“If this person truly advances to the rank of Spirit Commander, wouldn’t he also have the ability to help us remove our slave marks?” The three-headed serpent exclaimed in delight.
“Logically, that should be the case. But why would he help us?” The ox-headed beast’s eyes flickered with a trace of hope, but it vanished quickly as it spoke with a bitter smile.
“The one in the Black Mist—whether due to an accident or abandonment—has been out of contact with us for over a century. If we don’t try something now, our lives will truly be in danger,” the golden ape, who had remained silent until now, chimed in with a grimace.
“Oh, so what are you two suggesting…?” The ox-headed beast’s face flashed with a green light.
“If this person succeeds in his advancement, why not offer him our shared treasure in exchange for removing our restrictions? Then we can flee far away,” the giant ape rumbled.
“But that treasure is crucial for our future advancement. To just hand it over to an outsider? What if he takes it and reneges on his promise? That would be disastrous,” the ox-headed beast hesitated.
“If we lose our lives, what use is the treasure? As for the latter, though he’s not one of us, he’s been fair in past dealings. It’s unlikely he’d break his word. Even if there’s some risk, given our current situation, we’d regret not seizing this chance. He’s an outsider—who knows how long he’ll stay here?” The three-headed serpent grew impatient, slamming its tail against the ground in frustration, leaving a deep crater.
The golden ape nodded vigorously in agreement.
“Since both of you feel this way, I won’t oppose it. But let’s first see if he succeeds in his advancement. If he fails, this discussion is pointless,” the ox-headed beast sighed, reluctantly conceding.
The other two beasts naturally agreed and ceased further discussion, turning their full attention to the distant celestial phenomena.
Atop the five-colored mountain peak, the milky-white cloud ring slowly expanded outward, appearing gradual but growing by astonishing increments—each moment adding a diameter of over a mile.
In no time, the cloud ring had grown large enough to encircle the entire mountain.
As the ring expanded, the hurricane within grew increasingly violent and unstoppable.
Below, the five-colored radiance was rapidly sucked upward by the tempest, thinning the luminous barrier around the mountain.
After such a prolonged period, the flow of five-colored light converging toward the mountain began to dwindle. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth had nearly all gathered in one place, swept up by the hurricane and funneled into the cloud ring.
The base of the massive ring now resembled a colossal bowl, its underside shimmering with five hues.
When the last layer of the mountain’s barrier vanished, the hurricane abruptly ceased. The cloud ring fell into eerie silence, save for the flickering five-colored lights within—a calm before the storm.
Suddenly, a dragon-like roar erupted from the depths of the mountain. A golden flash at the summit revealed a colossal, three-headed, six-armed Dharma Form.
This form stood a thousand zhang tall, its body gleaming like solid gold. As its three heads slowly lifted, two pairs of blinding golden eyes opened on each previously indistinct face, all fixated coldly on the cloud ring above.
With a synchronized shake of its three heads, three metallic roars tore through the sky, reverberating like rolling thunder.
Ordinary beasts in the distance merely trembled in fear, but low- and mid-tier demonic creatures with nascent spiritual power felt their minds go blank, their senses overwhelmed by the deafening resonance.
The Dharma Form’s roar lasted for the duration of a cup of tea before abruptly stopping. Its six arms then formed a series of hand seals.
With muffled *thumps*, four spectral figures—each half the size of the Dharma Form—materialized around it: a colossal azure roc, a five-colored peacock, a five-clawed golden dragon, and a radiant phoenix.
These mythical apparitions let out their own cries—dragon roars, phoenix calls—before circling the three-headed form, their movements fluid and majestic.
Two of the Dharma Form’s three indistinct faces suddenly sharpened into clarity, revealing Han Li’s unremarkable visage. Their golden eyes gleamed with solemn intensity, while the third face remained shrouded in obscurity.
One of the clear faces shouted, halting the circling apparitions. They then surged toward the Dharma Form’s massive body, merging into it with a flash of light.
The three-headed form shuddered, then swelled even larger as its six arms waved. Soon, it towered over the mountain below, its golden silhouette now spanning from earth to sky, its hands seemingly capable of reaching into the radiant cloud ring.
Then, a chorus of mystic chants emanated from one of the visible heads. The six arms simultaneously pointed at the ring.
Instantly, the dormant ring “awakened.” It descended soundlessly, encircling the Dharma Form and halting at its waist before spinning rapidly around it.
A bizarre spectacle unfolded: the five-colored radiance within the ring poured into the Dharma Form, transforming its golden body into a dazzling, kaleidoscopic glaze-like brilliance.
The form trembled violently, its two visible faces contorted in agony as the infusion of light intensified its suffering.
The process was shockingly swift. Within moments, all the radiance had drained from the ring. Even the milky-white clouds at its edges dissolved into hundreds of floating orbs at the Dharma Form’s command.
The three heads then opened their mouths, exhaling golden mist that drew the white orbs into their gullets, merging them seamlessly.
The agony on the Dharma Form’s visage gradually eased, yet as its glazed-hued body shimmered, it swiftly began to diminish. In the blink of an eye, the colossal entity compressed into a human silhouette, enshrouded within cascading layers of five-colored radiance.
This figure hovered cross-legged above the mountain peak, hands in meditation mudra, utterly still.
The overwhelming spiritual pressure and celestial phenomena vanished as abruptly as they had appeared, leaving an eerie calm.
In the distance, beasts and low-tier demons gradually recovered from their stupor. Ordinary creatures scrambled to their feet and fled in terror to their dens, not daring to glance back. Low-tier demons, as if granted amnesty, scattered in all directions.
“Did he succeed?” the golden ape asked anxiously. The ox-headed beast and other mid-tier demons had fared slightly better, barely managing to remain standing.
“Unclear. His breakthrough to Spirit Commander isn’t complete. The earlier phenomena were just him absorbing ambient spiritual energy. Though it seems quiet now, this is the most critical phase,” the ox-headed beast replied, its gaze fixed on the distant five-colored glow atop the mountain.
The three-headed serpent and the ape exchanged surprised glances before looking back at the mountain.
“Let’s go. Breaking through a bottleneck takes time—days, perhaps months. Lingering here might provoke his suspicion and backfire,” the ox-headed beast cautioned.
The others agreed, and the three demons summoned a gust of demonic wind to carry them away in the opposite direction. Soon, they vanished beyond the horizon.
Meanwhile, the figure within the five-colored light atop the mountain remained motionless, eyes shut, oblivious to their departure.
Days passed—one, two, five, ten… Two full months later, the figure still hovered unchanged, its luminous cocoon growing ever more radiant.
Mid-tier demons who sneaked back to observe were baffled yet intrigued. Occasionally, creatures forgetting the earlier phenomena wandered within a hundred miles of the mountain, only to vanish amid swirling white mist—an enormous, increasingly potent barrier now encircled the area.
Half a month later, the figure finally stirred. Its five-colored radiance pulsed as its eyes snapped open, and a triumphant roar burst forth—pure joy, devoid of power yet brimming with elation.
As the roar faded, the figure rose, dispersing the light cocoon with a wave. Then, with a pair of phantom wings unfurling behind it and a thunderclap, it vanished into thin air.
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