“The Shapeshifting Demon Ape! No wonder all the Spirit Realm cultivators who entered this place came for it. Wait, no—these people don’t know the true purpose of the Spirit Mushroom Immortal.” A voice of astonishment came from the giant toad, clearly shocked.
“Regardless, this thing must never fall into their hands. But welcoming the Sacred Ancestor cannot be delayed either. Here’s what we’ll do: you return immediately and gather a group of demon beasts to locate the Spirit Mushroom Immortal. With their knowledge of the entire mountain range, they’ll surely succeed. But remember, act discreetly—don’t let the subordinates of Many-Eyes and Blood-Arm detect this. Also, if you encounter any other Spirit Realm cultivators, eliminate them all. Though we have an agreement with the top-tier beings of the Spirit Realm, as long as we don’t leave the mountains en masse, the disappearance of twenty or thirty people won’t matter. Would those exalted figures really intervene for such a trivial matter?” The winged man pondered for a moment before issuing a cold command.
“Since you’ve decreed it, I shall return at once. Those humans possess artifacts that can track the Spirit Mushroom Immortal. Though they only work within a hundred miles, seizing them would increase our chances of finding it. One of the artifacts was destroyed by you, but the one from the person I devoured remains intact. I’ll hand it over now.” The giant toad nodded its massive head and spat out a faintly glowing artifact disk.
“So that’s the case. If so, those Spirit Realm cultivators must be eliminated without exception. Once we corrupt these artifacts, the Spirit Mushroom Immortal will be firmly within my grasp. Go now.” The winged man’s eyes gleamed with delight as he reached out and absorbed the disk into his hand.
“As you command!” The toad bowed respectfully before plunging silently into the sea of mist below.
The winged man stowed the artifact disk, then with a flap of his massive wings, transformed into a streak of black light and shot toward the horizon.
Two days later, above a strange region filled with towering trees reaching dozens of feet high, two groups of beings were engaged in a high-speed chase.
At the front was a pale-yellow spirit boat, only thirty to forty feet long, carrying three blue-robed men. One sat motionless, seemingly severely injured, while the other two channeled their spiritual energy frantically to propel the boat.
Pursuing them was a bizarre, blood-red, cone-shaped flying chariot shrouded in gray mist, with ghostly shadows flickering within.
A single figure stood atop the chariot—a man clad in silver armor studded with crimson spikes, unmistakably the Gui clansman who had nearly clashed with Han Li at the Thundercloud Pavilion.
With arms crossed, he watched the fleeing spirit boat with cold detachment, his eyes betraying a hint of bloodlust.
In mere moments, the chase spanned dozens of miles.
But whether in terms of flying artifacts or personal cultivation, Gui far surpassed the three men ahead. Within minutes, he closed the distance significantly.
“Why must you pursue us so relentlessly? We bear no grudge against you and are willing to leave the mountains and surrender our tracking artifact. Just spare our lives!” one of the men on the boat shouted desperately.
“Spare you? Of course—just offer your essence blood and souls to me, and I’ll let you go.” Gui’s voice was emotionless, yet it carried clearly across the distance.
“So you’re a vile cultivator who deserves death!” the man roared in fury.
Panicked, the three redoubled their efforts. The two standing men spat essence blood to boost their power, while the seated one abandoned his recovery and channeled his energy into the boat as well.
The spirit boat surged forward, nearly matching the speed of the chariot behind it—even pulling slightly ahead.
But before the trio could rejoice, Gui sneered. His armor flared with silver light as he formed a hand seal and stomped on the chariot.
An incredible sight unfolded: the blood-red chariot’s gray mist churned violently, expanding into a cloud spanning acres. A deafening dragon’s roar erupted from within.
The three men turned in shock, only to be petrified with terror.
A silver flood dragon shot out from the mist in a flash of crimson light, vanishing momentarily before reappearing above the spirit boat with a gust of foul wind.
The men reacted swiftly, hurling seven or eight treasures at the descending dragon.
But the dragon’s blood-red eyes gleamed as it spat out a crimson pearl that emitted a clear chime.
The pearl spun, unleashing a wave of black-and-red light that swept over the incoming treasures, causing them to wail and plummet from the sky.
The light then engulfed the spirit boat’s protective barrier, dissolving it like wax before enveloping the three men.
Screams erupted.
The light was a terrifying power—within moments, the three men and their protective auras melted away, leaving only three fist-sized clots of blood.
The silver dragon opened its maw, releasing a swirl of light that sucked the blood clots into its belly.
Then, with a flash of light, the dragon transformed back into Gui.
Wiping a trace of blood from his lips, he cast a cold glance toward the depths of the mountains before shooting off as a crimson streak.
—
A hazy white mist stretched like an endless waterfall between the mountains, starkly contrasting with the surrounding black-and-gray demonic energy.
Han Li and his two companions hovered before the mist, silent and contemplative.
“Must we pass through here? Can’t we go around?” Xianxian suddenly asked.
“Unlikely. Detouring around the demonic bees already cost us two extra days. Another detour would leave us with no time,” Yue Zong replied with a frown.
“But according to you, this mist wasn’t here before. Its sudden appearance is suspicious,” Xianxian sighed.
“More than suspicious. This mist carries killing intent—likely concealing a powerful demon beast, or perhaps even created by one,” Han Li remarked calmly, gazing into the mist.
“With Brother Han here, even a high-tier demon beast would be no match,” Xianxian said with a light laugh.
“You’re mistaken. If it’s one or two beasts, I can handle them. But if it’s a group of high-tier demon beasts, I can only ensure my own survival,” Han Li shook his head.
“A group? Impossible. High-tier demon beasts rarely gather,” Xianxian’s smile faltered.
“Not necessarily. This mist is vast—too much for one or two beasts to produce. Either the creature here is exceptionally powerful, or there truly is a group,” Yue Zong mused.
Xianxian’s expression darkened. After a pause, she asked, “What do you propose? Should we turn back?”
“Turning back isn’t necessary. But we must proceed with extreme caution. If we encounter something beyond our means, retreat will be our only option,” Han Li said with a faint smile.
Xianxian relaxed slightly, but Yue Zong’s face tightened. “Senior Han still wishes to proceed?”
“Of course. This journey is crucial to me—I won’t retreat lightly. Unless you’ve lost your nerve?” Han Li glanced at him.
“After the kindness you’ve shown me, I’ll accompany you even at the risk of my life,” Yue Zong gritted his teeth after a long hesitation.
Han Li smiled faintly and said no more.
Xianxian brightened. “Since you’ve both decided, let’s proceed. If we encounter any powerful beasts, don’t worry about me. Though my cultivation is weak, I have my own means of survival.”
“With that assurance, there’s no issue at all,” Han Li laughed before transforming into a streak of azure light and plunging into the mist.
With his current abilities, even a Saint-tier demon beast wouldn’t threaten him. This mist held little fear for him.
Xianxian and Yue Zong exchanged a glance before following.
The azure streak flew steadily at low altitude as Han Li scanned the surroundings, his eyes flickering with blue light.
He had channeled significant spiritual power into his pupils, activating his spiritual eye technique to its fullest.
A small shield orbited his body, its crystalline surface shimmering with faint runes—the crystal shield forged from the strange moth’s materials.
In such a perilous place, he would hold nothing back.
Behind him, Yue Zong rode a pair of magical wheels, holding a peculiar golden box.
Its lid was open, revealing a plump, silver-spotted worm with a ghostly face pattern on its head—so lifelike it seemed to move.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage