“Looking for me?” Although Han Li had some premonition, a trace of surprise still flashed across his face.
“Indeed, I have business with you. Have you forgotten my earlier message?” The blood-robed man’s voice was as hard as metal.
“Of course, I haven’t forgotten. What instructions do you have for me, Venerable?” Though inwardly puzzled, Han Li naturally wouldn’t deny anything at this moment.
“Fairy Mu, you heard it. This boy Han agreed to help of his own accord. You can’t refuse anymore, can you?” The blood-robed man chuckled darkly.
“What reason would I have to refuse? However, Fellow Daoist Dihuo, you should know very well that it’s far more important for Han Li to master the Evil-Warding Divine Thunder as soon as possible. The three months you mentioned are absolutely unacceptable. I can only give you one month. Otherwise, it will affect our greater plans.” Mu Qing sipped her fragrant tea, her expression unreadable.
“One month is nowhere near enough for my task. The puppet I need to refine is also of utmost importance and cannot be delayed. How about this—lend him to me for two months. That should barely suffice.” The Dihuo Old Freak pondered for a moment before making his counteroffer.
“One and a half months! Not a single day more.” Mu Qing’s voice turned icy within the black light, showing no room for negotiation.
“Fine, one and a half months it is! However, I’ll need to borrow your teleportation formation.” The blood-robed man’s eyes flickered a few times before he actually nodded in agreement.
“The teleportation won’t be a problem. I’ll send you directly to the Bloodflame Mountain. When the time comes, I’ll personally retrieve him.” Mu Qing’s tone softened slightly, carrying a hint of deeper meaning.
“Haha, that’s no issue at all. Boy Han, come with me.” The blood-robed man laughed heartily and stood up.
…
Most of the day later, in front of a pitch-black mountain in the fifth layer of the Earth Abyss, black light flashed on the surface of a hidden stone platform’s teleportation formation, revealing two figures.
They were none other than Han Li and the blood-robed man.
As soon as Han Li recovered from the dizziness of teleportation and took in his surroundings, he was startled.
Standing right beside the teleportation formation was another blood-robed man.
The moment this person noticed Han Li’s gaze, he let out a strange laugh:
“Fellow Daoist Han, you’ve finally arrived. My four Purple Blood Puppets require the blessing of your Evil-Warding Divine Thunder. Only then can they be of great use in the Netherworld River.”
“Purple Blood Puppets!” Han Li’s heart tightened at these words.
“Hehe, I’ll explain the details once we reach my residence.” Perhaps because he needed Han Li’s cooperation, this blood-robed man was unusually polite.
Han Li naturally had no objections and followed the two toward the pitch-black mountain.
The mountain stood about four to five thousand zhang tall. The two blood-robed men led Han Li straight to its midsection.
There, an unremarkable cliff about a hundred zhang high came into view.
One of the blood-robed men stepped forward, formed a hand seal with one hand while muttering an incantation, and suddenly raised his other hand.
What happened next left Han Li utterly dumbfounded.
The entire cliff trembled, emitting a thunderous roar. Amidst flashes of black light, it transformed into an enormous stone flood dragon head, covered in moss and weeds.
The two massive stone eyes on the flood dragon’s head blinked once before opening, revealing a pair of blood-red pupils.
After sweeping a chilling gaze over Han Li and the two blood-robed men, the flood dragon’s maw slowly opened, revealing a passageway glowing with white light.
“Let’s go in.” One of the blood-robed men said expressionlessly, entering side by side with the other.
Han Li suppressed his shock, narrowed his eyes, and carefully examined the flood dragon’s head for a moment before stepping inside.
The passage inside was unusually spacious, about four to five zhang high, with walls lined with square black stones. At regular intervals, thumb-sized luminous pearls were embedded, illuminating the path that descended deep into the mountain’s belly.
The two blood-robed men walked side by side at the front, remaining silent from the moment they entered.
After traversing the passage and descending about a hundred zhang underground, they arrived at an open space where seven or eight identical entrances stood side by side.
This sight surprised Han Li.
However, the two blood-robed men didn’t hesitate in the slightest, casually choosing one of the passages to enter.
The entire mountain seemed hollowed out, with countless crisscrossing passages forming a labyrinth within its belly.
Along these passages, Han Li occasionally spotted various puppets patrolling—some golden and metallic, others gray and earthen, and still others agile and carved from spirit wood.
Regardless of their form, each puppet exuded astonishing spiritual pressure. A few even possessed strength comparable to a Deity Transformation cultivator.
After observing several groups, Han Li was deeply shocked.
Given his knowledge, he could tell that the Dihuo Old Freak’s mastery of puppetry was unfathomable, far surpassing even Great Divination Sage.
Of course, this didn’t mean Dihuo’s innate talent was superior. Rather, his cultivation at the Body Integration stage and the abundance of spiritual materials in the Spirit Realm placed him in a completely different league.
Following the two blood-robed men through twists and turns for the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Han Li’s vision suddenly brightened as they exited the maze. Before them lay a crimson lake, its scorching heat washing over them.
It was a natural underground lava lake!
Floating atop the lake was a blood-red palace.
Though not overly large, the palace spanned over a thousand zhang.
The entire structure emitted a thick, bloody aura, yet its craftsmanship was exquisite. At its pinnacle, a blood-red crystal several zhang in size glowed with an eerie crimson light.
Han Li was momentarily stunned.
The sheer size of the crystal instantly reminded him of the strange gem atop the Sealing Spirit Tower in the Skywing Race’s Holy City—similarly massive and enigmatic.
It was clear that some formidable restriction must be embedded within it.
The blood-robed men led Han Li to the edge of the lava lake, where they descended from their flight.
One of them then flicked his sleeve, producing a crisp jingling sound as a yellow bell shot out and landed in his palm.
With a flash of yellow light, a clear chime rang out!
The moment the sound reached Han Li’s ears, his consciousness wavered, and his body went limp.
Startled, he immediately circulated the Great Development Art within him, restoring his clarity of mind.
He quickly took a step back, his eyes fixed warily on the two blood-robed men.
Though he doubted they would suddenly attack him here, he remained on high alert.
One of the blood-robed men turned his head and gave Han Li a cold glance, a flicker of surprise flashing in his eyes upon seeing him still conscious.
At that moment, the lava lake before the palace began churning violently as a massive beast emerged from below.
The creature’s body was shelled like a giant turtle, but its neck was slender, topped with three eerie heads resembling those of deer, each adorned with coral-like crimson horns.
Summoned by the bell’s chime, the beast swam swiftly through the lava toward Han Li and the others the moment it surfaced.
“This is my gatekeeper, the Chun Turtle Beast. It’s a natural fire spirit body, capable of unleashing three different types of spiritual flames. In a place like this, its power is extraordinary. Even I had great difficulty subduing it back then. To enter my Bloodflame Palace, one must pass its test.” One of the blood-robed men chuckled darkly as he addressed Han Li.
“Your abilities are truly vast, Venerable. I am in awe.”
Han Li’s heart stirred as he spoke, then raised his head to scan the air above the lava lake. His face paled as blue light flickered in his eyes.
Under the effect of his Brightsight Spirit Eyes, the air above the lake was densely crisscrossed with countless transparent threads, all converging on the massive crystal atop the palace.
Anyone unaware of this who recklessly flew over the lake would meet a grim fate.
Han Li’s lips twitched as he sucked in a cold breath.
Meanwhile, the Chun Turtle Beast swiftly reached the shore, its three heads emitting a strange, frog-like croak toward the two blood-robed men.
One of the men raised his hand and tossed out a fist-sized black sphere, which emitted a foul stench.
One of the beast’s heads swayed, releasing a red mist that enveloped the sphere and swallowed it whole.
With a few more low croaks, the creature seemed overjoyed. It then turned, extending a thick, long tail onto the shore.
The two blood-robed men stepped onto the beast’s back without hurry, then turned to fix their four eyes on Han Li.
Han Li sighed inwardly and followed suit.
With another chime of the bell, the Chun Turtle Beast swiftly carried the three toward the Bloodflame Palace at the lake’s center.
The lava lake wasn’t particularly large, and soon the beast delivered them to the palace’s entrance.
The three then flew up at low altitude, landing before the palace gates.
The moment Han Li’s feet touched the ground, the tightly shut gates slowly swung open from within, revealing two groups of figures.
One group wore red armor and helmets, each holding a flaming halberd and wreathed in fire. The other group consisted of swirling gray mist, within which shadowy figures lurked, seemingly empty-handed.
Han Li’s spiritual sense swept over them, detecting faint signs of life—unlike the puppets he had seen earlier.
The two groups immediately bowed deeply to the blood-robed men.
“Open the Yin Fire Hall. I wish to properly entertain Fellow Daoist Han.” One of the blood-robed men stepped forward and issued a cold command.
At his words, the two groups sprang into action. Most hurried back inside, while the rest stood respectfully in two rows.
None of them uttered a word, as if they were incapable of speech.
Han Li maintained a neutral expression, but his mind buzzed with fresh suspicions.
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