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I trust your judgment, Grand Elder. As for that man, I saw an indistinct wyrm projection on his body, and I could also see that he possesses extremely pure devilish Qi. Could he be somehow related to the Elder Devil Race? the woman speculated.

Most likely not. There are countless Devil Dao cultivation arts littered throughout the Spirit Realm, and the fact that his true form is a wyrm indicates that hes definitely not from the Elder Devil Race. The wyrms and the elder devils are sworn enemies, and if two such beings were to encounter one another, a battle to the death would immediately ensue, the elderly man concluded after a brief pause for thought.

Despite his vast wealth of knowledge and experience, it didnt occur to this Wood Tribe grand elder that the black-armored man could be an evil dragon that had been extinct for countless years in the Spirit Realm. As a result, he naturally made a massive lapse in judgment.

Meanwhile, high up in the air thousands of kilometers away, the burly man was speaking to the woman in white in a respectful manner.

Sacred Ancestor, if these Black Spirit Flowers are useful to you, then why didnt you take all of them? That Wood Tribe grand elder is only an early-Grand Ascension Stage being, so theres no way he couldve posed a threat to you. After all, even among all of the Sacred Ancestors of our holy realm, your powers rank among the top five.

Im confident in my ability to defeat that Wood Tribe grand elder, but Im not actually confident in my ability to kill him. On top of that, Black Spirit Flowers only have a limited effect in helping me recover from my injuries, so theyll cease to be effective for me once I consume more than 10. As such, theres a mismatch between risk and reward, so why would I do something so unwise? the woman explained.

I see. However, weve scoured most of the Tian Yuan Continent already, if we cant find anything soon, then isnt it time we left this continent? If I recall correctly, the holy realm should be about to descend upon this realm, and it would be very bad for us if we were to encounter other Sacred Ancestors, the man said in a hesitant manner.

Hmm, prior to escaping from the holy realm, I did indeed discuss some details about this with the other Sacred Ancestors, and this is indeed one of the regions where our two realms overlap the most. However, theres no need to be concerned. Even though the holy realm is about to descend, those Sacred Ancestors wont be able to arrive in the Spirit Realm right away. At the very most, well only have to deal with their clones. On top of that, I couldnt be certain prior to this, but I used a divination secret technique after reaching this place, and the technique tells me that theres a very good chance that the thing Im looking for is here. As such, I certainly cant just leave under these circumstances, the woman chuckled.

I see. In that case, Ill do everything in my power to find that thing and help you recover your powers, even if it means giving up my life! the burly man said with a confident slap of his own chest.

Looks like Ming Luo disciplined you very well. If you can help me recover my powers, then Ill naturally reward you handsomely as well, the woman said with a faint mysterious smile.

Thank you, Sacred Ancestor! I am yours to do with as you see fit! The burly man was ecstatic to hear this, and he immediately scrambled to express his loyalty again.

The woman merely glanced at the burly man with a hint of a smile and didnt say anything further.

Thus, the two of them continued onward, and they were heading directly toward the territory of the human race.

…

Han Li was on the peak of a certain mountain, appraising the gigantic devilish mark in the sky with a dark expression.

Several tens of feet behind him, his three disciples were standing in a respectful manner with their hands by their sides.

Han Li heaved a faint sigh before instructing, Lets go back now. It looks like the devilish tribulation is definitely going to commence within half a year.

Yes, Master!

The three disciples naturally had no objections.

Han Li swept a sleeve through the air to release a burst of azure light that swept up all four of them, then flew directly toward the cave abode.

An hour later, Han Li was seated in the hall of his cave abode with a silver-robed beauty sitting beside him, this was none other than the Ice Phoenix who had been cultivating under his protection this entire time.

At this point, not only had she recovered all of her former magic power, she had already reached the late-Deity Transformation Stage, and a major contributing factor behind her fast progress was the pills that Han Li had been constantly providing her with.

Bai Guoer, Hai Yuetian, and Qi Lingzi were also standing in the secret chamber.

Brother Han, the devilish mark has appeared far too close to our cave abode for comfort, this clearly isnt a suitable place to cultivate at anymore. What are your plans from here? Should we move our cave abode elsewhere right away? the Ice Phoenix asked with a hint of concern in her eyes.

These past few centuries had been the most enjoyable period of time in her cultivation journey. Not only did she not have to worry about her own safety, she had a virtually limitless supply of exceptional pills, yet all of this could come to an end now with the impending devilish tribulation looming over their heads.

We will indeed have to move the cave abode, lets move to Deep Heaven City. After all, once the devilish tribulation commences, almost all sparsely populated areas will be extremely dangerous. Even if we dont go to Deep Heaven City, well still have to go to one of the sovereign cities, Han Li replied.

Were moving to Deep Heaven City? Does that mean you plan to join their panel of elders, Brother Han? the Ice Phoenix asked in a surprised manner.

No, only the four of you will be residing in Deep Heaven City in the long term. Ill help defend Deep Heaven City against the first few waves of attacks from the Elder Devil Realm, then go to cultivate in a secret place that the elder devils wont be able to find, Han Li replied with a shake of his head.

Why is that? Could it be… A thought immediately occurred to the Ice Phoenix.

Han Li nodded in confirmation. Thats right, Ill be able to attempt a breakthrough to the late-Body Integration Stage in about 10 more years, so I need to go into seclusion for some time.

I see. That is indeed a wise decision, Brother Han. As for your breakthrough to the late-Body Integration Stage, I promised to assist you during the process, so when the time comes, Ill do as you say, Brother Han, the Ice Phoenix said as a faint blush appeared on her face.

Han Li nodded before turning to his three disciples. Clean up the cave abode and tell all of your disciples that were leaving this place in three days. Guoer, seeing as youre unwilling to go to Deep Heaven City, you can go to Xuan Wu City after taking care of all of the disciples. Xuan Wu City will be guarded by Xuan Wu Tyrant Sovereign and that old tortoise, so itll be a very safe place.

Yes, Master!

Thank you, Master!

The three disciples naturally didnt have objections, and they all extended respectful bows toward Han Li.

Thus, three days later, several giant arks that were over 300 feet in length emerged from a mountain. Standing at the very front of one of the arks was an azure-robed young man with an extremely calm and collected look on his face, looking as if nothing in this world could impact his emotions.

On the other arks stood several hundreds of people of both genders and all age ranges, some of whom wore nervous looks on their faces, but most of them were very excited.

Moments later, bright spiritual light flashed from the surfaces of the giant arks, and they quickly vanished into the distance as massive balls of light.

…

Almost at the exact same time, there were tens of thousands of mortals and cultivators who were also boarding a series of giant flying arks on a small mountain range countless kilometers away.

The entire scene was extremely bustling and chaotic, and on one of the arks stood a woman in a palatial dress, surrounded by a dozen or so Deity Transformation and Spatial Tempering cultivators.

The woman was an exquisite beauty who appeared to be in her twenties, and her brows were slightly furrowed as she appraised the chaotic scenes unfolding before her.

Senior Blood Spirit, I think it would be a safer option to travel to Xuan Wu City. After all, aside from Xuan Wu Tyrant Sovereign, theres also a giant beast in Xuan Wu City thats close to a true spirit in power, a Spatial Tempering Stage elderly man said in a hesitant manner.

Are you doubting my judgment? the woman asked in a cold voice.

No, I wouldnt dare! the elderly man hurriedly said.

Hmph, you dont know anything! With the Tyrant Sovereign and that old tortoise, Xuan Wu City will naturally be more powerful than Tian Yuan City, but I have some ties with the current Heavenly Yuan Holy Sovereign, so at the very least, our Xu Family wont be used as cannon fodder when we reach Tian Yuan City. In contrast, I certainly cant guarantee the same in Xuan Wu City, the woman said in a confident manner.

I see. Forgive me for my ignorance, the elderly man said with a respectful salute.

Ill let you off the hook this one time seeing as youre thinking for the sake of the Xu Family, but dont blame me for turning on you if you do that again! the woman said with a cold look in her eyes.

Everyone around her hurriedly bowed in unison upon hearing this and proclaimed that they wouldnt dare to question her authority again.

The woman merely waved a hand before turning away.

Over half a day later, around 100 arks of different sizes rose up into the air before flying toward a certain direction, and the mountain range was completely deserted in the blink of an eye.

The enormous estate of the Xu Family had been abandoned in its entirety, just like that.

The same thing was happening all throughout the human race.

Some of the prominent families who hadnt yet joined any major powers finally lost their cool after the devilish marks appeared, and they all abandoned their estates to seek out greener pastures.

…

Two months later, a golden-robed old monk was standing atop the giant city wall of Deep Heaven City, looking into the distance through a pair of narrowed eyes.

Behind the monk were a dozen or so high-grade cultivators in different attire, and they were also looking into the distance with curiosity in their eyes.

Not long after that, spiritual light flashed in the distant sky, and one flying ark after another emerged before heading directly toward the city wall.

A stir immediately ran through the cultivators standing behind the monk, and the situation became slightly chaotic. The monk didnt turn around, but he could sense everyones reactions, and he immediately cleared his throat with furrowed brows.

He didnt do so very loudly, but all of the chatter immediately died down, and at this moment, several more arks appeared in the distance amid flashes of spiritual light.

The golden and silver flames within the young mans eyes flickered incessantly, but there was a noticeable glacial aura emanating from his body.

All of a sudden, he made a hand seal, and a layer of golden spiritual flames erupted from his body, which then transformed into a lavish golden robe that covered his entire body.

He then made a grabbing motion toward the crystal ball from afar, and it flew over to him before vanishing into his body in a flash.

The young man raised his head before murmuring to himself, I almost died for that treasure in the True Immortal Realm, how dare you take it away! I dont care who you are, Im going to hunt you down to the ends of this realm and erase you from existence! But before that, I have to get out of this place.

Judging from the contents of his words, he shouldve been extremely angry, but his face remained completely expressionless, which created a very peculiar contrast.

In the next instant, he rubbed his hands together, and golden light flashed before he raised his palms up into the air.

A ball of golden light emerged, and in the beginning, it was only around the size of a human fist, but it then swelled dramatically in size, while a buzzing sound erupted throughout the entire secret chamber.

Within the span of just a few breaths, a few dull thumps rang out within this mysterious palace, following which several golden pillars of light erupted in all directions from it.

A string of loud rumbling booms then erupted as more golden light surged out of the palace in a frenzy, and the entire building completely collapsed and crumbled.

The entire area was inundated by this golden light, and when the light faded, the golden-robed young man was revealed again, standing on the original site of the palace in an expressionless manner.

He withdrew his raised arms, and moments later, a streak of golden light flew out of the ocean. After that, the streak of golden light chose a certain direction to travel toward, and it was heading directly for the Tian Yuan Continent!

…

On the territory of the Tian Yuan Continents Wood Tribe, there was a barefoot woman in a white dress hovering gracefully over an enormous lush tree that was over 100,000 feet tall. Standing before her was an azure-robed elderly man, and they were engaged in a tense standoff.

Over 1,000 feet below the woman, there was a hideous burly man in a suit of black armor, surrounded by a middle-aged man and woman.

The burly man had his arms crossed, and he was glowering at the middle-aged duo with a ferocious look in his eyes.

In contrast, the middle-aged pair were both quite refined in appearance, and the woman was appraising the burly man with a wary look in her eyes.

I dont know who you are or where you came from, but you infiltrated the holy land of our Wood Tribe and picked over 10 of our Black Spirit Flowers, do you really think our tribe doesnt have any Grand Ascension Stage beings to oppose you? The azure-robed man said in a cold voice as he glowered at the woman before him.

I wouldnt infiltrate a place without doing sufficient research beforehand. Youre a grand elder of the Wood Tribe, right? Dont be so stingy, Fellow Daoist Wu, theres no need to get so worked up over a few Black Spirit Flowers, the woman said in an unflustered manner, seemingly completely unfazed by the powerful foe standing before her.

Hmph, you make it sound like no big deal, but Black Spirit Flowers possess extraordinary effects, and our entire tribe can only produce just over 100 such flowers per 10,000 years, youve taken close to half of them at once, and you think youll simply be allowed to go free? The elderly mans expression darkened as he spoke.

This grand elder of the Wood Tribe had been cultivating within a certain secret area nearby, and if it werent for the fact that he had to come out of seclusion to attend to some matters, he wouldnt even have noticed that someone had infiltrated their tribes holy land before taking so many Black Spirit Flowers.

As soon as he discovered this, he immediately confronted the perpetrators, but the woman standing before him possessed unfathomable powers, even to a Grand Ascension Stage being like him, which was why he hadnt attacked her right away.

Ive already done your tribe a favor by not taking all of your Black Spirit Flowers. Youre quite powerful, but youre still no match for me, so what are you going to do? the woman scoffed, and the azure-robed elderly man was greatly enraged by her words.

At the height of his fury, the elderly man burst into incredulous laughter. Ha, seeing as you have no respect or regard for our Wood Tribe, Ill have to test out your abilities to see if you can truly back up your words. If you really are more powerful than me, then Ill command the entire Wood Tribe to stand down and allow you to leave.

If youre no match for me, then other beings of your Wood Tribe would simply be asking for death if they were to challenge me. However, do you really want to fight here? the woman asked with a smile as she glanced at the giant tree down below.

The woman was already a peerless beauty, and her smile only further accentuated her allure. Even the elderly man couldnt help but be momentarily entranced by her stunning elegance, but he immediately returned to his senses, upon which his expression darkened even further. The two of us would raze my tribes holy land to the ground if we were to battle here. Come with me, Fellow Daoist.

As soon as his voice trailed off, the elderly man abruptly swept a sleeve upward, and a pillar of azure light erupted forth.

The pillar of azure light then transformed into a gargantuan sword that was over 1,000 feet in length before slashing through the air.

A resounding boom rang out as the giant sword struck the empty air amid a flash of white light. A burst of powerful spatial fluctuations erupted forth, and a spatial rift that was over 100 feet in length appeared. This grand elder of the Wood Tribe had smashed open a spatial rift with just a single attack!

He stepped into the spatial rift without any hesitation, completely disregarding the hazards within the rift. A faint smile that was tinged with a hint of derision and disdain appeared on the womans face, and she turned to the burly man down below before issuing an instruction. You stay here for now, Ill be back soon.

Yes, Sacred Ancestor! The burly man was very ferocious in appearance, but he was acting extremely respectfully toward the woman.

The woman gently tapped a foot into the air, and a pink flower emerged beneath her feet before slowly carrying her into the spatial rift as well.

Moments later, a string of rumbling booms and astonishing explosions erupted within the spatial rift, accompanied by flashes of dazzling light. It was as if doomsday had befallen the space within the rift.

The two middle-aged Wood Tribe cultivators both exchanged a shocked glance upon seeing this.

As for the burly man, he turned back to the middle-aged duo as the vicious look reappeared on his face, seemingly completely unconcerned about the woman in white.

The commotion taking place within the rift didnt last too long. Around 10 minutes later, all of the light faded, and nothing more than complete silence could be heard within the spatial rift.

The middle-aged duo turned toward the rift with nervous looks on their faces, while the burly man merely appraised them with a cold sneer on his face.

Moments later, azure light flashed from within the spatial rift, and a humanoid figure emerged from within, it was none other than the azure-robed elderly man.

He appeared to be completely physically unscathed, but his face was clearly paler than before. As soon as he emerged from the spatial rift, he turned back toward it with a hint of fear in his eyes.

Only then did the woman in white also exit the spatial rift, and her expression was just as calm and collected as when she had first strode into the rift.

The concern on the faces of the middle-aged duo from the Wood Tribe was only exacerbated upon seeing this.

As soon as the woman in white emerged, she asked, Can I leave now, Fellow Daoist?

The Wood Tribe grand elder wore an extremely strained expression as instructed through gritted teeth. Mu Jun, Mu Jiao, issue this order of mine: no one from the Wood Tribe is permitted to attack these two, and they are to be allowed to leave our territory as they please.

The middle-aged man immediately tried to dispute the order. But Grand Elder, those Black Spirit Flowers are…

Shut up! Are you doubting my words? the elderly man yelled as a cold look appeared on his face.

I wouldnt dare, Senior! Ill pass on your orders right away! the middle-aged man hurriedly replied with a respectful bow.

Hmph, go on, then, the elderly man harrumphed coldly.

On this occasion, the middle-aged man didnt dare to hesitate. He flipped a hand over to produce a stack of shimmering azure talismans, and he swept a hand toward the talismans a few times before releasing them as streaks of azure light with a flick of his wrist.

The talismans immediately vanished into thin air nearby, and the woman in the white dress merely smiled upon seeing this as she tucked a few strands of stray hair behind her ear. She then waved a hand toward the black-armored burly man down below, then flew away without uttering a single word.

The burly man cackled triumphantly before immediately setting off in pursuit of the woman as a gust of fierce black wind.

The Wood Tribe grand elder was extremely enraged that the Body Integration Stage burly man was acting so rudely in his presence, but he didnt dare to do anything aside from look on with a frosty expression as the duo flew away.

Mu Jiao, your Azure Spirit Wisdom Eyes are extremely profound, could you identify anything about those two? the elderly man suddenly asked.

Im afraid Ill have to let you down, Grand Elder. I activated my wisdom eyes to their very maximal extent just then, but was still unable to see much. That Grand Ascension Stage woman is enshrouded within countless flower projections, making it impossible for me to see her true form, could it be that shes also a Wood Spirit or has some kind of connection to our Wood Tribe? the middle-aged Wood Tribe woman replied in a hesitant manner.

Hmph, shes definitely not from our Wood Tribe, its most likely the case that the cultivation art shes using is somehow connected to ours. Shes unfathomably powerful, and I cant help but worry now that shes appeared near our Wood Tribe territory so close to the commencement of the devilish tribulation, the elderly man sighed.

However, in order to produce a beetle monarch, these beetles had to continue to devour one another. This naturally made Han Li quite frustrated, yet he was unable to find a suitable solution, so he could only employ all types of methods to refine the bodies of these beetles for now.

In doing so, he would be able to gradually improve their powers, thereby increasing the possibility of a beetle monarch being nurtured in the long run.

Furthermore, even though he hadnt managed to nurture a beetle monarch, it was now a simple task for him to control these 13 Purple-striped Gold Devouring Beetles with his spiritual sense. As such, they became a far more feasible option to be used in battle than tens of thousands of Gold Devouring Beetles, and they were a new addition to his collection of trump cards.

During these past years, Han Li had also exhausted most of his supply of Divine Infernal River Elixir, and his physical constitution had undergone some profound changes. The most prominent of these changes was that the rate at which he could convert the worlds origin Qi into magic power during cultivation had sped up by over 30%.

30% didnt seem to be all that incredible, but this essentially meant that he was able to achieve the same effect in his cultivation as he had in the past in two-thirds of the original time.

On top of that, Qing Yuanzi had told him with great confidence that cleansing ones body with Divine Infernal River Elixir would benefit one immensely when it came to breaking through Body Integration Stage bottlenecks. Otherwise, the four demon monarchs of the earth abyss wouldnt have taken such a massive risk to try and obtain some of the elixir.

Furthermore, Han Li had also been constantly consuming all types of pills that could enhance his cultivation base, so his magic power was progressing at a rapid rate.

At this point, he had already reached the pinnacle of the mid-Body Integration Stage, and he would only require less than 20 more years of preparation before he could begin to attempt making a breakthrough.

With that in mind, Han Li heaved a faint sigh and closed his eyes to cultivate again. However, right at this moment, white spiritual light suddenly flashed from the door of the secret chamber, following a semi-transparent burst of light rippled throughout the chamber.

Han Li faltered slightly upon seeing this before immediately sweeping a sleeve toward the door, which instantly opened amid a flash of spiritual light.

A fireball then instantly shot forth into the chamber before quickly flying into Han Lis grasp, and he looked down at the fireball before injecting his spiritual sense into it, following which his expression changed drastically.

His fingers abruptly came together, and the fireball was crushed amid a dull thump. Under the illumination of its red light, an extremely dark expression had appeared on Han Lis face.

I didnt think the devilish mark would appear so soon! Looks like I have no choice but to come out of seclusion, he murmured to himself as spiritual light erupted from his body.

The other two Han Lis turned toward him in an expressionless manner upon seeing this, then flew toward him as a pair of projections. The three combined as one amid a pair of dull thumps, and Han Lis aura abruptly swelled drastically as he rose to his feet.

He waved a hand toward the giant azure cauldron, and it rapidly shrank down to the size of a human fist, then vanished up Han Lis sleeve amid a flash of azure light.

After that, Han Li raised his head, and he suddenly arrived in front of the entrance to the secret chamber, covering a distance of over 100 feet in a flash. After that, he strode out of the chamber and vanished on the spot.

…

At the foot of a giant mountain deep within a certain mountain range in the primordial world, there was a white-robed young man engaged in a tense standoff with three enormous primordial beasts.

One of the three beasts was a two-headed giant that was over 1,000 feet tall. It had an extremely vicious appearance that was only accentuated by its head of disheveled yellow hair, and it was holding a massive black club in one hand.

The other two beasts consisted of a pair of giant crimson pythons, one of which was larger than the other. The larger of the two pythons was over 3,000 feet in length, and the smaller one was around 700 to 800 feet in length.

Both of them were expelling red mist out of their mouths that appeared to be extremely toxic, and all three of the primordial beasts were staring intently at the comparatively tiny young man with wariness in their eyes.

The white-robed young man had peculiar golden and silver runes on his face, and he said in a frosty voice, Hehe, I already issued a warning a few days ago for all of the powerful living beings in this place to leave. All of the smart ones have left, and only the three of you have refused to do so. Do you really think you can oppose me by banding together? How naive! In that case, you dont have to go anymore, Ill take your souls and inner cores, and make this your final resting place!

The three primordial beasts seemed to have developed some level of intelligence, and as soon as they heard this, the two-headed giant gnashed its sharp teeth together before thumping a huge fist violently into its own chest, then threw its head back and let loose a furious snarl.

The two crimson pythons also had cold looks in their eyes, and they began to flick their forked tongues with increased urgency as their hissing grew louder and more menacing.

A cold smile appeared on the white-robed young mans face upon seeing this, and he made a hand seal before abruptly tumbling to the ground.

A dull thump rang out as a burst of white glacial Qi erupted forth, covering an area of several acres in the blink of an eye. Immediately thereafter, countless glittering and translucent egg-sized snowflakes appeared in the air, and all of them began to shimmer with dazzling light under the sun.

A peculiar sharp cry abruptly erupted from within the white Qi, and a pristine white centipede that resembled an ice statue rushed out.

The centipede had six wings on its back and a pair of bright red eyes. When it first emerged from the white glacial Qi, it was only around 70 to 80 feet in length, but it then rapidly elongated to over 1,000 feet in length in a flash. It then opened its mouth without any hesitation to expel a burst of white glacial flames, which surged toward the three beasts as a white glacial sea.

The three beasts hearts jolted upon seeing this, and they immediately unleashed their own defensive techniques, clearly well aware of how fearsome this glacial Qi was.

The two-headed giant gripped onto its black club with both hands before violently swinging it through the air in front of itself a few times in rapid succession. A string of explosive booms rang out, and a gust of fierce wind was swept up before hurtling directly toward the glacial Qi in the distance.

Meanwhile, the two giant pythons opened their cavernous mouths to expel a huge burst of red mist that transformed into scorching flames, which formed a barrier around their bodies.

However, in the face of the white glacial sea, the fierce wind and scorching flames were all instantly vanquished, much to the shock and horror of the three giant beasts. Before they even had a chance to react, they were frozen into a trio of ice statues.

The massive centipede circled around in the air above the three beasts, then flapped its six wings to release six streaks of white light. The streaks of light revolved around the three ice statues a few times like lightning, following which a resounding boom rang out, and the statues crumbled into piles of ice flakes.

Light flashed, and the three giant beasts souls emerged before immediately attempting to flee the scene in a panicked manner, but the six-winged centipede opened its mouth again to expel a burst of invisible suction force that instantly encompassed the entire area down below.

The shards of the three giant beasts frozen remains and their souls were all swept up before being devoured by the massive centipede.

Immediately thereafter, white light flashed, and the six-winged centipede vanished, only for the white-robed young man to reappear in its place.

He looked down with a cold expression, and after verifying that he hadnt missed anything, he turned his gaze toward the giant mountain up ahead with a fanatical gleam in his eyes.

His body swayed, and he instantly flew through the air as a streak of white light, vanishing into the mountain after just a few flashes.

A short while later, the white-robed young man appeared within a natural cave that was situated countless feet beneath the mountain. He was staring at a certain rugged reddish-purple stone wall within the cave with a look of excitement on his face.

Haha, Ive found a Purple Yin Ore mine! Looks like Ill be attaining a true spirit body even sooner than I anticipated!

As soon as his voice trailed off, he immediately tumbled to the ground and adopted his centipede form again. On this occasion, the centipede was only several tens of feet in size, and it expelled a burst of light that encompassed the entire stone wall.

The reddish-purple stone wall then slowly disappeared amid flashes of white spiritual light, and a giant gaping black hole was left in its wake.

After that, the six-winged centipede immediately flapped its wings and vanished into the hole as a streak of black light, following which a string of rumbling booms rang out from within.

…

Within a certain secret chamber in a deep-sea palace, there was a giant cocoon suspended in mid-air. The cocoon was enshrouded within countless crimson threads, and was writhing incessantly. Immediately thereafter, countless crimson runes appeared over its surface, and it began to expand at an incredible rate.

Within just the span of a single breath, the entire spacious secret chamber was entirely filled by the expanding giant cocoon, following which a faint black shadow within the cocoon moved ever so slightly.

The cocoon immediately exploded amid an earth-shattering boom, and a naked young man appeared in mid-air within the secret chamber.

The young man had skin that was as fair as jade, and a set of extremely handsome facial features. There was a shimmering golden lotus flower diagram inscribed both on the front of his body, as well as on his back.

The flowers were several feet in size and extremely vivid and life-like. They had spread over virtually the entirety of the young mans body, and strangely enough, just the mere sight of them struck one with a sense of dizziness.

The naked young mans eyes were tightly shut, and his expression was calm and placid as he hovered in mid-air in a completely stationary manner.

After a long while, faint golden light flashed from his body, and the golden lotus flower diagrams began to twist and flash as if they had sprung to life.

The young man slowly opened his eyes to reveal a pair of remarkably bright pupils that seemed to contain some kind of mysterious power.

A pair dull thumps rang out, and two balls of flames were suddenly ignited within the young mans eyes. One of the fireballs was golden, while the other was silver, and they flashed incessantly as the young man moved his head.

All of a sudden, his gaze settled upon a certain item situated in a corner of the secret chamber, and a very peculiar look appeared on his face.

This item was a crystal ball that had been placed on a short jade table. The ball was around the size of a human fist, and its surface was shimmering with faint spiritual light, illuminating a clear image within it.

The image depicted a shimmering silver lotus seed pod, and it was extremely life-like and realistic.

All of the beetles let loose pained cries upon being struck by these incantation seals, and they instantly separated. Immediately thereafter, the three Han Lis began to chant something while making a series of different hand seals.

The golden beetles seemed to have fallen under the control of some kind of restriction, and even though they were very reluctant to do so, they were forced to fly toward the white threads that had emerged before them, then set about devouring these white threads.

They did so at an astonishing rate, and the countless white threads that had erupted from the cauldron were quickly completely devoured.

The green-skinned Han Li suddenly opened his mouth upon seeing this, and countless specks of silver light emerged.

These were only pea-sized specks of light, but when they fell into the giant cauldron, they quickly transformed into several tens of palm-sized silver flowers. The petals of the flowers were shimmering with silver light, and they all had crimson patterns running along them.

The thirteen beetles let loose cries of elation at the sight of these silver flowers, and they immediately flew toward the flowers before quickly devouring them.

However, as soon as one flower disappeared, another one would emerge to take its place.

After a while, the beetles had consumed thousands of these silver flowers, and their bodies seemed to have expanded slightly in size.

At this moment, the shimmering golden Han Li abruptly opened his eyes, and balls of black flames erupted out of his crimson eyeballs. After just a few flashes, they transformed into a seal of black flames that swept up all of the beetles within the cauldron.

A peculiar scene then ensued!

All of the spirit insects immediately began to devour the black flames as well, and it didnt take long before all of the flames disappeared.

At this moment, the final Han Li let loose a loud cry before waving both of his sleeves through the air. A pair of loud thunderclaps rang out, and golden light flashed as two thick golden arcs of lightning erupted forth. They then transformed into two nets of golden lightning that fell one after another, completely encompassing the thirteen beetles beneath them.

A string of rumbling booms then rang out, and the lightning nets transformed into countless thin arcs of lightning that inundated all of the beetles.

The arcs of lightning struck the beetles, causing the purple patterns on their bodies to flash erratically, but upon closer inspection, one would discover that they were extending their limbs as much as possible. In doing so, they were allowing the most amount of lightning to strike their bodies, and not only did they remain completely unscathed, they were clearly thoroughly enjoying this process.

After a long while, the golden lightning finally gradually dissipated, and the Han Li with the golden halo behind him also opened his eyes. The 72 azure swords within the halo tremored before flying through the air as countless azure threads that reached the beetles in an instant.

Clang, clang, clang!

A string of loud clangs rang out as these azure threads struck the beetles, sending them flying through the air, but the beetles remained completely unscathed, as if they were constructed from indestructible metal.

However, the beetles were all extremely enraged by these sudden attacks, and they all let loose sharp piercing cries as they spread their wings, then flashed through the air at an astonishing speed to evade the azure threads.

The azure threads were as fast as lightning, but they were unable to keep up with the beetles, and therefore unable to strike them.

The Han Li who had released the azure threads seemed to be rather displeased by this, and he made a hand seal before flicking a finger toward the giant azure cauldron.

A dull clang rang out, and countless runes appeared over the surface of the giant cauldron. At the same time, a burst of enormous invisible power surged out from within it.

All of the beetles that were evading the azure threads immediately slowed down significantly, and the dazzling golden light shimmering from their bodies also completely dimmed.

In contrast, not only were the azure threads not slowed down in the slightest by this burst of invisible force, their speed was enhanced, and they formed an azure light barrier over the entire cauldron.

Thus, the thirteen beetles were reduced to sitting ducks, and they were struck by hundreds of azure threads at once.

The clang of metal striking metal came as thick and fast as raindrops during a torrential downpour, and dazzling azure light erupted from the bodies of the golden beetles. The sharp screeching sound they were emitting also became extremely loud and piercing.

The three Han Lis expressions remained completely unchanged, and two of them were rapidly making hand seals, injecting their magic power into the cauldron in a frenzy, while the final one was controlling the azure sword threads.

Thus, the entire secret chamber was filled with the sound of sword threads flying through the air, intermingled with booms and explosions.

After an indeterminate period of time had passed, the Han Li that had released the azure sword threads suddenly waved a hand through the air, and the azure threads immediately stopped cold in their tracks, then reverted back into 72 azure swords that flew back in a flash.

The golden halo above his head rotated on the spot, and all of the flying swords abruptly vanished.

The halo itself then also disappeared amid a dull thump.

At the same time, the other two Han Lis ceased making hand seals, and the golden beetles that had been inundated by azure light were naturally revealed again.

Even after being ravaged by sword threads for so long, they still remained completely unscathed. However, their fury had been building this entire time, and as soon as the restriction stemming from the giant cauldron was lifted, they immediately flew toward the three Han Lis in a ferocious manner.

Despite this, the three Han Lis remained completely unflustered, and they all uttered the same word in unison. Stop!

All of the golden beetles immediately faltered in mid-air, following which a burst of white light erupted from the azure cauldron, sweeping up the beetles and carrying them back into the cauldron in a flash.

The beetles were naturally very reluctant to return to the cauldron, but they were powerless to resist.

The Han Li that had just released the flying swords heaved a faint sigh of relief, and his expression eased slightly as he murmured to himself, Theyre becoming more and more difficult to control. Looks like the secret technique wasnt lying, once they grow to this extent, the original control method no longer works. Ill have to conduct another master recognition ceremony. However, at this point, all of the beetles possess similar levels of power, its very difficult for them to keep devouring one another, so its not very plausible to try and nurture a beetle monarch.

Han Lis brows furrowed slightly as he fell into deep thought.

Ever since he had departed from the infernal river, he had cultivated while picking up all of the rare materials that he encountered, and after over 100 years, he had finally returned to the human race.

At that point, he knew that the devilish tribulation was imminent, so he immediately gathered all three of his disciples to issue them some instructions, then went into cultivation again.

He had two objectives for this period of seclusion, the first of which was to use the Divine Infernal River Elixir to enhance his own physical constitution, striving to reach the pinnacle of the mid-Body Integration Stage before attempting a breakthrough. As for the second objective, that was to try and nurture a beetle monarch using the secret technique he had obtained from Voidspirit.

If he could successfully nurture a Gold Devouring Beetle Monarch prior to the commencement of the devilish tribulation, although that still may not be enough for him to travel through the Edler Devil Realm without any qualms, it would at least ensure his survival.

As such, even though he knew that there was something fishy about how easily Voidspirit had handed over the secret technique to him, he still decided to give it a try.

He had been back in the human race for over 100 years, and during this time, he had studied this secret technique countless times. Furthermore, he had integrated his own insect nurturing experiences, as well as some unique advantages that he had, and developed his own method of nurturing a beetle monarch.

This method was largely identical to the Mayfly Races secret technique, but there were minor differences. For example, in the Mayfly Races secret technique, there were certain spirit medicines that were to be fed to the Gold Devouring Beetles, but due to how rare they were, the spirit medicines were only to be fed once to the beetles. However, with the mysterious small vial that Han Li had up his sleeve, he was able to mass-produce these rare spirit medicines, thereby allowing him to regularly feed them to his Gold Devouring Beetles.

Furthermore, there were some types of lightning stipulated in the Mayfly Races secret technique that could be used to refine the bodies of the beetles, and he had chosen to substitute these types of lightning with his Divine Devilbane Lightning.

Of course, only the heavens would know whether these changes would prove to be effective. However, in Han Lis eyes, this new method should have a far greater chance of success than the Mayfly Races secret technique.

During these past years, Han Li had kept close to 10,000 mature Gold Devouring Beetles that hadnt mutated in reserve, while all of the mutated Gold Devouring Beetles were placed together. He then employed special methods to stimulate them into devouring one another over and over again.

In order to control these new Gold Devouring Beetles, which had become far more powerful after devouring so many of their brethren, Han Li had to purchase this massive azure cauldron for an enormous price.

This cauldron wasnt going to be very useful in battle, but it could drastically enhance his ability to control his Gold Devouring Beetles.

Thus, after making all of the required preparations and painstakingly nurturing these beetles for close to 200 years, the tens of thousands of Gold Devouring Beetles had been whittled down to these final 13 Purple-striped Gold Devouring Beetles.

These new Gold Devouring Beetles were all going to be candidates to become a Gold Devouring Beetle Monarch, and with their combined powers, they could even oppose a normal mid-Body Integration cultivator.

However, as Han Li attempted to stimulate these 13 beetles into continuing to devour one another, he encountered an insurmountable problem. Due to how evenly matched in power these beetles were, none of them were able to kill the others. freewenovl.co

Bai Guoer and Hai Yuetian were both at the early-Nascent Soul Stage, while Qi Lingzi was already a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator.

By the way, Junior Martial Sister, speaking of Master, he immediately went into seclusion again after returning from the primordial world 200 years ago, is he really planning to stay in seclusion until he makes a breakthrough to the late-Body Integration Stage?

Im not particularly sure about that, either. Currently, the place where Master is in seclusion is surrounded by layers of restrictions, and even Senior Ice Phoenix isnt able to approach the secret chamber. It seems that Master is either preparing to make a breakthrough to the late-Body Integration Stage or cultivating some kind of powerful ability, and he doesnt want us to disrupt him, Bai Guoer replied.

Master took only about 300 years to progress from the early-Body Integration Stage to the mid-Body Integration Stage, if he can successfully progress to the late-Body Integration Stage in such a short time, that would simply be unheard of! Hai Yuetian exclaimed.

If Master really can make a breakthrough, then that would be vastly fortunate both for the three of us, and for the entire human race, but its probably very unlikely. After all, under normal circumstances, it would take 1,000 to 2,000 years of arduous cultivation just to accumulate the enormous magic power required to progress from the mid-Body Integration Stage to the late-Body Integration Stage. Its simply unrealistic to attain that much magic power in just a few centuries, Qi Lingzi mused as he stroked his chin in deep thought. гeewbnovel.com

Hmph, why are you talking about normal circumstances, Senior Martial Brother? When has our master ever been bound by normal circumstances? If you ask me, Master mustve been quite confident in his ability to make a breakthrough prior to the commencement of the devilish tribulation. Otherwise, he wouldnt have gone into seclusion in the first place. During these past few centuries, Deep Heaven City and the three sovereigns have regularly sent people to visit master, and we passed on all of this information, but havent received any response from Master. This shows us that Master is focusing wholeheartedly in his cultivation and doesnt want to be distracted by anything else, Bai Guoer countered.

Looks like Junior Martial Sister Bai is the one who has the most confidence in Master among the three of us. However, all of our analysis is futile, the truth will be revealed once Master emerges from seclusion. The devilish tribulation is about to commence in a few more decades, so Master will have to come out of seclusion before that no matter what, Qi Lingzi said.

Thats true. Its quite a pity, if the tribulation could be delayed a little, Master would at least be able to make some significant improvements, if not achieve that breakthrough, Hai Yuetian said in a slightly forlorn manner.

Alright, Masters cultivation is not something for us disciples to discuss as we please. All we can do now is ensure that we survive this devilish tribulation. By the way, Junior Martial Sister, why dont you join Deep Heaven City as well? After all, Deep Heaven City will be one of the only places in the entire human race thatll be relatively safe once the tribulation commences. With your status as Masters disciple, Im sure the elders of the city will look after you, Qi Lingzi suggested in a serious manner.

Senior Martial Brother Qi Lingzi is right. Weve already decided to move all of our disciples to Deep Heaven City once the devilish tribulation commences. Even though theyll only be guards of the lowest level, with us there to look after them, they wont be used as cannon fodder, at the very least. If you can come with us, then that would naturally be even better, Hai Yuetian said with a smile.

Deep Heaven City? Bai Guoers brows furrowed slightly as a contemplative look appeared on her face.

Do you have some other plans, Junior Martial Sister? It would be best to make your decision as soon as possible. After all, Master already told us prior to going into seclusion that hell be leaving the human race to do something once the devilish tribulation begins, so theres no way hell be able to keep all three of us around, Qi Lingzi said in a concerned manner.

After some consideration, Bai Guoer finally made her decision. Truth be told, I received a letter from my father not long ago, telling me that my entire family has moved to Xuan Wu City. My father wants me to go there as well, and I only have a few loved ones left in this world, so I want to be with them in such a tumultuous time.

I see. It would indeed be rather worrisome to be separated from family at a time like this. Thankfully, Xuan Wu City is quite safe as well, so Im sure youll be fine there, Hai Yuetian said.

If youre going to Xuan Wu City, I suggest you take Liu Feng and Fu Yun with you. Those two are Core Formation cultivators, so Im sure theyll be useful to you, Qi Lingzi suddenly said.

I cant take them, those two are your most prized disciples, Senior Martial Brother. Rest assured, I have a few personal maids, and theyve been with me for some time. They still havent reached the Core Formation Stage yet, but theyre all Foundation Establishment cultivators, so theyll suffice, Bai Guoer said with a smile.

Haha, in that case… Qi Lingzi smiled and was just about to say something when a resounding boom suddenly rang out in the air nearby. Immediately thereafter, heaven and earth tremored, and the mountain beneath their feet began to quake.

The three of them were all Nascent Soul cultivators, so these tremors naturally werent enough to harm them, but their expressions all changed drastically as they looked up in unison.

A massive grey mark had appeared in the air overhead, and it was quickly spreading. At the same time, powerful spatial fluctuations were emanating from within it and proliferating in all directions.

Within moments, the mark had swelled to several times its original size, and the entire sky dimmed as if it were being rapidly devoured by the vast expanse of murky greyness.

Thats a devilish mark, the phenomenon that heralds the arrival of the devilish tribulation! Hai Yuetian exclaimed as his face paled considerably.

Bai Guoer and Qi Lingzi were also staring intently up into the murky grey heavens with strained looks on their faces.

This is indeed a devilish mark, the devilish tribulation is arriving earlier than anticipated, Bai Guoer murmured.

It may not be a true devilish mark, perhaps its just a similar phenomenon. Well have to get people from Deep Heaven City to officially verify it, Qi Lingzi said in a hopeful manner.

Hmph, whats there to verify? If this really is a devilish mark, then this wont be the only one that appears, Hai Yuetian countered with a shake of his head.

Thats true, everyone in the three regions have most likely already been alerted to this, Qi Lingzi replied.

Theres no need to be overly concerned, Senior Martial Brother. The emergence of the devilish mark only indicates that the Elder Devil Realm is just beginning to overlap with our Spirit Realm, and this process is an extremely slow one. According to past records, itll be at least half a year before the Elder Devil Race will actually be able to infiltrate our Spirit Realm, so we still have ample time to make preparations, Bai Guoer reassured.

That is indeed true, but the Elder Devil Race can also gather their troops at the devilish marks, so the first few waves of attacks will be particularly ferocious. I wonder how many cities will survive, Qi Lingzi said with a wry smile.

Bai Guoer and Hai Yuetians expressions darkened even further upon hearing this.

Right at this moment, light flashed in the distant sky, and a golden flying ark traveled toward them.

There were a dozen or so azure-armored guards standing atop the ark, which was over 100 feet in length, and all of the guards wore solemn expressions.

The ark stopped under the giant grey mark, and all of the armored guards rose up into the air, then brought out formation flags and formation plates, as well as some strangely-shaped treasures, before activating all of them in unison.

Spiritual light of different colors immediately erupted in the air, creating a very eye-catching sight to behold, and there were even more streaks of light approaching this place from all directions.

Lets go. The patrolling guards from Deep Heaven City have arrived, we have to inform Master of this right away, Qi Lingzi said in a solemn voice.

Bai Guoer and Hai Yuetian naturally had no objections to this, and three of them all flew toward a certain mountain.

…

At the center of a secret chamber that was shimmering with faint white light, there was a huge azure cauldron that was around the same height as a grown man hovering in mid-air.

There were three Han Lis seated around the cauldron atop futons, and all of them were completely still with their eyes tightly shut.

Among the three Han Lis, one was shimmering with golden light and had black Qi revolving around his body, one had green skin and was glowing with purple light, and the final one had a golden halo behind him that was constantly fluctuating in size, and contained countless surging golden runes.

At the center of the halo, there were 72 azure swords pursuing one another.

All of a sudden, the three Han Lis opened their eyes in unison, then raised their arms in complete synchronicity before thrusting their hands toward the giant cauldron.

A dull clang rang out as the lid of the cauldron flew up into the air, following which countless white threads shot forth out of the cauldron.

The three Han Lis then each pointed a finger toward the air above the cauldron, and the white threads seemed to have encountered an invisible barrier that forced them to abruptly halt in mid-air.

Right at this moment, a loud buzzing sound rang out from within the cauldron, and a dozen or so balls of golden light emerged. These were thirteen fist-sized golden beetles, and all of them had purple patterns all over their bodies. Furthermore, their abdomens were as translucent as elixir, and as soon as they emerged from the cauldron, they immediately engaged in a fierce brawl, trying to devour their companions.

Bursts of astonishing baleful Qi erupted forth as the buzzing sound grew even louder, and the three Han Lis immediately let loose a collective loud cry upon seeing this. Spiritual light flashed from their fingers, and they cast a series of incantation seals toward the beetles.

Han Lis expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and he heaved a faint sigh before extending a salute toward Qing Yuanzi. Of course. Please bid farewell to Fairy Yuan and Fairy Yan in my stead, Senior. Ill be taking my leave now.

Seeing as Han Li was so willing to comply, Qing Yuanzis expression eased slightly, and he explained, Hehe, please dont blame for being inhospitable, Fellow Daoist Han, its just that it would be very detrimental for Yaoer to interact with you excessively during this critical juncture. If you stay with her for too long, itll most likely be very difficult for her to overcome her inner demons when she attempts to make a breakthrough, so I must take the necessary precautions.

You misunderstand, Senior, I see Fairy Yuan only as a close friend of mine, Han Li said with a wry smile, unsure of exactly how to explain the situation.

You may only see her as a close friend, but that may not necessarily be what she thinks, Qing Yuanzi said with a hint of a smile on his face.

I dont know how to explain myself, Senior, and Im sure you dont want to hear my explanation anyway. In any case, it was all thanks to your support that I was able to obtain the Divine Infernal River Elixir, and Ill definitely remember your kindness. Hopefully, the next time we meet, youll have already successfully transcended your tribulation, Senior, Han Li said as he extended a parting salute.

I also wish you luck in progressing to the Grand Ascension Stage, Fellow Daoist Han. Qing Yuanzi returned Han Lis salute.

Han Li nodded upon seeing this, and he flew away as a streak of azure light, heading directly toward the spatial rift through which he had departed last time.

His cultivation base had been lacking in the past, so he could only depart through the spatial rift with Qing Yuanzis assistance. However, now that he was at the mid-Body Integration Stage, he no longer required such assistance.

Qing Yuanzi hovered in mid-air, and only after the streak of azure light had completely vanished into the distance did he heave a faint sigh.

That Han brat has certainly made some rapid progress. Now that hes obtained so much Divine Infernal River Elixir, it shouldnt be an issue at all for him to reach the late-Body Integration Stage in the future. However, itll be quite unlikely for him to progress to the Grand Ascension Stage unless he encounters some opportunities. Then again, he possesses quite a vast array of powerful treasures and secrets, so it may not be impossible for him. Ive assisted him to the best of my abilities here, if he does happen to become a Grand Ascension cultivator someday, perhaps hell return the favor. After that, Qing Yuanzi withdrew his gaze and flew back toward his cave abode.

Over half a day later, violent spatial fluctuations suddenly erupted in the air above a certain nameless mountain in the infernal river, following which a giant black rift appeared out of thin air.

An earth-shattering boom rang out as a five-colored pillar of light erupted from the summit of the mountain, then vanished into the rift in a flash.

The spatial fluctuations then began to subside, and the giant rift also slowly sealed over. Soon, it was as if nothing had ever happened.

…

Time flew by, and over 300 years passed in the blink of an eye. To normal mortals, several generations had passed during this time, yet in the context of the entire Spirit Realm, this was only a tiny fleeting passage. To the almighty beings standing at the pinnacle of the entire Spirit Realm, 300 years was not a negligible period of time. Some powerful sects and major families could use this time to nurture several generations of brethren and disciples, and during these 300 years, massive changes had taken place in the entire human race.

At present, groups of armored guards were a common sight in the three human regions, and all of the major cities had been transformed into fortresses.

At the centers of these cities were a series of formations and restrictions that sprawled over the ground like cobwebs, stacking on top of one another and striking despair into the hearts of all potential enemies who were plotting against the human cities.

Several hundred years ago, Core Formation and Nascent Soul cultivators were very rare in normal cities, yet they were now frequently appearing before mortals. Some of the luckier mortals could even occasionally catch sight of a Deity Transformation cultivator.

On top of that, during the past few centuries, the number of mortal body refinement warriors had spiked dramatically to over 10 times the original population. Furthermore, they had all been equipped with far more powerful weapons and spirit tools than in the past. As for the mortals who werent even able to cultivate body refinement techniques, they would also train in martial arts to strengthen their bodies and learn some self-preservation skills.

Almost all of these tasks were being willingly undertaken by the mortals as everyone had now been made aware of the news that the next devilish tribulation was imminent. reeebnovel.om

Over 100 years ago, envoys from the holy island had appeared at all of the major cities, and announced that the devilish tribulation would commence within 200 years. On top of that, they stated that this devilish tribulation was going to be far more perilous than previous ones, and that the human race was truly at risk of being wiped out should it fail to address the situation seriously.

Thus, the entire human race was thrown into a state of urgency, and all of the preparations were being made at several times the original speed. All of the materials and ingredients in the major markets were quickly sold out, and only some private medicine gardens belonging to powerful sects and major families still had some spirit medicines planted.

Even so, these spirit medicines were different from the precious spirit medicines planted in these gardens in the past. Most of the current ones were spirit medicines with short maturation periods, and were also very commonly used.

On top of that, all of the things that the major powers had been doing their best to hide in the past were now quickly being revealed.

Some of the major powers had even begun frequently exchanging some secret techniques and cultivation arts that they required, hoping to take themselves up another level using these new assets.

Of course, the most prominent powers within the human race were still Deep Heaven City and the three sovereign cities.

There were countless elite human and demon cultivators, as well as 10 Body Integration cultivators situated in Deep Heaven City, so it was virtually an impregnable fortress. As for the three sovereign cities, they were guarded by the three human sovereigns and all of the high-grade cultivators from the three regions, so they also seemed to be very secure.

The powers who ranked directly below these were naturally the likes of the top 10 human sects, and the true spirit families. They also attracted many mortals and vagrant cultivators who flocked to them for protection, and in just the past few centuries, their numbers had multiplied by more than tenfold, almost reaching their maximal capacity in the process.

Not only were the humans doing everything they could to prepare for the upcoming devilish tribulation, the demon race and the nearby foreign races had also mobilized in huge numbers. During the past 300 years, all of the races had frequently sent out envoys to exchange important information surrounding the imminent tribulation.

Under this tense atmosphere, there were a few hundred cultivators gathered on a mountain within a mountain range not far away from Deep Heaven City. There was a white-robed woman sitting on a giant rock at the very center of the group, and everyone was listening to her explain a certain complex cultivation art.

The woman appeared to be only 17 to 18 years of age, and her body was enveloped within layers of white lotus flower projections. There was also a deep blue lotus flower insignia on her glabella, which gave her a pure and ethereal appearance, almost as if she were a celestial maiden who had descended from the heavens.

There were cultivators of both genders and all ages listening to her pass on her knowledge, but most of them wore Daoist robe, while the rest wore blue robes with swords on their backs, they seemed to be from the same sect.

However, none of them possessed exceptional cultivation bases. There were only a few Core Formation cultivators among them, while the majority consisted of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Two hours later, the woman finally concluded her lecture, then said in a calm voice, Alright, thatll be all for today. The next lecture will be held three months from now, and the Dao of the five elements will be discussed. You can all leave now.

Yes, Senior! All of the cultivators extended respectful bows toward the woman upon hearing this before departing from the mountain on their treasures and spirit tools.

The white-robed woman looked on as these people departed, and all of a sudden, her brows furrowed slightly as she turned toward a certain large tree. Senior Martial Brother Hai, these disciples belong to you and Senior Martial Brother Qi Lingzi, yet youre forcing me to teach them, dont you think thats unfair?

White light flashed at the foot of the tree, and a handsome man in a set of blue robes appeared with a smile on his face. I never wanted to take any disciples, I was swindled by our senior martial brother and ended up with this troublesome task before I even knew what was going on. Besides, your lectures are 100 times better than what the two of us can deliver. Otherwise, these people wouldnt have been able to make such astonishing progress in just a few centuries, there are even a few Core Formation cultivators among their ranks now.

I cant be credited for the progress that these disciples have made, most of this is due to the leftover pills that Master gave to us. We no longer have any need for these pills, so your disciples are benefitting from them now. Speaking of which, why did you get involved in this? Senior Martial Brother Qi Lingzi took these disciples so he could take the Mistsea Daoist Temple to greater heights, what role do you play in this? the white-robed woman complained.

Hey, you cant blame me here, Qi Lingzi goaded me into doing this, the blue-robed man said in an indignant manner.

Spiritual light flashed as a yellow-robed Daoist priest abruptly appeared beside another tree, and he chuckled, Hehe, youre not telling the truth there, Junior Martial Brother. You were smiling from ear to ear when all of those disciples referred to you as master.

This trio was none other than Han Lis three in-name disciples, Bai Guoer, Qi Lingzi, and Hai Yuetian.

Their physical appearances hadnt changed at all during the past three centuries, but their auras and dispositions had undergone drastic transformations.

I see. Does that mean nurturing a beetle monarch requires a large number of Gold Devouring Beetles to devour one another? Han Li asked with a contemplative look in his eyes.

You sure are a smart man, Fellow Daoist, thats not the entire process, but its not far from it. However, aside from the grand elders of our Mayfly Race, very few people in the outside world are aware of the existence of Gold Devouring Beetle Monarchs. Judging from your reaction just now, it seems that youve already heard of Gold Devouring Beetle Monarchs, Qing Yuanzi was the one who told you, right? Hes quite friendly with one of the other grand elders of our race, so Im sure he knows about this as well, Voidspirit chuckled coldly.

After a brief silence, Han Li replied, I did indeed hear about this from Senior Qing. He told me that once a Gold Devouring Beetle Monarch is born, even a true immortal would be fearful of it, is that true?

Thats a slight exaggeration, but Gold Devouring Beetle Monarchs are indeed extremely powerful. At the very least, I certainly wouldnt want to face one in battle, Voidspirit chuckled.

Han Li nodded before asking, I see. May I ask how much of a chance you think youd have at nurturing a Gold Devouring Beetle Monarchs after obtaining my Gold Devouring Beetles, Senior?

Voidspirit narrowed his eyes and thought about this for a moment before holding up two fingers.

20%? Thats not very high, Han Li mused as his expression changed slightly.

Hmph, what do you take Gold Devouring Beetle Monarchs for? I can only claim a 20% chance of success as Ive been studying insect nurturing techniques for many years and have many tricks up my sleeve. If someone else without my knowledge were to attempt this, they wouldnt even have a 10% chance. Alright, Ive already answered all of your questions, its time for you to fulfill your end of our agreement. You can state what you want for your Gold Devouring Beetles now, Voidspirit said as a cold expression reappeared on his face.

Han Li seemed to have already made his decision, and upon being prompted by Voidspirit, he immediately replied, Ill naturally fulfill my end of the agreement, and as for what I want for my Gold Devouring Beetles, there are two things.

Go on, then, Voidspirit said as his expression eased slightly.

Firstly, I dont require any treasures. Instead, I would like some more Divine Infernal River Elixir. As you just said, with sufficient Gold Devouring Beetles, the elixir wont matter to you, so Im sure Im not asking for too much here. Secondly, I also have some knowledge in insect nurturing techniques, and I have some Gold Devouring Beetles leftover as well. Hence, I would also like to try my hand at nurturing a Gold Devouring Beetle Monarch. I dont know how many years itll take before I can gather enough mature Gold Devouring Beetles again, but I still want to give it a try. As such, I would like a copy of the Gold Devouring Beetle Monarch nurturing secret technique, Han Li said in a serious manner.

Voidspirits pupils contracted slightly upon hearing this, and he fell into deep thought.

After a while, Voidspirit finally said with furrowed brows, The first condition is easy to fulfill, I cant give you all of my elixir, but I can spare you four or five vials. However, the second condition is going to be a little troublesome. The secret technique youre asking for is an extremely closely-guarded one in our Mayfly Race, and not even all of the elders of our race have seen it. Hence, it would not be right of me to disclose this information to an outsider.

If its only a little troublesome, then Im sure youll still be able to do it, right, Senior? Compared to one of your bonded spirit insects or that damaged Profound Heavenly Treasure, the conditions Ive proposed are far more lenient, Han Li countered with a smile.

Hehe, thats true. Alright, I can agree to these conditions, but you have to swear a vow on your inner demons to not disclose the secret technique to anyone else. At your cultivation base, inner demons become extremely fearsome, and if you go back on your word, theres a very good chance that youll perish during your future tribulation. If youre willing to swear this vow, then I can give you the secret technique, Voidspirit said with a smile.

Of course, thats a very reasonable request. Han Li was elated to hear this, and he adopted a serious expression before swearing a vow that was satisfactory to Voidspirit.

Alright, lets begin our exchange, then. Here are a few vials of Divine Infernal River Elixir. Voidspirit nodded in a pleased manner before sweeping a sleeve through the air, sending five small green vials flying directly toward Han Li.

Han Li raised a hand to draw the five small vials into his grasp, then removed their lids one by one, using his spiritual sense to examine their contents. An elated look quickly appeared in his eyes, and produced a spirit beast bracelet before also tossing it toward Voidspirit with a flick of his wrist. Here are 5,000 mature Gold Devouring Beetles, Senior.

Voidspirit drew the bracelet into his grasp, yet instead of releasing the spirit insects within it, he closed his eyes and directed his spiritual sense into the bracelet.

Moments later, an excited look appeared on his face.

These are all indeed completely mature Gold Devouring Beetles, and theyve developed even better than I had anticipated! Take this jade slip, and dont show it to anyone else, Voidspirit warned.

As soon as his voice trailed off, a jade slip that he had already prepared flew out of his sleeve, then reached Han Li after just a few flashes.

I wont, Senior, Han Li replied in a respectful manner as he gleefully caught the jade slip, then pressed it against his own forehead.

In an instant, the ancient text within the jade slip appeared in his mind like a series of vivid images.

Voidspirit stowed away the spirit beast bracelet containing the Gold Devouring Beetles, then turned to appraise Han Li with a hint of a smile on his face, seemingly very interested in Han Li. After a while, Han Li removed the jade slip from his forehead and withdrew his spiritual sense.

So? There are no issues with the secret technique I gave you, right? Voidspirit asked with a smile.

Not at all, Senior! The secret technique you gave me is extremely profound, and its answered many of the questions I had when it came to insect nurturing, Han Li replied in a respectful manner as he stowed the jade slip up his sleeve.

Oh? You must be adept in insect nurturing if you got that much from inspecting the secret technique for a short time. However, I should caution you that even though Gold Devouring Beetle Monarchs are extremely powerful, both luck and effort are indispensable if you want to successfully nurture one, so Id advise you to exercise caution in this endeavor, Voidspirit said with a meaningful look in his eyes.

Thank you, Senior, Ill be sure to do so, Han Li replied.

Alright, seeing as our exchange has concluded, you can leave the Black Wind Pavilion now, and Ill come out after you. Dont keep Golden Flame and Qing Yuanzi waiting out there for too long, Voidspirit said.

Yes, Senior. Ill be going on ahead, then. Han Li naturally offered no objections, and after extending a parting salute, he flew out of the hall as a streak of azure light, quickly vanishing into the black Qi outside.

Hehe, a mere Body Integration cultivator dares to think about nurturing a Gold Devouring Beetle Monarch? How laughable! If it really was that easy to nurture beings that are comparable to true spirits, then our Mayfly Race would be ruling over the entire Spirit Realm already! Even in the entire history of our Mayfly Race, no one has actually succeeded in nurturing a Gold Devouring Beetle Monarch. Its a pity I had to hand over those vials of Divine Infernal Elixir, though. However, with these 5,000 Gold Devouring Insects, there should be a very good chance that Ill be able to refine a Myriad Spirit Umbrella thatll assist me in my tribulation transcendence. Mature Gold Devouring Beetles are virtually indestructible to begin with, so a Myriad Spirit Umbrella refined using them should also have the same quality. Looks like Ill have a greater chance of transcending that ascension tribulation, Voidspirit chuckled coldly as soon as Han Li departed.

After that, he flipped a hand over to produce the spirit beast bracelet containing the Gold Devouring Beetles, then made a hand seal before pointing a finger at the bracelet.

Spiritual light flashed, and a burst of black light surged out of his fingertip, swirling around the bracelet and freezing it into a chunk of black profound ice.

He then instantly plastered several shimmering blue talismans onto the chunk of ice before stowing it away.

Around an hour later, two streaks of light, one golden and one azure, flew out of the white light barrier over the island, then traveled toward a certain direction. freeebnovel.com

The two streaks of light naturally contained none other than Qing Yuanzi and Han Li.

Golden Flame Baron and Qing Yuanzi seemed to have a tacit understanding with one another, and neither of them asked Han Li or Voidspirit about the details surrounding their deal.

After chatting about some other things and sampling some of the exceptional spirit wine brewed by Golden Flame Baron, everyone departed from his island.

Along the way, neither of them said much, and the two headed directly toward Qing Yuanzis cave abode.

Around half a month later, the familiar tall mountain finally appeared in the distance.

All of a sudden, Qing Yuanzi abruptly stopped, and Han Li was slightly taken aback by this, but he naturally also stopped.

Fellow Daoist Han, youve gotten what you want, so Ive repaid the favor I owe you. As such, this is where well part ways. After I get back, Im going to seal the mountain right away so I can focus on transcending my next major heavenly tribulation. Yaoer will only be able to assist me in the process once she reaches the Body Integration Stage, so shell be going into seclusion together with me. Ive prepared all of the pills she needs to successfully break through her bottleneck, and I wont be letting her go anywhere until she reaches the Body Integration Stage. Do you understand what Im saying, Fellow Daoist Han? Qing Yuanzi asked in a meaningful voice.

You can say its useful, but you can also say its useless, it depends on the intentions of the owner of the spirit insects, Voidspirit said with a smile.

A hint of puzzlement flashed through Han Lis eyes upon hearing this.

If you only want to nurture mature Gold Devouring Beetles, then Divine Infernal River Elixir naturally wont have much effect, but if you want them to advance a step further, then Divine Infernal River Elixir becomes indispensable, Voidspirit explained in a meaningful voice.

Advance a step further? A thought immediately occurred to Han Li upon hearing this, and a stunned look appeared on his face.

Thats right. Ill tell you about the specific details later. I didnt think that you would possess mature Gold Devouring Beetles as well. In that case, this Divine Infernal River Elixir isnt all that important to me. I would like to negotiate a deal with you, but this is a rather secretive matter, so we have to discuss things in private. Golden Flame, Qing Yuanzi, you dont mind, do you? Voidspirit asked in an indifferent manner. frewebnovel.com

His expression seemed to be quite calm, but the tone in his voice suggested that he wasnt going to take no for an answer.

Qing Yuanzis heart stirred at the sight of the cold look in Voidspirits eyes, and he said, I naturally wont mind as long as youre not going to hard sell Fellow Daoist Han.

I certainly dont mind, go ahead, Brother Voidspirit, Golden Flame Baron also said with a smile.

Good. In that case, please excuse me. Voidspirit nodded in a pleased manner before opening his mouth to expel a miniature pavilion that was around half a foot tall and shimmering with black light.

The pavilion was entirely black in color, and its surface was riddled with runes of different colors. On top of that, the entirety of the structure was enshrouded within a layer of faint black Qi, giving it quite a mysterious appearance.

Voidspirit made a hand seal, and the pavilion immediately expanded to around 10 feet tall as he said, Fellow Daoist Han, bring along your Gold Devouring Beetles and come for a chat here in my Black Wind Pavilion.

He then didnt even bother to wait for Han Lis response as he stowed away his own Gold Devouring Beetles, then quickly shrank down to only around an inch in height before vanishing into the pavilion in a flash.

Ill also have to excuse myself, then. Han Li was feeling very uneasy, but he knew he had no choice in the matter, so he could only bid farewell to Qing Yuanzi and Golden Flame Baron with a wry smile.

Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Han, Brother Voidspirit has a rather eccentric personality, but he wouldnt stoop to doing something unbefitting of his status. Having said that, I suggest you agree to the exchange he offers as long as the conditions arent too heavily weighed against your favor, Qing Yuanzi said with slightly furrowed brows.

Thank you, Senior Qing, I know what I have to do, Han Li replied with a solemn voice, then stowed away his Gold Devouring Beetles and vanished into the pavilion as an azure thread.

In the instant that he entered the pavilion, all ties to the outside world were immediately cut off.

All of a sudden, Golden Flame Baron transmitted his voice to Qing Yuanzi. Are you really not concerned, Brother Qing? Not only is that old geezer extremely erratic, his powers are well beyond ours. If he tries something against Fellow Daoist Han in there, neither of us will be able to stop him in time.

I think youre overthinking things, Fellow Daoist. That old monster is indeed quite domineering, but hes never done anything unbefitting of his status before, so we need not worry. Besides, I owe Fellow Daoist Han quite a big favor, and I want to protect him as best as I can, but if possible, I really dont want to offend that old monster. Otherwise, there wont be any place for me here in the infernal river, Qing Yuanzi replied.

Thats true. With his powers, hed most likely be able to defend himself even against a true spirit, so its not like our concerns will amount to anything, anyway. However, why did he display such a strong reaction to those Gold Devouring Beetles? I understand that theyre exceedingly rare, but doesnt he possess the same type of spirit insect as well? Can you deduce anything from that, Brother Qing? Golden Flame Baron asked.

You think far too highly of me, Fellow Daoist. I can only assume that Fellow Daoist Hans Gold Devouring Beetles are going to be useful to him somehow, Qing Yuanzi replied in an intentionally ambiguous manner.

Is that so? Golden Flame Baron clearly wasnt convinced, but Qing Yuanzi merely smiled and refused to comment further on this matter.

Meanwhile, Han Li and Voidspirit were conversing in their miniature forms within the hall of the black pavilion.

Take a seat, Fellow Daoist Han. This Black Wind Pavilion of mine counts as half a spatial treasure. Not only can I adjust its size at will, it can keep out all spiritual sense, so theres no danger of our conversation being overheard by anyone else, Voidsprit said with a smile as he sat casually down onto the main seat.

Thank you, Senior. Han Li extended a respectful salute before also taking a seat.

Prior to discussing our deal, I have to verify one thing first, Fellow Daoist Han, roughly how many mature Gold Devouring Beetles do you have? Would you be able to tell me an exact number? Voidspirit asked with irrepressible excitement in his voice.

An exact number? A hesitant look appeared on Han Lis face upon hearing this.

Voidspirit immediately realized his mistake, and said, Ah, forgive me, I was too direct there. The main thing that makes Gold Devouring Beetles fearsome is their numbers, so it would be taboo of me to enquire about how many you have. How about this? All you have to tell me is whether you have over 5,000 such spirit insects.

A slightly nervous look appeared in Voidspirits eyes as he spoke. Many thoughts raced through Han Lis mind at once, but in the end, he still gave a truthful response, even though he wouldve much rather lied through his teeth.

Who knew if this Voidspirit would turn on him if an unsatisfactory response were given? After all, lies were extremely brittle in the face of powerful cultivators, and perhaps Voidspirit would forcibly examine the number of Gold Devouring Beetles Han Li possessed for himself.

So you do have over 5,000, thats fantastic! In that case, we can make a deal with one another, Voidspirit said in an elated manner.

Could it be that this deal you propose has something to do with the number of Gold Devouring Beetles I have, Senior?

Voidspirit rubbed his hands together with a pair of glowing eyes, and said, Of course! I only want 5,000 mature Gold Devouring Beetles from you. As for what Im willing to offer in exchange, you can ask for anything you want. As long as I have it, its yours!

5,000 Gold Devouring Beetles? Even though Han Li had already guessed that this would be the case, he was still rather surprised to hear this.

Youve put me in a really rough spot, Senior. I naturally have more than 5,000 mature Gold Devouring Beetles, but that number definitely accounts for the majority of all my beetles. I was hoping to use them as a trump card if I could reach the Grand Ascension Stage someday.

Voidspirits smile faded, and a cold look appeared on his face as he said, Indeed, 5,000 mature Gold Devouring Beetles are extremely valuable, but as long as value can be assigned to something, it can be exchanged. Setting aside everything else, there are a few types of spirit insects in my possession that I havent yet shown you, and theyre all at least as powerful as your Gold Devouring Beetles. On top of that, the damaged Profound Heavenly Treasure I have is surely worth more than 5,000 Gold Devouring Beetles.

That may be the case, but those spirit insects must be your bonded spirit insects, and as for that damaged Profound Heavenly Treasure, I definitely wouldnt dare to ask for it, Im sure that itll only bring me misfortune. How about this? Would you be able to disclose to me why youd like so many Gold Devouring Beetles, Senior? Im rather perplexed as these Gold Devouring Beetles have recognized me as their master for many years, so even if you do take them, you wont be able to use them in battle. On top of that, 5,000 is a very specific number, which makes things even more perplexing to me, Han Li said after a brief moment of contemplation.

Hmph, you dare to pry into my matters? The cold expression on Voidspirits face grew even more pronounced.

Please forgive me, Senior. I invested countless time and effort into nurturing these Gold Devouring Beetles to maturity, and theyre almost as important as my own life. If I dont know what theyre going to be used for, Ill be very reluctant to hand them over, Han Li said in a resolute unyielding manner.

Hehe, thats reasonable. Alright, I can tell you what I intend to with these Gold Devouring Beetles, but after you hear my plans, you cant refuse this exchange. Otherwise… A menacing smile appeared on Voidspirits face as he spoke.

Han Li contemplated this for a short while before finally heaving a resigned sigh, Alright, Ill agree to the exchange.

Haha, youve made a wise decision, Fellow Daoist Han. Now then, I want your Gold Devouring Beetles as I plan to nurture a legendary Gold Devouring Beetle Monarch. In order to nurture this beetle monarch, a large number of mature Gold Devouring Beetles is required. As for why I specifically requested 5,000, thats because I already have another 5,000 mature Gold Devouring Beetles, and 10,000 should be more than enough for me to nurture a beetle monarch. Hence, any more than that would simply be superfluous, Voidspirit explained, and Han Lis heart immediately jolted upon hearing this.

Then why were you collecting Divine Infernal River Elixir, Senior? Han Li asked.

A large amount of Divine Infernal River Elixir is one of the other methods to nurture a beetle monarch. However, if I come into possession of a sufficient number of mature Gold Devouring Beetles, then the elixir doesnt really matter, Voidspirit replied.

Something I definitely wont refuse? Han Li faltered slightly upon hearing this.

Qing Yuanzi and Golden Flame Baron exchanged a glance, and both of them seemed to have guessed something.

Instead of directly telling Han Li what he was going to offer next, Voidspirit said something that was rather cryptic and ambiguous. At this point, you should already know that Im a grand elder of the Mayfly Race. Our Mayfly Race may not be able to match up against the super races like the Jiao Chi Race and Sea Monarch Race, but in some areas, we are peerless even in the context of the entire Spirit Realm.

He then reached out and made a grabbing motion, upon which all of the treasures suspended in the air flew back into his sleeve as specks of spiritual light.

Han Lis heart jolted upon hearing this, and he exclaimed, Are you referring to insect control techniques, Senior?

Haha, thats right! Our races insect control techniques are definitely unmatched in the Spirit Realm. Even if some of the other super races can compare with us in this field, theyre definitely still somewhat lacking. What Im offering you now are two of the 81 types of spirit insects that Ive painstakingly nurtured. With these spirit insects up your sleeve, youll be able to stand at the very pinnacle of the Body Integration Stage, Voidspirit said in a proud manner, then pointed two of his fingers forward, and two thumb-sized spirit insects, one purple and one green, emerged onto the table.

One of these spirit insects had arcs of lightning flashing around its body, while the other had a miniature wyrm head.

Thats a Purple Lightning Insect and Earth Wrym Insect! How could you be willing to offer these two spirit insects for exchange? Golden Flame Baron immediately exclaimed upon catching sight of the two spirit insects.

A bewildered look also appeared on Qing Yuanzis face.

Hmph, you dont know anything. In the past, Divine Infernal River Elixir naturally wouldnt be worth this much in my eyes, but now, its indispensable to me. Fellow Daoist Han, both of these spirit insects have been carefully nurtured by me for tens of thousands of years, and they can each take on an early-Body Integration cultivator. As long as youre willing to give me your elixir, Ill destroy the master recognition marks in their bodies right away and help you tame them. Hehe, even in the Mayfly Race, Im most likely the only one capable of this, Voidspirit harrumphed coldly, and it was quite clear that he was very reluctant to part with these two spirit insects.

Han Li drew a sharp breath upon hearing this, and for a moment, he was tempted by this offer. However, he then recalled that he still had tens of thousands of Gold Devouring Beetles that he was still yet to be able to fully control, and he immediately made his decision.

Even though a single Gold Devouring Beetle wasnt as powerful as either of these spirit insects, if he were to release hundreds or even thousands of them at once, these two spirit insects would stand no chance.

In the face of Voidspirits stern gaze, Han Li could only muster ups his courage, and said, Your spirit insects are indeed quite exceptional, Senior, but I already have spirit insects of my own…

What did you say? Are you saying you have spirit insects that can compare with mine? My patience is nearing its limit! Dont try to placate me with nonsense or youre going to regret it! A furious look appeared on Voidspirits face.

Han Lis heart jolted upon seeing this, yet before he had a chance to explain anything, Qing Yuanzi suddenly said, Brother Voidspirit, I can personally vouch for Fellow Daoist Hans claims. He really does possess a type of extremely powerful spirit insects, even more so than the spirit insects you possess.

I know youre trying to protect him, but do you really think you can convince me with such a horrible alibi? Hes just a mid-Body Integration cultivator, what kind of spirit insects could he possess that are superior to mine? On top of that, the only people to have seen the most powerful spirit insects I possess are already dead, so how would you know about them? Voidspirit said in a cold voice.

Hehe, perhaps you really do possess more powerful spirit insects than these two, but Im sure you wouldnt be willing to offer them up for exchange. In that case, what youre offering really cant compare with Fellow Daoist Hans spirit insects, Qing Yuanzi said with a smile.

Hehe, is that so? As I said earlier, Ive nurtured 81 types of spirit insects. Aside from the few bonded spirit insects Ive completely refined, Im willing to offer any of them for the Divine Infernal River Elixir. Take a good look!

As soon as his voice trailed off, a layer of black Qi appeared around him, inundating most of his body. He then made a hand seal and began to chant something, and all types of buzzing and screeching sounds rang out as hundreds of spirit insects appeared around him.

The largest of these spirit insects were comparable to the size of human heads, while the smallest were as diminutive as peas. They were all of different colors and appearances, but the common trait between all of them was their terrifying and ferocious auras.

Voidspirit pointed at the spirit insects before him and introduced them one by one. This golden-spotted insect is the Vajra Insect. Its body is extraordinarily hard, and even spirit treasures wont be able to harm it in the slightest. The one enshrouded within the five-colored light is a Baleful Silkworm. Its forte lies in its ability to devour baleful Qi, and it possesses such a powerful life force that its virtually unkillable. Even if you tear into pieces, it can regenerate in an instant. This crimson praying mantis is the vastly renowned Ghost Mantis. Its aura isnt all that powerful, but it hunts in swarms and is one of the most vicious and violent types of spirit insects. They can devour an entire wyrm in a day, and at the height of their bloodlust, even I would have trouble containing them…

These spirit insects were indeed all extremely rare in the Spirit Realm, and some of them were ones that Han Li had only ever heard for the first time.

What made them even more alluring was that they had all been nurtured to the point of maturity, so they would immediately be powerful allies in battle.

How about it? How many types of these spirit insects have you seen in the past? Ill make an exception for you, Fellow Daoist Han, Ill allow you to exchange each vial of elixir you have for one type of spirit insect. That should be enough, right? If you turn me down again and dont provide me with a satisfactory reason, then dont blame me for turning on you, Voidspirit said in a slow voice, just as Han Li was inspecting the spirit insects before him with awe and wonder in his eyes.

Han Lis eyelids twitched upon hearing this, and he turned to Qing Yuanzi for help.

After a brief hesitation, Qing Yuanzi said in a serious manner, Show Brother Voidspirit your spirit insects, Fellow Daoist Han. Im sure hell understand once he sees them.

Yes, Senior. Han Li was quite reluctant to comply with this instruction, but there was no way he could refuse. Thus, he rustled a sleeve, tipping out a dozen or so thumb-sized golden flowers amid a faint buzzing sound.

As soon as these golden flowers emerged, they immediately expanded to become fist-sized golden beetles amid a flash of spiritual light, and they looked as if they had been constructed from pure gold.

Mature Gold Devouring Beetles! Golden Flame Baron exclaimed as he stared intently at the golden beetles with a stunned look in his eyes.

Voidspirit shuddered at the sight of these Gold Devouring Beetles, and an extremely peculiar look appeared on his face.

Qing Yuanzis brows furrowed slightly upon seeing Voidspirits reaction, this was not the reaction he had expected!

Even though he felt this to be rather strange, he still said, Im sure you recognize Gold Devouring Beetles, Brother Voidspirit, you have to admit that these spirit insects are more powerful than the ones you offered, so Fellow Daoist Han isnt trying to irk you, he simply has no reason to accept the exchange. Of course, if you can bring out better spirit insects than Gold Devouring Beetles, then I wont say anything further about this matter.

Much to everyones surprise, Voidspirit suddenly threw his head back, and chortled, Haha, this is fantastic…

His voice was filled with elation, and Han Li was left feeling rather perplexed.

Meanwhile, Golden Flame Baron was appraising Han Li with a complex look in his eyes.

Brother Voidspirit, you…

Say no more, Brother Qing. Let me show you another spirit insect of mine that I have never shown to anyone else.

As soon as his voice trailed off, he swept both sleeves through the air, and all of the spirit insects around him immediately flew back up his sleeves.

He then opened his mouth to expel a shimmering silver gourd, which then abruptly tipped itself over while its lid was removed on its own.

A burst of buzzing rang out, and specks of golden light emerged from within the gourd before hovering in the air.

Impossible!

Golden Flame Baron and Qing Yuanzi exclaimed almost in complete unison upon identifying exactly what these specks of golden light were, and Han Li was also completely flabbergasted.

These specks of golden light also contained golden beetles that were identical to Han Lis Gold Devouring Beetles, and they were also buzzing in a menacing manner.

Only after a long while did Han Li manage to repress his own astonishment, and he exhaled as he said, So you possess mature Gold Devouring Beetles as well, Senior.

Indeed. Even Ive forgotten how many years its been since I first began to nurture them, and they only reached full maturity several hundred years ago, so you can imagine how much time and effort I spent on them. Theyre also the reason why Im searching for so much Divine Infernal River Elixir, Voidspirit said.

Divine Infernal River Elixir works on Gold Devouring Beetles as well? Han Li asked in a surprised manner.

You want to see some good stuff? You sure dare to talk, Golden Flame! I do indeed have a few treasures that are on the Chaotic Myriad Spirit Roll, and theyre even more valuable than Divine Spirit Treasures, but do you think Ill be willing to exchange those for Divine Infernal River Elixir? the elderly man chuckled coldly, turning down Golden Flame Barons request without any hesitation.

Hehe, I see. I had heard that you had obtained quite a powerful treasure that seems to be related to Profound Heavenly Treasures prior to your seclusion, and I really wanted to see it, Golden Flame Baron said in a slightly disappointed manner.

A Profound Heavenly Treasure? Qing Yuanzis expression changed slightly upon hearing this.

Voidspirit inspected Golden Flame Baron and Qing Yuanzi through narrowed eyes for a moment before suddenly smiling as he agreed, Hmph, you sure seem to know a lot about what Ive been up to recently. The treasure that I obtained was only a fragment of a Profound Heavenly Treasure, not a true Profound Heavenly Treasure. Seeing as youve already mentioned it, it would be stingy of me not to show you.

In that case, Brother Qing and I are truly in for a treat! This is the first time Ive ever seen a Profound Heavenly Treasure! Golden Flame Baron said in an ecstatic manner.

I managed to witness the power of a Profound Heavenly Treasure many years ago, but my cultivation base was far lower at the time, and I was situated quite far away, so I never saw what the Profound Heavenly Treasure truly looked like. Speaking of which, as one of the major races of the Tian Yuan Continent, the Mayfly Race should be in possession of a Profound Heavenly Treasure, right? A hint of excitement also flashed through Qing Yuanzis eyes as he spoke.

As for Han Li, his heart stirred slightly upon hearing the mention of Profound Heavenly Treasure, and he withdrew his gaze from the multitude of treasures in the air before turning his attention to the elderly man as well.

Our race does indeed have a Profound Heavenly Treasure, but it was given to Master Insect of our Mayfly Race countless years ago, and even Ive only ever seen illustrations of the treasure before. There are only a dozen or so true Profound Heavenly Treasures in the Spirit Realm, and they are the most powerful treasures this realm is capable of producing, the elderly man said as he rubbed his hands together, and a dull thump rang out as a ball of red light appeared between his hands.

Within the red light was an object that resembled an incense burner. Its surface was riddled with pits and bumps, and there were a few golden runes inscribed upon it. At the same time, there were diagrams of unknown beasts on top of the burner. Some of these beasts had falcon heads and horse bodies, some had pig heads and dragon bodies, but all of them were damaged and missing limbs.

Han Lis trio naturally focused their eyes on the item with different expressions on their faces.

This is a Profound Heavenly Treasure fragment? Golden Flame Baron asked with a hint of skepticism in his eyes.

Qing Yuanzis brows also furrowed slightly, but as opposed to being enraged by their suspicion, Voidspirit chuckled, Hehe, I had thought that beings of your powers wouldve learned not to judge a book by its cover.

He gently flicked a finger toward the incense burner as he spoke, and a crisp clang rang out, following which the burner tremored slightly, and the golden runes on its surface immediately lit up. The beastly diagrams on the top of the burner also began to glow with red light, and this red light manifested into the missing sections of the diagrams.

He then flicked his finger toward the incense burner a second time, and the golden runes on its surface disintegrated into countless specks of golden light that enveloped the entire burner.

Under the illumination of the red light, the beastly diagrams also sprang to life, and it looked as if they were going to spring out of the burner at any moment.

At the same time, an enormous burst of the worlds origin Qi proliferated forth from the burner, transforming into an enormous invisible force that enveloped the entire hall.

Han Li had risen to his feet earlier, and the terrifying pressure made his body sway as his expression changed ever so slightly.

Qing Yuanzi and Golden Flame Baron were still seated firmly in their chairs, but they also couldnt help but be amazed by the phenomena stemming from the incense burner.

This Profound Heavenly Treasure fragment was something I unintentionally stumbled upon in an ancient battlefield deep within the primordial world. What I just displayed was only around 10% of the full power of this treasure. If I were to unleash the entirety of its power, it would definitely be no less powerful than the top 10 treasures on the Chaotic Myriad Spirit Roll, the elderly man said in a smug manner as he withdrew his hand seal before drawing the incense burner back into his grasp.

Even just a fragment is capable of unleashing such power, I wonder just how fearsome a true Profound Heavenly Treasure would be. I really do envy your fortune, Brother Voidspirit. With this treasure, you should have a greater chance of transcending your future tribulation, Qing Yuanzi praised.

Hehe, I certainly hope so. However, the ascension tribulation is certainly not that easy to transcend. All beings from our Spirit Realm that have attempted to transcend this tribulation were extremely cautious and only dared to take on this monumental task after taking every single precaution they could, yet there are still only very few who make it in the end. If it werent for the fact that Im not confident in my ability to transcend my next major heavenly tribulation, I wouldnt be taking a risk to attempt ascension, either. If I had a true Profound Heavenly Treasure in my possession, perhaps I would have a decent chance, but unfortunately, Master Holy Insect has already refined our races Profound Heavenly Treasure to become a part of his body, so theres no way for me to borrow it, Voidspirit sighed in a wistful manner.

All of a sudden, Qing Yuanzi said something that made Han Lis heart skip a beat, Ive heard that a new Profound Heavenly Treasure seems to have appeared in our Spirit Realm several hundred years ago.

Is that true? Why have I never heard of this? Golden Flame Baron exclaimed in an incredulous manner.

I received this news too, from Elder Hua of my race. He told me that a Profound Heavenly Treasure had appeared on the Chaotic Myriad Spirit Roll over 100 years ago, and it created a massive stir. Even the Jiao Chi Race had traveled all the way to our continent in search of the treasure, and I had heard that they even performed a blood sacrifice to find the treasure, but to no avail. After that, no further news emerged of this treasure. No one knows if it developed intelligence of its own and hid itself, or was obtained by a mighty figure who used some kind of concealment technique to hide it. In any case, no one has any leads of where it may be. The elders in our race who were adept in divination expended an astonishing price to try and find the treasure, but they ultimately failed as well, so they could only give up, Voidspirit said in a solemn voice.

I see, but how could a Profound Heavenly Treasure be concealed even from divination? Could it be that its fallen into the hands of a true spirit being? Golden Flame Baron said as he shook his head in shock and disbelief.

Its rather unlikely that the treasure fell into the hands of a true spirit being. Most true spirit beings are born in realms lower than the True Immortal Realm, but once they come of age, the majority of them would ascend to higher realms or create their own abode by opening up an alternate space. Hence, theres virtually no chance that theyd come into contact with a Profound Heavenly Treasure. If you ask me, I think this Profound Heavenly Treasure has something to do with a Profound Spirit Artifact that was born in an alternate realm. If that really were the case, then divination may work on it once or twice, but once this Profound Heavenly Treasure develops intelligence and awareness, it wont be strange for it to develop the ability to conceal itself from divination, Voidspirit mused in a solemn manner, and his hypothesis wasnt far from the truth.

That does make more sense. Perhaps that really is what happened. Otherwise, all of the major races would still be searching for it. After all, no one is going to search aimlessly for something throughout the entirety of the vast Spirit Realm. I really am in awe of your vast base of knowledge and experience, Brother Voidspirit, Golden Flame Baron said in an admiring voice.

Qing Yuanzi also nodded with an expression of approval.

Haha, I didnt think of all this myself, the elders of our race arrived at this verdict. Alright, youve had some time to think now, have you picked the treasures you want, Fellow Daoist Han? Voidspirt chuckled before suddenly turning toward Han Li, almost as if he had forgotten about him.

Han Lis heart immediately jolted upon hearing this, and a peculiar look appeared on his face as he mustered up his courage, and said, These treasures are indeed quite extraordinary, Senior, but I would still rather keep my Divine Infernal River Elixir.

Much to Han Lis surprise, the elderly man didnt immediately become enraged upon hearing this. Instead, his expression darkened slightly, and he said in a rather menacing voice, None of them caught your eye? Could it be that you have a Divine Spirit Treasure on the Chaotic Myriad Spirit Roll? In that case, I wont force the issue, but if you dont, Ill take this as a sign of disrespect, and I may have to punish you for it.

Han Li knew that there wasnt any point in saying anything further. Thus, he merely flipped his hand over, and silver light flashed as a shimmering silver ruler appeared in his grasp.

He gently waved the ruler through the air, and an astonishing aura erupted forth. At the same, spiritual light flashed as countless silver ruler projections appeared, creating quite a mystifying sight to behold.

Hmm? That really is a Divine Spirit Treasures on the Chaotic Myriad Spirit Roll. It looks to be one of the lowest-ranked treasures, but it fits the criterion, nonetheless. A hint of surprise initially appeared on Golden Flame Barons face, followed by a gloating smile. He was clearly taking pleasure in Voidspirits misfortune.

In contrast, Qing Yuanzi could only offer a wry smile.

Now that he had failed on two separate occasions to work out a deal, Voidspirit was growing rather impatient and frustrated. He glowered at Han Li for a while before a cold smile appeared on his face. It seems that your wealth belies your cultivation base. Seeing as youre not in need of any pills or treasures, Ill show you something that you definitely wont be able to refuse!