already, they were still yet to encounter any demons.

This was naturally something that Han Li really liked to see.

After descending for a while longer, the mist down below suddenly became more sparse, and the black winds that had appeared from time to time had also disappeared.

Han Li and the others stirred upon seeing this. They knew that they were about finally about to reach the first level of the earth abyss.

A short while later, Han Li peered through the thin mist down below with narrowed eyes, and finally saw something different.

A black and yellow stretch of land had appeared before his eyes, and it as quite a lush land with massive trees growing on it and even a few strange-looking grey birds circling around in the air.

As soon as Han Li and the others emerged from the mist, Bai Bi murmured, This should be the world of the earth abyss. It doesnt look like anything special.

The first level of the earth abyss has been corrupted by the aura of darkness for a long time, but its the most shallow of the seven layers. As such, aside from some demon beasts of the lowest caliber, there are also large numbers of normal beasts residing here. However, all of these beasts are extremely violent, and the vast majority of them are ferocious carnivorous beasts. The most powerful ones among these beasts are not inferior in power to low-grade demon beasts, Lei Lan explained.

Han Li remained completely expressionless, as if he were looking at but not seeing the scenes that lay before him. In reality, he had instantly swept his spiritual sense across an area with a radius of over 1,000 kilometers, and didnt discover the presence of any holy disciples or other powerful beings. It appeared that this place was definitely safe.

Lets go down, Han Li instructed before descending.

Lei Lan and Bai Bi naturally followed along behind him.

An unsettling cry erupted as the grey birds down below discovered the presence of Han Lis trio, and they immediately pounced without any hesitation.

Han Li narrowed his eyes, and only now did he catch a clear glimpse of these strange birds. Their beaks were long and thick, and were filled to the brim with sharp fangs. There wasnt a single feather to be seen on their bodies, and all of them had strange grey skin as well as a bent single horn growing on each of their heads.

Han Li harrumphed coldly as he flicked a few fingers through the air.

Several streaks of golden sword Qi shot forth in a flash, instantly puncturing the bodies of these birds. Blood rained down from above as these birds plummeted toward the ground.

However, before their carcasses had even fallen into the forest, a few thunderous roars erupted, following which the ground below began to tremor violently. It appeared that there were many massive beasts fighting over something.

A hint of surprise flashed through Han Lis eyes as he cast his gaze toward the source of the commotion. He then descended to an altitude of just over 1,000 feet and flew toward a direction that hed decided on in advance.

According to the holy disciples whod participated in these trials in the past, there are many entrances from the first to the second level. However, there are only a dozen or so entrances among those that are relatively safe. Its almost impossible to find Infernal Flame Fruits on the first level, so lets head straight to the second level. The entrance that Ive chosen is one thats quite secluded. Even though itll take us more time to get there, well be able to avoid the ambushes set up by the enemies of our race, Han Li explained as he flew through the air.

Bai Bis brows furrowed slightly, seeming opposed to Han Lis proposed course of action, but refrained from saying anything. Meanwhile, Lei Lan simply didnt really care.

Han Li smiled upon seeing this, and he didnt say anything further. Just because he was providing an explanation didnt mean he was discussing the matter with them. Seeing as the Tian Peng Race had asked him to protect these two holy disciples and ensure their success in this trial, then he naturally had to lead the way. The two holy disciples cultivation bases were far inferior to his, so he wasnt afraid that theyd go against orders.

Thus, the three of them flew wordlessly at a low altitude, heading straight for the entrance to the second level.

On the morning of the second day, Bai Bi and Lei Lan descended to the first flood and quietly joined their elders who were calmly standing there as if they were waiting for something.

Both of the elders appeared somewhat hopeful, causing the two holy disciples to feel somewhat baffled. They also looked turned to look at the stairwell.

In the time it took to finish a meal, footsteps sounded from above. In a blur, Han Li appeared at the bottom of the stairs with a smile on his face.

Elder Shis eyes lit up and he asked, Did you succeed?

Han Li smiled, Many thanks for your kindness. Senior. I almost have it entirely grasped. I should be able to use it to face the enemy.

Jin Yue closely examined Han Lis face and said, Very good. This trial will prove much more dangerous than normal. Although Fellow Daoist Han possesses the cultivation of a high-grade Spirit General, I fear you will counter powerful enemies you wont be able to face. That is why Elder Shi and I have prepared to hand over a clan protecting treasure to you. As such, if you truly come across something unexpected, youll be able to defend yourself.

A clan protecting treasure, Han Li said with a tone of surprise.

Thats right. This is the Lightning Wyrm Scissors. Take it. As she spoke, she shook her sleeve and sent out an azure light.

Han Li unconsciously raised his hand and took the treasure into his hand.

Under closer examination, he found that the scissors were only a half-foot long and appeared quite old. Its surface was a deep azure, but the mysterious silver talisman designs showed it was no ordinary item.

Han Li stroked his hand across it and sensed a deep icy Qi. With joy in his heart, he asked, Seniors, are you truly lending this to me?

In truth, there were several other treasures in the tribe that are more suitable for use in the earth abyss, but I fear those treasures will take up too much time to refine.

These Lightning Wyrm Scissors arent nearly as troublesome. So long as you infuse it with spiritual power, you will be able to use its awesome power to strike down your enemies. As a result, the treasures are also easily seized by enemies as well. Fellow Daoist Han should use it with care. Jin Yue solemnly warmed. гeewbnovel.com

Many thanks, Senior. I will take great care using it. Han Li didnt hold back and took the treasure with a smile, knowing that this grand treasure was being handed over in order to help preserve the safety of the holy disciples.

Jin Yue nodded and spoke to both Bai Bi and Lei Lan but took out nothing else.

Han Li didnt pay this any mind.

The two shouldve already been given treasures before they parted from the holy city. During Lei Lans battle with Hong Sha in the sparring arena, the golden gourd she used shouldve been one of those treasures.

A short moment later, the five walked out from the building and soared to the sky.

There were various other branches that had gathered there earlier.

This time, none of them were mounted on birds or flying insects. They were all floating with their wings.

Also, the holy disciples of the Flying Spirit Tribes various branches were gathering together, separated from their elders.

The holy disciples were now much different than the day before. They wore solemn expression and were whispering to one another.

Han Li blinked, simply bringing his fellow holy disciples to the corner of the group and remaining silent.

But not long after, Han Li sensed people looking at him. As his heart stirred, he looked back in their direction.

Three hundred meters away, there was a short skinny girl examining him.

Her skin was dark, but strange black tattoos were drawn on her neck.

When she saw Han Li looking at her, she smiled, revealing a mouthful of pure-white teeth.

Han Li felt his heart tremble!

He quickly swept his spiritual sense over to her and found that she was also a high-grade Spirit General. The strange aura on her body faintly gave him a sense of danger as if she cultivated a peculiar technique.

Han Li showed none of this on his face, instead merely moving his lips.

Standing at the side, Bai Bi with his eyes shut suddenly heard Han Lis voice transmission.

He opened his eyes in a start and glanced at the skinny short girl. His face greatly changed and he hastily lowered his head.

With a voice of awe, Bai Bi replied in a voice transmission, Brother Han, that is the Sevenpass Races Ao Qing. She is even more famous than Zhu Yinzi and is one of the most capable disciples of our generation. However, she is incredibly ruthless and her temperament is odd. Shell take the lives of others without provocation. Brother Han had best avoid her attention.

Han Li frowned. Just as he thought why that woman was examining him, he suddenly sensed a gloomy look aimed at him. This time, he felt genuine hostility.

Han Lis expression sank and he looked to the side.

At another corner of the crowd, he saw Zhu Yinzi and the other Chi Rong disciples look at them with hostile expressions.

Han Li coldly returned a glance and expressionlessly looked away.

Given the Chi Rongs attitude to the Tian Peng, they were certain to be up to no good. Han Li felt ill at ease over the matter.

Because Han Li and company had come somewhat later, they didnt have to wait for much longer.

An hour later, the three grand elders from the council and the azure-armored man appeared in front of the crowd. The entire group then began to move forward and arrived at a small mountain in front of a huge wall.

For some unknown reason, the wall was completely barren. There werent any patrols or watches above the wall.

The azure-armored man then walked in front of the elders and spoke a few words, pointing at the wall.

A huge rumbling sounded and the wall stirred. In a flicker of rainbow light flashed, a faint silver spell formation appeared.

When the azure-armored man saw this, he immediately opened his mouth and spat a purple wooden badge.

The badge brightly lit up and released a purple beam of light. It flickered several times before striking the heart of the formation.

Suddenly, the silver spell formation roiled and beaming light roamed. The formation suddenly vanished, but a huge silver gate appeared underneath the wall.

The door was a hundred meters tall, gleaming with an icy light. From appearance and weight, it appeared to be formed from pure silver.

The azure-armored man wordlessly put away the wooden badge and swept his sleeve to the huge door in the distance.

Suddenly, a purple light mist swept out and struck the huge gate.

A huge gong sounded as the silver gate slowly opened.

A grey demonic wind immediately blew out from the gate. As it passed, the holy disciples shuddered, feeling as if knives were being pressed against their skin.

It was a truly odd sensation.

When Han Li felt how odd the wind was, blue light shined from his eyes.

The huge gate opened. Without any hesitation, the holy disciples began to walk through the gate.

When Han Li saw what was behind it, he felt his blood run cold.

As far as the eye could see, there was only black land, completely lacking light and even a single blade of grass. Be it stone or sand, it was only black as well.

The sky was covered in a grey mist that appeared quite dense. It was impossible to see through from below and seemed to have no end.

There were cracks in between the mist and the earth about a hundred meters tall, but one could hear winds harshly whistled without end as if the cracks would consume everything.

Everyone that heard this couldnt help but feel a chill.

So this is the earth abyss gate. It looks dangerous as expected, Han Li muttered to himself.

The old woman with a cane then said, Alright, weve arrived. Apart from holy disciples, no one else will take a step forward. The earth abyss gate is a myriad kilometers outside the mist.

Although her voice wasnt loud, everyone could clearly hear it. Those that were restless immediately calmed down.

The white-haired man chuckled, Since were here, you all must be anxious. Lets begin making the details clear.

The old woman glanced at the white-haired man and calmly said, The council of elders would like to inform you that the demons marked for this trial will be different from the past few. If you bring back an Abyss Flame Fruit, you will have passed. This spirit fruit is different from the others in that it is found in the areas that are darkest and filled with filthy Qi. The fruit needs to be about five hundred years of maturation and each tree only bears one fruit. The darkness on the first level wont be enough for the fruit to grow. Of course, if youre lucky, you could find it there. On the second floor, they may grow there in a small number, but we dont guarantee anything. The third floor is where it is guaranteed that the fruit will grow and in great numbers as well. Act in accordance with your judgment. You have three months. After those months, the gate will open again to receive you, regardless if youve succeeded. I hoped you listened well. The old womans voice was powerful. Knowing the odds of survival through the trial, Han Li listened to each and every one of her words carefully.

The tattooed old man sullenly commanded, Since weve told you the details of the trial, you may set off. In three months, I hope I will see most of you again. As for the others, you will turn back. The Devil Sealing Gate will close again.

With a wave of his sleeve, he made his way back to the outside without any intention of looking around.

The white-haired man and the old woman exchanged a glance before closely following after him. The others in the council of elders silently followed them. As for the branch elders, they took a few looks at their clans holy disciples before heading back.

Only a small portion of them sent them off with a voice transmission.

In the blink of an eye, the huge gate disappeared, leaving behind a few hundred holy disciples looking at each other in dismay.

Han Li glanced at the azure-armored man and felt his heart tremble.

His cultivation was unfathomably deep, no lesser than the three grand elders that have rushed to meet him. It was no wonder they were so polite.

Furthermore, this persons azure-armor was somewhat particular. Its designs were quite simple and its surface was a dull grey, but it has its talisman characters similar to decorative patterns. But when Han Li brushed his spiritual sense past the armor, it gave him a familiar sensation. He took another glance at it, then suddenly widely opening his eyes as if he saw something inconceivable.

If he was correct, the so-called azure armor shouldve been something condensed from extremely concentrated baleful Qi. This explained why the aura gave him a familiar feeling.

Despite the amount of baleful Qi on his body, he appeared well and was able to use it to create armor.

This ability was truly outrageous.

In his alarm, he looked around and noticed others that were wearing azure armor among the Flying Spirit Tribe.

Each of them wore armor of varying colors.

Blue light flashed from Han Lis eyes and he narrowed his sight.

Their armor was also formed from baleful Qi. But because of their weaker cultivation or lacking baleful Qi, their armor appeared vague as if they werent as condensed.

When Han Li saw the different armors formed by baleful Qi, he was deeply shocked and began to ponder about them.

At that moment, the azure-armored man looked at the crowd behind the three grand elders and wore a smile.

How could I forget about our tribes three hundred year trial. However, the demons in the closest earth abyss are agitated. If you wait another two years, I wouldnt agree with having the trial.

The old man chuckled, That is why we moved the date of the trial earlier when we heard your news. There shouldnt be a problem starting now, right?

The azure-armored man indifferently answered, No. Although the dark Qi is more dangerous than usual, an official eruption will take a year at least. However, the dark demons underground will not stay in the nest levels, so I cant guarantee that the demons on the first three layers will be spirit general grade. The chances of encountering high-grade earth abyss demons will be much higher, but those at demon king-level wont likely appear. As the dangerous ones, if you find them to be too harmful, dont blame me for not warning you.

So long as no demon king-grade existences appear, the trial will go on, the white-haired man said with a firm voice.

The old woman frowned and slowly said, I have no objections. If we miss this opportunity, we wont be able to conduct the trial for at least another hundred years. Many of our branches cannot wait that long.

The tattooed old man muttered to himself for a moment and nodded with a sigh.

The azure-armored man chuckled at their approval and raised his hand to the air.

A fist-sized azure light ball shot out. In a flash, it strangely appeared a kilometer in the air.

Following the explosion of the light ball, a huge world-shaking boom shook the air and a halo of azure light rushed out from the result.

Soon after, a ten-meter-wide azure sun rose to the sky, shining with a blinding light.

The armored Flying Spirit Tribe beings behind the azure-armored man immediately separated into two lines, forming a path in the air.

Their cultivation all differed, but their silent and disciplined movement produced a formless pressure.

When the others saw this, the various elders were better off, showing only a brief change in expression, but Han Li and the other holy disciples became restless with most wearing expressions of astonishment.

The three elders in front then waved their arms behind them before moving forward together.

Suddenly, the entire group went ahead and slowly passed through the armored soldiers in the air.

Mounted on top of a huge bird, he narrowed his eyes as he looked at the armored soldiers to either side.

He found that most of them wore cold, indifferent faces apart from occasionally looking at them with curious eyes. There were also those that were younger and possessed lesser cultivation.

The lowest cultivation among them was at Core Formation level.

And there were many from higher cultivation levels, many of which included those at Great Spirit General-stage.

Han Li felt apprehension.

The earth abyss guards that are stationed here were about the same as the guards of Deep Heaven City.

However, their numbers were far less than the Deep Heaven Guards. But their elites were at a level far beyond those from Deep Heaven City. And considering the people stationed here often fight the demons that emerge from the earth abyss, they have richer combat experience than other Flying Spirit Tribe members.

From the buildings constructed here, it also appears that earth abyss guards live here as well.

As Han Lis thoughts churned in his mind, the group of holy disciples and elders arrived in front of the span of buildings.

The group of elders separated and started guiding the disciples to nearby residences to rest. The trial would soon begin on the morning of the next day.

The Tian Peng also entered one of the residences.

Jin Yue and Elder Shi guarded the first floor while the holy disciples were each given their own floor so they could rest without disturbance.

Han Li frowned. Although he was happy there was a night of rest, Jin Yue and Elder Shi had ordered them to remain inside and stay on different floors. It would interrupt his earlier plans.

Han Li sat cross-legged on his bed, but he didnt meditate. Instead, his eyes wandered as his mind began to sink into thought.

Not long after, he seemed to have thought of something and chuckled to himself. He then stood up and went to the first floor.

When he appeared at the bottom of the stairs, he saw Jin Yue and Elder Shi with their eyes closed as they sat down. But immediately after, they open their eyes at the same time and looked over in his direction.

Han Li felt his heart tremble.

Fellow Daoist Han, why arent you getting proper rest? Could it be that you have something urgent to attend to? Rather than Jin Yue, it was Elder Shi who spoke.

I have something I wish to do and I want to take a trip outside, Han Li calmly stated.

What is it? Jin Yue said with a trace of dissatisfaction.

With the trial right around the corner, she hoped that Han Li would obediently rest in his room, rather than be distracted by other things.

Han Li smiled and gave an honest answer, In truth, it isnt much. I found that the earth abyss guards armor was quite peculiar as it was formed from baleful Qi. I was hoping of finding someone that could explain the mysteries behind it.

Jin Yue paused and then said with an odd expression, You mean the Four Fiend Armor Technique? The technique requires an immense amount of baleful Qi to use. Otherwise, the technique would be too weak. What do you plan to do with it?

Elder Shi also felt somewhat surprised.

Han Li smiled and formed an incantation gesture. Golden light shined from his body, emitting an astonishingly deep aura. A dense wave of baleful Qi soon burst out from the depths of his body.

The baleful Qi he refined with the Vajra Arts began to concentrate all over his body.

Both of the elders were astonished by the display of baleful Qi.

With such dense baleful Qi, it is no wonder youre interested in the Four Fiend Amor Technique. Hehe, but you dont need to go outside. The technique isnt kept secret, and Im proficient in it as well. I can hand over the entire cultivation art to you. With the immense baleful Qi on your body, you may even use the technique tomorrow during the trial. As Elder Shi heartily laughed, he spoke the words that Han Li already anticipated.

When he saw so many ordinary earth abyss guards comprehend this technique, the Tian Peng elders likely knew this technique as well.

Now, his assumption was proven correct.

Suppressing his joy, Han Li respectfully answered, Senior Shi, I cant thank you enough. But are the techniques easy to comprehend? Would I be able to use them after a night?

Elder Shi waved his hand and casually said, Hehe, so long as Fellow Daoist Han assists Lei Lan and Bai Bi through the trial, Im the one who should be thanking you. Dont worry, the technique isnt particularly complicated, and with your cultivation, youll be able to cultivate several layers in a single night. As for the last few layers, they require immense baleful Qi, so you wont be able to use them.

Han Li nodded several times in response.

Jin Yue raised no objections. Instead, she simply closed her eyes again.

Elder Shi took out a finger-sized bamboo tube from his robes and muttered to it for a moment before tossing it over to Han Li, Ive put the technique in there. You may return.

Many thanks, Senior! Han Li then took the tube and climbed up the stairs without delay.

He sat cross-legged on his bed and pressed the tube against his forehead and immersed it with his spiritual sense.

Suddenly, an ancient green script flowed through Han Lis mind, his face becoming entirely still.

Not long after, Han Li put away the tube into his storage pouch and his face relaxed.

The set of techniques was as Elder Shi had described. They were simple and hed be able to condense a layer of baleful armor.

With that thought, Han Li rested his hands on his knees and began to comprehend the technique.

During this time, a layer of faintly black baleful Qi began to appear from his body.

The baleful Qi roiled and went still for a time. Not long after, his surroundings began to violently stir, creating a faint black wind around him and blurring Han Lis figure from sight.