The man in the blue robe paled in shock, hastily urging the brocade-like treasure beneath his feet to dart backward, attempting to evade the attacks of the two ape-vultures. However, he had clearly underestimated these creatures. As second-tier demonic beasts, they naturally possessed some formidable abilities.
Before the two demonic birds even landed, they let out shrill, ape-like cries. The moment the blue-robed man heard these sounds, his mind felt as if struck by a heavy hammer, and his body swayed uncontrollably. A foul, stinking wind pressed down upon his head, and with a cry of alarm, his face drained of all color.
Almost simultaneously, two muffled thuds rang out. Two fist-sized fireballs shot from an unknown source, silent yet unerringly accurate, striking the two demonic birds. Explosions erupted, flashes of red light illuminating the area as two bursts of flame engulfed the ape-vultures. Scorching heat instantly filled the nearby space.
The ape-like cries abruptly ceased.
The blue-robed man was both shocked and overjoyed, feeling as if he had narrowly escaped death. Not foolish, he immediately activated his magical artifact, and with a *whoosh*, he shot over ten zhang away. He then hurriedly pulled out a talisman and slapped it onto his body.
A yellow light barrier abruptly materialized around him. Only then did the blue-robed man feel slightly at ease, realizing that practicing spells and actually engaging in combat were two entirely different matters. This near-death experience had almost claimed the life of this newly Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Thinking this, he couldn’t help but glance downward to one side, immediately spotting Han Li, who wore a cloak of the same color. Surprised, he naturally understood who had saved his life.
The two fireballs Han Li had unleashed with his Foundation Establishment cultivation were naturally insufficient to kill two second-tier demonic beasts. Instead, they only enraged the ape-vultures further as they burst from the flames, their ferocity redoubled.
Instantly, the two demonic birds, their feathers singed, ignored the blue-robed man and turned to pounce toward the carriage where Han Li stood. Meanwhile, the third ape-vulture, missing a claw, lunged at the blue-robed man with blood-red eyes.
Han Li frowned slightly as he watched the two giant birds hurtling toward him. Suddenly, he slapped the storage pouch at his waist, and two streaks of white light shot out. With a flicker in the wind, two half-chi-long, snow-white centipedes appeared in the air.
Compared to the ape-vultures, these centipedes were disproportionately small. Yet, the moment they were released, they emitted strange, excited chirps, fearlessly charging straight at the two demonic birds.
Upon seeing the centipedes summoned, the two ape-vultures inexplicably showed fear on their ape-like faces. Their wings flapped wildly as they halted mid-air, and after sniffing cautiously with their nostrils, they turned tail and fled in terror.
The aura of an ancient, rare insect was not something low-tier demonic beasts dared approach.
But the two centipedes had no intention of letting them escape. With eerie screeches, they opened their mouths, unleashing two streams of white, freezing mist that instantly blanketed the area ahead. The ape-vultures had only enough time to let out a single mournful cry before being engulfed.
With a *whoosh*, the two centipedes plunged into the freezing mist without hesitation.
Han Li paid no further attention to this scene, turning his gaze toward the blue-robed man.
The man was now drenched in sweat, desperately controlling his small flying sword artifact as he fought fiercely against the largest and most injured ape-vulture.
Though grievously wounded, the demonic bird remained ferocious, its body transforming into a blur of brown-gray shadows as it darted around the blue-robed man with unnatural agility. Its remaining claw slashed relentlessly at the protective barrier, while its incessant screeches further unsettled the cultivator, preventing him from focusing fully on the battle.
Though the flying sword was formidable, its wielder was inexperienced. While he had managed to wound the enemy by surprise earlier, now he could only chase helplessly after the demonic bird. As for using other spells or talismans, that was clearly beyond the blue-robed man’s current capabilities. Merely controlling the sword was already a struggle, let alone multitasking. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, his defeat and death were only a matter of time.
Han Li’s cold gaze lingered on the ape-vulture for a moment as he considered whether to intervene. But before he could act, the demonic bird suddenly shrieked, as if sensing something, and abruptly abandoned the blue-robed man. With a flap of its wings, it shot into the sky, reaching over ten zhang away in an instant.
This unexpected turn startled not only the blue-robed man but even Han Li. With a cold snort, Han Li flicked his wrist, and a red streak shot out, vanishing in a flash. The demonic bird shuddered mid-air before plummeting to the ground, landing with a heavy thud and lying motionless.
Though he had only recently entered the Tianlan Grasslands, Han Li had heard that these ape-vultures were creatures of deep vengeance. He had no intention of inviting unnecessary trouble later—better to leave none alive.
But his sudden attack startled the blue-robed man, who blurted out, “A flying needle! You actually possess a needle artifact!” His voice was full of astonishment.
“What? Is it strange for me to use a needle artifact?” Han Li glanced at him indifferently.
He raised a hand toward the fallen demonic bird, and a red streak flew back, landing in his palm—a gleaming, inch-long silver needle.
“Of course not, it’s just—” Before the blue-robed man could explain, two more muffled thuds sounded nearby. Two massive, crystalline-white blocks of ice crashed from the sky, embedding themselves deep into the ground. Encased within were the other two ape-vultures, their eyes frozen, clearly lifeless.
The blue-robed man gaped in shock. A flash of light later, two white streaks rose from the ice, circling once before landing on Han Li’s shoulders, revealing their true forms—the centipedes.
“Are these your spirit insects?” the blue-robed man asked hoarsely, swallowing hard.
“Indeed. These are my two Frost Snow Centipedes,” Han Li replied calmly, stroking the back of one.
The Frost Snow Centipede wasn’t a fabrication—such a rare insect did exist. In its adult form, it closely resembled the current state of the Six-Winged Frost Centipede, making it difficult for non-experts in insect taming to distinguish the two.
“Fellow Daoist, would you be willing to part with your flying needle or these spirit insects? I’d pay a hefty price!” To Han Li’s surprise, the blue-robed man eyed the centipedes eagerly before making this offer.
Han Li paused, then chuckled. “Are you joking? These spirit insects are already bound to me, and even if I were willing to sell the needle, I doubt you could afford it.”
“Spirit stones are no issue! Name your price!” the blue-robed man declared without hesitation, his eyes alight with desire after witnessing the needle’s lethal efficiency.
Han Li narrowed his eyes, studying the man for a long moment before his expression darkened. “Apologies, but I’ve grown accustomed to this needle and have no intention of selling it.”
“If you refuse, then so be it. I wouldn’t part with such a formidable artifact either. Forget I mentioned it. I’m Feng Yue—I haven’t yet thanked you for saving my life. May I ask your esteemed name?” The blue-robed man, though visibly disappointed, quickly masked it with politeness.
“My surname is Han. Let’s have someone clean this up first,” Han Li replied coolly.
“Clean up?” The blue-robed man blinked before noticing that the previously scattered mortals had now gathered at a respectful distance, their faces filled with awe. Only Ying Lu and the burly Ba man stood closer, listening intently to the two immortals’ conversation. The elder, in particular, was grinning from ear to ear.
He had seen clearly—the three terrifying demonic birds, which they had been powerless against, had all been slain by the very immortal he had hired along the way. This immortal’s abilities far exceeded his expectations—what a stroke of luck! It seemed even traveling alone wouldn’t pose much of a problem now.
“Deal with these demonic beasts. Aside from their claws and tail feathers, the hides and meat are useless to me—you may keep them,” Han Li instructed the two men.
According to grassland customs, the spoils belonged to the slayer. Though these low-tier materials held no real value to Han Li, his current persona as a Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn’t simply discard them.
“Understood! We obey the immortal’s command!” The elder beamed. While the ape-vulture hides and meat were trivial to cultivators, they were valuable treasures to mortals, exchangeable for many useful goods.
The burly man also nodded deferentially before calling over several strong youths to handle the carcasses. The one slain by Han Li’s needle was straightforward, but the two frozen ones required smashing with hammers.
“If Immortal Feng has no further business, you may rest. I too am weary and will return to my carriage,” Han Li said coldly to the blue-robed man before turning away without waiting for a response.
The blue-robed man was taken aback by Han Li’s aloofness. Having witnessed the potency of his artifacts and spirit insects, he had hoped to forge a connection for his own purposes. Yet Han Li had dismissed him so curtly, leaving him both embarrassed and frustrated.
But given Han Li’s recent life-saving act and evident strength, he couldn’t very well protest. After a long pause, the blue-robed man sighed and reluctantly returned to his own carriage.
Unbeknownst to him, Han Li, now seated cross-legged in his carriage, watched his retreating figure with a thoughtful glint in his eyes.
“Master, this man seems to have some background. Why keep him at such a distance?” Silvermoon’s voice echoed curiously in Han Li’s mind.
After this period of recuperation, his maidservant, though still weakened, had recovered enough to speak freely.
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