Автор: sergey

The black-robed womans spirits were roused upon seeing Han Li control so many exceptional magic treasures.

She raised her hand and summoned a small azure shield before slapping her storage pouch and summoning two butterfly-shaped magic treasures. They fluttered about as if they were alive.

As a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, she had even more treasures, but in battle, the more treasures summoned didnt necessarily translate to an advantage.

Using magic treasures would restrict a certain amount of ones spiritual sense, and in battle, one needed to spiritual sense to utilize magic techniques as well. As for spiritual sense one needed to preserve, that depended on individual circumstances.

If one had stronger treasures but weaker techniques, they would use more of their spiritual sense to summon treasures, and vice versa.

In addition, the more formidable a treasure, the more spiritual sense that was required to control it. As such, there were few Core Formation cultivators capable of effectively controlling ancient treasures. Even those with more powerful spiritual senses can only select a few powerful treasures in battle. Han Lis simultaneous use of this many treasures clearly displayed just how powerful his spiritual sense was.

But before they could launch an offensive, an ominous light shined from the Silver-winged Nightfiends face and an immense pressure burst from his body. Then, he shot forward and struck the ground with his palm.

Before the two cultivators realized what had happened, an eruption sounded out from the cavern and the huge spell formation around them suddenly glowed with rainbow light. The dried corpses chained to the stone pillars in the area then began to stir.

Not good! Han Li shouted in alarm. Without another thought, he flapped his wings, leaving only his Gold Devouring Beetles and Weeping Soul Beast behind in a flash of silver.

The Silver-winged Nightfiend sinisterly smiled and black energy flared from his body. Then, he too, vanished.

A blast sounded out at the edge of the formation. Silver and black streaks simultaneously weaved in and out of sight. Following an explosion, the light faded away to reveal two winged figures, Han Li and the Silver-winged Nightfiend.

In that short time, the chained dried corpses released wisps of Qi as dark beams of light shot out from the stone pillars, forming a huge barrier of light surrounding the area.

They were now trapped with no way out.

The black-robed woman was already making her way out of the area upon seeing what was happening, but she was still too late. The barrier appeared after she only flew sixty meters away. Seeing that she was trapped, her expression wavered.

Vexed, Han Li looked at the nightfiend with a gloomy expression.

At that moment, the nightfiend was glowing with black light and had flickering crimson rings flash around his neck and limbs. They were clearly restrictive magic tools.

Han Li sighed and coldly said, As expected, you cant leave the range of the formation. Why else would you remain here given your grand abilities? Though I didnt expect that you could be able to activate it without the use of spirit stones.

While the light from the spell formation faded away, the black pillars and barrier didnt show any sign of wavering.

The nightfiend flared his wings and let out a deep laugh of satisfaction. It is a devil entrapment formation specifically laid down for me. But little would the creators of the spell formation know that after so many years, a portion of its restrictions would be under my control. Youre now trapped here with me.

An icy light flashed from Han Lis eyes and the Weeping Soul Beast snorted. A mist of dazzling yellow light rushed out, moving to capture the nightfiend with immense speed.

The nightfiends laugh was cut short and he suddenly waved his wings, disappearing in the blink of an eye, he reappeared near the huge stalk of bamboo.

But with a wave of the Weeping Soul Beasts head, the yellow light pursued after the nightfiend relentlessly.

The nightfiend glared at the attack with unconcealed hostility and waved his wings, suddenly releasing countless rays of light, aimed at the yellow mist that the Weeping Soul Beast had released. Unexpectedly, the yellow mist wasnt able to block the light despite his innate ghost restraining properties.

Although Han Li knew that the Silver-winged Nightfiend was no ordinary refined corpse, the scene caused his heart to tremble.

When the Silver-winged Nightfiend saw that his attack was effective, most of the fear was gone from his heart and he sneered loudly. His body blurred with black light and re-appeared above the Weeping Soul Beast. He then opened his mouth to reveal shining black energy as if intending to release an attack.

However, he suddenly heard loud buzzing above him and looked up in astonishment, instead releasing the black light from his mouth towards the sky and striking a three-meter-wide golden cloud. They were Han Lis Gold Devouring Beetles.

When Han Li made use of lightning movement, the beetles had remained in place. Now that the nightfiend appeared near them, he ordered them to attack without reservation.

The black beam was corpse Qi that the nightfiend had refined for countless years. Not only was it incredibly corrosive and cold, but it even contained vicious corpse poison.

The Gold Devouring Beetles were normally resistant to poison and other effects, but upon contact with this light, the beetles began to fall from the sky in troves. A third of their number had been reduced from this single strike.

The rest all scattered and were no longer concentrated in a single place.

In that brief moment, the Weeping Soul Beast had already launched another attack, releasing one more yellow mist with a snort.

The nightfiend then calmly flapped his wings and reappeared over thirty meters away, dodging the yellow mist.

Silver light then flashed and thunder clapped from where it originally stood, followed by Han Lis appearance.

He wordlessly waved his arm and had his flying swords sweep towards the Silver-winged Nightfiend in a golden tide. The purple mirror circling above his head shined with light and shot a purple ray after them. Meanwhile, he stealthily flicked his finger from his sleeve and a red line briefly appeared.

With that done, he glanced at the Gold Devouring Beetles lying on the ground. Their wings suddenly stirred and they buzzed to the air once more, much to Han Lis relief. However, they appeared quite weakened from the previous attack.

Additionally, the black-robed woman had used this opportunity to command her two white jade butterflies to attack.

The two jade butterflies flared with white light before expanding to the size of a person. Then with rapid waves of their wings, a white tornado appeared in front of her.

After an incantation, the tornado transformed into two white flood dragons that charged towards the nightfiend with overwhelming momentum.

But when the nightfiend saw so many attacks heading in his direction, he sinisterly smiled. He held onto the Evil Moon Mirror in one hand and summoned a fist-sized ball of light with the other. The ball was grey, but it contained a cold serene shine.

He icily glanced at the attack that would first strike, the golden swordlight. He slapped his hands together and the ball of light vanished into the mirror. Soon after, black radiance flashed and countless similar balls of light rushed out and quickly fused together.

In the blink of an eye, a ten-meter-wide ball of light appeared with the Silver-winged Nightfiend at its center.

As the swordlight swept across it, it fiercely struck the ball.

With a soft bang, the huge sphere popped like a bubble, fragmenting into many smaller balls.

The golden light swept past the nightfiend and flashed as several tens of flying swords shredded him to countless pieces. Afterwards, the swordlights shot out from the many small orbs of light in the vicinity.

When Han Li saw this, he felt alarmed and doubt sprung up from his mind. There was no way he was able to kill the nightfiend with only his flying swords.

As expected, an inconceivable scene occurred.

The small balls of light gathered together and reformed into another huge ball. The shredded nightfiend was also perfectly restored inside.

Han Li frowned. The purple ray of light and the two wind dragons then aggressively struck, resulting in the same scene.

The huge light was destroyed and scattered, only for it to become whole once more.

The Silver-winged Nightfiend looked at the cultivators with an icy smile, but he didnt take any action. Rather, he simply waited as balls of light flashed from the mirror in his hand, causing his surrounding light to grow even stronger.

A grave expression appeared on Han Lis face. Although he didnt know how that light barrier worked, it was anything but good.

Aghast, the black-robed woman instantly formed an incantation gesture and controlled her wind dragons to circle in for another attack. They easily shattered the light once more along with the nightfiends illusion, but this time, the wind dragons didnt depart after their initial attack. Instead, its jaws gaped open and released countless blades of white wind in every direction, preventing the balls of light from condensing back together and scattering them to even smaller pieces.

For a time, howling winds raged at the core of the sphere.

Han Li didnt have his flying swords join in on the attack. He instead narrowed his eyes, blue light flickering from them, and observed everything.

Han Lis mouth twitched upon hearing this and he quietly raised his hands without another thought.

Two small swords flashed forward and moved to strike the grey cocoons suspended in the air.

Knowing that this monster would prove troublesome, he planned on freeing the other two to combine their strength and increase their odds of victory.

The Silver-winged Nightfiend simply sneered in the face of his efforts..

Its argent eyes glowed, and a large grey hand appeared in front of the two cocoons and quickly detained the two golden swords before Han Li could react.

Although he was alarmed, he still kept calm and commanded his swords to erupt with golden lightning. Thunder rang out and they broke free from the grey hands confinement in a flash of golden light.

However, a dense barrage of threads shot out from the cocoons, covering the swords once more, and the scattered portions of the large hand began to quickly reform.

Han Li frowned and clenched his hands in a fist, released arcs of golden lightning from his body in a cataclysm of thunder. With a net of lightning dancing around him, he appeared like a god of lightning that had descended upon this world.

When the Weeping Soul Beast glanced at Han Li, it couldnt help but reveal amazement on its face.

How interesting, the Silver-winged Nightfiend said with an emotionless tone, To actually be able to break my Ghostfiend Threads… you must be the one who destroyed my doppelgangers.

Indeed, and you are unexpectedly capable of human speech. You must be quite intelligent so you should know whats in your best interest, Han Li glanced at Cultivator Yuans remains and then pointed at the Umbra Yin Horse at the side before coldly stating, If you hand over that Umbra Yin Horse and release my two comrades, we will immediately depart.

Then, the giant transformed Weeping Soul Beast snarled and a piercing crimson light shined out from the malevolent ghost image on its back.

Without the slightest hesitation, the nightfiend answered, You can have that little animal, and I might even consider allowing you and your comrades to leave.

Youll truly agree? When the black-robed woman heard this, joy lit on her face. At the moment, her dharmic wheel was already summoned in the air and glowing with light.

Han Li remained silent when he heard this.

I will agree to all these conditions, so long… the nightfiend then pointed its fur-covered fingers at the Weeping Soul Beast and said, As you leave that spirit beast behind.

The black-robed woman was greatly surprised to hear this.

In your dreams! Han Li coldly smiled.

Then you can forget about leaving. I will feast on your flesh. The nightfiends face warped with hostility and his fangs extended several times in size, followed by silver flaring from his eyes.

Be careful of its bewitchments! Old Man Fus faint voice sounded out from one of the cocoons.

However, his warning came too late.

Although Han Li was using his Brightsight Spirit Eyes, he unconsciously closed them in the face of the blinding light.

The black-robed woman was dazed and was forced her to close hers too.

Not good! In the instant his eyes closed, Han Li let out a cry of alarm.

By the time the two opened their eyes, their surroundings had changed.

All traces of the cavern had disappeared and were replaced by a grey haze. It was unknown where the Silver-winged Nightfiend was lingering.

A high grade bewitchment, Han Li muttered.

Well only know after we test its strength, the black-robed woman said with a raised brow.

Worried about Old Man Fus weakened voice, she lost her patience and pointed to the dharmic wheel floating above her head.

It glowed with brilliant light and several beams of rainbow light shot out, disappearing into the haze without effect.

She grew more sullen and flung a spirit beast pouch from her waist before clasping her hands in an incantation.

The bag trembled and released a group of winged serpents in a mist of scarlet light.

The serpents were each about a foot-long, with a crest on their head. Their bodies were a slick and translucent red.

As she muttered, she struck the serpents with several crimson spell seals.

Suddenly, the serpents opened their mouths and wildly spouted out fire that condensed into a roiling sea of flames.

Han Li hadnt moved to assist her, rather taking this opportunity to observe with his Brightsight Spirit Eyes.

In the instant a ten meter wave of flame took form, the grey haze above them suddenly rolled away like a gust of wind to be replaced with mist as black as pitch.

Silver light flashed from the dark mist, followed by the appearance of two massive demonic eyes. They were three-meters-long and shined radiantly. It was unknown whether it was a transformation or illusion.

A cacophonic cackle cleared, with the silver light bursting out from the huge eyes, striking the sea of flames.

Both the raging inferno and the flying serpents had all disappeared upon contact as if they never existed.

Han Li remained calm upon seeing this, but the black-robed woman released a red streak with an alarmed expression and repeatedly chopped at those piercing eyes in front of her.

Then, she felt her heart sink.

It was now clear that this technique was powerful far beyond her expectations, and hadnt the slightest hope of breaking it.

The strange cackle continued to grind without end and with greater volume, now more thunder than laughter. In the time being, even more eyes began to appear, each one just as large as before.

Soon, the demonic orbs filled the sky above the haze surrounding them.

They suddenly began to light up and changed into bright crescent moons. Afterwards, footsteps emerged from the haze along with harsh wails, almost as if the nightfiend would emerge at any moment.

These overwhelming circumstances unnerved the black-robed woman and she asked, Brother Han, do you have a method to dissolve this technique?

If this mysterious Fellow Daoist Han wasnt able to dispel this technique, she had resolved herself to consume a large amount of blood essence to employ a secret technique.

Instead of replying to her, Han Li raised his hand and released a dense bolt of golden lightning.

In a clap of thunder, it struck one of the crescent moons in the haze.

A resounding explosion sounded out as the golden lightning ruptured along with the crescent. At nearly the same time, the other eyes collapsed into endless streams of silver dust, filling their surroundings with blinding light.

The black-robed woman suddenly felt her world spin around her and couldnt help but close her eyes once more. By the time her senses returned to normal, she discovered that she was in the cavern once more without a trace of mist or light to be found.

She felt greatly relieved to be freed of the bewitchment and managed to collect herself.

The Silver-winged Nightfiend was now across from them, at the base of the bamboo stem and remained still. However, his wings were folded in front of him to block the dense bolt that Han Li had released. With crackles and light still sparking from the wings, he grimly looked in Han Lis direction.

The black-robed woman now spotted a pitch-black mirror held in the nightfiends green hand.

It wasnt large or remarkable, but glowed with a wicked inky light. If a person looked at it, they would sense their mind sinking in.

Now thats baffling. You were able to find me from within the illusion… With the assistance of the Evil Moon Mirror, my Silver Eye Bewitchment should near twice in power. Even more formidable spiritual sense shouldnt be able to see past it. Could it be youve cultivated an exceptional spirit eye technique? After this was said, the nightfiend waved its wing and limped the remnant lightning to the side.

When Han Li heard this, he coldly smiled. In utter silence, he shook his sleeve and released several tens of golden flying swords around him with a clear ring, gathering to his front as a wave of gold. Meanwhile, thunder rang out from his back with the appearance of a pair of silver wings.

Not stopping there, Han Li took a deep breath before spitting out a snow-white pearl covered in twirling purple flames. As soon as it appeared, the temperature in the cavern steeply dropped.

The Silver-winged Nightfiend was indifferent to the appearance of Han Lis flying swords and only slightly surprised at the appearance of his wings. The Snow Crystal Pearl wrapped in Purple Apex Flames, however, caused its face to grow solemn as it recognized the formidable threat.

Then for a finishing touch, Han Li: slapped his storage pouch, filling the air with a swarm of golden beetles, clasped his hands in an incantation gesture, summoning a barrier of seven-colored light around him, and flipped his hand to summon a glowing purple mirror in the air.

Apart from his greatest killing measures, he now displayed the full might of his long gathered power.

Now that he faced a fearsome enemy that was superior to even a late-Nascent Soul cultivator, he couldnt afford to hold back.

It was clear that Han Lis golden light was far faster than the grey threads. In sharp gusts of wind, the three small golden swords pierced through the corpses abdomens.

At nearly that same moment, the Ghostfiend Threads had arrived in front of Han Li and were about to strike him.

However, Han Li let out a shout and a ring of seven-colored light suddenly appeared around him. When the threads touched it, they became disconnected from the world.

When the black-robed woman saw this seven-colored light, she was stunned.

Han Li then expressionlessly pointed at the three dried corpses in the distance.

Three bolts of lightning escaped from the small swords, followed by loud pangs of thunder, each of them covering the three corpses in a net of lightning.

Before the corpses could even let out a groan, the lightning turned them into clouds of black dust, continuing to tear at the dust clouds and prevent them from reforming, but it appeared that the corpses were undying in the face of the Divine Devilbane Lightning.

Han Li frowned at the sight of this.

The black-robed woman rejoiced upon seeing him restrain them and happily put away her light barrier. She flew over and proposed, These refined corpses had fused Baleful Corpse Qi with their own bodies. I fear we wont be able to kill them. Well have to use restrictions to seal them for the time being.

There is no need to waste such effort, it is unknown what strange abilities these ghosts have. Common restrictions might not be able to seal them. Rather, lets just finish them off.

Finish them off?

The black-robed woman wore an odd expression, and before she realized what he meant, Han Li slapped his storage pouch and a streak of black light flew out, circling once around him before revealing itself to be a small monkey, the Weeping Soul Beast.

It was awakened by the smell of corpse Qi and immediately reveled in excitement. It let out a snort with its large nose without any command, releasing a hazy light that easily absorbed the clouds of dust from within the net of lightning and brought it into its mouth.

After a few eager gulps, it held its hands on its stomach with satisfaction and joy.

The black-robed woman was dumbstruck by these events.

There were only a few spirit beasts in this world that were capable of devouring ghosts, but she had never heard of a small monkey capable of consuming such powerful ghosts. The closest thing that came to mind was the Jade-eyed Ape, but its appearance didnt match in the slightest.

As the black-robed woman mulled, Han Li was relieved to find that the Weeping Soul Beast wasnt negatively affected by absorbing the three dried corpses.

But rather than immediately withdrawing the beast, he beckoned to, promptly having it obediently jump on his shoulder.

Han Li glanced at the black-robed woman and said, Lets go, perhaps Brother Fu has already finished capturing the Umbra Yin Horse.

Suppressing her curiosity towards the monkey, she smiled, Most likely, that Corpse Wolf has already been injured by you and shouldnt be able to run far.

Han Li returned the smile but before he could say anything, he felt his body tremble. The two of them exchanged bewildered glances, and each summoned a formation plate in their hands.

Han Li took a deep breath and solemnly asked, Fellow Daoist Yuans marker is gone. Fellow Daoist Chang, do you know whats going on? reewebovel.com

My marker on Fellow Daoist Yuan is also gone. How could something have happened after only a short time separated! The black-robed woman spoke with disbelief.

Im not sure, Han Li answered, It is possible that the others encountered a formidable enemy, or that Fellow Daoist Yuan was careless and became trapped in a restriction.

In that case, we must hurry. Their markers show them to be nearby, the black-robed woman said with a trace of worry.

Han Li indifferently nodded and the two set off in streaks of light.

…

After flying for about five kilometers, they encountered a large spacious area filled with piles of ore refuse.

The two then slowed down and carefully examined the area.

After another three hundred meters, the piles disappeared and opened into a large room.

The place had a huge spell formation that nearly covered it all and a giant bamboo tree growing at its center, reaching all the way to the top of the cave. There were also a dozen giant stone pillars intermittently placed, each with a pitch-black dried corpse chained to it, exactly the same as the three Han Li had seen before.

But what shocked Han Li was a silhouette covered in green hair next to the bamboo. It was sitting there absorbed in munching on a headless body. From its clothes, there was no doubt that was Cultivator Yuans corpse.

Next to the monster was a huge figure, the Corpse Wolf they fought from before. The wolf was gnawing at something underneath its claw, Cultivator Yuans huge tortoise. It lacked an aura, clearly indicating its death.

As for the Umbra Yin Horse, it was still perched on top of the Corpse Wolfs head, unmoving.

The black-robed womans face paled and she hurriedly glanced around before shouting in terror, Senior Martial Brother Fu!

Han Li followed her gaze and saw two figures floating in midair, wrapped in cocoons spun from grey threads. It was clearly the Ghostfiend Threads they had seen previously.

However, the density of the threads were far beyond what the dried corpses could produce.

Thunderous explosions continuously sounded out from the two with traces of dazzling light occasionally escaping from within.

It appeared that Old Man Fu and Bai Yaoyi still lived.

In only a short moment, one of three mid-Nascent Soul cultivators were killed with two of them trapped. Han Li managed to maintain a calm appearance in spite of this but he was thoroughly aghast.

As for the black-robed woman, she was worried for Old Man Fu, but knew this wasnt the time to save him. She shook her sleeve and summoned the dharmic wheel into her hand before turning her attention elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the green-furred monster hadnt paid any attention to them and was focused on eating with a lowered head.

Strange cracking sounds came from the monster as it tore off the arm of Cultivator Yuans corpse and quickly ravaged it.

When Han Li caught sight of the mutilated body, he narrowed his eyes as blue light shined from them.

Then the Weeping Soul Beast on his shoulder let out a high-pitched cry, and the fur on its back stood straight. It glared at the green-furred monster, assuming a position to attack.

But from the Weeping Soul Pearl within his body, Han Li could sense that that the monkey mostly felt fear as if it had encountered its nemesis.

The monster heard the Weeping Soul Beasts scream and its feasting came to a sudden halt. It flung away the corpse in its hand and flew sixty meters towards the two cultivators before landing on the ground.

Han Lis and the black-robed womans face warped upon sensing its powerful aura.

The green-furred monster simply stood in place as it watched them.

At that moment, Han Li was finally able to clearly see the monsters appearance. Its face appeared very much like that of a monkey, with blood brimming in its mouth and razor fangs several inches long. Its eyes sparkled with sharp silver and lacked irises, making for a rather odd appearance.

But what especially caught Han Lis eye were the two protrusions from its back wrapped with flesh.

The green-furred monster swept its gaze past the cultivators with indifference and locked eyes on the Weeping Soul Beast perched on Han Lis shoulder. Then its face revealed an odd expression resembling bewilderment.

When the Weeping Soul Beast met the green monsters gaze, it leaped ten meters in front of Han Li and pounded its chest with all its might, causing black light to surge all around it.

In the blink of an eye, it grew thirty meters tall to become a vicious ape that had the image of a malevolent crimson ghost on its back that appeared to move with life.

The green-furred monster seemed to sense something from the Weeping Soul Beasts transformation and hastily took several steps back. At that same time, the bags of flesh protruding his back trembled and tore apart, revealing two three-meter-long wings that shined a dazzling silver.

Silver-winged Nightfiend!

The black-robed woman shouted out its name with a faceful of terror and his complexion paled.

In the mortal world, Silver-winged Nightfiends were refined corpses that were capable of flight and were seconded only by Gold-clad Lunar Corpses. They were a fearsome existence that were said to be superior to even late-Nascent Soul cultivators.

Not only were they a natural prodigy of wind and earth-attributed movement techniques, it was nearly invulnerable, incredibly strong, and quite skilled in illusion and bewitchment.

As these thoughts quickly flashed from Han Lis mind, he tightly pursed his lips.

Light flashed from the beasts wings, and its fear of the Weeping Soul Beast immediately disappeared. It loudly uttered, I didnt expect more would come to find me. Its been quite some time since Ive had…fresh meat. You will all make quite a meal.

These words were spoken as clearly as a humans voice.

As the Corpse Wolf moved to escape, a crimson light flashed near its side to reveal a red needle. It flickered and pierced through the green flames protecting the wolfs body in a crimson line, cutting through with incredible sharpness.

In the huge wolfs alarm, it attempted to turn its head and avoid the attack, but the needle had already pierced through its neck. A deafening painful howl followed, and the black Qi that gathered around its legs disappeared into the nearby Yin winds. When the group saw this, they rejoiced.

Pursue it! Someone yelled. The party then began to glow, intending to quickly fly after it.

However, a cry sounded out from a pouch at Han Lis waist. Although it was soft, Han Lis expression vastly changed and he flicked his hand, shooting several azure swordstreaks at an area over thirty meters away. As the attack drew closer, a dark light shined from the ground to reveal several jet-black figures. One of them had easily repelled the swordstreaks with a flick of their finger.

Afterwards, Yin winds began to erupt with great strength and the three figures were partially concealed. These three were the same dried corpses that had appeared at the intersection that the cultivators had passed. It was unknown what they conspired or how they evaded the spell formations that had been placed, but they managed to tail them with profound concealment.

Just as Han Li and company were about to give chase, one of the dried corpses had revealed a trace of its aura in a moment of carelessness, allowing Han Lis Weeping Soul Beast to detect it. These dried corpses were entirely shriveled, and were of differing heights. Han Li even recalled having seen one before, as he had struck it with lightning and turned it to dust.

While Han Li betrayed shock from his face, the others all let out a cry of alarm.

How can that decayed corpse move? The black-robed woman shouted out in astonishment, When I discovered it, it was without life.

Bai Yaoyi was also particularly surprised as she had discovered one alongside Han Li as well.

You recognize these ghosts? We cant deal with them now, we must first give chase to the Umbra Yin Horse. Fellow Daoist Han and Junior Martial Sister Chang, deal with these ghosts for the time being. The rest of us will chase after the horse. If it conceals itself once more, it will be difficult to find again. Although Old Man Fu was greatly alarmed by the appearance of these three mysterious ghosts, he obviously prioritized the capture of the Umbra Yin Horse. From his point of view, Han Li and his Junior Martial Sister shouldnt have a problem dealing with these three strange refined corpses, neither would his three have any problem with the Corpse Wolf. None of the other party members had raised an objection as well.

After the black-clothed woman curtly agreed and Han Li nodded, Old Man Fu and the others flew in the direction of the Corpse Wolf without further hesitation.

Han Li then put away his flying needle, and stood beside the black-robed woman, both of them coldly glaring at the dried corpses. Although Ghost Dao techniques were abnormally sly by nature, he found it incomprehensible that one of them was able to survive a strike from Divine Devilbane Lightning. Nevertheless, he still maintained a calm appearance, despite the increased vigilance in his heart.

As for the black-robed woman, she was an elder of the Nine Serenities Sect and possessed much understanding of both devilish and ghost techniques. Not daring to underestimate these corpses either, she had her giant red sword revolve above her in a display of dazzling glamour, protecting her rather than attacking.

The three corpses facing them were the first to move. The taller of the lot took two large steps forward and opened its mouth to spit out a grey thread towards the woman.

Youre courting death! She snorted with a sullen appearance. With a flick of her sleeve, over ten fireballs shot out in succession. Soon after, she pointed to the huge sword above her head and it sliced through the air, releasing a crimson swordstreak. She believed that this unremarkable thread was simply condensed corpse flames and that fire techniques should be able to restrain it.

But then, the thread passed through both the fireballs and the red swordstreak without resistance, thoroughly absorbing their entire being with just a touch, and continued to rush forward without any sign of slowing down.

The black-robed woman swept her sleeve in alarm and produced a small green shield in front of her. It glowed with light and massively expanded. At nearly the same time, the huge sword above her head chopped down towards the grey thread.

The black-robed woman believed that since the thread was able to absorb attacks of spiritual power, physical treasures should be able to block it.

As predicted, the grey thread stopped upon being struck with the huge sword.

The beautiful woman rejoiced and thought to activate the swords abilities, but then the grey thread suddenly blurred and multiplied into a hundred copies of itself, quickly moving to restrain the huge sword. Afterwards, a strange dark light glowed from the threads, fusing together with the swords red light, slowly overwhelming it and turning it black as if it were being corrupted. The woman also felt her mental connection to the sword grow dull.

Her heart sank and she slapped her storage pouch without another thought, summoning a dharmic wheel 1 into her hand.

But before she could use it to free her sword, thunder rang out, followed by a bolt of dazzling lightning. The golden bolt struck the grey threads in rumbling wrath and freed the large red sword.

Many thanks, Brother Han! The woman hurriedly uttered before forming a hand gesture and recalling her sword into her sleeve after splitting into three red streaks.

With her weapon freed, Han Li didnt pay any further attention. Rather, he was staring at the air with a tight frown. The grey threads he had scattered apart condensed back into its original form after only a short delay. As for the other two dried corpses, they hadnt yet taken any action.

When the black-robed woman saw this, her expression turned unsightly, but she continued to look at the grey thread in the air.

This isnt ordinary corpse Qi, but that of a Baleful Corpse Qi. Could this be a Ghostfiend Thread? She cried out with a deeply pale complexion.

Baleful Corpse Qi? Han Li found the name familiar and after a moment of thought, he recalled it being mentioned in the Great Development Treasure Scriptures 2.

His expression wavered for a time. This was a grand ability of the Ghost Dao that few cultivators ever could witnessed.

As the name implied, Baleful Corpse Qi was originally corpse Qi, but fused with the lingering resentment of a fresh death what was otherwise known as baleful Qi.

Baleful Corpse Qi was said to be extremely difficult to manufacture, at minimum requiring the corpses of Core Formation cultivators along with other unknown conditions. When it took form, it was said to be everlasting, and was capable of absorbing elemental Qi and corrupting various magic treasures. As expected for one of the greatest abilities of the Ghost Dao, it was beyond difficult to deal with.

However, he hadnt heard of a Ghostfiend Thread before, but given that it was created from Baleful Corpse Qi, it was no wonder it was so troublesome. It seemed his Divine Devilbane Lightning was able to disperse it but not exterminate it entirely.

As these thoughts flew through his mind, all three of the corpses simultaneously raised their hands and flicked their fingers, each releasing grey threads.

The black-robed woman deeply gasped and unleashed the dharmic wheel from her hand, chanting a series of evocations. The wheel whirled in the air and shined with a seven-colored light, covering both Han Li and her in a barrier.

Seven-colored light, a Buddhist treasure? Han Li had already raised his hand with arcs of lightning sparking between them, but when he saw her take action, he paused with a trace of surprise. The threads then struck the seven-colored barrier but were all completely repelled.

Han Li wasnt astonished by the barriers effectiveness. Since Buddhist techniques were specialized in restraining the Ghost Dao, even something as vicious as Ghostfiend Threads shouldnt be able to break through Buddhist light in an instant. But what surprised Han Li was the fact that a devilish sect elder even possessed a Buddhist treasure.

The three hadnt stopped their attack after seeing that their threads were repelled. Instead, their fingers stirred and countless grey threads began to take form in the air and weaved countless layers of threads on top of the seven-colored barrier, as if intending on thoroughly trapping the two within it.

A cold glint flashed from Han Lis eyes and he slapped his hands together, raising them to release two dense arcs of golden lightning at the barrier of light protecting them. As loud crackles sounded out, a net of lightning appeared on the surface of the barrier and instantly dissolved the grey threads.

The three corpses didnt seem to care when they saw this. They simply shot out more Ghostfiend Threads from their hands and restored the form of the grey Qi that had been scattered.

Fellow Daoist Chang, open it up! With that said, thunder rang from Han Lis back, revealing a pair of silver wings.

She thought to persuade him otherwise, but after seeing the wings, she immediately uttered an incantation and created a fine opening in the barrier.

His wings flapped and he disappeared in a flash of silver light.

The three corpses suddenly stopped when they saw this and began to look around. Then, the light flashed once more meters behind them to reveal Han Li. The corpses instantly flicked their fingers in response and shot dozens of grey threads at him.

Han Li didnt remotely attempt to dodge, instead opening his mouth to spit out three golden streaks in the direction of each corpse.

1 Eight spoked wheel commonly associated with Buddhism.

2 Monarch Soul Divergences autobiography, and collection of techniques and secrets. He gave it to Han Li before he passed.

The party of cultivator moved east down the passage, and looked through all the caverns they encountered. In order to be careful, three of them would search while two of them would remain behind and guard the tunnel, preventing the Umbra Yin Horse from escaping.

Not long after, the party arrived where Cultivator Yuan discovered the horse, an unremarkable small cavern. This time, the black-robed woman and Bai Yaoyi were guarding the tunnel as the others went inside.

When they entered, they discovered something strange. Not only were the Yin winds extremely weak, but they even felt comfortably warm. There was also some soft sand and a pile of rare warm jade in the corner. There was also a faint fragrance lingering in the air that resembled a mix of sandalwood and medicine. Upon closer inspection, they also found imprints on the ground that resembled that of a horse hoof but several times smaller.

This is truly it…the Umbra Yin Horse! With the hoofprints and the fragrance, Old Man Fu rubbed his hands together in excitement.

With a trace of red light shining from his face, Cultivator Yuan said, Since Brother Fu said this, it must be true. Lets pursue it, the passage forward isnt very wide. Although there may be further forks in the tunnel, so long as we slowly track it, well eventually force it to appear.

Old Man Fu nodded, Yes, thats reasonable. Well… Suddenly, he was interrupted by the sounds of an explosion, and the earth beneath them became unsteady as the cave quaked with ferocious roars.

In the threes alarm, their bodies glowed as they shot off in the direction of the noise.

In the blink of an eye, they trailed back the way they came. The two women were looking ahead of them with shock as the thunderous footsteps shook the ground, each step more brutal as if the source was growing closer. An astonishing roar then sounded out.

The five cultivators all exchanged a glance and each took out their magic treasures, awaiting what was to come with readied stances.

Although the black Yin winds prevented them from seeing very far, blue light flashed from Han Lis eyes, allowing him to view the ghost that was three hundred meters away. He couldnt help but gasp cold air at the sight.

It was a huge wolf that was covered in green fur. It was ten meters tall with a head the size of a small building, and huge crimson eyes. Its four claws were as sharp as blades, cutting into the ground with each step.

But what was most alarming to Han Li was the green corpse flames that would spew out from its mouth each time it opened. Whenever the green flames touched the ice walls, it would leave deep and uneven grooves glowing with green light.

A Corpse Wolf? The name suddenly lit up in Han Lis mind, but a common Corpse Wolf should only be a common ghost, even larger Corpse Wolves shouldnt be this gigantic. The sheer size of this monster was far beyond the scope that was recorded and possessed a cripplingly intimidating aura.

Just as he was about to warn the other four, his eyes suddenly caught sight of something burrowed in the huge wolfs head.

Thats… the Umbra Yin Horse!

What does Brother Han mean? Astounded, Old Man Fu turned to look at Han Li.

The formidable ghost ahead of us and the horse are together, Han Li briefly replied.

The Umbra Yin Horse? The others revealed joy when they heard this.

They could faintly see the giant wolf through the Yin winds then. Although they couldnt grasp its true form, the magnitude of the monster caused their hearts to tremble, and the joy on their faces quickly vanished.

The black-robed woman sullenly flicked her fingers, releasing over ten spheres of white light. The spheres didnt strike the huge wolf but flew upward instead, and burst high in the air. Dazzling white light lit the tunnel and allowed them to see the wolfs sinister form.

Their faces unconsciously changed. Given their vast experience, they could all tell how formidable this enemy was. But in that instance, they also saw something white lying down on the wolfs head. Although it was half submerged in fur, it appeared to be a white horse head with green eyes.

Everyone, be careful. We cannot allow the Umbra Yin Horse to escape. This Corpse Wolf should be a variant beast. Although it will prove troublesome, it should be an easy task for the five of us to slay it. Fellow Daoist Bai, you are in charge of capturing the Umbra Yin Horse! With that said, Old Man Fu slapped his storage pouch and released chains that shined with black light. It flew forward and wrapped around the giant wolf like a snake.

The others were quick to take action as well: The black-robed woman released three scarlet flying swords, Cultivator Yuan took out a jade pendant, producing several winged scorpions, and Han Li spat out several flying swords that swept forward in a wave of light.

During this time, Bai Yaoyi flipped her hand and summoned a translucent net. In a glimmer of ice, the net transformed into white mist, and enveloped the Umbra Yin Horse on the wolfs head.

Although this was the first time they had acted together, the sheer amount of power their treasures displayed was overwhelming.

The Umbra Yin Horse quickly reacted. As soon as it saw the incoming attacks, it lept off the wolfs head to conceal itself once more.

As for the corpse wolf, a glint flashed from its eyes, and its howls came to a halt. It gaped its mouth, releasing an unfathomable stream of dark green inferno to meet the oncoming magic treasures.

For a time, the flames had restrained the treasures and prevented any of them from coming any closer to the corpse. It was too late for the winged scorpions to dodge, and they were turned into ash after just a moment. The white net released to capture the Umbra Yin Horse was also restrained by the green flames.

When Bai Yaoyi saw this, she let out a cold snort. As the North Night Palace was a place of eternal snow, all of her techniques and treasures were ice-attributed, and she held these flames in utter contempt.

Before any of the others had taken further action, Bai Yaoyi held her hands in an incantation gesture and the light around her body flared, releasing a wave of white Qi. The gorgeous, glittering light made her appear like a goddess of ice afloat in a blizzard. As temperatures suddenly plummeted, the black-robed woman and Cultivator Yuan couldnt help but tremble.

The huge wolf seemed to sense that matters had turned for the worse and took a deep breath before spitting out even greater flames.

At nearly the same time, Bai Yaoyi spat out a crystalline fan, circling once around her before dropping into her hand, empowering the cold light surrounding her. Then with a wave, the air shrieked as the glacial winds swept forth, carrying countless shards of penetrating ice.

Green and white power clashed, drowning out the magic treasures in the flare of their collision. The explosions that resulted caused the cave to tremble.

The Corpse Wolfs flames were truly formidable, capable of evenly contending against its natural nemesis. When Bai Yaoyi saw this, her face flushed red with rage. She waved her fan once more and rose winds of even greater power.

As the battle unfolded, the others didnt simply remain idle.

The old man promptly pointed at the chains he had summoned. With a bang, black flames coiled across them and they blurred, transforming into several tens of indistinguishable copies, instantly forming a huge net above the wolf.

As for the black-robed woman, she muttered a spell and released three red flying dagger. They shook before merging together into a single three-meter-long sword and cleaved forward in a swordstreak.

Cultivator Yuan withdrew the jade pendant in his hand and replaced it with a blue gourd. It spat out a dense purple mist that slowly spread towards the wolf.

Having seen the others employ their great abilities, Han Li raised his brow and casually shook his sleeve. A red line flashed out before fading away from sight.

With so many attacks suppressing it, the huge wolf wasnt able to endure. The black flaming chains and red swordstreak gradually pushed back its corpse flames, making way for the dense purple mist to arrive.

Although it wasnt very intelligent, it could feel that danger was approaching. Its body flickered with green light, and its figure suddenly shrunk as the fur on its back turned erect. Then with a roar, a dense barrage of green light launched from its coat, enveloping the five present.

The cultivators had anticipated this, but none of them dared to underestimate the attack and had employed their own abilities to block it. In that moment of delay, the wolf turned tail and fled, leaving the cultivators in shock.

Nearly a month later at the bottom of the Yin Yang Cave, Han Li stood in a giant wind cavern and held his hands in an incantation gesture. A dozen golden swords were revolving around him, shredding the countless moths flooding him into thin lines of black Qi.

The moths were several inches long and completely black. With each flap of their wings, they released thin blades of wind towards him, but they were all easily blocked by the golden light.

But with each fallen moth, two came to take its place. Han Li grew sullen with annoyance. He tossed a spirit beast pouch from his waist and summoned a swarm of sparkling golden beetles into the air.

When the black moths met the Gold Devouring Beetles, they suddenly began to shrink back as more of their numbers fell to the ground. When he saw this, he withdrew a majority of his flying swords and stepped into the depths of the cavern.

The Yin winds here were blowing with far greater frequency and blocked his more powerful spiritual sense from seeing even ten meters ahead. At the very least, he didnt have to worry about being harassed by the moths.

After walking to the approximate center, his eyes shined with blue light, allowing him to see the nearby surroundings with clarity. But when he looked in a certain direction, he couldnt help but gasp.

He walked sixty meters before tossing out a moonlight stone and carrying it in the air with a mist of azure light, illuminating ten meters around him.

Underneath the white light, a skull-sized black crystal was half embedded in the wall.

But what was astonishing was that the gem was flickering with a haunting light and would release black moths without end, swarming towards Han Li and the dazzling moonlight stone in a mad rush. However, the Gold Devouring Beetles had intercepted them midway, but when each moth was killed, they simply faded away as if they never existed.

This is the third one, but it is able to use the nearby Yin Qi to create Dark Yin Moths. How peculiar, Han Li muttered.

When Han Li took a closer look, he saw the black crystal release a flare of black light. A pop sounded out, followed by the appearance of a meter-wide moth. It fiercely glared at Han Li with crimson eyes. fгeeebove.cm

Han Li raised his brow at the sight and flicked his finger, releasing a bolt of golden lightning and dispersing the moth in an instant. Although it was certain to have a few peculiar abilities, the Divine Devilbane Lightning was its natural nemesis.

Then, he reached out for the crystal without any hesitation, and a large hand of sparkling blue light appeared in front of him. With a bang, the crystal was taken out from the wall.

In the instant the crystal was grasped, the surrounding Yin winds were decreased by over half. All the moths had turned into black Qi in a bright flash and blew away in the wind.

Han Li didnt appear particularly surprised by this and instead mulled over the two smaller crystals he found earlier in other wind caverns. These strange crystals caused Han Li to click his tongue in amazement, but he decided to leave the matter for later.

After his first return to Old Man Fu for another application of the Dark Violet Pearls protective light, he split up with Bai Yaoyi. Now that she wasnt following him, Han Li made full use of his abilities.

Over the last few days, while he slowly headed deeper into the cave, he was several times faster than the others. He also came across high-grade ghosts with greater frequency, but his flying swords and golden lightning made short work of them. He hadnt needed to use the Weeping Soul Beast even once.

It was starting to make sense why high-grade cultivators hadnt explored the Yin Yang Cave. Deeper inside, he had found little, apart from a few abandoned magic tools and inferior ore veins.

But several days ago when he pursued a ghost, he unintentionally entered a small wind cavern. He initially had little interest in exploring it as the Umbra Yin Horse they were looking for shouldnt be able to survive in a place with fierce Yin Winds. In addition, the frequent Yin winds in the cave would force him to consume even greater amounts of magic, even with the protection of the Dark Violet Pearls light. As such, it would prove quite difficult of him to tread deeper inside, but after he discovered the first black crystal, he became interested in exploring deeper. With the Divine Devilbane Lightning protecting him and the Myriad Spirit Milk to replenish his magic power, he also had little to fear.

Han Li hadnt seen these black crystals before in any records. Although they resembled Devil Essence Diamonds at first glance, they were completely different.

They werent nearly as hard as Devil Essence Diamonds and didnt contain devilish essence either. They appeared to be strange wind-attribute gems that were condensed inside these caverns for countless years, but they also contained large quantities of Yin Qi.

When Han Li searched through tens of wind caverns, he only managed to find three of them. The first two he found were the size of a fist, but the third and most recent one he found was the size of a skull and could produce ghosts.

After examining the gem for a long while and finding that it hadnt made the slightest reaction, he stuck several restriction talismans on it before placing it in a large jade box and into his storage pouch.

After a cursory search through the large wind cavern to make sure he hadnt missed anything, he withdrew to the passage where he came.

He traveled another kilometer and was searching through another small cavern, eventually finding that the tunnel became increasingly narrow. In the end, he was met with a wall of ice.

Han Li sighed but still continued forward. He raised his hand and released a streak of azure light, sinking deep into the icy wall. He didnt stop there, and pressed his hand against it and swept his spiritual sense through.

After finding no mechanisms or restrictions, he turned around and moved back without another thought. He was several times faster on the way back than when he was exploring forward.

Although he didnt know the exact shape of the Yin Yang Cave, they should be close to the heart of the cave given the variety of ghosts theyve encountered. However, none of them had yet to discover any trace of the Umbra Yin Horse, much to Han Lis impatience.

Since he had hurried to refine the Triflame Fan in preparation for this trip, he didnt want to return empty-handed.

It was an extremely difficult affair for a Nascent Soul cultivator to breakthrough to a later stage. All cultivators who ascended to mid-Nascent Soul stage in the Heavenly South were blessed geniuses, and of these talents, only three were able to break through to late-Nascent Soul stage. And although there were more late-Nascent Soul cultivators in the Great Jin, they were still rarely seen.

As a result, Han Li had considered using the Copulation Essence Arts with Mu Peiling to break through the bottleneck to late-Nascent Soul stage, but it wasnt a guarantee. Now that the Nascent Cultivating Pill appeared before him, he couldnt allow the opportunity to pass him by.

If they truly couldnt find the Umbra Yin Horse, he would have to see if he could acquire the medical formula of the Nascent Cultivating Pill from Old Man Fu. Although his chances were slim, if he could acquire the formula, he could try looking the Umbra Yin Horse elsewhere. After all, there were many places in the world where Yin Qi naturally gathered.

Han Lis mind mulled over this matter as he flew through the tunnel.

But suddenly, his expression stirred and his attention turned to his front. A flicker of green light flashed in front of him and was flying in his direction. He instantly waved his sleeve in response, releasing a mist of azure in front of him. The green light was captured by the mist and dragged in front of him, revealing a gleaming sword that had a red jade slip attached to it.

Han Li pursed his lips and raised his hand, taking the slip into his hand before tossing the sword back into the air. The green sword let out a ring, circling in the air before flying through Yin winds without a trace.

Han Li ignored it and instead sank his spiritual sense into the jade slip.

Theyve found traces of the Umbra Yin Horse! A short moment later, Han Li withdrew from the jade slip with a smile. Then with a flip of his hand, he summoned a white formation plate.

He tapped it and in a flash of azure light, it became as glossy as a mirror. Four differently colored lights appeared on different places of the plate.

He looked at the positions of the light and immediately put it away before flying forward at greater speed.

Half a day later, Han Li arrived at a four-way intersection, finding Cultivator Yuan and Old Man Fu meditating there. The Dark Violet Pearl was floating motionlessly above the old mans head.

After Han Li arrived, he asked, Fellow Daoist Yuan, youve found it?

Thats right, Cultivator Yuan chuckled and his face wore a trace of excitement, The Umbra Yin Horse is in this passageway, but it is extremely cunning. I wasnt able to capture it, and could only block the way out and wait for you all to arrive.

Good, Han Li nodded with a smile, So long as we know of its whereabouts, it will only be a matter of time.

Old Man Fu happily said, Junior Martial Sister Chang and Fellow Daoist Bai are still quite far away. Lets wait. When were all present, the capture will be easier.

When Han Li heard this, he felt relieved and also took a seat.

Several hours later, the black-robed woman and Bai Yaoyi rushed over. After they heard the news, they were also overjoyed. With several simple spell formations placed down at the passage entrance, they promptly set off inside.

Not long after, a dark light suddenly flashed from the ground underneath, followed by the emergence of three pitch-black dried corpses.

The chests of the corpses were all hollow and their bodies lacked any flesh, but their eyes shined with a chilling green light as they stared in the direction of Han Lis party without the slightest emotion.

As Bai Yaoyi watched with surprise, golden lightning suddenly struck the grey corpse, turning it into a pile of white ash in a flare.

Han Li frowned in silence for a spell before calmly saying, Lets go. It seems I was being too paranoid. He then strode off with large steps.

Bai Yaoyi followed him with an unconcerned smile. Shortly after, the two continued on their way through another passage.

When the two were far away, a purple light overwhelmed the black Yin winds blowing nearby, producing a inky silhouette from underneath the stone pillar in the cavern. The silhouette was jet-black and had vague features as if it were completely made from shadow. All it presented was a pair of glowing green eyes.

It glanced at the remnants of the Calamity Ape at the entrance and turned to look at the ashes of the dried corpse before pouncing off the ground and producing an astonishing scene. It blurred and summoned every speck of the corpses ash into its body, to then let out a soft cry and releasing black Qi that completely wrapped around its body.

The Qi coiled and blew away to reveal an exact imitation of the corpse that had been destroyed.

It didnt remain still or lifeless. Instead, it approached the entrance of the cavern and blew out a Yin wind to sweep up the remains of the ape.

In the black wind, the ice thawed at a visible rate, and the remains fused together to form an intact Calamity Ape.

The beast snarled before immediately lying down at the dried corpses feet, resembling the behavior of a dog. The corpse then extended its black claws and stroked the beasts head before staring into the passage out of the cavern, as if lost in thought.

…

Thunderous explosions and screams of agony echoed from a manor on the top of a giant mountain in Nanjiang. There were nearly a hundred black-robed cultivators attacking a faint yellow barrier with their magic treasures and tools. The barrier of light covered most of the manor and protected a dozen yellow-robed cultivators, each waving various-colored spell flags with their utmost effort in an attempt to strengthen their only defense. Because their numbers were so few, the barrier still swayed before their terror-struck eyes.

A kilometer in the sky above, there was a middle-aged cultivator with an imposing appearance. He wore yellow robes and his complexion was completely pale.

There were five white smoke-like figures that surrounded him in a circle.

Sect Brother, will you not release the He Clan? I have met the Ghost Sect Master several times. So long as you agree to stay your hand, I am willing to have the clan withdraw from the cultivation world and never to appear again. Furthermore, this is Nanjiang. If you act to imprudently, you will provoke trouble. Although the middle-aged cultivator knew that matters were bad, he still held on to a trace of hope.

A mysterious voice intermittently sounded out from every direction, Your He Clan has already agreed to submit to our Yin Sifting Sect, but when the time came, you betrayed us. Do you think were a joke? Dont think that we wouldnt be able to find you just because you moved to Nanjiang. For our sects reputation, we will have to make your clan disappear. And your severed head will be useful in properly bringing our other subordinates into line. Will you end yourself, or have me personally settle this? If I use my Unbroken Cinque Devils, there wont even be a skeleton left behind.

When he heard this, the yellow-robed cultivators heart sank.

Then, a worldshaking explosion sounded out from below and the yellow-robed cultivator quickly looked down in great alarm. He saw that the barrier protecting the manner had shattered into fading specks of light.

The last of the color on his face had completely disappeared.

The Yin Sifting Sect cultivators surrounding the manor began to cheer and a glow filled the air, fully suppressing those inside.

You dare… Without another thought, the yellow-robed cultivator slapped his storage pouch and released a ten-meter-long yellow python down towards the ground.

There is no need for you to interfere with our juniors affairs. How about you show me the power of your Heaven-mixed Brick instead? After this mysterious voice spoke, one of the white silhouettes surrounding the yellow-robed cultivator began to stir and quickly pursued the python with near-instantaneous speed.

An ominous glint flashed from the yellow pythons eyes and it widely opened its mouth, moving to swallow the white silhouette.

The figure silently trembled and transformed into a pure-white, three-meter-tall skull. In the pythons alarm, it attempted to stop, but it was already too late.

The skull cackled in cacophony and shot out a thread from its mouth, quickly and firmly restraining the pythons head.

Terror-struck, it struggled with all its might and swung its tail like a mace, quickly smashing it against the skull, but it hadnt done the slightest damage. In response, grey light flashed from the skulls mouth and traveled along the thread.

An inconceivable event followed.

The grey light spread across the pythons body and turned its body dim and shriveled. In the blink of an eye, the pythons flesh had completely disappeared, leaving only bone behind.

However, the skull didnt stop there. It shook the white thread and took the remains of the python into its mouth before chewing in a crunchy galore.

After seeing the death of the python he nurtured for some many years, a trace of resentment was betrayed from his face. He then looked at the white silhouettes that still surrounded him and slapped the back of his head, spitting out a sparkling yellow brick that was several inches large.

He formed an incantation gesture and pointed to the brick with heavy bearing.

The brick flew a circle in the air and massively increased in size as it glowed. In the time of a single breath, it grew to the size of thirty meters above his head. It shined with dazzling light and had talisman characters wandering across its surface, releasing a truly astonishing pressure.

The concealed cultivator sighed and asked, This is the Heaven-mixed Brick? I am somewhat disappointed, it doesnt live up to its reputation. It seems Ill just simply have my cinque devils deal with you.

Just after this was said, the five figures stirred and slowly floated towards the yellow-robed cultivator.

The man paid no heed to the disdainful words and swept his gaze past the silhouettes before letting out a resounding roar, causing the brick above him to spin in the air. With the bricks mass, it created a tornado in an instant, concealing the cultivator within it.

However, the white silhouettes ignored this and shot into the tornado without another thought.

Youre courting death! Countless streaks of yellow light shot out from the wind, revealing themselves to be foot-long bricks. In sounds of rolling booms, the white silhouettes were pelted by the lights.

During this display, a yellow streak shot out from the tornado and rushed across the sky, travelling over sixty meters in an instant.

Then, a bone-chilling snort sounded out followed by several pops. The four white silhouettes shot after him before later disappearing in a blur.

A fluctuation suddenly appeared in front of the yellow cultivator, and the four white silhouettes appeared in a flash of silver light. They then silently charged towards the cultivator.

Greatly alarmed, he came to a sudden stop and hastily formed an incantation, suddenly commanding a ten-meter-large brick to smash them, but the silhouettes blurred and phased through the brick as if it werent there, arriving in front of him in the blink of an eye.

The lone cultivator was thrown into a panic, and he hastily waved his hand, releasing a shining blue pendant that he had prepared beforehand.

The trinket blurred and discharged a glowing blue mist, stopping all of the white silhouettes in their tracks.

However, the man wasnt relieved in the slightest as the white silhouettes began to roar in strange laughter, dispersing a blue mist around them. He inwardly cursed when he saw this and hastily covered himself in light as he prepared to flee.

But before he could take off, white Qi phased in front of him and the white silhouettes passed through his protective light without resistance and disappeared into his body.

Without the time to react, he suddenly felt his Nascent Soul tense and his body grow hot as if his blood was boiling. This was the last sensation he would feel in this world.

Had any others been nearby, they wouldve seen the flesh of the yellow-robed cultivator quickly shrivel away into a dry husk. As for the Nascent Soul, it had been cleanly devoured by the white silhouettes when they entered his body. They soon flew out and turned into skulls, ferociously crunching portions of his body as a meal.

The other white silhouette had eventually flown back and five figures were standing side by side.

The manor down below was completely silent and a black-robed old man flew up.

He arrived in front of the white silhouettes and respectfully saluted them, I pay my respects to the great elder! The He Clans seventy-two cultivators are all dead. They leave behind three hundred mortals, I await your decision.

Kill them all, a voice curtly spoke.

It will be done, the old man then quickly withdrew.

The mysterious voice sullenly commanded, Wait, Elder Ge had previously mentioned that the cultivator who killed our sects fourth elder and seized the Ghost Sifting Banner is possibly in Nanjiang. Since this matter is dealt with, all cultivators are to investigate this persons whereabouts. I will be keeping watch here for a year. If there are any traces of him, I will set off. How could I allow our sects signature treasure to fall into an outsiders hand?

The old mans expression froze and then he respectfully replied, Yes, Martial Nephew will carry out your orders. Afterwards, he flew down in a black streak.

Since he was able to kill my Fourth Junior Martial Brother who wielded the Ghost Sifting Flag and escape pursuit of the Endless Sky Temple, he should prove more difficult than exterminating the meager He Clan. The voice muttered to themself with a trace of interest.

Bai Yaoyis eyes swept across the sword and waved it with a single hand, producing several foot-long swordlights that chopped at the wall of ice, leaving deep markings behind.

Han Lis expression stirred when he saw this.

She turned the sword several times in examination and revealed a trace of doubt after finding no markings of significant value. After so many years, the spiritual nature hadnt faded away. Its master mustve spent quite an effort in creating this. From its might, it shouldve belonged to a late-Core Formation cultivator. But that in itself is strange, someone of that level shouldnt have been able to reach this place.

Can I have a look at it? Han Li asked.

There is no need to be polite, go ahead. Bai Yaoyi sweetly smiled and then sent the flying sword over to Han Li with a flick of her finger.

He reached out to the sword and had it fly into his hand. After examining it for a while, he frowned.

Has Brother Han discovered something? Bai Yaoyi curiously inquired.

The swords body is refined purely from Blue Essence Crystal. That isnt a wise decision at all. If it were mixed with other materials, its might would be even greater. However, these refinement methods werent widely known tens of thousands of years ago, and the decorative talisman markings on the sword are rather old. While the master of the sword wasnt an ancient cultivator, they still come from an age long gone.

Brother Hans deep knowledge in tool refinement has truly come as a shock! Bai Yaoyi exclaimed.

It isnt much, Ive only read through a few sword refinement archives by chance, He turned to look into the cavern and calmly said, How about we go inside and see if there is anything to gain?

Yes, lets go! Bai Yaoyi nodded after only some thought and released a sparkling white umbrella. Then, she walked into the cavern and led the way.

Han Li smiled and pointed to the several flying swords above him, having them transform into a barrier of golden light before he followed after her.

The cavern was pitch black, and only the sounds of wind and a faint whistle from deep within could be heard. The ghost seemed to have discovered the two as the sounds of the whistle grew deafening.

Since this place isnt too large, it should be easy to deal with, Han Li muttered. He raised his hand and summoned a sparkling white moonlight stone.

After he struck it with a spell seal, the stone brightly shined with light and illuminated their surroundings. Because of the blocking Yin winds, the distant areas were dim and unclear.

When they were two hundred meters deeper into the cavern, they spotted another entrance that faintly released a green glow.

Han Li and Bai Yaoyi gave each other a strange glance. All the caverns they had passed until now were exhausted ore mines without a single exception.

While the two grew somewhat more vigilant, they did possess great cultivation and werent about the shy away from this.

With the umbrella in front of her, Bai Yaoyi approached the entrance, but after she glanced inside, her complexion turned pale.

Han Li soon appeared at her side and looked in.

There was a hundred-meter-wide cave filled with stalactites, and a faint green glow shining from the walls and the top. There was a ten-meter-tall stone pillar at the very center. Although it was crude and unremarkable, there was a dried corpse that was tightly bound around it in chains.

Its head lifelessly hung with long grey hair cover it, and its abdomen gored with all organs spilled.

Let alone Bai Yaoyi, this grotesque scene had made for a startling sight to Han Li as well.

He pursed his lips and thought to say something when the blue sword in his hand let out unceasing long cries, followed by wild shaking.

With some understanding, he tossed the sword into the air. It shot towards the stone pillar in a blue streak and turned into its original half-foot-long form before revolving around the dried corpse and letting out another cry.

This husk was the swords master? It appeared that their golden core was seized and life forfeit. Bai Yaoyi let out a long sigh and wore a slightly disturbed expression.

Han Li coldly said, He hadnt died a normal death. This person was used as a live sacrifice for a wicked technique!

A live sacrifice? In her alarm, she finally took notice of a forty-meter-wide spell formation in the cave. She hadnt immediately noticed it due to the dust that had gathered on top of it.

Han Li nodded, I dont know which sacrifice formation this is. Ill have to take a closer look to find out.

Thats easy, leave it to me. Bai Yaoyi smiled and spat out a miniature crystalline fan. In a flash of icy light, the fan expanded to a foot in length and waved itself across the cave.

A yellow wind swept up the dust into the air, obstructing the sight of the entire cavern.

But with that light surrounding their bodies, Han Li and Bai Yaoyi ignored the dust and examined the formation on the ground as if it hadnt affected them in the slightest.

At that moment over forty meters away behind them, a dark light weakly shined from the ground, followed by the emergence of a black silhouette. It remained motionless in a crouched position.

When the black silhouette noticed that the two hadnt reacted, a crimson light glinted from its eyes and its body darted forward. Along the way, it tilted its head and screeched, releasing a black streak towards Bai Yaoyi.

The silhouette intended on simultaneously dealing with both of them.

Han Li suddenly flipped his hand and summoned a hand of azure light in midair. It accurately grabbed ahold of the black silhouette and held it in place.

As for the streak heading towards Bai Yaoyi, she gracefully swept her umbrella behind her.

The umbrella released a flash of white light upon contact with the black streak and deflected the attack with ease, leaving an inch-deep hole in the stone wall.

Bai Yaoyi smiled as she looked at the silhouette captured by the hand of light. It had the body of a black-scaled serpent that spanned fifteen meters long, the face of an ape, and two grotesque arms that each held a foot-long bone spike.

Although the monster was firmly grasped, it was violently struggling with all its might and resentfully glared at the two with its crimson eyes.

A calamity ape? They actually exist in this world? Bai Yaoyi felt alarmed upon seeing the monster.

Han Li glanced at the ghost and casually said, I heard this ghost is something that is condensed from human resentment in an area of heavy Yin. It is extremely vicious, fond of killing, and enjoys eating the brains of live humans. In addition, it is able to mimic any ghostly sound. It appeared the refined corpses whistle from before was his doing. Tch tch, Ive looked through quite a few records, but this is the first time I encountered a ghost like this. However, it isnt particularly strong and is courting death to dare attack us.

Bai Yaoyi snorted and looked at the Calamity Ape with disgust. What point is there in keeping this monstrosity alive. Itd be better to kill it. She then pointed at it, releasing a streak of blue light to coil around the ghost and seal in a layer of ice.

Han Li silently smiled and commanded the hand of light to exert force, crushing the frozen monster into tiny pieces.

By then, the dust swept up into the air had fallen back on the ground, but they had already clearly seen the spell formation.

Han Li narrowed his eyes and calmly walked over to examine it further. As for Bai Yaoyi, she appeared disinterested and instead turned her attention to the cavern walls.

After a long while, Han Li eventually said, This spell formation is for refining ghosts and is an ancient one at that. Also…

Bai Yaoyi turned her attention back at the spell formation and puzzlingly asked, Also what?

Also, the year engraved on the spell formation appears far older than the dried corpse. It shouldve placed down since ancient times. Han Li said with a tone of certainty.

Bai Yaoyi stared at Han Li in astonishment, So it was like that? How was Brother Han able to determine this?

Han Li chuckled and said, This is only something that I concluded from my own experience.

Bai Yaoyi paused for a moment before letting out a chuckle and dropping the subject.

The mysteries behind this area have nothing to do with us. Since there are no other things here, lets leave, she raised her hand and took the blue flying sword into it before placing it in her storage pouch.

Han Li nodded and the two began to leave. But just as they approached the entrance, Han Li suddenly felt a strange, uneasy sensation. He couldnt help but stop and turn to look at the chained dried corpse.

What, is there something amiss? Bai Yaoyi asked with a trace of confusion.

Han Li didnt immediately reply. Instead, his gaze flickered and he pointed in the distance.

A muffled sound of thunder rang out and golden light flashed from his fingertips, striking the dried corpse on the stone pillar with an arc of thin lightning.

The Elder Devil calmly nodded, I will strive my hardest for those devilish artifacts.

Good, then let he matters proceed. Everyone, follow me to the bottom of the lake. Although this area is remote, we should be careful in case a passing cultivator spots us and save any potential trouble. with that said, the square-faced man shined with light and dived in.

One after another, the others followed suit.

In the blink of an eye, they had disappeared, leaving behind only ripples in the lake and a calm breeze.

…

Thousands of kilometers away, Han Li and company had encountered a bit of trouble.

Under Han Lis mental command, a ball of yellow radiance shot out from his body and easily crushed an incoming horned Yin ghost. Then, golden light flared around him and cut through two other nearby wraiths, scattering their bodies into smoke.

He turned his gaze to Old Man Fu and the others. They were currently using their magic treasures to strike down other specters. Although these ghosts were small and slender, they were relentless and fierce.

Han Li appeared unhappy at the sight of this.

After Cultivator Yuan tore through a ghost with a flick of green flame, he said, Brother Fu, weve been traveling for several days now, but we still havent found any trace of the Umbra Yin Horse. And while these low-grade ghosts are weak and feral, they impede our progress dealing with them. Han Li shared these same sentiments.

Old Man Fu replied, There is no need to be so anxious, Brother Yuan. The cave is large and the horse is very skilled in concealment. As for these ghosts, they are destroyed with little effort. So long as you occasionally replenish your magic power with spirit stones, well be able to last for quite a while.

Bai Yaoyi glanced around her and sighed, While that is true, blocking the soul-shaking Yin winds already consumes a significant amount of magic power. With our current cultivation, well be able only to hold out for two months more.

They were currently in a huge passage that was a hundred meters tall. The walls twinkled with freezing inky ice, and black winds far denser than at the entrance continuously spun nearby. Their wails were enough to inspire trepidation.

But when the winds entered the range of the Dark Violet Pearls ring of light, they greatly weakened. Even so, Han Li and company maintained a blinding light all over their bodies, not daring to allow the winds to make the slightest contact.

Hordes of small ghosts unceasingly manifest from the accumulated Yin Qi and charge towards them like moths to the flame.

In a glint of cold light, the last of the current wave of ghosts was cleaved through by Bai Yaoyis flying saber, clearing the way for the time being. Then, their magic treasures were recalled to their side as they floated forward.

The storm of Yin winds inside the cave prevented their spiritual sense from looking afar, and without sight, they didnt dare to make haste. Otherwise, they wouldve been able to search through the cave in only a matter of days.

After the time it took to finish a meal, the Yin winds ahead of them suddenly turned violent as they appeared at a fork in the road, one large passage and two smaller ones.

A cold glint flashed from Han Lis eyes and he said, Another one? This will not do. If we have to travel through multiple paths, we wont be able to search through all the caverns in two months. We have to split up.

Cultivator Yuan looked at the pearl in the old mans hand and shook his head, There is only one Dark Violet Pearl. Without its protection, blocking the soul-shaking Yin winds will take up too much magic power. The amount of time we will be able to stay in the caves will be greatly reduced.

Unphased, Old Man Fu said, If its a matter of the pearl, I can consume a bit of blood essence to give you the protection of the pearl temporarily. So long as the strength of the Yin winds remain constant, the protection should be able to last about a week.

That should be enough for us to look deep into each of the passages, but well need to way to find you again after the Dark Violet Pearls light disappears. Well have to leave behind marks of magic power on all of us so that well be able to find each other.

Bai Yaoyi then frowned and asked, Although it isnt very likely, what will we do if one of us encounters a high-grade ghost?

Cultivator Yuan snorted and said, If its a ghost that a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator cant deal with, it would have to be a ghost monarch. But, this isnt a true Yin underworld. How can a bit of Yin Qi possibly produce something on that level? There will only be a few stronger ghosts in the cave depths. The rumored one here is only a legend. No one had personally seen it. Additionally, well have to take the risk regardless. Once the period of weakened Yin winds come to an end, well no longer be able to remain here.

When Old Man Fu and the black-robed woman heard this, they exchanged a glance and revealed a trace of hesitation.

Originally, they hadnt thought to separate in order to maintain their safety, but there were far more passages in the Yin Yang Cave than they originally anticipated. If they didnt split up, it was very possible they would return empty-handed.

Bai Yaoyi pondered for a moment and raised no opposition. It appeared she found his words acceptable.

Old Man Fu eventually came to a decision and said, Alright, well follow your suggestion. But everyone will have to take care! Do not travel out of a three day range from me, or you wont be able to replenish the protective light on time.

Han Li looked at the center passage and said, Dont worry, this tunnel is sure to be the main passage down, and the forking tunnels shouldnt be too long. Three days should be more than enough for us to search through them.

Old Man Fu then spat out a mist of blood essence onto the Dark Violet Pearl, causing it to surge.

He then struck it with a series of spell seals and reached out to the pearl with his free hand, summoning a ball of dazzling purple light.

With the light in hand, he swept his eyes across the party members and tossed it towards his junior martial sister. With a flash, the ball of light disappeared into her body and a small ring of purple radiance surrounded her.

When the others saw that the technique was effective, they felt at ease and had the old man do the same to them.

Then after they placed markers of the magic power upon one another, they split up into three.

Old Man Fu naturally paired with his junior martial sister and they rushed down the center passageway. As for Cultivator Yuan and Han Li, they decided to take the left and right branching paths respectively. Bai Yaoyi was the last to decide and hesitated for a moment before following after Han Li.

When Han Li sensed her following after him, he slowed down to let her catch up, then traveled together side by side.

Along the way, she asked, Does Brother Han feel that the Yin Yang Cave doesnt live up to its reputation? They say that after entering, one will find themselves in extreme peril, but we didnt encounter anything that was a problem, apart from those soul-shaking Yin winds. Could the rumors be exaggerated?

Han Li was somewhat surprised by the question and replied with a smile, Although I dont know much about this place, Im sure that it deserves its title as one of the seven most dangerous places in the Great Jin. Fellow Daoist Bai, dont forget that these soul-shaking winds are so harsh that if a cultivator under Nascent Soul stage were to enter, that alone would be sure to tear them to pieces even with a protective treasure. And it also stands to mention that were only safe because of the Dark Violet Pearls protective light, not to mention that weve only encountered the lowest grade of Yin ghosts over the past few days. As we enter deeper, the Yin Qi will be far denser and will produce even harsher ghosts.

Brother Hans words are reasonable. However, I still feel a bit doubtful… Yi! Yin ghosts are coming! As Bai Yaoyi talked with Han Li, eight Yin ghosts suddenly appeared from a nearby winds and fiercely changed towards them.

In flashes of blue and golden light, the Yin ghosts were cleanly executed.

Then, the two slowly tread forward, but after half a day of searching, they hadnt found anything.

Just as the two were about to head back, a fierce Yin wind suddenly blew past them with a frigid, piercing whistle.

Whats this? Bai Yaoyi said with a start.

Han Li blinked and replied, That sounds like a refined corpse. It shouldve come from a high-grade ghost.

A refined corpse, What are the chances? Bai Yaoyi said with a raised brow.

The two then approached the source of the sound without any fear.

After they turned a corner, they found themselves at the entrance to a cavern that was ten meters tall. It howled incessantly with exceptionally violent Yin winds, and the faint sounds of a ghostly whistle could be heard within.

Yi! Whats that? Bai Yaoyi glanced inside and saw something that was sealed in the glistening ice.

She raised her hand and struck it with a fist-sized fireball. With a sudden bang, the scarlet flames melted the ice to reveal the objects true form. It was a blue flying sword that was stuck halfway into the wall.

But in the instant the ice melted, the lively flying sword began to shine with a dim light and let out a clear ring. Then it began to tremble as if attempting to shake itself free.

Bai Yaoyi was astounded by the sight and with a wave of her sleeve, released a rope of crimson flame. With embers flickering in the air, it wrapped around the sword and pulled it into her hand.

Half a day later in the depths of Myriad Poison Valley, silver light flashes lit the air, followed by the explosions of huge fireballs. With each rupture, dozens of roasted venomous insects fell from the air. Following a massive rise in temperature, a small sea of flames instantly rose from the ground and turned the insects to ash.

Bai Yaoyi clicked her tongue and said, Fellow Daoist Hans control over magic techniques have reached perfection. If you said you were fire-attributed, none would dare to question it.

It is only a result of practice, Han Li indifferently replied, When I possessed lesser cultivation, I had a preference for using fireballs.

Then, silver light illuminated the area, and the group of Nascent Soul cultivators became visible as they walked through the sea of fading flames.

Han Li swept his gaze into the distance and came to a sudden stop with a frown. While the sea of flames was thinning the poisonous mist, it faintly revealed something in the distance. Before he could release his spiritual sense, Cultivator Yuan pointed his scepter and had it blaze with silver light, fully illuminating the area in front of them.

When Han Li clearly saw into the mist, he felt his breath turn cold. A hundred meters in front of them, there was a giant ravine at least three hundred meters wide with no end to it in sight. There would also be black Yin winds that occasionally blew out and scattered the nearby poisonous mist. Apart from Han Li and Bai Yaoyi, everyone else had been there before. The group of cultivators didnt appear particularly surprised that the Yin winds still appeared incredibly violent.

This is the entrance to the Yin Yang Cave. Everyone, lets take look. Following the old mans words, they walked towards the side of the ravine and leaned over.

The ravine was unfathomably deep and contained a fluctuating vortex of pitch-black Yin winds. Ghostly howls and wails could be heard from within.

Han Lis gaze then turned to the walls and saw that they were a sparkling crystals, appearing to be a dense layer of ice.

After Old Man Fu looked at the huge ravine, let out a long breath and said, These are only ordinary Yin winds, but once we reach a kilometer deep, the soul-shaking Yin winds will begin to appear. Unprepared, even we wont be able to last long against them, but that is why I brought the Dark Violet Pearl. They will greatly reduce their level of threat against us.

However, the number of soul-shaking Yin winds will greatly differ depending on your location in the cave. Given our experience, you all should already know to be careful..

After he waved his hand, he took out a purple ball the size of a fist. Han Li carefully looked at it as soon as it appeared, but when he touched it with his spiritual sense, his vision suddenly blurred and he felt it dazed as if his soul was about to fly out from his body.

He was greatly frightened, but his body began to circulate the Great Development Art of its own accord. A cool sensation then filled his mind, bringing his senses back to normal.

Han Lis expression remained calm, but his heart was deeply alarmed. As expected of a Devil Dao sects signature treasure, it was truly bizarre. As that thought passed his mind, he turned to look at Cultivators Yuan and Bai Yaoyi.

They were continuously shifting their eyes and their faces had turned unsightly. It was unknown what they had used to escape the pearls bewitching effects.

Ignoring the aftermath of the threes prying, Old Man Fu raised the pearl in his hand and began to mutter an incantation. Suddenly, a blinding light flashed and a ring of indistinct light emerged, covering an area of a hundred meters around it. Under the effects of the purple light, Han Li and the other four suddenly felt the vicious power of the Yin winds decreased by over half.

Cultivator Yuan put away his jade scepter and said, The Dark Violet Pearl is certainly worthy of its reputation!

With the pearl being held in one hand, he summoned a purple-red mist of light in the other. There is no point in praising it now. It wont be until further deeper that you will better know its abilities. Lets go. Then, green light flashed from his body and he dropped into the ravine.

The rest of the group followed after him and released their own protective treasures while still keeping inside the purple ring of light: Cultivator Yuan released a dark jade tablet, Bai Yaoyi summoned a crystalline saber, The black-robed woman took out a pitch-black shield, and Han Li spat out several golden swords.

Then, the party glowed luminescent and descended into the ravine. They were soon engulfed by the pitch-black vortex and their surroundings returned to normal.

…

There were eight cultivators above a small lake in Nanjiang, all wearing a different style of clothing and listening to a black-clothed figure in front of them.

These fellows were the Ye Clan leaders that had gathered at the imperial palace several months prior. The eccentric with the large head was standing with a swaying figure among them. At his side stood the square-faced middle-aged cultivator, and behind him was the Elder Devil in the guise of Han Lis face. He was currently listening to the black-clothed cultivator with a calm expression.

As the black-clothed cultivator possessed far lesser cultivation, he treated his Nascent Soul-stage elders with the utmost respect.

Four hundred years ago, our Ye Clan found a destroyed stone tablet from antiquity. From that, we found the approximate whereabouts of Kunwu Mountain. This is where our plans had begun to take shape. The mountain is known as the holy land of cultivators during ancient times, but for some unknown reason, they used their grand abilities to sink it into the ground. Let alone the many ancient cultivator dwellings on the mountain, the ancients had sealed two Divine Spirit Treasures alongside it. If our Ye Clan is able to acquire these treasures, our strength will multiply and we will be able to stand against the great sects of the Righteous and Devilish Dao. Over the last hundred years, weve dispatched many of our clan disciples over the majority of the Great Jin before finally discovering the area recorded in the ruined fragment beneath this lake. We have already called forth our clans formation grandmasters to dissolve the restrictions. Because this matter was of such grave importance, it was under direct supervision of the grand elder. and only a few others were informed.

The black-clothed cultivator paused, This ancient restriction was far more profound than we had imagined, with each layer spread across an area of fifty kilometers. A dozen formation grandmasters had spent over a hundred years before finally researching a method to dissolve the seal. By using the power of heaven and earth, we will attempt to turn the sealing restrictions against themselves and clear everything. However, the process of destroying the restrictions has been a huge undertaking. It had already consumed an enormous amount of materials, and required a great number of spell formations to be placed down, but most importantly, the process also required incredibly rare materials. These materials were slowly acquired with care and our actions had been incredibly stealthy. After all, if we allowed this matter to become known, the opportunity wouldve been seized from us. Over time, the restriction breaking spell formations had been gradually established, and now the project is on the verge of completion. The clans spell formation grandmasters will only need another month before the final formation is placed. When the time comes, we will create a grand-scale concealment formation and fully suppress the thunderous aftermath of breaking the restrictions. Then, the elders will be able to enter Kunwu Mountain and seize the treasures.

After he finished, the black-clothed cultivator stood off to the side and remained silent.

Kunwu Mountain… that was our objective?

Inconceivable! I originally believed it was an ancient cultivator residence!

Tch tch, so only something as mystical as Kunwu Mountain would have Divine Spirit Treasures.

For a time, the cultivators couldnt help but mutter among themselves with unconcealed excitement, the exception being the eccentric with a large head, the square-faced middle-aged cultivator, and the Elder Devil.

With a sullen expression, the square-faced cultivators expression sank and he snorted, Dont be so excited just yet. Breaking the formation is only the first step in acquiring the treasure. If it were so simple, why would our Third Brother have us gather here and have our Seventh Uncle lend his assistance? Furthermore, our Third Brother will be delayed for about a month before joining together with us. He has to dodge those spies after all.

The Ye Clan Elder in Daoist robes couldnt help but ask, From Second Brothers words, do you mean to say that there is something amiss with Kunwu Mountain?

The square-faced cultivator replied, More than just amiss, it is possible that we will not return.

How can that be! An elder dressed in Confucian robes yelled, Seventh Uncle and Third Brother are both grand cultivators. Even the more formidable restrictions shouldnt be able to harm them.

If only it were so simple, the square-faced cultivator grimly said, Think about it. Kunwu Mountain was the holy land for ancient cultivators. Why would they seal it along with two Divine Spirit Treasures? Who knows what astonishing secrets and dangers lurk within…

When the others heard this, they couldnt help but look at each other in dismay.

The eccentric chuckled and said, Enough of that for now. Those are only the worst possibilities. Perhaps there were some other reasons they were forced to. You dont need to be worried, but you will have to be careful when the time comes. And if anything happens, I wont leave it be.

With that said, the anxiousness on the cultivators faces had disappeared.

Then, the square-faced cultivator turned to look at the disguised Elder Devil behind him and said, Elder Han, you are proficient in many ancient records. We will very much require your assistance when we enter. Be at ease, we have already found two devilish artifacts. After this matter is done, we will hand them over to you.

Fun Fact: The name of Kunwu is famous for various different reasons. It was a famous name belonging to a god, a famous pottery inventor, and even a treasure sword in the Song Dynasty.

Also, apologies, there was a slight error in continuity. The black-robed Ye Clan Elder, was actually the square-faced middle-aged Ye Clan Elder that was mentioned earlier.