Half a day later, an earth-shattering battle erupted in the massive city where Biying and the others were stationed, lasting nearly an entire day and night.
The aftermath of the battle reduced everything within a radius of tens of thousands of miles to ashes.
A few days later, shocking news spread across the entire Blood Sky Continent.
The Grand Ascension cultivators from several major sects, led by the Blood Bone Sect, had all perished in the demon-slaying battle.
Only Lady Lingyun of the Myriad Gu Mountain managed to escape, though she was severely injured and nearly fell from the Grand Ascension realm.
Upon returning to her stronghold at Myriad Gu Mountain, this powerful Grand Ascension cultivator immediately activated all defensive formations and announced a ten-thousand-year seclusion, vowing to no longer interfere in any affairs of the continent.
For a time, panic spread across the Blood Sky Continent, and the remaining superpowers and Grand Ascension experts fell into silence.
Not long after, news broke of a medium-sized nation and several nearby minor sects being sacrificed in a blood ritual.
…
However, Han Li remained completely unaware of all this.
By then, he had already used a teleportation array to reach an island far from the Blood Sky Continent. Alongside Zhu Guo’er and Hua Shi the Venerable, he boarded the Ink Spirit Holy Vessel and sailed deep into the vast ocean.
The sea was teeming with powerful sea beasts, far surpassing the ferocity of land-based desolate beasts. Some of these creatures possessed such formidable abilities that even Grand Ascension experts would avoid them.
Yet, with the sheer number of powerful puppets aboard the Ink Spirit Holy Vessel, most sea beasts that encountered it never returned.
Occasionally, they encountered one or two exceptionally strong sea creatures, but after Han Li personally displayed his might, they were all frightened into retreat.
Half a year passed in a flash, and the massive vessel had traveled deep into the ocean without incident.
However, on this day, as the ship soared through the low-altitude waves, an earth-shaking explosion erupted ahead, sending violent shockwaves rolling toward them.
Hua Shi the Venerable, who was standing at the bow directing the puppets steering the ship, sensed the intensity of the fluctuations and immediately turned pale. He transformed into a streak of light and rushed into the cabin.
Moments later, Han Li emerged calmly with Zhu Guo’er and Hua Shi the Venerable.
“Grand Ascension experts fighting ahead? Hmm, the intensity of these fluctuations indeed matches that level of combat. Take the Holy Vessel closer and see who is battling.” Han Li narrowed his eyes, glancing at the distant sea before giving the order without hesitation.
“As you command, Master Han!” Hua Shi the Venerable acknowledged and immediately urged the puppets controlling the ship.
The Ink Spirit Holy Vessel trembled, adjusted its course, and surged forward at several times its previous speed.
As the ship raced ahead, the explosions and shockwaves grew increasingly violent.
When a small island came into view, they could finally see bursts of radiant light flickering above it, their terrifying pressure flattening the nearby sea by dozens of feet.
The island itself was already in ruins, with all protruding features seemingly swept away, leaving its surface unnaturally smooth.
Standing at the bow, Han Li narrowed his eyes and took in the scene.
Amid the explosions of light, three massive and ferocious sea beasts were besieging a silver flood dragon.
One was a gargantuan seahorse, another a colossal emerald turtle, and the last a deep-blue octopus the size of a small mountain.
The three beasts radiated savage auras—spitting thunder and fire, charging with their hardened bodies, or lashing out with writhing tentacles—as they relentlessly attacked the silver flood dragon.
Despite their near-Grand Ascension strength, the three sea beasts were already heavily wounded.
The turtle’s shell bore several cracks oozing green blood.
The octopus was scorched black, with several missing tentacles.
Only the seahorse appeared intact, though a golden ring clamped around its body hindered its movements compared to the other two.
The silver flood dragon, however, was in even worse shape—its tail and one forelimb were missing, most of its silver scales had fallen off, and blood streamed from its eyes.
Yet, as it twisted and turned in the air, silver light flashed violently around it, accompanied by deafening roars, barely holding off the beasts’ onslaught.
Han Li’s gaze sharpened as he noticed a small purple beast curled up on the flood dragon’s belly, its claws gripping a silver scale tightly but otherwise motionless, as if dead or unconscious.
The moment Han Li saw the purple beast, his pupils contracted slightly—it felt strangely familiar, prompting him to ponder.
Given the Ink Spirit Holy Vessel’s massive size and unhindered approach, the three sea beasts and the flood dragon naturally noticed.
But locked in their life-or-death struggle, they could neither disengage nor ignore the intruders, only intensifying their battle.
The silver flood dragon, fighting one against three, was clearly at a disadvantage despite its mystical silver light, teetering on the brink of defeat.
Just as the ship was about to plunge into the fray, Han Li calmly uttered, “Stop.”
His voice was soft, yet it struck the four beasts like a thunderclap.
Their bodies shuddered, and they instinctively withdrew their attacks, staggering back.
The three sea beasts, furious at being interrupted just before victory, glared at Han Li, their combined auras pressing down like mountains upon the ship.
Han Li snorted, forming a hand seal. Golden light flashed behind him as a thousand-foot-tall, three-headed, six-armed Dharma Form materialized.
The moment the golden deity’s six eyes opened, an overwhelming spiritual pressure—several times stronger than the beasts’ combined might—erupted from Han Li.
Boom! Boom!
The collision of auras sent the three sea beasts flying backward, tumbling over a hundred feet before regaining their footing, their faces filled with terror.
“Who are you to interfere in our affairs? We are elders of the Sea Suppression Palace! Offend us, and even with your power, you’ll find no refuge in these waters!” the seahorse growled in human speech, its tone laced with threat.
“Sea Suppression Palace? Never heard of it. Scram, or I’ll add three more sea beast hides to my collection for crafting materials,” Han Li replied coldly, his expression unmoved.
Furious yet helpless against Han Li’s overwhelming pressure, the three beasts exchanged glances before reluctantly diving into the sea and vanishing.
“I am Tu Yao. Many thanks for your aid, fellow Daoist.” The silver flood dragon rolled in the air, transforming into a pale-faced man in silver robes, blood trailing from his eyes. Beside him stood a purple-clad girl, and together they bowed slightly to Han Li from a distance.
Despite his pride, the flood dragon—now in human form—was awed by Han Li’s display of power and dared not show disrespect.
“Tu Yao… So I wasn’t mistaken. It really is you.”
“Hmm? You do seem familiar. Have we met before?” The silver-robed man frowned, scrutinizing Han Li. Given Han Li’s strength, he should have remembered such a figure clearly.
“Father, it’s him! The brother from the auction when I was kidnapped—the one who smelled like Mother!” The purple-clad girl suddenly tugged at the man’s sleeve, sniffing the air urgently.
This man was none other than the Grand Ascension human-faced flood dragon who had once caused chaos at the Cloud City auction. The girl was his descendant, the same young beast stolen and sold there.
“You recognized me at a glance, little one.” Han Li chuckled, looking at the girl.
“What—it’s you?!” The flood dragon’s eyes widened as he connected the dots between the Void Refinement cultivator he’d once met and the unfathomably powerful Han Li before him, his face twisting in disbelief.
“I didn’t expect to run into you here, Fellow Daoist Tu. Though we’ve only met once, we can consider ourselves acquaintances. But given your status, how did you end up in such a state? Regardless of your feud with the Sea Suppression Palace, those three beasts weren’t true Grand Ascension experts. They shouldn’t have been able to corner you.” Han Li’s smile faded as he spoke slowly.
“At full strength, I wouldn’t have feared those three. But during my escape, I was ambushed by a formidable enemy. Now, I can no longer wield Grand Ascension-level abilities—only my innate talents and physical prowess remain.” The flood dragon sighed, his expression bitter.
“I see. If you don’t mind, may I examine your condition?” Han Li nodded but then posed an unexpected request.
“This…” The flood dragon hesitated.
“My apologies if I overstepped. But while you may have time to recover, your daughter doesn’t seem to have much left.” Han Li’s tone remained neutral, but his gaze on the girl sent a chill down the flood dragon’s spine.
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