The purple-golden figure unexpectedly fell into a coma, unable to awaken for the time being.
A glint of crystalline light flashed between Han Li’s brows as his black Dharma Eye dissipated and vanished. With a peculiar expression, he glanced at the unconscious purple-golden figure on the ground and let out a soft sigh. “I knew that once this little thing evolved into a King Insect, the original restrictions I placed on it would no longer be effective. Fortunately, I had already implanted additional safeguards into the three quasi-King Insects before they began devouring each other. Otherwise, subduing this newly ascended King Insect would have been a real headache. But to be safe, it seems I’ll have to refine it again using a secret technique.”
As soon as Han Li finished murmuring to himself, he flicked his sleeve, releasing over a hundred densely packed banners. With a flash, they formed a massive array spanning several zhang within the chamber.
At the center of the array lay the unconscious purple-golden figure.
Han Li chanted incantations while swiftly forming hand seals, each of which vanished into the array with a flicker.
With a series of soft *pfft* sounds, countless multicolored threads erupted from the edges of the array, swiftly coiling toward the center and tightly binding the purple-golden figure.
Next, Han Li opened his mouth and spat out several globs of essence blood, which swirled and transformed into blood runes before shooting toward the figure.
Simultaneously, the entire array buzzed loudly as waves of radiant flames surged forth, also converging toward the center…
After an indeterminate amount of time, the chamber door swung open, and Han Li emerged with a faint smile.
Clearly, the refinement of the Gold Devouring King Insect had been a resounding success.
A month later, Qilingzi and Baiguo’er bid farewell to Han Li and embarked on a journey to explore the untamed wilderness.
Ten days after that, Han Li, accompanied by Yin Yue and Zhu Guo’er, departed from Sacred Island aboard the Ink Spirit Sacred Vessel, speeding toward the territory of the demon clans.
In the blink of an eye, over half a month passed.
Along the way, the Ink Spirit Sacred Vessel encountered numerous demons of varying ranks. However, regardless of their strength, all demons fled in terror upon spotting the vessel’s mountainous silhouette and the fearsome aura of the demon crystal puppets standing on its deck.
Yet, not long after, as the vessel traversed an inland sea, it inadvertently disturbed an unknown demon cultivator meditating deep beneath the waves.
This aquatic demon cultivator possessed early-stage Body Integration cultivation.
Having relocated his cave to this area over ten thousand years ago and forcibly expelled several other powerful demon clans, he had claimed this resource-rich inland sea as his personal domain.
Though notoriously ill-tempered, his formidable strength and possession of several extraordinary treasures ensured that even his peers among the demon clans avoided provoking him.
Thus, for millennia, any demon clan wishing to operate in these waters had to first seek his permission.
On this particular day, as the demon cultivator was refining a crucially important pill in his underwater cave, an alarm suddenly blared outside his chamber.
Startled, his concentration faltered, and the jade fan in his hand inadvertently intensified the azure demon flames by threefold.
With a *boom*, the several-foot-tall white crystal cauldron before him flashed violently before emitting a charred odor.
Enraged, the demon cultivator let out a low roar, his face contorting with fury. Without even checking the alarm array outside, he flicked his sleeve and transformed into a streak of white light, shooting straight toward the surface.
The materials for that batch of pills had been exceedingly rare, painstakingly gathered over immense effort. Their destruction filled him with anguish, and his wrath naturally fell upon whoever had triggered the alarm.
Though he hadn’t yet seen the culprit, his mind seethed with malice: “If these intruders have backing or status, they can compensate me for my losses, and I might let it slide. But if not, I’ll grind their bones to dust to avenge my ruined pills!”
As a water demon, his aquatic escape technique was astonishingly swift. In just a few flickers, he surfaced astride a massive azure serpent atop the waves, roaring, “Who dares interfere with the affairs of Patriarch Hua Shi?! Surrender immediately and await your judgment! Ah… you are…?”
The half-fish-scaled demon cultivator and his serpent had barely risen into the air when his furious gaze locked onto the scene ahead—and he froze in shock.
Hundreds of zhang above him, a mountain-sized black vessel loomed, crawling through the sky. The deck was packed with puppet warriors, several of whom exuded auras surpassing even his own.
The rest of his threat died in his throat with an audible gulp.
“Ahem… my mistake! Patriarch Hua Shi apologizes for the disturbance. I’ll take my leave at once!” With a forced smile, he and his serpent began silently retreating toward the sea.
“Hold,” came a melodious voice—Yin Yue’s. “So you’re Patriarch Hua Shi. Perfect. We were just looking for a local guide familiar with this region. You’ll stay with us for now.”
Before he could react, four unarmed puppets—each radiating power matching his own—soared from the black vessel toward him.
Hua Shi’s face paled. Stamping on his serpent, he transformed into a white streak diving for the sea, simultaneously unleashing several defensive treasures.
But the puppets merely roared, pressing their palms outward in unison.
*Pop! Pop! Pop!* His treasures shattered like glass under invisible force, while the surrounding air solidified, trapping him and his serpent mid-descent.
Helpless, Hua Shi watched as one puppet seized them both and hauled them back to the vessel.
Soon, in the highest hall of the Ink Spirit Sacred Vessel, he found himself dumped before Han Li’s seated figure, with Zhu Guo’er and Yin Yue standing nearby.
Though physically free, his magic power remained sealed by the puppets’ techniques. Sensing Yin Yue’s superior cultivation and Han Li’s unfathomable presence, the demon swallowed his pride and bowed deeply.
“This humble one, Hua Shi, pays respects. How may I serve you all?”
Han Li studied the demon with an inscrutable half-smile before Yin Yue interjected, amusement lacing her tone: “You seem compliant now. Why did you flee earlier?”
“Merely… instinctive caution,” Hua Shi stammered, sweating. “Given your overwhelming might, retreat seemed prudent.”
“Yet your initial bluster suggested otherwise,” Yin Yue’s voice turned icy. “Were you seeking conflict?”
“Never!” Hua Shi protested desperately. “A momentary delusion—I mistook you for lesser cultivators passing through!”
As Yin Yue chuckled, Han Li finally spoke: “Your intentions matter little. Having provoked us, you’ll now assist with a task to earn your freedom. Refuse, and punishment awaits.”
Heart sinking, Hua Shi forced a smile. “Name your requirement. If within my power, I shall strive to fulfill it.”
“Simple. We seek a certain mobile, ancient altar remnant in these waters—the Compass of Four Directions Altar. You’ll guide us to its frequented locations.”
Hua Shi exhaled in relief. “Ah! That drifting relic. While finding it depends partly on luck, I can indeed lead you to its habitual spots.”
“Then we depart at once,” Han Li declared.
Beside them, Zhu Guo’er’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage