Chapter 2422: Slaying the Deer (Part 1)

Upon hearing this, Bingfeng agreed without hesitation. She closed her beautiful eyes, calming her mind, and unreservedly opened her consciousness to Han Li.

At that moment, Han Li raised his finger slightly, pausing for a brief moment. A faint spiritual glow flickered at his fingertip, and a slender crystalline thread shot out, its front half vanishing instantly into Bingfeng’s brow. Bingfeng remained utterly composed, showing no reaction to the thread connecting her to Han Li’s fingertip.

Meanwhile, a blue light flickered once more in Han Li’s eyes. His finger trembled slightly, causing the crystalline thread to sway continuously.

Suddenly, Han Li frowned and formed a peculiar hand seal with his other hand.

*Pfft!*

The originally transparent thread abruptly changed color, gradually glowing with a milky-white radiance that grew increasingly dazzling. Its vibrations also intensified.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, a trace of pain flickered across Bingfeng’s face, mixed with a faint struggle.

With a soft gasp, she opened her eyes. The crystalline thread at her brow shattered into fragments, and her entire body was drenched in sweat, as if she had just been pulled from water.

Her eyes were slightly dazed, as though she hadn’t fully regained clarity.

Seeing this, Han Li smiled faintly and flicked his sleeve toward her. A wave of azure light swept over Bingfeng.

The moment the light touched her, she shuddered, and her eyes instantly regained their usual sharpness.

“Fellow Daoist, first examine your soul to see if there are any differences from before,” Han Li said unhurriedly.

“Thank you, Brother Han. Though I can’t pinpoint it exactly, I do feel that something extraneous in my soul, which I hadn’t noticed before, has been removed. Your divine abilities are truly vast—this long-standing worry of mine is finally gone,” Bingfeng replied joyfully after a quick internal inspection.

“It’s nothing. My soul power is just slightly stronger than that of an ordinary Great Ascension cultivator, which is why I could succeed so easily. Moreover, the fact that I could do this is largely because the divine sense of that immortal was significantly suppressed in the Spirit Realm. Otherwise, even I might have been powerless,” Han Li replied gently.

Nearby, Liuyi, still immobilized, watched this scene with a numb expression, though a trace of shock flickered in his eyes.

Han Li seemed to sense Liuyi’s thoughts and turned to him, speaking indifferently:

“I have a task for you. If you can accomplish it, I promise to release you from the blood contract, granting you true freedom. Otherwise, given the disparity in our soul strengths, unless you ascend to immortality, you will remain under my control for the rest of your life, with no hope of resistance.”

As he spoke, Han Li formed a hand seal and pointed at Liuyi from a distance. A surge of divine sense pierced through his body, while a soundproof barrier enveloped the area.

Liuyi felt something shift in his sea of consciousness, and his body suddenly regained control. However, his expression darkened further.

“What do you want me to do?” he asked coldly, staring at Han Li.

“I currently lack some materials. I want you to search nearby realms for them. If you can gather them all within a thousand years, I will consider our agreement fulfilled and release you from the blood contract. As an advance reward, I can remove the soul imprint that immortal placed on you now. Additionally, you must swear a solemn oath to aid the human race three times if they face calamity in the future,” Han Li said calmly.

“Just these conditions?” Liuyi was somewhat surprised.

“You are already a Great Ascension cultivator. Keeping you as a spirit pet is no longer feasible. Though I could kill you as easily as turning my hand, what benefit would that bring me?” Han Li replied nonchalantly.

“Show me the list of materials first. As for the oath to aid the human race, let’s discuss that after I complete this task,” Liuyi said decisively after a quick thought.

“That’s fine. But remember, until you swear the oath, I won’t release you from the blood contract,” Han Li said indifferently, flicking his sleeve to send a white jade slip flying toward Liuyi.

Liuyi caught the slip and pressed it to his forehead, scanning its contents with his divine sense.

The list contained only a dozen or so items, but upon closer inspection, even with his Great Ascension insight, he couldn’t help but inhale sharply.

Though none of the materials were legendary rarities said to be extinct, each was exceedingly difficult to find in any single realm, far from something that could be gathered quickly.

A rough estimate suggested that even a thousand years might barely suffice under normal circumstances.

“Hmph, you’re asking for the impossible. If I agree, I’ll spend the next millennium searching for these materials instead of cultivating,” Liuyi snorted, his face dark.

“So you refuse? Don’t forget, without the countless spiritual medicines and efforts I invested in you, enabling your mutations and awakening your intelligence, you would never have reached this point,” Han Li said mildly, though an icy aura unconsciously emanated from him.

“Who said I refuse? I accept. A thousand years is nothing to our spirit beast race. Freedom is worth the price,” Liuyi said, suppressing his unease and forcing a calm expression.

“Good. This outcome benefits us both. Since you agree, I’ll remove the soul imprint now, and you may leave. But if you delay, I can’t guarantee you’ll survive the exit from the Howling Abyss,” Han Li said without surprise.

“Fine. Within a thousand years, I’ll scour the nearby realms for all the materials and return to you,” Liuyi said solemnly, masking his emotions.

Han Li smiled slightly and raised his finger again, sending out another crystalline thread of divine sense…

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Liuyi stomped his foot and soared into the sky. With a flap of his three cicada-like wings, he transformed into a streak of crystalline light, shooting toward the edge of the Howling Abyss.

“Brother Han, is it true that leaving too late would cost one’s life?” Bingfeng asked hesitantly, watching Liuyi’s departing figure.

“Of course. Everyone and everything left here will be buried together,” Han Li replied, glancing at the nearly thousand guards of the merchant alliance nearby, a faint sneer curling his lips.

“What? Does the merchant alliance intend to—”

“Fellow Daoist Bingfeng, you should leave immediately and return to the human race. Since your travels have borne fruit, stay within the clan for now. Do not venture out again unless you advance to the Great Ascension stage.”

A chill ran down Bingfeng’s spine, but before she could finish, Han Li cut her off.

“Understood. Even if you’ve taken precautions, take care, Brother Han,” Bingfeng replied solemnly after a deep breath.

With a hand seal, she radiated an intense cold light, rolled on the spot, and transformed into a crystalline ice phoenix over thirty feet long. With a flap of her wings and a clear cry, she soared into the sky, vanishing in another direction.

Almost simultaneously, thousands of miles away, an earth-shaking explosion erupted as the white formation twisted violently before shattering into countless motes of light. From within emerged a colossal beast over three hundred feet tall, with a deer’s head and a bear’s body, clad in yellow battle armor.

The beast roared to the heavens, then rode a rolling yellow wind straight toward the formation node where Han Li stood.

“Guard this place well. I’ll deal with the intruder and return.”

Han Li’s eyes flashed with blue light as he took in the scene. Dispelling the soundproof barrier with a hand seal, he instructed the merchant alliance guards before transforming into a streak of azure light, shooting toward the approaching beast.

At their incredible speeds, the distance closed in an instant.

Spotting the dazzling azure streak, the deer-headed beast—Yanglu—felt a pang of apprehension but quickly masked it with ferocity. Swinging a massive, furry hand forward, he summoned a mountain-sized palm from the void, crashing down to seize the azure light.

Yanglu exulted, channeling his magic to crush the light in his grip.

But then, a long cry erupted from within the giant hand.

The azure light shimmered and transformed into a lifelike azure flood dragon. With a mere flick of its claws and tail, countless thick azure sword beams erupted from its body, dense as a storm, numbering in the hundreds.

Even the massive yellow hand, as solid as a mountain, was instantly engulfed and shredded into fragments.

The azure flood dragon let out another cry before dissipating, revealing a green-robed youth in its place.

“Judging by your appearance, you must be Fellow Daoist Yanglu. Am I mistaken?” Han Li’s spirit eyes pierced through the yellow wind, locking onto the beast as he spoke calmly.

“Who are you? Your powers aren’t weak. Knowing my name, you still dare block my path?” Yanglu barked, though slightly unsettled by the earlier display.

“I am Han Li of the human race, tasked with guarding this formation node. Though I’ve no desire for conflict, duty compels me to keep you here,” Han Li replied with a faint smile.

“Han Li? Never heard of you. But you’ve got nerve, thinking a mere Great Ascension cultivator can stand before me!”

Yanglu roared in fury, inhaling deeply as the surrounding yellow wind surged into his maw. His belly swelled grotesquely, forming a massive spherical bulge.

With a *pfft*, he spewed forth countless yellow granules, which condensed into a rolling sea of sand, rushing toward Han Li.