A Record Of A Mortal's Journey To Immortality

by Srtyi

A poor and ordinary boy from a village joins a minor sect in Jiang Hu and becomes an Unofficial Disciple by chance. How will Han Li, a commoner by birth, establish a foothold for himself in his sect? With his mediocre aptitude, how will he successfully traverse the path of cultivation and become an immortal? This is a story of an ordinary mortal who, against all odds, clashes with

57. 1811

Read A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality - Chapter 1811: Infiltration online free - Novel Full

With Hai Yuetian's easygoing and extroverted personality, he was quickly able to learn who was inhabiting the ninth floor of the Immortal Welcome Palace after asking around in the busy market. The answer that he received immediately made him draw a sharp breath, but his expression remained unchanged as he hurriedly departed.

"What? The Long Family?" Han Li seemed to be truly taken aback by this.

"Indeed. I've already verified that not only are the Long Family patriarch and some of their guest elders living on the ninth floor, even the current Long Family Leader and their Spatial Tempering Stage elders are all there as well," Hai Yuetian replied with a concerned expression.

"That is indeed rather troublesome, but that's not the main issue," Han Li said as he narrowed his eyes slightly.

"What do you mean, Master?" Hai Yuetian was rather perplexed by this.

"The main issue is that I'm not on good terms with the Long Family. If we were facing a normal Body Integration cultivator, I could pay them a direct visit to recover your junior martial brother. Generally speaking, unless they're completely desperate, they wouldn't want to cross another Body Integration cultivator like me. However, the fact that the Long Family is concerned makes things a lot more complicated," Han Li explained in a cold voice.

Hai Yuetian's expression changed drastically upon hearing this.

"However, that doesn't mean I can't recover your junior martial brother. Hehe, I've already crossed the Long Family once, so what'll it matter if I do it again? Besides, they may not detect me anyway. Yuetian, you go back to our Immortal Welcome Palace on your own; I'll return to join you soon," Han Li chuckled coldly as bright azure light suddenly erupted from his body, and he abruptly vanished on the spot.

Hai Yuetian could naturally tell what Han Li was implying, and he was both surprised and elated by what he had heard. Thus, he immediately extended a respectful salute, even though Han Li was no longer anywhere to be seen, then rushed down the hill.

A distance of several tens of kilometers was naturally covered in the blink of an eye for Han Li, and he reappeared in the air around half a kilometer away from the Immortal Welcome Palace.

He looked on at the ninth level of the giant palace, and the image of a massive formation blueprint surfaced in his mind. The nine Immortal Welcome Palaces were situated in different places, but according to his observation, the formations set up within them should all be quite similar.

These restrictions were indeed extremely intricate and profound, but with so many powerful abilities up his sleeve, it certainly wouldn't be impossible to infiltrate this place without being detected.

With that in mind, he pondered the situation for a moment before suddenly flipping a hand over to produce a shimmering silver piece of thin fabric.

This was none other than the Thousand Transformation Faces he had obtained from Liu Shui'er in the Vast Glacial Realm.

This was quite an extraordinary treasure, and Liu Shui'er didn't have the heart to ask Han Li to return it after he had saved her and Shi Kun's lives in the Dark Beast Forest, so it had remained with Han Li thereafter.

He immediately tossed the Thousand Transformation Faces forward before flicking his wrist, and a ball of azure light flashed from his storage bracelet, upon which a furry piece of golden beasthide was also tossed forward.

He then made a hand seal before pointing at the two items one after the other, and the Thousand Transformation Faces shuddered slightly before vanishing into the section of beasthide as a ball of silver light.

The golden beasthide rotated on the spot before suddenly hurtling toward Han Li, then vanished in a flash.

At the same time, a low roar erupted from Han Li's mouth, and his face abruptly underwent a drastic transformation.

A layer of long golden fur suddenly sprouted from his smooth skin, concealing his original facial features. At the same time, blue light flashed from his eyes, and his pupils turned into a deep blue color.

He was giving off an indescribably ferocious aura, and he stroked the golden fur on his own face as he murmured to himself, "As expected, the beasthide of this Golden Arm Ape really does work. I should be able to fool the members of the Long Family now."

He then took a deep breath, and black light flashed as two pieces of black veil suddenly appeared over his body.

The two pieces of veil rotated around him before flying toward his body as two streaks of black light.

In the next instant, Han Li's body gradually became blurry and indistinct within the black light before finally completely disappearing out of sight.

Han Li looked down at his own body, which seemed to have turned completely transparent, and he nodded with a pleased look in his eyes.

Of course, using the High Zenith Invisibility Talisman would result in a superior concealment effect, but if he were to use that talisman, it would be difficult for him to unleash his abilities to break the restrictions he would have to face, so he could only settle for something else.

Thus, Han Li flew directly toward the ninth level of the palace up ahead, and he quickly reached his target.

All of a sudden, white light flashed, and a white light barrier appeared before him. Its surface flashed with lightning, and several arcs of electricity began to emerge.

Han Li's expression remained completely unchanged as he extended a hand out of his sleeve before spreading his fingers, blasting forth several arcs of golden lightning in retaliation.

As soon as the silver arcs of lightning hurtled toward Han Li, they were instantly nullified by the golden lightning in a completely soundless manner.

At the same time, a layer of grey light appeared around Han Li's body, and he passed through the white light barrier as if it didn't even exist.

A human-shaped hole appeared in the white light barrier, but Han Li was still nowhere to be seen. The hole then rapidly sealed at a rate that was discernible to the naked eye and returned to normal in an instant, following which the light barrier itself also quickly vanished.

Moments later, two Deity Transformation Stage guards flew out of the first floor of the Immortal Welcome Place. They then rose up into the air, straight toward the same spot that Han Li had just infiltrated through.

One of the two guards, a young man who appeared to be around 17 to 18 years of age, inspected the surrounding area before murmuring to himself in a perplexed manner, "I'm sure the restriction fluctuations from just now came from here, but there doesn't seem to be anything amiss."

His companion was a thin elderly man with a goatee and short horns, and he suggested, "Perhaps it was only a bird that crashed into the restriction. Otherwise, the reaction wouldn't have been so feeble."

The latter of the two was a demonic cultivator!

"Surely you jest, Brother Gongsun! If even a bird can draw a reaction out of the Immortal Welcome Palace's restriction, then the restriction master responsible for this restriction should seriously reevaluate their craft!" the young man scoffed with furrowed brows.

"Hehe, if it's not a bird, then it could be a spirit beast that strayed away from a nearby market, or perhaps a Body Integration Stage senior unintentionally set off the restriction somehow. In any case, what are we going to be able to do about it? Forgive me for being blunt, but if someone really has infiltrated the Immortal Welcome Palace, they're definitely here to challenge a certain Body Integration Stage senior; do you think that's something that we can stick our noses into?" the demonic elderly man chuckled.

The young man contemplated this notion for a while before suddenly smiling as he said, "You're right, Fellow Daoist Gongsun. Seeing as the restriction here hasn't been damaged, it really would be unbecoming of us to take this matter too seriously."

"Haha, I knew you were a smart man. I have a flagon of exceptional spirit wine; why don't we enjoy it together?" A wide smile also appeared on the elderly man's face now that the young man had given up on the investigation.

Thus, the two of them descended like a pair of good friends, paying no further heed to the restriction behind them.

Elsewhere, a ball of silver flames emerged, then surged forth to incinerate a series of threads of light into nothingness. Immediately thereafter, Han Li appeared in front of a certain wall on the ninth floor.

He cast his gaze toward the pristine white wall up ahead to find a series of silver runes of different sizes shimmering incessantly on its surface, presenting quite a mysterious sight to behold.

A grim expression appeared on Han Li's face. These weren't just normal runes. Instead, they were the manifestation of a type of spatial restriction placed on this wall, which would render it immune to the effects of normal secret techniques and cultivation arts.

Thankfully, he also possessed some spatial abilities, so it wouldn't be too difficult for him to bypass this wall.

With that in mind, Han Li made a hand seal, and a ball of black light suddenly appeared on his glabella. A gash then split open on his forehead, following which a black demonic eye emerged.

The demonic eye seemed to aim a glance at the wall before blasting forth a burst of black light toward it.

A peculiar scene then ensued!

In the instant that the black light came into contact with the white wall, the nearby silver runes suddenly faded into obscurity.

Han Li let loose a low cry, and the beam of black light, which was around as thick as a human finger, abruptly became noticeably thicker.

The white wall up ahead shuddered, and a small black hole that was around a foot in size was punched into it.

A cold light flashed through Han Li's eyes, and the black light being emitted from his demonic eye was withdrawn, following which he flew into the black hole, and in the next instant, the hole vanished.

Han Li emerged on the other side and found himself situated within a forest, standing right beneath a huge tree.

What left him feeling quite awkward was that there was a middle-aged man and a beautiful young woman staring at him with incredulous looks in their eyes from less than 10 feet away.

Han Li naturally immediately reacted, heaving a faint sigh as he suddenly lashed out with both of his arms.

Two loud smacks rang out, as his arms suddenly elongated to several times their original length, striking the two people in the room and sending them crumpling to the ground amid a dull thump.

These two were only at the Core Formation Stage and Foundation Establishment Stage, so he didn't kill them; he merely injected a wisp of his magic power into their spiritual sense to knock them out.

After that, Han Li made a grabbing motion toward the middle-aged man, and he was instantly drawn into Han Li's grasp.

Azure light flashed from Han Li's face, and he immediately unleashed a soul search technique.

After a short while, Han Li's darkened slightly, and he released the man before grabbing the woman and unleashing the same technique on her.

After releasing her as well, he murmured to himself, "So Qi Lingzi really was brought to the Long Family, and that woman is the sister of the Long Family Leader. It's a pity that some of the secrets in the memories of these two were concealed by some secret techniques, so I can only glean very limited information from them."

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A slightly wistful look appeared on Han Li's face as he spoke. It wasn't a strange thing that secret techniques had been placed on the memories of these two. All major families would take the same precautionary measures with their core members in case of this exact situation.

However, the matters surrounding that woman clearly weren't supposed to be confidential information, so Han Li was able to glean it with ease. Not long ago, a woman that matched the description provided by Hai Yuetian had taken three other people to this place, and after having a conversation with the Long Family Leader, they were taken away to rest.

One of those three other people was none other than Qi Lingzi. However, these two were unaware of where the four of them currently were.

Han Li's brows furrowed slightly as he looked at the two unconscious people before him, and he suddenly stomped his foot onto the ground.

A burst of yellow light surged forth, and a pit that was around 10 feet in depth silently appeared. He then swept a sleeve through the air, sending forth a burst of azure light that picked up the two before gently laying them into the pit.

After that, Han Li made a hand seal before pointing a finger at the pit, and a burst of yellow light suddenly erupted from it. Following just a single flash, the pit vanished, and the ground returned to normal with no visible signs at all of what had just transpired.

Only then did Han Li cast his gaze out of the forest, and he discovered that this level was indeed different from the one he was living in.

Outside the forest was a vast expanse of murky white mist, within which the outlines of a city wall could just barely be made out.

Blue light flashed through Han Li's eyes, and his body swayed as a layer of grey light appeared around him.

This mist was clearly some type of profound restriction, and part of it fused with the grey light around Han Li, making him appear quite blurry and indistinct as well.

After only advancing for just over 1,000 feet, Han Li reached the edge of the mist, and he discovered that a golden fortress surrounded by walls that were over 100 feet tall lay up ahead, not too far in the distance.

There was a series of white-robed cultivators that either had swords or sabers strapped to their backs standing atop the city walls, and beyond the walls were many buildings and pavilions.

At the very center of the fortress was a giant golden tower that was several thousand feet tall.

Han Li wasn't concerned that these white-robed cultivators would be able to see him, and he cast his gaze directly toward the golden tower.

According to the information he had just gleaned from those two members of the Long Family, the tower was inhabited by the late-Body Integration Stage Long Family patriarch, as well as the family's Spatial Tempering Stage elders. However, right after the Long Family patriarch secured that Giant Atlas Ark blueprint from the auction, he immediately went into seclusion in the tower with several of the formation and tool refinement masters of the family to study the blueprint.

As for the other Body Integration Stage grand elder, he seemed to have some matters to attend to, and recently left the Immortal Welcome Palace. As such, there really was next to no risk of Han Li being discovered.

As long as that Long Family patriarch didn't suddenly sweep his spiritual sense through the entire fortress for no reason, there was no one else here who could detect him.

With that in mind, Han Li didn't hesitate any longer. Black light surged around his body, and he flew directly toward a certain section of the city wall.

One of the white-robed cultivators on the city wall suddenly felt a faint breeze blow past him, and he immediately released his spiritual sense while inspecting his surroundings but didn't discover anything.

A hint of confusion flashed through his eyes, but he then shook his head and seemed to have convinced himself that the breeze had merely been a figment of his imagination.

Unbeknownst to him, an outsider had just passed him by and landed on a pristine white street on the other side of the city wall.

However, strangely enough, he had his eyes closed and stood on the street in a completely still manner as if he were trying to sense something.

After a while, he opened his eyes, and a dark expression appeared on his face. "I can't sense him anymore! Looks like someone must've stepped in to conceal my spiritual sense mark. In that case, I'll have to search through these rooms one by one. It's a good thing that this place isn't all that big, and there aren't that many Spatial Tempering cultivators here, so I should be able to track them down quite quickly."

After that, Han Li drifted forward as an invisible breeze before vanishing into a certain pavilion.

Meanwhile, the elderly woman and the others were seated in a pavilion that was extremely far away from Han Li. They had been joined by a purple-robed elderly man who had just placed a crescent-shaped jade pendant around Qi Lingzi's neck, and he said, "This piece of Moonheart Jade is extremely effective for keeping out one's spiritual sense, so that person won't be able to sense him unless he's extremely close. You can rest easy now."

"Thank you for your kindness, Brother!" The elderly woman extended a grateful curtsey toward the purple-robed man.

Her Dao Companion also wore a grateful smile, while their son remained quite calm and collected.

"You two sure are bold to be crossing a Body Integration cultivator. If it's not for the fact that Ming'er has activated the True Dragon bloodline, I wouldn't have accepted you no matter what. Even if you're my sister, no exceptions can be made for you. On top of that, you're prohibited from doing anything to that Daoist priest before our father comes out of seclusion. I don't think there's any issue with this, but it does concern a Body Integration cultivator, after all, so I have to consult Father first. If you go against this, then don't blame me for abandoning you," the purple-robed man warned in a stern manner.

"Of course. I haven't seen Father in many years as well, and I want to see him one final time. My Dao Companion and I most likely won't be able to transcend our next major heavenly tribulations, so I'll have to entrust Ming'er to you, Brother. Thankfully, Ming'er's aptitude should be comparable to that of the other young talents of the Long Family after his chronic condition is cured, so he'll definitely be a bright prospect," the elderly woman said with a slightly forced smile and a forlorn look in her eyes.

"You can rest assured and leave Ming'er to me. As for meeting Father, I'm not sure that can be arranged. As you know, the women of our family who insist on marrying someone outside of the family are essentially disowned. On top of that, our father is using the vastly renowned Heartless Dao cultivation art, so there's no way that he'll want to see you again. After everything is taken care of here, you two can leave," the purple-robed man said with a shake of his head, and the woman was quite disappointed to hear this.

Her expression soured even further, and she still wanted to implore her brother to arrange an opportunity for her to meet their father, but the purple-robed man waved a dismissive hand and departed before she could say anything.

Thus, the only ones left in her room were her family of three and Qi Lingzi.

The woman was silent for a long while before speaking in a resentful voice, "Looks like we'll have to do as he says. Take this Daoist priest to the secret chamber."

"There's no need to be sad, Mistress; we predicted that all of this would happen, didn't we? It's already very fortunate for us that your brother didn't reject us even though this matter concerns a Body Integration cultivator," the elderly man consoled with a wry smile on his face.

"I don't need you to tell me that! Hurry up and take the Daoist priest away!" The woman clearly wasn't in any mood to listen to reason.

The man heaved a faint sigh and could only fall silent as he made his way over to Qi Lingzi. "We'll let you keep your inherited treasure for a few more days, kid. It won't be long until your inherited treasure belongs to our Ming'er. No one will be able to stop us."

He flipped a hand over to produce the same azure copper bell as he spoke, and Qi Lingzi continued to stand on the spot like a wooden puppet.

Just as the elderly man was about to shake the bell in his hand, a cold male voice suddenly rang out in the room.

"No one can stop you? What about me?"

"He's here!" the elderly man exclaimed as he immediately hurled his bell through the air, and it instantly expanded to an enormous size before trapping Qi Lingzi inside.

His Dao Companion also reacted very quickly as her expression changed drastically, and she swept a sleeve through the air to send two streaks of black light hurtling through the air at once.

One streak of light transformed into a vast expanse of black light that swept up her son before bringing him to her side, while the other streak of light transformed into a horned black python, which expelled black lotus flowers out of its mouth to form a protective barrier around the woman and her son.

Meanwhile, the woman herself took a deep breath before letting loose a shrill shriek, but her efforts were only met by a cold chuckle of disdain.

Spatial fluctuations suddenly erupted in the air above the giant bell, and a furry golden fist suddenly emerged out of thin air before gently striking the bell.

A resounding boom rang out, and azure runes only managed to appear for a split second on the surface of the bell before it was shattered with ease and vanished as a ball of azure light.

The golden hand then hurtled toward the elderly man with a palm, and though it didn't seem to be imbued with any significant power, the elderly man was sent flying like a rucksack while letting loose an agonized cry.

Almost at the exact same moment, another huge golden hand appeared out of thin air in front of the elderly woman before grabbing toward her like lightning. The protective spiritual light and black lotus flowers around her were instantly torn apart, and the golden hand closed itself around her neck before lifting her off the ground.

Her shrill shriek was immediately cut off, and her eyes began to roll into the back of her head.

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Her son's expression changed drastically upon seeing this, and he immediately raised a hand to summon a translucent long saber, which he slashed toward the golden hand with vicious force.

A crisp clang rang out, and a burst of piercing golden light erupted as soon as its blade struck the furry hand.

The treasure then immediately exploded, and the young man was forced back several steps in succession from the resulting backlash. He threw up a mouthful of blood essence, then collapsed to the ground and was unable to stand up again.

"I've already cast a restriction around this place, so no one will hear you no matter how much you yell. You sure are daring to have captured this Daoist priest despite being aware that he has a powerful backer. Did you really think I wouldn't dare to retrieve him just because the Long Family is involved?" The frosty male voice rang out again.

Immediately thereafter, spatial fluctuations erupted, and a golden figure appeared in the room.

This was a golden demonic ape that was around 30 to 40 feet tall, wearing a suit of silver armor.

The demonic ape had a pair of blue eyes and a mouthful of menacing fangs. An extremely ferocious aura erupted from his body, and there was also black baleful Qi swirling around him, presenting a very menacing sight to behold.

"You're a demonic cultivator?! How could this be?!" the elderly man exclaimed.

A hint of astonishment also appeared in the woman's eyes as she struggled to keep them from rolling back into her head.

"Hehe, why are you so surprised? Seeing as you clearly have a death wish, I'll send you on your way!" A vicious light flashed through the golden ape's eyes, and golden light erupted from the fingers that were locked around the elderly woman's throat as Han Li prepared to snap her neck.

"No, Senior!"

"Stop!"

The elderly man and his son both yelled out to try and stop Han Li, but they had both been rendered completely powerless by Han Li's attacks, and could only look on in horror and despair.

A look of despair also appeared in the elderly woman's eyes when all of a sudden, a cold voice rang out from outside the room.

"You're also quite daring to infiltrate my territory and kill my descendants!"

As soon as the voice trailed off, a resounding boom rang out from up above, following which a huge purple hand that was around 10 feet in size tore through the roof. The hand had countless runes swirling around it, and it broke through the restriction that Han Li had set up before grabbing viciously toward the giant golden ape's head.

"Eccentric Long!"

The golden ape's expression abruptly changed as he let loose a low snarl, casting the elderly woman aside before reaching up with a hand of his own. His golden palm swelled rapidly in size to directly oppose the giant purple hand, and at the same time, he made a grabbing motion toward the puppet-like Qi Lingzi with his other hand.

"Boom!" An earth-shattering boom erupted as a massive ball of golden and purple light appeared in the room, and the enormous spiritual pressure erupting from the clash instantly laid waste to the room's roof and walls.

A cold harrumph rang out from within the dazzling spiritual light, following which a golden figure sprang forth and reappeared over 1,000 feet away in the blink of an eye.

"You think you can get away?" the owner of the purple hand roared in a cold voice, following which a streak of purple light shot forth in pursuit of the golden figure, and the former was even faster than the latter.

Such a massive commotion had naturally alerted all of the people in the entire fortress, and countless streaks of light rose up into the air from all directions to see what was happening.

In the blink of an eye, the golden figure and purple streak of light had rushed out of the city walls and flown into the white mist outside.

By the time many of the Long Family's cultivators arrived at the edge of the mist, a string of explosions were already taking place within the murky white mist.

Immediately thereafter, a series of roars and enraged cries rang out, and two bursts of astonishing spiritual pressure erupted from within the sea of mist, causing the illusionary formation up above, which was simulating the sky, to warp and twist violently.

The two bursts of spiritual pressure seemed to be evenly matched, and all of the nearby Long Family cultivators couldn't help but exchange astonished glances with one another.

They were naturally already aware that one of the people in the mist was none other than their patriarch, yet the other person still managed to hold their own. Could it be that this was another late-Body Integration Stage being? In that case, Deity Transformation and Spatial Tempering cultivators like them would essentially be committing suicide if they were to rush into the mist to join the battle.

The Long Family cultivators were led by none other than their family leader, who was the purple-robed middle-aged man.

He was staring into the sea of mist with a shocked and enraged look on his face, but he was also quite hesitant to join the battle as he sensed the enormous spiritual pressure emanating from within the mist.

"Hehe, Family Leader Long, would you like me to step in to separate them?" A pleasant female voice suddenly rang out from behind the Long Family Leader.

The purple-robed man's heart jolted upon hearing this, and he immediately turned around to find a beautiful yellow-robed woman who appeared to be around 17 to 18 years of age. The woman was standing behind him and appraising him with a faint smile.

If Han Li were present on the scene, he would immediately be able to identify this woman as the vastly renowned Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns of the Artifact Spirit Race.

The purple-robed man was slightly skeptical toward the yellow-robed woman's motives, but he feigned an elated expression, and hurriedly said, "Senior Thousand Autumns! It would naturally be brilliant news for us if you could step in to help my father capture than man."

"Capture him? I can't do that. Even if I were willing to, I may not be able to. Besides, I may be on good terms with your Long Family, but I certainly can't just offend another Body Integration cultivator for your sake. All I can do is to separate them and end this battle," Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns said with a smile.

The Long Family Leader hesitated momentarily before agreeing, "That would suffice as well. My father has expended some energy while taking care of some matters a few days ago, so it wouldn't be ideal for him to fight a powerful enemy at a time like this."

"Alright, in that case, I'll... Hmm? It looks like I won't have to step in, after all." Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns cast her gaze into the sea of mist as a slightly grim look appeared on her face.

"What do you mean by that, Se..." The purple-robed man faltered slightly upon hearing this, yet before he could even fully articulate his question, the ground near the entire fortress suddenly tremored violently. Immediately thereafter, an earth-shattering boom erupted within the sea of mist, followed by a sharp screech.

A burst of violent golden and purple energy surged forth from within the sea of mist, blowing all of the mist away before sweeping directly toward the Long Family cultivators.

This immediately sent the Long Family cultivators into a panic, and those with weaker cultivation bases hurriedly fell back to seek refuge behind the city wall.

Meanwhile, the high-grade cultivators who were at the Spatial Tempering Stage all released protective treasures to shield themselves, and also retreated a few steps to a safer distance away.

Only Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns allowed the energy to sweep over her while remaining completely still on the spot. However, her smile had already faded, and had been replaced with a grim expression.

All of the white mist was eradicated by the eruption of energy, and only then were the two figures in the distance revealed to everyone.

One of them was a mountainous golden ape that was over 300 feet tall, and it was holding a Daoist priest in one hand while its other hand was clenched into a tight menacing fist.

The normal-sized humanoid figure before the giant ape was none other than the Long Family patriarch. At this point, a pair of golden dragon horns had appeared on his head, and golden scales had emerged on the sides of his face. Even his pupils had taken on a shimmering golden color, and just like the ape, he wasn't wielding any weapons, either.

The ground that the two of them were standing on was filled with craters of different sizes, having clearly been severely ravaged by their battle.

"Hehe, as expected of a late Body Integration cultivator from the number one true spirit family; to think that you can contend with me using nothing more than your physical body. However, you won't be able to prevent me from getting away," the giant golden ape roared.

"Who are you? From what I know, there are no other ape-type demonic cultivators who have reached the Body Integration Stage aside from that Daoist Master Yellow Brow," the Long Family patriarch asked in an expressionless manner.

"Hehe, you can speculate about who I am in your own time. Seeing as you've stepped in in person, I'll let those people live. However, if the same thing happens again, don't blame me for putting an end to them!" the giant ape roared in a menacing voice.

Immediately thereafter, a layer of shimmering silver flames appeared over its body, and it crashed toward the air nearby.

A sputtering sound rang out as the space there was melted by the silver flames, revealing a black hole.

The giant ape vanished into the black hole in a flash, and the Long Family patriarch made no effort to intervene. He merely remained on the spot and stared at the rapidly shrinking black hole, seemingly in deep thought about something.

Only then did the purple-robed man hurriedly approach him in a respectful manner along with the Long Family elders. "Are you alright, Father?"

"Hmph, of course I am! Do you think that ape is capable of harming me?" the Long Family patriarch replied in a cold voice.

"That's certainly not what I was implying; I was merely slightly concerned as you had even activated your half-dragon body, Father," the purple-robed man said in a respectful voice.

The Long Family patriarch suddenly asked in a cold voice, "You heard what that demonic cultivator said before he left, right? As the Long Family Leader, I presume you know something about this."

"This matter concerns my sister, Lady Li. I was just about to report this to you, and I didn't think that such a powerful demonic cultivator would be involved, nor did I think that he would get here so quickly," the purple-robed man replied with a wry smile.

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"Lady Li? Is that the one who married someone outside our family? When did she get here? Forget it, tell me about it later," the Long Family patriarch said in an implacable voice.

The Long Family Leader hurriedly answered in a respectful manner.

Even though he was the Long Family leader and the son of this Long Family patriarch, all of that ceased to matter ever since the patriarch had begun using that Heartless Dao cultivation art, which had gradually rid him of all emotions.

It was quite a treacherous task to be interacting with the Long Family patriarch on a daily basis, and even as his son, the Long Family leader didn't dare to let his guard down for a moment.

"Was that the half-dragon transformation granted by the True Dragon bloodline? It really is quite an eye-opening experience for me to see you face a demonic cultivator on equal footing with just your physical body alone," Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns said with a smile as she slowly flew over from afar.

"I'm a late-Body Integration cultivator, yet I wasn't even able to take down that early-Body Integration Stage demonic cultivator; am I supposed to be pleased with myself? Are you perhaps mocking me, Holy Maiden?" the Long Family patriarch asked in a cold voice.

Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns was completely unfazed by the Long Family patriarch's cold demeanor, and replied, "Hehe, of course not, Fellow Daoist Long. As we all know, demonic cultivators are vastly renowned for their powerful bodies, and in particular, ape-type demonic cultivators excel in this area. I'm sure I don't need to elaborate to you why it's impressive that you were able to face a Body Integration Stage ape-type demonic cultivator in direct battle with your physical body alone. If you had unleashed some other powerful abilities, you would've definitely been able to take down that demonic cultivator in a short time."

"If you truly think that, I'm afraid you're dead wrong, Holy Maiden," the Long Family patriarch suddenly said with a peculiar cold smile.

"Oh? Did you discover something during your fight earlier?" Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns asked in a befuddled manner.

Instead of replying to her question right away, the Long Family patriarch turned to all of the nearby Long Family cultivators, and instructed, "All of you, go back for now; I wish to speak to Fellow Daoist Thousand Autumns alone."

At the same time, the dragon horns and scales on his head and face faded away, and his golden eyes also reverted back to their original black color.

All of the Long Family cultivators naturally answered in a respectful manner before flying back to the fortress together, leaving the Long Family patriarch and Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns to converse on their own.

"From the precautionary measures that you're taking, I can't help but think that that demonic ape seems to be no ordinary being," Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns remarked after everyone had departed.

"I suspect that he's from the holy island," the Long Family patriarch said, and Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns was quite surprised to hear this.

"The holy island? Isn't that the sacred realm shared by your human and demon races?" she asked.

"That's right. Otherwise, it's very difficult to explain how that Body Integration Stage demonic ape could've appeared in the demon race. Once every 1,000 years, the holy island would select bright young talents from our two races to replenish their ranks. Countless years have passed since the establishment of the holy island, and no one knows exactly how many Body Integration Stage beings there are on the island, but I estimate that there will at least be 20 to 30 Body Integration Stage beings there. Aside from when matters that concern the survival of our two races arise, the Body Integration Stage beings living on the holy island are prohibited from leaving the island. It's exactly due to the existence of this island that our human and demon races have been able to survive in the Spirit Realm to this point," the Long Family patriarch explained in a solemn manner.

"Hehe, it sounds like your holy island is similar to the holy shrine of our Spirit Race. I'm also unaware of just how many Holy Spirit level beings there are in our holy shrine," Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns sighed.

After a brief silence, the Long Family patriarch continued, "There's also another reason behind my theory. According to my knowledge, the holy island is guarded by a demonic army, and one branch of that army is comprised of the extremely rare Vajra Apes. That giant ape resembles a Vajra Ape in appearance, and is far more powerful than the average early-Body Integration cultivator. I didn't use any powerful abilities during that battle, but that giant ape definitely had more tricks up its sleeve as well. Even if I had fought with all my power, I'm still not confident that I would've been able to prevent that ape from escaping. On top of that, if he really is from the holy island, then that would be another reason why I wouldn't want to force the issue."

"Is that demonic ape really that fearsome? Without fighting it personally, it's difficult for me to accurately gauge its power, but the layer of silver flames it conjured up is able to melt through space, and I did feel very threatened by it," Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns said as her smile finally faded.

"From what I've heard, the Vajra Apes possess an innate ability known as the Nine Nascent True Flames. This is an extremely powerful innate ability, but very few Vajra Apes actually manage to attain it and cultivate it to a formidable degree, so not many people are aware of just what those flames are like," the Long Family patriarch said.

"So you're convinced that the golden ape is a Vajra Ape?" Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns asked with furrowed brows.

"It's most likely the case," the Long Family patriarch replied in a confident manner.

"Alright, seeing as that demonic cultivator is from the holy island, we'll just have to let bygones be bygones," Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns chuckled after a brief silence.

"Hmph, it's not that I'm afraid of the Vajra Ape Race; I simply don't want to cross the holy island. On top of that, from the ape's parting words, it seems that this attack wasn't entirely unprovoked, so I'll have to investigate this matter," the Long Family patriarch said with a cold look in his eyes.

"I won't comment on your family's internal affairs, but regarding that other matter, we've already been talking for a day and a night, yet we still haven't arrived at a consensus. Are we going to keep up this stalemate? I've taken quite a risk to come here, and I have more things to do other than make contact with your Long Family." Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns' expression also cooled as she spoke.

"Our Long Family's conditions are quite simple, aren't they? As long as you're willing to provide 10 non-sentient waste spirits to our Long Family for every ark, we're willing to split you a third of the Giant Atlas Arks that we refine. Is that not a favorable enough exchange for your Spirit Race? According to my knowledge, you Artifact Spirit beings don't even view waste spirits as equals, so it should be a fantastic bargain for you to be able to exchange them for so many Giant Atlas Arks," the Long Family patriarch replied in a completely expressionless manner.

"Hmph, 10 is definitely out of the question. Our Artifact Spirit Race does indeed look down on waste spirits, but according to the laws of the entire Spirit Race, passing waste spirits onto foreign races is a crime comparable to treason. We're willing to offer only five waste spirits per ark at most. On top of that, I'm taking a huge risk to facilitate this exchange with your Long Family, yet you're only willing to offer a third of the Giant Atlas Arks in return, so the risk and reward involved is completely skewed and disproportionate."

"Forgive me for being blunt, but if I had known from the beginning that the Long Family would be so stingy, I would rather the blueprint fall into the hands of one of three sovereigns or seven monarchs. I'm sure they'd be more generous and sincere than your Long Family," Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns said in an indifferent manner as she tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ear.

The Long Family patriarch appraised Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns for a long while before finally speaking again, "There's no need to try and goad me like this, Fellow Daoist Thousand Autumns. I'm sure you're aware that the Heartless Dao cultivation art I'm using has rid me of all emotional fallacies, so your mind games are futile. However, as a gesture of good faith, I'll make a compromise; we'll accept eight waste spirits per ark, and we'll give your Artifact Spirit Race 40% of all of the arks that we refine."

"40% and eight waste spirits per ark? I can agree to the percentage share, but at most, I can only offer you seven waste spirits per ark," Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns said in a cautious manner.

"Alright, seven it is, then. Now that that's settled, we have to discuss our collaboration in preparation for the imminent devilish tribulation," the Long Family patriarch agreed after a brief pause for contemplation.

Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns was ecstatic to hear this, and a gorgeous smile appeared on her face. "Of course. As long as the exchange can be smoothly facilitated, our Artifact Spirit Race would be more than happy to continue working with your Long Family."

"Please come with me, then, Holy Maiden; this is not a good place to talk, so let's return to the tower," the Long Family patriarch said as he made an inviting hand gesture.

It was as if he had already completely forgotten about that giant golden ape.

But then again, how could a brief interlude from an early-Body Integration Stage demonic ape compare in importance to the survival of the Long Family during the devilish tribulation?

Meanwhile, the golden ape had already descended on a completely deserted mountain tens of thousands of kilometers away. When it had used the silver flames to break through the restrictions around the Immortal Welcome Palace, it had naturally alerted the guards in the palace, but by the time they had arrived on the scene, the ape had already vanished into the distance.

The guards were only at the Deity Transformation and Spatial Tempering Stages, so there was no way that they would be able to catch him.

As such, they merely set off in pursuit as a formality, despite knowing that their efforts would ultimately prove to be futile.

After that, they sent some people to question some members of the Long Family briefly, and they were stunned to hear that the perpetrator was a Body Integration Stage demonic cultivator. As such, they could only turn a blind eye to the matter after doing some repairs.

However, news of this Body Integration Stage golden ape infiltrating the Long Family's territory quickly spread like wildfire among the other Body Integration cultivators attending the convention, and many of them sent out their subordinates to investigate this matter, all to no avail.

No one had ever heard of this giant golden ape before, and it had disappeared without a trace following the incident. This was quite frustrating to many people, and some of them also thought of the holy island.

Of course, the giant golden ape was naturally unaware of all of this. At this moment, it was situated on the summit of a mountain, and after inspecting its surroundings, golden light flashed from its body, upon which it transformed into a young man with a set of ordinary facial features.

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This young man was naturally none other than Han Li. He had used the Thousand Transformation Faces to adopt the appearance of a demonic ape and infiltrated the fortress. After that, he was discovered by the Long Family patriarch, and he was forced to use his 12 Awakening Transformations, adopting his Giant Mountain Ape form to clash with him.

With his immensely powerful physical constitution, coupled with the enhancements he received from his 12 Awakening Transformations, he was naturally able to hold his own against the Long Family patriarch, but at the same time, he was quite stunned by his opponent after the latter had adopted his half-dragon transformation. However, Han Li had only used around 50% to 60% of his power during the battle, and the Long Family patriarch had also clearly held back. Otherwise, it was very likely that their battle would've demolished the entire Immortal Welcome Palace.

Han Li didn't know why the Long Family patriarch had held back, but he was certainly more than happy to be allowed an easy escape.

At this point, he was already too far away, and with the vast number of human and demonic beings on Nine Immortal Mountain, there was no way the Long Family would be able to track him down.

After reverting back to his true form, Han Li turned toward Qi Lingzi, who was still standing still on the spot like a wooden puppet, and he heaved a faint sigh. He then made a hand seal, and a streak of azure light shot forth before vanishing into Qi Lingzi's body in a flash.

Qi Lingzi shuddered, and his wooden expression twisted before he let loose an involuntary moan. He then suddenly opened his mouth to expel a clump of black Qi enveloped by a ball of azure light.

A few moments later, Qi Lingzi's eyes regained their clarity, and as soon as he caught sight of Han Li, he asked in an elated manner, "Master, what are you doing here? Wasn't I abducted by some old woman?"

It was quite clear that he recalled nothing of the ordeal that he had just suffered through.

"Hmph, if I hadn't come after you, you would've ended up disabled and probably dead. I'll tell you what happened on the way back; let's leave this place first." Han Li had no intention of disclosing too much here, and he swept a sleeve through the air to release a vast expanse of azure light, which swept up Qi Lingzi before Han Li flew away into the distance.

As promised, Han Li gave Qi Lingzi a recount of everything that took place on their way back, and after learning about the extremely perilous ordeal that he had just suffered, Qi Lingzi fell completely silent, in stark contrast to his normal talkative and energetic nature.

Han Li was rather surprised by this, yet just as he was wondering whether this disciple of his had finally learned the meaning of fear, he suddenly began to scream profanities at the top of his lungs, cursing the elderly woman and the Long Family. He was so worked up that his cheeks had turned bright red and spittle was flying from his mouth, looking as he had such a vendetta against the Long Family that neither could live while the other survived.

Han Li faltered initially upon seeing this before bursting into laughter. In the end, he said, "Alright, that's enough. If you want to seek vengeance on the Long Family, I won't stop you, but you have to become powerful enough to do so first. At this point, you're nothing more than a mere ant in the eyes of the Long Family, and they can crush you with ease, so you have no right to challenge them. If you really want to stand up for yourself, then progress to the Body Integration Stage first."

"Also, I don't want you to show your face in public anymore. After we get back, I'll teach you some cultivation arts and give you some treasures and pills. After this incident dies down, I'll send you and Hai Yuetian away from this place, and you two have to go to Deep Heaven City as quickly as possible. Once you get there, join the city guards for a few years first as training. The Long Family is indeed quite powerful, but they're still wary of Deep Heaven City. After a few years, I'll go there to reunite with the two of you."

"Are you sending me away, Master? The Myriad Treasure Convention only commenced not long ago, and I came all this way, but I've barely even had a chance to see anything yet!" Qi Lingzi complained.

"Hmph, is the Myriad Treasure Convention more important or is your life more important? I don't fear the Long Family, but I certainly don't want to have to constantly worry about being attacked by them. What if you get abducted again? Do you expect me to save you from the Long Family a second time?" Han Li scolded.

Qi Lingzi recoiled slightly at the sight of Han Li's stern expression before reluctantly accepting this arrangement. "Alright, I'll do as you say, then, Master."

Han Li naturally wasn't going to concern himself with whether his disciple was pleased with this decision or not. His expression eased slightly, and he gave a slight nod before falling silent.

During the rest of the trip, Han Li didn't say anything further, and after over two hours, they returned to the Immortal Welcome Palace, where Hai Yuetian was eagerly awaiting their return.

He was naturally ecstatic to see that Qi Lingzi had been recovered safe and sound, and he hurriedly rushed toward Han Li before extending a deep bow.

"Yuetian, I recall that you found the person I'm looking for; where is she right now?" Han Li asked as soon as he sat down on the main seat, and the sudden question caught Hai Yuetian and Qi Lingzi slightly off guard.

"Master, we found that demonic senior at a place known as the Heavenly Captivation Pavilion, and she invited you to meet her tomorrow at noon," Hai Yuetian replied in a respectful manner.

"Alright, you two stay here and don't go anywhere for the next few days. I'll set up a powerful restriction formation nearby that'll stall even Body Integration cultivators who try to infiltrate this place. From tomorrow onward, you two can come visit me every night, and I'll give you some instructions in your cultivation. After things die down a little, you two can set off," Han Li said before departing and leaving his two disciples in the hall.

"Set off? What does Master mean by that?" Hai Yuetian was rather perplexed.

"It's a long story. I got screwed over by the Long Family!" Qi Lingzi's face puckered up as if he had lost his most beloved treasure, while Hai Yuetian was still completely in the dark.

The next day, Han Li spent an entire morning setting up an extremely powerful illusionary formation, then set off for the Heavenly Captivation Pavilion.

According to Hai Yuetian, this pavilion was situated at the center of a cluster of small markets, all of which were temporary markets that had been set up by the major and minor powers of the human and demon races.

The markets were all quite small, but one would often be surprised by what they could find there. There were all types of the most commonplace shops in each market, and some markets even had some specialty shops that specialize in selling wares unavailable in other stores.

This Heavenly Captivation Pavilion was none other than one of those shops, and the only thing that it sold was a type of material known as Heavenly Captivation Stones.

These stones weren't particularly rare or precious, but they were mandatory for setting up some illusionary formations, and it was often the case that a vast quantity of them would need to be used at once.

Of course, these stones were split up into different grades, and the more powerful the formation, the higher the grade of the stones that was required.

The Heavenly Captivation Pavilion was the only shop that sold top-grade Heavenly Captivation Stones in bulk, so it was often frequented by many human and demonic cultivators.

"So this is the Heavenly Captivation Pavilion?"

Han Li stood in front of a row of bungalows and looked up at the sign hanging above one of them with a slightly speechless look on his face.

Even so, Han Li naturally still strode directly into the building. As the exterior suggested, the interior wasn't very large, but it was very neat and tidy.

Aside from two tables, a few chairs, and a long storage shelf, there were no other pieces of furniture.

On top of that, there were no other wares being sold on the storage shelf aside from some mundane-looking pieces of ore of different sizes.

Behind one of the tables in front of the storage shelf sat a little girl with a pair of braids pointing directly upward. She appeared to be around 11 to 12 years of age, and was very adorable. She was in the process of playing around with her own little fingers in a bored manner when Han Li strode into the room.

"Ah, a customer! Would you like to buy some Heavenly Captivation Stones, Senior? Which grade would you like, and how many? We have all your Heavenly Captivation Stone needs here at the Heavenly Captivation Pavilion!" The little girl immediately rose to her feet at the sight of Han Li before greeting him with a smile.

Han Li swept his spiritual sense toward the little girl, upon which a hint of surprise flashed through his eyes.

The faint demonic Qi emanating from this little girl's body indicated that she was clearly a demonic cultivator, and from her spiritual pressure fluctuations, he could tell that she was at the Deity Transformation Stage. If anyone were to actually be fooled by her childish appearance, they were in for a huge surprise.

"I'm not here to buy stones; I'm here to meet someone," Han Li replied.

The little girl faltered slightly upon hearing this before immediately extending a curtsey toward Han Li. "Ah, it's Senior Han, right? My sister has been waiting for you in the backyard for a long time."

"Oh? You're her sister?" Han Li asked in a slightly surprised voice.

"That's right. My name is Qin Mei'er, and I'm Su'er's twin sister! I'll take you to see her right away," the little girl replied in an obedient manner.

"Please lead the way." Han Li nodded in response.

Thus, Han Li was led into a side room, where there was a stone staircase that led underground.

Not long after that, a hint of surprise appeared in Han Li's eyes as he discovered that there were several underground levels here, each of which was quite different from the other levels, and there were even some demonic men and women walking around on those levels.

It was no wonder that the building was so small; most of it was underground!

As Han Li was marveling at the sight around him, he was led to a certain hall on the lowest underground level, where an exquisite beauty in a white dress was waiting for him with a smile on her face.

As soon as Han Li saw this woman, he felt as if his head had been struck by a bolt of lightning, and he exclaimed, "Wan'er? How did you end up here?"

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"Wait, you're not Wan'er!" Han Li then immediately sensed that something was amiss, and his expression instantly darkened.

"I'm truly surprised that you're the human senior who recently progressed to the Body Integration Stage, Fellow Daoist Han. Looks like my captivation technique is completely ineffective on you," the woman who was identical to Nangong Wan in appearance chuckled, and a layer of white Qi abruptly surfaced over her face.

After the white Qi dissipated, she had completely transformed into another woman, who was still quite beautiful, but looked nothing like Nangong Wan.

"Were you trying to test me, Qin Su'er?" Han Li's dark expression didn't ease at all upon seeing this, and he appraised the woman in a cold manner.

"Of course not; I wouldn't dare to do that, Senior. It's just that I've only just cultivated this Great Captivation Technique, and I'm still unable to fully control it. Please forgive me for any offence I may have caused," the woman hurriedly explained.

"Great Captivation Technique? I've heard of this ability; it's a powerful innate ability of the Heavenly Fox Race that can disguise one as the person closest to the beholder's heart. This must mean that you're a Heavenly Fox being; what connection do you bear with the Heavenly Fox Monarch?" Han Li asked as his expression eased slightly.

"My sister and I are indeed Heavenly Fox beings. We are related to the Heavenly Fox Monarch, but only on a very distant basis," Qin Su'er said as she extended a respectful curtsey before inviting Han Li to take a seat.

"Your Great Captivation Technique had to have been enhanced by the restrictions around this place for it to have worked momentarily on me, right?" Han Li chuckled as he took a seat.

Qin Su'er was quite surprised that Han Li was able to glean the function of the restrictions set up here so quickly, and she gained some admiration for him as a result. "You have a sharp discerning eye, Senior! Indeed, this is a shop set up by our Heavenly Fox Race, and we've set up a few special formations within it. The formations won't be able to enhance other abilities, but they can indeed significantly bolster the efficacy of captivation and illusionary techniques. If we had met outside this shop, you most likely wouldn't have been fooled even for a single instant."

It wasn't all that difficult to identify that restrictions had been set up in this shop, but for him to be able to determine that these restrictions could enhance the Great Captivation Technique indicated that he had extensive knowledge and expertise in the art of formations himself.

According to the circulating rumors, Han Li had to have encountered some kind of miraculous opportunity in the primordial world to have reached the Body Integration Stage in just a few centuries, so it was quite remarkable that he had still managed to become this adept in the art of formations despite those difficult circumstances.

Thus, the hint of skepticism and disdain that the woman had harbored toward Han Li as someone who had merely been outrageously lucky naturally immediately vanished.

"Alright, I heard from my disciple that you agreed to meet me here today, so I presume you've prepared the things I want; please bring them out." Han Li was still slightly annoyed that she had taken on Nangong Wan's appearance to test him, but he set that matter aside and cut straight to the chase.

"Of course. After returning to our demon race, I've secured most of the ingredients you requested through various avenues, and I'm sure you'll be pleased with what I've gathered. Mei'er, bring out everything for Senior Han. I had to take care of some troublesome business recently, so I entrusted everything to my sister as a precautionary measure." Qin Su'er nodded in response before turning to the little girl, then back to Han Li.

"Yes, Sister Su'er!" the little girl immediately replied before opening her mouth to expel a faint yellow translucent bead that was only around the size of an egg.

Han Li was slightly taken aback to see this.

"The demon beast materials you requested are relatively taboo items among us demonic cultivators, so we stored them in this special bead rather than an ordinary storage bracelet. This is a half-Xumi treasure that a senior of our race failed to refine, but it has far greater storage capacity compared to normal storage treasures, and it can also be refined directly into one's body, so it's quite secure and discreet," Qin Su'er explained with a smile.

"A half-Xumi treasure? That's quite rare." An intrigued look appeared on Han Li's face as he raised a hand before making a grabbing motion to draw the bead into his grasp.

At the same time, a serious look appeared on his face, and he injected a wisp of his spiritual sense into the bead. In doing so, he discovered that it was filled with all types of precious demon beast materials that were piled up into a small mountain.

There were also some other containers that were undoubtedly carrying some more valuable materials, presumably including things like the inner cores of high-grade demon beasts.

With Han Li's powerful spiritual sense, he was naturally able to assess everything in an instant, and even the items in the containers were tallied in the blink of an eye.

"You've indeed gathered most of the items on my list. I must say, I'm very impressed," Han Li said as a smile finally appeared on his face.

"I certainly can't take all the credit, Senior. I contacted some good friends from other races, and it took all of us an enormous amount of time and effort to just barely track down all of these items," Qin Su'er said with a wry smile.

"In any case, you've fulfilled your end of the agreement, so I certainly won't go back on my word. Please examine these myriad-year spirit medicines and see if they'll be sufficient compensation," Han Li said with a pleased nod before flipping a hand over to produce a faint red storage bracelet, then tossing it toward Qin Su'er with a flick of his wrist.

Qin Su'ers eyes lit up as she raised a hand to draw the storage bracelet into her grasp, then carefully injected her spiritual sense into it.

Meanwhile, Han Li began to transfer the demon beast materials from the bead into his storage bracelet without any hesitation. Qin Mei'er pouted slightly upon seeing this, but she didn't dare to say anything to stop him.

It was quite clear that she felt Han Li to be too overbearing in transferring the items before her sister had even finished verifying the spirit medicines. However, the demon race respected power even more so than the human race, and Han Li was a Body Integration cultivator, so she could only swallow her complaints.

Thankfully, Qin Su'er finished her examination very quickly, and after withdrawing her spiritual sense from the storage bracelet, a hint of elation intermingled with bewilderment appeared on her face.

"Thank you, Senior Han; I noticed that there are more myriad-year spirit medicines in here than what we initially agreed on. May I ask what your intentions are, Senior?" She asked in a hesitant manner.

Instead of answering her question, Han Li asked in a calm manner, "Fellow Daoist Qin, are you aware of the tribulation that's about to befall our two races within the next 1,000 years?"

Qin Su'er's expression changed drastically upon hearing this, and only after a while did she murmur, "Are you referring to the devilish tribulation, Senior Han?"

"So you're already aware of this. Indeed, the devilish tribulation is imminent, and in order to ensure self-preservation, everyone aware of this information is doing everything they can to accumulate more power. In a short time, there will most likely be a severe shortage of spirit medicines and materials among our two races. As a precautionary measure, I plan to continue our deal. You and I can continue to exchange for items that we need prior to the devilish tribulation, but next time, I'll be asking for other things that can only be found in the demon race outside of demon beast materials," Han Li said in a serious manner.

"I only unintentionally stumbled upon this information about the devilish tribulation during the past few days. As for continuing our exchange, I would certainly love to. If you need anything, you can go directly to any of the shops opened by the Heavenly Fox Race in Deep Heaven City and leave me a message there. For now, I'll be taking these spirit medicines; thank you again, Senior," Qin Su'er agreed without any hesitation.

No matter how many myriad-year spirit medicines she obtained, the supply would be exhausted in a very short time. A main contributing factor behind her rate of cultivation progression lay in the myriad-year spirit medicines that Han Li had provided her with in the past, so she was ecstatic that Han Li was proposing to continue their exchange.

"Alright, I won't stay here for any longer, then. I wish you luck in finding what you need during the rest of the Myriad Treasure Convention." Seeing as everything had been said and done, Han Li had no intention of lingering any longer and stood up to take his leave.

The Qin sister naturally accompanied him to the ground floor before bidding farewell to him in a respectful manner.

After returning to the shop, Qin Mei'er asked in a puzzled manner, "Sister Su'er, why didn't you bring out that thing? We expended so much effort to get it; wasn't your objective from the very beginning to exchange it for more myriad-year spirit medicines?"

"A few days ago, I would've naturally done that, but I received an invitation slip for the Black Realm Exchange Conference from a demonic senior yesterday; I want to see if I can exchange that thing for something better during that convention. If not, I can exchange it for myriad-year spirit medicines with that man as a backup plan. In any case, he's expressed the urge to continue our exchange, so I'm not in any hurry," Qin Su'er explained in a confident manner.

"Alright, seeing as you've made up your mind, I have nothing to say. However, that item isn't very useful for us demonic cultivators, but it's like a ticking time bomb in our hands. If word were to spread that we're in possession of such a thing, we'll most likely be hunted down and killed, so it's best to get rid of it as quickly as possible." Qin Mei'er nodded in response, but her concerns clearly still hadn't been completely erased.

"Rest assured, I know what I'm doing. This is why I didn't dare to reveal it on all those normal markets and decided to save it for this Black Realm convention," Qin Su'er said in a serious manner.

At this point, Han Li was already on the way back to the Immortal Welcome Palace, and he was naturally unaware that by expressing the urge to continue working with the two demonic women, he had unwittingly missed out on a treasure.

At the moment, he was merely very pleased by all of the demon beast materials he had secured. Now, he was only missing a few types of materials before he could begin refining his second extreme mountain.

The Myriad Treasure Convention had only just begun, so even though the remaining materials were quite precious, it definitely wouldn't be an issue for him to gather them.

However, much to Han Li's surprise, right as he returned in high spirits to the Immortal Welcome Palace, he discovered that he had a guest.

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"It's you!" Han Li appraised the purple-robed young woman before him with a surprised look on his face. This was none other than Dai'er, the demonic woman who had accompanied the Black Phoenix Monarch.

She was only at the early-Deity Transformation Stage, but it was said that she was extremely beautiful and was very renowned among the younger generation of the demon race. She was also clearly very much adored by the Black Phoenix Monarch as well.

However, she had been quite cold toward Han Li when they had first met on the Flying Immortal Peak, leading Han Li to wonder whether she really was the same Dai'er as the one that he knew.

As such, it naturally came as quite a surprise that she was suddenly paying him a visit.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist. Could it be that you were sent here by Fellow Daoist Xiao?" Han Li asked in a calm manner.

"No, I wanted to come and see you for my own reasons," the purple-robed woman replied, and her voice was very pleasing to the ears, like the crisp chirping of a lark.

"You wanted to see me?" Han Li's expression changed slightly upon hearing this.

"That's right. I would like to speak with you in private," the purple-robed woman confirmed as she cast a quick glance toward Hai Yuetian, who was standing off to the side.

"Go somewhere for now, and don't come in unless I call for you," Han Li instructed as he turned to Hai Yuetian.

Hai Yuetian was very interested in what relationship this woman shared with his master, but he naturally didn't dare to go against Han Li's orders, so he could only forcibly repress his own curiosity before departing after extending a respectful bow.

As for Qi Lingzi, due to the incident with the Long Family, Han Li didn't even permit him to show himself in front of outsiders, so he naturally wasn't present on the scene.

There were people who were aware that Qi Lingzi was an in-name disciple of his, but Han Li wasn't concerned at all even if the Long Family patriarch were to learn this information and seek him out as a result.

He naturally had countless alibis prepared that could completely detach himself from that giant golden ape as two different beings.

After Hai Yuetian departed, the purple-robed woman immediately flipped a hand over to produce a handkerchief that was shimmering with faint white light, then offered it to Han Li with both hands for examination.

Han Li's expression changed slightly upon seeing this, and he sighed, "So it really is you, Dai'er!"

This handkerchief was only a low-grade spirit tool that he had given Dai'er when she was only a little girl. It didn't have any value to speak of, and it barely served any purpose. However, Dai'er was very fond of it and kept it with her at all times.

Now that she was bringing it out for Han Li's inspection, it was quite clear that she was the same little girl from back then.

A slightly complex look appeared on her face, and after a brief silence, she suddenly raised her hand before plucking out a smooth black hairpin from out of her luscious locks.

In the next instant, a ball of black light erupted from the phoenix hairpin, following which it transformed into a black feather that was around half a foot in length amid the cry of a phoenix.

Almost at the exact same moment, bright white light erupted from her face, making it very difficult for one to look directly at her. Even though Han Li had cultivated a spirit eye ability, he was caught completely off guard and forced to close his eyes for a split second. Blue light then flashed through his pupils as he instantly reopened his eyes, peering through the white light, and a peculiar look appeared on her face.

After the white light faded from her face, a set of exquisitely beautiful features that resemble those of a celestial maiden were revealed. Setting aside her unique disposition, her facial features alone bore a strong resemblance to those of Nangong Wan.

Anyone could easily mistake the two of them as twin sisters. However, upon closer inspections, differences could be derived between the two.

Nangong Wan's features were more gentle, and she appeared to be more benevolent and approachable. In contrast, Dai'er's facial features were just as intricate, but they were slightly colder and more aloof.

Through his Brightsight Spirit Eyes, Han Li was certain that this was her true appearance, and wasn't the product of any disguise or illusionary technique.

Even now, he could still see a resemblance between her current appearance and that of Dai'er's chubby and adorable face as a little girl, but there was naturally quite a stark contrast.

Han Li stared at this familiar yet alien face, and despite his calm and steadfast nature, he was rooted to the spot, at a complete loss for words.

"Uncle Han, do I look similar to Aunt Nangong now?" Dai'er asked with a hint of a smile on her face.

Han Li forcibly repressed his astonishment as he asked, "What happened? How did you take on this appearance after growing up? Have you seen Wan'er somewhere before?"

"I only learned Aunt Nangong's name from you, so how could I have seen her before?" Dai'er chuckled, and the smile on her face immediately erased her slightly cold disposition.

"Now that you mention it, some of the details from back then are coming back to me. However, I still don't really understand. How did you..." Han Li's eyes narrowed slightly in a hesitant manner, seemingly having recalled something, but was also unsure of something at the same time.

"Back when we were hiding under that pile of rubble, you told me many spectacular stories, all of which were about you and Aunt Nangong. On the final day, I wouldn't stop crying and kept on insisting to see my mother, so you brought out a jade slip that had Aunt Nangong's portrait inscribed on it to try and console me," Dai'er recounted in a soft voice.

Han Li's mind also wandered back to those days upon hearing this. At the time, the city had been destroyed by a beast tide, and he had hidden with Dai'er under a pile of rubble. The memory brought a faint smile to his face, and he chuckled, "At the time, you had a very adorable round little face."

"I recall all of that very clearly as well. I obtained my current appearance after reaching the metamorphosis stage, and my form was reconstructed through the stimulus of my Black Phoenix bloodline. As for why I took on this appearance that resembles Aunt Nangong so closely, I don't know of that myself. Perhaps it's because the portrait of Aunt Nangong on that jade slip had left with too deep an impression, so I instinctively strove toward that appearance during metamorphosis. As a Body Integration cultivator, I'm sure that you're aware that demonic cultivators like us have no bearing on what appearance we adopt during metamorphosis, so most of the process it outside of our control," Dai'er said before biting down on her lower lip in a display of embarrassment.

"I see. In that case, it does seem quite plausible." Han Li nodded in an enlightened manner, but he still couldn't help but feel slightly shaken as he appraised Dai'er.

Not long ago, he had just encountered Qin Su'er and was startled by her Great Captivation Technique, which allowed her to manifest the appearance of Nangong Wan, and now, he was greeted by another person who bore such a strong resemblance to his beloved Dao Companion.

Could this be a sign? Could it be that something had happened to Nangong Wan?

It seemed a little superstitious to be drawing such conclusions, but as a cultivator, Han Li couldn't help but be inclined to believe in such things. As such, his brows furrowed slightly in an involuntary manner, and he became slightly concerned.

At this moment, Dai'er continued, "I've never forgotten what you did for me all those years ago, but there's a clear divide between humans and demons, after all, and I didn't want to cause any trouble for you, so I intentionally gave you the cold shoulder when we first met several days ago. Back when I first arrived at the Black Phoenix Palace, I didn't meet my birth father first. Instead..." Dai'er suddenly began to recount her experiences in the Black Phoenix Race after she had parted ways with Han Li.

The stories were rather mundane, but she seemed to enjoy telling them and had a smile on her face the entire time.

Han Li listened patiently to her recount, and a soft and gentle look gradually crept into his eyes.

They chatted for several hours, and only then did Dai'er suddenly recall that there was something she had to do, upon which she reluctantly bade farewell to Han Li.

Han Li didn't try to keep her any longer. Instead, he imparted on her some words of wisdom as a senior before calling Hai Yuetian into the room to accompany Dai'er out of the hall.

After she departed, the smile on Han Li's face faded, and he heaved a forlorn sigh as he sat in silence alone in the hall.

Not long after that, Hai Yuetian reappeared in the hall and respectfully informed Han Li that Dai'er had already departed using the teleportation formation.

At this point, Han Li had already reverted back to his normal calm expression, and he instructed, "Go get your junior martial brother and come see me in my room."

After that, Han Li rose to his feet before making his way back to his room.

Hai Yuetian's eyes lit up in response, and he hurriedly accepted this instruction before rushing off to find Qi Lingzi in high spirits.

The next morning, Han Li departed from the Immortal Welcome Palace and appeared on a hill that was completely devoid of human and demon presence.

He sat down on a large rock before closing his eyes to rest, and he seemed to be waiting for someone.

After a while, a streak of light flashed through the air, and a humanoid figure appeared on the hill.

"You sure are early, Fellow Daoist Han. Looks like you're very much looking forward to the Black Realm Exchange Convention," the humanoid figure chuckled as he cupped his fist in a salute toward Han Li. This man was none other than Daoist Master Myriad Bone.

"Hehe, I am indeed looking forward to this. However, I decided to come early as a precautionary measure. This is my first time attending this convention, and I was afraid that I would miss it!" Han Li replied with a calm smile.

"Rest assured, the time given to us is definitely accurate. However, prior to setting off, I have to caution you on some matters so you don't incur any unnecessary trouble during the convention," Daoist Master Myriad Bone said as a serious look appeared on his face.

"Go right ahead, Fellow Daoist; I'll be sure to keep everything you say in mind." Han Li was slightly taken aback by the cautious demeanor that Daoist Master Myriad Bone had adopted.

Daoist Master Myriad Bone was quite pleased to see that Han Li was also taking this very seriously, and he said, "I'm sure you don't actually need to be warned about most of this, but the Black Realm Exchange Convention is different from normal occasions, so I feel inclined to caution you about some things."

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After that, Daoist Master Myriad Bone disclosed to Han Li some of the rules and taboos of the Black Realm Exchange Convention, and Han Li listened in a careful manner.

Around 10 minutes later, Daoist Master Myriad Bone looked up at the sky, which was still a little dark, and he smiled as he said, "It's about time; let's go to the entrance together. There are always many entrances for the Black Realm every time this convention is held, so the place that we're going to will probably have only four or five people at most. However, before we go there, we have to conceal our true appearances. Having said that, there's no need to do anything drastic; there are restrictions in the Black Realm that limit spiritual sense, so just a normal disguise will suffice. It's just it's best not to be recognized by other fellow Daoists prior to entering the Black Realm. Of course, even if you do get identified, it's still not an issue; you can just change your disguise after you enter the Black Realm, and I'm sure you'll be unrecognizable again."

As expected of a veteran who had attended this convention on multiple occasions in the past; he had a lot of experience to offer.

"Thank you for your guidance, Fellow Daoist Myriad Bone; I know what I need to do now," Han Li replied with a smile, and at the same time, a layer of grey light appeared all over his body, completely concealing him within.

This was none other than his Divine Essencefused Light. With this light around him, it would be very difficult even for other Body Integration cultivators to assess his true appearance with their spiritual sense.

Daoist Master Myriad Bone also followed suit, making a hand seal to summon to release a layer of black Qi around himself.

After that, the two of them flew away from Nine Immortal Mountain together. Meanwhile, many other Body Integration Stage beings and some other mysterious cultivators also departed from the mountain range. However, all of them were flying in different directions.

Several hours later, the sky had finally brightened into daylight, and Han Li and Daoist Master Myriad Bone descended into a bleak and barren valley outside of Nine Immortal Mountain.

There were already two people waiting there, one of whom had golden light shimmering around their body that was so dazzling that the onlooker would struggle to look directly at them.

In contrast, the other person's body was as faint and indistinct as smoke, so there was no way to identify them, either.

These two were standing quite far away from one another, one in the south and one in the north, and they only cast a quick glance at Han Li and Daoist Master Myriad Bone upon their arrival.

It was quite clear that they were companions like Han Li's duo.

Han Li merely glanced at them and didn't release his spiritual sense. This was because Daoist Master Myriad Bone had told him that it was extremely taboo for any beings to use their spiritual sense on other participants of this convention.

At best, one would escape with a warning, and at worst, one would receive physical punishment for this transgression.

Han Li was in support of this rule as well, so after finding himself unable to identify those two with his eyes alone, he immediately withdrew his gaze. He was confident that his Brightsight Spirit Eyes would be able to see through their disguises, but if they had cultivated certain special secret techniques, then they would be able to detect his scrutiny.

He didn't want to draw any trouble to himself before he had even entered the Black Realm.

Thus, Han Li and Daoist Master Myriad Bone found a place with a relatively high altitude and was quite far away from the other two to settle at.

All four of the people present had concealed their true appearances, and no one was interested in making conversation, so the atmosphere was slightly awkward.

There was no other sound to be heard aside from the faint rustling of the wind.

Han Li's eyes narrowed slightly as he calculated how much time was left, and after around an hour, a ball of green light appeared in the distant sky before hurtling toward them at a rapid speed.

After just a few flashes, the green light plummeted from above like a meteorite, looking as if it were about to crash heavily down onto the ground, yet it abruptly decelerated when it was still several tens of feet above the ground, then continued to drift downward before making a completely silent landing.

Han Li glanced at the humanoid figure within the green light to find that they were situated right at the center of the other four people present.

After quickly looking around at everyone else, the figure within the green light seemed to put on a smile before taking a seat with their legs crossed, displaying no intention to move anywhere else. Han Li initially faltered slightly upon seeing this before a faint smile appeared on his face, as if he found this person to be rather interesting.

In contrast, Daoist Master Myriad Bone appraised the humanoid figure within the green light with slightly furrowed brows, seemingly having thought of something.

According to what Daoist Master Myriad Bone had said, they were the five people who were going to be entering the Black Realm from this particular location.

Over an hour later, Han Li suddenly sensed a burst of peculiar fluctuations radiating from within his sleeve, and he immediately reached into his sleeve to pull out that triangular black badge.

There was a layer of white light flashing incessantly over its surface and fluctuating in brightness, seemingly resonating with something.

Han Li was elated to see this, and he raised his head to look at the other four people present. They had also produced the same badges, all of which were flashing with white light as well.

Right at this moment, a dull rumbling sound suddenly rang out in the air above the valley, following which a burst of powerful spatial fluctuations erupted forth.

All five of the people present were slightly startled by this, and they looked up in unison to find that a blanket of dark clouds had appeared in the bright blue sky above the valley.

Within the dark clouds, arcs of silver lightning were flashing silently before instantly intertwining to form a ball.

A resounding thunderclap rang out, and a massive silver gate abruptly appeared! The gate was over 100 feet tall and had profound antiquated patterns on its surface, as well as silver runes surging around it, presenting a very spectacular sight to behold!

All of a sudden, a buzzing sound rang out from within the massive silver gate, and the surrounding runes tremored before faltering on the spot in unison.

After that, the gate was slowly opened up ever so slightly, and a streak of black light shot out from the other side. A humanoid figure flashed, and a mysterious cultivator in a long black cloak emerged before hovering in front of the gate.

This person had black Qi swirling around their entire body, and they remained completely silent as they appraised everyone down below with a bone-chilling gaze.

This person's aura was extremely strange, seemingly extremely powerful at times, but almost non-existent in other times. It was as if they possessed an extremely unstable cultivation base.

What kind of cultivation art was this? Han Li couldn't recall any cultivation art that fit this description, and a hint of surprise flashed through his eyes.

The figure enshrouded in golden light seemed to have also attended this Black Realm Exchange Convention in the past, and he asked in a resounding voice, "Are you the guidance envoy of the Black Realm?"

The black-robed figure ignored the golden figure, and a burst of green light flashed through their eyes as they said in a menacing manner, "Did you all bring your guidance badges? If so I'll take you into the Black Realm. Those who try to enter the Black Realm without guidance badges will be killed on the spot!"

The black-robed figure's voice was very sharp and piercing, and it was impossible to tell whether this was a male or female voice.

The golden figure harrumphed coldly, clearly displeased with the black-robed figure's display of arrogance, but he didn't say anything in the end.

As for Han Li and the others, they naturally weren't going to interject, either.

Seeing as none of the five people down below had any objections, the black-robed figure immediately flipped a hand over to produce a treasure that resembled a shimmering silver drumstick.

He raised the treasure and struck the giant gate with it, upon which a crisp crack rang out, and the silver gate was completely flung open amid a dull rumbling sound.

Han Li cast his gaze into the gate to find that there was nothing more than a vast expanse of inky blackness beyond the entrance. The place was completely devoid of light, as if it were a world of boundless darkness; it really did live up to its name of "Black Realm".

Just as these thoughts were running through Han Li's mind, the guidance badge in his hand suddenly became scorching hot, and in the next instant, it exploded into balls of black light that enshrouded his entire body.

At the same time, the air tightened around him, and a burst of invisible force hoisted him upward, carrying him directly toward the giant silver gate.

Han Li was slightly alarmed by this, but he looked around to find that the other four people had also been carried up into the air by black light as well, and his heart was put at ease.

In the blink of an eye, all five of them had disappeared into the black world beyond the giant gate one after another, and after verifying that nothing was amiss, the black-robed figure struck the space on either side of the gate with the silver treasure before also entering the black world.

The same rumbling sound rang out once again, and the giant silver gate slowly closed, then dispersed into countless arcs of lightning amid a loud thunderclap.

The nearby dark clouds also instantly vanished after the arcs of lightning vanished, and the dark sky returned to its former brightness.

Han Li was situated within the black light, inspecting his surroundings with a curious look on his face.

Even after entering through the silver gate, the five of them were still enshrouded in black light and hovered in the air in a straight line.

After entering this mysterious space, Han Li had completely gleaned the nature of this dark world. There was a sea of mist formed by bursts of black Qi all around him, and some of the black Qi appeared to be quite normal, yet others were extremely violent and tore through everything in the surrounding area in a frenzy, forming powerful black tornados in the process.

However, what drew Han Li's attention the most were the demon beasts up ahead. There was quite a large number of these demon beasts, and their auras differed significantly from those of normal demon beasts.

They were concealed within the mist in the distance, appraising Han Li and the others with menacing expressions, but didn't dare to approach them for some reason.

Even from so far away, Han Li could still sense the violent auras emanating from their bodies, indicating that they were clearly nothing to be scoffed at.

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Black light flashed, and the black-robed figure appeared in front of the five of them. The figure then slowly flew ahead without saying anything, and just as Han Li was starting to feel perplexed by this, the black light around him suddenly flashed, and his body was involuntarily drawn forward by a burst of invisible power. The other four people with him were also experiencing the same thing, and all five of them were being towed along by the black-robed figure.

The black light around their bodies seemed to be special as the black Qi they encountered along the way all parted to allow them passage, and they quickly flew for several kilometers.

All of a sudden, blue light flashed through Han Li's eyes, and he cast his gaze toward a vast expanse of black Qi up ahead.

He could sense that there was an enormous being lurking within the black Qi, and its aura was of the same nature as that of those unknown demon beasts from before, but it was countless times more powerful, to the extent that even he felt greatly threatened by it.

However, this black Qi was quite profound, and even with his spirit eye ability, he was only able to just barely make out the outlines of a mountainous beast that seemed to be a giant python.

The other four people with Han Li had clearly also sensed that formidable beast, and they were all feeling quite wary as the beast was slowly approaching them.

Right at this moment, the guidance envoy suddenly descended, taking everyone down along with them so they diverged away from that unknown giant beast.

Han Li's heart naturally eased slightly as a result, and he cast one final glance at the giant beast before paying it no further heed.

However, Han Li's expression changed slightly again after just a short while. At this point, they had been led downward by the guidance envoy for tens of thousands of feet, and they still didn't appear to be anywhere near the bottom.

It was as if they were descending into a bottomless black abyss.

If it weren't for the fact that the other four people around him hadn't displayed any reactions to this, he would seriously be reconsidering whether it was a good idea to continue following this black-robed figure.

Thankfully, after they had descended for over 100,000 feet, the black Qi around them finally dissipated, and they emerged from the sea of black mist into a strange blue world.

There was faint blue light everywhere, illuminating all of the buildings and the strange black trees that resembled massive stone pillars down below.

This blue light was emanating from a dozen or so shimmering blue massive balls of light hanging in the air. Each ball had a diameter of over 1,000 feet, and they were radiating faint blue light that seemed to be able to glow for the rest of eternity.

A few dull thumps rang out, and the black light around the bodies of Han Li and the others shuddered before vanishing. The connection they had with the guidance envoy was also severed as a result.

"I still have to go and guide others; go to the Black Realm Hall down below, and someone will take care of you there," the black-robed figure said in a cold voice before turning away and rising up into the air again, leaving them to their own devices.

Han Li was left feeling rather speechless, but Daoist Master Myriad Bone seemed to be completely unfazed. He merely chuckled before descending toward the hall, and the golden figure also followed suit as a streak of golden light.

Han Li and the other two figures exchanged a quick glance before naturally following along behind them.

There were many buildings down below, but all of them were very different from the ones in the outside world. All of them had been constructed from rough-looking black stones, and they were very tall and massive, reflecting an ancient primordial construction style that was more crude and rough around the edges.

The Black Realm Hall that the envoy had just referred to was very easy to identify. This was a huge black hall that was over 10,000 feet tall and had an area of several square kilometers, so it was very hard to miss.

When Han Li and the others landed on a plaza in front of the hall, they were greeted by two rows of women wearing black veils garments who were waiting for them in advance.

These women's faces had all been concealed by black veils, but they all had extremely alluring figures, and their auras suggested that they were all at or above the Core Formation Stage, so they were superb subjects for dual cultivation.

As soon as Han Li and the others descended before them, the five women at the front of the group made their way toward them in an elegant manner.

One of the tall and slender women with skin as fair as snow extended a graceful curtsey before speaking in an extremely alluring voice. "We pay our respects to our seniors. From now on, please allow us to serve you; if you have any questions or needs, we'll do our best to answer and satisfy them. There is still some time before the commencement of the convention; would you like to go and take a rest in the designated silent cultivation chambers?"

"Hmph, your Black Realm is always dabbling in these shady tricks. I don't need anyone to serve me; just take me to the hall," the indistinct smoky figure harrumphed coldly, and her pleasant voice suggested that she was also a female cultivator.

"If you don't wish to be served by us, then we naturally won't force our service upon you, Senior. Number Nine, take this senior to the hall," the black-veiled servant chuckled before turning to one of her four companions.

Number Nine stepped forward upon hearing this, and said, "Senior, please come with me."

After that, she extended a respectful curtsey before making her way toward the gate of the hall in an elegant manner.

The smoky female cultivator cast a cold glance at Number Nine before following along behind her in silence.

"Hehe, I don't need any rest, either; take me to the hall as well," the humanoid figure enshrouded in green light also said with a smile.

Judging from his voice, this seemed to be an elderly man.

The black-veiled servant agreed with a smile, and ordered another woman to take him into the hall.

Thus, only three convention-goers were left on the plaza, one of whom was Han Li.

"Tsk tsk, how could I resist a free meal like this? I'm not going to pretend like I'm some saintly gentleman! I'll be going to enjoy myself now, fellow Daoists," Daoist Master Myriad Bone guffawed in a voice that was slightly more high-pitched than his normal voice.

After that, he took the initiative and stepped forward before winding his arm around the most curvaceous of the five black-veiled women, then departed in high spirits.

The golden figure aimed a scorching gaze at the leader of the five women as he chuckled, "Hehe, I wonder which fellow Daoist that is. I must say, I really do agree with him here. You're the leader here, so you must be the most exceptional among these five; I'll get you to serve me."

The woman didn't appear to be surprised at all by this, and she said with a smile, "I'm extremely honored to be chosen by you, Senior. Number 11, make sure to take good care of this senior."

She then stepped forward and sidled up voluntarily against the golden figure's body before departing with him.

Han Li blinked as he looked at the two rows of black-veiled women standing further away, then glanced at the woman standing before him, and he made his voice more coarse and husky than normal as he asked, "You're number 11? Does that mean there were only six fellow Daoists to arrive here before our group?"

"You're mistaken there, Senior. I am indeed Number 11, but we're all randomly selected to serve the other seniors that came before, rather than selected based on our number sequence." This Number 11 was quite petite, and her voice was extremely mellow and delightful. She was staring up at Han Li with a pitiable expression, as if she were afraid that Han Li would dismiss her in preference for someone else.

"I see. There's no need to go to the silent cultivation chamber; accompany me to the hall. I have some things that I need to ask you," Han Li instructed.

"Yes, Senior!" Number 11 naturally replied in a respectful manner before voluntarily leaning her body against Han Li's.

Han Li took a glance at her and wrapped an arm around her slender waist before striding toward the hall.

Not long after Han Li had left the plaza, four more figures who were enshrouded in spiritual light of different colors descended from the sky, and they were also greeted by four smiling black-veiled servants.

Not long after that, Han Li found himself resting on a large inclined chair with Number 11 pressing her entire body against his, looking up at him with a pair of seductive eyes.

At this point, Han Li had switched to a layer of azure light to conceal his own body, rather than the initial grey light. As a result, even Daoist Master Myriad Bone wouldn't be able to identify him now.

They were currently situated in a black stone pavilion that was hovering in mid-air. Not only had a table, chairs, and spirit tea been prepared here in advance, there were even some spirit flowers and spirits fruits that were extremely rare in the outside world placed on the stone table in front of Han Li.

Han Li could see more identical structures hovering in the surrounding area, and upon closer inspection, there appeared to be around 500 to 600 of them.

Most of these hovering pavilions were empty, but, like Han Li, several tens of them were occupied by someone alongside a black-veiled servant.

However, Han Li paid no heed to the eyes that were being cast toward him from the other pavilions. Instead, he was appraising a massive white light barrier at the center of all of the stone pavilions.

This light barrier had a diameter in excess of 1,000 feet, and within it was a tall platform that was as pristine white as jade.

Not only were there a red and blue stone pillar standing on each corner of the platform, there was also a peculiar yellow formation at the center of the platform. At the very center of the formation were two stone tables that were completely identical, except one was black and the other was white.

The platform was completely empty aside from that.

All of a sudden, Han Li withdrew his gaze, and asked in a calm manner, "So what you're saying is that when the exchange convention begins, your Black Realm will bring out some precious items first to exchange with us, right?"

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"Of course. Our Black Realm wouldn't dare to proclaim itself as the wealthiest power among the two races, but we're definitely comparable in that respect to the likes of the three sovereigns and seven monarchs. There are some precious items that we purchased from other foreign races in the primordial world, and I'm sure you won't be disappointed by them, Senior," the black-veiled woman said with a smile.

At this point, she had already removed the black veil over her face, revealing a set of exquisitely beautiful facial features that were extremely alluring to behold.

It was quite clear that she was using some kind of special captivation cultivation art. Otherwise, there was no way that she could give off such an astonishing level of allure.

However, Han Li was completely unaffected by her attempts at seduction and merely nodded in a calm manner before asking, "It's quite an investment for the Black Realm to acquire and nurture a group of women like you. I'm curious; with your looks, there's no way that you wouldn't be recognized if you were to appear in the outside world. Could it be..."

"As you suspect, Senior; my sisters and I have been living in the Black Realm for as long as we can remember and have never ventured into the outside world. How about you take me as your concubine, Senior? I'll finally be able to see the light of day, then." Number 11 put on a pitiable expression that would set the average cultivator's heart aflutter, and they could easily be tempted into agreeing to her request. However, Han Li possessed immense spiritual sense and willpower, and he easily brushed her off with an excuse that he preferred solitude.

This Number 11 clearly knew her boundaries, and seeing as Han Li had no intention of taking her, she made no further mention of this and merely sidled up against Han Li's body.

Han Li reflexively tightened her arm around her waist, basking in the sensation of intimate contact with such an exquisite beauty.

After that, he asked her some more questions about the Black Realm Exchange Convention, all of which were answered to a very satisfactory degree, and Han Li was quite pleased with her service. At this moment, more and more people began to appear in the surrounding hovering pavilions.

All of a sudden, a resounding boom rang out from down below, causing the entire space to tremor slightly.

Han Li's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and blue light flashed through his eyes as his gaze instantly pierced through the dark space before him, allowing him to see the source of the commotion.

At the entrance to the hall down below, there was a 100-feet-tall giant that was enshrouded in a layer of scorching flames, putting on a violent and menacing display.

There was a black-veiled woman beside the giant, explaining something in an urgent and panicked manner.

However, the fiery giant seemed to be too angry to listen to her explanations, and it let loose a thunderous roar before a massive hand emerged from the flames, hurtling downward to crush the woman into mincemeat.

Right at this moment, spatial fluctuations suddenly erupted nearby, and a streak of golden light appeared before slashing directly toward the giant without holding back in the slightest!

The fiery giant let loose another infuriated roar and was forced to turn its attention away from the black-veiled woman, reaching out toward the golden sword projection instead.

A screeching metallic clang rang out as the flames and sword projection intertwined, and the giant stumbled back several steps in succession. At the same time, spatial fluctuations erupted above it, and a grey-robed humanoid figure was also forced to emerge in the air above.

Han Li focused his gaze on the grey-robed figure to find that his robes were made from some kind of unknown materials that gave them an illusionary quality. On top of that, he was wearing a sinister ghostly mask and appraising the fiery giant down below with an intense gaze.

"What has gotten you so worked up that you're attacking a junior, Fellow Daoist? Number 37, how did you offend our esteemed guest? Hurry up and apologize!" Much to everyone's surprise, even though the grey-robed figure hadn't held back at all in his attack, he was now scolding the black-veiled woman.

"My sincerest apologies for my transgressions in serving you, Senior; please forgive me!" Number 37's face was extremely pale, clearly still reeling from that near-death ordeal, but after hearing the order issued by the grey-robed figure, she immediately extended a respectful bow toward the fiery giant with a pitiable look on her face.

The fiery giant seemed to have regained much of its composure after being struck by that sword strike, and the fury in its eyes gradually faded, but it still harrumphed coldly, "I'll let you off the hook this time, but if you do something that's considered taboo in our race again, I'll swallow you alive!"

In the next instant, the flames around the giant's body receded, and it shrank down to become a normal human-sized red-robed figure with a pair of crimson horns. However, the red-robed figure's facial features had been completely concealed by a layer of red light.

The grey-robed figure turned to Number 37 before transmitting his voice toward her to ask a few questions, then nodded to end their conversation before turning to the red-robed figure in a slightly apologetic manner. "I see, so you're from that race. Number 37 did indeed cross the line here, but please forgive her; she would've had no way of knowing your origins, Fellow Daoist. I'll immediately order for another better replacement to serve you."

"Hmph, you can do whatever you want; I just want this convention to get started as quickly as possible. I don't have a lot of time to waste in this Black Realm," the red-robed demonic cultivator harrumphed coldly before flying toward a certain empty stone pavilion on his own as a massive fireball.

The grey-robed figure down below shook his head in a resigned manner upon seeing this, then waved a hand toward Number 37. Immediately thereafter, his body swayed, and he vanished as quickly as he had appeared.

Only then did Number 37 rise to her feet and take her leave.

Han Li was quite intrigued by the reason behind the red-robed demonic cultivator's furious outburst, but seeing as the matter had been addressed in a relatively peaceful fashion, he withdrew his gaze and closed his eyes again to continue to rest.

Meanwhile, Number 11 stood up before quietly making her way behind him before using her fair delicate hands to gently massage his shoulders, serving her much like a mortal servant would.

With Han Li's immensely powerful body, he naturally didn't require any such services to relieve fatigue, but it was still quite an enjoyable experience to receive this gentle massage while breathing in the fragrant scent wafting from her body.

He lay still on his chair, and it seemed that he had truly fallen half-asleep. Thus, time slowly passed, and more and more of the stone pavilions were filled.

After about six to eight hours had passed, almost all of the stone pavilions had been taken. Even so, there were only a total of around 400 to 500 people present, but considering the fact that there were several tens of Body Integration cultivators among them while most of the rest were Spatial Tempering cultivators carrying extremely valuable treasures, this was indeed an extremely formidable gathering.

Despite the growing number of convention-goers, all of the human and demonic cultivators in the stone pavilions kept to themselves, either sitting in silence or sipping on spirit wine or spirit tea on their own without displaying any intention to communicate with others.

Thus, an extremely silent atmosphere had settled over the entire hall.

After around another hour had passed, a ball of piercing golden light suddenly erupted in the air above the pristine white platform, following which a giant black bell and a green humanoid figure emerged at one corner of the golden formation.

The huge bell was about as tall as a person and was completely black in color, with a few traces of rust visible along its edges. At the center of the bell was a diagram depicting a black wyrm with a single eye that was giving off an unsettling red light.

The green figure that had emerged alongside the black bell had a small purple club in his hand, and his upper body was completely bare, revealing a burly and strong physique.

His skin was of a light green color, indicating that he wasn't a human, but there was no demonic Qi emanating from his body, either, thereby making it quite difficult to determine just what kind of being he was.

However, there was a faint golden metallic luster intermingled with the green of his skin, so it was quite clear that he had cultivated some kind of special body refinement art, and definitely possessed an immensely powerful body.

All of the cultivators in the stone pavilions naturally cast their eyes toward the black bell in unison, waiting for what was going to happen next.

The burly green-skinned figure was completely unfazed by the scrutiny from so many powerful beings. He merely took a deep breath, and green light swirled around him, upon which his body expanded to over twice its original size, taking him to around 30 feet tall.

His arms also expanded significantly as bulging veins began to squirm like worms beneath his skin, and he tightened both of his hands around the purple copper club before swinging it toward the giant black in a slow and extremely careful manner.

The bell chimed, and a purple halo of light proliferated forth from the center of the giant bell, rippling through the air before vanishing in a flash.

Han Li faltered slightly upon seeing this, and before he could react, the burly green-skinned man's body suddenly deflated like a punctured balloon. In the blink of an eye, he had been reduced to a frail and emaciated elderly man with white hair and a white beard, looking as if he were close to his deathbed.

That strike of the bell seemed to have exhausted all of his energy and a vast amount of his lifespan, an occurrence that came as quite a shock to all of the observers present.

Han Li's pupils also contracted upon seeing this, but the bell chime just now was quite ordinary and didn't seem to be special in any way.

However, in the next instant, the spiritual power within his body suddenly began to churn, and his blood essence also began to flow at several times its normal speed before becoming extremely hot within his body.

Han Li was quite alarmed by this, and he immediately rose to his feet. He circulated his own powerful true essence to forcibly quell these physical reactions, and almost at the same time, he discovered that his magic power seemed to have increased slightly after hearing that bell chime.

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Han Li wasn't the only one to experience this; after their initial alarm, all of the other cultivators present also discovered the changes in their magic power.

For Body Integration cultivators, this improvement was very minor and only equated to around several months of arduous cultivation at most. In contrast, Spatial Tempering cultivators received a much more significant boost in magic power that was the equivalent of over 10 years of arduous cultivation, which was naturally fantastic news for them.

All of the Body Integration cultivators were quite bewildered by this occurrence, and they immediately turned to appraise the giant black bell with intense unblinking eyes. Expressions like greed and ecstasy flashed over their faces, and it was as if they would like nothing better than to rush onto the platform and grab the treasure for themselves.

Just the chime of this bell alone could enhance one's cultivation base; how astonishing was that?

Using the treasure seemed to have caused significant backlash that left the green-skinned man a shell of his former self, but even so, this was definitely a supreme treasure that defied the natural order!

Could this be a legendary Profound Heavenly Treasure?

Han Li also had the same suspicion as he appraised the black bell in an astonished manner. Unfortunately, spiritual sense was greatly restricted here in the Black Realm, thereby preventing him from assessing the black bell in the distance with his spiritual sense. Otherwise, the fact that he owned the Profound Heavenly Fruit would make him more able than others to determine whether this was indeed a Profound Heavenly Treasure.

At this moment, the frail old man on the platform suddenly placed the purple club in his hands down onto the black stone table before him in a respectful manner. Spiritual light then flashed from beneath his feet, and he instantly vanished on the spot.

In the next instant, he was replaced by another humanoid figure, who appeared on the other side of the bell.

This humanoid figure wore a set of silver brocade robes and a golden wyrm-head mask. His eyes were of a bright green color, and he didn't seem to be a human, either.

His emergence on the platform naturally instantly drew everyone's attention, and he looked around briefly at all of the surrounding hovering pavilions before speaking. "Hehe, I'm sure all of you have just experienced the miraculous power of this Heavenmatch Bell. That bell chime was a small gift from our Black Realm to all of you. This Heavenmatch Bell is one of the most precious treasures we have to offer during this convention, and we're bringing it out as the first item for exchange to liven up the atmosphere. I'm sure this treasure won't disappoint the lucky fellow Daoist who manages to secure it."

"What? This treasure really is being offered for exchange?" Even though most people had already guessed this to be the case, it still came as a shock to some after receiving verbal confirmation from the golden-masked figure.

"As long as you can offer a treasure that I'm satisfied with, why wouldn't I exchange this Heavenmatch Bell?" the golden-masked figure chuckled.

"That's rather strange. I've attended this Black Realm Exchange Convention on many past occasions, and the treasures that have been offered for exchange are certainly nowhere near mundane, but very few treasures of this caliber have appeared, and never has one been brought out as the first exchange item. Could it be that your Black Realm is also preparing for the upcoming tribulation?" An elderly voice rang out, reverberating throughout the entire hall, thereby making it impossible to deduce exactly which stone pavilion it had originated from.

Han Li's heart stirred slightly upon hearing this. The tribulation that was being referred to here had to be the upcoming devilish tribulation. It was quite clear that all of the convention-goers present were aware of the devilish tribulation.

Thus, no one was surprised by the question that was being asked, and everyone turned to appraise the golden-masked figure, awaiting his answer.

"Indeed, Fellow Daoist. The devilish tribulation will befall both the human and demon races, and as a part of the two races, our Black Realm certainly isn't exempt from this, so it would only be normal for us to make some preparations in advance. However, I have to correct you on one thing; this Heavenmatch Bell is indeed quite an extraordinary treasure, but not as extraordinary as you think, and it possesses some flaws. Compared to the treasures brought out in the past Black Realm Exchange Conventions, it actually is inferior to a few of them," the golden-masked figure said with a smile.

"Flaws? Can you elaborate on that, Fellow Daoist? Is this not a Profound Heavenly Treasure?" A cold voice rang out from another stone pavilion, and it was clearly tinged with a hint of disappointment.

"Profound Heavenly Treasure? Hehe, you think far too highly of our Black Realm, Fellow Daoist; we may be quite powerful, but there's no way we could get our hands on such a treasure. There's no way that even the three sovereigns and seven monarchs, or even the two Grand Ascension cultivators in our two races would possess Profound Heavenly Treasures. Even if such a treasure were to fall into the hands of our two races, it would bring genocidal disaster upon us. Otherwise, why would that united foreign race army have attacked Deep Heaven City several centuries ago?" the golden-masked figure said in a meaningful voice. He was intentionally being slightly ambiguous with his words, but many of the Body Integration cultivators present were clearly aware of what he was referring to.

The golden-masked figure paused momentarily before continuing, "However, seeing as our Black Realm is willing to offer this Heavenmatch Bell for exchange, we naturally have an obligation to disclose this treasure's origins to everyone. In a sense, this treasure has also been imbued with a hint of the laws of heaven and earth, so it does indeed possess some incredible abilities akin to those of Profound Heavenly Treasures. The treasure was discovered within a secret region on the territory of an extinct foreign race, and it was quite damaged when we found it, so it's nowhere near as powerful as it otherwise could be. According to the textual annotations found in that secret region, this treasure should be part of a pair of treasures, which comprised of the most powerful treasures of that extinct race.

"Aside from this Heavenmatch Bell, there's also a Heavenquake Mallet, and the two of them should be used together. Unfortunately, we searched through that entire secret region, but were unable to find that Heavenquake Mallet. As such, we could only commission a tool refinement master to refine a replica Heavenquake Mallet using precious materials such as Deepsea Purple Copper, and the process took a vast amount of time and resources. This replica wasn't exactly a resounding success, and it can only achieve 10% of the effect that the original treasure would be capable of at most. As for repairing the Heavenmatch Bell, that would require extremely special materials that can't be found in this realm, so we could only leave it in its current form.

"Otherwise, if we could have the complete Heavenmatch Bell and the original Heavenquake Mallet to accompany it, the powers of the two treasures wouldn't be inferior by much, even compared to a Profound Heavenly Treasure. Of course, if we had been able to accomplish this, then there's no way that we would be bringing out this treasure as the first item for exchange during this convention."

Right at this moment, an indifferent female voice suddenly rang out. "I don't really care if this is a Profound Heavenly Treasure or not; I just want to know its exact abilities and flaws."

"Of course, I was just getting to that. I'm sure all of you have already experienced this bell's ability to enhance one's magic power. However, this ability is only effective for cultivators at or above the Deity Transformation Stage. A chime of this bell can enhance a Deity Transformation cultivator's magic power by a degree equivalent to 30 years of arduous cultivation, which is reduced to around 10 years for Spatial Tempering cultivators, and for Body Integration Stage fellow Daoists, the effect is quite minimal. However, the bell only works three times for each person. After that, no matter how many chimes of this bell one listens to, it won't do anything for them. On top of that, if the number of people listening to the chime of the bell on a single occasion exceeds a certain threshold, the magic power enhancement effect would be significantly hampered..." As the golden-masked figure continued in his introduction, the scorching looks in everyone's eyes faded significantly.

Most people were shaking their heads and giving up what they perceived as a lost cause.

"Not only that, but not just any cultivator can make this bell chime. A body refinement warrior must be selected, and they must reach a certain level of mastery in a foreign cultivation art that we secured from the same secret region. Due to the fact that this Heavenmatch Bell is damaged, the one who strikes the bell will suffer backlash from the power of laws within this treasure, depleting them of their true essence, and leading to their death not long after the event. Hence, if you want to use this bell, then you have to nurture a group of specialized body refinement warriors who are willing to die for this cause, which may be quite troublesome. However, if it were to be used appropriately, this Heavenmatch Bell can still be quite useful, especially to those who are part of large families or sects." The golden-masked figure finally completed his introduction.

After hearing all of this, Han Li's brows furrowed slightly, and he returned to his seat. It was quite clear that this Heavenmatch Bell wasn't going to be of much use to him.

In contrast, he was rather interested in that foreign body refinement art that the golden-masked man had mentioned.

Like Han Li, many of the other people present had also lost interest in this treasure after hearing this lengthy introduction.

The entire hall was silent for a while before someone finally asked, "What would you like for this treasure? I'm sure normal items wouldn't be able to catch the attention of your Black Realm."

"Hehe, not necessarily. I'll state a few items that I'm willing to exchange this treasure for, and if any of you possess one of those items and are willing to offer it for exchange, this treasure is yours. If none of you possess any of those items, then we're willing to exchange this treasure for top-grade spirit stones or spirit medicines over 1,000 years old, as well, but that will naturally require an unimaginable sum," the golden-masked figure said, and everyone was quite surprised to hear this.

"Are you serious?" The same unknown female cultivator seemed to be very interested in this Heavenmatch Bell, and she was very excited to hear this.

"Of course, I wouldn't make jokes on such an occasion. On top of that, our Black Realm naturally has more items we'd like to offer for exchange than just this Heavenmatch Bell. Here is a list of items that we're searching for in exchange for our treasures." The golden-masked man flipped a hand over as he spoke to reveal a white jade slip.

Immediately thereafter, spiritual light flashed, and a pillar of white light erupted from the jade slip before dispersing into a series of ancient silver characters in mid-air.

These characters depicted the names of over 100 types of items.

"Over three kilograms of Earthyin Crystals; a 30-feet-long section of Snowspirit Wood; Greenblood Fruits that are over 100,000 years old..." Han Li looked at the list of items and was quite stunned by what he saw.

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Not only was Han Li stunned by the items on the list, many of the other people present were also quite astonished by what was being shown.

All of these items were extremely difficult to find in the Spirit Realm, and even those of the Black Realm couldn't be sure that the convention-goers would have these items, so they had listed alternative options, such as using large amounts of spirit stones and spirit medicines to substitute for those items.

Of course, it was quite possible that there were people who possessed items on this list but simply wouldn't want to exchange them for such a circumstantial treasure.

After all, this Heavenmatch Bell would only be useful for those who were part of large powers.

Han Li sat in his chair and appraised the list of items with a contemplative look in his eyes.

"I don't have a 30-feet-long section of Snowspirit Wood, but I do have a section that's 10 feet in length; would I be able to make up the rest with spirit stones?" the same woman from before asked. It was quite clear that she really did want this treasure.

"I'm afraid not. The size of the Snowspirit Wood is very important to us, and we won't be able to use it even if it's just a single inch too short," the golden-masked man replied without any hesitation.

"That's rather disappointing. I really want this Heavenmatch Bell, but I'll have to give up on it," the woman sighed before falling silent.

"If I don't have any of the things on this list, can I offer other items for exchange?" A completely emotionless voice rang out from a stone pavilion in a secluded corner of the hall.

"Theoretically, yes, but we will only take materials that we require, and they have to be of the same caliber as the ones we've listed," the golden-masked man replied with a smile.

The man who had spoken seemingly hesitated momentarily before speaking again. "In that case, take a look at this and tell me what you think."

As soon as his voice trailed off, the pleasant cry of a crane rang out from that stone pavilion, and a snowy white crane with a black wooden box held between its beak flew out of the pavilion. With a single flap of its wings, it reached the white light barrier in a graceful manner, then passed through it without any impediment, presumably as the golden-masked figure had done something to grant it passage.

The golden-masked figure raised his hand, and the crane immediately opened its mouth, releasing the wooden box and allowing it to fly into the man's grasp.

After that, the crane continued to circle around in the air above the stone platform, refraining from landing, but also displaying no intention to return right away.

Meanwhile, the golden-masked man had already opened the black wooden box, and a burst of green light flashed from within it. His pupils contracted slightly at the sight of the item in the box, and a serious look appeared on his face.

He didn't reach into the box to touch the item, but light flashed through his eyes as he examined the item intently for a long while.

The owner of the white crane knew that the item was being carefully appraised, and he waited patiently for the verdict.

All of the other people present were naturally curious about what was inside the wooden box, and they were also waiting for the response.

If that item failed to satisfy the golden-masked man, then they would still have chances to secure this Heavenmatch Bell.

After a while, the light in the golden-masked man's eyes finally faded, and he heaved a long wistful sigh.

"Are you not satisfied with this item, Fellow Daoist?" The owner of the crane seemed to be quite taken aback.

"Normally, the value of this item would indeed match that of many of the materials on my list, but if I want to truly make use of it, I'll have to nurture it for at least 10,000 years. The tribulation is about to befall us within 1,000 years, so I would rather take more pragmatic things such as spirit stones and materials that can be used right away," the golden-masked man replied in a euphemistic manner.

He then placed the lid over the wooden box again before tossing it into the air. The white crane let loose a sharp cry before swooping down to catch the box between its beak again, and it then flew out of the light barrier and headed back to its master.

After a brief silence, the owner of the white crane heaved a slightly forlorn sigh. "That's quite a pity."

The golden-masked man's brows furrowed slightly in response to the lukewarm reception that the Heavenmatch Bell was receiving, and after a while, he heaved a resigned sigh. "Are there other fellow Daoists wishing to offer items for exchange? If not, then I'll have to auction off the item for top-grade spirit stones or spirit medicines."

Everyone remained silent, and no further offers were made.

"In that case, let's commence the auc..." A wry smile appeared on the golden-masked man's face, yet just as he was about to commence the auction, a coarse male voice suddenly rang out.

"Please wait, I have something that your Black Realm wants. No, to put it more accurately, it's something even more precious. Would you like to see it, Fellow Daoist?"

A hint of surprise flashed through Number 11's eyes, and her massaging hands faltered slightly. The man who had just spoken was naturally none other than Han Li.

At this point, he had already flipped a hand over to produce a yellow jade box.

"Of course, I would be more than happy to see it. If you really do have something of exceptional value, then I'll definitely offer an exchange that's worth your while." The golden-masked man was elated to hear this.

Han Li merely remained silent as he swept a sleeve through the air, and a white snake flew forth before swallowing the jade box, then shot forth as a streak of white light.

"Hmm?"

The golden-masked figure glanced at the snake right as it flew into the white light barrier and slowly descended beside him, and a hint of surprise appeared on his face. He had clearly identified that this was no ordinary puppet.

After landing beside the golden-masked man, the white snake opened its mouth to expel that yellow jade box. Compared to the special properties of this puppet, the golden-masked man was naturally more interested in what lay in this jade box, and he carefully caught the box before removing the lid.

A ball of black light was hovering within it, and within that ball of light was a shimmering silver spirit herb that was several inches tall.

"This is a Yin Phoenix Herb!" the golden-masked man exclaimed in an ecstatic manner.

Right at this moment, Han Li's voice transmission sounded beside his ears. "That is indeed a Yin Phoenix Herb, and it's been growing for hundreds of thousands of years, so it's far more precious than the 70,000-year-old Yin Phoenix Herb that your Black Realm is searching for."

"It's been growing for hundreds of thousands of years?" The golden-masked figure drew a sharp breath upon hearing this before hurriedly releasing his spiritual sense to encompass the entire herb and commencing a thorough appraisal.

A faint smile appeared on Han Li's face upon seeing this.

He had obtained this spirit herb from that medicine garden in the Vast Glacial Realm, and he had given most of them to the Body Integration cultivators of the Heavenly Cloud Races, leaving only one for himself so he could secure the spirit herb's seeds.

After returning to Deep Heaven City, he had already used a special secret technique to secure those seeds, so he had a superfluous Yin Phoenix Herb that wasn't really useful to him. Of course, he also had a few other spirit herbs that were no less rare and precious than this Yin Phoenix Herb, and he had secured seeds from all of them as well.

Han Li hadn't originally intended to exchange for that Heavenmatch Bell, so if Yin Phoenix Herb hadn't been on the list that the golden-masked figure had presented, then he would've merely passed up this treasure.

However, seeing as they were actively searching for this spirit herb and he didn't have much use for it, he was naturally going to maximize its value by exchanging it here.

On top of that, he really was quite interested in the foreign body refinement art enclosed with this Heavenmatch Bell, so he finally decided to speak up after some careful contemplation.

This appraisal was clearly more thorough than the last one, and it also took a lot longer.

Finally, the golden-masked figure exhaled as he concluded his appraisal, and his lips tremored as he transmitted his voice to Han Li. "Where did you obtain this Yin Phoenix Herb from, Fellow Daoist? I was unable to determine its exact age, but it's at least been growing for 200,000 years. Can you verify its exact age?"

The golden-masked man's voice was filled with unbridled excitement.

"I'm afraid I'm unable to verify its age, either. The only way to ascertain its age would be to refine it into pills, then examine the effects of those pills. However, I can indeed confirm that this spirit herb has been growing for far longer than 200,000 years. Are you interested?" Han Li replied with a voice transmission of his own.

"We are most definitely interested, but a small portion of this spirit herb seems to be missing. As such, its value will be discounted," the golden-masked figure said in a slow voice.

"I've taken the seeds for this spirit medicine for myself. As I'm sure you're aware, the seeds of this Yin Phoenix Herb aren't worth much at all, so even if the value is to be discounted, it shouldn't be by much. As such, I definitely won't be willing to exchange it just for this Heavenmatch Bell alone. If you want this spirit herb, then show me some sincerity. Didn't you say that the Black Realm has some other precious treasures to put up for exchange? If you're unwilling to negotiate, then I would rather keep this Yin Phoenix Herb to exchange with the other fellow Daoists present." Han Li's eyes narrowed as he transmitted his voice in a cold manner.

"This is quite an important matter, so I'll have to discuss it with some other people before I give you a response," the golden-masked figure replied in a solemn manner after a brief hesitation.

"Of course, go ahead," Han Li replied.

After that, the golden-masked man raised his head to look up into the sky, and his lips tremored incessantly as he held a discussion with his hidden colleagues.

Everyone could only wait while the discussion took place. Thankfully, the discussion ended quite quickly, and not long after that, the golden-masked man transmitted his voice to Han Li again. "Aside from this Heavenmatch Bell, we're willing to offer you another one of the most precious treasures that we have for exchange. However, you don't get to choose what that second treasure is. Of course, if you're not happy with the second treasure and decide to pass up on it, we'll compensate you with a huge sum of spirit stones."

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"If I don't get to choose, then I'd rather keep this spirit herb for the next round of exchanges," Han Li replied with furrowed brows.

"You're naturally well within your right to do that, but I must caution you that different materials will be required to exchange for the next few treasures we'll be offering. These treasures have all been contributed by different elders of our Black Realm, and all of them have different needs. Hence, there's no guarantee that you'll be able to exchange for two treasures even with this spirit herb of yours if you pass up this Heavenmatch Bell," the golden-masked figure said.

"Are you saying the next few treasures will be even more precious than this Heavenmatch Bell?" Han Li's heart stirred upon hearing this.

"Hehe, that'll depend on what you perceive to be of value," the golden-masked man replied in an ambiguous manner, not disclosing any further information to Han Li.

Han Li's lips twitched slightly upon hearing this.

The golden-masked man thought that he was interested in the Heavenmatch Bell, when in reality, he only wanted the accompanying foreign body refinement art; as for whether he could secure the bell or not, that was completely inconsequential to him.

With that in mind, Han Li asked, "How will I know that this second treasure is one of the most precious treasures on offer for exchange as you proclaim? What if you find a random treasure to swindle me with?"

The golden-masked man was clearly very confident in this second treasure, and he replied in a proud manner, "Hehe, you don't have to worry about that, Fellow Daoist; I'm sure that a cultivator of your caliber will be able to identify a precious treasure from a dud. If you're not satisfied with the second treasure, you can always refuse to make the exchange."

After a brief pause for contemplation, Han Li agreed to this arrangement. "In that case, you have to let me see the second treasure first, right? If it's indeed useful to me, then I'll accept the exchange."

The golden-masked man's confident display made him quite curious about just what this second treasure was.

"Sure, please wait a moment, Fellow Daoist." The golden-masked figure smiled as spiritual light flashed from his hand, and a golden cloth pouch appeared before being tossed into the air.

White light flashed, and the white snake sprang forth like lightning, swallowing the pouch before flying out of the light barrier and heading back to Han Li.

Han Li extended a hand, and the golden pouch fell into his grasp.

He raised an eyebrow as he immediately loosened the opening of the pouch, then swept his spiritual sense into it, following which a stunned look abruptly appeared on his face.

As soon as he opened the pouch, bright azure light erupted forth, accompanied by a burst of buzzing. Immediately thereafter, something attempted to fly out of the pouch, and Han Li immediately placed a hand over the pouch's opening, sealing it amid a flash of golden spiritual light.

The azure light and the strange buzzing sound both vanished after that flash of golden light.

"What is the meaning of this?" Han Li stared blankly at the pouch for a long while before abruptly turning to the golden-masked man and transmitting his voice toward him again.

"I'm offering that item and the Heavenmatch Bell for your Yin Phoenix Herb," the golden-masked figure replied with a confident smile.

"Hmph, if this item were completely refined, then it would naturally be an extraordinary treasure, but you're trying to exchange for my Yin Phoenix Herb with just an embryo? You sure are a shrewd businessman!" Han Li harrumphed coldly.

"Do you think we'd be offering this item if it were completely refined? In that case, even without the Heavenmatch Bell, just this item alone would be worth seven or eight Yin Phoenix Herbs of the same age," the golden-masked figure replied in an unyielding manner.

"That's true. This item would indeed be indispensable to any cultivator after being fully refined. However, an embryo is still an embryo; it's still far from being completely refined. Who knows if it'll be worth exchanging such a precious spirit herb for something that'll be completely useless during the upcoming devilish tribulation?" Han Li sighed after a brief pause.

"Hehe, that'll be up to your luck, Fellow Daoist. If you can survive the devilish tribulation, then find a way to refine this item, then you'll have earned yourself an extraordinary asset. Truth be told, this is something that one of our Black Realm elders was refining, and he only decided to offer it for exchange as he knew that he wouldn't be able to completely refine it," the golden-masked man revealed in a truthful manner.

Han Li stroked his chin and fell into silent contemplation.

The item in the pouch was a legendary treasure among the human and demon races, and once successfully refined, it could assist a cultivator significantly in their cultivation. It was said that only a tiny handful of people possessed this type of treasure in the entirety of the two races. At present, it was only a semi-finished product, but if it weren't for the imminent devilish tribulation, Han Li would exchange it for his Yin Phoenix Herb almost without any hesitation, let alone the fact that the Heavenmatch Bell was also being thrown into the deal. However, this treasure was a spirit item that was born from heaven and earth. Not only was it extremely difficult to form its embryo, completing its refinement was virtually an impossible task. Otherwise, such a valuable treasure wouldn't be so exceedingly rare among the two races.

Even so, the miraculous effects of this treasure in its fully refined form still posed quite a tempting prospect to Han Li, and it was no wonder that the golden-masked man was so confident that he would agree to this exchange.

At the same time, it also showed just how determined he was to secure this Yin Phoenix Herb.

Through the interaction between Han Li and the golden-masked man, the other people in the nearby stone pavilions had also deduced that there was a good chance that this exchange would be a successful one.

As such, many people were naturally curious about just what was in the jade box that Han Li had offered, and what was in the cloth pouch that the golden-masked man had offered in exchange. However, with the powerful spiritual sense restrictions in this place, they were naturally unable to ascertain any of those details.

"Alright, I agree to this exchange!" Han Li officially agreed after just a brief moment of contemplation.

"You've definitely made the right decision, Fellow Daoist!" the golden-masked man said with an elated look in his eyes.

He then swept his sleeve toward the Heavenmatch Bell to send a burst of golden light surging toward it, and the giant bell rapidly shrank down to around the size of a human palm in the blink of an eye, then hovered in mid-air within the golden light.

The purple club had also shrunk down to around the thickness of a finger, and was drawn into his hand as a streak of purple light.

The rest of the process was very simple. The golden-masked man placed these two items into a wooden box before making a hand seal, and a giant black crow abruptly appeared in the air above the platform. The crow caught the black box between its beak before delivering it to Han Li, while the golden-masked figure carefully stowed away the jade box containing the Yin Phoenix Herb.

Han Li also stowed away the Heavenmatch Bell and golden pouch before laying back in his seat and closing his eyes again. Thus, the exchange had been completed.

Number 11 immediately resumed her gentle massage.

"Alright, the first treasure has been successfully exchanged. I'll now be bringing out some tool and pill refinement materials that are extremely rare in the outside world; I'm sure they'll pique the interest of many of the fellow Daoists present. These materials aren't extremely precious, but they're all very pragmatic items that are in severe shortage. Due to the vast amount of these materials, we'll be exchanging them in three separate batches. Please pay attention, I'll now be displaying a new list of items that we're looking for in exchange for these materials. If more than one person sets their eyes on a single batch of materials, then I'll be the one to decide which exchange is more favorable for our Black Realm," the golden-masked man announced.

At the same time, two jade slips appeared in his hands, and he waved them through the air in unison.

The ancient characters hovering in the air began to change, with some of the original items vanishing, while many new items were added to the list, as well.

At the same time, another light screen appeared beside the existing one, and that screen displayed the three batches of materials that the Black Realm was offering for exchange, of which there was an absolutely staggering amount.

It was quite clear that these materials were extremely popular, and as soon as they were displayed, many people immediately began to offer exchanges, and the silent atmosphere in the hall was immediately set alight.

As for Han Li, he merely looked on and displayed no intention of making any offers.

The three batches of materials were quickly exchanged, and the next "item" that the golden-masked man presented came as quite a surprise to Han Li.

This was a group of seven exquisitely beautiful human women, each of which were at the Foundation Establishment Stage or above, and they all had special constitutions that made them extremely viable dual cultivation partners.

They were all quite young, and only minimal nurturing would be required to develop them into exceptional concubines or dual cultivation partners, so there was naturally a lot of interest displayed toward them as well.

After much competition, a mysterious purple-robed man secured this "item" with a piece of Profound Light Iron in exchange.

After that, the Black Realm brought out their second major treasure for exchange, which was a peculiar antiquated yellow flag.

It was an extremely powerful treasure left behind by a mighty figure back when the human race first established itself in the Spirit Realm. Even to this day, that mighty figure was still vastly renowned, and it was said that this treasure possessed extraordinary powers. On top of that, it was very versatile and could be used as the core of a super formation, or simply used as a weapon against enemies in battle.

Even Han Li was tempted by these treasures, but unfortunately, the golden-masked man presented a list of only three other treasures in exchange for this item, each of which was no less precious than this flag, and that naturally proved to be a significant hurdle for those who were interested in the treasure.

Coincidentally, one of the people present really did have one of the three stipulated treasures, and not only did he secure the yellow flag, after some bartering, they also secured an additional large sum of spirit stones in exchange as well.

This was a mysterious individual enshrouded under a cloud of blood mist, and Han Li couldn't help but turn toward them with an intrigued expression.

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After that, the golden-masked man brought out some items that were produced in the Wood Tribe and Spirit Race, and all of these items had special uses. As such, they were very attractive to the convention-goers present, and they clambered to offer the items required by the Black Realm for exchange.

A few more major treasures were brought out by the golden-masked man thereafter, all of which were vastly renowned and possessed abilities that weren't inferior to the Heavenmatch Bell and the antiquated yellow flag.

Furthermore, these treasures either had astonishing defensive abilities or extraordinary offensive capabilities, so they were a lot more pragmatic than the two aforementioned treasures, and they definitely provided a fantastic shortcut to enhance one's powers.

As such, the entire hall was stirred up into a near frenzy as everyone competed for these treasures.

The final treasure was a Sea-parting Fan, which was ranked slightly above the middle of the pack on the Chaotic Myriad Spirit Roll. It was said to be able to move mountains and part oceans, possessing unimaginably enormous power.

Over 20 cultivators pulled out all types of materials in heaps and piles in a bid to secure this treasure, and in the end, the golden-masked man chose the one who had offered the most materials, and exchanged the Sea-parting Fan in exchange for those materials, as well as a few more powerful treasures.

Han Li was also interested, but unfortunately, the treasure was being exchanged for some precious legendary crystals rather than spirit medicines, and Han Li didn't possess any of those crystals.

Following that transaction, all of the items that the Black Realm had prepared had been exchanged, and none of them had to be auctioned off for spirit stones. This was a clear indication that the Black Realm had done their homework beforehand and were well aware of what everyone wanted.

The golden-masked figure was clearly very pleased with the proceedings thus far, and he announced, "Everything our Black Realm had to offer has been exchanged; it's now time for the free exchange segment of the convention. If you have any items that would be of interest to our Black Realm, I'd like to ask you to consider offering them to us for exchange. As for the rules, they're the same as always; only a maximum of three people at a time will be allowed onto the stage to display the items they'd like to offer for exchange, and it'll be up to you to negotiate all of the terms. Our Black Realm won't intervene at all during this segment. Alright, I hereby announce the commencement of the free exchange segment!"

"Hehe, in that case, allow me to go first."

As soon as the golden-masked figure's voice trailed off, a sinister voice abruptly sounded. Immediately thereafter, a streak of black light shot forth from one of the stone pavilions, and after just a few flashes, it appeared in the air above the white light barrier.

This was a grey-robed man with his entire body enshrouded within peculiar wisps of black light.

"Hmph, you sure seem like you're in a hurry, Fellow Daoist!"

"I'll also be taking the stage with you!"

Several more streaks of light shot forth from other hovering pavilions almost in complete unison, but seeing as someone had arrived on the platform first, one of the streaks of light immediately brightened significantly before vanishing on the spot, then reappearing within the light barrier in the next instant as if via instant teleportation.

This was an elegant figure enshrouded within a layer of five-colored light. It was a female cultivator.

A sharp cry rang out from another streak of light, and it blurred slightly before doubling in speed, arriving on the stone platform ahead of its competition.

A hint of surprise appeared on Han Li's face upon catching sight of this third person, who had an extremely peculiar figure. He was around 10 feet tall, and about just as many feet wide, resembling a massive meatball as he stood on the platform.

However, on this meatball was the head of a normal man, which was currently etched with a concerned expression, and completely unconcealed.

Everyone else was too slow, and they were rebounded by the white light barrier, preventing them from descending onto the platform.

"Please go back for now, fellow Daoists; you can come back in the next round," the golden-masked man said as he cupped his fist in a polite salute.

The people outside the light barrier were naturally quite reluctant to leave, but they could only depart in a disgruntled manner.

The grey-robed man who had descended onto the platform first let loose a burst of delighted laughter. It was naturally quite a privilege to be able to present their items in the first round. Otherwise, if something they needed were taken by someone else before they could take the stage, that would naturally be quite infuriating.

The golden-masked man glanced at the human meatball before chuckling, "I'm glad you came to participate in our exchange conference again, Brother Zhu. On top of that, you seem to be very eager; I'm sure the memory of missing out on that treasure during the last convention still haunts you to this day."

"We both had Hundred Segment Beads, but mine was clearly of a higher caliber. If he hadn't taken the stage before me, how would the treasure have ended up in his hands? I really hate participating in this exchange convention as my figure makes me stick out like a sore thumb no matter how I try to disguise myself, but I hardly have any choice," the meatball sighed as the concern in his eyes was exacerbated even further.

"Hehe, the cultivation art you're using has been vastly renowned since ancient times. You may not be able to manipulate your own body as you please, but countless people would gladly accept this disadvantage for your immense powers."

This meatball seemed to be quite an important and powerful figure, as evidenced by the fact that the golden-masked man was speaking to him in an extremely polite manner.

"Hehe, I know you're only saying that to make me feel better, but my mood has been buoyed nonetheless. I hope I can reap some worthwhile rewards during this exchange convention." Despite what he was saying, the meatball was still looking quite unenthusiastic and forlorn.

The golden-masked man smiled before taking over 10 steps backward, standing in silence on one corner of the golden formation.

The grey-robed man was clearly also quite wary toward this meatball, and after a brief pause, he cupped his fist in a salute, and said, "Seeing as Brother Zhu is so eager to present his treasure, I would be happy to let you go first."

The female cultivator enshrouded under five-colored light didn't say anything, but she also nodded to accept this arrangement.

"In that case, you have my thanks, fellow Daoists." The meatball returned the grey-robed man's salute before abruptly patting his own bulging belly, then opened his mouth to expel a shimmering white small vial that landed in his hand.

"There are three balls of Golden Crow True Flames in here, and I'll only exchange them for a myriad-year Golden Bone Zoysia or False Meridian Herb, with one fireball exchanged for each spirit plant," the meatball announced.

"Golden Crow True Flames? Is that true? How did you manage to get your hands on such true spirit flames?"

"If he's the one offering them, then the flames are most likely real. Having said that, I'm quite surprised that he's willing to part with such flames."

The announcement immediately created a stir throughout the entire hall, and after a brief moment of surprise, Han Li stroked his chin as a contemplative look appeared on his face.

His Spirit Engulfing Heavenly Flames had absorbed a wisp of this true spirit flame from the demonic birds in the Golden Demon Mountain Ranges, and that had significantly enhanced their power. If this demonic cultivator really did possess this type of true spirit flame, and he had as many as three balls of such flames, then that would allow the Spirit Engulfing Heavenly Flames to become significantly more powerful.

Unfortunately, he sounded extremely determined to accept only the two types of spirit medicines that he had stated, and Han Li had neither of them, so he was feeling slightly frustrated.

At this moment, the meatball carefully removed the lid of the small vial, then patted the bottom of the vial with his hand, and three scorching white fireballs flew out from within. The three fireballs then transformed into a trio of white Fire Ravens that flew around him.

The three Fire Ravens were completely pristine white in color, and there were faint silver runes swirling around their bodies.

Scorching heat immediately filled the entire light barrier, causing it to tremor slightly in an unsteady manner.

"Those really are Golden Crow True Flames!"

"If someone using a fire-attribute cultivation art were to refine these flames, they would benefit immensely."

More chatter rang out from all directions, and a series of envious and greedy eyes fell upon the three white Fire Ravens.

Everyone's spiritual sense had been severely restricted, but all of the convention-goers present naturally had extremely sharp discerning eyes, and even from this far away, they could determine with relative certainty that these were indeed Golden Crow True Flames.

Blue light flashed through Han Li's eyes, allowing him to glean the true appearance of the Golden Crow True Flames within those three white Fire Ravens, and a peculiar look appeared on his face as he murmured to himself, "Hmm? These are diluted Golden Crow True Flames!"

His voice was so faint that even Number 11 failed to hear what he had just said. After making this observation, the frustration in Han Li's eyes faded, and he looked on with a cold expression.

Meanwhile, the grey-robed man had also brought out a three-colored lotus-shaped treasure that was of the ice attribute. He declared that it could release three types of glacial flames, and would be extremely powerful when wielded by someone using an ice-attribute cultivation art. In exchange for this treasure, he would only accept a fire-attribute treasure of the same caliber.

As for the female cultivator enshrouded within the five-colored light, she had brought out a head-sized crimson ball, which was the egg of a Bloodflame Falcon. This was a type of primordial beast that was renowned for its ferocity, and after reaching full maturity, Bloodflame Falcons had an average wingspan of over 100 feet.

On top of that, they were adept in abilities that were of the extremely rare blood attribute, and depending on what innate ability they developed, they could potentially ultimately attain Spatial Tempering Stage or even early-Body Integration Stage power.

The woman proclaimed that she had secured this egg from a nest owned by a pair of Body Integration Stage Bloodflame Falcons, and she was only willing to accept a spirit treasure for it.

These two items naturally garnered much interest from those using ice-attribute cultivation arts and those who were adept in taming spirit beasts. Moments later, someone began to offer treasures in exchange for those two items.

As for the two items requested by the meatball, they were clearly extremely precious, and even though there were many people interested in his Golden Crow True Flames, no one offered the spirit medicines he had requested.

The grey-robed man and the female cutivator's items were both exchanged for satisfactory items, and the meatball's concerned look only deepened upon seeing this.

After a short while, there was still no one making offers for his flames, and he heaved a forlorn sigh before stowing the three Fire Ravens away, then flew back to his own stone pavilion, choosing to abandon this exchange.

His decision naturally drew a lot of intrigue from the onlooking convention-goers. However, everyone's attention was soon redirected toward the next three cultivators who had flown onto the platform.

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Han Li looked on through narrowed eyes as one precious item was presented after another. Those who completed successful exchanges were elated, and those who failed were naturally very disappointed as they returned to their stone pavilions empty-handed.

The majority of items presented were successfully exchanged, but it was quite clear that compared to the previous editions of the convention, there were far more complete treasures being exchanged compared to materials.

This was a clear sign that everyone was preparing for the upcoming devilish tribulation, getting rid of what they didn't need in exchange for complete treasures that would enhance their powers.

After all, no matter how precious certain materials were, they were useless if they couldn't be refined into treasures prior to the devilish tribulation.

For those who were able to participate in this convention, normal treasures naturally were of no interest to them, yet the powerful treasures that could catch their eye generally could only be refined using several tens or even over 100 types of precious materials.

Setting aside the fact that there was a chance of failure during the refinement process, it would take hundreds, perhaps even thousands of years just to gather so many materials. Otherwise, precious materials would've been far more prevalent during this convention than completed treasures.

After over half a day had passed, most of the people offering items for exchanges had taken the stage. Han Li had been very tempted by many of the powerful treasures being presented, but all of these people demanded other treasures of the same caliber in exchange, so he could only pass up on those opportunities.

However, that didn't mean that this entire process had been a completely fruitless one for him. Not only did he use one of the spirit medicines he had secured from the Vast Glacial Realm to exchange for several sets of extremely powerful formation flags, he had also exchanged a flagon of Red Silk Immortal Wine for a dozen or so spirit medicine seeds that he didn't yet have from an avid wine enthusiast.

He had also taken the stage himself not long ago and offered some myriad-year spirit medicines for the demon beast materials that he was still yet to collect. As a result, he was able to easily secure those materials from a few demonic cultivators, and that came as quite a relief to him.

After securing those materials, he would be able to begin refining his second extreme mountain following the conclusion of the Myriad Treasure Convention, and should he be successful, his powers would be significantly enhanced again.

Just as Han Li laid back in his chair, thinking that the rest of the convention wouldn't have much to do with him, a person enshrouded under a layer of dense black Qi flew onto the stage, then slowly pulled a black round bowl out of his sleeve.

"This is a Sinful Cloud manifested from 10,000,000 beast souls. I can guarantee that all of the souls used belonged to ferocious beasts, and 100,000 of them belonged to low-grade demon beasts. I want to exchange this Sinful Cloud for an offensive Divine Spirit Treasure on the Chaotic Myriad Spirit Roll." As soon as this announcement was made, everyone's expressions, including Han Li's, changed drastically, and they all turned to stare at him in an astonished manner.

The golden-masked man who was standing at the corner of the golden formation was also stunned to hear this, and his smile immediately faded as he stared intently at the man who had just spoken with a bewildered look in his eyes.

In spite of the intense scrutiny he was receiving, the mysterious figure within the black Qi remained completely unfazed and raised the round bowl with one hand, then removed the lid of the bowl with his other hand.

A burst of ghastly howling immediately rang out, and inky-black dark clouds swept forth alongside strong winds from within the round bowl in a frenzy. The dark clouds dispersed and spread to cover an area of several acres.

Blue light flashed within Han Li's eyes, and he was able to instantly discern these dark clouds as countless black projections. Among them were familiar beastly figures like wolves, tigers, and lions, but also some strange types of beasts that he had never seen before.

All of these beastly projections were constantly transforming and tearing at one another. At times, their bodies would crumble away into nothingness, and other times, they would reappear in their original forms.

These beastly projections were none other than the aforementioned beastly souls. A Sinful Cloud that was manifested by tens or even hundreds of these beastly souls weren't particularly valuable, but their value spiked dramatically once that number increased to the tens of thousands.

This was because a Sinful Cloud's power directly correlated with the number of souls it had been manifested from, the more souls that were used, the more difficult it would be to successfully manifest a Sinful Cloud.

A Sinful Cloud manifested from over 100,000 souls would be extremely alluring to those using Devil Dao cultivation arts, and one that was manifested from over 1,000,000 souls would be enough to drive even Body Integration Stage Devil Dao cultivators into a frenzy.

As for Sinful Clouds manifested from over 10,000,000 souls, there didn't seem to be that many even in the entire history of the two races.

Needless to say, the enhancements it would bring to those using the relevant cultivation arts would be almost unimaginable, regardless of whether this Sinful Cloud was used in cultivation, or as a material to refine a ghostly treasure.

However, setting aside the fact that very few people knew of the method to manifest a Sinful Cloud of this caliber, just the task of collecting 10,000,000 souls was virtually an impossible one.

After all, slaughtering 10,000,000 living beings would result in such severe baleful Qi backlash that even a Body Integration cultivator wouldn't be able to withstand it on their own.

Due to the heinous nature of the process required to manifest Sinful Clouds, refinement of such treasures had been strictly prohibited in the two races since ancient times, and it was said that heavenly phenomena would take place whenever a Sinful Cloud consisting of more than 10,000 souls was refined. The phenomena triggered by Sinful Clouds manifested from over 1,000,000 souls would be even more difficult to keep out of the public eye, and such items existed almost only in myths and legends. As such, this Sinful Cloud, which the man claimed to have been manifested from 10,000,000 beastly souls, was naturally quite an astonishing notion.

If this item had been revealed in the outside world, everyone would most likely be fighting over it already.

"10,000,000 beastly souls? Is that true, Fellow Daoist? It doesn't really look like it." A dry voice rang out, and it was tinged with a hint of astonishment and skepticism.

"That's because I only released 1% of all of the beastly souls within this Sinful Cloud. If I were to release them all at once, this tiny hall wouldn't have anywhere near enough capacity for them. However, anyone who's interested can come and see for themselves just how many beastly souls there are in here," the man on the platform said in an unhurried manner.

"You want an offensive Divine Spirit Treasure on the Chaotic Myriad Spirit Roll for this? Aren't you asking for a bit too much? How about this? I'll give you two, no, three top-grade spirit treasures for that Sinful Cloud," someone offered in a slightly urgent manner.

"I won't accept anything other than an offensive Divine Spirit Treasure," the man within the black Qi refused without any hesitation.

"Don't be so quick to jump to decisions, Fellow Daoist; how about you take a look at what I'm offering first?" Another elderly voice suddenly sounded at this moment, following which a streak of crimson light shot forth toward the platform.

A tall and thin humanoid figure that was enshrouded within a layer of crimson light then appeared above the white light barrier before tossing forward a jade vial.

The jade vial passed through the light barrier without any impediment, and the figure within the black Qi caught it in a slightly reluctant manner. He removed the lid of the vial and took a look inside, upon which he immediately shuddered as if he had been struck by lightning.

"How about it? I'm sure you know what that pill entails, right? If it wasn't for the fact that this Sinful Cloud will be quite useful to me, I definitely wouldn't be offering this pill for exchange," the figure within the crimson said as he looked at the vial in a wistful manner.

After a long hesitation, the man within the black Qi shook his head before tossing the vial back to its owner. "No, I still won't accept this over a Divine Spirit Treasure."

The figure within the crimson light faltered momentarily in disbelief before exclaiming, "Do you not recognize what this is, Fellow Daoist? This is a Clear Cleansing Pill that can increase a Body Integration cultivator's chances of breaking through bottlenecks!"

"Clear Cleansing Pill?"

"Fellow Daoist, would you be willing to exchange that Clear Cleansing Pill for any other treasure?"

All of the Body Integration Stage beings present immediately erupted into a frenzy upon hearing the name of this pill, and several of them began to yell offers directly at the man within the crimson light.

This pill was clearly more popular than the Sinful Cloud, and that made sense. A Sinful Cloud manifested from 10,000,000 souls was most definitely a legendary item, but it was only useful to devilish and ghostly cultivators.

In contrast, Clear Cleansing Pills were extraordinary pills that were universally useful for all Body Integration cultivators, and it was especially alluring to those whose cultivation bases had stagnated for many years.

The Sinful Cloud seemed to be extremely important to the figure in the crimson light, and after taking a resentful glance at the man within the black Qi, he said, "Hmph, if you want my Clear Cleansing Pill, then help me exchange for this Sinful Cloud, and I'll gladly hand over this pill."

The entire hall fell silent upon hearing this. Generally speaking, all of the Body Integration cultivators present should have a few spirit treasures up their sleeves, but even in the entirety of the human and demon races, there were definitely no more than 10 Divine Spirit Treasure that were on the Chaotic Myriad Spirit Roll. As for offensive treasures for this caliber, there were perhaps only two or three. Even if such a treasure did exist in the human or demon race, its owner might not be present at this Black Realm Exchange Convention.

On top of that, Divine Spirit Treasures on the Chaotic Myriad Spirit Roll were no less valuable than Clear Cleansing Pills, so whether someone would be willing to accept this exchange was another matter altogether.

Han Li stared at the medicine vial containing the Clear Cleansing Pill, and a contemplative look appeared on his face.

Seeing as no one had accepted this exchange offer after such a long time, the figure in the black Qi knew that there was no chance of such a trade taking place. Thus, he shook his head in a slightly disappointed manner, then made a hand seal to withdraw the black cloud before turning to leave the platform.

"Please wait, Fellow Daoist!" The figure within the crimson light immediately rushed toward the figure in the black Qi before blocking his way.

"What is the meaning of this? Are you trying to force me into a trade?" The man within the black Qi immediately flared up with rage, and a frosty aura erupted from his body.

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The golden-masked figure also immediately rose to his feet upon witnessing the actions of the man in the crimson light.

As one of the organizers of this convention, he naturally couldn't just stand by idly if someone were to start trouble in the Black Realm.

"Please don't misunderstand, Fellow Daoist; I bear no ill will. It's just that this Sinful Cloud is indeed extremely important to me, so I implore you to wait for a while longer. Give me some time to try and secure a treasure that fits your requirements, and if that doesn't work, then I definitely won't press the issue any further," the figure in the crimson light explained in an urgent manner as he held up his hands as a display of his pure intentions.

The figure within the black Qi hesitated momentarily before nodding in response. "You want me to wait some more? Alright, I can tell that you really do want this Sinful Cloud, so I'll give you 10 more minutes. If you still can't get what I want by then, I won't waste any more time here."

It was quite clear that the man in the crimson light was desperate to secure this Sinful Cloud, and the man in the black Qi was also very eager to get his hands on a Divine Spirit Treasure. Neither of them wanted to give up, even if there were only the slightest sliver of an opportunity for them.

The man in the crimson light heaved a faint sigh of relief upon securing agreement from the owner of the Sinful Cloud, and after a brief pause for contemplation, he waved a hand over his storage bracelet in an extremely reluctant manner to produce a shimmering golden scroll.

"I once ventured into a set of ancient ruins, within which I almost met my demise on several occasions, and I found this scroll in there. This scroll is extremely mysterious, and I have no way of opening it without damaging it, so I've kept it in its original condition for all this time. However, I'm sure that this scroll contains astonishing secrets as the seal of this scroll is inscribed in golden seal text. I'm willing to exchange my Clear Cleansing Pill and this scroll for an offensive Divine Spirit Treasure on the Chaotic Myriad Spirit Roll," the man in the crimson light announced in a loud voice.

"Golden seal text?"

"Could it be that this is something from the True Immortal Realm?"

This announcement naturally created another stir and attracted a lot of interest. They weren't concerned that the man in the crimson light could be deceiving them as it was a simple matter to see if a seal had been undone before.

Unfortunately, even though many people were tempted by these conditions, they simply didn't have the required treasure, and could only look on in a resigned manner.

Han Li focused his gaze on the golden scroll, and he seemed to be quite tempted, but he remained seated firmly in his chair.

As time passed and no one stepped forward to accept this offer, the man in the black Qi grew more and more disappointed, and the agitation of the man in the crimson light was growing by the second.

If he were to miss out on this extraordinary Sinful Cloud during this Black Realm Exchange Convention, there would be no way that such an item would appear in another auction.

The owner of the Sinful Cloud would definitely hide it in an extremely secretive manner after leaving this place, so if this exchange couldn't take place, then there would be no way for him to track down the item again.

This Sinful Cloud was extremely important to him as it was a vital decisive factor on whether he would be able to transcend his next major heavenly tribulation. Without this Sinful Cloud, there was a very slim chance that he would be able to transcend that tribulation, so it could be said that this Sinful Cloud was virtually as important as his life.

Could it be that there really was no one present who possessed an offensive Divine Spirit Treasure?

As the time afforded to him by the man in the black Qi dwindled, the man in the crimson light became more and more desperate, and he gritted his teeth before abruptly patting a blue cloth pouch that was hanging from his waist.

A burst of blue light immediately surged forth, following which a translucent blue ice cage appeared in his hand.

The cage was only around a foot tall, and there were several golden and silver talismans plastered to the surface. Within the cage was a snowy white spirit bird that was standing proudly atop a horizontal artificial branch crafted from some kind of shimmering silver wood, and it was appraising everything in the surrounding area in a completely expressionless manner.

"This is an Ice Phoenix that has inherited some of the Heavenly Phoenix's bloodline. It may only be at the Core Formation Stage right now, but that's only due to a debilitating injury. With some care and nurturing, it could easily return to the former height of its powers in just a few centuries, and I can assure you that after reaching the metamorphosis stage, this Ice Phoenix has an extremely beautiful human form. On top of that, it possesses the Origin Yin Physique, and both those factors make it an exceptional dual cultivation partner. I'm sure you all know the benefits of integrating yin and yang by absorbing her Heavenly Phoenix Origin Yin Qi, so I won't elaborate on that. Even if that doesn't have as potent an effect as a Clear Cleansing Pill when assisting one in breaking through a bottleneck, it definitely won't be far off.

"Even if you don't take her Origin Yin Qi and can somehow tame her, she would still be a spirit beast with limitless potential; I'm sure she won't disappoint you. I came into possession of this Ice Phoenix by chance, and I'm willing to offer her along with the other two items for an offensive Divine Spirit Treasure. This is already everything that I have; if you miss out on this opportunity, something like this won't ever come around again." The desperation was really beginning to show in the man's voice now, and he resembled a beast that had been driven into a corner.

This wasn't an overreaction at all. The thing that could save his life was right before his eyes, yet he couldn't obtain it; anyone would be just as desperate if they were in his shoes.

However, there was still no reaction from anyone in the hall.

In his desperation, the man in the crimson light turned toward the man in the black Qi again. "Fellow Daoist, if I were to offer these three items to you..."

The man in the black Qi cut him off without any hesitation. "I've already made myself very clear; I won't accept anything aside from an offensive Divine Spirit Treasure on the Chaotic Myriad Spirit Roll."

The man in the crimson light was plunged into complete despair upon hearing this.

However, right at this moment, a male voice suddenly rang out, and it was like heavenly music to his ears.

"Alright, I'll take you up on that trade."

The man in the crimson light was initially in complete disbelief, but after a brief stunned stupor, an ecstatic look appeared on his face. "Are you serious? Please join me on the platform!"

At the same time, he immediately focused his gaze on the pavilion where the voice had come from.

The man in the black Qi was clearly also very excited to hear this.

The one who had spoken was naturally none other than Han Li.

Ever since the man in crimson light had brought out that Ice Phoenix, he had been appraising it with a peculiar expression, and after a brief moment of contemplation, he made his decision.

Many other people also cast astonished glances toward Han Li upon hearing this. However, he paid no heed to them and shot forth as a streak of azure light, appearing on the platform after just a single flash.

Even now, the man in the crimson light was still in disbelief, and he asked in a slightly trembling voice, "Do you really possess a Divine Spirit Treasure?"

Han Li smiled and took a glance at the snowy white Ice Phoenix in the cage first, then replied in a calm manner, "I do indeed possess quite a powerful offensive Divine Spirit Treasure, but I'm not completely sure whether it's on the Chaotic Myriad Spirit Roll, so I'll need you two to confirm it for me."

The elation in the heart of the man in the crimson light immediately dimmed significantly upon hearing this, but he still prompted in a hopeful manner, "Oh, I see. Please bring it out then, Fellow Daoist."

As for the man in the black Qi, he remained completely silent, and merely looked on as the interaction took place.

Han Li naturally had no intention of delaying any further, and he immediately summoned a giant black blade that was taller than an adult human. The blade was extremely antiquated in design and gave off a primordial aura.

This was none other than the giant blade that Han Li had obtained after slaying that powerful Rong being in the Vast Glacial Realm. It was no less powerful than his Chaotic Origin Ruler, and both of those items should be on the Chaotic Myriad Spirit Roll.

Before the man in the crimson light even had a chance to react, the man in the black Qi exclaimed in an elated manner, "That's the Profound Light Blade!"

The hope in the heart of the man in the crimson light was immediately reignited upon hearing this, and he hurriedly asked, "Do you recognize this blade, Fellow Daoist?"

The man in the black Qi forcibly repressed the excitement in his heart, and said in a serious manner, "Of course I do. This is one of the last few Divine Spirit Treasures on the Chaotic Myriad Spirit Roll, but it fits my criteria nonetheless. I've been searching for such a treasure for a long time, so how could I not have done my research beforehand? Having said that, I must examine this item first to verify its authenticity."

"Of course! Fellow Daoist, would you be able to..." The man in the crimson light immediately became extremely polite toward Han Li.

"I naturally have no objections, but shouldn't you let me examine the items you're offering as well?" Han Li asked with a smile as he flicked his wrist and tossed the giant blade toward the man in the black Qi.

"Of course, please go right ahead, Fellow Daoist." The man in the crimson light was ecstatic to see things progressing so smoothly, and he immediately tossed the medicine vial, scroll, and ice cage toward Han Li.

Blue light immediately flashed through Han Li's eyes, and he also released his spiritual sense to conduct a thorough examination.

At this moment, the man in the crimson light had naturally also taken the Sinful Cloud for examination to verify whether there really were 10,000,000 beastly souls contained within it.

The three of them all completed their examinations quite quickly. The man in the black Qi merely injected his spiritual power into the giant blade, then performed a practice swing with it before nodding in a pleased manner and stowing it away into his storage bracelet.

"Haha, this Sinful Cloud is indeed everything you proclaim it to be, Fellow Daoist," the man in the crimson light chortled after completing his examination of the Sinful Cloud, and he flew through the white light barrier as a streak of black light, returning to his stone pavilion without saying anything further to Han Li and the man in the black Qi.

Han Li merely smiled upon seeing this, and he stowed away the golden scroll and medicine vial before taking a glance at the Ice Phoenix. [Y'all know who it is LOL]

A hint of humanized sorrow flashed through the Ice Phoenix's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by its normal cold expression.

Han Li released a spirit beast bracelet before drawing the Ice Phoenix and the cage into the bracelet together. After that, he cupped his fist in a salute toward the man in the black Qi before flying back to his stone pavilion as well.

The man in the black Qi chuckled before following suit, departing from the stone platform as a gust of black wind.

Thus, the next group of people immediately rushed onto the stone platform, and the exchanges continued.

Han Li leaned back against his chair and closed his eyes, looking quite calm and collected, but his tumultuous emotions belied his calm exterior.

Close to half a day later, the golden-masked man finally announced the conclusion of the exchange convention.

Han Li and the other Body Integration cultivators all euphemistically refused the golden-masked man's offer to stay behind for a feast, and they departed from the Black Realm, led by a guidance envoy. They then emerged at another completely alien exit before flying back toward Nine Immortal Mountain.

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The entire exchange convention had taken almost a day and a night, and when Han Li returned to the Immortal Welcome Palace, it was noon the next day.

He summoned Hai Yuetian and Qi Lingzi to his room, and he was relieved upon hearing confirmation that nothing out of the ordinary had taken place during his absence.

After sending his two in-name disciples away, he entered the secret chamber before taking a seat on a futon.

He then flipped a hand over to produce a blue spirit beast bracelet, which he tossed up into the air.

A burst of blue light swept forth from the bracelet, and a translucent ice cage appeared before him.

Within the ice cage was the snowy white Ice Phoenix, and it clearly didn't expect to be released so soon. It hurriedly flapped its wings to release a silver halo of light that instantly concealed its body, then turned to Han Li with a cautious expression.

After catching sight of Han Li, a hint of disbelief immediately appeared in the Ice Phoenix's eyes, and it exclaimed, "It's you? How could this be?"

It had the pleasant voice of a young woman, but it was slightly cold and forbidding.

"Long time no see, Fairy Phoenix. I didn't think that we would be reunited here," Han Li sighed as he appraised the Ice Phoenix.

This Ice Phoenix was naturally none other than the very same Ice Phoenix that had ventured with him into that spatial node back in the human world. In the end, they had been forcibly separated by spatial storms, only to be reunited now.

This Ice Phoenix had once stood at the very pinnacle of the human world, yet after just a few centuries, she had been reduced to a state where she was unable to even take on a human form, and had been sealed into a cage as a spirit beast. Han Li couldn't help but think to himself about how fate and fortune worked in such remarkable ways at times.

At the same time, he was filled with indescribable emotion at the sight of the Ice Phoenix that he had worked with to travel to the Spirit Realm.

She was the reason behind his decision to accept the exchange proposed at the convention.

"So it really is you, Brother Han. That must mean you were the one who exchanged for me during the convention. Have you already reached the Spatial Tempering Stage?" The Ice Phoenix's voice was still as cold as ever, but it was trembling slightly.

"That's right, it is indeed me. As for my cultivation base, that's something that you'll find out soon enough. Never did I think that I would meet you during the Black Realm Exchange Conference, and under such remarkable circumstances, at that. It appears that fate has decided that it's not yet time for us to completely sever our ties. Let me get you out of this cage first." Azure light flashed from one of Han Li's fingers as he spoke, and he tapped his fingertip onto the golden and silver talismans on the cage.

The talismans immediately drifted off the cage amid a bright flash of light, and the cage was also opened at the same time.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Han."

The Ice Phoenix was still slightly bewildered, but she was naturally elated to see this, and she flapped her wings before flying out of the cage as a ball of white light.

Immediately thereafter, the Ice Phoenix's body swelled drastically to over five feet in length amid a flash of silver light. The feathers on her body were glittering and transparent, and it looked as if she had been carved out of profound ice.

The Ice Phoenix stretched her elegant body before shaking her head in a forlorn manner. "Unfortunately, I'm unable to metamorphosize, so I'll only be able to converse with you in this form. Please forgive me, Fellow Daoist."

"That's alright, with the foundation that you've built up in the past, it would be a simple task for you to return to the metamorphosis stage after the seal within your body is lifted," Han Li said with a smile.

"I see you've identified the seal within my body, Brother Han. This restriction was planted by that Body Integration cultivator, and it's quite troublesome. According to him, it seems that only other Body Integration cultivators will be able to undo the restriction." The Ice Phoenix had clearly assumed that Han Li was only at the Spatial Tempering Stage, so she didn't think that he would be able to do anything.

"Hehe, is that so? Let me give this a try," Han Li chuckled before suddenly reaching out with a pristine white hand and laying it onto one of the Ice Phoenix's pristine white wings.

A burst of five-colored flames immediately surged forth, flooding into the Ice Phoenix's body in a frenzy.

The Ice Phoenix felt a burst of glacial power instantly flow through her meridians before crashing violently against the layers of restrictions within her body. The restrictions were quickly destroyed, and she was naturally ecstatic to see this, but also very astonished.

To think that he could undo these seals so easily; could it be that he was already at the Body Integration Stage? That was downright incredible!

It was somewhat plausible that Han Li had been able to progress to the Spatial Tempering Stage within a few centuries if he had encountered some miraculous opportunities during this time, but the Body Integration Stage was surely beyond his reach.

These thoughts flashed rapidly through the Ice Phoenix's mind, and after the restrictions within her body were undone, she opened her beak to say something, but in the next instant, her heart stirred slightly, and she reflexively swallowed her words.

After breaking the restrictions, the burst of glacial power within her meridians didn't leave her body right away. Instead, it converged toward her dantian and surged into her demon core.

The Ice Phoenix was slightly bewildered by this, but Han Li's enormous true essence was far too powerful for her to resist, so she could only passively accept this injection of glacial power.

Moments later, her aura spiked drastically, and she reached a certain bottleneck in the blink of an eye.

A dull thump rang out, and a ball of piercing white light erupted forth, inundating her entire body.

Only then did Han Li withdraw his hand with a faint smile on his face.

The scintillating white light swirled before fading away, and a silver-robed woman appeared before his eyes.

The Ice Phoenix had managed to adopt her human form.

The silver-robed woman's eyes were filled with excitement, and she examined her own body in an elated manner before extending a grateful curtsey toward Han Li. "I must thank you once again, Fellow Daoist Han."

"There's no need to be so polite and formal. If we hadn't worked together several centuries ago, I definitely wouldn't have been able to come to the Spirit Realm on my own. Besides, the burst of true essence that I injected into your body is only enough to temporarily boost you to the metamorphosis stage. If you want to be able to permanently maintain this form, then you have to go into seclusion right away. Otherwise, once this burst of true essence fades away, you'll be forced to revert back to your original form," Han Li reminded.

"Of course. With the assistance of this burst of true essence, I'm sure I'll be able to return to the Deity Transformation Stage far faster than I would otherwise be able to. It seems that you really have progressed to the Body Integration Stage, Fellow Daoist Han. It looks like I'll have to refer to you as Senior Han from now on," the silver-robed woman sighed with a peculiar look on her face.

"I was only able to reach this cultivation base through enormous turns of fortune. With your aptitude as an Ice Phoenix, it'll only be a matter of time before you reach the Body Integration Stage as well. You are my only acquaintance from the human world here in the Spirit Realm, so please refer to me as an equal. Otherwise, I would feel rather uncomfortable," Han Li said in a nonchalant manner.

The silver-robed woman could tell that Han Li was being genuine, and said, "In that case, then please pardon me, Brother Han."

"How were you captured and reduced to such a pitiful state, Fellow Daoist Phoenix?" Han Li couldn't help but ask.

"Now that you mention it, you are partially to blame for my misfortune," the silver-robed woman replied with a wry smile.

Han Li faltered momentarily before an enlightened look appeared on his face. "Oh? Could it be that the restrictions I planted in your body back then activated after we were separated?"

"Indeed. You sure planted some extremely profound restrictions within my body, Brother Han. It took me close to 100 years to just barely refine them, but I was severely debilitated as a result and was targeted by a bunch of cowards. I managed to escape through the use of a secret technique, but my cultivation base plummeted thereafter, and I ended up in this current state. Come to think of it, if that Body Integration cultivator hadn't stepped in to save me, I would most likely be dead by now. However, after he discovered that I was unable to metamorphosize, he merely treated me like a spirit beast and was preparing to make me his bonded spirit beast. I naturally refused to accept such an arrangement, so I was locked up in this cage," the silver-robed woman explained.

Han Li nodded in response before asking, "Oh? Do you know who this Body Integration cultivator is?"

The silver-robed woman considered this question momentarily before replying, "I'm afraid not. That man is very proficient in illusionary techniques, and would often change his appearance and location, making it impossible for me to glean his true appearance. The only thing that I'm sure of is that he's a Devil Dao cultivator of your human race and not part of the demon race."

"A devilish cultivator? There are only a few renowned Devil Dao Body Integration cultivators in our human race; he should be one of them," Han Li said with a contemplative nod.

"Regardless of who he is, he did save my life. Then again, he did try to force me to become his spirit beast thereafter, so I guess we're even now." The silver-robed woman didn't seem to harbor any resentment toward her Body Integration Stage captor, and it was impossible to tell whether she actually thought this or whether she had no choice but to say this as she couldn't exact vengeance on a Body Integration cultivator anyway.

Han Li smiled in response before changing the subject. "Now that you're free, what are your future plans? Are you planning to return to the demon race? The Black Phoenix Race has also inherited the bloodline of the Heavenly Phoenix, so I'm sure you'll be treated quite well there."

The silver-robed woman's composure immediately cracked upon hearing mention of the Black Phoenix Race, and she gritted her teeth in a resentful manner as she said, "The Black Phoenix Race? Hmph, the cowards who targeted me and dealt those debilitating injuries upon me were none other than members of the Black Phoenix Race. If I go to them in my current state, I may as well serve my own head up on a silver platter!"

Han Li was quite surprised to hear this, and after a brief pause, he continued, "The ones who injured you were members of the Black Phoenix Race? That makes things quite troublesome. What are your plans, then, Fairy Phoenix?"

The silver-robed woman contemplated this question for a long while before finally replying in a hesitant manner, "I want to stay with you before I recover my magic power; is that alright? As a Body Integration cultivator, I'm sure you'll be more than capable of protecting me. I'm simply far too weak in my current state, and the fact that I'm an Ice Phoenix is bound to attract endless problems for me. No matter where I hide, someone will track me down, and I could end up in an even worse situation than before."

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"You want to stay with me?" Han Li seemed to be rather taken aback to hear this.

"I'm aware that I'll only weigh you down in my current state, but I possess some aptitude in formations and spatial abilities, so perhaps I can lend you some assistance. On top of that, I have a burst of Heavenly Phoenix Origin Yin Qi within my body that should be extremely effective in improving your chances of breaking through future bottlenecks. As long as I can return to my former cultivation base, I'm willing to transfer this Origin Yin Qi to you," the silver-robed woman said with a faint blush on her face.

"What? Are you saying..."

"Please don't misunderstand, Fellow Daoist Han; our Ice Phoenix Race had an inherited secret technique that can allow us to expel our Heavenly Phoenix Origin Yin Qi out of our bodies without having to engage in dual cultivation. Of course, the effect will be slightly less potent, but it should still provide some assistance to you," the silver-robed woman explained as her expression reverted back to normal.

A hint of surprise flashed through Han Li's eyes upon hearing this, and after some contemplation, he said in a serious manner, "I see. In that case, I would indeed like your assistance when the time comes. In the meantime, you can stay with me, but there are some things that I have to make clear to you first so you don't regret your decision later on."

The silver-robed woman was elated to hear that Han Li was willing to consider her proposal, and she immediately prompted, "Please go ahead, Brother Han."

"Firstly, I can't guarantee that you'll be absolutely safe by staying with me. Setting aside everything else, just the imminent devilish tribulation will be an extremely difficult hurdle for Body Integration cultivators like me to overcome. Even I'm not fully confident in my ability to survive that ordeal. Secondly, I have some secrets that I don't want other people to know. If you want to stay with me, then you have to follow my instructions in your cultivation, as well as everything else. If you can't accept such limitations, then feel free to leave. Lastly, due to the fact that you're a demon, in the presence of others, you'll most likely have to appear beside me as a concubine or servant, which may tarnish your reputation," Han Li said in a slow voice.

"Devilish tribulation? I don't know much about that, but seeing as it's something that'll impact both the human and demon races, I'm sure I wouldn't be any safer anywhere else. If I were to seek refuge with a major power in my current state, I wouldn't most likely just be used as cannon fodder, so it's much safer for me to stay with you. As for everything else, I'll naturally follow your lead. With your current status, countless Core Formation and Nascent Soul Stage female cultivators would flock to your side if you were to announce that you were searching for a servant or concubine, so such an arrangement doesn't bother me in the slightest," the silver-robed woman replied with a nonchalant smile.

"In that case, I'll agree to let you stay with me. Here are some pills for you; prior to the conclusion of the Myriad Treasure Convention, stay in this secret chamber for now and cultivate. Once we return to my cave abode, I'll set up a separate place for you to cultivate," Han Li said as he swept a hand over his storage bracelet, producing several jade vials of different colors before tossing them toward the silver-robed woman.

The woman caught the vials one after another before removing their lids and inspecting their contents with her spiritual sense, upon which an elated look appeared on her face.

"I didn't think you would have so many pills that can enhance one's magic power. In that case, I'll definitely be able to return to my former cultivation base very soon."

"Hehe, rest assured, Fairy Phoenix; I have more than enough Core Formation and Nascent Soul Stage pills to satisfy your needs. If you require anything else, feel free to tell me. I presume that the higher your cultivation base is, the more efficacious your Heavenly Phoenix Origin Yin Qi will be for me. In order to transcend this devilish tribulation, I'll most likely have to borrow your Heavenly Phoenix Origin Yin Qi at some point during the next few centuries," Han Li said with a smile.

"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Han; I'm not one to repay kindness with ingratitude. When the time comes, I'll be sure to do everything in my power to help you," the silver-robed woman said with a gorgeous smile that lit up her cold features, evoking imagery akin to that of countless flowers blooming through the winter snow, and even Han Li couldn't help but stare for a moment in a transfixed manner.

She seemed to have detected the entrancement in Han Li's eyes, and a faint blush appeared on her face as she extended another curtsey. "Seeing as you've agreed to allow me to stay with you, I'll begin cultivating right away. The sooner I can recover my magic power, the sooner I'll be of assistance to you."

"Alright, I have to examine the treasures I've obtained from the convention, so you can cultivate in this secret chamber." A hint of clarity returned to Han Li's eyes, and he nodded before departing from the secret chamber.

Following Han Li's departure, the silver-robed woman stood on the spot with a peculiar look in her eyes for a long while before heaving a faint sigh. She then opened one of the medicine vials and tipped out a fiery red pill before swallowing it.

After that, she took a seat on the futon that Han Li had been sitting on before, and began to refine the power of the pill.

Meanwhile, Han Li had made his way to another secret chamber nearby that was of an identical size, and he was also seated on the ground, examining a near-transparent golden pill through narrowed eyes.

"As expected of such a renowned pill; it really is different from everything I've seen before. Hopefully, it'll truly be as effective in assisting me in my breakthroughs as the legends claim," Han Li murmured to himself before carefully stowing the pill away again.

After that, spiritual light flashed from his hands again, and two items appeared at once, one of which was a golden scroll, while the other was a golden cloth pouch.

The scroll was one of the three treasures that Han Li had obtained from the man in the crimson light, while the golden pouch was the second treasure that he had secured from the Black Realm.

Han Li tossed the golden scroll up, and paid no further heed to it as it hovered in mid-air. He then focused his attention on the golden pouch and loosened its opening, releasing a string of azure light that shot forth from within the pouch amid a loud buzzing sound.

Green light flashed, and 12 green wooden rods that were each several inches in length appeared before him. The rods flew through the air in pursuit of one another as if they had already attained some spiritual nature.

Han Li made a hand seal upon seeing this before letting loose a low cry as he abruptly reached out with one hand.

Five bursts of azure light surged forth from his fingertips, then transformed into countless azure threads that dispersed through the air. The threads then intertwined to form a massive azure net that encompassed the entire secret chamber.

In the next instant, the 12 green wooden rods were caught like fish within a net. Despite the fact that they were constantly turning and twisting in an attempt to free themselves, they were completely trapped by the azure threads.

A faint smile appeared on Han Li's face, and he withdrew his outstretched hand. The azure net immediately tightened, and the 12 wooden rods were all dragged toward him, and he plucked one of them out of the net before inspecting it in a careful manner.

The surface of the wooden rod was a vibrant green color, and it was covered in a series of extremely profound silver runes. However, what was even more astonishing was the bursts of pure and viscous spiritual Qi emanating from these wooden rods.

"So these really are the legendary Spirit Gathering Stakes! To think that Spiriteye Wood was used as the main material to refine as many as 12 embryos; what an extravagant project! I wonder if I'll be able to completely refine this set of treasures someday. With the assistance of the completed version of these treasures, I'll be able to absorb spiritual power from heaven and earth at a far faster rate," Han Li murmured to himself in a contemplative manner as he stroked the wooden rod in his hand.

After a short while, he shook his head before tossing the wooden rod into the azure net again. He then made a hand seal, and the entire net transformed into a burst of azure light that swept up the 12 rods before drawing them into the golden pouch again.

Han Li pointed a finger toward the pouch, and its opening was immediately sealed shut. After that, he stowed the pouch away in his storage bracelet, then cast his gaze toward the golden scroll that was hovering in mid-air.

He reached out and gently waved a hand, and the scroll was drawn into his grasp. It was slightly cool to the touch, but it had the texture of soft fabric.

Blue light flashed through Han Li's eyes as he carefully inspected the scroll inch by inch at close range, and after a while, his brows furrowed slightly.

This scroll appeared to have no openings at all to exploit, and even through the use of his Brightsight Spirit Eyes ability, he was only greeted by the sight of nothing more than golden light, and he was completely unable to see into it.

He took a deep breath before releasing his enormous spiritual sense, and a wisp of it instantly surged toward the scroll. However, in the next instant, he abruptly flicked his wrist, and the scroll was hurled around 10 feet away.

In the instant that his spiritual sense had made contact with the scroll, a burst of powerful suction force had erupted from it and devoured that wisp of spiritual sense in the blink of an eye. The suction force then attempted to move on to the rest of his spiritual sense, and if he hadn't reacted as quickly as he did, he would've most likely lost more than just the wisp of spiritual sense he had released.

Han Li stared at the golden scroll in the distance in a slightly alarmed manner, and after taking a moment to regain his composure, it dawned on him that this thing was going to be very difficult to crack. After a brief moment of contemplation, he suddenly pointed a finger toward the golden scroll, and an azure sword thread instantly shot forth.

The sword thread struck the scroll with a crisp clang, and golden light flashed from its surface. The sword thread was completely repelled and kept at bay, and it had failed to even leave the slightest trace on the scroll.

Han Li's expression changed drastically upon seeing this. With his current Body Integration Stage powers in addition to the sharpness of his Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords, there weren't many things in the entire Spirit Realm that his sword threads would fail to slice through. However, this scroll had managed to remain completely unscathed, which suggested that at the very least, it had to have been constructed from some kind of extremely rare material.

It was no wonder that the man in the crimson light was so unwilling to part with this scroll even though he had no way of opening it. However, this item couldn't be infiltrated using spiritual sense, and it was clearly near indestructible, so it seemed that its seal truly couldn't be broken through brute force.

With that in mind, Han Li focused his gaze on the golden runes that had suddenly appeared on the surface of the scroll.

Those were none other than golden seal text runes! However, they had been hiding within the scroll initially, and had only suddenly appeared after being struck by that sword thread of his.

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Golden seal text was different from beveled silver text, and there were most likely not more than 10 beings in total among the human and demon races who could interpret the former.

Those who were able to read this spirit text all regarded it as an extraordinary treasure, and kept it a secret from everyone else.

As such, even though it was clear that there were definitely people among the two races that could interpret golden seal text, it was quite difficult to identify just who these people were.

At the very least, the man in the crimson light most likely didn't understand this spirit text. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been completely stumped by it.

If Han Li hadn't learned this spirit text back in the Vast Glacial Realm, he would also be just as helpless in the face of this treasure.

Han Li stared at the golden runes for a moment before they vanished once again, and his brows furrowed slightly as he flicked several fingers toward the scroll in quick succession to release more streaks of azure sword Qi.

Upon being struck by the streaks of sword Qi, more golden runes appeared, and they were slightly different from the ones before.

Han Li's heart stirred slightly as he continued to release a relentless string of sword Qi, and the scroll was instantly inundated by azure light.

Balls of golden light erupted from the surface of the scroll, and the entire piece of golden seal text was revealed.

Blue light flashed through Han Li's eyes as he focused his gaze on these golden runes in an intent unblinking manner, and only after a long while did he cease releasing the relentless string of sword Qi.

The spiritual light shimmering from the scroll faded, as did the golden runes, and Han Li made a grabbing motion to draw the scroll back into his grasp as a contemplative look appeared on his face.

He had already memorized that entire piece of text and briefly analyzed it as well.

If he weren't mistaken, this piece of spirit text was describing the setup method for a profound formation.

The wording was slightly ambiguous, but what was certain was that if he were to completely master the contents of this piece of text, he should be able to set up the entire formation.

The formation wasn't very big, but it was far more profound and intricate than the vast majority of formations Han Li had seen in the Spirit Realm in the past.

If it weren't for the fact that he had been carefully studying the used talismans he had obtained from the Vast Glacial Realm, he wouldn't have been able to understand the contents of that piece of text at all.

After all, recognizing golden seal text runes and mastering a formation inscribed in golden seal text were two completely different matters altogether.

Furthermore, Han Li estimated that it would be impossible for him to completely master this formation unless he studied it diligently for several decades. Even though he was very interested in just what was sealed within the scroll, there was no way that he would waste so much time on it at such a crucial juncture.

Thus, he exhaled as he stowed the golden scroll away into his storage bracelet, and after that, he flipped a hand over to reveal a winding section of reddish-black wood that was around half a foot in length.

The piece of wood was completely devoid of any luster and was constantly expelling wisps of blood mist; it was none other than the Weeping Spirit Blood Wood he had secured at the auction!

After bringing out this item, the storage bracelet on Han Li's wrist continued to flash with spiritual light, and a series of materials appeared in rapid succession.

A faint smile appeared on Han Li's face at the sight of these items, and he suddenly tossed the piece of wood up into the air before opening his mouth to expel a ball of silver flames.

The flames instantly swept up the entire piece of wood and blood mist and silver flames intertwined amid a string of loud crackles and pops.

Han Li made a hand seal with one hand while reaching out with his other hand, and all of the materials on the ground instantly also rose up into the air before plunging into the silver flames.

Blue light flashed through his eyes as he stared intently on the silver flames in the air and focused the entirety of his attention on it.

He stayed in the secret chamber the entire day, and even his nightly cultivation lessons with Hai Yuetian and Qi Lingzi were conducted through voice transmission as they stood on the other side of the door of the secret chamber.

Seven days passed by, and Han Li finally emerged from the secret chamber.

As soon as he emerged, he accompanied Hai Yuetian and Qi Lingzi hundreds of thousands of kilometers away from Nine Immortal Mountain in the dead of night, then gave them some pills and treasures, and sent them on their way to Deep Heaven City.

He then returned to Nine Immortal Mountain himself, and a few days later, he was paid a visit by Daoist Master Myriad Bone.

Han Li conversed with the Daoist priest for a long time in the hall before the latter departed, and at the same time, a few other vagrant cultivators in the Immortal Welcome Palaces on Nine Immortal Mountain left at around the same time, then disappeared without a trace.

Half a day later, a group of Body Integration Stage vagrant cultivators, including Han Li, gathered at a certain place. Their meeting was quite a brief one and had been held in a secretive fashion, so no one noticed what they were doing.

During the rest of the Myriad Treasure Convention, Han Li frequently visited the markets, purchasing some materials from time to time. During the rest of the time, he met with some other Body Integration Stage fellow Daoists, and also visited some other secret exchange conventions, reaping some rewards during the process.

Dai'er would also come to find him once every several days, and even though she never had anything important or urgent to speak with him about, they would always have an enjoyable conversation before she departed in high spirits.

However, it was still slightly jarring to see Dai'er's appearance, which so closely mirrored that of Nangong Wan.

As the Myriad Treasure Convention was about to draw to a conclusion, Heavenly Yuan Holy Sovereign and Xuan Wu Tyrant Sovereign sent out people to recruit the vagrant Body Integration cultivators on Nine Immortal Mountain again, promising them extremely bountiful rewards for their services, and they really did manage to successfully recruit a few vagrant cultivators.

Of course, Han Li rejected the offer once more, and several days prior to the conclusion of the Myriad Treasure Convention, he departed from Nine Immortal Mountain, disappearing without a trace alongside Bai Guo'er.

Following the conclusion of the Myriad Treasure Convention, the humans and demons gathered at Nine Immortal Mountain all departed as well, and around a month later, peace and quiet resumed on the mountain with the exception of the group of guards that remained there.

As time passed, all of the rumors that had spread from this edition of the Myriad Treasure Convention gradually faded from everyone's memories as well.

Four years passed by in the blink of an eye.

On this day, a group of human cultivators suddenly flew from a certain direction toward a secretive and secluded mountain in the Tian Yuan Region. The group was comprised of cultivators of both genders and all age ranges, and they all wore different attire, but there was an azure "Gu" character embroidered on the sleeves of all of their clothing.

There was a clear majority of women in the group, all of whom were extremely beautiful, and this group of close to 100 cultivators descended onto the peak of the mountain.

Some of them immediately set up a simple protective formation, while the rest immediately sat down with their legs crossed on some relatively clean patches on the mountain before closing their eyes to meditate.

This group of cultivators was led by a yellow-haired elderly man, and a young woman in a blue palatial dress.

Both of them were at the late-Spatial Tempering Stage, and their lips were tremoring slightly as they conversed with one another through voice transmission.

The elderly man glanced up at the sky before transmitting his voice to the young woman. "Family Leader Xiao Feng, this is the Turtle Watch Peak that you arranged to meet that man on, and the agreed time for our meeting is fast approaching; he's not going to go back on his word, is he?"

"Rest assured, Elder Xiao, with that man's current status, there's no way he would revoke his promise. On top of that, prior to this meeting, he voluntarily sent someone to us for confirmation, so I'm sure he'll turn up," the young woman replied without any hesitation.

"That's good to hear. Our grand elder was injured in the primordial world, and following her return, she had to immediately go into seclusion for 100 years, which has resulted in her missing this true spirit ceremony. She's the only Body Integration cultivator of our Gu Family, so without her presence, our prospects in this ceremony wouldn't be very optimistic at all. It's a good thing that you had the foresight to recruit a Body Integration cultivator in advance. Otherwise, our Gu Family may as well spare ourselves the embarrassment and not participate in this ceremony at all," the elderly man sighed.

"Indeed. The results of this true spirit ceremony will decide if and how many members of our family will be able to enter the Spirit Dwelling Cave, and it'll also play a pivotal role in deciding whether we'll receive many other types of benefits, so we can't give up on it no matter what. Our grand elder secured a good ranking for our Gu Family during the last ceremony, and I had thought that with another Body Integration cultivator to assist us, we'd be able to secure a higher ranking, but who would've thought that our grand elder would be forced to miss this edition of the ceremony? Under these circumstances, I'll be happy if we can retain our original ranking," the young woman said with a wry smile on her face.

"That's true. This Senior Han has only just progressed to the Body Integration Stage around 10 years ago, after all, so no matter how exceptional his aptitude is, there's no way he could compare with our grand elder, who's been at the Body Integration Stage for close to 10,000 years. On top of that, our grand elder possesses a true spirit bloodline, and if she were to activate that bloodline, the gap between the two would widen even further," the elderly man sighed as a wry smile also appeared on his face.

"It's not ideal, but if we don't have any Body Integration cultivators among us, then our performance will be even more horrible during this true spirit ceremony," the young woman said with a dark expression.

"Indeed, all of the top five true spirit families have Body Integration cultivators among their ranks," the elderly man said in a resigned manner.

Both of them fell silent thereafter, and it was as if they had lost the urge to further this conversation.

Time slowly passed by, and around four hours later, a streak of azure light appeared in the distant sky, and a hint of elation appeared in the young woman's eyes upon seeing this. "He's here!"

The elderly man peered carefully into the streak of oncoming azure light through narrowed eyes, but the light was very bright and piercing, and he could only just barely make out two humanoid figures within it, one of which was quite a bit taller than the other.

In the next instant, the streak of azure light arrived in the air above the mountain, following which the light faded to reveal an azure-robed young man, and an adorable little girl who appeared to be around 13 to 14 years of age.

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The young man was none other than Han Li, who had disappeared for several years following the conclusion of the Myriad Treasure Convention, and the little girl beside him was naturally none other than Bai Guo'er.

She had already been taken by Han Li as an in-name disciple, and she was entirely dependent on Han Li to repress the glacial poison within her body to ensure her survival, so she naturally followed him wherever he went.

A stir ran through the Gu Family cultivators as they caught sight of the figures in the air above, and many of them conjured up layers of protective spiritual light as they stared up at Han Li with wariness in their eyes.

Han Li cast his gaze downward, and after catching sight of the young woman, he smiled, and said, "Sorry to keep you waiting, Fellow Daoist Xiao Feng; I encountered some minor troubles on the way here, so I'm a little late."

A layer of azure light then appeared over his body, and it swept up Bai Guo'er before he descended onto the ground near the young woman.

"Not at all, Senior, you've arrived right on time; we were just too early. I must express wholehearted gratitude on behalf of our Gu Family that you came to meet us as agreed. This is Elder Xiao of our Gu Family, and the two of us will be leading our Gu Family during this true spirit ceremony." A hint of elation appeared on the young woman's face as she hurriedly introduced the yellow-haired elderly man to Han Li.

"Pleased to meet you, Elder Xiao." Han Li could sense that this Elder Xiao's cultivation base wasn't inferior to that of Fairy Xiao Feng, and he cupped his fist in a salute toward the elderly man.

The elderly man was still rather skeptical about Han Li's powers, but he naturally didn't dare to show this skepticism, and he adopted a respectful demeanor as he said, "The pleasure is all mine, Senior Han. I've heard much about you during these past few years, and all of us can heave a massive sigh of relief now that you're here to support our Gu Family."

At this point, all of the other Gu Family cultivators had naturally also realized that Han Li was the powerful ally they had been waiting for, and they were quite stunned by his youthful appearance.

"There's no need to be so rigid and formal, fellow Daoists; we are only working together as part of a mutually beneficial exchange. Now that I look at it, the grand elder of your family, Fairy Tian Li, doesn't seem to be present. If I recall correctly, this wasn't what you told me would happen, Fairy Xiao Feng. Could it be that Fairy Tian Li left for the true spirit ceremony ahead of all of you?" Han Li asked as he appraised the surrounding Gu Family cultivators with furrowed brows.

An awkward and resigned look appeared on the young woman's face. "I'm afraid Grand Elder Tian Li won't be able to represent our Gu Family during this true spirit ceremony."

"What do you mean by that?" Han Li asked as his expression darkened slightly. This wasn't what they had initially agreed on.

"Our sincerest apologies, Senior, but our grand elder has been forced to pull out of this ceremony due to an incident. You see..." the elderly man hurriedly began to explain the situation at the sight of Han Li's displeased expression.

"Fairy Tian Li is currently in seclusion to recover from an injury she sustained in the primordial world? I see. It is indeed not a simple task for cultivators of our caliber to recover from injuries. In that case, won't things be a little troublesome for your Gu Family during this ceremony?" Han Li nodded as a slightly concerned look appeared in his eyes.

Fairy Xiao Feng seemed to have considered this matter carefully already, and a solemn look appeared on her face as she said, "Seeing as our grand elder is unable to participate in the ceremony, our agreement for you to improve our Gu Family's ranking during the ceremony is naturally revoked. On this occasion, all you have to do to fulfill your side of the deal is to ensure that our Gu Family's ranking is maintained."

Han Li's expression eased slightly upon hearing this, but there was still a hint of reluctance in his eyes. "Even so, that'll most likely be quite a difficult task. I've only just reached the Body Integration Stage, after all, so I certainly can't make any promises."

The young woman hesitated momentarily at the sight of Han Li's hesitant expression, then suddenly pulled a storage bracelet out of her sleeve before handing it over to Han Li. "As long as you do everything in your power to assist us, our Gu Family is willing to offer you a sum of top-grade spirit stones on top of what we originally promised you as compensation."

Han Li's heart stirred lightly as he accepted the storage bracelet before injecting his spiritual sense into it, upon which a hint of surprise flashed through his eyes.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Han Li stowed the storage bracelet away before replying with a smile, "To think that you're willing to offer me such an astronomical sum; looks like it really is very important for your Gu Family to do well during the true spirit ceremony. In that case, I'll be sure to do my best for you."

"Your presence is certainly a very reassuring one for our Gu Family, Senior Han. This place is still around a month's journey away from the Myriad Spirit Platform where the ceremony is going to be held, so it would be best for us to set off right away. Elder Xiao and I will be explaining the specific details of the ceremony along the journey."

"That would be best." Han Li naturally had no objections to this.

Thus, the Gu Family cultivators rose up into the air and flew into the distance in a line with Han Li among their ranks.

The Heavenly Horse Plains consisted of a massive section of barren land on the border of the Tian Yuan Region.

It was said that the plains were so vast that even a Deity Transformation cultivator would have to fly non-stop, day and night for around a month to cross through it.

On top of that, this place was rife with sandstorms and completely devoid of greenery and spirit veins, so rarely did cultivators ever visit this place.

Even if there were the occasional cultivators who had no choice but to pass through these plains, they would fly through without any pause.

On this day, there were a dozen or so human cultivators situated deep within the plains. They had arranged themselves into a circular formation with their backs facing one another, and they were hovering at a low altitude.

All of them had summoned their most powerful treasures, which had transformed into bursts of light that enshrouded their bodies, yet they all wore panicked expressions on their faces.

Among these cultivators, the one with the highest cultivation base was a mid-Spatial Tempering Stage burly man in a set of brocade robes. He was holding a blue bead in one hand and a white flag in the other. He was situated at the center of the formation with an even more pronounced look of shock and rage on his face than that of his companions, and his eyes were constantly darting around the formation.

Right at this moment, a gust of yellow wind suddenly blew past one of the male cultivators in the group, and he reflexively blinked. In that instant, a pristine white hand reached out of the yellow wind like lightning, and the protective spiritual light around the man's body was torn apart with ease, following which the white hand passed punctured through his chest without any impediment.

Before the man could even cry out, a white ice flower had bloomed in front of his chest, and he was instantly frozen into an ice statue, following which the white hand instantly vanished.

The nearby cultivators were all extremely alarmed by this, and they hurriedly unleashed the powers of their treasures to attack the assailant, but all they achieved was reducing their frozen companion into pulverized ice, while his killer was nowhere to be seen.

At the same time, the Spatial Tempering Stage brocade-robed man suddenly let loose a loud roar, and a pillar of piercing blue light erupted from the bead in his hand.

The pillar of light shot forth through the air like lightning, striking the gust of yellow wind in a flash. White light immediately flashed, and an indistinct figure was forced to reveal itself, trapped within the ball of blue light.

Without requiring any instructions from the brocade-robed man, all of the cultivators in the group immediately focused their attacks on that indistinct figure, and their attacks surged forth as a wave of five-colored light.

The figure was instantly torn apart by the five-colored light amid a dull thump, seemingly having been completely unable to offer up any resistance.

Cries of elation immediately rang out, and all of the cultivators were ecstatic to see this.

However, a bewildered look had appeared on the brocade-robed man's face, and he suddenly made a grabbing motion to draw a fragment of the destroyed figure into his hand, only to find that it was a piece of pristine white hard shell. The shell was extremely cold, and rapidly melted into water in his hand.

"Don't let your guard down! That thing's still alive!" the brocade-robed man roared as his expression changed drastically, and he immediately brandished his white flag to protect himself.

However, it was already too late. A sharp piercing cry suddenly rang out within the brocade-robed man's ears, following which an icy cold sensation surged over his neck, and his head was decapitated by a pair of snowy white scimitar-like pincers.

Immediately thereafter, a massive snowy white centipede projection appeared behind his headless body without any warning.

This centipede was around 50 to 60 feet in length with six pairs of semi-transparent paper-thin wings on its back. Its eyes were as red as blood and gave off a cold and menacing light. In the instant that it reappeared, it opened its massive mouth to expel a burst of white glacial Qi.

Several of the cultivators who were closest to it were completely unable to react, and they were swept up by the glacial Qi in an instant. Their bodies and their treasures were then reduced to extremely life-like ice statues amid a flash of white light.

The remaining cultivators were absolutely petrified by this harrowing sight, and someone suddenly yelled in a panicked manner, "Run!"

Everyone immediately dispersed and fled in all directions, but the snowy white centipede was completely unbothered. It merely flapped its six wings in unison, and its wings suddenly disappeared as six projections.

Moments later, the remaining few cultivators, who had fled to over 1,000 feet away, let loose anguished cries in unison, and their bodies were sliced in half without any resistance by streaks of white light.

Immediately thereafter, their Nascent Souls were also destroyed by the white light.

The six streaks of white light then returned to the snowy white centipede projection before instantly reverting back into its wings.

All of a sudden, piercing white light erupted from the centipede projection's body, and it quickly began to shrink.

After all of the white light had faded, an expressionless white-robed young man with strange golden and silver patterns on his face appeared in place of the projection.

He inspected his surroundings in a cold manner before abruptly thrusting a hand into the air, sending forth a burst of white Qi that swept up the brocade-robed man's severed head.

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Immediately thereafter, spiritual light flashed from the head, and a miniature humanoid figure that was several inches in size was forcibly drawn out. The humanoid figure was identical in appearance to the brocade-robed man, and it was none other than his Nascent Soul.

The Nascent Soul had a white stone lock hanging in front of its chest, which was releasing a layer of silver light threads to protect its body, but it wore a horrified expression as it yelled, "You can't kill me! The Blue Water Sect is a renowned sect in Deep Heaven City, and I'm the sect master. If you kill me, you'll definitely be hunted by the law-enforcing cultivators of the Tian Yuan Region! You can take these; they are the two most prized treasures of our Blue Water Sect. On top of that, I'm willing to lead the way to all of the treasures in our sect as long as you're willing to spare me!"

The white-robed young man's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and it seemed that he really was interested.

The Nascent Soul was shown a glimmer of hope, and it continued in a beseeching manner, "I don't know why you suddenly attacked us, but I presume it has something to do with the materials that our sect is delivering. I'm willing to offer all of these materials to you as we..."

Before the Nascent Soul had a chance to finish, a sinister smile suddenly appeared on the white-robed young man's face, and one of his hands shot forth in a blur to grab onto the Nascent Soul.

Immediately thereafter, white light flashed from his fingers, and the protective threads of light around the Nascent Soul's body were instantly crushed into nothingness.

After that, the young man abruptly withdrew his arm and tossed the Nascent Soul into his mouth before swallowing it.

At the same time, another male voice rang out from nearby. "Hehe, well done! This idiot was asking for death! Even in this dire situation, he dares to offer you all of those things that don't even belong to him; his death is very much well deserved!"

As soon as the voice trailed off, spatial fluctuations rippled through the nearby space, and a golden humanoid figure appeared.

This was a burly man in a long golden robe with his hair arranged in a very strange manner. Most of his face was obscured by a busy curly beard, but his deep yellow eyes were clearly visible, and the mere sight of them was enough to strike the onlooker with a sense of dizziness.

The white-robed young man took a cold glance at the golden-robed man before paying no further heed to him, and reaching out to make a downward grabbing motion.

The bead that had fallen onto the ground and the white flag were both drawn up into the air before hovering in front of the white-robed young man.

The golden-robed man merely gave a nonchalant smile in response to the white-robed young man's cold demeanor, and he raised a leg, seemingly in a casual manner, before covering a distance of several hundred feet in just a single stride, taking him to only several tens of feet away from the white-robed young man.

All of a sudden, a burst of low buzzing rang out from where the young man was standing, and six transparent wing projections appeared on his back before rapidly vibrating at a rate that was untraceable to the naked eye.

Countless faint white saber projections surged forth in a frenzy from the six wings, forming a sea of white blades that inundated the bead and the flag.

The two treasures only managed to release spiritual light and resist for an instant before they were shattered amid dull thumps within the sea of blades.

A hint of elation appeared on the white-robed young man's face upon seeing this, and the countless blade projections were immediately withdrawn at his behest, leaving only two piles of treasure fragments, one blue and one white, hovering in mid-air.

After that, he began to chant something while making a hand seal, then blew a gust of air toward the treasure fragments.

An astonishing scene ensued.

A burst of golden flames erupted from his mouth and swept up the two piles of treasure fragments, and moments later, they had fused as one with the flames.

Only then did the white-robed young man take a deep breath to draw the golden flames back into his body.

Immediately thereafter, golden light abruptly flashed around him, and a golden halo that was around the size of a wagon wheel appeared behind his head. However, the halo only appeared for an instant before it crumbled away into countless golden runes.

A hint of elation flashed through the golden-robed man's face upon seeing this, and he murmured, "The Blue Water Sect's cultivation arts are quite ordinary, but its Extreme Blue Bead and White Water Flag are extraordinary treasures refined from 49 types of extreme glacial materials. On top of that, among the things that they're delivering, there's a massive Profound Yin Crystalline Wall that can only be formed once every 1,000,000 years. This is a mandatory material for you to manifest a true spirit body, so we can't waste it no matter what."

Right as he was speaking, the golden light around the white-robed young man's body completely faded, and his aura seemed to have become slightly more powerful than before. It wasn't an extremely noticeable improvement, but it was still very alarming that he had made a noticeable improvement at all in such a short span of time.

"Where is that Profound Yin Crystalline Wall? Aside from these two treasures, I haven't sensed any other glacial treasures from these people; is your information incorrect?" The white-robed young man finally spoke, and his voice was as cold as ice.

"There's no way my information could be wrong; I spent a lot of spirit stones to purchase it from the Myriad Avenues Sect! They wouldn't dare to try and swindle me; if they did, I'd destroy their entire sect! The item in question must've been sealed, and you're still unable to sense it at your current level of power. Let me give you a hand with that," the golden-robed man chuckled.

He then turned toward the surrounding cultivators, who had been reduced to ice statues, before abruptly thrusting a palm forward.

A resounding boom rang out, and the ice statues exploded into balls of spiritual light alongside the storage treasures that they were carrying.

All types of items flew through the air, and a cold light flashed through the golden-robed man's eyes as his hand shot forth like lightning before withdrawing just as quickly.

One of the items in the air hurtled directly toward him, falling into his grasp in a flash.

Upon closer inspection, he discovered that this was a yellow jade box, but it had many crimson talismans plastered onto its surface, giving it an air of mystery and intrigue.

The golden-robed man glanced at the item before tossing it directly to the white-robed young man with a smile.

The young man appraised the oncoming yellow jade box with a cold expression, but displayed no intention of catching it with his hands. Instead, one of the wing projections on his back fluttered slightly, and a burst of white light shot forth from it before striking the jade box in a flash.

A loud crack rang out, and the jade box was sliced apart like tofu along with the talismans on its surface, following which a fist-sized object fell out of it.

Before the young man had a chance to identify what this object was, it flashed with blue light before instantly transforming into a blue crystalline wall that was 3 feet thick and around 10 feet tall. The crystalline wall then plummeted straight downward, and a rare hint of a smile appeared on the white-robed young man's face at the sight of the wall.

In the next instant, he opened his mouth to expel a flood of white glacial Qi, which completely froze the blue crystalline wall in mid-air.

Immediately thereafter, he let loose a low cry, and his body blurred as he suddenly split up into 12 identical projections.

Each and every projection had the exact same appearance as the original white-robed young man, with the same golden and silver patterns on their faces, and the same transparent wings on their backs.

The 12 humanoid figures then made hand seals in unison, transforming into 12 snowy white centipedes, each of which was several feet in length, and then vanished into the crystalline wall in a flash.

12 white balls of light then instantly emerged from different parts of the blue crystalline wall, and they rotated incessantly while fluctuating slightly in size.

Blue light swirled within the crystalline wall, and wisps of blue threads emerged before surging collectively into the 12 balls of white light.

A slightly solemn look appeared on the golden-robed man's face upon seeing this, but after a long while, the 12 white balls of light continued to absorb the blue threads without any mishaps, and his expression finally eased slightly. At the same time, a complex look flashed through his eyes.

"I don't know if I was vastly fortunate to have encountered you, or if you're the fortunate one to have met me right after I mastered the Reverse Spirit True Yin Technique. Not only do I possess White Dragon True Blood, my bloodline mutated, thereby allowing me to cultivate this incredibly powerful ability from the inner page of the Golden Jade Tome that somehow ended up in the human race. Even more coincidentally, you're a traitorous spirit insect that belonged to that man that my clone in that lower realm once mentioned to me. How interesting! I wonder how you will react when you next meet that Han brat after you manifest a true spirit body."

A cold harrumph suddenly rang out, following which the white-robed young man's voice sounded in the golden-robed man's ears. "My reaction in that scenario doesn't seem to have anything to do with you, Fellow Daoist. Judging from what you just said, it seems that the clone of yours in the lower realm was quite close to my former master. I wonder how he would think if he knew that your true body was plotting against him here in the Spirit Realm."

"Hehe, that Endless Sky clone of mine was created as nothing more than a precautionary measure; it has no bearing on me. If you can master this Reverse Spirit True Yin Technique prior to my next heavenly tribulation, and this technique really does turn out to be as extraordinary as I envision it to be, then you should be able to assist me in transcending my next few tribulations without any issues. As for that Endless Sky clone, it'll naturally be made completely redundant, so who cares about it?" the golden-robed man chuckled in a nonchalant manner.

"Then you don't have to be overly concerned about my former master, either. As long as I can manifest a true spirit body, I'll naturally be able to eradicate bonded blood curse within my soul. However, I ask that you don't do anything unnecessary behind my back prior to that," the white-robed young man replied in a cold voice.

The golden-robed man's expression changed slightly upon hearing this before he chuckled coldly, "Hehe, you think far too highly of me. That Han brat has already reached the Body Integration Stage; I won't be able to do anything to him even if I wanted to."

The whit-robed young man was silent for a moment before replying, "I certainly wouldn't be fooled into thinking that given your identity, Fellow Daoist."

"You know who I am?" The golden-robed man's eyes abruptly widened upon hearing this, and two balls of yellow light appeared within his pupils, creating quite a startling sight to behold.

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"I can't say anything for certain, but it's not difficult to make educated guesses. Aside from a handful of people, who could possess so much power and have so many resources at their disposal? On top of that, not everyone has an inner page of the Golden Jade Tome," the white-robed young man chuckled coldly.

The golden-robed man was silent for a long while before giving a cold harrumph in response. "There's no need for you to be concerned about my exact identity, Fellow Daoist; all you need to know is that I'm the only one who can help you master the Reverse Spirit True Yin Technique. All I ask is that after you master the technique, you assist me in transcending my future heavenly tribulations."

"This is a mutually beneficial collaboration, so I'll naturally do my best to ensure your survival after I attain a true spirit body. However, I've already reached the pinnacle of the late-Spatial Tempering Stage, so I'll need to find a place to begin making a breakthrough to the Body Integration Stage after I absorb the yin Qi within this Profound Yin Crystalline Wall. If this Reverse Spirit True Yin Technique really is extraordinary as it's hyped up to be, then I should be able to progress to the Body Integration Stage with no issues at all. After that, I'll venture into the primordial world alone to hunt glacial ancient beasts and devour their demon cores. On top of that, I'll seek out some extreme glacial areas to absorb more yin Qi, and that should allow me to progress to the late-Body Integration Stage within 1,000 years. When that time comes, I can begin preparing to attain a true spirit body," the white-robed young man replied.

"I'm glad you have everything planned out, Fellow Daoist. The devilish tribulation is imminent, so I have to remain behind in my race. Otherwise, I would accompany you into the primordial world. Then again, once you reach the Body Integration Stage and master the Reverse Spirit True Yin Technique, you should be able to dominate the entire primordial world unless you run into extremely powerful beings from foreign races. The Tian Yuan Continent is extremely vast, so there should be many glacial ancient beasts for you to hunt down."

"I've already attained intelligence, so I naturally won't go picking fights with powerful foreign beings like an idiot," the white-robed young man said in an indifferent manner before falling silent.

The golden-robed man nodded in a pleased manner in response, and he also displayed no intention of saying anything further, but there was a contemplative look in his eyes, suggesting that he was pondering something.

A gust of yellow wind surged toward them from a distance, and not long after that, both of them disappeared into the gust of wind.

Two months later, Han Li was seated in a green wooden chair, inspecting an extremely intricate golden wine cup in his hand in an indifferent manner. The person sitting beside him was none other than the Gu Family Leader, Fairy Xiao Feng, and on her other side sat Elder Xiao.

There were many Deity Transformation and Nascent Soul Stage Gu Family disciples standing behind them in several rows, and all of them wore excited looks on their faces.

Up ahead lay a massive circular stone platform with a radius of around 500 meters. The platform was entirely paved with huge azure stones, but it was slightly black in color, indicating that it seemed to have stood for a very long time.

Around the edge of the stone platform was a series of tall formation flags of different colors, each of which was releasing layers of light that enshrouded the entire platform under an enormous light barrier that was over 1,000 feet tall.

Around the Gu Family entourage were groups of other people, consisting of up to a few hundred people for the largest groups, and only around a dozen or so in the smallest groups.

There were around 30 to 40 such groups of people, and among them, the Gu Family entourage was only a medium-sized group. The Gu Family entourage was among the five groups of people who were situated closest to the platform, while all of the other groups could only stand behind those five groups.

Further beyond them, some massive cliff faces could be seen, alongside some large buildings constructed by those stone faces.

This place was an enormous valley that was surrounded by mountains in all directions, and the huge stone platform at the very center of the valley was naturally none other than the Myriad Spirit Platform, where all of the true spirit families gathered every once in 3,000 years for the true spirit ceremony.

As one of the true spirit families that ranked among the top five during the last edition of the ceremony, they naturally had the right to be situated closest to the Myriad Spirit Platform, and as a result, they drew a lot of envy from the lower-ranked true spirit families behind them.

After all, a place in the top five didn't just earn a true spirit family reputation and renown; there were also massive benefits at stake.

However, there were clearly some cultivators from other true spirit families who were appraising the Gu Family entourage in an unfriendly manner.

Even with so many people gathered around the stone platform, the entire area was still completely silent, and everyone seemed to be waiting for something.

Han Li wasn't making any effort to look around as he sat in his chair, but he could clearly sense that there were a few pairs of eyes on him, and the owners of these eyes were all inspecting him with their spiritual sense as well in a display of completely disrespect.

It was no wonder that this was the case. After all, the Gu Family's grand elder, Fairy Tian Li, had failed to appear during this all-important true spirit ceremony, and she had been replaced by Han Li instead, who was clearly a temporary replacement. This naturally drew a lot of attention from the other true spirit families.

In the beginning, Han Li merely ignored the intrusive inspection being directed toward him, but after such a long time had passed, these people still weren't exercising any restraint, so it was quite clear that they were provoking him.

Fairy Xiao Feng had also discovered this, and her expression was becoming more and more strained.

Han Li heaved a faint sigh as a cold look suddenly appeared on his face, and the golden wine cup in his hand abruptly shuddered before crumbling into golden powder without any warning, then disappeared into nothingness.

At the same time, a layer of silver flames surfaced over his body in a flash, and the unfriendly bursts of spiritual sense being directed toward him were instantly retracted upon coming into contact with the silver flames.

Han Li then rose his head and cast a cold gaze toward the individuals who had been sizing him up, and he discovered that they were all Body Integration cultivators.

Two of them were from one of the other top five true spirit families, and this family's entourage was situated closest to the Myriad Spirit Platform. Meanwhile, the other three were from the true spirit families beyond the inner circle consisting of the top five true spirit families.

The three Body Integration cultivators outside the top five true spirit families were only normal early-Body Integration cultivators, so they were most likely only tempted to target him in the wake of Fairy Tian Li's absence.

As for the two people among the top five true spirit families, one of them was the grand elder of the Feng Family, a mid-Body Integration Stage elderly man whom Fairy Xiao Feng had cautioned him about in advance.

He wore a set of green robes and was holding a black cane, and was appraising Han Li with a dark expression.

The Feng Family was ranked fourth during the last edition of the true spirit ceremony, and they had a slight vendetta against the Gu Family. As such, it was no surprise that he was appraising Han Li with such apparent animosity.

Meanwhile, the other person was a cultivator from the Long Family, and he was also appraising Han Li in an unfriendly manner. This wasn't the Long Family patriarch. Instead, it was a black-robed man sitting directly beside him. The black-robed man was also a mid-Body Integration cultivator with a slightly red complexion and a deep purple scar on his forehead, giving him a very ferocious appearance.

This was another guest grand elder with the Hui surname that the Long Family had recruited not long ago. It was said that this man was using a top-grade Devil Dao cultivation art, and he was also at the mid-Body Integration Stage.

As for the Long Family patriarch himself, he had been resting with his eyes closed in his chair this entire time, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

However, as Han Li swept his gaze over the Long Family entourage, he discovered that aside from the black-robed man, there was someone else among them who was also glowering at him in an extremely resentful manner.

Han Li's expression changed slightly as he directed his gaze toward that person, following which a hint of a smile appeared on his face.

This was a young man who was standing behind the Long Family patriarch. He had a bright red mole on the corner of his lips; it was none other than Long Dong, whose plans he had foiled back during their journey to the Wood Tribe.

Long Dong had plotted for several centuries, only to encounter an unexpected obstacle in the form of Han Li, and as a result, not only was he unable to obtain the Ye Family's Heavenly Phoenix True Blood, he lost most of his own True Dragon Blood as well, so he was naturally extremely resentful toward Han Li.

In particular, after hearing that Han Li had progressed to the Body Integration Stage, his resentment was intermingled with extreme envy.

If he had succeeded in his plan all those years ago, perhaps he would've been the extraordinary prodigy who progressed to the Body Integration Stage in just a few centuries.

As such, as Han Li cast his gaze toward Long Dong, the latter made no effort to avert his eyes and continued to glower at Han Li with an extremely resentful expression.

In the next instant, the faint smile on Han Li's face vanished, and piercing blue light suddenly flashed within his eyes.

All of a sudden, Long Dong felt a burst of heat abruptly spear into his eyes, following his head was struck by excruciating agony, as if his brain had been stabbed by a sharp spike. He immediately threw his hands over his head and let loose a howl of agony.

The Long Family patriarch abruptly opened his eyes upon hearing this, then reached out like lightning to lay a hand onto Long Dong's arm, following which a ball of golden light appeared before vanishing in a flash.

The agony etched on Long Dong's face disappeared as a result, but after removing his hands from his own head, his face was still twisted in shock and horror.

However, he then immediately came to his senses and extended a deep bow toward the Long Family patriarch. "Thank you for saving me, Patriarch! If not for your intervention, I would've been killed by that man!"

Long Dong glared at Han Li in a resentful manner again as he spoke, but aside from hatred and envy, his eyes were filled with acute horror as well.

It was quite clear that only now did he truly realize just how massive of a disparity there was between their powers.

Instead of paying any heed to Long Dong's words of gratitude, the Long Family patriarch turned to Han Li in an expressionless manner, and asked, "What are our intentions, Fellow Daoist Han? Why did you attack one of my juniors?"

Long Dong's cry of agony coupled with the Long Family patriarch's question naturally drew a lot of attention from the surrounding cultivators.

The blue light within Han Li's eyes faded, and a cold smile appeared on his face as he replied, "I didn't like the way that he was looking at me, so I gave him some punishment. Is there a problem with that, Brother Long?"

His cold response to Long Family patriarch naturally drew a lot of shock from the nearby onlookers, and hushed chatter immediately rang out in the surrounding area.

"It's indeed true that this grandson of mine is rather conceited, so a slight punishment won't do him any harm." Much to everyone's surprise, the Long Family patriarch displayed no intention of pressing the issue any further, and he merely nodded in an expressionless manner before closing his eyes again, paying no further heed to anyone else.

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Long Dong was quite indignant toward the fact that the Long Family patriarch hadn't stood up for him, but he didn't dare to raise any objections.

In contrast, the black-robed man sitting beside the Long Family patriarch was rather surprised by this occurrence, and he turned to the Long Family patriarch before transmitting his voice to him. "Brother Long, why did you..."

"Do you still remember the mysterious demonic ape who fought me on Nine Immortal Mountain, Brother Hui?" The Long Family patriarch transmitted his voice back in response.

"Of course I do; didn't you speculate that he may have been a demonic cultivator from the holy island?" the black-robed man asked as his expression changed ever so slightly.

"Hehe, indeed. After the event, I discovered through a thorough investigation that the demonic ape had caused such a scene over a Foundation Establishment Stage junior that had been abducted to our Long Family, and that person is none other than an in-name disciple of this Fellow Daoist Han."

The black-robed man drew a sharp breath upon hearing this. "Is that so? Does this mean you think that he has something to do with the holy island?"

"Perhaps, or perhaps he's merely an acquaintance of that demonic ape; it's hard to say. However, it's naturally best not to attract any unnecessary trouble to our Long Family prior to the devilish tribulation. That man's cultivation base may be inferior to ours, but the fact that he was able to progress to the Body Integration Stage so quickly indicates that he's most likely no ordinary early-Body Integration cultivator. If you ask me, he's either cultivated some powerful abilities or possesses some extremely powerful treasures," the Long Family patriarch replied in a calm manner.

The black-robed man nodded initially before his brows furrowed slightly as he asked, "That is indeed true, but what if we have to face the Gu Family during the ceremony? Do we have to go easy on him?"

"There's no need for that; perform as you normally would during this true spirit ceremony. If you encounter that man, there's no need to hold back; it'll also give us a good opportunity to examine the true extent of his powers. If he really is as powerful as we think, then perhaps we can take him along with us when we go to that place," the Long Family patriarch replied.

"Alright, I understand. Leave everything to me, Brother Long," the black-robed man chuckled before falling silent.

Throughout the entire voice transmission conversation, the Long Family patriarch's eyes had remained closed, and his face had betrayed no emotions whatsoever; it was as if he hadn't engaged in that conversation at all.

Over at the Gu Family entourage, Fairy Xiao Feng and Elder Xiao were both given quite a fright by Han Li's actions.

The Gu Family didn't exactly see eye-to-eye with the Long Family, but Han Li hadn't made any effort to act respectfully toward the Long Family patriarch at all, and that naturally made the two of them quite concerned.

As such, they were quite elated and surprised to see that the Long Family patriarch was dropping the issue so easily, but at the same time, they were also slightly bewildered.

As for Han Li, his expression remained completely calm and collected, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

However, in the eyes of the other true spirit families, he became a lot more mysterious and unfathomable as a result of his actions, and many people were speculating about him.

"Ying'er, that Fellow Daoist Han sure is a brave man; he dares to directly oppose the Long Family patriarch at just the early-Body Integration Stage. It seems that he must possess some extraordinary powers or has backers that he can rely on. It's no wonder even our gorgeous little Ying'er was unable to tempt him." The one who had spoken was a female cultivator from one of the true spirit families.

This group of people was situated directly beside the Long Family entourage, and just like the Gu Family, they consisted primarily of women.

The one who had spoken was standing at the very front of the group, and was a young woman who appeared to be 17 or 18 years of age. She wore a five-colored feather dress, and had a suggestive smile on her face.

Sitting on either side of her was a beauty who appeared to be 27 to 28 years of age, and an elderly woman with a head of grey hair.

The person standing behind the woman in the five-colored dress was a young woman in white, and she immediately blushed upon hearing this before stammering, "I-I'm not exceptional in any way, so it's no surprise that I didn't appeal to Senior Han."

This was none other than Ye Ying, whom Han Li had met on several occasions in the past, and she bore a close resemblance to the woman in the five-colored dress.

"Is that so? Then why is it that the more I look at our little Ying'er, the more adorable I think you are? That Han brat has a rotten eye for women! Otherwise, if he were to join our Ye Family, not only would he receive incredible benefits, he would also be able to marry my most beloved granddaughter." The woman in the five-colored dress suddenly burst into laughter, and her voice was as pleasant as that of a lark, drawing attention from many of the nearby onlookers.

Even though a restriction had been set up to prevent the other true spirit families from overhearing their conversation, the eyes directed toward them from the other families made Ye Ying's blush deepen even further, and she was tucking her chin so firmly that it seemed she wanted nothing better than to bury her head into her own chest.

"Please don't tease her, Mother; why do you always pick on her?" the beautiful woman sitting off to the side chuckled.

"Heehee, I'm not picking on her; it's just that among these juniors of mine, only Ying'er bears a resemblance to my younger self. However, her personality is far too different from mine, so I naturally have to guide her onto the right path. Otherwise, it would be a waste of her beauty for her to act like a cold puppet all the time," the woman in the five-colored dress sighed with a shake of her head.

It was quite clear that the beauty beside the young woman was a very conservative and sensible individual, and she could only fall silent with a wry smile upon hearing this.

As for the rest of the Ye Family entourage, they were all quite amused by this conversation.

Meanwhile, a pair of Body Integration cultivators from another true spirit family were also conversing quietly among themselves.

"That Tian Li hag didn't turn up, but that Han brat clearly isn't going to be a walkover, either. Are we still going to follow our original plan? We initially agreed to target that hag with the Lao Family," a handsome middle-aged man in a set of lavish robes asked with furrowed brows.

The man sitting beside him wore a copper half-mask, revealing only one half of his face, which was as delicate as that of an infant, and he replied, "Why not? That hag should count herself lucky for not turning up. We don't have any vendetta against that Han brat, but seeing as he's here to represent the Gu Family, we naturally have to teach him a lesson. Both of us may only be at the early-Body Integration Stage as well, but we've been at this stage for tens of thousands of years, so even if we don't use our combination technique, we'll still be able to crush him. Besides, all we have to do is wear him down and exhaust him of his magic power; we can just leave all the dirty work to the Lao Family. They're probably over the moon that that hag didn't turn up."

The man in the lavish robes cocked his head to the side and thought about this for a moment before nodding with a smile. "That's true. Even that Tian Li hag wasn't a match for us during the last edition of the ceremony, so that brat is nothing to worry about."

Meanwhile, a sinister voice suddenly rang out from a certain true spirit family that was situated beyond the inner circle. "Fairy Tian Li failed to show up, and the Gu Family only has an early-Body Integration Stage representative; this is a perfect opportunity for our Lao Family! We can take it a little easy when fighting the other families, but during our match with the Gu Family, we have to do everything in our power."

"Yes, Patriarch!"

There were also people from other true spirit families who also seemed to be plotting something, yet at this point, Han Li had already withdrawn his gaze. He was currently appraising a thumb-sized golden gourd that he had summoned, and there wasn't really anything remarkable about it aside from the fact that it was fluctuating in and out of existence, as if it had no substantial form.

However, for some reason, Han Li seemed to be extremely interested in this item, and was appraising it with an intrigued expression.

Thus, time slowly passed by, and all of the true spirit families waited patiently.

Finally, after over four hours had passed, spiritual light suddenly flashed from the center of the Myriad Spirit Platform, following which a white formation appeared on its surface. Initially, the formation was only several tens of feet in size, but after a short while, it swelled drastically amid a flash of bright light, expanding to around an acre in size.

Runes of different colors surged out of the formation in a frenzy, and bursts of buzzing sounds rang out from within it.

The entire Myriad Spirit Platform also began to tremor slightly in that instant.

A string of sharp ringing sounds then erupted from the surrounding mountain faces, as if to resonate with the buzzing formation. Immediately thereafter, hundreds of massive pillars of light erupted without any warning from the sites where the sharp ringing sounds emanated from. Each pillar of light was as thick as a water tank, and was flashing with piercing five-colored light.

Under the influence of the formation, a gust of fierce winds swept over the valley, and dense dark clouds appeared overhead. After that, devastating thunderclaps rang out as bolts of purple lightning that resembled giant pythons emerged from within the clouds.

"That's heavenly tribulation lightning!"

Many of the true spirit family disciples who were attending this ceremony for the first time were already flabbergasted by the phenomena that had taken place earlier, and all of them erupted into a panic at the sight of this purple lightning.

The Long Family patriarch abruptly opened his eyes before rising to his feet, then said in a cold voice, "Hmph, be quiet you fools! What's there to be alarmed about? This is just a precursor to Master Myriad Spirit's arrival. Shall we begin the ceremony now, fellow Daoists?"

His voice wasn't very loud, but it was clearly audible to everyone, and all of the panicked disciples calmed down as they exchanged bewildered glances.

The man in the lavish robes from the Feng Family also rose to his feet as he replied with a smile, "Of course. According to past conventions, this ceremony will have to be hosted by you again, Brother Long."

"I have no objections."

"I have no objections, either; Brother Long possesses the most superior cultivation base among all of us, after all."

"Please go ahead, Brother Long."

All of the other true spirit families expressed their agreement one after another.

The Long Family patriarch looked up into the sky, then nodded in response. "In that case, let's offer up the sacrificial items first."

At this moment, the purple lightning above the valley had intertwined to form a gargantuan net, which connected with the surrounding massive pillars of light to create an enormous cage.

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The leaders and elders of the true spirit families were all quite accustomed to this sight, and after hearing what the Long Family patriarch had to say, they each waved a hand toward the disciples behind them, immediately following which one person from each family quickly approached the Myriad Spirit Platform with a palm-sized jade vial cradled in their hands.

At the same time, golden light flashed from the Long Family patriarch, and his body swayed, following which he entered directly through the light barrier over the Myriad Spirit Platform. After that, he hovered at a low altitude and made a hand seal to release a pillar of golden light downward.

The golden light then vanished into the ground down below in a flash.

In the next instant, a burst of dull rumbling rang out from the Myriad Spirit Platform, and an antiquated azure stone basin appeared near the white formation.

The basin was long and flat, measuring around 10 feet in length. There were peculiar black symbols carved all over its surface, and it seemed to be an extremely ancient artifact.

All of the people who had emerged from the true spirit families approached the stone basin one after another, then removed the lids on the jade vials in their hands before pouring their contents into the basin.

Streams of liquid of different colors flowed out of the vials, some of which were extremely repugnant and vile, some of which were quite fragrant and pleasant, while others were colorless and odorless like water.

Several tens of different types of liquids were poured into the basin, and they came together to form a ball, but they didn't intermingle with one another in the slightest.

The Long Family patriarch paid no heed to all of this. He merely glanced at the light within the formation, which was steadily increasing in brightness, then looked up at the enormous purple net of lightning up above in an expressionless manner.

Outside the Myriad Spirit Platform, all of the Body Integration cultivators had risen to their feet, and they were also appraising the formation with serious expressions.

All of a sudden, a resounding boom rang out, following which the runes of different colors pouring out of the formation suddenly condensed to form a huge ball of light with a diameter of several tens of feet.

The ball of light then revolved in the air above the formation a few times before exploding amid a dull thump to reveal a strange beast with eight heads.

Its body was very indistinct, as if it were only a projection, and its aura was only at the early-Spatial Tempering Stage. However, as its eight heads swiveled around to sweep its gaze over all of the people surrounding the Myriad Spirit Platform, everyone couldn't help but shudder as if a glacial aura had just passed over their bodies.

In the next instant, the Long Family patriarch cupped his fist in a salute, and said, "Welcome, Master Myriad Spirit. Please enjoy the true blood sacrifice our 51 human true spirit families have prepared for you."

The eight-headed beast raised one of its heads to glance at the Long Family patriarch, then flew out of the formation and arrived above the basin.

It opened all eight of its mouths in unison, and the liquid in the basin flowed into its mouths in a frenzy.

Within mere moments, the liquid in the basin had all been devoured, following which a layer of light appeared over the beast's body, and it took on a more substantial form.

Immediately thereafter, the beast glanced at the cultivators outside of the stone platform before rearing its heads back and letting loose a thunderous roar.

An astonishing aura emanated from its body, rising from the early-Spatial Tempering Stage to the mid-Spatial Tempering Stage, then rapidly climbing to the late Spatial Tempering Stage...

After a short while, the beast's aura had swelled to the pinnacle of the late-Body Integration Stage. No, it seemed to be slightly superior to that, as if it was only half a step away from reaching the Grand Ascension Stage.

Even Han Li couldn't help but be awestruck as he sensed the violent aura emanating from the Myriad Spirit Platform.

Thankfully, this seemed to the limit of the beast's capabilities, and its enormous aura finally stagnated thereafter.

However, what the eight-headed beast did next was quite alarming to all of the onlooking cultivators.

All of a sudden, the beast raised all eight of its heads in unison, and a bolt of azure lightning as thick as a large bowl erupted from each of its mouths, then crashed into the purple lightning net up above in a flash.

Even the Body Integration cultivators present were slightly alarmed by this, and the Long Family patriarch was able to maintain a calm expression, but the look in his eyes indicated that he was also slightly bewildered.

Several earth-shattering booms rang out in quick succession as the purple and azure lightning intertwined, forming balls of lightning that were as large as wagon wheels before exploding in the air above.

Moments later, the lightning receded, and the massive purple net tremored a few times before falling still again, managing to remain completely unscathed through the process.

The cold look in the eight-headed beast's eyes faded, and it slowly closed its eight enormous mouths.

One of its azure heads then abruptly turned toward the Long Family patriarch, and it said in an extremely ancient voice, "Hmph, you humans sure are a careful and meticulous race; I've already descended upon this place countless times, yet this Lightning Myriad Seal Formation has had no fallacies every single time. You better pray that things continue like this. Otherwise, if you slip and allow me to find a chink in this formation, hehe..."

Not only was the beast's azure head speaking in a human tongue, it was also appraising the Long Family patriarch in a threatening manner.

The Long Family patriarch extended a slight bow before replying in a manner that was neither humble nor arrogant, "Rest assured, Master Myriad Spirit; if we become so incapable someday that we can't even set up a seal formation properly, then everyone here deserves to have their true blood sucked away for your consumption. However, according to the agreement our true spirit families have made with you, now that our sacrifice has been accepted, it's time for you to create the Hidden Spirit Badges for us now."

This beast was a true spirit level being from another realm, but only its clone could descend into this world. Even though it had devoured the sacrifice to significantly enhance its powers, it was still being severely debilitated by the seal formation set up by the true spirit families, so a late-Body Integration cultivator like the Long Family patriarch didn't have much to fear.

"Hmph, I did indeed accept your sacrifice, so I'll naturally fulfill my end of the agreement," the beast harrumphed coldly before beginning to chant something with all eight of its heads.

As it did so, runes of eight different colors surged out of its mouths before intertwining with one another in mid-air.

After a short while, all of the runes had spread over the Myriad Spirit Platform, creating quite an astonishing sight to behold.

The Long Family patriarch was situated within all of these runes, but he appeared to be very calm, and there was a layer of golden light around his body, keeping the runes several feet away from him.

All of a sudden, the beast let loose another thunderous roar, and invisible ripples abruptly surged through the air above.

All of the runes in the sky stacked on top of one another, then transformed into countless five-colored badges that fell onto the Myriad Spirit Platform.

"Alright, the 999 Hidden Spirit Badges have been created; make sure you don't summon me again until 3,000 years have passed," the eight-headed beast grumbled in a slightly weary manner, then flew back into the formation.

Light flashed from the massive formation, and spiritual light erupted forth to inundate the giant beast in a flash.

A buzzing sound rang out once again, and the eight-headed beast's body exploded into countless runes amid a dull thump.

In the next instant, the formation itself also vanished, and it was as if it was never there to begin with.

The Long Family patriarch was silent for a moment before instructing in a cold voice, "Gather the Hidden Spirit Badges, and we'll distribute them once the rankings have been decided."

Several golden-armored guards immediately heeded his call, striding onto the platform, carrying a silver platter each. They then made grabbing motions toward the badges, and all of them were drawn toward the guards before being piled onto the platters.

After that, the platters were carried to a designated table below the stone platform, where they were placed down in a respectful manner.

"Master Myriad Spirit has already left. Next, let us pay our respects to our true spirit ancestors," the Long Family patriarch said in a solemn voice.

All of the true spirit families immediately sprang into action upon hearing this, bringing out all types of spirit tools, as well as spirit fruits and incense, before setting them up on the platform.

Immediately thereafter, all of the true spirit family entourages were led by their leaders and elders onto the Myriad Spirit Platform one after another. They knelt down in front of their respective makeshift true spirit shrines before paying their respects and praying to their ancestors.

There were even some more traditional true spirit families who performed ceremonies that had already been made obsolete elsewhere, and Han Li was quite intrigued to see this.

The families paid their respects for close to half a day, and only then did the truly important segment of the true spirit ceremony commence. All of the true spirit families were competing to decide their rankings, and resources would be reallocated based on those rankings.

The Long Family patriarch flew onto the stone platform again before announcing, "As per usual, each family possesses one opportunity to challenge a family above them, as well as an opportunity to accept a challenge from a family below them. However, the challenger can't challenge a family that is more than five ranks above them, and if multiple families challenge the same family, then the highest-ranking challenging family will take priority. Of course, our top five families can only accept challenges after we compete in round-robin matches to decide our rankings again. Fellow Daoist Lin, come onto the platform and draw your opponent for the first round."

Among the five true spirit families, one of them was comprised solely of men, and a lazy voice rang out from among them. "Hehe, there's no need for that. If we encounter your Long Family, then we'll forfeit the match right away. However, I did cultivate a few new abilities recently, so I'd like to test my skills against Fairy Ye."

The one who had spoken was a man in a dark green robe with a strange silver band around his head. His features were as fine and delicate as those of a woman.

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This man was none other than the grand elder of the Lin Family, which was the third-ranked true spirit family, and he seemed to not be on good terms with the grand elder of the Ye Family.

The woman in the five-colored dress from the Ye Family chuckled, "Hehe, if you'd like to spar with me, then I'll naturally accept your challenge, Fellow Daoist Lin."

The man from the Lin Family harrumphed coldly and offered no response.

Fairy Xiao Feng and the two Body Integration cultivators of the Feng Family naturally had no objections to this, either.

The Long Family patriarch nodded upon seeing this before clapping his hands together, and another golden-armored guard strode onto the platform with a platter in his hands.

Sitting on the platter was a yellow bamboo tube, within which were five bright red bamboo sticks. The entire bamboo tube was concealed under a layer of spiritual light that kept even spiritual sense at bay, preventing one from being able to glean what was written on those bamboo sticks.

"As per usual, we'll draw lots to decide the matchups. This will be limited to only sparring matches between Body Integration cultivators, so all of the juniors will be excluded. For the first round, the family that picks the fifth stick will get a bye."

"It looks like you're not going to make the first draw, Brother Long, so let me do the honors," the man in the lavish robes from the Feng Family chuckled before reaching out toward the bamboo tube from outside of the Myriad Spirit Platform, and one of the bamboo sticks immediately flew into his grasp.

The man glanced at the bamboo stick before announcing, "Number three."

The grand elder of the Ye Family smiled as she also raised a hand toward the bamboo tube from afar, and a silver thread shot forth from her fingertip before reaching the bamboo tube in a flash.

Another bamboo stick was drawn into her hand as a streak of crimson light.

She glanced at the stick before announcing, "Number five."

For the first round, the Ye Family received a bye.

"Senior Han, would you like me to draw in your stead?" Fairy Xiao Feng asked in a respectful manner.

"Sure, go ahead," Han Li replied in a nonchalant voice.

Fairy Xiao Feng nodded before sweeping a sleeve through the air, and a white thread shot forth from within her sleeve, then wrapped itself around a crimson stick before drawing it into her grasp.

Fairy Xiao Feng glanced at it before informing Han Li, "Number four."

Han Li nodded and offered no response.

Meanwhile, the man from the Lin Family had also drawn one of the final two sticks, and he announced, "Number one."

All of the Gu Family cultivators' expressions changed drastically upon hearing this. The number two stick corresponded with their number four stick, which meant that they were going to be pitted against the Long Family in the first round.

The Long Family patriarch drew the final stick as a formality before turning to Han Li with a meaningful expression. "The lots have been drawn; let the matches commence. As for the rules of the matches, that'll be up to the participating families to decide. Now then, Fellow Daoist Lin, Fellow Daoist Feng, you may begin."

"There's no need for that; my brother and I are no match for Brother Lin, so our Feng Family concedes," the man in the lavish robes said without any hesitation.

The man from the Lin Family wasn't surprised to hear this.

"In that case, the Feng Family will be placed in the loser's bracket and will be competing with the loser of the other match, and the victor of that match will be able to challenge any of the other three families. If you relinquish the right to do so, then you'll secure the fourth spot ahead of the loser of the loser's bracket match. Next up will be our Long Family against the Gu Family. Will your family be represented by Fellow Daoist Han? Our Long Family will be represented by both myself and Elder Hui, so you'll have to defeat the two of us one after the other to secure victory in the match," the Long Family patriarch announced.

"Senior Han, let's forfeit this match," Fairy Xiao Feng immediately said.

She was well aware that even if their grand elder were present, there was still definitely no chance that they could defeat the Long Family, so she naturally wanted Han Li to conserve his powers for the next rounds.

However, Han Li stroked his chin with a smile, and said something that came as quite a shock to Fairy Xiao Feng and Elder Xiao. "I wouldn't mind sparring with a late-Body Integration cultivator. Ever since I progressed to the Body Integration Stage, I haven't yet had a chance to battle such a powerful cultivator."

This wasn't a battle of life and death, so to Han Li, this was a rare opportunity for him to gauge the power of a late-Body Integration cultivator, as well as to see if he could stand up against one at his current level of power. If he were afraid of fighting the Long Family, he wouldn't have provoked the Long Family patriarch by using his spiritual sense to intimidate Long Dong.

Furthermore, if possible, he definitely wouldn't mind putting on a display of power so these true spirit family cultivators could spread the word and enhance his reputation in the human race. After all, this situation was different compared to back when he was situated on foreign territory.

In the territories of foreign races, no matter how powerful he was, he had to keep as low a profile as possible to avoid trouble. However, now that he had returned to the human race, it would benefit him immensely to establish a resounding reputation.

Aside from the Long Family patriarch, the most powerful beings present were only at the mid-Body Integration Stage, and he knew without a doubt that his powers definitely wouldn't be inferior to those people.

"But Senior Han, the Long Family..."

Han Li's expression fell slightly as he turned toward Fairy Xiao Feng with blue light flashing within his eyes. "If I recall correctly, the terms of our agreement don't allow you to stipulate which battles I have to accept or forfeit."

Fairy Xiao Feng's heart jolted at the sight of the blue light in Han Li's eyes, and the rest of her words were immediately cut off.

Before she had a chance to say anything else, azure light flashed from Han Li's body, and he abruptly vanished on the spot.

In the next instant, he reappeared on the Myriad Spirit Platform over 100 feet away from the Long Family patriarch, then cupped his fist in a salute. "I've heard much about your esteemed self, Fellow Daoist Long; please enlighten me."

The Long Family patriarch's eyes narrowed slightly, and he said, "So you really are representing the Gu Family, Fellow Daoist Han. How is that disciple of yours? I believe his name is Qi Lingzi?"

Han Li faltered slightly upon hearing this, but his expression remained completely unchanged as he replied, "I appreciate your concern for my disciple, Fellow Daoist Long. He's a bit of a trouble-maker, so I've sent him somewhere obscure to cultivate, and he most likely won't be coming out for the next few decades."

"That's not a bad idea. After all, that disciple of yours is no ordinary cultivator, so it definitely couldn't hurt to take some extra precautions. However, if you want to challenge me right now, then I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed; the first cultivator to represent our Long Family won't be me," the Long Family patriarch replied.

At the same time, spatial fluctuations erupted beside him, and a black-robed figure abruptly appeared before turning to Han Li in a cold manner. "I'll be taking you on first, Fellow Daoist. If you can defeat me, then Fellow Daoist Long will face you himself."

This black-robed man was naturally none other than the mid-Body Integration Stage elder of the Long Family.

Han Li immediately recalled the hostility that this man had displayed toward him earlier, and he nodded in a calm manner. "Alright, then please enlighten me, Brother Hui."

A hint of a sinister smile seemed to have flashed over the Long Family patriarch's face as golden light flashed from his body, and he flew off the Myriad Spirit Platform before immediately instructing, "Fortify the restriction! Don't let this battle harm our disciples."

The cultivators in the valley who were responsible for controlling the formation hurriedly sprang into action upon hearing this, and bright light immediately erupted from the formation flags around the Myriad Spirit Platform.

The massive light barrier over the entire stone platform tremored slightly before instantly becoming several times thicker, and restriction runes of different colors appeared on its surface.

All of the people from the true spirit families were quite excited to see this. It certainly wasn't a commonplace opportunity to witness a battle between two Body Integration cultivators, so not only would this greatly broaden their horizons, it would also be a great chance for them to educate themselves.

Within the light barrier, a cold smile suddenly appeared on the black-robed man's face, and he swept a sleeve through the air. A clear ringing sound erupted, and two streaks of black light flew out from within his sleeves before revealing themselves to be a pair of inky-black hooks.

The hooks were no more than three feet in length, and there were indistinct silver flowers revolving around them, creating quite an intriguing sight to behold.

However, instead of attacking Han Li, the two hooks began to revolve around the black-robed man, seemingly more intent on keeping him safe than to directly attack Han Li.

Han Li's brows furrowed slightly as a hint of surprise flashed through his eyes upon seeing this, and in the next instant, spiritual light flashed again from the black-robed man's sleeves, following which two streaks of white light shot forth from within.

On this occasion, he had summoned a pair of pristine white short swords, each of which was around a foot in length and gave off a chilling glacial aura.

He continued to sweep his sleeves through the air, and a pair of silver flying daggers emerged immediately thereafter.

Han Li's eyelids twitched as he watched his opponent summon one pair of treasures after another, seemingly with no end in sight.

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Within mere moments, 36 pairs of different treasures had flown out of the black-robed man's sleeves, and they were all revolving around him, creating quite an intimidating sight to behold.

The fact that he could control so many treasures at once indicated that his spiritual sense was definitely far more powerful than that of the average Body Integration cultivator.

Han Li's mind was racing, but at the same time, he was also slightly awestruck.

All of a sudden, the black-robed man cackled as the 72 treasures around him swept toward Han Li with unstoppable force.

Han Li raised an eyebrow upon seeing this before sweeping a sleeve through the air, summoning several tens of small azure swords which surged toward the oncoming treasures as 72 streaks of azure light.

A string of crisp clangs rang out in rapid succession as the azure flying swords clashed with the opposing treasures.

The 72 treasures were blasting forth all types of energy attacks, such as clouds of black Qi and arcs of lightning, but the azure flying swords managed to remain completely unscathed as if they possessed no substantial form. On top of that, they were binding tightly around the opposing treasures like spirit snakes, and the two sides were evenly matched.

The black-robed man was slightly surprised to see this, and his treasures began to release more power at his behest, but they were still caught in a stalemate with the 72 Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords.

The black-robed man's expression darkened, and he suddenly took a deep breath before abruptly stepping forward and making a forward grabbing motion.

A resounding boom rang out as the world's origin Qi within the entire light barrier surged violently, following which countless black threads appeared out of thin air, then shot forth as countless streaks of black light.

The entire sky dimmed in the wake of the black light, and they reached Han Li in a flash.

In response, Han Li remained completely unflustered as he let loose a low cry, then swept a hand forward to release a vast expanse of grey light. The grey light then condensed into a grey wall of light, and the seemingly unstoppable streaks of black light were all instantly caught within the wall.

Han Li then raised an eyebrow as he pressed an inky-black palm against the wall of light, and spiritual light flashed, following a string of dull thumps rang out.

The black threads that had been caught within the wall of light all exploded and vanished as clouds of black smoke.

"Divine Essencefused Light!" the black-robed man exclaimed upon seeing this.

However, in the next instant, a vast expanse of black mist erupted from behind him, and the mist condensed into an enormous black sword above his head.

The front half of the sword appeared to be substantial, yet the rear half was rather murky and indistinct.

The tip of the sword tremored slightly, and a ball of black light immediately emerged. At the same time, a faint buzzing sound rang out.

"Go!" The black-robed man then made a hand seal before pointing a finger at the giant sword in a solemn manner.

The black ball of light immediately shot forth from the tip of the sword at his behest. In the beginning, the ball of light was only around the size of a human fist, but after just a few flashes, it had swelled to around 10 feet in diameter and was hurtling toward Han Li like a huge black meteorite, leaving a trail of warped and blurry black light in its wake.

This black ball of light possessed such fearsome power that it was able to tear through space itself!

What was even more astonishing was that the giant sword was releasing a string of these balls of black light, and seven or eight of them had been released in the blink of an eye.

As opposed to being alarmed by this, Han Li instead chuckled, "As expected of a mid-Body Integration cultivator; your powers are truly remarkable, Fellow Daoist Hui!"

He raised an arm to reach a pristine white palm out of his sleeve, then quickly brought both of his palms together in front of his chest.

Following a loud metallic clang, two small mountains, one black and one azure, emerged above his head. The two mountains revolved in the air while releasing an azure halo of light and a black circle of Qi, intertwining to form a huge black and azure ring that shielded Han Li within it.

At this moment, the first black ball of light crashed directly into the giant ring in a flash, and a resounding boom rang out as the black and azure light exploded. An enormous black hole appeared where the explosion had taken place, as if the space there had collapsed in on itself.

After that, the rest of the balls of light also plunged into the black hole, and it instantly swelled to over 10 times its original size. At this point, the black hole had encompassed virtually the entire stone platform, and Han Li had been inundated by boundless darkness, along with the entire giant halo around him.

The entirety of the Myriad Spirit Platform began to tremor violently while releasing a strained creaking sound in the face of the enormous might emanating from the black hole, and all of the cultivators outside looked on in astonishment and fascination.

The Long Family patriarch had his hands clasped behind his back as he appraised the scenes unfolding on the platform in a completely expressionless manner, but the look in his eyes suggested that he wasn't actually as tranquil as he appeared.

The woman in the five-colored dress from the Ye Family heaved a forlorn sigh to herself, and all of the cultivators from the other true spirit families wore vastly contrasting expressions.

Of course, Fairy Xiao Feng and Elder Xiao's expressions had both become quite strained.

Thankfully, the 72 azure flying swords that were contending with the treasures were still flying through the air in a controlled manner, which indicated that Han Li hadn't been incapacitated by the black-robed man's attacks, and that was the only source of solace for them.

For the black-robed man himself, it clearly hadn't been a simple task to release so many black balls of light from that giant sword. Not only had the light in his eyes dimmed significantly, his aura had also noticeably abated, and even the purple scar on his forehead seemed to have become bigger than before.

He heaved a sigh of relief and opened his mouth to expel a large shimmering blue seal, with which it appeared that he was going to unleash his final attack, when a calm voice suddenly rang out from within the giant black hole.

"Is this all you have to offer, Brother Hui? I will admit that your abilities are quite interesting, but this won't be enough to defeat me!"

As soon as the voice trailed off, an extremely sharp screeching sound rang out from within the black hole, followed by a resounding boom. A silver ruler projection that was around 70 to 80 feet in length then abruptly sliced the black hole in half, and azure light flashed as a humanoid figure flew out from within.

The black-robed man was truly surprised to see this, and he immediately made a hand seal, upon which the large blue seal swelled drastically to the size of a small mountain before hurtling directly toward the humanoid figure.

Han Li, who had just emerged from the black hole, merely chuckled upon seeing this. One of the mountains above his head blurred momentarily before vanishing amid a flash of azure light, while the other expanded to over 1,000 feet in size amid a flash of grey light.

Countless silver runes then swept forth from the mountain to meet the oncoming blue seal.

The two enormous objects clashed, and in the beginning, there was no sound resulting from the clash whatsoever.

In the next instant, grey shockwaves erupted through the air before sweeping forth in all directions.

The black-robed man wore a dark expression as he waved a sleeve through the air, easily parting the shockwaves. He then narrowed his eyes as he cast his gaze toward Han Li, but right at this moment, his expression abruptly changed drastically as he swayed to the side.

A streak of invisible sword Qi then emerged without any warning before glancing past his shoulder. Even the protective spiritual Qi around him was completely unable to impede it.

If he hadn't reacted as quickly as he did, his shoulder would've been completely punctured.

The black-robed man was quite alarmed by this, yet just as he was about to turn around to try and identify the invisible sword Qi, more of these streaks of sword Qi emerged around him like a torrential storm.

His alarm was further exacerbated, and he immediately summoned a black shield and an antiquated golden mirror, which transformed into two barriers of light, one golden and one black, to shield him from the attack.

At the same time, the giant black sword above his head also exploded into a cloud of black mist that inundated his entire body.

However, the countless streaks of sword Qi that were undetectable both to the naked eye and spiritual sense surged into the black mist.

A string of dull thumps rang out, immediately followed by the screeching of metal grating against metal.

Meanwhile, azure light flashed in the air above the black mist, and a small azure mountain abruptly appeared.

The mountain was revolving rapidly on the spot, and with each revolution, it released a halo of azure light. As soon as the azure light left the mountain, it transformed into countless streaks of sword Qi that vanished into thin air.

Han Li's body swayed from afar, and after just a few flashes, he appeared directly above the small azure mountain before stomping a foot firmly onto its summit, then cast his gaze downward in an indifferent manner.

The black mist down below was in tatters from being ravaged by the countless streaks of sword Qi, and the black-robed man was about to be revealed.

However, right in that instant, a pillar of golden light suddenly erupted from within the mist, hurtling directly toward the azure mountain up above.

Han Li raised an eyebrow upon seeing this before abruptly stomping a foot downward, and the small azure mountain immediately ceased in its rotation.

At the same time, a layer of azure light swept forth from it, instantly forming a translucent light shield in front of the mountain.

However, as a result, the output of sword Qi also ceased.

In the instant that the golden pillar of light clashed with the light shield, the latter swayed slightly while the former tremored before a small portion of it crumbled away. The majority of the pillar of light was reflected back in the direction it had come from and vanished into the black mist in a flash.

A rumbling explosion rang out from within the mist, followed by a roar of shock and fury from the black-robed man, and the black mist finally dissipated.

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The black-robed man was enveloped by a ball of golden light as he appeared on the spot, and at first glance, he didn't seem to have sustained any injuries, but upon closer inspection, one would discover that some faint traces of blood had appeared on one of his sleeves. These traces of blood were quite small, and they were barely noticeable on his black robes, but all of the cultivators present were at least at the Nascent Soul Stage, so they naturally wouldn't fail to notice such a detail.

A burst of chatter immediately rang out, and surprised expressions appeared on many people's faces.

The two Body Integration cultivators from the Feng Family exchanged a glance, only to discover their own dismay mirrored in one another's eyes. In contrast, Fairy Xiao Feng and Elder Xiao were ecstatic.

Han Li didn't unleash any further attacks as he hovered in the air above. He merely stood atop his small azure mountain and looked down at his opponent in a calm and collected manner.

However, the faint azure light that was flashing from the small mountain could transform into countless streaks of sword Qi again at any moment.

"This isn't Divine Essencefused Light; it's High Zenith Azure Light! It's colorless and formless, yet peerlessly sharp; it really is just as fearsome as the legends proclaim!" The black-robed man raised an arm as he spoke, extending a bloody azure hand from his sleeve to reveal several small laceration wounds, undoubtedly inflicted by Han Li's sword Qi.

"Your abilities are just as remarkable, Fellow Daoist Hui. To think that you're able to withstand High Zenith Azure Light with nothing more than your physical body; that hand of yours is definitely no less resolute than the average defensive spirit treasure," Han Li said with a smile.

"Hehe, looks like I'll really have to pull out some trump cards to match you, Fellow Daoist Han," the black-robed man chuckled coldly, and the laceration wounds on his hand instantly healed amid a flash of spiritual light.

At the same time, he took a deep breath, and a layer of black light flashed over his body, following which countless black patterns appeared over his skin.

These black patterns roamed over his entire body as if they were living beings, and from a distance, it looked as if he had transformed into a devilish creature. On top of that, his aura had also become very peculiar.

An intrigued look appeared on Han Li's face upon seeing this, and he made a grabbing motion, upon which a short shimmering silver ruler appeared in his grasp.

However, right at this moment, the Long Family patriarch suddenly intervened.

"Elder Hui, I didn't assist you in cultivating this ability just so you could use it in a sparring match. You won't be able to defeat Fellow Daoist Han easily, so let me face him in person."

As soon as his voice trailed off, a loud thunderclap suddenly rang out from beneath his feet, and his body shot forth as a bolt of silver lightning, passing through the light barrier and appearing beside the black-robed man in a flash.

The sinister look on the black-robed man's face stiffened slightly, and his heart jolted at the sight of the Long Family patriarch's emotionless eyes. He nodded reluctantly, and said, "Rest assured, Brother Long, the situation is under control. However, seeing as you're interested in facing Fellow Daoist Han in my stead, I'll leave him to you."

After that, he made a hand seal, and the black patterns all over his body gradually faded away. He then cast one final meaningful glance at Han Li before flying out of the light barrier as a streak of black light.

Han Li turned toward the Long Family patriarch, and there was no hint of fear on his face whatsoever as he chuckled, "Are you going to take Brother Hui's place, brother Long? This truly is an honor."

"I'm already at the late-Body Integration Stage, yet you've only recently progressed to the Body Integration Stage, so it wouldn't be right for me to engage you in battle. Instead, here's what I propose: if you can take three attacks from me, then I'll forfeit the match!" the Long Family patriarch said in a cold voice as he clasped his hands behind his back.

Han Li initially faltered slightly upon hearing this before a smile appeared on his face. "Three attacks? Alright, I have no objections to that."

A stir immediately ran through all of the surrounding cultivators upon hearing this.

Han Li had just displayed powers that weren't inferior to those of mid-Body Integration cultivators, and that had already drawn astonishment from many of the onlookers. Now that the Long Family patriarch was proposing this three-attack clause, everyone was getting very excited.

To the cultivators of the true spirit families below the Body Integration Stage, this was going to be an extremely eye-opening experience that would surely benefit them immensely.

After all, the true spirit families who were pitted against the Long Family during the past editions of the true spirit ceremony had all forfeited their matches, so it had been a very long time since everyone had seen the Long Family patriarch in action.

"First attack."

The Long Family patriarch clearly had no intention of wasting time with words, and after letting loose a low cry, he suddenly reached out with one of his hands.

The entire sky immediately dimmed while the nearby world's origin Qi surged violently, and a huge golden claw that was several tens of feet in size appeared above Han Li's head. Five-colored runes surged over the surface of the massive claw, and it grabbed directly toward Han Li.

Before the claw had even reached Han Li, the air around him tightened, and he felt as if he had been trapped in a cage of iron and steel.

All of a sudden, spatial fluctuations erupted above him, and a small black mountain appeared without any warning.

Grey light swept forth from the mountain, and Han Li was immediately freed. He then thrust his pristine white palm upward, and five-colored flames instantly surged forth from his fingers, forming a massive five-colored hand that rose up to clash with the giant golden claw amid a resounding boom.

The two seemed to be evenly matched for a brief moment before the giant golden claw destroyed the five-colored hand amid a flash of golden light. Despite this, Han Li remained completely unflustered as he pointed a finger up into the air.

The destroyed remnants of the massive five-colored hand transformed into five-colored glacial flames in a flash, and these flames immediately swept up the huge golden claw.

As a result, the golden claw faltered in mid-air before being sealed within a huge chunk of five-colored glacial ice, reduced to a levitating ice statue.

The Long Family patriarch's eyelids twitched upon seeing this, but he then immediately yelled, "Second attack!"

As soon as his voice trailed off, he laid a hand onto his own head, and a thunderous dragon's roar rang out.

Immediately thereafter, spiritual light flashed, and a golden wyrm projection flew up from the top of his head. The projection circled around in mid-air before abruptly plunging back down onto his body.

In the next instant, bright golden light was released from his body, and golden scales appeared all over his face and limbs, while a pair of golden horns that were several inches in length emerged on his head.

He had adopted a half-dragon form, and a thunderclap rang out from beneath his feet, following which he vanished on the spot in a flash.

Almost at the exact same moment, Han Li heard a thunderclap erupt overhead, and the Long Family patriarch appeared, then raised an arm before reaching down with his scaled golden hand.

A dull thump rang out, and an enormous burst of power descended from the heavens.

Han Li's pupils contracted slightly upon seeing this, and in his eyes, the oncoming hand seemed to have encompassed the entire Myriad Spirit Platform, affording him no avenues for escape or evasion.

If he were to be struck by this devastating force, he definitely wouldn't be able to withstand the attack, despite his powerful physical body.

With that in mind, Han Li immediately directed the black mountain above his head toward the oncoming golden hand, sending it hurtling through the air with devastating might. At the same time, golden light flashed, and a golden figure emerged behind him before transforming into a golden projection with three heads and six arms.

Right at this moment, a resounding boom rang out, and the black mountain was repelled by the golden hand, while the latter continued to descend toward Han Li, seemingly having not been slowed down in the slightest.

Han Li's expression darkened upon seeing this, and the Provenance True Devil Projection behind him raised all six of its arms before unleashing a torrential barrage of punches up into the air.

Meanwhile, Han Li waved his silver ruler, and a silver ruler projection that was several tens of feet in length also erupted into the heavens amid a flash of silver light.

In the next instant, an incessant string of explosions rang out as the golden fist projections and silver ruler projection clashed with the descending golden hand.

Immediately thereafter, more ruler projections were unleashed by the silver ruler, numbering in the tens, hundreds, thousands...

In the blink of an eye, countless projections had been conjured up by the silver ruler in Han Li's hand, and all of these projections were surging upward in a frenzy as a silver stream.

The people outside the light barrier were stunned by the fearsome powers Han Li was unleashing, but the Long Family patriarch seemed to be unimpressed as he let loose a cold harrumph, which was immediately followed by an earth-shattering boom.

In the next instant, the countless golden fist projections and silver ruler projections were all destroyed by a burst of extremely terrifying power.

The golden hand flashed before appearing in the air no more than 10 feet above Han Li, then grabbed downward without any hesitation.

Right at this moment, spatial fluctuations suddenly erupted nearby, and an green fist reached out before striking the golden hand like lightning.

The seemingly completely unstoppable golden hand was diverted away upon being struck by the green fist, and taking advantage of this opportunity, Han Li vanished on the spot, then appeared just over 100 feet away from the Long Family patriarch. As soon as he reappeared, he raised his head to appraise his opponent with a calm and collected look on his face.

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The Long Family patriarch withdrew his hand, and a surprised look appeared on his face at the sight of the green arm that had appeared out of thin air.

Spatial fluctuations erupted once again, and a humanoid figure with green skin emerged.

The humanoid figure was around 20 feet tall with purple light flashing all over its body. It bore a strong resemblance to Han Li, and it had green light flashing within its eyes.

Han Li waved a hand toward the green figure, and it arrived by his side in a flash.

"Is that a clone of yours? I must say, you have truly lived up to my expectations, Fellow Daoist Han. Now then, this will be my third attack!" the Long Family patriarch chuckled coldly before raising an arm and making a grabbing motion toward Han Li.

His actions appeared to be identical to what he had just done earlier, but on this occasion, the effect was far different.

Even before his arm had been fully outstretched, a string of rumbling booms had begun to erupt in the surrounding area, alongside which countless five-colored specks of light appeared over the Myriad Spirit Platform.

In the next instant, these specks of light formed by the world's origin Qi surged toward the Long Family patriarch and vanished into his arm in a frenzy.

The golden dragon scales all over his arms instantly became bright and translucent and shimmered with a layer of five-colored spiritual light. On top of that, the light was gradually becoming brighter and brighter, until many of the bystanders were forced to look away.

At the same time, an extremely powerful burst of foreign spiritual pressure also erupted from that very same arm. It was as if the arm had become a completely independent entity, and its aura was even more powerful than that of the Long Family patriarch himself.

In the face of this devastatingly powerful attack, Han Li's expression finally changed slightly. As the Long Family patriarch was approaching the point where it was going to be fully outstretched, he suddenly cupped his fist in a salute, and chuckled, "Your powers are truly extraordinary, Fellow Daoist Long. There's no need for you to unleash your third attack; I concede."

Before anyone had a chance to process what he had just said, azure light flashed from Han Li's body, and he flew out of the light barrier, tearing through it as if it were nothing more than a papier-mâché structure.

After that, he returned to his chair at the front of the Gu Family entourage, and the green figure followed closely behind him like a shadow in the process.

All of the nearby Gu Family cultivators reflexively took a few steps backward as they appraised the green figure with curious eyes, yet Han Li merely cast an indifferent glance toward it before making a hand seal, upon which it rapidly shrank down amid a flash of purple light.

In the end, it transformed into a ball of purple light that vanished up his sleeve.

Meanwhile, Fairy Xiao Feng and Elder Xiao were appraising Han Li with complex expressions. It was no wonder that this was their reaction; as a cultivator who had only recently reached the Body Integration Stage, he had displayed powers that were not inferior to those of mid-Body Integration cultivators, but right when they had thought that he would create a miracle, he jumped off the platform and forfeited the match.

No matter how they looked at it, something didn't seem right. However, in the wake of Han Li's astonishing display of power, they naturally didn't dare to ask any questions, and could only exchange a glance with wry smiles on their faces.

They were rather exasperated by Han Li's erratic actions, but at the same time, all of their concerns had disappeared.

In their eyes, Han Li was not inferior in power to their grand elder, Fairy Tian Li. In fact, his combat prowess seemed to be even superior. As such, it definitely wouldn't be an issue for the Gu Family to secure a rank among the top five.

The Long Family patriarch finally returned to his senses, and he cast his gaze toward Han Li as he chuckled, "Hehe, interesting!"

After that, five-colored light swirled around his arm, and the surrounding world's origin Qi vanished into thin air. At the same time, the golden dragon scales all over his body also receded as he reverted out of his half-dragon form.

The man wearing the copper mask in the Feng Family suddenly declared, "We're giving up on our plan!"

"What do you mean, Brother? Even if that man is more powerful than an ordinary early-Body Integration cultivator, at the very most, he's only comparable to that Tian Li hag; surely we can take him down together," the man in the lavish robes countered with furrowed brows.

"Hmph, you think he's only comparable with Tian Li at most? Have you gone senile? Setting aside everything else, just that clone of his is extremely powerful. It was powerful enough to knock back Old Man Long's attack with just a single punch; that's already something that's beyond our capabilities. On top of that, he displayed no fear or concern throughout that entire battle, so he definitely has more tricks up his sleeve. Even the two of us combined will most likely find it very difficult to defeat him. I don't want our Feng Family to make such an unfathomably powerful being our enemy, particularly at a time like this," the masked man replied in a cold voice.

"But what about our agreement with the Lao Family? We already accepted benefits from them." The man in the lavish robes was still quite hesitant.

"All we agreed to was to weaken Fairy Tian Li as much as we could for them. Seeing as she's not here, it's very normal that we would change our plans. If they try to pin the blame on us, we'll just have to return what they gave us; what are they going to do? During our loser's bracket match against the Gu Family, just fight using normal methods," the masked man said in an implacable manner.

"In that case, we'll do as you say. It's rather regrettable that we won't be able to kick the Gu Family out of the top five families, but I guess we'll just have to wait until next time," the man in the lavish robes sighed in a reluctant manner.

In contrast, the masked man could clearly see the bigger picture, and he chuckled, "The devilish tribulation is about to strike soon; who knows how many of these true spirit families will even be left on the other side? There's no need to think so far ahead."

The man in the lavish robes could only offer a wry smile in response.

Meanwhile, several of the Lao Family elders were standing around the only early-Body Integration cultivator in their family, and they were currently discussing something in hushed tones.

The restriction around their entourage made it impossible to hear what they were saying, but their strained expressions clearly indicated that they were far from happy about this situation.

The Lao Family's Body Integration cultivator was a white-robed middle-aged scholar, and his brows were also tightly furrowed. It was quite clear that Han Li's display of power had come as quite a nasty surprise to them.

"The next match will be the loser's bracket match to decide the fourth and fifth ranks, and it'll take place between the Feng Family and the Gu Family," the Long Family patriarch announced.

Both of the Feng Family's Body Integration cultivators turned toward the Gu Family entourage in unison upon hearing this, while Fairy Xiao Feng and Elder Xiao both turned toward Han Li.

"I forfeit this match!" Much to everyone's surprise, Han Li forfeited the match without any hesitation, and this naturally created quite a stir.

"Senior Han..." Fairy Xiao Feng began as an urgent look appeared on her face.

Han Li merely turned to her in an indifferent manner, and said, "The Feng Family also has two Body Integration cultivators, and they're adept in combination techniques, so there's not much chance for me to defeat them. As such, it would naturally be a better idea to conserve my powers. Besides, according to our agreement, I only have to ensure that the Gu Family can maintain its current rank, so I'm not breaking our agreement, am I?"

Fairy Xiao Feng's expression changed a few times, but in the end, she conceded, "Of course, it's just that the fourth-ranked family will receive far more benefits than the fifth-ranked one. Forgive me for being greedy, Senior."

Thus, the Long Family patriarch announced the result of this forfeited match, following which the other three families drew lots.

On this occasion, the Long Family received a bye, so the next match was naturally between the woman in the five-colored dress from the Ye Family and the man from the Lin Family.

The two of them seemed to have a long-running feud, so as soon as their match began, both of them unleashed their most powerful attacks, and the battle quickly reached an astonishing climax.

Both of them were at the mid-Body Integration Stage, but it was quite clear that the woman from the Ye Family was slightly superior in power. Even after the Lin Family representative unleashed several new abilities in succession, he was still forced out of the light barrier by his opponent in the end, and he could only return to his seat in a furious manner.

Thus, the next match was naturally to be held between the Ye Family and the Long Family, but the woman in the five-colored dress knew that she was no match for the Long Family patriarch, so she conceded in a very straightforward manner. As for the Feng Family, they also made the wise decision not to challenge any of the top three families.

As a result, the ranking of the top five families remained the same as before, with the Gu Family bringing up the rear once again.

It was now time for the lower-ranked families to issue challenges, but the Gu Family wasn't overly concerned about this segment, considering Han Li had just displayed his powers to them.

Despite this, the sixth-ranked family, which was the Lao Family, still decided to issue a challenge. The white-robed scholar rose to his feet with a solemn look on his face, and said, "I would like to challenge the Gu Family. Please enlighten me, Fellow Daoist Han."

White light then flashed from the scholar's body, and in the next instant he appeared on the platform to wait for Han Li.

Han Li smiled upon seeing this, and azure light also flashed from his body as he appeared before the scholar.

Lao Ai wore a serious expression as he gave Han Li a curt nod, then flipped both of his hands over to summon a black ferule[1] in one hand, while golden light flashed from his other hand, and a giant shimmering golden brush appeared. The brush was several feet in length, and its tip was shimmering with extremely vibrant five-colored spiritual light.

The ferule twirled through the air, conjuring up several tens of black spirit flowers that created a barrier around him. At the same time, he waved the giant golden brush in his other hand through the air, and a series of massive exuberant five-colored butterflies appeared.

[1] [A ferule is a wooden ruler-like object normally used for physical punishment.]

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The scholar let loose a low cry, and all of the demonic butterflies spread their wings, releasing bursts of five-colored powder that quickly expanded into a five-colored toxic cloud around an acre in size. The toxic cloud surged directly toward Han Li at the scholar's behest, and at the same time, he began to chant something before opening his mouth to expel a red bamboo tube.

The bamboo tube was opened amid a flash of bright red light, and countless shimmering red runes flew out from within it. These runes all seemed to be very profound, but in the instant that they emerged from the bamboo tube, they all twisted and transformed into Fire Ravens that flew toward Han Li, right behind the toxic cloud.

This Lao Ai was only an early-Body Integration cultivator, but his attacks were quite powerful indeed, so it was no wonder that he still dared to challenge Han Li despite witnessing his earlier display of power.

However, these attacks were naturally nothing in the eyes of Han Li. As opposed to being alarmed by these ferocious oncoming attacks, Han Li chuckled instead. Without summoning any treasures, he made a hand seal, and golden light flashed, following which that golden projection with three heads and six arms appeared behind him again.

The projection made different seals with each of its six hands, and translucent spiritual light swirled around its body, following which it attained a substantial form.

It had three extremely clear and life-like faces that were identical to that of Han Li, and at the same time, there was a layer of golden scales all over each of its six arms. There were also faint runes running along the lengths of its arms, creating quite a mysterious sight to behold.

This was none other than Han Li's Provenance Golden Body.

Even the Long Family patriarch could no longer maintain his composure at the sight of this three-headed golden body. A stunned look appeared on his face, and he exclaimed, "That's a golden body!"

Not just him, but the two mid-Body Integration cultivators of the Ye Family and the Lin Family were clearly aware of the existence of golden bodies as well, and they were just as astonished.

In the instant that the golden body took shape behind Han Li, the toxic cloud and countless Fire Ravens had also reached him, and it looked as if he were going to be completely inundated.

However, a cold light flashed through Han Li's eyes, and he suddenly let loose a loud cry. In the next instant, the golden body behind him swayed and somehow ended up in front of him. Bright golden light erupted from its body, and it swelled drastically to several tens of feet in size, then raised all six of its arms at once and thrust them toward the toxic cloud and Fire Ravens.

A string of spluttering sounds rang out in rapid succession, and a golden ball of light emerged within each of the golden body's six large hands. The balls of light revolved incessantly over their palms before being hurled forth in unison.

The balls of light then converged and combined in mid-air to form a golden vortex. At the same time, the golden body opened all six of its eyes at once and began to utter three completely different chants that stacked on top of one another.

Within the vortex, loud thunderclaps rang out alongside Buddhist chants, and the vortex expanded to 30 to 40 feet in size in a flash.

Immediately thereafter, a golden shockwave that was visible to the naked eye erupted from within the vortex. The oncoming toxic cloud and Fire Ravens were completely unable to put up any resistance and were swept up by the shockwave before being drawn into the vortex.

Moments later, the devastating attacks that Lao Ai had unleashed ceased to exist, and he was naturally very alarmed by this development.

He hurriedly raised the giant brush in his hand to try and unleash another wave of attacks, but it was too late.

The Provenance Golden Body raised all six of its arms at Han Li's behest before unleashing punches toward Lao Ai from afar.

Six shimmering golden fist projections erupted forth amid a string of dull thumps, then instantly vanished into thin air.

"Crap!"

Lao Ai was a seasoned veteran when it came to battles, and he immediately knew that he was in trouble. Instead of unleashing an attack with his giant golden brush, he suddenly withdrew it before drawing a circle with it in mid-air.

Golden light flashed, and a round golden shield appeared in front of him out of thin air.

At the same time, the red bamboo tube he had summoned earlier also transformed into a red light barrier that enveloped his body within it.

In addition to the black light formed by the black ferule, he had instantly set up three layers of defenses, all of which appeared to be quite formidable.

However, in the instant that these defenses took shape, the six shimmering golden fist projections suddenly re-emerged out of thin air.

Initially, they had only been around the size of human hands, yet they were now as large as a human head and struck the defenses amid a string of sharp ringing sounds.

Blinding golden light flashed as the first three fist projections exploded, and the three layers of defenses were vanquished, exposing Lao Ai to the rest of the attacks.

Lao Ai was naturally petrified to see this, and he immediately brought his hand together before separating them again to produce a white bone hammer.

He grabbed onto the long shaft of the hammer with both hands and swept it horizontally before him like lightning.

The white bone hammer instantly swelled to around 10 feet in size, following which the remaining three golden fist projections reached him at alarming speeds.

An earth-shattering boom rang out as golden and white light intertwined. Lao Ai felt a burst of enormous power crash into his hammer, sending sharp pain spearing through his fingers, and he took an involuntary step backward.

Before he even had a chance to steady himself, the second fist projection struck the bone hammer as well amid another resounding boom.

Lao Ai's face turned completely pale and devoid of color as the bone hammer was forcibly wrenched out of his hands, flying away into the distance alongside the second fist projection.

The third fist projection then struck the protective spiritual light around his body without giving him any chance to react, and he could only look on in horror and despair at the oncoming unstoppable attack.

Golden light flashed, and a burst of enormous power erupted forth, sending him flying without being able to offer any resistance. His body flew through the air like a cannonball, crashing straight through the light barrier with a dull thump before flying over 100 feet away from the Myriad Spirit Platform.

Only then did he just barely manage to stabilize himself in mid-air, and he hurriedly examined his own body, upon which he heaved a long sigh of relief.

Lao Ai then turned to Han Li with a grateful look on his face before cupping his fist in a salute. "Thank you for holding back, Brother Han. Your powers are far superior to mine."

It was quite clear that he knew that he was only able to remain completely unscathed as Han Li had held back in his final attack.

"There's no need to thank me. This is only a sparring match, so my objective isn't to wound you," Han Li replied with a nonchalant smile.

He naturally wasn't going to make enemies for himself for no good reason.

At this point, all of the onlookers from the true spirit families were completely flabbergasted. Most of them had already identified that Han Li was definitely no ordinary early-Body Integration cultivator, yet it still came as a massive shock to everyone that he was able to defeat Lao Ai so easily.

As for the Body Integration cultivators among the true spirit families, they were now appraising Han Li with awe and veneration, while a small portion of them were looking at him with complex contemplative looks on their faces.

Han Li flew casually out of the light barrier and returned to his seat among the Gu Family entourage, upon which Bai Guo'er immediately offered a cup of spirit tea to him in a respectful manner. "Master, please have some tea!"

Han Li took a glance at her to find that her cheeks were slightly red from excitement. It was no wonder that she was displaying such a reaction; she was already aware that Han Li was a Body Integration cultivator, but he had never displayed his powers before her. As such, how could she not be elated and excited upon witnessing Han Li's extraordinary powers?

Han Li smiled as he accepted the cup of spirit tea before taking a sip. Meanwhile, Fairy Xiao Feng and Elder Xiao were also appraising Han Li with surprise and elation. His powers had clearly far exceeded their expectations as well.

The Gu Family's spot in the top five was now truly assured. The rest of the process was quite simple.

All of the true spirit families were aware of how powerful one another were, so there weren't that many challenges. After just a few matches, all of the rankings had been decided. After that, it was time to distribute the badges created by that Myriad Spirit Beast, as well as other resources, according to these new rankings.

Han Li naturally played no role in this and left things to Fairy Xiao Feng and Elder Xiao.

He merely sat in his seat with an amused smile as the family leaders gathered on the Myriad Spirit Platform completely cast aside all pretenses of affability and civility, arguing with one another with spittle flying in all directions.

Even the slightest compromise would lead to the loss of an astonishing amount of benefits, so there were naturally no families who were willing to back down.

Thankfully, the rankings that had just been established aided in speeding up this resource distribution process. Otherwise, they would most likely argue indefinitely without a consensus ever being reached.

However, the Body Integration cultivators among the true spirit families naturally weren't going to stoop to this level, and they all remained in their seats as well, patiently awaiting the result of the negotiations.

Some of them were appraising Han Li with curiosity in their eyes, and on this occasion, none of them dared to display any animosity, so Han Li merely rested with his eyes closed and pretended not to notice.

All of a sudden, the voice of the Long Family patriarch rang out within his ears. "Fellow Daoist Han, your abilities aren't limited to the clone and golden body you displayed just now, right?"

Han Li's expression changed slightly as he opened his eyes and turned toward the Long Family patriarch. He then also transmitted his voice calmly in response. "Oh? I'm sure your abilities aren't just limited to your half-dragon transformation, isn't that right, Brother Long?"

The Long Family patriarch was silent for a moment before asking a question that caught Han Li completely off guard. "Of course. However, your powers are far superior to what I anticipated. Are you related in any way to the holy island, Brother Han?"

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Han Li's heart stirred slightly upon hearing this, but his expression remained unchanged as he asked, "The holy island? Why do you ask, Fellow Daoist?"

"It's fine if you don't want to tell me. However, I have something I would like to discuss with you. Would you be interested in meeting me in the Myriad Spirit Hall tonight?" the Long Family patriarch asked with a faint smile.

"The Myriad Spirit Hall?" Han Li's brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this, and many thoughts raced through his mind at once.

The so-called Myriad Spirit Hall was a hall that had been carved into a mountain face in this valley. The hall was where the true spirit family leaders and elders had first gathered to discuss the proceedings of the ceremony.

The fact that the Long Family patriarch was extending an invitation to meet him later in this hall suggested that he definitely had something very important to talk about.

Han Li didn't reject this offer right away, but he took a rather cautious route as he asked, "Would you be able to reveal what you would like to speak to me about so I can make a decision?"

The Long Family patriarch was silent for a moment before replying in a calm manner, "I can't reveal too much to you, but what I can tell you is that this has something to do with a major event that will take place following the arrival of the devilish tribulation. On top of that, this event could bring you enormous benefits; it could even decide whether we would have the opportunity to progress to the Grand Ascension Stage."

Despite Han Li's calm and steadfast nature, he was still stunned by what he had just heard. "The Grand Ascension Stage?"

"Indeed. I've already made agreements with several other fellow Daoists to join me, and with the powers you've displayed, you've earned the right to participate in this matter as well," the Long Family patriarch confirmed.

Han Li forcibly repressed his own astonishment, and only after a long while did he finally make a decision. "Alright, in that case, I'll be meeting you later tonight."

The Long Family patriarch seemed to be very pleased with Han Li's answer, and he chuckled, "Hehe, you've definitely made a wise decision, Fellow Daoist. I'm sure what we're going to be talking about will be of great interest to you." After that, he didn't speak any further about this matter.

The rest of the true spirit ceremony was very simple. After finally arriving at an agreement about the distribution of resources, the entire ceremony drew to a conclusion.

Fairy Xiao Feng led Han Li to a secluded place and handed over what she had promised to Han Li without any delay. After that, she couldn't help but extend another invitation for Han Li to join the Gu Family, and she stated that if Han Li were to agree, not only would he receive the same benefits afforded to the grand elder of the Gu Family, he would have absolute authority in the family second only to the family leader herself.

However, Han Li euphemistically turned her down again. Fairy Xiao Feng was very disappointed by this, and she could only ask Han Li to visit the Gu Family whenever he had some free time. It was quite clear that she wanted her Gu Family to establish good relations with Han Li.

Han Li naturally agreed with a smile to this proposal.

Thus, some of the true spirit families began to depart from the Myriad Spirit Valley and embarked on the journey to return to their respective territories.

In contrast, most of the families decided to remain in the Myriad Spirit Valley for a few more days to exchange some resources and cultivation arts, which would make the journey to come here somewhat worthwhile for the ordinary members of these true spirit families.

The Gu Family was one of the families that stayed, temporarily settling in a cluster of buildings within the valley, among which Han Li occupied a small pavilion to himself.

That night, he silently departed from the pavilion and flew toward the Myriad Spirit Hall. Upon approaching the hall, he discovered that there was someone standing at the entrance in silence, seemingly stationed there specifically to wait for him.

Han Li focused his gaze on the figure to find that it was Elder Hui of the Long Family.

The black-robed man had completely discarded his animosity toward Han Li, and he cupped his fist in a salute with a warm smile on his face. "You really are a man of your word, Fellow Daoist Han. Brother Long and the other fellow Daoists have been waiting for some time already."

"Oh? Has Brother Long invited other people as well?" Han Li asked in a contemplative manner.

"Haha, indeed he has. All will be revealed soon enough; please follow me," the black-robed man chuckled as he made an inviting hand gesture.

"Alright, then please lead the way, Fellow Daoist Hui," Han Li replied with an indifferent nod.

The black-robed man seemed to be completely unfazed by Han Li's rather aloof demeanor, and the two of them strode into the hall one after the other.

The entire hall was almost completely empty, devoid of even the guards that were normally stationed here. It was quite clear that they had been asked to vacate the hall in advance.

Han Li was led by the black-robed man into a rather secretive side hall connected to the main hall, and there were already three people seated around a massive stone table waiting for him there.

As soon as Han Li made his way into the room, everyone turned toward him in unison, and upon catching sight of these people, Han Li's pupils immediately contracted slightly.

The trio consisted of the Long Family patriarch, as well as the woman in the five-colored dress from the Ye Family and the mid-Body Integration cultivator from the Lin Family.

Thus, there were five cultivators who possessed powers at or above the mid-Body Integration Stage gathered here at once, and that was quite a formidable lineup.

The woman from the Ye Family turned toward Han Li with a wide smile, while the man from the Lin Family merely took an indifferent glance at him before looking away, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

A rare smile appeared on the Long Family patriarch's face at the sight of Han Li's arrival, and he said, "Please take a seat, Fellow Daoist Han."

Han Li gave a faint smile in response before making his way over to the table in an unhurried manner, then sitting down in one of the empty chairs.

As for Elder Hui, he sat down directly beside the Long Family patriarch.

"Old Man Long, why have you gathered all of us at once? I don't have much time to waste here!" the man from the Lin Family said in an impatient manner.

"Hehe, let's not rush things, Fellow Daoist Lin; I'll introduce one more person to everyone, and after that, I'll elaborate on everything," the Long Family patriarch chuckled in a nonchalant manner.

"Oh? There's someone else who's yet to join us? How many people did you invite, Brother Long? Don't tell me the Feng brothers were invited as well," the woman from the Ye Family said with a smile.

"The Feng brothers combined possess powers that aren't inferior to those of a mid-Body Integration cultivator, but their combination techniques have too many limitations. On top of that, it would be best to keep our numbers to a minimum for what we're going to do, so I didn't invite them. As for the person I'm going to introduce to all of you, she's already arrived in advance. Please come out to meet everyone, Fellow Daoist Thousand Autumns." The Long Family patriarch shook his head in response before turning toward a seemingly empty corner of the hall.

Everyone was quite alarmed to see this, and they hurriedly turned toward that corner as well.

All of a sudden, an extremely feeble aura emerged from that corner of the hall, followed by a flash of yellow light, and a yellow copper mirror appeared out of thin air.

The mirror then blurred and warped slightly before transforming into a yellow-robed young woman.

Han Li's pupils immediately contracted slightly at the sight of this woman.

The man from the Lin Family immediately rose to his feet with a wary look on his face. "That's the holy maiden from the Spirit Race! What's the meaning of this, Fellow Daoist Long?"

Indeed, this yellow-robed woman was none other than Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns, who had appeared once during the Myriad Treasure Convention.

It was quite clear that this grand elder of the Lin Family had also attended that convention, so he was able to immediately identify her.

"No need to be alarmed, fellow Daoists; Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns' presence is imperative for what I want to discuss with all of you today. Without her inclusion, there's no way our plan can be set into motion," the Long Family patriarch said in a calm manner.

However, no one seemed to be convinced by his reassuring words. Not only had a wary look appeared on Han Li's face, the smile had also been wiped from the face of the woman from the Ye Family. The man from the Lin Family harrumphed coldly and was appraising Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns in a hostile manner, while Elder Hui displayed no reaction at all, clearly having already been filled in on the matter in advance.

Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns extended a graceful curtsey, and said, "There's no need to be so cautious toward me, fellow Daoists. I may be a member of the Artifact Spirit Race, but if we were to trace back my origins, I was once a treasure owned by Daoist Master Can Tian of your human race. Only many years after he passed away did I manage to attain intelligence by chance, thereby allowing me to become a member of the Artifact Spirit Race."

The woman from the Ye Family exclaimed, "Daoist Master Can Tian? Could you be referring to the ancient Grand Ascension Stage senior who founded Deep Heaven City?"

"Indeed. Otherwise, the Artifact Spirit Race wouldn't have sent me here as an alliance envoy," Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns replied with a smile.

"Since when was there an alliance between our two races? Why have I not heard anything about this?" the man from the Lin Family asked in a bewildered manner.

"This alliance was agreed upon by some beings on your race's holy island, as well as the sovereigns and several Grand Ascension cultivators. Due to some reasons, the alliance will only be officially announced around a year from now. When that time comes, you'll be able to verify the authenticity of my claims," Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns explained with a smile.

"Seeing as you appeared during the Myriad Treasure Convention, it's only a matter of time before we forged an alliance with the Spirit Race anyway. However, isn't it rather inappropriate for you to take her into Myriad Spirit Valley like this, Brother Long? This is a sacred place for our true spirit families!" The woman from the Ye Family clearly still wasn't very pleased.

The Long Family patriarch seemed to have already anticipated this to be a point of contention, and he calmly replied, "Rest assured, Fairy Ye, Fellow Daoist Thousand Autumns only entered the valley following the conclusion of our ceremony, and she'll immediately depart following our discussion tonight, so there won't be any issues."

The woman from the Ye Family was silent for a moment before heaving a faint sigh. "In that case, I'll trust your judgment, Brother Long. Please elaborate on why you gathered all of us here."

The man from the Lin Family also sat back down as his expression eased slightly.

The Long Family patriarch nodded upon seeing this, but what he said next almost had the Lin Family grand elder jumping out of his seat again.

"It's quite a simple matter, really; I invited all of you here as I wanted you to accompany me into the Elder Devil Realm when our two realms fuse as one during the devilish tribulation."

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"You want to enter the Elder Devil Realm? Have you gone senile, Old Man Long? If you want to die, go on your own! Don't try to take us with you!" the Lin Family grand elder exclaimed in an enraged manner.

In contrast, a thought seemed to have occurred to the Ye Family grand elder upon hearing this, and a contemplative look appeared on her face.

As for Han Li, he was also rather bewildered by this outrageous suggestion.

"At ease, now, Brother Lin; I'm not suggesting a suicide mission. I'm at least 70% to 80% confident that we'll be able to survive a venture into the Elder Devil Realm, and I certainly have no intention of dying anytime soon," the Long Family patriarch replied in a calm manner.

"Hmph, even so, the Sacred Ancestors of the Elder Devil Realm are extremely fearsome beings. If we encounter one of them, there's no way we could get away alive, and that isn't even taking into account the countless high-grade devilish beings in that realm. Perhaps we can combat them using the power of formations in the Spirit Realm, but if we enter their territory, we'll be feeding ourselves to the wolves!" the Lin Family grand elder condemned.

"What if I were to tell you that I have a way to convert our auras to be temporarily identical to those of ordinary elder devils, and the disguise is so convincing that even Body Integration Stage elder devils won't be able to see through it? What do you think now, Brother Lin?" the Long Family patriarch asked as he narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Are you being serious, Brother Long? The high-grade elder devils of the Elder Devil Realm are adept in all types of unfathomable abilities; how could we possibly be able to fool them?" the woman from the Ye Family asked with furrowed brows.

The Long Family patriarch merely chuckled in response before turning to Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns. "Fellow Daoist Thousand Autumns, please demonstrate."

"Of course," the yellow-robed woman replied with an elegant smile, then flipped a hand over to reveal a thumb-sized black bead that she placed into her mouth and swallowed.

In the next instant, she made a hand seal, and a layer of black mist appeared over her body, completely inundating her in an instant.

The black mist then surged like living tendrils, and Han Li's pupils contracted at the sight of it as he murmured to himself in a barely audible voice, "That's true devilish Qi!"[1]

Even though he was speaking in such a faint voice, all of the people in the hall were Body Integration cultivators, so they naturally managed to overhear him.

The man from the Lin Family and the woman from the Ye Family exchanged a glance, and their expressions both changed ever so slightly.

In contrast, the Long Family patriarch turned to Han Li with a meaningful gaze, and remarked, "You must be using some kind of powerful Devil Dao cultivation art for you to be able to identify this true devilish Qi so quickly, Fellow Daoist Han. Come to think of it, the golden body that you displayed earlier in the day is rather similar to some elder devil avatars of the Elder Devil Realm, so that does make some sense."

"You truly possess a sharp discerning eye, Brother Long," Han Li replied with an ambiguous smile.

Right at this moment, Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns let loose a delicate cry, and the true devilish Qi converged toward her in a frenzy. Within mere moments, all of it had been converted into black liquid that was absorbed into her body, and once the mist dissipated, she was revealed once again.

However, there was something different about her. In terms of physical appearance, there was no difference whatsoever, and judging from that alone, one could easily be forgiven for thinking that whatever she had just done had completely failed.

However, right before everyone's bewildered eyes, her aura suddenly transformed and a burst of astonishing devilish Qi suddenly erupted from her body. Several inky-black devilish patterns appeared over her fair and delicate cheeks, and a black bead emerged on her glabella.

Even though half of the bead was embedded into her glabella, it was quite clear that this was the very same bead that she had swallowed.

Han Li's expression changed slightly, and he immediately directed his spiritual sense toward the woman, following which a surprised look appeared on his face.

He discovered that the magic power flowing within her body had become extremely pure true devilish Qi, and the aura that she was giving off was completely identical to that of the elder devils he had encountered back in the human world.

Not only was Han Li quite stunned by this, the grand elders of the Lin Family and the Ye Family were also very alarmed.

After a brief silence, the woman from the Ye Family said in a cautious manner, "That is indeed very convincing, but we're not devilish beings, after all, so perhaps we're unable to see through this disguise, but the elder devils may be able to."

"Rest assured, Fairy Ye, this Devilfeign Bead of mine was refined from the devilish core of a deceased elder devil. After the true devilish Qi within it is expelled using a secret technique, there's no way that the average high-grade elder devil can see through it. In order to test the efficacy of this bead, I mingled myself with several elder devils that our Spirit Race captured during the last devilish tribulation, and I was held captive with them for several months. During that time, none of them managed to see through my disguise. While it is indeed true that we still have to be wary of the Sacred Ancestors and some other devilish beings who possess certain special abilities, the chances of encountering such beings are almost negligible. After all, according to the legends, the Elder Devil Realm is no smaller than our Spirit Realm," the yellow-robed woman said in a serious manner.

Contemplative looks appeared on everyone's faces upon hearing this.

After some contemplation, the woman from the Ye Family sighed, "Alright, even if we were to accept that this is a plausible course of action, venturing into the Elder Devil Realm is still an extremely perilous endeavor; you have to tell us exactly what we're searching for. If an opportunity to progress to the Grand Ascension Stage really does exist in that realm, then I'm willing to take a risk even if there's only a sliver of an opportunity awaiting us."

The grand elder of the Lin Family faltered slightly upon hearing this before awaiting a response with a surly look on his face.

"Do you think I would propose taking such a massive risk without a suitable corresponding reward? Have you heard of the Spirit Cleansing Pond and the Clean Spirit Lotus?" the Long Family Patriarch chuckled coldly.

"Spirit Cleansing Pond? Clean Spirit Lotus?"

Both Han Li and the man from the Lin Family were rather perplexed by these two names. In contrast, a flash of recognition flashed through the eyes of the woman from the Ye Family.

"Hehe, looks like you've heard of it, Fairy Ye. That's no surprise, considering you were once an in-name disciple of Senior Mo," Elder Hui chuckled.

"What are you trying to say, Brother Hui? Are you expressing displeasure toward Master Mo?" the woman from the Ye Family asked in a cold voice.

"Hehe, I wouldn't dare to be so insolent. I'm just saying that Senior Mo has presumably ventured deep into the Elder Devil Realm on more than one occasion, so it wouldn't be a surprise if he knew of the Spirit Cleansing Pond and Clean Spirit Lotus in that realm," Elder Hui replied.

"I know of the two items you're referring to, but that has nothing to do with my master. Instead, one of the forefathers of our Ye Family slew a high-grade elder devil during a previous devilish tribulation, and learned this information by searching that elder devil's soul. However, the information is very rough and unspecific. All I know is that those two items aren't very useful at all to devilish beings, but they can have incredible effects on the beings of our Spirit Realm," the woman from the Ye Family explained in a cold manner.

"I see. Looks like I misread the situation," Elder Hui chuckled, and it was impossible to tell whether he truly believed this alibi.

A contemplative look appeared on the Long Family patriarch's face upon hearing this exchange, and Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns smiled as she said, "You may not have heard of the Spirit Cleansing Pond and Clean Spirit Lotus, but I'm sure you've heard of the Immortal Transformation Pond and Enlightenment Attainment Lotus, right?"

The man from the Lin Family immediately shook his head in disbelief as he exclaimed, "What? Are you saying that they're the same thing? That's impossible! The Immortal Transformation Pond is something that only exists in the True Immortal Realm, and it's said that only newly-ascended cultivators will be granted the opportunity to enter the pond and attain an immortal body. As for that Enlightenment Attainment Lotus, it's a spirit item that only exists alongside the Immortal Transformation Pond, and can drastically improve one's spiritual root and intelligence. It's said that even a severely mentally disabled person could attain extraordinary intelligence upon consuming this flower."

Han Li was naturally quite stunned to hear the names of these two legendary items as well, and he stared intently at Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns, trying to identify whether she was telling the truth.

As for the woman from the Ye Family, she remained completely silent with a dark expression on her face.

"The Immortal Transformation Pond and Enlightenment Attainment Lotus are extremely rare even in the True Immortal Realm. It would take tens of millions of years for them to take shape, so they're naturally not the same as the Spirit Cleansing Pond and Clean Spirit Lotus. However, even though the effects of the latter pair of items are far inferior, they're still more than enough to drastically enhance us in all areas. The connection between them is that the Spirit Cleansing Pond and Clean Spirit Lotus are the pre-evolved forms of the Immortal Transformation Pond and Enlightenment Attainment Lotus," Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns said with a mysterious smile as she tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ear.

"I see. In that case, why do such precious spirit items exist in the Elder Devil Realm that's rife with devilish Qi, rather than here in our Spirit Realm? Also, how do you know if they actually exist in the Elder Devil Realm?" Han Li asked in a serious voice.

After a brief hesitation, Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns replied, "This information was revealed to us by the last Spirit Monarch of our Spirit Race. He had once ventured deep into the Elder Devil Realm as well, and had witnessed those two spirit items for himself. Unfortunately, he was discovered and wounded before he could enter the spirit pond, and was forced to return to the Spirit Realm. Hence, the information comes from a credible source. As for why such extraordinary spirit items are growing in the Elder Devil Realm, that's something known only by the heavens. However, I think that those two spirit items took shape there precisely because the Elder Devil Realm is so rife with devilish Qi. I think that all of the spiritual Qi within that realm has been forced to a single place, thereby giving rise to these two items. In contrast, our Spirit Realm is indeed more abundant with spiritual Qi overall, but it's not condensed enough in any place to allow such spirit items to take shape."

[1] IGT: Note: true devilish Qi = perfect devil qi (the higher grade devil qi that was used in earlier arcs to corrupt the lower realm. Made multiple appearances, one of which was in chapter 1060)

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After a brief moment of contemplation, Han Li turned to the Long Family patriarch, and said, "I see, so it must've been you who revealed this information to Fellow Daoist Long. However, I'm sure there has to be other reasons why Brother Long is willing to believe this information so firmly, right?"

The grand elders of the Ye Family and the Lin Family also turned to the Long Family patriarch to await his response.

"I naturally have my own methods to verify the authenticity of this information, but I can't disclose the method I used. Thankfully, Fairy Ye's words from earlier provide further confirmation that those two spirit items do indeed exist somewhere in the Elder Devil Realm. In that case, it's up to us to decide whether we dare to take this risk to pursue this extraordinary reward. Truth be told, Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns, Brother Hui, and I have already decided to go on this venture no matter what, and we'll also be joined by several Holy Spirit level beings from the Spirit Race. The three sovereigns definitely wouldn't participate in something like this, so I decided to invite the three of you instead. Hehe, I actually initially only planned on inviting Fairy Ye and Brother Lin, but you turned out to be an unexpected surprise, Fellow Daoist Han. Now then, are the three of you willing to venture into the Elder Devil Realm with us?" the Long Family patriarch asked with a hint of finality in his voice.

Han Li and the others exchanged a few glances upon hearing this, and none of them immediately gave a reply.

After a long while, the woman from the Ye Family said, "When are you planning to travel to the Elder Devil Realm, Brother Long? According to what I've heard, this devilish tribulation is going to be far more perilous than the previous ones, and even our entire human race could be wiped out if we're not careful. If we pick the wrong time to leave, there's a very good chance that we could perish."

"I've naturally already considered all of this. After taking all these factors into account, I've decided to enter the Elder Devil Realm several decades after the commencement of the devilish tribulation. At that point, the human race would've most likely already weathered the most fierce part of the storm, and a stalemate would therefore ensue. If we enter the Elder Devil Realm under those circumstances, we should be quite safe. Fellow Daoist Han is a vagrant cultivator, so he doesn't have to worry about anything. As for the Ye Family and the Lin Family, I'm sure you two aren't the only Body Integration cultivators from your respective families, right?" the Long Family patriarch asked in a calm manner.

"Hmph, you sure seem to have a lot of information on our two families! If our Lin Family doesn't encounter any major peril during the devilish tribulation, then I'll accompany you on this journey," the man from the Lin Family said.

It was quite clear that despite his outward display of reluctance, the Spirit Cleansing Pond and Clean Spirit Lotus were simply too tempting for him to ignore.

"Seeing as we have a method to disguise our auras, we'll naturally have a much greater chance of survival. However, no matter how seamless a disguise is, it'll most likely be exposed eventually. Roughly how long will our journey require? If the journey is going to take too long, the chances of death will be quite high, and I'll need some time to consider the matter before I make my decision. Of course, if it won't take very long, then I naturally won't give up on this fantastic opportunity," the woman from the Ye Family said.

"That's a difficult question to answer. According to my knowledge, the Spirit Cleansing Pond and Clean Spirit Lotus are situated at the center of the Elder Devil Realm, so even if everything goes smoothly, the duration of the trip would be over 10 years. If we encounter some unforeseen trouble along the way, then it's quite possible that our journey would be several times longer than that. Furthermore, we won't be setting off as soon as the devilish tribulation commences, so we won't actually have a lot of time," Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns replied.

The woman from the Ye Family contemplated this matter for a long while before giving her response. "So it could take several decades? That's quite a long time. I'm going to have to think about this and give you a response later."

The Long Family patriarch wasn't surprised to hear this, and he nodded in a meaningful manner. "Of course, this is indeed a matter that'll require careful consideration. However, your Heavenly Phoenix bloodline grants you some powerful spatial abilities, so you would be a great asset to us if you were to come on this journey. If you choose to remain behind, it would be quite a pity."

The woman from the Ye Family also nodded in response before falling silent. Thus, everyone turned their attention to Han Li, who was the only one yet to provide an answer.

After a brief pause for contemplation, a wry smile appeared on Han Li's face, and he said something that came as quite a surprise to everyone. "I'm just a vagrant cultivator with no inhibitions, so I naturally won't hesitate to pursue an opportunity like this. However, I have some other important things to do in the next few centuries, all of which are rather time-consuming, so I may not be able to make it."

In contrast with the woman from the Ye Family, Han Li's participation didn't seem to matter much to the Long Family patriarch, and he replied in an indifferent manner, "I see, in that case, I wish you luck in your other engagements. If you have the time, then you would be more than welcome to come with us. Otherwise, I won't force you to do anything against your will. However, I must warn all of you to keep this a secret, regardless of whether you intend to go or not. We are the only ones who are aware of this information at this point. If I hear any rumors about this circulating in the outside world, then don't blame me for turning on you. I'm not concerned that other people would compete with us; I'm merely worried that if the Elder Devil Race were to learn of our plan, our trip to the Elder Devil Realm would become a lot more arduous."

Han Li merely gave a nonchalant smile in response, but the woman from the Ye Family was rather displeased by this insinuation. "What do you take us for, Brother Long? Why would we do something that would benefit others at our own expense?"

"I was only raising a hypothetical situation. If I didn't believe that you would keep this a secret, I wouldn't have revealed this information to you. Now then, everything has been said and done; it'll be up to you to decide whether you want to take this risk. However, you have to give me an answer prior to the commencement of the devilish tribulation. If any of you decide against joining us, I have to search for other companions," the Long Family patriarch said in a serious manner.

"Of course," the woman from the Ye Family replied with a nod, and Han Li also nodded with a contemplative look on his face.

Seeing as the discussion had concluded, Han Li and the others departed after making some small talk. They were accompanied out of the Myriad Spirit Hall by Elder Hui, leaving only the Long Family patriarch and Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns in the hall.

The smile on the yellow-robed woman's face immediately vanished, and she seemed to be pondering something. The Long Family patriarch was also staring off into space with a contemplative look on his face, and silence ensued.

After a while, Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns suddenly said, "I still don't understand why you insist on convincing someone from the Ye Family to join us. Do you really think her spatial abilities will be that important to us? I've already invited another good friend from the Spirit Race who possesses spatial abilities that definitely won't be inferior to hers; are you unwilling to trust me, Brother Long?"

"Of course not. You and I have been acquaintances for a long time, so I certainly wouldn't doubt you. However, the Elder Devil Realm is an extremely perilous place, so it would naturally be best for us to have two fellow Daoists with spatial abilities. On top of that, the Ye Family has many secret techniques and abilities that aren't inferior to those of our Long Family, so she would definitely be a valuable ally to us," the Long Family patriarch replied in a calm manner.

Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns was silent for a moment before continuing, "Alright, but is there really a need to recruit that Fellow Daoist Han? No matter how powerful he is, he's still only an early-Body Integration cultivator. If you want more numbers, I can return to the Spirit Race and recruit another mid-Body Integration Stage fellow Daoist."

"Hehe, we agreed that the same number of human and Spirit beings will be entering the Elder Devil Realm for this journey; you're not going back on your word, are you? Also, I'm afraid you're wrong about that Han brat. He may have only recently reached the early-Body Integration Stage, but I faced him in that sparring match, and I can assure you that his powers are definitely superior to those of Elder Hui. Even late-Body Integration cultivators like you and I would most likely find it quite difficult to defeat him. On top of that, the golden body that he's cultivated most likely stems from some top-grade cultivation art from the Elder Devil Race, so he should be able to control true devilish Qi. Perhaps that ability will come in useful in an unexpected way during our journey. Of course, he's not entirely indispensable. If he doesn't want to join us, then I'll just have to find another powerful vagrant cultivator," the Long Family patriarch replied in a confident manner.

Seeing as the Long Family patriarch had already established his plans, Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns didn't press the issue any further. "I'm the holy maiden of the Artifact Spirit Race, so I obviously won't go back on my word. Seeing as you've already made up your mind, I won't speak any further about this. I'll be leaving this devilish bead with you. You've already learned the method to use it, and I've signed the agreement with your human race on behalf of our Spirit Race, so I won't stay here any longer. I'll be setting off to return to the Spirit Race tomorrow; I'll have to ask you to oversee the collaboration between your Long Family and our Artifact Spirit Race."

"Rest assured, our collaboration is a mutually beneficial one, so I'll definitely be paying my due diligence. Looks like the next time you and I meet will be after the commencement of the devilish tribulation," the Long Family elder replied with a nod.

After that, they exchanged some more pleasantries before Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns also departed.

Meanwhile, Han Li had already returned to his living quarters and was lying on a large bed in his pavilion, contemplating something in silence.

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