Although Han Li had long anticipated that the artifact refinement process would be lengthy, after five months, the three demonic cultivators had not moved an inch from their seated positions, aside from occasionally tossing bizarre-looking materials into the dan flames. This left Han Li somewhat astonished.
Throughout this period, aside from pausing three or four times to recover their magic power, the three demons had kept their demon cores suspended in mid-air, continuously spewing dan flames, all while appearing utterly composed. Truly worthy of their status as eighth or ninth-grade demon beasts, their magic power was indeed unfathomable.
Thanks to his continuous cultivation, Han Li’s magic power remained at its peak, so the slight drain from the light barrier was negligible.
As the bone wings within the dan flames grew increasingly translucent, faint sounds of thunder and howling wind could be heard. The joy in Feng Xi’s eyes became more evident with each passing day. Han Li knew that the completion of the Wind Thunder Wings was likely not far off.
Over these months, the sinister energy within Han Li’s body, which had been a source of concern, had not manifested—not even the slightest trace remained. This puzzled him somewhat. However, upon reflection, he surmised it might be related to the Evil-Warding Divine Lightning concealed within his magic treasure, given its inherent ability to dispel evil and ward off demons.
Could it be that the sinister energy had already been purged by the divine lightning? The thought brought Han Li a sense of relief.
Even if the sinister energy were to reappear, he had planned to use the divine lightning to eradicate it. If that failed, he was prepared to risk shrinking the Gold Devouring Beetles and swallowing them, allowing them to forcibly consume the sinister energy.
Thus, the restraining methods of the Wind Splitting Beast held no fear for Han Li; he had never been concerned about them from the start. The old demon likely never imagined that, despite Han Li’s modest cultivation level, he possessed an astonishing number of rare treasures and spiritual objects.
With no worries about future repercussions, Han Li had no intention of waiting idly for death. He had already devised several escape plans, running them through his mind repeatedly. He was prepared to adapt to the situation and employ whichever strategy seemed most suitable when the time came.
Sure enough, after another month, the Wind Splitting Beast, who had been sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, seemed to sense that the refinement was nearly complete and prepared for the next step.
He opened his eyes, carefully examined the nearly finished bone wings in the air, took a deep breath, and suddenly sent over a dozen spell incantations toward them. Instantly, the dan flames extinguished, revealing three demon cores and two bone wings.
Compared to before, the demon cores appeared slightly dimmer—a result of the three demons continuously spewing dan flames for months, which had drained their vitality. In contrast, the two bone wings were not only perfectly shaped and intact but also emitted a striking mix of milky white and silvery light.
Without hesitation, Feng Xi pointed at his demon core, which spun rapidly before shooting back into his abdomen. The Venomous Flood Dragon and the Turtle Demon exchanged a glance before similarly retrieving their respective demon cores. Without a word, the three demons closed their eyes to rest.
After resting for several days, Feng Xi and the other demonic cultivators replenished their magic power and restored their vitality.
At this point, the ninth-grade Wind Splitting Beast finally turned to Han Li and swiftly sent a spell incantation toward the light barrier trapping him. As the red light penetrated the barrier, it flickered wildly a few times before the entire shield dissipated on its own.
Han Li’s expression remained calm, showing no surprise.
“Next, my two brothers and I will merge the two bone wings, initiating the fusion of wind and thunder. For this, we require your wood-attribute spiritual power to act as a balancing force for harmony. Prepare yourself, Fellow Daoist Li!” Feng Xi said, his tone slightly more relaxed.
“Understood,” Han Li replied succinctly, rising slowly to his feet.
Seeing Han Li’s composed demeanor, Feng Xi frowned slightly, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes.
After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly flicked his finger without warning, sending a white streak shooting toward Han Li.
Han Li’s expression changed dramatically, but after a moment of hesitation, he chose not to dodge, allowing the white light to enter his body. His face turned grim.
“Senior Feng, what is the meaning of this?” he asked, his lips pressed tightly together, his tone dark.
“Don’t worry, this Wind Spirit Pulse is harmless and will dissipate over time. However, during this period, if I channel my magic power to activate it, you will suffer unimaginable agony. I advise you to behave yourself and not entertain any foolish ideas,” Feng Xi said ominously.
Hearing this, Han Li inwardly lamented. Most of the escape plans he had prepared now seemed ineffective.
Satisfied by Han Li’s visibly angered and troubled expression, the Wind Splitting Beast paid him no further mind. Instead, he retrieved three small vials from his storage pouch, tossing two to the other demons.
“Be cautious, brothers. Merging wind and thunder spiritual power will consume a great deal of magic power. Each vial contains a drop of collected Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid. Consume it when your magic power runs low. Ensure the fusion process proceeds smoothly without any interruptions; otherwise, the Wind Thunder Wings will fail to materialize,” the demon instructed gravely.
“Rest assured, I will do my utmost,” the Venomous Flood Dragon replied, his eyes widening in surprise at the mention of the spirit liquid before he readily agreed.
“Indeed! I, too, wish to see what divine abilities the Wind Thunder Wings will possess once refined,” the Turtle Demon added, thumping his chest in assurance.
Feng Xi’s face lit up with satisfaction.
Without another word, he rubbed his hands together, and a bowl-thick white light pillar shot from his palms toward the five-colored light barrier in the air. The barrier trembled, emitting a low hum as the five-colored rays flickered uncertainly. The colors shifted continuously until only a dazzling milky white light remained.
Seeing this, the Venomous Flood Dragon and the Turtle Demon promptly released slightly thinner yellow and blue light pillars. Midway, these merged into a single thunder-attribute spiritual pillar, comparable in thickness to the white light pillar, and shot toward the opposite side of the light barrier.
Immediately, a rumbling sound erupted as the barrier underwent another transformation. Silver and white light intertwined with thunder, their intensity fluctuating unpredictably.
“Fellow Daoist Li, inject one-tenth of your cultivation base’s spiritual power,” Feng Xi commanded without hesitation, his voice low and cold.
Han Li knew that any delay would prompt Feng Xi to activate the Wind Spirit Pulse within him, subjecting him to unbearable agony.
With a slight change in expression, he obediently raised his hand and pointed a single finger toward the sky, sending a slender green beam of light into the two-colored glow above.
A remarkable scene unfolded!
The previously unstable, buzzing light barrier immediately calmed upon absorbing the green light, its hum softening and its radiance stabilizing.
“Good! Maintain this level of spiritual power input!” Feng Xi relaxed, excitement evident in his voice. It seemed his method for merging wind and thunder spiritual power was indeed viable.
The other two demons grew equally confident.
With the aid of the formation, the three demons began forming a series of complex hand seals, launching countless spell incantations toward the light barrier.
Soon, silver lightning and milky white whirlwinds erupted within the barrier, enveloping the two bone wings at its center as the fusion commenced. As the noise gradually intensified, Feng Xi called for Han Li to increase the input of wood spiritual power while focusing alongside the other two demons on replenishing the wind and thunder forces within the barrier.
Seven days later, massive silver lightning arcs and howling white whirlwinds raged violently within the light barrier.
The three demons wore tense expressions, continuously channeling various calming spell incantations into the barrier. The Wind Splitting Beast, in particular, looked grim.
Han Li stood within the formation, coldly observing the scene and intermittently injecting wood-attribute spiritual power as directed. Occasionally, a flicker of restless anticipation crossed his face, but he refrained from any rash actions. Perhaps Han Li felt the timing was not yet right.
The three demons could no longer conceal their exhaustion. Though they continued their spell incantations and spiritual power output without pause, they had nearly depleted their magic power.
Despite the continued ferocity of the lightning and whirlwinds within the barrier, a strange symbiotic phenomenon began to emerge. Lightning flickered within the gusts, and wind-like whispers emanated from the arcs.
Witnessing this, the three demons could not hide their joy.
The following day, the Turtle Demon, with the weakest magic power, was the first to consume the spirit liquid from his vial, quickly restoring his magic power. In the days that followed, the Venomous Flood Dragon and Feng Xi did the same.
Han Li watched coldly, his expression unreadable, though he subtly reached for an item in his storage pouch, a faint, elusive glint in his eyes.
If the treasure refinement remained incomplete by the time the three demons exhausted their magic power again, perhaps his opportunity would arrive.
This strategy, which Han Li had initially deemed the least reliable, now seemed increasingly plausible.
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