The massive jade disk had transformed into a blinding crimson sun, its scarlet spiritual radiance enveloping the valley below in an impenetrable shroud.
Within these scarlet rays, countless faint silver runes flickered incessantly, as if imbued with some mysterious power.
Inside the jade disk, three blood-light avatars stood side by side, their hands forming seals, their bodies shimmering with bloody light as they stared unblinkingly at the crystalline wall before them.
On the crystalline wall, clusters of crimson orbs darted about the valley, searching high and low without obstruction, whether in the sky or underground.
The images on the crystalline wall shifted unpredictably with the movement of these orbs, yet aside from rocks, trees, and mindless beasts, nothing else of note could be seen.
The expressions of the three avatars grew increasingly grim, yet they continued to drive the orbs, scouring every inch of the terrain.
Before long, a sharp whistling sound pierced the air from the distant horizon, and a streak of white light shot toward them—Yuan Sha, riding atop the stone hall, had arrived.
After a few tremors, the stone hall came to a halt a thousand feet away from the jade disk, its flight abruptly ceasing.
Almost simultaneously, a white flash appeared on the crystalline wall of the jade disk, revealing a slender figure.
“Fellow Daoist Yuan Sha, you’ve finally arrived,” the central blood-light avatar said with a faint smile as the woman’s image appeared.
“Spare the pleasantries. Is that brat truly trapped in this valley?” Yuan Sha swept her gaze over the three of them and spoke indifferently.
“Of course. I wouldn’t dare deceive you. After I caught up to him, he attempted to escape underground, thinking he could evade me. Instead, I seized the opportunity to seal this place with the Qiankun Disk. There’s no way he can escape. However, he seems to be using some concealment technique—I haven’t been able to locate him yet. That’s where I’ll need your help,” another blood-light avatar replied coolly.
“Good. I’ll personally use the Demonic Essence Art to force him out,” Yuan Sha nodded in agreement.
“Wait. Let one of us accompany you into the valley. We can provide some protection in case the brat tries to ambush you,” the third blood-light avatar interjected coldly.
“Protection? Hmph, more like surveillance,” the woman’s expression darkened instantly.
“Fellow Daoist Yuan Sha, don’t misunderstand! That brat is cunning and possesses several powerful treasures. It’s best to be cautious,” the central avatar chuckled.
“Do as you please. If you want to send someone, I won’t stop you. But don’t entertain any other schemes. If anything goes wrong, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” After a brief pause, the woman replied expressionlessly before vanishing from the crystalline wall without waiting for a response.
“Good. As we agreed, you go and keep an eye on her. If that brat is found, notify us immediately. We can’t let him fall into Yuan Sha’s hands first,” the central avatar’s smile vanished, replaced by a grim tone as he addressed the other avatar.
“Don’t worry, I’ll adapt as needed. Even if his magic power is depleted, he won’t be captured so easily. But until he appears, you mustn’t lift the Qiankun Disk’s seal—lest he escape again,” the avatar nodded, adding a word of caution.
The remaining two naturally agreed.
At the same time, a thunderous roar erupted from the distant stone hall. Countless runes shimmered across its surface before it split down the middle, transforming back into two colossal stone giants.
Yuan Sha stood gracefully atop one of the stone giants, forming a seal before descending toward the valley’s center with both giants in tow.
Meanwhile, a streak of bloody light shot out from the jade disk, a crimson shadow darting downward.
Moments later, Yuan Sha and a blood-robed youth landed on a flat stretch of rubble in the valley.
“This is the place. Stone Elders, transform,” Yuan Sha commanded after a brief survey of the surroundings.
“Yes, Lady Yuan Sha!”
The two stone giants rumbled in unison before rolling onto the ground. A gray-white light erupted from their bodies, and in an instant, they transformed into two towering stone pillars, each over a hundred feet tall, inscribed with strange patterns and incantations that exuded an air of profound mystery.
“Stone Totems! Well, well, I never expected your subordinates to have mastered this,” the blood-robed youth remarked in astonishment.
“Among the Stone Demon Clan, their cultivation may not rank in the top three, but they’re certainly within the top ten. If they couldn’t accomplish this much, why would I have sheltered their lineage in the Sacred Realm for so many years?” Yuan Sha retorted bluntly.
“Hmph, if my own Stone Demon Clan had elders of such caliber, I’d shelter them indefinitely as well. Enough of this. Are you summoning these totems to amplify your Demonic Essence Art?” the youth stroked his chin and chuckled.
“Since even you, with the Qiankun Disk, couldn’t detect Han Li’s whereabouts, the Demonic Essence Art alone might not suffice. But with the Stone Totems’ enhancement, success is guaranteed,” Yuan Sha replied frankly, showing no intention to conceal her plan.
The blood-robed youth nodded and fell silent.
Yuan Sha, too, said no more. With a flicker, she appeared between the two stone pillars.
A white flash later, an ancient stone platform rose from the ground with a thunderous rumble, lifting her dozens of feet into the air.
Taking a deep breath, she formed a seal with one hand while flicking her sleeve with the other, sending a dozen small black flags flying out. They circled briefly before embedding themselves firmly into the ground around the platform.
With a sharp cry, a black light surged from her back, twisting into a colossal, three-headed, six-armed demonic form clad in gleaming black armor. The figure radiated an overwhelming, blood-chilling aura, its six crimson eyes devoid of any emotion.
Low incantations spilled from Yuan Sha’s lips as she suddenly raised a hand, sending a dozen spell seals shooting into the void.
The black flags trembled and hummed, their black light swelling until they transformed into towering monoliths, each over thirty feet tall.
At that moment, the demonic form behind her stirred, lifting its heads and reaching skyward with its six arms.
Six black orbs materialized in its palms before exploding into plumes of smoke that converged high above.
In moments, a demonic cloud formed in the sky, writhing and shifting into the shapes of beasts and birds as if alive.
Yuan Sha ceased her chanting and pointed solemnly at the surrounding flags.
Black mist swirled around the flags before shooting skyward as streams of dark energy.
The demonic cloud expanded violently, its rumbling echoes nearly drowning out the valley as it blotted out half the sky.
With a grave expression, Yuan Sha suddenly spat several mouthfuls of blood essence toward the cloud.
The blood transformed into a fine mist, vanishing soundlessly into the roiling darkness.
Meanwhile, the two stone totems emitted rings of five-colored light.
Each sweep of this radiance caused the demonic cloud to swell further.
Soon, streaks of crimson light flickered within the cloud, coalescing into countless fist-sized black masses.
These masses writhed before morphing into palm-sized black crows.
The sky filled with their raucous cries as tens of thousands of crows blotted out the heavens, a sight that sent shivers down the spine.
“Go.”
Yuan Sha flicked her sleeve and issued a cold command.
The crows surged forward like a tidal wave, descending upon a specific part of the valley.
The woman atop the platform closed her eyes, pressing a finger to her brow as she focused on her senses.
The blood-light avatar beside her glanced at the swarm of crows but remained otherwise motionless.
The crows seemed intangible, passing effortlessly through rocks, trees, rivers, and soil as they scoured the valley and its depths.
Yet, for a time, they found nothing.
Just as Yuan Sha recalled the crows and sent them in another direction, a shrill buzzing erupted from the blood-robed youth’s waist.
Startled, he slapped a hand against his belt.
A crystal orb the size of an egg shot out, expanding into a shimmering screen.
Within it, two other blood-light avatars stood side by side.
“Trouble! Summon Yuan Sha back immediately. We’ve just received word—another ‘Han Li’ has appeared at our rear defensive lines, breaking through multiple barriers and killing two high-ranking demon lords. He’s fleeing toward Tianyuan City!”
“This ‘Han Li’ wielded a damaged Profound Heavenly Treasure and unleashed a swarm of Gold Devouring Beetles—it must be his true body! The one here is just an avatar. We’ve been fooled by his decoy tactic. We’ve already ordered our forces to track him at all costs. If we leave now, we can still catch up!”
The two avatars spoke rapidly, their faces a mix of fury and alarm.
“What?! How can this be? Fellow Daoist Yuan Sha, did you hear that? Cease your spell at once—we must leave immediately. Forget the avatar!” The blood-robed youth’s expression twisted in dismay as he whirled toward the woman on the platform.
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