Chapter 1581: The Incubation Rosary

He turned his head to look toward the source of the golden light.

In the distance, the long-haired foreigner, Tianmu Jia, had somehow freed himself from the golden sphere, and beside him now stood a blue humanoid puppet, twenty feet tall.

The puppet was entirely blue, with one arm raised high, slender golden arcs of lightning flickering between its fingers.

This foreigner, Tianmu Jia, had not only brought two high-tier puppets but also a third one capable of unleashing divine lightning to ward off evil.

This was entirely unexpected for Han Li.

However, Han Li’s surprise lasted only a moment.

The next instant, the Roc suddenly flapped its wings violently, transforming into a gust of wind as it soared above the silver warship. A flash of cyan light later, its body swelled once more.

With its massive claws crackling with blinding lightning, it struck downward with brutal force.

A series of thunderous booms echoed as the claws plunged into the warship, then tore it apart.

Amidst the thunder, the ship was forcibly ripped open, leaving a gaping hole.

The Roc then opened its beak, releasing a thick bolt of lightning that vanished into the hole in a flash.

Screams erupted from within the warship as countless Jiaochi tribesmen were instantly electrocuted.

But the Roc was far from done.

Its wings beat furiously, conjuring a white hurricane out of thin air.

Releasing its grip, the massive warship was sent spiraling downward by the gale before crashing violently onto the ground with a deafening explosion.

With a long cry, the Roc folded its wings and, amidst a cyan glow, rapidly shrank back into human form.

Han Li glanced at the wreckage below, formed a hand seal, and summoned dozens of small cyan swords around him. With a tremble, they shot downward like streaks of light.

In moments, the warship was reduced to scattered debris under the relentless sword barrage before finally exploding in a final burst of destruction.

Han Li showed no mercy to the other fallen warship either, commanding his flying swords to annihilate it as well.

By now, the Jiaochi warriors and two-headed eagles that had been observing the battle had been decimated by the Leopard-Qilin Beast and the Soul-Sucking Ape, leaving only a handful who had fled far enough to escape.

Han Li had no interest in ordering the beasts to pursue them further. Instead, he flicked his wrist, sending a black ring whistling through the air.

The giant black ape shrank rapidly, transforming into a streak of golden light alongside the Leopard-Qilin Beast’s black streak, both vanishing into the ring.

With a wave of his sleeve, the ring returned to him with a hum, and he stowed it away.

Only then did Han Li turn his gaze toward Tianmu Jia in the distance before suddenly shooting toward him like a cyan streak.

In a single flash, he appeared mere feet before the foreigner, his cold eyes fixed on him, his expression unreadable.

Tianmu Jia felt a chill but forced a smile, clasping his hands in greeting.

“Many thanks for your aid, fellow Daoist. I will not go back on my earlier promise. Once we return to my clan, I shall gift you a sentient puppet.”

“You have quite the nerve, dragging me into this. Aren’t you afraid I might kill you right now?” Han Li narrowed his eyes, a trace of killing intent surfacing between his brows.

“You jest! If you truly wished to kill me, you would have done so earlier. Why spare me until now? Besides, my actions were born of desperation—I had no other choice. I beg your forgiveness.” Tianmu Jia chuckled nervously.

“How did you detect me below? I pride myself on my concealment techniques—those below my level shouldn’t have been able to see through them.” Han Li asked abruptly after a moment of silence.

“With your abilities, how could my meager cultivation detect you? I only noticed your presence because of this.”

After a brief hesitation, Tianmu Jia spat out an object and held it up in his palm.

Han Li focused his gaze—it was a black-and-white orb, its surface swirling with faint, vortex-like spiritual energy.

“What is this?” Han Li found it vaguely familiar but couldn’t place it.

“No wonder you don’t recognize it. This ‘Mind-Concealing Pearl’ is crafted from the core of a rare beast called the ‘Twisted Form Beast.’ It can temporarily double one’s spiritual sense and amplify perception to an incredible degree. Though it requires years of nurturing after each use and has severe side effects, it’s invaluable in critical moments.” Tianmu Jia explained honestly.

“Double one’s spiritual sense?” Han Li was stunned.

He had heard of methods to temporarily boost cultivation, rare as they were in the Spirit Realm. But something that enhanced spiritual sense? This was the first he’d encountered.

Spiritual sense typically grew with one’s cultivation and certain cultivation techniques. External aids were virtually unheard of.

“Mind-Concealing Pearl… Twisted Form Beast…” Han Li muttered, eyeing the orb with a flicker of intrigue.

“However, the Twisted Form Beast is nearly extinct in the Spirit Realm. And once this pearl is used by someone, it can never be used by another—doing so would drive the user mad from conflicting spiritual energies.” Tianmu Jia added hastily, noticing Han Li’s expression.

“I see.” Han Li’s budding murderous intent faded, his expression returning to normal.

Still, the black pearl seemed oddly familiar. He felt as though he might have one in his storage bracelet.

Blinking, Han Li recalled an unknown beast he had slain in the Fallen Devil Valley while harvesting Spirit Candle Fruit—its core had looked strikingly similar. Could that have been a Twisted Form Beast?

The thought excited him. If he possessed such a pearl, he could control nearly half again as many Gold Devouring Beetles, enough to intimidate or even repel deadly foes.

But he masked his interest, shifting the topic.

“Given how fiercely the Jiaochi pursued you, you must be no ordinary figure. Care to introduce yourself?”

“I’m merely a third-tier upper clansman, known only for some minor skill in puppet crafting.” Tianmu Jia replied lightly.

“Is that so? To earn the Jiaochi Elders’ attention, your puppetry must be extraordinary.” Han Li’s eyes gleamed.

Tianmu Jia chuckled but didn’t elaborate, instead glancing around warily.

“Senior, this is no place to linger. Should we not leave first and discuss matters later?”

“Hmph. Fair point. But I never agreed to travel with you. You take your path, I’ll take mine. With such a target on your back, I’d rather not be caught in the crossfire again.”

Han Li snorted, cyan light flickering around him as he prepared to depart.

“Wait! The further ahead you go, the tighter the Jiaochi blockade becomes. Even with your speed, breaking through won’t be easy. But I know of a hidden teleportation formation that can take us beyond their occupied territory!” Tianmu Jia blurted in panic.

“A teleportation formation? You’re not lying to me, are you?” Han Li paused, skepticism in his eyes.

“Rest assured, Senior. This formation was set up by our Thirteen Cloud Clans for special operatives. You’ll see its authenticity for yourself. If I deceive you, you may deal with me as you wish.” Tianmu Jia smiled earnestly.

Han Li fell into thought.

The Jiaochi patrols had indeed grown denser ahead, with even more silver warships appearing.

He had little confidence in slipping through such tight security. A teleportation formation would be a far safer option.

Though he had no ties to either the Jiaochi or the Thirteen Cloud Clans, the Jiaochi’s massacre in Green Light City made it clear that surrendering the jade boxes would be futile.

The Thirteen Cloud Clans, however, were more accepting of outsiders. Seeking refuge in their territory while plotting a return to the Wind Yuan Continent seemed feasible.

Moreover, he needed to dispose of the jade boxes. This Tianmu Jia seemed influential in the Wangu Clan—perhaps he could be of use.

Having weighed his options, Han Li nodded, his expression softening.

“Very well. Since you put it that way, I’ll defer to your guidance. Lead the way, Fellow Daoist Jia.” His tone grew noticeably more polite.

Tianmu Jia beamed with relief, thanking him profusely.

The special spirit stones powering his puppets were depleted. Without Han Li’s protection, a mere third-tier upper clansman like him stood no chance of reaching the teleportation formation.

After retrieving his two captured puppets and stowing the humanoid one away, Tianmu Jia led Han Li into the sky.

A golden and a cyan streak flashed across the horizon before vanishing without a trace.