Chapter 2088: Golden Crab

Han Li smiled faintly, merely pointing a finger toward the dark clouds above the thunder sea before falling silent.

While the others were still puzzled, Bai Qi also swept his spiritual gaze across the clouds and suddenly exclaimed, “What kind of demonic creature is that? It’s enormous!”

The rest of the group was startled and likewise turned their eyes upward, but all they saw were flashes of lightning within the dark clouds, making it impossible to discern anything clearly.

At this moment, Han Li took a light breath and reached out with one hand, summoning a faintly glowing emerald longsword into his palm. With a flick of his wrist, he slashed toward the distant sky.

A clear chime rang out as a green sword light unfurled, expanding in an instant to over a hundred zhang in length before crashing down with a thunderous roar, cleaving through the dark clouds ahead.

This single strike, infused with Han Li’s immense divine power, was so overwhelming that it left everyone in awe.

Where the green light passed, the surrounding space twisted, and the thunder sea’s clouds were forcibly split apart, revealing a chasm-like rift.

Through this gap, the Long Family Patriarch and the others faintly glimpsed a golden beast the size of a mountain, silently suspended high in the sky.

The creature was colossal, its entire body shimmering with golden brilliance and entwined with countless thick arcs of lightning, making it dazzling beyond measure.

The Long Family Patriarch could only make out a golden carapace and rows of sharp spines protruding from it, unable to immediately identify what kind of demonic beast it was.

A mere wisp of the beast’s aura leaking from the rift caused the faces of the assembled Body Integration cultivators to pale.

Upon contact with the beast’s aura, their spiritual senses were silently absorbed, making it impossible to gauge its depth.

Moreover, the faint yet oppressive pressure contained within that aura sent chills down the spines of even late-stage Body Integration cultivators like the Long Family Patriarch.

Such a terrifying presence instantly brought the words “True Spirit” to their minds.

Strangely, despite Han Li’s earth-shaking strike, the golden beast remained motionless, as if in deep slumber.

Fortunately, this was the case—otherwise, none aboard the giant vessel would have dared linger for even a moment, fleeing without hesitation.

Even so, Elder Hui and the others turned pale, their eyes darting nervously around, ready to bolt at the slightest movement from the golden beast.

For a moment, an eerie silence fell over the ship.

After a long pause, Bai Qi suddenly spoke, easing the tension.

“Fellow Daoists need not worry. This beast shows no signs of life—it must be nothing more than a corpse.”

“What? Just a corpse? Brother Bai, are you certain?” the feathered-robed maiden asked skeptically.

“I’ve cultivated a technique that allows me to sense the life force of all living beings. The reason I didn’t detect this corpse earlier is because my technique registered no response,” Bai Qi replied impassively.

“If Brother Bai says so, then I’m relieved. For a mere corpse to retain such a fearsome aura, it’s almost certainly the remains of a True Spirit,” the maiden said, her eyes gleaming as she gazed back at the thunder sea’s sky.

The value of a True Spirit’s remains was beyond imagination!

Even if it contained only traces of vital essence, it would be an immense boon to Body Integration cultivators like them.

Moreover, the body of a True Spirit was itself the rarest material for refining treasures and pills—even a small fragment could drive countless master alchemists and artificers to madness.

The others’ hearts raced with greed.

Han Li stroked his chin, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.

Meanwhile, the massive rift torn by his sword light gradually closed as the surrounding clouds churned, once again concealing the golden beast.

Only then did the group withdraw their gazes, their expressions varied.

“Brother Bai, did you see clearly what kind of True Spirit this corpse belonged to?” the Eternal Holy Maiden asked Bai Qi after a moment’s thought.

Among those present, only Han Li and Bai Qi could directly observe the golden beast’s full form with their spiritual eyes.

“It’s a golden crab, but with four additional pincers at the front,” Bai Qi replied after narrowing his eyes at the clouds, though he didn’t sound entirely certain.

“A crab? A golden crab? Has such a True Spirit ever been recorded?” The group was stunned, and the feathered-robed maiden blurted out the question.

“Never heard of it! None of the True Spirits known in the Spirit Realm match this description. But that’s not surprising—True Spirits are born across countless realms, so it’s normal for some to remain unknown to us,” the Long Family Patriarch said gravely after some thought.

“Brother Long makes a valid point. This beast may indeed be an unknown True Spirit. But since it’s already dead, this is our opportunity,” Elder Hui said, excitement flashing in his eyes.

“Indeed. Such a chance must not be wasted.”

“Even if we divide this True Spirit’s body among us, the rewards would far exceed our expectations. Even without the Cleansing Spirit Pool or the Pure Spirit Lotus, this journey would still be worthwhile.”

The others nodded in agreement, visibly stirred by this unexpected windfall.

But then, Han Li abruptly spoke words that stunned them all:

“How long do you think this corpse has been here?”

“Though I can’t be certain, it must have been quite some time,” the Eternal Holy Maiden replied, frowning as if recalling something.

“While this place is difficult for us to find, it shouldn’t be so for high-ranking demons. If this corpse were truly easy to take, why would the demons leave it here untouched, waiting for us?” Han Li countered calmly.

At this, Elder Hui, the feathered-robed maiden, and the other Spirit Race saints all paled, their expressions turning thoughtful.

“Brother Han, are you suggesting that this corpse isn’t as easy to claim as it seems, and the demons left it here because they knew its dangers?” the Long Family Patriarch asked, surprise flickering across his face.

“That’s likely only part of the truth,” Han Li said with a faint, enigmatic smile.

“Oh? Has Brother Han discovered something else?” the Eternal Holy Maiden asked, genuinely intrigued.

“If I’m not mistaken, this golden beast isn’t a True Spirit’s corpse at all—it’s merely a Demon Crystal Puppet,” Han Li sighed, wearing a bitter smile as he dropped this bombshell.

“What? A puppet? Impossible! How could such a terrifying puppet exist? And what is a Demon Crystal Puppet?” Elder Hui shook his head repeatedly, disbelief written all over his face.

The Long Family Patriarch and the Eternal Holy Maiden exchanged glances, equally incredulous.

Bai Qi, however, froze momentarily before hurriedly scanning the thunder sea’s sky again with his spiritual eyes.

The elderly Confucian scholar from the Spirit Race remained outwardly calm, but his heart pounded violently at the mention of “Demon Crystal Puppet.”

“Demon Crystal Puppets are a secret puppet-making technique from the Demon Realm, unknown in the Spirit Realm. During my time in Phantom Night City, I studied related techniques. To prove my words, take a look at this replica I crafted.”

Without further argument, Han Li flicked his sleeve, sending forth a streak of green light.

In a flash, a massive emerald wolf appeared on the ship’s deck—a low-grade Demon Crystal Puppet Han Li had crafted earlier.

The Long Family Patriarch and the others immediately focused their attention on the puppet, scrutinizing it closely.

“Brother Han’s words may indeed hold truth. Upon closer inspection, some of the patterns on the golden crab’s body resemble those on this puppet. There may truly be a connection. No wonder I sensed no life force—it’s a puppet. I was careless earlier,” Bai Qi admitted with a wry smile, retracting the white light from his forehead.

“Can this be real?”

“But if it’s just a puppet, why abandon it here? Its aura alone is terrifying!”

“Could there truly be puppets at the True Spirit level?”

The others murmured in a mix of belief and doubt, voices overlapping.

At that moment, Bai Qi suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a deep-blue bronze mirror.

The mirror spun briefly before stabilizing in mid-air about a zhang away.

A beam of white light shot from Bai Qi’s forehead, silently merging into the ancient mirror.

The mirror’s surface, previously blank, blurred momentarily before displaying an incredibly clear image—a golden, lightning-wreathed crab hidden within the clouds.

“Is this the famed Spirit Light Recollection Technique of your race? I’ve heard it can perfectly recreate everything the caster has seen or heard long after the fact,” the Long Family Patriarch remarked, visibly impressed.

“Fellow Daoists, examine this beast closely and see if it truly resembles Brother Han’s Demon Crystal Puppet,” Bai Qi said coolly, gesturing toward the mirror.

Not only the Spirit Race members but also the feathered-robed maiden and Elder Hui, clearly familiar with the technique, focused intently on the crab in the mirror.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, as the technique dissipated and the mirror’s image faded, the Long Family Patriarch sighed.

“It seems Brother Han was right. This crab is indeed just a puppet. In that case, there’s no need to risk retrieving it. If such a powerful puppet was abandoned here, it must be beyond repair. Otherwise, no matter the danger, the high-ranking demons would never have left it behind.”

“Indeed. Our hopes were in vain. Let’s focus on crossing this thunderstorm and reaching the island ahead. That is our true objective,” the Eternal Holy Maiden said solemnly.