“Let’s go. Although your actions were swift just now, they might still alert others.” The palace-robed woman suddenly put away the compass in her hand and spoke indifferently.
With a flick of her sleeve, a burst of pink radiance enveloped herself and the black-armored man, transforming into a glowing sphere that soared into the air. After a brief hover, it shot forward like an arrow.
Their direction was straight toward the coral archipelago ahead!
Within the escaping light, the palace-robed woman narrowed her beautiful eyes as she gazed ahead, her expression unreadable.
The black-armored man stole a few glances at her face before finally mustering the courage to ask after a long pause, “Master, why did the altar suddenly explode at the last moment? Are you unharmed?”
“It’s nothing. The backlash from the spellcasting was just unexpectedly severe, making it uncontrollable in the end. I’m fine, but all eight of my substitute puppets were destroyed. Until I can refine replacements, I won’t be able to use divination for quite some time.” The palace-robed woman answered calmly, withholding nothing.
“What? How could this happen? Then the divination you just performed…” The black-armored man’s heart chilled as he muttered.
“Don’t worry. Although the spell wasn’t fully completed, I still obtained some omens. However, their implications are rather ambiguous—some even contradictory. But one thing is certain: these people are indeed closely tied to the restoration of my cultivation. Follow them closely for now, but don’t alert them. I need time to ponder and fully decipher the signs.” The woman replied coolly.
“Yes, Master. Then let’s hurry after them. Not only have these people gathered so many Body Integration cultivators, but they’ve also traveled such a great distance. Their objective must be extraordinary.” The black-armored man was momentarily stunned but quickly responded with deference.
“Whatever they seek, we’ll uncover it by following them.” The palace-robed woman’s expression remained unchanged.
“Master has already planted a mark on that human woman. They are in the open, while we remain hidden. There’s no way they can shake us off.” The black-armored man grinned darkly.
This time, the palace-robed woman merely nodded without further comment.
Taking the hint, the black-armored man promptly fell silent.
Several hours later, high above an enormous coral island spanning hundreds of miles.
Han Li and his group, concealed by the protective treasure of the Sage Maiden Qianqiu, had halted their flight and now hovered at an altitude of several thousand feet, gazing at a distant demon fortress.
The fortress occupied nearly half the island, surrounded by towering gray walls nearly a hundred feet high and layered with dense arrays of restrictions.
Even several layers of black light barriers enveloped the entire stronghold.
Demon guards armed with various weapons patrolled the battlements, while demonic birds resembling two-headed monsters circled the skies above.
At the fortress’s center, squads of armored demon soldiers marched in ceaseless patrols, making the defenses exceptionally tight.
Above the fortress, a massive black cloud spanning hundreds of acres churned ominously, rumbling with thunder and flickering with silver arcs—an eerie and terrifying sight.
“Are you certain this is the ‘lightly guarded’ demon outpost you spoke of, Brother Long?” Sage Maiden Qianqiu’s voice turned icy as she surveyed the fortress.
The other Sacred Spirits also wore grim expressions.
As for Han Li and the human cultivators from the Ye Family, though they remained silent, their gazes toward Patriarch Long carried unmistakable doubt.
“Fellow Daoists, don’t misunderstand. I sent scouts here not long ago. The demon forces stationed here were indeed far fewer, and their base was much smaller. This sudden expansion is beyond my expectations. It seems they’ve reinforced their numbers drastically.” Patriarch Long forced a bitter smile and hurriedly explained.
“Hmm, I believe Brother Long wouldn’t deceive us on such a critical matter. But given the current situation, do you still plan to proceed here? With so many demons, there might even be a Demon Venerable overseeing the fortress. Our original plan may no longer be viable.” After a moment of contemplation, Sage Maiden Qianqiu’s expression softened slightly.
“Changing locations now would take too much time. Among the demon nodes I’ve scouted, this passage is the most suitable. The others would pose great danger even if we reached the Demon Realm. Besides, though the fortress is larger, the odds of a Demon Venerable being stationed here are slim. However, our initial infiltration method won’t work now. The pseudo-demon pearls, though excellent at deceiving high-ranking demons, are weak against restrictive barriers. With so many arrays here, if any powerful ones are mixed in, we’d be exposed and trapped amidst the demon army. Instead, we should conceal ourselves and fly straight to the node. If discovered, we’ll force our way through. With our combined strength, even if one or two Demon Venerables try to stop us, we can eliminate them. Once in the Demon Realm, we’ll vanish like dragons into the sea—they’ll never catch us.” Patriarch Long’s face darkened with a ruthless glint.
“I agree with Brother Long. Our combined power leaves little to fear. A direct assault is the cleanest solution.” The loose-haired man from the Lin Family flashed a fierce gaze, voicing his approval.
“But doing so would alert the demons immediately, jeopardizing our future operations in the Demon Realm.” The feathered-robed girl frowned, her tone cautious.
“The Demon Realm is vast. As long as we avoid demon cities, even if they know outsiders have entered, they’ll have no effective means to pursue us. Besides, foreign intruders aren’t uncommon in the Demon Realm. Many powerful beings from our Spirit Realm venture there occasionally. The demons may not pay us special attention.” The black-robed Elder Hui from the Long Family added grimly.
Han Li stroked his chin calmly, remaining silent.
Meanwhile, Sage Maiden Qianqiu exchanged silent messages with her companions.
After a brief discussion, she turned to Patriarch Long with a solemn expression. “Changing locations would indeed take too long. We’ll proceed as you suggest. If discovered, we’ll fight our way in. But I hope the situation on the Demon Realm side of the node is exactly as you described.”
“Rest assured, Fellow Daoists. The location beyond the node is precisely as I’ve stated.” Patriarch Long’s lips twitched, but his tone was firm.
“Since Brother Long guarantees it, we’ll act immediately. I’ll maximize the power of my Misty Cloud Banner to avoid triggering the arrays and get us as close to the node as possible.” Sage Maiden Qianqiu nodded gravely.
With a hand seal, she sent several streaks of light into the surrounding void, vanishing instantly.
Han Li’s eyes flashed blue as he scanned the faint mist with his spiritual sight.
The surrounding haze flickered slightly before thinning further, becoming nearly imperceptible even to spiritual vision.
Han Li’s thoughts churned, but he withdrew his spiritual gaze without comment.
Sage Maiden Qianqiu seemed to sense something, casting him a meaningful glance before refocusing. With a surge of magic, she propelled the mist toward the demon fortress.
Han Li’s eyes narrowed slightly, but his expression betrayed nothing as he followed Patriarch Long and the others toward the distant node.
No one spoke, their faces tense with gravity.
Though the distance to the fortress’s black cloud was merely a few dozen miles, they encountered seven or eight demon patrols along the way. Yet, under Sage Maiden Qianqiu’s expert control, the concealing mist masked their presence flawlessly, allowing them to slip past the demons undetected.
However, when they were within ten miles of the fortress, they triggered a cleverly hidden array.
Without warning, the void around them erupted with countless black streaks—invisible, blade-like projectiles materializing from all directions.
“Damn, we’re exposed! No more hiding—charge through!” Sage Maiden Qianqiu’s face darkened as she barked the order.
With a wave of her hand, the mist surrounding them solidified into a dense barrier, deflecting the black projectiles.
Seeing this, Patriarch Long and the others wasted no time. Treasures and spells flew from their hands, unleashing a storm of light and thunder that shattered the surrounding arrays like paper.
Their group transformed into over a dozen dazzling streaks, streaking toward the fortress like lightning.
The commotion instantly alerted the demon patrols and the fortress’s army. Piercing shrieks echoed across the stronghold as countless restrictions flared to life, covering the sky in a web of light.
Squads of demon soldiers, mounted on monstrous beasts, surged into the air with menacing roars.
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