The scene displayed was none other than Han Li sitting upright in the hall moments ago. Though there was no sound, the image of Han Li in the projection was lifelike, as if everything had rewound and replayed before their eyes.
At this moment, the burly man turned to the purple-haired woman and said, “Watch closely.” With that, he flicked a finger toward the projection, sending a speck of black light shooting into the glowing sphere, vanishing in a flash.
In the next instant, layers of radiant flames suddenly erupted from Han Li’s image in the projection. The outermost layer was a pitch-black glow, followed by a layer of violet-gold light deeper within, and further inside, a murky gray chaos that obscured any further details.
“Eh? What is this?” The purple-haired woman gasped in surprise at the sight.
“Heh, this is the first time you’ve seen the Guangyin Realm’s secret technique, isn’t it, Fifth Sister? As you can see, this Han fellow’s primary cultivation technique seems rather unusual. The outermost black layer represents the purest demonic energy of our Sacred Realm—perfectly normal. If he lacked this black glow, I’d suspect he wasn’t from our realm at all. As for the violet-gold layer, it indicates he’s also cultivated an extraordinary demonic body-refining technique to its peak, nearing the legendary Violet Marrow Golden Bone realm. Though that seems unlikely—aside from a few Sacred Ancestor predecessors, I’ve never heard of anyone else achieving such a level of physical refinement.” The burly man pointed at the layers of light around Han Li’s image, speaking gravely.
“Violet Marrow Golden Bone? His body is truly that powerful? Could the Guangyin Treasure Mirror be malfunctioning?” The purple-haired woman’s expression shifted dramatically as she shook her head in disbelief.
“It shouldn’t be wrong. Though the mirror’s effect on him is greatly diminished, such a rough inspection wouldn’t produce such a drastic error. Moreover, he’s only approaching that realm. If he had truly reached it, the outermost demonic energy wouldn’t even appear in the mirror—it would be entirely absorbed into his meridians, with none leaking out.” The burly man exhaled deeply.
“Even so, his physical body alone could likely suppress an ordinary Demon Venerable. But what about that layer of gray light? Does he cultivate another formidable ability?” The purple-haired woman glanced at the projection again before asking.
“The gray light represents something even the Guangyin Treasure Mirror cannot discern—undoubtedly extraordinary. Seeing this much is already my limit. If I had forced more magic power into the mirror, I might have truly offended him, which wouldn’t have been worth it. That he detected my presence within the restriction also speaks volumes about the strength of his spiritual sense.” The burly man replied solemnly.
“A formidable body, unfathomable techniques beyond the mirror’s scrutiny, and extraordinary spiritual sense. It seems our Phantom Night City has welcomed a monstrous existence. Fortunately, he doesn’t seem intent on staying long, and the Bai Family has already established ties with him. Not only is this no issue, but it also ensures no problems in dealing with that demonic beast.” After a moment of conflicted contemplation, the purple-haired woman forced a bitter smile.
“From that perspective, it’s good news. We mustn’t offend him, but there’s no need to go out of our way to win him over either. With strength this unfathomable, he’s beyond the capacity of a family like ours to contain. Fifth Sister, exercise caution when interacting with him.” The burly man spoke earnestly.
“Of course, I understand.” The purple-haired woman’s beautiful eyes flickered slightly as she nodded gently.
At the same time, Han Li, seated cross-legged in the beast-drawn carriage, toyed with a white crystal sphere, his face wearing an enigmatic half-smile.
Suddenly, black mist surged around him as a black light barrier expanded outward, enveloping the space within several zhang. He then tapped his forehead with a finger and tossed the crystal sphere before him.
With a soft *pfft*, black light flickered between his brows as a third demonic eye emerged, shooting a golden beam that struck the white crystal sphere.
In the next moment, the sphere turned radiant gold, shimmering briefly before projecting a golden screen.
The screen was initially blurry, but with a flash of white light, it revealed a ten-foot-tall figure holding an ancient prismatic mirror—none other than the burly, yellow-haired man from the Bai Family.
The illusory figure stood motionless, one hand forming a seal while the other seemed to channel magic into the mirror.
Han Li examined the figure for a few moments, a faint sneer curling his lips. With a wave of his hand, the demonic eye between his brows vanished.
Just as the Bai Family’s Demon Venerable had said, Han Li had sensed his presence the moment he hid within the restriction to perform his secret technique. Without revealing anything, Han Li had countered with his own probing spell.
Discovering the man was merely a mid-level Demon Venerable, Han Li felt at ease.
With the demonic energy from his True Devilish Arts and the power of the pseudo-demon core, he had little to fear from anyone in the demon realm except the unfathomable Sacred Ancestors, who might spot inconsistencies.
With a muffled *pop*, the crystal sphere returned to its original clarity, and the burly man’s illusion silently shattered, vanishing without a trace as if the spell had never been cast.
Han Li then closed his eyes, expressionless, and sank into meditation.
In the following days, Han Li visited the Bai Family daily via the giant beast-drawn carriage, exchanging cultivation insights with the purple-haired woman. Their discussions expanded beyond body-refining techniques and ordinary demonic arts to include secret methods and rare skills, benefiting both greatly.
During this time, Han Li confirmed that Long Jia Laozu and the other human cultivators, along with the Spirit Tribe’s Sacred Spirits, had yet to arrive in Phantom Night City—he was the first.
This left Han Li somewhat frustrated, unsure whether the others had encountered trouble or were delayed for other reasons.
Still, he wasn’t overly concerned.
Long Jia Laozu and the Sacred Spirits were no ordinary Body Integration cultivators. Even if exposed and ambushed by multiple Demon Venerables, they could at worst escape—none would perish easily.
The matter of the Eight-Legged Demon Lizards, however, proved troublesome. While he could acquire one from the Bai Family, the others’ mounts would require alternative arrangements.
But Long Jia Laozu and his ilk were ancient monsters who had lived countless years—they could surely handle such matters themselves. Once the Bai Family affair concluded, Han Li need only wait for their arrival.
During this period, the other two great families of Phantom Night City learned of Han Li’s presence and sent invitations.
This time, Han Li politely declined. However, half a month later, he attended the Zhao Family’s ancestral rites.
There, he met one of the Zhao Family’s Demon Venerable elders—a short, gaunt old man—and exchanged brief pleasantries.
Upon learning Han Li was merely passing through and wouldn’t stay long, the elder visibly relaxed, his demeanor warming considerably.
Han Li understood the reason perfectly. After some polite conversation, he took his leave without incident.
After returning from the Zhao Family, Han Li ceased visiting the Bai Family.
Ten days later, however, the purple-haired woman came to him in person.
She informed him that the friend the Bai Family had been waiting for had finally arrived. They would depart for the Phantom Howl Desert in two days to drive out the Demon Venerable-level beast, and she asked if Han Li had any objections.
Han Li naturally agreed without hesitation.
Overjoyed, the purple-haired woman thanked him profusely before taking her leave.
For the next two days, Han Li remained secluded in the top floor of his pavilion, meditating to conserve his energy.
Though he doubted a mere Demon Venerable-level beast posed any real threat, he had no intention of letting carelessness lead to an unexpected defeat.
Two days later, after instructing Zhu Guo’er, Han Li boarded the beast-drawn carriage and sped toward one of Phantom Night City’s gates.
Hours later, atop a mound outside the city, he finally met the Bai Family entourage.
Present were the purple-haired woman, the burly man, two unfamiliar Demon Venerables, and six Void Refining-level demons—including Bai Yunxin.
The purple-haired woman greeted Han Li warmly and introduced him to the burly man and the two invited allies.
Han Li then learned the yellow-haired man’s name: Bai Xijiao, whom even the purple-haired woman addressed as “Elder Brother.”
Of the other two Demon Venerables, one declined to give his true name, calling himself “Heavenly Monarch Luanlong”—an exceedingly rotund man whose layers of fat and slit-like eyes made him resemble a plump pig, belying his grandiose title.
The other, Han Qizi, wore a green ghost-faced mask and emitted a bone-chilling cold that intensified with proximity.
The yellow-haired man treated Han Li with great respect, clearly valuing his presence. The fat man exchanged a few words with a forced smile, while Han Qizi remained silent as ice.
Han Li maintained his composure throughout, offering only vague pleasantries before falling silent.
Soon after, at the burly man’s signal, the group activated their flight techniques and soared toward the Phantom Howl Desert.
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