Автор: sergey

Han Lis heart jolted upon hearing this. Even though hed already suspected this to be the case, the mans question clearly indicated that they were still situated in the infernal river.

Han Li paused for a moment to prepare a response before replying, The two of us were forced to enter the infernal river with those intruders. Thankfully, we were able to escape from them, and it would be nothing short of disastrous for us if we were to encounter them again.

Han Lis reply was a little ambiguous, but the elderly man merely nodded in a nonchalant manner as he said, You dont have to worry about offending me. Im only residing here as I made a deal with the elders of the Mayfly Race, so as long as this space isnt under threat, I wont do anything to intervene. However, Im rather interested in those intruders, seeing as they were able to enter the infernal river through another space and defeat all of the puppets stationed here by the Mayfly Race. They must be quite powerful in their own respects, right?

Your wisdom is unmatched, Senior! All of them are demon monarchs at the mid-Body Integration Stage or late-Body Integration Stage, so theyre certainly all immensely powerful, Han Li replied with a wry smile.

Those people mustve forced you here because they want to make use of your Divine Devilbane Lightning. Seeing as theyve already secured the Divine Infernal River Elixir yet still arent willing to release you, then they must also intend to raid the devilish tomb. Hmph, their greed will spell their deaths! the elderly man chuckled coldly with a derisive sneer on his face.

Is there something wrong with the devilish tomb, Senior? Han Li asked carefully.

Very much so! Those intruders are in for a nasty surprise once they enter the area where the devilish artifacts are being stored. Not long ago, one of the devilish artifacts there managed to cultivate a human form and devoured all of the other devilish artifacts, thereby attaining a paramount devilish body. Even I wouldnt be able to defeat that thing, let alone those intruders. In fact, they may not even be able to escape alive, the elderly man explained with a hint of a smile on his face.

Paramount devilish body! Han Lis lips twitched upon hearing this.

If he recalled correctly, that was the peak of cultivation that all devilish cultivators strove toward.

That thing is hidden in the deepest part of the devilish Qi within the devilish tomb and is focused wholeheartedly on cultivation, so without your Divine Devilbane Lightning, those demon monarchs may not even be able to get to it. Of course, if theyre too stubborn and insist on infuriating that thing, then that would be a whole different story. By the way, the two you have another companion, right? the elderly man suddenly asked.

I have a junior martial sister who was separated from us. How do you know of this, Senior? Yan Li hurriedly replied.

Aside from the two of you, there was someone else who was also swept here by my Seven Gates Yin Locking Formation. However, shes elsewhere at the moment, but Im guiding her over to this place, so youll be able to reunite with her soon, the elderly man replied.

Thank you, Senior! Ive been so worried about her this entire time! Yan Li was overjoyed.

Han Li hesitated momentarily before asking, Senior Jiang, why did your Seven Gates Yin Locking Formation draw us to this place?

I used the power of the formation to set up a few measures in the places within the infernal river where Yin Qi most frequently erupts, and that allows me to easily gauge the level of Yin Qi in the entire infernal river. In doing so, I can prevent extreme imbalances or excessive Yin Qi from erupting in this infernal, thereby causing this entire space to collapse. The three of you were drawn here as you just so happened to be situated close to the Spirit Devouring Mist right as I was activating the formation, the elderly man explained with a smile.

I see. Han Li was enlightened upon hearing this.

He actually wanted to ask about the relationship between the black mist, this space, and the Rahu Beast, but he decided against it in the end.

He didnt stand to gain anything from this knowledge, and asking too many questions about this space could irk the elderly man, so it simply wasnt worth it.

Just as they were conversing with one another, azure light suddenly flashed from the stone face on one side of the hall, and another passageway appeared there.

A lithe and graceful beauty then emerged from within amid a cloud of Yin Qi.

It was none other than Yuan Yao.

In the instant that she appeared in this space, she wore an alert and wary expression, but that quickly gave way to surprise and elation as she caught sight of Han Li and Yan Li.

Brother Han, Senior Martial Sister Yan, Im so glad to see you two! Yuan Yao immediately flew over to the two of them with a wide smile on her face.

Another cultivator using a ghost Dao cultivation art, I see. Hmm, actually, its a little strange… A bewildered look suddenly appeared in the elderly mans eyes as he appraised Yuan Yao.

Yuan Yao glanced at the elderly man with a perplexed look. She was unable to ascertain his cultivation base, but she knew that he was an unfathomably powerful being. However, the words that were coming out of his mouth were quite puzzling to her.

Han Li and Yan Li also exchanged a confused glance.

With this elderly mans fearsome cultivation base, what about Yuan Yao could draw such a strong reaction from him?

Right at this moment, a thought seemed to have occurred to the elderly man, and he pointed a finger toward Yuan Yao with an elated look on his face.

A beam of azure light flashed through the air from his fingertip, disappearing into Yuan Yaos body before Han Li and the others could even react.

Argh!

Yuan Yao was given a massive fright and hurriedly adopted a defensive stance while assessing her own internal condition at the same time.

Yuan Yao immediately hurried over to stand beside Yuan Yao as the two of them stared at the elderly man with wary expressions on their faces. If it werent for the fact that theyd stand no chance in a battle against this man, perhaps they wouldve attacked in a fit of rage already.

Meanwhile, Han Li merely narrowed his eyes as he remained standing on the spot.

If the elderly man truly bore ill will toward them, then theyd already be dead. At the very least, he couldnt sense any animosity coming from him at the moment. However, as a safety precaution, Han Li still reflexively tightened his grip around the lightning beads and spirit beast bracelet that were hidden up his sleeve.

Sure enough, the elderly man soon said, Theres no need to be alarmed, Fellow Daoists, I was merely casting an experimental incantation seal to verify my suspicions. The incantation seal wont harm this fellow Daoist in any way.

An experiment? What could you be experimenting with me, Senior? This is the first time Ive ever met you! Yuan Yao was still feeling extremely uneasy.

However, the elderly man simply ignored her before making a hand seal, and Yuan Yao was alarmed to find that her dantian had suddenly heated up slightly.

Before she had a chance to say anything, a layer of dark green light suddenly appeared over her face, following which leaf-like patterns surfaced over her glabella cheeks.

What is that? Yan Li exclaimed as she caught sight of the patterns that had appeared on Yuan Yaos face.

However, Yuan Yao was completely oblivious to the patterns that had surfaced over her glabella, so she was rather perplexed by Yan Lis alarmed reaction.

As expected, you really do possess the Heavenly Yin Physique. Ive yet to find one after all my years of searching, yet just as Im about to give up, one is delivered right to my doorstep! Thankfully, its not too late, theres still just enough time! The elderly man suddenly burst into ecstatic laughter.

Yan Li and Yuan Yao were both slightly fearful of the elderly mans seemingly deranged reaction, and they reflexively took a few steps backward as they turned to Han Li for help.

Han Lis brows furrowed as he asked, I daresay that Im fairly knowledgeable, but Ive never heard of this Heavenly Yin Physique, would you be able to elaborate on it, Senior Jiang?

My apologies, Ive been looking for someone with a Heavenly Yin Physique for countless years, so my emotions got the better of me there. The Heavenly Yin Physique isnt a concept from our human race. Instead, its a special constitution renowned in the Chang Yuan Race, so its no surprise that you havent heard of it. This constitution doesnt provide any benefits when using human cultivation arts, but some immensely powerful cultivation arts of the Chang Yuan Race can only be used by someone with such a physique. However, beings who fit this criterion are extremely rare, even in the Chang Yuan Race, and its even rare among other races. At the very least, Ive spent close to 10,000 years searching for one, all to no avail. Fellow Daoist Yuan, right? Would you be willing to become my disciple? the elderly man suddenly asked with a smile.

Yuan Yao stunned upon hearing this.

You want to take Junior Martial Sister Yuan as your disciple, Senior? Yan Li was also completely flabbergasted.

Indeed, but rest assured, I bear no ill will. Truth be told, Id like to take Fellow Daoist Yuan as my disciple so she can cultivate an ability that can only be used by those with her constitution, and with the assistance of that ability, Ill have at least a 70% chance of transcending my next heavenly tribulation. In fact, if Im fortunate, I could perhaps even transcend the tribulation after that. With two heavenly tribulations worth of time, I can make further advancements in my cultivation, and it wont be impossible for me to progress to the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, the elderly man said in an earnest voice as his smile faded.

Tribulation Transcendence Stage? Could it be that youre a Grand Ascension Stage cultivator? Yuan Yao drew a sharp breath in astonishment.

Hehe, Ive been an early-Grand Ascension cultivator ever since over 10,000 years ago. How about it? If I wanted to accept a disciple, countless high-grade cultivators would flock to my cave abode just for a chance to be considered by me, the elderly man said in a proud manner.

Yan Li was truly dumbstruck by this point.

Han Li had already suspected this to be the case, but hearing the elderly man admit this himself still made his throat run dry.

This was the first every Grand Ascension cultivator Han Li had encountered since ascending to the Spirit Realm.

Yuan Yao forced herself to calm down before asking in a hesitant voice, It would of course be a great honor for me to become your disciple, Senior, but this is all a bit too sudden. May I please have some time to discuss this matter with Fellow Daoist Han and Senior Martial Sister Yao?

Hehe, looks like I was in too much of a hurry. Of course you can discuss this matter with your companions. How about this? You can stay in my cave abode and rest for a while, then give me an answer within three days, the elderly man said with a confident stroke of his beard.

Han Li and Yan Li were both startled to hear this elderly voice, and the two of them exchanged a bewildered glance.

Lets go, this mans far too powerful for us to oppose. According to the wisps of spiritual sense Id imbued my spirit insects with, his cultivation base is beyond that of even the demon monarchs. Even though Han Li was feeling quite uneasy, he still put on a calm facade.

Han Lis calm and collected demeanor as quite a soothing sight for Yan Li, and she nodded in response.

Thus, the two of them slowly drifted over to the entrance of the cave.

The passageway on the mountain face wasnt very large, and nor was it special in any way, it was merely a square entrance paved with ordinary bluestone.

After flying into the passageway for over 1,000 feet, the two of them arrived in an antiquated hall with fine white sand all over the floor.

The hall was over 1,000 feet in size, yet in such a cavernous space, there were only a few items of furniture. Aside from a few tables and chairs, there were only several pots of strange plants situated in the corners of the hall.

These plants were each no more than a foot tall, but Han Li could smell their essence even from afar. Just the scents emitted by these few potted plants in the hall alone made him feel as if he were situated within a lush forest.

At the very center of the hall was a chair, on which sat a grey-robed elderly man.

The man possessed a mundane appearance with his meter-long beard his only noteworthy facial feature, and he was also looking back at Han Li and Yan Li.

You two are humans! the elderly man said in a slightly surprised voice.

Han Lis heart jolted upon hearing this, and he bowed slightly as he replied. I see that Senior knows of our human race. May I ask for your name, Senior?

Hehe, I dont just know of the human race, Im a human myself. As for my former name, theres no need to mention it. You may refer to be as Senior Jiang, the elderly man chuckled, and a benevolent light appeared in his eyes as he looked Han Li and Yan Li.

What? Youre a human as well, Senior? Yan Li exclaimed in shock.

Why? Is it really strange that Im a human? the elderly man chuckled.

Of course not. Its just that we didnt expect to see one of our brethren so far away from the human territories, Han Li hurriedly explained.

The elderly man before them was truly an unfathomably powerful being whom they couldnt afford to offend.

I hail from the human race, but my current body is no longer the one I originally possessed. Instead, I managed to obtain the body of an extremely rare Chang Yuan Race being by chance. These beings are proficient in all types of abilities, and they are endowed with several incredible abilities from birth, each and every one of which are far beyond even the most prodigious cultivators of our human race, the elderly man said in a slow voice as he inspected his own hands. freewenvel.com

Han Li had never heard of this Chang Yuan Race, but this elderly mans appearance and voice were exactly the same as that of a human.

Thus, a peculiar look appeared in Han Lis eyes.

Theres no need to be perplexed, my current appearance is still the same as it was back when I possessed a human body. It took me a lot of effort to refine this Chang Yuan Race body to perfectly resemble my former body, the elderly man explained.

The process being described by the elderly man was an unimaginable one to Han Li, yet the man was speaking about it as if it had been a relatively simple feat. This made Han Li even more awestruck by the mans unfathomable powers, and he said in a respectful voice, Please forgive us for our ignorance, Senior!

Come to think of it, ever since I left the human race all those years ago, Ive never returned once, so Im rather interested to hear what the human race is like now. Would you two be willing to tell me about it? the elderly man asked in a pleasant voice.

Well be sure to tell you everything we know, Senior, Han Li immediately replied after exchanging a glance with Yan Li.

The elderly man chortled with elation as he rubbed his hands together, and said, Great! I wonder how many of my past friends and acquaintances from the human race are still alive.

After that, the elderly man paused momentarily as he appraised Han Li and Yan Li, and a hint of surprise appeared on his face.

The two of you dont possess any exceptional cultivation bases, yet the cultivation arts youre using are quite interesting. One of you is a semi-ghostly being, its been over 10,000 years since Ive seen someone adopt such a cultivation path. As for you, your magic power is quite diverse, you possess a hint of devilish nature, and your body is extraordinarily powerful for a being of your cultivation base. Youre either using several types of cultivation arts at once or walking the path of simultaneous cultivation, the elderly man mused in an absentminded voice, but his words struck Han Li and Yan Li like a bolt of lightning.

Yan Lis face paled slightly, and Han Lis expression also changed drastically. The two of them had been laid completely bare before the elderly man after just a single glance!

Han Li forcibly repressed the astonishment in his heart and forced a smile onto his face, yet just as he was about to say something, golden light flashed in the elderly mans eyes as he uttered a faint cry of surprise.

He then waved a hand toward Han Li, and before Han Li had figured out what he was doing, the 72 Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords in his body suddenly tremored in unison. Immediately thereafter, they were forced out of his body by a burst of enormous suction force.

Han Li was stunned by this development, and grey light instantly erupted alongside golden arcs of lightning at the same to form a protective barrier around himself as he exclaimed, What is the meaning of this, Senior? Have I offended you in any way?

At the same time, azure light flashed within one of his sleeves, and a dozen or so lightning beads fell soundlessly into his hands.

Meanwhile, black light flashed from his other hand as he summoned the spirit beast bracelet that was filled with Gold Devouring Beetles.

He had a large number of treasures in his possession, but only those two things could assist him in this situation.

The elderly man completely ignored Han Li as he inspected the 72 shimmering golden swords in the air. As he did so, a peculiar look appeared on his face, and he murmured to himself, From the style and refinement methods, it appears that these are indeed Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords, and there just so happen to be exactly 72 of them as well. The color isnt quite right, so you mustve added something to them. Oh? So you refined these swords using Golden Lightning Bamboo, you sure are a wealthy man! Even I wouldnt be able to gather so much Golden Lightning Bamboo…

Han Li was naturally quite surprised to hear the elderly man identify the Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords. All of a sudden, an incredible thought occurred to him, and he was completely rooted to the spot.

After a while, the elderly man heaved a faint sigh and withdrew his gaze from the 72 swords before closing his eyes.

Almost at the exact same moment, Han Li regained control over his swords, and he immediately made a hand seal, upon which all of the swords disappeared into his body in a flash.

He then appraised the elderly man with a peculiar expression and fell completely silent.

Yan Li could sense that there was something amiss as a bewildered look appeared on her face, but she wisely chose not to say anything.

After a while, the elderly man opened his eyes again and turned to Han Li with a smile as he said, Hehe, looks like the Azure Essence Sword Art I left in the human world fell into your hands. You must be a cultivator who ascended to the Spirit Realm from the human world, right? I wasnt able to perfect this sword art, yet you were still able to refine all 72 Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords as your bonded treasures and infuse Golden Lightning Bamboo into them. Thats quite a remarkable feat.

The elderly man clicked his tongue in wonder as he spoke, and he was appraising Han Li as if he were some kind of precious treasure.

I did indeed come into possession of the Azure Essence Sword Art, and its also true that Im an ascended cultivator. So that means you really are Senior Qing Yuan Zi! Han Li faltered slightly before extending another respectful bow.

The Azure Essence Sword Art had been the main cultivation art he had used throughout his time in the human world, so he was naturally awestruck now that he was seeing Qing Yuanzi in person.

Qing Yuanzi? I kind of am, I guess. To be accurate, Im only half a Qing Yuanzi. The elderly man smiled in response.

Half? Han Li didnt know what to make of that bizarre statement.

Back when Qing Yuanzi was traveling the other continents, he was attacked by several powerful enemies at once. He managed to survive the battle, but his physical body was destroyed, and his soul was also on the brink of falling apart. In that dire situation, he encountered a Chang Yuan being, and he forcibly took over that beings body, then fused their souls together in order to repair his own soul. Hence, half of my memories belong to Qing Yuanzi while the other half belongs to that Chang Yuan being. Thats why I was able to progress so rapidly in my cultivation and scale to these heights, so its not entirely incorrect to call me Qing Yuanzi, the elderly man explained.

Han Li blinked in a speechless manner upon hearing this.

Back when I obtained the body of this Chang Yuan being, I wasnt able to inherit all of Qing Yuanzis memories, but I retained all of his memories about the Azure Essence Sword Art. By infusing Golden Lightning Bamboo into your swords, youve created the ideal wood-attribute flying swords. Its a pity that you were too impatient later on and refined it with a bunch of other materials, thereby making the spiritual nature of these swords so chaotic. Otherwise, youd have forged a far stronger connection between your heart and your swords, and youd be able to dominate all beings of the same cultivation base with just a set of flying swords alone. Hehe, back in the day, Qing Yuanzi didnt have any treasures other than his Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords, yet he was able to defeat Spatial Tempering Stage beings at just the Deity Transformation Stage, and after reaching the Spatial Tempering Stage himself, he was feared even by Body Integration cultivators, the elderly man said in a wistful voice.

Han Li stroked his chin as a wry smile appeared on his face.

Perhaps this elderly man was right, but back when he was in the human world, he was constantly in severe danger, so how could he not have been impatient?

In reality, with his current powers and abilities, he could also easily defeat Spatial Tempering Stage beings, and after reaching the Spatial Tempering Stage himself, hed be quite confident in his chances against Body Integration Stage beings.

Of course, he couldnt say that to rebuke the elderly man, so he could only feign a slightly awkward expression.

In any case, you inherited the Azure Essence Sword Art, and I possessed close to half of Qing Yuanzis memories, so it can be said that we have an affinity with one another. Let me ask you something, and be honest with your reply, did you two come into the infernal river with those intruders? The elderly mans voice suddenly turned quite cold and forbidding at the end.

In the instant that the black lightning struck Han Li, he felt his surroundings blur before he was teleported away amid a rush of dizziness.

Thankfully, he was extremely familiar with teleportation at this point, and as soon as he reappeared, he forcibly suppressed his vertigo and discomfort as he made a hand seal to revert back to his human form.

Grey light then erupted from his body, instantly creating a protective barrier around himself, as well as Yan Li, who was still yet to return to her senses.

Only then did he carefully inspect his surroundings, upon which he discovered that they were situated on a tall platform constructed from beautiful jade.

There were a dozen or so azure stone pillars around the platform, all of which were extremely intricately carved with countless runes flashing over their surfaces.

This platform was a small spell formation.

As these stone pillars flashed, a film of murky white light was created, enshrouding the entire platform beneath it. Outside the light barrier was a vast expanse of black mist that made it impossible to see what was going on outside.

Thankfully, all of the mist had been kept out by the barrier.

Han Lis brows furrowed upon seeing this.

Brother Han, what is this place? Yan Li finally recovered from her rush of dizziness, and her face paled slightly as she took in her surroundings.

Looks like weve been teleported elsewhere by the ghostly mist. Han Li was quite calm in comparison.

Does that mean were no longer in the infernal river? Yan Li was elated to hear this.

Im not so sure about that. Judging from the teleportation experience Ive accrued in the past, that didnt seem like long-distance teleportation across realms to me, so we should still be in the infernal river, Han Li replied with a shake of his head.

Yan Li was quite disappointed to hear this, but a thought then suddenly occurred to her, and her expression changed drastically as she exclaimed, Junior Martial Sister Yuan is outside out of the black mist, and she hasnt been teleported here! Doesnt that mean weve been separated from her?

Not to worry, Fellow Daoist Yan, with Fairy Yuans resourcefulness, shell be fine even if shes on her own. What we have to focus on is determining where we are first. As long as were all still in the infernal river, it shouldnt be a difficult task to find Fellow Daoist Yuan again, Han Li said in a calm voice.

Yan Lis anxious expression eased slightly upon hearing this, and she said, Apologies for letting my emotions get the better of me there, Brother Han. Its just that Ive very rarely ever been separated from my junior martial sister, so this is quite a jarring experience for me.

Its alright, Im glad to see that you and Fellow Daoist Yuan share such a close bond. However, we have to address the predicament that were in at the moment first before we can worry about her, Han Li replied with a wry smile before making his way over to one of the nearby stone pillars.

He glanced at the runes on the pillar through narrowed eyes before casting his gaze out of the light barrier as a faint blue light flashed through his eyes.

The black mist around here was quite dense, but Han Li was still able to pierce through it with his spirit eyes to assess their surroundings.

Hmm? Han Lis expressions suddenly changed slightly.

What do you see, Brother Han? Yan Li made her way over to him with a concerned look on her face.

Aside from this platform that were situated on, there are six other platforms just like this one in a circular formation nearby. Also, we appear to be in the belly of a mountain, Han Li replied in a slow voice.

The belly of a mountain? If we still havent left the infernal river, then who wouldve constructed these things here? Yan Li murmured to herself as she furrowed her brows.

Thats too difficult for us to speculate about. What I want to know is how this being was able to control the ghostly mist to teleport us here. Perhaps theyre somehow related to the Rahu Beast, Han Li mused.

We wont be able to find any answers if we keep taking shots in the dark like this, we have to get out of this place first, Yan Li sighed.

Of course. We dont know whether the owner of this place harbors ill will toward us. It looks like were being protected by this barrier, but it can also be said that weve been confined in a prison of sorts. Our top priority is indeed to get away from here. I just had a look at the runes on the pillars, yet theyre extremely profound. At the very least, with my knowledge base in spell formations, I was unable to understand most of the runes, so well have to break out of this place using brute force, Han Li decided as he stroked his chin.

Is that so? Ive also done some research into the art of spell formations, so let me have a look as well. Yan Li seemed to be rather confident in herself.

Oh? It would naturally be best if you could break this formation here. Han Li faltered upon hearing this before stepping away from the pillar with a smile.

Yan Li immediately strode toward the pillar and began inspecting it with rapt focus, seemingly completely absorbed by the runes on the pillar.

Meanwhile, Han Li clasped his hands behind his back as he made his way around the light barrier, trying to search for any alternative ways out.

Around 10 minutes later, Yan Li exhaled as she withdrew her gaze, then turned to Han Li with a forced smile on her face. This restriction is indeed far more profound than any Ive encountered in the past, so I wont be able to help out here.

Thats alright, Ill try my flying swords. Han Li seemed to have predicted that this would be the verdict, and he swept a sleeve through the air, upon which a small golden sword shot forth from within.

The flying sword then transformed into a shimmering golden longsword that was around three feet in length.

Go.

Han Li pointed directly at the white light barrier up ahead, and the golden longsword flew through the air before striking the light barrier with ferocious might.

White and golden light flashed amid a dull thump, following which the golden longsword was repelled with ease.

Han Lis expression changed drastically as he hurriedly pointed a finger toward the flying sword to stabilize it in mid-air. freweovel.co

He had guessed that this light barrier would be quite resolute, but not to such an extent that his Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Sword wouldnt even be able to leave so much as a single scratch on it.

Yan Li also wore a surprised expression upon seeing this, and she immediately opened her mouth to expel a black banana leaf fan, which she waved toward the light barrier with all her might.

Inky-black flames surged through the air, only to repelled once again the same manner as the golden sword, while the light barrier remained completely unscathed.

How is this restriction so powerful? Han paused momentarily before raising an arm to reveal pitch-black hand.

He spread open his five fingers before pressing his hand flat against the light barrier, then unleashing a powerful burst of grey light.

The seemingly indestructible light barrier began to emit a low ringing sound as the grey light swept over it, following which ripples began to appear on its surface.

A faint smile appeared on Han Lis face upon seeing this.

It was just as hed expected, as long as this restriction contained any five-elemental power, then there was no way that the Divine Essencefused Light wouldnt be able to do anything to it.

With that in mind, Han Li began to circulate his magic power, and the grey light surging from his palm became more and more dazzling while the white light barrier began to termor more violently.

The entire light barrier began to warp and twist with Han Lis hand at the epicenter.

Yan Lis eyes widened with surprise and elation upon seeing this.

Shed seen Han Li unleash his Divine Essencefused Light on multiple occasions, so she was aware of just how powerful it was, but she didnt think that itd be so effective against restrictions as well.

Moments later, a dull thump rang out as the light barrier was finally twisted to the point of shattering by the Divine Essencefused Light.

The black mist outside immediately swept toward the white jade platform as a result.

Han Li immediately transformed into his bird form again before rising into the air. Yan Li was also well prepared as she injected her magic power into the azure feather, conjuring up a ball of azure light around her before ascending toward Han Li.

Han Li had already assessed their surroundings using his spirit eyes, so after adopting his bird form, he immediately flew toward a certain direction in the mist without any hesitation.

After a few flashes, his eyes lit up at the sight of the azure and yellow barrier up ahead.

This barrier was an extremely simple one, so he immediately crashed through it without adopting any defensive measures.

The barrier was easily shattered by his massive bird body, and he descended onto a patch of rocky land on the other side of the barrier before reverting back to his human form.

Yan Li also flew through the barrier behind him in hot pursuit, then landed beside Han Li.

Han Li hurriedly turned around to discover that the azure and yellow barrier behind them had sealed over in the blink of an eye, keeping out the black mist that was trying to seep into the area.

Only then did Han Li heave an internal sigh of relief.

Right at this moment, Yan Li exclaimed, Brother Han, theres someone over there! Should we go and have a look?

Han Lis heart stirred upon hearing this before he hurriedly turned toward the direction that Yan Li was pointing toward.

Several hundred feet away from them, there was a shimmering white passageway situated on a bluestone face, and Han Li raised his eyebrows as he took a closer look.

Only then did he realize that there were standing atop a platform on a steep mountain face, and the jade platforms hed seen earlier was situated at the foot of the mountain.

Instead of making his way over to the passageway in the mountain face, Han Li paused momentarily before flicking two fingers through the air.

Two specks of golden light flew out of his sleeve before transforming into a pair of fist-sized golden beetles, which then flew toward the opening of the passageway.

Meanwhile, Han Li sat down onto the ground with his legs crossed and his eyes closed.

Yan Li knew that Han Li was sending those beetles into the cave as scouts, so she also waited patiently nearby.

After a while, Han Lis face suddenly paled as he abruptly opened his eyes and sprang to his feet.

This is bad! Theres someone with an unfathomable cultivation base in that cave, my spirit insects have been captured!

As soon as Han Lis voice trailed off, an elderly voice rang out around them from all directions.

I was wondering who had broken my Seven Gates Yin Locking Formation, turns out Ive got some guests. Seeing as youre here, why not come in and have a chat with me?

Han Li pondered the question for a moment before replying, My Kun Peng transformation technique does indeed come from the Tian Peng Race, but Im not sure why Im immune to the effect of this mist after taking on this form. I considered this question on my way back and came up with a theory, but Im not sure if its a reliable one.

You can tell us what you think, Brother Han, theres no need to keep secrets from us, Yan Li chuckled.

A slightly awkward look appeared on Han Lis face before he continued, Seeing as the two of you once cultivated in the Umbra Realm of the human world for so many, youre most likely aware of some of the legends surrounding that place.

Are you referring to legends of the Netherworld and the Rahu Beast, Brother Han? Yuan Yao asked as her expression changed slightly.

Indeed. The Netherworld has always been the stuff of legends, and no one has actually been able to verify its existence, but I witnessed the Rahu Beast in person in the human world once. Even though I only saw an extremely tiny portion of the beast, the phenomenon that it triggered with its emergence was very similar to the ghostly mist leading to the Umbra Realm, Han Li replied.

So youre saying the Unbrea Realm of the human world is actually the body of the Rahu Beast? Yuan Yaos mouth gaped open in astonishment.

I dont have any other evidence to support that notion, but I think its very much possible. The true spirit Kun Peng is the mortal enemy of the Rahu Beast, so perhaps Im able to draw upon some of the Kun Pengs power after adopting my Kun Peng form. If the mist here really does have something to do with the ghostly mist of the human world, then everything would make sense, Han Li speculated.

Could it be that this so-called infernal river is the body of the Rahu Beast? In that case, why is the mist here slightly different from the ghostly mist in the human world? Yan Li asked with her brows furrowed in confusion.

Han Li didnt give a direct answer to this. Instead, he smiled and responded with a question of his own. Are you under the impression that this Rahu is the same as the Rahu of the human world?

Are you saying that these are two different Rahu Beasts? That does explain the differences in the mists. Its said that the Rahu Beast is unfathomably massive and is capable of devouring celestial bodies like the sun and the moon. This infernal river is clearly far larger than the Umbra Realm, so we must be inside the body of a Rahu Beast thats far larger than the one in the human world! Yan Lis face paled slightly as that realization dawned on her.

Thats probably not the extent of it. Han Li shook his head with a grim expression.

Oh? Do you have something else to add, Brother Han? Yuan Yao asked with a curious expression.

The mist in this place feels quite dead in comparison to the ghostly mist in the human world. Ive seen some records that mention that when Rahu Beasts reach the ends of their lifespans and pass away, the space within their bodies wont collapse and can actually continue to exist forever.

Are you saying were currently in the space within the carcass of a Rahu Beast? Yuan Yao faltered upon hearing this.

Hehe, Im merely speculating. As for what the actual situation is like, thats yet to be verified, Han Li chuckled in response.

I think youre very close to the truth if not spot-on in your speculation, Brother Han. In that case, everything can be explained. Its due to fact that this Rahu Beast has already passed away that the Yin Qi within its body is far more abundant than in the Umbra Realm, thereby giving rise to so many high-grade ghostly beings. I wonder if the demon monarchs already know this or have figured it out at this point yet. The only thing that Im still confused about is the existence of spiritual Qi and spirit veins here. Theres no spiritual Qi at all in the Umbra Realm, and magic power cant be used there, either, Yan Li mused.

Who knows? Perhaps the powerful beings of the Mayfly Race modified this place after discovering it or perhaps these changes naturally occur after the Rahu Beast passes away. In any case, none of that had anything to do with our current situation, so we dont need to delve too deep into those matters. The only thing Im interested in is whether this black mist can actually take us away from the infernal river. As long as this place is the same kind of entity as the Umbra Realm, then there has to be an exit here as well. If this really is the exit, then its a lot safer then having to go through a spatial node, Han Li said with a hint of excitement in his eyes.

Youre right, Brother Han! Did you find anything amiss within the clouds of mist that you explored earlier? Yan Li asked.

No. Aside from the fact that the black mist can also seal away ones magic power and abilities, there were no other noteworthy discoveries. Of course, I only searched through a few patches of mist in the nearby area. Seeing as this black mist exists here, the exit should be somewhere in this body of water as well. Should we try and search for the exit right away or hide here for a while as we originally planned? Han Li asked.

Seeing as the exit could be nearby, lets spend some time to try and find it. Perhaps well be able to come across it rather quickly. In that case, well be able to get out of this place, so therell be no need to take risks by hiding, Yan Li immediately replied.

Yuan Yao hesitated momentarily before nodding in agreement. Youre right, Senior Martial Sister. If we hide here as we originally planned, we could be tracked down by the demon monarchs anyway or perhaps even hunted by the Mayfly Race if their reinforcements arrive earlier than expected. In either of those scenarios, wed be as good as dead.

Han Li fell into deep thought upon hearing this.

The proposal raised by the two women was quite reasonable, but he couldnt shake this feeling of uneasiness that had plagued him during the past few days. He could sense that something wasnt quite right, but he couldnt quite put his finger on it, and it was making him quite hesitant about how to proceed.

After pondering the issue for a long while, he finally said, Alright, lets search for the exit here, but we can only spend two days in our search at most. After that, we have to hide right away. I think we should be safe during this period of time.

Han Li offered a compromised course of action.

Yuan Yao and Yan Li exchanged a glance upon hearing this before nodding in unison.

Alright, lets search through the black mist below us first. Even if we cant find the exit here, lets set up a temporary base that we can hide in if any unforeseen circumstances arise. Seeing as my Kun Peng power is immune to the effects of the mist, I have a way to temporarily grant you two immunity to its effects as well, Han Li said with a smile.

Is that true, Brother Han? Yuan Yao and Yan Li were ecstatic to hear this.

Han Li smiled as a loud thunderclap suddenly erupted behind him, and a pair of wings appeared on his back. He flapped the pair of wings, and their color changed drastically, with one wing taking on an azure hue while the other wing was flashing incessantly with five-colored light. Both wings were glittering and translucent, and presented a glorious sight to behold.

Han Li had disguised his Thunderstorm Wings as Tian Peng wings this entire time, and he was finally revealing the true form of the spirit treasure.

This was the first time that the two women had witnessed these wings in their true form, and both of them were quite taken aback.

Not only had the appearance of these wings changed drastically, the astonishing spiritual pressure emanating from them also came as quite a shock to the two women.

Right at this moment, Han Li flapped his azure wing, and two translucent azure feathers short forth before stopping in front of the two women.

These are feathers manifested from the aura of the Kun Peng. You can try to inject your magic power into them, perhaps theyll be able to grant you immunity to the mist, Han Li said with a smile.

Yuan Yao and Yan Li glanced at one another, and both of them were a little skeptical.

However, Yan Li then immediately made a grabbing motion to draw one of the azure feathers into her grasp, then injected her magic power into it as Han Li had suggested.

A ball of azure light dispersed around her following a dull thump, enshrouding her entire body.

Oh, it does indeed seem to be working. Ill go first, if I fall, make sure to catch me, Brother Han, Yan Li chuckled.

Hehe, of course. Ill be right beside you, Fairy Yan, Han Li replied as he transformed into the massive azure bird again, then flew ahead into the black mist first.

Yan Li held the azure feather in her hand and prepared to follow suit.

Be careful, Senior Martial Sister! Yuan Yao couldnt help but caution.

Dont worry, Ill be fine with Brother Han looking after me, Yan Li replied with a smile before slowly descending into the mist.

Yuan Yao looked on as Yan Li departed while Han Li was waiting for her to descend into the mist.

Soon, Yan Li finally entered the black mist, following her elated voice rang out from within.

It really does work! I still cant draw on most of my spiritual power, but its more than enough for flight and using normal treasures.

Han Li seemed to have predicted this already, and he chuckled, Hehe, thats good to hear. Come on down, Fairy Yuan, well search through this mist together.

Yuan Yao heaved a long sigh of relief after hearing their voices, and she also injected her magic power into the remaining azure feather before descending as well. reeebnovel.om

However, right at this moment, a sudden turn of events abruptly unfolded!

The peaceful black mist suddenly began to tumble and surge violently, following which a gust of ferocious winds erupted from down below. All of a sudden, the black mist transformed into a massive vortex that howled with fury.

Han Li was stunned by this sudden development.

The winds erupting from the vortex were quite fierce, and there was an enormous suction force attempting to draw his body into the vortex, but it wasnt enough to completely trap him. The suction force was only potent enough to slow him down slightly, yet he was still able to fly over to Yan Li in a flash, grabbing her in his talons before attempting to fly out of the black mist.

However, loud thunderclaps suddenly erupted within the entire vortex as countless bolts of inky-black lightning appeared.

Han Lis heart sank upon witnessing this familiar scene.

The black arcs of lightning were hurtling through the air extremely quickly, yet Han Li was unable to move as fast as hed normally be able due to that immense suction force.

Black light flashed, and both he and Yan Li disappeared into the vortex.

Yuan Yao was stunned to see this as she looked on from above, yet before she had a chance to do anything, the black vortex abruptly expanded in all directions.

Yuan Yao was unable to evade the rapidly expanding vortex as she also disappeared amid flashes of black lightning.

Yuan Yao and Yan Li exchanged a glance upon hearing this, and both of them could see their own indecision mirrored in each others eyes.

The two of them naturally werent going to give up on recovering their human bodies, and after a brief moment of contemplation, a wry smile appeared on Yan Lis face, and she said, It looks like I was too naive about our situation. From the sounds of it, you seem to have traveled through a spatial node before, Brother Han. In that case, if we can find a relatively stable spatial node, then my junior martial sister and I would naturally also like to leave this place. However, the two of us have no idea how to find spatial nodes.

Rest assured, Fellow Daoists, I have a few tricks to find spatial nodes, but well have to wait for a while before we begin our search, at least until after the demon monarchs give up on searching for us. Regardless of whether theyve obtained when they came here for, they wont stay in the infernal river for too long as theyll be wary of Mayfly Race reinforcements as well. The time period after they leave the infernal river and before the Mayfly beings arrive will the ideal window for us to search for a spatial node and make our escape. What we should do now is find an extremely obscure location to hide for a while first, Han Li analyzed in a confident manner.

Yuan Yao and Yan Li both nodded emphatically in response, seemingly in agreement that this was quite a sound plan.

Thus, following the conclusion of their discussion, they continued onward, disappearing into the distance in a flash.

A few days, Han Lis trio arrived in the air above a peculiar body of water. The water down below was black and green, and there was a layer of thin black mist hovering over its surface.

What was even more peculiar was that there were many islands of different sizes sitting on top of this vast body of water, which Han Li was unable to determine whether it was a sea or a lake.

Han Lis trio traveled deeper into the area for a day and a night, yet they were still seemingly nowhere near reaching the conclusion.

Lets hide here for now. This body of water is most likely not inferior in size to an ocean. Even if those demon monarchs track us down to this place, theres no way that theyll be able to find us in a short time. On top of that, I can sense that there seem to be a lot of fearsome beings lurking deeper within the water. With those things there, the demon monarchs wouldnt dare to search through the area recklessly with their spiritual sense, so they can act as a smokescreen of sorts for us, Han Li said in a slow voice as he surveyed their surroundings with blue light shimmering in his eyes.

They were currently situated in the air above a dense cloud of mist, and they had seen many such clouds of mist on the way here. Through the use of his spirit eyes, Han Li was able to determine that there was an island hidden beneath the mist.

Yuan Yao and Yan Li were unable to see through the black mist, but they immediately followed Han Lis lead without any hesitation as he descended toward the mist down below.

However, the events that unfolded next came as quite a surprise to all three of them.

The black mist appeared to be quite ordinary, but as soon as the trio flew into it, they felt the black mist converge toward them, following which the spiritual Qi around their bodies instantly dissipated.

Argh!

Yuan Yao and Yan Li both let loose cries of alarm. Even though they were trying to stay aloft with all their might, they were still plummeting deeper into the mist.

Han Li was also stunned by this development, but thankfully, hed encountered countless unforeseen incidents in the past, so he was able to keep a level head as he instantly switched between several cultivation arts. He unleashed his Divine Essencefused Light and Provenance True Devil Arts at the same time, but they were also unable to allow him to muster up any spiritual power. In the end, he unleashed the Kun Peng transformation among his 12 Awakening Transformations, and after transforming into a massive azured bird, he recovered all of his magic power.

Han Li was naturally ecstatic, and he spread his wings as his body expanded even further in size. He flew through the air and gently caught the two women using his talons before flying high up into the sky.

Following a few flashes, the massive azure bird emerged from the mist and appeared at higher altitudes.

The azure light faded, and Han Li reverted back to his human form. Yuan Yao and Yan Li had both recovered their magic power by not, but both of them still wore expressions of lingering fear as they hovered in mid-air.

What is that terrifying black mist? If Brother Han hadnt saved us, we wouldve been in big trouble, Yan Li murmured.

Yuan Yaos face was also quite pale, but a peculiar look slowly crept onto her face.

Han Li clasped his hands behind his back and appraised the black mist down below with a contemplative look on his face.

This mist is indeed quite bizarre, but this feeling… Fellow Daoist Yuan, do you find it to be a little familiar as well? Han Li asked as he turned to Yuan Yao.

Indeed, Brother Han. Ive suffered a similar ordeal once before in the human world. In the Scattered Star Seas, I was swept up by a similar type of ghostly mist right before I entered the Umbra Realm, Yuan Yao replied with a hint of bewilderment on her face.

The Umbra Realm and the infernal river, there must be some kind of connection between the two, Han Li mused as he stroked his chin.

But its still a little different. I feel like the mist here is less powerful when it comes to debilitating ones spiritual power than the ghostly mist of the human world. Even though I couldnt muster up any magic power, I could still sense spiritual power, but after being swept up into the ghostly mist in the Scattered Star Seas, I felt like I was no different from a mortal, Yuan Yao said in a hesitant voice.

I have the same feeling as well. It could be the case that the ghostly mist here is inferior to that of the human world or perhaps were simply better equipped to deal with it due to our superior cultivation bases. However, I can say for certain that the ghostly mist in the human world seems to possess more spiritual nature and will take the initiative to engulf nearby cultivators, whereas the mist here… Han Li shook his head as his voice trailed off.

Indeed, Brother Han, the black mist here didnt try to sweep us up before wed entered it. Speaking of which, the ghostly mist of the human world draws one into the Umbra Realm, will this mist lead to another space or realm as well? Yuan Yaos eyes lit up with excitement.

Im not particularly sure about that. After all, Ive never been able to ascertain the origins of the ghostly mist and the Umbra Realm in the human world, Han Li sighed.

I can see many other clouds of similar black mist nearby, do they all have the same effect? Yan Li suddenly asked as a hint of curiosity flashed through her eyes.

Han Li faltered slightly upon hearing this before raising an eyebrow as he said, Thats a good observation! Wait here for me for a moment, Ill be back soon.

Thus, azure light flashed from his body, and he transformed into a massive azure bird again. With each flap of his wings, he covered a distance of over 100 feet, and he flew into the distance, leaving Yuan Yao and Yan Li to look on in amazement.

Junior Martial Sister Yuan, Fellow Daoist Han sure has cultivated many abilities, to think that hes even learned the transformation secret technique of the Flying Spirit Race, Yan Li said as she clicked her tongue with wonder.

Have you forgotten that Brother Han has entered the earth abyss as a Flying Spirit Race holy disciple, Senior Martial Sister? Its no surprise that hes mastered such a secret technique, seeing as thats the case, Yuan Yao replied with a smile.

You may not be aware of this, Junior Martial Sister, but not just anyone can become a Flying Spirit Race holy disciple. Ive heard some information about this in the past, not only are holy disciples of the Flying Spirit Race required to have the true spirit blood of their respective branch in their bodies, there are also other types of stringent conditions that have to be met, and even for beings from the Flying Spirit Race, its extremely difficult to become a holy disciple. I wonder how Fellow Daoist Han managed to achieve this and learn all these abilities, Yan Li chuckled.

I see. Yuan Yao nodded, and her eyes had remained fixed on the direction that Han Li had disappeared in this entire time.

A peculiar look flashed through Yan Lis eyes upon making this observation, and she smiled as she said, In comparison, Im actually more curious about why Brother Han becomes immune to this ghostly mist after transforming into his bird form.

Im quite perplexed about that as well. Could it be that the transformation secret technique of the Flying Spirit Race contains some other type of unknown elements? Yuan Yao was distracted by this question, and she withdrew her gaze as a confused look appeared on her face.

Its no use speculating about this, why dont we ask Fellow Daoist Han when he gets back? He should know something about this. Yan Li pursed her lips with a smile.

Is that a good idea? Wouldnt it be rude for us to inquire directly about his abilities and cultivation arts? Yuan Yao was feeling rather hesitant about this.

Hehe, with the relationship that the two of you share, surely its not too much to ask of him. I just think that ghostly mist is quite bizarre, and I wanted to see if we can devise some kind of method to counteract it. However, Im not all that familiar with Fellow Daoist Han, after all, so its best that you asked him in my stead, Yan Li replied in a nonchalant manner.

Yuan Yaos brows furrowed upon hearing this, and she only nodded after a moment of contemplation.

An hour later, azure light flashed in the distance, and the massive azure bird returned.

Following a few flashes, gusts of fierce winds were swept up as the bird arrived before the two women. Immediately thereafter, the azure light faded, and Han Li reverted back to his human form.

Did the other patches of black mist have the same properties as this one? Yan Li asked.

Not all of them, only some of them have that debilitation effect, and most of those patches of mist are quite large in area and also very dense, Han Li replied with a serious expression.

Both women were rather surprised to hear this.

Should we enter the black mist again to investigate? Yan Li asked.

Theoretically, weve already got enough on our plates, so it would be rather unwise to investigate such things, but this black mist is able to cut off ones spiritual power and spiritual sense, so if we can hide in it, theres no way that the demon monarchs will be able to find us. My only concern is whether there are any hazards lurking deep within the mist, Han Li replied in a hesitant voice.

If we can avoid detection from the demon monarchs, then its worth taking the risk. In any case, youre immune to the effects of the ghostly mist after transforming into your Kun Peng form, right, Brother Han? Yan Li said with a smile on her face.

Han Li also smiled in response, yet before he had a chance to reply, Yuan Yao suddenly interjected, Brother Han, your transformation secret technique comes from the Flying Spirit Race, right? Do you know why it is that you gain immunity to the ghostly mist after your transformation? Will my senior martial sister and I be able to do something to also retain our magic power in there?

The bead released a burst of azure light amid a faint thump, and an object began to take shape within the light.

As the light faded, the object was revealed to be a massive black pine tree.

The tree was extremely huge, yet its appearance was quite peculiar. There seemed to be an invisible line running directly down the center of the tree, on one side of the line, the tree was extremely lush and exuberant, yet the other half was completely shriveled up and devoid of leaves, as if it were a dead tree.

This was Mu Qings wood spirit body.

She appraised the tree with a complex expression before flicking her 10 fingers in quick succession, casting one incantation seal after another, which all disappeared into the black tree.

The tree abruptly shuddered before lowering a small section of itself further into the ground, then falling completely still.

However, Mu Qing didnt stop there. She opened her mouth again to expel a ball of green blood essence, sending it flying toward the black tree before disappearing into a slight bulge on the tree trunk.

After that, Mu Qing began to chant something, and she raised both hands in unison to blast forth another two pillars of green light, both of which also vanished into the trees.

In the next instant, a ball of green light abruptly exploded from the spot on the tree trunk where the blood essence had just disappeared. The bark on the tree began to twist and warp before forming an extremely life-like set of facial features.

The face on the tree trunk was squirming incessantly and scrunched up in pain as if it were a living being.

Upon closer inspection, one would discover that this was none other than Jin Lings face.

Wake up! Mu Qing yelled as she raised her eyebrows, then cast another incantation seal.

A small section of the massive black trees trunk suddenly split apart down the middle, following which a golden ape leaped out from within. freeebnovel.com

The golden ape immediately knelt onto the ground, and said, Jin Ling pays his respects to His Mistress! My Mistress, why have you awakened me? Could it be…

You may rise. Its a good thing you left a spiritual avatar of yourself within my body before we left. The original Jin Ling has already fallen, so you are Jin Ling now, Mu Qing sighed.

The golden apes expression changed slightly upon hearing this, but it then said in a respectful manner, So I really did die. I was wondering why I couldnt sense the existence of my true body. In that case, Im willing to continue serving My Mistress in Jin Lings stead! You sacrificed your blood essence to summon me, so you must have something for me to do, right?

Thats right. The tracking mark I planted in Han brats body has been destroyed, and Ive lost track of him as well. Im preparing to unleash my Wood Domain to find him, but in that case, Ill have to use the power of my true body. Hence, Ill need you to protect the spirit wood that is my true form, and Ive set up a powerful formation nearby. Even if beings as powerful as Liu Zu try to force their way into this area, itd be able to stop them for a while. The formation will buy you enough time to take my true body and escape from here, Mu Qing said in a solemn voice.

Wood Domain? Thats extremely taxing on your powers, My Mistress! If you unleash it now, you wont be able to unleash it again within the next 1,000 years! Are you sure you want to do that? A surprised look appeared on the golden apes face.

I have no choice. The bead I saw in the devilish tomb last time contained power that was identical to my essential power, yet the purity and quantity of power imbued within that bead are more than 10 times that of the essential power within my body. If I can obtain that treasure, then take the time to absorb all of the power within it, not only will I be able to progress beyond my current cultivation base, theres a very good chance that Ill even be able to advance even further. Hence, that thing is even more important to me than the so-called Divine Infernal River Elixir, Mu Qing said with a determined look on her face.

In that case, Ill be sure to keep your true body safe, My Mistress. The golden ape knew that it wouldnt be able to dissuade Mu Qing, so it nodded with a solemn expression and allowed her to proceed.

Thats all I needed to hear, Jin Ling. Your original body has already been destroyed, and this current body of yours is a wood ape body that I manifested through my own power. This body is not as powerful as your original one, so youre currently only an early-Great Spirit General. Here, Ill give this to you as well to bolster your power. After a brief pause, Mu Qing opened her mouth to expel an azure mirror.

The mirror was only around the size of a human hand, and the back of the mirror was lined with green wooden patterns. As soon as it appeared, brilliant spiritual light radiated in all directions, and it was quite apparent even from first glance that this was an extraordinary treasure.

Isnt this your Heavenly Wood Mirror? This is something that youve been nurturing within your body for countless years, My Mistress, I wouldnt dare to take something so significant! Youll require this mirror to protect yourself in the devilish tomb. Jin Ling immediately waved its hands to try and refused the mirror.

If my true body were to be destroyed here, what would be the use of this mirror? Besides, its not like your unaware of this, I obtained another spirit treasure a few years ago, and its powers are not inferior to that of this mirror. On top of that, its even more effective for combating devilish Qi, Mu Qing insisted.

Jin Ling hesitated for a long while upon hearing this before finally agreeing to take the mirror.

It pointed a finger at the mirror, and the latter immediately disappeared into its body as a streak of azure light.

Aside from this Heavenly Wood Mirror, Ill leave these two Evergreen Spirit Swords to you as well. This pair of swords will be even better than the two you had before. Mu Qing thought to herself before making a grabbing motion toward the giant black tree.

Two of the trees branches shuddered before detaching themselves. Following a flash of azure light, they transformed into a pair of shimmering azure swords before falling from the tree. On this occasion, Jin Ling didnt refuse Mu Qings offering. An elated look appeared on its face as it sprang forward to catch the two flying swords, then inspected them momentarily before quickly strapping them to its back.

After doing all that, Mu Qing issued a few more instructions to Jin Ling before reverting back to her original form.

A streak of azure light then rose up into the air above the valley before quickly departing.

Not long after Mu Qing had left, Jin Ling activated the spell formation that shed set up in the valley.

The space within the entire valley warped and blurred, creating an illusion that there was nothing within the valley, and it was impossible to tell that anything was amiss when looking at this mirage from afar.

Mu Qing flew through the air in an unhurried manner, and a different scene was unfolding around her.

At this moment, the area in a radius of 100 feet around her was filled with specks of green light. The surrounding projections of plant life swayed as bursts of pure wood-attribute spiritual Qi emanated from them.

Shimmering green light appeared over Mu Qings body, following which a massive green tree projection emerged behind her.

It was as if shed created her own world within the area encompassed under the green light.

Moments later, Mu Qing returned to the hill where shed first discovered signs of Han Lis whereabouts, then descended onto the summit.

She raised her hands into the air, and the green light around her suddenly expanded toward all directions, encompassing the entire hill in the span of just a few breaths.

The projections of plant life all manifested into actual living entities in that moment, taking root on the ground below and swaying in the wind.

The entire hill had been transformed into a lush forest, and at the same time, the roots of the giant tree behind Mu Qing suddenly transformed into countless azure threads that shot forth through the air.

Some of them disappeared into the bushes while others vanished into the ground in a flash.

Mu Qing closed her eyes with a solemn expression and her brows tightly furrowed, seemingly trying to concentrate intently on something.

After about 10 minutes, she suddenly opened her eyes, and murmured to herself, So he managed to eradicate the tracking marks by borrowing the powers of those two women. Looks like the secret technique they used is something that isnt known even to the ghost hag herself. However, now that Ive managed to determine the direction that theyve traveled in, Ill be sure to find them eventually.

After that brief monologue, Mu Qing abruptly made a hand seal, and the green barrier of light shrank once again. As the green light receded, the plant life that it had manifested all began to vanish on the spot.

In the moment that everything returned to normal on the hill, Mu Qing rose up into the air and flew toward the direction that Han Li had departed in.

Han Li was naturally unaware of the fact that all of the demon monarchs were targeting him at once. However, as a safety precaution, he was constantly changing direction as he flew through the air after departing from the hill with the two women.

In his mind, there shouldve been no way for the demon monarchs to track him down again, but hed clearly underestimated their abilities.

At present, Han Li was flying over a vast expanse of yellow sand with the two women, and he was saying something to Yuan Yao and Yan Li during their flight.

What? Youre planning to find a spatial node to return to the Spirit Realm? A cry of surprise escaped Yan Lis mouth, and she seemed quite stunned to hear this.

Indeed. Through my research of space both in the human world and the Spirit Realm, I discovered that no matter the size of a space, spatial nodes will always exist, and the smaller a space is, the easier such spatial nodes are to find. Those so-called spatial rifts are actually just an alternative form of spatial nodes. If we can find the spatial node within the infernal river, then take a small risk, then theres a very good chance that we could return to the Spirit Realm, Han Li replied in a calm voice.

But Brother Han, my senior martial sister and I have both heard much about the perils of spatial nodes. Not only are there spatial storms to contend with, we wont be able to control the location of the exit, either. Isnt that a little too dangerous? Yuan Yao asked in a hesitant voice.

There will be some risk involved, but with me leading the way, well have at least a 70% to 80% chance of passing through the spatial node safely. After all, this infernal rive is only a slightly larger space that is a subsidiary to the Spirit Realm, and not an actual realm in itself. That is, unless the two of you dont want to leave and wish to stay permanently within the infernal river instead, Han Li said with furrowed brows.

To be honest, we can hide here and cultivate for a while until those people leave. The Yin Qi and spiritual Qi here are both extremely abundant, so itll be quite beneficial to our cultivation, Yan Li proposed with a smile.

Thats not a good idea. Have you forgotten about the Mayfly Race, Fairy Yan? We dont know when those Mayfly Race reinforcements will arrive, and even the demon monarchs were extremely fearful of the Mayfly Race, so theyre definitely not something that we can contend with. The infernal river is the holy land of their race, so they undoubtedly have a better understanding of it than we do. No matter where we hide, we still wont be safe. On top of that, are the two of you giving up on returning to the human race in order to find a way to recover your human bodies? Han Li analyzed in a slow voice.

Youre not mistaken about that Senior, but the item Im going to take into this place isnt one of the holy artifacts of our race. Instead, its a replica treasure that was refined not long ago by the elders of our race, and to be completely accurate, it should actually be called a false divine nest. The treasure can only manifest one type of holy insect, and its only a kind of holy insect of a very low caliber. On top of that, this type of replica is a disposable treasure, so it can only be used once, the crimson-armored puppet replied in a truthful manner.

A false divine nest, eh? Interesting! Ive heard a lot about the vastly renowned divine nests of the Mayfly Race, but Ive never had the pleasure of witnessing one in action for myself. This isnt going to a real divine nest, but a replica will suffice. I can summon your true body here free of charge, but youll have to pay a price if you want to borrow my Five Dragon Chopper again, the elderly man said in a slow voice.

But Ive only brought one vial of Yin Water Essence with me. A hint of hesitation crept into the puppets voice.

Thats alright, just bring the remnants of your false divine nest to me after youre finished with it, thats not too much to ask, is it? the elderly man asked.

You want the false divine nest, Senior? The crimson-armored puppet was truly becoming quite hesitant now.

Hehe, if you dont want to, then so be it. I only wanted the item so I could broaden my horizons. Do you really think I can glean the secrets of your divine nest just by inspecting a set of remnants? the elderly man said in a nonchalant voice.

After a brief moment of contemplation, the crimson-armored puppet arrived at the conclusion that it was too risky to take on the intruders with the false divine nest alone, so he gritted his teeth, and replied, Alright, Ill do it, but on one condition, I can only leave the remnants of the nest here for a month. After that, Ill have to return it or I wont be able to answer to the elders of our race.

Haha, thats all I needed to hear! Ill summon your true body here right away. Its a good thing that I have a wisp of your spiritual sense here to work with. Otherwise, even I wouldnt be able to draw you into this place. A burst of laughter rang out from within the cave, followed by a dull thump, and a plume of silver threads short forth, sweeping up the crimson-armored puppet, then dragging it into the cave.

The puppet disappeared in the blink of an eye, and around five minutes later, an extremely powerful burst of spiritual pressure suddenly erupted into the air from the white mountain ranges, following which a thick pillar of golden light surged into the air.

Gusts of Yin winds converged toward the pillar of light in a frenzy as boundless black Qi appeared in the surrounding area amid a string of resounding booms.

This phenomenon obscured the entire surrounding area, making it impossible to see what was happening inside. After a long while, a bolt of lightning pierced through the darkness like a powerful wyrm before disappearing in a flash, following which a sharp screech that was filled with resentment and baleful energy erupted from within

…

Han Li exhaled as he opened his eyes, and his expression was filled with elation.

Fellow Daoist Han, the final tracking mark has been successfully eradicated. Yuan Yaos delightful voice sounded from behind him.

Thank you for your assistance. I didnt think that the final tracking mark would be so difficult to get rid of. It was if it had taken root within my body, and we had to refine it without expelling as it simply refused to be ejected. Now that all four tracking marks have been destroyed, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Han Li turned around and cupped his fist in an earnest salute toward the two women.

Hehe, theres no need to thank us, Brother Han, you saved our lives as well, Yuan Yao chuckled in a slightly exhausted manner.

Yan Li also wore a smile on her face, but her face was quite pale.

That wasnt much of a surprise, anyone would be suffering from symptoms of overexertion after controlling such a formation for over half a day.

Han Li immediately rustled his sleeve upon seeing this, and two small green vials flew forth before hovering in front of the two women.

These two vials contain Green Yin Pills, which are Yin-attribute pills that will surely be quite beneficial for both of you.

My junior martial sister and I really are in need of such pills, so Ill gladly accept them, Brother Han. Yan Li smiled as she swept a sleeve through the air, drawing a vial toward her before tipping out a dark green pill that immediately began to emit a strong Yin aura.

Yan Lis eyes lit up at the sight of the pill, and she picked it up between two of her fingers before carefully inspecting it for a while.

She then swallowed the pill and closed her eyes as she activated her cultivation arts in order to better absorb the power of the pill.

Yuan Yao hesitated momentarily upon seeing this before extending words of gratitude toward Han Li and accepting the other vial, then also consumed one of the pills.

Han Li stood patiently beside the two women as they absorbed the power of the pills theyd just consumed.

At this point, the vortex in the sky had already disappeared. As for the black ball, it had shrunk down to around 10 feet in size, and due to the fact that the formation had stopped functioning, it was slowly dissipating into black mist, looking as if it would also vanish not long from now.

After a while, the two women opened their eyes one after the other, and their complexions were looking a lot better.

Brother Han, those pills you gave us were quite precious, right? Junior Martial Sister Yuan and I both managed to recover most of our lost Yin Qi in such a short period of time, Yan Li said.

Im glad theyre useful to you, Han Li replied with a smile.

Brother Han, this isnt a safe place for us to stay, what do we do next? Yuan Yao asked with a concerned look on her face.

Indeed, we have to get away from here right away. In the instant that those tracking marks were destroyed, they wouldve revealed our approximate location to the demon monarchs. As for how we proceed from there, well naturally have to break through this space and return to the Spirit Realm. Of course, thats going to be easier said than done, but at least its a goal that we can strive toward. Lets discuss this in detail while we leave this place, Han Li said with a solemn expression.

Alright, well withdraw the formation first, then depart right away. Han Li was the one with the highest cultivation base among the three, so the two women naturally followed his lead.

Thus, the two of them flew through the air as streaks of black light to pack up all of the nearby tools that had been required to set up the formation from earlier.

Meanwhile, Han Li let loose a long cry that rumbled into the distance, and the Weeping Soul Beast and Leopard Kirin Beast immediately replied from afar. One of them let loose a loud ape cry while the other responded with a low roar before both hurtled back toward him.

A streak of black light and a streak of golden light soon disappeared up Han Lis sleeve in quick succession, and the two beasts were stored into this spirit beast bracelet again.

Moments later, the two women had also finished what they were doing, and the three of them decided on a direction before hurriedly flying away.

Less than half a day after Han Lis trio had departed, green light flashed in the air nearby, following which a ball of green light appeared.

Within the ball of green light was a slender and graceful figure. After circling around in the air for a while, the ball of green light descended onto the hill where Han Li and the others had been situated not long ago.

The green light faded, and the humanoid figure who was revealed was naturally none other than Mu Qing.

Mu Qing quickly surveyed the surroundings, and her expression gradually darkened.

To the average person, it would appear that there was nothing amiss here, but she was able to easily identify the remaining traces of the giant spell formation that had been set up her not long go, as well as the residual restriction fluctuations and pure Yin Qi that hung in the air.

Looks like I was too late, and theyve already been gone for a while. So he managed to eradicate the tracking marks through the use of a formation. Seeing as hes already left, it would be exceedingly difficult to try and find him, Mu Qing murmured to herself as an indecisive look appeared on her face.

So be it! Ill take a gamble for the treasures in the devilish tomb. If Id know that this would happen, I wouldve cast an extra restriction on him. Mu Qing gritted her teeth as a determined look appeared on her face.

She rose up into the air before flying away as a ball of azure light again.

However, on this occasion, she didnt fly too far away.

Close to two hours later, the ball of azure light suddenly descended into a small set of mountain ranges that appeared to be completely mundane and nondescript. Mu Qing then descended into an obscure valley within the mountain ranges.

The Yin Qi here was extremely sparse, compared to the rest of the mountain ranges, so there was not a single ghostly being to be found here.

That was exactly what Mu Qing was hoping for.

After searching through the valley to ensure that there were no potential hazards nearby, she swept both sleeves through the air, and countless fist-sized balls of green light shot forth through the air.

The balls of light flew toward all parts of the valley before disappearing into the ground.

After that, Mu Qing stomped a foot onto the ground, and spiritual light flashed beneath her waist as she transformed into her tree form again. Countless white roots pierced into the ground before extending toward all directions.

Mu Qing then began to chant something as she made a hand seal, and the entire valley before to tremor gently.

The soil on the ground where the green balls of light had disappeared suddenly split open, and countless seedlings sprouted before rapidly growing at a rate that was discernible to the naked eyes.

Within the span of a few breaths, they had all grown to become massive trees that were each several hundred feet tall.

The entire valley was transformed into a lush landscape that was abundant with wood-attribute spiritual Qi.

What was even more surprising was that none of these trees were rooted to the spot. Instead, they were all shifting locations positions at Mu Qings behest, and moments later, a massive formation had appeared, encompassing virtually the entire valley with Mu Qing at its center.

The formation created a virtually watertight barrier around this place, following which Mu Qing abruptly opened her mouth to expel an object.

This was a white egg-sized bead that was slightly transparent and had strange golden patterns all over its surface.

The bead hovered around 10 feet in front of Mu Qing, rotating slowly on the spot. Mu Qing stared at the bead for a long while before heaving a faint sigh as she gently extended a finger toward it.

So that means only my tracking mark still remains in his body! The white-haired beautys expression darkened even further.

They had taken a massive risk to venture into the infernal river, and if they couldnt secure the Divine Infernal River Elixir nor the devilish treasures, then they wouldve expended so much effort and incurred all that risk for nothing.

Strangely enough, Liu Zu remained very calm, and the crimson-robed figure also quickly calmed down following that initial fit of rage.

Both of them seemed to be contemplating something while the white-haired beauty sat down in mid-air with her legs crossed. At the same time, the eight ghost monarchs behind her transformed into a burst of Yin Qi that surrounded her body, thereby enhancing her cultivation base significantly to allow her to try and activate the tracking seal within Han Lis body with all her might.

The black Qi surged erratically around her, and harrowing ghostly cries erupted from within. It was quite clear that the white-haired beauty was drawing on all the power she was capable of.

Time slowly passed, and close to two hours flew by in the blink of an eye, yet the white-haired beauty still hadnt succeeded in her efforts.

Liu Zu and the crimson-robed figure merely waited patiently in silence, and neither of them tried to hurry her.

A short while later, the white-haired beautys enraged voice finally rang out.

My tracking mark has also ben destroyed. Theres no way that he couldve done this on his own, could this be Mu Qings handiwork?

The black Qi dissipated to reveal the white-haired beauty with a thunderous expression on her face.

It could well be Fellow Daoist Mu. She seems to be even more interested in the treasures of the devilish tomb than she is in the divine elixir, the crimson-robed figure mused as he stroked his chin.

Despite their wiles, none of the demon monarchs had imagined that Yuan Yao and Yan Li would be capable of unleashing a Yin-Qi-gathering secret technique that could help Han Li eradicate the tracking marks one by one. Of course, that was also due to the fact that the ghost Dao cultivation arts they were using really were quite unique.

A thought suddenly occurred to the white-haired beauty, and she asked, Regardless of whos behind this, Ill make sure they pay for what theyve done! Brother Di Xue, those devilish artifacts are more important to you than either Brother Liu Zu or myself, right? Despite that, youve managed to keep remarkably calm, could it be that you have some other tricks up your sleeve?

Liu Zu also turned toward the crimson-robed figure with a hint of a smile on his face.

The crimson-robed figure chuckled in response before replying, I did indeed plant something else on Han brats body, but itll still be quite difficult to find him. I wont be able to track him down as accurately as I could with my tracking mark, but I should be able to ascertain his approximate location with no issues. Having said that, though, that Han brat sure is alert, hes resisted the urge to summon the spirit servants I gave him even once. Otherwise, he wouldve already fallen victim to my secret technique and none of this wouldve happened.

A peculiar look appeared on the white-haired beautys face, and her brows furrowed as she said, Nows not the time for jokes, Brother Di Xue! With Han brats powerful spiritual sense, how could it have escaped his notice that you planted a secret technique on those spirit servants?

Haha, theres nothing actually wrong with the spirit servants themselves, the key lies in the captivation blood pact that I invented and infused into those spirit servants. As long as anyone injects their spiritual sense into those spirit servants and uses them once, theyll definitely be unable to escape the allure of this secret technique. Theyll want to use the spirit servants a second time, then a third time, until theyre completely entranced by them and lose their sense of self. Its just a pity that he hasnt even used them once up to this point. Otherwise, Id definitely be able to detect it and control him without him even realizing that anything was amiss. The crimson-robed figure seemed to be of the opinion that there was no point in hiding anything seeing as they were about to enter the devilish tomb soon, so he decided to reveal everything to the other two demon monarchs.

The white-haired beautys expression changed slightly, and she fell speechless upon hearing this.

Liu Zu was also clearly taken aback by Di Xues devious plan.

But if Han brat hasnt used those spirit servants, then how will you be able to detect his location? the white-haired beauty asked.

Thats quite simple, I infused the bodies of the spirit servants with some Meridian Stone, Di Xue chuckled coldly in a sinister manner.

Meridian Stone! Thats an extremely strange material that takes on a Yang-attribute every noon and midnight, thereby allowing them to detect one another. In that case, you must also be carrying one of those stones yourself! Only in places rife with Yin Qi like the infernal river will this materials detection properties be able to take effect. Under normal circumstances, we wouldnt be able to make use of that effect. Im really surprised that you were able to find such a gimmicky item. As far as I know, our Tian Yuan Continent doesnt even produce this type of stone, and they also have extremely limited uses for cultivators like us. On this occasion, even Liu Zu couldnt help but praise Di Xues resourcefulness.

I didnt intentionally seek out this item. Many years ago, I killed a being from another continent, and they just so happened to be in possession of a small piece of this material. I decided to keep it more so due to its rarity than anything else, but who wouldve thought that itd actually come in useful? The stones will only detect one another for an instant on the exact strokes of noon and midnight, and Han brat himself doesnt have another Meridian Stone, so theres no way hed be able to notice that anythings amiss, the crimson-robed figure said with a cunning gleam in his eyes.

Haha, thats brilliant! Its not far from midnight now, so lets head toward the direction where the tracking marks disappeared first. Using the detection properties of the Meridian Stone, we should be able to track him down. Just make sure to look out for that Mayfly Race puppet with the silver chopper. That chopper seems to be the legendary Five Dragon Chopper, which is a Divine Spirit Treasure that ranks very high on the Chaotic Myriad Spirit Roll, so its best to directly oppose it if we do encounter it. As for those two Infernal Lightning Beasts, they wont get far away from their lair, so we dont need to worry about them anymore, Liu Zu cautioned as he looked up into the sky.

Come to think of it, neither of us had thought that youd have a way to combat the Five Dragon Chopper, Brother Liu Zu. It was all thanks to you that we were able to force back that puppet and make our escape, the white-haired beauty chuckled.

Youre too kind, Fellow Daoist Lan. That puppet wasnt forced back by me, it had simply overexerted its spiritual sense while using the Five Dragon Chopper and was forced to retreat of its own accord. Otherwise, if the battle had dragged on for slightly longer, I wouldve fallen victim to that chopper. Liu Zu shook his head with a hint of fear in his eyes.

The white-haired beauty and the crimson-robed figure exchanged a glance, and their faces also paled slightly as they recalled the events that had unfolded in the underground palace following Han Lis departure.

The abilities unleashed by the Five Dragon Chopper had been truly fearsome. If the puppet had unleashed the full power of the treasure before Liu Zu had broken free from the golden formation over the green pond, then there was a good chance that both of them wouldve already perished.

We dont need to be overly concerned, though. Even though the Five Dragon Chopper is extremely fearsome, the puppet had completely overexerted its spiritual sense, so its yet to be seen whether it can come after us again. As long as we remain alert and avoid being divided and conquered, we should be fine, Liu Zu said as he recovered his composure.

The white-haired beauty and the crimson-robed figure both nodded in agreement upon hearing this.

After that, the three demon monarchs didnt delay any longer as they sped away into the distance.

Deep within the infernal, crimson light flashed in front of a white cave, and a crimson-armored puppet stumbled out of space. It raised a foot and was just about to stride forward, only for spiritual light to flash erratically all over its body, and it fell flat onto the ground.

A ringing sound then erupted from the puppets body as a silver streak of light flew out of its body, then disappeared into the cave.

Why are you in such a sorry state? Could it be that my Five Dragon Chopper wasnt powerful enough? The voice of the elderly man sounded again, and it was just as flat and indifferent as ever.

Indeed, there were very few things in this world that could attract its interest.

Green light flashed in the puppets eyes before it struggled to its feet, and it replied in a respectful voice, The Five Dragon Chopper is unfathomably powerful, but I was far too useless, and my spiritual sense was unable to support the chopper. Otherwise, all of the intruders would be dead already.

Your spiritual sense was insufficient? You mustve unleashed the power of the Five Dragon Chopper twice and used it for too long on both occasions, right? The elderly voice remained completely emotionless, as if it were simply elaborating something completely inconsequential.

I was too greedy. I didnt unleash the full power of the Five Dragon Chopper from the beginning as I wanted to lure out all of the outsiders before killing them together, but there was a traitor from our race among them who possessed an ability that was able to withstand the power of the Five Dragon Chopper for a short period of time. The backup measures that Id set up had also been ruined due to unforeseen circumstances, thereby allowing them to escape, the crimson-armored puppet replied in a feeble voice.

I see. The elderly voice in the cave merely gave a clipped response before falling silent.

All of a sudden, the crimson-armored puppet raised its voice slightly, and said, Senior Jiang, I have one more request!

Hmm? I seem to recall that youve already requested a favor from me, dont expect me to fight for your Mayfly Race! The elderly voice cooled slightly upon hearing this.

I wouldnt dare to dream of something like that. I only wanted to request Senior Jiang to use this remaining shred of my spiritual sense to guide my true body into this infernal river. Those intruders have already taken the divine elixir, and if I dont recover the elixir, Ill be dealt a severe punishment, the crimson-armored puppet explained.

Guide your true body here? Have you gone mad? Mayfly beings cant stay in this place for any extended period of time or their cultivation bases will be severely damaged by the Yin Qi here. From the sounds of it, the intruders are all quite powerful, so even if your true body arrives here, you most likely wont be a match for them anyway. Could it be that you want to borrow my Five Dragon Chopper again? A hint of surprise had finally crept into the elderly mans voice.

I do indeed intend to borrow your Five Dragon Chopper again, Senior Jiang, but I may not actually need to use it this time as my true body would be arriving here with a divine nest, the crimson-armored puppet replied in a grim voice.

A divine nest? Hehe, am I hearing this right? Youre going to use such a thing just to take care of a few Golden Mayfly Tier beings? Speaking of which, how to do you have the power to use such a thing? If I recall correctly, those things have always been under the control of those old monsters in your Mayfly Race. Arent they the trump cards of your race that wouldnt be used unless your race was on the brink of collapse? The elderly man in the cave was truly intrigued now.

The white-haired beautys brows furrowed upon hearing the crimson-robed figures condition.

If we go to the devilish tomb, well most likely be delayed quite significantly there. If the Mayfly Race reinforcements arrive during that time, none of us will be able to get away. Liu Zus voice wasnt quite as resolute as it had been before.

Hehe, if the Mayfly Race really can access this space so quickly, then why would that puppet have confronted us? It couldve just waited for reinforcements to arrive. No one from the Mayfly Race should be able to enter this place in a short time. Of course, there will be some risk involved, but surely you should take some risks for us, seeing as youre taking all of the Divine Infernal River Elixir, Brother Liu Zu, the crimson-robed figure chuckled.

Liu Zu remained completely expressionless, but the contemplative look in his eyes indicated that he was weighing up his options. Only after a long while did he finally reply, Alright, I an accompany you to the devilish tomb, but Ill only assist you in securing two of the treasures in there. If you want to secure additional treasures, then youll have to do so with your own power.

Haha, you have yourself a deal! As for the Tempered Crystal Brick, I trust that youre telling the truth, so I wont try to damage it, the crimson-robed figure chortled with glee before drifting back several tens of feet.

The Purpleblood Puppet beside him also retreated a few steps in a wooden manner.

What do you want to do, Fellow Daoist Lan? Seeing as Di Xue had struck up a deal with him, Liu Zu was feeling a lot more assured, and a cold light flashed through his eyes as he turned to the white-haired beauty.

The white-haired beautys pupils contracted, and only after a brief hesitation did she reply in a cold voice, I have the same condition as Fellow Daoist Di Xue, but before that, I want to test if this brick truly as indestructible as you claim.

Sure, go ahead, then. Liu Zu immediately raised his hand, and the Tempered Crystal Brick hovered into the air 70 to 80 feet above his head.

The white-haired beauty stared at the brick with a hint of scorching desire in her eyes before sweeping a sleeve through the air, upon which the eight ghost monarchs behind her instantly sprang into action.

Black light flashed, and the white-haired beauty donned that suit of black armor again as the massive war hammer appeared in her hand.

Eight ghostly howls erupted from the war hammer, and Liu Zu glanced at the weapon as he warned, Your treasure is indeed quite powerful, but it wont be able to break the Tempered Crystal Brick. Im warning you in advance, dont try any sneaky tricks while you attack the brick. Otherwise, dont blame me for turning on you.

Hmph, let me see if this thing really is indestructible or not! The white-haired beauty completely ignored Liu Zus threat as she hurled her war hammer through the air.

Ghostly Qi and Yin winds instantly erupted as the war hammer swelled drastically in size. The eight skulls embedded on its surface also squirmed incessantly as they let loose a string of ghostly howls.

Immediately thereafter, balls of green flames appeared out of thin air around the hammer, transforming it into a massive fireball.

These green flames appeared to possess immense power, and as they burned with ferocious might, even the surrounding space was being warped and twisted.

Liu Zu stood off to the side in a completely expressionless manner with his arms crossed, patiently awaiting the white-haired beautys attack.

However, the crimson-robed figure suddenly narrowed his eyes as a peculiar look appeared on his face at the sight of the ghostly war hammer.

The white-haired beauty let loose a loud cry, and the war hammer came crashing down toward the comparatively tiny brick.

However, during its descent, the green flames around the hammer flared up significantly before manifesting over a hundred hammer projections that hurtled toward the crystalline brick from all directions.

As such, this one attack was almost the equivalent of over 100 attacks.

Liu Zu faltered slightly upon seeing this, but a cold smile quickly appeared on his face.

Loud rumbling booms rang out in rapid succession in the air above as if hundreds of thunderclaps were exploding at once, causing the nearby air to ring incessantly.

The crimson-robed figures expression changed slightly upon seeing this.

Back when this war hammer was combating the black light formation within the underground palace, it hadnt appeared to be all that powerful, and only now was the crimson-robed figure realizing the true extent of its power.

As for the Tempered Crystal Brick, it had already been inundated by piercing green light, making it impossible to glean its current condition.

Moments later, the white-haired beauty made a grabbing motion, and all of the hammer projections instantly disappeared with only the real hammer flying back as a ball of green light.

She then cast her gaze toward the crystalline brick, and her expression darkened significantly.

The Tempered Crystal Brick had remained completely unscathed following that ferocious barrage. Its surface was completely smooth with not a single scratch to be seen.

So? You believe my claims now, right, Fellow Daoist Lan? Even I wont be able to extract the Divine Infernal River Elixir from the brick to split it among all of us, Liu Zu said in a calm voice.

Seeing as thats the case, I have no choice but to give up on the divine elixir, but you have to accompany the two of us to the devilish tomb. The white-haired beauty heaved a long sigh as if she wanted to exhale all of the frustration in her heart.

After that, she made a hand seal, and her suit of armor dissipated along with her war hammer, splitting up to form the eight ghost monarchs again.

I have no objections there. The devilish tomb is quite far away from here, so even if we try to get there as soon as possible, it would still take us around half a month. Before that, shouldnt we track down a certain someone first? Liu Zu said as he waved a hand through the air, and the Tempered Crystal Brick instantly disappeared on the spot.

Even the other two demon monarchs couldnt identify how Liu Zu had stowed the brick away. The white-haired beauty and the crimson-robed figure exchanged a glance with one another, and both of them were feeling even warier toward Liu Zu.

That Han brat has our tracking marks planted in his body, so he wont be able to escape our detection even if he escapes to the other side of the Spirit Realm. To think that insolent brat would dare to steal my disciples away from me, once I hunt him down using my tracking mark, Ill make him regret everything hes done! A sinister look appeared on the white-haired womans face at the mention of Han Li.

Hehe, you were always aware that your two disciples were acquainted with that Han brat somehow, yet you still planned to suck away their Yin Qi, so its no wonder that Han brat came back to save them. In all honesty, I really do admire the kid. Not only did he manage to escape from the Infernal Lightning Beasts, he stole your two disciples right under our noses! Tsk tsk, even the blood puppet avatar that I refined for so many years was unable to stop, hes got guts and powers in equal measure, the crimson-robed figure chuckled.

Hmph! If you admire him so much, then why dont you take him as your disciple? Perhaps hell outstrip you someday! the white-haired beauty harrumphed coldly with a dark expression.

Im cultivating in the Dao of blood, so unless Han brat is willing to let me suck out his essence and exchange his blood, theres no way that hell be able to use my cultivation arts. Besides, Ive always been alone, and Ive never thought about passing my abilities onto others, so what use would I have for a disciple? Di Xue chuckled coldly.

That Han brats cultivation base isnt very high, but he has a staggering number of tricks up his sleeve. On top of that, hes managed to progress so far on the path of simultaneous cultivation, and his powers far exceed that of beings of the same cultivation base. If he managed to progress to the Body Integration Stage one day, then even all of us combined most likely wont be able to match him. Of course, its yet to be seen whether hell even be able to get to that point. After all, progression for those engaged in simultaneous cultivation is far more difficult than for normal cultivators, Liu Zu mused.

Simultaneous cultivation? Are you certain thats the path hes taking? How do you know about this? the white-haired beauty exclaimed in surprise.

The crimson-robed figure also faltered upon hearing this.

I have an ability that allows me to assess the power of ones physical body. That kid is most likely a human cultivator from an obscure corner of the Tian Yuan Continent, rather than some Flying Spirit Race being. I dont know how he managed to sneak into the trial for the holy disciples of the Flying Spirit Race, but what I do know is that humans are physically one of the most feeble races on the Tian Yuan Continent, yet that Han brats body is no less than powerful than ours. Even normal treasures wont be able to harm his body, and in terms of combat prowess, he should be able to match late-Great Spirit Generals. If he possesses some other abilities that Im unaware of, then perhaps even a normal late-Great Spirit General wouldnt be a match for him, Liu Zu analyzed.

The white-haired beauty and the crimson-robed figure were both stunned by Liu Zus glowing assessment of Han Li, and as they glanced at one another, both of them could see their own astonishment mirrors in each others eyes. freebovel.com

They knew that Han Li was no ordinary being, but they merely assumed that his powers would be comparable to that of an early-Great Spirit General or mid-Great Spirit General.

Youre saying that he can stand up against late-Great Spirit Generals as a mere late-Spirit General? There are indeed some abilities in this world that truly defy the natural order, but surely he cant compare to a being with such a significantly superior cultivation base! The white-haired beauty was quite skeptical toward Liu Zus claims.

Hehe, I actually believe in what Brother Liu Zu is saying here. Many years ago, I encountered a Spatial Tempering Stage human cultivator, yet that man was able to slay early-Body Integration Stage beings through the use of a sword formation. Humans may be naturally very fragile from birth, but they are certainly not to be underestimated, the crimson-robed being suddenly interjected.

The white-haired beauty harrumphed coldly as if she were unconvinced, but the indecisive look in her eyes indicated that she didnt really know what to believe.

Thats enough talk on this matter. That Han brat does indeed have many secrets and possesses brilliant potential, but he has to realize that potential first to make it count. Our priority now is to find him and make him do our bidding. I dont know how hes been able to escape our detection for so long, but if we activate our tracking marks together, he wont be able to keep this up for much longer. If we want to get to the devilish tomb as quickly as possible, then we have to make haste, Liu Zu said in a calm voice.

Indeed, Brother Liu Zu. Fellow Daoist Lan, lets… What! My tracking mark has been eradicated! the crimson-robed figure chuckled and nodded in agreement, yet just as he was about to say something to the white-haired beauty, an expression of incredulity and rage suddenly appeared on his face.

Is that so? Let me try! The white-haired beautys heart jolted with shock and she hurriedly closed her yees before attempting to activate her tracking mark.

Moments later, she opened her eyes again, and a sinister look appeared on her face as she said, My tracking mark is still there, but its been completely sealed off. Brother Liu Zu, activate your tracking mark as well, well wear him down together.

Unfortunately, I wont be able to do that. My tracking mark already disappeared before Fellow Daoist Di Xues tracking mark, Liu Zu replied calmly.

What! The crimson-robed figure and the white-haired beauty were stunned to hear this.

Two hours later, the black vortex above the hill had ceased in its rotation.

An inky-black ball that was over 100 feet in diameter was slowly revealed. Black light swept down from the ball, injecting itself in a frenzy into the two massive black flags on either side of the formation.

The restrictions within the massive flags then sent bursts of pure Yin power surging toward the core of the massive formation.

At this point, the small formation on the summit of the hill had already been completely enshrouded in black light.

Han Li and the two women were no longer visible as a result, and aside from the low buzzing emanating from the spell formation, there were no other sounds to be heard.

As time passed, the massive black ball in the sky grew smaller and smaller.

This was naturally due to the fact that it was constantly losing pure Yin Qi.

All of a sudden, a loud cry erupted from within the formation down below, causing the black light to tremor unsteadily.

A resounding thump then rang out as a fist-sized ball of green light rushed out of the black light, attempting to fly toward a certain direction.

However, a streak of golden sword Qi then shot forth from within the black light amid a cold harrumph, and the sword Qi instantly pulverized the ball of green light.

The black light within the formation immediately became more sparse, revealing three indistinct seated humanoid figures.

At the same time, the buzzing sound from the small formation temporarily ceased.

Moments later, Han Lis voice rang out from within the black light, and his tone comprised of both exhaustion yet also a hint of excitement. Thank you for your hard work, Fellow Daoists. The first mark has already been eradicated, lets keep going!

Brother Han, can your body really handle so much Yin Qi? How about we take a short rest before we continue? Yuan Yao asked in a concerned voice.

Thank you for your concern, Fairy Yuan, but time is of the essence, and we have to get rid of the three remaining tracking marks as soon as possible. Any delay could prove to be catastrophic, Han Li replied with a wry smile.

If you think its fine, then Junior Martial Sister Yuan and I wont try to dissuade you. If youre unable to hold on, then give us a signal, and well immediately stop, Yan Li said in a serious voice.

Alright, lets continue, then, Han Li said without any hesitation.

Thus, Yuan Yao heaved a faint sigh, and the black light within the formation intensified in brightness once again.

The two women then continued to inject pillars of black light into Han Lis body.

…

Right as the first tracking mark was expelled from Han Lis body and destroyed, the humanoid figure that was enshrouded in green light cast her gaze toward Han Lis direction with bewilderment etched on her face. The humanoid figure was situated on a tall mountain several hundred thousand kilometers away from Han Lis location, and she murmured to herself, How could this be? My tracking mark was destroyed? Theoretically, theres no way for cultivators below the Body Integration Stage to be able to accomplish this. Could it be that hes receiving assistance from a powerful being?

The humanoid figure was naturally none other than Mu Qing.

For some reason, she had detached herself from the group of demon monarchs and set off to search for Han Li on her own.

During the process, she unleashed a secret technique to activate the tracking mark that shed planted within Han Lis body, thereby giving him no choice but to destroy it first.

This is getting a little troublesome now. In the instant that the tracking mark was destroyed, I managed to gauge the direction that hes in, but itll be almost impossible to find him over such a vast area. Looks like I can only try my luck, Mu Qing murmured to herself with her brows tightly furrowed before immediately flying away as a streak of green light.

Elsewhere, on a set of barren plains that was covered in stark white bones, three humanoid figures and a puppet were facing off against one another.

Brother Liu Zu, weve already shaken off that Mayfly Race puppet and the two Infernal Lightning Beasts, so its time you brought out the Divine Infernal River Elixir and split it between the three of us. The one who had spoken was none other than the crimson-robed figure that was standing atop the Purpleblood Puppets shoulder.

Youve been ignoring us this entire time, could it be that you intend to take the divine elixir for yourself? Have you forgotten the vows we swore and the blood restrictions we placed on each others bodies before we set off? If Di Xue and I activate those restrictions without any regard for our own safety, then your cultivation base would be severely damaged as a result, the white-haired beauty threatened in a cold voice with the eight ghost monarchs around her.

The black-robed man that they were confronting was naturally none other than Liu Zu.

He was hovering right before the white-haired beauty and the crimson-robed figure, and after taking a glance at the two of them, he finally replied, I initially intended to split the divine elixir evenly with all of you, but unfortunately, it appears that someone else has recently extracted some divine elixir from the pond, and what remained of it is barely enough for my own use, so how can I split it with all of you as well? How about this? Ill take the divine elixir, but I have many precious items that I can offer the two of you in exchange, will that suffice?

What kind of precious items could compare with the Divine Infernal River Elixir? Unless you have some kind of miracle medicine that can help us progress to the Grand Ascension Stage, what else could compare to the value for the divine elixir for cultivators of our cultivation base? the white-haired beauty asked in an enraged voice.

Meanwhile, the crimson-robed figure refrained from saying anything.

Seeing as the crimson-robed figure didnt immediately turn down this offer, Liu Zu turned to him, and asked, What do you think, Brother Di Xue?

There were two demon monarchs opposing Liu Zu at the moment, but if one of them agreed to Liu Zus proposal, then the other one would be powerless to resist. After all, Liu Zu was far more powerful than either one of them.

Di Xue! Have you gone senile in your old age? Are you seriously contemplating agreeing to this proposal? the white-haired beauty asked in a cold voice.

If there really is so little divine elixir left, then even if Fellow Daoist is willing to split it between us, it wouldnt do anyone any good, so what difference does it make if we split it or allow one of us to keep it? Unless you want to be the one to take all of the divine elixir instead, Fellow Daoist Lan? the crimson-robed figure mused in a dark voice.

My thoughts exactly, Fellow Daoist Di Xue! Liu Zu chuckled in response.

The white-haired beauty faltered slightly upon hearing this, but a cold smile then appeared on her face as she said, Who knows if there really is as little divine elixir as he claims? I havent seen it for myself, am I supposed to just take his word for it?

Indeed, thats also what Im hesitating about. Fellow Daoist Liu Zu, would you be able to present proof to support your claim? the crimson-robed figure asked as a cold light flashed through his eyes.

Liu Zu was silent for a moment before heaving a long sigh as he said, The Divine Infernal River Elixir only works extremely well during its first application. When consuming and bathing in it for a second time, its effects will be almost negligible, Im sure the two of you are aware of this. I wouldnt turn on the two of you for something thats useless Ive gone mad. You two still dont know how Divine Infernal River Elixir is stored, right?

What are you trying to say? Could it be that extraction of Divine Infernal River Elixir requires more than just severing its connection with the spirit vein? the white-haired beauty asked in a skeptical voice.

Instead of replying to her question, Liu Zu rustled a sleeve, and an object fell into his hand. He gently raised the object for their inspection, revealing it to be a rectangular brick that seemed to have been made from a crystalline material.

The surface of the brick was quite smooth and extremely transparent.

At the center of this brick, a ball of fist-sized red liquid could be seen. Even though it was separated from everyone by a layer of crystal, the astonishing spiritual Qi emanating from the liquid had still formed wisps of white spiritual mist that drifted throughout the surrounding area.

This is known as a Tempered Crystal Brick, and its something used by the Mayfly Race solely for extracting and storing Divine Infernal River Elixir. If this object were to be placed in the pond within the palace, it would immediately fuse as one with the spirit vein there, and it would be extremely difficult to recover it. Once the divine elixir is drawn into this object, even Body Integration cultivators wouldnt be able to extract the divine elixir from it in a short time, unless they possessed a secret talisman produced by the Mayfly Race. The only way to extract the divine elixir without the talisman would be to use the true flames within our bodies to refine this brick for over 10 years. With this, Im sure the two of you can see just how little divine elixir Ive managed to extract, Liu Zu explained in a calm voice.

The crimson-robed figure inspected the brick with a hint of greed in his eyes, and he said in a skeptical voice, The spiritual mist emanating from this liquid is identical to the mist around the pond, so that should indeed by the Divine Infernal River Elixir, but dont you think its an exaggeration to claim that we wont be able to destroy this brick?

After a brief silence, Liu Zu proposed, It looks like you wont believe me no matter what I say. So be it, Ill set this item in the air above us, and the two of you can unleash one attack each afar to try and destroy it. If you can leave so much as a single scratch on the brick, Ill immediately hand over the Divine Infernal River Elixir. If not, Ill be taking the divine elixir, and Ill give the two of you other precious items in exchange for it. Alternatively, you can activate the restrictions youve placed on my body, but if you do that, the two of you wont end up in a much better situation than I will. Instead, a third party could come along to take the divine elixir, and in our severely debilitated states, wed be powerless to stop them.

Are you serious? The white-haired beautys eyes immediately lit up, clearly very tempted by this offer.

Of course, Liu Zu chuckled in response.

Alright, you have yourself a deal. The white-haired beauty was clearly very confident in her abilities.

If I cant damage this brick, then I wont ask for items in exchange. All I ask is that Brother Liu Zu accompanies me to the devilish tomb to secure two of the treasures there, the crimson-robed figure said.

The devilish tomb? The powerful devils buried in there have been dead for countless years, but those devilish artifacts have already attained sentient will and are even more powerful than most Divine Spirit Treasures. On top of that, the devilish Qi and Yin Qi in there are extremely dense, making it very difficult to traverse through it. Didnt you and Fellow Daoist Mu Qing already raid the tomb once already, only for the trip to end in failure? Liu Zus brows furrowed in reluctance.

Why are you asking a question you already know the answer to? Seeing as that Han brat is still alive, well be able to make use of his Divine Devilbane Lightning to ward off the devilish Qi and Yin Qi. If you accompany us as well, then our success will virtually be ensured. Fellow Daoist Mu Qing departed halfway, most likely to search for that Han brat already.