“I was the one who killed the Cave Spirit, but do you know anything about the true origin of the entity that possessed it?” Han Li replied with a faint expression, sidestepping the question from the Gui-named man and instead posing one of his own.
Upon hearing this, both the Gui-named man and Xianxian’s expressions shifted slightly, and they exchanged glances.
“Brother Han, if you have any doubts, feel free to share them!” Xianxian said after a brief silence, speaking slowly.
“Nothing much. It’s just that before it died, this thing claimed to be an incarnation of the Celestial Demon Monarch. I wonder what insights the two of you might have on this?” Han Li said with an air of nonchalance.
“Celestial Demon Monarch!”
“Impossible!”
This time, Xianxian and the Gui-named man exclaimed almost in unison, their faces filled with shock and fear.
“Oh? This is the first I’ve heard of the Celestial Demon Monarch, but it seems the two of you are quite familiar with it. Would you mind enlightening me?” Han Li raised an eyebrow, his gaze piercing as he stared at them.
The Gui-named man snorted coldly, his expression flickering between dark and uncertain, as if he had no interest in responding.
The Crystal Clan woman hesitated for a moment before finally opening her delicate lips to explain, “Brother Han, you must be aware of the Celestial Demons, correct? The Celestial Demon Monarch is the highest-tier existence among them. They typically manifest in countless incarnations. Even beings like True Spirits, when undergoing tribulations, may fall prey to such a monarch’s mental invasion. A single misstep could lead to demonic corruption, turning them into puppets.”
“Even True Spirits can’t avoid it?” Han Li’s expression darkened upon hearing this.
“Not just True Spirits—it’s said that even immortals from the True Immortal Realm can be corrupted and controlled by a Celestial Demon Monarch. Of course, this is merely hearsay. No one has ever witnessed it firsthand. But Brother Han, are you certain this Cave Spirit was possessed by a Celestial Demon Monarch?” Xianxian let out a bitter laugh before pressing for confirmation.
“What? Does Fairy Xian suspect me of lying?” Han Li, inwardly shaken by the revelation of the Celestial Demon Monarch’s true nature, kept his face impassive as he responded.
“How could I think that? It’s just that this matter is of grave importance, so I had to—”
“I, however, believe there’s a high likelihood that what he said is true.” Before Xianxian could finish, the Gui-named man, who had been silent with a dark expression, interjected coldly.
“What do you mean by that, Fellow Daoist Gui?” Han Li was taken aback, and Xianxian also narrowed her beautiful eyes, asking softly.
“Hmph, don’t play dumb. I refuse to believe you didn’t notice the anomalies in this Cave Spirit. You should know full well that Cave Spirits, as natural-born beings of heaven and earth, cannot be possessed or controlled by ordinary entities. Even our true forms would never be capable of such a feat. Moreover, what it said earlier—about having already slain several beings like us—was likely not a lie either.” The Gui-named man replied icily.
“Even so, how did it know about the True Spirit’s Lair and the True Kirin’s Origin, lying in wait here?” Xianxian shook her head in rebuttal.
“That part is harder to guess. Perhaps this incarnation of the Celestial Demon Monarch accidentally stumbled into this realm and happened to devour one of our kind who escaped in the past, thus learning of this place. Or perhaps it was sheer coincidence—it first took control of the Cave Spirit here, then learned of our affairs by consuming others who sought this place.” The Gui-named man spoke with a sinister tone.
“Put that way, it does seem plausible. But whether it’s true or not, we can verify it easily. If I recall correctly, any creature possessed by a Celestial Demon Monarch will eventually have its body completely turn into demonic dust. No matter how unique the Cave Spirit’s form, it wouldn’t be exempt.” As she spoke, Xianxian cast her gaze downward.
Hearing this, Han Li also looked down curiously—only to recoil in shock.
The remnants of the strange, stone-like face had, at some point, turned into a pile of black ashes, lying quietly on the ground below.
Han Li strained his eyes to discern traces of the original face in the black dust, his lips twitching involuntarily.
The other two naturally noticed this as well.
The Crystal Clan woman sighed softly without a word, while the Gui-named man raised his hand and made a grasping motion toward the ashes.
A wisp of black smoke rose from the ashes, which he then examined intently.
“Indeed, this is demonic dust,” the Gui-named man said after a long pause, his eyes flickering before he tossed the ashes aside.
“It seems Brother Han spoke the truth. The Cave Spirit really was controlled by an incarnation of the Celestial Demon Monarch—no wonder it was so troublesome. Earlier, the two of us unknowingly fell into its trap and nearly lost our lives. Speaking of which, I must thank Brother Han for his timely assistance.” Xianxian chuckled lightly, her eyes shimmering as she expressed her gratitude.
“It was nothing. I only managed to slay it by luck. That demon was truly bizarre and difficult to deal with.” Recalling how the black-robed figure had repeatedly regenerated within the Cave Spirit’s body, Han Li couldn’t help but shudder inwardly.
“Naturally. This was only possible because the Cave Spirit lacked a true physical form, preventing the demon from fully manifesting even a fraction of its power. Otherwise, the Celestial Demon Monarch’s abilities rival those of True Immortals. Even beings controlled and corrupted by its incarnations are terrifying beyond measure—far beyond what we could handle now. However, since its incarnation was slain by Fellow Daoist Han, it likely won’t let this go easily. If you ever attempt to ascend, this demon may personally interfere with your tribulation.” The Gui-named man’s eyes glinted coldly as he spoke.
“Ascension tribulation? Heh, that’s so far off I haven’t even considered it.” Han Li laughed dismissively, as if completely unconcerned.
“Enough. Since Fellow Daoist Xian and I have answered your questions, shouldn’t we now discuss the matter of the True Kirin’s Origin?” The Gui-named man sneered before returning to their original purpose.
“Whatever form the True Kirin’s Origin takes, I found no trace of it inside the Cave Spirit,” Han Li replied bluntly this time.
At these words, the Gui-named man’s expression darkened instantly. Xianxian also frowned, falling into deep thought.
Strangely, neither showed signs of anger or suspicion.
Han Li narrowed his eyes, puzzled by their reactions.
“What do you think, Fellow Daoist Gui?” The Crystal Clan woman suddenly smiled and turned to the Gui-named man.
“Fellow Daoist Han indeed bears no trace of the True Kirin’s Origin. Since this thing shares the same origin as us, no treasure or restriction could conceal it from our senses. Thus, he isn’t lying. However, during our earlier battle with the Cave Spirit, we both sensed the presence of the Origin within it.” The Gui-named man spoke each word deliberately.
“So, Brother Gui and I share the same conclusion.” Xianxian’s face paled.
“Indeed. Since Fellow Daoist Han didn’t obtain the True Kirin’s Origin, its existence must have either dissipated upon the Cave Spirit’s death, returning to the earth, or retreated back into the True Spirit’s Lair. In the latter case, we’d have to wait centuries for a new Cave Spirit to emerge before we could retrieve it.” The Gui-named man’s expression turned grim.
“If it’s the first scenario, we’ve lost our chance. But if it’s the second, we’d only need to wait a few hundred years.” The Crystal Clan woman forced out the words.
“Oh? Is there a way to determine which scenario occurred?” Han Li stroked his chin, intrigued.
“None whatsoever. The first leaves no trace, and the second is utterly inaccessible.” The woman murmured.
Hearing this, Han Li was equally disappointed. After all, the Origin’s power could have aided his advancement to the next realm. Now, even if it still existed, he’d have to wait centuries for another chance.
Still, despite the pair’s seemingly genuine reactions, he wasn’t about to take their words at face value.
His eyes flashed blue as he released his divine sense, soaring into the air to thoroughly inspect the surroundings.
After scouring the area within several miles, he found no clues and could only return in frustration, landing beside the other two.
Seeing Han Li’s unwillingness to give up, Xianxian and the Gui-named man became even more convinced of his earlier words. The three fell into silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
For Xianxian, this journey had ended in utter failure, leaving her disheartened.
The Gui-named man remained composed, though his eyes flickered with unspoken calculations.
“Heh, it seems this trip was a waste. Fortunately, my host body is that of a Silver Flood Dragon—a few centuries is nothing to me.” The Gui-named man suddenly chuckled, as if having resolved something.
“You have a Silver Flood Dragon’s body. Even after centuries, you could still strive for the Saintly Realm and beyond. But if I wait that long, even if I obtain the True Kirin’s Origin, I may not have enough time to refine it fully for cultivation.” Xianxian’s expression was complex.
“If you know this, why not simply give up? Or merge with me, becoming one?” The Gui-named man’s eyes gleamed strangely.
“A fusion of consciousness is possible—but only if you relinquish your will and let mine dominate. Then I’d agree immediately.” Xianxian’s brows arched sharply, her face turning cold.
“Hmph, refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit!” The Gui-named man’s face twisted with malice as he clenched his fists, a faint bloody aura emanating from him.
“What, Fellow Daoist Gui, do you think you can handle both Brother Han and me at once?” Xianxian’s heart tightened, but her delicate features hardened with a trace of killing intent.
“Fellow Daoist Han, do you intend to interfere? If you leave now, I will repay you handsomely later!” The Gui-named man’s cold gaze swept over Han Li as he spoke abruptly.
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