A flash of five-colored radiance appeared in the black hole, and the figure of the Heavenly Phoenix vanished in an instant.
Given the Heavenly Phoenix’s innate spatial talents and Han Li’s prior experiences traversing spatial rifts, he naturally paid no heed to this mere demonic “node.” After all, even ordinary Demon Venerables could cross realms through it, so he should have no trouble passing through as well.
The only thing that gave him pause was the possibility of encountering a high-ranking demonic being stationed on the other side of the node, leading to an unfortunate confrontation.
However, given the small size of this “node,” the likelihood of that was negligible—almost nonexistent.
Sure enough, after the Heavenly Phoenix pushed against the demonic winds for a short while and broke through over a dozen spatial barriers, a glimmer of light suddenly appeared ahead, revealing scattered points of brightness.
Han Li was overjoyed. With a powerful flap of its wings, the Heavenly Phoenix’s body shimmered with radiance, and its form became nearly invisible.
On the other side of the node’s exit stretched an endless gray desert.
Facing the node stood two straight, tower-like black structures, inside which dozens of demonic guards were stationed, occasionally glancing toward the node.
Within a few breaths, the spatial fluctuations subsided, and the Heavenly Phoenix silently flashed through the node, emerging over a hundred zhang away before vanishing into the void.
The demonic guards in the black towers, the strongest of whom were only at the Nascent Soul stage, had grown lax after years of uneventful duty and noticed nothing amiss.
The Heavenly Phoenix reappeared at the distant horizon, its body shimmering briefly before transforming back into human form.
Han Li exhaled lightly and glanced back at the node’s exit with a peculiar expression.
This infiltration into the demon realm had gone far more smoothly than expected—none of the contingency plans he had meticulously prepared were needed. Naturally, he was quite pleased.
Now, he took the time to survey the land that had been rumored among humans to be a hellish place of blood and blades.
The sky was faintly yellow, devoid of clouds, yet three blood-red suns hung ominously overhead. Otherwise, the scenery was surprisingly similar to that of the Spirit Realm.
The only notable difference was the significantly sparser spiritual energy here, replaced by faint traces of demonic energy drifting through the air.
However, the demonic energy was not overly dense—so subtle that one might overlook it without careful attention.
This surprised Han Li somewhat.
But his purpose here was not to study the demon realm in depth; he had other important objectives. After a brief observation, he muttered an incantation, and his demonic armor reappeared, enveloping him in a surge of dark demonic energy.
With another hand seal, he completely suppressed his human aura.
A low shout later, faint golden scales emerged on his limbs, while the demonic energy around him darkened further. A third demonic eye, glowing with black light, appeared between his brows.
Han Li stretched his limbs and smiled faintly.
Now, in both appearance and aura, he was indistinguishable from a high-ranking demon. Unless he encountered a Demon Venerable of equal or higher rank, no one would easily see through his human identity.
Not daring to linger, he summoned a swirling black wind and swiftly departed.
Within a few hours, he left the desert behind, arriving above a hilly region covered in gray shrubs.
Here, the demonic energy was slightly denser than before—though the increase was minimal, it confirmed Han Li’s earlier speculation.
Like the Spirit Realm, the demon realm’s energy density varied by region.
Han Li pressed on, continuing his flight in the same direction.
A full day and night passed as he traversed the hills, crossed a vast lake, and flew over several dark mountain ranges.
Whether due to the demon realm’s inherent desolation or his chosen path, he encountered only a few low-level demonic beasts—no actual demons.
This eased his mind somewhat, though it also made him more cautious.
On the fourth day, at the foot of a small mountain, he finally came across several mid-tier demonic creatures—horse-faced, human-bodied beings locked in fierce combat.
Clad in animal hides and wielding wooden clubs, they leaped dozens of zhang high, displaying both ferocity and a semblance of intelligence. Nearby lay the corpse of a black saber-toothed beast, the apparent prize of their bloody struggle.
Delighted, Han Li descended in a black wind, incapacitating the creatures with golden lightning arcs.
He seized one, pressing his fingers against its skull to perform a soul search.
As expected, their minds were primitive, offering little beyond basic territorial knowledge. Fortunately, he found what he needed—a suitable location not too far away.
With a sigh, he reduced the demon to ashes with a crackle of lightning, then did the same to the others and the beast’s corpse.
A black wind rose, and Han Li set off anew.
Hours later, the mountains gave way to an immense canyon stretching beyond sight.
Dispelling the wind, Han Li hovered above the canyon, peering down.
Hundreds of zhang wide, the canyon roared with wind, its depths obscured by swirling sand and dust.
Undeterred, Han Li descended, gray radiance shielding him from the gales.
The deeper he went, the colder it grew, frost coating the canyon walls.
At the bottom, a narrow blue ice river flowed, its surface eerily calm despite the frigid temperatures, reflecting a faint glow while thick blue ice lined its banks.
Above the river, the wind howled, creating a stark contrast.
Han Li hovered above the river, scanning its depths with a hint of surprise.
“Fascinating. The surface is tranquil, yet beneath rages a torrential undercurrent, likely leading deep underground. The cold here is extraordinary,” he mused aloud.
Suddenly, two blue streaks shot from the wind—venomous, crystalline serpents with black crests.
Han Li’s arms blurred as he seized and crushed them instantly, tossing their bodies into the river.
The serpents froze instantly, sinking into the depths.
Satisfied, Han Li closed his eyes, sensing the river’s flow with his divine sense.
After a while, he smiled.
“Perfect. Whatever enters is swept away, never to be found.”
With a flip of his hand, a pristine white jade box appeared.
After a reluctant glance, he hurled it into the river.
The box froze and sank, vanishing into the abyss.
Han Li watched silently for half an hour before finally relaxing.
Though regrettable, the Demon-Sealing Lock—with those two old demons inside—was best discarded. Whether they’d ever resurface was uncertain, but they were no longer his concern.
Still, the demon realm was no place to linger. It was time to return to the Spirit Realm.
With that thought, Han Li summoned a gray radiance and soared upward into the raging winds.
Meanwhile, deep underground in the icy river, within the jade box’s sealed space, Che Qigong sat meditating in a stone chamber, his body flickering with black-and-white light as he cultivated.
Elsewhere in the box’s mystical hall, Feng Xie mirrored his actions.
Neither had any inkling of the box’s fate—had they known, they’d have cursed Han Li vehemently.
Unwittingly, Han Li’s caution had thwarted their schemes to reclaim the remaining Chaos Qi.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage