Chapter 1298: The Spiritual Clan Emerges

Han Li lingered briefly near the valley entrance before sensing over a dozen divine senses sweep over him in succession.

He remained composed for a short while, declining several invitations from small groups who recognized him as a high-level body cultivator. Then, he too drifted into the canyon.

This canyon was merely one of several entrances to the Sunset Tomb on the human side. The other areas had been sealed off by cultivators using various mysterious formations. Naturally, the sole accessible entrance was guarded by cultivators from Sunset City, stationed nearby to monitor the situation and prevent any unexpected incidents.

However, these cultivators were all hidden in the shadows. It was said that even the weakest among them had Core Formation cultivation, with a Deity Transformation-stage expert overseeing them.

As Han Li advanced slowly through the canyon, he silently reviewed the intelligence he had gathered about the Sunset Tomb over the past few days.

Beneath his green robe, he wore an unremarkable gray battle armor, while a long spear, its tip wrapped in cloth, was strapped to his back. The spear shaft was dark, but its end was embedded with several faintly glowing cyan crystals. The spear itself was pale silver, its material unidentifiable at a glance. Meanwhile, the Flood Dragon tendon coiled several times around his wrist, concealed tightly beneath his sleeve.

Of course, Han Li’s true trump card—his confidence in venturing into the Sunset Tomb—lay in the two Immortal-Slaying Beads stored in his spirit bracelet. With these treasures in hand, as long as he didn’t encounter anything beyond the Void Refinement stage, he could ensure his own safety.

The canyon gradually widened. After traveling over a hundred li, even the faintest traces of a path disappeared entirely.

Han Li stood still, surveying his surroundings before letting out a soft sigh.

Without the ability to extend his divine sense, navigating was inconvenient. Unable to discern the situation in different directions, he chose one at random and pressed forward.

For the first few days, aside from the occasional small beast or snake, he encountered no anomalies—no demon beasts nor other people. Given the vastness of the region, this was hardly surprising.

But on the fifth day, an endless primeval forest appeared before him.

The trees towered over a hundred feet tall, their lush foliage casting deep shadows. From within, low growls of beasts occasionally echoed.

Han Li narrowed his eyes, observing for a moment before stepping forward. After a few flickers of movement, his figure vanished behind the towering trees.

With his current physical prowess, even the mundane Misty Steps technique he had practiced as a mortal allowed him to move like a ghost through the dense undergrowth and tangled vines, as if his body had no form.

Had any other body cultivators or cultivators witnessed this, they would have thought twice before provoking Han Li in this region.

Suddenly, as Han Li advanced, a silver streak flashed out, circling a massive tree several zhang thick before darting back.

A shrill roar erupted from behind the tree, followed by a gust of foul wind as a yellow-furred giant bear, standing two zhang tall with a single horn on its head, lunged toward Han Li.

But Han Li merely flickered a few times, shifting several zhang away without sparing the beast a glance.

With a dull thud, the bear collapsed mid-charge, its body splitting in two at the waist, blood spraying wildly. The massive tree behind it also split down the middle, its upper half crashing down to bury the bear’s corpse.

In a single strike, Han Li had severed both the tree and the bear. Yet the Flood Dragon tendon’s silver thread was so sharp that the effects only became visible afterward.

By then, Han Li had already vanished once more into the depths of the forest.

Thus, his true slaughter within the Sunset Tomb had only just begun.

Three months later, deep within an unfamiliar mountain range, a series of deafening explosions, shrieks, and roars erupted before abruptly falling silent after one final thunderous boom.

At the source of the commotion, Han Li stood calmly on a horizontal branch ten zhang above the ground, his hands clasped behind his back.

Around him lay the corpses of over twenty cyan-furred apes, their massive bodies sprawled haphazardly. Each ape had thick, coarse fur and two-inch-long fangs that gave them a savage appearance.

Some of the corpses had been torn apart, while others bore fatal wounds—pierced chests or slit throats—leaving the ground drenched in blood.

But the most chilling sight was a massive red-furred demon ape, with one large and two small heads, pinned to a thick tree trunk ten zhang away by a black spear thrust through its heart.

Blood trickled from its seven orifices, its body covered in wounds—clearly, it had just perished.

“To encounter a Core Formation demon beast so soon… The Sunset Tomb truly lives up to its name,” Han Li murmured, studying the ape’s corpse before raising his hand in a grasping motion.

A flash of cyan light from his spirit ring, and the black spear trembled before yanking free and flying back to his grasp.

The ape’s corpse slumped to the ground.

Han Li caught the spear and, in a blur, vanished into the depths of the forest.

Silence reclaimed the area.

After a long while, a patch of emerald light shimmered on the surface of a nearby tree, coalescing into a figure no taller than a foot—a miniature woman in a green dress, her features delicate and her figure curvaceous.

She frowned, gazing in the direction Han Li had disappeared.

“Tian Ying, why didn’t you act? That man was just a high-level human body cultivator. Together, we could have easily dealt with him,” a voice grumbled as a yellow glow rose from a nearby bush, revealing an equally diminutive old man in a yellow robe, leaning on a white cane.

“Huang Shigong, we infiltrated this place to hunt down our clan’s traitor and reclaim the divine blood—not to slaughter humans and demons needlessly. It’s best not to stir trouble,” the green-robed woman replied coolly.

“That man was at most equivalent to a Nascent Soul cultivator. With two Spirit Generals like us, eliminating him would’ve been effortless. Why hesitate? Our Spirit Race is at war with humans and demons—weakening them whenever possible is only logical,” the old man argued.

“Had it been so simple, I wouldn’t have hesitated. But there’s something odd about that man. It’s better not to alert him and jeopardize our mission,” the woman said after a pause.

“Odd? What did you notice, Tian Ying?” Huang Shigong asked, startled.

“Do you truly believe he’s just a body cultivator?” she countered.

“What do you mean? He wielded spirit tools to kill a Core Formation demon beast and showed no signs of spiritual energy. What else could he be?”

“My true form is a spirit born from a cherrywood tree. I can perceive things others cannot. That man’s divine sense is incredibly powerful—almost on par with ours. To my knowledge, human body cultivators cannot possess such strong divine sense. Only a Deity Transformation-stage human could.”

“Are you saying he’s a Deity Transformation cultivator in disguise?” Huang Shigong’s expression darkened.

“I didn’t say that. I detected no spiritual energy from him. But it’s possible. Human techniques rival our innate abilities—such a disguise wouldn’t be unheard of. Our mission is to reclaim the divine blood. I won’t risk it for a distraction.”

“You’re right. If he truly is a Deity Transformation cultivator, we’d have no guarantee of killing him. If he escaped, it’d be a disaster. But if so, the humans are more cunning than ever! Any high-ranking demons who cross him will suffer dearly. Even their peers would be caught off guard,” the old man mused, a hint of schadenfreude in his tone.

“Speaking of which, have Tie Li and Chi Mie entered this place as well? With such a grave matter, all five elemental Spirit Clans must have dispatched forces. I wonder who the Water Spirit Clan sent,” the woman pondered.

“Who knows? The Water Clan is the most secretive of us. Given how vital the divine blood is to them, any envoy would make sense,” Huang Shigong chuckled.

“True. But I’ve heard rumors that the Artifact Spirit Clan might also intervene.”

“The Artifact Spirits? After their own kin betrayed us? The audacity!” the old man fumed.

“They claim that’s precisely why they must participate—to atone.”

“Hypocrites! They just covet our divine blood!”

“Regardless, the Artifact Spirits understand humans and demons better than most. That could aid our hunt. The traitor likely has human allies here. We must find him before they rendezvous.”

The woman’s voice turned icy as she vanished into the trees, the old man following suit.