The figure suddenly flicked its sleeve.
With a “bang,” the light array dissipated into countless golden and silver runes, vanishing into thin air, revealing the figure’s true appearance.
It was a young man clad in a black robe, his hands clasped behind his back.
His skin was unusually pale, contrasting starkly with his dark attire, giving him a sickly, emaciated appearance.
After scanning the pitch-black void, the youth seemed to realize his surroundings and frowned. Without hesitation, he flicked a finger toward the sky.
A sharp “hiss” echoed as over a dozen silver runes shot out, blurring before vanishing into the void.
The next moment, a deafening rumble erupted as all the surrounding soil and rocks surged backward, forming an impossibly long canyon that stretched straight to the surface.
The youth glanced upward, faintly spotting beams of white light filtering down, and a satisfied expression crossed his face.
Without any visible movement, a swirl of radiant light lifted him from beneath his feet, carrying him steadily upward.
Moments later, a flash of silver light marked his emergence from underground, halting a thousand feet above the ground.
His gaze swept the surroundings, taking in the desolate landscape—barren black earth dotted with sparse, inch-tall weeds, devoid of any mountains or trees. The silence was absolute, not even the chirp of insects, as if it were a land of death.
The youth showed no surprise. After a brief contemplation, he formed a hand seal.
A chorus of sacred chants filled the air as specks of spiritual light coalesced, forming a colossal beast over a hundred feet long.
The creature had the head of a lion and the body of a qilin, its upper half wreathed in raging crimson flames while its lower half shimmered with silver light, its feet encircled by dazzling radiance. Its true form was impossible to discern.
But then, the youth suddenly paled, letting out a muffled grunt.
The beast’s form wavered, unable to maintain its cohesion, dissolving into a faint, indistinct shadow.
“Hmph, my magic power has been suppressed to this extent! This descent was truly no blessing. No wonder the sect sent me here,” the youth muttered coldly.
“Still, this is also an opportunity. It means those old fools can no longer interfere with my actions. Heh, that treasure still needs a bit more refinement, and a fresh blood sacrifice should suffice. Though the creatures of this lower realm have impure vitality, sheer numbers will compensate. As for that traitor… no need to rush. Until my task is complete, those old men will just have to endure my whims.” His eyes narrowed as a chilling laugh escaped his lips.
He flipped his palm, revealing a golden cylinder filled with emerald-green bamboo slips.
Each slip was adorned with intricate silver patterns and shimmered with multicolored light, clearly extraordinary artifacts.
Tossing the cylinder into the air, the youth began chanting incantations.
With a resounding “boom,” the cylinder transformed into a golden sphere, spinning rapidly before projecting a massive Eight Trigrams illusion.
“Rise!”
As his chant ceased, the youth pointed a finger skyward.
A piercing sound followed as a streak of emerald light shot from the illusion, streaking toward a distant direction.
“Good. That area teems with life. I’ll start there.” A cruel smirk appeared as he flicked his sleeve, transforming into a golden streak that pursued the emerald light.
The shadow of the lion-headed, qilin-bodied beast followed as a ball of crimson flame, never straying far from the golden streak.
—
“So this is the true form of the Mountain-Sea Pearl!” Han Li examined the transformed orb in his hand with mild surprise.
The once pale-blue crystal had shrunk to the size of a broad bean, its surface now smooth and shimmering with shifting hues, wreathed in a milky-white mist.
“Indeed, Senior. All traces within the pearl have been erased, including the concealment left by our ancestors. You may now refine it without worry,” said the Hollowfish elder standing nearby, his face slightly pale from the bloodletting ritual.
“Good. Prepare your people. Once I refine this pearl, we leave the Lesser Asura Realm immediately,” Han Li commanded without hesitation.
“Many thanks, Senior! I shall arrange it at once. Ah, you’ll need a quiet place to refine the pearl—please use my meditation chamber,” the elder replied eagerly.
“Lead the way.” Han Li nodded.
Soon, they arrived before a stone door at the base of a triangular structure.
“Senior, please enter.” The elder pushed the door open and stepped aside.
Inside, Han Li’s eyes flickered with surprise.
The chamber contained the usual furnishings, but also a black wooden shelf holding bamboo scrolls, jade boxes, and vials, alongside a crimson alchemy furnace.
“You practice alchemy?” Han Li inquired.
“Ah, no, Senior. The furnace belongs to my granddaughter. She has some talent in alchemy, though the limited herbs here restrict her to only a few recipes,” the elder explained, pride tingeing his voice.
“If she truly has talent, I might guide her after we leave,” Han Li mused.
“That would be a great fortune for her!” the elder exclaimed joyfully.
“Enough. Leave me to refine the pearl. We’ll discuss the rest later.” Han Li waved dismissively.
The elder bowed and exited.
With a flick of his sleeve, Han Li sealed the door with a barrier of glowing runes.
Sitting on a cushion, he retrieved a yellow jade slip—a Hollowfish refinement technique provided by the elder.
Pressing it to his forehead, he absorbed its contents swiftly.
A faint smile touched his lips.
The technique was unique, likely tailored for the Mountain-Sea Pearl. But with his expertise, he grasped its essence after a few contemplations.
Storing the slip, he summoned the pearl, suspending it mid-air with an invisible force.
His eyes gleamed as he exhaled streams of vital essence onto it, forming hand seals. Golden light flared behind him as the three-headed, six-armed Sacred Vajra Manifestation emerged.
A third eye opened on his forehead, unleashing a storm of crystalline threads—manifestations of his divine sense.
The chamber trembled with energy, the pearl humming faintly.
—
Two days later, the elder anxiously awaiting outside finally saw the door reopen.
Han Li emerged, visibly weary.
“Senior, have you succeeded…?” the elder ventured nervously.
“Rest assured. The pearl is refined. Gather your people—quickly. I can already feel this realm’s repulsion. We can’t linger much longer,” Han Li said calmly.
“Wonderful! I’ll arrange it at once!” Overjoyed, the elder hurried off.
Han Li ascended leisurely.
Soon, the square was packed with over five hundred Hollowfish tribesmen, standing in solemn silence.
As Han Li appeared, the elder knelt and proclaimed loudly:
“Gratitude for your salvation, Master! Our tribe of five hundred and twelve hereby swears a blood oath: henceforth, we pledge eternal loyalty to you and your lineage. Should we break this vow, may our bloodline perish, and the Hollowfish name vanish from existence!”
Drawing a dagger, the elder plunged it into his chest, blood spurting.
The others followed, kneeling and reciting the oath with utmost gravity.
A vast blood rune flickered in the sky before vanishing.
“Rise. A blood oath of this magnitude proves your sincerity. From now on, you shall be as kin to me,” Han Li said softly, hovering above them.
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