“As you command, Master!” The diminutive shadow trembled, lowering its head even further.
“You may go. I shall return to the third level alone.” The woman instructed, then stepped lightly on the giant black flower beneath her.
Instantly, the flower’s surface shimmered with dark light, and silver arrays of varying sizes emerged across its body. Amidst the flickering silver glow, thick black mist erupted from the arrays, swiftly transforming into a sea of fog that enveloped the entire flower.
A thunderous roar echoed from within the mist, accompanied by flashes of silver arcs. Under a gust of wind, the fog dispersed, revealing an empty space—the enormous black flower and the slender woman atop it had vanished without a trace, leaving only the furry figure still kneeling on the ground.
After a long while, the small figure finally stood up, slowly raising its head. Under the desert’s silver light, it revealed four ears and the face of an ape, but its emerald-green eyes bore snake-like pupils, exuding a chilling malice.
This was a Wraith Ape, its fur deep yellow, its intelligence seemingly awakened to a level indistinguishable from that of a human.
The ape’s gaze swept its surroundings before it suddenly opened its mouth, spewing a yellow mist that enveloped the remnants of the giant spirit flower.
An incredible sight unfolded—within the green mist, the remnants rapidly melted into a thick, viscous green liquid. The mist churned, lifting the liquid and drawing it into the ape’s belly.
The ape then closed its eyes, green light flickering in its nostrils and ears, while its yellow fur turned a deep green, emitting a faint glow.
After standing motionless for a long while, two of its four ears twitched, but nothing else happened.
Soon, a whistling sound came from the far end of the desert, followed by a flash of light as a red streak shot toward them.
Within the red light was a plump man in his thirties, with green wings on his back, a pair of horns on his head, and small, cunning eyes darting about.
This was a Saint from another branch of the Winged Spirit Race, who had, for some reason, chosen the same path as Han Li and his companions, traveling alone.
Yet, he appeared extremely cautious.
The ape’s current appearance was striking, and given the man’s vigilance, how could he not notice it?
With a soft exclamation, the fat man halted his flight dozens of yards away from the ape, staring at the creature in shock.
Though the ape had already absorbed the remnants of the giant spirit flower, the shattered ground and the traces of the enormous black flower’s emergence were still evident.
The ape stood motionless, eyes closed, light flickering in its nose and ears, seemingly oblivious to its surroundings.
The scene suggested that the ape had just engaged in a fierce battle, sustaining severe injuries and now healing itself without any defenses.
The Winged Spirit Saint in the air seemed to think the same, his eyes gradually filling with excitement.
Even if slaying monsters wasn’t the goal of this trial, killing a high-tier abyssal creature would yield valuable materials like demon cores.
Such an effortless gain was not something anyone would easily pass up.
Yet, this unnamed Winged Spirit Saint remained highly cautious.
He didn’t act rashly but observed the ape from a distance.
After a long while, seeing no further movement from the creature, he finally relaxed.
A cruel smile appeared on his face as he rubbed his hands together, summoning a flame that transformed into a two-yard-long fiery spear, its tip sharp and blazing.
With a light flap of his wings, the man shot toward the ape like a red streak.
Despite his plump figure, his speed was astonishingly fast, and the entire movement was utterly silent.
In the blink of an eye, the red streak was just over ten yards above the ape, which remained motionless.
The Winged Spirit man, overjoyed, hurled the spear without hesitation.
With a whoosh, the spear pierced through the ape’s body—only for the man’s expression to twist in horror the next moment.
The ape’s body dissipated—it had merely been an illusion.
“Damn it!” The Winged Spirit man cursed inwardly, flapping his wings to flee.
But it was too late.
A blurry green shadow appeared right above him, lunging at his body with a muffled bang.
A burst of green mist exploded, enveloping him entirely.
A scream tore through the air.
The man’s body glowed red briefly before melting like snow under the mist’s corrosive power. His protective aura offered no resistance. After flying a mere dozen yards, he plummeted from the sky, reduced to a puddle of green liquid.
The Saint, for all his abilities, had no chance to use any of them.
The green mist churned, coalescing back into the form of the ape.
The creature coldly glanced at the liquid before sucking it into its mouth.
This Winged Spirit Saint had died unjustly. Had he been on the ground with his full senses active, he would never have fallen for such an illusion or allowed the ape to get so close undetected.
The ape smacked its lips thoughtfully.
“A Winged Spirit clansman… So, it’s almost time for their surface trial. That means they might be the ones who disrupted the ritual.”
After muttering to itself, the ape sniffed the air a few times before fixing its gaze in the direction Han Li and the others had gone.
With a sinister chuckle, it spun rapidly, transforming into a green mist that shot into the sky, vanishing beyond the horizon.
…
“What? You want us to carry this?” Lei Lan frowned, holding a jade token emitting white light, her voice laced with suspicion.
Beside her, Bai Bi held a similar object, his eyes equally puzzled.
The two tokens were translucent, with faint silver runes shimmering on their surfaces—clearly valuable artifacts.
Moments earlier, Han Li had unexpectedly produced these two items, instructing them to keep them close.
“Aside from offering some protection, their main purpose is to conceal our auras and track our locations. If we get separated, these tokens may help us reunite,” Han Li explained calmly.
These “Limitless Tokens” were treasures he had acquired at a high price in Tianyuan City, perfectly suited for their current situation.
Having left the desert behind, they now stood atop a small hill. Out of caution, Han Li had decided to distribute the tokens.
“I’ve never made a habit of carrying another’s artifacts. Thank you for the offer, but I must decline,” Lei Lan said coldly, her expression darkening.
Bai Bi also shook his head with a faint smile.
Han Li chuckled but didn’t press the matter, retrieving the tokens.
“If you refuse, so be it. But given that mid-tier monsters have already appeared in the first layer, this place isn’t as risk-free as we thought. I have a flying treasure with concealment properties. Traveling with it should reduce our troubles.”
“A flying treasure? That sounds useful,” Lei Lan said, her mood lifting.
Bai Bi nodded in agreement.
Han Li smiled slightly and flicked his storage bracelet, summoning an earthen-yellow flying carriage—narrow at the front and wide at the back.
The carriage, seemingly crafted from spirit wood, appeared lightweight yet exquisitely adorned with numerous arrays.
At seven to eight yards long, it was spacious enough for all three of them.
This was one of several flying carriages Han Li had prepared before leaving Tianyuan City, each suited for different circumstances.
“Since Brother Han is so generous, we’ll gladly accept,” Lei Lan said after exchanging a glance with Bai Bi.
Han Li’s figure blurred as he appeared inside the carriage.
Lei Lan and Bai Bi followed.
With a light tap, Han Li channeled several arcane incantations into the carriage.
A milky-white barrier enveloped the vehicle, its surface shimmering as the carriage gradually turned translucent, leaving only a faint white silhouette.
The carriage took off silently.
“Brother Han, if you had such a treasure, why not use it from the start?” Bai Bi asked, examining the unfamiliar human-made artifact.
“While useful, it has its flaws,” Han Li replied noncommittally.
“What flaws?” Lei Lan asked curiously.
“It requires high-tier wood-attribute spirit stones to operate the concealment array, and the consumption is significant. Beyond its speed and stealth, its defenses are weak—easily destroyed if attacked. I’d rather not use it unless necessary.”
Hearing this, Bai Bi and Lei Lan chuckled, asking no further questions.
The carriage’s silhouette, ghost-like in its movements, vanished swiftly into the distance.
Unbeknownst to them, far behind, a green mist paused mid-air before emitting a furious roar, its speed increasing as it streaked forward like a shooting star.
Meanwhile, in a large canyon near the first layer’s entrance to the Abyss, seven or eight Winged Spirit clansmen advanced cautiously.
At their head was a dark-skinned man with a grim expression—Zhu Yinzi, leading the other Crimson Blaze Saints.
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