The final two waves of lightning strikes unfolded exactly as Han Li had anticipated. After blocking most of their power with his silver shield, the remaining force was safely absorbed by the Heavenly Luan Sacred Beast using its demon core.
As the last wave of lightning dissipated, the dark clouds in the sky vanished as mysteriously as they had appeared. Sunlight burst through the remaining wisps, and in an instant, the sky was clear and cloudless.
Within the formation, the Heavenly Luan Sacred Beast was now tightly wrapped in layers of grayish-white demonic energy, forming a massive cocoon that pulsed faintly on the surface.
Han Li showed no surprise at this sight.
Having endured the heavenly tribulation, the beast was now undergoing a transformation to reshape its body into a human form. This process was not something the beast could control—much like how humans are born, the final appearance depended entirely on the transformation itself, though it was also somewhat influenced by the creature’s original species.
After all, fox demons, for example, often took on strikingly beautiful human forms, while those with inherently grotesque bodies would naturally end up with less appealing appearances.
Suddenly remembering something, Han Li turned his head to glance into the distance. The remains of the mutated giant earthworm had already been completely devoured by the Gold Devouring Beetles, leaving not a single trace behind. The swarm now hovered in the air, buzzing softly.
Without hesitation, Han Li let out a sharp whistle, summoning the golden insect cloud back to him. In the blink of an eye, the beetles were safely stored away in his spirit beast pouch.
He then sat cross-legged nearby, closing his eyes to quietly wait for the Heavenly Luan Sacred Beast’s transformation to complete.
This wait lasted an entire day and night.
When Han Li finally stirred and reopened his eyes, a muffled *pop* came from the massive demon cocoon. A strikingly pale, delicate arm burst through its surface, followed by a familiar childlike voice:
“Success at last! Fellow Daoist Han, you’ve worked hard.”
Han Li chuckled and slowly rose to his feet…
Several days later, Han Li silently returned to the Twin Peaks of Cloud Dream Mountain. Now seated in his secret chamber, he idly toyed with the gleaming golden horn while three artifacts—including a gourd—rested before him. Floating in midair opposite him was a massive azure cauldron, atop of which sat a rosy-cheeked child in yellow robes, engrossed in a beast-skin book.
This was none other than the Heavenly Luan Sacred Beast in human form. Though its appearance wasn’t identical to its earlier illusion, the resemblance was striking.
Upon reflection, this wasn’t surprising. The beast’s true body in the Spirit Realm had already undergone transformation once, so it naturally had a clear idea of its human form.
Han Li traced the uneven patterns on the golden horn with his fingers before finally speaking:
“I’ve tested it. This horn can absorb and release most types of spiritual energy. The only drawbacks are its limited capacity and somewhat slow absorption rate.”
The child set down the book and grinned. “As expected of a mutated demon beast’s material! To possess such a rare spirit-absorbing trait—this kind of treasure is something countless cultivators in the Spirit Realm would fight tooth and nail to obtain. It’s perfect for crafting defensive treasures. Many renowned defensive spirit treasures incorporate such materials.”
“Defensive treasures… Could it be used to forge armor?” Han Li asked, intrigued.
The child chuckled. “Fellow Daoist, you truly are sharp! If combined with the Fire Spirit Silk in your possession, this could indeed forge an exceptional suit of armor—perhaps not quite on par with a spirit treasure, but close. However, if you’ll heed my advice, I’d recommend against it.”
“Why? I’m in dire need of high-quality armor for protection,” Han Li replied, puzzled.
“If you intend to spend the rest of your life in the human realm, prioritizing safety by crafting armor would be ideal. But if you plan to ascend to the Spirit Realm through a spatial node… well, you’d be better off reserving this material for another treasure,” the child said calmly.
“What other treasure could it forge?” Han Li asked curiously.
“A Realm-Tearing Pearl. Only such an item could significantly aid your passage through a spatial node,” the child answered without hesitation.
“Realm-Tearing Pearl? If I recall correctly, when your avatar descended to the human realm, you used something called a Realm-Tearing Stone. Are they related, or are they the same thing?” Han Li asked, a note of surprise in his voice.
“Their names are indeed similar, and they share a connection. The Realm-Tearing Stone is a consumable, naturally occurring treasure unique to the Spirit Realm, while the Realm-Tearing Pearl is an artificially crafted item that can be used multiple times. Though their functions are similar, their power differs vastly. To be precise, the pearl’s power is only about one percent of the stone’s,” the child explained thoughtfully.
“One percent?” Han Li fell silent at this comparison.
“Don’t underestimate the Realm-Tearing Pearl because of that. The Realm-Tearing Stone is an extraordinary treasure—even the demon kings of the Spirit Realm possess few of them. It’s one of the three great boundary-breaking treasures, alongside the Inverse Star Plate. Though the pearl pales in comparison, it’s still renowned for breaking spatial restrictions. Since it requires spirit-absorbing materials to forge, it’s exceedingly rare.
“During my time in the Spirit Realm, I once ventured into a spatial node out of curiosity. Though I retreated immediately, the terrifying spatial storms and boundary-repelling forces left me shaken to this day. Even if you master the Annihilation Eye to its fullest, your chances of survival would be minuscule. Otherwise, countless cultivators from lower realms would have already ascended. Without a Realm-Tearing Pearl, attempting such a passage would be suicidal.
“I originally planned to mention this once you reached the Deity Transformation stage, but since you’ve obtained the material now, I might as well tell you,” the child said with a cold smile.
“It seems I have no choice but to forge this pearl,” Han Li muttered, rubbing his nose with a wry smile.
“Had you not already mastered the Annihilation Eye, I wouldn’t have even brought it up. Only with both might you stand a sliver of a chance. Consider this pearl’s forging method my repayment for the Cold Essence you gifted me earlier,” the child said indifferently.
“You’re quite meticulous about debts and favors. But I’m curious—I once witnessed an eighth-rank turtle demon undergo its tribulation, yet its lightning strikes seemed far less intense than yours. Your tribulation was significantly more severe,” Han Li remarked, shifting the topic.
“That’s hardly surprising. Tribulations vary greatly among demon beasts, especially for those of extraordinary lineage. Legendary creatures like true dragons or phoenixes endure thirteen waves of lightning during their transformation tribulation. I only faced eleven—consider myself fortunate,” the child replied frankly.
“I see,” Han Li said, enlightened.
“This demonic cultivation manual, *Swift Wind Nine Transformations*, is rather intriguing. But why show it to me? Are you interested in our demonic techniques?” The child waved the beast-skin book, eyeing Han Li with amusement.
The book was the same one Han Li had obtained from Xiao Cuier and her grandfather years ago, containing an unnamed concealment technique and a demonic scripture written in the language of demons. After learning the script, Han Li had discovered it was a powerful movement technique designed exclusively for avian demons—useless without wings and a demon’s robust physique.
Yet now, for some reason, Han Li had handed it over to the child for study.
“Nothing much. The *Swift Wind Nine Transformations* is potent, and since I possess the Wind Lightning Wings, I lack a specialized technique to complement them. This manual focuses on movement and evasion, making it ideal for me. It’d be a shame to discard it. Given your expertise as a demonic cultivator, modifying it slightly for human use shouldn’t be difficult. In exchange, I’ll lend you that fragment of the Golden Jade Book for study. Though valuable, its profundities are beyond my current grasp,” Han Li said slowly.
“For human realm demonic cultivators, this technique is indeed a rare movement art. It would suit your Wind Lightning Wings perfectly. But you must realize one critical flaw—its techniques require a demon’s physical resilience. Though your body is far sturdier than most cultivators thanks to your tempering techniques, it still falls short,” the child pointed out bluntly.
“If the gap is minor, I can compensate. I once obtained a Buddhist technique called the *King of Brightness Mantra*. Each layer enhances the body significantly. Having reached the second layer, I believe the third would suffice for the *Swift Wind Nine Transformations*,” Han Li replied after a moment’s thought, as if he’d already considered this.
“The *King of Brightness Mantra*? A Buddhist technique?” The child’s expression flickered with surprise.
“Is there an issue with Buddhist techniques?” Han Li raised an eyebrow.
“How many layers does your mantra have?” the child countered.
“Seven,” Han Li answered, puzzled.
“How coincidental. I happen to know another Buddhist body-tempering technique—also with seven layers,” the child said with a strange smile.
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