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Han Lis expression remained unchanged, and he merely raised a hand before thrusting it forward and spreading his fingers.

Five balls of golden light immediately erupted out of fingertips, then expanded drastically before combining as one to form a golden vortex the size of a wagon wheel.

The vortex began to rotate as it released a burst of invisible suction force, drawing in all of the oncoming soundwaves.

However, at this point, the human-faced stemborer had also reached Han Li in a wraith-like manner, and it immediately plunged its sharp front limbs toward Han Li as streaks of black light.

Han Lis eyes narrowed slightly upon seeing this, and he pointed a finger at the vortex in front of him.

The vortex immediately swelled before shrinking again, then exploded into a ball of golden light.

In the next instant, countless azure threads erupted out of the golden light, surging directly toward the human-faced stemborer.

A vicious look appeared in the eyes of the human-faced stemborer, and instead of taking evasive measures, it plunged its sharp limbs even faster through the air toward Han Li.

The stemborer was determined to break through with its attack even at the expense of harming itself.

However, Han Li naturally wasnt going to allow that to happen.

He swept a palm through the air, and around a dozen layers of light barriers instantly appeared before him.

In the next instant, the streaks of black light struck the light barriers, piercing through all of them seemingly with ease before striking the protective spiritual light around Han Li.

A sharp screeching noise akin to that of metal grating on metal rang out, and Han Lis skin suddenly turned a purplish-golden color while countless silver formations also appeared all over his body.

In the instant that the streaks of black light struck his protective spiritual light, all of them were instantly repelled.

This protective spiritual light had been manifested from Han Lis Provenance True Devil Arts and Hundred Meridian Refinement Mantra, and even the average Grand Ascension Stage being wouldnt be able to pierce through it.

This human-faced insect was very fearsome, but it was still slightly inferior in power to a Grand Ascension Stage being.

At this moment, the azure threads struck the human-faced stemborer in a torrential storm, instantly piercing through its exoskeleton.

The stemborer let loose a howl of anguish, and countless streams of dark green liquid began to gush out of its body.

However, it then let loose a low roar, and grey light surged all over its body, upon which those puncture wounds began to rapidly heal at a rate that was discernible even to the naked eye.

After the span of just a few breaths, the stemborer was almost fully recovered from its injuries.

Han Li chuckled coldly upon seeing this, then made a hand seal before uttering the word slash.

The azure threads that had pierced through the stemborers body instantly transformed into azure flying swords that revolved around the stemborers head like lightning.

The giant stemborer was instantly decapitated, and the azure flying swords plunged back into its body again, tearing it into shreds along with even its soul.

Thus, the two fearsome human-faced stemborers had been felled in the blink of an eye.

A faint smile appeared on Han Lis face as he withdrew his swords, and only then did he cast his gaze toward the other battles.

As he did so, he immediately heard a shrill screech ring out in the distance.

The stemborer that was facing Xie Lian had been trapped within her three silver rings and was completely immobilized.

Xie Lian then released a burst of white light that sliced the stemborers body cleanly in half.

As expected of Bao Huas identical twin, Xie Lian was definitely more powerful than the average Grand Ascension Stage being as well.

Almost at the exact same moment, an earth-shattering boom rang out in another direction, and the entire space tremored violently.

Han Li and Xie Lian hurriedly turned their attention toward that direction to find that a gigantic crater had appeared on one of the edges of the plaza.

The blue human-faced stemborer was lying at the bottom of the crater with its entire body charred black. Its exoskeleton had been completely shattered, and half of its head had disappeared. There was green blood all over its body, and it was immobilized from a series of severe injuries.

In the air above the giant crater, Daoist Xie was hovering with his giant silver blades in his hands.

He looked down in an expressionless manner, then abruptly slashed his giant blades downward, and they instantly transformed into two thick bolts of lightning, which combined as one to form a silver spear.

Daoist Xie drew back his arm before hurling the lightning spear down from above, and the spear vanished into thin air amid a loud thunderclap.

In the next instant, a dull thump rang out within the giant crater, and the spear was plunged into the stemborers body before exploding violently.

Countless arcs of silver lightning instantly filled the entire crater, and despite how powerful the blue stemborers body was, it could only resign itself to its demise as its body was erased out of existence by the fearsome lightning.

Meanwhile, Daoist Xie took a step forward and abruptly disappeared before re-emerging next to Han Li amid a burst of spatial fluctuations.

Nicely done, Brother Xie. That stemborer you faced is most likely no less powerful than the average Grand Ascension Stage being, yet you were still able to kill it so quickly, Han Li praised.

It still cant compare with a true Grand Ascension Stage being. Having said that, the average Grand Ascension Stage being would find it very difficult to defeat this insect, Daoist Xie replied in an indifferent manner.

Indeed. Setting aside how powerful these stemborers are, they fight without any regard for their own lives, and thats something that the average Grand Ascension Stage being cant compare with, Han Li said as his smile faded slightly.

Thats right. Fellow Daoist L Shi has cleared gained the upper hand over there, but hes unable to defeat that stemborer due to its near-suicidal battle style. How about we give him a hand? Xie Lian said with a smile.

Han Li cast his gaze toward L Shi, and sure enough, L Shi was struggling to land a killing blow against the final stemborer.

A smile appeared on his face, and he was just about to respond to Xie Lian when L Shi suddenly yelled, Theres no need for you to step in, fellow daoists, Im more than capable of taking down this puny insect! Azure Atlas Seal!

L Shi was quite embarrassed to see that he was the only one still struggling with his opponent, and he immediately let loose a thunderous roar as he suddenly released nine identical azure stone seals out of his sleeve. freewbne.com

The seals revolved in mid-air before fusing as one with his giant golden seal from before, transforming into a massive azure seal with countless golden runes revolving around it, which then crashed down toward the giant stemborer.

A loud buzzing sound rang out, and the power of laws within an area with a diameter of around a kilometer was swept up.

As a result, the human-faced stemborer down below was immediately immobilized.

The giant azure seal descended with astonishing might and instantly crushed the stemborer into a pile of mincemeat.

Only then did L Shi heave a faint sigh of relief, and he made a hand seal, upon which the giant seal was drawn back into his sleeve.

However, at this moment, the green Qi revolving around his body had thinned slightly, and his aura had also become marginally weaker, it was clear that the powerful ability he had just unleashed couldnt be used regularly.

So that was the Azure Atlas Seal, its truly just as powerful as the rumors proclaim. Even though its not a Profound Heavenly Treasure, its powers are almost comparable to one, Xie Lian said with a faint smile.

Im embarrassed to say that I wouldnt have been able to take down that stemborer so quickly had I not resorted to one of my trump cards, L Shi said with a wry smile.

He had clearly realized that he was the weakest one of the four, and that made him rather uneasy.

Now that theyve been taken care of, there shouldnt be any other stemborers inside, lets go in, Han Li said as he cast his gaze toward the hall.

Sure, lets go and take a look, Xie Lian agreed with a smile.

L Shi naturally had no objections, either.

Thus, the four of them immediately drifted toward the hall.

As soon as they entered the hall, Xie Lian and L Shis expressions changed slightly as they discovered piles of bones and damaged weapons and armor strewn beyond the entrance.

These were most likely the guards assigned to this underground palace, they had to have been killed by the Stemborer Queen once it broke out of its seal, Xie Lian sighed before sweeping a sleeve through the air, releasing a string of crimson fireballs that incinerated all of these remains into ashes.

Han Li was naturally oblivious to the scene that had just transpired deep in the underground palace, but after that unsettling feeling disappeared, he was quite relieved.

At this moment, the four of them had emerged from the garden and arrived on an ordinary-looking small plaza.

A massive hall that covered an area of several acres stood directly across on the other side of the plaza, and L Shis brows furrowed slightly as he asked, Why is my spiritual sense unable to enter that place? Are the restrictions here still activated?

Its not the restrictions at work, this hall was constructed from a type of special material from our holy realm. This material is known as Underworld River Sand, and it naturally possesses spiritual sense resistance properties, so its no surprise that your spiritual sense cant enter the hall, Xie Lian replied with a smile.

Instead of becoming complacent upon hearing Xie Lians explanation, L Shis brows furrowed even further as he suddenly made a grabbing motion to summon a dagger enshrouded within green Qi. Hold on, I can sense the aura of stemborers here!

Surely not! Could it be that youre mistaken, Fellow Doaist L Shi? Xie Lians heart jolted upon hearing this, and she also hurriedly summoned three silver rings that appeared before her in a flash of light.

Ive cultivated a special secret technique that allows me to identify the auras of all beings within a radius of several tens of kilometers, Im certain that there are stemborers nearby! L Shi replied in a confident voice.

Han Lis brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this, and he suddenly rubbed his hands together before raising them toward the hall up ahead.

A pair of loud thunderclaps rang out as two thick bolts of golden lightning sprang forth, transforming into a pair of golden pythons over 100 feet in length before pouncing into the hall.

A rumbling thunderclap immediately rang out within the hall amid flashes of lightning.

Divine Devilbane Lightning! Xie Lians expression changed slightly upon seeing this.

Generally speaking, Divine Devilbane Lightning was no longer all that effective against devilish beings of her caliber, but when unleashed by a fellow Grand Ascension Stage being like Han Li, it would still pose quite a threat to her.

Right at this moment, a string of sharp hissing rang out within the hall, following which five shadowy figures shot out in a flash before landing on the small plaza in a line.

There really are stemborers here! L Shis expression immediately darkened at the sight of these figures.

The five figures were none other than five giant human-faced insects. Each of them was around 30 to 40 feet tall with extremely hideous male heads attached to their thin and long necks.

Furthermore, they were holding some crude club-like weapons in their front limbs.

The largest of the human-faced insects was standing at the center, and its exoskeleton was light blue, while the other four all had black exoskeletons, similar to that of the insect carcass Han Li and the others had found earlier.

A sinister look immediately appeared on the blue human-faced insects face at the sight of Han Li and the others, and it cackled, Fantastic… There are more foreign beings… Well be able to have another feast…

I really miss the taste of foreign flesh… I cant even remember how long its been since I last had some…

Greedy looks also appeared in the eyes of the other human-faced insects. frewbnovel.com

Xie Lians expression darkened upon hearing this, and the three silver rings before her began to buzz loudly amid a flash of bright light.

In contrast, Han Li was very relaxed, and after taking a glance at the five human-faced insects, he smiled, and said, Five is not a disaster, but nothing to be scoffed at either. How about this? Brother Xie and I will take on three of them and leave the other two to you two.

I certainly have no objections there. You and Fellow Daoist Xie are no ordinary Grand Ascension Stage beings, so well be counting on you, Xie Lian chuckled.

L Shi naturally had no objections, either, and he slashed his dagger through the air, releasing a burst of green Qi that transformed into a wyrm, which pounced directly toward one of the human-faced insects.

The human-faced stemborer was completely unfazed, and opened its mouth to expel a burst of grey Qi.

The two clashed amid a resounding boom, then rose up into the heavens like a pair of wyrms that were constantly tearing at one another.

Immediately thereafter, the three silver rings in front of Xie Lian disappeared in a flash, and in the next instant, spatial fluctuations erupted above another one of the human-faced stemborers, following which the three silver rings reappeared before crashing down with ferocious might.

A ferocious look appeared on the human-faced stemborers face, and it swung its two thick clubs violently upward, sending two bursts of enormous power crashing into the three silver rings.

The three rings tremored violently, and were unable to continue in their descent.

The blue human-faced stemborer cackled upon seeing this, then sprang forward using its hind legs, upon which it suddenly vanished into thin air.

Leave that thing to me, Daoist Xie said as he also disappeared amid a flash of silver lightning.

In the next instant, a dull thunderclap erupted up above, and Daoist Xie and the giant blue stemborer appeared in the sky in unison amid a violent explosion.

Daoist Xie immediately made a grabbing motion, and arcs of silver lightning converged to form a pair of giant shimmering silver blades, following which his body swelled to over 100 feet in size, and he charged toward the giant stemborer as he brought his blades down with vicious force.

The blue stemborer let loose a loud screech as it also swelled several times in size, swinging its giant clubs through the air in retaliation without any fear in its eyes.

A string of earth-shattering booms rang out as the two clashed with their weapons over and over again.

Daoist Xie remained completely expressionless, and his silver blades were revolving around the blue stemborer while unleashing ferocious attacks like a pair of silver wheels.

Meanwhile, the blue stemborer was cackling incessantly, and it had a near-deranged look on its hideous face as its massive black clubs were revolved around its body as bursts of black Qi.

The two of them seemed to be evenly-matched.

Right at this moment, a giant green flower projection appeared behind Xie Lian, and it immediately transformed into countless azure saber projections that swept toward the giant stemborer up ahead.

Meanwhile, L Shi had produced a huge shimmering golden seal, which instantly swelled to a size of a mountain at his behest before slamming down onto his opponent over and over again.

The human-faced stemborers possessed very powerful bodies, but even they didnt dare to take such astonishing attacks head-on, and could only take evasive measures.

Seeing as three of the human-faced stemborers had been occupied, Han Li cast his gaze toward the two remaining giant insects.

Those two stemborers were currently hesitating about whether they should reinforce their companions or deal with the only available enemy.

A faint smile appeared on Han Lis face upon seeing this, and he made a hand seal, following which countless golden runes surged out of his body.

A loud thunderclap rang out, and those runes instantly transformed into scintillating bolts of golden lightning that enshrouded his entire body.

He then made a hand seal followed by a grabbing motion, and the bolts of lightning converged to form a shimmering golden ball of lightning that gave off an extremely formidable aura.

The two human-faced stemborers immediately sensed the threat being posed by Han Li, and they hissed in unison as they rushed directly toward Han Li, leaving trails of afterimages in their wake.

One of them opened its massive mouth, releasing a burst of nauseating black liquid, while the other hurled its giant clubs directly toward Han Li.

Han Li raised an eyebrow upon seeing this, and he suddenly disintegrated into specks of spiritual light.

As a result, the giant clubs and black liquid all missed their target.

The two giant stemborers were very alert, and they immediately flapped their wings upon seeing this, upon which they also instantly disappeared.

In the next instant, spatial fluctuations erupted on either side of the plaza, and the two giant stemborers re-emerged.

However, the specks of spiritual light suddenly converged to form Han Lis body once again, standing on the exact same spot as before.

It turned out that Han Li had never actually left that spot, he had easily managed to fool the two stemborers with an illusion.

The two stemborers hearts jolted upon seeing this, and they immediately pounced toward Han Li again, but it was already too late.

Right at this moment, Han Li gently tossed the ball of lightning in his hands up into the air, and it vanished into thin air amid a flash of golden light, following which an earth-shattering burst of rumbling immediately rang out.

Countless golden runes scattered through the air, following which a bolt of golden lightning as thick as a water tank came crashing down upon a human-faced stemborer with unerring accuracy.

This was none other than the complete Lightningwield Technique that Han Li had only recently mastered!

A howl of anguish rang out, and the stemborer didnt even get a chance to struggle before it was wiped out of existence by the golden lightning.

The Lightningwield Technique was so formidable that even a human-faced stemborer couldnt take a single attack!

The other giant stemborer was both shocked and enraged to see this, and it abruptly let loose a piercing screech, unleashing a burst of invisible soundwaves that swept directly toward Han Li.

After straying only several hundred feet off the path, both Xie Lian and L Shi immediately detected something.

After flying for no more than 2,000 feet, a massive deep crater that was around 80 feet in size emerged up ahead.

There were seven stone pagodas around the giant crater that were in ruins, and the ground was riddled with countless deep trenches, indicating that a fierce battle had taken place here.

At the center of the giant crater laid the charred black remains of a giant insect, and it seemed that this was only less than half of the insects entire carcass.

Even though the carcass was incomplete, it was still quite menacing to behold, and both Xie Lian and L Shi couldnt help but draw a sharp breath.

This insect was similar in appearance to the average stemborer with a glossy exoskeleton, but on its long and thin neck was an extremely hideous male head, complete with all of its facial features and a head of disheveled green hair that resembled wild grass.

The carcass was lying still on the ground without any blood around it, having clearly perished here a long time ago.

So this is a true descendant of the Stemborer Queen, it really is very disturbing to look at, Xie Lian said as her face paled slightly.

It truly is. I didnt think that these insects would be so unsightly, the Stemborer Queen is most likely even more disgusting to look at. What do you think, Fellow Daoist Han? L Shi asked.

Perhaps so. I wont just come to any conclusions before I see the Stemborer Queen for myself, Han Li said with a faint smile, then suddenly swept a sleeve toward the giant crater.

A loud boom rang out as a burst of invisible power struck the insect carcass, causing it to flip onto its back.

Xie Lians complexion paled even further at the sight of the insects underside.

The insect had around a dozen shattered limbs attached to its abdomen, some of which were very sharp and lined with hard black fur, just like the limbs of actual insects.

However, the other limbs were fair and delicate, bearing a strong appearance to human hands, but instead of five fingers, each hand was comprised of three fingers, one of which was quite thin, while the other two were thicker.

L Shis eyelids spasmed upon seeing this, and he raised a hand to conjure up a blue fireball, which he immediately sent flying toward the insect carcass.

The fireball didnt seem to be releasing any heat, but the air around it had become quite warped and blurry, clearly indicating that the flames were extremely fearsome.

As soon as the fireball struck the insect carcass, the latter immediately burst into flames.

Moments later, L Shi made a hand seal before pointing a finger at the carcass, and a dull thump rang out as the blue flames instantly vanished to reveal the carcass again.

However, aside from the fact that it was slightly more charred black than before, the carcass appeared to have been largely unaffected.

L Shi and Xie Lians expressions darkened even further upon seeing this.

Interesting! Let me give it a try as well, Han Li chuckled as he raised a hand to flick three of his fingers through the air.

Three streaks of azure sword Qi instantly erupted from his fingertips before striking the carcass in quick succession.

Three dull thumps rang out one after another, and the three streaks of sword Qi achieved completely different outcomes.

The first streak of sword Qi was instantly repelled, the second streak managed to slice through a part of the carcasss exoskeleton, and the third streak was able to slice the carcass cleanly in half.

A hint of surprise appeared in the eyes of both L Shi and Xie Lian upon seeing this, while Han Li began to stroke his own chin with a contemplative expression.

Xie Lian asked, Were those three streaks of sword Qi you unleashed just now of different levels of power, Brother Han?

Thats right. The first streak contained around half of my full power, the second streak was a full-power strike, while the third streak was infused with a flying sword thats a bonded treasure of mine, Han Li replied.

Xie Lian and L Shi were naturally unaware that Han Li had lied about the first two streaks of sword Qi and only told the truth for the third one.

His powers were far superior to those of an ordinary Grand Ascension Stage being, so the first streak of sword Qi had only contained around 20% of his full power, while the second one was only imbued with around 50% of his full power.

Even so, Xie Lian and L Shi were quite stunned by how resolute this carcass was.

Not only is this insect virtually immune to Fellow Daoist L Shis true flames, it can even withstand Fellow Daoist Hans sword Qi to a certain extent, looks like these descendants of the Stemborer Queen are even more fearsome than Id imagined. What should we do if we encounter one of them? Xie Lian asked with a grim expression.

Theres no need to fear, if we really do encounter one of these insects, well just have to attack it as normal. Im confident that the four of us combined will be able to bring down a mere insect, L Shi chuckled coldly in response.

One or two of them wont be an issue, but what if we encounter seven or eight, or even more of these insects? Would you still be so confident then? Xie Lian sighed.

L Shis confident facade slipped a little upon hearing this. Surely there arent that many of these things around.

Hehe, its indeed very unlikely to encounter so many of these insects. If the Stemborer Queen had the ability to produce so many descendants, it wouldve most likely broken out of this ancient seal long ago, Han Li said with a shake of his head.

I certainly hope so. Otherwise, we could potentially find ourselves in some huge trouble. It looks like the last group of fellow daoists to have entered this underground palace were the ones who killed this insect, I wonder why they left in such a hurry. I hope there arent more of these things up ahead, Xie Lian said with a wry smile.

In any case, were already here, so we cant back down now. Weve already wasted quite a bit of time here, lets keep going. It would be truly regrettable if our tardiness affects Fellow Daoist Bao Huas plans, Han Li said in a calm manner, then drifted back the way he had come.

Through his examination, he had determined that these insects didnt pose much of a threat to him, so he naturally wasnt going to be too concerned.

Daoist Xie followed along behind him in silence, and Xie Lian and L Shi were rather surprised by Han Lis decisive departure.

However, they knew that Han Li was right, so they could trail along behind him as well.

Daoist Xie seemed to be completely obedient to Han Li, and Han Li had just displayed spiritual sense far superior to that of Xie Lian and L Shi, so the two of them were unconsciously beginning to follow Han Lis lead.

Shortly thereafter, the four of them returned to the path and continued onward according to the map.

As they progressed along the path, they didnt encounter any obstacles, and that came as quite a relief for both Xie Lian and L Shi.

Even though they were both at the Grand Ascension Stage, they definitely didnt want to encounter an insect like the one they had just seen.

At this moment, the four of them had arrived in a spacious garden with shimmering silver trees all around them. These trees had palm-sized silver flowers growing on their branches that were very beautiful to look at, but didnt give off any aroma.

Initially, L Shi had been rather wary of these trees, but his concerns were assuaged after Xie Lian informed him that this was a plant unique to the Elder Devil Realm, and it served no purpose other than as a low-grade pill refinement ingredient.

Brother Han, according to the map, that hall up ahead should be where the formation core is situated. Once we repair it, our mission will be complete, Xie Lian said as the three of them emerged from the garden, upon which a grey hall appeared in the distance.

Looks like our journey was quite smooth, I wonder if the same applied for our other fellow daoists, Han Li replied with a nod.

For some reason, as soon as he had arrived in the garden, he couldnt shake the unsettling feeling that he was being watched.

Considering how powerful his spiritual sense was, it was virtually impossible for him to be unable to detect someone if they were nearby.

This meant that the one watching them either possessed incredible powers and could avoid the detection of his spiritual sense, or this was merely a figment of his imagination brought on by the powers of the ancient seal and all of the restrictions in the underground palace.

In any case, Han Li had naturally become a lot more cautious, but as soon as they emerged from the garden, this strange feeling suddenly vanished, leaving him feeling quite perplexed.

……

Meanwhile, an indistinct humanoid figure situated in a dark underground cave in the deepest part of the underground palace suddenly began to cackle to himself.

I cant believe someone from a lower realm has managed to cultivate the Spirit Refinement Technique to the second stage! Haha, the heavens really are smiling down upon me! Looks like I wont be trapped here for much longer…

Initially, the cackling was very loud, but it gradually became clearer and more deranged, striking the listener with a bone-chilling sensation.

A pair of Sacred Ancestors immediately gave affirmative responses, while the other Grand Ascension Stage beings and their disciples continued deeper into the original sealed site.

There was clearly an extremely powerful flight restriction in this area, as evidenced by the fact that even all of the Grand Ascension Stage beings could only fly slowly onward at low altitudes.

Of course, this was only relative to their normal speed, in the eyes of normal people, they were still extraordinarily fast.

Around an hour later, the group had already covered a distance of close to 10,000 kilometers.

All of a sudden, an extremely long canyon appeared up ahead, from within which clouds of thin purple mist were emerging before drifting up into the heavens.

What was rather concerning was that there was a rank odor being released from the mist that struck one with a sense of dizziness and also made ones spiritual sense very sluggish.

All of the Grand Ascension Stage beings swept their spiritual sense toward the purple mist, upon which all of their expressions changed slightly.

Take care not to come into contact with too much of this stuff, fellow daoists. This is a manifestation of the Stemborer Queens aura, and this is whats transformed the devilish insects of our holy realm into stemborers, Bao Hua cautioned.

All of the Grand Ascension Stage beings hearts jolted upon hearing this, and some immediately bolstered the protective spiritual light around them, while others even went as far as to summon a few protective treasures.

However, the majority of the Grand Ascension Stage beings seemed to be quite confident in their own powers and didnt display any reaction.

Finally, everyone arrived in the air above the canyon, and they all drew a sharp breath at the sight that greeted them down below.

The canyon was immeasurable deep, and gusts of bone-chilling winds were surging out of it alongside the purple mist.

Is this the place where the ancient seal is situated? Han Li asked.

Bao Hua smiled, and replied, The ancient seal is indeed located deep underground here. Back in ancient times, our holy race constructed a massive underground palace that encompasses the entire area with a radius of thousands of kilometers around this place. On top of that, a series of profound restrictions were set up, and the Stemborer Queen is situated right at the center of the underground palace. Due to the fact that a part of the ancient seals power is now under the Stemborer Queens control, we had been unable to enter the underground palace.

However, this just so happens to be a period of time that comes around cyclically where theres a massive eruption of the worlds origin Qi. As a result, the power of the ancient seal is quite unstable, and well be able to enter the underground palace. Otherwise, wed still be able to force our way into the underground palace, but that would definitely awaken the Stemborer Queen.

Is the Stemborer Queen really that alert and receptive? According to my knowledge, its very difficult for the vast majority of insects to awaken from hibernation for recovery purposes, the only exception would be if someone approached them and tried to take their lives, an elderly man in a set of daoist robes said with furrowed brows.

Bao Hua cast her gaze toward the elderly man, and replied, You may be renowned for your understanding of insects, but dont forget that Stemborer Queen is no ordinary insect, so there are some conventions that simply dont apply to it, Fellow Daoist Gu.

Hmph, Ill take your word for it then, the elderly man harrumphed coldly, seemingly unconvinced by Bao Huas words.

Bao Hua didnt seem to be very fond of him, either, and her expression immediately darkened as she replied, If you dont believe me, you can go on ahead and see for yourself. She then cast her gaze deep into the canyon, seemingly waiting for something.

The elderly mans expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and a hint of fury flashed through his eyes, but he remained silent in the end, and of course, he certainly wasnt going to recklessly venture into the canyon on his own.

Han Li couldnt help but cast an intrigued gaze toward this elderly man.

He clearly knew that Bao Hua was no ordinary Grand Ascension Stage being, yet he still dared to speak to her in such a rude manner, it was clear that he was no slouch, either.

All of a sudden, Bao Hua transmitted her voice to Han Li. Fellow Daoist Han, this Daoist Gong has a very abrasive personality, and he specializes in poison abilities that pose a huge headache even to me. Id advise you not to get involved with him.

Han Li merely nodded in response, but remained silent.

Perhaps it was due to the purple mist or the power of the ancient seal, but as soon as ones spiritual sense descended more than 1,000 feet into the canyon, it would involuntarily scatter, making it impossible to glean the contents of the canyon.

As such, everyone could only look on with wary expressions.

Right at this moment, Bao Hua suddenly produced a shimmering silver formation plate, which she cast a string of incantation seals onto.

The silver formation plate began to fluctuate in brightness as if it had suddenly attained sentience, and after a short while, bright silver light radiated from the formation plate alongside countless silver runes.

This is it! Its time to go in, fellow daoists, Bao Hua said with an elated expression as she flew toward the canyon as a ball of pink light while holding the silver plate in her hand.

The other Grand Ascension Stage beings immediately followed along.

Golden light emanated from Han Lis body, easily keeping the purple mist at bay, and he also descended along with everyone else.

To their surprise, the canyon wasnt as immeasurably deep as it had appeared on the surface. After flying for only around 10,000 feet, a patch of gentle white light suddenly appeared up ahead.

Everyone quickly landed on the solid ground down below, and Han Li looked around to discover that they were all situated on a massive plaza that was over 100 acres in size and paved with translucent white jade.

There were fist-sized jewels embedded onto the ground at regular intervals, illuminating this area and making it as bright as day.

There were eight winding paths around the plaza leading in different directions, and Han Li looked up as the purple mist slowly converged from all directions before rising upward.

Alright, the fact that weve managed to arrive safely indicates that the Stemborer Queen is still in its slumber. Now then, lets proceed according to the original plan. Ill lead a group of people to contact the spirit of the ancient seal, while Fellow Daoist Copper Crow and our fellow daoists from the Heavenly Crow Realm will venture deep into the underground palace to try and get into contact with our trapped allies. Our two fellow daoists from the Black Night Realm will go to the deepest part of the underground palace to find where the Stemborer Queen is hibernating and conduct surveillance on it, but make sure not to alert it.

With the concealment secret techniques of the Black Night Realm, Im sure this wont be a difficult task. As for everyone else, split up and travel to the formation cores of the underground palace to repair some of the key restrictions there. Those places may be guarded by the descendants of the Stemborer Queen, so be careful. The true descendants of the Stemborer Queen are far more powerful than the stemborers outside, and theyre extremely dangerous even for Grand Ascension Stage beings like us, Bao Hua instructed.

Hehe, well look after ourselves.

Ill be going on ahead then.

You be careful too, Fellow Daoist Bao Hua.

Thus, all of the Grand Ascension Stage beings split up into groups and departed from the plaza.

Han Li and Daoist Xie were split into a group with two other Grand Ascension Stage beings, and the four of them disappeared down one of the paths leading away from the plaza.

These other two Grand Ascension Stage beings were Xie Lian, and the foreign Grand Ascension Stage being enshrouded in green Qi, L Shi.

Their mission was to repair some of the restrictions at the formation core of the underground palace.

Xie Lian was walking on ahead while inspecting a jade slip in her hand, and Han Li and Daoist Xie were in the middle, while L Shi brought up the rear.

None of them said anything, and they gently glided along several feet above the ground.

Their spiritual sense was able to encompass the entire area within a radius of over 1,000 feet, and as long as there wasnt anyone far more powerful than them here, no one would be able to escape their detection.

Han Li was inspecting his surroundings with a calm expression, and he discovered that the path that they were traversing was lined with tall rectangular pagodas.

These pagodas were quite antiquated in design, and their surfaces were riddled with simplistic ancient runes, seemingly having already stood for countless years.

After flying along for around 15 minutes, they still hadnt reached the end of the path.

All of a sudden, Han Lis brows furrowed slightly, and he drew to an abrupt halt.

Did you discover something, Fellow Daoist Han? Xie Lian asked as she turned around.

L Shi also stopped in his tracks to hear what Han Li had to say.

There seems to be something interesting over there, would you two like to take a look? Han Li said with a smile as he cast his gaze toward a certain direction.

Xie Lian swept her spiritual sense toward the same direction, but was unable to discover anything, and her expression changed slightly as she said, Your spiritual sense can detect things that far away?

L Shi was also unable to detect anything with his spiritual sense, and he said, Id be happy to accompany you, Fellow Daoist Han.

It was clear that Han Lis spiritual sense was far more powerful than his and Xie Lians.

Han Li nodded before drifting toward the same direction that he had cast his gaze toward, followed by an expressionless Daoist Xie.

Xie Lian and L Shi exchanged a cautious glance, and only then did they follow along.

Just as Han Li was getting absorbed in his own thoughts, Bao Hua suddenly raised an eyebrow, and said, Theyre here, everyone.

She didnt mention exactly what they were, but all of the Grand Ascension Stage beings immediately understood what she was referring to, and some of them, including Han Li, immediately cast their spiritual sense out of the giant ark.

After a disturbance in the surrounding swarm of stemborers, a series of crimson stemborers appeared.

These stemborers were only around a foot in size each, but there were faint golden spirit patterns all over their bodies, and five-colored light swirling within their green eyes.

As soon as these stemborers appeared, the expressions of the Grand Ascension Stage beings on the ark changed drastically, and they immediately withdrew their treasures.

All of the nearby stemborers were instantly eradicated by the returning treasures, but the crimson stemborers suddenly vanished with a flap of their wings.

In the next instant, all of the crimson stemborers appeared near the Grand Ascension Stage beings before flying directly toward them.

The Grand Ascension Stage beings were naturally very alarmed, and they immediately attacked the stemborers or released their protective treasures.

There was even one who let loose a loud cry as he reached out to grab one of the stemborers.

However, all of their attacks and defensive measures were bypassed by these stemborers as if they didnt even exist. As soon as they reached the Grand Ascension Stage beings, the stemborers began to give off scintillating crimson light.

The Grand Ascension Stage beings expressions changed drastically upon seeing this, yet just as they were preparing to withstand the force of the imminent stemborer explosions with their bodies, Bao Huas voice suddenly rang out in the air.

Rest assured, leave these things to me.

As soon as her voice trailed off, a pillar of white light erupted out of the hall in the giant ark.

The pillar of light then split up into several thin beams of light that struck the crimson stemborers, sending them flying for over 100 feet.

A string of resounding booms rang out as several scorching crimson suns appeared, and a series of spatial rifts also emerged as if the entire space were about to be torn apart.

The power of these stemborer explosions was truly formidable!

All of the Grand Ascension Stage beings were stunned to see this.

The explosions wouldnt have been enough to kill them, but severe injuries were definitely unavoidable.

Right at this moment, a giant pink flower projection appeared up above amid a burst of spatial fluctuations, and Bao Hua emerged overhead.

Before the Grand Ascension Stage beings even had a chance to express their gratitude toward Bao Hua, around a dozen more crimson stemborers appeared.

They immediately teleported over to Bao Hua, surrounding her in a watertight barrier, then prepared to self-detonate again, seemingly planning to kill her in one fell swoop.

In response, Bao Hua merely chuckled coldly as countless silver stars suddenly erupted out of her body, forming a boundless galaxy that swept up all of the surrounding stemborers.

A string of explosions rang out, but all of them were snuffed out by the galaxy of stars, unable to leave any impact at all.

All of the stars then converged to form a flag that was around 10 feet in length with shimmering silver stars etched all over its surface, it was none other than the Starfall Flag!

Around a dozen more Grand Ascension Stage beings had flown out of the hall in the ark in case their powers were required, and Han Li was one of them.

He had his arms crossed and was appraising Bao Hua in an intrigued manner, planning to see how she was going to use those two treasures to deal with the stemborers.

The failure of the crimson stemborers self-detonation had clearly enraged the entire swarm, and after a string of disturbances, close to 1,000 crimson balls of light emerged. Even Bao Huas expression turned slightly grim at the sight of so many self-detonating stemborers, and she waved her flag through the air to create another galactic projection that encompassed the entire giant ark.

At the same time, she pointed up at the small mirror overhead, and it immediately transformed into a full moon.

Golden light surged through the moon, following which hundreds of beams of light shot forth at once, puncturing the bodies of the crimson stemborers with unerring accuracy.

All of the crimson stemborers that were struck immediately exploded on the spot, sending scorching red flames surging in all directions and incinerating large hordes of surrounding stemborers into ashes.

However, the remaining crimson stemborers all flapped their wings and instantly vanished on the spot.

Bao Hua immediately retaliated as the galaxy of stars suddenly began to surge violently at her behest.

Countless stars changed positions as bursts of spatial fluctuations erupted forth, forcing all of the crimson stemborers to reveal themselves again.

Furthermore, all of them had become extremely slow and sluggish, as if they were flying through treacle.

A cold smile appeared on Bao Huas face as she injected her immeasurable magic power into the full moon up above in a frenzy, and the moon immediately began releasing more beams of golden light.

Each beam of light that was released resulted in the premature explosion of a crimson stemborer, but it also made the moon dim ever so slightly.

The storm of golden light eradicated most of the crimson stemborers, but it also expended the last of the moons power, and it reverted back into a small mirror that descended from above.

Bao Hua rushed out of the galaxy of stars to catch the mirror, then cast her gaze toward the remaining crimson stemborers trapped in the galaxy of stars before making a certain hand seal.

The galactic projection immediately surged back in reverse, and countless silver stars converged toward its center before exploding in unison, sweeping up gusts of fierce silver winds that created countless white spatial rifts.

This is a space-time storm! one of the Grand Ascension Stage beings exclaimed upon seeing this, and a contemplative look also appeared on Han Lis face.

In the next instant, all of the crimson stemborers swept up by the fierce silver winds were devoured by the white rifts and completely vanished.

Bao Hua heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing this, then waved a hand down below.

The silver winds immediately faded, and the silver flag re-emerged before flying back into Bao Huas hand.

After unleashing that astonishing ability, the Starfall Flag had clearly been severely debilitated.

After all, space-time storms simply werent phenomena that the average Profound Heavenly Treasure replica could create, so Bao Hua had to have unleashed this ability using a secret technique that harmed the Starfall Flag.

After stowing the two treasures away, Bao Hua said, Rest assured, fellow daoists, the self-detonating stemborers have been wiped out.

After that, she slowly descended toward the giant ark.

Han Li and the other Grand Ascension Stage beings also returned to the ark shortly thereafter.

Upon returning to the hall, Bao Hua sat down in a corner with her legs crossed.

Meanwhile, all of the other Grand Ascension Stage beings were discussing the powers that had just been displayed by the pair of treasures.

As for Han Li, he merely returned to his seat and sat down with a faint smile.

Without the impediment of the self-detonating stemborers and high-grade stemborers, the group was able to continue onward without a hitch.

Close to half a day later, they finally emerged from the stemborer swarm and caught sight of the original sealed site in the distance.

At this point, most of the elite devilish warriors had perished, and only just over 10,000 remained as the giant ark arrived at the original sealed site.

Han Li and the Grand Ascension Stage beings emerged from the giant ark and began to inspect their surroundings with curiosity in their eyes.

The edge of this original sealed site was a barren mountain range, and littered between these mountains was the occasional building. However, the entire place was completely silent, and there was not a single person to be seen.

Strangely enough, as soon as the stemborer swarm reached this area, they immediately drew to an abrupt halt outside the mountain range, as if there were something extremely fearsome in their eyes up ahead, and they didnt dare to continue any further, even as Han Li and the others continued onward.

This is the power of the ancient seal. As expected, it really is able to suppress these stemborers. Lets keep everyone else here to keep an eye on the stemborer swarm while we head deeper into this place, Old Man Copper Crow suggested.

Bao Hua nodded in agreement, and said, Fellow Daoist Que, Brother Feng, you two will stay here to repair some of the restrictions on the outskirts as we planned earlier. These restrictions are directly connected to the ancient seal, so if you can repair some of them, itll greatly benefit the recovery of the ancient seal.

Prior to setting off, the plan had already been confirmed, so none of the Grand Ascension Stage beings had any objections.

Moments later, the devilish army split up into several groups that charged toward the same direction, leaving only the tens of thousands of elite devilish guards and the Grand Ascension Stage beings behind.

A few hours later, the remaining elite devilish warriors also departed from the valley on a giant ark.

Seven days later, an army comprised of over 100,000 devilish warriors was locked in a fierce battle against a swarm of stemborers above a barren plateau.

The devilish army was very organized, and was arranged in a profound circular formation with the several hundred giant arks positioned at strategic locations.

Furthermore, multiple layers of protective light barriers had been set up, and thick pillars of light were being blasted out of the light barriers in a frenzy, felling large swathes of stemborers.

However, there were simply far too many stemborers in this swarm!

No matter how many were killed, more would immediately take their place to continue to attack the formation.

The devilish army had been slowly advancing in the past, but it had been forced to a standstill.

Fortunately, the attacks being unleashed by the formation were becoming more and more powerful, killing countless stemborers and alleviating some of the pressure on the army.

However, the three Body Integration Stage devilish beings standing on the giant ark at the center of the formation werent pleased at all to see this.

Its not a wise decision to use our backup power so soon, we wont be able to stall the stemborer swarm for long now, a crimson-armored devilish man said.

Hmph, if we hadnt used that power, the entire formation couldve crumbled just now. If our formation gets overwhelmed, then we wont be able to stall the stemborer swarm at all, a thin elderly devilish man harrumphed coldly in response.

But the Sacred Ancestors ordered us to hold our own for at least half a day, yet only a few hours have passed. If we want to ensure our survival, well have to work out a plan. Otherwise, once everyones exhausted, the three of us alone wont be able to fight our way out of this swarm, the crimson-armored man countered.

Dont make me repeat myself, if we hadnt used this power, we wouldve already been overwhelmed. If worse comes to worst, well just have to unleash secret techniques to tap into our latent potential, and theres still a decent chance that well be able to escape, the elderly man replied in a nonchalant manner.

You sure make it sound simple! If anything goes even slightly wrong, all of us could be devoured by these stemborers! the crimson-armored man said in a cold voice.

I dont think thats a valid concern as long as we work out a good plan and take the right opportunities, the elderly man countered with a roll of his eyes.

The crimson-armored man immediately flared up with rage, and he was just about to say something when the final devilish lord, a middle-aged woman, interjected, I cant believe you two are still bickering at a time like this. If you want to argue, you can save it for after we escape from this place. Prior to that, we have to combine our efforts and help one another. Now that weve already sent out our backup forces, its too late to regret our decision, lets think about whether there are any available courses of action other than burning through our latent potential.

The crimson-armored man forcibly repressed his displeasure and put on a smile as he said, Youre right, Mistress, Tian Miao, we should work together to devise a strategy first.

The elderly mans expression also eased slightly as he said, I didnt think that these stemborers would be so much more powerful than other devilish insects, its indeed imperative for us to work together now.

Thus, the three devilish lords began to devise a plan for escape.

Meanwhile, the other devilish armies were also trapped within stemborer swarms elsewhere, and they could only attack the stemborers with all their might as they held on for dear life.

Due to the fact that most of the stemborers around the original sealed site had been diverted away by the devilish armies, all of the Grand Ascension Stage beings and the tens of thousands of elite devilish warriors were able to quickly tear through around a dozen insect swarms, and they were now quite close to the original sealed sight.

However, at this point, the other stemborers had realized what was happening, and they were finally surrounded by a boundless sea of stemborers, just like the other devilish armies.

None of the Grand Ascension Stage beings had stepped in yet, but the tens of thousands of elite devilish warriors and all of the disciples of the Grand Ascension Stage beings were more than equipped to deal with the stemborer swarm.

Countless streaks of light surged through the air, felling large swathes of stemborers with ease, the entire group continued onward at an astonishing speed.

Only the more powerful stemborers could stand in their way, and even they were instantly shredded by the ferocious barrage of attacks.

No more than seven minutes later, the group had advanced hundreds of thousands of kilometers, killing countless stemborers in the process.

All of a sudden, a burst of strange hissing rang out up ahead, and the stemborers parted to reveal a group of giant green insects.

These giant insects were each over 100 feet in size with sharp pincers and menacing fangs, presenting a very intimidating sight to behold.

A high-grade devilish being immediately issued a warning at the sight of these insects. Look out! Those are high-grade stemborers, and their breaths are equal in power to a full-force attack from a Body Integration Stage being.

Right at this moment, all of the giant insects opened their mouths to let loose pillars of green light.

Thousands of elite devilish warriors were caught off guard, and their defenses were penetrated by the pillars of light, which instantly vaporized them amid howls of anguish.

These pillars of light were so powerful that the devilish warriors were completely powerless to withstand them.

Haha, it looks like the stemborers finally understand that were the main forces they have to deal with. Otherwise, they wouldnt have deployed so many high-grade stemborers at once. Lets not sit around any longer! a black-armored Sacred Ancestor standing at the front of the giant ark chortled as he raised a hand to release a plume of black threads, which transformed into a net that was several kilometers in area before descending toward the massive stemborers.

The other Grand Ascension Stage beings nearby also sprang into action upon seeing this.

One of them made a hand seal, and fierce winds were instantly swept up, forming around a dozen massive tornados that surged forth with devastating might.

Meanwhile, someone else pointed a finger forward, and the worlds origin Qi in the air was immediately churned up, following which countless thick bolts of lightning came crashing down with ferocious power.

At the same time, the remaining Grand Ascension Stage beings were all unleashing attacks of their own, and one of them even materialized a small translucent sword that was slashed directly through the air, unleashing countless translucent sword projections…

Despite how powerful the giant stemborers were, there was no way they could withstand the attacks of so many Grand Ascension Stage beings, and all of them were instantly eradicated, much to the elation of the devilish army.

Dont stop! Keep advancing! the black-armored Sacred Ancestor ordered in a thunderous voice.

All of the devilish troops immediately picked up the pace and continued onward.

All of the stemborers that had parted earlier immediately converged again in waves of suicidal attacks, but were still unable to delay the group at all. freewbne.com

Han Li was situated in the hall of the giant ark, but he was able see everything using his spiritual sense.

A faint smile appeared on his face as he witnessed all of the giant stemborers being easily eradicated by the Grand Ascension Stage beings.

The breaths of these giant insects were comparable in power to Body Integration Stage attacks, but their defensive prowess was nowhere near the Body Integration Stage.

Otherwise, even with those Grand Ascension Stage beings attacking in unison, they wouldnt have been able to eradicate so many Body Integration Stage beings so easily.

It seemed that these stemborers still werent the most powerful ones in the swarm.

At this moment, most of the Grand Ascension Stage beings were gathered in the hall, with only several of them standing outside on the giant ark in case any unexpected incidents arose.

Bao Hua was currently seated on a chair at the center of the hall, appraising the Faux Illusion Sky Mirror that she was holding in her hand.

As for the other Grand Ascension Stage beings, they were either gathered together in discussion, or meditating in their chairs.

Han Li cast his gaze toward Sacred Ancestor Xie Lian, who was sitting near a window, and discovered that she was appraising the battle raging outside through the window in a completely expressionless manner, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.

Not far away from her, Old Man Copper Crow and the Heavenly Crow Realm Grand Ascension Stage beings were meditating on the ground with faint yellow light glowing from their bodies, seemingly practicing some kind of cultivation art.

After a short while, Han Li also closed his eyes to meditate.

Daoist Xie was standing beside him in a wooden manner, but Silvermoon was nowhere to be seen.

Seeing as this could potentially be quite a dangerous trip, Han Li had left Silvermoon behind at the temporary cave abode he had created in the desert.

Even though Silvermoon would be affected by the Art of Indifference after parting with him, it wouldnt be an issue as long as they werent separated for too long.

Why are you being so cold, Fellow Daoist Han? Weve met on multiple occasions, so were already acquaintances, are we not? I came to see you because I want to make another deal with you, are you interested? Bao Hua asked with a smile.

Another deal? Sure, go ahead, Han Li prompted in a calm manner.

Bao Hua took a glance at Daoist Xie and Silvermoon, then suggested, How about we speak in private?

Alright, Han Li agreed, then turned and said something to Silvermoon and Daoist Xie in a low voice before flying with Bao Hua toward a certain direction.

Moments later, Bao Hua and Han Li were situated on a small sand dune with only around 50 feet separating the two of them.

Bao Hua gently pointed her finger into the air a few times, and several pink threads instantly shot forth before vanishing in a flash.

The entire area around the sand dune was instantly enshrouded under an invisible restriction.

Alright, lets hear what you have to say, Han Li prompted.

Why are you in such a hurry, Fellow Daoist Han? I obtained some rare Sandalwood Fruits not too long ago, why dont we sample them together? Please take a seat, Bao Hua said with a smile, then swept a sleeve toward the ground, upon which countless grains of sand rose up before manifesting two stone chairs and a stone table that was several tens of feet in length.

A burst of pink light swept forth, and a pair of purple spirit fruits, a flagon of spirit wine, and two translucent jade cups appeared on the table.

Han Li swept his spiritual sense toward the spirit fruits on the table, and his expression changed ever so slightly.

After a brief moment of hesitation, he took a seat on one of the stone chairs.

Bao Hua sat down across from him, and only after they had sampled the spirit fruits and spirit wine did Bao Hua finally cut to the chase.

The deal I want to make with you is very simple: I want you to keep someone occupied at a set time in the near future so I can do something that Ive been plotting for a very long time.

Dont you think you should be more specific, Fellow Daoist Bao Hua? Someone that even youre wary of must be very powerful, Han Li said with a faint smile.

Indeed. Truth be told, even I dont want to face that person directly in battle. However, Im only asking you to stall them for a while, not to engage in a battle of life and death, Im sure thats not too difficult. If you can do this for me, Ill owe you a massive favor, and if you have any use for me in the future, I definitely wont refuse. What do you think, Brother Han? Bao Hua asked.

A favor from you is naturally quite tempting, but you have to tell me who it is that youre referring to, Han Li replied.

This is not actually someone that youre unfamiliar with. Its… Bao Huas voice trailed off there, and she communicated the name of the target to Han Li through voice transmission.

Han Lis brows immediately furrowed as he said, Are you making a joke? How can a rookie Grand Ascension Stage being like me possibly complete such a difficult task?

Dont be so quick to refuse me, Brother Han, why dont you take a look at this first? Bao Hua said with a smile before raising a hand to release a ball of white light, which reached Han Li in a flash, it was a palm-sized jade vial.

Han Li caught the vial before inspecting it through narrowed eyes, and instead of immediately opening the vial, he asked, What is the meaning of this, Fellow Daoist Bao Hua?

In addition to a favor, Ill also offer this in exchange for your assistance, Bao Hua replied.

Han Li gave a cold harrumph as he opened the vial and inspected its contents with his spiritual sense, upon which his expression immediately changed drastically.

This is a Divine Glue Pill!

A hint of surprise also flashed through Bao Huas eyes. Youre certainly quite knowledgeable, Fellow Daoist Han, I didnt think youd be able to recognize this pill right away.

This is one of very few types of pills that can nourish even a Grand Ascension Stage beings soul, and its particularly effective for those who have only recently reached the Grand Ascension Stage. The refinement method for this pill has already gone missing many years ago, how did you manage to obtain this? Han Li asked.

I came across it by chance in the cave abode of an ancient cultivator. At the time, I obtained seven of these pills in total, but after so many years, only one remains. Is this enough to show you my sincerity, Fellow Daoist Han? Bao Hua asked.

It looks like youre determined to recruit me. Do you really think Ill be able to stall that person? Arent you worried that your plan will fail due to a failure on my part? Han Li asked.

To be honest, prior to this meeting, I had intended to approach someone else for this role. However, even though that fellow daoist is quite powerful, theres less than a 50% chance that hed actually be able to stall that person. In contrast, youre a completely different story! Even prior to reaching the Grand Ascension Stage, you could already contend with Grand Ascension Stage beings. Now that youve reached the Grand Ascension Stage yourself, youve undoubtedly become even more powerful. In a serious battle, perhaps even I wont be a match for you. This plan is of the utmost importance to me, so if Im going to find an ally, I have to find the most reliable one. Even if it costs me a little extra, Im willing to pay the price, Bao Hua said with a faint smile.

Seeing as you think so highly of me, it would be unbecoming of me to continue to refuse. Alright, I can help you just this once, but aside from this pill and the favor you promised me, I have another condition. If you can agree to that condition as well, I guarantee that Ill be able to stall that person for a day and a night so you have enough time to do what you want to do, Han Li replied.

Bao Huas smile faded, and a serious look appeared on her face upon hearing this. Oh? Go ahead, Fellow Daoist Han.

If youre ever in a position where youre ruling over the Elder Devil Realm again, I want you to promise that your realm will never invade our Spirit Realm for as long as you live, Han Li said.

Thats out of the question! Dont you think thats going too far, Fellow Daoist Han? Bao Hua was rather displeased to hear this. fewebnve.com

I dont know what your exact plan is, but seeing as youre willing to pay such a heavy price, this must be an extremely rare opportunity for you. On top of that, I dont think theres anyone else in the Elder Devil Realm that can help you. Who else will you turn to? Old Man Copper Crow? Setting aside whether hed be willing to take the risk, the price youll have to pay for his services will definitely be significantly higher than what you promised me. After all, not everyone would be willing to make such a powerful enemy for themselves so easily, Han Li replied in a calm manner.

Hmph, arent you afraid of turning that person against you? Bao Hua asked in a cold voice.

Why ask a question you already know the answer to, Fellow Daoist Bao Hua? That person is already an enemy of mine, so what does it matter if our relationship deteriorates even further? Han Li replied with a nonchalant smile.

Bao Hua was silent for a long while before finally conceding, Thats true, but I definitely cant promise you that Ill cancel the sacred sacrifice during the merging of our two realms. All I can guarantee is that for as long as I live, none of my brethren will encroach upon the territory of your human race during future sacred sacrifices.

Youll have to include the demon race as well. Our human race has always shared close ties with the demon race, if the demon race were to be attacked, our human race cant just stand by and watch, Han Li said.

Alright, I can agree to this condition if its only limited to the human and demon races, Bao Hua agreed.

Good. Ill be taking this pill, lets swear our inner demon vows, then discuss the specific details of the plan, Han Li said with a smile.

Bao Hua naturally had no objections to this.

Around two hours later, Han Lis trio departed, then landed on a sand dune on the edge of the desert around half a day later.

……

10 days later, tens of thousands of high-grade devilish beings had gathered above the earthen city, all of whom were at the Spatial Tempering Stage or above.

Han Li and all of the other Grand Ascension Stage beings were also among these devilish beings, as well as hundreds of giant devilish arks that were hovering in mid-air..

A short while later, a command was issued, and the tens of thousands of devilish beings surged toward a certain direction with the flying arks.

……

Three months later, countless armored devilish warriors had filled an entire barren valley, and the sound of rumbling war drums erupted into the heavens.

Millions of devilish warriors had gathered here, and they were either standing on flying treasures or atop clouds of devilish Qi.

At the center of this devilish army was a giant devilish ark that resembled a small island, and Han Li and the other Grand Ascension Stage beings were gathered in a hall on the ark, listening to an address from Bao Hua.

Ill split the armored warriors outside into several groups to attack the area around the original sealed site, attracting as much of the insect swarms as possible. After that, well make a direct charge for the original sealed site under the protection of these tens of thousands of elite warriors. Once we enter the original sealed site, well be able to make use of the restrictions in there to temporarily keep out the stemborers, and after that, well be able to enact our plan.

Old Man Copper Crow parted his fingers to reveal a translucent crimson feather that looked as if it had been carved out of crystal.

He stared at the feather for a short while with a hesitant expression, then suddenly tossed it back to Bao Hua before taking a deep breath. I didnt think that you would be fortunate enough to meet that senior, Bao Hua. In that case, Ill place my trust in you just this once. Tell us your plan.

Thank you, Fellow Daoist, Id be more than happy to share my plan. Does anyone else have any objections? Bao Hua asked with a smile.

We would all like to hear your plan, Fellow Daoist Bao Hua.

Indeed, Im sure that a plan proposed by Fellow Daoist Bao Hua would be a reliable one.

The other Grand Ascension Stage beings were quite relieved to see that Old Man Copper Crow was willing to compromise, and they were all eager to hear what Bao Hua had to say.

Thank you for your kind words, everyone. Truth be told, I ventured into the original sealed site on a second occasion around half a year ago. All of the Grand Ascension Stage beings present were stunned to hear this.

What? You ventured into the original sealed site again? How is that possible? How did you do that?

Not only were the foreign Grand Ascension Stage beings astonished by this revelation, even the Sacred Ancestors present were completely dumbstruck, having clearly not heard about this in advance.

Theres no need to be alarmed, fellow daoists. I was able to do this as Ive cultivated several profound concealment abilities, and also because I had the Faux Illusion Sky Mirror to assist me. Using that treasure, I was able to avoid alerting those stemborers, and once I entered the original sealed site, I discovered that some new developments had transpired, and those developments convinced me that it was possible to achieve both objectives simultaneously, Bao Hua explained.

What did you see that made you change your mind, Fellow Daoist Bao Hua? a Grand Ascension Stage being couldnt help but ask.

Due to the power of the seal, I was unable to venture deep into the original sealed site and could only inspect the site from the outskirts. During my inspection though, I discovered that some changes seemed to have taken place in the ancient seal, Bao Hua revealed.

What are those changes, Fellow Daoist? another Grand Ascension Stage being asked with a serious expression.

Theres no need to be concerned. In a sense, these changes are a good thing. What I discovered was that the ancient seal seems to be in the process of repairing itself. Even though the process is extremely slow, the ancient seal is definitely more powerful than it was on the last occasion I ventured into the original sealed site, and it seems that seal possesses some level of sentience, Bao Hua replied with a smile.

All of the Grand Ascension Stage beings present couldnt help but exchange bewildered glances upon hearing this.

Im sure your appraisal is accurate, Fellow Daoist Bao Hua, but didnt you say that the power of the seal has already been controlled by the Stemborer Queen? How is it a good thing that the seal has become more powerful? It was Jin Chai posing the question on this occasion.

It seems that theres been a misunderstanding. The portion of the seals power that has been enhanced is the portion still under the seals control, not the portion that has been controlled by the Stemborer Queen. Even though this enhancement is quite insignificant compared to the overall power of the ancient seal, its still something that we can take advantage of, Bao Hua replied.

So how does that make it possible to achieve both objectives simultaneously? Hurry up and tell us your plan, Old Man Copper Crow said in an impatient manner.

Its not my intention to waste anyones time, I simply want to provide some background information so everyone can understand my plan, Bao Hua replied.

Fine, keep going then, Old Man Copper Crow prompted in a disgruntled manner.

Bao Hua smiled as she continued, During my last trip into the original sealed site, I discovered that the Stemborer Queen is situated in a different part of the seal from the place where our fellow daoists have been trapped. Regardless of which side we enter, itll inevitably alert the Stemborer Queen, so my original plan was for everyone to combine their powers to reseal the Stemborer Queen, then save Fellow Daoist Yuan Yan and the others. Of course, doing so could enrage the Stemborer Queen, prompting it to use the power of the seal under its control to lash out at our trapped fellow daoists.

If that were to happen, Fellow Daoist Yuan Yan and the others could be plunged into grave peril. However, after discovering that the ancient seal possesses a certain level of sentience, I theorized that it could be possible to help the ancient seal regain control over the portion of its power currently under the Stemborer Queens control. If we can do that, not only will we be able to free our trapped fellow daoists, the Stemborer Queen will have to face the complete power of the ancient seal, and we may not even have to expend that much power to reseal the Stemborer Queen.

All of the Grand Ascension Stage beings in the hall displayed different reactions upon hearing this, and Han Li was also stroking his own chin in a contemplative manner.

Right at this moment, Old Man Copper Crow suddenly broke the silence. Your plan seems to be quite feasible, but I have a question, Fellow Daoist Bao Hua.

Go ahead, Fellow Daoist, Bao Hua prompted with a smile.

Even if the ancient seal really is sentient, how confident are you that we can make it work with us? Without the assistance of the ancient seal, there would be no way we can recover the portion of the seals power under the Stemborer Queens control. Even the true immortals were unable to kill the Stemborer Queen, if your plan were to go awry we could be plunged into severe peril. If we get trapped in the original sealed site as well, the other realms most likely wont be sending any more reinforcements, Old Man Copper Crow said.

Rest assured, Brother Copper Crow, I have a way to communicate with the ancient seal, which is why I hatched this plan in the first place. Back when I was one of the devilish patriarchs, I had once guarded the original sealed site for tens of thousands of years. In terms of understanding of the ancient seal, even Yuan Yan and Nie Pan cant compare with me, Bao Hua replied in a confident manner.

I trust in your judgment, Fellow Daoist Bao Hua. Im just here to save my descendant, and your plan doesnt conflict with that goal, so I have no objections, Old Man Copper Crow said with a smile.

Bao Hua nodded before turning to the other Grand Ascension Stage beings present. Does anyone else have any questions? If not, lets move on to the more specific details. I already have a rough plan, but Ill need everyones help to flesh it out.

A burst of hushed chatter rang out within the hall, and a few Grand Ascension Stage beings raised some questions about the ancient seal, all of which were answered by Bao Hua in a calm manner.

It was clear that Bao Hua had thought long and hard about this plan, and everyone was very pleased to see this.

Thus, everyone began to discuss the specific details of the plan.

The plan was ultimately finalized after a day and a night of debate and negotiation, and it was decided that everyone would set off in around half a month.

After that, the meeting concluded, and countless streaks of light flew out of the golden palace before quickly vanishing into the distance.

Han Lis trio had also departed from the palace, and he was searching for a mountain in the desert to stay in.

However, shortly after departing from the earthen city, Han Lis expression suddenly changed slightly, and he stopped in mid-air before casting his gaze off to the side. Come on out, Fellow Daoist Bao Hua, why are you hiding and sneaking around like this?

Silvermoons heart jolted upon hearing this, while Daoist Xie stopped behind Han Li in an expressionless manner.

A pleasant voice rang out from the direction that Han Li was casting his gaze toward.

I didnt think that you would progress to the Grand Ascension Stage in such a short time, Fellow Daoist Han. On top of that, I can sense that youre already far more powerful than the average Grand Ascension Stage being, looks like Yuan Yan was right to be wary of you.

As soon as the voice trailed off, spatial fluctuations erupted, and a massive pink flower projection appeared alongside Bao Hua and Heie.

Bao Hua was currently appraising Han Li with a calm yet intrigued expression.

Why have you come to see me? Are you regretting your decision from last time? Han Li asked.

Perhaps, but if I hadnt done that, I wouldnt have been able to recover so quickly. On top of that, with your inclusion in this operation, Im even more confident that well succeed, Bao Hua said with a smile.

Surely you jest, Fellow Daoist Bao Hua. Im just a rookie Grand Ascension Stage being, how will I possibly be of any significance? Did you stop me just to tease me? Han Li asked as he appraised Bao Hua with a meaningful gaze.

Skip all the pleasantries, Bao Hua, tell us if youve managed to refine the treasures required to ward off the stemborers explosions. Some of us have had to provide many precious materials to you for the sake of those treasures. The one who had spoken was a man that was entirely enshrouded in golden light, and he seemed to be quite familiar with Bao Hua.

Greetings, Fellow Daoist Li Miao. Rest assured, I wouldnt have accepted those materials if I wasnt confident in my ability to refine the treasures. Please take a look.

Bao Hua raised a slender hand as she spoke, and two balls of light, one black and one white, emerged from her palm.

At the centers of those balls of light were a flag that was emblazoned with countless silver stars, and a mirror containing a winged white tiger image, respectively.

These two treasures can counter those self-detonating stemborers? They dont look all that special, another being enshrouded in green Qi said in a skeptical voice.

A middle-aged man dressed like a king interjected, Hehe, Im afraid youre wrong there, Fellow Daoist L Shi. These two treasures appear quite ordinary, but they seem to be related to the legendary Profound Heavenly Treasures, Star Moon Flag and Illusion Sky Mirror. Could it be that these are replicas of those two treasures?

A stir immediately rang through the hall, and many people began to reassess the treasures Bao Hua was displaying with stunned expressions.

Bao Hua nodded calmly in response. These two treasures are indeed replicas of the Star Moon Flag and Illusion Sky Mirror. I refer to them as Starfall Flag and Faux Illusion Sky Mirror.

Ive heard that the Star Moon Flag is one of very few treasures that can draw upon the power of stars, while the Illusion Sky Mirror possesses the unmatched ability to conceal the entire heavens, do those two treasures of yours possess some of those abilities, Fellow Daoist Bao Hua? Another voice suddenly rang out in the hall, but strangely enough, no one could pinpoint where the voice was coming from.

You must be a fellow daoist from the Black Night Realm, right? As expected of someone cultivating darkness-attribute abilities, your concealment skills are truly unmatched. To answer your question, the Starfall Flag and Faux Illusion Sky Mirror will only be around 50% as potent as the treasures theyre replicating at most, but according to my estimates, that should be enough to deal with the self-detonating stemborers, Bao Hua replied with a smile.

The Grand Ascension Stage being from the Black Night Realm was silent for a moment before continuing, Seeing as youre so confident in these two treasures, Im sure theyll work just fine. Now that the issue of the self-detonating stemborers has been resolved, I think we should devise a plan for how to restrict the Stemborer Queen once we enter the original sealed site.

Of course. Even though quite a large number of us have gathered here, well still be vulnerable to the Stemborer Queen unless we can work out an effective course of action, Bao Hua replied with a nod.

The Grand Ascension Stage being by the name of Li Miao asked, Just how fearsome is that Stemborer Queen? Far more fellow daoists entered the original sealed site than the numbers weve gathered here, yet all of them were still trapped by the Stemborer Queen. Fellow Daoist Bao Hua, youre the last person to have entered the original sealed site, would you be able to provide us with some useful information?

Bao Hua was unsurprised by Li Miaos inquiry, and she said, Im sure many of you want to see the message I received from Fellow Daoist Yuan Yan, right? In that case, Ill display the message to all of you to assuage your suspicions. She swept a sleeve through the air as she spoke to release an inky-black bead, which began to rotate rapidly in mid-air.

Countless five-colored runes surged forth from the bead, then converged to form an incomplete passage of text.

Everyone immediately cast their eyes toward the passage of text.

Sure enough, the message was exactly as Bao Hua had described. It had been sent out by Yuan Yan, and it briefly described the conundrum that everyone in the original sealed site encountered, followed by a request for reinforcements. The last part of the message was quite blurry and indistinct, but upon closer inspection and analysis, those did indeed appear to be words of warning.

Different expressions appeared on everyones face after viewing the message.

Looks like the information provided by Fellow Daoist Bao Hua was accurate, lets begin discussing strategies now, a young beauty proposed.

How are we going to do that? There are over 40 of us here, and each of us is going to propose a different course of action. If you ask me, Fellow Daoist Bao Hua is the one who proposed this meeting, and shes one of the most powerful beings among us, so we should hear her opinion first, someone countered.

A middle-aged Grand Ascension Stage being from the Heavenly Crow Realm immediately objected, Why should Fellow Daoist Bao Hua get to speak first when our Heavenly Crow Realm has the most representatives?

At the same time, Old Man Copper Crow abruptly opened his eyes to reveal a cold expression, and all of the other Grand Ascension Stage beings immediately fell silent.

Bao Hua cast her gaze toward Old Man Copper Crow, and said, Ive heard much about you, Fellow Daoist Copper Crow. Do you have any proposals for how we should proceed?

Im only here to save my descendant. As for those self-detonating stemborers and that Stemborer Queen, I wont pay them any heed as long as they dont get in my way, Old Man Copper Crow replied in an expressionless manner.

His statement immediately created quite a stir in the hall, and Bao Hua didnt seem to be very surprised to hear this, but her brows furrowed slightly as she said, Is that really appropriate, Brother Copper Crow?

Old Man Copper Crow harrumphed coldly in response. Hmph, why not? I only have one direct lineal descendant, and I expended countless efforts to nurture him into a Grand Ascension Stage being, yet hes been trapped while assisting your Elder Devil Realm. I dont care if that Stemborer Queen really does possess the ability to destroy entire realms, as long as it doesnt come to our Heavenly Crow Realm, it can do whatever it wants as far as Im concerned.

Everyones expressions darkened slightly upon hearing this.

The Grand Ascension Stage being by the name of L Shi said with furrowed brows, Arent you being too selfish, Fellow Daoist?

Selfish? So what? Ive always been this way. Are you going to teach me a lesson? Old Man Copper Crow countered as he cast a cold gaze toward L Shi.

As soon as their eyes met, L Shi couldnt help but shudder, and he felt as if all of his internal organs had been instantly frozen.

His expression darkened significantly, but he decided to remain silent in the end.

The other Grand Ascension Stage beings didnt dare to interject, but most of them were also quite displeased.

However, there were a few Grand Ascension Stage beings that had come to the Elder Devil Realm for the same objective as Old Man Copper Crow, and they were quite elated by this turn of events.

With the vastly renowned Old Man Copper Crow leading the way, their plight to save their brethren would undoubtedly encounter far less resistance.

Han Li was taking advantage of this opportunity to inspect Old Man Copper Crow.

From the beginning, he had immediately sensed that this Old Man Copper Crows spiritual sense was far more powerful than that of the average Grand Ascension Stage being, he was perhaps even superior in this regard to the likes of the three devilish patriarchs.

Of course, he still couldnt compare with Han Li, who had encountered many miraculous opportunities and cultivated multiple spiritual sense secret techniques, thereby elevating his spiritual sense to become several times as powerful as that of the average Grand Ascension Stage being.

Even so, this was already a testament to just how fearsome Old Man Copper Crow was compared to the average Grand Ascension Stage being, and it seemed that his status as one of the four great birds wasnt unfounded.

Fellow Daoist Copper Crow, we all understand your urge to save your descendant, but dont let your emotions get the better of yourself. I never said that the two objectives couldnt be simultaneously achieved, Bao Hua said in a calm manner.

She was the only one present who could speak on equal terms with Old Man Copper Crow.

Old Man Copper Crow faltered slightly upon hearing this before turning to Bao Hua with a cold expression. What do you mean by that? Youre not trying to trick me, are you?

I wouldnt dare to do that, you think far too highly of me, Fellow Daoist, Bao Hua chuckled.

Hmph, I wouldnt be so sure of that, everyone knows that you were always the most wily and cunning of the three devilish patriarchs, Old Man Copper Crow chuckled coldly.

Bao Huas brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this, but a smile then suddenly appeared on her face as she began to communicate directly with Old Man Copper Crow through voice transmission.

Initially, Old Man Copper Crow maintained his cold expression, but moments later, his pupils suddenly contracted drastically, and he asked, Is that true? If youre lying to me…

Take a look at this and youll be able to see whether Im telling the truth. Bao Hua raised a hand as she spoke, releasing a streak of light that landed in Old Man Copper Crows grasp in a flash.

All of a sudden, a massive dark green lotus flower that was around an acre in size appeared on the horizon, carrying Han Li, Xie Lian, Jin Chai, and the others.

So this is the meeting venue? Fellow Daoist Huang Sha sure found a good place, Han Li said with a smile as he appraised the earthen city in the distance, and it was impossible to tell whether his words were meant to be insulting or full of praise.

Xie Lian smiled, and replied, Fellow Daoist Huangs Boundless Earth Devilish Arts make him the most powerful user of earth-attribute cultivation arts in our entire holy realm. If the battlefield is within the desert, he can even contend with patriarchs like Bao Hua. On top of that, Fellow Daoist Huang has always been very reclusive and doesnt share many close ties with anyone, so this is a good neutral location for the meeting to take place.

I see, no wonder this was selected as the meeting venue. That earthen city is nothing more than a normal spirit treasure, but those puppets are quite remarkable. There are over 10,000 of them in total, and each one possesses Spatial Tempering Stage powers, Jin Chai said with a hint of amazement in his eyes as he appraised the armored puppets in the distance.

Fellow Daoist Huangs Boundless Earth Divine Guards were invented by him, and both their refinement and manipulation requires the Boundless Earth Devilish Arts as a basis. However, these guards can only display their true power here, once they leave the sand, their powers will be severely diminished. Having said that, theyre very useful in places like this where theres a great abundance of earth-attribute origin Qi as theyll be able to recover even from severe damage. Even for Grand Ascension Stage beings like ourselves, it would be quite difficult to eradicate so many of these puppets here, Xie Lian explained.

Thats true, opponents with near-indestructible bodies are always very troublesome to face, Jin Chai agreed with a nod.

While they were speaking, the giant lotus flower had already taken them directly above the earthen city before slowly descending.

As soon as it landed on the ground, Han Li cast his gaze toward the shimmering golden palace gate, upon which a hint of surprise flashed through his eyes.

Even his enormous spiritual sense was unable to infiltrate this golden palace. It was clear that this was quite an extraordinary treasure, and most likely one that Huang Sha held in very high regard.

Xie Lian made her way toward the palace gate with her two female disciples, and Han Lis trio quickly followed along.

However, Jin Chai, who had appeared quite reckless and bullish, was rather hesitant as he appraised the palace up ahead.

Right at this moment, Shi Ding made his way toward the palace in an expressionless manner, and Jin Chai could only follow along with a wry smile.

As soon as Han Li stepped into the palace, restriction fluctuations erupted from underfoot, and a burst of azure light rose up from the ground, instantly enveloping his trio.

Silvermoon was quite alarmed by this, and she immediately prepared to unleash some type of attack to ward off the restriction, but Han Lis gentle voice then suddenly sounded beside her ears.

Theres no need to be alarmed, this restriction bears no ill will.

Silvermoons heart immediately eased upon hearing this, and as the azure light surged around them, the surrounding area blurred before the three of them vanished in unison.

In the next instant, an azure light formation appeared in a resplendent hall, and Han Lis trio re-emerged.

Dozens of pairs of eyes immediately fell upon Han Lis trio like sharp daggers, following which a few surprised voice rang out.

Hmm? Its a human cultivator!

Isnt that the golden crab from the Devilish Origin Sea?

……

Han Li paid no heed to these voices and calmly inspected his surroundings.

In doing so, he discovered that the three of them were currently situated at the center of the hall with over 100 figures of different heights and sizes split up into over 30 groups around them.

Close to half of these people were seated on chairs, while the others were standing respectfully off to the side.

Xie Lian had already made her way over to a corner of the hall and taken a seat, while her two female disciples stood behind her.

Please take a seat, Fellow Daoist Han, Brother Xie, Xie Lian said with a smile.

Han Li nodded in response, then made his way over to another corner of the hall with Daoist Xie and Silvermoon before taking a seat as well.

As soon as he sat down, several bursts of spiritual sense immediately swept over his body without any inhibition.

Han Lis expression darkened upon sensing this, and he gave a cold harrumph.

His voice wasnt very loud, but it exploded like rumbling thunderclaps within the ears of the owners of those bursts of spiritual sense, shaking them directly to their souls.

All of them hurriedly withdrew their spiritual sense and didnt dare to test Han Li any further.

A hint of surprise flashed through the eyes of the other Grand Ascension Stage beings present upon seeing this, they also began to regard Han Li with a bit more respect.

Right at this moment, Jin Chai and Shi Ding also appeared within the hall, and they looked around before their eyes settled upon Han Li, whom they made their way toward before taking a seat in a pair of vacant chairs nearby.

Thus, more and more Grand Ascension Stage beings were teleported into the hall, and they were either alone, or arrived with other Grand Ascension Stage beings, or were accompanied by entourages of disciples and servants.

Several hours later, close to half of the vacant seats had been filled.

During this time, all of the Grand Ascension Stage beings present were either meditating in their chairs or appraising the other Grand Ascension Stage beings around them, but none of them said anything.

Han Li was currently inspecting the other Grand Ascension Stage beings in the hall.

All of the beings present were from alternate realms, and their appearances and auras were all extremely peculiar.

Aside from Xie Lian, there were six other Grand Ascension Stage beings that were releasing powerful devilish Qi, and these were clearly Sacred Ancestors as well. However, Bao Hua wasnt among them, so it seemed that she hadnt arrived yet.

As Han Li cast his gaze around the hall, he took notice of a yellow-haired elderly man meditating in his chair.

The elderly mans features were very ordinary, and he was wearing a grey robe, while a halo of earthy yellow mist slowly revolved around him, indicating exemplary control over earth-attribute origin Qi.

This man was clearly the owner of this place, the Sacred Ancestor by the name of Huang Sha.

As expected, he really had cultivated earth-attribute devilish arts to an extreme level.

Han Lis eyes were slightly narrowed as he appraised Huang Sha, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

A short while later, another light formation suddenly appeared in the hall, and nine figures emerged at once, all of whom were Grand Ascension Stage beings.

Such a large group of Grand Ascension Stage beings naturally created quite a stir in the hall, and many people, including Han Li, immediately cast their eyes toward the group.

The group was comprised of beings of both genders and various ages, and all of them wore suits of armor of different colors.

What was quite remarkable was that these suits of armor looked as if they had been constructed from countless interwoven feathers.

Among these Grand Ascension Stage beings, eight of them were standing on the outskirts of the light formation, while an elderly man stood at the very center.

The elderly mans aura didnt seem to be all that powerful compared to everyone elses, but as he cast his cold gaze around the hall, everyone who met his gaze was struck by a bone-chilling sensation, as if their soul had been frozen solid.

A hint of fear immediately surfaced in the eyes of those Grand Ascension Stage beings, and someone exclaimed Old Man Copper Crow in a hushed voice.

The group of nine Grand Ascension Stage beings made their way to a corner of the hall before taking up all of the vacant seats there.

Following the arrival of these nine Grand Ascension Stage beings, a few more people arrived, and it was clear that everyone was already here, but Bao Hua was still nowhere to be seen.

However, all of the Grand Ascension Stage beings present had cultivated for countless years, so they certainly werent going to become impatient from waiting for such a short time.

Shortly thereafter, the light formation reappeared in the hall, and the duo of Bao Hua and Heie emerged.

Heies aura had become quite powerful, clearly indicating a drastic improvement in his cultivation base, and Bao Hua was also looking as vibrant as ever, clearly having recovered from her injuries.

As soon as Bao Hua appeared, Huang Sha immediately opened his eyes as a smile appeared on his face. Youre finally here, Fellow Daoist Bao Hua.

Thank you for providing this venue for our meeting, Fellow Daoist Huang, Bao Hua replied in a calm manner, but a hint of surprise flashed through her eyes as she caught sight of Han Li.

It was clear that she hadnt expected Han Li to become a Grand Ascension cultivator in such a short time.

No need to thank me, its my honor to be hosting so many fellow daoists at once. Now that youre here, Ill allow you to oversee the proceedings, Huang Sha replied.

Please forgive me for my tardiness, fellow daoists. I can see that all of you have arrived as promised, and that gives me a lot of confidence going forward, Bao Hua said with a faint smile.