The so-called “thing” was none other than the fierce young man who had recently been captured by the Great Jin cultivators. However, referring to a corpse as a “thing” was hardly inappropriate.
Gazing at the lifeless body of the young man on the ground, Han Li muttered a few words under his breath. This was not his doing—when he had attempted to revive the young man to inquire about the origins of these Great Jin cultivators, the man’s face had already turned purplish-black, as if he had poisoned himself to commit suicide.
It seemed this young man was ruthless enough to know he was doomed and had taken poison before engaging in battle. This way, once captured, he wouldn’t have to fear the torment of soul refinement. Yet, the speed at which his spirit dissipated suggested he had taken additional measures to ensure his demise.
Han Li shook his head, feeling a mix of amusement and exasperation. If this man knew in the afterlife that he could have been saved but had missed his chance due to his own suicide, who knew what expression he would wear? However, Han Li had no prior connection to this person and thus felt no particular emotion. Without further thought, he shot out a small fireball, instantly reducing the young man’s corpse to ashes.
Moments later, the demonic cloud returned, and the Second Nascent Soul emerged, holding a black banner. With a light wave of the banner, a gust of wind swept through, drawing all the demonic energy back into the banner. After a brief swirl, it shot toward the crown of Han Li’s head and vanished without a trace.
Han Li then glanced around and noticed the Utra tribesmen standing far away, watching him with fear in their eyes.
“Alright, we can’t stay here any longer. Follow me. Before you die from poison, you still need to tell me the location of the secret cave,” Han Li said indifferently to one of the carriages.
“So you’re a Yin Luo Sect elder! No wonder you could easily kill that old traitor Feng Zhen and possess such rare pills as the Haoyuan Dan.” The carriage curtain was slowly lifted as Feng Yue, wearing a hood, stepped out. His voice carried a hint of excitement.
“Heh! A Yin Luo Sect elder? We’ll discuss that later. Let’s go.” Han Li sneered and, without another word, summoned a flying sword and soared into the sky.
After a brief hesitation, Feng Yue followed suit. Soon, the two streaks of light vanished into the horizon.
Only then did the Utra tribesmen cautiously return to their caravan. The leaders exchanged bewildered glances, utterly confused about what had transpired. Their hired immortal masters were either dead or gone, leaving them clueless about the events that had unfolded.
Days later, news of the incident spread. The deaths of several immortal masters, even if they were low-ranking, were no small matter—especially since they involved Great Jin cultivators who had come to trade with the Utra tribe and the Holy Palace. This could not be taken lightly.
Holy Palace immortal masters swiftly arrived to investigate. After questioning witnesses and analyzing the scene, they identified the perpetrator as the foreigner who had recently slain several Nascent Soul-level immortal masters. According to the tribesmen who had witnessed the event, this foreigner was none other than an elder of the Yin Luo Sect, one of the Great Jin’s Ten Great Demon Sects.
Since the statement came from a surviving Nine Immortals Palace cultivator, it was likely accurate. Moreover, the Utra people were well aware of the fearsome reputation of the Yin Luo Sect’s treasured Ghost Luo Banner. This realization sent a chill down the spines of those who had participated in the earlier interception.
It seemed that during the previous battle, this Yin Luo Sect elder had not even exerted his full strength, withholding such a powerful treasure. With such abilities and possession of the Ghost Luo Banner, he was undoubtedly one of the sect’s top-ranking elders.
As for why he had appeared in the grasslands and attacked them, some Utra immortal masters began to piece together a possible explanation.
After all, decades ago during the Holy War, their sworn enemies, the Mulan people, had been backed by the Yin Luo Sect. Could it be that this elder had infiltrated the grasslands to seek revenge for the Mulan’s defeat or to pursue some other scheme? This seemed the only plausible explanation.
With this tenuous reasoning, the Utra people felt somewhat reassured. No matter how formidable the enemy, knowing their origins and motives made them easier to deal with.
The Tianlan Holy Palace immediately dispatched a large number of cultivators to patrol the border between the Great Jin and the grasslands, preparing for any Yin Luo Sect reinforcements. At the same time, they assembled a group of swift Nascent Soul-level immortal masters, ready to hunt down and eliminate this Yin Luo Sect elder. Regardless of his status, they could not allow him to leave the Tianlan Grasslands alive—doing so would be a disgrace to the Tianlan Holy Palace and the entire grassland cultivation world.
Thus, the Spirit Awakening Ceremony, usually presided over by the Holy Maiden, was hastily concluded in just two days.
A day later, in a heavily guarded restricted area behind the Holy Palace, over a hundred high-ranking Utra immortal masters, after undergoing purification rituals, gradually gathered.
They stood in a massive square nearly a thousand feet wide, at the center of which was an enormous array diagram embedded with over a hundred mid-grade spirit stones. At the heart of the array stood a grayish-white rectangular altar, about five to six zhang tall, crafted from plain white stone. Its walls bore a few unknown runes and symbols, devoid of any other markings.
Around the array stood more than a dozen Nascent Soul-level immortal masters, all solemn and silent, as if awaiting someone.
After a long silence, two women and a man entered the restricted area side by side. The central figure was a slender woman in a silver robe, her face veiled by white gauze, revealing only her dreamy, intoxicating eyes. Her long, raven-black hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her skin was as fair as snow.
To one side stood a handsome young man who appeared to be in his thirties, though his eyes carried an ancient weariness. On the other side was an alluring, voluptuous woman in yellow robes, her long purple hair like satin. Her bare arms each bore a pitch-black ghost head biting into her flesh, yet she showed no sign of pain.
“Greetings, Holy Maiden! Greetings, Great Immortal Masters!” The surrounding Utra immortal masters bowed slightly in respect.
The three nodded in acknowledgment before stopping a few zhang in front of the altar and turning to face the crowd.
“Fellow immortal masters, there’s no need for formalities. This summoning ritual is not only to hunt down that foreigner but also an attempt to permanently anchor the Holy Beast’s avatar within the Holy Palace. I hope you will all assist me to the best of your abilities. To increase the ritual’s success, the two Great Immortal Masters have spent over a decade searching for two suitable sacrificial offerings. Great Immortal Masters, please present them now.” The silver-robed woman’s melodious voice rang clear in everyone’s ears.
Hearing this, most of the Utra immortal masters showed excitement.
The handsome young man and the purple-haired woman exchanged a glance, smiled, and clapped their hands lightly. Immediately, heavy footsteps echoed from outside the square, causing the ground to tremble slightly.
Some couldn’t help but look in surprise toward the source of the sound.
From either side of the square, two teams of towering bronze figures, each eight strong and standing two zhang tall, marched in. They carried massive wooden frames toward the center of the square, upon which lay colossal shapes.
When the frames were placed before the altar, even the most composed individuals gasped at the sight.
One was a green-glowing, bull-like beast, and the other a coiled, snow-white python—both as massive as small hills, lying unconscious on the frames.
Moreover, the sheer demonic aura radiating from these two creatures made it clear they were peak seventh-grade beasts, on the verge of ascending to the eighth grade. No wonder even the two Great Immortal Masters had spent so much effort to capture them alive.
“This Azure Wind Bull and Ice Armor Python are rare ancient species, perfect for the ritual. Whether we can truly anchor the Holy Beast’s avatar in this world depends on the destiny of the Tianlan tribe. Let the ritual begin.” The silver-robed woman’s cold, clear gaze swept over the crowd as she spoke calmly. Then, she raised a jade-like hand and lightly waved it toward one of the beasts.
A burst of silver threads shot from her hand, transforming into hundreds of silver chains that tightly bound the beast. With a flash of silver light, the massive bull’s body floated gently toward the altar.
At this moment, the previously unconscious bull awoke. Realizing its predicament, it trembled violently, struggling to break free. However, with multiple powerful restrictions already placed on it and the hundreds of silver chains binding it, it couldn’t move an inch. It could only watch in terror as it was lifted onto the altar. It opened its mouth to roar, but no sound emerged.
The silver-robed woman turned gracefully to face the altar. With a flick of her sleeve, a fist-sized ball of blue light flew out, hovering above the bull’s massive form. It was a miniature cauldron wreathed in pale blue flames, spinning mysteriously in midair.
The woman formed hand seals, and enchanting incantations flowed from her lips. The blue flames flared, and the cauldron began to grow, transforming into a zhang-tall ancient cauldron.
Had Han Li been present, he would have been stunned. Apart from the flames, this cauldron bore an uncanny resemblance to the Void Heaven Cauldron—identical in shape, adorned with the same patterns of flowers, birds, insects, and beasts. It was utterly unbelievable!
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