“Even so, this place isn’t too far from there. Fellow Daoist Li should have returned by now. Could he have encountered some trouble on the way?” Venerable Lan stroked the demonic patterns on his cheek and murmured thoughtfully.
“Trouble? Impossible! With Elder Li’s abilities, unless he encountered a human Body Integration cultivator, no other human cultivator would dare provoke him.” The bald high-ranking demon shook his head repeatedly, the fleshy tendrils at the corners of his mouth twitching.
“Not necessarily. The humans possess several secret treasures capable of fighting across realms, and a few late-stage Void Refinement cultivators skilled in joint techniques could also be quite troublesome,” Venerable Lan chuckled darkly.
“All the human strongholds in this area are already surrounded by us. What are the odds of such a coincidence?” The bald demon scoffed, clearly unconvinced.
Just as he finished speaking, a low hum suddenly emanated from his body, startling both demons.
The bald demon waved a hand, and a dark light swirled in his palm, revealing a pale white magic disk. He tapped it lightly with a finger.
A transparent ripple spread out, and a flash of white light on the disk’s surface revealed the stern face of an elderly man—none other than the very Elder Li they had just been discussing!
“Brother Li, you didn’t return on time and instead used the Rosen Demon Artifact to contact us. What’s the meaning of this?” the bald demon asked, displeased.
“Indeed. The demonic stones consumed by this artifact are scarce even for us. If Brother Li is using it recklessly, it’s quite inappropriate…” Venerable Lan relaxed slightly upon seeing the elder unharmed but still spoke with a hint of anger.
“Hmph, you two don’t understand. My beloved grandson was recently killed by human cultivators, and I’m currently in pursuit of the culprits. However, among them may be a human Body Integration cultivator. I may not be able to exact revenge alone. I need your help. If you assist me, I’m willing to give half of all the gains from this Sacred Sacrifice as compensation.” The horned elder’s eyes flashed with fury, his expression one of gnashing teeth.
“What? Such a thing happened? But how do you know the perpetrators are human Body Integration cultivators?” The bald demon was shocked, his tendrils curling back.
“Hmph, I’ve been to the site of my grandson’s murder. Neither he nor his subordinates showed any signs of struggle before their deaths. How could ordinary Void Refinement cultivators achieve this? Moreover, although the killers have been gone for some time, it’s highly likely they were Body Integration cultivators.” The horned elder’s lips twitched as he replied.
“If that’s the case, it’s indeed possible. But Brother Li, do you know the exact number of these human cultivators?” Venerable Lan asked gravely.
“Yes, I’ve sensed it. Only two human auras remain,” the horned elder answered without hesitation.
“Oh? If so, the three of us should have no problem. But the issue is, we have our own important tasks. If something goes wrong during the pursuit, the Sacred Ancestor might hold us accountable,” the bald demon hesitated.
“If human Body Integration cultivators have left their stronghold and appeared here, they must have some scheme against our Sacred Clan. If we can kill one or two of them and thwart their plans, the Sacred Ancestor will reward us, not punish us. Besides, with the three of us working together, even if the human is a peak Body Integration cultivator, we can still fight. What risk is there? How about this: if you help me exact revenge, not only will I give you half the gains from this Sacred Sacrifice, but I’ll also offer my rare Rotthread Mushroom as additional compensation.” The horned elder gritted his teeth, sweetening the deal further.
“Oh? It seems Brother Li is truly desperate for revenge, even offering such a treasure. In that case, I, Mi, wouldn’t mind lending a hand. Brother Lan, what do you think?” The bald demon’s eyes lit up with greed.
“Fellow Daoist Li, are you certain there are only two killers?” Venerable Lan seemed tempted but asked cautiously once more.
“Hmph, Brother Lan doubts my abilities? If the numbers are wrong, I won’t force you two to act,” the horned elder snorted, his anger flashing briefly before he suppressed it.
“Good, with that assurance, we’ll join you immediately. But don’t lose track of those two humans,” Venerable Lan said with a faint smile.
“Those humans killed my descendant. Unless they flee tens of millions of miles away, they won’t escape my tracking arts, even if they reach the ends of the earth.” The horned elder sneered with confidence.
A flash of white light later, the projection of Venerable Li dispersed, cutting the connection abruptly.
“Heh, so that’s why Elder Li was delayed. No wonder—if my only descendant were killed, I’d also hunt down the murderer and torture them for months before ending them,” the bald demon chuckled coldly.
“At our level, having descendants is nearly impossible, so we naturally value our bloodline more. Those with many descendants might not care as much, but someone like Elder Li, with only one heir, is rare among us. No wonder he’s so furious, willing to pay such a high price,” Venerable Lan remarked with a faint smile.
“If it’s just two humans, it shouldn’t be a problem. Let’s set off immediately. Who knows, we might even gain some treasures from killing a Body Integration cultivator!” The bald demon’s eyes gleamed with greed.
“Naturally. Since we’ve agreed to help Elder Li, we’ll do our best. Let’s go!”
Venerable Lan nodded, his arms transforming into a pair of blue fleshy wings crackling with arcs of lightning. The wings, covered in bone spikes and wrapped in electricity, resembled those of a thunder god.
With a single flap, he shot forward like a bolt of lightning, vanishing and reappearing hundreds of feet away in an instant.
The bald demon chuckled, flicking his sleeve to release a red mist that enveloped him. In a flash, the crimson cloud chased after the blue lightning.
In moments, both demons had vanished into the distance.
Meanwhile, the horned elder showed no intention of waiting for his companions. Instead, he accelerated further using a secret technique.
He knew his bloodline tracking had limits—if the targets sensed his pursuit or used a long-distance teleportation array, he could lose them. Thus, he wouldn’t relent until he caught them.
With reinforcements on the way, even if the targets proved too formidable to kill alone, he could at least stall them.
Burning with rage, the horned elder continued his relentless pursuit.
Unaware of all this, Han Li and Silverlight Fairy were still traveling toward Yitian City. Since they weren’t fleeing for their lives, their speed, though not slow, paled in comparison to the three demonic Venerables.
As time passed, the distance between them gradually closed.
A day and night later, as Han Li and Silverlight Fairy idly discussed the four great sects of Yitian City, his expression suddenly changed. With a flick of his sleeve, a silver ruler appeared, enlarging to over thirty feet and slashing behind him.
*Thud!* A massive black rod emerged from the void, colliding with the ruler.
A deafening explosion erupted, followed by a blinding light and a shockwave that seemed to shatter the very air.
Silverlight Fairy materialized from the white mist, her face wary as she stared at the source of the disturbance.
Han Li narrowed his eyes, calm as ever, and summoned the silver ruler back to his hand.
As the light faded, the horned elder appeared, now towering over fifteen feet tall, gripping a black rod and glaring at Han Li.
“A demonic Venerable!” Silverlight Fairy gasped, immediately summoning two silver hooks—one engraved with a white crescent, the other with a red sun. Their movements conjured faint images of stars, marking them as extraordinary treasures.
Han Li wasted no words. He struck his own chest, and with a dull thud, a golden glow flashed across his body. He spat out a green mist laced with black threads.
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