As for Xianxian, she was still enveloped in a golden light, but now eight palm-sized bronze mirrors had appeared outside the golden glow, swirling around her body.
The backs of these mirrors were adorned with ancient patterns, while their surfaces gleamed with a chilling light. Their purpose remained unknown.
Apart from the treasures they had already revealed, both individuals held other items in their hands, keeping them concealed. Clearly, they were well-prepared for the dangers lurking within the mist.
Even Han Li had several green thunder beads clenched in one hand inside his sleeve, ready to be unleashed should they encounter any formidable foes.
The surrounding mist was pale and hazy, starkly different from ordinary demonic energy, though it was far less threatening than the pitch-black fog below. At the very least, there was no immediate risk of demonic corruption.
Of course, Han Li’s spiritual vision was severely restricted here, limiting his sight to only half a mile.
Thus, while he appeared calm on the surface, he remained highly vigilant, sweeping his gaze across the surroundings while extending his divine sense to cover a radius of several dozen feet. This was to prevent any stealthy demonic beasts from sneaking up on them.
Since entering the mist, the three of them had instinctively stopped conversing, silently pressing forward in silence.
For them, the best outcome would be to pass through this area without alerting any potential demonic beasts.
After flying for half an hour, the mist ahead remained just as thick, showing no signs of thinning.
Han Li remained composed, but Xianxian began to show signs of anxiety, while Yue Zong’s expression darkened, and he glanced at the strange insect in his box more frequently.
After flying a bit further, Han Li suddenly heard a series of short, sharp cries from behind. Pausing slightly, he turned to look.
The insect box in Yue Zong’s hand was now glowing with silver light. The strange insect had raised the upper half of its body, its head shaking wildly as it emitted eerie chirps.
Not only were the silver spots on its body now shining brilliantly, but the ghostly face pattern on its head had also turned a deep, blood-red hue, as if dripping with blood.
“Bad news! High-level demonic beasts have appeared within ten miles and are flying toward us at incredible speed!” Yue Zong’s face paled as he urgently warned Han Li.
“Tell me from which direction,” Han Li replied calmly, his composure unwavering.
“From the southwest—five of them!” Yue Zong’s voice trembled as he deciphered the insect’s cries.
“Five? That’s a bit troublesome. I wonder what kind of high-level demons they are,” Han Li murmured, his gaze snapping toward the southwest.
With a flick of his sleeve, seventy-two small green swords shot out, accompanied by a clear ringing sound. He muttered an incantation and swiftly pointed at the swords, causing them to tremble before vanishing mysteriously.
In their place, countless green lotus flowers materialized in the surrounding void, multiplying rapidly—one into two, two into four, four into eight—until the sky was dotted with green light.
The lotuses spun and expanded, each growing to the size of a zhang before merging into a vast green curtain that sealed off the sky within a hundred-zhang radius.
This was one of Han Li’s great divine abilities—the Spring Dawn Sword Formation!
Only with this formation could he confidently trap multiple high-level demonic beasts at once.
Otherwise, while he might be confident in slaying the beasts, he couldn’t guarantee the safety of Xianxian or Yue Zong. If even one or two beasts slipped past, the consequences would be dire.
Since both were indispensable for this journey, Han Li opted for the most secure method.
“A sword formation!” Xianxian, recognizing its power, was momentarily stunned before her face lit up with joy.
Yue Zong also showed surprise, clearly aware of the formation’s might.
Han Li, expressionless, waved his sleeve toward the sky. A green mist swept out, causing the curtain of light to blur before turning transparent and vanishing entirely, as if it had never existed.
Seeing the formation’s miraculous concealment, Xianxian and Yue Zong grew even more confident in Han Li.
Exchanging a glance, they wisely moved closer to him, hovering behind him at a respectful distance of about twenty zhang.
Han Li didn’t turn to look but sensed their positioning.
At that moment, a series of “gugu” cries erupted from the direction Han Li had been watching.
The sound instantly filled him with irritation, disrupting his focus. Startled, he quickly regained his composure as the Great Development Mantra automatically circulated within him, soothing his mind.
Yue Zong and Xianxian, however, reacted differently.
Yue Zong’s eyes grew unfocused, his face flushed unnaturally, and his hands clenched and unclenched as if in a daze.
Xianxian, on the other hand, merely had a flash of green light across her face before she appeared unaffected.
Noticing Yue Zong’s state, she frowned and, without hesitation, flicked a talisman she had been holding.
It transformed into a burst of white mist, enveloping Yue Zong before he could react.
“Ah!”
The cold energy jolted him back to his senses, dispelling the irritation.
“Thank you, Fairy,” Yue Zong said, bowing gratefully.
Xianxian smiled faintly but said nothing.
Yue Zong, however, was puzzled. His cultivation far surpassed hers, yet he had fallen victim while she remained unharmed. Did she possess some rare soul-calming treasure?
Before he could ponder further, the mist in the southwest churned violently as several massive black shadows emerged, their menacing forms rapidly approaching.
With a few flashes, they burst through the mist, revealing their grotesque appearances.
They were vulture-like demonic birds with bald heads and human-like female faces. However, where eyes should have been, four green orbs were stacked vertically.
This twisted their otherwise delicate features into something horrifying.
Four of the birds had black-and-white feathers and were at the early-stage of the Void Refinement realm, while the central one, with snow-white plumage, exuded the strongest aura—late-stage Void Refinement.
“Gah! Spirit Realm humans! Wonderful! The last one I ate was centuries ago,” the lead bird croaked in a grating, barely intelligible voice.
Han Li remained expressionless, coldly observing the demonic birds.
The late-stage Void Refinement bird, displaying high intelligence, didn’t immediately attack. Instead, it hovered in the distance, its four eerie eyes scanning the trio as it assessed their strength.
Han Li’s brow furrowed slightly before he suddenly raised a hand.
Five orbs shot out, transforming into fist-sized green lights that darted toward the birds.
The birds scattered at their leader’s command, easily dodging the attack.
Demonic birds, like their spiritual counterparts, were far swifter than land beasts.
But Han Li smirked, forming a hand seal.
The green lights veered mid-flight, converging on an empty spot between the birds before exploding in a deafening blast.
Thunder roared as countless green lightning arcs erupted, engulfing the birds in a destructive storm.
Yue Zong’s face lit up with joy, but before he could speak, a screech pierced the thunder.
Five milky-white beams shot out from the lightning, sweeping through and extinguishing the green arcs.
Moments later, the five birds emerged, battered but furious.
The leader had only a singed wing, but the others were scorched and reeked of burnt flesh.
Though they had survived, Han Li’s thunder beads—equivalent to a full-power strike from a Void Refinement cultivator—had left them far from unscathed.
The four injured birds shrieked in rage, charging at Han Li with murderous intent, eager to tear him apart and devour him.
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