As soon as the words fell, Han Li flicked his sleeve, and a ball of golden light shot out. After a brief swirl, it abruptly transformed into a small golden figure with crystalline eyes, no eyebrows or nose, and a body of purple-gold—none other than the Golden Devouring Beetle King.
“Golden Child, protect Fellow Daoist Xue Po for a while. Ensure she doesn’t come to harm,” Han Li commanded.
The golden figure showed no expression but blurred momentarily, instantly teleporting to hover motionlessly above Xue Po’s head.
“Many thanks, Senior! With Senior Golden’s protection, this junior will have nothing to fear within the Heavenly Tripod Palace.”
Having witnessed the Golden Child’s might during their journey, Xue Po was overjoyed and deeply grateful. She then retrieved a pristine white jade-like vial from her person and handed it respectfully to Han Li.
Naturally, the vial contained a drop of her essence blood, sealed with a secret technique.
“Others have entered ahead of us. To be cautious, we should split up immediately,” Han Li said calmly.
Xue Po bowed in acknowledgment.
With that, the two soared into the air, each selecting a different shimmering barrier to pierce through.
The golden figure silently trailed Xue Po like a shadow, never leaving her side.
For Han Li to reach the depths of the Heavenly Tripod Palace, bypassing the restrictive barriers blocking his path was unthinkable.
Thus, when he flashed before a white barrier, he wasted no time. With a single hand, he grasped the air, summoning an emerald-green longsword into his palm. In a flash, he slashed fiercely at the barrier.
**Boom!**
The white barrier shattered like porcelain.
Han Li felt the surroundings blur, and suddenly, he found himself on a narrow path through a dense forest.
The towering green trees on either side, standing seventy to eighty feet tall, appeared ordinary at first glance. But upon closer inspection, the bark patterns revealed tightly shut, twisted faces—men, women, young and old—all wearing eerily blissful expressions, as if in deep slumber.
Han Li narrowed his eyes. Just then, a fragrant floral breeze wafted from the other end of the path. A single whiff induced a strangely intoxicating sensation.
Yet, with his formidable spiritual sense, Han Li merely inhaled deeply, feeling only slight discomfort in his head before shaking it off.
Smiling faintly, he realized he was trapped in an intricate restriction. Without hesitation, he strode forward. But after barely a dozen steps, the eyes on the tree faces snapped open.
**Whoosh! Whoosh!**
Countless black threads shot from their pupils, razor-sharp and pulsing with eerie energy.
Han Li remained unfazed. A layer of gray mist swirled around him, forming a hazy barrier.
The black threads struck the barrier like rain against a fence, producing a cacophony of sharp cracks before vanishing without a trace.
Unperturbed, Han Li continued walking calmly.
His indifference seemed to provoke the grotesque faces. One let out a piercing shriek, and the rest contorted in fury.
Mouths gaped, spewing streams of viridian flames, reeking of decay, instantly turning the path into an inferno.
Han Li smirked, his pace unbroken. The gray barrier shimmered, absorbing the flames effortlessly.
As he passed, the barrier emitted a sharp hiss, unleashing a storm of crystalline gray threads that pierced every grotesque face on the trees.
With mournful wails, the faces dissolved into smoke, vanishing from the bark.
The once-lush trees withered instantly, their vitality extinguished.
After traversing a hundred yards, Han Li emerged from the forest into a vibrant flower garden. Circular flower beds dotted the grassy field, each hosting towering floral trees bearing a single enormous blossom.
The blooms, diverse in color and shape, were all in full, radiant bloom—the source of the intoxicating fragrance.
Han Li’s gaze flickered as his spiritual sense swept over the flowers. After a brief pause, he advanced cautiously.
As he passed a flower bed, the giant blossoms trembled, morphing into green-faced, fanged demon heads that cackled and lunged at him.
“Petty low-tier fiends dare approach me? Seeking death,” Han Li snorted. Clapping his hands together, he flung them outward.
**Boom! Boom!**
Two golden arcs, thick as bowls, erupted like thunderbolts, transforming into hundred-foot-long lightning serpents that surged through the garden.
Demon heads struck by the serpents shrieked and dissipated into smoke. Others, sensing doom, fled in panic.
The once-serene garden now churned with demonic energy, a scene of utter chaos.
But with Han Li’s power and the demon-repelling Divine Lightning, escape was impossible.
With a mere thought, the serpents exploded, scattering countless golden threads that wove into a vast net, ensnaring the entire garden.
Amidst the crackling lightning, every fiend was obliterated, and the demonic miasma cleared.
Unruffled, Han Li stepped out of the garden, arriving before a small black-red lake.
—
“Truly sinister. These things are endless and relentless. Brother Xiao, if you don’t act, this old woman will simply capture them all,” Lady Wanhua snapped irritably.
She, Xiao Ming, and Daoist Qingping stood in a vast desert of yellow sand.
Earthen puppets emerged ceaselessly from the ground, wielding spears, swords, or crossbows, attacking fearlessly.
Though harmless to these three Great Ascension cultivators, the puppets’ numbers never dwindled—over a hundred thousand destroyed, yet more kept coming.
To conserve energy, they now relied on minimal defenses, ceasing active attacks.
“Patience, Fellow Daoist Wanhua. I’ve nearly located the formation’s core. Even if you capture them, more will spawn. These aren’t true puppets—just mud constructs sustained by the restriction. They’ll crumble outside,” Xiao Ming replied, studying a glowing white jade array disk.
“You’ve found it? Heh, I merely worry delays might let others seize the palace’s control hub,” Wanhua said, slightly relieved.
“Rest assured. With Daoist Qingping’s guidance, we’ve taken the shortest route. Three sub-palaces stand between us and the hub. None can outpace us,” Xiao Ming said confidently.
“Let’s hope so. But that human from the Wind Yuan Continent is unfathomably powerful. He might bypass restrictions. We mustn’t dawdle,” Wanhua pressed.
“Fellow Daoist Wanhua speaks wisely. Brother Xiao, sacrificing some vitality to hasten our arrival may be prudent,” Qingping agreed.
“Very well. Since you both insist, I’ll force the core’s location,” Xiao Ming conceded with a frown.
He formed a seal, and a blood-red glow erupted behind him, manifesting the Nine-Eyed Blood Toad’s phantom. His body swelled to over thirty feet, his aura intensifying.
“Go!”
The enlarged Xiao Ming hurled the array disk, spitting several bursts of vital energy into it.
The disk hummed violently, releasing milky-white runes that formed a small luminous array. A thick beam shot out, striking a point in the void.
The space twisted briefly before stabilizing.
“Not here. Next spot,” Xiao Ming muttered, redirecting the array.
Another beam lanced out, and this time, the void convulsed violently, revealing a massive silver rune—house-sized and radiant.
“Fortune smiles. Found it,” Xiao Ming smirked.
With a low shout, he activated his secret art.
The Nine-Eyed Toad’s golden pupils slowly opened, aligning with the rune.
**Boom!**
Nine golden threads speared forth, piercing and shredding the silver rune to pieces.
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