Although Han Li couldn’t immediately discern the changes in the Leopard-Lion Beast, he knew that anything capable of making him feel threatened at his current level was certainly extraordinary.
Unfortunately, he had no time to investigate further. He would have to wait until after leaving the Cold Moon Realm to thoroughly examine the beast’s mutations.
With this thought, Han Li communicated with the Leopard-Lion Beast through divine sense, instructing it to stay alert before sitting cross-legged, closing his eyes, and beginning to meditate.
His recovered mana had already been sparse, and after the fierce battle with the Horned Race, his spiritual energy was nearly depleted. Thus, he remained in the tree hollow for seven full days, restoring nearly ninety percent of his mana.
Ideally, he would have preferred to fully recover before leaving.
But at noon on the eighth day, a low growl from the Leopard-Lion Beast abruptly reached his ears.
Han Li jolted awake from his cultivation, his eyes snapping open.
A chaotic fluctuation of spiritual energy lingered faintly nearby, and distant, intermittent explosions echoed as if a battle were raging in the sky above.
His mind stirred, and without hesitation, he silently released his divine sense to scan outside the tree hollow. His expression immediately turned peculiar.
Above the dense forest, a fierce chase between two beasts was unfolding.
One large and one small, their sizes vastly different, the two strange creatures clashed and pursued each other thousands of feet in the air.
The leading beast was only about ten feet long, its fur gleaming gold, its eyes pitch-black—it was none other than the Shadow Beast King Han Li had encountered in the Shadow Beast Forest, the one being chased by its own kind.
But now, this king-level Shadow Beast looked even more disheveled. Not only were patches of its fur scorched, but its long tail was inexplicably missing a large portion.
Yet despite this, its ferocity remained undiminished. As it fled like a golden streak, it continuously turned its head to spew golden wind blades.
Each blade expanded to several feet upon leaving its mouth, flashing through the air before slashing down viciously dozens of feet behind it.
The pursuing beast paid no heed to these attacks. A flicker of spiritual light on its body deflected the blades effortlessly—its defensive abilities were astonishingly formidable.
This second beast was over a hundred feet long, with the head of a boar and the body of a flood dragon. Its snow-white head and shimmering blue body radiated an aura even stronger than the Shadow Beast King’s.
No wonder the Shadow Beast King dared not engage it directly, resorting only to fleeing and sporadic attacks.
Han Li swiftly recalled the Leopard-Lion Beast, suppressed his aura, and held his breath.
Both beasts were too focused on each other to notice him below.
In moments, they streaked past the forest and vanished into the distant horizon.
Han Li frowned slightly before relaxing his concealed aura.
“Why has this Shadow Beast King come here?” he wondered, puzzled.
Still, he harbored no real fear of the two beasts, though he saw no reason to invite unnecessary trouble—hence his earlier concealment.
The sudden appearance of the Shadow Beast King was unexpected, but since it didn’t concern him, Han Li dismissed it from his mind.
After this disturbance, he decided against staying any longer.
The powerful residual auras left by the two beasts could easily attract other dangerous creatures. Fortunately, their path diverged from his intended direction, so he had little to worry about.
Retrieving the barrier at the entrance, he transformed into a green streak and flew out of the tree hollow, resuming his journey.
As he traveled, he held a top-tier spirit stone in each hand, continuously absorbing their pure spiritual energy.
Even without dedicated meditation, he estimated his mana would soon be fully replenished.
Han Li journeyed day and night for an entire month.
Apart from encountering a few low-level beasts foolish enough to provoke him, he faced no significant threats or other foreign teams, much to his relief.
One day, from within his green streak, he spotted an immense lake stretching beyond the horizon.
The lake’s surface was as blue as the sea, the sky clear and cloudless—a serene and picturesque scene.
A faint smile touched Han Li’s lips as he cautiously extended his divine sense to scan the nearby waters.
If the map was accurate, his destination was near.
Moments later, he withdrew his divine sense, and with a sharp whistle, his green streak shot across the lake’s surface, heading deeper in.
Hours later, his expression shifted slightly.
The lake’s vastness far exceeded his expectations. Even after flying at his incredible speed for so long, the endless expanse remained unchanged.
Had the map not proven reliable thus far, he might have thought he’d strayed into some unknown sea.
More unsettling was the absence of any spiritual creatures in the lake—only ordinary fish and a few low-level, stealthy lake beasts hiding motionless in the depths.
Without his extraordinary divine sense, he might not have detected them at all.
His eyes flickered with wariness as his mind raced.
This scenario was familiar—it usually indicated the presence of an extremely powerful beast that had driven away or devoured lesser creatures.
Though the Stone Cocoon Clan had assured him this area was safe, free of strong beasts, that information dated back to the last opening of the Cold Moon Realm.
After so many years, it wouldn’t be surprising if a formidable creature had claimed this territory.
He hesitated, weighing whether the Stone Cocoon Clan’s promised materials were worth the risk.
After all, Duan Tianren had already promised to intercede for him regarding the super teleportation array. Given the man’s status, his word should be reliable.
But Han Li disliked leaving things to chance. And after traveling so far, turning back now would be a bitter pill to swallow.
His expression darkened as his flight slowed unconsciously.
Just then, a black dot appeared on the distant lake’s surface, rapidly growing into a massive island.
Han Li narrowed his eyes and halted his streak, observing from afar.
The island spanned over a thousand li, dominated by two peaks—one towering over ten thousand feet, its gray surface barren, and the other half as tall but lush with dense vegetation.
“This must be the place,” he murmured, focusing on the gray peak.
The island matched the map’s description perfectly. The rare material sought by the Stone Cocoon Clan was a unique ore found only on that towering peak, exclusive to the Cold Moon Realm and crucial to their people.
As he stared intently, his expression suddenly changed. With a flick of his sleeve, a small green sword shot downward.
Simultaneously, the lake’s mirror-like surface erupted as a water column surged toward him.
The sword’s light split the column in two.
A strange cry rang out as a bizarre fish hidden within was bisected, its green blood splattering into the lake.
Han Li glanced down, his azure pupils revealing the fish’s form clearly.
It was only a foot long, emerald green with wings and a serpent-like head, its belly bearing nearly invisible tiny claws.
A flicker of recognition crossed his mind—he’d heard of such fish before, though the details eluded him.
But then, something shocking happened.
As the fish’s remains hit the water, a cacophony erupted across the lake.
Countless water columns shot skyward, revealing swarms of similar fish hovering in the air, their cold, emotionless eyes fixed on Han Li.
These fish varied in size and color, their scales shimmering with an eerie radiance.
“Rainbow Wingfish!” Han Li blurted out, finally recalling their origin.
During his time in the Skywing Clan’s holy city, he’d read about them in an ancient text.
Despite their beautiful name, these fish were both coveted and feared by ancient seafaring races.
Their cores were a key ingredient for the legendary “Seven-Colored Pill,” a rare elixir used to nurture ancient spirit insects, accelerating their maturation and even enabling mutations or further evolution.
But they were also lethally venomous, their toxins nearly unstoppable, and they moved in massive swarms—thousands, even tens of thousands strong.
Few who encountered them alone survived unless possessing extraordinary abilities.
Thought extinct since ancient times, they existed now only in forgotten records.
Han Li never expected to find them here in the Cold Moon Realm.
Now he understood why no mid-to-high-level spiritual beasts remained in the lake—either poisoned and devoured or long since fled.
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