Chapter 1373: Regrouping

Han Li felt somewhat frustrated.

The initial joy he had felt upon witnessing the power of the mature Gold Devouring Beetles had now diminished significantly.

Although he possessed eight thousand mature Gold Devouring Beetles, releasing too many at once would likely drain his spiritual sense before the swarm could even engage the enemy.

Strangely, when these beetles were still in their immature state, they had not continuously consumed his spiritual sense.

This left him utterly perplexed.

He couldn’t simply ignore this issue—he needed to determine the cause of the spiritual sense drain.

Otherwise, how could he dare to command these spirit insects in battle again?

After a brief moment of contemplation, Han Li raised his hand and beckoned to the Gold Devouring Beetle hovering in the air.

The insect circled once before obediently landing in his palm.

He released a wisp of spiritual sense, wrapping it around the beetle, but everything appeared normal, with no anomalies detected.

Exhaling softly, he narrowed his eyes in thought before suddenly recalling something. With a swift wave of his hand, the beetle took flight once more, and he sent another strand of spiritual sense toward it.

Moments later, his expression changed drastically.

The spiritual sense wrapped around the beetle gradually weakened, continuously being absorbed into the insect’s body.

At this point, Han Li fully understood.

The reason for the severe spiritual sense depletion was that the mature Gold Devouring Beetles, when in flight, automatically absorbed the spiritual sense used to control them. No wonder his spiritual sense had been unknowingly drained so severely when he commanded them.

Having identified the cause, Han Li frowned deeply, pondering for a long while. He realized this issue wasn’t easily resolved.

Although the spiritual sense loss was temporary—usually recoverable after a day of meditation or slightly longer—it posed a fatal risk during combat.

Whether casting spells or wielding magical treasures, both required substantial spiritual sense support.

It seemed that until he found a solution for the Gold Devouring Beetle swarm, he could only use them as a last resort.

Just the mere appearance of these beetles had frightened off the red shadow. Clearly, the Gold Devouring Beetles’ fearsome reputation extended even into the Spirit Realm.

The so-called “Ranking of Rare Insects” compiled by that demonic cultivator from the human world now seemed utterly insignificant in Han Li’s eyes.

Given that low-level cultivator’s limited knowledge, many errors were inevitable, and most of the rankings were useless in the Spirit Realm.

However, the power of the mature Gold Devouring Beetles far exceeded Han Li’s expectations.

Having finished his deliberations, Han Li dared not linger any longer. After determining his direction, he transformed into a streak of azure light and sped toward the One-Line Gorge.

If the others had survived, they would likely regroup there. Although the spiritual markers he had placed on them had long since dissipated, they had another method of communication. As long as they weren’t too far apart, they could still contact each other.

—

Over ten days later, a solitary streak of azure light silently traversed the desert sky.

Though the light itself was cyan, some secret technique had rendered it dim and nearly imperceptible unless closely scrutinized.

Naturally, it was Han Li.

During these ten days, nothing else had happened, and no Shadow Tribe members had pursued him.

It seemed the red shadow had indeed been thoroughly frightened off by the Gold Devouring Beetles.

With his mind at ease, Han Li focused solely on his journey.

His previously depleted spiritual sense had gradually recovered during his flight.

At the moment, he was idly toying with an exquisitely smooth jade bottle—the very one inscribed with the ancient characters for “Dust Dispelling Pill.” Inside were all the Dust Dispelling Pills he had received upon departing Sky Abyss City.

This was one of the rewards for undertaking such a dangerous mission.

In other words, as long as he assisted the others in completing the task, he could legitimately regain his freedom.

Not just him—all ascended cultivators assigned to perilous missions were provided with sufficient Dust Dispelling Pills.

However, to prevent them from deserting or slacking off, the bottles were sealed with an extremely potent restriction. Unless the mission was completed, the bottles could not be opened by normal means.

Forcibly breaking the seal would cause the bottle to shatter, destroying all the pills inside.

Only upon successful mission completion and verification would the method to lift the restriction be transmitted via a long-range talisman.

Han Li caressed the bottle for a while before his expression shifted. With a flicker of spiritual light, the bottle vanished.

Ahead in the sky, a flock of strange, crane-like birds with long beaks, pale yellow feathers, and purple fleshy crests had appeared.

These giant birds quickly spotted Han Li and, with sharp cries, changed course to swoop toward him.

As the birds drew nearer, Han Li sighed lightly. His azure light flickered, and his body abruptly vanished from the void. The next moment, he reappeared amidst the flock.

Without any visible movement, a radiant robe materialized around him.

The robe flashed several times before unleashing countless arcs of gold and silver lightning, enveloping the surrounding hundred zhang in a thunderous storm.

A deafening explosion later, the intertwined gold and silver lightning dissipated, leaving no trace of the yellow birds.

The area was now eerily empty.

Han Li swept his gaze indifferently before transforming back into an azure streak and soaring away.

—

Broken remnants of towering stone pillars and wind-battered walls stood as silent witnesses to an ancient, long-forgotten ruin.

At the center of the ruins, atop a short section of wall, sat a black-robed woman, while a purple-robed young man paced nearby. Both wore grim expressions, neither speaking a word.

They were Xiao Hong and Long Dong.

The young man’s complexion appeared normal, suggesting he had already recovered much of the vital essence lost from wielding the blood sword. Whether through rare medicines or secret techniques, his recovery was astonishing—given the severity of his condition, it should have taken years.

After a while, both Xiao Hong and Long Dong sensed something and turned toward the horizon.

A faint golden shadow silently emerged, swiftly approaching.

After a few flashes, the golden light dissipated, revealing a white-robed young woman hovering in the air.

“Elder Sister Xiao, Fellow Daoist Long, I hope I haven’t kept you waiting too long. It seems neither of you suffered any serious harm,” the woman said with a smile, appearing completely unharmed.

Xiao Hong forced a faint smile, while Long Dong’s eyes lit up with relief.

“I knew Sister Ye’s quick wits would keep her safe. As for the others, Brother Li was captured by the Shadow Tribe and is likely beyond help. Brother Han hasn’t contacted us yet—perhaps he was also pursued and met with misfortune,” the young man sighed.

Xiao Hong pursed her lips, her gaze flickering, but she remained silent.

“Brother Li may indeed be lost, but Fellow Daoist Han is unlikely to fall so easily. Let’s wait a few more days,” the white-robed woman said calmly as she descended to stand before them.

“A few more days? The sandstorms in the One-Line Gorge are at their weakest now. If we miss this window, we’ll have to wait much longer. At most, we can delay two days,” Xiao Hong said coolly.

“Two days should suffice,” the white-robed woman agreed without argument before moving to a cleaner spot to sit and meditate.

Time passed slowly. Half a day later, a faint buzzing sound emanated from all three of them simultaneously.

Their expressions shifted, and after exchanging glances, Long Dong spoke:

“I’ll activate the positioning disk. It seems Fellow Daoist Han has indeed survived—this is fortunate!”

He flicked his sleeve, producing a green jade disk. With a hand seal, he sent a green spell into the disk, causing it to glow brightly before vanishing.

Once done, he clasped his hands behind his back and waited.

Several hours later, a streak of azure light appeared in the distance. After a few flashes, it arrived before them, revealing Han Li.

“Brother Han, it’s good to see you unharmed. Given the ambush we faced, it’s fortunate most of us made it out alive,” Long Dong said with a smile.

“Indeed, it’s a relief to see all of you safe as well,” Han Li replied, scanning the group with a faint smile.

“Now that Brother Han has arrived, let’s rest for half a day before setting off immediately. We shouldn’t linger here and risk another encounter with the Shadow Tribe,” Xiao Hong suggested calmly.

“Sister Xiao is right. This place is not safe,” Long Dong agreed readily.

Han Li and the white-robed woman voiced no objections.

Half a day later, the group departed cautiously, heading deeper into the storm.

After traveling another ten thousand li, fierce winds began to buffet them, growing increasingly violent until they were fully engulfed in a world of howling sand and stone.

Yellow haze filled the air, and gales whipped sand into a relentless assault. Without their protective spiritual barriers, the force alone would have dashed them from the sky.

Pressing onward another thousand li, Long Dong suddenly halted.

“We’ve arrived. Ahead lies the One-Line Gorge,” his voice transmitted into their ears. “Without the two disposable Wind-Calming Pearls each of us was given, even Void Refinement cultivators wouldn’t dare venture here. These pearls will ensure our safe passage, but beware the wind drakes that dwell within. Though the gorge is vast, and the chances of encountering them are slim.”

“Stay alert for other dangers as well,” Xiao Hong added gravely. “The Shadow Tribe clearly laid an ambush here—there may be further traps. If anything happens, prioritize your own survival.”