Although the face on the severed head still bore the savage and cruel expression of the Celestial Ghost, its wide-open eyes were frozen with a trace of sheer terror.
It was as if, even in the moment of its decapitation, the Celestial Ghost had witnessed something so unbelievable that it could not rest in peace.
“Brother Han, what about that fleeing demon…” Silverlight Fairy glanced at the Celestial Ghost’s head and asked with some surprise.
“Fairy need not worry. That demon and the other three Celestial Ghosts have already been slain by me,” Han Li replied with a faint smile, flicking his sleeve. A black light shot out, revealing a small green door a few inches in size—none other than the Demonic Ghost Gate previously unleashed by the bald demon.
Now, the gate had shrunk to a miniature size, its glow dimmed and seemingly damaged.
“Wonderful! With this demon eliminated, our tracks are completely concealed. This time, we managed to annihilate three Demon Venerables, all thanks to Brother Han’s astonishing abilities. If not for Linglong mentioning you to me years ago, I would never have believed that you’ve only been cultivating for a mere two thousand years,” Silverlight Fairy exclaimed in delight, her tone filled with admiration.
“I merely had some luck. The techniques I cultivate happen to counter most of the demonic and ghostly arts. Compared to other cultivators of the same rank, my abilities may not be significantly stronger. However, Fairy, I hope you haven’t forgotten the promise you made to me,” Han Li replied modestly before adding meaningfully.
“Rest assured, Brother Han. Since I agreed to your request, I naturally have some confidence. Linglong and I share the same lineage—delivering a message for you shouldn’t be too difficult. However, she is currently with Senior Xiaoxiao, so I won’t be able to contact her immediately,” Silverlight Fairy chuckled lightly.
“Then I thank you in advance, Fairy. Should you ever need my assistance in the future, I will do my utmost to help,” Han Li replied with a faint smile.
“It’s just a small favor—no need for such courtesy!” Silverlight Fairy’s eyes brightened at his words, clearly pleased.
Han Li’s power far exceeded her expectations, rivaling even late-stage Body Integration cultivators. Gaining the favor of such a formidable figure would undoubtedly be a great boon for her future cultivation path.
After exchanging a few more words, the two swiftly erased all traces of their battle before resuming their journey toward Yitian City.
Han Li, his hands tucked into his sleeves, transformed into a faint azure streak, flying unhurriedly through the air. Though he appeared calm, his fingers were gently stroking a milky-white wooden box concealed in his sleeve.
A contemplative gleam occasionally flickered in the depths of his eyes.
This box was one of the spoils he had obtained from the bald demon after using the Profound Heaven Blade fragment once more. Initially, he hadn’t paid it much attention, but when he discovered that neither his divine sense nor his spiritual vision could penetrate it, his curiosity was piqued.
The box was clearly sealed with an extremely powerful restriction—one that even his formidable abilities and profound knowledge of formations couldn’t easily break. Thus, he had stowed it away and hurried back.
Now, as his fingers traced its surface, he could feel faint waves of warmth emanating from the box.
Yet, within the span of a single cup of tea, the box’s temperature abruptly plummeted, turning icy cold—an eerie and mysterious transformation.
Han Li was mildly astonished, growing even more intrigued by the contents sealed within.
However, since they were still en route, this wasn’t the time to study the box’s restrictions in detail. He would have to wait until they reached Yitian City.
With this in mind, he suddenly flicked five drops of blood from his fingertips. The droplets vanished in a flash, transforming into crimson runes that embedded themselves into the box’s surface.
As an extra precaution, he employed a sealing technique learned from an otherworldly race, layering another profound restriction over the box.
A flash of azure light later, the white wooden box disappeared into his storage bracelet, and Han Li focused entirely on his flight.
Given their cultivation levels, he and Silverlight Fairy traversed hundreds of thousands of miles in mere moments, soon vanishing without a trace.
Meanwhile, in a newly constructed demonic city countless miles away, within a towering triangular pagoda thousands of feet high, a furious roar erupted from a grand hall, followed by an icy, enraged voice.
“How could this happen?! Three Demon Venerables escorting an item, and they still managed to fail? Are these three truly so useless that they deserve to be thrown into the Demon Dissolution Pool?!”
The speaker was a delicate-looking youth clad in blood-red robes, seated on the central throne of the hall. His face was twisted with fury—none other than the Blood Light Saint Ancestor’s avatar, which had descended into this realm.
Though this avatar only possessed the peak of late-stage Body Integration cultivation, his wrath summoned a colossal, blood-red demonic shadow over ten zhang tall behind him. The shadow bore a dozen grotesque horns and several writhing tentacles, resembling a monstrous octopus.
The terrifying aura emanating from this shadow was almost tangible, pressing against the hall’s walls with creaking groans, as if the entire structure might collapse at any moment.
The black-armored guards in the hall paled and dropped to one knee, not daring to lift their heads in the Blood Light Saint Ancestor’s presence. Only two high-ranking demons remained standing nearby, exchanging uneasy glances at the Saint Ancestor’s outburst.
“Saint Ancestor, what has happened to provoke such anger?” asked a man in silver-threaded robes, his voice laced with surprise.
“I sent three subordinates to handle a matter of utmost importance, yet the divine sense I left on that item has been severed by some technique. It seems those three have met with misfortune—otherwise, this would never have occurred,” the Blood Light Saint Ancestor replied, his rage subsiding but his expression still dark.
“How could this be? Three Demon Venerables traveling together should be more than capable of defending themselves, even against a peak late-stage Body Integration human cultivator. As for human Mahayana cultivators, after the injuries they suffered a millennium ago when they ventured into our realm, none should dare act now,” remarked a middle-aged woman in pink robes, her watery eyes filled with doubt.
“For all three to perish simultaneously is indeed hard to believe. But if someone had prior knowledge and ambushed them to seize the item, it’s not impossible. I attempted to contact them with a secret art, but received no response. Guards! Check the Soul Hall—see if any Demon Venerable’s soul flames have been extinguished!” the Blood Light Saint Ancestor commanded sharply.
“Yes, Saint Ancestor!” A black-armored guard immediately bowed and swiftly exited the hall.
The Blood Light Saint Ancestor leaned back in his seat, eyes narrowing in silence. The two high-ranking demons beside him dared not speak further, leaving the hall in tense stillness.
After an eerily silent span of time, the guard reappeared at the hall’s entrance and hurried forward.
“Saint Ancestor, the Soul Hall reports that three Demon Venerables’ soul flames have been extinguished!” the guard announced nervously, kneeling.
“Three?!” The Blood Light Saint Ancestor’s eyes snapped open, emitting a piercing glare.
A muffled *crack* sounded as the armrest of his chair crumbled to dust under his grip.
“Yes, Saint Ancestor. According to the Soul Hall’s keeper, the extinguished flames belong to Venerable Blue and the other two who departed recently,” the guard replied cautiously.
The Blood Light Saint Ancestor’s face turned ashen.
The silver-robed man and the pink-clad woman exchanged another glance, their own shock evident.
However, it was clear to them that the Saint Ancestor’s fury stemmed less from the loss of the three Demon Venerables and more from the missing item. This only deepened their curiosity about its nature.
“The two of you will immediately lead a squad of Blood Crystal Guards to investigate the site of their demise. Even if a Mahayana cultivator intervened, traces of battle must remain. Scour every inch of that land—identify the humans responsible and track their whereabouts. Focus solely on this task, and report back the moment you uncover anything!” the Blood Light Saint Ancestor ordered after a long silence.
“As you command, Saint Ancestor!” The two high-ranking demons bowed in unison.
Half an hour later, a crimson cloud surged from one of the pagoda’s levels, carrying over a hundred armored, ferocious demons. It swiftly vanished beyond the city’s horizon.
Over a month later, near a massive human city nestled between mountains and a lake, two concealed streaks of light shot across the sky before landing on a nearby nameless hill.
The figures—one in silver robes, the other in azure—were none other than Han Li and Silverlight Fairy, who had finally arrived near Yitian City after an arduous journey.
Yet as they gazed toward the city, their expressions turned grave.
In the distance, hovering above the wilderness beyond Yitian City’s walls, were tens of thousands of black warships. Between them swarmed countless demonic riders astride monstrous beasts, their hooves treading on dark clouds, their bodies clad in beastly armor—clearly no ordinary fiends.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage