As soon as Han Li took out the Two Extremes Ring, Marquis Nanlong and Lu Weiying immediately stepped back several feet behind him, their expressions grave, signaling that Han Li would take the lead from then on.
Han Li held the ring in his hand and exhaled a wisp of azure spiritual energy from his mouth, enveloping the ring. Black light flickered as the ring absorbed all the azure energy in an instant, then with a whoosh, it flew to hover motionless above Han Li’s head.
Expressionless, Han Li raised his hand and sent a spell seal toward it. The Two Extremes Ring trembled slightly before shrinking and expanding rapidly. In the blink of an eye, the ring transformed into a massive loop five to six zhang in diameter.
“Go!” Han Li extended a pale finger, lightly tapping the ring as he uttered the command. With a strange hum, the giant ring shot forward.
The gazes of Marquis Nanlong and the others grew solemn. As the ring plunged into the countless silver threads of light, an unbelievable scene unfolded.
The straight silver threads, like disturbed water, instantly became chaotic as the ring entered. Amidst the flickering black light, every silver thread that touched the outer wall of the ring miraculously bent away, avoiding the ring as if it were sentient!
Seeing this, Han Li inwardly sighed in relief, while Marquis Nanlong and the others also smiled.
However, Han Li was still somewhat curious about the power of the North Pole Aurora. After a brief thought, he slapped his storage pouch, retrieving a fist-sized blue orb—a high-grade defensive spiritual artifact he had obtained years ago.
Han Li channeled a small amount of spiritual power into the orb, causing a shimmering blue barrier to appear on its surface.
With a flick of his wrist, the orb shot forward as a streak of blue light. This time, as soon as the blue orb entered the North Pole Aurora, the silver threads trembled before swarming around it like ravenous predators.
Countless hair-thin threads pierced through the orb, completely ignoring the blue barrier. Moments later, the orb flickered violently before exploding from within, dissolving into a burst of radiant light amidst the silver threads.
Han Li’s pupils contracted slightly, while Marquis Nanlong and the old man’s expressions darkened.
Han Li quickly regained his composure. With a beckoning gesture, the giant ring flew back to hover above his head, silently descending to encircle all three of them. A murky black barrier then formed around the ring, shielding them within.
“Let’s go,” Han Li said curtly, stepping forward as the Two Extremes Ring moved with him.
Marquis Nanlong and Old Man Lu, now inside the barrier, dared not be careless, following closely behind. Though they had witnessed the ring’s miraculous defense against the North Pole Aurora, they still refrained from activating any personal protections or summoning any treasures as they entered the deadly light. Han Li appeared calm, but inwardly, he was slightly apprehensive.
However, once inside the North Pole Aurora, seeing the silver threads indeed divert around the black barrier, he finally relaxed. Glancing sideways, he noticed Marquis Nanlong and the others also easing their expressions.
With a faint smile, Han Li urged the Two Extremes Ring forward.
—
Elsewhere in the Fallen Devil Valley, in a snowy expanse near the inner valley, a group of black-robed Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators braved the blizzard, driving various treasures against a massive gecko-like ancient beast.
Floating in the air not far from the beast was the pale-faced Elder Zhong, coldly observing the fierce battle between the ancient creature and the group of Core Formation cultivators.
After a while, seeing that the six or seven disciples still couldn’t subdue the beast, he frowned and finally intervened.
With a hand seal, inky black energy surged from his body, swiftly coalescing into two pitch-black ink dragons that pounced ferociously on the gecko-like beast. Following closely was a glowing green net, which descended upon the creature, filled with countless fist-sized green fireballs.
A series of deafening explosions erupted as black light and green flames intertwined. Moments later, the radiance faded, revealing a charred, massive corpse.
The elder flicked his sleeve, summoning a gust of wind that sent the beast’s body flying dozens of zhang away, exposing a wide icy crevice below. The crevice descended into the depths, faint white light emanating from within, its destination unknown.
“Move!” the elder commanded in a low voice, transforming into a streak of black light as he plunged into the crevice. The other Ghost Spirit Sect disciples followed without hesitation.
Among them were Wang Chan and Yan Ruyan, though the sect leader and Wang Tiangu remained absent.
Shortly after the Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators entered the crevice, the area returned to silence, with only snowflakes drifting soundlessly. The beast’s corpse soon frosted over, buried beneath the snow, forming an unremarkable mound.
—
In the dense forest where the Ghost Spirit Sect had previously been, Zi Ling stood before an ordinary-looking mound, lost in thought.
After a while, she glanced at the towering trees around her before flicking a finger, sending a white energy bullet flying forward.
With a dull thud, a pit several zhang wide appeared, revealing scattered gray-black ashes and a partially charred tree root.
“This must be the place. The Ghost Spirit Sect, with their numbers, had an easier time finding it. But they didn’t expect someone else to be tracking their marks, leaving behind so many traces in their haste,” Zi Ling murmured with a pleased expression.
She waved her sleeve, refilling the pit, then took out a cyan talisman. After circling several nearby trees, she suddenly pressed the talisman onto one of them. A flash of cyan light later, the talisman vanished into the tree’s surface.
After carefully determining her direction, she transformed into a streak of light and flew away.
—
At a massive canyon, an old Taoist priest stared at the various restrictions at the entrance, deep in thought. Behind him stood two demonic-looking puppets, motionless.
In the distance at the other end of the canyon, bloody light flickered intermittently—one of the passages leading to the inner valley. However, this short stretch was riddled with several formidable ancient restrictions. Though the old priest prided himself on his mastery of formations, he estimated only a fifty-fifty chance of dismantling them quickly.
He hesitated, unsure whether to search for an easier entrance or begin dismantling the restrictions immediately.
“Having second thoughts about tackling the restrictions alone, Fellow Daoist Tianjing? How about joining forces with this old man?” a cold voice suddenly spoke behind him.
The speaker was none other than Tianjing Zhenren, who had once traded soul stones with Han Li. The two demon puppets behind him had been reforged using soul stones, each possessing early Nascent Soul strength. Even Tianjing himself would struggle against one. With such trump cards, he had dared to seek treasures in the Fallen Devil Valley.
Startled, Tianjing spun around to see several green-robed cultivators hovering silently in the air fifty to sixty zhang away. The speaker was their leader—a green-robed elder with a gloomy expression and a long beard.
Assessing their cultivation, Tianjing’s heart sank—they were all Nascent Soul cultivators!
“So it’s Fellow Daoist Dongmen of the Beast Taming Sect. These other fellow Daoists seem unfamiliar—are they also elders of your sect?” Tianjing forced a smile, suppressing his shock.
“You could say that. Though those two puppets behind you don’t seem ordinary either. Not to be underestimated,” Dongmen Tu of the Beast Taming Sect remarked, his gaze flickering as it swept over the demon puppets.
“You flatter me. These minor puppets are hardly worth Fellow Daoist Dongmen’s attention. But why propose an alliance?” Tianjing asked cautiously.
“Though I’ve long secluded myself in the Beast Taming Sect, I’ve heard of Fellow Daoist Tianjing’s reputation as a master of formations. I, too, have some expertise in this field. Alone, neither of us may succeed, but together, our chances improve greatly,” Dongmen Tu explained slowly.
Tianjing frowned slightly, hesitating.
“Worried I’ll turn on you? Let me assure you—our cooperation lasts only until we dismantle the restrictions and enter the inner valley. Without conflict, I’ve no reason to oppose you. Besides, even if you succeed alone, by the time you do, the easiest treasures may already be claimed. And as I recall, many of our peers here are also well-versed in formations,” Dongmen Tu added patiently, though his expression darkened slightly.
Tianjing’s heart stirred. After glancing at the five green-robed cultivators behind Dongmen Tu, he finally nodded.
“Since Fellow Daoist Dongmen puts it that way, I’ll comply. Let’s dismantle these restrictions together. But once inside the inner valley, we go our separate ways.”
“Excellent! Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Tianjing—with those puppets of yours, I’d never force you into anything. Inside, we’ll rely on our own luck for treasures!” Dongmen Tu’s expression brightened as he laughed, offering his assurance.
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