Upon hearing Wen Xinfeng’s question, a flicker of surprise crossed Bi Ying’s face, but after a brief moment of contemplation, he sighed and replied, “Fairy Wen is correct. It was not Blood Fiend’s true form that perished, but rather a doppelganger he had cultivated. I only received this news shortly before entering this world. Blood Fiend encountered some mishaps during a previous expedition. Though he emerged unscathed, his vitality was severely depleted, which is why he sent this doppelganger—whose strength rivals his true form—in his stead. This doppelganger had been refined by Blood Fiend for ten thousand years. Now that it has fallen in the battle of the strong, I am at a loss as to how to explain this to my old friend upon my return.”
“Having a doppelganger destroyed is still infinitely better than losing one’s true form. I trust that with some compensation from Brother Bi, Blood Fiend will be appeased,” said the silver-armored man as he retracted the arcs of silver lightning around him and stood up. His complexion had improved significantly compared to earlier.
“I hope so. Brother Lei, are you truly unharmed? Do you need any assistance from me?” Bi Ying shook his head and glanced at the black ghostly heads still firmly clamped onto the silver-armored man’s shoulders, his tone laced with concern.
“I’m fine. These demonic heads cannot be removed immediately, but once I return, I’ll take some time to refine them away with my innate true fire. The real loss from this battle is the depletion of several life-saving treasures,” the silver-armored man said with a bitter smile.
“Brother Lei, what kind of abilities did your opponent possess to push you to such a state?” Han Li finally asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
“That woman’s other techniques were nothing special, but she had a secret art for summoning ghostly shadows that was truly troublesome. These shadows were formless and invisible, and they could attach themselves to her body, rendering her intangible and immune to all harm. I exhausted all my secret techniques and spells but couldn’t break through this ability, forcing me to admit defeat and flee,” the silver-armored man said with great reluctance.
“Ghostly shadows… It seems the so-called Netherworld techniques indeed have their unique aspects. Facing such an eerie ability for the first time, your defeat is understandable, Brother Lei,” Wen Xinfeng consoled gently.
The silver-armored man shook his head but said nothing more.
“The battle is decided, and there’s no need for us to linger here. Let’s return to our base immediately. All that remains is to wait a few days and see if these ghosts honor their agreement. Let’s go,” Bi Ying announced, stowing the chessboard before him and taking to the skies first, with the others following closely behind.
A month later, at an extremely secluded lake, the mirror-like surface of the emerald waters suddenly parted as a massive black ship shot out. After a few flashes, it appeared at the distant horizon before vanishing without a trace.
On the black ship, rows of fully armed, towering puppets patrolled the decks. Deep within the ship, in a heavily warded chamber, Han Li sat cross-legged on a meditation mat, holding a pale silver jade slip in his hand, deep in thought.
Shortly after the battle of the strong concluded, he had returned with the others to the alliance’s headquarters at the Scripture Repository, where Bi Ying fulfilled his promise and handed him an immortal-class secret technique. This technique, called the “Primordial Aegis,” was the one Han Li had chosen after hearing a brief introduction.
Compared to other offensive immortal techniques, Han Li felt that with his Brahma Sacred Art and the Profound Heavenly Sword, he lacked no offensive means. The Primordial Aegis, despite its simple name, was a unique method for manipulating the world’s spiritual energy to form defenses. Though its exact potency was unknown, as an immortal-class technique, it undoubtedly had its merits.
The only complication was… Han Li’s eyes flickered as he raised the jade slip and tapped it with a finger. The slip emitted a hum, and golden characters floated out, swiftly arranging themselves into a dense scripture in the air before him. These shimmering, fluctuating golden characters, displaying a semblance of sentience, were none other than the Golden Seal Script unique to the immortal realm.
Han Li narrowed his eyes, studying the scripture for a while before frowning and shaking his head. Though he recognized most of the characters, their combination was exceptionally abstruse. Fully comprehending them would undoubtedly take considerable time.
With this thought, he tapped the jade slip again, and the golden scripture dissipated into the air. After a moment’s consideration, he produced another crimson jade slip from his storage, stroking it with a hint of delight.
This slip was one he had obtained from the legacy treasures of Tian Ding Zhenren in the Heavenly Cauldron Palace. Initially, he had only intended to copy the recorded techniques, but Bing Po, grateful for his assistance in retrieving the treasures, had gifted the slip to him outright. It contained a profound method for refining thunder energy, a technique Tian Ding Zhenren had acquired in his time.
Given that Han Li already possessed the Supreme Yin Devilbane Lightning, this technique was particularly suited to him. Compared to the Primordial Aegis, it was far simpler to comprehend. Over the past year, he had already grasped most of it and estimated that another six months would suffice to master it fully, after which he could begin refining his thunder energy.
With this in mind, Han Li focused his spiritual sense on the jade slip, closed his eyes, and resumed his meditation. Meanwhile, the black ship raced toward its predetermined destination.
At the same time, in a grand hall at the bottom of the great lake, Bi Ying sat in contemplation, his expression pensive. Before him stood four alliance elders in varied attire, including Wen Xinfeng.
“So, the Blood Bone Sect and their allies acted swiftly, already pinpointing that fiend’s location?” Wen Xinfeng remarked slowly.
“Indeed. Alongside the Blood Bone Sect and several other major sects, they’ve gathered twelve Great Ascension cultivators to set up a demon-sealing array along the fiend’s path, planning to lure it in and eliminate it collectively. Curiously, they’ve extended an invitation to me to witness this demon-subduing battle. They’ve also invited Master He of Falling Sky Valley and Lady Lingyun of Ten Thousand Gu Mountain,” Bi Ying replied impassively.
“Hmph! What else could their motive be? These blood-path sects have always viewed us with suspicion. Most likely, they aim to flaunt their strength before our alliance. Otherwise, why invite you personally when Elder Jun is already present?” a green-robed elder snorted.
“Regardless, the Blood Bone Sect and their allies are nominally the dominant powers of this continent. We can’t easily refuse. Brother Mu, how have Falling Sky Valley and Ten Thousand Gu Mountain responded?” Wen Xinfeng asked with a slight frown.
“According to our intelligence, both Master He and Lady Lingyun have agreed to attend,” the green-robed elder answered promptly.
“If they’ve accepted, I can hardly decline without casting our alliance in a poor light. Very well, arrange the teleportation array. In a few days, I’ll depart to observe this spectacle. I’m curious to see what capabilities this fiend, who has sacrificed countless lives, possesses to dare such heinous acts,” Bi Ying declared after some thought, slapping the armrest of his chair.
“Since you’ve decided, we won’t oppose it. But for caution’s sake, please remain vigilant, Brother Bi,” Wen Xinfeng advised gravely.
“Rest assured. I prepared several life-saving measures for the battle of the strong, none of which were used. Even in dire circumstances, escaping would pose no difficulty,” Bi Ying replied with a faint smile.
Reassured, Wen Xinfeng and the others relaxed. After further discussions on resource allocation in the minor world, the elders took their leave, leaving Bi Ying alone in the hall.
Once alone, the elder’s smile vanished, replaced by a troubled expression. “The Shattered Heavenly Mechanism has appeared, signaling the impending calamity. I initially assumed it was tied to the Ten Kings of the Underworld, yet I emerged unscathed from the battle of the strong. Has the calamity not yet arrived, or did my precautions avert it?” Bi Ying murmured, gazing upward before sinking back into thought.
Half a month later, Han Li stood amidst a pile of rubble, watching as a group of puppets carefully excavated a dilapidated altar buried underground. Meanwhile, Bi Ying, accompanied by several alliance guards, arrived at a massive city on the opposite end of the Blood Sky Continent.
Not far from the city, in a mountain range, Liu Yi and Bing Po hid within a cavern, seated opposite each other on meditation mats, recovering their energy. Periodically, Liu Yi would retrieve a small vial and consume an unknown spirit liquid before closing his eyes to refine its effects. Though both appeared unharmed, their exhaustion was evident.
This was hardly surprising, given that they had been relentlessly pursued by an overwhelmingly powerful foe for an extended period, draining both their vitality and spirit.
“Brother Liu Yi, how much longer do you think we can endure this?” Bing Po suddenly opened her eyes and asked.
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