Chapter 2116: Lingering

“Lady Baohua, should this humble one go and investigate?” Black Crocodile said, his eyes darting around.

“No need. Whatever his current state, it has little to do with me. Since we’ve obtained the Spiritual Medicine we sought on this trip, our priority now is to leave the Demon Source Sea immediately and find a safe place to refine the medicine into pills to restore my former powers,” Baohua hesitated for a moment before shaking her head.

“Yes, my lady. Then let us depart at once. Lords Yuanyan and Nirvana have already seen you, and lingering here any longer may pose risks. But once you regain your former strength, there will be no one left to fear,” Black Crocodile nodded, speaking with a hint of excitement.

If his master fully recovered her powers, he, as her subordinate, would naturally rise in status and reap countless benefits.

“Did you seize the opportunity to act on the task I assigned you earlier?” Baohua’s eyes shimmered with a crystalline light as she asked another question.

“Rest assured, Master. I have already planted a bloodline mark on that Three-Headed Flood Dragon. While it may not pinpoint its exact location, if it ever comes within a thousand miles of us, I will sense it immediately,” Black Crocodile replied, his spirits lifting.

“Well done. Both of you share the bloodline of the Evil Dragon Clan, and that Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon is Yuanyan’s bonded spirit beast. Under normal circumstances, the two would never separate. If Yuanyan ever tries to approach us stealthily in the future, I will surely detect it,” Baohua’s lips curled into a faint smile as she praised him.

“Heh, it’s all thanks to the astonishing secret technique you taught me, one that even Lord Yuanyan couldn’t detect. Otherwise, this humble one would never have dared,” Black Crocodile grinned, baring his teeth.

“This technique can only be used by those with the same bloodline. Moreover, this is Bitter Spirit Island, where Yuanyan’s divine sense is naturally suppressed. It’s no surprise he didn’t notice. Now, let’s depart,” Baohua replied with a light laugh, then formed a hand seal. A pink glow flashed behind her, and the phantom of a blossoming pink tree emerged, rapidly expanding.

In an instant, the pink radiance intensified, enveloping both figures.

With a soft *pop*, the massive tree dissipated into countless sparkling motes of light, and Baohua and Black Crocodile vanished without a trace.

For a time, Bitter Spirit Island stood empty, returning to its usual tranquility.

Seven days later, two uninvited guests arrived above the Spirit Trap Valley on Bitter Spirit Island.

A man and a woman, both high-ranking demons with a stark age difference.

The man wore green demonic armor, appearing to be in his thirties, his eyes gleaming with sharp light, exuding an aura of formidable power.

The woman was a white-haired, wrinkled crone, leaning on a crane-headed cane, her aged appearance starkly contrasting with her companion.

The two hovered above the valley, their eyes scanning the surroundings as if searching for something.

After a long silence, the crone snorted coldly and tapped her cane downward into the void.

*BOOM!*

A section of the ground below collapsed, revealing a massive crater several yards in diameter.

“That wretched Baohua has indeed been here. Her residual aura lingers. This time, we must not let her escape,” the crone rasped, her voice grating and her words shocking.

“Junior Sister, after all these years, you still cling to that hatred. No wonder your cultivation has stagnated,” the armored man sighed, his sharp gaze softening as he glanced at her.

“You speak lightly. If it weren’t for that wretch Baohua, my original body wouldn’t have been destroyed, forcing me to possess this decrepit form, forever cutting off my path to advancement. Or perhaps you still harbor feelings for her, forgetting how she annihilated several of your avatars back then,” the crone retorted furiously.

“What happened back then is long past. Dwelling on it only disturbs your own peace of mind,” the armored man replied with a calmness that belied his fierce appearance.

“Spare me your platitudes, Tianqi. If you truly forgot, why did you rush here the moment you received Yuanyan’s message?” the crone sneered, her face twisted with jealousy and resentment.

“Junior Sister, believe it or not, my Blood-Weeping Demon Art has reached the state of emotional detachment. I no longer feel love or hatred. The reason I accompanied you here is for a treasure Baohua possesses—one that might help me survive my next heavenly tribulation,” the armored man replied evenly.

“A treasure? You mean her Thunder-Control Talisman?” The crone’s wrinkled face twitched as she recalled something.

“Exactly. That artifact is how Baohua has survived so many heavenly tribulations. As for her personally, I have no interest,” the armored man admitted frankly.

“Fine, I’ll believe you this once. According to Yuanyan, that wretch hasn’t fully recovered her strength. Once we find her, capturing her together will be effortless. Then, I’ll have the pleasure of entertaining our ‘former Ancestor,'” the crone said, her tone venomous despite her slightly eased expression.

“Agreed. I take the treasure; you take the person. Let’s contact the nearest Beast Lord Temple branch and mobilize all forces to monitor every teleportation array. She won’t escape our net,” the armored man agreed without hesitation.

Seeing his cold detachment, the crone’s lingering doubts vanished, and she nodded eagerly.

“Still, one thing puzzles me. Where has that old crab gone? Why wasn’t it in the Thunder Sea? That sentient pseudo-immortal puppet’s power rivals that of the great Ancestors. Its absence is troubling. Could it be related to Baohua?” the armored man mused aloud.

“Indeed, it’s strange. That pseudo-immortal puppet has existed in this realm since before our time, never leaving the Thunder Sea for countless millennia. Its sudden disappearance is unsettling. But to link it to Baohua seems unlikely. If she had such power, she would have taken it when she was still an Ancestor, not ended up in her current sorry state,” the crone shook her head dismissively.

“Yuanyan’s Extermination Order mentioned a human cultivator at the Body Integration stage. Could it be related to him?” the armored man speculated.

“Perhaps. But it’s irrelevant to us. As long as it doesn’t interfere with our hunt for Baohua, Yuanyan’s paltry bounty is beneath our notice. Ignore it,” the crone said with a grimace.

“You’re right, Junior Sister. Finding Baohua is our priority. We mustn’t be distracted. Let’s go,” the armored man nodded, though a faint unease lingered in his heart.

With that, the two figures transformed into red and green streaks of light, vanishing into the distance.

Amidst the rolling waves, a twenty-foot-long green wooden boat sailed steadily across the sea.

At its bow stood a young man in a blue robe, hands clasped behind his back, gazing calmly at the distant horizon.

His expression was serene—this was Han Li, now at the edge of the Demon Source Sea.

Thanks to his ample supply of pills, his injuries had mostly healed. However, the strain of activating the Nirvana Sacred Body’s second transformation, wielding the Profound Heavenly Spirit-Severing Sword, and clashing head-on with the Golden Crab had damaged his foundational energy.

Even with spiritual pills, restoring his peak strength would likely take at least half a year.

But Han Li was unfazed. With the Golden Crab—now the “Crab Daoist”—by his side, he feared no one short of the Ancestor-level beings. Even ordinary Demon Saint Ancestors posed little threat.

Yet obtaining the Crab Daoist, a pseudo-immortal puppet, had altered Han Li’s original plan to leave the Demon Realm swiftly.

His entry into the Demon Realm had been facilitated by the demons’ forced opening of a passage to the Spirit Realm. Once the war between humans and demons ended, returning would be difficult even if he reached the Mahayana stage.

After careful consideration, he decided to prolong his stay to secure a few remaining treasures.

These treasures were the Demon Realm’s specialty—Blood Fang Rice and the mysterious crystal pearls within the enigmatic Demon Gold.

The former could further enhance his physical strength, while the latter could rapidly convert energy into his internal power, saving immense cultivation time. Both were indispensable to him.

According to his intelligence, both items were located in the same place.

“Blue Waterfall Lake,” Han Li murmured, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

His expression soon returned to normal as he flipped his palm, revealing a golden beetle—a mature Gold Devouring Beetle.

But the insect lay motionless, curled in his hand, devoid of any aura, as if dead.

Strangely, its body was covered in fine silver cracks, as though it might shatter at any moment.

Han Li studied the spirit insect, his brow slightly furrowed, his thoughts inscrutable.

Meanwhile, in a cabin aboard the green boat, a pale-skinned young man sat cross-legged like a wooden statue, eyes closed and expressionless.

Opposite him, a beautiful yellow-robed girl also sat in meditation, though her eyes frequently stole glances at the young man, her cheeks faintly flushed.