Рубрика: Путешествие к бессмертию

Chapter 485: Freezing Over

As the Nascent Soul cultivators clashed, Wu Chou and the Bone Sage experienced a great surprise while they suppressed the flame wolf.

With a growl, the two heads of the wolf warped together, transforming it into a huge, horned silver-furred wolf.

It then proceeded to lower its head and fiercely shot a burst of silver light from its horn.

Although the burst of light was only half a foot long, it released a piercing wail upon leaving the horn. In the blink of an eye, a large hole was now gaping in the body of the black python and the net had been dissolved.

The green net immediately turned into smoke upon touching the silver light and disappeared without a trace.

When Wu Chou and Zenith Yin saw this, they were shocked.

Wu Chou hastily made an incantation seal and pointed, shooting a black light towards the extinguished black python. The large hole in it immediately started to close while emitting sparks of faint light, stabilizing the pythons body. As for the Bone Sage, after a brief moment of astonishment, he stared at the huge silver wolf as if he had thought of something. He hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth with a solemn expression, and spat out a dark green knife. The knife was only several inches long and handleless. From a glance at the size of its increasing radiance, one could tell it was abnormal.

Han Lis heart stirred and he couldnt help but take another look at the magic treasure. If he wasnt mistaken, the knife was a transformed version of the Bone Sages Gold Lightning Bamboo Arrow. He was merely using a magic technique to conceal its original form.

Could it be that the Bone Sage had gone mad? Zenith Yin was in the sky and he still dared to use his magic treasure. Zenith Yin surely mustve used this treasure to plot against him long ago. Although the Bone Sage managed to conceal its brilliance, it was unable to escape the notice of Han Li, who had refined his own magic treasure from Gold Lightning Bamboo. It was far too bold of an action.

Han Li began to hesitate and had second thoughts, Could it be that the silver wolf is so exceptional that the old devil is willing to take such a huge risk to claim it?

In that instant, the huge silver wolf suddenly shrunk in size and turned into a foot tall miniature in the blink of an eye. Then with a flash of silver light, it flew towards the altars hole in a blur, breaking away from Wu Chou and the Bone Sage.

When the Bone Sage saw this, he immediately threw out his knife, shooting out a green streak. With a resounding bang, the small knife knocked away the silver wolf, but it didnt receive any damage from the impact.

As it just so happened, the silver wolf was knocked in the direction of Han Li. With such a fine gift knocking at his door, Han Li instantly threw any apprehensions he had to the back of his mind and threw his flower basket towards the silver wolf. Fearing that this treasure wouldnt be enough to capture the wolf, Han Li patted his storage pouch with his other hand, tossing the a chain of five copper bands after the wolf as well. He blew a breath of Azure Qi onto the chain of copper bands, causing it to flash with rainbow light and disappear without a trace.

Soon after, a clear ring suddenly sounded out. Before the silver wolf could dart away again, the five copper bands suddenly appeared around its limbs and head. Following several flickers of radiance, it crashed to the ground like a shot bird.

As for the flower basket, it had transformed into white mist and was already in pursuit of the wolf. In a second, it had caught up to the wolf and enveloped it. With a whistle from Han Li, it flew back into his hand and returned to its original form.

Having just recovered their magic treasures, the Bone Sage and Wu Chou gazed at Han Li in astonishment. Their expressions displayed complete disbelief.

Wu Chou was the first to awake and immediately wore a flustered, embarrassed expression. This was far beyond his expectations! He had originally thought that acquiring this ownerless treasure would be an easy matter with his Profound Yin Arts. He hadnt expected that the Bone Sage would contend with him for the treasure before either realized that the treasure itself was quite difficult to capture. Just as he was about to use another magic treasure, the wolf had been easily captured by Han Li, leaving Wu Chou in a hapless state of miserable, impotent fury.

The Bone Sage wore an odd expression when he came to his senses. Although he soon returned to being expressionless, Han Li caught a glimpse of anger from his eyes. In addition, the old devil felt somewhat baffled when he saw the copper bands suddenly appear on the silver wolfs body.

Han Li didnt have the time to muse over the Bone Sages expressions. Instead, he excitedly glanced into the flower basket.

The copper bands seemed to be the bane of the silver wolf. They tightly restrained it, preventing it from moving in the slightest and binding it so that only its small head could be seen. It appeared rather pitiful.

Han Li chucked and lightly rubbed the wolfs head without a second thought. His hand then shined with azure light and completely enveloped it. Soon, the silver wolfs body weakened before it eventually faded away to a jade scepter.

Just as Han Li had acquired the scepter with delight, Qing Yi and Zenith Yin looked at the scene with astonishment, having just lost their treasure to Wan Tianming.

Zenith Yin inwardly frowned. He couldnt do anything about it now as he was facing such a great adversary as Wan Tianming. Moreover, there was no problem with giving Han Li possession of the treasure for now. After all, how could a junior possibly keep such an valuable ancient treasure that possessed its own illusory body. After this was all over, he would naturally have Han Li sincerely give it to his master.

Having settled his thoughts, Zenith Yin turned his attention back to Wan Tianming. The Heavensifting Mine was a Nascent Soul weapon of rarely seen ferocity. He was forced to be particularly focused when facing it.

But unfortunately, no action had been taken in the end. The stone platform suddenly shuddered with astonishing intensity as if it were about to cave in.

At that moment, a sliver of blue flame had finally reached beyond the hole.

Although only a small bit of the flame was exposed, in that same instant, a magnificent blue light blossomed, permeating throughout the entire stone platform. With the sounds of light crackling, a layer of blue frost also began to quickly spread across the ground.

Frightened, Han Li instantly reacted, shooting into the air. The Bone Sage had also acted quickly, flying into the air at nearly the same time as Han Li

However, Wu Chou hesitated for a moment and in that mere moment, the blue frost had already spread over his feet. The Profound Yin Qi hovering around his body was unable to protect him in the slightest. At that moment, Wu Chou became fearful and promptly wished to fly, but his feet were already frozen to the ground and the frost continued to spread. Wu Chou yelled in fright as he watched the frost cover his feet, and spread up from his lower leg.

As Han Li and the Bone Sage watched this from up above, they couldnt help but glance at each other with horror.

Just as Wu Chou was about to turn into an ice sculpture by the blue frost, a thin line of black light abruptly shot down from the sky. It struck Wu Chous body, melting away the blue frost in a blaze of black fire and blue smoke.

Wu Chou rejoiced. He hastily flew to the skies with an expression of salvation upon regaining his freedom.

At that moment, he heard a cold snort transmitted to his ear followed by an irritated voice, Be careful. Next time, I might not have the chance to save you.

His survival had been the result of Zenith Yins actions. He had used his Heavenvoid Corpsefire to save Wu Chou from the sky.

At that moment, the eccentrics of both sides stared at the blue flames coming from the hole without blinking. Each of them had varying expressions of interest, greed and even nervousness.

Zenith Yins recent rescue of Wu Chou had been but a casual action. He hadnt even turned his head when he spoke to him. He simply licked his lips and gazed at the altars hole with a feverish expression.

The rank one hidden treasure for countless years in the Scattered Star Seas, the Heavenvoid Cauldron, was about to emerge in the presence of these Nascent Soul cultivators at that very moment. Even the gloomy Zenith Yin and the other expressionless eccentrics couldnt help but have their attention captured by the emerging blue flames. It was no wonder why Zenith Yin had spoken to Wu Chou with such an irritated tone after he rescued him.

As the Bloodjade Spider and the fire pythons had been trembling from exhaustion for a while now, the eccentrics watched them from the sky with worry. However, none of them dared to assist the beasts in the slightest since the holes surroundings had already become a world of blue light. While the red lights emitting from the spirit beasts bodies were able to repel the chilling light, the eccentrics were both unwilling and incapable of descending to assist the three spirit beasts.

As for the Core Formation cultivators, they had already distanced themselves a hundred meters from the hole and were watching the spectacle from a distance.

Chapter 484: Battling Over Treasure

Wu Chou hadnt anticipated that the taciturn Bone Sage would silently compete with him for the treasure. With a savage expression, he furiously shouted, You dare to fight this young island lord over treasure?

The Bone Sage sneered and spoke with unconcealed derision, Funny. Was this treasure created by your clan? Why cant I contend for it?

Wu Chou flew into a fit of rage out of embarrassment, but something soon came to mind and he foully grimaced. Instead of further refuting, he clasped his hand into an incarnation gesture, forcefully causing the black pythons to exert more strength.

It seemed Wu Chou understood that since the Bone Sage was being supported by Man Huzi, who Zenith Yin held in fear, he couldnt use his grandfathers status to subdue him.

Wu Chous actions caused the Bone Sage to sneer. Without speaking further, he pointed at the green web, causing its light to brightly flourish as its threads grew thicker and tightened.

Wu Chous and the Bone Sages techniques had both restrained the wolf, but despite its light barrier having decreased several times in size, it grew increasingly firm and bright. The unscathed flame wolf gazed at the two of them as they remained at a standstill.

The Nascent Soul cultivators that were still fighting in the sky were all caught by surprise. None of them had expected that the treasure would run towards the Core Formation cultivators. The Righteous Dao cultivators grew increasingly anxious and wished to break off from the battle to seize the treasure. However, the eccentrics of the Devil Dao were largely unbothered.

Regardless of how you looked at it, their side was going to acquire the treasure. With this in mind, they were happy to tie down the Righteous Dao cultivators and allow their juniors to safely secure the treasure. Besides, Man Huzi and Zenith Yin both felt that they had a high chance of acquiring the treasure for themselves.

Wu Chou had been given many treasures by Zenith Yin, and he also used the Profound Yin Devilish Art, one of the best cultivations arts in the Scattered Star Seas. As such, Zenith Yin felt confident that Wu Chou would be able to wrest away the treasure from the Bone Sage who only appeared to be an early Core Formation cultivator. Man Huzi, knowing the Bone Sages true identity, held far more confidence in acquiring it than Zenith Yin did. Qing Yi could only look at the circumstances with a trace of sadness. After hesitating for only a moment, he decided to tangle with Tian Wuzi and keep him occupied.

At that moment, the sole person near the altar was Han Li, and he didnt feel calm or confident in the slightest. In fact, he felt cold sweat running down his his back. He had instinctively taken out the ancient flower basket a moment ago due to the fact it was the most suitable for seizing treasures.

But when he saw the Bone Sage move to take the treasure, he instantly recalled something significant. His ancient flower basket treasure was something he had acquired from the ugly man that was watching over the Bone Sages prison. If he were to take it out then wouldnt he be informing Zenith Yin that he had released the Bone Sage?

This was what had caused Han Li to break out in a cold sweat. Joining the competition to seize the treasure was now the last thing on his mind! Rather, his mind was chaotically filled with all sorts of distracting thoughts, while he did doing his utmost to come up with an appropriate solution to deal with Zenith Yin.

But in the next moment, Han Li felt amazed. He had clearly felt Zenith Yins gaze sweep past the flower basket and not react in the slightest.

Han Li suddenly came to a delighted realization. The ancient flower basket wasnt something that Zenith Yin had given to the ugly man. Furthermore, it wasnt something that he even knew the ugly man had possessed. Having come to this conclusion, Han Li felt greatly relieved.

Han Li had guessed correctly! That ugly man had stood guard at the Bone Sages island for a very long time, and had heard of the ancient flower basket during that time and had left to retrieve it. Although he managed to smoothly acquire the treasure, Han Lis party had already surrounded the Bone Sages formation and were just about to destroy it. This frightened the ugly man into a furious rage, but he ultimately ended up dying to Han Lis Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords, allowing Han Li to acquire the flower basket as spoils.

Having recovered his calm, Han Li glanced at Wu Chou and the Bone Sage struggling over the fire wolf. He thought to himself, Youre quite in luck, old devil. Had Zenith Yin discovered this matter, I would have dragged you down with me. Dont think that Ill leave you unscathed!

Another round of heavy, thunderous clangs rang out from the hole.

Having gone through this before, the Nascent Soul cultivators slowed their hands and glanced at one another. No one knew who moved first as they all blurred and appeared in the direction of the altars hole.

At that moment, the Heavenvoid Cauldron was close to the surface. The Nascent Soul cultivators were all forced to block the fantastical cold it had released, each making full use of their respective techniques and defensive treasures. While these actions produced flashes of wondrous light, both sides remained cautious as they vigilantly watched one another.

At that moment, Zenith Yin was extremely vexed.

His original plan had been to fend off the Righteous Dao and seize all of the treasures in one go. Then they would split the treasures in agreement. But who couldve thought that as the Heavenvoid Cauldron neared the surface the ancient treasures would fly out on their own. In this manner, the acquisition of treasure was entirely a matter of skill.

After all, regardless of who seizes the treasure, it was impossible to ask them to hand it over to others as they had been acquired through battle. This would render their original agreement on how to split the treasures null and void.

Zenith Yins eyes furiously looked around, wishing to see if there was a way he could acquire more treasures. But just as these thoughts appeared in his mind, a deafening screech was heard followed by two sounds of rustling wind. A streak of red and a streak of white radiance shot out of the blue flame at the center.

The six Nascent Soul cultivators were all quite close to the hole, and they all acted nearly simultaneously, using their secret techniques to fight for control.

Wan Tianming was contending for the yellow light against Zenith Yin and Qing Yi. As a result, Wan Tianming ordered a purple flame dragon to chase after the yellow light. Simultaneously, he opened his mouth with a strange expression appearing on his face, directly shooting out two sparkling purple pearls towards Zenith Yin and Qing Yi.

True Heavensifting Mines! When Zenith Yin saw the unremarkable pearls, he shouted as if they were vipers.

The two didnt dare to use magic treasures to block them. They quickly dodged out of the way, but by then, the purple flame dragon had swallowed the yellow light and was returning to Wan Tianming.

Wan Tianming excitedly clasped the yellow light and twisted his hands, revealing the ancient treasures original appearance, a four pointed ornament. From the flickering talisman characters that flickered on its surface and its spiritual Qi fluctuations, one could tell the treasure was outstanding.

As for the two purple beads, they shot about ten meters away before they softly burst and disappeared without a trace.

When Zenith Yin and Qing Yi saw this, their complexions turned ashen as they watched Wan Tianming fiddling with the jade ornament.

What a truly great sect master of the Righteous Dao! To think he would use false mines to deceive us! Zenith Yin uttered each word through gritted teeth.

Qing Yis face appeared just as gastly as he chillingly stared at Wan Tianming.

Wan Tianming sneered and returned their insults, Who wouldve thought that these long famed cultivators, who even werent able to see whether or not my True Heavensifting Mines were actually real, would be able to so shamelessly say those things in front of this Sect Master? Could it be that you didnt know that I would only use the True Heavensifting Mines during a matter of life or death? Theyre hardly appropriate to use in a fight over treasures. As I must produce them by harming my own cultivation, why would I be so wasteful? But of course, if you two Fellow Daoists wish to witness their true might, I am willing to make the exception. Wan Tianming softly clasped his hands. With a flash of purple light, the jade ornament could no longer be seen, instead replaced by a purple pearl that looked exactly the same as the ones from before.

Zenith Yin and Qing Yis expressions changed before they glanced at each other with gloomy expressions as if they were both uncertain of his intentions.

At that moment, Man Huzi shrugged off a blow from the dark old farmer and Tian Wuzi with the overbearing defense of his Heavenbearing Devil Arts and managed to forcefully capture the white light. It was revealed to be a sparkling ancient coin.

When Zenith Yin saw this, his face became even more unsightly.

Yi! At that moment, Qing Yi shouted out as if he were amazed. Zenith Yin couldnt help but turn his gaze over, revealing a similar expression of astonishment.

At that very moment, Han Li was below the altar carefully examining a red-yellow Ruyi scepter in hand. It was finely carved with two lifelike carvings of wolf heads on each end.

It seemed that this was the ancient treasure that had transformed into the two headed flame wolf. Not far from him, Wu Chou and the Bone Sage were impotently gazing at Han Li with resentful expressions. A trace of confusion flickered from Zenith Yins eyes and he grew silent. He indeed felt quite shocked!

The treasure hadnt fallen into the hands of Zenith Yin or Wu Chou, but rather to Han Li, who hadnt displayed the slightest intent to act from the very start.

Chapter 483: Transformed Treasure

Still unsure of the Bone Sages intentions, Han Lis gaze moved towards his nearby Bloodjade Spider.

The red light in the spiders body began to shine even more brilliantly and, trembling ever so slightly, it pulled its thread back.

In that moment, the milky white spider web sparkled with a faint, yet chilling blue light . The light traveled up the web until it collided with the Bloodjade Spiders own red light and immediately dissipated into specks of white light. It couldnt make even the slightest contact with the Bloodjade Spiders body.

Han Li frowned. There was no doubt this strange light had something to do with the Celestial Ice Flame. Nor was it any no wonder why those eccentrics wouldnt dare assist the spirit beast in acquiring the treasure. They were fearful of this blue light.

But just as Han Li finished this thought, he heard the sound of Man Huzi laughing as an explosion went off in the sky. The spectacle brought Han Lis attention back to the battle at hand.

He watched as Man Huzis body grew thirteen meters in size. The clothes on the upper half of his body disappeared to reveal the densely packed golden scales that lined his body. They radiated brightly to the point where they cant be directly seen. But what was even more strange were the several silver rings of light rotating around his huge body.

The silver rings seemed illusionary and fluttered erratically, but they were very much capable of preventing Wan Tianmings purple flame dragons from approaching Man Huzi, always blocking their every advance. Although Man Huzi proclaimed that his Heavenbearing Devil Arts was ranked first in the Scattered Star Seas, even he was unwilling to foolishly take on Wan Tianmings true flames with this technique alone.

In addition to the change from Heavenbearing Devils transformation, Man Huzi was also now wearing a malicious looking pair of dull, pitch-black gloves that was covered in inch-long needles.

Man Huzi brandished his hands and starting punching the air, sending out huge golden fists with every strikeall aimed at the huge purple draconic sword that Wan Tianming had summoned summoned earlier . Every strike knocked the huge sword back several.

A malicious expression appeared on Wan Tianmings face as he floated in midair nearby. He ordered two of his purple flame dragons to fly through the skies and look for a weak point in the silver rings. He hoped to corner Man Huzi in a single move.

As for Layman Qing Yi and Tian Wuzi, they were the sort to treasure their lives above all else. They kept a large gap between themselves as they fought. Qing Yi was continuously issuing orders to his Azure Thorn Bird as he attacked with magic treasures, while Tian Wuzi relied on the Phantom Tortoise and his short, sparkling club to form an impenetrable defense. The two were calmly battling as if they were they were exchanging pointers.

The most lively battle was between Zenith Yin and the dark, skinny old farmer. Their battle took place over a large area where both ghostly wails and phoenix cries interweaved amongst each other. Green silhouettes flickered within a huge vortex of black Qi. The only images that could be seen from the outside was the occasional flicker of a Heavenwide Corpse or the wild whips of huge green vines skirting the edge of the black mist.

As for the heavily valued Three Eyed Panther variant, it was currently tangling with the white Glacial Flood Dragon.

The dragon was clearly at a disadvantage, the panthers aberrant technique putting heavy pressure upon him. The white, icy mist that it spouted immediately turned into chunks of stone upon contact with the yellow light, leaving the panther completely untouched. However, it was still able to tie down the leopard, preventing it from attacking the three Devil Dao cultivators. But under the current circumstances, the dragon wouldnt be able to last for much longer.

As Han Li observed the battle, a strange thought popped into his mind.

While their battle was quite lively with magic treasures constantly fluttering about and secret techniques being unleashed without restraint, he still felt the absence of the desperate struggle that comes with a battle of life and death. It was as though they were not fighting for their lives, but merely sparring instead. Could it be that all battles between Nascent Soul cultivators were all like this?

After finishing his thought, he took another look at the Bone Sage.

The Bone Sages blank face now had a trace of a sneer. But after sensing Han Lis gaze, his face became blank once more and returned to its normal, unreadable state.

Han Lis heart trembled and felt as though he were on the verge of realizing something. But before he could further pursue the thought, a huge explosion erupted from the altars hole, followed by deafening clangs.

Greatly startled, Han Li turned to face the hole, readying his guard.

He watched as a pulsating blue light emerged from the hole, before violently exploding into a red flame as the cry of a dragon echoed from within. The fiery light quickly wrapped itself around the altar before stopping in midair and merging into the form of a huge two-headed wolf. Its entire body was made of blazing flame. The beast took one look at the scene before it immediately fled.

Upon seeing this, both sides stopped fighting, dumbfounded. The closest to it, Layman Qing Yi, immediately slapped the top of his head. An azure hand of light shot out from his head, sweeping towards the flame wolf.

When Wan Tianming saw this, he anxiously shouted, Dont you dare! That treasure is mine! He spun his body, separating himself into two identical selves which both flared with purple light as they chased after the huge hand.

Having finally collected themselves, the others hastily used their abilities and launched themselves after the wolf, producing a streaks of multi-colored lights all focused on a single point.

The others were obviously a step behind Qing Yi and Wan Tianming. Qing Yis large azure hand was not only fast, but it also had a head start. It had arrived at the flame wolf first and was just about to grab it.

Everyone was certain that Qing Yi would capture it successfully, except for the wolf that was. It rocked its heads back and forth, causing a red and yellow barrier of light to appear and wrap around its body. When the hand collided with the barrier, it was repelled with a muffled bang.

At first Qing Yi was shocked, but soon a smile had emerged on his face. Just as the azure hand flourished with light and tightened its grip, Wan Tianmings purple light appeared right behind. In that instant, he had quickly changed his target. The streaks of light merged into a purple fire dragon and fiercely attacked the large hand.

When Layman Qing Yi saw this, he inwardly rained curses upon Wan Tianmings treachery! The hand was a profound transformation of his spiritual sense. Though it was an easy ability to use, its power certainly wasnt weak. Even so, he didnt dare take a direct hit from a flame dragon created by the Heavensifting True Arts.

Even if he were able to acquire the treasure, his spiritual sense would suffer heavy damage. He couldnt afford to make such a costly trade! With no better option, the azure hand suddenly stopped grabbing at the flame wolf and turned to block Wan Tianmings purple flame dragon, resulting a burst of azure light and purple flames.

In that instant, the others had overtaken them. They surrounded the flame wolf and instead of attacking it, they all began to attack each other.

These attacks were far more vicious and ruthless than before. Secret techniques were quickly cast in succession, tangling everyone down and rendering them incapable of paying the flame wolf any heed.

The flame wolf, appearing to be quite intelligent, seemed to have realized the fearsomeness of the Nascent Soul eccentries. It quickly darted out from underneath them and charged in the direction of the three Core Formation cultivators.

Initially, Han Li was dumbstruck by this, but soon he recollected himself.

The two headed flame wolf was certain to be a transformed treasure of the Heavenvoid Cauldron. While he didnt know how it was able to break out before the Heavenvoid Cauldron was entirely seized, it was undoubtedly a rare item from its mobile transformation and independant acts of resistance.

Upon seeing the treasure wolf charge towards them, Han Li reacted near instantaneously, patting his storage pouch. A white streak of Qi suddenly flew out and appeared in his grasp, revealing an ancient flower basket.

But before Han Li could act, two huge pythons made of black Qi rushed to constrict the flame wolf. They managed to wrap themselves around its body several times, restraining it.

Han Li inwardly cursed and glanced at the side to see Wu Chou forming an incantation seal with a proud expression. It seems the huge black pythons were created with the Profound Yin Arts.

Han Li exposed slight vexation on his face. He couldnt help but hesitantly consider whether or not he should attack him for the treasure. After all, the treasure hadnt yet been truly acquired. However, this would undoubtedly enrage Grandmaster Zenith Yin, guaranteeing that Han Li would be disposed off after the Heavenvoid Cauldron was acquired. It simply wasnt worth the consequences.

These thoughts quickly rushed through his mind, but, before he could even finished his contemplations, the Bone Sage ruthlessly launched an attack at the flame wolf.

A cold glint flickered through the Bone Sages eyes. He silently opened his mouth and spat out a ray of green light. In an instant, the green light brightly flourished, transforming into a huge emerald-green net that ensnared both the black python and the flame wolf.

Chapter 482: The Battle Begins

Split it evenly with you? Zenith Yin frowned as if he were tempted by the thought. In Zenith Yins eyes, so long as he was able to take the portion from his in-name disciple, he wouldnt be given too small a share, regardless of how the treasure was split. freeebnovl.cm

But before Zenith Yin could further consider the matter, Man Huzi insolently laughed as he stood at the very front. Evenly split the Heavenvoid Cauldron?! Wan Tianming, you sure can dream! You want to take food out of this lords mouth? First, lets see just how sharp your claws are!

Man Huzi then shouted and the huge panther that was crouching in front of him suddenly stood and roared. The beasts third eye opened, shooting out a yellow beam of light towards Wan Tianming.

Animal, youre seeking death! Wan Tianming furiously shouted.

He hadnt anticipated that Man Huzi would launch an attack without giving his proposal even the slightest consideration. Regardless of how it could be seen, his side currently had the advantage due to the assistance of the Glacial Flood Dragon and the Phantom Tortoise.

Wan Tianming flusteredly responded by shooting out a beam of violet light from his hand to meet the yellow beam. In the instant the beams of light met, a burst of yellow radiance erupted.

With a bang, the violet light disappeared without a trace. Instead, a smoking white object fell from the air. Before anyone could clearly see what it was, it had already shattered to pieces. After carefully staring at the pieces, it was apparent that there were pieces of common stone. A majority of the people who saw this were stunned and filled with doubt.

When Wan Tianming saw this, his expression changed several times and the spirited look in his eyes disappeared. He shouted with disbelief, An aberrant technique! Your Three Eyed Panther is a spirit beast variant!

Upon hearing the words spirit beast variant, everyone on both sides appeared shocked.

Spirit beast variants and antiquity variants sounded somewhat the same, but the difference was actually as large as heaven and earth. Antiquity variants were remnants of a few uncommon spirit beasts that were left behind from ages long past. Due to changes of appearance and characteristics over the long passage of time, they became an entirely new species that only possessed a few of the characteristics of their predecessors.

However, these spirit beasts were extremely rare and difficult to find.

As for spirit beast variants, each one is an entirely unique existence. They were spirit beasts that have underwent unpredictable mutations for some unknown reason, resulting in their capabilities being greatly changed. The quality of these variations all differed from one another, but each of these variants all had amazing abilities that exceeded what was capable of common magic techniques.

The ability to petrify a majority of magic tools or magic treasures was among the better known abilities.

This ability was quite incisive. If a Core Formation cultivator were to make use such an ability of their own spirit beast variant, they would be able to cleanly deal with four cultivators of their rank in a single breath. As the abilities of these spirit beast variants often caused tremors amidst the Scattered Star Seas, they became collectively known as aberrant techniques, distinguishing them from common magic techniques.

Originally, a Three Eyed Panther was only capable of shooting fire attribute attacks out of its third eye. But now, it was capable of shooting out a beam of light that was able to turn magic tools and treasures into stone. This was an ability that only a spirit beast could perform after a mutation.

Spirit beast variants were a rare existence that hardly ever occured. In addition, the variations only appeared in spirit beasts at grade four and above. Ever since the existence of spirit beast variants became widely known in the Scattered Star Seas, no more than a dozen had appeared. And among those dozen, less than half of them possessed any particularly destructive abilities.

Even worse, spirit beast variants had come increasingly rare. It had been over a thousand years since the last spirit beast variation had been seen. As such, spirit beast breeders no longer held any hopes that one of their beasts would become a variant. The thought had become nothing more than a fleeting daydream.

At that moment, Wan Tianming realized the reason Man Huzi had so bluntly refused the offer to split the treasure was because he had this to rely on. His Three Eyed Panther variant was fearsome enough to even the odds against both their Glacial Flood Dragon and Phantom Tortoise.

Having understood this, Wan Tianmings expression grew solemn, and he turned his gaze towards Zenith Yin and Layman Qing Yi. The two revealed both surprise and delight. It was clear that they had already decided to refuse his offer to split the Heavenvoid Cauldron.

Wan Tianming guessed correctly. Now that Zenith Yin knew that Man Huzis Three Eyed Panther was a spirit beast variant, the thought of sharing had been thrown to the back of his head. As for Qing Yi, this towering figure of the Devil Dao was by no means a true layman of Buddhism. He would naturally be unwilling to split the treasure with the Righteous Dao cultivators if he could monopolize it.

Zenith Yin meaningfully exchanged a glance with Qing Yi before he started to spin in a circle. Countless strands of profound black Qi spread out around him. The many Heavenwide Corpses around him began to distort and then disappeared without a trace in a flash of black light.

Layman Qing Yi sent a voice transmission into Han Lis ear, Stand a bit farther back, and protect your life as best you can. We wont be able to protect you in the coming fight.

After this was said, the Azure Thorn Birds above his head received their orders. They released a chilling cry and shot towards the Righteous Dao cultivators as a swarm of azure arrows. The old man also threw out another the swarm of birds.

Seeing the Devil Dao cultivators rush to act, Wan Tianming responded without restraint. Even if Man Huzis Spirit Beast Variant was somewhat troublesome, he had nothing to fear from it. In the end a vicious spirit beast variant is no more than a mere beast.

Besides, he clearly understood that while this aberrant technique could petrify objects, it didnt have much effect on a cultivators body. So long as he was somewhat careful and prevented his magic treasures from being struck by the yellow light, the spirit beast could be dealt with.

With that thought, Wan Tianming snorted and quickly shouted, Move!

With that said, he released his white Glacial Flood Dragon and struck his palms against his chest, causing a purple flame to wildly erupt from his body. In the next instant, he was enveloped in purple flames and was charging down towards Man Huzi from the sky.

When Tian Wuzi saw this, he quickly called out to the Phantom Tortoise and struck the its shell without any hesitation. An ominous glint suddenly flickered from the huge tortoises small eyes. It slowly opened its mouth, spouting out a white icy mist in overwhelming quantity, sending a raging snowstorm in the direction of the incoming Azure Thorn Birds.

Unwilling to be outmatched, the Azure Thorn Birds opened their sharp beaks in response. Slim streaks of azure flame successively shot out, rapidly merging into a huge beam of azure flame. Both the azure flame and the icy mist scattered upon impact as if they were evenly matched at the moment.

The old, dark and thin farmers actions were particularly strange. He suddenly flipped his hand in a stiff manner, summoning a glistening emerald willow branch to appear between his fingers. With a slight wave of his branch, circles of countless green phantasms of itself flew off, densely filling up an area of over forty meters turning into a sea of verdant green.

But with two flickers of black light, two armored demon corpses suddenly appeared among the green light phantasms. The green threads around them tightly bound the several Heavenwide Corpses as if the threads were alive.

These demon corpses possessed monstrous strength, but in the bindings of the green thread, they were powerless. Unable to break free form their bindings, the two corpses howled as they struggled in vain.

When Zenith Yin saw this, his face grew icy. In a mere second, he had turned his body into a large black cloud, rapidly shooting towards the sky. As each individual Heavenwide Corpse was quite difficult to refine, he was unwilling to abandon them lightly. And since his opponent was obviously using a wood attribute technique, his Heavenwide Corpsefire would be doubly effective at half the effort!

Seeing that the battle between the Nascent Soul cultivators was unfolding, Han Li didnt need any further instructions before deciding to take over ten steps back.

Although he clearly understood that even taking a hundred steps back wouldnt make a difference, Han Li subconsciously wished to be further away. If the Righteous Dao cultivators changed their minds and didnt wish to acquire the Heavenvoid Cauldron, they might aim to exterminate the master of the Bloodjade Spider. In that case, his death would be certain! He couldnt possibly trust that Man Huzi and the others would arrive in time to save him. After all, to a Nascent Soul cultivator, travelling any distance on the stone platform would only take an instant.

At this moment, his mind suddenly wandered to the Bone Sage. Zenith Yin was currently tangled up in a fight against the other Nascent Soul cultivators, providing a good opportunity for the Bone Sage to ambush him. Would he prioritize settling his own score and taking revenge, or would he decide to be patient and refuse to provide aid to the Righteous Dao?

With that thought, Han Li couldnt help but look in the direction of the Bone Sage who stood below the altar.

At that moment, the Bone Sage was expressionlessly watching the battle unfold. His face was completely devoid of any emotion, preventing Han Li from reading him in the slightest.

Old fox! Han Li couldnt help but gloomily curse at him in his mind.

Chapter 481: Return

Pah! Man Huzi loudly shouted, spitting out a beam of blood-red light towards the Bloodjade Spider. With a puff, the beam of light burst on contact, enveloping the spider in a large blood-red mist in an instant. The Bloodjade Spider hissed and became frantic as if it had been provoked.

When Han Li saw this, his heart flared with anger.

Upon hearing its name, Han Li was certain that the Berserking Technique was a secret Devil Dao cultivator technique that carried repercussions. These old devils had used the technique without even telling him or showing any consideration towards the aftereffects the Bloodjade Spider would suffer. It seemed they simply didnt view a Core Formation cultivator to be worth considering! Although Han Li had already anticipated this, he couldnt help but grimace when he was actually treated this way.

At the moment, the Bloodjade Spider had nearly absorbed the entirety of the blood-red mist. The spiders original sparkling, translucent body had turned completely blood-red as if it were cut from a single piece of scarlet gemstone.

This is… Upon seeing this transformation, he immediately recalled the violet appearance of the Bloodjade Spider in the underground cave in the Heavenly South Region. It had the same color and intensity as the furious Bloodjade Spider he had seen back then.

When he worriedly scanned its mind, he sensed a crazed violence from it as if it had lost its intelligence.

Just as Han Li attempted to forcefully placate it in his fright, Man Huzi suddenly roared from his side, What are you spacing out for? Quickly have your Bloodjade Spider start pulling. The duration of the Berserking Technique is limited. He was fiercely glaring at Han Li.

Stifling his anger, Han Li had no choice but to command the Bloodjade Spider to resume pulling.

Fortunately, the Bloodjade Spider still obediently listened to his orders despite entering a berserk state. A blood-red light flickered from its green eyes as its pointed legs frantically scratched the ground before managing to gradually pull up its taut spider thread.

A series of even more intense trembles rocked the ground, soon followed by thunderous clangs ringing out from the hole.

Man Huzi and the others were delighted by these developments.

Blinding blue light suddenly bursted from the hole and reached over thirty meters above the altar.

Han Li felt his body grow cold for an instant before he grew warm once more. A barrier of brilliant azure light had protected him. Han Li was stunned for a moment before he realized that Qing Yi had enlarged his light barrier by several times and was covering him under its protection.

The old man said with a solemn expression, Be careful! A far harsher current of cold erupts in the instant that the Heavenvoid Cauldron is raised. It is unknown just how many treasure seeking cultivators have pitifully succumbed to the unexpected occurrence.

After saying this to Han Li, Qing Yis gaze rigidly focused on the hole once more. He appeared nervous.

When Han Li heard this, his heart was shaken. Just how many had previously attempted to move the cauldron? How was it that they all failed?

Although his heart held doubts, Han Li knew that now was not the time to ask these questions. He could only recollect himself and look at how things were developing at the center of the altar.

It was obvious by now that the Heavenvoid Cauldron was extremely heavy. The full strength of these spirit beasts could only move it a sliver at a time. But even so, the blue light at the center of the altar grew brighter by the second.

Let alone Zenith Yin and the others, even Wu Chou and the Bone Sage down below were staring at the scene without blinking. But while Wu Chou had his hands tightened and wore an expression of excitement and greed, the Bone Sages eyes revealed a complicated expression containing both anticipation and hesitation.

There was only silence at the altar apart from the sound produced by the slow and gradual rise of the Heavenvoid Cauldron. Everyone was raptly gazing at the hole with held breath.

Han Li was the exception. He was worriedly staring at his Bloodjade Spider. In the end, he wouldnt have any claim to the Heavenvoid Cauldon. What mattered more was the Bloodjade Spider he had painstakingly raised.

He had made a startling discovery. The original milky-white color of the spider thread was now enveloped in a layer of faint blue radiance. Although this change was so faint it could be dismissed as a trick of the eyes, it was undoubtedly a change of its original color.

Just as Han Li was mulling over this change, he heard a sudden buzz from behind him. Despite being rather soft, it was particularly noticeable among the silence on the platform.

Han Li was initially shocked before he turned his head over with concealed delight.

It was the sound of the barrier being torn open at the entrance of the stone steps. Zenith Yin and the others had also clearly heard this sound.

With an unsightly expression, Man Huzi let out a rain of curses before patting the Beast storage pouch at his waist. A streak of yellow light shot out, revealing a yellow spotted panther.

Not only was its body several times larger than an ordinary panther, but there was also a third eye emerging from the top of its head. A flickering yellow glow could be faintly seen from its third eye.

A cold glint flickered from Qing Yis eyes. He icily said, Wan Tianming and the others have arrived. My Azure Thorn Bird and Fellow Daoist Wus two demon corpses have already perished. They obviously arent willing to allow us to seize the treasure and are coming back to attack us.

We must delay them for as long as possible. The Heavenvoid Cauldron is already over halfway out. However, the attractive force on the cauldron will only grow heavier the closer it comes to the surface. It isnt something that can be pulled out in a short amount of time. Zenith Yins face was icy, but he displayed no sign of panic. It seemed the return of the Righteous Dao cultivators was something he had long since anticipated.

It is as Brother Wu says! Qing Yi knew they were on the verge of a great battle and swiftly responded. With a flutter of his sleeves, a large flock of azure spheres rushed out. They were over a hundred Azure Thorn Birds.

Although these birds were only fist-sized, they had feathers and beaks of razor-sharp steel. They all silently floated above the old man, making for an impressive display.

As for Zenith Yin, he had his hands clutched in an incantation gesture. A pitch-black mist began to slowly exude from his body. As this devilish mist drifted through the air, fifteen dark-green armored demon corpses appeared around him.

Man Huzi cooly glanced at the two other Core Formation cultivators in silence. Wu Chou hastily took a few steps towards the altar with a restless expression. As for the Bone Sage, his eyes swiveled several times, but he stood completely still. It was unknown what he intended.

Seeing that the Bone Sage hadnt moved, Han Li frowned for a moment before immediately relaxing his face. Several streaks of light had arrived before them at an amazing speed, appearing in front of the altar in only a fraction of a second.

The light disappeared to reveal the group of three Righteous Dao cultivators.

After Wan Tianming swept his gaze past the Bloodjade spider that was pulling up the Heavenvoid Cauldron along with the blue light wildly bursting out of the hole, he calmly said, Good, very good! The Devil Dao cultivators looked at each other, not knowing what he had meant by his words.

Man Huzi glared at him and retorted, Good? I am obviously feeling quite good. But Id feel even better if you hadnt come.

Wan Tianming indifferently said, I also didnt want to come, but who wouldve thought that shortly after I left, this young fellow would take out a long extinct Bloodjade Spider. As such, how could I possibly just walk away? After he said this, he moved his lips, releasing an odd low-pitched whistle.

Man Huzi and the others were startled. As they pondered what sinister plot their opponent was up to, Wan Tianming stood in place when there was a sudden flash of white light. Like a bolt of lightning, a blue mouse-like creature scuttled into his hand with amazing speed.

At that moment, the Sect Master of the Myriad Gates of Enlightenment silently glanced at the Devil Dao cultivators with a sneer.

A Stoneshift Beast! Upon seeing the beast, Qing Yi couldnt help but shout out its name.

Hehe! Had I not left this creature behind to monitor you, how could I have known the right time to come back? This Stoneshift Beast has no particularly remarkable abilities aside from its stealthy stone transformation. Even with your profound abilities, you couldnt have possibly detected this creature. Its seems I was correct to leave this contingency measure behind.

Wan Tianming gently caressed the Stoneshift Beast in his hand and glanced at the Bloodjade Spider a moment more. He leisurely said, Now, I will give you two choices. One is that I will kill the Bloodjade Spider and have the Heavenvoid Cauldron remain buried. The other is for our two sides to evenly split the treasure. This sect master cant possibly allow you Devil Dao cultivators to monopolize the cauldrons treasures.

It seemed that Wan Tianming had made plans in advance and didnt fear their refusal.

Chapter 480: Seizing the Treasure

No trace of Han Lis feelings were betrayed on his face. Instead, he approached the hole and took a deep glance. Han Li was astonished by the sight.

The hole wasnt as amazingly deep as he had imagined. It only dropped to about a hundred meters. With his abilities as a Core Formation cultivator, he could clearly see a flourishing ball of blinding blue flame. A black object could faintly be seen through the flickers of the blue flame. It seemed that this was the famous Heavenvoid Cauldron.

But when he leaned over the hole, he felt a bone-piercing cold spread throughout him. Even the White Rhino Emblem was unable to block most of the cold. He feared if he looked any longer, he would freeze over.

The brilliant blue flame at the bottom of the hole was actually releasing such a fantastical cold!

But after glancing at the blue flames for only a few moments more, his head started to spin. Aghast, he quickly turned his gaze away and collected himself.

As Zenith Yin stood by Han Lis side, he stared at the hole and slowly said, How was it? That was the Celestial Ice Flame, a flame that roars with a cold beyond freezing. Let alone Core Formation cultivators, even us Nascent Soul cultivators dont dare to touch it. Even the slightest burn by the fire would cause a Nascent Soul cultivator to easily perish by refinement. It is said that this flame isnt something that came from this world, and it is unknown how the ancient cultivators found such a thing.

Even Nascent Soul cultivators would be refined? Han Lis breath grew cold when he heard this. But soon after, his expression returned to normal.

If it werent for this flame, then the Heavenvoid Cauldron wouldve been seized long ago!

Although the Celestial Ice Flame is extremely deadly to us cultivators, there are a few things that are resistant to it. For example, the gold thread from the Gold Threaded Silkworm, and the spider thread of the Bloodjade Spider along with unusual exceptions such as my two fire pythons.

Its about time for you to take out your Bloodjade Spider. Let us take a look at it. Zenith Yin gave an order with an assertive tone.

With Man Huzi and Qing Yi staring at Han Li from behind Zenith Yin, Han Li didnt delay any further. He clasped his hand on a spirit beast pouch on his waist, causing a streak of white light to fly out and circle around him before landing in front of him.

The light disappeared to reveal the Bloodjade Spider. When it saw so many strangers in front of it, it bared its fangs, and its eyes were brimming with hostility.

Man Huzi and the others didnt mind this in the slightest. They merely glanced at the spirit beast as if they were looking at treasure.

Just as Man Huzi glanced at Bloodjade Spider, his expression wavered and he said in a tone of amazement, Tch tch! The Bloodjade Spider is quite large. It seemed to be a peak grade four demon beast on the verge of breaking through to grade five. It has a good chance of seizing the treasure!

Zenith Yin also stared at the Bloodjade Spider with excitement and said, Hehe! My junior disciples Bloodjade Spider is inferior in strength to some other antiquity variants. But it is an optimal choice for the purpose of seizing the Heavenvoid Cauldron.

As acquiring the treasure was no longer a hopeless dream, Qing Yi appeared delighted. He said, It is as Brother Wu says! This spiders grade is far higher than the grade two Gold Threaded Silkworms. Even with just one spider, the odds of success are far greater than theirs.

Seeing that there were no problems with the Heavenvoid Cauldron, Zenith Yin gave out his orders, Let us start now! Any delay could bring unexpected events! Han Li have your spider spit out a net around the Heavenvoid Cauldron and have it pull it up. At the same time, I will have my two fire pythons assist your Bloodjade Spider.

Yes! Although he felt unwilling, Han Li could only agree.

Zenith Yin coldly glanced at Wu Chou and the Bone Sage and ordered, You two, go down below the altar. As the Heavenvoid Cauldron grows closer to the surface, the Celestial Ice Fire will as well. You will be unable to withstand it given your cultivation. As for Junior Disciple Han Li, I will have to trouble Brother Qing to protect him. He then turned to Qing Yi and smiled.

The old man agreed with a chuckle, Well said. In order to to acquire the Heavenvoid Cauldrons Heavenmend Pill, I cannot allow Young Friend Han to fall to any surprises.

Wu Chou and the Bone Sage obediently descended from the altar and took several steps back.

Han Li inwardly sighed after seeing the covetous gazes of the three old devils and issued the command to his Bloodjade Spider. It immediately shot out a web of thread into the hole.

Having arrived this far, Han Li could only take it a step at a time. He hoped that when he acquired the treasure, Zenith Yin would find it too embarrassing to immediately cut ties with Han Li, giving him a moment of respite. This would hopefully allow enough time for the Bone Sage to deal with Zenith Yin and give Han Li an opportunity to the turn his situation around. As for the Heavenvoid Cauldron, he didnt particularly care whether or not he could take it out.

This was because he knew his situation wouldnt change regardless of success or failure in acquiring the treasure.

As Han Li was inwardly planning out his countermeasures, Zenith Yin arrived at the opposite side of the hole from Han Li. He took out a pitch-black spirit beast pouch from his robes and turned the pouch upside down. With a flash of red light, two fifteen-meter-long, fire-red pythons appeared on the ground.

These two fantastical pythons had bright red scales the size of fingernails. Their heads were both imprinted with a wondrous design consisting of talisman characters. Their eyes were sparkling with red light as if they contained blazing flames.

After Zenith Yins fire pythons unfolded themselves from their spiral resting position, he immediately flicked his sleeves at them, shooting two black medicinal pills at them. The two pythons swiftly caught them in their mouths and swallowed them.

Go. Zenith Yin pointed towards the hole.

The two fire pythons slowly slivered towards the hole in a lazy manner.

When Zenith Yin saw this, he solemnly clutched his hands into an eccentric incantation gesture and mumbled a series of cryptic incantations, resulting in an astonishing scene. The fire pythons bright red scales were stained black during the incantation, and they enthusiastically began to follow Zenith Yins orders.

Peng! Peng! The two fire pythons tails fiercely stabbed into the ground nearby the hole, cutting about a meter deep. They then dropped their upper halves into the hole and began to stretch out as if they were boneless. Their tails held firm onto the ground. It seemed as if they had turned into two black-red ropes.

During Han Lis amazement, the ropes twisted for a moment. Zenith Yin appeared delighted by this and clutched his hands. He quickly shouted towards Han Li, Its ready! They are biting on the Heavenvoid Cauldron. Quickly, have your spider draw it up. Although the fire pythons have consumed my medicine pills, they cannot withstand the Glacial Ice flames for long. We must succeed in one go! A trace of malevolence was betrayed on Zenith Yins face when he said this. Han Li inwardly snorted at the sight.

Han Li begrudgingly scorned in his mind, It seems quite possible I will lose my life if the treasure is successfully seized. Now I am even more willing to allow this to fail.

But still, he forced himself to have the Bloodjade Spider start pulling up the cauldron. This was because Man Huzi and Qing Yi were eyeing his every move like tigers watching their prey. Were he to purposefully hold back, he wouldnt be able escape discovery from these two old cunning foxes.

Under Han Lis begrudging command, the white translucent thread immediate became taut. The bloodjade spider began to slowly move back. At that same moment, the black-red ropes began to twist and pull back.

With a series of dull rumblings, the platform started to sway. Blue light wildly dazzled from the hole, blinding Han Li. He was forced to turn his gaze away. As for the Bloodjade Spider, it ignored it and continued to pull with all its strength.

Upon seeing this, Qing Yi nervously muttered to himself, Good, the Heavenvoid Cauldron is already swaying.

It was clear that the Heavenvoid Cauldron was extremely heavy. Even with the Bloodjade Spider and two fire pythons exerting their full strength, they were only able to cause the Heavenvoid Cauldron to repeatedly sway . It seemed it wasnt about to be lifted anytime soon.

Zenith Yin didnt reveal the slightest impatience. Instead, he muttered to himself for a moment and puffed out two wisps of black smoke that entered the bodies of the fire pythons. He then turned to Man Huzi and quickly said, Brother Man, I must trouble you to use the Berserking Technique on the Bloodjade Spider. My junior disciple lacks the magic power to fully use this technique.

Leave it to me. Man Huzi replied without surprise. It seemed he had already anticipated this. He stared at the Bloodjade Spider and muttered quickly. He then opened his mouth, faintly revealing the red light within it.

Chapter 479: The Sky Blue Flower

Before Zenith Yin could release his demon corpses or Qing Yi release his spirit beast, an astonishing change had occurred.

One of the huge green silkworms in the orbs of light suddenly trembled. The golden light surrounding it quickly dimmed. At nearly the same time, its gold thread was severed with a snap.

Not good! The Righteous Dao cultivators to the side shouted out in alarm. But before they could take action, the other Gold Threaded Silkworms followed suit. Their golden light greatly dimmed, and two of the gold threads snapped.

Wan Tianmings heart dropped into an abyss. He stood still in a daze.

But it still wasnt the end! Three silkworms remained and the collapse of half of their companions caused their burden to quickly increase. They cried out as they were dragged towards the hole with immense force. Soon after, the huge clang of something heavy being dropped could be heard. Immediately after, the stone platform trembled for a while after. The blue light coming from the hole immediately dimmed and the air became significantly warmer.

The faces of the Righteous Dao cultivators became extremely unsightly.

As for the old devils that were about to act, their eyes were uncharacteristically wide open with their faces wearing expressions of extreme marvel.

Hahahaha….. Man Huzi guffawed with delight. Even his yellow beard was wildly shaking.

At that moment, Zenith Yin and Qing Yi responded, both basking in schadenfreude, laughing at the Righteous Dao cultivators without restraint.

At that moment, Wan Tianmings face became ashen.

In order to acquire the treasure, he had spent much effort concocting this plan and at great cost. And what did he gain? The ridicule of his Devil Dao rivals. This set Wan Tianmings heart aflame. He could no longer restrain himself and suddenly turned to the Devil Dao cultivators with a chilling expression.

Zenith Yins and Qing Yis laughter halted for a moment.

Wan Tianming was a mid Nascent Soul cultivator. Even if they were already on opposing sides, the two were unwilling to rashly breed a deep hatred between them. As for Man Huzi, despite no longer laughing, he returned the glare with no trace of politeness.

What? Sect Master Wan wishes to battle with me? I do wish to experience the True Heavensifting Arts Three Confucian Marvels.

After coldly glaring at Man Huzi for a moment, Wan Tianming eventually regained his rationality.

Go! With a wave of his sleeve, he led the departure from the stone platform, ignoring the remaining Gold Threaded Silkworms and recalling the White Flood Dragon from its confrontation against the Devil Dao.

With an equivalently unsightly expression, Tian Wuzi recalled the huge tortoise and followed Wan Tianming. As for the old farmer, despite his cold gaze, he followed after them with a far calmer expression.

Just as the Righteous and Devil Dao brushed past each other, they glanced at each other with extreme vigilance.

Despite being extremely domineering, Man Huzi fortunately didnt provoke them. He merely sneered at Wan Tianming and the others as they disappeared from the light barrier.

Qing Yi looked behind them and said, Ill have my Azure Thorn Bird hide at the entrance. If the Righteous Dao fellows come back, we will know.

Zenith Yin shifted his gaze and sinisterly smiled, Then I will also dispatch two Heavenwide Corpses to lie in ambush at the entrance. If they attempt to mount a sneak attack, they will be deterred.

After Qing Yi heard this, his gaze grew blank, and he soon became silent. A moment later, his sleeve trembled and a fist-sized streak of light shot towards the sky.

As for Zenith Yin, he tossed something on the floor. Two puffs of black smoke spread out along with a fishy scent where two tall demon corpses emerged.

Go! Zenith Yin solemnly pointed towards the entrance. In an instant, the demon corpses blurred and disappeared from sight.

The scene caused Han Lis heart to tremble as he recalled the demon corpses strange appearance when it had first appeared before him. He couldnt help but feel fearful towards the demon corpses.

Afterwards, Han Lis attention shifted towards the Gold Threaded Silkworms that were lying down the altar. He couldnt help but curiously walk over to them. But after taking only a few steps, he stopped. Someone had already quickly arrived in front of them. Han Li was astonished to discover this person to be the Bone Sage!

Man Huzi walked over and asked, Whats this about? The Gold Threaded Silkworm could be considered a rare exotic insect. From their previous golden light, their abilities should be quite formidable. It is quite strange of Wan Tianming to abandon them without care!

After examining the Gold Threaded Silkworm for a moment, the Bone Sage calmly answered, They had consumed the Sky Blue Flower to forcefully raise their capabilities so that they might have a better chance at acquiring the Heavenvoid Cauldron. But after consuming it, the Gold Threaded Silkworm could be considered to be completely crippled.

I had originally thought the Gold Threaded Silkworms couldnt acquire the Heavenvoid Cauldron! But to use the Sky Blue flower, hehe! He ended up losing everything from trying to gain an advantage. Man Huzi couldnt help but laugh in response to the Bone Sages words.

Zenith Yin walked over with his hands behind his back. Sky Blue Flower? I didnt think that Wan Tianming could actually find it. I had thought of using such a method before, but I was unable to find the flower after so many years of searching. For Brother Mans Junior to know of such a flower, he must be a renowned character! Perhaps Ive heard this Juniors name before? After he changed the subject, he stared at the Bone Sages face.

The Bone Sage softly spoke with a smile, My name is not renowned. I am merely someone who spent too much time reading books. Senior Wu jests.

Is that so? Zenith Yin said with an indifferent expression. It was unknown whether his suspicions had been exhausted or if he was fearful of repercussion from Man Huzi, but Zenith Yin gave up his questioning and turned towards the large hole and peered within. The blue light from the hole reflected off his face, making for a weird sight.

Han Li indifferently watched from the side, but in his mind, he felt slight admiration at the Bone Sages patience. Old Devil Bone Sages temperament must be quite fearsome indeed for him to so calmly address his enemy as Senior.

Nevertheless, there was no one here that was fooled, except for perhaps Wu Chou. Each of them were sly foxes that had lived for over several hundred years. They were devious to an extreme.

Just as Han Li gloomily thought this, he heard Qing Yi say, Since these Gold Threaded Silkworms are useless, lets exterminate them and remove their irksome presence from our eyes. Qing Yi then flipped his wrinkled palm and a ball of blinding azure light appeared in his hands.

After Han Lis gaze swept past the three huge silkworms, his heart stirred. He spoke to the old man, Wait! This Junior is interested in these Gold Threaded Silkworms. Please give them to him!

The old mans face revealed both surprise and doubt. Han Li then smiled and cupped his hands, saying, This one has always been interested in exotic insects. Since theyre still alive, this one wishes to research them for some time. This one hopes Senior will allow this.

Having heard Han Li, Qing Yi didnt immediately reply. Instead, he examined Han Li with a pensive expression. Han Li felt his heart on edge. He didnt know what intentions Qing Yi held.

Qing Yi shook his head and spoke lamentably, Sigh! This old man was also rogue cultivator. I naturally know that Core Formation rogue cultivators arent comparable to their peers from great sects. How they are truly pressed for resources. Fine, since Young Friend Han wants this rubbish, take it! It was clear that he had misunderstood.

Han Li inwardly rolled his eyes, but he took advantage of the situation and wore an embarrassed expression as he repeatedly expressed his thanks. Afterwards, he reached for an empty spirit beast pouch and stored the three Gold Threaded Silkworms within it.

It appeared as though that at the same time Wan Tianming had discarded them, he had also erased his marks of ownership from them. As such, they entered Han Lis pouch without a trace of resistance.

After staring into the hole for a moment more with fervent eyes, Zenith Yin shouted at Han Li without turning his head, Han Li, stop wasting your time on these useless matters. Quickly take out your Bloodjade Spiders. I want to see what grade the spirit beasts are. When the time comes, I will provide some assistance with my flame python. We must succeed in one attempt!

Han Li inwardly frowned and walked forward.

Layman Qing Yi and Man Huzi happened to glance at Han Li after hearing Zenith Yin.

Be at ease, so long as you acquire the Heavenvoid Cauldron, your master wont treat you unfairly. Zenith Yin turned around and spoke to Han Li with a kindly face, fearing that Han Li wouldnt attempt his best. гeewebnovl.com

But when Han Li heard those words, he felt a fierce chill run down his spine.

Chapter 478: Gold Threaded Silkworms Acquiring the Treasure

Han Li didnt immediately take action. Instead, he carefully released his spiritual sense and searched his surroundings. Certain that Zenith Yin and the others werent spying on him, he no longer hesitated and extended his finger. A blade of azure swordlight extended from its tip.

Han Li calmly used the swordlight to carve a fist sized hole in the stone wall before willing it away.

He then used his other hand to quickly touch the circle, causing a gap to appear in the stone wall.

Han Li knew that his time was limited and instantly extended his arm into the hole. The area within wasnt large. After randomly reaching out, he managed to grab onto something. His expression stirred.

The item was slender, curved, and soft. After he took it out from the wall, he saw that it was an aged yellow scroll.

Just about as Han Li was about to open it with amazement, his expression suddenly changed and he quickly placed the scroll in his robes. His body blurred as he placed his back against the hole in the wall, pretending to rest against it.

Just as Han Li finished his movements, he heard Zenith Yins gloomy voice, Han Li, return to us quickly. We are about to enter.

Having heard that, Han Li astonishment flickered from his eyes. Werent they to rest for the time being? Why the sudden change of mind? Could it be the three old devils became aware of something amiss?

After Han Li felt Zenith Yins spiritual sense disappeared from his surroundings, he immediately turned around the repaired the stone hole. He then walked back to the front of the stone platform.

When he arrived at the front, the old devils were standing in front of the steps, looking upwards with a grave expression. Standing behind them, Wu Chou and the Bone Sage were mimicking them.

Han Li astonishedly followed their gaze up the stairs.

He could only see blue light up above, twinkling with blinding intensity. Several threads of gold light flashed out from a flicker of blue light. In a short moment, those threads became several inches thicker. But because of the separation of the white light barrier, Han Li was unable to feel anything strange.

Zenith Yin nodded when he saw Han Li arrived. He turned his head to Man Huzi and said, Brother Man, my junior disciple has arrived. Let us go up. I hadnt expected that Wan Tianmings Gold Threaded Silkworm could actually rock the Heavenvoid Cauldron. Although I dont know how this happened, it would be best for us to go see.

Man Huzi replied by wordlessly approaching the stairs. Zenith Yin and the others closely followed after him.

Boom! Man Huzi endowed his fist in devilish arts and fiercely bashed the light barrier, blowing open a ten-meter-large hole.

Man Huzi took the lead. Zenith Yin and Layman Qing Yi surrounded Han Li and forced him to walk between them. The Bone Sage and Wu Chou followed them from behind.

So cold! Although Han Li had made a few preparations outside the light barrier, Han Li couldnt help but shiver from the surrounding cold. He quickly covered his body in a barrier of light, greatly reducing the chill.

Man Huzi didnt wait for the rest of them. He walked straight towards the center of the flourishing blue light with large steps.

After Qing Yi and Zenith Yin glanced at each other, they couldnt help but wryly smile as they caught up to him. But before Zenith Yin chased after Man Huzi, he turned to look at Han Li, indicating that he had best hurry.

Han Li released a torrent of curses at Zenith Yin in his mind. He knew his place and didnt have any thoughts to flee. He merely wanted to drag along at the back and take a look at the scroll. It could perhaps provide assistance towards his current predicament.

However, Zenith Yins extortion seemed to remind Wu Chou of something. He began to stare at Han Li with absolute focus. The Bone Sage then shot a look at doubt at Han Li.

Han Li had no choice but to quicken his steps. But after he walked several steps, his speed slowed down through no intention of his own.

Although his light barrier was protecting from from the freezing blue light, Han Li felt a chill pass through his body with each step he took. After only a short moment, his face turned pale white. He quickly closed his mouth, fearing the frost would spread throughout his core.

At that moment, Han Li heard Zenith Yins voice in his ear, The White Rhino Emblem doesnt only protect from the heat. It also works against the cold! What are you waiting for!

Han Li came to a sudden realization and hastily brought the item out, hanging it from his waist. Once the White Rhino Emblem brightly shined with light, he instantly felt warmth surround him. No longer impeded by the cold, Han Li leisurely walked forward and glanced how the others dealt with the cold.

Man Huzi and the other Nascent Soul cultivators only used a light barrier on their bodies and continued without obstruction. As for the Bone Sage, he wore a chain of sparkling red beads and displayed no trace of cold.

As for Wu Chou, he had put on a grotesque serpent scale armband that emitted a pink light barrier around his body.

Han Li then turned his gaze to the center of the platform up above. There was a small altar protruding his vision. There were eight orbs of gold light pulsing above the altar. At the center of the lights, there was a large hold that shined with blinding blue light.

Han Lis mind was roused at the sight. He quickly examine the scene.

Each of the golden orbs of light contained a meter-long silkworm with each worm pulling on the thick golden thread they released into the hole. Their bodies swayed as they tugged back as forcefully as they could. Each sway caused the blue light from the hole to wildly flicker.

Three silhouettes were standing to the side of the altar. They were Wan Tianmings party of Righteous Dao cultivators.

They clearly knew that Man Huzi and the others had arrived, but they completely ignored them. They were only focused on the golden light in front of them, each with a tense expression.

A cold glint flickered through Man Huzis eyes when he saw the scene. He wordlessly raised his hand and shot two streaks of golden light towards the Righteous Dao cultivators.

Glacial Dragon!

Phantom Tortoise!

Wan Tianming and Tian Wuzi simultaneously shouted as they coldly gazed in the direction of the attack. With a sudden burst of fluctuating sounds, two streaks of azure and blue light intercepted the golden lights.

Return! Man Huzi was startled by their quick reaction and had two streaks of golden light return with a wave of his hand. They landed in his hand as two golden knives.

The azure and blue lights didnt pursue and instead revolved in place. Their true appearances were revealed to be a ten-meter-long white flood dragon and a bizarre transparent turtle.

After Man Huzi clearly saw what those two things were, he appeared surprised.

The Mad Matrons Glacial Dragon and Tian Yuanzis Phantom Tortoise! Layman Qing Yi blurted this out with a face of astonishment.

It was no wonder that Wan Tianmings party was so arrogant. Those two old eccentrics had lent them their spirit beasts. From what I know, those two old freaks treasure those spirit beasts to the point where they would never leave their side. Just how do they have them in their possession? Zenith Yin spoke with an aghast voice and a resentful expression.

Man Huzi replied with a solemn expression, Humph! Just look at the borrowers. Wan Tianming is the Mad Matrons blood nephew. Tian Wuzi and Tian Yuanzi are disciples of the same master. There is nothing odd about being lent those two spirit beasts.

As Layman Qingyi worryingly gazed at the white flood dragon and the huge tortoise, he said, This is going to become troublesome! Those two beasts are by no means weak. Even if us three were to do our utmost, we would be unable to break away from them for quite some time.

Man Huzi wore a sinister grin and said, Qing Yi, Zenith Yin! Have your Azure Thorn Bird and Heavenwide Corpse distract them. They might not prove to be an opponent to those beasts, but we need those beasts occupied for a moment if we are to act. We dont even need to defeat Wan Tianming and the others. It will be fine so long as we can kill one of the Gold Threaded Silkworms.

Having heard this, the Zenith Yin and Qing Yi looked at each other in dismay and revealed some hesitation.

Dont worry, I will also send my spirit beast to fight. They should prove to be quite troublesome all together! Man Huzi glanced at the two and wore an expression of slight disdain.

With that said, Qing Yis and Zenith Yins expressions relaxed, and they agreed.

Chapter 477: An Unexpected Discovery

As Han Li went to collect the two green spears, he faintly felt Zenith Yin eyeing the items, but he soon stealthily turned his gaze away.

Although this action had been quite stealthy, it had caused Han Lis heart to shiver.

These two short spears were definitely good items and Zenith Yin wanted them for himself. But he couldnt forcefully acquire them now and lose sight of the Heavenvoid Cauldron.

This, however, merely gave Zenith Yin yet another reason to dispose of Han Li afterwards.

With that thought, Han Li lowered his head and bitterly smiled. His expression quickly returned to normal before he raised his head.

After that, the three Nascent Soul cultivators worked together. Although the puppets and restrictions on this floor were somewhat fierce, nobody suffered any damage when they passed through this floor and moved onto the third.

…

Half a day later at some place on the fifth floor of the Inner Halls, there were three people discussing something in a whisper. They were Wan Tianmings party of Righteous Dao cultivators.

Not far in front of them laid an enormous stone platform. It was over four hundred meters wide and about a hundred meters tall. It appeared to be entirely made from the same common grey stone. There were several hundred steps in front of it leading to the very top, and it was covered in a white light barrier.

But what was most odd was the blue radiance lying inside the light barrier. This blue radiance grew brighter as it approached the top with blinding glimmers roaming within it. It made for a scene so brilliant, one could not look directly at it and see what was within.

To the side of the stone platform was a thick block of ice. The shimmers within the translucent ice made for a beautiful contrast to the stone next to it.

Standing in front of the stone platform, Wan Tianming said in a deep voice, What? Your magic power has almost recovered? If thats the case, lets set off! Although were using the Divine Fate Sects Creation Rites to evade the puppet guards, we still dont have much time. Man Huzis Heavenbearing Devil Arts should be able to deal with the puppets with ease. Only when he reaches the fourth floor should he have to expend more effort.

The old Daoist Tian Wuzi spoke in agreement with a trace of excitement in his eyes, Brother Wan speaks true. Lets go get the treasure.

The old dark-skinned farmer silently nodded and said nothing else.

Wan Tianming did not mind his actions. He knew that although this shriveled old man was taciturn, his Jade Core Arts were quite remarkable. His true strength was beyond that of even Tian Wuzi.

Despite having emerged from the Righteous Dao, he had spent most of his time in concealed cultivation and rarely interacted with others, leading to his detached mannerisms.

Wan Tianming smiled and led the two into the light barrier.

A dense wisp of purple smoke flickered through the air, and the barrier of white light released out a resounding hum. With a wave of his hand, Wan Tianming split open a three meter tall opening, allowing them to walk through in a line.

Soon, Wan Tianming and the others disappeared into the blue light as they climbed. The tear in the light barrier repaired itself and the steps became quiet once more.

After an unknown amount of time, Man Huzi and Zenith Yin appeared before the light barrier, but by that point Wan Tianmings party was already long gone.

Han Li and the others soon appeared behind them.

Qing Yi looked at the large stone platform in front of him and said with shining eyes, Weve finally arrived at this damned place. The gold haired puppets on the fourth floor were extraordinarily vicious. Had all of us not employed our special skills, we wouldve been tangled down for quite some time.

Zenith Yin said with a gloomy expression, Humph! The puppets werent much. The restrictions we encountered on the third floor were quite difficult to break, consuming much of our time. Else, we wouldve arrived here earlier.

What is the point of saying such nonsense after already arriving? First, lets see whether or not Wan Tianmings group have already went to seize the treasure. Man Huzi frowned and spoke with impatience.

Zenith Yin appeared somewhat displeased by his words, but he didnt respond.

Wearing his ordinary expression, Layman Qing Yi chuckled and said, Relax, Brother Man. According to Brother Wu and my secret probing arts, Wan Tianmings party had already ascended several hours ago, but they have yet to leave. It would be best for us to wait here as these stairs are the only entrance and exit from the Frozen Dragons Terrace.

The only way? Is that true? The Righteous Dao cultivators could be slipping away at this moment as we foolishly wait for them. Man Huzi glanced at the old man and seemed to distrust him. frewebovel.cm

The old man twirled his beard as he said,Hehe! There is no question about this. This light barrier was already famous even in times of antiquity, known as the Celestial Tailstar Restriction. Apart from the opening at the steps, there are no other exits that can be easily created.

Man Huzi nodded his head, Fine, well do just that. He then sat cross legged near the steps and began meditating.

As for Zenith Yin and Qing Yi, they moved closer to each other and started having a whispered discussion.

After seeing all of this, Han Li wryly smiled in his mind, but betrayed none of this on his face.

These Devil Dao cultivators werent incorrect in their actions, but Wan Tianming appeared to be a rather shrewd person himself. Perhaps he had wanted them to wait outside all along.

With that thought, Han Li looked around. He found that the Bone Sage was the only person that was close to the stone platform. He gazed into the white light barrier as if he were thinking of something.

Han Lis expression stirred. This was a good opportunity to have another discussion, but he soon had second thoughts. This old devil forged a relationship between him and Man Huzi. Han Lis value to him shouldve decreased tremendously. It was most likely that he had the same thoughts as Zenith Yin, to use his Bloodjade Spiders to acquire the Heavenvoid Cauldron and then dispose of him afterwards.

Why else would he forego this excellent opportunity to kill Zenith Yin? It must be to first acquire the treasure!

If he were to take the initiative to contact him, he would merely be allowing the Bone Sage to see through his doubts. The situation could only become worse as a result!

It seems he would have to rely on himself to plan for his escape.

With that in mind, Han Lis gaze unconsciously turned cold as he looked at the Bone Sage. The Bone Sage seemed to have perceived something and turned his head, happening to see Han Li.

Han Li inwardly cursed and immediately restored his normal expression. He then walked off as if nothing had occured.

As the Bone Sage stared at Han Li from behind, a trace of doubt flickered across his face.

At that moment, Han Li was leisurely circling around the huge stone platform along with the light barrier that surrounded it.

As Zenith Yin and the others doubted it was possible for an early Core Formation cultivator to escape from the fifth floor, Han Li was relieved to find that he was allowed to move as he wished.

Not longer after, Han Li was by himself behind the back of the platform. There was a limestone wall that opposed the light barrier covering the stairs.

The wall was inscribed with a few strange beasts from ancient times along with a few talisman markings. It wasnt particularly notable.

Han Li had seen many of these walls inside the Inner Hall and knew that they possessed no profound restrictions. But even Nascent Soul cultivators had no method of breaking the wall.

As such, even if Han Li knew that the wall led to outside the Inner Halls, he was completely powerless.

Han Li inwardly cursed the ancient cultivators for making their Inner Halls damned impenetrable and fiercely slapped the stone wall out of overwhelming frustration. The slap released a muffled thud.

He walked off for about four steps before he made a sudden stop. He then slowly turned around with an expression of complete disbelief.

Were it a common cultivator who had heard this noise, they may have left without a care as the sound wasnt anything that was particularly notable.

However, Han Li was someone that had emerged from a sect in JiangHu. He had previously researched quite a bit about hidden room mechanisms.

From that recent sound, he was able to tell that the limestone wall was hollow.

Han Li couldnt believe himself. He truly doubted his inference.

There existed a hidden layer in a place where ancient cultivators had enveloped everything with profound restrictions.

Of course, Han Li wasnt about to walk away from this after discovering it.

After muttering to himself for a moment, he swiftly returned to the wall. He extended two fingers and began tapping around the limestone wall he had struck earlier.

On his third tap on the limestone wall, Han Lis heart stirred. His gaze fell upon the red eyes of a carving of a winged demon beast.

Although the engraving didnt store any essence, it appeared vivid and lifelike. The beasts berserk bloodlust was displayed in brilliant detail.

Han Li merely glanced at the drawing for a moment before resuming the light taps on the stone wall.

He eventually became completely certain that the stone was indeed hollow and that something was contained within.

Chapter 476: The Second Floor

After their first encounter with the wolf head puppet, they encountered more puppets in quick succession. But under the unyielding transformation of the Heavenbearing Devil Arts, Man Huzi smashed them into pieces as if they were made of clay. Zenith Yin and Qing Yi didnt need to help the slightest.

With each encounter, Han Li bluntly gathered and put away the remains of each puppet, much to the confusion of the Bone Sage and Wu Chou.

As for the Nascent Soul cultivators, they turned a blind eye to Han Lis actions.

However, it was clear that they walked a path different from Wan Tianmings party. When Han Li saw that the Devil Dao cultivators were still calm and unhurried, Han Li knew that these old devils probably had an approximation of where they were.

But ever since they started encountering the puppet guards, Zenith Yin and the others no longer continued straight ahead and began to take turns.

However, Han Li felt that there was something odd. From their earlier advance, Han Li had a clear feeling that all of the pathways were the same. But these three Nascent soul cultivators would make a sudden turn to the left and another to the right without the slightest hesitation. It was as if they already knew the route they would take in advance.

Were it just Zenith Yin and Qing Yi doing this, Han Li wouldnt find it strange. After all, theyd been to the Inner Halls before. Perhaps they had already memorized the route from their last time here. But this was clearly Man Huzis first time coming here and he was leading them at the very front with Zenith Yin and Qing Yi following after him without any objections. Han Li found this baffling!

Han Lis mind began racing as he stealthily swept the intersections for any differences or markings.

After passing several intersections, his efforts were in vain as he had found nothing. He could only leave the matter be for now.

After Man Huzi wrecked the eighth wolf head puppet along the way, they arrived at a small transportation formation.

The transportation formation was at the center of an intersection and emitted a faint, sparkling light.

This will take us to the second floor. I wonder if Wan Tianming and his party had used any tricks. They actually managed to get ahead of us. Layman Qing Yi grumbled upon seeing the transportation formation, but a trace of a grin was still on his face.

Man Huzi coldly snorted and said without concern, Humph! Lets go. Even if theyre ahead of us, the Heavenvoid Cauldron isnt something that is so easily acquired.

Soon after, he led the way, entering the transportation formation in stride.

Layman Qing Yi smiled at the sight. After Man Huzi entered, Zenith Yin and Layman Qing Yi stood still. After taking a glance at each other, they gazed intently at Han Li.

Han Li felt his heart shiver.

He had no choice but to enter the transportation formation under their supervision.

Han Li saw a flash of white light and regained his bearings before raising his head.

He was shocked. He was at another intersection of stone passageways. If it werent for Man Huzi standing in front of him, Han Li wouldve thought that the transportation formation had failed.

While Han Li was at a loss, white light flashed from behind him, bringing along the rest of the party. frewbovel.cm

Just as Zenith Yin appeared, he took a look around. He grimaced and muttered, What method did those Righteous Dao folk use to travel so fast? I can no longer find them.

Layman Qing Yis eyes coldly glinted as he stood behind Zenith Yin. Leave it be! I had felt it was strange as to why the Righteous Dao cultivators had made such a sly proposal outside. From what weve seen, it seems they were scheming against us all along. But, itll still be fine if they try to seize the treasure first. Actually acquiring the Heavenvoid Cauldron with Wan Tianmings Gold Threaded Silkworm is merely wishful thinking after all. Theyre merely testing what little luck they have. As such, it wouldnt be too late for us to hide and lie in ambush.

Brother Qings words make sense! However, we cannot delay for too long. We must quicken our pace. Zenith Yin nodded his head and agreed with a much improved expression.

Qing Yi spoke to Man Huzi with a solemn expression, Brother Man, be careful! The snake puppet guards on this floor are somewhat troublesome. Fellow Daoist Wu and I can both provide assistance in taking them down. This way, we can save a bit of time and conserve our magic power. Lets prevent having any weaknesses the Righteous Dao can exploit.

Snake puppet guards? That seems interesting! Do as you like. Man Huzi said with a careless tone.

The party of Devil Dao cultivators then continued on their way.

Not long after, Han Li discovered a difference between the first and second floor.

The crossroads on the second floor were much smaller than the first floor. They were also farther apart with a few fearsome traps and restrictions placed down along the way.

Although these things didnt pose a threat to a Nascent Soul cultivator, they were undoubtedly deadly to Core Formation cultivators. Han Li felt a cold chill down his spine as he followed after the others.

There was no question that he wouldve lost his life to the restrictions and traps had he entered the second floor of the Inner Halls alone.

By the time they crossed the first intersection on the second floor, Han Li finally saw one of the snake puppet guards.

The puppet appeared truly disgusting.

Its snake head was both blue and red, but its body was covered in jet-black scales. Additionally, it had two arms on both its back and its front.

Its front two arms held green short spears, and its back two arms held glossy black whips with razor sharp barbs that glowed with grey Qi.

When the puppet saw their group, it immediately charged towards them as a black streak of light without a sound. Its actions were extremely quick.

Man Huzi howled with laughter. He charged to meet it after activating his Heavenbearing Devil Arts.

The following scene left Han Li in awe. The snake demon puppet was extraordinarily swift with its green spears and flailing whips. Although its unceasing barrage of attacks didnt pose much of a threat to Man Huzi, he was forced to protect a few of his vital spots. As he wasnt using any magic treasures, he had no other actions open to him.

While it was unknown what materials the green spears were made from, they slightly deformed Man Huzis gold-clad hands on impact, leaving behind two cuts.

An expression of astonishment was betrayed from Man Huzis face.

It was at this time that Zenith Yin and Qing Yi decided to act.

Zenith Yin used the Heavenvoid Corpsefire that had inspired fear in Han Li when they had first met.

A black ball of flame appeared in his hand before turning into a fine black thread as it shot out.

Just as the puppet pierced through Man Huzis Heavenbearing Devil Art, it left its guard down. In an instant, one of its front arms was enveloped by black flames and disappeared.

As for Qing Yi, he opened his mouth and an azure thread of light wildly rushed out from his mouth towards the puppet.

The azure thread of light wrapped once around the puppet and then burst into a cluster of explosions, causing the puppet to tumble.

A fierce expression flashed from Man Huzis face. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he released a low roar and the scene blazed with blinding light. He then appeared with his arm penetrating the abdomen of the puppet. A green gem was rigidly held in his grasp.

The snake puppet immediately lost the power to move and collapsed to the floor.

Man Huzi looked at the inanimate puppet and glanced at the green gem in his hand. With a malicious expression flickering across his face, he crushed the gem with a clench of his hand.

But after he unfolded his hand, he found the gem to be completely unharmed.

Even Man Huzis ordinarily savage expression changed upon seeing this.

With his Heavenbearing Devil Arts infused into his hands, he wouldve been able to warp powered magic treasures, let alone a single gem. He shouldve been able to somewhat damage it at the very least.

As Man Huzis face appeared somewhat blank, Qing Yi chuckled and walked over, Brother Man, there is no need to be surprised! This strange stone has already been researched by others. Although this gem cannot be destroyed, it also cannot be refined or used to strengthen magic treasures. I reckon that unless the cultivators of antiquity were dealing with it, it will remain a mere bauble. Even puppet refinement sects dont know what to do with the stone.

The items of antiquity are quite unusual! Youngster, you seem to be fond of such remains. Here! Concealing his embarrassment from earlier, Man Huzi grimaced and casually tossed it to Han Li.

Han Lis mind went blank and he unconsciously received the item.

After he had realized what had happened, he silently put it away into his storage pouch.

After he swept his gaze around, he walked forward and swept up the snake puppet remains without a trace of politeness.