Chapter 2068: Resolution

Half a day later, a deafening roar erupted from the massive sand dune on the surface.

The triangular structure atop the dune exploded in an instant.

Amidst the flying debris, a massive ball of green flames surged out, hovered briefly in the low sky, and then shot off into the distance.

Within the green flames, the indistinct form of a deer-headed demonic beast could be heard growling.

The beast was covered in strange crimson blood, its body riddled with wounds, and one of its four claws was conspicuously missing.

But in that very moment, a blinding silver light shot up from below like lightning, swiftly encircling the massive demonic beast within the green flames.

A pained roar echoed through the air!

The green flames flared violently before transforming into a streak of green light that streaked toward the horizon, vanishing from sight in mere moments.

In the air where it had been, aside from a spray of crimson blood, a half-severed, crystalline purple horn plummeted down, landing heavily on the nearby sand with a dull thud, sinking several feet deep as if it were incredibly dense.

At that moment, a figure slowly emerged from the crater left by the explosion of the triangular structure, hovering in the low sky.

The figure wore a long cyan robe and had an exceptionally youthful face—it was none other than Han Li himself!

Han Li glanced up in the direction where the beast had disappeared, shook his head slightly, then lowered his gaze to the pool of blood on the ground. Spotting the half-buried purple horn, a faint, enigmatic smile flickered across his face.

He raised his arm and made a grasping motion toward the ground, releasing an invisible force.

With a *whoosh*, the broken horn flew up from the sand and landed lightly in Han Li’s palm, as if it weighed nothing at all.

Han Li swept his spiritual sense over the horn, a glint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. But then his expression shifted slightly as if he had sensed something. With a flip of his hand, the broken horn vanished.

The next moment, another figure emerged from the crater—a graceful silhouette, none other than the purple-haired woman from the Bai Family.

Upon seeing Han Li, she smiled faintly and asked softly, “Brother Han, did you manage to catch up with that demonic beast? Even if you didn’t, it’s no matter. The beast was already severely wounded by the combined efforts of the five of us. I doubt it will dare approach this vein again.”

“Rest assured, Fairy. As it fled, I struck it once more. Combined with its earlier injuries, it will take centuries of recuperation before it can recover fully,” Han Li replied calmly, gesturing toward the pool of blood.

“Truly? That’s excellent news. Then this trouble is resolved. Let us return to join my elder brother and the others to discuss further matters,” the purple-haired woman said, her face brightening with joy before she seemed to recall something else.

“Very well, let us descend,” Han Li agreed without objection, drifting back toward the crater.

The purple-haired woman glanced at the bloodstain, hesitated for a moment, then waved her jade-like hand through the air.

With a *boom*, a large pit formed in the sand, swallowing the blood and burying it completely beneath the shifting grains.

Satisfied, she followed Han Li down into the crater.

Several hours later, inside the cavern where the fierce battle had taken place, Han Li, the purple-haired woman, and the three other demonic venerables—including the yellow-haired giant—gathered to discuss their next steps.

Among them, Luanlong Tianjun and the yellow-haired giant appeared somewhat drained, their eyes dim and their faces pale, as if they had expended significant energy.

In contrast, Hanqi Zi’s masked eyes remained as cold and sharp as ever, his aura undiminished.

“Fairy Futian! If what you say is true, then this demonic spirit is almost certainly the manifestation of this vein’s essence. If so, it cannot leave this place. Otherwise, it would slowly fade into nothingness,” Luanlong Tianjun said, his chubby face wobbling slightly as his small eyes blinked.

“That demonic spirit annihilated six of our Bai Family’s Void Refinement disciples in moments. Its rank must be quite high—perhaps even capable of independent existence beyond this vein,” the purple-haired woman replied uncertainly.

“That may be so. Even we would struggle to eliminate six Void Refinement cultivators so swiftly. What are your plans now, Brother Bai?” Luanlong Tianjun mused before posing the question.

“Though we’ve driven off the demonic beast, the presence of this demonic spirit still prevents us from mining the vein safely. I fear I must once again ask for the assistance of you three. Otherwise, my fifth sister and I stand little chance against it,” the yellow-haired giant admitted frankly.

At this, Luanlong Tianjun and Hanqi Zi exchanged glances. After a moment of hesitation, Luanlong Tianjun spoke slowly, “Brother Bai, this may not be appropriate. Our initial agreement was only to deal with that late-stage demonic beast. This demonic spirit was not part of our arrangement. Moreover, given its bizarre abilities—nearly claiming Fairy Futian’s life—it may be even more dangerous than the beast. And due to its interference, we’ve already taken on considerable risk. Otherwise, I might not have suffered such losses.”

Luanlong Tianjun coughed lightly, clearly unwilling to take further risks.

Hanqi Zi remained silent but seemed to share the sentiment.

The yellow-haired giant’s expression darkened slightly, a flicker of anger rising in his heart, but his voice remained steady. “The appearance of this demonic spirit was our Bai Family’s oversight. Had we known of its existence, we would have prepared specialized artifacts to counter it. However, Brother Luanlong, if you agree to assist, we are willing to double your original rewards. Additionally, though this demonic spirit’s abilities are strange, Brother Han’s demonic flames seem to counter it effectively—even managing to destroy one of its avatars unexpectedly. It must be severely wounded now, possibly having lost a significant portion of its power. This is the perfect opportunity to eliminate it.”

With that, he turned to Han Li with a smile and sent a discreet message: *”If Brother Han agrees to help eliminate this demonic spirit, aside from gifting you a six-legged demonic lizard, I will also allow you to select three treasures from the Bai Family’s vault.”*

Han Li’s eyes narrowed slightly, his interest piqued, and he gave an imperceptible nod.

The yellow-haired giant inwardly sighed in relief.

Han Li’s ability to counter the demonic spirit’s silver flames made him indispensable.

“Double the rewards? Does that include the Bloodfang Rice?” Luanlong Tianjun asked eagerly, a glimmer of excitement in his voice.

“Apologies, but we no longer have any Bloodfang Rice in stock. However, I am willing to offer a piece of Bloodforged Aurum as compensation instead. How does that sound, Brother Luanlong? I recall you’ve been searching for this material for some time,” the yellow-haired giant replied smoothly, as if he had anticipated the question.

“Bloodforged Aurum? While not as valuable as Bloodfang Rice, it is sufficient compensation for my needs,” Luanlong Tianjun muttered, his expression shifting before he reluctantly agreed.

“Excellent! Do Brothers Hanqi and Han have any objections?” the yellow-haired giant asked, turning to the others.

Hanqi Zi’s eyes flickered briefly before he nodded slowly.

Han Li simply smiled and gave his assent.

Thus, they began devising a strategy to deal with the demonic spirit, eventually settling on a feasible plan.

For the time being, the group remained in the cavern, meditating and replenishing their energy with demonic stones, in no rush to act immediately.

Several days later, once their depleted energy had partially recovered, they split into two groups to begin their search.

Han Li and the purple-haired woman formed one team, while the yellow-haired giant, Luanlong Tianjun, and Hanqi Zi took the other, scouring the vein’s tunnels in opposite directions.

Two days later, in an unnamed tunnel, the purple-haired woman walked ahead, holding a circular disk, while Han Li followed at a leisurely pace.

Her steps were unhurried, and she frequently glanced down at the disk, though she seemed to find nothing of note.

“Can this Spirit-Locking Disk truly detect the demonic spirit?” Han Li finally asked.

“Rest assured, Brother Han. Though this disk isn’t specifically designed for demonic spirits—it was originally used to locate rare materials—it remains effective here. If the demonic spirit comes within a hundred zhang of us, we’ll detect it immediately. Otherwise, given its fusion with the vein, spiritual sense alone cannot locate it,” the purple-haired woman replied with a charming smile.

“But this demonic spirit is highly intelligent. It may not approach us willingly,” Han Li countered, shaking his head.

“Then we’ll seek out its origin directly. Even if it’s a manifestation of the vein’s essence, destroying its root will cause it to dissipate,” she replied firmly.

“True, but the vein is vast. Locating its origin won’t be easy—it could take over a week,” Han Li sighed.

“Brother Han, surely the Bai Family’s compensation is worth a mere six or seven days of your time?” she teased, her eyes glinting with amusement.

“Heh, that’s not how the calculation works,” Han Li chuckled meaningfully.

Just as the purple-haired woman was about to respond, a faint hum emanated from her waist. Startled, she tapped her storage pouch, and a token-like artifact flew out.

After a few quick taps, the voice of the yellow-haired giant rang out excitedly: *”Fifth Sister, return at once. We’ve found and slain the demonic spirit. As we suspected, it was severely weakened and couldn’t put up much of a fight.”*

The purple-haired woman froze in surprise.

Han Li, having heard everything clearly, smiled faintly. “It seems we won’t be lingering here for weeks after all. We can return to Fantasy Night City sooner than expected.”