And this Rat King, belonging to the Qiong Rat Clan, was also a significant force among the demon tribes. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to ascend to the position of Demon King.
After all, the demon tribes were somewhat different from humans.
While they were indeed the pinnacle of their kind, they also needed the backing of a powerful faction to secure their position.
Unlike the authority of the Three Human Sovereigns, which was largely inherited through generations.
Though Han Li was eager to meet this Rat King, seeing that the other party had no intention of receiving visitors, he had no choice but to abandon the idea.
In the remaining time, aside from socializing with some Body Integration cultivators, Han Li spent a few days every now and then studying the strange vanishing spiritual root of Young Master Hai.
To this end, he not only consulted numerous ancient texts but even drew some of Young Master Hai’s blood essence for a detailed study of his physique.
Surprisingly, after all this effort, he managed to identify two or three vague possibilities.
However, determining the true nature of this vanishing spiritual root would still require more time and observation.
During this period, Han Li treated the two of them quite well.
Not only did he allow Young Master Hai and Qilingzi to freely enter and exit his hall, but he also occasionally gave them pointers in their cultivation, from which they benefited greatly.
One day, as Han Li was explaining some cultivation techniques to Young Master Hai and Qilingzi in the hall and was about to take a sip of spiritual tea, his expression suddenly changed, revealing a hint of surprise.
“Senior, has something happened?” Qilingzi reacted quickly and instinctively asked.
“Wait a little longer, and you’ll find out,” Han Li replied with a slight frown.
Hearing this, Young Master Hai and Qilingzi exchanged glances, sensing nothing unusual but still feeling uneasy.
Not daring to press Han Li further, they could only wait quietly.
After about the time it took to finish a cup of tea, a low, muffled sound came from outside the hall, followed by a slight tremor in the ground. The entire hall shook, and the walls trembled faintly.
Young Master Hai and Qilingzi were startled and looked toward the entrance in shock.
Han Li, however, remained seated, though his expression turned solemn.
The muffled sounds continued, and the hall swayed more violently, as if some colossal creature was slowly approaching the immortal palace.
“Senior Han, what is this…?” Young Master Hai could no longer hold back and asked nervously.
“You won’t sense anything from here. Let me take you to see for yourselves,” Han Li sighed, standing up and flicking his sleeve toward the two.
A burst of azure light enveloped them, and in a flash, they vanished as a streak of azure light.
The next moment, the three of them appeared in a teleportation formation and were swiftly transported away.
As soon as they emerged from the formation, the azure light carried them out of the first floor of the Welcome Immortal Palace and shot straight into the sky.
After a few flashes, they stopped at an altitude of tens of thousands of feet, appearing atop a mountain peak. From this vantage point, they could see everything within thousands of miles.
Without the palace’s restrictions blocking their senses, the distant rumbling sounds were even more deafening, like the heavens collapsing and the earth splitting apart.
The entire Nine Immortal Mountain range trembled as the colossal creature approached, stirring unrest among the peaks.
“What is that? It looks like a piece of land is alive and walking toward us!” Qilingzi, the young Daoist, gaped in disbelief as he saw the distant sight.
Young Master Hai blinked in shock, almost thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him.
Their astonishment was understandable.
Between the distant mountains, a vast expanse of black land, slightly raised and of unknown breadth, was slowly advancing toward their peak.
The earth-shaking booms came from beneath this black land.
The raised terrain appeared extremely arid, its surface cracked with countless deep fissures forming intricate patterns.
Even more astonishing, at the center of this land stood a towering black castle, surrounded by densely packed black-armored warriors.
They stood motionless, holding long halberds and giant axes, their expressions icy.
Above the castle, over a thousand armored warriors riding massive blue wolves circled in the air.
These were the Thunder Guards Han Li had seen before!
The contrast between the stationary and the airborne warriors created an overwhelming, indescribable aura.
Han Li narrowed his eyes, blue light flickering in his pupils.
Suddenly, his expression shifted slightly, and he spoke calmly:
“Which fellow Daoist is there? Why not show yourself?”
“Brother Han’s perception is truly remarkable. This humble woman’s little tricks couldn’t deceive you. Tsk tsk, this spirit beast under the Tyrant Sovereign is indeed enormous. It’s most likely related to the legendary ‘Canling’.” A strange, melodious woman’s voice suddenly came from behind.
Han Li’s face remained calm, but inwardly, he was shocked.
With his powerful spiritual sense, he had only just detected someone approaching so close—this was truly unbelievable.
He exhaled slowly and turned to face the speaker.
A beautiful woman in a five-colored palace robe stood about ten zhang away, smiling at him.
But when Han Li swept his spiritual sense over her, he couldn’t help but let out a soft “Huh?” in surprise.
“Liu Qing greets you, fellow Daoist. I suppose you’ve already noticed—this body isn’t my true form but merely a puppet avatar,” the woman said with a graceful bow.
“Liu Qing? I’ve heard that the former Heavenly Wonder Sovereign had two capable deputies—one skilled in puppetry and the other in illusion. The one proficient in puppetry was known as the Thousand Spirits Fairy, also called Liu Qing. Could that be you?” Han Li returned the greeting and asked thoughtfully.
“I didn’t expect my name to be known even to Brother Han. I’m truly flattered. Normally, I would attend such a once-in-a-millennium gathering in person, but I’m currently in the midst of a critical phase of a secret technique and can’t leave my chamber. So, I had to send this puppet avatar instead. Fortunately, this avatar is somewhat recognized, allowing me to stay here.” Her speech was poised and elegant, exuding an air of refinement.
Hearing her identity, Han Li’s expression shifted slightly.
This Thousand Spirits Fairy, though merely a subordinate of the Heavenly Wonder Sovereign, was renowned for her extraordinary talent in puppetry. After joining the Heavenly Wonder Sovereign’s service, her skills had advanced by leaps and bounds, earning her the reputation as the second-best puppeteer among humans. The best, of course, was the Heavenly Wonder Sovereign herself, who excelled in both puppetry and illusions. The Thousand Spirits Fairy and another deputy had willingly followed the sovereign due to their admiration for her abilities.
Though this was only a puppet avatar, Han Li could tell its strength was comparable to that of an ordinary late-stage Void Refinement cultivator.
Thus, despite his surprise that she seemed to recognize him, he didn’t dare slight her. He cupped his fists and said, “So it truly is Fairy Thousand Spirits. Han apologizes for the oversight. But the ‘Canling’ you mentioned earlier—could it be the ancient divine tortoise capable of carrying the Xuanwu Great City?”
“Indeed. I was referring to that colossal beast, which inherited the bloodline of the true spirit Xuanwu. I was fortunate enough to witness it once. Its size was so immense that no one would dare think of opposing it. Moreover, this beast was proficient in water and earth-based divine abilities, with defenses so strong that even ordinary Heaven-reaching Spiritual Treasures could hardly scratch it. The one brought by the Xuanwu Tyrant Sovereign now is likely a direct descendant of that tortoise.” Liu Qing chuckled.
“A descendant?” Han Li turned back to look at the massive land still approaching in the distance. His face twitched, and he couldn’t help but suck in a cold breath.
“Indeed. The true Canling’s size is beyond comparison—this one is but a fraction of its ancestor,” the woman said earnestly.
“After hearing Fairy Liu’s words, I truly wish to see that Canling tortoise for myself,” Han Li murmured, gazing into the distance.
“Seeing that beast isn’t easy. Back then, I accompanied the Heavenly Wonder Sovereign to Xuanwu City and happened to witness it during its once-every-three-millennia ritual of absorbing the essence of the sun and moon. Otherwise, it usually buries most of its body underground, with its limbs and head retracted into its shell, deep in slumber.”
“I see. Han has learned much!” Han Li clasped his fists, a hint of regret in his expression.
Meanwhile, Young Master Hai and Qilingzi listened in fascination, their faces filled with awe.
The colossal beast, now resembling a black continent, finally halted its advance when it was still dozens of miles from the mountain. The ground’s trembling ceased abruptly.
But then, the landmass slowly began to rise. Within moments, it transformed into a towering black mountain thousands of zhang high. A slight tremor ran through its base, and a massive head emerged from the earth, two eerie green beams sweeping over the gathered spectators.
Han Li and the woman were among them.
Han Li focused his gaze, clearly seeing the beast’s true form.
Its head was terrifyingly grotesque, adorned with over a dozen twisted horns of varying sizes. Thick black scales covered its neck, shielding its vital spots. Its mouth was unusually long, and when slightly opened, gusts of foul wind billowed out, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth.
Han Li sighed as he observed the beast’s fangs.
After a quick mental comparison, he realized that someone of his size would need at least a hundred people to fill the beast’s mouth for a single bite.
Qilingzi paled at the sight of the beast’s ferocity, despite his usual boldness.
Meanwhile, Young Master Hai stretched out his hand, measuring the distance and then comparing it to his own body.
Curious, Qilingzi asked, “What are you doing, Big Brother?”
“Nothing much. Just measuring whether I’m bigger or the monster’s teeth are bigger,” Young Master Hai replied without turning his head, leaving Qilingzi speechless.
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