“Boom!” With a deafening roar and a flash of black light, a colossal warship emerged, rapidly expanding in size.
Initially, the warship was only a few dozen zhang long, but in the blink of an eye, it grew to the size of a mountain. Three black masts, each as towering as a sky-piercing pillar, reached tens of thousands of zhang high. Black sails hung from them, faintly imprinted with the images of ferocious black beasts, so lifelike that they exuded an overwhelming aura of malevolence.
Even more startling was that as the ship expanded to such an immense size, glowing runes flickered at the centers of various formations on its surface, revealing an array of peculiar objects. Some were spherical, others cylindrical, but all were inscribed with intricate patterns. Clearly, these were devices designed for simplicity in activation but devastating in power.
However, activating so many devices would likely require hundreds of cultivators working in unison to unleash their full potential.
Yet, compared to these devices, the three translucent, multicolored crystal pillars standing atop the ship’s deck were the most eye-catching. Each pillar was as thick as a water vat and stretched a hundred zhang tall, dwarfing all other objects on the ship.
As Han Li scrutinized the massive warship, the Long Family Patriarch finished inspecting the spiritual milk and storage bracelet in his hands, stowing them away before glancing at the ship and remarking impassively, “The raw materials alone for crafting this Sky-Piercing Warship cost over a hundred million spirit stones, not to mention the labor, time, and effort invested. If this ship were truly put up for sale, I wouldn’t even consider it unless the price doubled.”
Han Li chuckled lightly. “I’m well aware that this transaction slightly favors me, but the spiritual milk and materials you’ve obtained are also priceless in the outside world. Regardless, this deal is done, and I won’t linger here any longer. When you decide to enter the Demon Realm, simply send word to Tianyuan City in advance. I’ll be sure to arrive on time.” With that, he formed a hand seal, shrinking the colossal warship back to a few inches in size before tucking it into his sleeve.
The Long Family Patriarch’s expression remained wooden, but a faint smile appeared as he replied, “As long as the human race can withstand the initial waves of the demon invasion and keep the calamity under control, our journey to the Demon Realm will proceed as planned. I’ll notify you in advance. With your current cultivation, you’ll undoubtedly be a great asset.”
Han Li nodded, then his gaze flickered toward an empty patch of void nearby, where he smirked mysteriously. With a final salute, a green light enveloped him, and he shot into the sky as a green streak, vanishing into the distance.
The Long Family Patriarch’s expression shifted slightly, but he remained rooted in place until the green streak disappeared entirely. Only then did he let out a soft sigh.
At that moment, the void Han Li had glanced at earlier rippled, and a figure emerged from the distortion—a black-robed man, another elder of the Long Family. His face was grim as he stared in the direction Han Li had departed. “Brother Long, it seems he detected my presence. This newly mastered concealment technique even eluded you, yet he saw through it effortlessly. Either he possesses a unique divine ability or a treasure specifically designed to pierce concealment.”
“Indeed,” the Long Family Patriarch replied expressionlessly. “Or perhaps his spiritual sense surpasses even mine. Given his rapid cultivation progress, it’s plausible he possesses one or two extraordinary talents. Regardless, with him joining us, our strength in the Demon Realm will be bolstered, ensuring we don’t lag too far behind the Spirit Race’s Saint-tier experts.”
“But Brother Long,” the black-robed man frowned, “we know too little about this Han Li. He could become an unstable variable in our Demon Realm expedition.”
The Long Family Patriarch snorted. “Knowing little is inconsequential. How much do we truly know about the others we’ve invited? As long as they help us achieve our goals, that’s sufficient. This demon calamity is a trial for our race, but for us Body Integration cultivators, it’s also an opportunity. This mission must succeed—failure is not an option, or we’ll be forever stuck at this realm.”
The black-robed man nodded in agreement. “Your words hold merit. But before that, we must first withstand the demon invasion.”
“With the combined strength of thirteen noble families, I’ve established this stronghold,” the Long Family Patriarch declared confidently. “Its defenses and high-level cultivators rival those of the three imperial cities. Even if this demon calamity proves twice as severe as the rumors suggest, we’ll remain unscathed.”
“I have no doubt of that,” the black-robed man said solemnly. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have sought your cooperation. Since Han Li has left, let’s return to our duties. The demonic rifts are growing larger by the day. In three or four months, the true demons will break through. We must remain vigilant.”
“Agreed. I have a crucial batch of pills brewing,” the Long Family Patriarch said, flicking his sleeve. A golden mist enveloped him, and he shot toward the city as a streak of golden light.
The black-robed man formed a hand seal and transformed into a rolling black wind, following suit.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, Han Li continued his journey.
Two months later, Han Li finally returned to Tianyuan City via a teleportation formation. The city was under martial law, with all defensive formations partially activated. Had he not been a Body Integration cultivator, he might not have even been permitted to use the teleportation formation.
Ignoring the city’s tense atmosphere, Han Li headed straight for the tower where his disciples, including Hai Da Shao, resided. He handed the Sky-Piercing Warship to them, instructing them to familiarize themselves and several hundred disciples with its operation, as the warship required a sizable crew to unleash its full power. This was Han Li’s contingency plan to ensure their survival during the demon calamity—given their Nascent Soul cultivation, their chances of emerging unscathed were uncertain.
After delegating the warship, Han Li retreated to the tower’s top floor to resume his cultivation. This time, however, he tasked his disciples with monitoring the demonic rifts and reporting their status daily.
As days passed, the tension in Tianyuan City grew. The nearby demonic rifts had expanded to tens of thousands of miles, their surfaces pitch-black and gleaming, with churning demonic energy visible even from a distance. Yet, compared to other regions, Tianyuan City’s rifts were relatively small. The largest rift, reportedly spanning a million miles, had appeared near the newly appointed Spirit Emperor’s territory—a hundred times larger than Tianyuan City’s.
Upon hearing this, Han Li could only sigh and put the matter aside.
One day, near a massive demonic rift countless miles from Tianyuan City, two golden flying vessels, each several zhang long, were cleverly concealed in a dense forest about ten miles away. Onboard were two golden-armored guards and several black-armored sentinels, who had been stationed there for an unknown duration, whispering anxiously among themselves.
“Brother Chen, these past two days, I’ve felt uneasy, my eyelids twitching uncontrollably. Could the demon calamity be imminent?” a burly golden-armored man asked, his arms rippling with muscles.
“Fellow Daoist Jin, you’re not alone,” a diminutive elder replied with a wry smile. “Ever since being assigned to monitor this rift, I’ve been on edge. Fortunately, our duty is merely surveillance. Once the rift breaks, we can activate the teleportation formation and return to the city immediately. There’s little real danger.”
“I know there’s no life-threatening risk, but I still can’t shake this feeling. My mental fortitude must be lacking,” the burly man admitted with a helpless grin. “Being drawn by lot for this assignment was just our bad luck.”
The elder shook his head. “Staying in the city would’ve been safer, but completing this mission comes with substantial rewards. I’d say the risk is worth it.”
“True. The pills the elders offered are incredibly rare and beneficial…” The burly man’s words trailed off as his gaze snapped toward the distant sky. He shot to his feet, his face paling. “What’s that?!”
The elder whirled around, his heart sinking. The other black-armored sentinels also turned, their faces draining of color.
In the distance, beneath the demonic rift, a vast expanse of the void began to twist and distort violently, as if the sky itself were about to flip over. Then, with an earth-shaking roar, countless blood-red, horned bats, each over a zhang long, surged from the churning demonic energy. Opening their mouths, they unleashed waves of sonic attacks toward the distorted void below.
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