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So Fellow Daoist Bao Hua has already devised a plan. In that case, we should have some decent chances. How many beings from other realms will be able to arrive for the meeting, Jin Chai asked.

Aside from the Black Flame Realm, all of the neighboring realms have sent more powerful beings into our holy realm. Even though the numbers are less than what was sent into our holy realm the first time, there are still over 40 in total. The most powerful realm among them, the Heavenly Crow Realm, sent nine Grand Ascension Stage beings on this occasion, including even the legendary Old Man Copper Crow, Xie Lian replied.

Jin Chai immediately drew a sharp breath upon hearing this. Old Man Copper Crow? Isnt he one of the vastly renowned four great birds? Even hes arrived in this realm?

Looks like youve heard of him, Brother Jin. That makes sense, considering Fellow Daoist Copper Crow is more renowned in the other realms than even the three patriarchs of our realm. However, its said that he only came to our holy realm as one of the beings trapped in the original sealed site is an extremely important direct lineal descendant of his, so he had no choice but to come, Xie Lian replied.

Its quite surprising that someone as powerful as Old Man Copper Crow would take such a risk for a mere descendant, Jin Chai said as he rubbed his own bald head.

Apparently, Old Man Copper Crow only has one direct lineal descendant, and he expended countless efforts and precious resources to nurture that descendant to the Grand Ascension Stage, so he naturally couldnt just abandon that descendant, Xie Lian replied.

I see. Come to think of it, if I had a Grand Ascension Stage descendant, Id also hold them in extremely high regard, Jin Chai chuckled.

Han Li pondered the situation in silence for a short while, then said, Brother Xie and I will definitely be attending this meeting, please inform us when the time comes, Fellow Daoist Xie Lian.

Of course. Once the date arrives, Ill send a message to all three of you, Xie Lian replied without any hesitation.

In that case, well be taking our leave now, Han Li said as he immediately rose to his feet.

Daoist Xie and Silvermoon also stood up upon seeing this, clearly following Han Lis lead.

Why are you in such a hurry, Brother Han? Our Sky Facing Peak produces a few types of special spirit fruits, why not have some before you leave? Xie Lian said with a smile.

Theres no need for that, Im sure there will be other opportunities in the future, Han Li said as he cupped his fist in a parting salute. He then swept a sleeve through the air, releasing a burst of golden light that enveloped all three of them before departing from the palace.

Xie Lian didnt say anything further upon seeing this, but her brows furrowed ever so slightly.

Haha, looks like this Fellow Daoist Han has no intention of befriending a Sacred Ancestor like you. Thats no surprise considering a battle has just taken place between your Elder Devil Realm the Spirit Realm, Jin Chai chortled.

The relationship between our holy realm and the Spirit Realm is not for you to comment on, Fellow Daoist Jin. Now that Fellow Daoist Han has agreed to attend the meeting, what are your plans, Brother Jin? Xie Lian asked.

Well be attending as well, of course. However, we have no interest in living without a roof over our heads, so well have to stay here for some time, Jin Chai chuckled.

Sure, Id be honored to host you, and its certainly fantastic news that youre willing to attend our meeting, Xie Lian said with a smile.

The two men were quite pleased to hear this, and right at this moment, several female servants strode into the hall, carrying platters of spirit fruits and fragrant spirit tea…

Meanwhile, Han Li and the others were flying through the air, and a short while later, they descended into a peaceful valley in the Myriad Flower Mountain Range.

Han Li raised a hand to release several giant ape puppets, which quickly dug out a temporary cave abode.

The trio entered the cave abode, then retired to their respective secret chambers to meditate.

Prior to attending the meeting organized by the Sacred Ancestors, there was nothing that the three of them could do or discuss.

Silvermoon was naturally still very concerned about Patriarch Ao Xiao, but at the same time, she was also very relieved to hear that he had merely been trapped, not killed.

A month was nothing more than the blink of an eye for cultivators like Han Li, and on this day, Han Li was meditating in his secret chamber when he suddenly opened his eyes before reaching out and making a grabbing motion with one hand.

A translucent white jade shard was grabbed out of thin air, and he immediately rubbed his hands together, upon which the jade shard shattered, releasing a ball of green flames.

Xie Lians voice then rang out from within the flames. The date has arrived, Brother Han. Please come to the Sky Facing Peak so we can set off together.

Han Li smiled upon hearing this, then snuffed out the flames before rising to his feet.

……

Around half a day later, Han Lis trio arrived in a small secret palace within the palace on the Sky Facing Peak.

Xie Lian, Jin Chai, Shi Ding, and two seductive women who appeared to be Xie Lians disciples were already waiting for them there.

At the center of the palace was a faint silver formation that was around 10 feet in size, and it was flashing with faint spiritual light.

This formation can teleport us to the nearest city, and after that, itll only take us half a month to get to the designated location, Xie Lian said.

Alright, then lets go, Jin Chai said as he strode into the formation with Shi Ding without any inhibitions.

Faint spiritual light flashed, and the two of them disappeared.

Han Lis trio also made their way into the formation before being teleported away as well.

Xie Lian and her two disciples brought up the rear and were the last group to be teleported away.

……

Around half a month later, the central region of a boundless yellow desert suddenly began to quake violently, following which an ancient earthy yellow city emerged from underground.

The city was only several kilometers in size, but its walls were over 100 feet tall, and a series of armored warriors rushed onto the city walls amid bursts of dull drumming.

These expressionless armored warriors were all puppets, and there were over 10,000 of them, all of which were wielding different types of weapons.

At the center of the city stood a resplendent golden palace.

The palace was extremely beautiful, looking as if it were constructed from pure gold, and not only was its surface riddled with all types of profound devilish patterns, there were also countless fist-sized gems of different colors embedded onto its roof, creating an extremely spectacular sight to behold.

Shortly thereafter, a shrill cry suddenly rang out in the sky, and a pristine white beast-drawn carriage appeared in the distance amid a flash of white light.

The carriage was over 100 feet in length and was very aesthetically pleasing.

The entire carriage was completely translucent, and it was being drawn by four white wyrms.

A man and a woman stood side by side on the beast-drawn carriage.

The man looked to be in his forties and was wearing a long white robe with faint light surging all over his body.

As for the woman, she appeared to be in her twenties with a head of tall and voluminous hair and a set of beautiful facial features, wearing a suit of light blue armor.

The carriage arrived in the air above the city after just a few flashes, following which the man made a hand seal, and the carriage and white wyrms immediately disappeared amid a flash of white light.

The duo then transformed into streaks of white Qi that vanished into the golden palace down below in a completely silent manner.

Shortly thereafter, two streaks of light, one black and one silver, appeared in the distant sky in unison, covering a distance of close to 100 kilometers in just a few flashes before also flying into the palace.

Around an hour later, a burst of rainbow light appeared in the sky in another direction, and a group of over 1,000 people emerged in the distance.

The group was comprised evenly of men and women, with the men wearing suits of golden armor and wielding various types of weapons, while the women wore five-colored dresses and were playing different musical instruments.

At the center of this group was a ball of rainbow light that was around an acre in size, and within the ball of light was a massive chair, upon which sat a tall figure in a set of long robes.

The group arrived in the air above the city in an unhurried manner, following which the rainbow light descended toward the palace.

During its descent, the rainbow light faded, revealing an authoritative elderly man wearing a rainbow robe with a crown on his head.

The elderly man cast his gaze toward the palace before making his way toward it in an expressionless manner, while the armored men and instrument-playing women disintegrated into specks of spiritual light, as if they were mere illusions.

Within the next few hours, more groups of different beings arrived at the city using different methods of transportation, and all of them made their way directly into the golden palace.

I agree with Fellow Daoist Han there, Jin Chai chimed in in agreement.

Im naturally willing to disclose the situation in the original sealed site to all of you, but in reality, even the information that I have is rather vague and inconclusive, Xie Lian said after a brief hesitation.

What do you mean by that? Surely you know whats going on. Otherwise, why havent you taken any action? Jin Chai asked as his expression darkened slightly.

Please dont misunderstand, Brother Jin. While its true that we havent taken any action after we lost contact with the original sealed site, thats only because of a piece of information that we received from the site, Xie Lian replied with a wry smile.

A smile appeared on Jin Chais face upon hearing this. I knew all of the Grand Ascension Stage fellow daoists in the original sealed site would be able to send some information to the outside world somehow.

Dont celebrate too early, Brother Jin, this piece of information is very vague, and was sent out by Fellow Daoist Yuan Yan in a rushed manner using a rare secret technique. The message states that due to a sudden turn of events, the Stemborer Queen was able to break through most of the restrictions in the ancient seal, and that it was somehow able to utilize a part of the seals power to seal everyone in the original sealed site. However, the Stemborer Queen is still restricted by the seal and unable to leave the area.

Furthermore, its expended a significant amount of its power and had to fall into hibernation again. The stemborers that have appeared in our holy realm were contaminated by the Stemborer Queens aura, which it unintentionally released during its slumber, Xie Lian revealed.

So youre saying that all of our fellow daoists have been trapped in the ancient seal. Just how fearsome is this ancient seal to be able to trap so many Grand Ascension Stage fellow daoists with just a part of its power? Jin Chai exclaimed with an astonished expression.

I dont know about that, all I know is that this is the only piece of information that was sent out of the original sealed site before all contact was cut off. It seems that the Stemborer Queen mustve done something to make even Fellow Daoist Yuan Yans secret technique ineffective before it went into hibernation, Xie Lian replied.

I feel like youre hiding something, Fellow Daoist Xie Lian. According to what you just said, wouldnt it have made more sense if Sacred Ancestors outside of the original sealed site like yourself had taken action right away? Why would you wait until a month from now to meet up? On top of that, this doesnt explain why we cant simultaneously reseal the Stemborer Queen while also rescuing our brethren, Han Li countered.

Xie Lians expression darkened slightly upon hearing this. Do you know who was the first person to receive this information?

Who was it? Could it be someone other than one of the Sacred Ancestors outside the original sealed site? Han Li asked.

Hmph, it was none other than the person that you mistook me for earlier, Xie Lian harrumphed coldly in response.

You mean Bao Hua? Han Li was quite surprised to hear this.

Thats right, she was the one who received the information first, and its most likely because Yuan Yan thinks only Bao Hua is capable of saving them, Xie Lian said with a dark expression.

So youre saying it was Bao Hua who convinced all of you to wait until now, and that it was impossible to simultaneously stop the Stemborer Queen while rescuing our brethren, Han Li mused as his brows furrowed slightly in a contemplative manner.

Looks like youre quite familiar with that twin sister of mine, Fellow Daoist Han. Indeed, she gathered all of us remaining Sacred Ancestors and displayed Yuan Yans message to us for verification. Otherwise, we wouldnt have listened to her instructions, seeing as she isnt even one of the three patriarchs anymore. The final part of the message sent out by Yuan Yan was very ambiguous, and according to Bao Hua, it states that the Stemborer Queen was somehow able to draw upon a part of the seals power to trap everyone, but theres an effective period due to instability.

The power of the seal will be at its weakest in several decades, but its also when the restrictions of the original sealed site will be the most potent against the Stemborer Queen. As such, that will be the perfect opportunity for us to reseal the Stemborer Queen or rescue Yuan Yan and the others. As for why those objectives cant be simultaneously achieved, thats something that Bao Hua proposed. As soon as she received Yuan Yans message, she had ventured into the original sealed site to investigate, and that was the conclusion she had arrived at.

As for whether this conclusion is accurate or not, thatll be for all of you to judge when the time comes. However, all of us Sacred Ancestors think that it should be accurate. All of us have guarded the original sealed site at some point, and were all very familiar with the ancient seal. Bao Hua does indeed possess incredible powers, but its very unlikely that shed be able to fool us in this aspect. On top of that, we cant think of any motive for Bao Hua to hatch a plot like this. After all, shes also a member of our holy realm, and she wouldnt just stand by idly and watch as our realm falls into peril, Xie Lian elaborated.

Jin Chai and Shi Ding exchanged an astonished glance upon hearing this. It was clear that what Xie Lian had revealed was quite a surprise to them, and they needed some time to process this information.

Meanwhile, Han Li pondered the situation for a moment before breaking the silence.

If the information was provided by Fellow Daoist Bao Hua, then it should be accurate. However, seeing as Fellow Daoist Bao Hua was able to venture into the original sealed site, surely you and the other Sacred Ancestors would be able to do the same.

If we could venture into the original sealed site to investigate, we wouldve naturally done so at all costs. However, Bao Huas intrusion had already alerted the Stemborer Queen. Even though the Stemborer Queen is hibernating, the insect swarms surrounding the original sealed site became more than 10 times as fearsome. There are some extremely formidable stemborers among them that even Sacred Ancestors wouldnt dare to engage in battle. As such, our hands are completely tied, Xie Lian said as a hint of fear surfaced in her eyes.

There are stemborers too fearsome even for Grand Ascension Stage beings? Are these the high-grade stemborers with Body Integration Stage powers? Jin Chai asked.

Xie Lian immediately shook her head in response. No, its another type of crimson stemborer thats no more than a foot in length. These stemborers have never appeared anywhere else in our holy realm, and theyve only been seen around the original sealed site. Even in those areas, theyre extremely rare. At the very most, there are only less than 2,000 of them in total.

Jin Chais eyes widened with shock upon hearing this. Could it be that these stemborers possess Grand Ascension Stage powers? Otherwise, how can they threaten you with such pitiful numbers?

Thats not the case. Judging from their auras alone, those stemborers are only at the Spatial Tempering Stage, and they only possess two abilities. However, two abilities almost killed the two fellow daoists who had previously tried to venture into the original sealed site, and none of us dared to try again, Xie Lian replied with a wry smile.

Han Lis pupils contracted drastically upon hearing this. They almost killed two Sacred Ancestors with just two abilities? May I ask what those abilities are?

Its very simple, one of them is instantaneous teleportation, while the other is self-detonation, Xie Lian replied.

A hint of enlightenment appeared in Han Lis eyes upon hearing this, but he continued, There must be additional conditions attached to those abilities, right? Otherwise, they still wouldnt be able to pose such a major threat to Grand Ascension Stage beings.

Indeed. The instantaneous teleportation of those stemborers is unavoidable. As soon as they catch sight of you, theyll immediately appear right beside you, and no treasures or abilities can keep them out. On top of that, once they self-detonate, no abilities or treasures can protect the target, so the force of the explosion can only be withstood using ones physical body. Whats most damning of all is that the force of the explosions is somehow able to contaminate our souls, thereby inflicting severe injuries on all of our clones as well. Some of our clones with less powerful souls may even perish on the spot in the face of those explosions, Xie Lian explained with a grim expression.

Even the souls of your clones were affected? Jin Chai was astonished to hear this, as was Han Li.

Im sure you know why these stemborers are so fearsome now, even Bao Hua only managed to conduct a brief investigation before she was driven out by the swarms of stemborers, Xie Lian chuckled coldly.

At this point, it was clear to everyone that Xie Lian and Bao Hua didnt seem to be on good terms with one another.

Will you be able to find a way to counter these new stemborers during the meeting thats going to be held in a month? Han Li asked.

Youre a smart man, Brother Han. We chose to delay this operation to allow more powerful beings to arrive from other realms in order to bolster our forces, as well as to wait for Bao Hua to refine two types of special treasures that can counteract these self-detonating stemborers. According to Bao Hua, those two types of treasures will be able to nullify the explosions, Xie Lian replied.

Oh? You dont seem surprised by our visit, Fellow Daoist Xie Lian, Han Li said as his eyes narrowed slightly.

Are the three of you from the Spirit Realm or the Black Flame Realm? Sacred Ancestor Xie Lian asked in an expressionless manner.

How can you be so sure that were from one of those two realms? Han Li asked.

Among the realms that have sent out powerful beings to assist our holy realm, only the Black Flame Realm and Spirit Realm are still yet to contact us, Sacred Ancestor Xie Lian replied.

What do you mean by us? Han Li asked as his expression changed slightly.

Im referring to the Sacred Ancestors who have still yet to enter the original sealed site. Even though Ive been residing in seclusion in this mountain range, Ive kept in constant contact with the other fellow daoists. For foreign beings like you who want to learn about the situation in the original sealed site, your best option is naturally to seek out one of us, Xie Lian replied.

I see. We are indeed from the Spirit Realm. Judging from what you just said, it seems youre very familiar with the situation in the original sealed site, Han Li said.

So youre from the Spirit Realm. You look rather familiar, Fellow Daoist, have you entered our holy realm before? Xie Lian asked with a contemplative expression, seemingly completely unbothered by the fact that Han Lis trio had come from the Spirit Realm.

Han Li faltered slightly upon seeing this before a smile appeared on his face.

I have indeed visited this realm once before. It looks like youve already identified me, so why ask a question you already know the answer to?

So you really are the cultivator with the Han surname that Yuan Yan and Liu Ji had once placed on their wanted list. Back when you left our holy realm, you were still a Body Integration cultivator, yet youre already at the Grand Ascension Stage now. I finally understand why those two held you in such high regard. In that case, this fellow daoist must be Fellow Daoist Xie from the Devilish Origin Sea. Im one of the very few Sacred Ancestors who have yet to travel to the Devilish Origin Sea to see Brother Xie, its a pleasure to meet you now, Xie Lian said, completely ignoring the early-Body Integration Stage Silvermoon.

It was clear that she didnt regard anyone below the Grand Ascension Stage as worthy of her attention.

Daoist Xies expression remained indifferent, and he displayed no intention of replying.

However, Han Li raised an eyebrow as he said, Seeing as youve identified Brother Xie, I wont have to make an introduction. You still havent given me any information about whats happening in the original sealed site.

I know a thing or two about the situation there, but this is a very important matter that we shouldnt be discussing here. Please come with me to my palace first, fellow daoists, Xie Lian invited.

Han Li cast his gaze toward the mountain down below, and his brows furrowed ever so slightly.

An amused look appeared on Xie Lians face as she chuckled, Are you worried that I would try to plot against you, Fellow Daoist Han?

Im sure someone of your lofty status wouldnt stoop to something like that, unless youre confident enough to think that you can take on two Grand Ascension Stage beings at once, Han Li chuckled.

Then please go ahead, Xie Lian said with a smile as she turned slightly to the side.

Thus, Han Li swept a sleeve through the air, releasing a burst of golden light that encompassed both Daoist Xie and Silvermoon before flying toward the mountain in the distance, followed closely by Sacred Ancestor Xie Lian.

The five-colored light enshrouding the mountain parted, and Han Li and the others flew into the restriction before landing in front of the entrance of the palace on the mountain peak.

Right at this moment, a pair of burly men in a set of strange attire emerged from within the palace.

These two men had very dark skin and were both wearing suits of silver armor. However, their arms were bared and etched with a series of crimson spirit patterns. Furthermore, their eyes were of a shimmering silver color and were devoid of pupils, presenting a very peculiar appearance.

One of the two men was completely bald, while the other had a head of disheveled long hair.

Both of them had thick golden bands around their arms and were very muscular in appearance.

As soon as their eyes fell upon Han Li, a slight chill ran down Han Lis spine, and he murmured, Those two are both Grand Ascension Stage beings!

Silvermoon immediately drew a sharp breath upon hearing this.

Indeed, both of these burly men were also Grand Ascension Stage beings, but their auras were completely different compared to those of devilish beings.

Are these three also reinforcements from another foreign realm, Fellow Daoist Xie Lian? Why is there a Body Integration Stage being among them? the bald man asked in a gravelly voice.

Fellow Daoist Han, these two are Brother Jin Chai and Brother Shi Ding from the White Light Realm, they arrived here around half a month earlier than the three of you. Brother Jin, this is Fellow Daoist Han and this is Fellow Daoist Xie, both of them are from the Spirit Realm, Xie Lian introduced with a smile.

The Spirit Realm? Isnt that the realm that was in conflict with your Elder Devil Realm not long ago? I thought they werent even going to send anyone, the bald man said with a hint of disdain in his voice.

If the Stemborer Queen breaks out of its seal, all of the nearby realms will be in grave peril, so our Spirit Realm naturally cant just stand by and watch. Having said that, its the first time Ive heard of the White Light Realm, Han Li said in a calm manner.

Hmph, your ignorance is truly astounding. Dont tell me youve only just progressed to the Grand Ascension Stage, the bald man said in a cold voice, while his companion remained completely silent and expressionless, just like Daoist Xie.

Han Li was just about to say something in response when Xie Lian interjected, Im sure you didnt come to my palace to bicker with one another, right, fellow daoists? Seeing as all of you came here for the Stemborer Queen, lets talk about that. Youve always wanted to hear about the situation in the original sealed site, right, Brother Jin? Now that Fellow Daoist has also arrived, Ill elaborate on the situation to all of you.

Jin Chais expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and he nodded in response. Brother Shi and I are naturally happy to hear what you have to say.

After that, Jin Chai returned to the palace with his companion, and Xie Lian turned to Han Li before making an inviting hand gesture. After you, Fellow Daoist Han.

Han Li gave her a faint smile before making his way into the palace with Silvermoon and Daoist Xie, followed by Sacred Ancestor Xie Lian.

We pay our respects to Mistress Xie Lian!

The palace wasnt very large, but the corridor behind the front gate was lined with around 40 female servants in palatial dresses, and they all extended respectful bows toward Sacred Ancestor Xie Lian.

Prepare some spirit fruits and spirit tea, we have some important guests, Xie Lian instructed.

Some of the servants immediately gave affirmative responses before departing, while Han Li and the others followed Xie Lian into the main hall of the palace.

The two Grand Ascension Stage beings from the White Light Realm were already seated there, and their lips were trembling slightly as they communicated with one another through voice transmission.

Han Lis trio took a seat across from those two, while Xie Lian sat down on the main seat.

Fellow Daoist Xie Lian, now that everyones here, can you disclose the information to us? Jin Chai asked in a direct manner.

Xie Lians smile faded slightly upon hearing this, and a serious look appeared on her face. Of course, but before that, I have a question for all of you: have you come here to help our holy realm seal the Stemborer Queen again, or are you here to rescue your brethren from your respective races?

Why do you ask, Fellow Daoist Xie Lian? Do these two objectives conflict with one another? Jin Chai asked as his expression changed slightly.

Han Lis brows also furrowed slightly upon hearing this unexpected question.

I dont want to disappoint all of you, but the situation is very urgent, and well only have time to do one of those things. On top of that, regardless of which option we choose, we have to focus all of our power on that one objective for any chance of success. This is why I havent disclosed the situation at the original sealed site to you before this, Brother Jin, Xie Lian said as a wry smile appeared on her face.

Hmph, so youre telling me that the arrival of these two gave you the confidence to disclose this information to us? Jin Chai harrumphed in a displeased manner.

Even if Fellow Daoist Han hadnt arrived, I wouldve disclosed the information to you in another month at most anyway. Us Sacred Ancestors are going to be meeting up in a month to discuss how to save our holy realm with all of our allies that have arrived from the other realms, and Im sure you wouldnt want to miss that occasion, Xie Lian revealed.

Fellow Daoist Xie Lian, regardless of what our objectives are, I think it would be better if you disclose the situation in the original sealed site first before we make our decision, Han Li said.

Hu Yan faltered slightly upon hearing this before a relieved look appeared on his face. So you already know about the Stemborer Queen. In that case, theres nothing for me to hide.

I heard about the Stemborer Queen quite a few years ago, and its why I decided to come out of seclusion. However, Im not too familiar with the current situation in our holy realm, so youll have to enlighten me, Han Li said.

Yes, Senior. I only began hearing about these things in the past decade or so, so I dont know too much, either. What I do know is that these stemborers in our holy realm were once normal devilish insects that mutated after coming into the contact with the aura of the Stemborer Queen that seeped through the seal. Following their mutations, these stemborers become significantly more powerful, and their reproductive abilities are also enhanced by close to a hundredfold. Otherwise, they wouldnt have become such a huge problem in such a short time.

Hu Yan paused momentarily here before continuing, According to what Ive heard, the three patriarchs and other Sacred Ancestors are indeed dealing with the Stemborer Queen at the original sealed site. In the beginning, things seemed to be going quite well. With assistance from powerful beings of other realms, the seal was constantly being bolstered, and it appeared that the Stemborer Queen would be sealed away again. However, close to 30 years ago, the original sealed site suddenly lost all contact with the outside world, and no one knows whats happening in there.

They lost contact? How is that possible with so many Grand Ascension Stage beings there? Hasnt anyone gone there to assess the situation? Han Li asked with furrowed brows.

By the time it was discovered that contact had been lost, it was already too late. Countless stemborers had appeared around the original sealed site, taking over many of the nearby cities. There are even high-grade stemborers among them that possess Body Integration Stage powers, and their presence makes it impossible for anyone to access the original sealed site, Hu Yan replied.

Body Integration Stage stemborers? Considering how fearsome the Stemborer Queen is, its no surprise to see stemborers of this level. Arent there some Sacred Ancestors who havent entered the original sealed site yet? Why arent they doing anything? Han Li asked.

I dont know what those Sacred Ancestors intentions are, but I havent heard of any of them traveling to the original sealed site to examine the situation there. As for why that is, thats not something for a lowly city lord like me to know, Hu Yan replied with a wry smile.

Interesting. It seems that the other Sacred Ancestors must know something that we dont. Among the Sacred Ancestors that have yet to enter the original sealed site, which one is closest to Black Gourd City? Han Li asked.

The Sacred Ancestor closest to this city is Sacred Ancestor Xie Lian of the Myriad Flower Mountain Range. Three years ago, Senior Xie Lian eradicated all of the stemborers near the Myriad Flower Mountain Range, Hu Yan replied.

Where is the Myriad Flower Mountain Range? Do you have a map of that area? Han Li asked in a nonchalant manner. frewebnovel.com

I do. I once traveled to the Myriad Flower Mountain Range to request an audience with Senior Xie Lian, so I have a copy of the map of that area, Hu Yan said as he immediately produced a stone shard before offering it to Han Li with both hands.

Han Li accepted the stone shard before briefly injecting his spiritual sense into it, upon which a smile appeared on his face. Thats all I needed to know, you can go now, Fellow Daoist.

Yes, Ill be taking my leave now, Senior. Hu Yan was very relieved to hear this, and he extended a respectful bow before departing.

A group of high-grade devilish beings that were waiting nearby immediately gathered around Hu Yan, and they flew into the city together.

Lets pay this Sacred Ancestor Xie Lian a visit, Han Li said in a calm manner.

Silvermoon and Daoist Xie naturally had no objections to this.

Thus, Han Li raised a hand to release a black devilish flying carriage, and the three got onto the carriage before it flew away as a streak of black light.

……

A month later. Han Lis trio appeared in the air above a lush mountain range that looked as if it could easily belong in the Spirit Realm.

So this is the Myriad Flower Mountain Range. I have to say, this Sacred Ancestor Xie Lian has found a really nice and scenic location. Where is he residing on this mountain range? Silvermoon asked.

The map indicates that this Sacred Ancestor Xie Lian is living on a mountain known as Sky Facing Peak, which is situated at the center of this mountain range, Han Li replied with a smile.

In that case, it shouldnt be too hard to find him. However, our visit is quite abrupt, and we didnt get a chance to gather any information on what type of person this Sacred Ancestor is, I hope hes not too inhospitable, Silvermoon mused.

Hehe, regardless of how hostile and inhospitable he may be, we have to make him tell us whats happened in the original sealed site, only then can we devise a plan for how to proceed. Of course, it would be even better if we can directly find out the whereabouts of Senior Ao Xiao and Senior Mo Jianli, Han Li said in a confident manner.

A hint of concern flashed through Silvermoons eyes at the mention of her grandfather, and she nodded in response.

Lets go. This mountain range isnt very large, so it wont take us much time to get to Sky Facing Peak.

Thus, Han Li set off as a streak of azure light, followed closely by Silvermoon and Daoist Xie.

Several hours later, the mountain range parted, and a massive white mountain that extended all the way up into the clouds appeared up ahead.

The mountain was hundreds of thousands of feet tall, and its top half was entirely covered in white ice and snow, while its bottom half was enshrouded within layers of black mist, within which fierce winds and ghastly howls could be heard.

Han Lis trio stopped close to 10 kilometers away from the mountain, and Silvermoon was quite startled by the mountains peculiar appearance. This Sky Facing Peak really is no ordinary mountain.

This is just an illusion. Itll work on normal devilish beings, but it cant fool the likes of Brother Xie and myself, Han Li said with a faint smile as blue light flashed within his eyes.

An illusion? Silvermoons eyes widened as she carefully appraised the mountain in the distance, but couldnt find anything amiss.

Han Li chuckled as he made a hand seal, and a third demonic eye instantly appeared on his glabella.

He then let loose a low cry, and a translucent pillar of light that was around as thick a human thumb shot forth before vanishing into the distance.

All of a sudden, a burst of powerful energy fluctuations erupted in the distance amid a resounding boom, and ripples surged through the air several kilometers away, following which the scene up ahead completely transformed.

The massive mountain disappeared, and a huge basin with an area of around 100 kilometers took its place.

At the center of the basin was a beautiful mountain that was tens of thousands of feet tall, and in contrast with the gargantuan foreboding mountain from before, this one was riddled with exotic plants and flowers and enshrouded within a layer of resplendent five-colored light.

Han Lis gaze was immediately drawn to a palace on the mountain summit.

The palace was around several acres in area and was entirely of an exuberant green color, looking as if it had been constructed from fresh wood.

So this is the true Sky Facing Peak! Silvermoon murmured to herself.

A faint smile appeared on Han Lis face, yet just as he was about to say something in response, when a female voice suddenly rang out from the scenic mountain.

Who has paid my Sky Facing Peak a visit? Please forgive me for not coming out to greet you sooner, fellow daoists.

As soon as the voice trailed off, a streak of green light rose up into the air from the palace before flying directly toward Han Li.

After just a few flashes, the streak of light faded close to 200 feet away, revealing a woman in a green palatial dress.

Han Lis expression changed drastically as soon as he caught sight of the woman, and he exclaimed, Bao Hua? Wait, youre not Bao Hua!

The woman was extremely similar to Bao Hua in appearance, but upon closer inspection, one would discover that she carried herself in a manner that was completely different from Bao Hua.

The three of you must not be from our holy realm, right? Otherwise, theres no way you wouldve mistaken me for Bao Hua, the woman said as she carefully appraised Han Lis trio.

At this point, Han Li had reverted back to his usual calm expression, and he said, We came directly to see you, so we had no intention of concealing our origins in the first place. Having said that, you gave me quite a surprise, may I ask if youre related to Bao Hua in any way?

Bao Hua and I are identical twins. All of the Sacred Ancestors of our holy realm are aware of this, so I knew you had to be from a foreign realm, the woman replied.

I see, no wonder you bear such a close resemblance to Bao Hua. Im sure you already know why were here, right, Fellow Daoist Xie Lian? Han Li asked with a hint of a smile on his face.

Youre here to find information about whats happening in the original sealed site, right? Xie Lian asked.

Without the assistance of the lightning being released by the towers, the offensive power of the city was reduced by close to half, and layers upon layers of stemborers landed on the light barrier, causing it to dim at a rapid rate that was discernible even to the naked eye.

We have to save this city, Han Li suddenly said with furrowed brows.

Silvermoon nodded in response.

Brother Xie, in order to resolve this issue as soon as possible, Ill have to get you to assist the two of us, Han Li said.

No problem, Daoist Xie replied in a calm manner.

Thus, Han Li swept a sleeve through the air, releasing the three miniature extreme mountains amid a flash of spiritual light.

Immediately thereafter, he made a hand seal, and the Provenance True Devil Projection emerged behind him.

The projection opened its six eyes at his behest, then let loose a long cry akin to a dragons roar.

The roar erupted directly up into the heavens, unleashing invisible soundwaves that surged toward the sea of stemborers.

The devilish beings in Black Gourd City were quite alarmed to hear this thunderous roar, yet before they had a chance to look for where the sound was coming from, the majority of the stemborers that were attacking the light barrier either self-detonated or plummeted out of the sky without any warning.

In the blink of an eye, only less than half of the insect swarm remained, and the ones that did remain had been thrown into complete disarray.

Right at this moment, spatial fluctuations erupted overhead, and three gargantuan mountains appeared above the sea of insects in a flash.

The giant mountains then came crashing down in unison, and in the next instant, vast expanses of light began to wreak havoc through the insect swarm alongside streaks of lethal sword Qi.

The stemborers were completely powerless to resist as they were felled in hordes by the three mountains, and only a few stemborers that were clearly far larger than their brethren were able to pose some resistance as they fled in a blind panic.

However, right at this moment, a thick bolt of silver lightning suddenly appeared up above amid a rumbling thunderclap, and the bolt of lightning instantly flashed through the bodies of the giant stemborers, reducing them to ashes alongside thousands of normal stemborers in the nearby area.

After the silver lightning dissipated, a young man in a set of daoist robes emerged in mid-air, it was none other than Daoist Xie.

Daoist Xie cast his gaze toward the giant stemborers that had fled even further into the distance, and lightning flashed from his body as he shot force once again as an arc of lightning.

Countless stemborers were felled in his wake, and all of a sudden, the Provenance True Devil Projection, which had swelled to tens of thousands of feet tall, appeared within the sea of insects amid an earth-shattering boom.

Han Li was standing at the center of the projection with his hands clasped behind his back, appraising the nearby stemborers in a completely expressionless manner.

There were currently countless purple runes flashing over the body of the massive projection, and as it swept its six arms through the air, silver fireballs were sent flying in all directions.

The silver fireballs quickly formed vast expanses of silver flames, each of which was around an acre in size, and the flames quickly engulfed large patches of stemborers.

Regardless of whether it was the normal stemborers or their larger counterparts, all of them began to struggle violently upon coming into contact with the silver flames before instantly being incinerated into nothingness.

In the face of Han Li and Daoist Xie, this virtually endless swarm of stemborers was being slaughtered at a rapid rate.

However, the normal stemborers were completely fearless even in the face of death, and they abandoned the assault against Black Gourd City as they flew directly toward Han Li and Daoist Xie in a suicidal manner.

Even with Han Li and Daoist Xies incredible powers, it took them quite a while to completely clear the nearby area. However, there were still some giant stemborers that managed to escape, but Han Li had no interest in pursuing them.

He waved a hand toward Daoist Xie, then slowly descended toward Black Gourd City.

Silvermoon also flew over to Han Li in an unhurried manner, and the two of them descended toward the city together.

The countless devilish beings in Black Gourd City had been completely rooted to the spot by the display of power put on by Han Li and Daoist Xie, and now that the entire sea of stemborers had been eradicated, all of them instantly erupted into thunderous cheers.

As Han Lis trio descended toward the city, a few high-grade devilish beings hurriedly rushed out and opened up a gap in the light barrier, then extended respectful salutes as they welcomed Han Li and the others into the city.

An early-Body Integration Stage black-robed middle-aged man extended a deep bow toward Han Li and Daoist Xie, then said in a grateful manner, Thank you for saving the tens of millions of citizens in our Black Gourd City, seniors. May I have the honor of knowing your name? Our Black Gourd City will never forget what youve done for us.

As for the normal devilish beings nearby, they had all fallen to their knees and pressed their faces onto the ground, not even daring to look at Han Li and Daoist Xie.

It was clear that in the eyes of normal devilish beings, Sacred Ancestors were virtually gods. Now that two Sacred Ancestors had suddenly appeared here, all of the devilish beings in the city were naturally ecstatic.

Theres no need for you to know our names. Where is your city lord? Get him to come and see me, Han Li instructed.

Our city lord has severely overexerted himself during the resistance against the stemborers, and hes currently resting in his manor, but Ive already sent people to notify him of your arrival, so he should be here soon, the middle-aged man replied in a careful manner.

In that case, Ill wait for him here. As for everyone else, they can go and do whatever it is that they need to do, Han Li instructed in an indifferent manner.

Yes, Senior, Ill get them to leave right away, the middle-aged man hurriedly replied with a respectful bow, then issued an instruction to all of the devilish beings in the surrounding area.

The normal devilish beings nearby hurriedly rose to their feet, then bowed three times toward Han Lis trio before departing.

Thus, Han Lis trio and a few high-grade devilish beings were the only ones left in the area.

After no more than 15 minutes had passed, a streak of black light rose up from a certain tall building in the city, then immediately sped toward Han Lis direction.

The black light faded, and a thin elderly man in a set of brocade robes appeared just over 100 feet away from Han Li.

The elderly man quickly swept his spiritual sense toward Han Lis trio before immediately extending a deep bow.

Junior Hu Yan pays his respects to his seniors. Thank you for saving our city from what wouldve been certain destruction. reeebnovel.om

Youre the city lord? Han Li asked in an expressionless manner.

The elderly man was at the mid-Body Integration Stage, and he replied with a fawning smile, Ive been the lord of Black Gourd City for over 1,000 years. If theres anything I can do for you, please feel free to tell me.

Han Li nodded with a pleased expression at the sight of Hu Yans respectful display, then turned to the other devilish lords as he said, You can all go now, I wish to speak to Fellow Daoist Hu alone.

The middle-aged man naturally didnt dare to go against Han Lis orders, and he immediately replied, Well be taking our leave then, Senior.

Moments later, Hu Yan and Han Lis trio were the only ones left in the area.

Hu Yan was naturally extremely nervous to be in the presence of two Grand Ascension Stage beings, but he maintained an extremely respectful expression and stood with his hands by his sides.

Im sure such a massive swarm of stemborers couldnt have gathered in a short time, when did they start attacking your Black Gourd City? Han Li asked.

Those stemborers only appeared in the area several years ago, and Ive led many hunting parties to exterminate them, but was unable to kill all of them. Much to my surprise, they were able to organize a swarm of such terrifying proportions and attack our city only two days ago, Hu Yan replied.

They only appeared two days ago? These stemborers may not be very intelligent, but it seems that they do have some organizational abilities, Han Li said as he stroked his own chin in a contemplative manner.

Indeed, Senior. There are simply too many of these stemborers for them to be completely exterminated, and the swarms are constantly merging together to bolster their numbers. Otherwise, there wouldnt be so many horrific instances of entire cities in our holy realm being massacred by stemborer swarms, Hu Yan hurriedly explained.

Setting that aside for now, theres something else I want to ask you, Han Li said after a brief pause.

Please go ahead, Senior, Hu Yan prompted.

My fellow daoists and I have only recently come out of a long period of seclusion, and the appearance of these stemborers came as quite a surprise to us. What I want to ask you is where are the three patriarchs and other Sacred Ancestors? Why havent they appeared to exterminate these stemborers? I heard that they all disappeared under mysterious circumstances not long after these stemborers appeared, why is that? Han Li asked.

Ah, so youve only recently come out of a lengthy seclusion, its no wonder that Im not familiar with the two of you. About the patriarchs and other Sacred Ancestors… A hesitant look appeared on Hu Yans face.

A faint smile appeared on Han Lis face upon seeing this, and he said, Let me guess, the patriarchs and Sacred Ancestors are currently dealing with the Stemborer Queen, and you were told not to tell anyone about this, is that correct?

The devilish woman was the first to arrive, and she didnt dare to get too close as she extended a respectful salute from around 70 feet away. Thank you for saving our lives, seniors.

She was completely unable to ascertain the cultivation bases of Han Lis trio with her spiritual sense, and that prompted her to act in an even more respectful manner.

Who are you, and where is the nearest city? Han Li asked in a concise manner.

We are crystal gatherers from Chaotic Cloud Mountain, and the nearest city is Black Gourd City. If you want to go there, wed be happy to lead the way, Senior, the devilish woman replied.

Black Gourd City? Ive never heard of it before. Theres no need for you to lead the way, just give me a map of this area, Han Li instructed.

I just so happen to have a detailed map of this nearby area, it would be my honor to offer it to you, Senior, the devilish woman said as she immediately offered up a black stone shard with both hands.

Han Li nodded as he drew the stone shard into his own grasp, then injected his spiritual sense into it, upon which a pleased look appeared on his face.

At this point, the other devilish beings had also already arrived, and they were all standing in a nervous silence.

Whats the deal with the stemborers you mentioned earlier? I dont recall such an insect in our holy realm, and their auras are slightly different from normal devilish insects as well, Han Li inquired as he stowed the stone shard away.

Do you not know of these stemborers, Senior? the devilish woman asked as a hesitant look appeared on her face, and a stir also ran through the other devilish beings, but none of them dared to say anything.

Ive been in seclusion for the past few centuries, is it very strange that I dont know of them? Han Li asked.

I see, then its no wonder that youre not aware of these stemborers. These insects have only appeared in the past century, and apparently, they were originally all ordinary devilish insects, but for some reason, they suddenly mutated into their current forms. These stemborers are currently wreaking havoc across the entire holy realm, and there are even stories of entire cities being massacred by these insects. As a result, theres been a lot of unrest in our holy realm, and everyone is living in constant fear, the devilish woman explained.

Oh? Have the three patriarchs and other Sacred Ancestors not stepped in to exterminate these stemborers? Theyre certainly more powerful than normal devilish insects, but they can still be easily killed by Sacred Ancestors, Han Li asked.

With my lowly cultivation base, I dont have access to information about what the patriarchs and Sacred Ancestors are doing. All I know is that only a few Sacred Ancestors have stepped in in areas where stemborer infestations have been too severe. As for the rest of the Sacred Ancestors and the three patriarchs, all of them seemed to have disappeared at once, the devilish woman replied after a brief hesitation.

All of the Sacred Ancestors have disappeared? When did this happen? Han Li immediately continued in his line of questioning.

I cant give you an exact time, but it seems to coincide with when the first stemborers began to appear, the devilish woman replied in a respectful manner.

Alright, thats all I need to know, you can go now, Han Li instructed in an indifferent manner.

The devilish woman was quite relieved to hear this, and she said in a respectful voice, Yes, well be taking our leave now, Senior.

After that, she quickly departed, and the other devilish beings hurriedly followed along after extending respectful bows toward Han Lis trio.

Following their departure, Silvermoon sighed, It looks like all of the Grand Ascension Stage beings really have encountered some trouble. Otherwise, the situation in the Elder Devil Realm wouldnt be this bad.

The current state of affairs is indeed quite grim, but well have to do some further investigation if we want to know exactly whats happening. I presume there are devilish lords in Black Gourd City, and Im sure theyll know some things about the Sacred Ancestors and the Grand Ascension Stage beings from our Spirit Realm, Han Li said as a solemn look appeared on his face.

Silvermoon smiled, and replied, Youre right, lets make a trip to Black Gourd City then, Brother Han.

Hehe, theres something that I have to do before that, Han Li chuckled before sweeping a sleeve through the air to release a burst of grey light, within which was contained a giant grey insect.

It was none other than the two-headed stemborer that he had just captured.

The insect possessed an aura that was around the late-Deity Transformation Stage, and clearly held an important position in the insect swarm.

As soon as the insect appeared, it immediately began to flap its wings desperately in an attempt to escape.

However, Han Li instantly released his terrifying aura, and the giant insect was slammed back down onto the ground by a burst of enormous invisible force.

The giant insects two heads thrashed violently, but its body was completely immobilized, and it could only let loose bursts of fearful cries.

Han Li reached a hand out of his sleeve before pressing it toward one of the giant insects heads, and five translucent threads shot forth from his fingertips before vanishing into the insects head.

The struggling insect immediately shuddered before slumping onto the ground in a motionless manner, and at the same time, Han Li closed his eyes as faint golden light appeared all over his body.

He was unleashing a soul search technique on this giant insect.

After about 15 minutes had passed, Han Li opened his eyes, and the translucent threads were withdrawn from the giant insects head before disintegrating into specks of translucent light.

The giant insects head then began to fluctuate unsteadily in size before abruptly exploding.

Han Li swept a sleeve through the air again, and a fireball shot forth to instantly incinerate the insect carcass into ashes.

Did you get any information, Brother Han? Silvermoon asked.

Im afraid not. This insect only has the most basic instincts and possesses no intelligence, so I couldnt find out anything, Han Li replied with a shake of his head.

I see, thats not too much of a surprise. These stemborers have suddenly become very powerful due to their mutations, but its not that easy to attain intelligence, and thats good news for us, Silvermoon said with a smile.

Indeed. If the stemborers are only relying on basic instincts, then they wont pose a threat to us no matter how many of them there are. Lets go to Black Gourd City now, Im sure well be able to get some information there, Han Li replied.

Thus, the three of them rose up into the air and flew north.

Three days later, Han Lis trio entered a highland that was full of black mud, and after flying for several more hours, a black city with an area of around 200 kilometers appeared in the distance. frewenovel.com

This was none other than Black Gourd City.

However, the entire city was currently surrounded from all directions by another grey sea of insects with no end in sight, and the sounds of battle were audible even from extremely far away.

This sea of stemborers covered virtually the entire sky, and even though the stemborer swarm that Han Li had witnessed before was also extremely large, it was nothing compared to this one.

Currently, Black Gourd City was enshrouded under a black light barrier that sat atop the city like a giant upside-down bowl.

Dense layers of stemborers covered every single inch of the light barrier, and they were all attacking the light barrier in a frenzy.

Within the light barrier were countless devilish beings that were using devilish treasures of different descriptions or unleashing devilish techniques to strike back at the stemborers.

The stemborers currently attacking the city were clearly not that powerful, and they were being quickly slain by the attacks being unleashed by the devilish beings in the city.

There were also arrows flying out of the city like a torrential storm to exterminate even more of the stemborers.

At the center of the city stood hundreds of tall towers that were rumbling incessantly, around which lightning was flashing incessantly. Hundreds of bolts of black lightning were constantly being released by these towers before splitting up into countless threads of black lightning that were reducing hordes upon hordes of stemborers to ashes.

It seemed that under the protection of the citys restrictions, the devilish beings could attack with reckless abandon and held the firm upper hand.

However, as blue light flashed through Han Lis eyes, he was able to ascertain the true nature of the situation, and his brows immediately furrowed slightly.

During this brief period of time, the black light barrier over the city had already dimmed slightly, and the devilish beings unleashing attacks from within the city were all in very bad condition, clearly already beginning to overexert their magic power.

All of a sudden, the rumbling in the city drew to an abrupt halt, and all of the towers ceased their lightning attacks.

In the air above a swamp that was filled with rotting mud, a massive black hole appeared, and a streak of golden light containing several humanoid figures emerged from within the black hole.

This was none other than Han Lis trio.

Han Li briefly inspected his surroundings, following which his brows furrowed slightly.

There was not a single living being around them.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Han Li released his spiritual sense through the surrounding area, upon which he immediately discovered that there was a large cluster of stone buildings near the edge of the swamp.

There were hundreds of these buildings, and there were several protective formations set up around them.

However, these formations had been destroyed, and after sweeping his spiritual sense into the buildings, Han Li discovered that their interiors were completely wrecked, and that there wasnt even a single devilish being within them.

Han Li was rather surprised by all of this, but he quickly arrived at a decision. Lets go to the nearest city and find out where we are first.

In contrast with when Han Li had last entered the Elder Devil Realm, he was now at the Grand Ascension Stage and had Daoist Xie by his side, so he had nothing to fear even if he were to encounter one of the three devilish patriarchs.

Thus, the three of them set off, and after flying west for no more than half a day, Han Lis expression suddenly changed slightly as he stopped in mid-air.

Daoist Xie also stopped on the spot as he peered into the distance, while Silvermoon was left feeling rather perplexed as she couldnt see anything in the distance.

Whats going on, Brother Han? Have you and Brother Xie discovered something?

Han Li nodded calmly in response. Theres something coming from up ahead.

Silvermoon faltered slightly upon hearing this before hurriedly casting her gaze into the distance as well.

A short while later, a strange buzzing sound rang out in the distance, and it became louder and louder, seemingly drawing closer to them.

Moments later, spiritual light flashed up ahead, and several hundred streaks of light emerged before hurtling directly toward Han Li.

These were hundreds of devilish beings of different cultivation bases, and they were fleeing for their lives as if they were being pursued by something extremely fearsome.

Just as Silvermoon was wondering what it could be that was chasing these devilish beings, a massive dark cloud appeared up ahead amid a loud buzzing sound, surging along in hot pursuit of the devilish beings.

Silvermoon hurriedly injected her spiritual power into her eyes as she peered carefully into the grey cloud, upon which her face immediately paled in horror.

The grey cloud was made up of countless strangely-shaped insects.

The insects ranged from the size of human fists to around the size of a grown man. They either had hooked spikes all over their bodies, or mouths full of sharp fangs, and their appearances were vastly different from all ordinary devilish insects. Some of the largest insects even had two heads, seemingly being the leaders of the swarm.

In the face of such a fearsome insect cloud, it was no wonder that Silvermoon was displaying such a fearful reaction.

The insects within the swarm were all flying at different speeds, with the larger insects clearly faster than their smaller counterparts.

In the blink of an eye, some of the devilish beings that were lagging behind were caught by the larger insects.

These devilish beings had no choice but to fight while they fled, and fierce battles quickly erupted.

However, as soon as these devilish beings slowed down a little, the rest of the insect swarm immediately caught up and devoured them.

A string of agonized howls rang out as all of the devilish beings that were lagging behind instantly disappeared within the sea of insects, and Han Lis expression finally changed slightly upon seeing this.

He suddenly turned to Daoist Xie, and asked, Brother Xie, do you see any difference between these insects and the other devilish insects of this realm?

Their auras are different, and their devilish Qi is rather impure, it seems theyre not originally from the Elder Devil Realm, Daoist Xie replied.

I see, so these insects must be related to the Stemborer Queen, Han Li sighed.

Silvermoon drew a sharp breath upon hearing this. The Stemborer Queen? Is that the creature thats behind the tribulation of the Elder Devil Realm and forced my grandfather and Senior Mo to enter the Elder Devil Realm?

Thats right, Han Li replied with a wry smile.

If these insects are related to the Stemborer Queen and theyve appeared in the Elder Devil Realm in such huge numbers, does that mean that the Stemborer Queen has already escaped from its seal? Silvermoon asked with a strained expression.

Not necessarily, maybe these are only descendants of the Stemborer Queen, Han Li replied with a shake of his head.

Silvermoon wanted to ask another question, but during this short period of time, over half of the fleeing devilish beings had been devoured by the swarm of insects, and only a dozen or so remained.

All of them were high-grade devilish beings, but they were extremely disheveled and wore horrified expressions.

Even with the naked eye alone, Han Li was able to clearly see the expressions of the devilish beings at the front of the group.

These devilish beings were quite taken aback to see Han Lis trio hovering in mid-air, seemingly completely disregarding the swarm of insects in the distance.

A devilish woman who appeared to be in her twenties yelled in an urgent voice, What are you standing there for?! The stemborers are here, hurry up and run for your lives!

Immediately thereafter, she whizzed right past Han Lis trio and continued to flee into the distance.

A faint smile appeared on Han Lis face as he cast his gaze toward the insect cloud, then suddenly swept a sleeve through the air.

Three miniature mountains immediately appeared before him amid a resounding boom, and they instantly swelled to tens of thousands of feet tall before hurtling directly toward the insect cloud.

At the same time, the grey insects swarmed around the three giant mountains and completely surrounded them.

Han Li pointed a finger toward the distance, and the three mountains began to revolve on the spot.

Grey light was released from the black mountain, and all of the insects that came into contact with this grey light instantly vanished.

Meanwhile, countless streaks of invisible sword Qi were being released by the azure mountain, slicing countless insects into dismembered pieces that rained down from above alongside a shower of green blood.

As for the five-colored mountain, it was releasing radiant five-colored halos that instantly crushed all of the insects in its wake into mincemeat amid a string of anguished howls.

In the blink of an eye, three massive areas had been cleared out within the sea of insects.

Regardless of how many insects swarmed toward the three giant mountains, they were all killed without any exception.

Shortly thereafter, the grey insect swarm had become extremely sparse.

All of a sudden, one of the remaining two-headed giant insects let loose a shrill cry, and all of the insects immediately turned around and fled.

Han Lis eyes lit up slightly upon seeing this, and he immediately pointed a finger at the black mountain in the distance.

The black mountain instantly vanished amid a burst of grey light at his behest, then emerged without any warning above the two-headed giant insect alongside a burst of spatial fluctuations.

Grey light swept forth from the underside of the black mountain, and the giant two-headed insect only had a chance to let loose a despairing cry before it vanished amid the grey light with all of the other insects around it.

At this point, the remaining insects had already fled into the distance, and they quickly disappeared out of sight.

Han Li seemed to have no intention of continuing to pursue these insects, and he merely waved a nonchalant hand toward the distance.

The three giant mountains quickly shrank down to around a foot tall each, then disappeared into thin air.

In the next instant, spatial fluctuations erupted within one of Han Lis sleeves, and the three miniature mountains reappeared before vanishing in a flash once again.

Only the span of a few breaths had passed since Han Li had first released his three extreme mountains, and the devilish woman who was fleeing for her life took a quick glance behind herself, upon which she almost plummeted out of the sky.

How is that possible! the woman exclaimed with incredulity in her eyes.

The other fleeing devilish beings faltered slightly upon hearing this, then also turned their attention toward the same direction, and they were naturally stunned as well.

The fearsome insect swarm that had been pursuing them had suddenly disappeared without a trace, and all of them drew to a halt before casting their eyes toward Han Lis trio with astonished expressions.

It was clear that these three had something to do with the insect swarms sudden disappearance.

The devilish woman was the first to return to her senses, and she carefully appraised Han Lis trio while contemplating whether she should approach them.

Right at this moment, Han Lis voice rang out in the ears of all of the devilish beings in the group. Please come over here, I have some questions Id like to ask you.

The devilish womans heart jolted slightly upon hearing this, and she did as she was told after a brief moment of hesitation.

The other devilish beings didnt dare to disobey Han Lis orders, and they also flew over to him.

Han Li had eradicated the insect cloud with ease, so he was definitely far too powerful for them to oppose.

Han Lis expression remained unchanged upon seeing this, and he merely swept a sleeve upward, upon which the balls of golden light instantly disappeared down his sleeve.

Han Li then flipped a hand over, and a fist-sized golden beetle appeared on his palm.

This was none other than one of three faux beetle monarchs that he had sent after the Black Owl Monarch.

Han Li appraised the golden beetle momentarily before his brows furrowed slightly as he murmured to himself, So the Black Owl Monarch managed to escape. Having said that, close to half of his body was devoured, and he was wounded far more than I anticipated, so this isnt a bad result.

After that, Han Li stowed the beetle away before a jade slip appeared in his grasp amid a flash of green light.

Han Li cast his gaze toward the jade slip, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

Even though he had witnessed quite a few powerful techniques in the Heavenly Tome Library, his true objective was the second half of the Lightningwield Technique.

Back when he had obtained the Lightningwield Technique from the demon monarchs of the earth abyss, it was an incomplete version. The Divine Devilbane Lightning that it could unleash was extremely powerful, but it took a very long time to set up and had no use in practical battles.

After learning from Master Black Rain that the holy island had the second half of the Lightningwield Technique, he had immediately made up his mind to get his hands on it.

After finding the second half of the Lightningwield Technique and discovering that it could match up with the first half, he was naturally ecstatic and immediately took a jade slip containing this technique.

As for all of the other secret techniques he had taken with him, those were mere accessories.

However, there were some of them that had caught his eye, and he planned to cultivate those when he got back.

After quickly assessing the Lightningwield Technique recorded in the jade slip to verify that there were no issues, Han Li stowed the jade slip away before making his way toward the teleportation formation not far away.

Daoist Xie was still waiting for him there, and he gave Han Li a slight nod.

Sorry to keep you waiting, Brother Xie. Lets go and meet the elders of the holy island, Im sure theyre growing tired of waiting, Han Li said with an apologetic smile.

Daoist Xie naturally had no objections to this, and thus, the two of them quickly departed using the teleportation formation.

……

Several days later, a white jade ark emerged from the holy island before flying away into the distance.

Han Li, Daoist Xie, and Silvermoon were all on the ark, and they were accompanied by the white-haired holy island elder with the Luo surname.

Han Li was standing at the front of the ark with his brows slightly furrowed, seemingly contemplating something quite important.

Fellow Daoist Luo, the Black Owl Monarch has been severely wounded by me, and he wont be plotting against our two races for at least several centuries. As for the other races, Im sure they wouldnt dare to do anything without Grand Ascension Stage beings among their ranks. However, as a safety precaution, you have to ensure that news of my departure doesnt get leaked for at least the next century, Han Li instructed.

Yes, Senior Han, Ill do everything in my power to keep your departure from the Spirit Realm a secret. Having said that, do you really have to leave so soon, Senior? Youve only just reached the Grand Ascension Stage, why dont you take some time to consolidate your cultivation base before entering the Elder Devil Realm? the elderly man asked in a hesitant manner.

Its been a long time since fellow daoists Mo Jianli and Ao Xiao have disappeared in the Elder Devil Realm, and they could be in grave danger, how can I continue to delay? As for consolidation, thats not required for me. I progressed to the Grand Ascension Stage primarily using a body refinement cultivation art, so I dont need much time for consolidation, Han Li explained with a shake of his head.

In that case, I wont say anything more about this matter. The spatial node that were traveling to now is one that was used by the devilish army during their retreat. Even though the passageway has already disappeared and transformed into a spatial node, there are occasional reports of violent spatial fluctuations erupting out of it, so its clear that the inter-realm walls in there are still quite fragile. With your powers and that Star Defying Plate, it should be easy for you to break into the Elder Devil Realm.

As long as there are no issues with the spatial node, this shouldnt be an issue, Han Li replied.

Senior Han, if youre willing to wait for a while longer, Im sure the other major races will send more people into the Elder Devil Realm to investigate. After all, they also have Grand Ascension Stage beings that have disappeared in the Elder Devil Realm, Li Rong interjected. rewebnovel.com

Hehe, even if that does happen, those people will only be concerned about the Grand Ascension Stage beings of their own races, no one will care about beings from small races like ours. Besides, those super races may have already sent more people into the Elder Devil Realm to investigate, Im certainly not going to hold my breath and wait for them to go out of their way to report back to our two races, Han Li chuckled coldly in response.

Both Li Rong and Elder Luo fell silent upon hearing this.

A thought then seemed to occur to Han Li, and he said, Theres no need for you to be concerned, Brother Xie and Silvermoon will be accompanying me into the Elder Devil Realm, so Ill be able to ensure self-preservation. However, it would be unsafe to take Guoer with me, so Ill have to get you to look after her.

Rest assured, Senior Han, well take Fellow Daoist Zhu back with us to cultivate on the holy island following your departure, Elder Luo hurriedly replied with a respectful bow.

Zhu Guoer pouted slightly with displeasure upon hearing this, but she didnt dare to raise any objections.

A faint smile appeared on Han Lis face, and his lips tremored slightly as he transmitted his voice toward Zhu Guoer.

It will take some more time for the entrance to the Small Spirit Sky to open up, so stay on the holy island and cultivate for now. After you make some progress, youll be able to look after yourself once we find the Small Spirit Sky.

Zhu Guoers heart stirred slightly upon hearing this, and she immediately nodded in response.

As for Silvermoon, she was very concerned for Patriarch Ao Xiaos safety, so she was naturally more than willing to accompany Han Li into the Elder Devil Realm.

Thus, the jade ark continued onward, and after flying for around half a month, it arrived at a lush grassland.

After flying deeper into the grassland for two days and two nights, the ark stopped above the remains of a stronghold.

This should be the place. There were once devilish troops situated here, but its been abandoned for a long time, Elder Luo said after consulting a formation plate in his hand.

Han Li cast his gaze upward upon hearing this, and he discovered that there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary with this place aside from a blanket of grey clouds in the sky.

All of a sudden, Han Lis expression changed slightly as he pointed a finger at his own glabella.

A third vertical eye quickly emerged there amid a burst of black Qi, and as soon as the eye was opened, it released a beam of black light that vanished high up in the air in a flash.

In the next instant, a burst of rumbling rang out within the grey clouds, followed by a burst of faint spatial fluctuations that was detected by everyone on the ark.

Elder Luo and the others were ecstatic to sense this, and Han Li nodded as he withdrew his third eye before sweeping a sleeve through the air.

Countless formation treasures immediately shot forth in all directions before vanishing into thin air amid flashes of light.

Moments later, Han Li rubbed his hands together before thrusting them downward, releasing a thick bolt of golden lightning that disappeared in a flash.

In the next instant, a rumbling thunderclap rang out, and a giant lightning formation that was around an acre in area emerged.

Han Li then swept his sleeve downward again, and a ball of white light emerged, containing a disk that was around a foot in size.

This was none other than the vastly renowned realm-breaking treasure, the Star Defying Plate.

As soon as the plate was released, it revolved in the air above the giant formation, then transformed into a silver moon that was suspended in mid-air.

Lets go, Han Li said before taking a step forward and vanishing on the spot.

A dull thump rang out as Han Li appeared at the center of the formation down below with lightning revolving all around him, and Daoist Xie and Silvermoon also followed along.

Han Li aimed a parting glance at Elder Luo and Li Rong, then made a hand seal before pointing a finger upward.

The silver moon above the formation immediately emitted a clear ringing sound, following which a pillar of five-colored light was released straight into the grey clouds.

At the same time, a loud thunderclap rang out from the formation beneath Han Li, and six pillars of black and white light erupted forth, disappearing into the same spot where the pillar of five-colored light had just struck the grey clouds.

An earth-shattering boom rang out, and the silver moon up above immediately vanished, only to be replaced by a giant black hole.

Han Li took a deep breath, and golden light radiated from his entire body, sweeping up the two people beside him before he flew up as a streak of golden light.

A burst of violent spatial fluctuations erupted forth, and the streak of golden light instantly vanished into the black hole.

Meanwhile, at the foot of a tall cliff at the center of the holy island, Han Li was staring intently at a massive crystalline wall that was around 1,000 feet tall.

Daoist Xie was standing beside him, and he was also appraising the giant wall.

Around 80 feet away from the two of them, there were two green-robed elderly men standing off to the side with overawed expressions.

They were naturally the guards of this place, and they were both at the late-Spatial Tempering Stage.

As soon as Han Li arrived, he released a sliver of his Grand Ascension Stage spiritual pressure, and the pair of elderly men immediately granted him access.

At this point, Han Li had already cast his gaze over the contents of the entire crystalline wall, and his attention was currently focused on several ancient golden characters that were ranked third on the list. reewebove.com

Profound Heavenly Spiritslash Sword, Han LI murmured to himself as he reflexively began to stroke his own forearm.

A certain diagram on his forearm began to heat up and throb slightly under his fingertips.

Han Li exhaled before suddenly asking, Is this Profound Heavenly Spiritslash Sword the newest Profound Heavenly Treasure on the roll? I heard that all races on the Tian Yuan Continent had been scrambling to search for it when it first appeared.

The two green-robed elderly men exchanged a glance before one of them stepped forward, and replied, Indeed, Senior. When this Profound Heavenly Treasure first appeared on the roll, even some super races from other continents had sent people to search for it, but for some reason, none of them managed to find it, and no news of it arose thereafter. However, Im sure those major races are still searching for it in secret.

Perhaps so. Lets go now, Brother Xie, Han Li said with a smile, then immediately departed.

We are greatly honored by your visit, seniors! The pair of green-robed elderly men hurriedly extended respectful bows as they spoke.

Shortly after their departure, Han Li suddenly asked, Brother Xie, do you know anything about this Chaotic Myriad Spirit Roll?

I have no recollection of this object, and nor have I ever heard my past master mention it, but I did sense a hint of immortal spiritual Qi within it just now.

Immortal spiritual Qi? Han Li was quite stunned to hear this.

Indeed. Its far from abundant, but its extremely pure, no less so than the immortal spiritual Qi in the spirit liquid youve been providing me with, Daoist Xie replied.

Thats quite interesting. Its been many years since our Spirit Realm lost contact with the True Immortal Realm, but it seems that some things cant be completely severed, Han Li mused.

Daoist Xies expression remained unchanged, and he offered no response to this.

The holy island wasnt very large, and with the map provided to him by Li Rong, Han Li soon arrived in front of a small teleportation formation.

He stepped into the teleportation formation with Daoist Xie, then made a hand seal, and a buzzing sound rang out as white spiritual light erupted from the formation, following which the duo instantly vanished.

In the next instant, white light flashed in front of a pavilion that was around 800 feet tall, and Han Li and Daoist Xie reappeared in another formation.

Heavenly Tome Library

Han Li looked up at the massive plaque hanging above the entrance of the pavilion, and a peculiar look flashed through his eyes as he said, Please wait for me here for now, Brother Xie, Ill be back soon.

Go ahead, Fellow Daoist Han, Daoist Xie replied without any hesitation.

Han Li nodded in response before making his way toward the entrance of the pavilion.

Moments later, he found himself standing in front of a pale-faced elderly woman. Ive heard that the Heavenly Tome Library holds countless secret techniques, would you be able to open the restriction and grant me access, Fellow Daoist?

The elderly woman was seated at the center of a spacious hall on the first floor, and she appraised Han Li with her brows slightly furrowed as she said, Youre very unfamiliar, have you only just arrived on the island? Seeing as youve come here, Im sure youre already aware of the rules of our Heavenly Tome Library.

She was unable to detect this persons exact cultivation base, and that naturally came as quite a surprise to her.

In order to learn a secret technique, I have to offer a sum of spirit stones or exchange for it with another secret technique not yet in the librarys collection, correct? Han Li asked with a smile.

Thats right. Youre planning to issue spirit stones, right? Each secret technique is extremely expensive, but its easier than offering another secret technique in exchange. There are already over 10,000 secret techniques in the librarys collection, so it wont be that easy to find new ones, the elderly woman chuckled.

I see. I actually do have quite a few secret techniques I collected from foreign races, you can examine them to see if there are any new ones, Han Li said with a smile.

Before the elderly woman had a chance to respond, Han Li suddenly swept a sleeve through the air, releasing close to 100 jade slips of different colors that hovered before the elderly woman.

The elderly womans mouth gaped open in shock, and only after a long while did she ask, These jade slips were all collected from foreign races?

Thats right. Go ahead and examine them, Fellow Daoist, Han Li replied.

Please give me a moment, Fellow Daoist, the elderly woman said as she finally regained her composure.

After that, she quickly grabbed a jade slip before injecting his spiritual sense into it.

Origin Light Splitting Technique, isnt this a renowned secret technique of the Flying Spirit Race? Ive heard that only the core Flying Spirit beings with the purest bloodlines are able to learn this technique. This is indeed a secret technique that our Heavenly Tome Library does not yet possess, the elderly woman said with a stunned expression after a brief examination.

Oh? It seems like youre very familiar with foreign secret techniques. This was indeed a secret technique I obtained from the Flying Spirit Race, but its not suitable for me to cultivate, so Ive never used it, Han Li said with a slightly surprised expression.

Hehe, Im renowned as the leading secret technique expert among our two races. Otherwise, I wouldnt have been assigned with the task of looking after this Heavenly Tome Library, the elderly woman said in a pleased manner.

After that, she stowed the jade slip away before taking another one for examination.

Nine Flame Devilish Technique, this seems to be a devilish secret technique thats also a new addition to our library.

Heavenly Light Azure Wood Arts, this is a Wood Tribe secret technique that our library already has.

The elderly woman was able to determine the origins of most of these jade slips, and it seemed that she wasnt exaggerating about her status as the leading secret technique expert of the two races.

After looking through only around a dozen jade slips, the elderly woman was already in shock.

Not only did these secret techniques come from a diverse range of origins, around two-thirds of them were new to the Heavenly Tome Library.

Generally speaking, one would only be able to bring out one or two types of secret techniques to be exchanged at the Heavenly Tome Library, such a large number of secret techniques being offered at once was unheard of.

After about 15 minutes, the elderly woman finally examined all of the jade slips, and she exhaled before asking, Among these secret techniques, 61 of them are new to the Heavenly Tome Library, are you planning to exchange all of them?

61, eh? Thats not bad, Ill use them to exchange for 61 of the secret techniques in this library, Han Li replied with a smile.

In that case, Ill open the restriction right away for you to select other secret techniques. I must remind you that you have to come out right away after completing your selection, and these secret techniques can only be cultivated by yourself, theyre not to be given to others. Otherwise, if the holy island is made aware of your transgression, youll be punished by our enforcers, the elderly woman warned.

Rest assured, Ill only be referencing most of these secret techniques and only truly cultivate a few of them, and I wont give them to anyone else, Han Li replied as he swept a sleeve through the air to recover all of the jade slips that were rejected by the elderly woman.

Good. Ill be opening the restrictions now, the elderly woman said before opening her mouth to release a shimmering golden badge.

She then made a hand seal before pointing a finger at the badge, which immediately released a burst of silver light that surged toward the stairwell.

A dull thump rang out from the stairwell as if several invisible restrictions had been opened, and Han Li quickly vanished up the staircase, leaving the elderly woman alone on the first floor.

Han Li didnt stay in the pavilion for too long before he re-emerged in a calm manner, then cupped his fit in a salute toward the elderly woman before departing.

Who was that? He definitely doesnt seem like an ordinary new Body Integration cultivator thats just come onto the island. Even I was unable to ascertain his cultivation base, and he was able to bring out so many foreign secret techniques at once. Could it be that hes… the elderly woman murmured to herself, and as she did so, her eyes gradually lit up with a hint of realization.

Meanwhile, Han Li had just emerged from the pavilion when three balls of golden light suddenly appeared in the air above him.

The Essence Replenishment Pill can help you recover some of your energy, but if you want to fully recover, youll have to rest some more. Before that, tell me how you fell victim to a Blood Curse Insect, those things are extremely rare on our Tian Yuan Continent, Han Li said with an intrigued expression.

Seeing as youre aware of the existence of Blood Curse Insects, Im sure youre also aware that theyre not found on our Tian Yuan Continent. I fell prey to this Blood Curse Insect on the Blood Sky Continent, and if it werent for the special nature of my body, I most likely wouldnt have been able to return alive to our Xu Family, the blood soul sighed.

So you really did go to the Blood Sky Continent. According to Fellow Daoist Xu Jiao, didnt you intend to go to the Thunder Continent? Why have you gone to the Blood Sky Continent instead? Han Li asked.

I did indeed go to the Thunder Continent first, but after recovering a part of my memories, I discovered that I had to pay the Blood Sky Continent a visit as well, and that was something I didnt foresee, the blood soul replied with a wry smile.

I see. According to my knowledge, Blood Curse Insects are extremely rare even on the Blood Sky Continent, and not just any cultivator can come into possession of them, it looks like you mustve run into quite a bit of trouble on the Blood Sky Continent, Han Li said with a meaningful expression.

Thats an understatement, Ive made myself several powerful enemies on the Blood Sky Continent, and if I were to return to the continent on my own, theres a very good chance that itll be my final resting place, the blood soul sighed.

Oh? It sounds like you plan to go back to the Blood Sky Continent again, Han Li remarked as his brows furrowed slightly.

Unfortunately, that is a trip that I must make. My newfound memories tell me that Ice Soul vanished on the Blood Sky Continent, and Ive already gathered some leads, but if I want to find my true body, then another trip to the Blood Sky Continent will be nothing short of mandatory, the blood soul said in a resigned manner.

So Fellow Daoist Ice Soul disappeared on the Blood Sky Continent, its no wonder that the Xu Family was unable to track down any leads. Having said that, this still doesnt explain why you decided to offer the Heavenvoid Cauldron to me, Han Li said with an inquisitive expression.

A peculiar look flashed through the blood souls eyes upon hearing this, and she suddenly turned to the other members of the Xu Family present before instructing, You can all go now, I have something very important to discuss in private with Senior Han, and Ill call for you if I need anything.

Xu Jiao and the others didnt dare to oppose her wishes, and he replied, Yes, Senior, well be waiting outside.

Senior Han, may I ask these fellow daoists to give us some privacy as well? the blood soul asked as she cast a hesitant gaze toward Silvermoon and the others.

It looks like Fellow Daoist Blood Soul really does have something very important to discuss with me, so Ill have to ask you to leave for now as well, Silvermoon, Han Li instructed in a calm manner.

Silvermoon and the others naturally had no objections to this, and they also departed along with the expressionless Daoist Xie.

Thus, Han Li and the blood soul were the only two people left in the room.

Alright, you can go ahead and tell me what you want to say now, Han Li prompted with a hint of a smile on his face.

Forgive me, Senior Han, but what Im about to tell you next concerns very sensitive information. Would you like to know the true purpose of the Heavenvoid Cauldron? Im planning to use it to make an exchange with you, Senior Han, the blood soul said with a serious expression.

An exchange? A hint of intrigue appeared on Han Lis face upon hearing this.

Thats right, I can assure you that learning this secret will benefit you immensely, Senior Han, the blood soul said.

If this secret really is as useful as you proclaim, then I certainly wouldnt be opposed to an exchange, but youll have to convince me first, Fellow Daoist Blood Soul, Han Li replied.

I knew youd be interested in this, Senior Han. Regarding the true origins of the Heavenvoid Cauldron, Ill have to go back to an opportunity I encountered in the human world. The cauldron is actually a treasure that I created while trying to replicate a treasure recorded on a page of the Golden Jade Tome, and its true purpose is not for battle. Instead, its to be used as a key… Thus, the blood soul began her story, and initially, Han Li listened with a faint smile, but his expression then gradually became more serious, and at the end, even a hint of astonishment had crept into his eyes.

Around half a day later, Han Li departed from the Xu Family and traveled toward the center of the human territory on a giant white ark.

You spoke with Fellow Daoist Blood Soul for quite a long time, Brother Han, what did she discuss with you? Silvermoon asked.

Not much, we simply made an agreement, Han Li replied with a smile.

An agreement? A contemplative look appeared in Silvermoons eyes.

You can call it an exchange as well, Han Li added in a nonchalant manner.

Silvermoon merely smiled and didnt raise any further questions.

Li Rong was also very intrigued, but she knew that she couldnt compare with Silvermoon, so she made the wise decision to remain silent.

In contrast, Zhu Guoer didnt think much of the matter, and asked, Senior Han, where are we going next?

Well be going to the holy island next. Fellow Daoist Li, Ill be counting on you to lead the way, Han Li said.

Rest assured, Senior, Ill be sure to get us to the holy island as soon as possible, Li Rong hurriedly said in an elated manner.

Han Li nodded in response, and all of the sudden, the giant ark they were situated on accelerated by about twofold, almost instantly vanishing into the distance as a long streak of light.

……

Two months later.

In an extremely secluded mountain range on the border of the human and demon territories, there was a vast sea of mist that stretched as far as the eyes could see, and encompassed close to a third of the entire mountain range.

However, once one traveled close to 10,000 kilometers into the sea of mist, they would discover an island hovering several thousand feet in the air with hundreds of massive meteorite-like rocks slowly orbiting around it. Each giant rock was several acres in size, and there was a series of buildings situated on each rock alongside groups of armored warriors.

There were also some flying boats and carriages that occasionally entered and exited the giant island, patrolling the surrounding area.

A series of light barriers could be seen in the air around the island, spreading over virtually the entire sky.

This was none other than the revered holy island, and its defenses were truly quite formidable.

Within a hall at the center of the island, there were around a dozen Body Integration Stage elders in attires of different colors seated on two rows of chairs, and all of them wore anxious and uneasy expressions. rewebnol.cm

Fairy Li should be here soon, right? a clean-shaven man asked.

Dont be so agitated, Fellow Daoist Xun, Fairy Rong has informed us in advance that she would arrive today, so shes definitely coming, an elderly man replied.

Im naturally aware of that, but its already past noon now, Im just concerned that they may have had an accident, the clean-shaven man sighed.

Hehe, what could possibly go wrong with Senior Han accompanying them? a woman in a white coat chuckled.

Indeed, the powers displayed by Senior Han during his ceremony most likely place him above even Senior Mo and Senior Ao Xiao in terms of power. If it werent for that, we wouldnt have waited here for him for so long, the elderly man said with a wry smile.

Having said that, rumors are still just rumors, none of us have ever seen Senior Han in action in person. If he really is powerful enough to severely wound the Black Owl Monarch of the Yaksha Race with ease, then that would be quite extraordinary, the clean-shaven man said with a hesitant expression.

Even if the rumors are slightly exaggerated, its definitely true that Senior Han is far more powerful than the average new Grand Ascension Stage being. On top of that, both Senior Mo and Senior Ao Xiao have disappeared in the Elder Devil Realm, and Senior Han is the only one we can count on to save them. Regardless of how we look at it, its imperative for us to assist Senior Han with all our power, the elderly man said without any hesitation.

That is indeed true, but weve already severely offended him by trying to take his disciple, Senior Han isnt going to exact revenge on our holy island, is he? the clean-shaven man sighed with a wry smile.

Several of the other elders expressions changed slightly upon hearing this.

Rest assured, Senior Han was able to progress to the Grand Ascension Stage, so hes definitely not a petty individual. On top of that, we were only doing what was best for our two races, so Im sure Senior Han wouldnt blame us for that, the elderly man said in a nonchalant manner.

The other elders expressions eased slightly upon hearing this.

Just as the elderly man was about to say something else, a pleasant voice suddenly rang out from outside. Looks like everyones all here. In that case, I wont have to inform all of you of my arrival one by one.

As soon as this voice trailed off, three women strode into the hall.

They were none other than Li Rong, Silvermoon, and Zhu Guoer, and Li Rong was the one who had just spoken.

However, Han Li and Daoist Xie were nowhere to be seen.

Ah, Fairy Li, Fellow Daoist Ling Long, has Senior Han already arrived? the elderly man immediately asked as he rose to his feet.

Senior Han has indeed already arrived at our holy island, but hes gone somewhere else first. Rest assured, hell be joining us soon, Li Rong replied with a smile.