At first glance, the two massive beasts resembled giant apes. However, their bodies were covered in unusually long green fur, and each had three black eyes that darted around with an eerie alertness.
Han Li silently watched as the two shaggy beasts passed beneath the tree and gradually disappeared into the distance before he flickered back into view beneath the towering tree.
Gazing in the direction the beasts had vanished, a trace of suspicion flickered across his face.
These two creatures, seemingly on patrol, were clearly not of the Wood Tribe. Yet, why were they in the Blackleaf Forest? The massive bronze tridents they carried on their shoulders suggested they possessed considerable intelligence.
Could they belong to some unknown foreign race?
Han Li pondered for a moment before shaking his head.
As far as he knew, the Wood Tribe was highly xenophobic. Under normal circumstances, they would never allow outsiders to roam so brazenly within their territory. Could these be war beasts trained by the Wood Tribe?
That was Han Li’s speculation.
War beasts were essentially the same as spirit beasts—merely a different name. Just as humans and demons used various secret techniques to refine and control spirit beasts, other races also knew how to train ancient beasts using drugs or other methods to make them serve their purposes.
Of course, depending on the innate abilities of each race, the types of beasts they could tame and control varied greatly. Not all ancient beasts could be subdued.
The two-headed monster he had encountered earlier among the Shadow Tribe was a powerful war beast unique to them. Likely, only the Shadow Tribe had the means to tame such creatures.
As for the Wood Tribe, he had never heard of them possessing war beasts before. Could these be newly trained?
Han Li mulled over the matter for a long time, his mind filled with doubts, but ultimately decided to set it aside.
Since these two shaggy beasts hadn’t even noticed him despite being so close, they were probably just thick-skinned brutes—nothing to fear.
With his mind made up, Han Li’s figure flickered and vanished like a shadow.
—
A day later, beneath a towering tree in the forest, Han Li stood with a dark expression, staring at the eight shaggy beasts before him.
Unlike the previous two, these ape-like creatures were half the size and covered in fiery red fur. Instead of bronze tridents, they wielded eight pitch-black, gleaming spiked clubs.
All eight beasts bared their fangs and glared at Han Li with menacing expressions.
Han Li’s lips twitched.
He had assumed these beasts had dull senses, but when this group passed nearby, they had immediately detected him hiding behind a tree and surrounded him.
Noticing the flickering black light in the third eyes on their foreheads, Han Li frowned, realizing something.
When he had encountered the two green-furred beasts earlier, their third eyes had been tightly shut.
With a low growl, the eight red beasts leaped into the air, swinging their spiked clubs with brutal force.
A layer of green light shimmered over the weapons as violent gusts of wind surged toward Han Li.
Han Li’s brows arched slightly, but he didn’t dodge. Instead, he calmly flicked his sleeve toward the air.
Eight small golden swords flashed into existence, transforming into golden threads that lashed out and coiled around the eight beasts.
With a series of soft *thuds*, eight massive heads rolled to the ground as if they were mere vegetables.
The golden threads reverted to swords and shot back into Han Li’s sleeve just as the headless corpses, oozing emerald-green blood, crashed to the ground.
With another flick of his sleeve, eight crimson fireballs shot out and struck the corpses.
A few soft *pops* later, the bodies were reduced to ashes in the scarlet flames.
Expressionless, Han Li’s figure blurred, leaving behind a trail of afterimages as he vanished back into the forest.
Unbeknownst to him, shortly after his departure, two glowing green eyes—each a foot wide—opened on the trunk of a nearby tree. The cold, emotionless eyes swiveled before fixing unblinkingly on the direction Han Li had disappeared.
—
Tens of thousands of miles away, beneath the cover of dense foliage, another pair of faintly glowing green eyes opened on an unremarkable tree.
In the direction they gazed, a man in purple robes and a woman in a black dress stood side by side in a small clearing—none other than Long Dong and Xiao Hong.
Around them lay the corpses of over a dozen red and green shaggy beasts.
“Brother Long, these creatures don’t seem particularly strong, but how did they see through our concealment? My *Illusionary Mist Banner* can even fool cultivators of the same rank,” the woman transmitted, her delicate brows furrowed.
“Perhaps it’s related to their third demonic eye. Multi-eyed beasts often possess unique abilities. If that’s the case, we must be even more cautious,” Long Dong replied, his expression equally troubled.
“Most likely. Let’s move. We must reach that place before that little girl does. Otherwise, that item might fall into her hands,” the woman said, her face darkening.
Long Dong chuckled strangely. “Who would have thought you and that girl would join this mission with such intentions? Unfortunately, that item is useless to our Long Family. But don’t forget our agreement—the item is yours, but the *person* is mine.”
The woman snorted. “Though I also desire the Phoenix Blood, I know what’s more important to my clan.”
“Good. Let’s go.” The youth with the blood mole laughed before the two vanished into the trees.
—
Elsewhere, an almost imperceptible white shadow darted through the forest at an unbelievable speed.
—
Deep within the Blackleaf Forest, in a heavily warded and hidden location, several shadowy figures sat beneath a small silver tree about twenty feet tall.
One of them suddenly opened its eyes, revealing a pair of golden-green pupils, and uttered a few short, strange syllables.
The others opened their eyes as well. A towering figure among them spoke with authority, seemingly issuing a command.
The first figure prostrated itself and replied respectfully.
After listening, the tall figure barked an order.
The others immediately rose and spread out around the silver tree.
With a shout, the tall figure pointed at the tree, sending a green streak of light into it.
The silver tree trembled violently before several silver eyes opened across its surface. Each eye shot out a thick beam of silver light, striking one of the figures.
In an instant, the figures blurred and vanished.
—
Han Li, unaware that his movements had been detected, continued weaving through the forest, appearing and disappearing like a ghost.
The rest of his journey proved surprisingly smooth. Aside from a few lone shaggy beasts, he encountered no Wood Tribe members.
While pleased, Han Li couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
But then again, given the vastness of the Blackleaf Forest, it wasn’t strange that he hadn’t run into any Wood Tribe members yet.
This mission concerned the Dust-Dispelling Pill. Having come this far, he couldn’t turn back now.
Despite his lingering unease, Han Li pressed on, merely heightening his vigilance.
—
Two days later, Han Li stood on a slender branch, swaying weightlessly in the wind as he studied a small hill about a hundred feet high.
The hill was sparsely vegetated, with only a few ancient trees dotting its surface.
After observing it for a long while, Han Li flipped his hand, revealing a dark triangular disk.
A milky-white dot flickered at its center.
Glancing between the disk and the hill, he formed a hand seal and sent a streak of azure light into the disk.
The disk flashed black, and the white dot flew out, spinning before shooting a thin white thread that pointed directly at one of the ancient trees on the hill.
Han Li’s gaze sharpened.
The tree was half-dead, its upper half charred black as if struck by lightning, while the lower half was yellowish with faint green near the roots.
After a moment, Han Li closed his eyes and slowly extended his divine sense, meticulously scanning the area.
Finding nothing amiss, he relaxed slightly.
But he didn’t act immediately. Instead, he retrieved several silver orbs from his sleeve and spat out a silver firebird the size of a fist.
The firebird circled him before growing to a foot in length, swallowing the orbs, and diving into the ground.
Next, Han Li took out a stack of green formation flags and tossed them toward the hill.
Seven or eight streaks of green light shot out and vanished into the surroundings.
Muttering an incantation, Han Li activated the formation.
A layer of green light shimmered around the hill before fading into near-invisibility.
Satisfied, Han Li exhaled and leaped from the branch.
In a few flashes, he reached the base of the hill—and with a green shimmer, disappeared without a trace.
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