“Senior Han seems to be in a precarious situation. He hasn’t moved for a long time. Could something have gone wrong?” On a distant hilltop, Zhu Guo’er licked her dry lips and voiced her concern.
“Don’t worry. With Brother Han’s formidable spiritual sense and unwavering willpower, overcoming this inner demon tribulation shouldn’t be an issue. It’s just unexpected that his tribulation would attract so many extraterrestrial demons. However, we can’t intervene in this matter. That said, I’m sure he has more countermeasures prepared against these demons than what we’ve seen. There’s no need to be overly concerned.” Silver Moon bit her lip lightly, her eyes flickering, yet her words were reassuring.
Though Zhu Guo’er knew that “Senior Linglong” beside her was also deeply worried about Han Li, hearing these words eased her mind slightly. Suddenly, she remembered something and turned her head abruptly to glance at another hilltop, letting out a soft exclamation of surprise.
“What’s going on? Why is Senior Crab no longer there?”
Silver Moon wasn’t startled by this. Without turning her head, she replied calmly, “Two powerful figures approached earlier. Even I wasn’t confident I could repel them, so Brother Crab went to intercept them. As for me, I’ll soon be dealing with another group of uninvited guests. More people may arrive later, and Brother Crab and I might not be able to return. For now, I’ll leave everything here in your hands. If anything unusual happens in the basin, send us a message immediately.”
As she spoke, Silver Moon flipped her palm, revealing a formation disk glowing with a series of faint silver characters. It was an alert message from Xu Qianyu’s group.
“Rest assured, Senior. I’ll do my utmost,” Zhu Guo’er replied solemnly without hesitation.
“Good. Then I’ll be on my way.” Silver Moon nodded, and without further delay, silver light shimmered around her as she transformed into a silver streak and shot into the sky.
Tens of thousands of miles away, Crab Daoist stood with his hands behind his back in mid-air, calmly observing the two Soul Integration-stage beings before him.
One was a burly man in a golden robe, his hair tied into two peculiar horn-like buns, his face mostly obscured by a thick black beard. His deep yellow eyes, barely visible, seemed to induce dizziness at a glance. The other was a woman with arched eyebrows, phoenix eyes, a delicate nose, and cherry lips, clad in a black dress with faint wisps of dark mist emanating from her. Both exuded a faint demonic aura—they were Soul Integration-stage demons.
The black-robed woman, in particular, appeared to be at the peak of late Soul Integration stage.
Yet, these two top-tier demons now stood opposite Crab Daoist, their robes fluttering wildly under the oppressive aura emanating from him. Their faces were deathly pale, and fear flickered in their eyes.
The sudden appearance of Crab Daoist exerted immense pressure on them, far surpassing even the terror they had felt in the presence of Ao Xiao the Revered. To them, this Daoist-robed youth was undoubtedly a Grand Ascension-stage being, far beyond their ability to resist.
“This is our first meeting, Senior. If we have offended you in any way, we humbly beg your forgiveness,” the black-robed woman said after several changes in expression, performing a respectful bow.
Though shocked that such a terrifying figure had appeared before them, she was somewhat relieved to sense no trace of demonic energy from him. Had he been a Saint Ancestor of the demon race, they would have fled without hesitation.
“You haven’t offended me. But from now on, you must stay here. If either of you dares to leave without my permission, I will kill you both immediately,” Crab Daoist stated coldly, his overwhelming spiritual pressure unrelenting.
“Stay here? Could the earlier celestial phenomenon be related to you, Senior?” the bearded man blurted out in surprise.
“That is none of your concern,” Crab Daoist replied impassively.
“Since it is your command, Senior, we naturally dare not disobey. Rest assured, we won’t move an inch until the celestial phenomenon ends,” the black-robed woman said quickly, her mind racing even as she spoke obediently.
Crab Daoist shifted his gaze to the bearded man.
“Of course, we wouldn’t dare defy your orders, Senior,” the bearded man replied after several changes in expression, forcing a bitter smile.
Satisfied, Crab Daoist withdrew his terrifying aura but remained standing, showing no intention of leaving.
Exchanging glances, the two demons summoned their artifacts—a black dharma wheel and a yellow gourd—and seated themselves cross-legged atop them. Secretly, however, they communicated via an extremely rare telepathic technique.
“Fellow Daoist Black Phoenix, who is this old monster? He doesn’t seem human, nor is he one of our kind. With such terrifying power, if he’s an outsider, why would he appear at the border of our two races? Could he be after that thing? Since when have our borders become so permeable to foreign Grand Ascension beings?” the bearded man’s voice echoed in the woman’s mind, tinged with anger.
“Fellow Daoist Void, it’s hard to say. The demon invasion has damaged many of the protective super formations. If a Grand Ascension outsider is determined, sneaking in isn’t impossible. But logically, that item should hold little value for someone of his stature. He’s likely here by coincidence. Thankfully, he hasn’t attacked us outright, so he probably won’t silence us later,” the black-robed woman replied calmly via the same method.
This pair were none other than Black Phoenix King Xiao Guan and the elusive Void Mouse King, two of the seven great demon kings. Han Li had once met the Black Phoenix King at the Myriad Treasures Convention on Nine Immortals Mountain, but the Void Mouse King had remained a mystery until now.
Their presence here was no accident—they had an important objective. Yet, they never expected to be detained by a Grand Ascension being upon approaching these mountains. Frustrated but powerless, they could only hope the elder would release them once his business concluded.
As for the distant celestial phenomenon, though it had drawn them here, knowing it was linked to this Grand Ascension elder, they abandoned any further designs.
“Hard to say. Even if that item is useless to him, he might be securing it for a junior. Missing it could cost us a chance at Grand Ascension,” the Void Mouse King (bearded man) replied darkly.
“If so, it’s just our bad luck. Would you dare compete with a Grand Ascension elder?” the Black Phoenix King retorted resignedly.
“Of course not. We’ll know more once the celestial phenomenon ends,” the bearded man replied, his eyes glinting yellow.
The black-robed woman smirked slightly and closed her eyes, ending the conversation. Soon, the bearded man followed suit, feigning meditation.
Crab Daoist stood motionless, seemingly oblivious to their exchange.
On the other side of the mountains, Silver Moon had summoned a lifelike giant silver wolf manifestation, charging through a newly arrived group of demons. Silver streaks flashed wherever the wolf passed, leaving dismembered demon corpses in its wake.
With a deafening crash, the wolf was halted by a double-headed, four-armed ancient demon wielding a massive black shield. Towering over ten feet tall and wielding four heavy demonic weapons, the demon roared and counterattacked, shattering the wolf manifestation.
Silver Moon, linked to the manifestation, paled and spat blood, staining her silver dress crimson. Though she had reached the Soul Integration stage, she was no match for this battle-hardened ancient demon.
The demon grinned savagely and vanished, reappearing above Silver Moon, its weapons descending mercilessly.
Panicked, Silver Moon had no time to dodge. But just then, a gray blade silently materialized behind the demon, severing its head in one swift motion. Blood fountained as the head tumbled to the ground.
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