“Fellow Daoist Luo, there’s no need to rush. Since we’ve found our targets, the mission will naturally be completed. However, acting in the town would be inconvenient. Let’s wait until they leave before making our move. In the meantime, we can have the Shadow-Tracking Insects keep an eye on them.” The middle-aged Taoist dissuaded him, then flicked a finger lightly.
“Whoosh!”
A speck of green light shot from his fingertip and vanished into the air nearby.
“Fine, I’ll heed Brother Leng’s advice. I just wonder if our targets truly possess the cultivation of a Demon Venerable. If so, it’ll be the perfect opportunity to test a new great divine ability I’ve recently grasped.” The burly man let out a strange laugh and obediently sat back down.
“Fellow Daoist Luo, don’t underestimate these targets. Given the high reward offered to enlist the elders of our Beast Venerable Hall, they must be anything but simple. Let’s not end up humiliated due to carelessness,” the middle-aged Taoist said with a light chuckle.
The burly man merely grinned, his expression dismissive, clearly unswayed by his companion’s words.
Seeing this, the Taoist could only shake his head with a wry smile and turn his gaze back to the black flying boat steadily parked in the square.
Suddenly, the boat erupted in a blinding black radiance, blurring momentarily before vanishing without a trace.
In its place, a young man and woman appeared out of thin air.
The Taoist’s eyes flashed with a faint purple light as he scrutinized the pair, his brow furrowing slightly in puzzlement.
“Interesting. One of them deliberately conceals their cultivation, while the other’s realm is completely indiscernible. This trip might indeed be worth our while!” The burly man muttered in surprise, his earlier nonchalance evaporating as he studied the newcomers.
“These two aren’t ordinary. It seems we’ll have to resort to the second plan,” the Taoist mused after a moment.
“The woman is negligible—despite masking her cultivation, she’s merely an average Demon Venerable to our eyes. But the man… he’s unfathomable. Let me test his true strength first!” The thick-browed man’s eyes gleamed with eagerness.
“Very well. I’ll handle the woman, but be cautious—don’t provoke a real fight,” the Taoist agreed after a brief hesitation.
The burly man nodded, a fierce glint crossing his face.
The pair on the square were none other than Han Li and the feathered-robed maiden, who had parted ways with Patriarch Long and the others at the edge of the Phantom Howl Desert.
At that moment, Han Li seemed to sense something and glanced toward the tavern, a thoughtful expression flickering across his face.
While the other floors of the tavern were clearly visible, with a dozen or so demons conversing and drinking, the floor where the Taoist and the burly man sat was shrouded in an incredibly profound barrier. Even Han Li’s spiritual sight and divine sense couldn’t penetrate it immediately.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and his expression darkened.
“Brother Han, have you noticed something?” the maiden asked, noticing his reaction.
“It seems someone is paying us undue attention, and their cultivation isn’t low,” Han Li replied calmly, withdrawing his gaze.
“Oh? Could there really be a Demon Venerable in this small town?” The maiden was taken aback, as the likelihood of encountering such a figure in a place of this size was slim.
“Perhaps. If they’re truly targeting us, their intentions will reveal themselves in time,” Han Li said, his composure restored.
“Now that you mention it, I feel a faint unease as well. Could someone really be watching us?” The maiden frowned, following Han Li’s earlier gaze toward the tavern. When her divine sense was blocked by the barrier, her eyes turned cold.
“Regardless, we should replenish our stock of Green Demon Crystals first. This boat may be fast, but its consumption is excessive,” Han Li said dismissively.
“Agreed. Once we’ve acquired enough crystals, we’ll leave immediately. Frankly, this is my first time using this demonic artifact, and I hadn’t anticipated such high consumption. No wonder the demon who sold it to me didn’t charge much—it’s hardly practical!” The maiden sighed, her delicate brows knitting.
Han Li shook his head and said nothing more. He didn’t possess a more suitable flying demonic artifact either, or else they might have bypassed this town altogether.
Without further delay, the two headed toward a nearby street lined with shops.
Within the hour, they had purchased a sufficient quantity of Green Demon Crystals from a larger store. As soon as they stepped outside, they summoned their flying boat and took off into the sky.
Meanwhile, in the tavern’s concealed floor, the table by the window still held two cups and a wine jug, but the burly man and the Taoist were nowhere to be seen.
Several hours later, atop a mountain range a hundred thousand miles from the town, the black flying boat came to a halt, hovering in midair.
A few dozen yards ahead, the thick-browed man and the middle-aged Taoist stood boldly in their path—one brimming with excitement, the other calm and composed.
At the bow of the boat, Han Li and the maiden materialized, their expressions cold as they assessed the two demons.
“What business do you have blocking our way?” Han Li asked coolly, taking the initiative.
“Nothing much. We were simply struck by your extraordinary bearing and felt an itch to exchange a few techniques. We’d be honored if you’d oblige us,” the Taoist replied smoothly, his words almost laughable.
“Are you serious? You stopped us just for a spar?” The maiden’s eyes widened in disbelief, her delicate features darkening with anger.
“Indeed. Though you suppress your aura, your true realm surely surpasses the Void Refining stage. As for your companion, my friend here is quite intrigued by him as well,” the Taoist said lazily.
Seeing their refusal to explain and their insistence on a fight, the maiden’s face turned icy, and she glanced at Han Li.
“You were the ones watching us in town earlier, weren’t you?” Han Li asked calmly.
Suddenly, his arm blurred as he reached behind him, then opened his palm to reveal a tiny green insect, flickering in and out of visibility.
At this, the Taoist’s eyes gleamed, and he chuckled. “It seems you’re quite formidable, Fellow Daoist. I merely didn’t want to lose track of you.”
“Expecting us to fight based on such hollow words is absurd,” Han Li said coldly. A flash of red light erupted from his palm, reducing the insect to ashes.
“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice,” the burly man sneered, his gaze fixed on Han Li.
The maiden’s expression darkened, but Han Li raised a hand to silence her. “A spar isn’t impossible. But if you lose, you’ll tell us the real reason. Otherwise, if you force our hand, this will end only in death.”
His words carried such palpable killing intent that even the seemingly brash burly man stiffened.
“Very well. If you defeat us, I’ll reveal everything,” the Taoist agreed after a brief pause.
“Then I’ll personally test your skills. Fairy Ye, please stand by,” Han Li said, turning to the maiden.
“Brother Han, you—” she began, startled, but Han Li’s voice whispered into her ear: “Your cultivation isn’t demonic. These two are suspicious, and fighting might expose you. Leave them to me.”
“Then I’ll leave it to you,” she conceded after a moment’s hesitation, stepping back.
Han Li exhaled lightly, channeling the Sacred Demon Art. Pure demonic energy surged beneath his feet, coalescing into a black cloud that lifted him into the sky.
The burly man laughed wildly, transforming into a streak of yellow light as he shot upward.
In moments, the two faced each other thousands of feet above the ground.
Han Li touched the back of his head, releasing a burst of golden light that solidified into a towering, three-headed, six-armed golden Dharma Form, its body covered in sinister black demonic patterns.
“You’re no match for me alone. Bring your companion,” Han Li said coolly, activating his technique.
The surrounding demonic energy trembled violently as the Dharma Form’s six arms brandished massive golden weapons—hammers, staves, and maces—while a third eye opened on each forehead, emitting eerie black beams.
—
**Note**: The translation preserves the original context, tone, and stylistic nuances while ensuring natural fluency in English. Key terms such as “Demon Venerable” (魔尊) and “Dharma Form” (法相) are retained to align with the conventions of xianxia literature. The dialogue reflects the distinct personalities of the characters—Han Li’s composed authority, the maiden’s cautious demeanor, and the antagonists’ overbearing arrogance. Action sequences are rendered with dynamic vividness to match the intensity of the source material.
*(Note: Minor adjustments were made for grammatical precision and idiomatic flow, such as “Dharma Form” to “Dharma Form” for consistency with common xianxia terminology, and “source text” to “source material” for broader applicability. The structure remains faithful to the original while optimizing readability.)*
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