“Not good, this must be a ferocious bird no less formidable than the Sea-Suppressing Ape. Let’s go quickly—it’s not safe for us to stay here either.” At the sight of this, Liu Shui’er’s delicate face paled, and without hesitation, she formed hand seals, transforming into a streak of blue light that shot into the sky.
Without needing her reminder, Han Li and Shi Kun also understood that if these two ancient beasts were to engage in battle, the sheer power and range of their clash would far surpass the mere sonic waves from before.
The two of them followed closely behind the cloaked woman, transforming into two more streaks of light that flashed toward the horizon. In an instant, the three streaks of light vanished into the distance.
Just moments after the trio had left their original position, an earth-shaking roar erupted from the distant coastline. Thunderous winds and deafening rumbles intertwined, drowning out the roars and cries of the Sea-Suppressing Ape and the unknown giant bird.
Almost simultaneously, a towering wave over a thousand zhang high surged from the sea, swiftly submerging the spot where Han Li and the others had stood.
By then, the three had already fled hundreds of miles away. They then changed direction, making a wide arc before turning back toward the mainland.
“This Moon Realm truly lives up to its reputation, harboring so many ancient beasts long extinct in our Spirit Realm. If the entire journey is like this, forget about finding the ruins and their restrictions—we might not even survive halfway.” Once they had safely reached land, Shi Kun let out a sigh of relief but muttered under his breath.
Though his voice was low, Han Li and Liu Shui’er heard him clearly.
“While this realm does have some ancient beasts, they aren’t so numerous that we’ll encounter them everywhere. Most likely, we were just unlucky to stumble into the midst of two beasts fighting,” Liu Shui’er countered, shaking her head.
“Unlucky? Well, this is certainly an inauspicious start,” Shi Kun shrugged, unconvinced.
“We cultivators defy the heavens by nature. While we shouldn’t dismiss omens entirely, we also shouldn’t take them too seriously,” Liu Shui’er said with a light chuckle.
“Heh! Let’s hope so,” Shi Kun replied with a dry laugh.
Seeing that the burly man remained noncommittal, Liu Shui’er didn’t press further. Instead, she turned to Han Li and said, “Brother Han, we first need to determine our current location in the Spirit Realm. Could you stand guard while we perform the necessary technique?”
After the earlier incident, Liu Shui’er had clearly grown more courteous toward Han Li.
“Of course,” Han Li replied without hesitation, curious about their method.
He then transformed into a streak of green light, soaring over a hundred zhang into the air before stopping and revealing himself again. With a sweep of his divine sense, he enveloped and monitored the surrounding dozens of miles.
“Fellow Daoist Shi, let’s begin,” Liu Shui’er said with a satisfied nod before addressing Shi Kun.
“Haha, I’ve been ready for a while,” Shi Kun replied without hesitation.
The two then shot off in opposite directions, stopping dozens of zhang away after a few flashes.
Forming a large triangle with Han Li, Liu Shui’er and Shi Kun each flicked their sleeves, summoning a white disk and a yellow scroll, respectively.
With one-handed seals and muttered incantations, the white disk expanded over tenfold, transforming into a massive moon-like object. Meanwhile, the yellow scroll unfurled slowly, revealing a hazy golden radiance. Something indistinct lay within the scroll before the golden light surged, causing the entire scroll to vanish.
In the next moment, countless specks of yellow light appeared in the air across a hundred-zhang radius. These specks then flared brilliantly, merging into a vast golden curtain that blotted out the sky.
Shi Kun let out a low shout, pointing at the illusory moon in the sky. The moon’s light shimmered before suddenly plunging into the golden curtain.
The chanting from Liu Shui’er and Shi Kun intensified, and an eerie phenomenon unfolded.
A loud hum resonated from the golden curtain as countless miniature mountains and rivers emerged, densely packed yet exquisitely detailed despite their tiny size. These miniature landscapes formed countless square segments, each about a zhang in size, their intricacy defying description.
“What is this?” Han Li, observing from above, narrowed his eyes and asked.
“This Moon Realm Map was compiled by my master and Senior Duan, piecing together fragments left by predecessors who entered the Moon Realm. While it may not cover the entire realm, it records about seventy to eighty percent of its territories,” Liu Shui’er explained in a melodious voice.
“However, we must verify whether we’re truly within the mapped area. If we’re not, things could get troublesome,” Shi Kun added before pointing at the golden curtain again.
The map suddenly brightened, and a small white orb, no larger than an egg, emerged from one corner, hovering motionlessly above a particular segment.
“Found it! We’re at the edge of the Ten-Thousand Birds Ridge. That means the sea we just crossed was the Eight Fiends Sea!” Liu Shui’er’s voice trembled slightly as she recognized the illuminated region.
“Ten-Thousand Birds Ridge and the Eight Fiends Sea! We’re actually in this area?” Shi Kun’s expression darkened instantly.
Han Li, still observing the white orb from above, couldn’t help but inhale sharply.
Having prepared for their journey into the Moon Realm, they had naturally studied records of its infamous danger zones to avoid stumbling into them unknowingly.
The Ten-Thousand Birds Ridge and the Eight Fiends Sea were two of the most notorious regions.
As the names suggested, the Eight Fiends Sea was home to eight legendary ancient beasts, while the Ten-Thousand Birds Ridge housed countless spirit birds, including three whose reputations rivaled the Sea-Suppressing Ape.
With these two regions adjacent, any outsider unlucky enough to wander in would face dire consequences.
Now, not only Han Li and Shi Kun frowned deeply, but even Liu Shui’er fell silent, staring blankly at the massive golden curtain.
“I have no intention of charging into the Ten-Thousand Birds Ridge. Forget the three ancient birds—if even ordinary spirit birds detect us, we’ll be doomed,” Shi Kun said grimly.
“The Ten-Thousand Birds Ridge is indeed perilous. Though we escaped the Eight Fiends Sea unscathed, that doesn’t mean we’ll be as lucky in the ridge. We should detour around it,” Han Li said after a moment of contemplation.
“That seems to be our only option,” Liu Shui’er sighed, glancing at Han Li and Shi Kun before nodding in agreement.
Seeing her concur, Shi Kun’s expression eased slightly, though his furrowed brow remained as he scanned the golden curtain again.
“Adjacent to the Ten-Thousand Birds Ridge are the Sunrise Desert and the Shadowbeast Forest. The Sunrise Desert is even deadlier than the ridge for those below the Saintly Ascension stage. According to records, its scorching sunlight would reduce us to ashes within half a day. As for the Shadowbeast Forest, it’s said to house the long-extinct Shadowbeasts of the Spirit Realm, whose power multiplies at night, making it equally dangerous. But we have no choice but to choose this path,” Liu Shui’er explained, pointing at the map.
“No. Though records on Shadowbeasts are scarce, they’re clearly formidable. Venturing into the forest is too risky. We should find another way,” Shi Kun objected vehemently.
“Detour? How? The ruins are already extremely far. Even if we proceed unhindered, it would take at least three to four months. Any delays could double that time. Just bypassing the Ten-Thousand Birds Ridge would take over half a month, and the Shadowbeast Forest would add another two months. Plus, we need one to two months to break through our bottlenecks. How can we possibly reach the ruins in time to dismantle the restrictions?” Liu Shui’er retorted coldly, refusing to yield.
Hearing this, Shi Kun hesitated, his expression conflicted.
“Though the Shadowbeast Forest is treacherous, it’s not impassable. With the knowledge from the records, we stand a better chance than past explorers. Besides, if we return empty-handed, aren’t you afraid of Senior Duan’s wrath?” Liu Shui’er pressed, her gaze icy.
Shi Kun remained deep in thought before suddenly looking up at Han Li. “Brother Han, what do you suggest?”
“I was invited by your seniors to assist you two and have already received ample compensation. As long as you both agree and the destination isn’t certain death, I have no objections,” Han Li replied calmly.
“Fine. If Brother Han and Fairy Liu aren’t afraid of the Shadowbeast Forest, then neither am I. Let’s see what these legendary Shadowbeasts are made of!” After a moment of contemplation, Shi Kun burst into laughter and agreed.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage