Chapter 1945: Trap

The two of them, one practiced Buddhist divine abilities and the other cultivated Daoist techniques, naturally could not see eye to eye on such matters.

Han Li, however, largely leaned toward the old man’s perspective on these issues. Since he had embarked on the path of cultivation, he no longer concerned himself with notions of the afterlife, focusing solely on achieving the Great Dao as soon as possible.

In the following moments, Han Li slowly closed his eyes and entered a meditative state right beside the massive crater.

The debate between the monk and the old man naturally yielded no resolution, and eventually, they too fell silent, closing their eyes.

Time passed bit by bit, and before they knew it, three days and nights had gone by. The yellow mist within the giant crater remained unchanged.

On this day, Han Li’s eyelids twitched, and he opened his eyes.

After casually sweeping the depths of the crater with his spiritual sense, he frowned slightly and spoke, “Fellow Daoists, how long have you been here? Could the divination regarding the Yellow Millet Stone Spirit’s tribulation day be mistaken?”

“Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Han. The one responsible for divining this matter is a renowned expert from our Sacred Island, specializing in divination techniques. The chance of error is extremely slim. Master Tianchan and I haven’t been here for too long—only about ten days earlier than you. According to the divination, the Stone Spirit should undergo its tribulation within this month. So, it shouldn’t be much longer. Perhaps there will be movement in the coming days,” Frost Li the Transcendent replied calmly.

“It seems I was a bit too impatient! Hmm, what’s this—” Han Li had just begun to respond when his expression suddenly changed, and he exclaimed in surprise.

Hearing this, the other two immediately fixed their gazes on the crater below, their faces turning grave.

At the bottom of the pit, the yellow mist had begun to churn violently, emitting waves of cold far more intense than before. The lower half of the stone walls silently developed a layer of milky-yellow crystalline frost, creating an eerie sight.

*Boom!* Another thunderclap resounded in the sky.

Han Li’s heart stirred, and he raised his head to look upward.

Tens of thousands of feet above the mountain peak, fierce winds howled as pitch-black clouds rapidly gathered, twisting and morphing into various shapes. From within came continuous rumbling, as if countless bolts of lightning were brewing.

“Could this be—” Han Li murmured, trailing off.

“Haha, indeed! The Stone Spirit’s heavenly tribulation has arrived. It will soon emerge from the Yellow Spring Earthfire. Master Tianchan, let us begin our preparations!” Frost Li the Transcendent burst into laughter at the sight, then transformed into a streak of black light and soared into the air.

On the other side, the monk, his face alight with joy, flicked his sleeves and likewise flew into the sky.

Immediately, the two began their work—one chanting incantations while his fingers flicked in all directions, the other waving his sleeves continuously, releasing countless formation flags and disks that densely filled the air above the crater before vanishing in a flash.

In the blink of an eye, an extremely formidable restriction array was jointly set up by the two, its power permeating every inch of the mountaintop.

At this moment, Frost Li the Transcendent ceased his hand seals and suddenly spun in mid-air.

A sharp whistling sound erupted as countless black dots shot out from his body, only to burst apart moments later, transforming into countless black threads that disappeared without a trace.

Meanwhile, Master Tianchan let out a low shout, flipped his palm, and produced a fiery-red alms bowl.

With a single rotation of the bowl, a phoenix’s cry rang out, followed by three crimson fireballs shooting forth!

Each was only the size of a human head, but at the monk’s finger-point, they swelled violently in the wind, expanding to over ten zhang in size before transforming into three massive flame birds, their bodies entirely crimson.

“Fire Phoenixes!”

At the sight of these giant birds, Han Li couldn’t help but gasp in shock.

“Haha, Fellow Daoist Han must be amused. These are merely three Explosive Flame Birds with a trace of Fire Phoenix bloodline—nothing compared to the real thing. That Stone Spirit has lived in the Yellow Spring Earthfire for so long that it must have an extreme Yin constitution. The breath of these Explosive Flame Birds is quite mystical and should prove effective in restraining the spirit,” Master Tianchan explained with a faint smile.

“I see. If not for their weaker aura, these Explosive Flame Birds would be almost indistinguishable from the legendary Fire Phoenixes,” Han Li remarked, still marveling.

Meanwhile, Frost Li the Transcendent, after releasing countless black specks, suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a small black-purple gourd.

The gourd was only a few inches in size, its surface shimmering with mysterious silver light. With its lid opening, a crystalline blue scorpion, about a foot long, emerged. It had a pair of translucent wings on its back, appearing exquisitely delicate…

Next, the monk and the old man calmly performed a series of spells on the four spirit beasts, concealing their forms and auras.

By now, the dark clouds in the sky had blotted out the sun, turning the heavens into a pitch-black expanse. Were it not for the occasional flashes of silver lightning, one might believe it was the dead of night.

“Brother Han, let us retreat beyond the mountain peak for now! Master Tianchan and I need to use treasures to erase any traces of our presence here,” Frost Li the Transcendent said apologetically to Han Li, who remained seated by the crater.

“That is only proper! These natural spirits possess astonishing perception. Without prior preparations, our presence would surely be detected,” Han Li replied nonchalantly, rising to his feet. With a flicker, he vanished like a wisp of green smoke.

A moment later, spatial fluctuations appeared outside the peak, and Han Li’s figure reappeared, hovering in the air with his arms crossed.

Seeing this, the monk and the old man wasted no time. The monk flipped his hand, revealing a translucent crystal orb, icy cold to the touch, while Frost Li the Transcendent shook his sleeve, releasing a streak of green light that transformed into a green feathered fan.

The monk gently shook the crystal orb, causing multicolored runes to swirl across its surface as a bone-chilling white mist surged forth.

Simultaneously, Frost Li the Transcendent formed a hand seal and activated his treasure.

The green feathered fan trembled slightly before emitting a series of seemingly gentle waves.

*Whoosh!* A gust of azure wind erupted from the fan, dispersing into towering cyclones that intertwined with the frigid energy.

A blizzard engulfed the entire mountaintop, burying everything in ice and snow.

In an instant, the peak was transformed into a pristine white landscape.

At this moment, Master Tianchan and Frost Li the Transcendent exchanged glances. At an unspoken signal, they vanished from the storm, reappearing in the void beyond the peak alongside Han Li.

Any lingering traces of their presence were swiftly erased by the raging snowstorm.

“Venerable, use that item now! Judging by the celestial phenomena, the Yellow Millet Stone Spirit will emerge momentarily,” Master Tianchan said, squinting at the sky.

“Of course. The Sacred Island entrusted me with this treasure precisely for this moment!” Frost Li the Transcendent chuckled, rubbing his hands together. A burst of silver light erupted, revealing a thick stack of silver threads woven into a net.

“Go!”

With a shout, the ugly old man activated the silver net.

A silver radiance surged upward, transforming into a vast, mist-like veil that enveloped the entire mountaintop in an instant.

With another hand seal, the mist grew faint before vanishing entirely.

“Haha, with this Silver Sky Lightning Net in place, the Stone Spirit won’t escape through the air. Best of all, the heavenly tribulation won’t affect the net, so even with its keen perception, the Stone Spirit won’t detect it,” Master Tianchan remarked, clapping his hands lightly.

“Indeed. This net is a high-ranking treasure on the Chaos Myriad Spirit Ranking. Only for a mission of this importance would the Sacred Island allow me to bring it out. Still, even with the sky sealed, we must prevent the Stone Spirit from retreating into the earthfire. Once it weakens from the tribulation, we’ll activate the formation to cut off its escape. However, the formation alone may not hold it, so we’ll need Fellow Daoist Han’s assistance to ensure it doesn’t break free and flee underground. By the way, Brother Han, be especially wary of its illusionary techniques,” Frost Li the Transcendent cautioned solemnly.

“Rest assured, Fellow Daoists. If it’s merely about preventing its escape, I can certainly manage that,” Han Li replied confidently, knowing his spiritual sense was on par with a Mahayana cultivator’s.

“If Fellow Daoist Han says so, then there should be no issue. Master Tianchan and I will handle capturing the spirit.”

Though slightly uneasy at Han Li’s confidence, Frost Li the Transcendent refrained from further comment.

After a brief discussion, the three concealed themselves with spells.

Soon, the mountaintop fell silent, save for the howling blizzard.

Before long, the storm gradually subsided, leaving the peak glistening white and radiating intense cold.

Meanwhile, the dark clouds above slowly rotated, forming a massive black vortex.

Within it, countless silver arcs coalesced into a single, monstrous bolt of lightning. The once-ceaseless thunder fell silent, and the sky became eerily still. Yet, an overwhelming pressure filled the void, growing ever more intense.

Simultaneously, the yellow mist in the crater began to swirl, forming a smaller vortex of its own.

At its center lay an inky darkness, from which wisps of visible white vapor occasionally emerged, as if monstrous entities might burst forth at any moment.