Chapter 2266: Journey to the Spirit Race

As the symbols rotated, the entire disk flickered and spun erratically, with countless runes appearing and vanishing within it, creating a dazzling and overwhelming spectacle.

At the same time, the ancient green mirror emitted a series of low hums, its surface wreathed in swirling green light. Something seemed to flicker indistinctly within it, yet remained just out of clear view.

Han Li’s expression was unusually solemn, his unblinking gaze fixed on the strange phenomena unfolding on the disk, as if he were silently calculating something.

After what felt like an entire meal’s time, the massive disk flickered and spun countless times before a glint of sharp light flashed in Han Li’s pupils. He suddenly let out a low shout: “Found it!”

With a swift motion of his arm, he pointed a finger into the air, sending out an invisible ripple that instantly enveloped the surrounding space for over a mile.

A dull *thud* echoed.

The massive disk trembled, and most of the runic symbols vanished in a flash, leaving only a dozen or so isolated symbols behind. They formed an eerie pattern at the center, emitting a soft white glow.

Han Li scrutinized the pattern for a few moments before shifting his gaze to the ancient green mirror before him.

The treasure was now wreathed in swirling rays of light, and the smooth surface of the mirror gradually cleared, its image shifting from blurry to distinct.

With a long hum from the mirror, a colossal map suddenly appeared within it.

At a certain point outside the map, an extremely bright dot pulsed and flickered, seemingly resonating with the pattern on the massive disk.

After observing for a while, Han Li’s brow furrowed imperceptibly.

“Senior Han, have you found the entrance to the Minor Spirit Realm?” Zhu Guo’er, who had been waiting nearby, couldn’t hold back any longer and asked.

“It’s both found and not truly found. I can only say we have a general idea,” Han Li replied after a long moment of contemplation, shaking his head slightly.

“Senior, what do you mean by that…?” Zhu Guo’er blinked her large eyes, looking utterly confused.

“It’s simple. The current entrance connecting the Minor Spirit Realm to the Spirit Realm isn’t on our Wind Yuan Continent. It must be on one of the other two continents,” Han Li said slowly.

“Other continents? Senior, do you mean the Thunder Continent or the Blood Sky Continent?” Zhu Guo’er was momentarily stunned before instinctively pressing for an answer.

“That’s still unclear. This altar’s calculations seem limited to the Wind Yuan Continent. To pinpoint the true entrance to the Minor Spirit Realm, we’d likely need to find similar altars on the other continents and perform the calculations again,” Han Li mused thoughtfully.

“So, we’ll have to travel to another continent?” Zhu Guo’er’s face fell at the prospect.

“Most likely. Fortunately, once the spatial entrance to the Minor Spirit Realm is confirmed, it won’t change for at least several hundred years. We should have ample time to prepare. It’s just that our entry into the Minor Spirit Realm will have to be delayed further,” Han Li sighed lightly, sounding somewhat resigned.

Given his current cultivation level, he could traverse the entire Spirit Realm with ease. Traveling to other continents would only require more time, with no other major concerns.

Moreover, the task he had promised to the incarnation of Ice Soul Fairy was still fresh in his mind, and this might be the perfect opportunity to fulfill it.

Han Li’s thoughts moved swiftly, and in an instant, he had mapped out the entire journey clearly in his mind.

Ignoring Zhu Guo’er’s dejected expression, he flicked his sleeve, summoning a golden mist that swept up the ancient mirror and stored it away. With a wave of his hand, he sent a series of spell incantations toward the altar’s formation.

A deafening *boom* echoed as the altar’s radiant lights abruptly vanished, and the formation on the top layer instantly returned to calm.

Without the support of the formation’s power, the massive disk in the void flickered and slowly dissipated.

In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, all the strange phenomena on the altar had vanished without a trace.

The altar had returned to its original dilapidated state!

A golden light enveloped Han Li, and in the next moment, he and Zhu Guo’er disappeared without a trace.

The next instant, the two reappeared beside Silvermoon at the base of the altar.

“Brother Han, how did it go?” Silvermoon’s beautiful eyes focused intently on Han Li as she asked.

“Not great, but not terrible either,” Han Li replied with a bitter smile before recounting his findings.

After listening, Silvermoon’s gaze softened, and she suddenly smiled brightly.

“Just as you said, the result isn’t too bad. While we haven’t found the entrance to the Minor Spirit Realm immediately, we’ve at least confirmed that the method provided by Baohua is feasible. Next, we just need to travel to another continent within a certain timeframe, find a similar compass altar, and we’ll undoubtedly locate the entrance.”

“It seems we have no choice but to leave the Wind Yuan Continent. I originally had matters to attend to on other continents anyway, so this works out. But for now, let’s first visit the Spirit Race and settle the matter of your ancestor’s tribulation,” Han Li nodded.

“As you wish, Brother Han. However, the Spirit King is quite enigmatic. Please don’t let your guard down,” Silvermoon agreed but still offered a word of caution.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. Whether this Spirit King has truly lived for over a million years or not, his origins are highly suspicious. I’m quite intrigued by him,” Han Li replied with a faint smile.

“Oh? Brother Han suspects the Spirit King isn’t native to this realm?” Silvermoon, ever sharp-witted, immediately grasped the implication behind his words.

“I’ve consulted some records. Compared to our human and demon races, or even the Yaksha and others, the Spirit Race appeared relatively late in the Spirit Realm. By my calculations, it’s been roughly a hundred thousand years. Moreover, a large number of Spirit Race members seemed to emerge in an astonishingly short period and have persisted to this day,” Han Li didn’t answer directly but instead offered a calm analysis.

Silvermoon’s expression shifted several times. Though she didn’t press further, she had already arrived at an answer in her heart.

“Since matters here are settled, we should return. While this Flower Stone Ancestor’s strength is mediocre, his mastery of water-attribute techniques is noteworthy. He might prove useful if we travel to other continents, so let’s bring him back to Sacred Island,” Han Li said after glancing upward.

“That shouldn’t be a problem. The opportunity to occasionally receive guidance from a Mahayana cultivator is something Flower Stone would never refuse,” Silvermoon replied with a faint smile.

Han Li chuckled but said nothing more. With a single hand seal, a golden rainbow light enveloped the three of them, and they shot into the sky.

Over half a year later, a clear and powerful roar erupted from a secluded forbidden area on Sacred Island, shaking the very clouds above.

Such a tremendous sound naturally caught the attention of the island’s high-ranking figures, most of whom wore expressions of delight.

Meanwhile, Han Li, who was refining a certain pill in his cave, merely smiled faintly upon hearing the roar. After sending another spell into the cauldron, he glanced in the direction of the sound and murmured to himself.

“Fellow Daoist Mo has fully recovered at last. It seems we can set off for the Spirit Race soon. I hope this trip yields some rewards.”

With that, he resumed his work, focusing on the silver flames beneath the cauldron.

A month later, the colossal form of the Demon Spirit Ark appeared above Sacred Island once more. After a brief pause, it let out a thunderous roar and vanished into the distance.

Aboard the ark were Han Li, Silvermoon, Zhu Guo’er, Mo Jianli, and the Flower Stone Ancestor, a demonic cultivator at the Body Integration stage.

As Silvermoon had predicted, Flower Stone was overjoyed when Han Li expressed his intention to keep him close for a while. After hastily gathering some belongings from his cave, he eagerly followed Han Li to Sacred Island.

Han Li didn’t treat the demon lightly, bestowing him with pills and offering guidance on his cultivation. In less than a year, Flower Stone broke through a long-standing bottleneck, advancing to the mid-Body Integration stage.

Naturally, this deepened Flower Stone’s reverence and gratitude toward Han Li, to the point where he began to regard him as a quasi-master.

Once the ark left Sacred Island, it sped unerringly toward its predetermined destination.

Thanks to the ark’s incredible speed, it reached Abyss City in just over two months.

After a brief stay of two or three days, during which Han Li and Mo Jianli met with the city’s elders, they set off into the untamed wilderness.

With two Mahayana cultivators aboard, the normally perilous wilderness became as safe as a well-trodden path.

Most of the ancient beasts they encountered were swiftly dispatched by the ark’s numerous puppets without requiring Han Li or Mo Jianli to lift a finger.

The only significant challenge arose when crossing a massive canyon, where they were suddenly beset by a tempestuous sea of storms.

Towering wind pillars, each over ten thousand feet high, pressed in on the ark from all sides.

Despite the ark’s immense size, it seemed minuscule against such natural fury.

Even with all the puppets working in unison, they could only slightly hinder the wind pillars, unable to eliminate the threat entirely.

At this point, Han Li and Mo Jianli emerged on either side of the ark.

With a low shout, Mo Jianli summoned bolts of lightning that coalesced into two massive swords, which he wielded to cleave through the oncoming winds.

Meanwhile, Han Li’s body shimmered with golden light as he transformed into a hundred-foot-tall golden ape. Letting out a deafening roar, he began pummeling the wind pillars with his colossal fists.