“The lightning force here is so violent and has formed a sea of thunder, clearly related to the demon crystal puppet in the sky. I wonder if passing through this thunder sea will trigger any restrictions on it. The aura of this puppet is terrifying, almost comparable to a true spirit. If even a fraction of its restrictions remain functional, attempting to cross this thunder sea would entail significant risks for us,” Han Li said slowly.
“The danger near the island mentioned by the esteemed one of the Spirit Race must be this thunder sea and the puppet. If there were any shortcuts, they would have left instructions. Since there are none, we have no choice but to take the risk. With so many of us working together, even if we can’t match a Mahayana cultivator, we should still be able to pass through this area. Though some loss of vitality will likely be unavoidable,” the Long Family Patriarch pondered, his expression grave.
“Since we’ve come this far, there’s no reason to hesitate. Fellow Daoists, prepare yourselves. We’ll charge through this thunder sea immediately,” the Eternal Saintess nodded, her jade-like face turning stern.
Bai Qi and the others naturally had no objections. Immediately, everyone on the spirit boat began bustling about—some activating formations, others summoning treasures.
In an instant, the dark green giant boat was enveloped in multiple layers of colorful light barriers. Over a dozen treasure projections of various designs shot out from the barriers, rapidly expanding to cover the entire boat.
And this was just the beginning!
With two thunderous booms, blinding cyan light erupted from the bow and stern of the boat, revealing two massive blue stone giants.
These two puppets stood a hundred feet tall, their stone bodies covered in yellow talismanic patterns. Their faces bore only a single deep-set eye, with no nose or mouth.
Even more astonishing, though the two stone puppets appeared somewhat worn from a distance, their mere presence exuded an ancient, desolate aura, creating an oppressive atmosphere.
These were the Long Family Patriarch’s two ancient puppets.
“These puppets of yours are truly extraordinary, likely on par with ordinary Body Integration cultivators. Such precious puppets—are you truly willing to risk them against the thunder sea’s fury? Aren’t you afraid they might be damaged?” The feathered maiden’s eyes narrowed slightly as she observed the stone giants, then turned to the Long Family Patriarch nearby.
“Though these ancient puppets are powerful, they were already damaged when I acquired them. They can only endure one major battle before shattering. Moreover, activating them requires a dozen days of preparation, making them less practical than you might think,” the Long Family Patriarch replied with a hint of regret.
“I see. Only usable once—what a pity,” the feathered maiden sighed in realization.
Meanwhile, Han Li activated the banners arranged on the boat.
Black mist surged from the banners, transforming into thick chains that wove together in the air, forming a massive net to shield the entire boat.
At the bow, the Eternal Saintess raised a silver jade tablet with one hand, chanting incantations toward the eight Frostwater Rhinos in the sea.
With a series of soft pops, eight silver lights shot from the tablet and vanished into the rhinos’ bodies.
The sea ahead churned as the eight rhinos were clad in gleaming silver armor, perfectly fitted as if tailor-made for them.
Once armored, the rhinos let out joyful cries, their auras significantly stronger than before.
“Beast armor?”
Elder Hui, witnessing this, couldn’t help but marvel, his face flickering with astonishment.
As the name suggested, beast armor was specially crafted for spirit beasts. Unlike human armor, it not only provided defense but could also temporarily enhance the beast’s potential, boosting its power.
However, such armor could only be forged for specific spirit beasts using secret techniques known only to the Spirit Race, making it exceedingly rare in the outside world.
This was Elder Hui’s first time seeing it in person, and he couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement at the sight of the eight Frostwater Rhinos’ enhanced auras.
Elder Hui wasn’t idle either, tossing out a small blood-red umbrella and weaving a series of hand seals. The umbrella transformed into a nauseating blood light that shot into the sky.
Soon, everyone had completed their preparations.
At the Eternal Saintess’s command, the eight Frostwater Rhinos pulled the giant boat like an arrow toward the distant thunder sea.
Han Li stood at the boat’s railing, his eyes slightly narrowed as he calmly observed the approaching sea of lightning.
At the bow, the Eternal Saintess wore a solemn expression. Beside her, the Spirit Race youth named Zhishui, who had been standing silently, twitched imperceptibly as the boat entered the thunder sea. A golden rune flickered briefly on his concealed palm before vanishing.
Simultaneously, the colossal golden crab in the dark clouds trembled slightly, a matching golden rune appearing momentarily on one of its massive limbs before disappearing without further reaction.
Unbeknownst to those below, these subtle changes went entirely unnoticed.
On an island within the thunder sea, a white-robed woman meditating by an emerald-green pond suddenly opened her star-like eyes as a pink floral mark flashed between her brows. A faint smile graced her lips—a smile so radiant it could put flowers to shame.
Behind her, a hideous black-armored man was momentarily entranced by her smile. By the time he regained his senses, the woman had vanished without a trace.
“Heh, it seems they’ve finally arrived,” the black-armored man muttered, his face twisting into a fierce grin before he strode off in a certain direction.
Far from the thunder sea, on a massive island perpetually shrouded in black mist, a towering peak nearly pierced the clouds. At its summit, a young-looking black-robed man stood before a small plot of land, intently studying a translucent purple-red medicinal herb.
The plot was only a few feet wide, surrounded by a low wall of purple-gold crystals. The soil consisted of tiny white jade-like grains, each plump and exuding a rich fragrance.
Adjacent plots contained other unknown medicinal herbs, while nearby grew peculiar plants about ten feet tall, straight as swords, each bearing a slender blood-red fruit at its tip—sharp and about a foot long.
These were the Bloodfang Rice that Han Li had once encountered, though the ones he’d seen were only half as long and far less fragrant or plump.
These treasures, rare even among demons, were casually planted here, dividing the plots irregularly.
While other plots held dozens of herbs, the black-robed man’s small plot contained only that single purple-red plant—barely six inches tall, with no flowers or fruit, just a few slender leaves. Though somewhat crystalline, it seemed unremarkable.
Yet the man stared at it as if his very soul depended on it.
Suddenly, a black glow appeared on his wrist, followed by a dark rune. The man ignored it, his gaze fixed on the herb.
After a while, the purple-red herb emitted a soft “pop,” glowing golden as its leaves turned silver at a visible pace.
The man’s face lit up with joy—only for the plant to tremble, wither, and vanish into a wisp of gray smoke.
“How? Another failure! What went wrong? Was the seed’s cultivation time too short, or was the purity of the Silver River Dust insufficient?”
The man’s face contorted in rage. With a roar, he stood and hurled a black energy ball at the plot.
A deafening explosion shook the mountain. The plot vanished instantly, replaced by a bottomless black hole with smooth edges.
Eventually, the man calmed down and glanced at the black rune on his wrist.
“Hmph, more fools daring to approach Bitter Spirit Island. Probably those reckless beings from the Spirit Realm. Fine—they’ll bear the brunt of my wrath,” he sneered, flicking his sleeve to summon a hundred-foot-long three-headed black dragon with crimson eyes, blood-red claws, and breath of black flame.
“To Bitter Spirit Island!”
In a blur, he appeared atop the dragon, which roared before soaring into the sky, carrying him toward the thunder sea.
Deep within an endless mountain range in the Demon Realm, inside an underground palace, a golden-robed man lay motionless in a transparent crystal coffin. A golden rune glowed on his neck, but his closed eyes showed no sign of life—or death.
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