Han Li casually raised his hand and stored all three Gold Devouring Beetles into his spirit beast ring, then closed his eyes to quietly meditate and regulate his breathing.
The outcome of these three Gold Devouring Beetles devouring one another was undoubtedly that only the strongest one would survive.
However, whether this final quasi-king beetle could truly evolve into the legendary Gold Devouring Beetle King was something he wasn’t entirely confident about.
After all, according to rumors, the Gold Devouring Beetle King was so formidable that even celestial immortals would retreat upon encountering it.
Of course, this was merely a legend—there were no actual records in the ancient texts of the Spirit Realm about the appearance of a Gold Devouring Beetle King.
Just how powerful this beetle king could become was truly an uncertain matter.
Han Li could only harbor a faint hope in his heart.
That said, compared to his current astonishing abilities, the average Mahayana cultivator would no longer be of much help to him.
Thus, he had already made a decision: upon returning this time, he would have the Leopard Kirin Beast, which had always stayed by his side, begin secluded cultivation as well.
Although such spirit beasts typically relied on long years to slowly accumulate cultivation and strength, with his generous supply of elixirs, it wouldn’t be long before its power greatly increased.
As Han Li pondered this, his divine sense gradually sank into the deepest recesses of his consciousness.
Meanwhile, the white flying boat raced unimpeded across the desolate land, emanating a faint but unmistakable Mahayana aura—enough to terrify the nearby ferocious demonic beasts and deter any thoughts of provoking it.
Half a month later, the endless stretches of black and green below finally vanished, replaced by an expanse of boundless white snowfields.
Ahead, the void was filled with howling winds and swirling snowflakes as large as goose feathers, interspersed with fist-sized chunks of crystalline ice.
Yet, enveloped in a milky-white barrier, the flying boat remained as steady as a rock.
The two giant ape puppets showed no signs of disturbance as they continued piloting the boat forward at full speed.
Several days later, the flying boat entered the depths of the snowfields, where the thick white snow below disappeared, giving way to a landscape of translucent glaciers.
As far as the eye could see, there were transparent peaks of varying sizes, along with some unknown furry white creatures darting across the ice, completely indifferent to the flying boat above.
Clearly, these demonic beasts were too low-level to even sense the powerful aura of the flying boat.
Suddenly, a streak of silver light shot down from the boat, circled among a group of the creatures, then soared back up, returning to the boat in a flash.
With another silver shimmer, Yin Yue appeared at the bow of the boat, smiling as she examined a white juvenile beast she held by the scruff of its neck.
At first glance, the creature resembled a white bear by about seventy to eighty percent, but it had a short blue horn on its head and unusually long ears, making it look quite adorable.
The little beast, held by its neck, flailed its limbs helplessly. At the same time, faint crackling sounds came from its forehead, accompanied by sporadic blue sparks—an awkward and clumsy display.
“Interesting. This creature doesn’t carry the slightest trace of demonic energy. In fact, it resembles a spirit beast from the human realm,” Yin Yue remarked, stroking the furry head of the beast with a charming smile.
“This is a Frosthorn Bear, one of the rare low-level demonic beasts in the Demon Realm that can survive and reproduce without relying on demonic energy. It naturally possesses both ice and lightning attributes,” a clear male voice suddenly spoke from behind Yin Yue.
Delighted, Yin Yue turned to see Han Li stepping out of the cabin unhurriedly.
“Oh? Brother Han is familiar with this creature?” Yin Yue asked with a smile.
“Back then, I made a point of collecting records on various demonic beasts of the Demon Realm, so I have a rather deep impression of this one, given its similarity to spirit beasts,” Han Li replied gently.
“I see. But since you’ve emerged from seclusion now, does that mean we’re close to our destination?” Yin Yue nodded, then asked with a hint of excitement.
“According to Fellow Daoist Lan Ying, we’re no more than half a day’s journey from the location marked on the Qiling Secret Map,” Han Li replied casually, sweeping his divine sense across the surrounding ten-thousand-mile radius.
“Half a day? That’s indeed close. Hehe, that Qiling Patriarch was once a renowned figure in the Demon Realm. The treasures he left behind in his secret stash must be quite valuable,” Yin Yue said cheerfully.
“That’s hard to say. The cultivation techniques of demons differ greatly from ours. What they consider treasures might be of little use to us. However, it’s said that the ‘Ink Spirit Sacred Boat,’ once ranked among the top three flying treasures in the Demon Realm, was in his possession. If we can obtain that, this trip won’t have been in vain,” Han Li said with a faint smile.
“Ranked in the top three of the Demon Realm? That treasure must be extraordinary. I’d love to see it,” Yin Yue said, her beautiful face blooming like a flower.
Han Li smiled slightly, about to respond, when his expression suddenly shifted. His gaze sharpened as he looked toward the distant horizon in another direction.
“What is it, Brother Han? Did you discover something?” Yin Yue asked in surprise.
“Interesting. It seems we’ve encountered an old acquaintance,” Han Li said, his eyes flashing with blue light as he stared into the distance. A faint smile curled his lips.
“An old acquaintance? Someone I know as well?” Yin Yue was genuinely taken aback.
“Indeed. You and I both had quite the interaction with her back then. Let’s go meet this old friend,” Han Li said, withdrawing his gaze and turning to Yin Yue with a mysterious smile.
“Someone I truly know… Then I must see for myself,” Yin Yue said, also extending her divine sense in the same direction. However, her range was limited, and she couldn’t detect any signs of life. Intrigued, her expression grew animated.
Han Li chuckled but said nothing more. With a light tap of his toe, the flying boat shuddered slightly, changed direction, and shot toward the horizon.
In the blink of an eye, the white flying boat traversed tens of thousands of miles, arriving near a towering iceberg several thousand feet high.
Above the iceberg, thunderous booms echoed as shockwaves of terrifying force rippled outward in all directions.
The massive iceberg, which had stood for who knew how many years, had been sheared off at its midsection, leaving only half its original height. The surrounding ground was pockmarked with craters, littered with countless chunks of ice of varying sizes.
At the center of the commotion, rolling white frost and blue mist intertwined, forming a churning cloud of vapor.
Within it, two colossal figures seemed locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle!
Witnessing this, Han Li narrowed his eyes. Without any visible movement, the flying boat came to a halt, hovering silently in the void nearby.
Yin Yue also stared intently at the distant battle, though the chaotic fluctuations of heaven and earth energy made it impossible to discern any details.
However, judging by the sheer scale of the disturbance, it was clear that no ordinary Demon Venerable could unleash such power.
“It’s her!”
When Yin Yue’s divine sense brushed against a faintly familiar aura, her jade-like face instantly registered shock.
Han Li smiled faintly but remained silent, simply observing the battle from the flying boat.
With his immense divine sense, he could perceive everything within the fray as clearly as if it were right before him.
After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, an earth-shaking explosion erupted from the battle. A burst of blue light surged outward, seemingly intent on annihilating everything in its vicinity.
A piercing, agonized roar split the air!
A spatial ripple appeared as a white flood dragon over a hundred feet long burst from the light, its body riddled with wounds. Ignoring its injuries, it gathered its spiritual light and attempted to flee.
But at that moment, the light flickered, and a graceful figure emerged.
A sharp cry rang out!
Above, space rippled as a massive blue claw materialized and struck downward like lightning, slicing the flood dragon’s body into several segments.
With a *whoosh*, black flames erupted from the claw, engulfing the dragon’s mangled remains.
Despite its desperate screams, the flood dragon’s severed body writhed and thrashed within the flames, yet strangely, it couldn’t break free.
In mere moments, the dragon’s body and soul were utterly obliterated.
Han Li raised an eyebrow at the sight before calmly addressing the figure within the blue light:
“Fellow Daoist Yuan Sha, it seems fate truly binds us. To think we’d cross paths again in such a remote place. Though, judging by your state, things don’t seem to be going well for you.”
The figure standing in the light was a woman with jade-like skin and breathtaking beauty—none other than Yuan Sha, the Sacred Ancestor he had once battled in the Wood Tribe’s territory.
However, though this Mahayana demon wore a suit of blue battle armor, its glow was dim, her face deathly pale, and her aura fluctuated wildly between strength and weakness, as if she were on the verge of collapse.
Strangely, her cultivation level had fallen to the Body Integration stage!
“So it’s Fellow Daoist Han. Has Bao Hua changed her mind and sent you to hunt me down?” Yuan Sha showed no surprise upon recognizing Han Li. Instead, her face paled further as she asked bitterly.
“Hunt you down? Impossible. Though I once aided Bao Hua, it was strictly a one-time transaction. Surely you don’t mistake me for her subordinate?” Han Li’s expression darkened as he replied coldly.
“My apologies for the misunderstanding, Fellow Daoist Han. Indeed, given your current power as a Mahayana cultivator, you likely rival Bao Hua herself. Why would you obey her orders to pursue a half-crippled wretch like me?” Yuan Sha paused, then laughed bitterly.
“Half-crippled? Your aura is indeed unstable—how did you fall below the Mahayana stage? Did Bao Hua do this?” Han Li narrowed his eyes, voicing his suspicion.
“No. I discarded most of my cultivation myself!”
After a brief hesitation, Yuan Sha uttered words that left Han Li utterly stunned.
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