Автор: sergey

You sound quite confident, it looks my concern was unnecessary, Han Li chuckled before making his way up the staircase without any further delay.

Xian Xian pursed her lips with a smile as she followed along behind him in an elegant manner.

At the entrance to the fourth level was a faint red light barrier, and Han Lis body swayed as he passed through the light barrier, following which he appeared in an entirely blue place.

The walls and the ceiling of the room were all translucent and shimmering with a faint blue light, and there was a massive white spell formation underfoot that took up an area of over 200 feet. At the very center of the formation was a man standing in silence while appraising Han Li and Xian Xian.

Han Li focused his gaze on the man to find that he had a scholarly appearance with a yellow book in one hand and a golden formation plate in the other. He appeared to be a being at the pinnacle of the Spatial Tempering Stage, and a peculiar look appeared on his face as he said, So its you.

Do you recognize me, Fellow Daoist? Han Li asked with a smile.

Even if I didnt recognize you before, after that spectacular display earlier, I certainly do now. Its quite extraordinary that you were able to crush a ninth-tier upper race being so easily, the scholar mused with a hint of intrigue in his eyes.

Youre far too kind, Fellow Daoist. May I ask what kind of examination Ill be undertaking? Han Li asked in a nonchalant manner.

Examination? With your powers, theres no need for an examination. You get an automatic pass! the scholar chuckled.

Both Han Li and Xian Xian were rather surprised to hear this.

What? Do you really think Im such a dogmatic person that I refuse to do anything outside of the rules and regulations? Even eight-tier upper race beings can be exempt from the examination, so you certainly dont need to undertake one. Heres your Lightningwield Umbrella. As soon as the scholars voice trailed of, silver light flashed from the book in his hand, and an object flew out from within, heading straight toward Han Li.

Han Li made a grabbing motion to draw the object into his grasp, and he found that it was slightly cold to the touch.

He looked down to discover that it was a small silver umbrella that was only around several inches in size, but it was an extremely intricate object, upon which was carved many profound runes.

There are some things that I need to tell you, Fellow Daoist, you must conduct the master recognition ceremony with the Lightningbane Umbrella in my presence to prevent it from being taken by others. Also, after completing the master recognition ceremony, the umbrella will only be effective for a month. After that, it will expire and become a useless object, which means that you must come out of the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges within a month. Otherwise, the devilish Qi in there will make you undergo devilfication, and youll be transformed into a true devilish being, Enforcer Min cautioned in a diligent and detailed manner.

Thank you for your words of caution. Han Li nodded before tossing the umbrella up into the air, then opening his mouth to expel a small ball of blood essence, which quickly transformed into a cloud of blood mist that enshrouded the silver umbrella within.

After that, Han Li began to chant something as he made a hand seal, then flicked his 10 fingers rapidly through the air in quick succession.

A series of incantation seals of different colors surged forth in a frenzy, all of which disappeared into the blood mist.

The small silver umbrella instantly swelled to three feet in size as a result.

At the same time, a rumbling sound rang out from within the blood mist, following which the mist condensed into a series of crimson runes of different sizes. The runes revolved around the silver umbrella before disappearing into it in a flash, and a film of crimson light emanated from it before instantly fizzling out.

After that, Han Li waved a hand through the air, and the silver umbrella shrank at his behest before flying up his sleeve.

The entire master recognition ceremony was completed in what seemed like the mere blink of an eye.

A hint of surprise appeared on Enforcer Mins face, clearly shocked that he was able to perform the master recognition ceremony so quickly.

However, he quickly recomposed himself, then turned to Xian Xian with furrowed brows as he said, I can see that youre a Crystal being, and your cultivation base is quite low. If you were to enter the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges, theres a very high likelihood that youll perish in there. I suggest that you refrain from entering the mountain ranges for your own safety.

Thank you for your concern, Senior, but I have to enter the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges on this occasion. Please commence your examination, Senior, Xian Xian insisted after extending a respectful curtsey toward the Enforcer Min.

In that case, then I wont try to dissuade you any further. There are two types of examinations, one of them is to last an hour inside an illusionary realm conjured up by this formation, and the other one is to battle and defeat my two beast puppets. As long as you can do either of those, youll get a pass, Enforcer Min introduced.

Xian Xian seemed to have expected this answer in advance, and she immediately replied, I choose the first type of examination!

Alright, then please take three steps forward, Enforcer Min instructed with a quick nod.

Xian Xian did as she was told, and Han Li discovered that after taking those three steps, she just so happened to be standing on top of a certain massive rune on the formation.

However, before he had a chance to think anything of this, Enforcer Min suddenly said, You can go downstairs now. I dont want to have anyone spectate my examinations, and Ill have to ask you to refrain from revealing any details about the examination.

Of course. Ill be taking my leave, then. Han Li nodded in response before making his way downstairs.

In the instant that he reached the opening leading to the staircase, a burst of restriction fluctuations suddenly erupted behind him alongside a faint buzzing sound.

Han Li turned around in a nonchalant manner to find that the entire formation on the ground had been completely activated. Layers of white light appeared, completely encompassing Xian Xian and Enforcer Min within, making it impossible to see them from the outside.

Han Lis expression changed slightly upon seeing this, but he continued through the light barrier without pause before walking down the staircase.

As soon as he emerged on the third level, everyone turned toward him, and he merely smiled before continuing down the staircase without any delay.

Moments later, Han Li appeared outside the gates of the pavilion, and following a brief pause, he turned to look up at the pavilion behind him.

This pavilion had a total of five levels, so what lay on the fifth level?

For some reason, that strange thought surfaced in Han Lis mind. However, he then shook his head with a nonchalant smile before slowly departing along the street.

It would be some time before Yue Zong also completed his examination, so he was going to take a stroll around the town.

Thankfully, the town wasnt very big, so it didnt take him long to see essentially everything that it had to offer.

On top of that, he was also rather intrigued by the holy race being who was offering a reward for that immortal zoysia. He didnt want to directly interact with this holy race being, but catching a glimpse of him from afar shouldnt be too difficult.

With that in mind, Han Li continued onward down the street.

There werent many shops on either side of the street, and most of them were selling devilish beast materials. These shops were all rather small and also slightly dilapidated in appearance, clearly indicating that theyd stood in this town for a long time.

Thankfully, there were some low-grade cultivators walking along these streets and visiting the shops from time to time, so at least they wouldnt go out of business.

After passing through most of the street, Han Li passed by a large courtyard, and his eyes suddenly narrowed as a slightly solemn look appeared on his face.

As his spiritual sense was sweeping through the area, it had been kept at bay by a strange restriction that had been set up here. Furthermore, the restriction was extremely profound, and even if he were to try and force his spiritual sense through it, he wouldnt be able to achieve this anytime soon.

It appeared that this had to be where the holy race being was residing.

With that in mind, Han Li couldnt help but take a few extra glances at this place.

Unfortunately, the gates were tightly shut, and he was unable to see anything through the restriction, so he didnt know whether the holy race being was actually in there or not.

Han Li didnt pause here for long, he merely took a final glance at the gates before continuing onward.

Over an hour later, Han Li had strolled through the entire town and returned to the pavilion.

Upon his return, he discovered that Xian Xian and Yue Zong were standing outside already, and there were no other people around them.

Han Li immediately figured out what had happened, and he smiled as he asked, Were you also exempt from taking the examination, Brother Yue?

Indeed, Senior. When I went up, Senior Min told me that my reputation around these parts grants me an automatic pass. Otherwise, I wouldnt have been able to come out so quickly. On top of that, I must thank you for your intervention earlier. Yue Zong bowed in a respectful manner with an expression of awe and veneration on his face.

No need to thank me. We need you on this journey, so I certainly couldnt allow you to be taken by others. Fellow Daoist Xian, you also received a Lightningbane Umbrella, right? Han Li asked.

Of course. That illusionary formation is quite formidable, but I just so happen to have cultivated a few calming secret techniques, so it wasnt an issue for me to last an hour in there, Xian Xian replied in a nonchalant manner.

In that case, lets set off right away. After all, we dont have a lot of time on our hands, Han Li suggested.

My thoughts exactly! Xian Xian chuckled in response.

Yue Zong also nodded with a solemn expression.

Thus, the three of them no longer delayed any further as they departed from the town and flew on ahead.

After flying for several kilometers, they disappeared into the azure mist again.

After forging ahead for close to 15 kilometers, the mist up ahead gradually thinned out.

However, the rumbling thunderclaps up ahead were louder than ever.

After emerging from the azure mist, Han Li couldnt help but draw a sharp breath at the sight that was presented before him.

In the distance several thousand kilometers up ahead, the entire sky was flashing with azure lightning, and countless thunderclaps were erupting from all directions.

They were about to enter a world where there was nothing aside from lightning.

Lets go, Yue Zong said in a low voice as he opened his mouth to expel the small silver umbrella, and it transformed into a silver ball of light that enshrouded his entire body.

After that, he flew on ahead, followed closely by Han Li and Xian Xian, who also brought out their own Lightningbane Umbrellas.

…

Two hours later, three balls of silver light emerged on the other side of the world of lightning, and they appeared above a tall black mountain.

The silver light faded to reveal Han Lis trio, and Han Li cast his gaze down below as he murmured to himself, So these are the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges.

Within the grey light, the green-haired being felt the layer of protective spiritual light around his body solidify, and he was instantly completely immobilized. In the next instant, a crushing weight crashed down onto his shoulders, and the green-haired being was completely unable to oppose it as he fell to one knee onto the ground.

The massive grey hand was actually still around half a foot away from his head, so it was weighing down on the protective spiritual light around him instead of his body, but that was still enough to completely immobilize him.

The green-haired beings face paled before becoming extremely flushed, perhaps due to overexertion or humiliation or a combination of both.

The entire third level fell completely silent.

All of the cultivators present, regardless of whether they were local beings or outsiders, were completely stunned by this turn of events.

The elderly man with the Yan surname was also quite shocked, but also elated that Han Li was so unexpectedly powerful.

In the distance, the silver-armored beings eyelids twitched, and he cast a frosty gaze toward Han Li.

Meanwhile, Xian Xians expression changed several times in quick succession. He knew that Han Li was far more powerful than his cultivation base suggested, but it was still completely unexpected to her that he was able to crush a ninth-tier upper race after just a single exchange. This gave her rather mixed feelings.

Yue Zong was also completely flabbergasted, and he stared at Han Li in silence, seemingly yet to process what he was seeing.

As for the woman in the palatial dress an the others, they were naturally all completely dumbstruck.

Han Li paid no heed to any of them as he fixed his gaze on the green-haired being, whose joints were popping and cracking from the strain of resisting against the massive grey hand of light.

After being crushed into a half-kneeling position, the green-haired being was glowering at Han Li with both humiliation and resentment in his eyes. At the same time, the protective spiritual light around his body wavered incessantly, and he looked as if he wanted to forcibly rise to his feet.

Han Li harrumphed coldly upon seeing this, and he suddenly flipped his inky-black hand over.

Immediately thereafter, the grey hand that was weighing down on the green-haired being also flipped itself over, and a small mountain that was around 10 feet in size appeared out of thin air before crashing down with a dull thud.

The black mountain was completely mundane and nondescript in appearance, but not only was it able to completely vanquish the green-haired beings protective spiritual light, it completely flattened him onto the ground from his original half-kneeling position.

After that, the small mountain swayed and swelled to around 30 to 40 feet tall, crushing the green-haired beings entire body beneath it, leaving only half of his head poking out from underneath.

The entire pavilion tremored violently, following which a layer of white spiritual light surfaced over the floor and the walls. At the same time, a series of strange runes surged forth in a frenzy from all directions before disappearing a flash, following which the tremors came to an abrupt halt.

A massive and extremely profound restriction had been set up in this ordinary-looking pavilion. Otherwise, the clashes that had taken place earlier wouldve been enough to raze the entire pavilion to the ground several times already.

Han Li withdrew his arm as he looked down at the green-haired being beneath the mountain, and he asked, Do I have a third choice now?

In the face of a being at the pinnacle of the Spatial Tempering Stage, Han Li would normally have a hard time defeating them unless he were to unleash a few trump cards.

However, this bullish green-haired being was overly confident in the power of his own body, and he refrained from evading any of Han Lis attacks as he engaged Han Li in battle in such a small area.

As such, Han Lis insane strength and Provenance True Devil Arts shone through immensely, thereby allowing him to crush his opponent with ease.

When the green-haired being finally realized that something was amiss and attempted to take evasive measures or summon other treasures, it was already too late. In the face of the Han Lis immense strength and Divine Essencefused Light, he was only able to just barely ensure self-preservation, so there was no way that he could retaliate.

At the sight of his companion being subdued by Han Li with ease, the silver-robed beings brows furrowed as crimson light flashed past his face, and the odor of blood and gore around him suddenly became more pronounced.

He slowly rose to his feet, seemingly preparing to make his way toward Han Li, and the expressions of elation on everyones faces immediately stiffened upon seeing this.

The fact that he was completely unfazed even after witnessing Han Lis display of power indicated that he was far more powerful than his green-haired companion.

The elderly man narrowed his eyes as he cast his gaze toward the silver-armored being, as did Han Li, but he remained completely expressionless as he did so.

As the silver-armored being strode toward Han Li, the atmosphere in the pavilion suddenly became extremely tense.

All of the other beings on the third level looked on with wide unblinking eyes in anticipation of the potential fierce clash that was about to take place.

Put your treasure away, Fellow Daoist. This is the Lightning Cloud Pavilion, and fighting is prohibited here. If you want to spar, then you can go to the arena in the town that has been built specifically for this purpose. Otherwise, all of you will be prohibited from entering the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges. An unfamiliar male voice had suddenly sounded from the staircase leading up to the fourth level, and the voice was quite a stern and unyielding one.

Han Lis expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and the silver-armored being also faltered in his footsteps.

Its the newly appointed Enforcer Min! Fellow Daoist Han, you should do as youre told, the elderly man hurriedly cautioned.

Han Li raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, and he chuckled as he glanced at the green-haired being beneath the mountain, then made a grabbing motion toward the small mountain.

Thus, the small black mountain disappeared amid a flash of grey light as if it had been nothing more than a mirage, and the green-haired being immediately sprang to his feet with his face completely flushed from humiliation.

He let loose a low roar, and he opened his mouth to reveal a hint of yellow light shimmering within, seemingly about to attack Han Li again.

Han Li remained on the spot upon seeing this, and merely chuckled coldly in a derisive manner.

Stop! Youre no match for him, come back, the silver-armored being ordered in a cold voice.

He only got me because he caught me off guard! Im going to… In his fit of thunderous rage, the green-haired being didnt want to listen to anyone.

The silver-armored beings expression darkened upon seeing this, and he asked in a cold voice, Are you going against my orders?

His voice wasnt very loud, but the green-haired being immediately shuddered as the fury on his place was replaced by horror, and he hurriedly replied, I wouldnt dare! freewenovl.co

He then aimed a vicious glare at Han Li before walking away and sitting back down on his futon in an extremely foul mood.

Seeing as you refuse to let Fellow Daoist Yue come with us, then so be it. From what I overheard earlier, it seems that you arent going after the immortal zoysia anyway, so theres no direct conflict of interest between us. As such, I have no intention of fighting you here and needlessly wasting my magic power. However, if you dare to oppose me next time, then things wont end in such a peaceful manner! the silver-armored being threatened in a menacing manner before also sitting back down on his futon.

Han Li merely stroked his chin with a smile and remained silent upon hearing this.

The elderly man and everyone around him heaved a collective sigh of relief.

At this point, the woman in the palatial dress had naturally realized that shed completely misjudged Han Li, and she smiled at him as she prepared to say something, but at this moment, Enforcer Mins voice rang out from upstairs again.

Aside from upper race beings of the eighth and ninth tiers, all those who want to enter the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges must pass the examination. Those of you who want to enter the mountain ranges can come upstairs not, but only two at a time.

Enforcer Mins voice was extremely calm, but his words immediately created a stir among the beings gathered on the third level.

Everyone glanced at one another before a pair of beings rushed up the staircase one after another, disappearing from view in the blink of an eye.

One of them was a mid-Deity Transformation Stage being while the other was at the early-Spatial Tempering Stage. Neither of them belonged to the elderly mans faction, nor the silver-armored beings faction.

The other beings were all quite disappointed that they hadnt reacted quickly enough.

After all, getting a Lightningbane Umbrella earlier could only be better than getting one later.

As things stood now, the remaining beings could only wait. Some of them were focusing intently on trying to hear what was going on upstairs so they could perhaps ascertain the nature of the examination.

However, either a restriction had been set up upstairs or the examination was completely silent, in any case, no one could hear even the slightest sound from upstairs.

This was rather disheartening to the beings who were craning their necks and listening intently.

The duration of the examination wasnt very long, but it wasnt all that short, either. After a full hour had passed, one of them beings finally came down from upstairs.

Everyone immediately turned toward him in unison to find that his clothes were in tatters, and that he was carrying a few injuries, seemingly having just endured a battle with something.

Fellow Daoist Zhu, what was the examination about? Did you get a Lightningbane Umbrella? one of his acquaintances immediately asked.

I did pass the examination, but Enforcer Min has prohibited me from revealing any details about the examination. Otherwise, my Lightningbame Umbrella will be stripped away. Also, everyone who has undergone an examination has to leave this place immediately, regardless of whether theyve passed or not, so I have to go on ahead now, the slightly disheveled man replied in an ambiguous manner before hurrying downstairs without any hesitation.

As such, the other people who intended to ask him questions could only sit back down in a sheepish manner.

A short while later, the other person also walked down the staircase in a dejected manner.

In contrast with the one who had emerged before him, this being of a lower cultivation base remained completely unscathed, but he seemed to be in low spirits.

He didnt pause even for a single moment on the third level before continuing downstairs.

After witnessing such a bizarre scenario, everyone suddenly became rather reluctant to take the examination early, and they all glanced at one another with hesitant expressions on their faces, clearly hoping that others would take the plunge before them.

Im ready for the next two people! Enforcer Min urged from upstairs.

Han Li looked around to find that no one had risen to their feet, so he stood up with a smile and headed directly toward the staircase.

However, after taking a few steps, he heard the sound of footsteps behind him, indicating that someone else was also following him.

Han Li seemed to be aware of who it was that was behind him, and without even turning his head, he said, Theres no need to be in such a hurry, Fellow Daoist, you can wait for a while and better prepare yourself before taking the examination.

Rest assured, Senior, Ive done some research on this examination, so Ive come prepared, Xian Xian replied from behind him.

The elderly man didnt say anything in response. Instead, he turned and cast his gaze toward the green-haired beings companion. This was a being who wore a suit of silver armor that was filled with sharp crimson spikes, all of which were emanating an odor of blood and gore.

The foreign being was appraising them with an extremely wooden expression, as if he were merely looking at a pile of dead bodies.

Even the elderly man couldnt help but shudder as he met the beings gaze.

With his vast wealth of experience, he naturally knew that this being had to have mastered some kind of extremely powerful cultivation art. Otherwise, he wouldnt have been struck by a bone-chilling sensation at the sight of a being who was of the same cultivation base as him.

The old man quickly cast his glance toward the are surrounding the foreign being to find that even though not all of the outsiders had banded together, there were over 10 beings clustered around him.

He then glanced at his own side to find that even including Han Li, Yue Zong, and the others, they only had around seven or eight people in total, and his expression became quite grim upon seeing this.

Even if all of the beings outside of the silver-armored beings group were to side with them, their numbers would still only just about break even. However, aside from the two ninth-tier upper race beings among the opposing group, there were also four uppers beings of the seventh and eighth tiers. In contrast, the only upper race being above the seventh tier aside from himself was a burly man with disheveled hair who hadnt spoken this entire time.

The elderly man heaved a faint internal sigh upon seeing this. He knew that this green-haired being only dared to act in such a bullish and demanding manner because they had an overwhelming advantage in power.

Even so, he wasnt about to back down. A steely expression appeared on his face as he said in a cold voice, Junior Yue has some ties with me, so I wont just stand by and watch as you take him away. Also, I want to remind you that this is Lightning Cloud Town, its not a place where you can do as you please. Even if you want to invite Junior Yue to come with you, you have to follow the rules here.

The elderly mans response seemed to be an unexpected one to the green-haired being, and a cold light flashed through his eyes as he asked, Rules? What rules?

In this town, if a conflict takes place between two beings, then they have to battle one another in the towns arena. The loser will have to comply with the will of the winner, the elderly man replied.

The green-haired being faltered upon hearing this before bursting into raucous laughter. Haha, are you asking me to fight this little brat?

Of course not. I forgot to tell you that according to the rules of the town, only beings of similar cultivation bases can battle one another in the arena. If you insist on taking Junior Yue with you, then youll either have to find someone of a similar cultivation base as him or Ill be fighting you in his place, the old man replied in an indifferent manner.

The green-haired being faltered upon hearing this before a sinister expression appeared on his face, and he asked, I have to find someone of a similar cultivation base? What kind of ridiculous rules are these? What if I refuse to abide by them?

If you refuse to abide by the rules, then youll be seen as a troublemaker, and the enforcer that has been deployed to this town by the panel of elders will evict you from the town, as well as ban you from ever being able to enter the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges ever again. Do you want to oppose the panel of elders, Fellow Daoist? the elderly man countered.

The panel of elders? The green-haired being hesitated momentarily before casting his gaze toward the silver-armored being.

The latter furrowed his brows before suddenly raising his head and turning to someone behind him for confirmation. Is he telling the truth? Is there really such a rule in Lightning Cloud Town?

I can confirm that such a rule does indeed exist, Senior Gui. However, this rule had been established ever since the town had been first constructed, and it has been many years since anyone has mentioned it.The being who had spoken wore a black hooded robe that covered his entire body, and he seemed to be rather familiar with Lightning Cloud Town.

Everyone immediately turned to him with confusion in their eyes.

This being had been enshrouded under those secretive black robes of his ever since he came to this place, and everyone had initially assumed that he was an outsider, but that didnt appear to be the case now.

Dont change the subject. I just want to know if the enforcer deployed here by the panel of elders really will intervene if I were to try and take that man by force here, the silver-armored being asked in a cold manner.

Thats hard to say. It really depends on the personality of the enforcer. Ive heard that the new enforcer that has recently been stationed here is a very dogmatic person, so theres a very high likelihood that hell intervene, the black-robed being replied.

In that case, I really wont be able to take him by force here. Alright, well do as you say then. After we get our Lightningbane Umbrellas, I will spar with you in person. If I win, then Fellow Daoist Yue has to come with me. If you win, then Ill let him go, the silver-armored being proposed.

The elderly man nodded with a grave expression upon hearing this, then turned to Yue Zong, who wore a thunderous look on his face, and said, Junior Yue, Ill be taking part in this battle in your stead. What do you say?

Senior Yan, they want me to go with them, I cant drag you into my mess. Ill fight my own battles, well just get them to pick someone else from their side! Yue Zong immediately shook his head.

Pick someone else? Do I look stupid to you? Either he battles in your stead or you spar with me. Those are the only two options, theres no third alternative for you! the green-haired being sneered before laying down his own terms in a domineering manner.

Yue Zong remained silent upon hearing this, but his expression had darkened significantly.

Han Li was spectating the situation with a calm look on his face when Xian Xian suddenly transmitted her voice to him in an urgent manner. Senior Han, we cant let them take Fellow Daoist Yue away. Without his guidance, itll be very unlikely for us to get to the place where the holy-grade devilish beast is hiding during this period of mass devilish Qi influx.

Han Lis expression remained unchanged as he cast a glance toward her to find that she was appraising him with an urgent look on her face.

You think far too highly of me, Fellow Daoist. Im just a seventh-tier upper race being, how am I supposed to be able to do anything? Han Li turned away as he transmitted his voice in an indifferent response.

Xian Xian gritted her teeth and suddenly said something that came as quite a surprise to Han Li. Theres no need to try and fool me, Senior Han. My cultivation base is quite lackluster, but I do know some things, and I heard that you once slew several beings of the same cultivation base as you with ease while rescuing Senior Jia of the Myriad Ancient Race, which means youre most likely far more powerful than even the average ninth-tier upper race being.

Han Lis brows furrowed slightly, and only after a brief silence did he transmit his voice back to her in a slightly cold reply, Looks like youve certainly done your research. Alright, for the sake of the Heavenly Devilish Armor, Ill help you again.

Thank you, Senior! Xian Xian was ecstatic to hear this.

In the next instant, Han Li suddenly interjected, Are there really only two choices? I think a third choice would be better. Fellow Daoist Yue has already promised to come with us, so you wont be taking him.

As he spoke, Han Li stepped forward and positioned himself in front of Yue Zong.

The elderly man and the people around him all exchanged surprised glances upon seeing this.

The old man then appraised Han Li again in a rather hesitant manner, clearly concerned about his cultivation base disadvantage in the face of this green-haired being.

The green-haired being faltered upon hearing this before glowering at Han Li with fury in his eyes as he threatened, Who are you? Do you want to die? Or are you planning to spar with me in his stead?

Before Han Li had a chance to reply, the green-haired being suddenly stepped forward, and one of his green furry hands came grabbing down toward Han Li.

As his hand swung through the air, it suddenly swelled drastically in size after the green-haired being unleashed a certain secret technique, and the five fingers spread open to encompass Han Lis entire body beneath the hand.

At the same time, yellow light flashed from his fingers as an enormous force weighed down upon Han Li.

Look out, Fellow Daoist Han! the elderly man cautioned, but for some reason, he intentionally delayed for a split second, thereby making it too late for him to try and save Han Li.

Meanwhile, the green-haired beings hand continued downward with devastating force. If an ordinary early-Spatial Tempering cultivator had been caught off guard by this attack, then the immense force emanating from the palm alone would be enough to completely immobilize them.

However, Han Lis physical body had reached an insane powerful level, so he certainly wasnt going to be immobilized by something like this.

Even if the pressure weighing down on his body were to increase by severalfold, it still wouldnt even be of the slightest concern to him.

At the sight of the oncoming palm, a cold smile appeared on Han Lis face, and he reached out with an inky-black hand before extending it upward.

Grey light flashed before converging to form a massive grey hand of light that materialized overhead, grabbing toward the massive yellow hand.

A violent look flashed through the green-haired being as he saw what Han Li was doing, and he roared, Insolent brat! Kneel down before me!

He was only using around 70% of his magic power to unleash this attack initially, but now, his magic power was circulating rapidly throughout his body, and he was no longer holding back at all as he injected all of his spiritual power into the descending palm, trying to force Han Li to his knees with this devastating attack.

Yellow light flashed from the giant palm, and it swelled in size once again as it crashed into the grey hand of light.

However, in the instant, that the two massive hands clashed, a completely unexpected turn of events unfolded.

There wasnt any earth-shattering collision as everyone had anticipated. Instead, the yellow hand was simply crushed into nothingness by the grey hand amid a gentle thump.

After that, the grey hand swayed before appearing in the air above the green-haired being, and it also came crashing down in a soundless manner.

Before the hand had even reached its target, grey Divine Essencefused Light was sweeping downward ahead of it.

Impossible! the green-haired being exclaimed. It was incredible to him that Han Li had brushed aside his attack, and was now retaliating in kind.

In a fit of shock and fury, he abruptly clenched his fists together before throwing two punches at once toward the descending grey light with all his might.

Two yellow fist projections erupted from his hand amid a rumbling sound, heading directly toward the grey light.

However, in the instant that the first projections came into contact with the grey light, they disappeared like sandcastles in the rising tide.

A hint of astonishment appeared on the green-haired beings face, and he immediately tried to unleash a movement technique to take evasive measures.

However, the grey light that was descending slowly just a moment ago suddenly sped up drastically, reaching him at an incredible speed before sweeping up his entire body in the blink of an eye.

After a brief pause, the young man continued in an excited manner, The cultivator who was wounded by the immortal zoysia says that his Golden Origin Restrictive Light can prevent the immortal zoysia from adopting its shadow form for two months. On top of that, due to the fact that the immortal zoysia has his restrictive light within its body, he can refine a formation plate that can track the immortal zoysias location as long as one is within 50 kilometers of it. This immortal zoysia possesses some powerful movement and concealment techniques, as well as some other special abilities, but its combat prowess is actually quite lackluster. On top of that, its also been wounded, so theres no way that it would dare to venture deep into the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges, which means that it must be hiding in the outskirts. As such, this one-month period would be ideal for capturing it. We originally had no intention of entering the mountain ranges during the influx of devilish Qi, but we certainly couldnt give up on such a brilliant opportunity. As for the people outside of the 13 Heavenly Cloud Races, even if theyve received news of this, its too late for them to get here.

Han Lis trio was enlightened by this explanation.

Yue Zong contemplated the situation momentarily before a cautious look appeared on his face, and he said, Humanoid spirit medicines are indeed extremely rare, but there are no records suggesting that they possess any special properties when it comes to pill refinement, so they may not be any more potent than other high-grade spirit medicines. The only thing special about it is that spirit medicines of this nature are extremely rare. In that case, surely it wouldnt be enough to draw so many people here in just a few days, especially during this period of devilish Qi influx. After all, the mountain ranges are far more perilous during this period of time than otherwise, and even when traversing through the outskirts, theres a good chance that we may encounter powerful devilish beasts.

Thats the other thing that I was just about to explain, Brother Yue, on the day that the immortal zoysia appeared, a holy race being appeared in our town and offered a reward of three Myriad Wonder Pills, three Myriad Year Green Lotus Flowers, and a massive sum of spirit stones as a reward in exchange for this immortal zoysia, and he doesnt care if its been captured dead or alive. This senior is currently living in the town, and hes announced that hell only leave after the one-month period during which the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges are open. By the way, that senior was also the person who purchased the few drops of blood shed by the immortal zoysia, a beauty in a palatial dress explained.A holy race being? Han Li repeated with a hint of surprise on his face.

The woman glanced at Han Li and found him to be completely mundane and nondescript, so she replied in a slightly cold manner, Indeed. This seniors surname is Gu, and he possesses an unfathomable cultivation base. He doesnt appear to be from our Cloud City. Looks like everyone is actually here for the reward being offered by this Senior Gu, Xian Xian chuckled upon hearing this.

All cultivators who come to this town are desperately in need of spirit stones. Otherwise, no one would want to risk entering the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges. With such a high reward being offered, we wouldnt have to keep living in this town or risk our lives to kill devilish beasts, the woman harrumphed in response, seemingly rather displeased by Xian Xians words.

Xian Xian merely smiled and offered no response to this.

Nier, dont be so rude. These two are both friends of Junior Yues. The old man with the Yan surname seemed to be a direct senior of the woman in the palatial dress, and he scolded her in a stern manner.

The woman still didnt appear to be very pleased, but she still gave an affirmative response before falling silent.

Yue Zong seemed to be confused about something else, and he looked around with furrowed brows before asking, Seeing as this happened a few days ago, why are there still so many people here? Could it be that Senior Liao is no longer responsible for this place?

Indeed, Brother Yue. Senior Liao departed over 10 years ago, and he was replaced by an extremely strict man. Hes even brought back the old passage examination, and those who arent able to pass the examination wont be given Lightningbane Umbrellas. On top of that, hes nowhere near as flexible as Senior Liao and refuses to give out Lightningbane Umbrellas in advance. Youve actually come at just the right time as this is the first day that the examination is being held. Thats why there are so many people gathered here, the clean-shaven young man complained.

Thats enough, these are not matters for you to comment on. The newly appointed Enforcer Min has only reintroduced the examinations in order to bar entry to beings who are too weak, thereby preventing from entering the mountain ranges, only to be killed by the devilish beasts in there, the elderly man said in an indifferent manner.

But this examination is just an outdated relic of the distant past. It was only put in place because back then, too many fellow Daoists perished in the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges. Now, hardly anyone is willing to venture into the mountain ranges, so such an examination is completely superfluous, the young man argued as he pursed his lips.

It doesnt matter what we say. The fact of the matter is that no one can enter the mountain ranges without Lightningbane Umbrellas, and the one responsible for this place is no longer Senior Liao. As such, the rules will naturally be changed, the elderly man with the Yan surname said in a meaningful voice.

Seeing as even the one with the highest cultivation base among them had spoken, the others naturally couldnt raise any further objections.

Regardless of what you came here to do, surely you wont be willing to miss out on this opportunity, right, Brother Yue? How about we go and capture that immortal zoysia together? With the legendary devilish beast hunter on our side, we should have a greater chance of capturing the immortal zoysia than everyone else. After we capture the immortal zoysia, we can split the reward between us based on individual contributions. What do you say, Brother Yue? the woman urged with a smile.

Yue Zongs expression changed slightly upon hearing this, but he didnt immediately give a reply.

Xian Xian could see that Yue Zong was tempted by the offer, so she calmly reminded, Brother Yue, we dont have much time on our hands, so we cant afford to take any detours. As for the potential reward, thats something youll only be getting if you actually capture the immortal zoysia, whereas Ive already given you half the reward that I promised to you. Im sure youve heard the saying that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Yue Zong hesitated momentarily before finally making a decision. Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Xian, Ive already taken half the reward offered to me, so Im certainly not going to change my mind. Senior Yan, I have another matter that I must attend to, so I wont be able to accompany you.

Thats alright. In all honesty, were just trying our luck here. The outskirts of the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges are overly large, but it wouldnt be an easy task to find the immortal zoysia within the devilish Qi, so its difficult to say wholl find it or if anyone would find it at all. Perhaps its one of those things where those who arent actually searching for it will stumble upon it instead. Nier, give a Junior Yue a portrait of the immortal zoysia and a tracking formation plate, the elderly man instructed in a nonchalant manner.

The woman immediately did as she was told, pulling out a white stone tablet and a blue formation plate from within her storage bracelet. After a brief hesitation, Yue Zong still accepted the two items in the end. Thank you, Senior Yan.

Hehe, dont mention it. Your father and I were good friends, after all, so its only right that I help out his beloved son, the elderly man chuckled.

Meanwhile, a hint of a smile appeared on Han Lis face, and his lips twitched slightly as he transmitted his voice to the Xian Xian. Whats this devilish Qi influx? And whats this about encountering powerful devilish beasts even in the outskirts of the mountain ranges?

Xian Xians expression changed minutely upon hearing this, following which she also transmitted her voice back to Han Li in reply. Please forgive me, Senior! This devilish Qi influx will indeed slightly impact our journey, but it wont pose any substantial problems unless we venture deep into the mountain ranges. I was going to explain this after we entered the mountain ranges. How about this? After we kill the holy-grade devilish beast, Ill offer some of the materials derived from the beast to you aside from its true blood and devilish core. I hope you wont blame me for my oversight, Senior!

As soon as Han Li raised the question, Xian Xian immediately made a concession in order to appease him.

Han Li was silent for a while before transmitting his voice to Xian Xian again, and on this occasion, his voice had turned as cold as ice.

Out of the all of things I hate, people laying traps for me stands at the top of the list. Ill let it go this one time, but if I discover something else that youve kept from me, then our collaboration is over. I do indeed want to repair the Heavenly Devilish Armor, but I wont allow myself to be played for a fool.

Despite the frosty tone of Han Lis voice, Xian Xian heaved a sigh of relief as she knew that she had weathered that storm. At this moment, Yue Zong and the elderly man with the Yan surname began to chat about the past, and they seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. However, right at this moment, an unexpected turn of events suddenly unfolded.

As aforementioned, there were three beings at the pinnacle of the Spatial Tempering Stage present, one of whom was the elderly man with the Yan surname. As for the other two, not only were they outsiders, they were among the few beings who displayed no reaction after hearing Yue Zongs name.

However, after hearing the conversation that had just taken place earlier, they finally realized why Yue Zong was so renowned around these parts, and their eyes lit up in unison.

After a brief conversation via voice transmission, one of them abruptly rose to his feet before making his way toward Han Lis group. This was a square-headed middle-aged man with disheveled green hair, and he said in an unfriendly voice, So youre the renowned devilish beast hunter, you must be very familiar with the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges, then.

Yue Zongs heart sank slightly, but he still replied in a voice that was neither humble nor arrogant, Thats in my past now, I havent been in the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges for over 100 years, so I can hardly claim to be familiar with it now. Do you need something from me, Senior?

Nice try, but thats not going to fool me. Fellow Daoist Miao and I are going into the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges tomorrow to search for the immortal zoysia, and you have to come with us, the green-haired being said in a domineering manner.

Yue Zong and everyone around him couldnt help but falter upon hearing this. The elderly man with the Yan surname was able to remain calm, but his expression had darkened significantly as he asked, What are you trying to do to, Fellow Daoist? freewbne.com

Nothing much, I just want to enlist the help of my little friend here. Do you have a problem? Perhaps the green-haired being had a powerful back, in any case, he was being just as bullish and rude to the elderly man who possessed the same cultivation base as him.

Han Li was flying beside Yue Zong with a contemplative look on his face as he cast his gaze toward the sea of mist in the distance.

All of a sudden, his expression changed slightly. When they were further away, he had failed to notice this, but after drawing closer, he could hear a dull rumbling from within the azure sea of mist, as if a loud thunderstorm were raging within.

At this moment, Yue Zong suddenly drew to a halt, and the crimson light around his body faded as he appeared before the azure mist.

He flipped a hand over, and a shimmering golden badge appeared in his grasp. He then raised a hand, and the badge disappeared into the mist as a streak of golden light.

The dense mist that yielded almost zero visibility suddenly parted in the face of the streak of golden light, forming a natural passageway. rewebnol.cm

Stay close to me and make sure you dont stray from this passageway. Otherwise, youll be in big trouble, Yue Zong cautioned before flying ahead again.

Even though Han Li didnt know what kind of trouble would await him if he were to fly into the azure mist, he certainly wasnt going to find out, and he followed close behind Yue Zong as he was told.

Xian Xian was also flying along behind them, and she couldnt help but ask, Ive also been to these Golden Devil Mountain Ranges once before, and if I recall correctly, shouldnt we have entered from another location?

Ordinary beings would naturally have to enter from there, but Ive built up a bit of reputation for myself here, so Im exempt from that requirement, Yue Zong explained with a shake of his head.

Xian Xian nodded and fell silent upon hearing this.

Thus, the three of them continued to fly along under the guidance of the streak of golden light, and before they knew it, they had traveled close to 10 kilometers into the sea of mist.

All of a sudden, Han Lis eyes flashed as he suddenly caught sight of a cluster of buildings around 500 meters below them. After drawing closer, he discovered that this was a small town set up in a long and thin formation consisting of two rows of stone cabins. These stone cabins were all of different sizes, and there were hundreds of them down below.

At the very center of a small town was a massive pavilion that was several hundred feet tall. The pavilion had a total of five levels, and it was quite an eye-catching structure that was constructed from massive grey stone blocks.

There seemed to be some people walking along the streets of the small town, but there werent many of them.

Yue Zong let loose a low cry and headed directly toward the pavilion at the center of the small town, followed closely by Han Li and Xian Xian.

The three of them appeared in front of the massive pavilion almost at the exact same time, and Han Li discovered that there was a horizontal plaque hanging above the gates, which were several tens of feet tall. The words Lightning Cloud Pavilion had been inscribed onto the plaque in flowing and graceful ancient text.

Come with me, Fellow Daoists. This is the place where we receive restriction badges, Im sure youve been here before as well, right, Fairy Xian? Yue Zong asked with a smile.

Indeed. However, on the last occasion that I was here, I had to go somewhere else and buy a Cloudsplit Badge before I could enter this place, Xian Xian replied with a nod.

The Cloudsplit Badge that you purchased is only a temporary badge, and those expire after a month. In contrast, the treasure I just used to split apart the azure mist just then is one that can be used over and over again, and it was something that was given to me by a senior responsible for guarding this place seeing as I came to these Golden Devil Mountain Ranges quite frequently. The sea of mist is a little troublesome to traverse, but even if you get lost in there, it wont kill you, youll just be trapped in there for a month or two before someone from this place rescues you. What we have to do now is collect Lightningbane Umbrellas, which are the items that will truly grant us passage into the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges. Otherwise, the divine lightning restriction is something that even holy race beings wont be able to force their way through, Yue Zong explained before making his way toward the pavilion.

The pavilion gates were wide open, and the first level was completely empty, giving off the impression that people rarely ever visited the place.

After hearing Yue Zongs introduction, Han Li nodded before also striding toward the pavilion, while Xian Xian followed along behind him.

The trio quickly made their way through the pavilion gates to find that there was nothing on the first level aside from a few tables and chairs. Thus, they scaled the staircase onto the second level, only to find that there was nothing there, either.

As such, the three of them continued up to the third level, where they discovered a white light barrier at the entrance.

Yue Zong completely ignored the light barrier and passed directly through it. Han Li raised an eyebrow before also following suit in an expressionless manner to discover that the barrier posed no impediment at all.

However, Han Lis expression immediately changed slightly after emerging on the other side.

After passing through the entrance, the sound of chatter and activity could be heard from above the staircase, and it seemed that there were many people on the third level.

Yue Zong and Xian Xian had naturally also heard this, and expressions of surprise appeared on both of their faces, but Yue Zongs remained unfazed as he calmly scaled the staircase first.

The voices from the third level immediately cut off, indicating that the people there had also noticed Yue Zongs arrival.

At this moment, Han Li also made his way onto the third level, upon which he discovered that the level was only just over 200 feet in area, but it was packed with people.

There were over 30 foreign beings in different attire sitting on the ground in a cross-legged manner, and the only other things in the room were a round stone table at the center of the room, as well as the futons of different sizes that the beings were sitting on.

As soon as Han Lis trio appeared, everyone naturally turned toward the three of them.

Oh, its Brother Yue!

So you came as well, Fellow Daoist Yue.

Haha, I knew you wouldnt be willing to give up on this opportunity, Brother Yue.

…

After identifying that it was Yue Zong who had arrived, many of the beings in the room extended warm greetings toward him, and among them, there were even beings with superior cultivation bases compared to Yue Zong.

The other beings who didnt recognize Yue Zong also stirred upon hearing his name, and some of them were appraising him with enmity in their eyes.

It seemed that even though they didnt recognize Yue Zong, he was indeed quite renowned around these parts.

However, there were four or five beings in the room who displayed no reaction even after hearing Yue Zongs name, and they were merely appraising Han Lis trio in a discreet manner.

Han Li swept his spiritual senses throughout the room, and he was quite surprised that all of the beings here were at or above the Deity Transformation Stage. In fact, close to half of them were Spatial Tempering Stage beings, and there were even three beings at the pinnacle of the Spatial Tempering Stage.

There were also some beings who were using treasures to conceal their spiritual powers, so even Han Li was unable to ascertain their cultivation bases.

In contrast to Han Li, Xian Xian was rather intrigued by the resounding reputation that Yue Zong clearly had in this place.

Yue Zong cupped his fist in a salute to everyone before heading toward a thin elderly man with grey hair, and asking in a respectful manner, Youre here as well, Senior Yan, did something happen in the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges?

This elderly man was one of the three beings who were at the pinnacle of the Spatial Tempering Stage, and he was appraising Yue Zong with a benevolent smile on his face, seemingly closer with him than all of the other beings here.

Did you not know anything before coming to this place? Arent you aiming to enter the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges? The elderly man was rather surprised to hear Yue Zongs question.

I am indeed going to enter the mountain ranges, but thats for another reason. As far as I know, this is a period during which a mass influx of devilish Qi is taking place, so why are there still so many people gathered here? Could it be that all of them are here for Lightningbane Umbrellas? Yue Zong asked with a serious look on his face.

Of course. No one would come here unless they were looking to enter the mountain ranges. As for the reason behind this, thats a long story. Hmm? Who are those two fellow Daoists? the elderly man asked in a hesitant manner as he cast his gaze toward Han Li and Xian Xian.

Its alright, Senior Han and Fairy Xian are my companions, with whom Im going to be entering the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges together, so you can tell them what youre about to tell me as well, Senior Yan. It seems that the three of us are the only ones here who are still in the dark, Yue Zong chuckled with a wry smile.

Thats true. Long story short, a humanoid immortal zoysia suddenly came to our town and wounded a cultivator a few days ago, then fled into the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges, the elderly man replied after a brief contemplation.

Humanoid immortal zoysia? Did I hear that right? Xue Zongs expression changed drastically upon hearing this.

Han Li and Xian Xian also exchanged an astonished glance.

Theres no mistaking it, it was indeed an immortal zoysia. While it was trying to escape, someone wounded and secured a few drops of its spirit immortal blood, which they sold in the two for a staggering amount of spirit stones, the elderly man confirmed.

Its extremely rare for spirit medicines to attain human forms, and its not necessarily the case that spirit medicines will attain sentience and a human form after existing for a certain period of time. Spirit medicines have to encounter many miraculous opportunities before they even have a sliver of a chance of attaining a human form. It seems that even in the entire Spirit Realm, there havent been many precedents of such spirit medicines. If this news were to spread, all of the 13 Heavenly Cloud Races and even beyond would surely erupt into a massive frenzy. All of these beings gathered here mustve arrived after hearing this news, Yue Zong mused with a peculiar look on his face.

Thats not going to be the case, Brother Yue. Perhaps more people will gather here from the 13 Heavenly Cloud Races in the coming days, but beings from further away wont have any chances of capturing the immortal zoysia. Not only is it proficient in two types of earth movement techniques, it seems to have also attained a movement ability that allows it to attain a shadow form, a young man with a clean-shaven face interjected with a chuckled.

It has a shadow form? If it possesses such a legendary movement technique, then whats the point of venturing into the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges? With that ability, it would be impossible even for holy race beings to capture it, Xian Xian exclaimed with a stunned expression.

Hehe, were naturally not going to take the risk if its only bound to be futile. This immortal zoysia was quite unlucky in that it attacked a cultivator who just so happened to have mastered a type of Golden Origin Restrictive Light. Even though he was caught off guard and severely wounded, his instinctive retaliative attack also struck the immortal zoysia. When it tried to escape by adopting its shadow form, it only managed to activate the ability halfway before the restrictive light took effect, and it was forced to revert to its normal form. However, it also possesses some kind of ability that makes it insusceptible to the Lightning Cloud Formation, and it passed directly through the restriction before escaping into the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges, the young man explained.

Are you sure that place will be opening within these two years? Make sure you havent miscalculated the date. If youre off even by just a few years, Ill be taking this risk for nothing, and Ill be missing out on a brilliant opportunity, Xian Xian asked in a serious voice as she appraised the Kirin projection before her.

Do you still not believe me even now? When have I provided you with false guidance? If it werent for the rewards that you reaped from the other set of ruins I told you about, you wouldnt even be at where you are today. With the limited cultivation aptitude of you Crystal beings, you can already be considered to be a supreme prodigy by reaching this point after just a few centuries of cultivation, the Kirin projection replied as it raised its head in a lazy manner.

From the day that I was born, you were born with me, and if I were to die, you would suffer the same fate, so of course I believe you. Its just youre merely a wisp of the soul of the true spirit Kirin from back then, so it wouldnt be impossible that your memorys been jumbled or rearranged, Im simply feeling a little uneasy, Xian Xian said as she appraised the miniature Kirin.

I am indeed only a hundred-thousandths of that true spirit Kirins spiritual sense after it had self-detonated, but back then, it had been forced to the brink of death by its sworn enemies, and it wouldnt have been able to escape had it not detonated its own soul. Even though it unleashed an ability that defied the natural order to split its soul into 100,000 fragments, it has implanted a few extremely important pieces of information into every single fragment of its soul so it can have a chance of returning to its former power. I can assure you that the information regarding that true spirit cave is most definitely one of those pieces of information, so theres no way that Ill miscalculate, the miniature Kirin chuckled.

Indeed, its all thanks to you that I was able to reach my current cultivation base. However, you only adhered to my infant self to try and take over my body and reincarnate yourself. I dont know why you failed to do so in the end, but you certainly didnt harbor good intentions toward me in the beginning, Xian Xian countered with a faint smile.

Spiritual light flashed erratically around the miniature Kirin upon hearing this, and its mood seemed to have soured significantly. Why are you still mentioning that? I failed in the end, didnt I? Its a stroke of terrible luck that I decided to adhere to your body. Otherwise, if I had chosen someone else at the time, perhaps Id have been freed long ago!

Hmph, do you really think I dont know what happened back then? At the time in the village that I was born, I was the only baby that was yet to be born. You mustve thought that an unborn baby with cognitive functions that were yet to be fully developed wouldve been an easy vessel for you to take over, Xian Xian chuckled.

At the time, I had used up almost all of my power just to escape, so of course I was going to choose the easiest target to try and possess. Otherwise, even just a hundred-thousandths of a true spirit beings spiritual sense is more than powerful enough to take over the body of a mature Crystal being, the miniature Kirin grumbled in a resigned manner.

Alright, lets not bicker about this any longer. Even though you werent able to successfully reincarnate yourself, the fact of the matter is that you did manage to survive. Entering the true spirit cave will be extremely beneficial for both of us, so we have to ensure that nothing goes wrong. Its unfortunate that Ive reached a bottleneck in my cultivation and may not be able to make any progress even in the next few centuries. Otherwise, I wouldve waited until I was powerful enough before setting off in search of that true spirit cave. That would undoubtedly take a long time, but it would certainly be safer than entering the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges with these two beings who are both far more powerful than I am, Xian Xian mused in a contemplative manner.

You Crystal beings really do possess very ordinary cultivation aptitude. Even with my guidance and after taking so many precious pills, it would still be impossible for you to progress at the miraculous rate you enjoyed in the past. As such, it wouldnt do you any good to delay for so much longer. Then again, if it werent for the fact that the true spirit cave just so happened to have been occupied by that wounded holy-grade devilish beast, it wouldve definitely been better for you to go there alone, the Kirin projection paused momentarily before continuing, But rest assured, youve already prepared measures to counteract those beings, havent you? It would be best if they didnt try to plot against you, but if they did, then you could unleash those measures, and even ordinary beings who are far more powerful than you would be susceptible.

Ordinary beings? Are you implying that one of them isnt an ordinary being? Does that mean theres a chance that those measures wont work on them? The Crystal woman was extremely intelligent, and was immediately able to read between the lines.

Youve come into those two beings twice already, and even though Ive been hiding in your body on those occasions, I was still able to sense some things. That Yue Zongs aura fluctuates in power, and upon closer inspection, I can sense some baleful Qi lurking within his body. If Im not mistaken, he must be using some kind of cultivation art that specializes in concealment and unleashing lethal attacks with the aim of killing his target with a single strike. Of course, he mustve cultivated some other abilities and secret techniques as well. Otherwise, he wouldnt have been able to venture into the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges so many times and still remain unscathed. However, in contrast, that Han Li is a lot more unsettling. Not only does his cultivation base far outstrip that of Yue Zong, his cultivation arts and abilities are all very profound. Even Im struck by a sense of peril in his presence, but the measures Ive prepared for you are all the most effective ones that you can use at your current cultivation base. In particular, the life-saving measures are extremely profound and unpredictable, so even if you cant kill the two of them on the spot, youll still be able to escape with ease, the Kirin projection replied in a confident manner.

In that case, Im feeling quite reassured. However, theres something else that Im more worried about, Xian Xian sighed as a peculiar look flashed through her eyes.Oh? What is it? the miniature Kirin asked.

When that Kirin self-detonated its soul all those years ago, it was split into 100,000 fragments, so surely youre not the only one that managed to escape and is aware of the location of the true spirit cave. Hundreds of years have passed since then, so perhaps someones already accessed the cave and taken all of the benefits for themselves, thereby rendering our efforts completely futile, Xian Xian speculated.

The Krins soul was indeed split up into many fragments, but very few of them actually managed to escape. Among those, a large proportion wouldve failed to possess a host or encountered some other kind of mishap, so it really is rather difficult to say whether other soul fragments like me still exist. As such, I think its quite unlikely that someone wouldve already accessed the cave, the Kirin projection replied in a solemn voice.

I hope thats the case. If we can secure the benefits in the true spirit cave, then Ill be able to progress at a rapid rate in my cultivation, Xian Xian murmured to herself.

Hehe, that would indeed be the case. Otherwise, I wouldnt have retained this piece of information so clearly, the Kirin projection chuckled.

Xian Xian merely smiled upon hearing this, but didnt offer any reply.

After revolving around her for a while, the miniature Kirin suddenly said, That Han Li possesses quite a powerful spiritual sense, so when youre with him, try not to contact me if you can avoid it. Otherwise, theres a chance that he may discover that somethings amiss. Ideally, the next time that I appear would be when were already situated in the true spirit cave.

After that, the Kirin projection flew toward the Xian Xians body and abruptly disappeared.

Xian Xian heaved a faint sigh before also making her way into the teleportation formation. She waved the formation plate in her hand, and disappeared amid a flash of spiritual light.

…

Three days later, on the summit of a small mountain near Cloud City, an azure-robed young man stood with his hands clasped his back, inspecting the scenery below him.

He was completely motionless, and he wore a placid expression on his face.

This man was naturally none other than Han Li, who had arrived at the designated location as agreed upon.

He had already been here for some time, yet the sun was only just beginning to rise up over the horizon. It appeared that he was a little early.

However, it was quite rare for him to have some leisurely downtime, so his mood was quite good as he breathed in some fresh air and inspected the surrounding scenery.

Less than an hour later, Han Li stirred slightly before turning toward a certain direction, and a few moments later, a streak of crimson light came hurtling toward him before also landing on the mountain summit after just a few flashes.

The crimson light faded to reveal a humanoid figure, and it was none other than Yue Zong.Greetings, Senior Han. Sorry to keep you waiting. Yue Zong cupped his fist in a respectful salute. Its alright, I intentionally came here a little earlier. Han Li shook his head in an indifferent manner.

Yue Zong gave him a polite smile upon hearing this before finding a clean patch of ground nearby and sitting down in a cross-legged manner.

Meanwhile, Han Li continued to cast his gaze into the distance.

Not long after that, Xian Xian also arrived.

Han Li raised his eyebrows slightly as she descended from above as a ball of white light, and Yue Zong also rose to his feet.

Seeing as everyones here, lets set off right away, Han Li suggested in a straightforward manner following her arrival.

He then rose up into the air as a streak of azure light, leaving Yue Zong and Xian Xian to follow along behind him.

A month wasnt exactly a long time, but it wasnt a short time, either. Adding to that the month or so that they were projected to spend in the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges, theyd be able to return to Cloud City around three months later if everything were to progress smoothly.

Han Li continued to forge ahead as he contemplated these thoughts, and the journey proved to be quite smooth and uneventful.

A month later, after flying over a long set of nameless mountain ranges, a boundless sea of azure mist appeared up ahead.

Thats the Azure Spirit Cloud Sea, which is the restriction around the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges. Its also the only entrance to the mountain ranges, and attempting to barge into the mountain ranges from anywhere else would spell certain death. A hint of excitement flashed through Yue Zongs eyes at the sight of the sea of mist.

Devilish beast hunter? Does that mean you enter the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges quite often? Han Li asked with a curious look on his face.

Ive entered the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges on a total of 37 occasions, and Ive ventured deep into the mountain ranges on seven of those occasions, Yue Zong replied in a respectful manner.

37? Han Lis expression changed slightly upon hearing this.

Seeing as he had promised that he would enter the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges with Xian Xian, he had naturally conducted some research into the mountain ranges beforehand.

Thus, he discovered that the mountain ranges were even more perilous than Xian Xian had made them out to be, and all of the beings who still dared to enter the mountain ranges at this point were brave and skilled adventurers.

However, even those beings didnt dare to venture deep into the mountain ranges, and theyd only roam around the outskirts to kill some relatively weaker devilish beasts.

Yet much to his surprise, this Yue Zong was only at the mid-Deity Transformation Stage, but had ventured deep into the Golden Devil Mountain on several occasions. He didnt know just how deep into the mountain ranges Yue Zong had gone on those occasions, but this was still quite an astonishing feat.

At this moment, Xian Xian explained, Even though we wont need to venture deep into the mountain ranges during this trip, the place well be going to is still quite far away from the entrance to the mountain ranges, and it would be rather perilous for us if we were to encounter any powerful devilish beasts that may be lurking in the outskirts. Hence, I hired Brother Yue as our guide as a safety precaution. With him leading the way, Im sure well enjoy a smooth journey. Brother Yue is one of the very few beings who are able to detect the locations of powerful devilish beasts in advance, even with the disruption presented by the devilish Qi in the mountain ranges. freewbnoel.com

Youre far too kind, Fair Xian. I certainly wouldnt dare to guarantee a smooth journey, and I havent entered the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges fo a long time as well, so I dont know if any drastic changes have taken place in there. After all, the last time I entered the mountain ranges was about a century ago, Yue Zong replied in a modest manner.

What couldve possibly changed in a mere century? Youre extremely renowned for your exploits in the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges, and were only going to be venturing into the outskirts on this occasion, so surely theres very little that well have to worry about, Xian Xian said with a smile.

Thats not necessarily the case, Fairy Xian. The Golden Devil Mountain Ranges arent just fearsome due to the powerful devilish beasts in there. In addition to those, its terrain changes almost every single day due to the devilish Qi that had gathered there over countless years. Due to the presence of this devilish Qi, a plot of empty land that had been extremely safe the day before could transform into a tall mountain filled with all types of devilish beasts the very next day. To some devilish beasts, changing the terrain within the mountain ranges is a simple task. If it werent for the facts that were only going to be exploring the outskirts of the mountain ranges and that I really need that vial of Myriad Year Zoysia Spirit Liquid, I wouldnt have agreed to take this risk no matter what, Yue Zong said with a serious expression.

Xian Xians expression changed slightly upon hearing this before a warm smile appeared on her face as she said, Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Yue, well only be traveling through the outskirts, and theres no way that well venture deep into the mountain ranges. My cultivation base is far inferior to yours, so I certainly wouldnt dare to go any deeper into the mountain ranges than necessary.

Yue Zongs expression eased slightly upon hearing this, and after a brief pause, he continued, That would be best. Also, as we discussed earlier, Ill only be responsible for acting as your guide and helping to battle any devilish beasts that we may encounter along the way. Aside from that, I wont be assisting you and Senior Han in any other areas, you have no issues with that, right, Fairy Xian?

None at all. If we really do encounter some situations where further assistance is required from you, Im willing to offer additional rewards, and I definitely wont force you to do anything against your will. Xian Xian nodded in response, but she didnt completely agree to this. Yue Zong contemplated her response for a short while before conceding with a slight nod.

Meanwhile, Han Li remained silent this entire time as he carefully appraised Yue Zong, and only at the conclusion of his conversation with Xian Xian did he finally interject, In all honesty, my understanding of the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges and devilish beasts is very lackluster. Ive only learned about some of these aspects by asking others and reading some relevant tomes. As such, Im very glad that Fairy Xian was able to invite someone as familiar with the mountain ranges as Fellow Daoist Yue. However, I have a few questions surrounding the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges, and I was hoping youd be able to answer them, Fellow Daoist Yue.

Please state any question that you may have, and Ill be sure to tell you everything that I know, Senior Han, Yue Zong immediately replied.

Setting aside the high-grade devilish beasts in the mountain ranges, have the mid-grade and low-grade devilish beasts also attained intelligence? If so, how does their intelligence compare with that of normal spirit beasts? Also… Han Li immediately rattled off a list of questions.

Yue Zong displayed his vast wealth of knowledge of the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges, providing detailed responses to all of Han Lis questions, and Xian Xian also interjected from time to time with questions of her own.

The atmosphere between the three of them was quite harmonious, and they talked for close to an hour before Han Li was finally satisfied. After receiving an answer to his final question, a smile appeared on Han Lis face as he said, With all of this knowledge, Im sure our trip will be quite a smooth one. When do you plan on setting off, Fellow Daoist Xian?

Xian Xian considered the question momentarily before replying, The Golden Devil Mountain Ranges are about a months travel away from our Cloud City, so we wont be able to delay for too much longer. I think we should set off in three days, what do you think, Senior?Han Li stroked his chin as he replied, Alright, well do as you say. Three days from now, lets meet up five kilometers outside of the eastern gates.Yue Zong nodded in response, stating no objections to this proposal. Han Li had no intention of staying any longer, and he bade everyone farewell as he said, If thats everything that needs to be discussed, then I have to go back and make some preparations now. Weve discussed everything that needs to be said, so youre certainly free to leave, Senior Han, Xian Xian replied in a respectful manner before flipping a hand over to summon her formation plate again.

Thus, Han Li stepped onto the teleportation formation and disappeared amid a flash of spiritual light.

Immediately following Han Lis departure, Yue Zong heaved a reflexive sigh of relief before his brows furrowed as he asked, Fellow Daoist Xian, is this Senior Han really trustworthy? You say that hes a high-grade devilish cultivator, but I dont sense any devilish aura emanating from his body. Ive explored the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges on many occasions, and Im quite confident in my ability to sense devilish Qi, so could it be possible that hes lying?

Rest assured, Brother Yue, I can guarantee that Senior Han is indeed a high-grade devilish cultivator. In fact, if it werent for the fact that he was a devilish cultivator, I may not have been able to tempt him into coming with us. But then again, if it werent for the fact that a high-grade devilish cultivator was required for our plans, I wouldnt have had to wait for so long, Xian Xian confirmed with a faint sigh.

Yue Zong was silent for a moment before suddenly asking, In that case, this Senior Han must be using some kind of mysterious cultivation art that can mask his devilish Qi. Otherwise, theres no way that my sensory ability would completely fail to detect any devilish aura from him. Aside from that, I dont know what your objective for this trip is, but seeing as it requires the accompaniment of a high-grade devilish cultivator, I can only presume that its not something simple. On top of that, it really is a bad idea to be entering the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges this year. This should be the time during which an influx of devilish Qi will be pouring into the mountain ranges once every 300 years, and during this 10-year period, theres a high chance that the powerful devilish beasts in the mountain ranges will appear in the outskirts. Why dont you wait for a further four or five years instead?

My apologies, but I have my secrets, and I cannot reveal them to you. In any case, I have to enter the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges within these two years. Otherwise, Ill have to wait for several more centuries for another opportunity. I simply cant afford to wait that long, so I have no choice but to take this risk. However, its exactly because of this that I was willing to offer a vial of Myriad Year Zoysia Spirit Liquid in exchange for your services. Truth be told, I went to several other people before you in the hope of employing their services, but none of them were willing to enter the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges during this period of devilish Qi influx, so I had no choice but to come to you, Xian Xian admitted with a wry smile after a brief hesitation.

In that case, Ill have to take the risk with you then, Fairy Xian. However, let me make this clear first, during this period of devilish Qi influx, Im only 70% to 80% confident that Ill be able to guide you safely to your destination. If mishaps arise or we encounter some powerful devilish beasts or some other incident occurs that will pose a threat to our lives, then Ill be fleeing the scene right away. On top of that, youll have to give me the other half vial of Zoysia Spirit Liquid that you promised me as well, Yue Zong reminded in a serious voice.

Of course. These terms were all confirmed in advance, so I naturally wont go back on my word, Xian Xian replied with a smile.

Yue Zong nodded before narrowing his eyes as he asked, From the looks of it, you dont seem to have told Senior Han about the devilish Qi influx thats currently taking place in the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges, wont that be problematic?

Im taking Senior Han with us because I need to borrow his Devil Dao abilities, and that has nothing to do with the influx of devilish Qi. Even you cant guide us safely in and out of the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges, then the outcome will remain the same regardless of whether I inform Senior Han or not. Hell know about this sooner or later anyway, Xian Xian replied with a sly look on her eyes.

Thats true. However, if you were to tell him in advance, then you most likely wouldnt have been able to convince Senior Han to come with us, Yue Zong chuckled with a knowing expression.

Xian Xian merely smiled upon hearing this and offered no response.

After that, she and Yue Zong discussed some other details before Yue Zong was also sent away by the teleportation formation. Thus, Xian Xian was the only one left in the spatial rift.

The smile on her face gradually faded, and her brows furrowed slightly as she suddenly waved a sleeve through the air. A ball of azure light immediately flew out from within, then transformed into a fist-sized azure beast in a flash.

The small beast had scales all over its body and sharp claws attached to its four limbs. There was a pair of horns on its head it had a mouthful of sharp fangs, giving it an identical appearance to a true spirit Kirin.

However, the small beasts body was extremely indistinct and insubstantial, looking as if it could be dispersed by nothing more than a gentle breeze.

Han Li raised an eyebrow upon seeing this, and he immediately made a hand seal to stop the Spirit Engulfing Fire Raven cold in its tracks.

The Fire Raven let loose a reluctant cry before revolving around the ball of spirit liquid in a wistful manner.

Prior to deciding how he was going to use this flawed batch of spirit liquid, he naturally wasnt going to allow his Spirit Engulfing Fire Raven to devour it.

He had only summoned the Fire Raven so it could assist him in testing the efficacy of the Glazed Heavenly Flame Liquid.

Han Li flicked his 10 fingers through the air in rapid succession, casting a series of incantation seals of different colors toward the ball of spirit liquid.

Some of these incantation seals disappeared into the ball of liquid in a flash while others were repelled amid flashes of red light. There were also some incantation seals that struck the ball of liquid with rumbling booms akin to dull thunderclaps, and Han Lis expression changed incessantly as he witnessed the spirit liquids reactions to the incantation seals hed cast toward it.

After the final white incantation seal struck the ball of liquid and exploded into a cloud of white mist, Han Li suddenly stopped what he was doing as he stroked his chin with a contemplative look on his face.

A few moments later, he suddenly flipped a hand over to summon a set of extremely intricate formation flags. These flags were only several inches in size each, and as he raised a hand, they transformed into several streaks of spiritual light that shot forth through the air before abruptly disappearing.

A light formation that was around 10 feet in size appeared in their place.

This was a five-colored light formation that had a wide top and a narrow bottom, making it resemble a massive funnel.

There was a series of runes of different sizes flashing near the light formation, giving it a very mysterious appearance.

Han Li let loose a low cry before making a grabbing motion toward the ball of fiery liquid that was hovering in mid-air, and it was instantly thrust into the light formation.

In the instant that the ball of liquid entered the formation, a low buzzing sound suddenly rang out from within the light formation, following which a five-colored light barrier that encompassed the entire formation appeared.

Han Lis expression remained unchanged as he flicked his 10 fingers toward the light formation, and a series of thin translucent threads shot forth from his fingertips before disappearing into the light barrier up ahead.

Han Li then curled his fingers inward slightly, and the translucent threads completely straightened out in response.

He began to chant something, and a film of light began to revolve around the translucent threads, as if something were being transmitted toward them from the light formation.

Han Li stared at the translucent threads with an intense unblinking gaze.

What he was unleashing now was a secret technique that had been invented by the Monarch of Soul Divergence, and the technique allowed him to combine the power of his spiritual sense with this formation in a synergistic manner.

Not only could the power of his spiritual sense be amplified significantly within the formation, the secret technique also possessed some other incredible effects that could be directly applied to the items within the formation.

The 10 translucent threads that had been manifested from the power of Han Lis spiritual sense began to tremor slightly at his behest.

At the same time, the light swirling around the translucent threads began to fluctuate in brightness.

If someone could see through the five-colored light barrier around the formation, then theyd be greeted by the sight of the ball of Glazed Heavenly Flame Liquid revolving rapidly at the center of the light formation.

There were countless runes of different sizes in the nearby area, and they were plunging themselves into the ball of fiery liquid in a frenzy. At the same time, there were countless other runes surging incessantly out of the ball of spirit liquid.

The rapid entry and exit of runes made the red light around the ball of liquid tumble and churn incessantly, as if it had reached its boiling point.

After a while, Han Lis expression finally changed, and some kind of outcome seemed to have been reached. After a brief hesitation, he flicked his 10 fingers through the air again, and the 10 translucent threads shattered in unison.

Immediately thereafter, he made a hand seal, and a loud buzzing sound rang out from within the light formation.

Five-colored light surged as a ball of fiery liquid that had shrunk significantly in size flew up into the air and out of the light barrier.

Han Li wore a serious expression as he pointed a finger at the ball of fiery liquid from afar, and the Spirit Engulfing Fire Raven appeared beside it in a flash before devouring the ball of liquid.

The Fire Raven then let loose a cry of elation as it turned around and flew directly toward Han Li. It transformed into a fireball mid-flight before disappearing into his body.

Han Li took a deep breath before abruptly waving a sleeve through the air, and a swath of azure light swept forth.

As the azure light passed through the five-colored light barrier, the latter gradually dissolved away to reveal the light formation within.

Han Li waved a hand toward the light formation in an expressionless manner, and several streaks of spiritual light shot forth from within before reverting back to a stack of formation flags that gently fluttered downward.

Han Li swept a sleeve toward the formation flags, and they disappeared amid a flash of spiritual light.

The light formation in the distance also rapidly disappeared in a soundless manner.

Moments later, the only thing that was left hovering in mid-air was a fist-sized ball of fiery liquid.

Han Li waved a hand toward the ball of liquid, and the white jade vial appeared above it in a flash.

The vial tipped itself over before a swath of light surged out of its opening, then drew the ball of spirit liquid into the vial.

After sealing and stowing away the vial, Han Li closed his eyes as he sat down with his legs crossed in a motionless manner.

However, from his tightly furrowed brows and his indecisive expression, it could be deduced that he was grappling with some kind of difficult decision.

A short while later, his furrowed brows smoothed out as he opened his eyes again, then suddenly extended a hand.

A ball of silver flames instantly flames emerged over the center of his palm, and Han Li narrowed his eyes as a small crimson flame suddenly appeared within the ball of silver flames.

After appraising the wisp of red flames for a short while, Han Li opened his mouth to expel a ball of azure light.

An incredible scene ensued.

As soon as the ball of silver flames came into contact with the azure light, the former abruptly exploded.

Immediately thereafter, a ball of silver flames that was around 10 times the size of the original one appeared in its place.

Han Li nodded upon seeing this before opening his mouth, and the massive fireball was instantly devoured by him as a streak of silver flames.

Looks like this flawed spirit liquid really does possess all of the main functions of a perfectly refined batch of Glazed Heavenly Flame Liquid. The only problem is that there are a few types of unknown impurities intermingled into the liquid. I wonder if this will be enough to satisfy that man. After devouring this thing, the Spirit Engulfing Heavenly Flame has gained the ability to draw upon pure spiritual Qi in order to temporarily enhance its own powers. With a sufficient supply of spiritual power, it could even enhance its own power by twofold in battle, Han Li murmured to himself.

After that, Han Li meditated for a while longer while contemplating what he had seen during the Four Races Auctions. After ascertaining that he didnt seem to have done anything wrong, he heaved a long sigh before pulling out a small vial and tipping out a Rising Dragon Pill for consumption.

Immediately thereafter, Han Li began to focus on his cultivation.

The time for the opening of the Vast Glacial Realm wasnt set, so the day could arrive as long as a century later or as short as just a few years later.

As such, he naturally had to focus as much of his time on cultivation as possible.

Even if he didnt want to use the abundant spiritual Qi in the Vast Glacial Realm to break through a bottleneck, it would certainly be in his best interest to become more powerful before entering the perilous realm.

Three months later, Han Li was still situated in the same secret chamber with his Provenance True Devil Projection behind him, and he was making a hand seal while engaging in arduous cultivation.

However, moments later, his expression suddenly changed slightly, and the golden light around his body abruptly faded.

He rustled his sleeve, and a jade badge flew out from within amid a flash of spiritual light. The badge circled around in the air before landing in his grasp, revealing itself to be a Myriad Distance Talisman.

The surface of the talisman was shimmering with spiritual light, and rows of ant-sized text were gradually appearing on it.

Han Li took a glance at it, and murmured to himself, So its already opened! Looks like Ill have to make a trip there, then.

Thus, he stowed the Myriad Distance Talisman away before emerging from his secret chamber.

Several hours later, Han Li disembarked from a beast-drawn carriage and arrived on a street that hed already been to once before.

He looked around before immediately making his way toward a nearby shop.

Strangely enough, the doors of the shop were tightly shut, and it didnt seem to be open to any customers.

However, Han Li paid no heed to this as he strode over to the door before raising a hand, casting an incantation seal that flew directly through the door and into the shop.

Moments later, the door was opened from the inside, and Han Li strode into the shop to find a woman with a shimmering white crystal on her glabella waiting for him in there.

It was none other than the Crystal woman, Xian Xian.

Xian Xian extended a respectful curtsey with a smile on her face as she greeted, Welcome, Senior. I didnt think that youd get here so quickly, so I didnt head out to greet you, I hope you may forgive me.

Hehe, cultivators like us arent fixated on such trivial formalities anyway. I came here as soon as I received notification from you, Han Li replied with a faint smile.

Xian Xian smiled, and continued, This isnt a good place to talk, Senior, lets continue this in my secret space. Theres another fellow Daoist waiting for us in there, and Id like to introduce him to you.

Han Lis expression changed slightly upon hearing this, but he merely nodded without saying anything.

Xian Xian closed the doors to her shop again, then flipped a hand over to produce a formation plate.

She made a hand seal and began to chant something while pointing a finger at the formation plate.

Brilliant light instantly flashed from the formation plate, following which a vast expanse of five-colored light swept forth in all directions, enshrouding Han Li and the woman within.

This five-colored light then swirled before forming a five-colored light formation.

In the next instant, Han Li felt his surroundings blur, following which he found himself in a murky grey space. This was none other than the private spatial rift that Xian Xian had opened up.

Han Li looked around and immediately caught sight of a humanoid figure that was standing nearby.

I pay my respects to Senior Han, the humanoid figure greeted in a polite manner as he cupped his fist in a respectful salute.

Han Li inspected the humanoid figure through narrowed eyes to discover that this was a musclebound black-robed man with several faint purple scars on his face. His entire body was emanating a fierce aura, and after sweeping his spiritual sense toward the man, Han Li discovered that he was a mid-Deity Transformation cultivator.

What can I refer to you as, Fellow Daoist? Han Li asked in a calm voice as he emerged from the teleportation formation.

My name is Yue Zong, the man replied.

Brother Yue is the most renowned devilish beast hunter in the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges. If we want to have a smooth trip into the mountain ranges, well have to enlist the help of Fellow Daoist Yues abilities, Xian Xian explained.

Han Lis expression remained completely unchanged, but he was quite delighted by this reaction.

It was quite clear that this Golden Lightning Bamboo was even more precious than hed originally thought.

But then again, even though hed already mastered the Lightningwield Technique, he still couldnt help but feel that there seemed to be something else hidden within the Golden Lightning Bamboo. Otherwise, the demon monarchs of the earth abyss wouldnt have been so wary of this Divine Devilbane Lightning.

Unfortunately, the demon monarchs were merely using him as a tool at the time, so even if the Golden Lightning Bamboo were harboring some other secrets, they naturally wouldnt tell him about it.

Han Li had searched through the Flying Spirit Race and Cloud City, but there werent many tomes that he could find that were related to the Golden Lightning Bamboo and Divine Devilbane Lightning. As such, he could only give up in his search for now and hope that an answer would present itself to him later on.

Just as these thoughts were racing through Han Lis mind, bidding had already begun on the Golden Lightning Bamboo.

All of a sudden, a holy race being on the upper level made a staggering bid of 250,000,000 spirit stones, effectively scaring off many prospective bidders.

However, that holy race being definitely wasnt the only one with a massive budget.

Almost immediately thereafter, bids of 260,000,000 and 270,000,000 were made by two other holy race beings on the upper level.

The voice of one of the bidders was rather familiar to Han Li, and after a brief moment of contemplation, he realized that it was Qian Jizi.

This elder of the Myriad Ancient Race had also set his sights on that section of Golden Lightning Bamboo.

As for the other bidder, it was the man with the Lie surname who had raised his skepticism toward the flawed Glazed Heavenly Flame Liquid earlier.

These two beings made one bid after another, and all of the other prospective bidders could only look on in disappointment and yearning toward the Golden Lightning Bamboo on the stage.

All of a sudden, the atmosphere in the auction hall became a little tense and oppressive.

300,000,000!

After a brief silence, the holy race being who had earlier made the bid of 250,000,000 finally placed another bid, and Han Lis heart skipped a beat upon hearing this astonishing price.

This time, Qian Jizi heaved a forlorn sigh and remained silent.

310,000,000! Fellow Daoist Jing, youre the one bidding against me, right? This section of Golden Lightning Bamboo is extremely important to me, so I hope that you can relinquish it to me. The man with the Lie surname made another after a brief hesitation before directing a polite request toward the other bidder.

However, the man with the Jing surname had no intention of giving up, and he chuckled, I dont think so, Brother Lie. The Golden Lightning Bamboo is also extremely important to me, which is why Im willing to place such a high bid for it. I wont be handing it over to anyone. 320,000,000!

Alright, in that case, Ill hand over the Golden Lightning Bamboo to you, Brother Jing. The man with the Lie surname seemed to be aware of how wealthy his competitor was, so he also gave up following a wistful sigh.

Hehe, you have my thanks, Brother Lie! the man with the Jing surname replied in a triumphant voice, but he was quickly stumped by the scenes that unfolded next.

330,000,000! A bid was made by someone on the lower level.

This was a pleasant female voice, and many people faltered upon hearing this before turning toward that direction, only to find that the bidder was none other than the same woman who had purchased the Infernal Earth Battle Carriage.

Everyone was quite stunned to see this, including Han Li.

She had already spent such a massive sum of spirit stones earlier, yet she was still able to make such an astronomical bid, that was insane!

Of course, this didnt truly indicate that her wealth exceeded that of a holy race being, but at the very least, she possessed far more spirit stones than the average holy race being.

340,000,000! the man with the Jing surname continued in a dark voice.

350,000,000! the woman countered in an unhurried manner.

The man with the Jing surname fell silent once again, but after a brief moment, he made another bid in a frosty voice. 360,000,000! If anyone can make a higher bid than this, then even I wont be able to keep up.

As soon as his voice fell, the woman made another bid in an extremely calm manner. 370,000,000!

A burst of enraged and incredulous laughter rang out from the cabin that the man with the Jing surname was situated in.

Good! Seeing as youre so intent on securing this Golden Lightning Bamboo, then I can only wish you a safe trip when you depart from Cloud City!

After being provoked over and over again by an upper race being, this holy race being finally couldnt repress his fury any longer, and delivered a barely-concealed threat.

However, the woman completely ignored him as if she hadnt even heard what was being said. After Xiao Buyi announced that she had successfully placed the final bid for the auction item, she made her way onto the stage in an unhurried manner, then issued the required spirit stones in exchange for the Golden Lightning Bamboo before returning to her seat.

The fearlessness being displayed by the woman evoked a sense of wariness in the heart of the man with the Jing surname, and he merely chuckled coldly before falling silent.

Alright, we have now reached the grand finale of the auction, so allow me to present our most precious auction item. Hehe, Im sure all of you know what it is already. The final auction item is a vial of 13 Myriad Wonder Pills. Im sure I dont need to elaborate much on the extraordinary effects of Myriad Wonder Pills, not only are they ideal for breakthroughs to the holy race, consumption of the pill can cleanse ones essence and enhance ones constitution. In the past, Myriad Wonder Pills have been sold during prior auctions, but theyve never been sold in batches of more than three or four at once. In all honesty, even I was quite stunned that the elders of the Crystal Race were willing to offer so many Myriad Wonder Pills to be sold during this auction. If it werent for the fact that Im hosting this auction, perhaps I would participate in the bidding as well. I wont be able to use them for myself, but these pills would be more than ideal for a junior or disciple of mine, Xiao Buyi said with a forlorn look on his face.

After that, he accepted a faint silver vial from one of the armored beings on the stage, then raised it high above his head.

The holy race beings on the upper level may not have been overly tempted by these pills, but the beings on the lower and middle levels were all staring intently at the silver vial in Xiao Buyis hand with scorching desire in their eyes.

All of them either wore solemn expressions, or ones of unbridled excitement or anxiety.

Alright, thats enough rambling from me. Without further ado, the starting price for this vial of Myriad Wonder Pills is 300,000,000! Xiao Buyi announced with a smile.

After hearing this starting price, Han Li stroked his chin and crossing his arms, then leaned back into his seat expressionlessly before closing his eyes.

At this moment, Han Lis mind had completely drifted away from the vial of Myriad Wonder Pills before offered on the stage. Instead, he was contemplating how he could get his hands on its refinement method.

If the ingredients used were all plant-based items, then he could refine countless such pills for himself. If these Myriad Wonder Pills really were as extraordinary as everyone proclaimed, then with the assistance of the true spirit bloods within his body, there was a very good chance that hed be able break through to the Body Integration Stage through consuming these pills.

Thus, Han Li fell into deep thought…

Close to a day later, within the secret chamber of his cave abode on Dreamcloud Mountain, Han Li sat in a cross-legged manner with a faint blue pouch in one hand, and a small white vial in the other.

He bounced the pouch up and down in his hand as a faint smile appeared on his face.

This pouch naturally contained the top-grade spirit stones that hed received from the Four Races Auction, and they were most likely sufficient to cover close to half of the costs incurred by using the super teleportation formation. If Cai Liuying really were willing to issue the other half of the costs, then hed most likely be able to gather the remaining sum of spirit stones quite easily.

The last time hed attended an auction was back in Deep Heaven City of the human race, and hed clearly underestimated just how wealthy foreign beings from other continents were. Thus, the costs required to use the super teleportation formation were no longer a problem to him.

All he had to next was to travel to the Vast Glacial Realm, gather the tool refinement material for the Stone Cocoon Race, secure the designated treasures for Cai Liuying and Duan Tianren, and hed be able to teleport back to the Tian Yuan Continent thereafter.

On top of that, his trip to the Vast Glacial Realm would be a brilliant opportunity for him to break through a bottleneck. As such, it would be very much in his best interest to cultivate to the pinnacle of the early-Spatial Tempering Stage. In that case, hed be able to use the vast abundance of spiritual Qi in the Vast Glacial Realm to facilitate a breakthrough to the mid-Spatial Tempering Stage.

These thoughts raced rapidly through Han Lis mind, and he carefully re-evaluated his plan before finally heaving a long sigh after ascertaining that there were no issues with his projected course of action.

Spiritual light then flashed from one of his hands, and the pouch of spirit stones instantly disappeared.

After that, Han Li turned his gaze toward the small white vial. This was naturally the vial that contained the flawed Glazed Heavenly Flame Liquid.

Compared to the auction items that had been reserved for the finale, this spirit liquid had been a lot cheaper. However, Qing Yuanzi had promised him some Divine Infernal River Elixir, so Han Li had been extremely diligent when it came to gathering the items on Qing Yuanzis list.

This spiritual liquid was flawed, yet Xiao Buyi proclaimed that it still possessed all of the abilities of a perfectly refined batch of the same spirit liquid, just to a significantly lesser degree.

Of course, Han Li wasnt going to just take his word for it, he naturally had to conduct an examination for himself to verify if this was indeed the case.

Otherwise, if he were to present something to Qing Yuanzi that was completely useless, then the latter certainly wasnt going to be happy.

Thus, Han Li appraised the jade vial in his hand in deep thought before suddenly opening his mouth to expel a ball of silver flames.

The ball of silver flames revolved around Han Li before a crisp cry rang out, and it transformed into a silver Fire Raven.

Han Li then immediately tossed the jade vial into the air, then pointed a finger toward it.

A dull thump rang out as the runes on the surface of the vials lid flashed, following which it flew off of its own accord.

All of a sudden, brilliant red light flashed from the opening of the vial, and a pillar of crimson flames erupted from within. At the same time, a ball of red liquid slowly hovered out of the vial.

The entire secret chamber was immediately illuminated by red light, and scorching heatwaves rolled directly toward Han Li, making him feel as if hed been thrown directly into a furnace!

At this moment, the Spirit Engulfing Fire Raven suddenly became extremely excited at the sight of the ball of red liquid, and it let loose an elated cry before spreading its wings and flying toward it before Han Li had even given it any instructions.

Han Li felt as if hed dodged a bullet, and he heaved an internal sigh of relief.

He was a full-blood human, so how could he be somehow related to the Human-faced Wyrms Dao Companion? Could it be due to the true spirit bloods hed refined?

That wasnt very plausible, either. Those true spirit bloods were indeed quite powerful, but after being refined, theyd merely hide in his body on a recessive basis. Otherwise, with all of the powerful beings hed encountered, at least one of them wouldve noticed.

Han Li contemplated this matter for a while, but emerged on the other side just as confused as he was before.

Meanwhile, the foreign beings in the nearby area were all appraising him with peculiar expressions. Even the young man with the Fei surname cast a glance toward him, but he didnt say anything.

As for Body Integration Stage beings on the upper level, many of them were also appraising him with curiosity in their eyes.

Among them, Duan Tianren naturally immediately recognized Han Li, and a peculiar look also appeared on his face.

Meanwhile, Han Li was feeling quite disgruntled by the widespread attention he was suddenly receiving.

The young man withdrew his gaze before turning to the Xiao Buyi and the elderly man as he said, Alright, seeing as this issue has been resolved, the auction can be continued. Ill be going now. Fellow Daoist Lan, make sure the four of you dont go to the Crepe Myrtle Sea ever again. Otherwise, if something were to happen to you, even I wouldnt be able to do anything.

Ill be sure to keep that in mind Senior! Thank you for stepping in to save us. Otherwise, we wouldve been killed for sure. The four beings were naturally filled with gratitude toward the young man.

Xiao Buyi also bade farewell to him in a respectful manner.

The young man nodded before walking down the stage in just a single step. He didnt appear to be moving very quickly, but he exited the auction hall and disappeared in a flash after just a few more steps.

Following the departure of the two Grand Ascension Stage beings, all of the Body Integration Stage beings returned to the cabins on the upper level again.

Everyone else in the hall turned their attention to the people on the stage again, and Xiao Buyi turned to the four other beings as he said, Brother Lan, youre still carrying an injury, so you should go back to your cave abode on focus on your recovery. Mistress Kun, Ill have to trouble the three of you for a while longer. Fortunately, the auction is almost over, so I wont be delaying you for too long. On top of that, Ill be raising your payments by 20% on behalf of our four races.

The woman exchanged a glance with her two companions, and a wry smile appeared on her face as she replied, Rest assured, Brother Xiao, we promised to stay for the duration of the auction, and we certainly plan to see it through to the end.

Thank you! Xiao Buyi was ecstatic to hear this.

If these three really were to insist on leaving right away, then there was nothing he could do to ask them to stay.

As for the bearded elderly man, he merely nodded in response with a thunderous expression on his face before making a grabbing motion with his remaining hand.

His dismembered arm hovered immediately hovered toward him at his behest before being carefully stowed away.

Immediately thereafter, the elderly man made a hand seal, and a low buzzing sound rang out from the blue formation on the stage, following which he disappeared amid a flash of spiritual light.

As a holy race being, the elderly man had always been respected and revered, so it was naturally extremely humiliating for him to have an arm dismembered in front of so many people.

As such, he didnt want to remain in the auction hall for even a moment longer, and nor did he want to see anyone for a long time after this.

At this moment, Xiao Buyi suddenly turned to the brocade-robed man who had retreated to the side of the stage, and smiled as he said, Due to the unforeseen circumstances that have just unfolded, the last auction item has naturally been canceled. Fellow Daoist Lu, you may take back your spirit stones. Additionally, in order to compensate you for your loss, if you manage to successfully purchase one of the final three items, then youll receive a discount of 10,000,000 spirit stones.

Thus, he raised a hand and tossed back the bag of spirit stone that had just been issued.

The brocade-robed man was clearly afraid that the Human-faced Wyrm would turn on him as well, so hed been standing there in silence, hoping to blend in with the scenery.

After hearing Xiao Buyis offer, the man shook his head and sighed, So be it. The incident that just took place indicates that I have no affinity with this auction. As such, I wont be participating in the rest of this auction.

After catching the bag of spirit stones, the man immediately turned and exited the auction hall, quickly disappearing from view thereafter.

His departure created a slight stir among the rest of the people in the auction hall, Xiao Buyis brows furrowed slightly before quickly smoothing out as he turned to the green-scaled woman beside him.

Following a slight nod from Xiao Buyi, the woman reached into her sleeve to pull out a black object before tossing it into the air.

All of a sudden, a string of ferocious cries erupted within the auction hall.

Immediately thereafter, gale-force winds swept forth in all directions as a black clouds materialized out of thin air. The cloud tumbled and churned violently as it expanded to over 100 feet in size, and such a phenomenon naturally drew the attention of all of the beings below the stage.

A burst of screeching rang out incessantly from within the clouds, following which several thunderclaps erupted, and the dark clouds disappeared amid flashes of white lightning.

Thus, an inky-black flying carriage was instantly revealed. The carriage was around 50 to 60 feet in length antiquated patterns carved all over its surface, and an ancient aura was emanating from it.

The carriage was being drawn by four black horned pegasi, and not only did they each have a pair of black wings, most of their bodies were covered by a layer of black armor.

Atop each of these pegasi was a black armored being that was around as tall as an average human. They were all armed to the teeth with swords and bows strapped to their backs, and all of the pegasi, as well as their riders, were hovering completely motionlessly in mid-air, indicating that they were all puppets!

The same cold light was emanating from the carriage and the four pegasus riders, and that suggested that they had been refined from the same material.

Many people below the stage were quite intrigued by the sight of this carriage and the pegasus riders.

Hehe, this is the second auction item that has been reserved for our finale, the Infernal Earth Battle Carriage. I wont make an in-depth introduction of this carriage, but Im sure most of you will have heard about its place of origin. I trust that many of you still recall the Earth Spirit Race that was completely eradicated hundreds of thousands of years ago. Back then, they were renowned as the race on the Thunder Continent that was most proficient in puppetry. This Infernal Earth Battle Carriage was made by none other than the Earth Spirit Race, and it was found at a set of ruins left behind by said race. As for its specific abilities, I wont display them here. All I can tell you is that each of these rider puppets possesses mid-Spatial Tempering Stage power, and when all four of them combine their powers, they can unleash a secret technique that has been lost for a long time, and that secret technique is capable of withstanding an attack from an early-holy race being. As for the carriage itself, it has countless transformations, and that will have to be explored by the fellow Daoist who ends up purchasing it, Xiao Buyi chuckled.

Many people were already quite temped upon hearing that this carriage had been forged by the Earth Spirit Race, and after learning that the four puppet riders could even keep an early-holy race being at bay, all of them were ecstatic. There were even some people who swept their spiritual sense toward the carriage for a closer inspection, only to be given a massive fright before hurriedly withdrawing their spiritual sense.

As it turned out, as soon as their spiritual sense came into contact with the flying carriage, a strange burst of suction force suddenly erupted from it that forcibly sucked their spiritual sense into the carriage.

This was naturally quite a startling development.

Perhaps it was due to the fact that the carriage still had no owner as of yet, but all of them were able to withdraw their spiritual sense without any impediment. Otherwise, they really wouldve been in a rather sticky situation.

As such, it was verified that this carriage did indeed possess some extraordinary abilities, and it drew even more interest from prospective bidders.

Han Li was among the beings who had swept his spiritual sense toward the carriage, and he had also developed a sense of curiosity toward it. However, He then immediately heaved a forlorn internal sigh.

The starting price of the carriage hadnt yet been announced, but it was surely going to be very high, seeing as this was a treasure capable of keeping even an early-holy race being at bay. As such, he would simply have to act as a spectator while others bid of the carriage.

However, the Golden Lightning Bamboo still hadnt appeared yet, which meant that in the eyes of the auction house, it was even more important than this carriage and that spirit beast from earlier.

Just as these thoughts were running through Han Lis mind, Xiao Buyi finally announced the starting prices for this carriage. The starting price for this Infernal Earth Battle Carriage will be 120,000,000 spirit stones!

Han Li knew that the starting price was going to be quite a staggering one, but he was still taken aback by this massive sum.

As expected, bidding for this Infernal Earth Battle Carriage was extremely intense, and the price was quickly bid up to over 200,000,000 spirit stones. Even so, there were many people who were unwilling to give up.

However, on this occasion, there werent many holy race beings from the upper level who participated in the bidding. A few of them placed a bid here and there, but all of them gave up on the carriage after the price exceeded 200,000,000.

In the end, the carriage was secured by a graceful woman with a veil over her face for the price of 220,000,000 spirit stones.

This drew a sense of bewilderment from many of the beings present as this woman appeared to only be at the mid-Deity Transformation Stage, so it was quite incredible that shed be in possession of such a huge sum of spirit stones.

Han Li was also rather surprised to see this, but he quickly cast these thoughts aside as the next auction item was a section of green bamboo.

It was none other than the Golden Lightning Bamboo that hed offered to the auction house!

This is a section of Golden Lightning Bamboo, the source of the paramount wood-attribute divine lightning! The starting price is 70,000,000! Xiao Buyis introduction was quite concise on this occasion, and he picked up the section of bamboo as he spoke before waving it toward the people below the stage.

A loud thunderclap rang out as countless arcs of golden lightning erupted from the section of bamboo at once, instantly forming a large golden net of lightning.

Golden Lightning Bamboo!

Divine Devilbane Lightning!

Paramount wood-attribute divine lightning!

…

Cries of surprise and elation immediately rang out, and some of them had even come directly from the upper level.

Many peoples expressions changed drastically at the sight of the golden lightning net, and a massive stir ran through the entire auction hall!