“From the tone of your words, it seems this Blood Light is also a Sacred Ancestor. Since the Chaos Dual Qi is so important, why would he hand it over to others so easily? Why not have his avatar carry it personally or wait until his true form descends to extract the Chaos Dual Qi?” Han Li’s expression flickered between uncertainty and suspicion as he spoke with deep skepticism.
“Having been trapped here for so many years, I naturally cannot know the exact reasons. Perhaps other Sacred Ancestors already suspect he possesses the Demon-Sealing Lock and have sent people to monitor his every move. Out of caution, he dared not handle it personally. Or perhaps his true form encountered some major trouble in the Sacred Realm, making it impossible for him to descend to the Spirit Realm. Although Sacred Ancestors can dispatch avatars here, very few can withstand the repulsive forces with their true forms. After all, Sacred Ancestors vary in strength, and Blood Light, that scoundrel, was never ranked highly among them. By the way, since you seized the Demon-Sealing Lock, I assume you’ve killed those Venerables. Tell me about their abilities—perhaps I might recognize them!” After explaining, Che Qigong suddenly perked up and asked.
“Now that you mention it, it does seem plausible. The abilities of those Demon Venerables I killed were quite bizarre. One possessed immense strength, with a physique rivaling that of a Sacred Ancestor. Another could summon Netherworld Ghosts directly through a strange treasure. The last one actually knew the legendary method of refining Mother-Child True Demons…” Han Li pondered briefly, deeming the information harmless, and shared it piece by piece.
“Of those three, I’ve only heard of one, and he wasn’t particularly famous when I was trapped here. But he was already under Blood Light’s command back then. It seems the Demon-Sealing Lock was indeed entrusted to them by that scoundrel Blood Light.”
“So, the leader of the demonic forces descending nearby is almost certainly this Blood Light Sacred Ancestor,” Han Li murmured, taking a deep breath.
“Unless my earlier judgment was entirely wrong, that must be the case. From your tone, there must be either a Yellow Spring Earthfire or a Yin-Yang Nether Pool nearby,” the old man asked gravely.
“About two months’ journey from my location, there’s a canyon fissure with a Yellow Spring Earthfire. Since it’s only useful for refining certain Yin-fire treasures, it’s rare but not highly valued by our human cultivators,” Han Li replied slowly, his eyes glinting.
“Then there’s no mistake. Blood Light must have sent his three subordinates here to extract some of the Chaos Qi from the Demon-Sealing Lock. Little did he expect you’d snatch it away instead.” Che Qigong burst into laughter, clearly relishing the irony.
Han Li, however, fell into deep thought again, his expression shifting.
“Judging by your demeanor, you’re also interested in the Chaos Yin-Yang Dual Qi?” The green-robed old man suddenly stopped laughing and asked coldly.
“With such a treasure at hand, claiming indifference would be hypocritical. But how do I know if what you’re saying is true?” Han Li replied calmly.
“Heh, what use would lying serve me? After being trapped in this treasure for so many years, I’ve broken through ten of its thirteen layers of restrictions. If some of the Chaos Dual Qi could be extracted, I might finally escape. Of course, I wouldn’t let a human cultivator like you reap such benefits for nothing. If you want me to teach you how to refine the Demon-Sealing Lock, you must agree to a few conditions!” Che Qigong chuckled ambiguously.
“You want to make a deal with me?” Han Li’s eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the old man’s face.
“Exactly. Don’t you want the Chaos Yin-Yang Dual Qi?” Che Qigong smirked.
“Of course I do. But I’ll need time to consider whether to accept your terms.” A strange glint flashed in Han Li’s eyes. With a soft *pop*, his form burst into golden motes and vanished without a trace.
Che Qigong’s face darkened. After a long silence, he muttered, “He withdrew his divine sense. Could he truly be uninterested in the Chaos Dual Qi? If he refuses, who knows how long it’ll be before I find another who can help me escape…”
The green-robed old man’s expression shifted uncertainly.
At the same time, in the highest chamber of Yitian City, Han Li’s golden Nascent Soul hovered above his physical body, its tiny hands waving frantically as golden motes flew from the milky-white wooden box and merged into his form.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
The multicolored eyeballs swirling nearby exploded one after another, dissolving into dust.
With a hand seal, the golden Nascent Soul transformed into a streak of light and re-entered Han Li’s body.
A sigh escaped his lips as Han Li slowly opened his eyes, his gaze immediately locking onto the wooden box. His face was etched with extreme caution.
“The Demon-Sealing Lock and the Chaos Dual Qi… To think a random spoil of war would turn out to be something so extraordinary. But nothing in this world comes for free. Though the Chaos Qi is invaluable, I must think this through carefully.”
Muttering to himself, Han Li summoned the box with a wave of his hand. As he stroked it, he sank deep into thought.
“Wait—if this is so important, wouldn’t Blood Light have placed some tracking mechanism on it? And he’d never let such a treasure slip away so easily. This could be troublesome.”
A sudden realization made Han Li’s expression shift. He stood abruptly and began pacing, though his face showed more concern than panic.
After all, Blood Light’s presence in the Spirit Realm was merely an avatar. If his true form descended, Han Li would flee without hesitation. While confident in his abilities, he knew better than to challenge a Sacred Ancestor—a being of Mahayana-level power.
Still, if he could advance to the late Body Integration stage, wielding his Profound Heavenly Treasure and other abilities, he might stand a chance against a Sacred Ancestor’s avatar.
After pacing for what felt like an eternity, Han Li’s eyes gleamed with resolve. Without a word, he tossed the wooden box into the air and flicked his sleeve, sending over a dozen gold and silver talismans flying toward it.
Chanting incantations, Han Li fired a barrage of spells, enveloping the talismans in radiant light. The talismans absorbed the energy, transforming into shimmering runes that sank into the box’s surface.
Once the incantations ceased, Han Li’s hands moved again, this time summoning arcs of golden lightning from his fingertips. The crackling electricity wove into a net that ensnared the box, tightening layer by layer until it resembled a gleaming golden brick.
Satisfied, Han Li exhaled in relief and stored the sealed box in his storage bracelet.
With the immediate threat contained, he sat cross-legged once more, pondering his next steps.
A semi-finished Profound Heavenly Item… Would the mysterious green liquid have any effect on the Demon-Sealing Lock? But with a Sacred Ancestor trapped inside, reckless experimentation was out of the question. The last thing he needed was to accidentally release the fiend.
As for Blood Light’s potential retaliation, Han Li wasn’t overly concerned. Unless four or five late-stage Body Integration Demon Venerables ganged up on him, he could handle himself. And even if Blood Light’s avatar came personally, with the Profound Heavenly Treasure in hand, the outcome was far from certain.
For now, he saw no immediate danger. Decades later, if Blood Light’s true form descended, the human and demon races’ top experts would surely intervene. By then, he’d simply leave the Tianyuan City region, beyond Blood Light’s reach.
Having settled on a plan, Han Li closed his eyes and entered deep meditation.
Over a month later, near the valley where the demonic army was stationed, a flying chariot pulled by two massive black birds roared through the sky. Inside stood a man and a woman, both high-ranking demons wreathed in dark energy, conversing in grave tones.
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