Chapter 1453: Advancement

At this moment, faint white streaks suddenly appeared in the pitch-black sky, dispersing into milky-white specks that drifted down slowly.

Simultaneously, the glow on the little beast’s body abruptly shifted, turning an intense pink.

Then, an exotic fragrance emanated from the beast’s body, so enticing that it made one’s mouth water uncontrollably. It was as if the small body of the leopard-lynx beast had suddenly transformed into an unparalleled delicacy of the world.

Bai Bi and the others, who had been puzzled by Han Li and the little beast’s actions, were stunned the moment they caught a whiff of this scent.

“Nirvana Flesh Incense! Brother Han, your spirit beast is about to advance!” Bai Bi’s expression shifted slightly.

“Indeed. I’m afraid I’ll have to delay our journey here for a day,” Han Li replied, stroking the little beast twice before standing up and nodding.

“A spirit beast advancing is naturally a good thing, but for it to happen here is no small matter. Once this fragrance spreads, all the demonic creatures in this Frostflame Land will likely swarm here. If we’re unlucky and encounter some unknown high-tier demonic beasts, we might be in danger,” Bai Bi said with a grim expression.

“I’m well aware of that. Brother Bai, are you suggesting I abandon my spirit beast and leave?” Han Li’s eyes flashed coldly as he spoke indifferently.

“I didn’t mean that, it’s just—” Sensing the edge in Han Li’s tone, Bai Bi hastily denied it and tried to explain. But Han Li waved his hand, cutting him off.

“Whatever your thoughts may be, if you feel it’s too dangerous, you’re free to leave. But I won’t be going anywhere.” Han Li’s tone was resolute.

Hearing this, Bai Bi, Lei Lan, and the others exchanged glances and couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

They weren’t surprised by Han Li’s attitude. If it were them, they would also treat a spirit beast on the verge of advancing to the Spirit General rank as precious as their own lives—certainly not abandoning it lightly.

At this point, Han Li ignored the other three and busied himself with preparations.

The little beast’s advancement would take at least a full day and night. During this time, any demonic creature that caught wind of the scent would likely be drawn here. Of course, since this was the Frostflame Land, the majority of the creatures would be frost-attributed demons.

With a flash of cyan light, Han Li soared into the air. He swept a hand over his storage bracelet, and a stack of formation flags and disks appeared in his palm.

With a flick of his wrist, dozens of streaks of light shot out in all directions before vanishing into the void.

A thunderous roar erupted from the ground as ten crimson pillars of light burst from beneath the ice, forming a massive formation spanning a hundred zhang in diameter on the frozen surface.

The formation was inscribed with intricate patterns, and scarlet runes floated within it. A scorching aura spread outward, carrying a faint burning sensation in the air.

This was a fire-attribute formation set Han Li had acquired in Tianyuan City at great expense—the “Ten Directions Extinguishing Flame Formation,” a powerful barrier array.

Once activated, even a Deity Transformation cultivator would find it difficult to break free immediately. Against frost-attributed demonic creatures, its power would be even more devastating.

But Han Li wasn’t done yet. With a hand seal, seventy-two golden flying swords shot out from his body, converging above his head before multiplying into hundreds of identical sword beams with a resonant hum.

Muttering an incantation, Han Li pointed at the dense swarm of sword beams.

Instantly, the golden lights scattered in all directions, vanishing into the void after a few flashes.

Han Li had overlaid his Great Geng Sword Formation atop the barrier array.

With his current peak Deity Transformation cultivation, this sword formation could annihilate even late-stage Void Refinement cultivators. As for how much restraint it could impose on a Body Integration cultivator—that remained to be tested.

After completing these preparations, Han Li hovered above the formation, narrowing his eyes in thought before flicking his sleeve.

A silver flame flew out, transforming into a silver firebird with a clear cry. After circling once, it plunged into the ice and disappeared.

Finally, Han Li summoned the triangular spirit chariot he had used before, letting it hover above the formation while he sat cross-legged inside, meditating.

Below, the little beast was now completely enveloped in the milky-white specks, its fragrance growing even more alluring. Despite Han Li’s formidable barrier array, the scent could not be contained in the slightest.

The intoxicating aroma rapidly spread into the distant darkness.

After a hushed discussion, Lei Lan and the other two reluctantly flew over and boarded the spirit chariot.

Though they had no desire to face a frenzied onslaught of demonic creatures, given the dangers they had encountered earlier, without Han Li’s protection, they wouldn’t even make it to the third layer, let alone find the Netherflame Fruit.

Thus, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and stay.

Fortunately, Han Li’s preparations were thorough, and his unfathomable strength in their eyes gave them some reassurance. As long as no overwhelmingly powerful demonic beasts appeared, delaying for a day was acceptable.

Time passed slowly. The milky-white specks falling from the sky grew denser, completely obscuring the little beast’s form.

The previously silent leopard-lynx beast now emitted low groans within the white light, as if enduring unbearable agony.

“Spirit beasts advance very differently from us. Each breakthrough significantly strengthens their physical bodies—far beyond what we Winged Tribesmen can achieve,” Qin Xiao murmured, gazing at the white light below.

“That may be true, but the pain of this bone-deep transformation is something none of us could endure,” Lei Lan added with a faint smile.

Bai Bi, however, stared into the dark expanse of ice in the distance, his expression grave.

The surroundings were eerily silent—nothing but the faint howl of the wind. The exotic fragrance from the little beast had undoubtedly spread far and wide. While it was hard to gauge the exact range, any demonic creatures within a hundred li would surely have caught its scent.

Unease gnawed at Bai Bi’s heart, and he couldn’t help but glance at Han Li. The latter sat with his eyes closed, his expression utterly calm.

Just as Bai Bi’s lips parted to speak, Han Li suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils shimmering with crystalline light.

Almost simultaneously, a rustling sound arose from the darkness in one direction—as if countless things were swarming toward them.

Bai Bi’s expression stiffened. Even Lei Lan and Qin Xiao, who had been whispering, fell silent and turned their gazes.

In the distance, countless pairs of crimson eyes appeared, followed by a horde of pitch-black creatures, each about a foot tall, surging forward.

Their bodies gleamed darkly, and the rustling of their limbs grew rapidly louder as they approached.

They were a massive swarm of ferocious ice spiders! At a glance, their numbers seemed endless, covering the icy ground in an instant.

However, these low-tier frost demons didn’t warrant Han Li’s intervention. Qin Xiao of the Nightgreen Tribe let out a sharp cry, flicking her sleeve to release over a dozen streaks of green light that landed amidst the spider horde.

With a series of muffled booms, a dozen wooden puppets, each ten feet tall, materialized within the swarm.

Resembling giant lizards, the puppets crouched slightly before opening their mouths and spewing forth thick green beams.

Wherever the green light passed, the ice spiders melted away like snow under the spring sun, utterly defenseless.

Standing in a row, the puppets swung their heads left and right, preventing the spiders from advancing. Hundreds, if not thousands, of spider corpses piled up in moments, forming a thick layer.

Yet the sheer number of ice spiders was overwhelming. Despite the devastating green beams, the spiders pressed forward relentlessly, heedless of their own lives.

The giant lizard puppets’ attacks, though formidable, consumed spirit stones at an alarming rate. Within moments, the green beams dimmed, no longer capable of instantly annihilating the spiders.

Seizing the opportunity, countless spiders broke through the blockade, closing in on the puppets.

A flurry of hissing erupted as countless black threads shot from the swarm, entangling the puppets in an impenetrable web. With a sharp tug, the dozen puppets toppled, immobilized.

Witnessing this, Qin Xiao, still aboard the spirit chariot, was taken aback. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, she declared, “Fellow Daoists, there’s no need for you to act. These pests are mine to handle.”

With that, she transformed into a streak of green light, darting out of the formation and hovering low above the spider swarm.

The spiders immediately detected the new target. With a chorus of hisses, they unleashed another volley of black threads at her.

Qin Xiao’s expression darkened as a layer of eerie green flames enveloped her body. The black threads disintegrated into smoke upon contact, vanishing without a trace.

With a low shout, she raised her hand, summoning a green flame sword. With a single slash, a massive wave of green fire descended, carving a ten-foot-wide trench into the spider swarm.

Green flames surged within the trench, incinerating any spiders that fell into it.

A faint smile touched Qin Xiao’s lips as she prepared to widen the trench with a few more strikes. But then, furious screeches erupted from the darkness, and four colossal figures lunged forward.

Her expression stiffened upon closer inspection.

These were four enormous spiders, each over ten feet tall, their backs covered in stiff black bristles and their fangs glinting menacingly as they screeched at her.

Qin Xiao’s brows arched as she raised her flame sword, ready to strike.

But in that instant, black light rippled across the spiders’ bodies, and a pair of dark, cicada-like wings unfurled from their backs.

With a shudder, they took to the air.

Qin Xiao’s relaxed demeanor vanished instantly.