“This is Iron Sand Ridge. It does look rather peculiar, with demonic energy far denser than other places. There must be quite a few demonic beasts here,” Han Li stood at the prow of the flying boat, gazing at the distant mountain range and murmuring thoughtfully.
“The Azure Wing Clan has always excelled in beast-taming techniques. As one of their settlements, Iron Sand Ridge can indeed provide them with a steady supply of demonic beasts. Otherwise, with their small population, how could they control such a vast territory?” The feathered-robed girl standing behind Han Li chimed in.
“Beast-taming techniques? Relying so much on external forces must come at the cost of their own cultivation and abilities,” Han Li chuckled in response.
“Ordinary Azure Wing clansmen might be like that, but the core members we’re targeting likely don’t have such weaknesses. After all, their Azure Phoenix bloodline isn’t just for show,” the girl replied with a hint of gravity.
“Since we’re even planning to deal with a Sacred Ancestor’s avatar, these core members shouldn’t pose much of a problem, no matter what tricks they have. What’s troublesome is their settlement style—living in clustered villages. Finding suitable targets will take some effort,” Han Li said dismissively.
“True. The key is we can’t linger here too long—a month at most—or we’ll miss the rendezvous,” the girl said, looking slightly pained.
“A month should suffice if our luck isn’t too bad. Besides, didn’t you bring a specialized sensing artifact? It should detect targets within ten miles,” Han Li remarked coolly.
“That’s true, but the core members are surely well-guarded. Getting close won’t be easy. For larger villages, we might have to risk sneaking in,” the girl replied with a wry smile, having clearly considered this before.
“As long as we don’t have the misfortune of stumbling into the Sacred Ancestor Lingyuan’s stronghold, infiltrating a few villages shouldn’t be a problem,” Han Li said with a faint smirk.
“I hope so. It’s a pity we don’t know the exact whereabouts of that Sacred Ancestor’s avatar. Avoiding it would significantly reduce the risk,” the girl sighed regretfully.
“I’d also prefer not to alert the Sacred Ancestor’s avatar, but that’s up to fate. If we want gains, we must take risks. After all, there’s no such thing as a free lunch,” Han Li said noncommittally.
“Hehe, if it were just me, I’d be nervous. But with Brother Han’s help, I’m sure we’ll manage. Let’s enter Iron Sand Ridge now. But once inside, we can’t use this demonic artifact anymore—we’ll have to proceed stealthily,” the girl giggled, flattering Han Li slightly before pointing toward the distant mountains.
“Naturally,” Han Li nodded without objection, leaping off the flying boat first.
The girl made a hand seal, and the boat shrank rapidly in a flash of black light, turning palm-sized before flying into her hand.
After exchanging a few more words, the two transformed into streaks of light and vanished into the mountains.
Five days later, Han Li was darting through a steep-sided canyon at incredible speed, his figure blurring as he covered dozens of yards in a flash. There was no sign of the feathered-robed girl nearby—they had split up after entering the mountains.
As the canyon’s exit came into view, several caves in the cliffs emitted harsh bird cries. A dozen giant green demonic birds swooped down, their wings spanning over fifteen feet, eyes burning with savage yellow flames like enormous vultures.
Han Li remained unfazed. With a flick of his fingers, five green threads shot out, vanishing into the flock. The birds shrieked as their bodies exploded into bloody rain, while Han Li’s green streak flashed past, untouched by the gore.
Meanwhile, near a hidden valley, the girl hid behind a tree, watching the overgrown entrance for an hour without blinking. Suddenly, the air rippled, and two winged demons in leather robes appeared. After a cautious scan, they flew off.
The girl exhaled in relief, then vanished.
Later, in a cave miles away, she pressed a hand to a demon’s head, her face shimmering with rainbow light as she performed a soul-searching technique. The other demon lay motionless nearby.
After a moment, she released the demon, which collapsed bonelessly. “Just a peripheral clansman. No core members here. I’ll have to check the larger villages. But first, I’ll inform Han Li,” she muttered, pulling out a white jade disk. She traced symbols in the air, slapped the disk, and a flash of white light carried silver text away.
Elsewhere, Han Li sensed something and produced an identical disk displaying the same message. Smiling, he changed course.
Two weeks later, at the edge of a basin surrounded by three peaks, Han Li and the girl stood on a treetop, observing the misty valley. A faint, peculiar fragrance wafted from the fog.
“Are you certain this is one of the Azure Wing Clan’s four main settlements—the Incense Village?” Han Li asked.
“Absolutely. I soul-searched two clansmen to confirm. But they were low-ranking, so details are scarce. Still, a village this size must have core members. The defenses look formidable, though,” the girl replied gravely.
“The fragrance suggests we’re in the right place. As for entry, I have a method, but we’ll need to wait for the right moment,” Han Li said confidently.
“Wonderful! I’ll trust your plan, Brother Han,” the girl said brightly.
Han Li nodded, his gaze turning enigmatic.
Hours later, a giant flying serpent appeared in the distance, carrying seven or eight jubilant Azure Wing clansmen—mostly youths led by a tall, imposing elder with graying hair.
“Good, it’s time. Let’s move,” Han Li stood calmly.
The girl rose curiously. Without explanation, Han Li tossed her a purple talisman. “Activate this and follow them in. As long as the village lacks certain rare wards, we won’t be detected. But don’t use other spells once it’s active, or it’ll fail.”
He produced another talisman, slapping it onto himself. Purple light erupted, engulfing him in misty runes as the girl watched in astonishment.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage