Although the Six-Winged Frost Centipede was slightly smaller in size compared to the giant scorpion opposite it, it was still a massive presence when compared to ordinary demonic beasts.
A grotesquely large head emerged from the black mist, and with a single snap of its jaws, it spat out a beam of light as thick as a water vat.
Wherever the white light passed, the air emitted a sharp tearing sound, and in a flash, the beam struck the giant scorpion’s body, piercing a hole nearly ten feet wide.
The giant scorpion was formed from countless smaller flying scorpions, so even if it was struck in a vital spot, it naturally wouldn’t feel excruciating pain or be destroyed outright. Instead, it let out a shrill buzzing sound from its mouth, and its raised tail lashed out toward the Six-Winged Frost Centipede.
A streak of green light erupted as the scorpion’s tail seemed to blur across dozens of feet in an instant, reaching the centipede’s head and stabbing down viciously.
At the same time, the hole in the giant scorpion’s abdomen wriggled and quickly sealed itself shut.
However, the Six-Winged Frost Centipede paid no heed to the incoming stinger. With a slight flutter of its six translucent wings, its figure vanished from the spot.
The scorpion’s stinger struck nothing but air with a whistling sound!
The next moment, space twisted above the giant scorpion, and the snow-white centipede reappeared, coiling like a flood dragon.
Its six wings trembled once more, and its body blurred as it shot forward, plunging into the giant scorpion’s body. Its fangs sank deep into the scorpion’s flesh.
A milky-white cold light blossomed across the scorpion’s body, quickly covering most of it and turning it crystalline.
But after a brief pause, the giant scorpion’s body shattered completely, and countless flying scorpions rained down from the sky like a downpour.
The remnants of the giant scorpion no longer tried to reform, instead scattering in all directions in a panic.
In the blink of an eye, the colorful poisonous mist dissipated entirely.
Seeing this, the Six-Winged Frost Centipede did not pursue the fleeing scorpions. Instead, it opened its maw and exhaled a gust of icy wind, sweeping up the fallen scorpion corpses from the ground and swallowing them whole, chewing loudly.
Han Li, standing in the distance, finally felt a slight sense of relief.
Now he understood why this Six-Winged Frost Centipede had evolved so rapidly! During his absence, it must have feasted on countless flying scorpions. These scorpions seemed to have an unusual origin—they were no ordinary demonic insects—and consuming them in large quantities likely had a catalytic effect on its growth.
Since entering the desert, he hadn’t encountered any other insect or beast. It seemed all living creatures had already been devoured by either the flying scorpions or this centipede.
As Han Li pondered this, the giant centipede finished consuming all the scorpions on the ground. Then, it abruptly turned its head and fixed its gaze in Han Li’s direction, its eyes gleaming with a chilling hostility.
The moment Han Li met its gaze, his heart sank. His worst fear seemed to be coming true.
Suddenly, the Six-Winged Frost Centipede let out a sharp hiss, and with a simultaneous beat of its six wings, it transformed into a white blur, shooting straight toward Han Li.
In just a few breaths, it loomed over Han Li’s head, glaring down at him with unmistakable malice.
Its exposed fangs ground together with a soft, menacing sound.
Han Li’s expression remained calm, his eyes locked onto the creature without blinking. However, his hands, hidden behind his back, subtly loosened his sleeves, allowing two Immortal-Slaying Beads to silently slip into his palms.
After a low growl, the snow-white centipede suddenly turned and shot away into the distance, vanishing beyond the horizon in an instant.
To Han Li’s surprise, the centipede treated him as if he were a mere bystander, leaving him behind without a second thought.
Han Li exhaled deeply, the tension in his face easing. But then he let out a bitter chuckle.
The centipede’s unexpected leap in evolution—from four wings to six—and its monstrous growth in power had completely caught him off guard.
Unlike ordinary demonic beasts, these ancient barbaric insects couldn’t take human form, but they had developed a rudimentary intelligence.
With its newfound strength, it naturally sought to sever the mental bond between them.
If Han Li still had his magic power, he could have easily suppressed the creature’s rebellion using the restrictions he had planted long ago. But now, with no magic power left in his body, even the most ingenious techniques were useless.
Under such circumstances, it was hardly surprising that the centipede might turn on him.
Thus, Han Li had been sweating bullets earlier, even preparing for the worst by secretly retrieving the Immortal-Slaying Beads.
Fortunately, the original twelve centipedes had been raised by Han Li from eggs, nurtured meticulously for hundreds of years.
The mental bond between them was exceptionally strong, and since this centipede was a fusion of all twelve, their combined connection made it nearly impossible for it to break free entirely.
After a fierce internal struggle, the centipede ultimately abandoned its hostile intentions toward Han Li and simply flew away.
Han Li could only watch helplessly, unable to stop it.
Now, as he watched the black cloud recede into the distance, he felt a mix of amusement and frustration.
Back in the human world, he had painstakingly cultivated this spirit insect using the mysterious small vial, only for it to reach maturity and slip entirely out of his control.
It was like the proverbial case of “losing the bait along with the fish.”
But after a soft sigh, Han Li’s mind settled.
Though the centipede had temporarily escaped his grasp, once he restored his magic power, he might still be able to reclaim it.
The only concern was that the Spirit Realm was vast, and cultivators were numerous. If the centipede vanished without a trace or was captured by some other powerful being first, things would become complicated.
Han Li stood in place for a long while, shaking his head as he dismissed further speculation. Instead, his thoughts turned to the Gold Devouring Beetles and the Soul-Crying Beast.
His expression darkened as he strode forward, reaching a spot a hundred feet away in moments.
With a single glance downward, he clenched his fist, golden light flickering as he delivered a powerful punch to the ground.
A deafening explosion erupted as the bluish-gray sand burst apart, as if struck by a top-tier magic treasure. A massive crater formed, centered around Han Li, stretching over twenty feet wide and three to four feet deep.
At the center of the crater lay a storage pouch and three spirit beast pouches.
Seeing that the storage pouch’s seal remained intact, Han Li felt a wave of relief. But when his gaze shifted to the three spirit beast pouches, he immediately walked over.
He scooped them up, his expression thoughtful.
Though his spiritual sense couldn’t probe their contents, the intact seals on the storage pouch and the familiar weight reassured him that nothing was missing.
As for the spirit beast pouches, one was empty—the one that had held the Six-Winged Frost Centipede.
The other two were slightly ajar, but through their subtle mental connection, Han Li could sense the presence of the Gold Devouring Beetles and the Soul-Crying Beast. From one pouch, he even heard the faint sound of the Soul-Crying Beast snoring.
A faint smile tugged at Han Li’s lips as his last trace of worry vanished.
He secured the pouches and tucked them into his robes.
Each pouch was small and inconspicuous, leaving no visible trace on his person.
However, the massive centipede shell left behind posed a problem.
Frowning, Han Li delivered several more punches, widening the crater before tossing the shell inside and burying it under thick layers of sand.
After circling the area a few times to ensure no traces remained, he nodded in satisfaction.
Glancing once more at the distant horizon where the black cloud had disappeared, his expression darkened briefly before he abruptly turned and strode off in the opposite direction.
His destination this time was a renowned demonic beast territory millions of miles away.
This region lay at the border between the Tian Yuan Realm and a neighboring demonic land.
Straddling both territories, it was a no-man’s-land, serving as a buffer zone between the two.
Here, demonic beasts, ancient barbaric creatures, and numerous half-demons roamed freely, with the central areas being the most dangerous.
Rumors spoke of mysterious spirit beings at the early Nascent Soul stage, towering ancient giants dozens of feet tall, and even the roars of creatures resembling true dragons.
Such bizarre tales only added to the region’s mystique, though most dismissed them as mere legends.
However, the presence of Nascent Soul-level demonic cultivators and human cultivators was undeniable, making it a place both human and demon factions approached with caution.
Any conflict beyond this level risked sparking an all-out war between the two races—a scenario that could disrupt the very balance of heaven and earth, reversing rivers and shifting mountains.
Even the Three Sovereigns and the Seven Demon Kings, beings at the pinnacle of power, were only at the peak of the Body Integration stage.
Given the dangers, this region should have been deserted.
Yet, it remained largely unexploited by either humans or demons, harboring an abundance of spiritual veins and rare herbs beyond imagination. Some resources were unique to this land, so valuable that even the Three Sovereigns paid exorbitant sums for them annually.
Thus, countless cultivators and body refiners flocked here—some seeking fortune, others using the relentless battles to break through their cultivation bottlenecks. In a way, it mirrored the chaos of beast tides.
Of course, only those beyond the Qi Condensation or low-tier body refinement stages dared venture here—any weaker would be courting death.
The demonic forces sent to this region were similarly formidable.
After years of arduous travel, Han Li finally arrived at this borderland.
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