Chapter 1443: (Untitled)

“Let’s take a look. We might discover something.” Han Li surprisingly agreed in a calm tone.

Seeing that Han Li did not reject the suggestion, Bai Bi, though somewhat unwilling in his heart, did not voice any opposition.

Thus, the trio changed direction and flew straight toward the source of the bloody scent.

After flying for over ten miles, an unusual sight indeed appeared ahead—a small oasis about a mile in size.

In the blink of an eye, the three arrived above it.

The so-called oasis, however, appeared in shades of black and yellow, with only a few tall trees and mostly low shrubs and unknown wild grasses.

At the center of the oasis lay a pool about ten zhang wide, filled with churning crimson blood. Beside the pool, over a dozen corpses of black abyss beasts of varying sizes lay sprawled on the ground, impaled by stone spikes.

Blood from these corpses flowed continuously into the bloody pool.

The entire oasis reeked of blood, so thick it was nauseating.

“These beasts shouldn’t be in the desert—they should be in the dense forest we saw earlier,” Lei Lan remarked with surprise after surveying the scene from above.

“They haven’t been dead long, otherwise the blood would have coagulated,” Bai Bi added after a careful glance, making his own judgment.

Han Li, however, after a brief inspection, suddenly moved, transforming into a streak of azure light as he circled the entire oasis.

Moments later, he returned to his original position, his eyes narrowed as he fixed his gaze on the bloody pool.

“What is it, Brother Han? Did you find something?” Lei Lan asked curiously.

“Hmm, indeed, I did find something,” Han Li murmured as if to himself, then abruptly flicked his sleeve toward the ground.

A golden streak shot out, splitting into seven or eight sword beams that plunged into the earth near the pool.

Lei Lan and Bai Bi were taken aback, still unsure of what was happening, when suddenly several agonized shrieks erupted from where the sword beams had struck. Black blood gushed out, and the nearby ground exploded as several ape-like demons burst forth from below.

Each stood several feet tall, with four ears on their heads and wielding crude stone spears, the tips of which emitted a faint white glow.

“Ah, Grievance Ape Beasts! Not good—this oasis is an illusion conjured by a Giant Spirit Flower!” Bai Bi exclaimed in alarm as soon as he recognized the creatures.

“Giant Spirit Flower!” Han Li’s eyes flashed, while Lei Lan gasped softly.

At that moment, the ground beneath the trio rumbled violently, shaking intensely.

Simultaneously, the bloody water in the pool surged outward, and a crimson streak shot forth.

In a flash, it reached Han Li’s face, aiming to impale him.

Lei Lan and Bai Bi were startled—the crimson streak was incredibly fast. Even if they wanted to intervene, it seemed too late.

But Han Li merely snorted, his arm blurring slightly.

*Bang!*

A jade-white palm appeared eerily before him, seizing the crimson streak in a lightning-fast motion.

The two Holy Sons beside him finally saw clearly—it was a thick, tongue-like appendage, with a fist-sized bulb covered in inch-long black spikes, writhing incessantly.

Yet Han Li’s hand, seemingly not made of flesh, gripped the bulb directly, ignoring the spikes as if they were nothing, leaving his skin unscathed.

At that moment, five white skeletal skulls emerged on the surface of Han Li’s fingers, and with a sudden exhale, a torrent of five-colored flames surged down the length of the tongue.

In an instant, the entire tongue turned into a slender, multicolored icicle.

Without hesitation, Han Li slapped the front of the ice pillar.

A ripple of azure light flashed, and with a crisp *crack*, like shattering porcelain, the icicle fragmented into countless pieces, vanishing into motes of light.

A monstrous roar erupted from underground, as if in excruciating pain. Meanwhile, the bloody pool swirled violently, its contents vanishing completely before the entire oasis exploded with a *boom*, revealing a colossal creature amidst the debris.

Its upper half was enormous, while its lower half was slender—a gigantic demonic flower the size of the former oasis.

Its petals were a pale silver, matching the desert, but its heart was blood-red, the transformed bloody pool. The tongue that had attacked Han Li was merely one of its many thick stamens.

Moreover, standing on the massive petals were dozens of so-called “Grievance Ape Beasts,” snarling at the sky and hurling their stone spears upward. Dozens of foot-long stone spikes materialized, shooting toward Han Li and the others.

“So this is the Giant Spirit Flower. Quite interesting. This should be a mid-tier demon, right? Aren’t mid-tier and above demons rare in the first layer?” Han Li remarked with a laugh, unfazed.

This time, he didn’t even need to act. Lei Lan and Bai Bi raised their hands in unison, unleashing arcs of silver and golden threads that shattered the incoming spikes.

“Brother Han! Rare doesn’t mean nonexistent. Besides, our trial timing is unfortunate—it coincides with the prelude to the abyssal demon tide. Some mid-tier demons appearing early in the first layer isn’t strange,” Lei Lan explained with a frown.

Though facing a mid-tier demon, the trouble it posed paled in comparison to the earlier encounter with the Shadow Spider Wasps, so her expression quickly returned to normal.

“Is that so? I’ve heard the nectar of this flower is an exceptional alchemical ingredient. Since we’ve encountered it, let’s harvest some.” Han Li smiled faintly, flicking his fingers downward.

*Whoosh!*

Ten golden sword beams shot from his fingertips, transforming into golden arcs that streaked toward the flower.

The Giant Spirit Flower let out a monstrous roar, and countless crimson streaks shot out to intercept the swords.

Against ordinary Winged Tribesmen, such a fierce assault would be daunting, but Han Li merely frowned and pointed at the swords.

Instantly, the ten swords erupted with golden light, engulfing and shredding the crimson streaks upon contact.

Then, the golden light multiplied into dozens of identical sword beams, raining down like a storm.

The Grievance Ape Beasts shrieked in terror, hurling their stone spears upward, which transformed into white streaks to meet the swords.

But these crudely refined spears were no match for the Emerald Swarm Sword’s razor-sharp aura, shattering into dust under its cold gleam.

A dozen golden arcs swept through the ape beasts, bisecting them effortlessly.

Meanwhile, the remaining sword beams mercilessly slashed at the flower, reducing it to tattered fragments that crashed to the ground, oozing green fluid.

In a single exchange, Han Li’s swords had annihilated the Giant Spirit Flower and its ape companions, leaving Lei Lan and Bai Bi no chance to act. The two exchanged wry smiles.

“Let’s collect some nectar and move on,” Han Li said coolly, recalling the swords into his sleeve.

He descended to the ground, producing a small emerald vial from his palm. With a wave, a green mist swept over the flower’s remnants, extracting pink nectar before funneling it into the vial.

Han Li shook the vial, inhaling the fragrant aroma with a faint smile before storing it away.

Lei Lan and Bai Bi landed as well, retrieving containers to collect the remaining nectar.

“Let’s go,” Han Li said flatly, spreading his wings and taking flight.

Bai Bi followed silently as a golden streak, while Lei Lan, about to ascend, glanced at the flower’s remains. On a whim, she flicked her fingers.

A thunderclap sounded as a silver arc struck a yellow vine still connected to the wreckage, reducing it to ashes.

Satisfied, she clapped her hands and flew after Han Li and Bai Bi.

Soon, the trio vanished into the horizon, leaving the area silent once more.

A full hour later, the ground trembled violently before splitting open with a thunderous roar. Several towering black tendrils emerged, followed by a colossal dark flower, several times larger than the previous one, rising from the depths.

Like a mountain, it steadied itself with its tendrils before a soft exclamation echoed from its center.

“Who dares touch the sacrificial flower placed here? Could it be Six-Legs and his ilk?” A woman’s voice, laced with fury, rang out.

Looking up, a silver wooden chair stood at the flower’s heart, occupied by a slender figure with an indistinct face, gripping a verdant whip.

“Master, do not anger yourself. The blood offering was interrupted not long ago—the culprits can’t have gone far. Allow me to investigate,” a furry, diminutive figure materialized before the chair, kneeling respectfully.

“Very well. I must continue the ritual. Handle this matter. Spare no one who dares disrupt my plans,” the woman said coldly, lashing the whip through the air.

A sharp screech echoed as a white streak split the space, unleashing a surge of black mist—as if reality itself had been torn apart.