My CMS

Han Li faltered slightly upon hearing this before finally catching sight of the scenes within the crater down below.

The Five-colored Peacock laid within the crater with its talons pointing up at the heavens, and its feathers were in a state of complete disarray, with many of them having been severed. However, it was quite clear that the peacock itself hadnt sustained much damage.

In the next instant, it began to chant a complex incantation, and all of the five-colored runes revolving around it suddenly converged toward a single spot.

Countless runes came together to form a five-colored light formation with a diameter of several thousand feet, and Buddhist chants rang out from within the formation, which was also radiating piercing five-colored light.

A cold light flashed through Han Lis eyes upon seeing this, and he suddenly brought his palms together, upon which the two giant golden swords instantly combined as one amid a flash of golden light.

The combined giant sword was around 300 to 400 feet in length, and it was flashing with golden light. There was faint azure wyrm dancing and writhing within the sword, looking as if it could erupt out of the sword and rise up to the heavens at any moment.

The giant ape then uttered the word slash in a cold voice, and swung giant sword downward.

A streak of azure sword Qi immediately erupted from the blade, and it swelled to over 1,000 feet in size in a flash before striking the giant light formation in a vicious manner.

The formation was torn apart without being able to offer any resistance, but it then immediately repaired itself, and it was as if the slash of the giant sword had been completely ineffective against the light formation.

A hint of surprise flashed through the giant apes eyes upon seeing this, but a cold smile then immediately appeared on its face as it slashed the giant sword downward again.

With Han Lis wealth of battle experience, he was naturally aware that the light formation definitely wasnt truly indestructible, he would just have to attack it a few more times.

The second streak of sword Qi was even more devastating than the first one, but as soon as it left the giant sword, the Five-colored Peacock suddenly ceased its chanting, then pointed one of its talons toward a certain direction in a solemn manner.

A pained roar immediately rang out from that direction, and Han Lis heart stirred slightly as he turned toward the source of the roar.

There, he discovered the Lightning Beast and Provenance Golden Body still engaged in a fierce battle, and the former wore an agonized expression on its face.

A loud thunderclap rang out from its body, and bolts of lightning of three different colors erupted forth in a frenzy, covering its entire body in a dense lightning net. It then abruptly abandoned its battle against the golden body and transformed into a ball of three-colored lightning, then hurtled directly toward the giant light formation.

Han Li didnt know what the beasts intentions were, but he knew that it would be a bad idea to allow the Lightning Beast to get its way, so he immediately let loose a thunderous roar while launching a massive furry fist toward the ball of lightning in a vicious manner.

At the same time, the Provenance Golden Body also let loose a long cry and gave chase as a ball of golden light.

A resounding boom rang out, and even though the giant ape was over 1,000 feet away from the ball of lightning, its punch had created a golden fist projection the size of a pavilion, and it struck the ball of lightning with devastating speed and force.

The Lightning Beast let loose a roar of fury, and despite its incredible powers, it was still unable to take a full-force strike from the giant ape head-on. The protective net of lightning around it was instantly torn apart by the fist projection, and its body was sent flying as well.

During this split-second delay, the Provenance Golden Body caught up to the Lightning Beast, and the six golden blades in its hands suddenly transformed into six ancient golden mirrors, which released six golden pillars of light that surged toward the Lightning Beast with tremendous force.

A string of explosions rang out in rapid succession, and the Lightning Beast was sent flying again by the pillars of light. At the same time, it let loose a pained roar, seemingly having sustained some minor injuries.

An urgent look appeared on Shopkeeper Yus face upon seeing this, and he let loose a piercing long cry, as if he were desperately urging the Lightning Beast to do something.

A sharp shrill cry rang out from the Lightning Beasts mouth in response, following which the lightning around its body became significantly brighter, and an astonishing scene then ensued.

All of a sudden, three pairs of wings, one golden, one silver, and one blue, appeared on the Lightning Beasts back. It flapped those wings in unison, and immediately disappeared on the spot amid a loud thunderclap.

Thus, the next batch of pillars of light unleashed by the Provenance Golden Body struck nothing but empty air.

Han Lis pupils contracted slightly upon seeing this, and he immediately turned toward the giant light formation down below. At the same time, black light flashed from his glabella, and a vertical black demonic eye appeared.

A pillar of black light then erupted out of the eye, but immediately vanished into thin air.

Another thunderclap rang out from above the giant light formation, and the Lightning Beast reappeared. At the same time, a pillar of black light that was as thick as a large bowl also erupted out of thin air. At such close quarters, there was no way for the Lightning Beast to evade, yet right as the black pillar of light was about to strike the Lightning Beasts body, a loud buzzing sound suddenly rang out from the giant light formation.

Bright five-colored spiritual light erupted forth, and the black pillar of light faltered momentarily before suddenly turning a corner and glancing right past the Lightning Beast.

In the next instant, the Lightning Beast flapped its wings without any hesitation, and flew headfirst into the light formation, much to Han Lis dismay.

The process seemed to be quite complicated, but everything had actually taken place in the span of just a few breaths.

The Five-colored Peacock down below let loose an elated cry upon seeing this, and the five-colored spiritual light around it surged forth in a frenzy toward the giant light formation around it. It then flapped its wings, and even its body fused into the light formation as a ball of spiritual light.

Moments later, there was nothing left down below aside from the light formation itself.

However, the formation was beginning to undergo changes. Bursts of rumbling rang out from within it, and bright light radiated forth as several tens of thick five-colored pillars of light erupted from within.

Each pillar of light had a radius of around a foot, and all of them shot upward before vanishing into the white cloud and mist up above.

Han Li quickly determined that there were 81 of these pillars of light in total, yet before he had a chance to do anything, countless five-colored runes began to surge out of these pillars of light before rapidly revolving through the air.

An even more massive five-colored pillar of light immediately erupted upward from the center of the light formation, then vanished high up into the air in a flash.

In the next instant, a burst of powerful spatial fluctuations abruptly surged forth from this pillar of light, following which a silver hole appeared out of thin air right above the light formation.

In the beginning, it was only around the size of a fist, but it then swelled to around 10 feet in size in a flash, and a burst of extremely pure spiritual Qi surged forth from within in a frenzy.

Han Li was struck by a sense of familiarity in the face of this pure spiritual Qi, and after quickly searching through his own memories for an answer, he realized that this spiritual Qi was extremely similar to the spiritual Qi in the Vast Glacial Realm.

The hole was still expanding right before his eyes, and he was suddenly struck by a sense of foreboding. He immediately swung his giant golden sword through the air without any hesitation, and countless palm-sized streaks of golden sword Qi surged toward the silver hole in a frenzy, desperately trying to destroy it.

However, the events that unfolded next made Han Lis heart completely sink.

Even as the torrential barrage of golden sword Qi surged over the silver hole, it only made the nearby space warp slightly, but had no effect whatsoever on the silver hole itself.

Not only that, but a resounding boom suddenly rang out from within the silver hole, following which a silver pillar of light erupted from within it, then plunged directly into the giant light formation down below.

Scintillating light instantly erupted from the rumbling light formation, and runes of all different colors rose up while the entire light formation expanded in a frenzy.

The silver pillar of light then abruptly vanished, as did the silver hole, and at this point, the light formation had swelled to over 10 times its original size. The five-colored spiritual light emanating from it had spread over the entire sky, creating an extremely vibrant sight to behold.

At the same time, the unsettling sobbing of women and children rang out from the center of the light formation, striking the listener with a sense of disorientation.

Han Lis expression changed drastically upon hearing this, not because he had been affected by this strange sound, but instead due to the spine-chilling sense of peril he had suddenly been struck by.

He was sensing a very real threat that could put an end to his life here.

Crap!

Han Lis heart sank even further, and the Provenance Golden Body immediately disappeared in a flash at his behest, then abruptly appeared beside him.

It then raised all six of its arms in unison, and there was a golden ball of light in each of its six palms. The balls of golden light were brought together in front of its chest, forming a head-sized golden vortex.

At the same time, the golden bodys three heads began to chant three different types of incantations that stacked on top of one another, and Buddhist chants rang out from within the vortex alongside loud thunderclaps.

The vortex then rapidly expanded to several times its original size, and began to revolve rapidly. Specks of spiritual light that resembled starlight could be seen within the vortex, and Han Li yelled, Go!

The golden body immediately hurled the golden vortex viciously down toward the light formation below at his command, and as soon as the vortex left its hands, it swelled drastically once again, expanding to over 100 feet in size in the blink of an eye, and it showed no signs of stopping there.

Right before it was about to make contact with the five-colored light formation, the vortex had expanded into a golden sea with a radius of over 1,000 feet. A burst of enormous invisible force erupted from within the vortex, causing even the nearby space to twist and warp violently.

This was the first time that Han Li had unleashed the Revolving Golden Light using the full power of his Provenance Golden Body after he had reached the mid-Body Integration Stage, and it was so powerful that it surprised even himself.

Following an earth-shattering boom, the golden vortex struck the giant light formation with devastating force.

Han Li couldnt help but draw a sharp breath upon seeing this.

Not only was the Five-colored Divine Light that Shopkeeper Yu had released extremely powerful, now that he had fused as one with the peacock projection, his cultivation base had risen by two ranks.

This was simply astounding!

It appeared that this was why he had been able to remain so calm in the face of Han Li. If a normal mid-Body Integration cultivator were to encounter something like this, even self-preservation would become an issue, let alone killing Shopkeeper Yu.

However, despite his astonishment, Han Li wasnt fearful in the slightest.

Seeing as Shopkeeper Yu had displayed his trump card, he was naturally determined to kill Han Li, so even if Han Li were to propose a truce now, it would most definitely be rejected.

Im impressed! It seems that I also have to pull some tricks out of my sleeve to match you, Fellow Daoist!

A cold voice rang out as Han Lis peacock body was suddenly enveloped by a ball of golden light. Immediately thereafter, another enormous creature appeared in the place of the peacock following a flash of dazzling golden light.

This was a giant golden ape with shimmering golden fur, and a pair of massive bright and piercing eyes.

In the face of this fearsome opponent, Han Li had transformed into the Giant Mountain Ape, which was his most powerful form among the 12 Awakening Transformations.

In this giant ape form, he had reached over 1,000 feet in height, and his limbs were like gargantuan pillars. He spread his hands open, and they resembled enormous canopies as they were swung viciously toward the Five-colored Peacock down below.

A pair of explosions rang out in succession, and the two giant palms crashed down with mountainous force.

Shopkeeper Yu was naturally quite stunned by this, and Five-colored Divine Light immediately swirled around him, forming a light barrier that stood in the way of the giant palms.

Five-colored Divine Light was extremely profound, and under normal circumstances, it shouldve been able to easily nullify a brute force attack such as this one. However, the enormous strength of the Giant Mountain Ape was one of the apes innate abilities to begin with, and it was far more tremendous than Shopkeeper Yu could imagine.

Following a pair of resounding booms, the five-colored light barrier tremored violently before two sections of it began to cave in in unison. Following a few violent flashes of light, the barrier began to crumble.

Shopkeeper Yu was quite startled by this, but he naturally wasnt going to just remain on the spot like a sitting duck, so he immediately flapped his wings without any hesitation.

Five-colored runes instantly flashed around his giant peacock body, following which he instantly vanished on the spot.

Blue light flashed through the giant golden apes eyes upon seeing this, and it abruptly stomped down with both of its massive feet before also disappearing into thin air.

In the next instant, spatial fluctuations erupted several thousand feet away, and the peacock re-emerged.

However, almost at the exact same moment, golden light flashed above it, and the giant ape also strode out of thin air before immediately sending both of its massive fists crashing downward in a vicious manner.

Countless fist projections immediately appeared before raining down upon the Five-colored Peacock in a torrential downpour. The golden shockwaves released by the fist projections colored the surrounding space a golden color, and at the same time, the space between the two giant beasts began to warp and tremor violently, as if it were on the brink of being torn apart.

The Five-colored Peacock was extremely huge in stature, but it was able to react extraordinarily quickly. After letting loose a clear cry, five-colored spiritual light revolved around its body before forming countless vibrant light shields, each of which was only around a foot in size. These shields stacked on top of one another to protect the giant peacock, and the seemingly unstoppable golden fist projections were only able to shatter less than half of the shields before they fizzled out of existence.

Immediately thereafter, the Five-colored Peacock let loose another sharp cry, and the remaining light shields transformed into countless five-colored flying swords, all of which appeared to be extremely sharp.

As soon as these flying swords took shape, they immediately shot forth as streaks of sword Qi toward the giant ape, and it seemed that the ape was in severe peril.

A hint of fury appeared on the massive apes face at the sight of its fist projections being thwarted, and its rage was only fueled even further by the sight of the oncoming wave of five-colored sword Qi. It thumped its chest violently as it let loose a thunderous roar of fury, and with each thump of its chest, a metallic sound would ring out, while the golden light around its body became brighter and more pronounced.

After three consecutive thumps, the giant apes fur had all stood up on end like the spikes of a porcupine, and three layers of golden light had also been released from its body.

Not only were these three layers of light extremely dense, there were countless golden runes distributed throughout their surfaces, creating quite a mystifying sight to behold.

This was a powerful protective ability that Han Li had learned after reaching the mid-body Integration Stage. It could only be unleashed when he was in his Giant Mountain Ape form, and it was no less powerful than legendary Buddhist secret technique, Vajra Circle.

As soon as the three layers of golden light took shape, they were assaulted by the streaks of five-colored sword Qi.

The golden light barriers immediately glowed even brighter, releasing scintillating light while also emitting bursts of buzzing sounds.

The flying swords formed by the Five-colored Divine Light were truly extraordinary, they were leaving long white trails in the space left in their wake, and upon reaching the golden light barriers, they were destroying the golden runes within the barriers at a rapid rate.

Even though most of the sword Qi was nullified by the light barriers, there were still over 100 streaks of five-colored sword Qi that crashed through and slashed viciously into the giant apes body.

However, the scenes that unfolded next had the Five-colored Peacock completely flabbergasted.

Another layer of golden light appeared over the giant golden apes body, and it seemed to be an indestructible fortress, repelling or destroying all of the streaks of sword Qi that struck it.

As a result, the giant ape remained completely unscathed, and it harrumphed coldly before swinging its furry arms through the air. All of a sudden, a small section of its arms vanished, and in the next instant, spatial fluctuations erupted on either side of the Five-colored Peacock.

Immediately thereafter, two huge golden hands reached out of thin air before grabbing toward the peacocks wings like lightning.

The giant peacocks heart jolted upon seeing this, but it wasnt panicked in the slightest as it also let loose a cold harrumph. It flapped its gigantic wings, which then transformed into a pair of five-colored giant blades amid a flash of spiritual light. The surfaces of the two blades were extremely bright, and they resembled peerlessly sharp divine weapons as they viciously lashed out toward the two giant golden hands in retaliation.

The two hands seemed to be completely unfazed by the massive blades, and they balled up into tight fists before striking the giant blades in a flash.

Two resounding booms instantly rang out, and two balls of piercing light erupted as the giant blades clashed with the enormous fists. It was as if a pair of scintillating suns had appeared out of thin air.

The Five-colored Peacocks body shuddered violently, and it shot back without any warning. Only after flying back for over 1,000 feet did it just barely manage to arrest its own momentum by spreading its wings. Even though it appeared to have remained largely unscathed, its eyes were filled with astonishment.

In contrast, the giant golden ape up above merely swayed slightly before stabilizing itself. It was quite clear that the ape had gained a decisive upper hand during that clash.

However, that wasnt much of a surprise. Among all of the true spirits, the Giant Mountain Ape was renowned for its powerful physical body and extraordinary strength. The Five-colored Peacock was no less renowned than the Giant Mountain Ape, but it was more so known for its Five-colored Divine Light. In a contest of pure strength, there was no way that it could match the Giant Mountain Ape.

Taking advantage of the peacocks unstable base, the giant ape let loose a low roar before hurtling toward it like lightning. However, the apes body suddenly blurred along the way, and it abruptly vanished into thin air.

The Five-colored Peacock had only just managed to find its footing, and a look of shock and fury immediately appeared in its eyes as countless five-colored runes erupted from its body once again. It seemed that the peacock was about to unleash some kind of powerful ability, but it was too late.

Golden light flashed, and the giant golden ape appeared right in front of the Five-colored Peacock in a wraith-like manner. It swung one of its giant golden fists through the air, leaving a trail of afterimages in its wake, and the fist struck the peacocks body at an astonishing unavoidable speed.

A dull thump immediately rang out, and the five-colored light around the giant peacocks body managed to somewhat nullify the force of the punch, but an enormous burst of force still acted upon its body.

It immediately let loose a pained cry, and it plummeted toward the ground like a shooting star. At the same time, the tremendous force had completely immobilized it by forcibly binding its limbs.

The giant golden ape had no intention of affording the peacock any respite. It made a grabbing motion with both hands, and golden light flashed erratically as 36 small golden swords appeared in each of its hands. These small swords then instantly combined in each hand to form two giant golden swords that were both over 100 feet in length.

A vicious look flashed through the giant apes eyes, and it shot forth like lightning, leaving a trail of afterimages in its wake. Upon catching up to the plummeting Five-colored Peacock, it slashed the giant swords through the air, and countless huge sword projections surged forth to sweep up the Five-colored Peacock like a tornado.

A resounding boom rang out, and the giant ape stopped in mid-air, while the Five-colored Peacock was slammed viciously into the ground by the devastating sword Qi, creating a gargantuan crater.

I didnt want to have to do this, but youve forced my hand!

Before Han Li even had a chance to see whether his attacks had been effective, Shopkeeper Yu let loose a thunderous roar of fury.

A cold light flashed through Han Lis eyes, and his body blurred, leaving only an afterimage for the silver threads to pierce through.

Immediately thereafter, bright golden light erupted above his head, and a golden projection with three heads and six arms emerged. As soon as it appeared, the projection thrust all six of its palms forward at once, releasing six pillars of golden light.

A string of resounding booms rang out, and despite the astonishing power imbued within the three bolts of lightning, they were still destroyed by the six pillars of light in the end.

Before the strange beast up above could unleash another attack, Han Li flapped his wings and vanished on the spot.

In the next instant, a loud thunderclap rang out over 200 feet away, and he re-emerged with a cold expression.

So it seems you insist on a fight. In that case, Ill send you on your way and settle our differences once and for all! As soon as his voice trailed off, the golden projection behind him took on a substantial form and manifested into the Provenance Golden Body.

After that, he quickly laid a hand onto the top of his own head, and an inky-black Nascent Soul emerged, then disappeared into the golden body as a burst of black Qi.

The golden body immediately opened all six of its eyes at once, and it swung its six arms through the air, summoning a giant golden blade in each hand. The golden blades were then swung through the air in unison, and countless streaks of golden sword Qi surged forth in a frenzy.

After that, the golden body itself pounced directly toward the beast in the air above.

The beast within the lightning let loose a roar of fury upon seeing this, and countless balls of silver lightning appeared around it. At the same time, it flapped its wings, and countless feathers shot forth like arrows before transforming into bolts of blue lightning.

The balls of silver lightning and bolts of blue lightning were all quite powerful, but they were instantly reduced to tatters by the countless streaks of devastating sword Qi.

The golden body appeared right before the beast in a flash, and its six blades transformed into wagon-wheel-sized golden balls of light that hurtled directly toward the beast.

A vicious light flashed through the beasts eyes upon seeing this, and light flashed from its two arms before they transformed into a hammer and an awl.

Immediately thereafter, it let loose a loud screech and swung both the hammer and awl through the air. A halo of crimson light appeared around its body alongside arcs of golden lightning, and it flew directly toward the six balls of golden light without any fear or inhibitions.

Streaks of sword Qi instantly intertwined with bolts of lightning, and the two seemed to be evenly matched.

Shopkeeper Yu was stunned to see that even the Lightning Beast was unable to take care of Han Li.

He was more aware than anyone of just how powerful this Lightning Beast of his was. The lightning released by this beast appeared to be quite ordinary, but in reality, every single bolt was capable of killing a Spatial Tempering cultivator.

The law-enforcement squad members that had managed to chase him down on the third level of the earth abyss had been slain by none other than this Lightning Beast.

Despite his astonishment, he immediately made a hand seal with a hand that was hidden within his sleeve. At the same time, a dull thump rang out from behind him, and a burst of five-colored light erupted forth, then transformed into a giant peacock projection.

Youre a Five Light being! Han Li was rather taken aback to see this.

Hehe, why dont you come and see for yourself, Shopkeeper Yu chuckled coldly as the peacock projection transformed into a vibrant sea of five-colored light that surged toward Han Li from afar.

The space in the wake of the sea of five-colored light twisted and warped violently, as if it were threatening to make the entire sky cave in.

At the same time, the silver threads that had missed Han Li earlier shot forth again before vanishing into thin air in a flash.

Han Lis expression darkened upon seeing this, and blue light flashed through his eyes, following which purple light erupted from his body. A vibrant green figure then separated itself from him before positioning itself right behind him.

The dozen or so silver thread shot forth through the air and plunged straight into the green figure, but it was as if they had struck a dead log.

At this moment, the spiritual light flashing from the green figures body faded, revealing it to be a green-skinned Han Li with purple patterns all over its body.

This was naturally the spirit body that Han Li had cultivated using that immortal zoysia.

Having been regularly nourished by the green liquid from the mysterious small vial, the spirit body now possessed early-Body Integration Stage powers. Furthermore, it was at the pinnacle of the early-Body Integration Stage and was only one step away from progressing to the mid-Body Integration Stage. On top of that, after reaching the Body Integration Stage, this spirit body had attained several incredible abilities, so it was now one of Han Lis trump cards.

Han Li immediately released a wisp of his spiritual sense to control the spirit body, and he was quite eager to see just what it was capable of in battle.

After the silver threads had pierced into the spirit body, they revealed themselves to be a dozen or so silver needles.

What was quite alarming was that the skin on the spirit body around the areas where the silver needles were embedded had turned completely black, and a repugnant odor was being emitted from the affected area.

These silver needles were clearly all extremely poisonous, and they were squirming violently in an attempt to embed themselves even deeper into the spirit bodys chest.

However, the green-skinned Han Li merely harrumphed coldly, and a layer of purple patterns suddenly appeared on its chest, causing the skin there to turn into a grey color. As a result, the needles were unable to advance any further, and it was as if they had been trapped in a wall of iron and steel.

Immediately thereafter, the green-skinned Han Li lowered its head and blew out a burst of green light alongside a fragrant breath onto its own chest.

An astonishing scene then ensued!

As the green light swept over its chest, its blackened skin quickly returned to its normal green color, and the silver needles tremored before being plucked out one by one, then swallowed by the green-skinned Han Li. Shopkeeper Yu was truly becoming quite alarmed upon seeing this. However, even as a slightly panicked look flashed through his eyes, he gritted his teeth and rapidly made a series of hand seals to further increase the rate at which he was releasing his own magic power.

With this new influx of magic power, the sea of five-colored light emitted a faint buzzing sound, and countless runes appeared above it. These runes then formed layers of profound restrictions that crashed down toward Han Li.

A hint of surprise appeared in Han Lis eyes upon seeing this. He had cultivated the 12 Awakening Transformations, and he also possessed Five-colored Peacock True Blood, so he was naturally extremely familiar with the Five Light Races Five-colored Divine Light ability. However, this sea of light was several times more powerful than the Five-colored Divine Light that he was familiar with.

If it werent for the fact that he could sense the familiar aura of the Five-colored Peacock within the sea of light, he wouldve thought that this was an entirely different ability altogether.

It was no wonder that Shopkeeper Yu still decided to attack him without any hesitation despite the disparity in their cultivation bases, just this Five-colored Divine Light alone would be enough to take down the average mid-Body Integration cultivator.

If a normal Body Integration Stage cultivator were to be swept up by this sea of light and trapped within the restrictions inside it, it would be quite difficult for them to free themselves.

However, Han Li merely looked on at the sea of five-colored light with a cold smile on his face. All of a sudden, the spirit body beside him fused into his body again, vanishing like a projection.

Han Li then suddenly rolled down onto the ground, and five-colored light flashed from his body as he transformed into a Five-colored Peacock that was several tens of feet in length. The sea of light crashed down onto the Five-colored Peacock and completely inundated its body, but the peacock merely flapped its wings and flew out of the sea of light with ease. The layers of restrictions imbued within the five-colored sea of light seemed to be completely ineffective against it.

Even though he was unable to release Five-colored Divine Light that was anywhere near as powerful as the opposing light in his Five-colored Peacock form, it was a simple task for him to withstand his opponents divine light in this form.

What! Are you a Five Light being as well? That cant be, theres no way I wouldnt recognize a holy race Five Light being! Could it be… So be it, I dont care if you were sent to hunt me down by those old bastards or not. Im going to kill you even if it sets me back over 100 years in my cultivation! Shopkeeper Yu initially faltered slightly before his expression darkened even further, and his face became twisted with resentment and fury.

As soon as his voice trailed off, he pointed a finger into the distance in a vicious manner, and an earth-shattering boom immediately rang out from within the sea of five-colored light. The sea of light then converged toward the center and formed a gigantic ball of five-colored light, which then immediately manifested into a peacock projection that was over 1,000 feet in length.

The disparity between the sizes of Han Lis Five-colored Peacock form and the projection was night and day.

However, the giant peacock projection didnt immediately attack Han Li. Instead, it flapped its wings and abruptly vanished on the spot. In the next instant, five-colored light surged beneath Shopkeeper Yus feet, and the peacock projection reappeared. He then stomped a foot down onto the projection, then flicked his 10 fingers toward himself, sending streaks of light rushing into his own body.

A peculiar scene then ensued.

Shopkeeper Yus body suddenly began to melt away, and within mere moments, he had completely fused into the peacock projection beneath him.

The peacock projection immediately let loose a clear cry, and five-colored runes surged out of its body in a frenzy as it took on a substantial form.

At the same time, a terrifying aura that belonged only to late-Body Integration cultivators erupted from its body in a frenzy.

All of the worlds origin Qi within a radius of several tens of kilometers converged into the massive peacocks body as threads of light that were visible to the naked eye.

The giant peacocks aura swelled once again, reaching the pinnacle of the late-Body Integration Stage. After that, it flapped its wings, and the space around it twisted and blurred. At the same time, countless runes appeared around it, and all of them seemed to be imbued with devastating power.

The entire formation began to flash with silver runes and white light, and specks of starlight flashed within it to form a radiant galaxy. It was quite clear that the formation had been activated to the limit of its power.

A solemn look appeared on Jin Yues face upon seeing this, but in the next instant, her expression abruptly changed as she yelled, Whos there? Show yourself!

As soon as her voice trailed off, she extended a hand out of her sleeve before making a grabbing motion, and a burst of enormous invisible force erupted forth.

The invisible force converged toward what was seemingly nothing more than thin air, but a ball of silver lightning suddenly exploded there, and a silver snake shot forth from within the lightning before pouncing toward the light formation.

The silver snake was astonishingly fast and was completely immune to the influence of the tremendous force being exerted upon it.

Jin Yue faltered slightly upon seeing this, and before she had a chance to react, the silver snake had plunged headfirst into the light formation.

Almost at the exact same moment, a sharp piercing cry rang out from within the massive light formation, following which a pillar of white light erupted forth. The pillar of light tore through over 10,000 feet of space in an instant, then vanished into a black hole that emerged out of thin air.

Only then did the five-colored light formation fade away, leaving only a shattered white disk behind.

Lei Lan looked on in a flabbergasted manner, and only after a while did she return to her senses. Who was that, Grand Elder? They seem to have been teleported away along with Senior Han!

I dont know, but that person was using an extremely remarkable lightning cultivation art that allowed them to disregard my powers. Hes most likely the thief that the law-enforcement squad is hunting for, Jin Yue replied with a dark expression.

What? Will Senior Han be in danger, then? Lei Lan drew a sharp breath upon hearing this.

Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Hans powers are most likely not inferior to mine, even that thief wont be able to best Fellow Daoist Han in battle. However, the fact that he was lurking nearby indicates that hes most likely been following us ever since we visited that giant crater several days ago, yet neither Fellow Daoist Han nor I were able to sense him, so he must possess incredible concealment abilities. Its no wonder that even after deploying so many people, the law-enforcement squad was still unable to hunt him down. However… Jin Yues voice suddenly trailed off as a perplexed look appeared on her face.

What is it? Lei Lan asked.

That mans aura was rather strange, it seemed to be have been intermingled with a beastly aura that resembles that of the Lightningcloud Falcon of the primordial world, but its not exactly the same, Jin Yue explained in a hesitant manner.

A beastly aura? Could it have belonged to a spirit beast that he owns? Lei Lan asked.

I dont think so. The aura was completely integrated with his aura, and they seem more like constituent parts of a whole rather than two separate entities. In any case, weve achieved our objective, so lets leave this place right away. We came here under the guise that you were going to cultivate in the glacial baleful area, so we have to go there to avoid suspicion. That teleportation formation created quite a massive commotion just now, so there are most likely going to be people arriving on the scene soon, Jin Yue said.

Youre right, Grand Elder, Lei Lan agreed with a nod.

Thus, Jin Yue swept a sleeve through the air to release a burst of light that scattered the remnant fluctuations left behind by the light formation, then flew away with Lei Lan as two streaks of light.

Elsewhere, within a space that was filled with murky white mist, Han Li was standing mid-air, looking at the man who had barged his way into the teleportation formation with a peculiar look on his face.

I didnt Id meet you again, let alone under these circumstances! I presume you must the one whos been stealing from the mine warehouse, Han Li said.

In the instant before he was teleported away, he had discovered that someone else had barged into the formation, but the teleportation had already commenced at that point, so he could only allow that person to be teleported into the infernal river with him.

However, never did he think that this man would be someone that he recognized.

Oh? From the sounds of it, you seem to know who I am. Standing several hundred feet away from Han Li was a thin middle-aged man in a set of long blue robes.

He wore a faint smile on his face, and was quite calm and collected.

How has that Lightning Beast of yours been developing, Fellow Daoist Yu? Im sure it mustve played a big role in your progression to the holy race, Han Li said as a cold smile appeared on his face.

The mans calm expression instantly transformed into one of bewilderment upon hearing mention of the term Lightning Beast, and he yelled, Who are you? How do you know about the Lightning Beast?

At the same time, his terrifying early-Body Integration Stage aura was released toward Han Li without any reservation.

This man was none other than the shopkeeper with the Yu surname that Han Li had last met in the holy city of the Tian Peng Race. 1

At the time, the shopkeeper had promised Han Li an Azure Shifting Fruit in exchange for his services to help him tame a certain Lightning Beast. Two other Spatial Tempering cultivators had also been recruited for the task, but in the end, after they had successfully helped the shopkeeper tame the Lightning Beast, the latter had turned on them and tried to kill them.

Only after displaying his extraordinary powers did Han Li manage to survive that ordeal, and the shopkeeper had begrudgingly given him an Azure Shifting Fruit core before they parted ways.

At the time, he had already realized that this was a very mysterious figure who definitely wasnt an ordinary Tian Peng being. The fact that he had progressed to the early-holy race after just several hundred years further vindicated Han Lis suspicions toward him.

However, Han Li was now far more powerful than he had been in the past, and even though he had restricted his own aura to the mid-Spatial Tempering Stage, that was still completely incomparable to his past cultivation base. On top of that, he had also altered his own appearance, so it was no wonder that the shopkeeper had been unable to recognize him.

In the face of the astonishing spiritual pressure the man was releasing, Han Lis expression remained calm, and in the next instant, he also released a burst of spiritual pressure that should only belong to holy race beings.

A resounding boom rang out as the two bursts of spiritual pressure clashed, then nullified one another, indicating that they were evenly matched.

Youre also an early-holy race being? Shopkeeper Yus heart immediately jolted upon seeing this.

He had been following Han Lis trio from afar, and after seeing that Han Li had a way to leave the earth abyss, he had barged into Han Lis teleportation formation without any hesitation. He had thought that Han Li was only at the Spatial Tempering Stage, so he hadnt been overly wary of him. If he had known Han Lis true cultivation base in advance, he may not have followed through with his initial plan.

A faint smiled appeared on Han Lis face upon hearing this, and in the next instant, the spiritual pressure he released became even more powerful.

Youre a mid-holy race being! Who are you? Theres no way I wouldnt recognize a mid-holy race being from the Flying Spirit Race! Shopkeeper Yu exclaimed as his pupils contracted drastically.

However, what was rather surprising was that he still seemed to be quite calm and wasnt displaying any signs of panic.

Who I am isnt important. You mustve plundered a lot of precious ore from the mine warehouse, right? Im not going to ask for anything excessive, hand over all of the ore you stole, and Ill let you go free. That will act as your payment for hitching a ride in my teleportation formation, Han Li replied in an indifferent manner, displaying no intention of revealing his own identity.

I see, so you want the materials that I took from the warehouse. Indeed, I was only able to escape from the earth abyss using your teleportation formation, so its only right that I issued some payment to you. As opposed to being enraged by Han Lis demands, Shopkeeper Yu merely chuckled before flipping a hand over to reveal a blue storage bracelet, then tossed it to Han Li with a flick of his wrist.

Han Li faltered slightly upon seeing this, but a thought then immediately occurred to him, and a cold look appeared in his eyes at the sight of the oncoming bracelet.

He swept a sleeve through the air, and golden light flashed as the bracelet was sliced in half. Instead of anything dropping out of the bracelet, a loud thunderclap erupted, and it transformed into a net of blue lightning that descended toward him.

However, Han Li seemed to have anticipated this in advance. He abruptly flapped his wings, and a thunderclap rang out, following which a silver net of lightning also erupted from behind him.

The two nets of lightning clashed, and the silver lightning transformed into a strange lightning formation. The blue lightning net was sucked into the lightning formation in an instant, and it was unable to unleash any of its power.

Shopkeeper Yus heart jolted upon seeing this, while Han Li merely pointed a finger at the lightning formation, and it vanished following a loud thunderclap.

I can forgive you just this once. Heres a second chance, hand over the ore, and Ill let you leave. Otherwise, hehe… Han Li chuckled coldly as killing intent flashed through his eyes.

This Shopkeeper Yu had tried to kill him several hundred years ago, and if it werent for the fact that Han Li was more powerful than he had expected, he would most likely have tried to kill Han Li here as well.

As such, Han Li naturally wasnt going to show him any kindness. In fact, he was already letting him off the hook by granting him freedom in exchange for the ore that he had stolen.

Of course, if he didnt want to comply, then Han Li certainly wouldnt mind putting an end to his life.

The mans ability to remain calm in this situation indicated that he had some trump cards up his sleeve, but with Han Lis current powers, he naturally wasnt going to be fearful of him.

Looks like you know me quite well. In that case… After some contemplation, Shopkeeper Yu feigned a resigned expression and seemed to be about to concede, but right at this moment, a dozen or so transparent thin needles suddenly appeared behind Han Li.

These needles then shot forth toward Han Li as silver threads, and at the same time, a loud thunderclap erupted above him.

A ball of lightning emerged out of thin air, consisting of three colors, which were gold, silver, and blue.

Within the lightning was a half-human half-bird beast, and it opened its mouth to expel three thick bolts of lightning at once.

1 IGT: Han Li first meets this guy in Chapter 1421

The second level was naturally far more perilous than the first one, but it still posed no threat to Han Li and the others. After checking the map to verify their location, they traveled west for three days and three nights in succession.

Along the way, they slew some mid-grade demons and encountered several groups of law-enforcing cultivators. Even the weakest of these cultivators were at the Deity Transformation Stage, and there were even some holy race beings among them.

Jin Yue was the grand elder of the Tian Peng Race, so these law-enforcing cultivators naturally granted her passage without much interrogation.

However, Jin Yue was gradually becoming more and more unsettled by this. It was very strange that they had deployed so many people just to hunt down a single thief. Could it be that there were some hidden details involved in this matter?

Jin Yue had been the grand elder of the Tian Peng Race for many years, so she was naturally far more intelligent and sensitive than the average being. However, despite her growing suspicions, she made no outward displays of her emotions.

Thus, the three of them found the entrance to the third level quite easily, hidden beneath an underground river.

After drifting with the flow of the water for several hours, Han Lis trio arrived on the third level of the earth abyss.

Three days later, Han Lis trio was flying over a set of barren plains that was littered with rocks, when all of a sudden, they felt a disturbance in the worlds origin Qi in the distance. Immediately thereafter, a streak of silver light appeared in the distant sky, followed by a resounding boom that made the entire earth tremor violently.

Han Li and Jin Yues expressions both changed drastically as they exchanged a glance with one another.

It seems like there are people fighting over there, Fellow Daoist Jin. Should we go and have a look? Han Li asked after a brief hesitation.

If there are any law-enforcement squad members nearby, it would be apparent to them that were hiding something if we dont go and investigate such a massive commotion, Jin Yue said.

In that case, lets go and have a look. Han Li didnt want to have to take any detours, but he knew that Jin Yue was right, so he agreed with a quick nod.

Lei Lan naturally had no objections, either, so the three of them changed directions and flew toward the place where the silver lightning had just flashed from.

After flying for close to 10,000 kilometers, they finally stopped and looked down at the carnage below with different expressions on their faces.

A massive crater with a radius of several hundred feet had appeared on the ground below, and everything around the crater was completely charred black.

There was a faint odor of scorched earth wafting through the air, and it seemed that this was the result of a lightning strike.

All of a sudden, Han Li raised a hand before making a grabbing motion toward a certain spot on the edge of the giant crater.

An item immediately flew out from under some rubble before landing in his grasp. He inspected the item to find that it was a damaged blue dagger. Even though there were cracks running all over its surface, it was still shimmering with spiritual light, indicating that it was quite a powerful treasure.

Looks like everyone was reduced to dust by that bolt of lightning, and even their bonded treasures didnt manage to survive. Its quite incredible that just a single bolt of lightning was able to kill a group of Deity Transformation and Spatial Tempering cultivators. What are your thoughts, Fellow Daoist Han? Jin Yue suddenly asked.

Even from thousands of kilometers away, we could sense how ferocious this bolt of lightning was, so its quite clear that the perpetrator is most likely extremely adept in lightning abilities. On top of that, I can sense a faint baleful aura from this dagger which still hasnt dissipated even following the death of its owner, so the victims should be members of the law-enforcement squad, Han Li replied in an assured manner as he tossed the dagger aside.

Jin Yue waved a hand through the air, and several other damaged treasures flew out from under piles of rubble. After inspecting the treasures, she nodded in agreement. Indeed, I can sense the auras of three people who recently passed away here, and they were most likely killed by the mine warehouse thief.

So that man is powerful enough to kill three law-enforcement squad members at once? Lei Lan was quite alarmed to hear this. freeebnovel.com

Thats not all that remarkable. If he didnt have at least this much power, he wouldnt dare to do something so brazen. No one else has arrived on the scene aside from us, so it seems that there arent any other members of the law-enforcement squad nearby. However, the squad members have all cultivated a sensory secret technique, someone will definitely be arriving soon, lets get out of here before that, Jin Yue said.

Indeed, there are only several days of travel left until we reach our destination. The sooner we get there, the sooner well be able to breathe a sigh of relief, Han Li agreed.

Lei Lan also nodded in a contemplative manner. Thus, the three of them rose up into the air and continued onward as streaks of light.

Only after over half a day had passed did a dozen or so streaks of light arrive at the giant crater. At this point, Han Lis trio was already millions of kilometers away.

Seven days later, Han Li was situated over a black undulating mountain range with a white disk in his hand. There were several tens of small azure swords flying around him, and they were shredding hordes of oncoming giant crow-like demon beasts, sending their blood cascading down from above.

Standing beside Han Li was Jin Yue, and she was holding a golden mirror, which was expelling bolts of golden lightning that were shredding the nearby demon beasts into pieces.

As for Lei Lan, she was making a hand seal with a solemn look on her face, conjuring up a small net of silver lightning that had completely enveloped her entire body.

Occasionally, a demonic bird would crash into the lightning net, only to be instantly reduced to dust amid a loud thunderclap.

After flying onward for another hour, the black demonic birds finally began to thin our, and in the end, they dispersed and flew away after a few shrill cries.

Han Lis trio naturally withdrew their treasures and abilities upon seeing this before continuing on their journey.

For the rest of the journey, Han Li would occasionally glance down at the disk in his hand, which was clearly guiding him toward the correct location.

All of a sudden, a buzzing sound rang out from the disk, and white light began to swirl around it as it activated on its own.

This is the place! Han Li said in an ecstatic manner as he hurriedly stopped on the spot. Jin Yue and Lei Lan also stopped beside him.

Is this really the right place? The surrounding space is very stable, and there doesnt seem to be any spatial nodes here, Jin Yue said as she looked around with her brows furrowed in skepticism.

Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Jin, that senior gave me these coordinates, so they cant be wrong, Han Li replied with a smile.

Alright, Ill trust your judgment then, Fellow Daoist Han. Seeing as I brought you here as promised, isnt it time you gave me the second half of the cultivation art? Jin Yue asked with a serious look on her face.

Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Jin, I wouldnt go back on my word. Here is the second half of the cultivation art, Han Li said with a smile as he turned a hand over to reveal a yellow jade slip, which he tossed to Jin Yue with a flick of his wrist.

Jin Yues eyes immediately lit up as she caught the jade slip, then immediately pressed it against her own forehead.

Han Li then swept a sleeve through the air, and five five-colored formation flags flew out from within before revolving around him. The formation flags then transformed into five-colored pillars of light that erupted into the heavens.

He then made a hand seal before casting a dozen or so incantation seals in succession, all of which vanished into the pillars of light in a flash. Immediately thereafter, a five-colored light formation appeared at the center of the pillars of light, and it was glowing with bright and piercing spiritual light.

Han Li then began to chant something as one top-grade spirit stone after another flew out of his sleeve. Soon, over 100 such spirit stones had been released, and they all disappeared into the light formation.

Immediately thereafter, he tossed the disk in his hand forward, and it hovered in front of him as he flicked his fingers toward it in quick succession, seemingly working to activate it.

Lei Lan observed everything in silence, and as bright light began to glow from the disk, she couldnt help but turn to Jin Yue with a hint of concern in her eyes.

Jin Yues eyes were still closed at this point, but there was clearly an elated expression on her face, so it seemed that the second half of the cultivation art was authentic. Lei Lan naturally heaved a faint sigh of relief upon seeing this.

All of a sudden, Han Li let loose a low cry before pointing a finger at the disk. At this point, it had transformed into a ball of white light, and it slowly hovered toward the center of the five-colored light formation, then fused as one with the formation amid a dull thump.

At this moment, Han Li stopped what he was doing and turned to Jin Yue. What do you think, Fellow Daoist Jin? Is there anything youre dissatisfied with?

Not at all. This is indeed the second half of the cultivation art, and I must thank you on behalf of our entire race for this precious gift, Jin Yue replied in an extremely pleased manner as she finally withdrew her spiritual sense from the jade slip.

Hehe, theres no need to thank me, this was a mutually beneficial trade, after all. In that case, Ill be taking my leave, Han Li said as he cupped his fist in a parting salute.

Jin Yue returned his salute with a smile, and said, I wish you the best of luck, Fellow Daoist Han!

Hehe, thank you for your kind words. Holy Master Lei, I wish you luck in progressing to the holy race soon, Han Li chuckled as he turned his gaze to Lei Lan.

Thank you, Senior, Ill be sure to work hard, Lei Lan replied with a curtsey and a rather complex look on her face.

Alright, its time for me to leave. Han Li gave the two women a quick nod before stepping into the five-colored light formation, following which a burst of chanting immediately rang out.

A burst of loud rumbling then suddenly erupted from the light formation, and countless silver runes surged forth in a frenzy. The white ball of light at the center of the formation also swelled to several times its original size, taking up almost the entire light formation.

Thus, Jin Feng waved a hand, and some of the guards immediately stepped forward before purple wooden badges appeared in their hands amid flashes of spiritual light.

The wooden badges glowed bright, and two purple pillars of light shot forth before vanishing into the center of the formation on the wall in a flash.

A buzzing sound immediately rang out from the silver formation, following which a giant silver gate appeared on that section of the city wall.

The gate was several hundred feet tall and gave off a very cold light, looking as if it had been constructed entirely from metal.

Jin Feng then began to chant something before sweeping a sleeve toward the gate, and a burst of azure light erupted forth. As a result, the gate was slowly opened.

Thank you for your efforts, Fellow Daoist, Jin Yue said with a smile.

She then led Han Li and Lei Lan through the giant gate as three streaks of light, quickly vanishing into the world beyond the gate.

Jin Feng stood in front of the giant gate and looked on as they disappeared from view. He had a contemplative look on his face, as if there were a nagging concern in his heart.

Perhaps Im just being too paranoid. I did sense something slightly off about that guard, but there shouldnt be any issues. Jin Yue is the grand elder of the Tian Peng Race, so she wouldnt do anything detrimental to the Flying Spirit Race, Jin Feng murmured to himself before issuing an instruction to have the gate closed again. After that, he sat down at his original spot again before closing his eyes.

On the other side, Han Lis trio was situated beneath a massive sea of mist, flying toward the entrance to the earth abyss.

Back when Han Li had been a Deity Transformation cultivator, flying through these winds had been a slightly difficult task. However, now that he was at the mid-Body Integration Stage, they naturally posed no impediment to him at all.

Even when he encountered those black glacial winds at the end, they were all easily repelled as a layer of azure light flashed from his body.

As for Lei Lan, she was being protected by Jin Yue, so her safety was naturally ensured.

Not long after that, they were greeted by the sight of the earth abyss entrance, which resembled a gigantic funnel.

Han Li looked down at the giant funnel through narrowed eyes before descending toward it without any hesitation.

Jin Yue and Lei Lan exchanged a glance before also doing the same.

After entering the earth abyss, Han Li was immediately buffeted by fierce winds from all directions, and everything was quite similar to when he had last entered the place.

Around 10 minutes later, he suddenly stopped in his descent, and at this point, he had finally entered the first level of the earth abyss.

However, as he inspected his surroundings, his brows immediately furrowed slightly. He was situated in the air above a murky grey swamp. There was a faint layer of green mist over the swamp, and it was giving off a faint odor of decaying plant matter.

It was quite clear that this wasnt the same place he had entered through last time.

Han Li turned to Jin Yue, and asked, Fellow Daoist Jin, do you know where this place is and whether its close to the entrance to the second level?

According to the map, this place is around half a day of travel away from the entrance to the second level. I suggest you take some precautions, Fellow Daoist, the poison from the swamp down below poses no threat to us, but there are special flowers that grow exclusively here, and they are home to swarms of poisonous hornets that are quite troublesome, Jin Yue replied as she looked down at the swamp below.

Now that the entire earth abyss had been conquered by the Flying Spirit Race, the map had become far clearer and more detailed than before, so Jin Yue was able to identify this place right away.

Hornets, eh? Han Li merely smiled upon hearing this.

Thus, after a brief discussion to determine the direction they should be progressing toward, they continued on their journey.

Half a day later, Han Lis trio appeared in the air above a certain mountain range. After flying for close to two more hours, they arrived near a strange mountain at the center of the mountain range.

This mountain was rather strange as the entire mountain was split into two halfway up, making it resemble a massive character. The entire mountain was of a bare and barren grey color, and according to the map, this was where the entrance to the second level was situated.

Thus far, their journey had been very smooth. They did encounter some hornets over the swamp, but Han Li took care of them with ease with his swords, and after that, they barely encountered any further obstacles, so they almost werent delayed at all.

It seemed that most of the low-grade demons on the first level had been wiped out. That made sense considering how those low-grade demons didnt have much value, so there was naturally no need for the Flying Spirit Race to keep them around.

Just as they were about to fly under the mountain, Han Lis expression suddenly changed momentarily before immediately returning to normal.

In contrast, Jin Yue suddenly stopped right in front of the mountain, and yelled with a dark expression, Whos there? Show yourself!

The space near the entrance of the mountain suddenly twisted and warped, following which a winged humanoid figure appeared out of thin air before extending a respectful bow toward Jin Yue. Ming Zhen pays his respects to Grand Elder Jin and Holy Master Lei!

This was a late-Spatial Tempering Stage man from the Tian Peng Race, and he wore a suit of blue armor.

The same scenes unfolded nearby as five more humanoid figures emerged one after another. However, these people merely extended salutes toward Jin Yue, but didnt say anything.

Everyone in this group was at the Spatial Tempering Stage.

Jin Yue could sense astonishing baleful auras emanating from their bodies, and she said, Greetings, Junior Ming Zhen. If youre here, then that must mean theyre all members of the law-enforcement squad as well. Could it be that youre hiding here to ambush the person who robbed the mine warehouse?

So youve already heard about whats happened, indeed, we were ordered to guard this entrance, Grand Elder. Why have you and Holy Master Lei come here? the male Tian Peng being asked in a slightly hesitant manner.

I heard about what happened from General Jin. As for why Im here with Holy Master Lei Lan, thats because we have some important matters to attend to here in the earth abyss, we wont be staying here for too long, Jin Yue explained without going into any detail.

I see. In that case, I wont delay you any longer. If you encounter that thief on the lower levels, please detain him. The entire second level is being guarded by the law-enforcement squad, so he should still be hiding on one of the lower levels, the male Tian Peng being said in a respectful manner.

Hehe, Ill be sure to step in if I encounter anyone suspicious. Make sure to guard this place well, Ill be leaving with Holy Master Lei Lan now. Jin Yue nodded before immediately continuing on toward the mountain, and soon, Han Lis trio had vanished under the mountain.

After Han Lis trio had departed, a grey-winged Flying Spirit being turned to Ming Zhen, and said, Is that the grand elder of your race, Brother Ming Zhen? She really is unfathomably powerful as the rumors suggest! With the presence of this Grand Elder Jin, your Tian Peng Race wont have to worry about its survival for at least the next few tens of thousands of years. Come to think of it, who was that other man? He seems to have a similar cultivation base to ours, but I dont think Ive ever seen him before.

Grand Elder Jin is naturally an extremely important figure in our race, but the main reason behind why none of the other races have targeted our Tian Peng Race is due to the existence of our two holy masters. As for the man who was accompanying them, I havent seen him before, either. However, thats not anything to be surprised about. Our Tian Peng Race has always been one of the weaker branches of the Flying Spirit Race, but our population still numbers in the hundreds of millions, are you just going to be suspicious toward every single unfamiliar face you see? Ming Zhen replied with a slightly dark expression, clearly not impressed by the suspicions raised by the grey-winged being.

Hehe, I was only asking out of curiosity, Brother Zhen, I naturally have full trust in the grand elder and holy master of your race, the grey-winged man replied in a slightly sheepish manner.

Alright, this is not the place to be having a chat, dont forget that were still on a mission. Hide yourselves right away, a woman with a pair of pristine white horns on her head and a pair of purple wings on her back suddenly said.

Thus, the conversation was abruptly abandoned, and everyone hurriedly nodded in response, seemingly quite wary of this woman.

All six of the Tian Peng beings present made their own hand seals, and they all vanished into thin air again.

Meanwhile, Han Lis trio was situated within a cloud of black mist, and they were flying in a downward direction. frewbnovel.com

Looks like the warehouse robber really is quite powerful, even an entrance like this one is being guarded by six Great Spirit Generals. It seems that the thief is either a holy race being or possesses powers on that level, Jin Yue said as she flew, and there was a hint of mockery in her voice.

Oh? It sounds like youre not overly concerned about this mine, Han Li remarked.

Why should I care about it? The mine is supposedly there to benefit all of the branches in the Flying Spirit Race, but in reality, most of the ore mined from it are taken by the handful of the most powerful branches, our Tian Peng Race barely gets anything, Jin Yue chuckled coldly in response.

I see. It looks like even though your Tian Peng Race managed to avoid being wiped out, your situation still isnt a very optimistic one, Han Li said in a contemplative manner.

If not for this, I wouldnt have agreed to this deal in exchange for that cultivation art. With that cultivation art up our sleeve, the Tian Peng Race will definitely become a force to be reckoned with again in just a few tens of thousands of years. Speaking of which, youd best make sure that there are no issues with that second half of the cultivation art, Fellow Daoist Han, Jin Yue said in a meaningful voice.

Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Jin, once we reach the agreed location, Ill issue the second half of the cultivation art to you right away for examination. If there are any issues, Ill take full accountability, Han Li replied with a smile.

Good. Jin Yue gave a clipped response before falling silent.

Moments later, the black mist began to thin out, and they finally arrived on the second level of the earth abyss.

Rest assured, Fellow Daoist, I have some confidence in my own concealment techniques. As long as I dont encounter any of your races Grand Ascension Stage seniors, there shouldnt be any issues, Han Li said in a confident manner, and his confidence certainly wasnt baseless.

He possessed the Tian Peng True Blood within his body, and his Thunderstorm Wings had also been cultivated to the point where it was virtually a part of his body, so he would naturally have no trouble posing as a guard from the Tian Peng Race.

Im glad youre so confident, Fellow Daoist. Holy Master Lan, well be counting on you, Jin Yue replied with a nod before turning to the silver-robed woman beside her.

Rest assured, Grand Elder, I really do have a type of secret technique that requires Glacial Baleful Qi to cultivate, and I visited the earth abyss for this very same reason several decades ago, so the guard definitely wont suspect anything, the silver-robed woman replied in a respectful manner before her gaze strayed involuntarily toward Han Li again, and there was clearly a hint of astonishment in her eyes.

Even though she had already been made aware prior to setting off that Han Li had become a mid-holy race being, she was still extremely stunned to see this for herself.

Back when they were undertaking the earth abyss trials together, she could already tell that Han Li was far more powerful than his cultivation base suggested, but it was downright absurd that he had managed to progress to the mid-holy race after just several centuries!

However, as the holy maiden, it would be unbefitting of her to let her astonishment get the better of herself, so she merely extended a respectful salute of gratitude toward Han Li for assisting her and Bai Bi during the earth abyss trials, and repressed her curiosity thereafter.

As for Bai Bi himself, he was apparently cultivating some kind of secret technique in seclusion, so he was unable to meet Han Li.

A faint smile appeared on Jin Yues face in response to Lei Lans reassuring words, and she nodded before falling silent again.

Thus, the three of them continued in their journey, and quickly left the holy city behind.

Several months later, Han Lis trio finally arrived at the giant city guarding the earth abyss, and from a distance, they could see a row of armored figures standing atop the city wall.

Jin Yues eyes narrowed slightly, and she led Han Li and Lei Lan on a descent before flying toward a certain city gate.

There were a dozen or so earth abyss guards with wings of different colors situated at the azure city gate, and they were appraising Han Lis trio with wary looks on their faces.

The three of them landed in front of the guards, and at this point, Han Li had already altered his own appearance. At the same time, he had restricted his own magic power to only around the Spatial Tempering Stage.

The leader of this group of guards was a mid-Spatial Tempering Stage being, and he extended a salute toward Jin Yue before asking, Are you from the Tian Peng Race, Senior? May I ask why youve come here? It isnt time to change the guards yet.

He was unable to glean Jin Yues exact cultivation base, but he knew that she was definitely a holy race being.

As for Han Li and Lei Lan, they seemed to have been unconsciously ignored by him.

It was no wonder that he held such an attitude, the guards here had been constantly fighting earth abyss demons for many years, so their powers far outstripped their peers of the same cultivation base. As such, they had all developed a hint of arrogance toward beings from other branches of the Flying Spirit Race. frewenovel.com

Jin Yue remained unbothered by this and merely smiled as she raised a hand, upon which a blue jade badge shot forth out of her sleeve before landing in the guards hand.

The guard was rather perplexed by this, but upon inspecting the jade badge, his expression immediately changed as he returned the badge respectful with both hands, then said, Forgive me for my rudeness, Senior Jin, I didnt recognize you as the grand elder the Tian Peng Race.

According to the agreement signed by all the races, the grand elders have the right to access the earth abyss at any time, so Im sure youll have no issues granting me passage, right? Jin Yue said as she took the jade badge back from the guard.

Of course, the guard immediately replied before waving a hand, upon which all of the guards stepped away to the side, opening up a passageway for Han Lis trio.

Jin Yue merely nodded upon seeing this before leading Han Li and Lei Lan in through the city gate.

On the other side of the city gate, Han Li was greeted by the sight of a series of cylindrical pavilions that were each around 300 to 400 feet tall. They were situated in dense clusters and spread over most of the city.

However, there were very few people inside the city, only a few groups of guards that were patrolling the entire city at low altitudes.

Lets go, theres no reason to delay here. Jin Yue transmitted her voice to Han Li and Lei Lan before rising up into the air and flying toward the city wall on the other side.

Han Li and Lei Lan naturally followed along behind her.

Two hours later, they arrived in front of another massive azure wall, and on one face of the wall, there was a giant shimmering silver formation that had been carved onto its surface.

In front of the formation was another group of guards wearing suits of armor of different colors. However, what was rather strange was aside from these guards, there was also an azure-armored middle-aged man seated atop a futon with his eyes tightly shut.

Han Lis heart immediately stirred at the sight of this man, and Jin Yues pupils also abruptly contracted.

This man was none other than the general of the guards of this place, Jin Feng. Han Li had met him once in the past, and he knew that this man was a being at the pinnacle of the holy race.

It appeared that he was guarding the entrance to the earth abyss in person.

Jin Yue was slightly flustered by this unexpected occurrence, but her expression remained calm as she smiled, and said, Im quite surprised to see you here, General Jin. Its been several centuries since we last met, how have you been?

The azure-armored slowly opened his eyes upon hearing Jin Yues words before replying, Ah, long time no see, Fairy Jin. Why have you come here rather than staying in the Tian Peng Race to cultivate?

I should be asking you that, since when did the entrance to the earth abyss require General Jin to guard? Jin Yue asked with a smile.

Under normal circumstances, I naturally wouldnt be tasked with this duty, but a major event recently took place, so I had no choice but to take on this role, Jin Feng replied in a calm manner.

Major event? Jin Yue was rather taken aback to hear this.

Around a month ago, I received news that someone had robbed the warehouse on the deepest level of the earth abyss and plundered all of the precious ore wed mined during the past few years. In the process, he also killed and wounded many of the guards, and hes quite a powerful being. Ive already sent a large number of guards into the earth abyss to investigate. This is the only entrance and exit to the earth abyss, and normal guards wouldnt be able to stop that man if he were to try and escape, so I had to take on this role, Jin Feng explained with a smile.

I see. If I recall correctly, isnt Elder Qin situated on the deepest level of the earth abyss? Was the thief able to overpower even Elder Qin? Jin Yue asked in an incredulous voice.

The thief was very cunning, and struck right when Elder Qin left the mine for half a day as he had some other matters to attend to. By the time he received news of what had happened, the thief had already fled the scene. Now then, can you tell me why youve come here, Fairy Jin? Grand elders do indeed have the right to access the earth abyss at will, but you have to have a legitimate reason, Jin Feng said as a serious look appeared on his face.

Holy Master Lei Lan of our race needs to draw upon Glacial Baleful Qi to cultivate, so she has to enter the earth abyss, Jin Yue explained with a smile as she pointed to Lei Lan.

Lei Lan immediately stepped forward in an obedient manner before extending a respectful curtsey toward Jin Feng. Lei Lan pays her respects to Senior Jin.

Ah, yes, Ive heard from my subordinates that there is indeed a precedent of Holy Master Lei entering the earth abyss for this purpose. In that case, youll naturally be granted passage. On top of that, with Fairy Jin in accompaniment, Im sure your safety wont be an issue even with the current ongoing situation in the earth abyss. However, who is that man, and why does he need to accompany you? Jin Feng asked with furrowed brows as he turned his gaze to Han Li.

This is a junior of mine, and he possesses outstanding aptitude as well. Hes currently acting as Holy Master Lei Lans personal guard, so hell be accompanying us into the earth abyss, Jin Yue replied in a calm manner.

If Holy Master Lei already has you to accompany her, why would she still need a guard? I dont think theres any need for him to enter the abyss. With the current situation, its best to have as few people enter the earth abyss as possible, Jin Feng said as he inspected Han Li through narrowed eyes.

Lei Lan and Han Lis expressions both changed slightly upon hearing this, but Jin Yue wasnt panicked in the slightest as she shook her head, and insisted, Im afraid that wont do. Junior Han may only be a guard, but he shares a very close bond with Holy Master Lei Lan, and hell be very important for her cultivation, so he must accompany us into the earth abyss. Otherwise, I wouldnt have taken him all the way here.

What do you mean by that, Fairy Jin? How could a guard like him be connected with Holy Master Leis cultivation? Jin Feng asked with a hint of disbelief in his voice.

Jin Yue merely smiled before transmitting her voice directly to Jin Feng, and initially, Jin Feng was rather perplexed, but an enlightened look quickly appeared on his face, followed by a meaningful smile.

I see. In that case, its not in my place to say anything. All three of you will be granted passage, Jin Feng said as he cast his gaze toward Han Li and Lei Lan with a peculiar look in his eyes.

Han Li and Lei Lan didnt show it, but they were quite confused by this situation. However, seeing as they had been granted passage, the two of them naturally immediately expressed their gratitude toward Jin Feng.

You want to enter the earth abyss? Jin Yue was quite taken aback to hear this.

Will that be difficult to arrange? Hasnt the Flying Spirit Race already conquered the earth abyss? It should be a simple task for you to take me there, Han Li said in a calm manner.

Jin Yue stroked the jade slip with her finger momentarily before replying with a wry smile, If you had come 100 years earlier, then it would indeed have been a simple matter to take you into the earth abyss, but now, things are not so simple.

Oh? Why is that? Han Li asked.

After a brief hesitation, Jin Yue explained, Around 100 years ago, someone stumbled upon an extremely obscure mine of precious ore on the deepest level of the earth abyss. Not only is this mine extremely important to our Flying Spirit Race, it contains an astonishing amount of ore. In order to prevent the mine from being exploited in secret, the entire earth abyss is in a state of semi-lockdown. In particular, the deepest level where the mine was found is inaccessible even to the elders of all of the races unless special permission is given.

Han Lis expression eased slightly upon hearing this, and he smiled as he replied, The deepest level? When did I say that I wanted to go there? I only need to go to the third level of the earth abyss.

In that case, this certainly isnt completely non-negotiable, but if you want me to agree to this exchange, you have to disclose to me the true reason why you want to enter the earth abyss. After all, the earth abyss is now an extremely important part of the Flying Spirit Races territory, and it could contain many hidden secrets yet to be discovered, you cant just expect me to blindly take an outsider into such an important place. The cultivation art youre offering is indeed extremely important to our Tian Peng Race, but I still cant do something so irrational, Jin Yue said in a serious manner.

A contemplative look appeared on Han Lis face upon hearing this, but moments later, he heaved a faint sigh, and replied, I know what youre worried about, but rest assured, I only want to enter the third level of the earth abyss as I have an agreement with a senior, which necessitates a trip to the third level. Once there, hell be able to guide me into a separate space. This has nothing to do with the Flying Spirit Race, so theres no conflict of interest whatsoever. That is the extent of what Im willing to reveal.

A thought occurred to Jin Yue upon hearing this, and her expression changed drastically. A separate space? Youre already at the mid-holy race, could it be that the senior youre referring to is… Ok, so it seems that after reaching the holy race, everything is split up into early, mid, and late again, rather than nine tiers like the upper race.

Thats right, but please do keep this information to yourself. This senior has some ties with our human race, and it was thanks to him that I was able to escape from the demon monarchs during my last venture into the earth abyss. I was asked by this senior to return to meet him again, so if Im unable to do so, perhaps he wont take very kindly to your race, Han Li said in a meaningful voice.

Are you threatening me? Jin Yues expression immediately darkened.

Definitely not. However, this senior has been residing in the earth abyss for countless years, and my trip to visit him is quite important to him as well. Im sure you wouldnt want to make such a powerful enemy for your Flying Spirit Race for no reason, right? Han Li said with a hint of a smile.

Hmph, how do I know if youre telling the truth? Jin Yue harrumphed coldly.

Thats simple, you can take me to the third level of the earth abyss in person, then witness the process through which I depart. Im sure that should erase all of your doubts and suspicions. If you feel like something is amiss, you can just prevent me from making my departure. Im sure that would be a simple task for a late-holy race being like you. Of course, if youre still feeling hesitant, then I have no objections if you bring along more people with you, Han Li replied.

This is indeed a good plan, but Im still not convinced. Even several centuries ago, you were already far more powerful than your cultivation base suggested. Now that youve reached the mid-holy race, Im not confident in my ability to keep you in check, Jin Yue said in a wary manner.

Arent you being a little too naive, Fellow Daoist Jin? The cultivation art Im giving you can enhance the power of your races Kun Peng Transformation by close to 50%. With this cultivation art, your Tian Peng Race could become one of the most powerful branches of the Flying Spirit Race in the next 10,000 years, yet you dont want to incur any risk at all for such an incredible opportunity? Han Li said in a slightly mocking manner.

Jin Yues expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and a cold light flashed through her eyes.

Id advise you not to try anything silly, Fellow Daoist Jin. You should be well aware that I only dared to come here alone as Im confident in my ability to ensure my own safety. On top of that, I havent recorded the second half of the cultivation art into a jade slip, and it exists only in my spiritual sense. If you try to obtain it through any other methods, I can destroy it in an instant, and you can try to keep me here, but Im not sure you have the means to do so, Han Li chuckled as he narrowed his eyes slightly.

After considering the situation for a long while, Jin Yue finally sighed, and conceded, I wouldnt do that, Fellow Daoist Han. You once did our race a great service, so I certainly wouldnt repay kindness with ingratitude. In that case, Ill find a way to take you to the third level of the earth abyss. However, youll have to wait for some time for us to prepare everything, so why dont you stay in our holy city during that time?

Youve made a wise decision, Fellow Daoist Jin, but I still have some other matters to attend to, so I wont be staying in your holy city. Ill return in half a month, Im sure thatll be enough time for you to prepare everything, Han Li said with a smile as he rose to his feet.

It was quite clear that he didnt trust the Tian Peng Race enough to stay in the holy city, and Jin Yue could only offer a wry smile. In that case, I look forward to our meeting in half a months time. Before you leave… Jin Yue suddenly turned toward the entrance of the hall, and transmitted her voice outside. Bring me the spirit tea that I asked for!

Moments later, a servant hurriedly made her way into the hall before handing a yellow leather pouch over to Han Li.

Thank you for the gift. Han Li swept a sleeve over the leather pouch to accept it, then cupped his fist in a farewell salute toward Jin Yue before departing.

Not long after that, a streak of azure light shot forth from the holy city, then vanished into the distance after just a few flashes.

A while later, Han Li descended onto a nondescript mountain hundreds of thousands of kilometers away from the holy city. He then quickly erected a secret chamber under the mountain before setting up a profound concealment formation at the entrance.

After making his way into the secret chamber, he took a seat on the ground with his legs crossed and thought back to what he had said and done during his visit to the holy city, assessing whether he had made any errors.

After a long while, he heaved a faint sigh, and the contemplative look in his eyes faded.

On this occasion, he had intentionally revealed his Kun Peng Transformation to attract the attention of the Tian Peng Race.

With his current level of mastery of the 12 Awakening Transformations, his Kun Peng Transformation was naturally extremely powerful, far more so than the innate transformation that Tiang Peng beings possessed.

However, only Jin Yue could identify the specific disparities between the two transformations, which was why she had been so astonished at the sight of Han Li.

Of course, Han Li only dared to do something like this as he was confident he would be able to protect himself, even if all of the Tiang Peng Race elders were to turn on him. He still couldnt defeat all of them at once, but no one could stop him if he were to escape, this was something that Jin Yue was naturally also well aware of. That, in conjunction with the vastly improved Kun Peng Transformation that Han Li had displayed, was why she had acted so politely toward him in the beginning.

As for the cultivation art that he had offered as part of the exchange, that was something that he had created after taking into account his knowledge of both the 12 Awakening Transformations and the Gu Familys spirit blood refinement method.

The cultivation art would indeed be extraordinarily effective to Tian Peng beings, which was why Jin Yue had been so interested. Now that he had made this agreement with Jin Yue, he should be able to access the earth abyss with no issues. frewbovel.cm

Even though the Tian Peng Race was one of the weaker branches of the Flying Spirit Race, Jin Yue was still a late-holy race being, so this really shouldnt be too difficult for her to arrange.

Without her help, it would definitely be far more difficult for him to infiltrate the earth abyss. However, he still had to constantly be on his guard when he went back to meet Jin Yue again in case she did something hot-headed.

Of course, after he had hinted at the fact that this matter was related to a Grand Ascension Stage being, the possibility of that happening was naturally far smaller.

With that in mind, Han Li set aside that train of thought and closed his eyes to enter a meditative state.

Meanwhile, the elders of the Tian Peng Race had just departed from a large hall in the holy city following a discussion with Jin Yue. Thus, Jin Yue was left by herself on the main seat within the hall, and she seemed to be pondering something with a contemplative look on her face.

Half a month flew by in a flash, and on this day, several streaks of light flew away from the holy city, traveling deeper into Flying Spirit Race territory.

Among these streaks of light was Han Li in his usual azure robes, the white-robed Jin Yue, and a young woman with arcs of lightning flashing around her body.

The woman had a pair of large bright eyes, and she was none other than one of the Tiang Peng Races two holy masters, Lei Lan.

Fellow Daoist Han, Ill be sending the holy master into one of the earth abysss secret areas to cultivate her glacial baleful secret technique, and youll pose as her guard. Under normal circumstances, there shouldnt be issues, but you still have to be careful when undergoing checks. After all, the innate abilities that some of our high-grade Flying Spirit beings are extremely unpredictable. If the guards on duty are adept in detection secret techniques, then there could be some trouble, Jin Yue said in a serious manner.

Han Li and the others followed Jin Yue to a massive hall at the center of the holy city, and they all took a seat.

Following instructions from Jin Yue, several young female servants immediately made their way into the hall, setting down things like spirit tea and spirit fruits onto the tables.

Up to this point, Jin Yue was still treating Han Li like a normal guest, and there didnt seem to be any abnormal response from her.

Han Li calmly took a sip of the spirit tea offered to him before giving a slight nod.

What do you think of this tea, Fellow Daoist Han? This is the Fragrant Maiden Tea that can only be found in our holy city, and only several tens of kilograms are produced per year. Not only can this spirit tea only be picked at dawn, it can only be picked by beautiful virgin maidens. Otherwise, itll be far less fragrant, Jin Yue said with a smile as she also took a sip of tea.

This tea is indeed quite delectable, Han Li praised.

If you like it, I can gift some to you, Jin Yue said with a smile before clapping her hands together, then turned to a servant standing beside her, and instructed, Go to the tea orchard and bring five kilograms of our finest Fragrant Maiden Tea.

Yes, Grand Elder! The servant was rather surprised to be called upon, but she immediately gave an affirmative response before hurrying out of the hall.

Han Li was also rather surprised by this gesture, but his expression remained unchanged as he cupped his fist in a grateful salute. Thank you, Fellow Daoist Jin.

The other elders were quite taken aback by this as well, but none of them said anything.

Allow me to make an introduction. Everyone, this is Fellow Daoist Han, the human who once saved our Tian Peng Race during the holy disciple trials. Im sure all of you have heard of him, but not all of you have seen him before, Jin Yue explained to the elders who were only meeting Han Li for the first time.

What? Thats him?

Didnt he die in the earth abyss?

The other elders were quite stunned to hear this, with the exception of Elder Xu and the other female elder who had met Han Li in the past, and they both exchanged a wry smile.

I encountered some opportunities in the earth abyss and managed to escape from the demon monarchs. After that, I returned to my own human race. You wouldnt fault me for that, would you, Fellow Daoist Jin? Han Li asked in a calm manner.

Of course not! If it werent for your efforts several hundred years ago, there was no way that Bai Bi and Laner wouldve passed the trial and become holy masters of our race. Your actions saved our Tian Peng Race, and in doing so, you fulfilled our agreement, so you had earned your freedom. However, I must say that Im truly stunned to see that you managed to become a holy race being even though you were only a Deity Transformation cultivator several centuries ago. I presume you had something do with the disappearance of the four demon monarchs. If you dont mind, would you be able to disclose what happened between you and the demon monarchs? Jin Yue asked, and all of the other elders immediately turned to Han Li, eagerly awaiting his response.

However, Han Li merely smiled, and replied, I was only made aware that the four demon monarchs had disappeared after I entered the territory of your Flying Spirit Race. Speaking of which, this has something to do with my visit. I cant disclose to you what the events that took place between me and the demon monarchs, but I can promise you that theres no way theyll be able to return to the earth abyss. As for the progression in my cultivation base, this is a result of some opportunities that I encountered in the primordial world. It seems that youve also made significant strides in your cultivation base, isnt that right, Fellow Daoist Jin?

Han Lis blatant refusal to answer Jin Yues question made her rather displeased, and a cold look flashed through her eyes as her expression fell slightly. If youre unwilling to disclose the information, then I naturally wont force you to do so. However, there must be a reason why you suddenly appeared outside our holy city in your Kun Peng form. Have you returned to intimidate our Tian Peng Race now that youve reached the holy race?

Seeing as Jin Yue had cast aside her pretenses of geniality, the other elders also turned to Han Li with cold unfriendly looks in their eyes.

As opposed to being alarmed by this situation, Han Li smiled, and asked, What did you think of my Kun Peng Transformation, Fellow Daoist Jin?

A peculiar look flashed through Jin Yues eyes upon hearing this, but she harrumphed coldly, Hmph, it is indeed quite impressive that a foreign being like you was able to refine Kun Peng True Blood to such an extent.

Do you really think its that simple, Fellow Daoist Jin? Han Li chuckled in a mysterious manner.

What are you trying to say, Fellow Daoist Han? I dont enjoy playing guessing games, Jin Yue asked in a cold voice as her eyes narrowed slightly.

In contrast, Elder Xu and the other elders were rather perplexed by this exchange.

A hint of a smile appeared on Han Lis face, and as opposed to offering a reply, he flipped a hand over to summon a white jade slip, then tossed it over to Jin Yue with a flick of his wrist.

Whats the meaning of this, Fellow Daoist Han? Jin Yue asked as she reflexively caught the jade slip.

Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Jin, I think it would be in your best interest to inspect the contents of the jade slip before we continue in our discussion, Han Li replied calmly.

Jin Yue was still rather skeptical, but after hesitating a while longer, she still adhered the jade slip to her forehead before injecting a wisp of spiritual sense into it.

Moments later, she exclaimed, This is…

Her reaction naturally created a stir among the Tian Peng Race elders, but she was too ecstatic to pay them any heed and was completely absorbed by the contents of the jade slip.

A faint smile appeared on Han Lis face upon seeing this, and he took another sip of tea in a relaxed manner.

Thus, a peculiar atmosphere settled over the entire hall as time slowly passed by, and only after a long while did Jin Yue finally remove the jade slip from her forehead as she heaved a long sigh.

She then turned to Han Li with an extremely complex expression, and asked, Where did you get this cultivation art from? Dont tell me that you created it, this cultivation art is extremely profound, but its clearly designed for us Tian Peng beings.

As expected, you managed to identify the crux of the matter right away. However, the identity of the person who invented this cultivation art isnt important, whats important is the value that this cultivation art will bring to your race, Han Li replied with a smile, seemingly having already predicted Jin Yues question.

This is clearly only half of the cultivation art, I presume youre not just showing it to me for the sake of it. Tell me why youve come to visit our Tian Peng Race, Jin Yue interrogated in a threatening manner as an extremely terrifying burst of spiritual pressure erupted from her body.

Haha, Id be more than happy to answer your question, but this is quite an important matter, so I wish to speak to you in private, Han Li chuckled before adopting a serious expression as he turned to the other Tian Peng Race elders present.

Alright, well do as you say. Elders, please vacate the hall. You can come in after Fellow Daoist Han and I conclude our discussion, Jin Yue instructed without any hesitation, and it was quite clear that she held the cultivation art in the jade slip in extremely high regard.

Alright, well be taking our leave, then.

The Tian Peng Race elders were quite reluctant to leave, but they didnt dare to oppose Jin Yue, so they could only vacate the hall.

Moments later, Han Li and Jin Yue were the only ones left in the hall.

Lets continue our discussion, Fellow Daoist Han, Jin Yue prompted as her expression eased slightly.

However, as opposed to immediately offering a response, Han Li swept a sleeve through the air to summon a dozen or so small five-colored flags.

The flags then transformed into streaks of light of different colors and vanished into the surrounding space.

In the next instant, a five-colored light barrier appeared around Han Li and Jin Yue.

Jin Yue was slightly alarmed by this, but she quickly identified this light barrier to be nothing more than a simple sound isolation restriction. Even so, she was still rather displeased. Are you concerned that someone would eavesdrop on us even though Im here with you?

Please forgive me, Fellow Daoist Jin, but this is a very important matter, so I have to take all of the necessary precautions, Han Li replied in a serious manner.

Alright, but before we continue, theres something I have to verify, do you have the other half of the cultivation art as well? Jin Yue asked as she raised the jade slip in her hand.

Hehe, rest assured, Fellow Daoist Jin, I wouldnt be proposing an exchange if I didnt have the other half, Han Li replied without any hesitation.

Jin Yues expression eased significantly as she heaved a sigh of relief. Good. Now then, what kind of exchange would you like to propose?

On this occasion, Han Li didnt stall any longer and cut straight to the chase. I want to enter the earth abyss, so Ill need you to arrange that. This special refinement method of the Kun Peng True Blood is what Im offering in return.

IGT: Okay, so after doing some edits to this chapter I felt it reasonable to leave a note here about the names Kun Peng and Tian Peng. You probably know that the Kun Peng is the mythological beast that can take the form of a bird or a fish. The first part of its name Kun refers to its fish form, and Peng refers to its bird form. I spoke about this with johnchenn a while back, and he explained that the term Tian Peng translates directly into Heavenly Peng, because their race focuses only on its bird form.

I thought about it for a bit, wondering if every instance of Kun should be changed to Tian, since Han Li only ever utilizes the bird form just like the Tian Peng race, but decided in the end that Tian Peng should just be used for the name of the race, and every other reference to their True Spirit should be Kun Peng. This chapter originally kept on calling the transformation and the true spirit blood by the name Tian Peng, reminding me of this again. Im sure there are older chapters that switch terms around, potentially leading to some confusion, so I hope this clears it up a bit.

At this point, Han Li was already several thousand kilometers away, flying as a streak of azure light with a contemplative look on his face.

He had learned about all of the major events that had taken place within the Flying Spirit Race during the past few centuries, but most of these events had nothing to do with him, so he didnt need to pay them any heed.

There were only two things that were worthy of his attention, the first of which was that the four demon monarchs of the earth abyss seemed to have failed to return from the infernal river. As a result, the earth abyss was conquered by the Flying Spirit Race, and nearly all of the demons in the earth abyss were exterminated.

The second thing was that Bai Bi and Lei Lan, the two holy disciples from several hundred years ago, had both returned safely to the Tian Peng Race. They had then gone on to become holy masters, thereby saving the Tian Peng Race from destruction.

Both Qing Yuanzi and the Mayfly Race had ties with the infernal river, and there seemed to be other important secrets hidden within it as well, so it wasnt a surprise that the four demon monarchs had been trapped there. However, this made it slightly difficult for him to access the infernal river.

The guiding coordinate that he and Qing Yuanzi had agreed on lay deep within the earth abyss. If he couldnt get to that location, he wouldnt be able to enter the infernal river even with the replica of the Star Defying Plate that had been given to him.

Even the four monarchs had to expend a vast amount of time and effort to open up a passageway to the infernal river. His current powers may be comparable to those of a late-Body Integration cultivator, but he still wasnt confident in his ability to accomplish such a monumental feat on his own.

As for his relationship with the Tian Peng Race, that was rather ambiguous. He had once posed as a holy disciple of the Tian Peng Race and managed to obtain the 12 Awakening Transformations from them, but at the same time, the elders of the Tian Peng Race had forced him into the earth abyss, where he had almost perished by the hands of the four demon monarchs on multiple occasions.

However, if he wanted to access the earth abyss again, there was a good chance that he would have to turn to them.

After contemplating this issue for a long while, he suddenly flipped a hand over to produce a blue jade slip and a round white plate.

He placed the jade slip against his own forehead to inspect the information it contained, then removed the jade slip from his forehead and began to carefully inspect the white plate.

After some further contemplation, he seemed to have finally made a decision. He stowed the two items away, following which the azure streak of light that he was situated in abruptly accelerated to around twice its original speed.

…

Five months later, a ball of dazzling azure light hurtled through the air close to 100 kilometers away from the holy city of the Tian Peng Race. Prior to even reaching the city, a clear cry rang out from within the azure streak of light.

Initially, the sound wasnt very loud, but it was relentless and insistent, and it quickly reverberated in the air above the entire city.

Such an astonishing turn of events naturally alerted all of the high-grade beings within the holy city, and several humanoid figures immediately rushed out of a few of the tall buildings in the city. These figures then quickly rose up into the air before looking on at the approaching ball of azure light in a bewildered manner.

The azure ball of light was still some distance away from them, but the astonishingly powerful aura emanating from within it struck them with a sense of asphyxiation.

Curiously enough, this aura was extremely familiar to them as it belonged to the Kun Peng, the deity that was worshipped by their race. However, the only person in their entire race with such a pure Kun Peng aura seemed to be their grand elder after undergoing her Kun Peng Transformation.

With that in mind, the others all turned toward a white-robed young woman with a pair of golden wings. She was standing on the spot with a calm expression, but there was a slightly bewildered look in her eyes as well as she looked on at the approaching ball of azure light.

This was none other than the grand elder of the Tian Peng Race, Jin Yue.

She was at the pinnacle of the Body Integration Stage, so even though she was quite alarmed by the aura emanating from the azure ball of light, she wasnt fearful of it. She quickly made a hand seal, and golden light flashed through her eyes as she unleashed some kind of spirit eye ability.

Thus, she was able to peer directly into the scintillating ball of azure light, upon which her expression took on a noticeable change.

There was an early-Body Integration Stage elderly man with a crimson beard standing beside her, and he asked, Who is it, Grand Elder?

Jin Yue had a rather peculiar look on her face, and she was silent for a moment before shaking her head as she replied, Youll know soon enough, Elder Xu.

Elder Xu naturally couldnt ask any further questions upon hearing this, and the other Body Integration Stage elders also remained silent as they turned their attention to the approaching ball of azure light again.

Moments later, the ball of light in the distance arrived before them amid gusts of fierce winds, following which the light faded to reveal a giant azure bird.

The bird was around 100 feet in length with feathers that looked as if they had been constructed from iron and steel. Its talons were like hooks, and it was completely identical to the true spirit, Kun Peng.

Even though everyone had already suspected this to be the case, their expressions still changed slightly at the sight of this massive Kun Peng.

Before any of them had a chance to say anything, the giant bird flapped its wings, and the long cry emanating from within its beak abruptly cut off. In the next instant, azure runes revolved around its body, and it expanded drastically in size.

After just a few flashes, it had swelled to several thousand feet in size and resembled a small mountain. Its golden eyes were extremely bright, and with just a gentle flap of its wings, fierce winds and flashing lightning were immediately swept up in the surrounding area. The enormous aura emanating from the gargantuan birds body forced even the early-Body Integration Stage elders of the Tian Peng Race to stumble back a few steps in astonishment. Jin Yue remained completely still on the spot, but her expression had also changed slightly, and an ecstatic look had appeared in her eyes.

Who are you? You must be a member of our Tian Peng Race to have cultivated the Kun Peng Transformation to such a extent, so why arent you revealing your true form to us? Jin Yue finally spoke, and her voice was slightly hoarse from her incredulity.

The giant bird glanced at Jin Yue before suddenly speaking in a human tongue. Im glad to see youre looking just as youthful as you were several centuries ago, Fellow Daoist Jin.

It hadnt made any effort to raise its voice, but the elders of the Tian Peng Race were still left with ringing eardrums.

The incredulity on Jin Yues face became even more pronounced, and a thought seemed to have occurred to her. Could it be that youre…

Hehe, looks like youve recognized me.

The giant bird suddenly shrank down amid a flash of azure light, and a smiling azure-robed man with a pair of wings on his back took its place.

Before Jin Yue had a chance to say anything, Elder Xu and another woman in the group exclaimed in unison, Impossible!

Greetings, elders. The azure-robed man was naturally none other than Han Li, and he turned to the two elders with a smile as he cupped his fist in a salute.

The other Tian Peng Race elders were still completely in the dark, and one of them couldnt help but ask, Do you recognize this man, Brother Xu? Is he a member of our Tian Peng Race? If so, why have we never heard of a man of his powers in our race?

However, Elder Xu and the woman seemed to be too stunned to respond to these questions.

Back when Han Li had last been in the Tian Peng Race, the other elders were completing missions elsewhere, so they naturally didnt recognize Han Li.

As for Jin Yue and the other two elders, they had already assumed that Han Li had perished in the earth abyss, yet not only was he alive, he had unleashed such an astonishing Tian Peng Transformation and become a holy race being as well, how could they not be astonished?

So it really is you, Fellow Daoist Han. Looks like you mustve encountered some miraculous opportunities in the earth abyss to have reached the holy race so quickly, Jin Yue finally said, and her voice was far calmer than everyone else expected.

I did indeed encounter some opportunities in the earth abyss, but that doesnt have much to do with my current cultivation base. Instead, I almost perished on several occasions to the four demon monarchs there, Han Li sighed.

Is that so? In any case, I must congratulate you on becoming a holy race being. I didnt ever get an opportunity to thank you for your efforts several hundred years ago, lets go back to the city to catch up. I presume you didnt cause such a commotion just because you wanted to chat with us, right? Jin Yue suddenly said with a smile.

Indeed, I do have something to discuss with you, Fellow Daoist Jin, Han Li admitted with a smile.

Please come with me, then, Fellow Daoist Han, Jin Yue said as she made an inviting hand gesture.

All of the other elders of the Tian Peng Race were still completely bewildered, but no one dared to question Jin Yues judgment, so none of them said anything.

Han Li merely smiled as he followed the white-robed woman down toward the holy city without any hesitation.

The other Tian Peng Race elders exchanged a few more bewildered glances before also following along behind them.

The commotion that Han Li had created earlier had attracted attention from countless high-grade Tian Peng beings in the city, but seeing as all of the elders had appeared outside the city, none of the Spirit Generals and Great Spirit Generals of the Tian Peng Race dared to approach them. As such, they could only look on from afar.1

However, they were situated too far away, and Jin Yue had set up a sound isolation restriction in the surrounding area, so they couldnt hear anything.

All they saw was that the giant azure bird had transformed into a young man, who seemed to be a member of their Tian Peng Race. He then conversed with the elders for a while before all of them flew back toward the city. As such, none of them had any idea what was going on.

Thus, Han Li entered the holy city in a calm and collected manner in front of the eyes of countless Tian Peng beings. Only after a long while did all of these Tian Peng beings disperse in a perplexed manner and continued with what they were doing before this interlude.

1 IGT: Just a reminder, Spirit Generals = Deity Transformation, Great Spirit Generals = Spatial Tempering, and Holy Race = Body Integration