Автор: sergey

Two potential avenues? Go ahead, Han Li prompted.

Three months from now, the Lucky Cloud Auction House of Cloud City will be selling a holy race thorned devilish beast inner core as one of their auction items. From what Ive heard, that devilish core is extremely rare, and even some of the holy race beings in the city have set their eyes on it, the woman disclosed in a slow voice.

Han Lis brows furrowed upon hearing this. He did indeed possess considerable wealth, but he certainly wouldnt be confident that his wealth could exceed that of Body Integration Stage beings.

Those old monsters had all lived for tens of thousands of years, and the wealth theyve accumulated during this time was most definitely quite staggering.

Of course, if he exchanged all of the spirit medicines and materials he was carrying into spirit stones, hed be able to keep up in the bidding with all those old monsters, but he was alone in an unfamiliar place, so it certainly wouldnt be wise to flaunt his wealth in such a blatant manner.

If he were to do so, hed most likely be singled out as a target even before he could purchase the devilish core. He didnt want to draw trouble to himself, and with that in mind, he quickly shook his head as he replied, If there are going to be holy race beings participating in the bidding, then theres no way Ill be able to outbid them, so that wont work.

Oh, in that case, well have to take the second avenue. You must be quite new here in Cloud City, right, Senior? Have you heard of the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges? the woman asked with a smile.

I know that such a place exists, but I dont really know anything about it, Han Li replied in a truthful manner.

Its not unusual for you to have limited knowledge about that place, it only appeared in the past 10,000 years, and very few people outside of Cloud City are aware of its existence. Allow me to tell you about it in greater detail, the woman chuckled.

Then Ill have to trouble you to enlighten me, Fellow Daoist. Han Li nodded in response as the map hed purchased earlier surfaced in his mind. The Golden Devil Mountain Ranges was none other than one of the landmarks annotated on the map.

Approximately 10,000 years ago, a spatial storm suddenly appeared on a stretch of barren land about a months travel away from Cloud City. For some reason, a set of black mountain ranges emerged in the area in the aftermath of the spatial storm. The mountain ranges were entirely enshrouded under dense devilish Qi, and the space above it was extremely unstable with spatial rifts popping up quite regularly. Vast amounts of devilish Qi surged from these spatial rifts, and some high-grade devilish beast also emerged from them, including some holy-grade devilish beasts. Within a short span of time, the area in a radius of several millions of kilometers around the mountain ranges had been transformed into a devilish realm, and this area continued to expand. This incident eventually drew the attention of the holy race beings in our Heavenly Cloud Races, and several holy race beings of the sixth and seventh tiers were deployed to the area, combing their powers to kill most of the holy-grade devilish beasts that had appeared there. After that, they ventured into the center of the mountain ranges to try and put an end to everything, the woman recounted with a solemn expression.

Han Lis heart stirred as soon as the woman mentioned the vast amounts of devilish Qi that had surged out of the spatial rifts, and he almost instantly thought back to the infernal river that hed encountered back in the Flying Spirit Race.

The woman suddenly sighed at this moment before continuing, No one knows what those holy race beings encountered in the mountain ranges, but they stayed there for half a year before finally returning. After that, they issued an order to completely seal off the area using a restriction, leaving only a single entrance. They then sent news back to the Heavenly Cloud Races, informing everyone that the matter had been resolved, and that there will no longer be any more devilish Qi or devilish beasts emerging from the spatial rifts. They said that the demonic area was only going to maintain its current size and spread no further, but at the same time, they didnt allow any holy race beings to enter the area. Strangely enough, those with cultivation bases inferior to that of holy race beings were permitted to enter the area to kill the devilish beasts there, as well as to scour for inner cores and precious materials.

However, there was only one month of each year during which the area could be accessed, and beings couldnt stay in there for a month at a time. After that, theyll have to leave the area, and as soon as the month passes, the exit will be closed. With the powerful devilish Qi there, even devilish cultivators wont be able to stay in there for too long. Otherwise, theyll most definitely undergo devilfication and turn into mindless devilish beings. At the same time, it really is a good place to secure precious materials that could be exchanged for spirit stones, so during the first few years, large numbers of high-grade beings would flock to the mountain ranges during the designated months. However, after a while, those numbers slowly dwindled, and at present, almost no one dares to enter the area anymore.

Whys that? Han Li asked with a curious look on his face.

The rate of deaths and casualties is simply far too high. Those who can return from the mountain ranges do indeed return with bountiful rewards, but only around 80% to 90% of beings return each year. During the first few years, this was not enough to deter adventurers, but this trend continued year after year. Even though large numbers of devilish beasts were being slain each year, the number of high-grade devilish beasts in there never seemed to dwindle, so of course everyone grew to fear the place. Not only are there countless high-grade devilish beasts in the devilish area, there are even a few holy-grade devilish beasts in there. Most of the time, they reside at the center of the mountain ranges, but if one were to encounter such a devilish beast, they were as good as dead. Truth be told, those who enter the mountain ranges dont even know if theyre the ones hunting the devilish beasts or if theyre the prey being hunted instead. Thankfully, the more powerful the devilish beast, the deeper they reside in the mountain ranges, so its not easy to encounter them on the outskirts of the are. Otherwise, no one would dare to go in at all. As such, the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges gradually became a place that people loved to hate, the Crystal woman explained with a smile.

Have you told me all this because you want me to enter the area and kill the holy-grade devilish beasts in there? Han Li asked as he stroked his chin.

His expression remained unchanged, but hed already made up his mind, if this woman really were deranged enough to make such a suggestion, then hed immediately depart from this place.

The Heavenly Devilish Armor was indeed very useful to him, but it certainly wasnt something that was worth risking his life for.

The woman shook her head with a smile before replying, The Golden Devil Mountain Ranges are extremely perilous, so I certainly wouldnt make such a suggestion. However, I was indeed hoping that youd be able to obtain the devilish cores of one of the holy-grade devilish beasts in that area.

What do you mean? Han Li asked with a perplexed expression.

From what I heard, a holy-grade devilish beast forced its way out of the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges over 100 years ago for some reason, then attacked several of the nearby towns. Several holy race beings were alerted to its rampage, and they combined their powers to severely wound the beast, but it managed to get away in the end. I just so happen to know where this devilish beast is lurking, the woman said with a mysterious look in her eyes, and Han Li was quite stunned by this information.

Is that true? Han Li took a deep breath as he adopted a serious expression.

I am most definitely telling the truth. The beast was severely wounded over a century ago, and it snuck back into an obscure location on the outskirts of the Golden Devil Mountain Ranges. Its been in hibernation ever since, and it possesses less than a tenth of its original powers. The only obstacle here is that its created a devilish Qi barrier, and only high-grade devilish cultivators who are also capable of controlling devilish Qi can infiltrate through the barrier. Otherwise, any other being that comes into contact with the barrier will instantly rouse the beast from its slumber. Thats why I havent been able to do anything to it despite the fact that Ive known its location all along. The price that Im asking for to repair this suit of armor is the devilish beasts body, from which many materials can be derived. Of course, Ill be using its inner core as the main material to facilitate the armors repair. If you think this is a fair arrangement, then Ill disclose the beasts location to you. The Crystal woman put on a serious expression as she finally disclosed her condition.

A contemplative look appeared on Han Lis face, and only after a lengthy silence did he finally ask, Are you sure the beast is only lurking on the outskirts of the mountain ranges and possesses less than a tenth of its original powers? How did you manage to obtain this information?

Han Li was naturally quite tempted by the womans proposal, but this was quite an important matter so he had to get some answers first.

I can assure you that the information I have is accurate. I can see that you still have some doubts, so Ill show you something as proof. Rather than being disheartened by Han Lis questions, the woman was instead quite pleased as this showed that Han Li was seriously contemplating her offer. Thus, she raised a hand, and a plume of black smoke suddenly shot forth from within her sleeve, then converged to form an object that hovered above her head.

It was a fist-sized black bird with a fiery red beak and a pair of shimmering golden eyes.

Thats a Devilish Smoke Bird! Han Li immediately identified this bird, and he was initially quite stunned before coming to a realization.

Indeed. This is one of the extremely rare types of devilish beasts that Ive been able to tame. It has no offensive prowess, but its extremely proficient in searching for targets and traveling in a stealthy manner. I can even permanently bestow upon it a wisp of my spiritual sense to control it, and its all thanks to this birds observations that I was able to learn the condition and whereabouts of the wounded beast, the woman explained with a smile.

With such a bird under your control, I have no further suspicions. However, I must ask you some things, how was this holy-grade devilish beast able to escape with its life in the face of multiple holy race beings? Does it possess a high cultivation base even among holy-grade devilish beasts or does it possess powers that outstrip its cultivation base? On top of that, would you be able to tell me what species of devilish beast it is? Han Li nodded before delving into a detailed line of questioning.

I didnt witness the battle between the beast and the holy race beings, but apparently, its comparable to a second or third-tier holy race being. Of course, Ive only heard this from others, so the information may or may not be accurate. As for what kind of devilish beast this is, its rather hard to say, but it seems to be similar to the legendary true spirit, the Giant Mountain Ape. Perhaps it possesses that true spirits bloodline, the woman replied.

Han Lis expression changed slightly upon hearing this.

A thought suddenly seemed to occur to the woman at that moment, and she raised a hand to toss a stone tablet at Han Li as she said, I just so happen to have an image of the beast, you can have a look at it, Senior.

Han Li caught the stone tablet before pressing it against his forehead and injecting his spiritual sense into it.

After a short while, Han Li lowered his hand with a contemplative look in his eyes, and mused, It really does bear a resemblance to a Giant Mountain Ape.

Ive already said everything there is to say, have you made a decision yet, Senior? The woman turned to Han Li with a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

However, Han Li merely smiled and asked her something that caught her a little off guard. May I ask your name, Fellow Daoist?

The Crystal woman faltered slightly before smiling as she replied, You can call me Xian Xian, Senior.

Han Li didnt waste any more time upon hearing this, and he accepted the black box before sweeping his spiritual sense toward it.

Even though restriction talismans had been plastered over the box, they werent enough to completely obstruct his spiritual sense, and he still sensed something within the box.

Hmm? Han Li cast his gaze toward the Crystal woman with a hint of surprise on his face.

Looks like you really do know some things, Han Li said as he narrowed his eyes.

Im working off a lot of assumptions as well, so I certainly cant say that I know everything. Why dont you open the box to see if the item inside interests you? This is not a good place to talk, lets go elsewhere first, the woman said with a smile.

She then flipped a hand over, and a formation plate appeared over her palm. She glanced at the entrance of the shop before making a hand seal and chanting something, then pointing a finger toward 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.

Han Li raised an eyebrow at the sight of this sudden development. He could sense powerful spatial fluctuations from within the five-colored light, but he remained still on the spot and made no attempt to evade.

The light swirled around Han Li before forming a five-colored light formation, and Han Li felt his surroundings abruptly blur before he found himself within a murky grey space.

The space was extremely small, only just over 100 feet in size, and there was nothing in it aside from a table and a pair of chairs.

At this moment, Han Li was standing atop a teleportation formation that was shimmering with five-colored light alongside the woman.

This is a small spatial rift that I had someone open up for me. There wont be any danger of our conversation being eavesdropped on here. Of course, with your powers, even without the teleportation plate, it would be a simple task to force your way back to the original space, the Crystal woman explained with an elegant smile.

Han Li swept his spiritual sense toward the spatial walls around them to find that this space was indeed quite secure, and he nodded in a content manner before sweeping a sleeve over the black box in his hand.

A swath of azure light immediately flashed past, and the two talismans detached themselves from the box while the lid was flung open.

A burst of black Qi immediately swept forth from within, swirling around the box before attempting to spread into the surrounding area.

However, Han Li seemed to have anticipated that this would happen well in advance. He merely opened his mouth in a composed manner to expel a swath of golden light, and as soon as the black Qi was swept up by this light, it transformed into a black pillar of mist that was sucked straight into Han Lis stomach.

What pure devilish Qi! The golden light around Han Lis body intensified in brightness as if it had been enhanced by the devilish Qi hed just swallowed.

This black Qi was devilish Qi of an extremely high degree of purity, and for a cultivator like Han Li, who was using the Provenance True Devil Arts, he was able to convert this devilish Qi into magic power as long as he didnt ingest too much of it at once.

A hint of astonishment flashed through the Crystal womans eyes upon seeing this.

She was well aware of just how powerful the devilish Qi emanating from the item in the box was, and every time she opened the box, she would have to make extensive preparations beforehand.

Otherwise, if the devilish Qi were to infiltrate her body, her cultivation base would be significantly damaged, and under worst-case scenarios, so could even die.

At this moment, Han Li made a grabbing motion toward the box, and a black object flew out from within before landing in his grasp.

This was a suit of purple armor that was around half a foot in size. Not only was it extremely sinister in appearance, there were several spikes protruding from the shoulder and knee sections of the armor. On top of that, its entire surface was filled with black patterns, and it was emanating immensely powerful devilish Qi.

This was a suit of armor that had undergone devilfication.

However, there was a large hole on the chest of the suit of armor, and the surrounding area was riddled with cracks, clearly indicating that it had been severely damaged.

Han Li stared at the suit of armor in his hand with a peculiar look on his face.

With his mastery of the Provenance True Devil Arts, he could naturally sense that this suit of devilish armor contained incredible power. This was definitely the most powerful suit of armor he had ever seen, and this was even after it had sustained such severe damage. If it could be fully repaired, it would truly be an unfathomably powerful suit of armor.

With that in mind, Han Lis eyes began to shimmer with intrigue as he appraised the suit of armor.

This suit of devilish armor is something I just so happened to come across, and in the beginning, I didnt know what it was, either. However, after verification from many sources, I learned that this is a legendary suit of Heavenly Devilish Armor. It appears that this is a suit of armor manifested by an extremely powerful Heavenly Devilish Monarch. However, from the extensive damage suffered by the suit of armor, its most likely the case that its former owner has already perished. Now, the suit of armor is most likely not even a tenth as powerful as it once was. However, if it were to be repaired, it should be able to recover around 20% to 30% of its former power, the Crystal woman said with a smile.

A Heavenly Devilish Monarch? Those are devilish beings that are close to true spirit beings, its no wonder that this suit of armor is imbued with such pure devilish Qi. Its quite extraordinary that you were able to find something like this, Han Li said in a solemn manner.

He then suddenly tossed the miniature suit of armor into the air before casting a golden incantation seal onto it.

The golden light disappeared into the purple suit of armor in a flash, following which it expanded to several times its original size. At the same time, the devilish Qi emanating from it also became more powerful, and it began to sweep through the surrounding area.

The Crystal womans expression changed slightly at the sight of the black Qi surging toward her, and she abruptly raised a hand to send several white talismans flying through the air. The talismans then exploded to form a white light barrier than shielded her within.

A strange sizzling sound rang out as the devilish Qi made contact with the light barrier, but it was kept at bay in the end.

A hint of a smile appeared on Han Lis face upon seeing this. He abruptly made a hand seal, and brilliant golden light erupted from his body as golden halo emerged above his head, within which a projection with three heads and six arms gradually surfaced.

The three heads of the projection were chanting in unison while the six arms pointed a finger each at the suit of devilish armor at the same time.

Six pillars of golden light immediately surged forth, all of which struck the suit of purple armor.

An astonishing scene then ensued.

After being struck by the golden light, the suit of purple devilish armor rotated on the spot and disappeared.

In the next instant, black Qi swirled around the golden projection, and the purple armor somehow ended up on the projections body.

In the instant that the projection donned the suit of armor, its aura swelled to several times its original power. At the same time, black Qi surged forth from its body, completely inundating the projection under a vast expanse of devilish Qi.

Han Li was ecstatic to see this. From this, he was able to deduce that the suit of armor hadnt lost all of its spiritual nature, and was thus able to be used by his Provenance True Devil Arts.

It was no wonder that this as the case. After all, the Provenance True Devil Arts was a mysterious devilish cultivation art that originated from the Elder Devil Realm in the first place. Even though elder devils were vastly different from Heavenly Devilish Monarchs, both drew on true devilish Qi as their essential source of power.

Of course, if the suit of armor were completely unscathed with its spiritual nature fully intact or if its owner were still alive, then it would be close to impossible for him to take it for himself.

Han Li nodded with a wistful expression as he said, This suit of armor does indeed suit me very well, but its a pity that its already been damaged. Otherwise…

The woman was quite stunned by the sight of the golden projection that Han Li had conjured up, but her expression remained calm as she replied, If this suit of armor hadnt been damaged, then it most likely wouldnt have fallen into my hands. However, if youre willing to pay the price, then I have a way to repair it. At the very least, the suit of armor will be able to recover 20% to 30% of its former power.

You can repair this suit of armor? Oh, I almost forgot that you were a Crystal being, so repairing this armor certainly wouldnt be beyond your capabilities. Whats this price that youre referring to? Also, how much do you plan to sell this suit of armor to me for? Han Li asked with a smile.

Following a brief pause for contemplation, the woman replied, This item should be a priceless treasure, but its a pity that its a suit of devilish armor, so it cant be used by anyone whos not a devilish cultivator. Unfortunately, devilish cultivators have always been quite rare on Thunder Continent, and its the first time Ive ever seen a devilish cultivator of your cultivation base. Otherwise, this armor wouldve most likely have been sold already. How about this? If you have any precious materials, ingredients, pills, or medicines, bring them all out and thrown in a few top-grade spirit stones as well. If your offer is satisfactory, I can consider selling the armor to you. reewebovel.com

Its that simple? Han Li was rather surprised to hear her answer.

The conditions she was proposing were far too simple considering what was being offered in exchange.

The woman merely smiled and provided no response.

Can you tell me how youre going to repair this suit of armor first? Instead of immediately accepting the offer, Han Li suddenly changed the subject.

A slightly hesitant look appeared on the womans face upon hearing this, but she heaved a faint sigh in the end, and replied, Repairing the armor is actually quite simple. As long as you have sufficient devilish cores, Ill be able to easily repair it.

Devilish cores? What are those? Han Li asked with furrowed brows. This was the first time that he had heard of such a thing.

Devilish cores are the inner cores of high-grade devilish beasts. If we want to repair this suit of armor, it would at least require hundreds of devilish cores, all of which would have to be from upper race devilish beasts. One of those devilish cores will act as the main material to repair the armor, and the higher the grade of that core, the better. Ideally, wed use the inner core of a holy-grade devilish beast to serve that purpose, the woman said with a solemn look on her face.

Surely you jest, Fellow Daoist! Where am I going to find so many high-grade devilish cores? And youre asking me to secure the inner core of a holy-grade devilish beast as well? Why does it feel like repairing this suit of armor will cost far more than what it takes to purchase it? Youre not swindling me for an ulterior motive, are you? Han Li asked with a cold expression.

The Crystal woman seemed to have anticipated Han Lis reaction, and her expression remained calm as she said, Youre wrongfully accusing me here, Senior. The enhancement the suit of armor will receive after being repaired is almost entirely dependent on the devilish core that is to be used as the main material. I can still repair it using devilish cores of a lower caliber, but the effect will be severely lackluster in comparison. If we were to use a holy-grade devilish core as the main material, the enhancement effect would at least be increased by twofold to threefold compared to if a lower grade devilish core were to be used. If you want the best, then you naturally have to pay a high price. I have two avenues through which you can potentially secure a holy-grade devilish core, and I can disclose both of them to you if youre interested.

That night, Xiang Zhili showed up as promised and chatted with Han Li for the entire night.

Han Li obtained a lot of information about Cloud City from Xiang Zhili, and only after the sun had risen the next day did Xiang Zhili finally take his leave.

However, just as Han Li had accompanied him to the door, a thought seemed to have suddenly occurred to him, and he abruptly turned around as with a hesitant look on his face as he said, Junior Martial Brother Han, I wont ever be able to return to human territory, but that possibility is still alive for you. If there ever comes a day when you want to leave Cloud City and go somewhere far away, please come to visit me first. I have some things to give to you, as well as a request Id like to make, but rest assured, youll be able to complete my request with ease as long as you can make it back to the human race, and doing so will also be immensely beneficial to you.

Han Li faltered slightly upon hearing this, and after a brief pause, he asked, Oh? Cant you just tell me your request now? I really cant say for sure when Id be looking to leave this city. If an emergency strikes, I may not be able to go and visit you before I leave.

Truth be told, I cant disclose these matters to you right now, and itll take me some time to prepare some things. It would be best if you could come and visit me before your departure. Otherwise, you and I think you and I will both regret it, Xiang Zhili replied with a meaningful shake of his head.

Thus, Han Li promised that he would do his best to visit Xiang Zhili prior to his departure, and only then did Xiang Zhili nod before departing from the room.

Han Li looked on as Xiang Zhili left, and a peculiar look appeared on his face. All of a sudden, he made a grabbing motion toward the door of his room, and an immense force erupted forth, instantly shutting the door again.

At the same time, white light flashed from the walls within the room as the restriction within was activated, encapsulating the entire room.

Han Li then strode over to a corner of the room before sitting down in a cross-legged manner on the futon that had been prepared there. It was unclear exactly what he was thinking, but a faint smile had appeared on his face while a cold light flashed through his eyes.

The next day, Han Li continued to meditate in his room, showing no intention of going anywhere.

Only on the morning of the third day was the door of the room finally opened, and he emerged from within in an unhurried manner.

However, instead of going downstairs to the hall to find Xiang Zhili, he left the inn through the exit on this level before drifting lightly down onto the streets outside.

Han Li seemed to have already decided where he wanted to go, and he casually hailed a beast-drawn carriage and gave the driver a destination before setting off.

Through the window of the carriage, Han Li could see everything on the streets outside.

His heart stirred slightly as he cast his gaze toward the massive balls outside the city walls.

Following his lengthy conversation with Xiang Zhili the night before, he had learned just what these massive balls were. It turned out that these were 13 super massive puppets, each of which was comparable in power to an early-Body Integration Stage being.

Each of the 13 Heavenly Cloud Races controlled one puppet, and it was quite clear just from those fearsome puppets just how stalwart the defenses of Cloud City were.

It was no wonder that this city was designated to be the central hub for the resistance against the Jiao Chi Race. At the very least, it would almost be impossible to launch an effective sneak attack on this city.

Han Li quickly withdrew his gaze from the balls in the distance before closing his eyes.

The place that he was traveling to wasnt very far away, so the beast-drawn carriage arrived at his destination after only an hour or so.

Han Li casually tossed a few spirit stones toward the driver before disembarking the carriage and surveying his surroundings.

The street before him appeared to be quite mundane, but there were far more people here than even on the main streets.

The shops on either side of the street werent very large, but business seemed to be booming for them as many customers were regularly entering and exiting the shops.

Han Li nodded as he cast his gaze toward the shop that stood right before him. He glanced up at the plaque hanging above the entrance, then immediately strode in in an expressionless manner.

The shop was several hundred feet in size, and it was filled with rows of shelves, upon which were placed all types of items such as stone tablets, jade plates, silver badges, and ancient tomes. However, all of those items had been concealed under a shimmering light barrier.

This was a shop that specialized in selling tomes.

According to Xiang Zhili, these types of shops couldnt be more common in Cloud City, but the few renowned shops that Han Li was interested in were all gathered on this street.

Now that he had arrived, it appeared that Xiang Zhilis claims rang true.

The shop wasnt very large, but it really did contain many tomes of all different types.

There were a few other foreign beings who were also inspecting the wares being sold in the shop, and they were all Core Formation Stage beings.

All of these foreign beings seemed to be focused on their respective searches, and all of them failed to notice that an upper race being had just strode into the shop.

As for the shopkeeper, she was a young female foreign being who appeared to be only around 17 or 18 years of age. However, her skin was as pristine and translucent as snow, and there was a pea-sized white crystal embedded on her glabella. Her beautiful eyes were also shimmering with wisdom that seemed to belie her youthful appearance.

Han Lis heart stirred as he instantly identified this woman as a being of the crystal race.

He had naturally done some research on the 13 Heavenly Cloud Races, and he knew that the Crystal Race was one of them.

However, this race was quite a peculiar one. Not only was its entire population pitifully small at only around just over 1,000,000, they were also predominantly weaker than beings of the other 12 races. In spite of that, all of them had extremely long lifespans that were three to four times that of a human. Furthermore, all of them were very beautiful and highly intelligent. Almost all Crystal beings could reach a high level of proficiency in pill refinement, formation spells, or talisman crafting with ease.

As such, the Crystal Race was always extremely welcomed, and even though they didnt have much interest in things like power struggles, they enjoyed quite a lofty rank among the 13 Heavenly Cloud Races.

The Crystal being had also noticed Han Li, and as she cast her gaze toward him, a hint of surprise flashed through her eyes, as if shed managed to glean his cultivation base.

Thus, she immediately rose to her feet and strode over to him before extending a delicate curtsey.

Welcome to my humble shop, upper race Senior, is there anything I can help you with?

The woman spoke in a refined manner, and there wasnt anything forced or over-the-top about her, yet she somehow exuded an air of grace and elegance.

It appeared the rumors were true, the Crystal Race really was unlike any other race hed seen before.

Han Li clucked his tongue with wonder internally, but his expression remained unchanged as he replied, No need. Ill have a look for myself first, and Ill inform you if I require any assistance.

Then feel free to browse our wares, Senior. The Crystal woman nodded in a manner that was neither humble nor arrogant, then curtsied again before leaving Han Li to his own devices.

However, her words had come as quite a shock to all of the other customers in the shop.

All of them hurriedly turned toward Han Li with surprised expressions on their faces before drawing a sharp breath in unison.

They were naturally unable to glean Han Lis exact cultivation base, but the fact that it was so unfathomable to them indicated that Han Li was countless times more powerful than them.

Thus, all of them became rather uneasy, and some of them immediately departed while others quickly picked out a few tomes before also hurrying away.

In the blink of an eye, Han Li and the Crystal woman were the only two beings left in the shop.

Han Li paid no heed to this recent development as he made his way over to a nearby shelf to inspect the tomes that had been placed there.

From the surface, Han Li naturally couldnt really see anything. Thus, he swept his spiritual sense toward one of the stone tablets on the shelf, and that was when he discovered the function of the light barrier around the shop items.

Through the use of his spiritual sense, he could only glean a short string of introductory information. When he tried to inspect more of the stone tablets contents, he encountered a slight obstruction.

Of course, with his immensely powerful spiritual sense, he could naturally force his way through the restriction with ease, but doing so would undoubtedly attract the attention of the shopkeeper, and no being of any status would be willing to embarrass themselves in such a farcical manner.

Han Li glanced at a few of the tomes on the shelf before him and discovered that most of them only contained some general information about the 13 Heavenly Cloud Races, so he naturally wasnt very interested in them. Thus, he made his way over to another shelf before inspecting the tomes on there with his spiritual sense again.

On this occasion, he seemed to have found what he was looking for. A short while later, a hint of elation appeared on his face, and he waved a hand toward a blue jade plate to draw it into his grasp.

He then continued to search through the shop, and in the blink of an eye, hed gathered over 20 tomes.

Only then did he made his way over the Crystal woman with a pleased expression on his face, and he placed everything down onto the table before him as he asked, How many spirit stones are you charging for all this?

The Crystal woman looked at the pile of tomes that had been placed before her, and a hint of surprise appeared on her face. She then suddenly smiled and said something that came as quite a surprise to Han Li.

These tomes arent worth that much, you can take them for free, Senior.

Han Li faltered initially upon hearing this before his expression darkened slightly, and he asked, Are you afraid that I wont be able to afford them?

That was never my intention, Senior. What Im saying is that I have something else that may be of interest to you, and if youre willing to take it, then I can give all of these tomes to you for free, the woman replied with a composed smile.

Oh? What is it that you want to show me? Han Li asked as his expression eased slightly.

Please wait for a moment, the item in question is quite valuable, so Ive stored it in the back room. The woman rose to her feet with a smile before making her way toward the rear of the store.

Han Li merely waited in silence on the spot, and moments later, the woman emerged with a black metal box.

There were two azure talismans plastered over the surface of the box in a criss-cross formation, indicating that the box was housing something very important.

Please take a look at the item in the box, Senior, Im sure itll be quite useful to you. Otherwise, I wouldnt have brought it out for your inspection, the woman said with a knowing smile.

Han Lis voice wasnt very loud, but it was like a loud thunderclap in the elderly mans ears, and he was instantly jerked awake.

Ah, welcome! Ill find a room for you right away, Senior. The elderly man shuddered before sitting bolt upright, then hurriedly pulling out a shimmering white treasure that bore the appearance of an accounts book and quickly searching through it.

Han Lis brows furrowed upon seeing this. This elderly man was a cultivator as well, so why he so unalert? It appeared that he wasnt pretending earlier and really had fallen asleep. freewbne.com

Just as these thoughts were running through his mind, he cast a glance at the elderly mans face, upon which his expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed, You… Youre Senior Martial Brother Xiang! Why are you here?

The sickly old man was none other than the Xiang Zhili, who had entered the spatial node in the human world ahead of Han Li.

His soul lamp had been snuffed out along with those of Old Devil Hu, Eccentric Wind, and the others not long after theyd entered the spatial node, so he should be dead. That was why Han Li was so stunned to see him alive here.

The elderly man abruptly faltered upon hearing Han Lis words, and only after a short while did he slowly raise his head to look up at Han Li.

Junior Martial Brother Han, it really is you! the elderly man murmured with a peculiar expression that was caught somewhere between a smile and a grimace.

Yes, its me. Why are your cultivation base and aura so…

Han Li swept his spiritual sense toward Xiang Zhili, upon which a confused look appeared on his face.

Xiang Zhili had been a Deity Transformation cultivator even back in the human world, yet his cultivation base had since regressed to the Core Formation Stage, and his aura was extremely feeble, as if his body had sustained severe damage.

Xiang Zhili stared blankly at Han Li for a long while before a thought suddenly seemed to have occurred to him, and he hurriedly rose to his feet as he said, Junior Martial Brother, you also came to the Spirit Realm through a spatial node, right? You seem to have progressed significantly in your cultivation as well. This is not the place to talk, there wont be any customers anytime soon anyway, so come with me and well talk elsewhere.He then led Han Li toward a door situated on the side of the hall, and Han Li hesitated momentarily before following along.

After entering through the door, the two of them arrived in a long corridor, on either side of which a series of exotic plants were growing. Hu Qinglei didnt lead Han Li very far before pushing open a nearby stone door and inviting Han Li into the room.

Take a seat, Junior Martial Brother. Never would I have thought that Id see you again in my life. In my current state, Im almost too embarrassed to be in your presence, Xiang Zhili chuckled with a wry smile as they both took a seat. His voice was very dejected and sullen, and he seemed to only be a shadow of his former self.

What happened to you in the spatial node all those years ago? Are the other two still alive? Han Li asked.

Eccentric Wind and Old Devil Hu both died. We were extremely unlucky and encountered multiple spatial storms along the way. On the last occasion, two spatial storms stacked on top of one another, and I was the only survivor among us three. However, Id lost almost all of my cultivation base from unleashing too many secret techniques in quick succession in order to save myself. What little cultivation base I have now is a result of many years of arduous cultivation, Xiang Zhili sighed in a resigned manner.

The spatial node was indeed an extremely perilous place, so the fact that you survived is very much a silver lining on an otherwise dark cloud. However, the soul lamp that youd left in the human world had already snuffed out, and why are you here on the Thunder Continent as opposed to in human territory? Han Li asked.

My soul lamp was most likely snuffed out due to the secret techniques I used to save myself. The after-effects from using those secret techniques left me in such a terrible condition that I was as good as dead. As for why Im here on this continent, Im afraid I dont know the answer to that question. I was able to barely survive the spatial storms that I encountered, but as soon as I emerged from the spatial node, I ended up here. If I hadnt been saved by someone, I wouldnt even be alive right now. From the sounds of it, you ended up in the human territory of the Spirit Realm after emerging from the spatial node. In that case, I can only assume that the spatial storms blew me completely off course. There was still a hint of lingering fear in Xiang Zhilis eyes as he recalled his horrific experiences in the spatial node, even after so many years had passed.

Han Li merely nodded without giving a reply this time.

Why are you here doing this kind of job, Senior Martial Brother Xiang? Have you thought about returning to the human race? Han Li asked with a serious expression.

The owner of this inn is a Stone Cocoon being, and hes the one who saved my life. Hes quite kind-hearted and also quite powerful. He also seems to have some status in the Stone Cocoon Race, and I decided to look after his inn for him to repay him for his kindness, and also because I have nowhere else to go. As for returning to the human race, Id already given up on that dream long ago. There is indeed a teleportation formation under the control of the 13 Heavenly Cloud Races that could facilitate teleportation to other continents, but its said that an enormous amount of spirit stones is required to activate the formation each time, and just that expenditure alone is enough to force a strip a holy race being of all their wealth. Even if I were to return to the height of my powers, Id still be far from entitled to use the formation. Besides, even if I were to teleport to the Tian Yuan Continent, in my current state, theres no chance for me to pass through the primordial world to travel to human territory. On top of that, theres no chance for me to ever reach the Spatial Tempering Stage, so Im planning to spend the rest of my life here, Xiang Zhili replied with a forlorn shake of his head.

Han Li didnt know how to comfort him after hearing that.

By the way, I havent heard about your experiences yet. Even though I cant return to the human race, I still want to hear about how us humans are doing in the Spirit Realm. Can you tell me about that, Junior Martial Brother Han? Xiang Zhili asked.

Theres not much to show and tell in terms of my experiences. After reaching the Deity Transformation Stage, I also traveled to the spatial node according to the coordinates you sent me, and I ventured into it along with the Ice Phoenix, who had also reached the Deity Transformation Stage by then. I was quite lucky in that even though I also encountered spatial storms, I was able to emerge largely unscathed with the assistance of the Ice Phoenixs spatial abilities. As for the current situation that the human race is in, I cant say that were thriving. At most, were just barely able to get by. As for the specifics… Han Li gave a brief recount of his own experiences, but refrained from disclosing the fact that hed also once completely lost his cultivation base. As for the matters surrounding the human race, there was nothing strictly confidential anyway, so Han Li was happy to disclose the current situation to Xiang Zhili.

So we have three territories and a large number of Body Integration cultivators among our ranks? In that case, I can breathe a sigh of relief. Xiang Zhili listened intently to Han Lis story before heaving a long sigh.

Han Li fell silent again for a short while before suddenly asking, Is there really a super teleportation formation in the 13 Heavenly Cloud Races? How did you hear about this, Senior Martial Brother Xiang?

Hehe, do you intend to use the teleportation formation as well? Its not really a confidential matter. Not only is there one in the 13 Heavenly Cloud Races, the Jiao Chi Race and the Night Race also have one each. Among the major races in this area, only the Explosion Race is apparently yet to construct one. Teleportation formations capable of teleporting beings between continents are only accessible to beings at or above the Body Integration Stage, and youre not a Heavenly Cloud being, either, so its going to be very difficult for you to secure approval to use the formation. Thankfully, the 13 Heavenly Cloud Races arent too xenophobic toward foreign beings, so you should just settle and cultivate here, youll be able to keep me company then. You can consider returning to the human race after progressing to the Body Integration Stage. By the way, whats your cultivation base at the moment? I can sense that youre far more powerful than you were back in the human world, but Im unable to detect your exact cultivation base, Xiang Zhili muse with a curious look on his face.

Ill have to think about the teleportation formation later, but at present, Ive fortunately been able to progress to the Spatial Tempering Stage. Han Li made no effort to hide his cultivation base.

The Spatial Tempering Stage? You really have been progressing extremely quickly, Junior Martial Brother Han. In that case, you no longer have to worry about the limitations of a lifespan, Xiang Zhili sighed in an envious manner upon hearing this.

Technically, Im immortal, but with the major heavenly tribulation that strikes me one every 3,000 years, my worries are certainly far from over. Each successive heavenly tribulation will be fiercer than the previous one, and Ill eventually die anyway unless I can ascend to the True Immortal Realm, Han Li said with a faint smile.

Thats not the same thing. After reaching the Spatial Tempering Stage, youll have thousands of years between heavenly tribulations, so youll be able to take your time in your cultivation. With your brilliant aptitude, whos to say you wont be able to ascend to the True Immortal Realm in the end? Xiang Zhili chuckled with a shake of his head.

Our human and demon races have had no lack of freakish prodigies, yet how many of them have managed to ascend to the True Immortal Realm in the end? Im only focusing on taking my cultivation one step at a time, rather than looking ahead too far and being overly ambitious, Han Li said with a wry smile.

Hehe, lets discuss this matter at another time. I have to look after the inn for now, and Ill come to your room tonight for a more in-depth chat. You wouldnt refuse to see me, would you, Junior Martial Brother Han? Xiang Zhili chuckled.

Of course not. Ive only just arrived in Cloud City, so I also have some things that I need to ask you about. Han Li nodded in response.

Thus, Xiang Zhili picked out a relatively secluded room for Han Li to stay in before returning to the hall.

Han Li set up a restriction within the room, then sat down in a cross-legged manner and fell into deep thought.

The fact that hed encountered Xiang Zhili here forced him to reconsider some things.

Thats the Spirit Condensing Technique. It is indeed quite an extraordinary secret technique created by the Azure Race, but a strict set of prerequisites must be satisfied before the technique can be cultivated. Not only do the cultivators involved have to be brothers related by blood, their cultivation arts and cultivation bases also have to be extremely closely matched before they can unleash this technique. In contrast with all of the other Heavenly Cloud Races, most Azure beings are born as conjoined siblings where its quite common even for six or seven siblings to be conjoined as a single being. However, after they grow up a little, theyll be able to split up, and Azure beings are stationed at all four city gates of Cloud City to conduct examinations on all those seeking to enter the city. After unleashing their Spirit Condensing Technique, even beings of a far superior cultivation base to theirs wouldnt be able to hide anything from them, Jia Tianmu explained with a smile.

Han Li was a little disappointed to hear this, but he then decided that it certainly couldnt hurt to reference such an extraordinary technique as that could assist him in his own cultivation. With that in mind, he said, I see! Looks like my knowledge is rather lacking. I really am quite interested in that technique, though, would you happen to know how to cultivate it, Fellow Daoist Jia?

The Azure Race holds the Spirit Condensing Technique in extremely high regard, so there wont be many copies of the cultivation method circulating outside their race. However, I should be able to find a way to get my hands on a copy. If you really want one, Ill get someone to secure a copy for you, Jia Tianmu replied.You have my thanks, Fellow Daoist Jia, Han Li said with a smile as he cupped his fist in a salute.

Haha, dont mention it. You saved my life, so this is the least I can do. I have to go and visit the elders of our Myriad Ancient Race, so I wont be able to accompany you any longer. This is the location of my cave abode, you can come and visit in a few days for the sentient puppet I promised you earlier. Truth be told, I only have two or three puppets of such a high caliber in my cave abode, and I have to secure approval from the elders before I can give one away to an outsider. However, rest assured, I have some status in the Myriad Ancient Race, so Ill definitely be granted approval with no issues, Jia Tianmu said with a smile as he handed over a stone tablet to Han Li.

At this point, the two of them had already arrived in the city. Up ahead was a wide street that was lined with shops on both sides and filled with different types of beings. It wasnt exactly lively and bustling, but it certainly wasnt a ghost town, either. Han Li accepted the stone tablet and inspected its contents in a cursory manner using spiritual sense, then smiled as he replied, Alright, I also have some matters to take care of, so lets part ways here.

Cloud City is not just inhabited by Heavenly Cloud beings, but also many foreign beings as well, some of whom have stayed here for thousands of years. As such, aside from some temporary dwellings, there are also cave abodes available to be rented. The rental fees are very high, but seeing as youre not planning to stay here for long anyway, those costs shouldnt be an issue to you. Also, make sure that you dont fight anyone or use your spiritual power in the city for no good reason. Otherwise, if youre caught doing so by the restrictions in the city, youll be banished if youre lucky, and in worst-case scenarios, you could even have your cultivation base completely disabled. Even the elders of our 13 Heavenly Cloud Races have to abide by this rule. Alright, thats enough rambling from me, Ill be taking my leave now. After delivering some final words of caution, Jia Tianmu turned and departed.

Han Li looked on as Jia Tianmu hailed a spirit carriage that was being drawn by a pair of deer-like spirit beasts, then got onto the carriage and traveled away. Only then did he withdraw his gaze before carefully appraising his surroundings.

This place really did live up to its status as one of the major cities of the 13 Heavenly Cloud Races. Not only were there countless buildings lining the streets here, all of them were of different styles, and there were virtually no two buildings that were exactly the same.

Some of these buildings were mountainous structures over 1,000 feet tall while others were only several tens of feet tall, yet all of them were extremely intricately crafted. Some of them were quite square and angular, resembling the pavilions often seen in the human race, some were like giant trees that were shimmering with green light…

It didnt take long for Han Li to become extremely intrigued by this city.

As the name suggested, the 13 Heavenly Cloud Races were comprised of 13 different races, yet ever since countless years ago, theyd lived together in harmony, advancing and co-existing as a single entity. If it werent for the fact that they were objectively different beings with different bloodlines, they could almost be seen as one massive race.

None of the 13 Heavenly Cloud Races were anywhere near powerful enough to face a colossus like the Jiao Chi Race on their own, but their combined powers were comparable with the top races of the Spirit Realm. This was why the 13 Heavenly Cloud Races had managed to exist up to this point, despite their close proximity to the territory of the Jiao Chi Race. In reality, battles would break out on the borders between the Jiao Chi Race and the Heavenly Cloud Races quite regularly.

Either the Jiao Chi Race took over some more of the Heavenly Cloud Races territory, or the latter recovered some of their lost land. Of course, under most circumstances, the Jiao Chi Race still came out on top. However, the 13 Heavenly Cloud Races were constantly backing up one another, so they hadnt suffered any decisive losses.

As such, the Heavenly Cloud Races werent surprised by the sudden attack from the Jiao Chi Race. Instead, they were able to react quickly and calmly, gathering up their powerful beings in preparation to deal their enemies a heavy retaliative blow. This information had all been disclosed whether intentionally or unintentionally by Jia Tianmu during their conversations on the way here.

According to Jia Tianmu, the Heavenly Cloud Races had quite a vast territory, and the Jiao Chi Race wasnt the only powerful neighbor. There was also the Night Race, which was not inferior in power to the 13 Heavenly Cloud Races, as well as the slightly weaker Explosion Race. Of course, there were also many small races in the nearby area, but the only way for them to survive was to join one of the more powerful races.

Otherwise, they would either be completely wiped out or forced to find another home far away. This gave Han Li a general understanding of the situation surrounding the races in this area.

At present, he was examining the streets in the city while slowing advancing and contemplating about what he was going to do next.

His target was undoubtedly to find a teleportation formation that could take him back to the Tian Yuan Continent. However, there was no way that a single being could own a teleportation formation of such a high caliber. Instead, it was most likely under the control of a certain major power. In that case, he had no choice but to liaise with the higher-ups of that major power if he wanted to use their teleportation formation. This was why he hadnt rejected Jia Tianmus invitation to Cloud City.

However, he was going to make up his mind about whether he was going to approach the higher-ups of the Heavenly Cloud Races after he had gathered enough information.

His top priority now was to find a place to stay in the city, then slowly search for some leads.

Having made up his mind, Han Li no longer hesitated any further. He glanced at the shops around him, then picked one to visit that was similar in its design to a human pavilion. The shop wasnt very large and only had two levels. From the wares being sold on the shelves, it appeared that this was a very ordinary general store.

The shopkeeper was a green-skinned being who was sitting on a chair behind the counter, and he immediately rose to his feet with a smile on his face at the sight of Han Li. What can I help you with, Senior? We sell several types of specialty local products from Cloud City, as well as maps, general appliances…

This foreign being appeared to be in his forties, and even though he was only at the Foundation Establishment Stage, he displayed no fear in the presence of Han Li. After extending a polite salute, he launched into a well-rehearsed spiel to advertise his wares.

This wasnt particularly surprising. After all, at his lowly cultivation base, he most likely couldnt even tell the difference between a Nascent Soul and Spatial Tempering cultivator. Furthermore, there were countless beings who were far more powerful than him in Cloud City, so he was most likely already accustomed to being in the presence of beings that were unfathomably powerful to him.

Han Li glanced at the shopkeeper before suddenly sweeping a sleeve through the air. A mid-grade spirit stone flew out from within as he said, Get me the most detailed map of Cloud City you have. On top of that, I also have some things that I want to enquire about.

The shopkeepers smile immediately widened with elation as he caught the spirit stone, and he brought over a red stone tablet from one of the shelves in the shop as he said, This is the best map in my store, and Ill be sure to answer your questions to the best of my abilities, Senior.

A short while later, Han Li emerged from the shop with a calm expression on his face. He hailed a beast-drawn carriage on the street, then gave the driver an address before closing his eyes to meditate in the carriage. The driver immediately spurred on the beast-drawn carriage to rush down the street.

Four hours later, after passing through countless streets, the carriage finally carried Han Li to the nearest corner of the Cloud City and stopped in front of a strange massive building.

Han Li tossed a few spirit stones over to the driver before disembarking from the carriage and looking up at the building in a calm manner.

This was a tall hill-like building that had been entirely constructed from a yellow sand-like material.

The building was over 10,000 feet, countless times taller than the other buildings nearby.

Furthermore, there were several tens of rooms of different sizes littered all over the building, and the occasional being could be seen drifting in and out of the doors. This was like a giant wasps net when appraised from afar!

Han Li stood on the spot in a slight stupor for a long while before finally casting his gaze downward at a large wide-open entrance at the base of the building.

There was a strange character inscribed on the wall on either side of the entrance, and even with the vast number of foreign languages that Han Li had mastered, he was completely unable to decipher what those characters meant. Following a brief hesitation, Han Li stroked his chin before striding toward the entrance. After making his way into the building, he found himself in an extraordinarily spacious hall. The hall was over 2,000 feet in size, and the walls and ground were all paved with beautiful green jade. There were also rows of flower pots that were several feet tall positioned along the walls, and within those pots were planted all types of vibrant spirit flowers and spirit herbs.

At the center of the hall was a dilapidated black wooden table, on top of which was sprawled a man with snowy-white hair in a set of long grey robes. The man was lying there in a completely motionless manner, seemingly in a deep slumber. Han Li made his way over to the table, and said, Find me one your more secluded rooms, I want to stay here for a few days.

This is Cloud City? Han Li hovered in mid-air as he looked up into the sky with a peculiar look on his face.

Indeed. As the name suggests, Cloud City is one of two floating inhabitable lands in the Spirit Realm alongside Sky Island. It cant drift with the wind like Sky Island does, but its able to adjust its own altitude as the seasons change during the year, Jia Tianmu introduced in a proud manner.

At this moment, the two of them were situated on the summit of a small mountain, and several hundred kilometers in the air above them was a giant floating city.

The city was hundreds of thousands of feet up in the air, and not only were there white clouds swirling all around it, the entirety of the island was constructed from some kind of unknown white material.

For a city of such a massive size to be hovering so high up in the air was truly quite awe-inspiring to anyone witnessing such a spectacle for the first time.

Another noteworthy feature as the dozen or so massive pristine white balls around the entire city. The balls didnt appear to be very large from afar, but if one were to draw closer, theyd discover that these were colossal objects that were over 100,000 feet in diameter.

As for the exact number of these massive balls, that was something that Han Li couldnt yet ascertain as he could only see one side of Cloud City.

What are those things? Following his initial stunned stupor, Han Li pointed up at the massive balls up above with an expression of awe and curiosity on his face.

Those are one of the citys defensive trump cards, and they were constructed by our Myriad Ancient Race in conjunction with the Stone Cocoon Race after much painstaking effort. Youll be able to learn the specific details about them once you ask around a little in Cloud City. For now, allow me to keep you in the dark! Jia Tianmu chuckled with a mysterious smile.

Han Li was rather speechless upon hearing this.

However, he had no intention of trying to force an answer out of Jia Tianmu. As such, he rose up into the air, flying toward Cloud City with a hint of curiosity in his heart.

Jia Tianmu also followed close behind him as a streak of white light.

From several hundred kilometers, one couldnt develop an accurate grasp of just how massive Cloud City was. However, after reaching within 50 kilometers of the city, even Han Li was flabbergasted by its gargantuan size despite his vast wealth of experience.

At such close quarters, Cloud City seemed to have obscured most of the entire sky, and along the way, they began to witness foreign beings flying through the air as streaks of light, or aboard carriages, arks, and all types of flying treasures.

As they approached the city, the number of foreign cultivators they encountered also steadily increased.

When Han Li was close enough to catch a clear glimpse of the giant ball directly up ahead of him, the surrounding area was already filled with countless foreign beings traveling in all directions.

For some reason, all of them skirted around the giant balls, resigning themselves to traveling a larger distance rather than passing by close to them.

Han Li narrowed his eyes upon seeing this, and blue light flashed deep within his pupils, allowing him to inspect the giant balls in greater detail.

The colossal balls seemed to have been constructed from the same material as Cloud City itself, but upon closer inspection, he discovered that there were faint cracks running all over the seemingly smooth surfaces of these balls.

It was as if they were three-dimensional jigsaw puzzles that had been created using countless pieces of material fragments. Almost every single piece of materials had golden and silver runes shimmering on their surfaces, giving the balls an extremely mysterious appearance.

Han Lis brows furrowed as he swept his spiritual sense toward the massive ball up ahead, only for it to be repelled by a powerful restrictive power as soon as it came into contact with the ball.

Han Li didnt find this to be strange. Instead, hed be quite surprised if he could glean the internal structure of such a mysterious object so easily.

If youre carrying any metallic treasures or materials, make sure not to go within a 10,000 feet distance of those balls. Otherwise, everything of a metallic nature that youre carrying will be forcibly taken and devoured by those things. On top of that, Cloud City wont hand out any reparations for the losses incurred as a result of this, Jia Tianmu cautioned.

Is that so? Han Li was quite surprised to hear this. He glanced at the beings around him who were cautiously avoiding the giant balls, and he was already almost fully convinced that Jia Tianmu was telling the truth.

Shifting his gaze elsewhere, Han Li discovered that there were many beings flying toward a massive city gate of Cloud City.

There were several tens of guards wearing the suits of armor at the city gate, and all of them were standing on either side of the gate with serious expressions on their faces, conducting examinations on all beings that intended to enter the city.

These thorough examinations were only aimed at cultivators looking to enter the city, while those leaving the city were completely ignored.

All of the guards were covered head to toe in suits of armor, but it was quite apparent that they were all of different shapes and sizes, and seemed to hail from different races.

Han Lis eyes narrowed upon seeing this, but he continued onward, and after a short while, he arrived at the city gate along with Jia Tianmu.

There were a dozen or so other beings that also descended at this moment, and all of them seemed to be preparing to undergo examination.

The so-called examination merely consisted of several guards holding strange-looking disks and scanning them over the unfamiliar faces that were trying to enter the city. At the same time, another being was holding another object, recording some things into that object while listening to the verdicts delivered by his companions.

No light barriers or restrictions of that nature could be seen in the air above Cloud City. However, the sky was completely clear without anyone daring to try and fly over the city walls that were thousands of feet tall.

On this occasion, Jia Tianmu didnt explain anything. Instead, he merely smiled and suddenly made his way directly toward the guards at the city gate.

In the process, he was jumping the line, and all of the beings ahead of him were naturally quite displeased by his actions.

However, most of these beings were only at the Foundation Establishment Stage or Core Formation Stage. Hence, all of them hurriedly put away their enraged expressions after discovering with their spiritual sense that Jia Tianmu was an upper race being.

The beings in the line didnt dare to do anything, but that didnt apply to the guards at the city gates, and all of them immediately turned to Jia Tianmu with cold expressions on their faces.

These guards all possessed comparable or even superior cultivation bases to Jia Tianmu, yet he remained completely unflustered as he swept a sleeve through the air. A palm-sized black badge instantly flew forth from within, heading directly toward one of the guards.

The guard faltered initially upon seeing this, but he quickly recomposed himself before catching the badge and focusing his gaze on it.

At the same time, Jia Tianmus lips tremored slightly, and even though he wasnt saying anything, it was quite clear that he was using a voice transmission technique.

The scenes that unfolded next left all of the beings in the line completely flabbergasted. After catching a clear glimpse of the badge in his hand, an astonished look appeared on the guards face, and after hearing Jia Tianmus voice transmission, he hurriedly stepped forward to return Jia Tianmus badge to him with both hands. He then extended a respectful bow, and said, Greetings, Master Jia of the Myriad Ancient Race, please come in. The elders of the Myriad Ancient Race have instructed us well in advance to take you to the Heavenly Dawn Pavilion to see them as soon as you arrive. Seeing as we cant eliminate the possibility that there could be Jiao Chi Race spies in the city, well be sending a few guards to accompany you to the Heavenly Dawn Pavilion.

Oh? The elders are already in the Heavenly Dawn Pavilion? I was going to go and see them anyway. As for guards, dont worry about it, with Fellow Daoist Han to accompany me, Ill be fine as long as I dont get attacked by Body Integration Stage beings. Fellow Daoist Han isnt a Heavenly Cloud being, so prepare a free identity badge of the highest level for him. I can personally vouch for him, Jia Tianmu commanded as he accepted his badge from the guard.

Yes, Master Jia! The guard faltered slightly upon hearing this before immediately nodding in response.

At this moment, Han Li also strode over in an unhurried manner. freebovel.com

The guards instantly waved the disks in their hands toward him, and Han Li sensed a burst of extremely faint spiritual pressure erupt from the strange round disks. Immediately thereafter, several bursts of spiritual sense emanated from the guards bodies before combining as one, then sweeping toward Han Lis body.

A hint of surprise appeared in Han Lis eyes. This was the first time that he had seen a technique that allowed the spiritual sense of several people to be combined as one.

As expected of one of the core cities of the 13 Heavenly Cloud Races, even the guards at the city gates were capable of using such an incredible secret technique.

After examining Han Lis cultivation base, all of the guards were filled with a sense of awe and veneration.

Seventh-tier upper race beings were quite rare, even among the 13 Heavenly Cloud Races.

The guards were all quite relieved after verifying that their disks hadnt detected any Jiao Chi Race bloodline within Han Lis body, and one of them said, Senior, seeing as Master Jiao is vouching for you and youve passed our preliminary examination, well be issuing you a high-grade identity badge right away. With this badge, youll be able to go anywhere in Cloud City aside from a few secret and forbidden areas.

Thanks for your hard work, Han Li replied in a benevolent manner.

The Deity Transformation Stage guard hurried waved his hands in response and no longer mentioned anything about sending guards to accompany Jia Tianmu.

It was quite clear that in his mind, a seventh-tier upper race being like Han Li was more than enough to ensure Jia Tianmus safety.

Moments later, the guards refined a jade badge that contained some basic information about Han Li before handing it over to him. After that, the guards all stepped aside to open up a path between them, and Jia Tianmu strode into the city with Han Li following behind him in an unhurried manner.

Fellow Daoist Jia, what kind of secret technique did they use just then to combine their spiritual sense as one? Wouldnt such an extraordinary technique be extremely effective in battle? Han Li suddenly asked after theyd entered the city.

In the air above a massive city enshrouded under a yellow light barrier, there were over 100 silver battle arks of different sizes.

These battles arks ranged from just over 10,000 feet up to over 100,000 feet in size, and the largest of them were like small cities that hovered above the massive city.

Within the largest of the battle arks, there were a dozen or so Spatial Tempering Stage Jiao Chi beings, and they were standing inside the tallest pavilion on the ark while looking out at the city down below. On a chair behind them sat a pale-skinned young woman with a pair of purplish-golden eyes. This group of beings was currently conversing in hushed tones with one another while pointing down at the massive city. The young woman wore a contemplative expression, seemingly in deep thought about something.

All of a sudden, spiritual light flashed from the entrance of the pavilion, following which a streak of red light shot forth toward the young woman. The woman raised an eyebrow as she waved a hand toward the streak of light, and it transformed into a ball of red flames that fell onto her palm. She carried the ball of flames in her hand before seeping her spiritual sense into it. After a short while, her expression darkened, and she said in a cold voice, What a bunch of useless idiots!Everyone elses hearts stirred upon hearing this, and their conversation ceased as they turned their attention to her. Whats happened, Lady Yin? a hunch-backed man asked in a careful manner.

A group of seventh-tier and eighth-tier upper race beings were deployed to capture that Jia Tianmu, only to all be slain at the scene, and the other teleportation formation couldnt even be activated in the first place, the young woman harrumphed coldly in response.

How is that possible? That Jia Tianmu is indeed proficient in puppet refinement, but hes just a mid-tier upper race being, how could he have killed all of the troops we sent after him? another long-faced woman asked in an incredulous manner.According to the survivors, someone else was responsible for all this, the young woman replied with a shake of her head. Someone else? Are there other holy race beings in the area aside from in this Flowing Water City? the hunch-backed man exclaimed.

No, not a Body Integration Stage being, but a seventh-tier upper race being instead. Thats why I called them a bunch of useless idiots! How did so many of them lose to an opponent of the same cultivation base? The young womans voice cooled even further as a hint of rage flashed through her eyes. None of the other beings dared to say anything after witnessing the young womans fury.

Send a message to Envoy Tu right away, and inform them of the site of the incident. Theyll be responsible for capturing Jia Tianmu from now on, well focus all our efforts and attention on conquering Flowing Water City! The young womans words were like cold scathing blades.Envoy Tu has other missions to attend to, surely he wouldnt be willing to come here… someone said in a careful manner. Just tell him that the one who saved Jia Tianmu is the being that he wants to capture, and hell have no choice but to take over this mission, the woman replied as she cast an indifferent glance toward the one who had just spoken.The one who saved Jia Tianmu is the same being that Envoy Tu wants to capture? Everyone was quite startled to hear this.

Alright, thats enough of this matter. What we have to do now is conquer this city within the next three days! After that, Golden Armor City will be completely on its own, and itll be as good as ours when that time comes. All of you, just act according to the plan, the woman instructed.Yes, all of other high-grade Jiao Chi beings replied with respectful bows. After that, they departed from the pavilion and flew back to the battle arks that they were operating.

Two hours later, all of the battle arks began to shimmer with spiritual light and emit bursts of earsplitting rumbling following an order from the young woman.

Countless armored warriors, twin-headed giant falcons, and hundreds of winged wyrms surge out of the battle arks, forming an orderly formation in the air, surrounding the entire giant city in a watertight manner. Following the emergence of this Jiao Chi Race army, a series of puppets of different colors also flew out of the battle arks. Most of these puppets were humanoid with the smallest comparable in size to a normal person, while the largest were over 100 feet tall each. There were only three beastly puppets among them, and each of them were over 1,000 feet in size. One of them had the appearance of a giant turtle, but had three heads, and a shell that was filled with thick and sharp spikes. Another one had the body of an ape and the head of a tiger with a pair of massive golden deer antlers. The third one was a flying-ant-like puppet, and not only was it the largest of the three, its body was entirely pristine white, as if it had been refined from crystal.

Seeing as the Jiao Chi beings were preparing to launch a large-scale attack, the entire city was cast into a frenzy.

Through the massive light barrier, one could see that a series of formations had lit up across many locations within the city. Immediately thereafter, thick pillars of light rose up from the fomations, injecting themselves into the light barrier in the air above.

The light barrier instantly began to shimmer as a series of runes emerged from it, each of which was around 10 feet in size.

At the same time, countless humanoid figures flew out of some of the buildings in the city, many of which immediately hurtled toward the formations that had just lit up. Attack! the young woman on the largest battle commanded, and the three largest beastly puppets led the charge. Spiritual light swirled around the giant turtles shell, following which countless thick pillars of light instantly shot forth.

Meanwhile, the tiger-headed ape beast opened its mouth to blast forth a golden pillar of light, within which the sounds of howling winds and explosive thunder could be heard. As for the giant crystalline ant, it also opened its mouth, but it expelled a vast expanse of dense green mist that swept through the air instead.

Immediately thereafter, brilliant spiritual light radiated from the undersides of the battle arks as pillars of light came raining down in a torrential downpour.

All of a sudden, rumbling booms rang out incessantly like a relentless string of thunderclaps.

…

Deep within the belly of a massive mountain, there was a dim hall in which everything was only barely visible. The entire area was deathly silent, and it seemed that no one had frequented this place for many years.

However, a short while later, white light suddenly flashed within the hall, following which a formation that was several tens of feet in size appeared at the center of the hall. Spiritual light flashed amid a low buzzing sound, and two blurry humanoid figures emerged within the formation.

One of them was a remarkably young man in a set of azure robes, while the other was a being with long disheveled hair that obscured half of his face. These two were none other than Han Li and Jia Tianmu.

This place is extremely discreet and obscure, and this teleportation formation that was constructed here by our Myriad Ancient Race cannot be used unless its during a crisis. As the years have passed, fewer and fewer people know about it. Where we are now is already outside of the area taken over by the Jiao Chi Race, and its only several days of flight away from the third-largest city of our 13 Heavenly Cloud Races, Cloud City, Jia Tianmu said with a smile.

He then swept a hand through the air, casting an incantation seal onto a gem that was embedded onto a nearby wall.

Spiritual light instantly flashed within the entire hall as a dozen or so locations on the walls lit up in unison, illuminating the entire room.

Han Li inspected his surroundings to find that this hall was only just over 1,000 feet in size, and it had been entirely paved with massive stones that were azure and white in color. It appeared to be quite ordinary and mundane, but the entire place was spotlessly clean. Thus, he nodded, and said in an indifferent manner, It does indeed appear that its been a very long time since someones been here. By the way, this Cloud City seems to be quite an important one to your 13 Heavenly Cloud Races, Ive heard that even the grand elder of your Myriad Ancient Race has arrived there.

Oh? Youre aware of this as well, Fellow Daoist Han? Hehe, not only is Cloud City the third-largest city in the 13 Heavenly Cloud Races, its also been constructed in a very unique manner, so its quite a renowned city. Its also the closest major city to the army deployed by the Jiao Chi Race, and when the true battle finally commences, Cloud City will be where the place where all of the powerful beings of our 13 races will gather, Jia Tianmu explained with a smile.

Thats good to hear. The city must be quite a big one for it to be so renowned. I just so happen to be looking for a large city so I can do some things, Han Li replied in an indifferent manner.

I have a temporary cave abode in Cloud City, so Im technically half a landlord there. If you have something you need to do, just come and find me. I cant guarantee that Ill be able to help you with any overly important tasks, but I should be able to lend you a hand if youre just running a few errands here and there, Jia Tianmu offered.

After witnessing Han Li slay several beings of the same cultivation base as himself so easily, Jia Tianmu had naturally already deduced that Han Li was no ordinary upper race being. As such, even though he had already escaped from the area under the control of the Jiao Chi Race, he still wanted to try and befriend Han Li. Thank you for your kind offer, Fellow Daoist Jia. Perhaps I really will require your assistance with some matters. Han Li made no effort to turn down Jia Tianmus proposal.

Cloud City is currently in quite a sensitive state at the moment, so it wont be easy for beings outside of the 13 Heavenly Cloud Races to enter the city. In particular, itll be difficult to request entry for new faces like you. However, Ive seen you slay several upper race Jiao Chi beings, so I can certainly vouch for you. Hehe, but then again, things will obviously be made a lot easier if you join our Myriad Ancient Race. How about you become a guest member of our race? I have some speaking rights in our Myriad Ancient Race, and I can directly recommend you to our elders. With your powers, youll definitely be held in high regard by our race. On top of that, the benefits youll receive from becoming a guest member of our race are quite exorbitant. If you want to get something done in Cloud City, itll be a lot easier for you as a guest member of the Myriad Ancient Race, Jia Tianmu chuckled. Thank you for the offer, Brother Jai, but I cant guarantee that Ill be staying in Cloud City for long, so Ill consider this matter another time, Han Li replied after a brief pause.

Thats true, we should focus on getting to Cloud City first and consider these matters later. I have a few close friends in the city that I can introduce you to when we get there, Jia Tianmu said in a warm and inviting manner. Han Li nodded in response, but didnt say anything in reply. Thus, the two of them strode out of the teleportation formation and rushed toward the gates of the hall. After pushing open the gates, a bluestone passageway was revealed to them, and the passageway led upward in a winding manner. Han Li and Jia Tianmu instantly transformed into two streaks of light that disappeared into the passageway in a flash.

Moments later, a ball of white light and a streak of azure light flew out of a large mountain, then hurtled into the distance.

He cast his gaze toward the origin of the golden lightning to discover that the long-haired foreign being had already emerged from his golden ball, and that a blue humanoid puppet that was around 20 feet tall had appeared beside him.

The puppet was entirely blue in color, and one of its hands was raised with thin arcs of lightning flashing in between its fingers.

This Jia Tianmu had not only two high-grade puppets, but also a third one that was capable of unleashing Divine Devilbane Lightning! That came as quite a surprise to Han Li. However, he was only caught in a stunned stupor for an instant before flapping his wings and hurtling toward the silver battle ark as a gust of fierce winds. Azure light flashed, and his massive avian body swelled dramatically once again.

Immediately thereafter, the massive birds talons came crashing down upon the battle ark with piercing lightning flashing alongside them.

The talons instantly pierced into the battle ark amid a string of resounding booms, and a massive hole was torn into its silver surface.

The giant bird then opened its cavernous mouth, and a thick bolt of lightning blasted forth, disappearing into the hole in a flash. Lightning flashed, and cries of anguish rang out from within the battle arks as countless Jiao Chi beings were slain in the blink of an eye. However, the giant bird didnt rest there. It flapped its wings downward in a violent manner, and a gust of fierce white winds swept forth.

It then released the massive battle arks, and the latter was swept up by the gale-force winds before plummeting toward the ground. The battle ark crashed onto the ground amid a resounding boom, and the massive bird let loose a long cry before folding its wings away, then shrinking down to its humanoid form amid a flash of azure light. Han Li cast his gaze onto the ground down below, then made a hand seal, and several tens of small azure swords appeared in unison in the surrounding area. The swords tremored before hurtling through the as streaks of azure light, making short work of the ruined battle ark down below.

Han Li then turned his attention to the battle ark that he had previously felled, manipulating his flying swords to destroy that ark as well.

At this moment, the armored warriors and giant falcons in the surrounding area had also almost been completely eradicated by the Weeping Soul Beast and the Leopard Kirin Beast. Only a few fortunate survivors had managed to flee into the extremely far distance, but the rest of their companions had all been slain.

Han Li couldnt be bothered to send his two beasts after those beings, and he merely waved a hand through the air, upon which a black ring whizzed out of his sleeve.

The massive black ape instantly shrank down and disappeared into the black ring as a streak of black light, along with the Leopard Kirin Beast, which also returned as a streak of golden light. Han Li swept a sleeve through the air, and the black ring flew back to him before being stowed away. Only then did Han Li cast his gaze toward the distance where Jia Tianmu was standing, then suddenly flew over to him as a streak of azure light.

After just a single flash, he appeared around 10 feet before Jia Tianmu in a wraith-like manner, then appraised him in a cold and expressionless manner.

Jian Tianmus heart stirred upon seeing this, but he quickly put on a smile before cupping his fist in a grateful salute. Thank you for saving me, Senior, Ill be sure to fulfill my promise and reward you with a sentient puppet once we return to the Myriad Ancient Race.

You sure are brave to have dared to drag me into your mess. Arent you afraid that Ill kill you right now? A hint of killing intent surfaced within Han Lis narrowed eyes.

Surely you jest, Fellow Daoist, if you had intended to do that, Id already be dead. Besides, I only brought you into this matter as I had no alternatives, so I hope youll forgive me, Senior, Jia Tianmu replied with a smile.How did you know I was nearby? In my own opinion, my concealment techniques are quite effective, especially against those of a lower cultivation base than myself, Han Li suddenly asked after a brief silence.

Following a brief hesitation, Jia Tianmu opened his mouth to expel an object, which landed in his hand before he offered it up for Han Lis inspection. Of course I wouldnt have been able to detect your presence on my own, it was all thanks to this thing.

Han Li focused his gaze on the item to find that it was a black and white bead with what appeared to be a series of spiritual Qi vortexes swirling on its surface. Whats this? Han Li found the item to be rather familiar somehow.

Are you unfamiliar with this item, Senior? This Sense Enhancement Bead is a treasure refined from the inner core of a type of a rare spirit beast known as the Nie Beast. It can temporarily enhance ones spiritual sense by about twofold, but after every usage, there will be quite a few after-effects, and the treasure will need to be nurtured within the users body for many years before it recovers. However, its extremely useful in dire situations, Jia Tianmu explained in a truthful manner. Spiritual sense enhancement by twofold? Han Li was stunned to hear this.

If this treasure were able to enhance ones cultivation base by roughly twofold, then he wouldnt be all that surprised. After all, treasures that could be used to temporarily enhance ones power were rare in the Spirit Realm, but not non-existence. However, this was the first time he had heard of something that could enhance ones spiritual sense in the Spirit Realm. Ones spiritual sense normally increased along with their cultivation base as well as the cultivation arts used, so generally speaking, no treasure could affect ones spiritual sense.Sense Enhancement Bead… Nie Beast… Han Li murmured to himself as a peculiar look appeared in his eyes.

Jia Tianmus heart stirred at the sight of Han Lis expression, and he hurriedly added, However, the Nie Beasts required to refine this bead are almost extinct in the Spirit Realm, and once a Sense Enhancement Bead is used, it cant be used by any other person. If one were to forcibly devour a Sense Enhancement Bead that had already previously been used by someone else, they would be driven insane due to their spiritual sense becoming overly chaotic.

I see. Han Li was rather disappointed to hear this, and the hint of killing intent that had just welled up in his heart quickly faded.

However, he still found the black bead to be extremely familiar. In fact, there seemed to be one in his storage bracelet.

Han Li suddenly recalled back to when he had slain that unknown beast in the Devilfall Valley countless years ago. The inner core of that beast was very similar in appearance to this Sense Enhancement Bead. Could it be that the mutant beast from back then was a Nie Beast? A hint of excitement welled up in Han Lis heart as that thought occurred to him.

If he also possessed a Sense Enhancement Bead, then wouldnt he be able to unleash close to twice as many Gold Devouring Beetles as hed normally be capable of? In dire situations against overwhelmingly powerful enemies, hed be able to scare them away with his Gold Devouring Beetles!

Despite these thoughts running through his mind, Han Li didnt ask any further questions about the Sense Enhancement Bead as he didnt want to arouse suspicion from Jia Tianmu. Instead, he glanced at the humanoid puppet beside them, then asked in an indifferent voice, Judging from how intent the Jiao Chi beings were on capturing, you must be no ordinary being, right? How about you introduce yourself first?

Im just an upper race third-tier being who knows a thing or two about puppet refinement, which has earned me a bit of renown in my race, Jia Tianmu replied with a nonchalant smile.Is that so? Your puppet refinement skills must truly be extraordinary for the Jiao Chi Race elders to hold you in such high regard, Han Li mused in an indifferent manner.

Jia Tianmu merely chuckled and refrained from offering a response on this occasion. Instead, he surveyed the surrounding area before a slightly concerned look appeared on his face. Senior, this is not a place that we should linger in. How about you leave with me first before we discuss any other matters?

Hmph, youre right about that, but I have no intention of going with you. From now on, we go our separate ways. Youre such a big target, I dont want to get swept up in your mess a second time, Han Li harrumphed coldly. He then twisted around, and azure light shimmered from his body as he prepared to depart.

Wait! The further ahead you go, the more Jiao Chi beings youll encounter. Even with your powers, it wont be a simple task to escape from this area. I know of a secret teleportation formation that can take us directly out of the area that has been taken over by the Jiao Chi Race, Jia Tianmu hurriedly said with an urgent look on his face.A teleportation formation? Youre not lying to me, are you? The azure light radiating from Han Lis body faded as he turned to Jia Tianmu with a surprised look on his face.

Rest assured, Senior, this is a secret teleportation formation set up solely for special members of the 13 Heavenly Cloud Races like myself. Once we get there, youll be able to immediately ascertain the validity of my claim. If you discover that Im lying, you can do with me as you please, Jia Tianmu replied with a smile. Han Li fell into silent contemplation upon hearing this.

It was indeed the case that hed encountered Jiao Chi Race patrols with increased regularity along his journey. As such, he really was rather unconfident about his chances of being able to escape from this area. If he could use a teleportation formation that would take him away from here, then that would naturally be a very attractive option.

He didnt have any ties with neither the 13 Heavenly Cloud Races nor the Jiao Chi Race, but the violence that the Jiao Chi Race had displayed in slaughtering the entirety of Green Light City indicated to him that even if he were to surrender himself and offer up the jade box, there was no way that they would spare him.

In contrast, it seemed that the 13 Heavenly Cloud Races werent as oppressive toward outsiders, so it would be a good idea to travel to their territory, then slowly try and find a way back to his original continent.

Furthermore, he was carrying two jade boxes that had to be taken care of, and this Jian Tianmu seemed to be quite an important figure in the Myriad Ancient Race, so perhaps hed be able to help in that respect. After contemplating all these matters, Han Li nodded as his expression eased, and he said, Alright, in that case, Ill be happy to come along. Please lead the way, Fellow Daoist Jia.Jia Tianmu was ecstatic to hear this, and he hurriedly expressed his gratitude to Han Li.

The spiritual power within the few types of special spirit stones used in his puppets had been completely exhausted, so there was no way that a third-tier upper race being like him would be able to travel to the place where the teleportation formation was situated on his own. However, with Han Lis protection, he would have a far greater chance of getting to his destination without being captured or killed.

Thus, Jia Tianmu immediately rose up into the air to recover the puppets that had been taken by the Jiao Chi beings, then stowed the humanoid puppet away before flying into the distance, leading the way for Han Li. Two streaks of light, one golden and one azure, disappeared into the distance after just a few flashes.

At this moment, the two pillars of black light and dozen or so yellow streaks of light were also about to strike the gigantic birds body. However, spiritual light suddenly flashed as a crystalline light barrier surfaced from within the birds body.

The pillars and streaks of light faltered initially upon striking the light barrier before being refracted in a completely different direction, thereby missing their target.

The two pillars of black light disappeared into the distance in a flash, but the streaks of yellow light twisted around before hurtling toward the giant bird again. However, the bird merely flapped its wings to sweep up a burst of fierce white winds, and the yellow streaks of light were blown into oblivion. Arcs of lightning then began to flash erratically all over the giant birds body, and it pounced directly toward the midget amid a string of successive thunderclaps. freewebnovel.c

After witnessing Han Li slay the elderly woman before swatting aside his attack with ease, the midgets face instantly turned deathly pale at the sight of the oncoming Han Li. He immediately stomped a foot down onto his silver cloud before flashing through the air as a ball of silver light. In the next instant, he appeared beside the pale-faced being before pointing a finger at the green wooden bowl beside him. The bowl immediately transformed into a green light barrier than shielded his body within.

Meanwhile, the pale-faced being wore a dark expression as he let loose a loud cry. Bursts of black mist immediately erupted from the bracers that he was wearing, and the black mist enshrouded both himself and the midget in the blink of an eye.

The black mist then began to surge in all directions, quickly covering an area with a radius of over 300 feet and continuing to expand outward, showing no signs of stopping. A series of ghostly shadows appeared within the mist amid ghastly howls and unsettling cries. Both the pale-faced being and the midgets auras disappeared within the mist.

At this moment, the giant bird had also changed directions to pursue the midget, and it was greeted by the sight of a sea of black mist. Yin Qi! He almost immediately identified this black mist to be extremely pure Yin Qi. If a normal cultivator were to be caught off guard and ventured into the mist, they would be instantly reduced to a shriveled corpse. However, a peculiar look flashed through Han Lis eyes upon seeing this.

Before the giant bird had even issued any instructions, the Weeping Soul Beast suddenly let loose a cry of excitement. It then thumped its fists into its chest before letting loose a cold harrumph, expelling a vast expanse of yellow light from its nostrils toward the black mist.

The massive bird also let loose a clear cry, and it flapped its wings as the arcs of lightning surging all over its body exploded in unison, transforming into a dazzling ball of lightning.

After the lightning disappeared, a loud thunderclap rang out, following which a bolt of white lightning as thick as a water tank emerged in the air above the sea of black mist.

The giant bird emerged from within the bolt of lightning, then circled around the in the air before swooping down toward the black mist down below. At this moment, the pale-faced being was lurking within the mist while holding a black flag ins his hand, and as opposed to being enraged or alarmed by Han Lis actions, he was ecstatic! He let loose a loud cry before abruptly waving his flag through the air, upon which a vast expanse of black mist surged upward into the air to manifest a black ghostly face that was around an acre in size. The ghostly face was like a living being with green flames flashing in its eye sockets, and it opened its cavernous mouth as it rose up to meet the oncoming bird.

However, right at this moment, the Weeping Soul Beasts soul-devouring lights swept forth.

The ghostly face had only just risen slightly into the air when it let loose a howl of shock and horror as it became embroiled within the yellow light.

The massive face twisted and warped before disintegrating into countless bursts of black Qi that were swept up by the yellow light. Not only that, but the entire sea of black mist down below also began to churn violently in the instant that the yellow light appeared. As the yellow light passed through, the black mist was broken down into countless strands of black threads that then disappeared in a flash.

In the past, the Weeping Soul Beast had been able to combat Yin power, but it wouldve been quite difficult for it to absorb such a vast quantity of Yin Qi at once.

However, following its many evolutions, its soul-devouring light had become far more powerful than it had been in the past. As such, most of the black mist was swept away in virtually the blink of an eye.

Thus, the pale-faced being and the midget that were hiding within the mist were both completely revealed.

The pale-faced being was holding a flag in his hand with an incredulous look on his face, and as soon as the two beings had been exposed, the giant bird lashed out toward them with its massive talons.

Azure light flashed from the birds wings, and it flapped them downward in unison.

Nothing amiss seemed to have taken place as a result, but both the pale-faced being and the midget suddenly felt the air tighten around them, following which an invisible mountainous force crashed down on their shoulders. The pale-faced being possessed the superior cultivation base among the two, thereby allowing him to remain standing, albeit just barely, even in the face of such fearsome pressure.

In contrast, his weaker companion let loose a muffled groan before being forced onto one knee. The azure light barrier around him became extremely warped, and a large section of it above his head had caved in significantly. At the same time, the barrier was shuddering violently, looking as if it could crumble at any moment. The midget was well aware of the immense defensive prowess that his treasure possessed, so he was extremely alarmed by this development.

Despite how much their bodies were being debilitated by this immense pressure, they certainly werent going stand around idly and allow themselves to be killed.

Thus, the pale-faced being forcibly flicked a wrist, and the black flag transformed into a black misty wyrm that rose up into the air. At the same time, black light swirled around his bracers, and a projection flew out from each bracer.

Han Li focused his gaze to discover that this was a pair of malicious ghosts, one red and one green. Both had sinister sets of facial features with twin horns on their heads and bare upper bodies, wearing beasthide garments to conceal their lower bodies. The two ghosts raised their arms in unison, and a swath of black immediately surged forth, close behind the misty wyrm.

Meanwhile, the midget laid a hand onto the top of his own head, and a small white jade sword flew out from within, then transforming into a streak of piercing light that hurtled toward the giant talons crashing down from above. In this dire situation, the two of them seemed to finally be fighting for their lives.

A loud boom erupted up above again, and the silver battle ark suddenly unleashed countless pillars of light again, all of which hurtled directly toward the massive bird.

However, the bird continued to swoop downward, but crystalline light flashed from its body in the process, forming a crystalline shield that flew out of its body.

The shield was initially only around 10 feet in size, but in the instant that it was released, it swelled to become a giant shield that was over 200 feet in size, glittering under the sunlight in a dazzling display.

All of the pillars of light that struck the giant shield were warped and refracted toward another direction, so none of the battle arks attacks were able to land on Han Li. The white jade sword then crashed into the giant birds talons amid a dull thump, only to be repelled with ease.

The talons then closed around the sword like lightning, capturing it in an inescapable grasp that immobilized it no matter how much it struggled.

The talons then clamped down with even greater force, and the flying sword was shattered into several segments amid a crisp crack.

The midget down below immediately let loose a howl of anguish before throwing up several mouthfuls of blood in succession.

Meanwhile, the giant talons continued downward and the grabbed onto the azure light barrier, leaving the midget looking on with sheer horror in his eyes.

However, the azure light barrier really was quite powerful, even after the massive talons had closed around it, it managed to remain intact, even though it was creaking and groaning in an alarming manner.

On the other side, the mist wyrm absorbed the vast expanse of black light into its body, and it suddenly seemed to have attained actual substance. Its previously misty and insubstantial body had grown a layer of glossy black scales, and it let loose a menacing roar as it violently whipped its tail into the massive birds other set of talons. Despite the birds enormous strength, its talons really were kept at bay by the black wyrm.

A hint of surprise flashed through Han Lis eyes upon seeing this, but he then opened his cavernous beak, and a silver ball of flames suddenly shot forth from within. At the same time, the huge beak came pecking down with ferocious might.

Immediately thereafter, the black wyrm was struck by the silver fireball and began to burn in an uncontrollable manner. The black wyrms body then rapidly shrank as if it were being devoured by the silver flames. At this moment, the gigantic birds beak struck the azure light barrier with devastating power. The barrier was already on the brink of destruction, and it was shattered by the beak with ease.

The midget within the shattered barrier no longer had the power to resist, and his body and soul were both crushed into a cloud of blood mist by the giant talons that instantly closed around him.

Meanwhile, the pale-faced being was also in dire straits. After the black wyrm had been shrunk down to around a third of its original size, it was no longer able to withstand the massive birds talons any longer, and was promptly destroyed. Immediately thereafter, the silver flames enveloped the massive talons before sweeping toward the pale-faced being.

The pale-faced beings expression had already changed drastically after witnessing the death of his final companion, and a look of shock and horror finally appeared on his face after witnessing his own treasure failing to withstand his opponents attacks. In his desperation, he gritted his teeth and let loose a long shrill cry. An explosive boom rang out, following which a layer of crimson light surfaced over his body, then swelled to form a ball of light comparable in size to a wagon wheel.

Even the giant talons that were enshrouded in silver flames were repelled by this ball of light, unable to land on their target.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, a faint crimson shadow shot forth from within the crimson light, covering a distance of several hundred feet in a flash, then sped to over 1,000 feet away, taking it not too far away from the remaining battle ark.

With Han Lis spirit eye ability, the crimson shadow naturally didnt escape his notice. As such, he immediately twisted around to give chase.

However, right at this moment, a pillar of golden light suddenly shot forth soundlessly and without any premonition, almost instantly striking the crimson shadow that had just reappeared above the battle ark. Several arcs of golden lightning struck the crimson shadow amid a loud thunderclap, and the shadow let loose a bloodcurdling cry before being reduced to nothingness. Divine Devilbane Lightning! Han Li was quite startled to see this familiar golden lightning.

The group of four conversed casually with one another, and they seemed to all be on good terms with each other. The price that had to be paid to teleport them here was most likely quite a hefty one, and from the sounds of it, there was supposed to be another team teleported to this place as well.

However, due to the fact that one of the battle arks had been destroyed, they were the only ones who had ended up here.

The fact that they had deployed so many Spatial Tempering Stage beings just to pursue a Deity Transformation Stage being further highlighted that the foreign being was no ordinary character.

However, the fact that these beings had managed to identify him right away was rather surprising.

It seemed that the Body Integration Stage being from Green Light City still hadnt given up on him. This made Han Li even more curious about what lay within the two jade boxes that the big-headed being had given to him, they clearly had to be harboring extremely important items for the Body Integration to be so intent on capturing him.

Even as these thoughts were racing through Han Lis mind, he remained completely expressionless. rewebnovel.com

At this moment, the Leopard Kirin Beast and Weeping Soul Beast also returned to Han Lis side, then glowered at the four beings with vicious looks in their eyes.

However, they were also aware that these four beings were far more powerful than the ones theyd slain before, so they didnt rush in headfirst and attack in a reckless manner.

Meanwhile, the pale-faced being turned to Han Li and seemed to be about to say something, but Han Li didnt give him a chance to speak, abruptly sweeping a sleeve toward all four beings instead.

Several tens of azure threads immediately split up into four groups before hurtling toward the four beings like lightning, reaching them in the blink of an eye.

All four of the Spatial Tempering Stage Jiao Chi beings were given a massive fright by this development.

They had witnessed Han Li using those sword threads to slay the armored warriors earlier, yet the speed being displayed by these threads was significantly superior to before, and in their shock and horror, they could only set up defensive measures or take evasive action in a panicked manner.

The pale-faced being swayed and disappeared on the spot amid a plume of white smoke.

Light shimmered from the elderly womans body, conjuring up several identical projections. All of the projections were shattered in a flash by the azure threads, but the woman was nowhere to be found.

The midgets expression changed in the instant that the azure threads came hurtling toward him, and he immediately made a hand seal, upon which a shimmering silver cloud appeared beneath his feet.

The cloud swayed before abruptly carrying him away as a ball of silver light, traveling at a speed that was not inferior by much compared to the azure thread.

Only the giant man chose to remain on the spot and take the azure threads head-on. Red light flashed from his hand, and a massive ax that was around 10 feet in size appeared in his grasp. There were scorching crimson flames burning along the ax, and he positioned it before him like a shield.

The ax had been refined many types of precious fire-attribute materials, thereby granting it immense power and making it just as resolute as top-grade defensive treasures. This was why the man had decided to use it a shield even after witnessing all of the armored warriors being sliced apart like cabbage by the azure threads.

However, as soon as the man raised the massive ax, a burst of azure light flashed, and the ax suddenly became weightless in his hands.

He looked down to discover that his ax had been severed into seven or eight segments by the azure threads in an instant, so he was left holding only a section of its hilt.

Before he even had a chance to make a single sound, he was diced upon into chunks of flesh and blood, even his soul was completely eradicated by the azure threads before it had a chance to escape.

Argh! Fellow Daoist Li! the pale-faced being yelled with shock and fury as he reappeared over 300 feet away.

The midget and the elderly woman had also appeared elsewhere, and both of them were horrified by what they saw.

They were aware that Han Li was far more powerful than his cultivation base suggested, but they didnt think that one of their companions would be killed in virtually the blink of an eye!

However, before the three of them had a chance to try and avenge their fallen comrade, the azure threads flashed and surged toward them again.

After witnessing just how fearsome these azure threads were in person, the three beings naturally didnt dare to try and keep them at bay with their treasures. As such, they were forced to unleash their movement techniques and take evasive measures once again.

Thus, the three Spatial Tempering Stage beings were forced to flee for their lives, seemingly completely powerless in the face of Han Lis domineering might.

As for Han Li himself, he merely stood expressionlessly on the spot, manipulating his sword threads to hunt down his three opponents.

Right at this moment, a resounding boom suddenly erupted in the air above.

Immediately thereafter, a vast expanse of white light appeared overhead, following which hundreds of pillars of white light came raining down from above.

The operators of the remaining battle ark could see that the three Spatial Tempering Stage beings had been forced firmly onto the back foot, and they were using the battle ark to provide them with some assistance.

Han Li looked up at the oncoming pillars of light through narrowed eyes, and he made no effort to try and evade.

Thus, his body was completely inundated by white light amid a rumbling boom.

The azure threads that were hunting down the three Spatial Tempering Stage beings seemed to have been impacted as a result, and they suddenly ceased in their pursuit.

All three beings heaved a sigh of relief in unison, and only then did they stop in mid-air before hurriedly summoning a few treasures.

The elderly woman raised a hand to release a shimmering golden piece of artwork, depicting an extremely complex golden formation.

The midget opened his mouth to expel a green wooden bowl, and at the same time, a dozen or so yellow darts flew out of his hand before revolving around his body.

Meanwhile, the pale-faced being rubbed his hands together, and a pair of glossy black bracers appeared on his forearms. Both of the bracers were covered in complex and intricate patterns, giving them quite a mysterious and intriguing appearance.

Even after summoning their treasures, the three of them still wore tense expressions as they looked on at the vast expanse of white light in the distance. They were not naive enough to believe that Han Li would be killed so easily.

All of a sudden, an earsplitting boom erupted from within the white light, following which azure light flashed, and a massive bird erupted from within.

In the beginning, the bird was only several tens of feet in size, but its body instantly swelled to around 700 to 800 feet in size amid a flash of spiritual light.

The colossal bird flapped its wings and transformed into a gust of fierce winds that appeared above the elderly womans head in the next instant.

A rumbling thunderclap rang out as countless arcs of white lightning that were as thick as large bowls surfaced over the birds body. Its gargantuan talons came crashing down amid the flashing lightning, and before they had even descended upon their target, a mountainous burst of spiritual pressure had already struck her.

Look out!

Both the pale-faced being and the midget were quite alarmed to see this.

The pale-faced being lashed out from afar, and ghostly howls rang out from his bracers as two pillars of black light hurtled through the air.

Meanwhile, the dozen or so yellow darts circling around the midgets body also shot forth as streaks of yellow light. Both of them were trying to stop Han Li in his tracks.

At this point, theyd all realized that theyd severely underestimated Han Lis power, and that he was not an opponent any one of them could face on their own.

Thus, they were absolutely petrified and were doing everything they could to avoid being divided and conquered.

As soon as the immense spiritual pressure emanating from Han Lis pair of massive talons dawned on the elderly woman, her face instantly turned deathly pale.

The massive bird was flying toward her far too quickly for her to evade, and in her desperation, she could only grit her teeth before expelling a mouthful of blood essence onto the artwork before her.

The ball of blood essence instantly exploded into a cloud of blood mist that was immediately absorbed by the artwork, and almost at the exact same moment, a ball of dazzling golden light erupted from the artwork, following which the golden formation inscribed upon it shot forth from within. The formation swelled to over 100 feet in size in a flash, then rose up rapidly into the air.

The giant bird completely disregarded the oncoming pillars of black light and streaks of yellow light, clamping down with single-minded ferocity onto the golden formation with its huge talons.

An explosive boom rang out as white arcs of lightning intertwined with golden light to conjure up a spectacular lights show. The surrounding space exploded as a result of the clash, causing everything in the nearby area to twist and warp.

The massive bird remained completely unscathed in spite of that explosion, but the elderly womans face instantly paled as she let loose a pained groan within the golden formation, then threw up a mouthful of blood.

Thankfully for her, the golden formation had managed to just barely keep the oncoming talons at bay.

However, before she even had a chance to heave a sigh of relief, a cold light flashed through the giant birds eyes, and it sent its other set of talons hurtling downward as well.

The elderly womans heart immediately sank upon seeing this. In the face of Han Lis devastating attack, she could only open her mouth and expel another mouthful of blood essence onto the golden formation up above.

The formation expanded slightly in size as a result, and she could only hope that it would be powerful enough to withstand Han Lis attacks.

She only had to keep him at bay for a short while before her companions would be able to swoop in and reinforce her.

Despite how powerful Han Li was, there was still a good chance that the three of them would be able to kill him if they were to combine their powers.

The woman had made the right decision under the current circumstances, but she had still underestimated the power of Han Lis Kun Peng Transformation.

Among the five transformations of the 12 Awakening Transformations that Han Li had mastered, the Kun Peng Transformation was the one he was most proficient in.

Furthermore, he had also absorbed four other true spirit bloods that further enhanced his body, thereby significantly bolstering the power of Kun Peng Transformation. In his current state, he was no less powerful than the spirit birds who had inherited the bloodline of the Kun Peng.

Just as the giant birds talons were about to strike the golden formation, a cold light flashed through its eyes, and it suddenly opened its mouth to unleash an extraordinarily thick bolt of lightning.

The bolt of lightning struck the golden formation first, causing the latter to tremor violently. Right at this moment, the other set of talons also struck the formation amid an earthshattering boom.

The golden light emanating from the formation only flashed a few times before it was torn apart by the pair of giant talons as if it were nothing more than a frail rag.

The woman was petrified upon seeing this, yet before she had a chance to unleash any other abilities, one of the massive talons flashed through the air, instantly splitting her body into several sections, and her dismembered remains plummeted from the air above amid a rain of fresh blood.