A dark green sword light swept out, followed by an earth-shattering roar from the depths of the canyon below. A violent fluctuation flashed, and a hazy white spatial rift forcibly emerged.
“Go!”
Han Li let out a low shout, forming a hand seal with one hand. The massive black boat behind him shrank with a buzzing sound, condensing into a sphere before vanishing into his body in a flash.
As the escape light surged, a cyan rainbow and a silver arc shot downward, piercing through the rift in an instant before disappearing.
The spatial rift slowly closed, and the canyon below returned to its original state.
Moments later, another faint fluctuation rippled through the void above where the black boat had been. A pale golden lotus, several meters in size, materialized out of thin air. Standing atop it were a man and a woman.
The man wore a golden robe, his features indistinct, while the woman was clad in white robes, bald and barefoot—none other than Baohua.
“So he left just like that. It seems his purpose here was truly to retrieve that sentient treasure Yuan Yan mentioned. However, the spatial rift he opened doesn’t seem to lead back to the Spirit Realm. It appears to connect to the Maha Realm instead. That realm is far more powerful than our Sacred Realm. I wonder what he intends to do there,” the golden-robed man remarked, his voice slightly hoarse, as if afflicted by a serious illness. He gazed at the spot where the spatial rift had vanished.
“Nirvana, there’s no need to overthink it. Whatever he does in another realm, as long as he doesn’t linger in our Sacred Realm, it’s fine. Otherwise, with such an unfathomable powerhouse present, neither of us could cultivate in peace,” Baohua replied indifferently.
This golden-robed man was none other than Nirvana, the most enigmatic of the three Sacred Ancestors of the demon race, who rarely appeared in public.
“That’s true. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have secretly followed him the moment we received Yuan Yan’s message. But the news from the human realm—that this kid, who only recently advanced to the Mahayana stage, actually slew a true immortal—is hard to believe, even if that immortal was suppressed by the realm’s laws,” Nirvana said with a dark chuckle, his tone laced with doubt.
“Such important news is unlikely to be false. I heard that the true immortal was already heavily injured after being besieged by numerous Spirit Realm powerhouses before Han Li struck the final blow,” Baohua explained calmly.
“Even so, it speaks volumes about this kid’s capabilities. You and I both know that the more powerful one is, the more life-saving methods they possess. For a true immortal to still fall into his hands suggests his strength is truly unfathomable. I also heard he obtained a True Soul Pill. Tsk tsk, something of that grade… If it weren’t for the fact that we’re of the Sacred Race and the pill is useless to us, we might have tried everything to keep him in the Sacred Realm,” Nirvana mused, clicking his tongue.
“Naturally. If it were a True Demon Pill, we wouldn’t have let him leave so easily. By the way, Nirvana, your ascension tribulation should be approaching soon. How confident are you in succeeding?” Baohua nodded before posing another question.
“Had I not suffered that severe injury from the Mother Silkworm, with my perfected Nirvana Sacred Body, I might have had a ten or twenty percent chance. Now, even though my wounds have healed, my foundational energy is too depleted. When the time comes, I’ll have to fight desperately for that sliver of hope,” Nirvana sighed, his voice tinged with gloom.
“Don’t be so pessimistic, Nirvana. Your Nirvana Sacred Body ranks among the top three body-refining techniques across realms. There’s still a chance you’ll overcome the tribulation. Speaking of which, Han Li seems to have cultivated the Nirvana Sacred Body as well. Though there are minor differences, it’s undoubtedly the same technique. I wonder how he achieved it,” Baohua consoled before voicing her curiosity.
“That’s hardly surprising. The Nirvana Sacred Body was derived from one of our Sacred Race’s most fundamental demonic arts. Since our techniques have spread across realms, it’s only natural others might deduce the same method. What astonishes me is the sheer difficulty of cultivating it. Back then, I succeeded only through a series of fortuitous encounters. Even now, I wouldn’t dare claim I could replicate that feat. Yet this outsider has reached such a level—truly remarkable,” Nirvana replied with a bitter smile.
“When I first saw him wield the Sacred Body, I was just as shocked as you are. It seems he’s truly blessed by fate. Enough about this human. After this matter concludes, I plan to retreat into seclusion, striving to reach the realm of ascension to the True Demon Realm,” Baohua said, her expression turning solemn.
“Very well. Leave external affairs to Yuan Yan. Between the two of you, I’ve always had higher hopes for you. Despite your past tribulations, your magic power has only grown stronger, and you’ve even comprehended the Spirit Domain—a supreme divine ability of the upper realm. Your chances of ascension are considerable,” Nirvana remarked with a hint of envy.
“Let’s hope so. I won’t linger any longer. Farewell,” Baohua chuckled lightly before stepping lightly on the golden lotus beneath her.
The lotus spun swiftly, releasing a gentle force that pushed Nirvana away. Its petals then closed rapidly, transforming into a golden shadow that shot into the distance.
Nirvana watched her leave, shook his head, and with a flick of his sleeve, turned into a golden rainbow streaking in the opposite direction.
In the blink of an eye, the canyon was once again empty.
—
A month later, on a hillside covered in towering crimson maple trees.
“Fellow Daoist Han, you’ve long noticed those two Mahayana-stage demons following us, haven’t you?” Crab Daoist suddenly asked Han Li, who was meditating beneath a tree.
“Of course. One of them is even an old acquaintance I’ve crossed paths with several times. Since they didn’t interfere with our journey, I saw no reason to engage them,” Han Li replied, slightly surprised. This pseudo-immortal puppet rarely initiated conversations despite its sentience.
“I see,” Crab Daoist nodded before lapsing back into silence.
Han Li stroked his chin, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes.
“If I recall correctly, before his demise, that immortal Ma Liang mentioned you were a true immortal puppet, not a pseudo-immortal one. Was he telling the truth? If so, it seems you’ve withheld some information from me,” Han Li said slowly, fixing his gaze on Crab Daoist.
“Whether his words were true, I cannot say. I’ve never concealed anything from you,” Crab Daoist replied impassively.
“That’s hard to believe,” Han Li frowned skeptically.
“I’ve been bound by restrictions. Only part of my memories are accessible. Unless you gather the materials I previously requested to unlock the next layer, I cannot disclose more,” Crab Daoist explained, his expression unchanging.
“Very well. Given your assistance thus far, I’ll take you at your word. Once I’ve collected all the materials, I’ll ask you to reveal the truth,” Han Li said after a brief pause, smiling slightly.
Crab Daoist gave a noncommittal nod and remained still.
Han Li turned his head, surveying the distance before flipping his palm to reveal a shimmering silver scale. It spun in his hand, displaying lines of text different from before.
“Does this Dragon Island envoy truly possess such power? Merely by activating this scale upon arrival, they’ll meet us within a month. Why not state this outright instead of revealing it piecemeal? Still, the time should be about right,” Han Li muttered, frowning at the scale.
“That’s because, for this Dao Fruit Assembly, our True Dragon Clan has dispatched nearly half its members to welcome distinguished guests like you across this realm,” a melodious voice suddenly echoed above them.
A spatial ripple appeared, and a five-clawed emerald flood dragon materialized midair. In a flash, it transformed into a green-robed woman with snow-white skin and short horns, smiling down at Han Li.
“Fairy Tian, are you the envoy sent to greet me?” Han Li asked, startled.
The woman was none other than Tian Fei’er, with whom Han Li had previously interacted.
“What, my personal presence disappoints you, Brother Han?” Tian Fei’er chuckled in midair.
“Not at all. I merely heard you were one of the assembly’s stewards and didn’t expect you to come yourself,” Han Li coughed lightly, offering a slight bow with a smile.
“Steward? That’s just a fancy title. It’s all menial work. Our True Dragon Clan is small in number, so we double as greeters before taking on steward duties,” Tian Fei’er shrugged dismissively.
She then floated down, scrutinizing Han Li closely.
“Fairy Tian, do you suspect I’m an imposter?” Han Li asked, puzzled by her odd gaze.
“Nothing of the sort. I’m just surprised your magic power hasn’t increased much, yet you slew a true immortal. A word of caution—many know you possess a True Soul Pill. Some may covet it,” Tian Fei’er said, narrowing her eyes with a playful smile.
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