Chapter 1307: Roasting Light Pond

Han Li’s gaze swept over the scene before settling on the surface of the central pond.

The pond appeared utterly ordinary, its only notable feature being its clarity. There was nothing unusual to be seen.

Just as Han Li was feeling puzzled, City Lord Lan scrutinized the three unfamiliar, dark-skinned young men opposite him and suddenly asked, “I’ve heard that the Silvermoon Wolf Clan has a mutated three-headed wolf demon. With the help of a powerful figure in their clan, it cultivated each of its three heads into separate avatars, each possessing the cultivation of a late-stage Nascent Soul. Together, these three avatars can rival a Deity Transformation cultivator. Could it be you three?”

Upon hearing this, the three dark-skinned youths burst into laughter. One of them replied, “We didn’t expect our reputation to have spread even here. Indeed, we are that Three-Headed Moon Wolf. And we’ve long heard of City Lord Lan’s fame. How about a friendly spar?”

“Hmph, I have no time for such things now. Fellow Daoist Xiao, what are your intentions, sneaking into the valley alone?” City Lord Lan ignored the provocation and instead questioned the palace-robed woman sharply.

“My intentions? Didn’t Senior Huan just say that the Spirit Tribe is entering the pond to capture someone? Naturally, I came to stop them,” the woman replied with a faint smile.

“Is that so? How considerate of you. Very well, you may proceed. I’ll lead the others to guard the pond’s entrance and block the Spirit Tribe. How does that sound?” City Lord Lan stared at her for a moment before glancing at the pond and chuckling darkly.

The palace-robed woman was momentarily taken aback, but after sweeping her gaze over the monk and the several Nascent Soul cultivators beside City Lord Lan, she let out a light laugh.

“Had you not arrived, I might have ventured in myself. But since you’re here, Brother Lan, the opportunity should naturally be yours. Surely you wouldn’t expect a weak woman like me to go down there? Besides, I’ve long heard that you possess a Water-Repelling Jade Rhinoceros Horn, a miraculous treasure that might prove invaluable for entering the Scorching Light Pond.”

“Fine, I’ll go. But you and the others must withdraw from the Chaos Valley immediately,” City Lord Lan said coldly, his tone hardening.

The woman’s expression darkened at his blunt words. She snorted but said nothing more.

Like the others, she had no intention of backing down now.

Meanwhile, City Lord Lan exchanged silent words with the monk, his gaze toward the woman growing increasingly hostile.

Aside from the woman and the three dark-skinned youths, there were only three other shape-shifted demonic cultivators on their side. In contrast, City Lord Lan and the monk still had seven or eight Nascent Soul cultivators under their command, giving them a slight advantage.

With no reinforcements arriving, it was clear that the others were being held up by the Spirit Tribe. Neither side would receive additional support anytime soon.

Whoever seized the treasure first would undoubtedly disregard any prior agreement to share it.

Everyone knew that the earlier truce had merely been a pretense to avoid outright conflict.

Noticing the humans’ eagerness, the palace-robed woman arched her brows and discreetly signaled her allies. With a flick of her sleeve, she concealed an object in her palm.

Tension thickened, and the two sides teetered on the brink of battle—

Suddenly, the ground near the pond trembled violently. The once-calm water churned fiercely, and countless milky-white threads of light shot out in all directions—some soaring skyward, others raining down upon the humans and demons by the pond’s edge.

Nearby rocks, struck by the dense barrage of light threads, were instantly riddled with needle-sized holes.

Both factions reacted in alarm, deploying defensive techniques or treasures to block the threads.

At the same time, a blinding radiance erupted from the depths of the pond, as if a blazing sun were rising from below. The water boiled violently, emitting waves of scorching heat as though the entire pond had turned into a cauldron of boiling water.

“What’s happening? Is this the Spirit Tribe’s doing?” Han Li, who had been observing from above, was momentarily flustered by the light threads. Witnessing the pond’s bizarre transformation, he grew even more alarmed.

The woman and City Lord Lan were equally unsettled, murmuring among themselves.

“No, the Scorching Light should only remain submerged. How is it breaching the surface? Unless—” City Lord Lan, seemingly familiar with the pond’s nature, began before cutting himself off.

Before he could finish, a dozen thick white beams erupted from the water. The moment they left the surface, they twisted unnaturally, streaking toward the nearby humans and demons with terrifying speed.

The sudden, unpredictable attack caught both factions off guard, inflicting heavy casualties.

Only a handful—the woman, City Lord Lan, and a few others—managed to evade the beams in time. The three dark-skinned youths employed some unknown method to escape unscathed, but the shape-shifted demons and Nascent Soul cultivators struck by the beams vanished without a trace, their protective spells and treasures proving utterly useless.

The palace-robed woman and her allies were furious, but before they could comprehend what had happened, a deafening explosion shook the ground. Five yellow pillars burst from the earth around the pond, each inscribed with indecipherable patterns.

Most of the fallen were Nascent Soul cultivators under City Lord Lan’s command, enraging him further. Seeing the strange pillars, he roared, “What vile creature dares commit such atrocities?”

With a motion toward his forehead, five blue flying swords shot forth, expanding into massive blades.

“Cleave!” he commanded coldly.

The swords transformed into streaks of light, slashing repeatedly at the pillars’ bases. A series of thunderous booms followed, but the pillars remained intact, bearing only shallow marks.

City Lord Lan’s pupils contracted. He recalled the swords with a gesture, his expression grim.

Then, green liquid oozed from the cuts on the pillars, emitting a strange, pungent odor.

The swords hovered above him as he studied the pillars, his face twitching. He knew the full might of his blades—ordinarily, they could cleave a small mountain with ease. Yet these pillars seemed unnaturally resilient, almost alive.

Seeing City Lord Lan’s failure, the palace-robed woman hovered nearby, her face a mask of shock and suspicion.

A low hum rose from the pond’s depths, resembling a groan or the stirrings of something awakening.

As the eerie sound echoed, the five pillars froze. Then, a colossal sphere of light, ten zhang in diameter, emerged from the water. Its surface shimmered with white radiance, while at its core rested a golden orb the size of a human head.

“Setting Sun Crystal!”

The monk behind City Lord Lan blurted out the name, then immediately regretted it. Without hesitation, he transformed into a white streak, lunging for the treasure.

Hearing the name, the woman and the three dark-skinned youths were momentarily stunned before their faces lit with greed.

With a sharp cry, the woman spun into a black phoenix of flame, streaking toward the orb. The three youths merged into a thick silver beam, following closely.

Strangely, City Lord Lan hesitated, remaining in place.

Han Li, hidden high above, watched intently but took no action. His sole objective was the Divine Blood. No other treasure, no matter how precious, was worth exposing himself.

The demonic cultivators were a step slower than the monk. Just as his white streak was about to plunge into the light and seize the Setting Sun Crystal—

A tremendous, invisible force gripped the area around the orb, freezing the monk mid-flight.

Before he could react, silver runes flickered across his robes. His body convulsed, and he was yanked into the boiling pond, vanishing without a trace.

The orb remained suspended, unmoving.

The woman and the three youths recoiled in horror, retreating to the pond’s edge with terrified expressions.

City Lord Lan, however, seemed to realize something. His face paled.

Another rumble shook the ground as five more identical yellow pillars erupted from the pond’s opposite side.

A thunderous roar erupted from the depths, growing louder and more distinct.

The pond’s waters and the ten pillars trembled violently in response.

Abruptly, City Lord Lan turned and fled toward the valley’s entrance as a blue streak, disappearing into the thick mist within moments.

His sudden departure stunned both Han Li and the palace-robed woman. Han Li frowned and began ascending higher.

The woman and the three youths exchanged glances but remained rooted, their expressions grave.

The pond’s waters began spinning rapidly, forming a massive whirlpool.

Simultaneously, the ten pillars bent at their midsections before thrusting upward, growing another dozen zhang taller.

The ground split open as two colossal figures emerged from the earth on either side of the pond.

Han Li, now high above, glanced down—

And froze in shock at the sight before him.