Chapter 2306: Farewell, Spirit King

As soon as the words fell, without waiting for the Sky Fishmen to respond, he opened his mouth and spat out the Mountain-Sea Pearl.

The moment the pearl flew out, it began spinning rapidly in the wind, releasing a dazzling streak of radiant light that swept downward.

Wherever the light passed, rows of Sky Fishmen below vanished into thin air.

In just a dozen breaths, the entire plaza was left completely empty, with not a single figure remaining.

Han Li himself also blurred amidst a strange fluctuation and disappeared without a trace.

In a vast, mysterious space, Han Li flickered into existence once more, appearing silently.

Most of this space was covered by an expanse of deep blue water, with only four islands—one large and three small—at its center.

Han Li appeared directly above the largest island, and with a single glance downward, he easily located the Sky Fishmen who had been transported into this space earlier.

The Sky Fishmen stood on a patch of grassland, their faces a mix of joy and astonishment as they looked around at their surroundings.

“This is the pocket realm within the Mountain-Sea Pearl. For now, build some shelters and reside here temporarily. Once I return to our clan and find a suitable place for you, I will release you,” Han Li commanded in an authoritative tone.

“Yes, we shall obey our master’s orders without question,” the Sky Fishmen’s elder bowed deeply toward the sky and replied without hesitation.

The other Sky Fishmen also knelt and voiced their agreement.

“Heh, no need for such formalities. Take care of yourselves,” Han Li chuckled lightly, flicked his sleeve, and took a step forward, vanishing from the space in an instant.

Seeing this, the elder suppressed his excitement and stood up, calling out to his clansmen to begin searching for suitable places to settle on the islands.

At the same time, in the outside world, Han Li reappeared and slowly descended.

He casually found a spot to sit cross-legged and closed his eyes.

He could clearly sense an invisible repulsive force beginning to coil around his body, giving him an uncomfortable feeling.

Time passed slowly.

After an indeterminate period, strange fluctuations began to emanate from the space above his head, accompanied by the emergence of dark clouds and faint buzzing sounds.

The air around Han Li’s seated form twisted and blurred, making it difficult to see him clearly.

Suddenly, Han Li’s eyes snapped open. With a flick of his sleeve, something appeared in his hand and instantly exploded.

*BOOM!* A thunderous crack echoed through the clear sky.

A thick silver arc of lightning struck down from above, and Han Li vanished amidst the crackling electricity.

—

In the Spirit Realm, atop an exceptionally desolate stone mountain, a deafening roar erupted as a white spatial rift tore open, releasing a swirling halo of five-colored light.

The halo spun rapidly, instantly transforming into a massive formation dozens of feet wide.

The next moment, thunder roared within the formation as spatial fluctuations surged forth. Amidst countless arcs of lightning, a figure stumbled into existence.

It was Han Li, returned from the Minor Asura World.

He steadied himself with a shake of his shoulders.

With a muffled sound, the spatial rift above and the formation below vanished simultaneously.

The mountaintop returned to its usual state, as if nothing had happened—except for the presence of Han Li.

Han Li raised his head to survey his surroundings, frowned, and tapped a finger between his brows.

With a *pfft*, a vast wave of spiritual sense erupted outward, sweeping across the land in all directions.

“Good, not too far from the intended coordinates. It seems this journey was a complete success,” Han Li murmured to himself after a moment, withdrawing his finger with a sigh of relief.

However, he did not immediately leave. Instead, after a brief pause, he found a clean rock to sit upon and remained motionless.

Within one of his sleeves, a magical tool flickered intermittently.

Three full hours later, a whistling sound pierced the sky as a white streak shot toward the mountain, arriving above the peak in a few flashes.

After circling once, the light dissipated, revealing the figure of Mo Jianli.

“Brother Han, you’ve returned safely! This is truly wonderful! I knew you wouldn’t stray too far from this area,” Mo Jianli exclaimed joyfully from above.

“Naturally. Setting the coordinates too far away would have been counterproductive. Since Brother Mo has found me, let us seek out the Spirit King now. If the Thundercloud Talismans are in short supply and those two—Bloodburn and Blackscale—get to them first, it would be unfortunate,” Han Li replied with a light chuckle as he stood up leisurely.

“Brother Han speaks wisely. We must indeed be cautious. Let us hurry to Fuling Mountain,” Mo Jianli said, his expression growing serious.

Han Li nodded, formed a hand seal, and soared into the sky as a streak of azure light. After circling once, he shot off in a determined direction.

Mo Jianli followed closely behind, his own light trailing after.

The two figures vanished into the horizon in the blink of an eye.

Before long, they arrived near the sacred mountain where the Spirit King resided and flew straight toward its summit without hesitation.

A muffled sound echoed through the air as layers of restrictive barriers shimmered into existence, followed by rolling waves of multicolored light that blocked their path.

Han Li frowned and was about to forcefully dismantle the barriers when a male voice suddenly emerged from the light:

“Greetings, esteemed seniors! The Spirit King has already ordered your reception. This humble one is here to guide you.”

As the words fell, the light parted, revealing a bald man who bowed respectfully to Han Li and Mo Jianli.

It was the Spirit Tribe’s Saint Spirit, known as “Ling Yin.”

“It’s you. Lead the way, then,” Han Li said without hesitation, narrowing his eyes slightly.

“Please follow me, seniors.” Ling Yin bowed slightly and turned to guide them forward.

Wherever he passed, the restrictions receded and made way.

Han Li and Mo Jianli followed without ceremony.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the two were led into the same grand hall as before.

The moment they stepped inside, they spotted two familiar figures.

Bloodburn and Blackscale sat on chairs at one side of the hall, conversing in low voices.

Upon seeing Han Li and Mo Jianli enter, their words abruptly ceased, and their gazes snapped toward the newcomers.

Mo Jianli’s pupils constricted briefly, but he quickly laughed heartily.

“I thought we arrived quickly, but it seems Brother Blood and Brother Black were even faster. How long have you two been here? Have you already completed your transaction with Brother Spirit?”

“Brother Mo misunderstands. We arrived only moments before you and have yet to meet with the Spirit King,” Bloodburn replied, his expression shifting slightly. But when his eyes met Han Li’s, a trace of wariness flickered in his heart, and he forced a smile.

“So we’re not too late, then. But when will Brother Spirit King come out to meet us?” Mo Jianli asked, visibly relieved.

“It shouldn’t be long now. We were told he’s been in seclusion these past few days and will emerge shortly,” Bloodburn said with a strained smile.

“I see. That puts my mind at ease,” Mo Jianli said with a laugh, gesturing for Han Li to join him as they took seats on the opposite side of the hall.

Throughout this exchange, Han Li remained silent, his face bearing an enigmatic half-smile.

With his sharp mind, he immediately recognized the caution in Bloodburn and Blackscale’s demeanor.

It seemed the battle in the Minor Asura World had left a deep impression on them.

“By the way, did you two manage to find that Che Qi Beast in its lair?” Han Li asked suddenly, his eyes glinting with amusement.

“We saw it, but the creature was cunning. After a single skirmish, it abandoned its nest and fled. Unfortunately, we couldn’t linger in the Minor Asura World for long, or we would have hunted it down,” Bloodburn replied with a frown, his tone laced with regret.

“What a shame,” Han Li chuckled, though whether he believed the explanation was unclear.

Bloodburn’s eyes flickered, and he was about to ask Han Li something when a delighted, aged voice suddenly echoed from outside the hall.

“Hahaha! So you’ve all returned safely at last! This king has been waiting eagerly for your arrival.”

Footsteps sounded as a white-robed elder appeared at the entrance and strode toward them.

“Brother Spirit King, you’ve finally come! We’ve brought the Asura Spider Cores as promised,” Blackscale exclaimed, rising to his feet in excitement.

“Truly? May I inspect them first?” the Spirit King asked eagerly, his face alight with anticipation.

“Of course!”

Blackscale laughed and flicked his wrist, tossing out a green ring without hesitation.

The Spirit King caught it midair, opened the lid, and swept it with his spiritual sense.

“Excellent… These are indeed adult Asura Spider Cores, rich with temporal energy. They should suffice to refine a trace of Time Power,” the white-robed elder said with satisfaction.

“And what of our agreed-upon exchange…?” Blackscale asked, his voice tinged with tension.

“Rest assured, Brother Black. Here you are.” The Spirit King chuckled, stowing the ring before flicking his sleeve toward Blackscale.

A jade box sealed with several talismans flew out.

Blackscale’s face lit up with joy. He opened his mouth, and a streak of black light shot forth, wrapping around the box and bringing it back to him.

Meanwhile, Bloodburn’s eyes remained fixed on Mo Jianli and Han Li, his expression tense.