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After a brief moment of contemplation, his lips suddenly tremored a few times.

His voice instantly rang out in the ears of the Ice Phoenix, who was situated thousands of kilometers away, and even though it was only a brief voice transmission, an ecstatic look immediately appeared on her face.

The Six-winged Frost Centipede immediately sensed what was going on, and asked, Whats going on? Whos that communicating with you?

Fellow Daoist Han is calling me from the formation core just up ahead, would you like to come with me to see him? the Ice Phoenix asked with a smile.

The Six-winged Frost Centipedes expression changed drastically upon hearing this. What? Hes the one guarding this formation core?

So? Are you going to come with me or not? the Ice Phoenix asked.

If I were to go with you, who would look after this formation plate? If you want to see him, then go on your own, the Six-winged Frost Centipede replied in a cold voice.

Brother Han asked me to relay a message to you: if you want to die, then stay here, but if you want to live, then come with me to see him. As for this true spirit, hell deal with it if it manages to break out of this formation, the Ice Phoenix said.

A cold look appeared on the Six-winged Frost Centipedes face upon hearing this. What does he mean by that? Is that supposed to be a threat?

Ive already delivered the message, its up to you whether you believe it or not, the Ice Phoenix said before flying away as a streak of light.

The Six-winged Frost Centipede made no effort to stop her, but he looked on with a hesitant expression, and after a long while, he gritted his teeth, and said, Fine, seeing as youve already seen me, Ill go and meet you. In any case, Ive progressed to the Grand Ascension Stage as well, so theres no need for me to fear you!

As soon as his voice trailed off, three pairs of transparent wings appeared on his back, and he flew away as a ball of translucent light, leaving the white light formation down below unattended.

Without the Six-winged Frost Centipede manning the formation, it immediately dimmed slightly and seemed to have lost around 30% of its power.

The giant figure within the formation instantly detected this and began to struggle even more violently, causing the entire formation to tremor and quake.

……

Brother Han, its so good to see you here, the Ice Phoenix said in an ecstatic manner as she appeared above the altar.

Due to Han Lis instructions, the guards surrounding the altar made no effort to stop her and continued to stand still on the spot.

At this point, Han Li had already risen to his feet, and he smiled as he said, Long time no see, Fellow Daoist Ice Phoenix, your cultivation base has improved significantly. As expected, your Ice Phoenix Physique is truly remarkable.

Surely you jest, Brother Han, my improvement is nothing compared to yours. Even during my journey, I had heard much about your spectacular feats, the Ice Phoenix said with a smile as she slowly descended from above, landing in front of Han Li.

I would rather not have earned this reputation. Otherwise, no one would seek me out to do something so dangerous. Oh, the Six-winged Frost Centipede is coming over as well. Hold on a moment while I speak with him, Han Li said as he cast his gaze into the distance with blue light flashing within his eyes.

The Ice Phoenix had no objection to this, but a wary look appeared on her face as she cautioned, Be careful, Brother Han, the Six-winged Frost Centipede has become quite powerful after reaching the Grand Ascension Stage. In particular, he possesses a certain movement technique that allowed us to even outrun that true immortal for quite some time.

An intrigued look appeared on Han Lis face upon hearing this. Oh? A movement technique that could outrun even a true immortal? Id like to see that for myself if possible.

Right at this moment, a ball of translucent light shot forth from afar, and the guards around the altar immediately began preparing for battle, only to be reassured by Han Li that this was an ally rather than an enemy.

Thus, the Six-winged Frost Centipede also appeared above the altar with a dark expression, then said, If you wanted to see me, why didnt you come to me? Do you really think I would believe your baseless threat?

If you didnt believe me, then why did you follow Fellow Daoist Ice Phoenix here? Han Li countered.

Hmph, you said you were willing to take care of that true spirit, so why would I continue to stall it for you? I want to see if youre truly as powerful as all of the rumors proclaim, the Six-winged Frost Centipede harrumphed coldly in response.

Is that so? You seem to be very confident that I wont be able to do anything to you. Have you forgotten the blood contract power that I planted in your body? Han Li asked as his eyes narrowed slightly.

Hehe, I would be wary of that blood contract power had I not reached the Grand Ascension Stage yet, but now that our cultivation bases are comparable with one another, theres no way that power will be able to affect me, the Six-winged Frost Centipede said.

You really have become very confident after becoming a Grand Ascension Stage being. However, Im afraid youve misjudged the situation, Han Li said.

How so? the Six-winged Frost Centipede asked with a completely unconvinced expression.

I can still easily subdue you using the blood contract power!

As soon as Han Lis voice trailed off, he immediately made a hand seal, and bright blue light flashed within his eyes, as if his pupils had transformed into a pair of miniature blue suns.

At the same time, a burst of enormous spiritual sense surged toward the Six-winged Frost Centipede, who was quite alarmed by this turn of events.

He immediately shot back in retreat while preparing to unleash a secret technique in retaliation, but right at this moment, Han Li gave a cold harrumph.

The sound wasnt very loud, but the Six-winged Frost Centipede felt as if a thunderclap had exploded right within his mind, causing him to falter slightly during his retreat, and this split-second delay was enough for Han Lis spiritual sense to completely inundate him.

At the same time, Han Li uttered the word restrict, and the Six-winged Frost Centipede felt as if a certain point in his mind had exploded, instantly sending peculiar energy fluctuations surging throughout his entire body.

As a result, his body was completely numbed and immobilized. freweovel.co

The Six-winged Frost Centipede didnt even get a chance to say anything before his mouth and tongue were also completely numbed, and he could only look on helplessly with a horrified expression.

Only then did Han Li undo his hand seal in an unhurried manner, and at this point, the Ice Phoenix was already thoroughly stunned.

She knew that the Six-winged Frost Centipede was definitely no match for Han Li, but never did she think that Han Li would be able to restrict him without even having to battle him.

How did you do that, Brother Han? she couldnt help but exclaim.

He made a grave error in underestimating the restrictive power of the blood contract, and he thought that it wouldnt be able to affect him now that hes also at the Grand Ascension Stage. Generally speaking, this would be correct, but he couldnt be more wrong if he thinks this general rule applies to me, Han Li replied with a faint smile, intentionally refraining from mentioning that this was a result of his spiritual sense being several times more powerful than that of the Six-winged Frost Centipede.

The Ice Phoenix could tell that Han Li was withholding some details, but she knew that it would be unwise to ask further questions.

All of a sudden, Han Li asked, I heard that you two had been pursued by that true immortal this entire time, how did you end up in that situation?

Thats a long story that began back when the Six-winged Frost Centipede abducted me in the primordial world… The Ice Phoenix delivered a recount to answer Han Lis question.

… Thus, the Six-winged Frost Centipede and I were confronted by Ming Zun and the others and forced to act as lures again.

So that true immortal wanted to take you and the Six-winged Frost Centipede as its spirit servants, and it pursued you two because it had been provoked by the Six-winged Frost Centipede. On top of that, he planted some type of mark in your bodies that allows him to track you down regardless of how far away you are, is that correct? Han Li confirmed.

Thats right. The Six-winged Frost Centipede and I have examined our own bodies on multiple occasions, but were unable to find any marks, so we speculated that the marks had most likely been planted on our souls, completely escaping our detection, the Ice Phoenix replied with a wry smile.

In that case, perhaps I could help you out, Han Li suddenly said with a smile.

An ecstatic look intermingled with a hint of incredulity appeared on the Ice Phoenixs face upon hearing this. Really? We had consulted Ming Zun about this earlier, and even he was unable to do anything.

The mark had to have been planted in a hurry, so even if this is an immortal technique, it wouldnt be some type of profound secret technique, he was most likely only able to do this by relying on his powerful spiritual sense. As such, I should be able to erase the mark as long as my spiritual sense isnt inferior to his by too much. If you trust me, I can give it a try right now, Han Li replied in a calm manner.

Id be more than willing to accept your help, Brother Han, please go ahead, the Ice Phoenix said without any hesitation.

Alright, open up your mind to me and dont reject my spiritual sense, Han Li said as he pointed a finger at the Ice Phoenix.

The four beasts exchanged a glance before opening their mouths in unison, releasing countless black wind blades that swept toward the crimson giants like a torrential storm.

In contrast with normal wind blades, these ones seemed to be phasing in and out of existence as they surged through the air, and upon striking the crimson giants, large chunks of their bodies would instantly vanish amid flashes of black light.

The four beasts themselves also sprang forward behind the wind blades, then swept their front limbs through the air to unleash lethal black blade projections.

However, the crimson giants were completely fearless as they reached out with their massive hands, releasing a burst of fierce blood Qi. At the same time, the tentacles on their backs also transformed into a blood barrier before them.

Countless wounds were instantly inflicted upon the giants, indicating that they were clearly no match for the Mythical Black Beasts, but with their immortal bodies, they were able to instantly regenerate regardless of how grievous their injuries were.

Even though the Mythical Black Beasts held a clear upper hand, they were rather fearful of the giants crimson tentacles, and thus, an impasse ensued.

Master, Ill go and face those Mythical Black Beasts. Theyre quite troublesome to deal with, but I just so happen to know some of their weaknesses, Yang Deer said in a respectful manner.

Theres no need for that. Those four blood spirits were only recently refined, so it wouldnt hurt for them to face powerful opponents. I have another task for you, Ma Liang replied.

What is it, Master? Yang Deer asked.

If Im not mistaken, this formation should have a pair of formation cores, go and destroy one of them for me. As soon as the formation cores are destroyed, Ill no longer have to use most of my magic power to resist the formations restrictions, and Ill be able to take care of all of these opponents with ease, Ma Liang said.

As you wish, Master. May I ask how you plan to deal with the other formation core? Yang Deer asked in a hesitant manner.

Hmph, just do what I tell you to do, theres no need for you to worry about the other formation core, Ma Liang harrumphed coldly as his expression darkened slightly.

A chill ran down Yang Deers spine, and it hurriedly said, Forgive me for asking unnecessary questions, Master, Ill set off to destroy a formation core right away.

Hold on, I have some things to give you.

Ma Liang raised a hand as he spoke, and a ball of azure light emerged from the giant umbrella above the river of blood, forming another miniature umbrella that was several inches in size. He then pointed a finger at his own glabella, upon which a translucent bead emerged.

Take these with you. This sensory bead contains the location of the formation core I just detected. Take it with you, and Ill be able to monitor your situation from here as well. As for this Azure Chaos Umbrella clone, it can nullify the restrictive effect that the formation has on you, but theres a time limit, so make sure to act quickly, Ma Liang instructed as he tossed the two items toward Yang Deer.

Rest assured, Master, I wont disappoint you, Yang Deer promised as it accepted the two items.

It then tossed the small umbrella forward, and the umbrella transformed into an azure light barrier that enshrouded its entire body. After that, it inspected the location recorded within the bead, then transformed into its deer-bear hybrid form before rushing out of the river of blood toward a certain direction.

Following Yang Deers departure, Ma Liang released a crimson jade box out of his sleeve before pointing a finger at it.

The lid of the box was removed, revealing a tiny crimson figure with several golden talismans plastered to its surface.

The miniature figure was only around half a foot tall with long crimson hair and a ghostly mask on its face. Its eyes were tightly shut, and there were crimson spirit patterns all over its body, all of which were emanating faint red light.

A serious look appeared on Ma Liangs face at the sight of the miniature figure, and he made a hand seal before releasing a streak of silver light toward it.

The silver light vanished into the miniature figures body in a flash, following which the golden talismans were stripped away, and the eyelids on the ghostly mask slowly peeled back to reveal a pair of wooden and emotionless eyes.

Ma Liang injected his magic power into his own glabella, and another sensory bead appeared before flying into the miniature figures body.

Go and destroy the other formation core, and kill anyone who dares to oppose you, Ma Liang instructed.

A burst of faint red light flashed through the miniature figures eyes, and it rose up into the air before flying away as a streak of crimson light, seemingly completely unaffected by the power of laws within the formation.

Ming Zuns expression changed slightly upon seeing this, and after a brief moment of contemplation, he turned to the Six-winged Frost Centipede, and said, It Looks like that true immortal has already discovered the locations of the formation cores. Even though the formation cores are being guarded by Fellow Daoist Han and the others, as a safety precaution, I would like you to stall this true immortals minions as much as possible.

Do you think Id be capable of stalling them in my current state? the Six-winged Frost Centipede asked with a roll of his eyes.

Rest assured, Im not asking you to face them head-on. I have a formation plate here that was refined from an incomplete Profound Heavenly Treasure, and youll be able to trap the enemy for some time using the formation plate. If they somehow manage to break out of the treasure, then you can simply flee the scene, Ming Zun replied.

Only after some contemplation did the Six-winged Frost Centipede give a slightly reluctant nod in response. In that case, I can agree to do this,

A faint smile appeared on Ming Zuns face, and he flipped a hand over to summon a white formation plate, which he tossed through the air.

The Six-winged Frost Centipede drew the formation plate into his own grasp, and his expression eased slightly after a brief inspection of the treasure.

Fellow Daoist Ice Phoenix, please go and assist him as well, Ming Zun said to the Ice Phoenix.

Of course. All of our lives on the line, so its only right that I do my part, the Ice Phoenix willingly agreed.

A pleased look appeared on Ming Zuns face upon hearing this, and he made a grabbing motion to summon a small black flag, which he pointed at the Six-winged Frost Centipede and the Ice Phoenix.

A burst of spatial fluctuations emerged beneath them, and a dazzling light formation appeared before instantly teleporting them away. feewenve.com

Right at this moment, Xuan Jiuling suddenly transmitted his voice toward Ming Zun. Ming Zun, do you need me to go to the other formation core? I dont think Ill have to do anything here anytime soon.

Can you take on that red thing? If you perish to it, our entire plan will fail, Ming Zun replied in a hesitant manner.

Rest assured, that things aura is rather strange, but at the very most, its just a manifestation of some type of spirit beast. My cultivation arts will directly suppress it, so Ill be able to kill it and return here with time to spare. Besides, who else can go in my stead? You have to stay here to monitor the situation using the power of the formation, Xuan Jiuling communicated in an unhurried manner.

Alright, in that case, go on ahead. Ill teleport you there directly, but dont make any unnecessary delays, kill that thing as quickly as you can, then get back here right away, Ming Zun agreed after a brief pause.

Dont you have confidence in my abilities? Ill be back before you know it, Xuan Jiuling replied in a confident manner.

Immediately thereafter, an ordinary-looking middle-aged man in a set of grey robes appeared in front of Ming Zun amid a burst of spatial fluctuations.

Ming Zun raised his small black flag before pointing it at Xuan Jiuling, and another five-colored light formation appeared, instantly teleporting Xuan Jiuling away.

In the river of blood down below, Ma Liang had golden light flashing within his eyes, and he was able to see what Ming Zun was doing. However, he didnt do anything aside from look on with a cold smile as a series of fierce battles raged on around him.

Ming Zun was naturally quite happy to see this as well, and he also sat still on the azure moon without making any additional moves.

……

Han Li was still seated on the altar, meditating calmly with his eyes closed.

All of a sudden, his expression changed slightly as he opened his eyes before casting a surprised gaze toward a certain direction.

Almost at the exact same moment, a burst of energy fluctuations surged forth from the distance amid a rumbling boom, but due to how far away it was, it was unable to pose any threat to the formation core.

However, the trade guild guards responsible for protecting the formation immediately tensed up upon sensing this disturbance.

Blue light flashed within Han Lis eyes, and he was able to instantly see everything thousands of kilometers away.

All of a sudden, a giant white light formation appeared in the distance, and a massive figure that was several hundred feet tall was doing everything in its power to break out of the formation, but to no avail.

Above the formation was a man and a woman. The woman wore a set of silver robes and had a cold expression, while the man wore a set of white robes and had golden and silver spirit patterns etched all over his face.

A hint of surprise appeared in Han Lis eyes upon seeing this, and he murmured to himself, Oh? Its her! Then that person accompanying her has to be the Six-winged Frost Centipede.

Yang Deers expression changed drastically upon hearing this, and he looked around to find that there was faint black Baleful Yin Qi stretching as far as the eyes could see.

On top of that, he discovered that he could only release his spiritual sense to encompass a radius of less than 10 kilometers.

Dont worry, we had already anticipated that the powerful beings on this continent would try this. This plays right into my hands, once I brush these fools aside, no one in the entire Spirit Realm would dare to plot against me, Ma Liang said with a cold smile.

Be careful, Master. According to my knowledge, the He Lian Trade Guild is extremely powerful, and if they were to make a last-ditch effort, they would definitely be able to bring out many formidable trump cards, Yang Deer cautioned.

How could an organization in a lower realm possibly pose a threat to me? Even if they also knew the method to activate chains of laws, it would be useless on this occasion, Ma Liang scoffed in a nonchalant manner.

Yang Deer naturally didnt dare to say anything further upon seeing Ma Liangs confident display.

At this point, the river of blood and the flying boat had already entered deep into Baleful Cry Point.

All of a sudden, the flying boat abruptly blurred before vanishing mid-flight.

Ma Liangs pupils contracted slightly upon seeing this, and the entire river of blood also drew to a halt at his behest.

A wary look appeared on Yang Deers face, and the suit of yellow armor immediately emerged over his body.

Right at this moment, bursts of loud rumbling rang out in all directions as clouds of black Baleful Yin Qi surged forth.

A series of flags also appeared in the surrounding area before instantly swelling to over 1,000 feet in size, surrounding the entire river of blood like a ring of giant trees.

At the same time, a round azure moon appeared in the sky, atop which stood around a dozen humanoid figures, all of whom were appraising the river of blood with grim expressions.

These were none other than the Grand Ascension Stage beings assembled by Ming Zun, and the Six-winged Frost Centipede and the Ice Phoenix were also among them.

Ma Liangs expression remained unchanged as he glanced at the giant flags, then suddenly thrust a palm toward a certain direction.

A resounding boom rang out as a massive crimson palm that was around an acre in size emerged from the river of blood before thrusting toward the same direction.

Five-colored light flashed from the giant flags, converging to form a massive five-colored light mirror.

The massive crimson palm struck the mirror before vanishing into it in complete silence.

At the same time, the giant palm appeared in a secluded corner of Baleful Cry Point before striking a plot of empty land in a vicious manner, creating a huge crater that was several kilometers in size amid an earth-shattering boom.

A hint of surprise appeared on Ma Liangs face upon seeing this. Oh? This is spatial transference! This formation appears to be…

Right at this moment, a burst of loud buzzing rang out from the giant flags, and a series of five-colored light mirrors were quickly conjured up.

Countless projections of humanoid figures, beasts, and buildings of all descriptions instantly appeared around the river of blood, striking the beholder with a sense of disorientation.

Ma Liangs expression darkened slightly upon seeing this, and he made a hand seal, upon which black and white Qi surged out of his back before also transforming into a black and white mirror.

Initially, the mirror was only around the size of a human palm, but it quickly swelled to the size of a washbasin at his behest, and a black and white tai chi diagram appeared on its surface. The diagram released a pillar of black and white light, a sharp tearing sound rang out as all of the five-colored light mirrors around the river of blood were torn apart by the pillar of black and white light before disintegrating into specks of spiritual light.

All of the Grand Ascension Stage beings expressions changed slightly upon seeing this, and the Yin Gangzu turned to Ming Zun before asking, Brother Ming, youve been full of praise for this Bipolar Annihilation Formation, why is it that its power been dispelled by such a casual strike?

Hmph, a casual strike? If Im not mistaken, that black and white mirror is most likely a treasure no less powerful than Profound Heavenly Treasures. Otherwise, do you really think a normal attack could break those illusions so easily? Having said that, if he thinks that this is all itll take to break this formation, then he couldnt be more wrong, Ming Zun harrumphed coldly.

Is that so? Yin Gangzi seemed to be rather skeptical, as was everyone else.

As if to support Ming Zuns statement, right after the five-colored light mirrors were destroyed by the black pillar of light, a series of tiny white runes suddenly appeared near the river of blood.

Initially, the runes were quite sparse, but in the blink of an eye, they were falling from the heavens like a dense snowstorm.

At the same time, a burst of power of laws encompassed the entire river of blood.

Inside the river of blood, Ma Liang was struck by a chilling sensation, and the air around him suddenly became more viscous.

His expression changed slightly as he hurriedly tried to draw upon his own magic power, only to find that around a third of it had become sluggish and inaccessible.

Meanwhile, Yang Deer was faring even worse. In the instant that the power of laws had acted it, it felt as if its body had become as heavy as a mountain, and it was horrified to find that most of its magic power became inaccessible.

As expected, this really must be an immortal formation to be able to affect even me. Its quite impressive that you were able to set up such a formation in a lower realm. Unfortunately for you, the formation is incomplete, and it wont be too difficult for me to break it, Ma Liang said with a cold smile.

Immediately thereafter, he opened his mouth to release a small green umbrella, which he pointed a finger at, and the umbrella immediately rose up into the air, then swelled to around half a kilometer in size before slowly opening.

A green light barrier then descended from the giant green umbrella, encompassing the entire river of blood beneath it.

The impact of the power of laws in the area was instantly severely diminished, and Yang Deer immediately recovered its mobility, as well as access to most of its magic power.

As for Ma Liang, he seemed to have become entirely unaffected as he stomped a foot down onto the blood dragon beneath him.

A thunderous chorus of dragons roars rang out, and the eight blood dragons within the river of blood flew out in unison before pouncing directly toward Ming Zun and the others.

All of them had thick bolts of silver lightning surging over their bodies, and they were giving off formidable Grand Ascension Stage auras.

We have to act now! He has to withstand the power of formation while unleashing that river of blood to oppose us, and he definitely wont be able to keep this up for long. Ill also summon the four true spirits to assist us, Ming Zun yelled as he made a grabbing motion to summon a reddish-purple badge, which he immediately tossed forward.

A burst of loud rumbling rang out as the badge transformed into a huge reddish-purple rune.

All of a sudden, spatial fluctuations erupted at four locations around the river of blood, and four black platforms emerged, atop each of which was a fearsome-looking black beasts.

The four beasts were identical in appearance, all of them were over 100 feet in length with lion bodies and dragon heads.

As soon as the platforms appeared, the four beasts opened their eyes and stood up in unison before letting loose ferocious roars.

You had four Mythical Black Beasts up your sleeve? Haha, you sure are good at keeping secrets, Brother Ming. With their assistance, our victory is all but guaranteed, Yin Gangzi said in an elated manner, and the others were also ecstatic to see these four beasts.

Mythical Black Beasts were top-tier true spirits that ranked near the likes of heavenly dragons and true phoenixes, they werent inferior even to the qilins of all elements. As such, the sudden appearance of four of these beasts naturally instilled everyone with immense confidence.

The Mythical Black Beasts sprang up into the air before pouncing toward the river of blood as gusts of black wind, and they were immediately followed by the Grand Ascension Stage beings, who unleashed various abilities and treasures to attack the eight blood dragons down below.

Lights of all different colors flashed in the sky, clashing with the river of blood to create a string of devastating explosions.

As soon as the Mythical Black Beasts drew close to the river of blood, a cold smile appeared on Ma Liangs face as he made a hand seal, and gusts of Yin winds surged out of the river of blood, following which four massive crimson giants were manifested.

The four giants were over 1,000 feet tall and completely bald, wearing suits of armor that were of the same color as their bodies.

They raised their fists before launching them toward the Mythical Black Beasts, and even before their fists had even struck their targets, a nauseating odor of blood and gore was already sweeping through the air.

The four Mythical Black Beasts were able to evade the attacks before instantly appearing behind the crimson giants, then gently swept their front limbs through the air to release long black blade projections, and the four giants were immediately decapitated.

As for the Mythical Black Beasts, they continued onward without pause, preparing to plunge straight into the river of blood.

Right at this moment, Ma Liang uttered the word restrict, and the four Mythical Black Beasts felt as if explosions had rung out in their heads, causing them to falter involuntarily.

Immediately thereafter, around a dozen crimson tentacles swept toward them from behind before striking them like lightning.

Most of the black Qi around the four beasts was scattered, and they were sent flying for hundreds of feet amid cries of surprise while scorching crimson flames were ignited on their bodies.

In the next instant, a string of furious roars rang out, and eight tornadoes erupted into the heavens, sweeping all of the crimson flames away to reveal the black beasts again, which had swelled to several times their original size.

Not far behind the massive beasts, the four crimson giants had regenerated their lost heads, and they were appraising the four huge black beasts with expressionless eyes, while violently flailing crimson tentacles had emerged from their backs.

But without those three fellow daoists, our overall power will be severely reduced, wont that be an issue? Also, where is Fellow Daoist Xuan Jiuling? Is he not going to be joining us? Yin Gangzi asked as his brows also furrowed slightly.

Theres no helping it, those three must be assigned to guard the formation cores so we dont have to worry about the formation being destroyed. After all, this is an immortal formation that will be an absolutely necessary trump card for us to overcome this true immortal, so the compromise had to be made. As for Fellow Daoist Xuan Jiuling, he has already arrived, Ming Zun replied in an unhurried manner.

As soon as his voice trailed off, another male voice rang out, seemingly out of thin air.

Were you concerned that I would back out at the last minute? Rest assured, even if all of you had changed your minds, I would still face the true immortal on my own. After all, the opportunity to slay a true immortal doesnt come around every day.

As expected of Fellow Daoist Xuan, but seeing as youre already here, why arent you coming out to meet us? Mistress Wu Ling asked.

Everyone elses expressions also eased slightly upon hearing this.

Ive always preferred to be alone, so I wont come out to meet you. All you need to know is that Ill definitely strike when the time is right, Xuan Jiuling replied in an expressionless voice.

The Grand Ascension Stage beings present could only exchange speechless glances upon hearing this.

At the same time, they were quite surprised that they were still unable to pinpoint Xuan Jiulings exact location.

……

On the edge of Baleful Cry Point, a streak of azure light appeared before flying straight into the region.

All of a sudden, the azure light faded to reveal a flying boat that was over 100 feet in length.

At the front of the boat stood the Six-winged Frost Centipede and the Ice Phoenix, both of whom had unnaturally pale complexions.

A hint of fear flashed through the Six-winged Frost Centipedes eyes, and he said, That was a close call. Not only does that madman not seem to be slowing down, it appears his stamina is only improving as this chase drags on. However, we should be safe for now. All we need to do is wait for a while so he can close down the distance between us a little, then lead him into the formation.

Not only have we used up almost all of the pills and talismans given to us by the He Lian Trade Guild, even the essential power that you and I had only just recovered were expended. If the trade guild cant bring down that madman here, then we wont even have a chance to escape anymore, the Ice Phoenix said with a dark expression.

Ming Zun proclaimed that he had recruited the most powerful beings on the entire continent, didnt he? That should include my former master. I hate to admit it, but that former master of mine really is quite formidable. With his inclusion, this plan will most likely be a success, the Six-winged Frost Centipede said in an expressionless manner.

The Ice Phoenix was rather surprised to hear this. I didnt think that you would be so confident in Brother Han.

Hmph, if I werent so wary of him, I wouldnt have raised that condition to Ming Zun to persuade him not to come after me for the next 1,000 years. With those 1,000 years, Ill be able to reach a pinnacle in my cultivation, and I wont have to fear anyone in the Spirit Realm then, the Six-winged Frost Centipede harrumphed coldly.

Is that so? If you ask me, with Brother Hans incredible aptitude, hell be even more unfathomably powerful in 1,000 years. I daresay theres a possibility that he could ascend to the True Immortal Realm within the next 10,000 years, the Ice Phoenix said with a hint of mockery in her eyes.

Haha, ascension isnt childs play, there are hundreds of Grand Ascension Stage beings in the entire Spirit Realm, but have you heard of anyone successfully ascending within the past 100,000 years? Regardless of how incredible my former masters aptitude is, theres virtually no chance hell be able to ascend to the True Immortal Realm, the Six-winged Frost Centipede chortled.

Im very confident that Brother Han will be able to ascend. How about we make a bet if we manage to survive this ordeal? the Ice Phoenix proposed.

The Six-winged Frost Centipede was rather taken aback to hear this. Whats the bet?

Its very simple: the bet will be whether Brother Han will be able to ascend to the True Immortal Realm within the next 10,000 years, the Ice Phoenix replied.

The Six-winged Frost Centipede could tell that she wasnt joking, and he asked, What are the stakes?

You want me to become your dual cultivation companion, right? If I lose the bet, Ill become your dao companion. However, if Brother Han manages to ascend in the next 10,000 years, then you have to promise me that wherever I go, you have to actively avoid me. Of course, during these 10,000 years, youre forbidden from harassing me, the Ice Phoenix replied in a cold voice.

Are you really that confident in him? A hesitant look appeared on the Six-winged Frost Centipedes face.

Are you scared? If you dont have confidence in your own judgment, then theres no need to accept this bet, you can just wait until youre captured by Brother Han and forced to become his spirit beast again, the Ice Phoenix said with a hint of a smile on her face.

Why would I be scared? I accept your bet, but Im changing the stakes. Youre planning to use this bet to restrain me for 10,000 years, so you have to take responsibility for your actions. If he cant ascend within the next 10,000 years, Im not going to make you my dao companion. Instead, youll become my servant, and you wont be able to refuse any orders I give you. On top of that, both of us have to swear inner demon vows on this bet, the Six-winged Frost Centipede said with a cold look in his eyes.

Alright, thats not an issue, the Ice Phoenix agreed without any hesitation.

The Six-winged Frost Centipedes heart jolted slightly upon seeing this, but he was confident that he would be able to win the bet, so after a brief hesitation, he opened his mouth to release a ball of blood essence.

He then pointed a finger at the ball of blood essence, and it transformed into a crimson ghostly face.

He then began to chant something while making a string of hand seals, swearing a vow to the ghostly face before him.

The Ice Phoenix replicated his actions, expelling a mouthful of blood essence before swearing a vow of her own.

After that, the two of them exchanged a glance, and both of them could see their own confidence mirrored in one anothers eyes.

However, before they had a chance to say anything to one another, the Six-winged Frost Centipedes expression suddenly changed drastically as he cast his gaze toward a certain direction.

At the same time, the sky in that direction dimmed, and a burst of rumbling rang out in the distance, quickly growing louder and louder.

We have to go! the Ice Phoenix hurriedly urged.

The Six-winged Frost Centipede immediately summoned a crimson pill that he tossed into his own mouth, following which the flying boat shot forth as a streak of azure light once again, vanishing into the distance after just a few flashes.

Within the span of around a dozen breaths, a burst of crimson light appeared in the distance, following which a river of blood gushed forth at an incredible speed.

Within the river of blood, there were eight five-clawed blood dragons thrashing around with golden light surging out of their mouths.

In the blink of an eye, the river of blood flowed into Baleful Cry Point, directly pursuing the flying boat up ahead.

Both the flying boat and the river of blood were traveling at an incredible speed, but the gap between them was quickly shrinking.

After only about 15 minutes, the river of blood had become clearly visible to the Six-winged Frost Centipede and the Ice Phoenix.

Do we still have more of the Wind Evasion Talismans given to us by Ming Zun? the Six-winged Frost Centipede asked.

Theres only one left, the Ice Phoenix replied after a brief hesitation.

Then what are you waiting for? Use it right now! the Six-winged Frost Centipede yelled.

The Ice Phoenix immediately swept a sleeve through the air, releasing a shimmering silver talisman that vanished into the flying boat in a flash.

In the next instant, countless silver runes appeared all over the surface of the flying boat, then instantly disappeared.

A sharp screeching sound rang out from the flying boat, and it abruptly blurred before speeding up by around twofold, making it slightly faster than even the pursuing river of blood.

Hmph, theyre using the same trick again. Im quite surprised that the Wind Evasion Talismans of our True Immortal Realm can be found in a realm like this, Ma Liang harrumphed coldly as he stood on the head of one of the blood dragons in the river of blood.

Those talismans were most likely left behind in this world by immortals of ancient times. Otherwise, theres no way anyone in this realm wouldve been able to refine these immortal talismans, Yang Deer replied in a respectful manner.

Even so, these talismans are quite annoying to deal with. Without their interference, I wouldve already captured those two a month ago, Ma Liang said as a hint of impatience flashed through his eyes.

Rest assured, Master, there definitely wouldnt be too many of these immortal talismans in this realm. Perhaps this is already their last one.

Unbeknownst to Yang Deer, his optimistic statement had struck the nail on the head.

Yang Deer, do you think this would be a good place to ambush me? Ma Liang suddenly asked as he swept his enormous spiritual sense through the surrounding area.

Yand Deers heart jolted upon hearing this, and he hurriedly asked, Have you discovered something, Master?

No, but the Baleful Yin Qi here is extremely abundant, to the extent that even my spiritual sense is significantly restricted. This would be a perfect place to set a trap for me, Ma Liang said with a cold smile.

What are you planning by getting those three to guard the Profound Heavenly Treasures in the formation? The Bipolar Annihilation Formation was also passed down by my ancestors, and as far as I know, the formation cores dont require any protection. If the true immortal really does manage to make it to the formation core, the formation will have already crumbled, the figure said in a curious manner.

Hehe, I have my reasons for doing this. Perhaps theyll survive by staying in the formation cores, Ming Zhun chuckled in response.

As the shadow of our trade guild, I have no interest in whatever sneaky plans you have, but if we obtain True Soul Pills from that true immortal, then one must be given to me. With that pill, Ill be able to truly master the Nine Tribulation Spirit Vanquishing Arts, thereby giving me a chance to ascend to the True Immortal Realm. Even if this plan succeeds, your trade guild would be expending a massive price, the figure said.

If we manage to obtain True Soul Pills, then youll definitely be given one. As for the sacrifices our trade guild is making, those are necessary for success. Besides, Im sure the treasures of such a powerful true immortal would be enough to make up for those losses, Ming Zun replied.

I certainly hope so. Now that everyone else has set off, Ill be going as well. Make sure you withstand at least the first wave of attacks from that true immortal. Otherwise, Im not going to be saving you, the figure chuckled before vanishing into thin air again.

Throughout this entire process, the figures appearance had remained completely hidden.

Following the figures departure, Ming Zun murmured to himself, The same applies to you, if you fail in your surprise attack, you most likely wont be able to get away, and I wont save you, either.

……

At this point, Han Li had already been led into the Bipolar Annihilation formation by the guard from the trade guild.

According to Ming Zuns introduction, this formation was comprised of over 36,000 formation treasures, and was being powered by tens of thousands of top-grade spirit stones.

The formation spanned most of Baleful Cry Point, and the two formation cores were situated very far away, with one located in the north, while the other was in the south.

After flying along behind the guard for a while longer, Han Li finally arrived at the formation core he had been assigned to.

This formation was comprised of a giant altar surrounded by eight massive golden pillars.

Layers of restriction fluctuations were emanating from the golden pillars, and the pillars were each surrounded by a group of armored guards.

The altar itself was triangular in shape and extremely smooth. Its top half was enshrouded within a rainbow light barrier, and at the very top, there was something flashing incessantly.

This is the formation core, and all of these people are for you to use as you see fit, Senior Han, the guard said in a respectful manner as he offered a silver badge to Han Li with both hands.

Of course. Im quite interested in the Profound Heavenly Treasure in the formation core, but I wouldnt jeopardize this entire plan just to satisfy my own curiosity, Han Li replied.

Thank you for your understanding, Senior. Ill be taking my leave now. The guard extended a parting salute before flying back the way he had come.

Only then did Han Li look down at the badge in his hand to find that it was glowing with silver light, and there were countless tiny runes engraved on its surface. The runes were arranged in an extremely profound pattern, striking the beholder with a sense of dizziness.

After inspecting the badge for a short while, Han Li stowed it way before making his way toward the altar.

We pay our respects to Senior Han! All of the guards present, of which there were close to 1,000, immediately extended respectful greetings toward Han Li.

Han Li swept his spiritual sense toward these guards to find that most of them were at the Deity Transformation Stage or Spatial Tempering Stage, and there was a Body Integration cultivator leading each of the eight groups. No need for formalities. Seeing as Im in charge here, Ill establish one rule: anyone who doesnt follow my orders will be killed, understood?

Yes!

The guards immediately answered in unison, then continued to stand on guard around the golden pillars.

Meanwhile, Han Li vanished on the spot before appearing at the center of the white altar. After taking a glance at the altar beneath his feet, he sat down onto it with his legs crossed.

All of a sudden, Daoist Xies surprised voice rang out within his spiritual sense. This seems to the Bipolar Destruction Formation of the True Immortal Realm.

Bipolar Destruction Formation? Shouldnt it be the Bipolar Annihilation Formation? Han Li asked.

No, the Bipolar Annihilation Formation is also a type of immortal formation, but its quite simple in design and mainly used to kill enemies, its far less intricate and profound than the Bipolar Destruction Formation, Daoist Xie replied.

What additional abilities does this Bipolar Destruction Formation have? Han Li asked.

The Bipolar Destruction Formations has three abilities: trapping, debilitation, and self-detonation, and all of those abilities are extremely troublesome to deal with even for a true immortal. In particular, self-detonation can be activated as long as a sufficiently powerful treasure or being is sacrificed within the formation cores, and the resulting explosion will be so powerful that it could even kill a high-grade true immortal, Daoist Xie explained.

Han Lis heart immediately jolted upon hearing this. Self-detonation can be activated by sacrificing living beings?

Thats right. Both precious treasures or powerful living beings could be used as sacrifices. Once the sacrifice begins, everything within a radius of hundreds of kilometers around the formation core will be destroyed and reduced to energy to power the formation, Daoist Xie replied.

Han Lis expression remained unchanged, but internally, he was furious to hear this. So thats why Ming Zun asked the three of us not to leave the formation cores were guarding.

Daoist Xie continued, Theoretically speaking, even the Bipolar Annihilation Formation would be extremely difficult to set up in a lower realm, let alone the Bipolar Destruction Formation, which is far more complex and profound. Judging from this formation core, this formation is still different from the Bipolar Destruction Formation that Im familiar with.

The materials in the Spirit Realm naturally cant compare with those that can be found in the True Immortal Realm, many substitutes were most likely used. As a result, the effects and power of this formation should also be impacted, can you identify the specific differences? Han Li asked in a contemplative manner.

Im only a Faux Immortal Puppet used in battle, not a formation-setting puppet, I can only see that this formation is different from its immortal counterpart, but Im unable to identify the exact differences, Daoist Xie replied.

Thats quite troublesome. I want to take down that true immortal, but I certainly dont want to be destroyed with him as a sacrifice, Han Li said as a cold light flashed through his eyes.

After a brief pause, Daoist Xie said, I have a method that you can use to save yourself.

What is it? Han Li hurriedly asked.

I can alter this formation core slightly so that the area youre currently situated in will be exempt from the destructive effect of the sacrifice, Daoist Xie replied in a calm manner.

Han Li hesitated momentarily before arriving at a decision. Alright, well do as you say.

I require the help of your Gold Devouring Beetle Monarch in order to be able to do this in a completely stealthy manner, Daoist Xie said.

Thats not an issue. Jin Tong, make sure to follow all of Brother Xies instructions to a fault, Han Li replied before issuing an instruction to the Gold Devouring Beetle Monarch in his spirit beast bracelet.

After that, Han Li remained seated in a completely still manner, but a speck of golden light shot out of one of his fingertips, which was concealed up his sleeve, then vanished into thin air in a flash.

In the next instant, a burst of faint spatial fluctuations undetectable even to Body Integration cultivators emerged near one of the golden pillars, following which a golden beetle around the size of a grain of rice appeared.

The beetle landed on the pillar before crawling surreptitiously over its surface, leaving a trail of spirit patterns in its way that were almost too small to see with the naked eye.

At the same time, Daoist Xies instructions were ringing out within the golden beetles spiritual sense, and a series of formation diagrams were also appearing in the beetles mind.

The guards around the golden pillar were naturally completely oblivious to this.

After that, the other seven pillars were also subsequently tampered with by Jin Tong in secret.

……

High up in the sky in another area of Baleful Cry Point, Yin Gangzi and the other Grand Ascension Stage beings were concealed within a certain area of space, and all of them were waiting for something in silence.

All of a sudden, Ming Zun appeared beside them amid a burst of spatial fluctuations.

Brother Ming, why are you on your own? Where are the other three fellow daoists? Mistress Wu Ling asked as her brows furrowed slightly.

Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Wu Ling, those three have been assigned with the task of guarding the two formation cores. As long as this formation doesnt crumble, well be able to face that true immortal with no concerns for our safety, Ming Zun replied.

The next morning, Patriarch Hua Shi appeared in the hall on the first floor of the pavilion, then relayed a message he had received during his meeting with the Ice Phoenix.

So Fellow Daoist Ice Phoenix was abducted by the Six-winged Frost Centipede, and hes harboring a lot of animosity toward me, is that correct? Han Li confirmed as he stroked his own chin in a contemplative manner.

Thats what Fellow Daoist Ice Phoenix told me. On top of that, the Six-winged Frost Centipede only agreed to act as lure after Senior Ming Zun promised him that he would convince you to leave the Six-winged Frost Centipede alone for the next 1,000 years, Patriarch Hua Shi replied.

I see. By the way, did you pass on those protective treasures I gave you to Fellow Daoist Ice Phoenix? Han Li asked.

I did.

Good. You can go now. Before the battle begins, get as far away from here as possible, Han Li instructed.

Patriarch Hua Shi gave an affirmative response before taking his leave in a respectful manner.

In the coming days, Han Li remained in his pavilion, meditating the entire time without leaving even once.

During this time, not only did the other Grand Ascension Stage beings who were yet to arrive finally show up, the trade guild was also setting up the Bipolar Annihilation Formation.

As for the two Profound Heavenly Treasures acting as the formation core, they were surrounded by a layer of restrictions, and everyone was prohibited from approaching that area aside from Ming Zun and several other trade guild elders.

Interestingly enough, the true spirits that Ming Zun had mentioned were still nowhere to be seen, and it was unclear whether they had concealed themselves, or were only going to be summoned on the day of the battle.

Close to a month later, Han Li was meditating in his pavilion when a crimson fireball suddenly appeared before him amid a burst of spatial fluctuations, then exploded on the spot, upon which a voice rang out in the room.

Fellow Daoist Han, the true immortal is not far away from Baleful Cry Point, and were about to commence our operation, please come to the hall where we had our last meeting as soon as possible.

A serious look appeared on Han Lis face upon hearing this, and he made a hand seal before flying out of the pavilion as a streak of azure light.

Around 15 minutes later, everyone was gathered within the hall, and by the time Han Li arrived, there were already over 10 other Grand Ascension Stage beings present, among which were several unfamiliar faces.

In particular, there was a pair of cultivators who bore strong resemblance with one another that caught Han Lis attention.

Both of them appeared to be around 20 years of age, and the man had a set of cold and handsome features, while the woman was very seductive and beautiful.

However, both of them had a layer of reddish-purple baleful Qi emanating from their bodies, and the space within a radius of several tens of feet around them would occasionally blur and warp, creating a very peculiar sight to behold.

Yin Gangzi and the others were also appraising this duo with a hint of wariness in their eyes.

Meanwhile, Ming Zun was sitting on the main seat, listening to a report being delivered by a middle-aged man.

The Six-winged Frost Centipede and the Ice Phoenix have already lured the true immortal to the edge of Baleful Aura Point. At their current speed, it would take around five more hours at most before they enter the area encompassed within the Bipolar Annihilation Formation. All of our trade guilds disciples and elders have already gone on ahead, and the spirit summoning ceremony is also ready to commence, so well be able to summon those true spirits at any time.

Good. Begin the spirit summoning ceremony in an hour. As for the Bipolar Annihilation Formation, no one is permitted to activate it without my orders. Everything else can proceed as planned, well all travel to the pre-determined ambush spot soon. After that, leave everything to us, Ming Zun instructed.

The middle-aged man immediately gave an affirmative response before quickly departing.

As youve all heard, all of the preparations are complete, we just need to work together to defeat that true immortal now. However, let me make one thing clear: if anyone tries to flee or back out, then dont blame me for turning on you, Ming Zun said with a serious expression.

Hehe, rest assured, Brother Ming, no one would back down at a time like this.

Thats right, if anyone tries to do so, well kill them together!

All of the Grand Ascension Stage beings quickly chimed in in agreement.

Fellow Daoist Ming, why is it that we Xuan Jiuling still isnt here? Could it be that he changed his mind? the man among the duo suddenly asked in a cold voice.

Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Yun Dan, Fellow Daoist Xuan Jiuling already arrived several days ago, but hes refining a powerful secret technique and has been assigned with another important task, and thats why hes absent, Ming Zun replied in a polite manner.

I see. We had heard that Xuan Jiuling was able to slay true spirits on his own, and we had always wanted to witness his powers, but havent had the chance to do so, the woman by the name of Yue Shu said with a smile.

It seemed that this duo harbored some animosity toward Xuan Jiuling.

Ming Zun had no response to this, and could only offer a wry smile.

Thankfully, Yun Dan and Yue Shu didnt ask any further questions, and they began to converse with one another through voice transmission.

Ming Zun was quite relieved to see this, and he began speaking to everyone else.

Right at this moment, Ming Zuns voice transmission rang out in Han Lis ears, and a surprised look appeared on his face upon hearing what Ming Zun had to say.

However, he only considered what was being said briefly before nodding in response, and a hint of elation flashed through Ming Zuns eyes upon seeing this.

After a while, most of the Grand Ascension Stage beings departed from the hall to travel toward the pre-determined ambush spot, leaving only Ming Zun, Han Li, Yun Dan, and Yue Shu in the room.

Yun Dan and Yue Shu appraised Han Li with a hint of a surprise in their eyes before Yun Dan said, Do you really want my sister and I to guard the Profound Heavenly Treasures in the formation, Fellow Daoist Ming? This is a very heavy responsibility, one that we may not be able to handle.

Hehe, youre far too modest, Fellow Daoist, no one is more suited to this task than you and your sister. The Bipolar Annihilation Formation is the key to success here. As long as the two Profound Heavenly Treasure remain unscathed, the formation will be able to continue to operate, Ming Zun replied.

My sister and I have always stayed together, so well only be able to guard one formation core. As such, it looks like the other formation core will be guarded by this fellow daoist, will he be up to the task? Yun Dan asked in a skeptical voice.

Han Li merely offered a slight smile and didnt respond to this rather rude question.

Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Han is extremely powerful in his own right, and Im confident that hell be up to the task, Ming Zun replied.

In that case, well take your word for it and follow your arrangement, Brother Ming, Yue Shu said with a smile before casting another curious glance toward Han Li.

Ming Zun was ecstatic to hear this, and he clapped his hands together as he said, Alright, Ill get someone to guide you to the formation core.

A guard immediately strode in from outside the hall before respectfully leading the duo out of the hall.

Following their departure, Ming Zun turned to Han Li with a serious expression, and asked, Fellow Daoist Han, you wont object to guarding the other formation core, right?

You really do have a high opinion of me, Brother Ming. In that case, I can only do my best, Han Li replied in an unhurried manner.

Haha, this is an all-important task that I could only assign to you. With the three of you guarding the formation cores, the formations safety will be assured, Ming Zun chuckled.

Han Li didnt say anything in response.

Right at this moment, another guard strode into the hall, then extended a respectful bow toward Han Li before leading him out of the room as well.

As soon as Han Li left, the smile on Ming Zuns face faded, and his brows furrowed tightly in contemplation.

Are you sure this true immortal has a way to disregard the power of laws of this realm and temporarily return to his full power? If that turns out to not be the case, then this plan of yours wont work. An unfamiliar male voice suddenly rang out, following which a humanoid figure emerged from Ming Zuns shadow.

Ming Zun was completely unsurprised by this, and he replied calmly, Rest assured, the footage of the battle on the Blood Sky Continent that I received isnt very clear, but the golden giant in the footage is clearly the true immortal in his ultimate form. Otherwise, Bi Ying and the others wouldnt have been defeated so easily. The true key to this battle will be whether you can successfully land the killing blow. Otherwise, well suffer the same fate as Bi Ying and the others.

As long as he recovers his true immortal body and gets caught off guard, theres no way hell be able to withstand my Nine Tribulation Spirit Vanquishing Arts. This is an immortal secret technique passed down by my ancestors, and it specifically targets true immortal bodies. I had to refine the souls of nine true spirits to attain the power to unleash this strike once, but itll be more than enough against this descended true immortal, the blurry figure replied in a confident manner.

Indeed, that true immortal may be extremely powerful, but all of the measures weve prepared will force him to expend most of his powers, so theres no way hell be able to evade your attack. Once you break his true immortal body, hell only be slightly more powerful than the average true spirit, and that would make him an easy opponent to defeat, Ming Zun said.

None of the others know about your plan, so its hard to say how many of them will survive. Even those four true spirits are destined to act as cannon fodder, right? the blurry figure said in a cold voice.

We have no choice. In the face of such a powerful true immortal, how can we hope to defeat him without making sacrifices? Ive already cautioned everyone on multiple occasions about how formidable this true immortal is going to be, I can only hope that theyve taken my advice to heart, Ming Zun replied.

Aside from Ming Zun, there were three men and two women in the hall.

One of the three men was an imposing black-armored man with a menacing appearance, while another was a wizened elderly man holding a cane with the grip carved into the shape of an ornate dragons head.

As for the final man, this was a refined and elegant scholar who appeared to be around 20 years of age with a peculiar-looking azure bamboo tube strapped to his back.

As for the two women, one of them was a yellow-robed daoist nun who appeared to be around 30 years of age with a round face, while the other woman wore a green palatial dress with a slightly dark complexion and a pair of bright and intelligent eyes.

Youre late, Yin Gangzi. If I recall correctly, youre always raring for a good battle, so I thought youd arrive before everyone else, the black-armored man chortled.

Yin Gangzi seemed to be quite familiar with the black-armored man, and he replied, Hehe, I encountered some slight trouble on the way here, so I was delayed for a few days. Otherwise, I wouldve definitely arrived before you, Fellow Daoist Hua Ying.

Ive heard much about your Fortune Physique, Brother Yin, but I never got a chance to see it during our previous encounters, surely youll be displaying it against a true immortal, the woman in the palatial dress said with a smile.

Yin Gangzi seemed to be rather wary of this woman, and he put on a slightly forced smile as he replied, My Fortune Physique is nothing compared to your bonded ability, Mistress Wu.

As for the other three people in the room, none of them said anything, but it was clear from their expressions that they were quite familiar with Yin Gangzi as well.

It was no wonder that this was the case. After all, all of them were vastly renowned Grand Ascension Stage beings who had lived for countless years, so they wouldve all encountered one another at some point.

As such, they were naturally rather intrigued by the unfamiliar face that was Han Li.

Whos this fellow daoist, Brother Ming? I dont think Ive ever seen him before, the daoist nun asked with a smile.

This is Fellow Daoist Han Li of the human race. He only progressed to the Grand Ascension Stage not long ago, but Im sure youve all heard of him, Ming Zun replied with a smile.

A hint of surprise flashed through the daoist nuns eyes upon hearing this. Han Li? The human Grand Ascension Stage being who slew the Stemborer Queen in the Elder Devil Realm?

I cant take anywhere near full credit for slaying the Stemborer, the rumors about me are far too exaggerated, Han Li replied with a smile.

Everyone else in the room was also rather surprised to hear this, it was clear that all of them were at least somewhat aware of just how fearsome the Stemborer Queen had been.

In any case, that Stemborer Queen was something that even true immortals were unable to tame. With your inclusion, our chances of success will be greatly elevated, the black-armored man said.

Fellow Daoist Han, you only recently reached the Grand Ascension Stage, so Im sure you havent had a chance to meet these fellow daoists, allow me to introduce them to you. This is Fellow Daoist Hua Ying of the Giant Hand Race, hes particularly adept in concealment arts. This is Mistress Wu of the Ancient Dawn Race, whos renowned for her bonded Zhu Rong Divine Flames, which are capable of melting mountains and boiling oceans… Ming Zun took the initiative to introduce everyone to Han Li, and even though none of these people were particularly renowned among normal cultivators, it was clear that they were the ones who stood at the pinnacle of the entire Spirit Realm.

Brother Ming, were taking on a true immortal here, surely there are more people than this, Yin Gangzi said as he took a seat with Han Li.

Of course. Aside from the fellow daoists gathered here, Fellow Daoist Leng of the Golden Stone Race, Fellow Daoist Yun Dan and Fellow Daoist Yue Shu of the Heavenly Cicada Race, as well as Xuan Jiuling, will also be arriving soon, Ming Zun replied.

Aside from Han Li, everyones expressions changed slightly upon hearing this, and it was clear that these four were all very formidable beings.

I didnt think that Yun Dan and Yue Shu would agree to join this alliance, how did you manage to convince those two, Brother Ming? the young scholar asked with a wary look on his face.

Hmph, so that Xuan Baling has changed his name to Xuan Jiuling, looks like he mustve slain another true spirit. That madman has become an obsessive cultivation freak, but I have to admit, his powers are becoming more and more unfathomable. Im also very curious about how you were able to convince him to participate, Yin Gangzi said with a dark expression. 1

Its very simple: for Yun Dan and Yue Shu, I promised them that our trade guild will do three things for them after the event, and they just so happen to have an important matter that requires the assistance of our trade guild. As for Fellow Daoist Xuan Jiuling, I didnt even have to persuade him, he immediately agreed upon hearing that the opponent was a true immortal. Hehe, for someone like him, the opportunity to face a true immortal is the best possible compensation, Ming Zun explained.

Considering how crazy he is, that actually makes a lot of sense, Yin Gangzi chuckled.

As for the young scholar, his expression changed slightly upon hearing this, but he didnt say anything further in the end.

I had invited some other fellow daoists as well, but they either couldnt make it in time or had other important matters to attend to, so they wont be joining us. Otherwise, our chances of success wouldve been even higher, Ming Zun said in a slightly forlorn manner.

Is that true immortal really that fearsome? Even with all of us participating in this ploy, it sounds like youre still not fully confident that well succeed. According to the ancient tomes I reference, all true immortals who had descended into our Spirit Realm had been severely debilitated by the power of this realm, surely theres no way hell be powerful enough to contend with all of us, the elderly man holding the golden cane said.

Im well aware of this myself. If this were a normal immortal, we would naturally be able to crush him with ease. However, this is no ordinary immortal, Ming Zun replied with a wry smile.

What do you mean? The elderly man faltered slightly upon hearing this, and everyone else was also rather befuddled.

Judging from the feats of this true immortal on the other continents, I can tell you that hes definitely no ordinary immortal. Instead, the comparison between him and the average immortal would be similar to that between one of us and the average Grand Ascension Stage being. On the Blood Sky Continent, he slew 16 Grand Ascension Stage beings in a single day, including three fellow daoists who were no less powerful than myself, so we definitely cant afford to be complacent, Ming Zun explained in a cautious manner.

I heard that Fellow Daoist Bi Ying had perished by his hands, and I also heard some rumors about him facing three true spirit beings on the Thunder Continent. The latest news I received was that he had gotten himself a servant who is also quite powerful, have you managed to find out who this servant is, Fellow Daoist Ming? Mistress Wu Ling asked.

You have some impressive sources of information, Mistress Wu. Indeed, the true immortal has recruited a new servant, and according to the results of our trade guilds investigation, weve ascertained this servant to be Yang Deer, one of the three true spirits summoned by the Jiao Chi Race, Ming Zun replied with slightly furrowed brows.

What? Yang Deer was tamed rather than slain by the true immortal? Everyone was astonished to hear this, and a contemplative look also appeared on Han Lis face.

Thats right, Im sure you all understand why Im being so cautious now. Aside from all of the fellow daoists Ive recruited, Ill also be summoning the four powerful true spirits worshipped by our trade guild. On top of that, well be setting up the Bipolar Annihilation Formation using a pair of Profound Heavenly Treasures to ensure that he wont be able to escape.

Your trade guild really is going all-in here! Yin Gangzi said as he drew a sharp breath, and everyone else was also stunned to hear this.

The duty of our trade guilds existence is to maintain peace in the Spirit Realm, and we wont allow even a true immortal to place that into jeopardy. Of course, considering the significant contribution our trade guild is making, if we manage to successfully defeat that true immortal, our trade guild will be taking a third of his treasures while the rest will be split among all of you, Im sure no one will have any objections to that, Ming Zun said.

Everyone began to exchange hesitant glances upon hearing this, while Ming Zun merely waited patiently for a response.

A faint smile appeared on Han Lis face upon seeing this, and he said, I have no objection to your trade guild taking a third of the treasures, but I have a condition: if you find any immortal secret techniques or cultivation arts in that true immortals possession, I hope each of us can receive a replica free of charge.

Thats a great suggestion from Fellow Daoist Han, I fully agree.

I also support this proposal…

Everyones eyes immediately lit up upon hearing this, and they all offered their support.

Ming Zuns expression changed slightly in response, but after some brief contemplation, he decided to agree.

Thus, everyone was very pleased, and their first impression of Han Li had also improved.

After that, they discussed some matters surrounding the plan to target the true immortal, and the meeting concluded several hours later.

Everyone settled into some of the buildings in Skys Beyond, and Han Li flew over to a massive rock that was slightly further away before taking residence in a relatively intact pavilion.

1. In Chinese, is eight, while is nine, so the number in Xuan Balings name increased to Xuan Jiuling. This clearly has something to do with the number of true spirits that he had slain in the past.

Han Lis expression remained unchanged, and he stood still on the spot as he continued to look on into the distance.

The soil on the horizon suddenly began to churn and bulge, as if there were some type of giant creature rapidly approaching Han Li from underground.

Han Lis expression changed slightly upon seeing this, but before he had a chance to do anything, a silver giant that was several hundred feet tall emerged from the soil.

The giant had a head of long green hair, and his upper body was completely bare, while an azure leather kilt covered his lower body.

His bulging muscles were of a shimmering silver color, as if they were constructed from silver, and with just a single stride, the giant covered a distance of thousands of feet, causing the nearby ground to tremor violently.

A hint of surprise flashed through Han Lis eyes at the sight of the silver giant, and right at this moment, the giant sprang up into the air, then let loose a low roar before thrusting his palm viciously toward the ground down below.

Two earth-shattering booms rang out as the earth within a radius of several kilometers around the giant completely collapsed, creating a small basin that was over 1,000 feet deep.

A sharp cry rang out as a massive yellow beast rushed out of the basin, then fled toward the distance with all its might.

However, the silver giant seemed to have anticipated this, and it appeared directly above the huge beast in a flash before stomping down viciously with a massive foot.

As soon as the yellow beast and the silver foot came into contact with one another, the former immediately plummeted out of the heavens before being stomped into the ground amid a dull thump.

Only then Han Li was able to identify the giant yellow beast as an earthy yellow turtle that was around 600 feet in length, and its shell was over five feet thick with sharp yellow spikes all over its surface.

There was a single horn on its head, which was locked under the massive silver foot, and it was trying with all its might to withdraw its head back into its shell, but to no avail.

In the next instant, the silver giant unleashed a series of silver fist projections that came crashing down in a frenzy.

All of the fist projections quickly exploded upon the huge yellow turtles body, and astonishing shockwaves were surging in all directions.

Despite the turtles incredible defensive prowess, its head was reduced to mincemeat within the span of just a few breaths, and even its shell had been shattered, allowing the silver giant to plunge his hand into its body before pulling out a head-sized yellow bead.

The giant was ecstatic to see this bead, and he tossed it into his own mouth before devouring it.

A burst of yellow light immediately flashed over his body, only to quickly fade after he made a hand seal.

Right at this moment, the giant suddenly turned toward Han Li.

His eyes were glowing with piecing silver light and completely devoid of pupils.

He then rushed directly toward Han Li, and even before reaching Han Li, he yelled, Are you here to attend the gathering at Skys Beyond? I am Ying Gangzi of the Sky Dread Race.

Greetings, Fellow Yin Gangzi, I am Han Li of the human race, Han Li said as he cupped his fist in a salute.

You must be the Fellow Daoist Han who slew the Stemborer Queen in the Elder Devil Realm, what a coincidence it is meeting you here! Ive heard much about you. A hint of surprise flashed through the silver giants eyes as he spoke, and he immediately made a hand seal, upon which his body shrunk down to a size similar to Han Lis.

Youre far too kind, Brother Yin, I was very fortunate to have been involved in the slaying of the Stemborer Queen. Similarly, Ive heard much about your Sky Dread Race. That form you displayed just now was the Fortune Physique of your Sky Dread Race, right? Han Li replied with a polite smile.

The Sky Dread Race was a vastly renowned race on the Tian Yuan Continent. It didnt have a huge population, but all Sky Dread beings possessed incredible aptitude and were able to progress far more quickly in cultivation than the average being.

Furthermore, once they attained the Fortune Physique, they would be able to instantly enhance their power by severalfold.

The Sky Dread Race was also one of the four most mysterious races of the Tian Yuan Continent, and high-grade Sky Dread beings very rarely appeared before the public eye, so Han Li was quite surprised to be meeting one here.

Hehe, youre far too kind, Fellow Daoist Han. The inner core of that Earth Turtle Beast that I encountered on the way was quite useful to me, which was why I adopted my Fortune Physique to hunt it down. How about we head to Skys Beyond together? Yin Gangzi offered.

I would be honored, Han Li accepted.

Haha, the honor is all mine. Lets continue onward. By the way, I have some questions about the true immortal that were hunting. Ming Zun only gave me some very vague information, and I was wondering if you knew any further details, Yin Gangzi said in an elated manner.

I met Fellow Daoist Ming Zun once recently, so I do have some information, Ill do my best to answer your questions, Han Li replied with a smile.

Ill have to thank you in advance then. Why dont you accompany me on my Green Wave Carriage, Fellow Daoist? Yin Gangzi said in an elated manner, then opened his mouth to expel a burst of green light, which transformed into a green flying carriage that was around 300 feet in length.

The carriage was triangular in shape and was intricately constructed, giving off a faint pleasant aroma.

There were also four silver puppets standing at the front and back of the carriage, and Han Li accepted the offer, flying onto the carriage with Yin Gangzi.

Moments later, the carriage shot forth deeper into the blackish-green landscape as a ball of green light, vanishing into the distance after just a few flashes.

……

Half a day later, the flying carriage was flying through a sea of black winds at the center of Baleful Cry Point.

All of a sudden, the black wind up ahead faded, and a strange world was revealed up ahead.

At an altitude of several tens of thousands of feet, the entire region was split into two distinct halves, one black and one white.

The lower half was still comprised of the sea of black wind, while the upper half was a white light barrier, within which hovered countless giant rocks.

The smallest of these giant rocks were only around the size of houses, while the largest ones resembled giant islands, and all of these rocks had buildings constructed upon them.

So this is Skys Beyond. How interesting, Han Li mused with an intrigued expression as he stood at the front of the green flying carriage.

This is indeed quite an interesting place. Apparently, this was once a restricted area of a major race in ancient times. However, that race disappeared under mysterious circumstances, and the Baleful Yin Qi pouring out from underground in this region has made this place completely devoid of all living beings, Ying Gangzi said.

During their trip, Han Li and Yin Gangzi had gotten along quite well, and it was as if they were a pair of old friends.

Looks like that race mustve invoked some type of insurmountable natural disaster that led to their disappearance, I dont think the actions of people could make an entire race disappear without any news emerging, Han Li speculated.

Hehe, perhaps so. Oh, that looks like people from the trade guild coming to welcome us, Ying Gangzu said as he cast his gaze upward, just in time to see a white flying boat descending through the light barrier up above before approaching their flying carriage.

Han Li and Yin Gangzi exchanged a glance before waiting at the front of the carriage, which slowly drew to a halt.

Moments later, the white flying boat stopped beside the carriage, and a blue-robed man on the flying boat cast his gaze toward Han Li and Yin Gangzi before hurriedly extending a respectful bow.

Welcome, Senior Han Li of the human race and Senior Yin Gangzi of the Sky Dread Race, I was instructed by Master Ming Zun to welcome you and guide you to Skys Beyond.

You recognize us? Looks like Fellow Daoist Ming mustve shown you all of our portraits. Lead the way then, Yin Gangzi instructed in an expressionless manner.

Yes, please come with me, Seniors, the blue-robed man replied in a respectful manner before turning the flying boat back around and flying on ahead.

The green flying carriage followed along at Yin Gangzis behest, and around 15 minutes later, the carriage finally descended onto one of the massive levitating rocks in Skys Beyond.

On this giant rock was a massive white hall, at the entrance of which stood two rows of armed trade guild guards.

Yin Gangzi stowed the flying carriage away before making his way toward the hall, and none of the guards made any effort to stop them.

After entering the hall and passing through a short corridor, Han Li and Yin Gangzi were greeted by the sight of Ming Zun in a cavernous room.

Ming Zun was currently conversing with a few other Grand Ascension Stage beings, but he immediately rose to his feet in an elated manner, and said, Fellow Daoist Han, Brother Yin, I didnt think the two of you would arrive together.

None of the other people in the room stood up, but all of them directed their attention toward Han Lis duo.

Haha, Fellow Daoist Han and I had a chance encounter on the edge of Baleful Cry Point, so we came here together. Its been several thousand years since we last met, but youre looking as healthy as ever, Brother Ming, Yin Gangzi said with a warm smile.

Meanwhile, Han Li merely extended an obligatory greeting toward Ming Zun before directing his attention toward the other people in the room.

After appraising the ball of lightning for a short while, Han Li suddenly hurled it through the air with a flick of his wrist, and it flew several tens of feet forward before exploding.

Bolts of purplish-golden lightning erupted forth in all directions, and a grey hole appeared in the air.

Even though the hole was only around the size of an egg, faint spatial fluctuations were emanating from it, and an elated look appeared on Han Lis face as he murmured to himself, As expected, its able to directly tear through space. This refined Divine Devilbane Lightning is far more powerful than I expected.

Right at this moment, a faint buzzing sound rang out within his sleeve, and Han Li faltered slightly before sweeping his sleeve through the air to release an azure talisman amid a flash of spiritual light.

As soon as it appeared, the talisman began to release a series of azure characters that quickly converged to form a message.

Han Li only took a brief look at the message before his expression changed slightly.

As expected, that true immortal has arrived on the Tian Yuan Continent. In that case, I have no choice but to take action. It would be best if we could seal him or force him out of the Spirit Realm without the human race being harmed in the process. With that in mind, Han Li immediately pointed a finger at the azure message, then quickly swiped his finger through the air a few times.

The message immediately blurred before transforming into another message, which quickly vanished into the azure talisman.

After that, Han Li stowed the talisman away before rising to his feet and departing from the secret chamber.

Around an hour later, Han Li was sitting on the main seat in the hall of the Azure Origin Palace, issuing a series of instructions to everyone.

Nangong Wan was seated beside him with a calm expression, but there was clearly a hint of concern in her eyes.

As for Hai Yuetian, Lan Yaoer, and his other disciples, they were standing on his other side in a respectful manner.

Even Silvermoon, who was in seclusion prior to this, was present and sitting beside Nangong Wan.

This trip is going to be a perilous one, but Im fairly confident in my ability to keep myself safe. However, prior to my departure, there are some things that I have to make clear. During my absence, Waner will be managing the palace with the assistance of Yuetian and my other disciples. Silvermoon, youre currently at a critical juncture in your cultivation, so focus on that for now. If something were to happen to me, then activate this talisman. I left some instructions in the talisman, and all you have to do is do as it says, Han Li said as he flipped a hand over to summon a purplish-golden talisman with arcs of lightning surging over its surface.

The talisman was then hurled through the air, and it transformed into a bolt of purplish-golden lightning that hurtled directly toward a pillar in the hall.

A resounding boom rang out as the bolt of lightning transformed into a huge purplish-golden rune that embedded itself several inches deep into the pillar. The edges of the indentation were very clean and sharp, as if the rune had been engraved on the pillar all along.

Hai Yuetian and the other disciples naturally had no objections, and Nangong Wan and Silvermoon also exchanged a glance before nodding in agreement. freewebnove.com

The next morning, Han Li departed from the Origin Integration Island alone and headed toward Deep Heaven City.

Similar scenes were also taking place in some other races on the Tian Yuan Continent.

The Grand Ascension Stage beings that were viewed as the pillars of those races had also been contacted by the He Lian Trade Guild, and after some contemplation, most of them decided to travel to Skys Beyond as invited.

There were even some Grand Ascension Stage beings who were very confident in their own abilities and were embarking on this trip with excitement in their hearts.

After all, the opportunity to slay an immortal didnt come around every day. If they were lucky, perhaps this would be a massive opportunity for them.

……

Around half a month later, two humanoid figures were hovering in mid-air within the underground world of the He Lian Trade Guild headquarters.

Among the duo was a black-robed young man, and he was appraising the completely deserted surroundings with a dark expression.

He had already inspected this entire underground area several times using his enormous spiritual sense, and not a single living being could be found, it was as if they had all disappeared from the face of this realm.

Even the restrictions and formations here had been disassembled, leaving not even a single spirit stone behind.

Master, it looks like the He Lian Trade Guild mustve been tipped off in advance and evacuated, Yang Deer said in a respectful manner.

It was quite surprised that the vastly renowned He Lian Trade Guild had retreated without even putting up a fight.

Hmph, I have to commend them on making a smart decision to run away from me. So be it, Ill track down those two insects first then. With my soul mark planted in their bodies, theres no way theyll ever be able to truly escape from me. Hehe, once I hunt them down, perhaps well even be greeted with a pleasant surprise, Ma Liang harrumphed coldly.

An enlightened look appeared on Yang Deers face upon hearing this, You dont mean…

Thats right. Last time, those people used those two as a lure, and that obviously didnt end well for them, but it seems like someone else is trying to repeat this ploy, Ma Liang said as a cold look flashed through his eyes.

After a brief pause, he continued, Lets go. Those two arent particularly impressive when it comes to their cultivation, but they possess a special movement technique that makes it rather troublesome to hunt them down. Having said that, they should be on the verge of running out of energy, even with spirit pills at their disposal, they wont be able to recover much in a short time. This time, Im going to make sure they dont get away.

Immediately thereafter, he made a hand seal, and a rainbow cloud appeared beneath his feet before carrying him up into the air.

Yang Deer hurriedly followed along as a streak of light.

……

Meanwhile, the Six-winged Frost Centipede and the Ice Phoenix were situated in a branch of the He Lian Trade Guild countless kilometers away, listening carefully to what Ming Zun was currently telling them.

With this Divine Wind Boat and these talismans, theres no way that true immortal will be able to catch up to you in a short time. Our trade guilds request is very simple: lead the true immortal on a wild goose chase, then lead him to Skys Beyond at Baleful Cry Point, and youll have made a significant contribution to our cause, Ming Zun said with a serious expression.

I dont care about your cause, just dont forget what you promised me, the Six-winged Frost Centipede replied in a cold voice.

After hearing about the treasures described by Ming Zun, he was confident that he would be able to succeed in this task. Otherwise, he wouldnt have been so compliant.

Haha, rest assured, Ill speak to Fellow Daoist Han to ensure that he doesnt target you within the next 1,000 years, Im sure Fellow Daoist Han would be willing to do me that favor. As for the items requested by Fellow Daoist Ice Phoenix, Im afraid we dont have all of them at the moment, but well do our best to gather everything after the event, Ming Zun said with a smile.

Just do your best, Senior, the Ice Phoenix replied with a wry smile.

If thats all you have to say, then well be setting off now. With that true immortals speed, itll most likely only take him a day or two to find this place, the Six-winged Frost Centipede said.

Go ahead, fellow daoists, this branch will also be evacuated following your departure, Ming Zun replied with a nod.

Thus, around an hour later, an azure flying boat emerged outside the branch amid a dull thump, then flew away as a streak of azure light.

Shortly thereafter, around 100 more streaks of light shot out of the branch before splitting up into several groups and flying away in different directions.

Two days later, a rainbow cloud appeared above the branch, and after a short pause, a cold harrumph rang out from within the cloud, following which a thick pillar of lightning crashed down from above, instantly incinerating the entire branch into ashes.

After that, the cloud quickly departed.

……

Close to a month later, an event that shook the entire continent took place.

The Thin Reed Race was renowned as the race that was most adept in illusion techniques on the entire Tian Yuan Continent. Recently, the population of over 10,000,000 Thin Reed beings in the races main city had been wiped out in a blood sacrifice.

The two Grand Ascension Stage elders guarding the city were tipped off in advance and immediately fled, thus making them the only two survivors.

As a result, the nightmare of the bloodthirsty true immortal officially descended upon the Tian Yuan Continent.

Many of the races near the Thin Reed Race were horrified by this news, and they all sent out people to verify its authenticity.

Meanwhile, close to 20 of the most powerful beings on the Tian Yuan Continent had arrived at Baleful Cry Point one after another.

……

So this is Baleful Cry Point, the density of Baleful Yin Qi is here truly astounding, Han Li murmured to himself as he looked on at the boundless blackish-green landscape up ahead.

Even with his vast wealth of experience, such dense Baleful Yin Qi still came as quite a surprise to him. The Baleful Yin Qi here was virtually visible to the naked eye, and it would be enough to drive the average cultivator insane.

Baleful Cry Point was a vastly renowned restricted area in this region, and just as Han Li was about to fly on ahead, his expression suddenly changed slightly as he cast his gaze toward another direction.

Moments later, a burst of rumbling rang out in that direction, and it was steadily becoming louder, as if there were some type of gigantic creature approaching from afar.

Go ahead, Master, Ill keep a lookout, Yang Deer immediately offered.

Alright, then Ill find a place somewhere up ahead to perform the secret technique, Ma Liang said.

Thus, the two of them flew on directly toward the giant mountain range up ahead.

Several hours later, Ma Liang was seated with his eyes closed on the peak of a massive mountain, while a black and white crystal ball was hovering before him. revolving incessantly in mid-air with a crimson ghostly face within it.

Ma Liang pointed a finger at the crystal ball, and the ghostly face immediately turned toward a certain direction before opening its mouth to release a ball of crimson light, which vanished into Ma Liangs glabella in a flash.

Hmph, so those two really did escape to this continent. That direction seems to be where the He Lian Trade Guild is situated, could it be that theyve sought refuge there? Ma Liang opened his eyes as a hint of surprise appeared on his face.

The trade guild is plotting against you, so theres a chance that it could be providing protection to those two, Yang Deer speculated.

Thats good news, Ill be able to take care of all of them at once now, Ma Liang chuckled coldly before opening his mouth to swallow the crystal ball as a stream of black and white Qi.

Immediately thereafter, he laid a hand onto the top of his own head, and a five-colored Nascent Soul emerged amid a flash of golden light.

The Nascent Soul was completely identical to Ma Liang, except its body had a translucent and glazed appearance.

The Nascent Soul reached out with one hand, and a golden talisman immediately flew out of its body.

The Nascent Soul then made a hand seal before flicking a string of incantation seals toward the talisman, following which a grey projection emerged from it.

The projection depicted a handsome young man, but his eyes were completely vacant, and he was hovering still in mid-air with a black and white band of light and a talisman binding his body.

The Nascent Soul switched to a different hand seal, and the five-colored light glowing from its body surged violently.

At the same time, the projection of the handsome young man blurred slightly, and it suddenly flew toward a certain direction, but it only managed to travel just over 1,000 feet before it was viciously wrenched back by the black and white band of light.

An ecstatic look appeared on the Nascent Souls face upon seeing this. Haha, Ive finally found my target, it looks like Ill be able to return to the True Immortal Realm soon.

Immediately thereafter, the Nascent Soul vanished on the spot alongside the golden talisman and the projection of the young man, following which Ma Liang opened his eyes with a hint of excitement on his face.

He hadnt been expecting to track down his target so easily.

Yang Deer hurriedly put on a fawning smile, and said, Congratulations on finding your target, Master. Are we still going to the He Lian Trade Guild first?

After a brief moment of contemplation, Ma Liang replied, I already know the rough location of my target, so I wont have to worry about him getting away. As such, well take care of the He Lian Trade Guild first, it wont take long anyway, and my Myriad Spirit Blood Seal requires a few more grand blood sacrifices for its refinement to be complete.

Yang Deer naturally didnt raise any objections, and thus, the two of them set off toward a certain direction.

……

Right as Ma Liang was using the golden talisman to detect his target, the golden spirit rune on an unconscious young mans face suddenly flashed once. The young man was bound by a series of runed chains and was trapped beneath a massive ice mountain within a restricted area of the Spirit Races territory. freewebnvel.co

Along with the flash of the spirit rune came a flutter of his eyelids, and a white-robed Nascent Soul immediately appeared before the young man within the ice mountain. The Nascent Soul inspected its surroundings with a tense expression, then directed its gaze toward the young mans face.

A long while later, the Nascent Soul still hadnt discovered anything amiss, but instead of relieved, it only became more anxious as it made a hand seal before issuing a voice transmission.

Shortly thereafter, a streak of white light shot forth from the distance, and the Spirit Monarch arrived in front of the ice mountain.

Whats going on? Why did you summon me? the Spirit Monarch asked with a serious expression.

Something seems to have happened just now, but I didnt discover anything after examining the restrictions in here, have you noticed anything on your end? the Nascent Soul asked.

Not at all. Ive been standing on guard at the entrance this entire time, so I wouldve definitely noticed if something were amiss, the Spirit Monarch replied in a surprised manner.

In that case, what was that slight disturbance just now? Hes clearly been completely sealed by me, and even his spiritual sense is completely immobilized, the Nascent Soul said with tightly furrowed brows.

That is indeed quite strange, the Spirit Monarch mused.

Have any major events taken place in the outside world recently? the Nascent Soul suddenly asked.

Not that I can think of. Ever since the devilish beings retreated, everything has been normal aside from the fact that the human race is experiencing a resurgence, the Spirit Monarch replied with a stroke of his beard.

The Spirit Monarch was quite powerful, but he kept an extremely low profile in the Spirit Realm, so the He Lian Trade Guild hadnt invited him to join their alliance. As such, he was naturally completely oblivious to the presence of the true immortal in the Spirit Realm.

I may have been overly sensitive then. Ill examine the restrictions again, and if I still dont find anything, then it should just be a coincidence, the Nascent Soul said as its expression eased slightly.

Alright, but as a safety precaution, Ill double the number of guards, the Spirit Monarch said.

The Nascent Soul nodded in response before making a hand seal, upon which its body disintegrated into specks of white light within the ice mountain.

As for the Spirit Monarch, he remained on the spot for a while longer with a contemplative expression, but in the end, he could only shake his head and depart as a streak of white light.

……

What? That true immortal is suspected to have arrived on the Tian Yuan Continent and is only half a month away from reaching our trade guild? Ming Zuns expression changed drastically upon hearing the report delivered by an ordinary-looking middle-aged man.

Not only that, but the number one grand elder of the Armored Boar Race was also killed by him. After verifying this piece of news and the culprits appearance, we were able to ascertain that it was the true immortal, the middle-aged man replied.

Ming Zun sprang out of his chair, and interrogated, The territory of the Armored Boar Race is quite far away from our trade guild, why is it that you only received this news now?

This true immortal is traveling extremely quickly. If it werent for the fact that he was identified by a member of our trade guild as he was using a certain teleportation formation, wed most likely still be oblivious to the fact that hes on the Tian Yuan Continent, the man replied with a wry smile.

Has it already been verified that hes heading for our trade guild? Ming Zun asked.

There are no other major powers aside from our guild along the path that hes traveling, so there shouldnt be any mistake. Could it be that hes already learned about our plan to forge an alliance to target him? the man speculated.

That does appear to be the case, and this information was most likely leaked by that grand elder of the Armored Boar Race. I once extended an invitation to him, and seeing as he was killed by that true immortal, his soul mustve been searched. Otherwise, there would be no way to explain this, Ming Zun said with tightly furrowed brows.

What do we do now? Half a month definitely isnt enough to gather all of the powerful beings we recruited. Who wouldve thought that he would come straight for our trade guild? the man said in a panicked manner.

Calm down. The only thing we can do now is split up our trade guild for now in order to buy some time for the powerful beings weve recruited, Ming Zun said.

The middle-aged man faltered slightly upon hearing this, while Ming Zun continued, In contrast with other major sects or races, our trade guild doesnt have a massive population, nor a set territory. All we have to do is scatter our members for now, and that true immortal wont be able to do anything, Ming Zun said in a calm manner.

Thats a great idea! Ill begin preparing for mass evacuation right away, the man said as an elated look appeared on his face.

Hold on, aside from preparing for evacuation, contact the powerful beings weve recruited and gather them to Skys Beyond at Baleful Cry Point. The baleful Qi there is extremely abundant, so its perfect for summoning the ancient true spirits worshiped by our trade guild, Ming Zun said in a confident manner.

That would naturally be the best place to battle the true immortal, but will he be willing to go there? the middle-aged man asked in a hesitant voice.

Thats where the Six-winged Frost Centipede and the Ice Phoenix come in, Ming Zun said with a cold smile.

I see. An enlightened look appeared on the middle-aged mans face upon hearing this, and he extended a respectful bow before departing from the hall.

Following the mans departure, Ming Zun sat back down on his chair as a contemplative look appeared on his face.

……

In the Azure Origin Palace, Han Li was seated on a futon with a ball of purplish-golden lightning hovering above his hand.

The ball of lightning was only around the size of a human fist, but it was completely silent, presenting a very peculiar scene to behold.