Chapter 2086: Sea of the Demon Origin

On a certain day a year later, on the surface of the infamous Demonic Origin Sea in the demon realm, a massive black-green vessel was cutting through the dark waves, pulled by several whale-like sea beasts.

Just a hundred zhang above the sea, rolling black mist churned incessantly, interspersed with flickering silver arcs and the faint rumble of thunder. At the bow of the ship, a man and a woman stood by the railing, gazing at the distant waters.

“The Demonic Origin Sea is hailed as the birthplace of the demon race, and its demonic energy is indeed as formidable as reputed. However, the chaotic energy mixed within is also quite intense. Ordinary demons probably can’t cultivate here,” the man remarked expressionlessly, his face tinged with a faint golden hue.

“I’ve heard that the chaotic energy has dissipated significantly compared to before. Millions of years ago, this was one of the forbidden zones of the demon race, inaccessible to most. Perhaps in a few more years, this chaotic energy will vanish entirely, and the sea will once again become a sacred land for demons!” The woman, petite and beautiful, replied with a smile.

These two were none other than the Long Family Ancestor and the feathered-robed maiden from the Ye Family.

It seemed that Han Li and the others had regrouped with their companions and were now sailing together into the Demonic Origin Sea.

“Heh, even if this sea holds some strange anomalies, we’ve endured so much hardship to get here—there’s no turning back now. The only unexpected thing is the sheer intensity of the lightning here. Even low-altitude flight is impossible,” the Long Family Ancestor replied with a hint of resignation.

“It’s not that low-altitude flight is impossible, but sustaining it for long is impractical. Under such relentless lightning strikes, no matter how profound one’s cultivation, maintaining defenses indefinitely is impossible,” the feathered-robed maiden chuckled in response.

“Regardless, locating the island where the Spirit Cleansing Pool lies will likely take much longer than initially estimated. The clues provided by our Spirit Race companions are vague. We’ll have to first find a sea area with similar characteristics before we can pinpoint the island. Given the vastness of the Demonic Origin Sea, we’ll need considerable luck to find it within a reasonable timeframe,” the Long Family Ancestor sighed.

Hearing this, the maiden’s smile faded as she pondered. After a long pause, she murmured, “Our time isn’t as plentiful as we thought. By now, some demon factions must have noticed unfamiliar Venerable-level figures like us. Once they uncover our true origins, the trouble will be unimaginable. Every passing month increases our risk of exposure.”

“I’m well aware of that. But as I said before, we’re already in too deep. We’ve come this far—there’s no choice but to grit our teeth and press on,” the Long Family Ancestor said sternly.

The maiden sighed and fell silent.

At that moment, the Long Family Ancestor’s eyes flickered, and he suddenly asked a question that caught her off guard: “This time, Brother Han and you arrived over a month later than us, barely making it to the rendezvous point on time. Moreover, I sense that your aura has changed slightly since we last parted. It seems you encountered some fortuitous opportunity along the way. If so, I must congratulate you and Brother Han in advance.”

A meaningful glint flashed in his eyes.

“Brother Long’s insight is truly sharp. Yet, you’ve noticed even the slightest change in me. However, the gains Brother Han and I made are minor compared to what you and Brother Hui must have obtained,” the maiden replied after a brief shift in expression, letting out a light laugh.

“From your tone, it seems you suspect something. But rest assured, I have no intention of prying. It was merely a passing remark,” the Long Family Ancestor laughed heartily.

The maiden’s lips curled slightly, her face mirroring his ambiguous smile.

At the same time, in a cabin on the lower deck of the ship, Han Li sat cross-legged on a wooden bed. Through an extremely concealed strand of divine sense, he had clearly overheard the entire conversation between the Long Family Ancestor and the feathered-robed maiden. With a faint smile, he withdrew his divine sense and fell into deep thought.

A year ago, after obtaining the True Phoenix Blood, he and the maiden had been intercepted by the avatar of the Lingyuan Sacred Ancestor at the edge of the Iron Sand Ridge.

In the ensuing battle, with the maiden’s assistance and by unleashing a few of his true abilities, Han Li managed to trap and severely wound the Sacred Ancestor’s avatar.

After suffering such heavy injuries, the avatar dared not pursue them further even after breaking free, forced to retreat back into the Iron Sand Ridge.

With no pursuers, Han Li and the maiden continued their journey unimpeded. The remainder of their trip proceeded smoothly, with only minor obstacles easily resolved.

Half a month prior, they finally reunited with the Long Family Ancestor and the Spirit Race members at a demon port by the sea.

However, Han Li was taken aback upon their reunion.

This time, the Long Family Ancestor and Hui were unharmed, but the Spirit Race’s “Elder Jin” was conspicuously absent. The Long Family Ancestor was equally surprised. Upon inquiry, the Spirit Race members vaguely explained that Elder Jin had met with an accident and perished, returning to the origin of spirits.

As for the specifics, they offered no further details.

Han Li and the others refrained from pressing further, though suspicions lingered in their minds.

Recalling this, Han Li frowned slightly, the face of the Spirit Race youth named “Zhishui” flashing before his eyes.

This individual had always given Han Li an uneasy feeling. Strangely, upon their reunion, the increasingly oppressive yin-cold aura around him had vanished entirely, leaving him indistinguishable from other Spirit Race members.

This intrigued Han Li, who couldn’t help but suspect that Elder Jin’s demise might be connected to this youth.

Of course, this was mere speculation without evidence. Nevertheless, Han Li found himself paying closer attention to the young man.

With these thoughts, Han Li narrowed his eyes slightly. Then, with a flick of his wrist, a small white vial silently appeared in his palm.

Running his fingers over it, a trace of satisfaction flickered across his face.

With the True Phoenix Blood, the Twelve Earthly Branches Technique could gain another transformation, significantly enhancing the power of his other forms.

The True Phoenix’s most renowned ability was its control over wind.

Legend had it that this divine beast was born amidst the winds of the Nine Heavens. When enraged, it could unleash gales capable of overturning seas, toppling nations, and leveling cities—a truly terrifying force.

Though Han Li was deeply curious about this power, unlike the maiden, he hadn’t consumed the blood immediately.

The Twelve Earthly Branches Technique differed from ordinary cultivation methods. The more true blood one refined, the longer the process took, and interruptions or abandonment were strictly inadvisable.

Thus, he had decided early on to wait until after their demon realm expedition, returning to the Spirit Realm before formally refining the True Phoenix Blood.

With this in mind, a white flash later, the vial vanished once more.

Setting aside all distractions, Han Li closed his eyes and entered meditation.

Days passed swiftly. The black-green ship sailed across the dark sea for three long months.

Han Li and the others took turns in pairs, manning the ship’s bow to scout the surrounding waters while the rest rested in the cabins.

During this period, aside from encountering a few reckless sea beasts, the journey remained largely uneventful.

Yet, despite their efforts, they found no sea area matching the Spirit Race’s descriptions.

On this day, it was Han Li and the Sage of a Thousand Autumns’ turn to steer the ship.

Han Li stood silently at the bow, gazing at the distant sea, while the Sage sat cross-legged on a golden silk cushion a few zhang away, her eyes lightly closed.

Though both appeared tranquil, their vast divine senses continuously scanned the waters within a radius of ten thousand li.

Suddenly, Han Li’s expression shifted, a glint flashing in his eyes.

“What is it, Brother Han? Have you discovered something?” The Sage immediately sensed the anomaly in his divine sense and opened her eyes to look at him.

“Left side, three thousand li away,” Han Li replied succinctly.

Without hesitation, the Sage directed her divine sense toward the indicated area.

Moments later, her face lit up with excitement.

“Demonic Ape Reef—it matches the description perfectly! Brother Han, change course immediately. I’ll summon the others!”

Han Li nodded, swiftly forming a hand seal and sending a streak of multicolored light toward the sea beasts pulling the ship.

With low roars, the beasts adjusted their direction, dragging the ship swiftly to the left.

Simultaneously, the Sage used a secret technique to notify the Long Family Ancestor and the others.

Soon, everyone gathered at the bow, their spirits lifting as they scanned the same direction with their divine senses.

Though the ship couldn’t fly, the sea beasts’ full-speed pull ensured a rapid pace.

Two hours later, a solitary “mountain” appeared on the distant sea—a pitch-black peak, half submerged in the low-hanging dark clouds, half jutting out of the water.

Unbelievably, the entire mountain bore an uncanny resemblance to a giant ape, its arms raised toward the sky. Though rough up close, from afar, its eyes, nose, mouth, and ears were eerily lifelike.