Bai Bi no longer showed any resistance to Han Li’s commands, while Lei Lan and the woman from the Night Green Clan, after their initial shock, also wore expressions of awe.
Han Li, however, remained unfazed. With a simple wave of his hand, he silently led the way forward without a word.
The other three immediately transformed into streaks of spiritual light and followed.
“Fellow Daoist Qin, I recall that more than one member of the Night Green Clan came. Where are the others?” Lei Lan asked Qin Xiao curiously along the way.
“Our clan sent three Holy Sons in total. But after entering the second layer, we encountered several hostile branches, and the other two perished. I originally intended to sneak into the third layer through a nearby entrance to see if I could luckily find a Netherflame Fruit. Unexpectedly, I encountered the Yellow Wind Clan along the way and was pursued all the way here,” the woman with small emerald horns replied bitterly.
“Oh? So many members of the Yellow Wind Clan were chasing just you alone?” Lei Lan’s eyes flickered with a meaningful gleam.
“Perhaps it’s because I carry several treasures from my clan,” Qin Xiao hesitated before answering cautiously.
“I see.” Seeing her response, Lei Lan arched her brows slightly but refrained from pressing further.
“To provoke such a relentless pursuit from the Yellow Wind Clan, could it be that Fellow Daoist Qin holds one of your clan’s three great treasures?” Bai Bi interjected at this moment.
“I do indeed carry my clan’s Primordial Chaos Vessel,” Qin Xiao’s expression shifted slightly before she admitted with resignation.
“The Primordial Chaos Vessel—the treasure that manipulates primordial chaos energy and can be used against enemies?” Both Bai Bi and Lei Lan were visibly moved.
“Indeed, it is that very treasure. Without it, how could a mere mid-tier Spirit General like me evade the Yellow Wind Clan’s pursuit for so many days? Unfortunately, activating this vessel each time requires several extremely rare Primordial Chaos Crystals. Even though I brought all the crystals my clan possessed, I’ve exhausted them all,” the woman sighed.
Hearing this, Lei Lan and Bai Bi couldn’t help but glance at Han Li ahead.
Yet Han Li never once turned back, as if he hadn’t heard a word of their conversation.
Seeing Han Li’s complete disinterest, Lei Lan and Bai Bi exchanged a glance and dropped the subject, instead engaging Qin Xiao in polite conversation about the third layer of the Abyss.
Qin Xiao inwardly sighed in relief.
Although the Night Green Clan and the Skywing Clan had some form of alliance, it was merely a verbal agreement with no binding force. If these three had harbored any thoughts of seizing her treasure, given Han Li’s earlier display of power, she would have had no means to resist.
On the other hand, with Han Li’s formidable strength, sticking close to him would guarantee her safety.
Holding this thought, Qin Xiao made no mention of leaving and instead chatted warmly with Lei Lan. Through careful observation and deliberate flattery, the two soon grew close, even addressing each other as sisters.
Bai Bi frowned slightly at this.
Two days later, after dispatching several waves of low- to mid-tier demonic beasts, the group finally emerged from the mountain range, only to be met with a bizarre expanse of ice and snow.
Their flight slowed as they carefully surveyed the scene ahead.
Endless stretches of crystalline black glaciers stretched before them, shrouded in biting winds and swirling black snowflakes. The howling gusts rose and fell like the wails of countless vengeful spirits wandering the depths of the ice.
In the distance, the deeper parts of the glacier were pitch-black, devoid of any light, resembling the gaping maw of the underworld.
“This must be the infamous Glacial Wraith Zone of the second layer. I’ve heard it’s inhabited by numerous low- to mid-tier ice wraiths, and some have even reported sightings of an Ice Wraith King,” Han Li mused aloud.
“Brother Han is correct. This is indeed the Glacial Wraith Zone. However, most of the wraiths here are low- to mid-tier creatures without awakened intelligence. As for the Ice Wraith King, it remains a legend—few have ever seen it,” Qin Xiao quickly chimed in.
“Though this place looks treacherous, given our abilities, passing through shouldn’t pose much trouble,” Bai Bi added with a smile.
“Logically, there shouldn’t be any danger here. But with the Abyssal Demon Tide imminent, it’s best to remain cautious. Let’s proceed,” Han Li nodded, offering a few words of caution before flapping his wings and accelerating into the black snowstorm.
Lei Lan and the others exchanged glances before following suit.
At first, their spiritual lights could still be faintly seen flickering in the distance. But as a fierce black wind carrying a torrent of dark snow swept past, their figures vanished into the darkness.
—
With a thunderous crash, a rhinoceros-like demonic beast over a hundred feet tall collapsed heavily to the ground, its massive frame causing the earth to tremble slightly.
A burst of red light erupted as dozens of crimson threads shot out from the beast’s pitch-black body, vanishing into the air before embedding themselves into a red-cloaked figure hovering above.
“Senior Brother Zhu, your Crystalflame Threads have grown even more refined. The hide of this mid-tier Black Rhinoceros rivals that of some high-tier demonic beasts, yet you dispatched it with such ease. I doubt even Fei Ye of the Nanlong Clan could match this skill,” a winged figure bathed in red light exclaimed nearby, joined by several others who echoed the praise.
The attacker was none other than Zhu Yinzi of the Crimson Blaze Clan, accompanied by fellow Holy Sons.
Their location was a vast circular basin spanning thousands of miles, surrounded by dense black-green forests. At its center lay a barren stretch of land littered with gray, egg-shaped boulders.
Dominating the center of this rocky expanse was a yawning black chasm, plunging deep into the earth.
The Crimson Blaze Clan members guarded the entrance to this chasm. The Black Rhinoceros had evidently emerged from the nearby forest, only to be swiftly slain by Zhu Yinzi.
“Enough flattery. We’ve been stationed here for three or four days, and aside from wiping out another minor clan, we’ve yet to encounter the Skywing Clan. They must have taken another route or are still lingering in the second layer. Other major clans have likely already entered the third layer. While eliminating the Skywing Clan is a priority, we cannot neglect the Netherflame Fruits. Chi Tian and Hong Sha, you two will accompany me to the third layer. The rest of you will remain here. I’ll personally retrieve the Netherflame Fruits for you,” Zhu Yinzi declared after a moment’s contemplation.
“Senior Brother Zhu, that Han fellow from the Skywing Clan seems quite formidable. Wouldn’t leaving only a few brothers here be risky?” Chi Tian asked, his eyes darting nervously.
“Rest assured. Junior Brother You’s strength isn’t far from mine. I’ll also leave behind our clan’s Soulfall Bell. Once activated, it’s silent and invisible—even a Spirit Commander caught off guard would be helpless. With Junior Brother You launching a sneak attack, there’s nothing to fear,” Zhu Yinzi replied without hesitation, as if he’d already considered this.
With that, he spat out a green glow containing an ancient-looking inch-tall bell. With a flick of his finger, the bell vanished, only to reappear moments later above a burly Crimson Blaze clansman, descending slowly.
“Thank you for the treasure, Senior Brother. I won’t fail your trust!” the man named You declared in a metallic, grating voice as he caught the bell.
Though his words were few, Zhu Yinzi seemed to have full confidence in his abilities. Nodding, he gestured for Chi Tian and Hong Sha to follow as the three transformed into streaks of red light and vanished into the chasm.
“Listen up! From now on, everyone conceals their presence. I’ll set up a Three Talents Concealment Array inside the entrance and lie in wait. If our targets arrive, I’ll ambush them with the Soulfall Bell. Only then will you reveal yourselves,” You commanded authoritatively once Zhu Yinzi was gone.
The other Holy Sons obeyed without question, some forming hand seals while others activated concealment treasures. In moments, their figures faded from sight.
You himself then vanished into the dark chasm.
Silence once again enveloped the area.
—
Elsewhere in the second layer, deep within a forest of towering black-green trees, a massive black-yellow pillar rose from a barren hill.
Upon closer inspection, this “pillar” was revealed to be an enormous plant—a colossal tangle of thick vines twisting together and stretching into the sky.
For miles around this monstrous plant, the land was barren as a desert.
Yet at its roots, explosions and flashes of spiritual light erupted as a group of Winged Spirit Tribesmen found themselves besieged by swarms of golden moths.
One group numbered over a dozen, their faces marked with black tattoos, while the other consisted of four exceptionally tall men, each bearing a massive weapon.
The moths, each the size of a fist and gleaming gold, kept their distance, flapping their wings to unleash clouds of multicolored powder that engulfed the tribesmen.
Though seemingly harmless, the two groups dared not let the powder touch them, employing various techniques and treasures to shield themselves within protective auras.
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