Previously, he had discovered this massive Windflame Crystal deep within a canyon. However, just as he retrieved it, he was spotted by a large group of unknown demonic birds nearby. After being pursued for half a day, he finally managed to frighten them off.
Now, with a flash of spiritual light, Han Li stored the Windflame Crystal away and focused on his journey.
The flight was uneventful, and after half a day, he reached the edge of the forest. In the distance, a vast ocean replaced the land.
Han Li’s brow furrowed slightly but soon relaxed.
This was likely just an inland sea. Though there were some sea beasts here, they were far from comparable to the boundless dangers of the true outer sea.
A flash of azure light!
Han Li’s escape light plunged into the sea, and after a few flickers, he was already a thousand zhang away over the water.
Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound erupted from the sea below!
Countless blue streaks shot out from the water, all aimed at Han Li high in the sky.
Without changing his expression, Han Li flicked his sleeve downward, releasing a sheet of gray mist that condensed into countless fine gray threads.
With a series of *chi chi* sounds, the blue streaks were pierced through by the gray threads.
Thumb-sized blue fish, devoid of scales but with unnaturally elongated, blade-like heads, rained down from the sky.
With a single strike, Han Li had exterminated hundreds of these strange fish, but even more blue streaks shot out from the sea.
Han Li’s brows arched slightly, and with a slight adjustment to his spell, the threads from his sleeve multiplied, annihilating all the incoming fish.
In moments, tens of thousands of the creatures had been wiped out.
Such a thunderous display seemed to shock the remaining fish into submission.
The previously turbulent sea calmed abruptly, and no more blue streaks emerged.
Han Li calmly flicked his wrist, and the gray threads transformed back into mist, retracting into his sleeve.
At the same time, he increased his speed by half, shooting deeper into the sea.
Several hours later, as the demon sun dipped below the horizon, the sky darkened.
From the depths of the silent sea, powerful auras began to rise slowly toward the surface.
From his vantage, Han Li occasionally glimpsed the colossal limbs of enormous sea beasts emerging intermittently from the water.
Frowning, Han Li glanced at the sky and decided it was unwise to continue traveling tonight.
Though his abilities made him unafraid of the powerful nocturnal sea beasts, he preferred to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Moreover, he had been traveling nonstop for over ten days without proper rest. This was a good opportunity to recuperate.
Having made up his mind, he released his spiritual sense, scanning the surrounding thousand-li expanse of sea.
Soon, his expression shifted, and his escape light abruptly changed direction, heading toward a patch of sky.
After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a black dot appeared on the distant sea. As Han Li approached with his azure light, it resolved into a small island—several dozen li in size, with a few thousand-zhang-tall mountains and a faint mist enveloping its shores.
Narrowing his eyes, Han Li concentrated his spiritual sense, swiftly scanning the entire island before descending toward it.
Moments later, the azure light dissipated, and Han Li appeared halfway up a stone mountain, facing the entrance of a cave several zhang wide.
After a glance, he flicked his sleeve toward the cave.
A small green sword shot forth, vanishing inside in a flash.
Soon, a low beastly roar echoed from the cave, followed by a sharp cry that was abruptly cut off.
Han Li stepped forward calmly and entered.
The cave was narrow and winding. After fifty or sixty zhang, it opened into a wider cavern.
The cavern floor was covered in dry, emerald-green grass of unknown origin, upon which lay the bisected corpse of an armored beast-like demonic creature.
Han Li pointed at the corpse, and a spark flew out.
With a *puff*, flames instantly reduced the beast and the grass beneath to ashes.
The cavern was now pristine.
Han Li sat cross-legged in the center, pondering briefly before lightly tapping his storage bracelet.
A white flash, and four half-chi-long crystalline bricks floated in a row before him.
These were the four Sacred Bricks he had obtained from the Blood Crow City Lord a year prior.
Clearly not his first time studying them, Han Li raised a hand with practiced ease.
Four thunderclaps sounded!
Four golden arcs shot from his palm, vanishing into the bricks one after another.
The translucent bricks flashed simultaneously, swelling over tenfold in size into massive crystalline walls, their surfaces now covered in dense purple-black script.
Han Li’s eyes gleamed faintly blue as he scrutinized the text, absorbing its contents intently.
After half an hour, he withdrew his gaze, lost in thought.
*The Weeping Spirit Ancestor truly lived up to his legendary reputation in the demon realm. The divine abilities recorded here are extraordinary. If I hadn’t already mastered the Sacred Demon Art to its peak, I might have considered switching my primary cultivation method.*
Even so, the demonic techniques inscribed on the bricks offered profound insights, with two or three sets directly applicable to his cultivation.
Mulling it over, Han Li splayed his fingers and made a grasping motion toward the bricks.
The four walls trembled, shifting positions before overlapping into a single column.
Their surfaces shimmered, each emitting a radiant beam in the same direction.
The four beams merged seamlessly, projecting an incredibly detailed, several-zhang-wide map onto a nearby stone wall.
The map depicted mountains and rivers with precision, its center marked by the emblem of a horned black dragon.
Han Li studied the map intently, his expression contemplative.
After an indeterminate time, he flicked his sleeve, and a sweep of light reclaimed the bricks.
The map on the wall dissolved silently.
Han Li exhaled softly, resting his hands on his knees in contemplation.
A year ago, after escaping the pursuit of the Soul Devouring Ants, he had begun studying the bricks.
With his intellect, he had unraveled their secrets within days, reconstructing the so-called Weeping Spirit Treasure Map.
Yet, despite its detail, the map contained no annotations. The terrain was utterly unfamiliar to an outsider like Han Li, leaving him clueless about the treasure’s location.
Though he had purchased some maps in Blood Crow City, most were rough sketches of the demon realm, with few detailed regional charts.
He would have to acquire more maps in other demon cities to find clues.
Given his current power, the Weeping Spirit Treasure wasn’t a necessity, but if it didn’t interfere with his primary mission in the demon realm, he wouldn’t mind the serendipitous gain.
Having settled his thoughts, Han Li set the matter aside and formed a hand seal.
Golden light shimmered across his body as scales emerged on his skin, and the three-headed, six-armed Sacred Demon Dharma Form materialized behind him.
The Dharma Form’s six eyes snapped open, gleaming coldly, while its six arms moved in arcane gestures.
Meanwhile, Han Li flipped his hand, producing a stack of multicolored formation plates.
With a flick of his wrist, they shot out as dozens of glowing orbs, vanishing into the surrounding void.
A moment later, a five-colored radiance bloomed beneath him, forming a several-zhang-wide mystical array that enclosed him perfectly.
The array pulsed with intricate runes, hinting at profound mysteries within.
Expressionless, Han Li flicked his fingers, sending out seven or eight top-grade spirit stones that embedded themselves in the formation.
With a thunderous chant, the array hummed, erupting in a dazzling display before solidifying into a five-colored barrier that engulfed him entirely.
The faint demonic energy in the air was expelled instantly, replaced by surges of pure spiritual energy within the barrier.
Han Li inhaled deeply, satisfaction flickering across his face as he closed his eyes and formed an esoteric seal.
A vertical black eye emerged eerily between his brows.
An obscure chant rose from the array as the Dharma Form’s three faces cycled through expressions of joy, anger, and sorrow, its body flickering between clarity and obscurity.
Meanwhile, Han Li himself was undergoing a transformation.
Under the chant’s influence, silver runes the size of beans began pouring from his body—first a dozen, then dozens more.
As time passed, the runes multiplied, swirling within the barrier and swelling to fist-sized.
Han Li’s body grew increasingly translucent, his golden scales morphing into runes that sank into his flesh.
With a low roar, the silver runes condensed into gleaming threads, lashing toward Han Li like a storm.
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