Chapter 1410: Mutation

A deafening explosion, louder than before, erupted as countless golden rays burst forth from the stone pedestal.

However, Han Li’s expression shifted slightly. As he withdrew his sword, the pedestal reappeared completely unscathed.

The exceptionally sharp Emerald Swarm Sword had failed to leave even the slightest mark on it!

A glint flashed in Han Li’s eyes as he flicked his sleeve toward the pedestal, releasing a silver fireball.

With a soft crackle, the silver flames enveloped the pedestal, sparks sputtering violently.

Yet the pedestal remained motionless, showing no signs of change.

Han Li swept his spiritual sense over its surface, and a trace of delight flickered across his face.

Without further delay, he sat cross-legged beside the pedestal, forming hand seals and channeling the Devouring Spiritual Heavenly Flames to continuously refine it.

A steady stream of pure azure spiritual power flowed from his hands into the silver flames.

Time passed slowly, and a full day and night elapsed.

Suddenly, Han Li let out a low shout. The silver flames condensed back into a firebird, which circled once before vanishing into his sleeve.

Rising to his feet, Han Li stepped forward to examine the pedestal closely.

At first glance, it appeared unchanged, but under the blue glow in his eyes, faint traces of melting were visible—though so subtle they were nearly imperceptible. He estimated that completely melting this object would take decades, if not longer.

Yet instead of frustration, Han Li felt excitement!

For cultivators like him, decades were insignificant. The fact that this object was so extraordinary meant it was undoubtedly a rare treasure.

He wondered how the Venerable Baoguang had discovered it. Given its resilience, even the Venerable likely couldn’t damage it, so he must have built his cave abode around it, intending to deal with it later.

In moments, Han Li pieced together the blue flood dragon’s reasoning.

However, transporting this object posed a serious challenge.

Given its immense weight, storing it in a spatial bracelet would likely crush the dimensional space instantly. The only option was to carry it physically.

Even with his full strength from the Sacred Devil Art, he could only lift a third of its weight at a time—any more, and he wouldn’t be able to sustain flight.

Han Li stared at the stone, deep in thought.

With a flick of his sleeve, two golden beetles the size of thumbs emerged—mature Gold Devouring Beetles.

At his command, they flew to the pedestal and began gnawing from opposite directions.

Han Li watched intently.

Though Gold Devouring Beetles were said to consume anything, he wasn’t entirely confident they could handle this peculiar stone.

But soon, his doubts vanished.

Though their progress was slow, two small pits gradually formed on the pedestal—proof that they could indeed bite into it.

Han Li was overjoyed!

Yet moments later, the two beetles trembled and plummeted to the ground with heavy thuds.

Han Li was stunned. After a pause, he summoned one into his hand.

To his surprise, the beetle was astonishingly heavy—far beyond its normal weight.

His brows twitched in astonishment.

Fortunately, aside from the weight, the beetle was unharmed, its wings and limbs still twitching.

After a moment’s thought, Han Li understood.

The stone’s unique properties made it impossible for the beetles to digest immediately. After consuming even a small amount, they became overloaded. They would need time to recover.

Storing the two beetles, he released two more.

The same pattern repeated—after a short while, they too fell, unable to bear their own weight.

This time, however, four golden beetles emerged from his sleeve…

By the end of the day, after releasing and recalling over a thousand beetles, the pedestal had been reduced by a tenth and successfully split into three large chunks.

Satisfied, Han Li nodded at the evenly sized pieces.

Forming a hand seal, golden light erupted from his body as a three-headed, six-armed golden apparition materialized behind him.

Bending down, he strained to lift one of the chunks.

Though it felt like carrying a small mountain, the weight was now manageable enough for flight.

Smirking, he set it down and thoroughly searched the rest of the cave for any other surprises.

Aside from some sea-specific materials and spirit stones, nothing else caught his attention.

Unfazed, he gathered everything and returned to the main hall.

This time, he concealed two of the chunks in a hidden corner of the cave, masking them with an illusionary array.

Then, carrying the last piece, he flew out of the cave.

Emerging above the sea, his back shimmered as the phantom of a green bird and a colorful phoenix manifested—his Wind and Thunder Wings.

With a single flap, he shot into the sky like a streak of light, vanishing into the horizon.

Despite the wings’ speed, the weight forced him to stop every few hours to recover before continuing.

Three days later, he returned to his cave in the Black Hidden Mountain Range and immediately placed the stone in a secluded chamber.

For the next two days, he tested the stone’s properties—confirming its unparalleled hardness. Neither ice, lightning, nor demonic energy could damage it.

Only the Devouring Spiritual Heavenly Flames had any effect, albeit minimal.

This material would be perfect for crafting supreme defensive treasures—or, given its weight, a devastating offensive weapon like the Magnetic Mountain.

But when he checked the beetles that had consumed the stone, he was stunned.

Nearly a thousand mature Gold Devouring Beetles had fallen into a deep slumber—apparently on the verge of evolving.

Since they were already mature, this could only mean a mutation.

Overjoyed, Han Li now faced an even tougher decision about the stone’s use.

After half a day of deliberation, he decided to wait and observe the beetles’ evolution before making a final choice.

Two days passed in a flash.

On the third day—the deadline agreed upon with the bull-headed beast and its companion—the two arrived at his cave, accompanied by the golden-furred giant ape and the massive boar.

The beasts waited silently outside, eyeing the cave’s green radiance with fear.

By noon, the light dissipated, revealing a massive stone gate over twenty zhang tall.

With a rumble, the gate swung open, revealing a milky-white passage.

“Enter,” a cold voice echoed from within.

The beasts complied, shrinking their sizes to fit through the gate.

Inside a grand stone hall, Han Li sat on a throne, scrutinizing the four beasts—lingering on the golden ape.

Without a word, he flicked his sleeve, sending an object tumbling to the ground—a massive blue flood dragon’s head.

The beasts gasped.

“This is the head of Venerable Baoguang. With him dead, your previous deal is void. Since you’ve come as agreed, I assume you’ve brought what I asked for?” Han Li demanded.

Staring at the dragon head, the beasts shuddered at the lingering aura of an eighth-grade demon beast.

“We have no choice. We’ve brought the items you requested,” the bull-headed beast replied after exchanging glances with the others.

“Good. The Wood Bell Flowers you need are also ready. If your offerings satisfy me, they’re yours.” Han Li waved his hand, producing a large jade box.

Opening it, a refreshing floral scent filled the air—inside lay hundreds of golden bell-shaped flowers, each the size of a thumb.