Grand Immortal Xu wore an unsightly expression in response.
Han Li then turned his sights on the unconscious Lin Yinping and frowned. After some hesitation, he shook his head and placed a mine on her too.
Still unable to find the mine, Grand Immortal Xu resentfully said, “Since you placed us underneath this restriction instead of killing us, do you plan on coercing us?”
“Coerce you?” Han Li said indifferently, “Don’t worry, so long as you obedient follow me here and lend me your aid, we’ll go our separate ways when we leave. You’ll still be members of the Endless Sky Temple, and I’ll return to secluded cultivation in the Heavenly South. As for the mines, they should disappear in just a few hundred years.”
“‘Just’ a few hundred years!” Grand Immortal Xu was at a loss for words.
“We’ve wasted enough time. Let’s move.” Han Li glanced at the unconscious Lin Yinping and waved his sleeve, covering her in an azure mist.
Her eyes soon began to stir and she slowly roused. When she saw Han Li at her side, she blurred away without another thought, moving over thirty meters away. She then spat out a silver flying sword in her vigilance.
“Fellow Daoist Lin, please don’t act rashly!” Grand Immortal Xu shouted out. He then began to quickly send her voice transmissions.
Han Li calmly observed with his hands behind his back.
Gui Ling returned to his side and the human-like puppet once again disappeared from sight.
In the blink of an eye, the Endless Sky Saintess Lin Yinping came to realize what had happened to her and her complexion instantly paled, her eyes unable to conceal her terror.
Han Li thought to say something, but then a huge explosion sounded out, shaking the entire space that contained them. A huge swordstreak pierced through the walls of the sealed space that had previously trapped them, creating a large hole three meters wide. Two streaks then shot through, circling once in the air before dropping down near Han Li and the others, revealing a man in Daoist robes and one in a scholar’s.
“Daoist Sevenwonders!” Lin Yinping saw a black-robed scholar amongst them and wore a trace of joy.
The black-robed scholar had a hook nose and a harsh appearance. With a tone of surprise, he asked, “Yi! How did Fairy Lin end up here?”
This person was the Heavenly Devil Sect’s Sevenwonders. Because the sect had some trade agreements with the Endless Sky Temple, Lin Yinping had friendly relations with the old devil, which led to him allowing her to borrow the Clear Sound Mirror at the Jin Capital — a treasure that could see through illusions.
The white-haired red-faced Daoist at his side was the High Zenith Sect’s Master Sable. When he saw the woman, he called out to her with a beaming smile, but when he saw the others, he wore an astonished expression.
The old Daoist’s smile faded and he bewilderedly asked, “Fairy Lin, who are these two Fellow Daoists? Fellow Daoist Xu’s peacock is here, but I don’t see him.”
Chapter 1056: Spatial Destruction
When she heard Master Sable’s question, Lin Yinping glanced between the Keen Spirit Peacock and Han Li with a hesitant expression.
Just then, white light flashed above the head of the peacock and Grand Immortal Xu’s face appeared in the air. As Daoist Sevenwonders and Master Sable looked on with amazement, he wryly smiled, “There is no need to look for me. Since my body has been destroyed, my Nascent Soul is currently residing in my bird.”
Alarmed, Master Sable’s complexion paled. “How can that be?! You were a late-stage cultivator! Could it be the Ancient Devil Ancestor has already escaped!?”
Grand Immortal Xu’s expression sank. “...It seems you already knew about that devil.”
Master Sable chuckled and reassured him, “Fellow Daoist Xu, don’t misunderstand. I only recently learned of this when my master sent information about what laid here. This matter was so important that I was hoping that you could give us some more insight.”
Grand Immortal Xu felt doubtful of his words, but since he was reduced to a Nascent Soul, he couldn’t question him. Instead, he sighed and said, “The devil ancestor indeed escaped its prison, but my body was not destroyed by the devil. Rather, we were ambushed by the Myriad Demon Valley’s Ancient Corpse Xiong.”
Master Sable blinked and said, “Myriad Demon Valley? That’s impossible. I’ve been guarding the entrance to the mountain this whole time. How could Old Corpse Xiong slip past me? Could it be he entered before us?”
“That’s right. Not only did he enter before us, but he also used some sort of technique to mask the corpse Qi from his body and disguised himself as a human cultivator.” He felt great heartache, having suffered so much to the power of the blood blade.
Daoist Sevenwonders frowned, “Then the result isn’t surprising considering that Corpse Xiong ambushed you. It sounds like he used the strange treasure that the Myriad Demon Valley has called the Form Enchantment Pearl. It is said once the pearl is consumed, one can not only change their appearance at will, but also conceal demonic, corpse, or any other odd aura. Common cultivators wouldn’t be able to see through it. I doubt that even my Clear Sound Mirror wouldn’t be able to break their concealment.”
Something sparked in Master Sable’s mind and he said, “Now that you mention it, I heard that after one swallows the pearl, their magic power is greatly reduced for the pearl’s effects to work. When Corpse Xiong ambushed you, his true appearance must’ve been revealed.”
“Fellow Daoists, you are correct. Corpse Xiong did appear in his true form when he ambushed me.” Immortal Xu wore a resentful expression.
Sevenwonders, the middle-aged scholar, examined the Keen Spirit Peacock and smiled, saying, “It’s still fortunate that your Nascent Soul was able to escape Corpse Xiong’s attacks. Furthermore, you haven’t fully possessed another body yet. So long as you find a suitable replacement, you’ll be able to restore your cultivation with only a hundred years of seclusion.”
Immortal Xu sighed, “Brother Sevenwonders is quite wise. Although I’ve temporarily attached myself to the Keen Spirit Peacock, it will be better for me to find a suitable body as soon as I can.”
Sevenwonders said nothing more and turned his gaze to Gui Ling with an odd expression.
“This... Fellow Daoist is quite unfamiliar to me. Could you tell me your name?” Sevenwonders asked. At his side, Master Sable also began to closely examine the horned woman.
After all, Gui Ling wasn’t capable of concealing her identity as a grade ten demon beast in the face of these two similarly ranked grand cultivators.
Gui Ling remained expressionless, but Han Li smiled and said, “This Fellow Daoist is Gui Ling, and I am Han Li. We were delivered to this mountain after we had mistakenly activated a teleportation formation.”
Master Sable appeared quite surprised that Han Li was speaking on the horned woman’s behalf and began to look at him with greater importance. He smiled and replied, “That is quite unusual. Could you tell me what sect you came from, Fellow Daoist Han? I don’t believe we’ve met.”
Although this was Han Li’s first meeting with Master Sable, he could faintly guess that he was an elder of one of the ten great sects. As such, he politely replied, “I am only a vagrant cultivator. It is only natural that you wouldn’t know of me. But since you are here together with the Heavenly Devil Sect’s Daoist Sevenwonders, this matter must be of grave importance. If I may boldly ask, how did you enter the pagoda’s eighth floor? The teleportation formation wasn’t activating for some reason.”
Master Sable casually answered, “I’ve been quite careless and have forgotten to introduce myself! I am the High Zenith Sect’s Master Sable. As for how we entered, we didn’t need to use any teleportation formation. Rather, we used the High Zenith Sect’s Worldbreaker Talisman, and forcefully entered by breaking through the walls of the eighth floor.”
Han Li doubtfully said, “The Worldbreaker Talisman? Would it be possible for that to break through?”
“It wo
uldn’t be with the talisman itself, but it was paired together with a specific secret technique and the Heavenbound Sword. But I didn’t think that we’d be trapped in a sealed space right after we entered.” With that said, Master Sable glanced around him and clicked his tongue.
Lin Yinping sighed in admiration, “I’ve long heard of the grand reputation of both the High Zenith Sect’s Worldbreaker Talisman and the Heavenbound Sword. What we managed with great difficulty was easily accomplished by the two of you. It is no wonder why your sects are among the greatest of the Righteous and Devilish Dao in the Great Jin.”
Master Sable twirled his beard and politely answered, “Fairy Lin praises us too highly. The powers of your temple’s treasures are by no means small. It just so happens that we had more suitable methods to tear through space.”
She couldn't help but wryly smile in the face of his modest remarks.
The Endless Sky Temple had about the same number of high-grade cultivators as the two of them, but they couldn't possibly compare in terms of treasures. The two sects had legacies that stretched back to ancient times.
Sevenwonders then glanced around him and puzzlingly asked, “Where is that Old Devil Qian? Master Sable mentioned that he entered this mountain earlier.”
When Immortal Xu and Lin Yinping heard this, they couldn't help but glance at Han Li.
Lady Mu had previously mentioned that Old Devil Qian and Han Li had fought once before. They originally hadn’t believed that Han Li would be capable of slaying the old devil, but after witnessing his current abilities, they couldn't help but be suspicious.
When Master Sable and Daoist Sevenwonders saw the two’s strange actions, they exchanged a glance of surprise and focused their attention on Han Li.
Han Li inwardly sighed, but maintained a calm exterior and said, “Fellow Daoist Qian and I parted after we left Kunwu Hall. He is probably searching for treasure elsewhere. I also don’t know where the other Ying Sifting Sect Elders are.”
Immortal Xu sternly said, “Fellow Daoist Han doesn’t need to ponder much about Fellow Daoist Ge and the others. On the way, they were ambushed by the Ye Clan Grand Elder and have already perished. Their Nascent Souls are no more.”
“So it was like that!” Han Li said with realization.
Having realized something, Master Sable gave Han Li a strange glance and said, “Kunwu Mountain is truly perilous for so many to have perished here.”
Sevenwonders glanced at the ruins of the palace in the distance the solemnly said, “It is good that the Yin Sifting Sect Elders are gone. It has saved us some trouble. Fellow Daoists, please tell us about the Ancient Devil Ancestor.”
“Yes, let us hear it! I won’t hide this from you. We came here for the matter of the ancient devil ancestor. Since this matter concerns the stability of the entire cultivation world, I hope you will join us.” Master Sable gave Han Li and company a beaming smile.
Immortal Xu and Lin Yinping didn’t immediately reply, and wore odd expressions as they remained silent. Now that they were placed underneath restrictions, they didn’t dare to speak carelessly without knowing what Han Li planned.
From the very start, Gui Ling hadn’t spoken.
Han Li continued to appear calm and collected, and he glanced at the two grand cultivators with a towering gaze.
Master Sable and Daoist Sevenwonders glanced at one another with a trace of astonishment. It was clear that Immortal Xu and Lin Yinping held Han Li in fear.
“Since you wish to know about the devil ancestor, I will explain,” Han Li indifferently stated.
“Good, in that case-” As Master Sable started with a smile, a world-shaking explosion erupted from the direction of the palace, followed by the eruption of a dozen pillars of white light.
The entire space around them wildly shook and a loud and shrill cry sounded out. The ground slowly split, emitting white light into the air and distorting space itself.
“Not good! The devil ancestor has begun dissolving the seal on the ninth floor! To think that she could have recovered enough in such a short time!” Daoist Sevenwonders shouted out in terror.
‘The seal on the ninth floor?’ When Han Li heard this, he saw the space surrounding them begin to collapse. Without another thought, his body flashed with light and released the Tailstar Shield, covering him in a silver barrier.
Before he could perform anything else, the pillars of light suddenly faded and turned pitch black. Afterwards, they surged in size and curved off in every direction, rending apart space wherever it brushed past, producing clashing white and black light.
“Spatial tears!”
Han Li could no longer maintain a calm appearance.
Without another thought, he summoned a fire-red talisman into his hand and slapped it onto his body, summoning forth a crimson flood dragon which soon disappeared.
In the blink of an eye, Han Li turned into half-flood dragon, half-human form.
Lin Yinping shouted out as a black crevice suddenly appeared in the air before them.
When Han Li looked at this black streak, he sensed an insatiable abyss; an inexhaustible darkness that released none who entered.
Chapter 1057: The Ninth Floor
Having experienced what it’s like to experienced what it’s like to be devoured by a spatial tear, Han Li was greatly fearful of them, but still managed to collect himself. With the power of the Spirit Subjugation Talisman, his magic power was forced to the peak of mid-Nascent Soul stage, and his Tailstar Essence Shield became blindingly bright as he poured in his newfound power.
He apprehensively thought, ‘Against a tear this large, so long as I don’t skirt past its edge, I should come out of this relatively safe.’
As the spatial tear enveloped him, he felt darkness embrace him and he suddenly grew dizzy. Then, light shined around him and he found himself in a new space.
Fortunately, Han Li had experience with this and instantly cleared his mind, hastily looking around him in a state of caution.
“The ninth floor!” he gasped.
He was clearly in an isolated space of mostly empty area a couple kilometers long. It was surrounded by a ravenous yellow mist that repeatedly lit and dimmed. It was unknown how broad it stretched.
Underneath him stood a huge altar that was hundreds of meters tall, but was rather narrow and had steps down on every side. It was made from an ethereal jade of impeccable majesty.
Surrounding the altar was a circle of huge stone pillars that formed a giant spell formation. They blazed with radiance as if showing the formation was active. At the very top of the altar, lay a giant two-headed wolf along with several silhouettes. There was an ongoing battle of great intensity as the wolf’s black head blew out an endless stream of inky black Qi.
These silhouettes must have been the cultivators and demons from the eighth floor.
Long Meng, still in possession of Hua Tianqi’s body, was fluttering her hands in the air, producing two giant white hands to smash down on the black Qi repeatedly.
The Ye Clan Grand Elder, Corpse Xiong, the Silver-winged Nightfiend, and the others were standing farther away, trying to avoid being drawn into the exchange. Only the large-headed eccentric was missing among them.
But what astonished Han Li the most was that the younger elder from the Immortal Form Sect stood at the wolf’s side.
At that moment, her eyes were lifeless and black Qi engorged her face. She was controlling a sparkling silver textile shuttle and was fighting a furious Lady Mu.
The others were also using various techniques to attack the huge wolf with all the power they could muster. Additionally, the surrounding yellow winds rolled on the surface of the huge wolf where a black flood dragon was concealed. It spat out black torrents, blocking a huge silver lotus and eight demon beast mirages.
The silver lotus was motionlessly floating in the air and shining brightly, producing an unending stream of ancient palm-sized talisman characters across its surface. When the torrents made contact with
it, a fierce explosion would form and the black wind was scattered.
It was the Black Wind Flag and the Eight Spirit Ruler!
Han Li was astonished by the appearance of the two Immortal Form Sect Elders.
Previously, Gui Ling reported that they had placed some sort of spell formation underground and were scheming. Had they not been rushing towards the black teleportation formation, he would’ve stealthily observed them. In any case, it appeared that one of the women had succumbed to the influence of the Elder Devil.
But what astonished Han Li in particular was how the huge wolf still held the advantage despite having so many highly cultivated opponents. Her attackers were even being pushed back.
The black Qi that the huge wolf released was as dense as oil. Apart from Corpse Xiong’s crimson blade wildly slashing at it, the others were keeping themselves and their treasures a fair distance away, not daring to touch it. They could only launch various ranged attacks to strike at any of the approaching black Qi pythons.
If it weren’t for Long Meng and Corpse Xiong receiving most of the attacks from the huge wolf or the lotus-form of the Eight Spirit Ruler occupying the huge wolf’s attention, everyone else would’ve been wiped out.
The Silver-winged Nightfiend’s Ghost Fiend Threads and the Lion Hawk’s golden shockwaves didn’t seem to have any effect on the black devilish Qi as well.
After all this examination, Han Li noticed something rather strange about the battle.
The two-headed wolf wouldn’t leave the altar and continued to fight as if it were guarding the top of it.
Then, he heard a furious voice shout out from a distance.
“Not good! How did the Elder Devil gain the magic tool to open the seal?”
Han Li turned and looked in the direction of the shocked voice. It belonged to Master Sable who stood a sixty meter distance. Daoist Sevenwonders was at his size with an equally gloomy air.
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