“Unfortunately, two of the puppets Brother Han provided were destroyed while luring the enemy. I will compensate you for them afterward,” Mo Jianli said apologetically.
“Those puppets were originally gifts for you, so it doesn’t matter even if they were all destroyed. Brother Mo, there’s no need to take it to heart,” Han Li replied with a light chuckle, appearing entirely unconcerned. Seeing this, Mo Jianli naturally expressed his gratitude repeatedly.
After a short while, a rumbling sound echoed from the horizon as the four adult Asura Spiders emerged, riding a strange gust of wind.
Among these four monsters at the Body Integration stage, two had reverted to their massive spider forms, while the other two, though still in humanoid shapes, were ragged and disheveled, looking even more battered.
Clearly, while these four Asura Spiders had broken free from the formation Mo Jianli had set up, they had suffered greatly in the process.
However, as soon as they landed in the stone city, Han Li spoke calmly:
“Sister Ying, now that everyone is gathered, we can proceed to retrieve that treasure. Where are your crystal cores?”
“Rest assured, Brother Han. The crystal cores are with me. Here are six—catch!” The blood-robed maiden, standing gracefully in mid-air, smiled and flipped her palm, sending a white jade box flying out.
At the sight of the box, Xue Ran, Mo Jianli, and the others showed slight reactions, but none dared to reach for it recklessly.
Only Han Li remained expressionless, flicking his sleeve to snatch the jade box into his hand.
Opening the lid, everyone’s divine senses swept over its contents, and their faces lit up with joy.
Inside the box were indeed six crystalline cores, each no larger than a thumb, exuding an unusual and mysterious aura.
After a brief moment of thought, Han Li suddenly flicked his wrist.
Three crystal cores shot out, flying toward Xue Ran and his brother, while two others spiraled toward Mo Jianli.
With a flash of light, the jade box and the remaining core were stored away in Han Li’s storage bracelet.
“Thank you, Brother Han!” Xue Ran and Hei Lin could no longer conceal their delight.
Xue Ran reached out, catching the two cores that had flown toward him.
Hei Lin hesitated briefly before silently retrieving the third core into his sleeve.
“Brother Han, taking only one for yourself seems somewhat unfair,” Mo Jianli said hesitantly as he caught the two cores meant for him.
“Brother Mo, don’t worry. The remaining cores will come later—what difference does it make?” Han Li replied nonchalantly.
“If you say so, then I’ll accept them with gratitude,” Mo Jianli said after a moment of internal struggle, carefully storing the two cores away.
“Now that I’ve prepaid the reward, shall we proceed?” the maiden said leisurely.
“No problem. Please lead the way,” Han Li agreed without hesitation.
The maiden giggled in acknowledgment before descending into the stone city.
At her command, one of the Asura Spider clansmen at the Body Integration stage rolled on the ground, summoning a fierce wind that transformed him into a massive black eagle, dozens of feet long.
The maiden, the Asura Spider Matriarch, and the others swiftly boarded the eagle’s back.
With a piercing cry, the eagle spread its wings and shot toward the horizon.
“Let’s follow. I hope the remaining crystals will be obtained smoothly,” Han Li said calmly, flicking his sleeve to release a streak of azure light that materialized into a triangular green chariot. He stepped aboard effortlessly.
Mo Jianli, Xue Ran, and the others wasted no time boarding the chariot as well.
With a single hand seal from Han Li, the chariot trembled before transforming into a streak of azure light, chasing after the black eagle.
In no time, both vanished beyond the horizon.
…
Most of the day later, over an endless expanse of sea, a black wind and a streak of azure light surged forward.
Powerful sea creatures in the vicinity, sensing the faint yet oppressive auras, fled in terror, fearing the beings within.
Suddenly, the black wind ahead slowed, and the surrounding gusts dissipated, revealing an iron-feathered eagle of majestic bearing.
“What’s the matter? Have we arrived?” A deep male voice echoed from the green chariot as it slowed behind.
“Brother Han, no need to rush. The Frost Pool lies on an island not far ahead. Once there, we’ll need your full assistance,” the blood-robed maiden’s melodious voice replied from the eagle.
“Good. Any longer, and we might start having… unpleasant thoughts,” Han Li said calmly from the chariot’s prow.
“Oh? Do you still distrust me, Brother Han?” the maiden giggled.
“Hard to say. Until I hold the remaining cores, I can’t help but feel uneasy,” Han Li replied ambiguously.
The maiden chuckled but said nothing more.
Ahead, countless dark specks appeared on the sea—a dense archipelago.
The islands varied in size, some lush and verdant, others barren and desolate, each with starkly different landscapes.
“Interesting. The distribution of spiritual energy here is unique for each island,” Mo Jianli remarked with curiosity as they approached.
“There are traces of formations—many restrictions must have been set up here, altering the spiritual energy. Sister Ying, what is this place?” Xue Ran asked warily after scanning the islands with his divine sense.
Han Li frowned slightly, glancing at the Asura Spiders on the eagle but refraining from questioning.
“You overthink it. This is merely an ancient battlefield from the primordial era. Though many remnants of formations remain, they are all incomplete and pose no threat. If you doubt me, inspect them yourselves,” the Asura Spider Matriarch replied coldly.
“Indeed, they’re just broken formations, barely a fraction of their original power,” Mo Jianli confirmed after a sweep with his divine sense.
“Ah, our mistake,” Xue Ran conceded, his expression easing.
Thus, the eagle and chariot pressed on, weaving through the archipelago.
The Asura Spiders seemed intimately familiar with the area. The eagle ahead navigated effortlessly, dodging remnants of formations as it led the way deeper into the island chain.
An hour later, as the air grew frigid, a massive snow-covered island came into view.
From afar, the island spanned thousands of miles, blanketed in heavy snowfall that obscured everything. A few towering peaks loomed faintly in the distance.
“We’re here. The Frost Pool lies in a valley. Let’s descend,” the blood-robed maiden said eagerly, guiding the eagle downward.
Han Li and the others exchanged glances before following.
…
After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the group hovered above a snow-filled valley, about fifty feet above the ground.
The eagle and chariot had vanished.
“This is the place. Where’s the Frost Pool?” Hei Lin asked, scanning the area with his divine sense.
“Brother Hei Lin, though the treasure in the pool can’t be taken by outsiders, we couldn’t leave it exposed in such a remote place. It’s concealed by a formation. Remove the illusion array,” the Matriarch commanded.
Two adult Asura Spiders stepped forward, floating toward a corner of the valley.
One produced a colorful square formation disk, while the other summoned a white formation flag.
Chanting incantations, they tossed their artifacts forward, fingers flicking rapidly.
With a series of soft pops, the disk spun, releasing countless five-colored runes that drifted ahead.
The flag shimmered, and a phantom of a massive white tiger emerged, roaring as it spat a transparent beam of light into the valley’s corner.
The runes swirled amid the snow, converging on the same spot.
In the next moment, space distorted violently, revealing a grand formation.
The formation was intricate, its edges studded with fist-sized, multicolored crystals.
At its center stood a cylindrical platform of crystalline ice, faint white light seeping from within.
“This is the Frost Pool you spoke of? It doesn’t look like much,” Xue Ran remarked skeptically.
“If only it were that simple. Without the formation and several pure yang treasures suppressing its cold, the moment the seal is broken, the entire archipelago would freeze solid,” the Matriarch retorted.
“The entire sea, frozen? Is it truly that terrifying?” Mo Jianli paled.
“We’ll see soon enough. Sister Luo, open the pool. Let’s take a look first,” Han Li said calmly.
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