What was even more peculiar was that there were many islands of different sizes sitting on top of this vast body of water, which Han Li was unable to determine whether it was a sea or a lake.
Han Li's trio traveled deeper into the area for a day and a night, yet they were still seemingly nowhere near reaching the conclusion.
"Let's hide here for now. This body of water is most likely not inferior in size to an ocean. Even if those demon monarchs track us down to this place, there's no way that they'll be able to find us in a short time. On top of that, I can sense that there seem to be a lot of fearsome beings lurking deeper within the water. With those things there, the demon monarchs wouldn't dare to search through the area recklessly with their spiritual sense, so they can act as a smokescreen of sorts for us," Han Li said in a slow voice as he surveyed their surroundings with blue light shimmering in his eyes.
They were currently situated in the air above a dense cloud of mist, and they had seen many such clouds of mist on the way here. Through the use of his spirit eyes, Han Li was able to determine that there was an island hidden beneath the mist.
Yuan Yao and Yan Li were unable to see through the black mist, but they immediately followed Han Li's lead without any hesitation as he descended toward the mist down below.
However, the events that unfolded next came as quite a surprise to all three of them.
The black mist appeared to be quite ordinary, but as soon as the trio flew into it, they felt the black mist converge toward them, following which the spiritual Qi around their bodies instantly dissipated.
"Argh!"
Yuan Yao and Yan Li both let loose cries of alarm. Even though they were trying to stay aloft with all their might, they were still plummeting deeper into the mist.
Han Li was also stunned by this development, but thankfully, he'd encountered countless unforeseen incidents in the past, so he was able to keep a level head as he instantly switched between several cultivation arts. He unleashed his Divine Essencefused Light and Provenance True Devil Arts at the same time, but they were also unable to allow him to muster up any spiritual power. In the end, he unleashed the Kun Peng transformation among his 12 Awakening Transformations, and after transforming into a massive azured bird, he recovered all of his magic power.
Han Li was naturally ecstatic, and he spread his wings as his body expanded even further in size. He flew through the air and gently caught the two women using his talons before flying high up into the sky.
Following a few flashes, the massive azure bird emerged from the mist and appeared at higher altitudes.
The azure light faded, and Han Li reverted back to his human form. Yuan Yao and Yan Li had both recovered their magic power, but both of them still wore expressions of lingering fear as they hovered in mid-air.
"What is that terrifying black mist? If Brother Han hadn't saved us, we would've been in big trouble," Yan Li murmured.
Yuan Yao's face was also quite pale, but a peculiar look slowly crept onto her face.
Han Li clasped his hands behind his back and appraised the black mist down below with a contemplative look on his face.
"This mist is indeed quite bizarre, but this feeling... Fellow Daoist Yuan, do you find it to be a little familiar as well?" Han Li asked as he turned to Yuan Yao.
"Indeed, Brother Han. I've suffered a similar ordeal once before in the human world. In the Scattered Star Seas, I was swept up by a similar type of ghostly mist right before I entered the Umbra Realm," Yuan Yao replied with a hint of bewilderment on her face.
"The Umbra Realm and the infernal river; there must be some kind of connection between the two," Han Li mused as he stroked his chin.
"But it's still a little different. I feel like the mist here is less powerful when it comes to debilitating one's spiritual power than the ghostly mist of the human world. Even though I couldn't muster up any magic power, I could still sense spiritual power, but after being swept up into the ghostly mist in the Scattered Star Seas, I felt like I was no different from a mortal," Yuan Yao said in a hesitant voice.
"I have the same feeling as well. It could be the case that the ghostly mist here is inferior to that of the human world or perhaps we're simply better equipped to deal with it due to our superior cultivation bases. However, I can say for certain that the ghostly mist in the human world seems to possess more spiritual nature and will take the initiative to engulf nearby cultivators, whereas the mist here..." Han Li shook his head as his voice trailed off.
"Indeed, Brother Han, the black mist here didn't try to sweep us up before we'd entered it. Speaking of which, the ghostly mist of the human world draws one into the Umbra Realm; will this mist lead to another space or realm as well?" Yuan Yao's eyes lit up with excitement.
"I'm not particularly sure about that. After all, I've never been able to ascertain the origins of the ghostly mist and the Umbra Realm in the human world," Han Li sighed.
"I can see many other clouds of similar black mist nearby; do they all have the same effect?" Yan Li suddenly asked as a hint of curiosity flashed through her eyes.
Han Li faltered slightly upon hearing this before raising an eyebrow as he said, "That's a good observation! Wait here for me for a moment; I'll be back soon."
Thus, azure light flashed from his body, and he transformed into a massive azure bird again. With each flap of his wings, he covered a distance of over 100 feet, and he flew into the distance, leaving Yuan Yao and Yan Li to look on in amazement.
"Junior Martial Sister Yuan, Fellow Daoist Han sure has cultivated many abilities; to think that he's even learned the transformation secret technique of the Flying Spirit Race," Yan Li said as she clicked her tongue with wonder.
"Have you forgotten that Brother Han has entered the earth abyss as a Flying Spirit Race holy disciple, Senior Martial Sister? It's no surprise that he's mastered such a secret technique, seeing as that's the case," Yuan Yao replied with a smile.
"You may not be aware of this, Junior Martial Sister, but not just anyone can become a Flying Spirit Race holy disciple. I've heard some information about this in the past; not only are holy disciples of the Flying Spirit Race required to have the true spirit blood of their respective branch in their bodies, there are also other types of stringent conditions that have to be met, and even for beings from the Flying Spirit Race, it's extremely difficult to become a holy disciple. I wonder how Fellow Daoist Han managed to achieve this and learn all these abilities," Yan Li chuckled.
"I see." Yuan Yao nodded, and her eyes had remained fixed on the direction that Han Li had disappeared in this entire time.
A peculiar look flashed through Yan Li's eyes upon making this observation, and she smiled as she said, "In comparison, I'm actually more curious about why Brother Han becomes immune to this ghostly mist after transforming into his bird form."
"I'm quite perplexed about that as well. Could it be that the transformation secret technique of the Flying Spirit Race contains some other type of unknown elements?" Yuan Yao was distracted by this question, and she withdrew her gaze as a confused look appeared on her face.
"It's no use speculating about this; why don't we ask Fellow Daoist Han when he gets back? He should know something about this." Yan Li pursed her lips with a smile.
"Is that a good idea? Wouldn't it be rude for us to inquire directly about his abilities and cultivation arts?" Yuan Yao was feeling rather hesitant about this.
"Hehe, with the relationship that the two of you share, surely it's not too much to ask of him. I just think that ghostly mist is quite bizarre, and I wanted to see if we can devise some kind of method to counteract it. However, I'm not all that familiar with Fellow Daoist Han, after all, so it's best that you asked him in my stead," Yan Li replied in a nonchalant manner.
Yuan Yao's brows furrowed upon hearing this, and she only nodded after a moment of contemplation.
An hour later, azure light flashed in the distance, and the massive azure bird returned.
Follo
wing a few flashes, gusts of fierce winds were swept up as the bird arrived before the two women. Immediately thereafter, the azure light faded, and Han Li reverted back to his human form.
"Did the other patches of black mist have the same properties as this one?" Yan Li asked.
"Not all of them; only some of them have that debilitation effect, and most of those patches of mist are quite large in area and also very dense," Han Li replied with a serious expression.
Both women were rather surprised to hear this.
"Should we enter the black mist again to investigate?" Yan Li asked.
"Theoretically, we've already got enough on our plates, so it would be rather unwise to investigate such things, but this black mist is able to cut off one's spiritual power and spiritual sense, so if we can hide in it, there's no way that the demon monarchs will be able to find us. My only concern is whether there are any hazards lurking deep within the mist," Han Li replied in a hesitant voice.
"If we can avoid detection from the demon monarchs, then its worth taking the risk. In any case, you're immune to the effects of the ghostly mist after transforming into your Kun Peng form, right, Brother Han?" Yan Li said with a smile on her face.
Han Li also smiled in response, yet before he had a chance to reply, Yuan Yao suddenly interjected, "Brother Han, your transformation secret technique comes from the Flying Spirit Race, right? Do you know why it is that you gain immunity to the ghostly mist after your transformation? Will my senior martial sister and I be able to do something to also retain our magic power in there?"
Chapter 1515: The Mystery of the Rahu
Han Li pondered the question for a moment before replying, "My Kun Peng transformation technique does indeed come from the Tian Peng Race, but I'm not sure why I'm immune to the effect of this mist after taking on this form. I considered this question on my way back and came up with a theory, but I'm not sure if it's a reliable one."
"You can tell us what you think, Brother Han, there's no need to keep secrets from us," Yan Li chuckled.
A slightly awkward look appeared on Han Li's face before he continued, "Seeing as the two of you once cultivated in the Umbra Realm of the human world for so many years, you're most likely aware of some of the legends surrounding that place."
"Are you referring to legends of the Netherworld and the Rahu Beast, Brother Han?" Yuan Yao asked as her expression changed slightly.
"Indeed. The Netherworld has always been the stuff of legends, and no one has actually been able to verify its existence, but I witnessed the Rahu Beast in person in the human world once. Even though I only saw an extremely tiny portion of the beast, the phenomenon that it triggered with its emergence was very similar to the ghostly mist leading to the Umbra Realm," Han Li replied.
"So you're saying the Umbra Realm of the human world is actually the body of the Rahu Beast?" Yuan Yao's mouth gaped open in astonishment.
"I don't have any other evidence to support that notion, but I think it's very much possible. The true spirit Kun Peng is the mortal enemy of the Rahu Beast, so perhaps I'm able to draw upon some of the Kun Peng's power after adopting my Kun Peng form. If the mist here really does have something to do with the ghostly mist of the human world, then everything would make sense," Han Li speculated.
"Could it be that this so-called infernal river is the body of the Rahu Beast? In that case, why is the mist here slightly different from the ghostly mist in the human world?" Yan Li asked with her brows furrowed in confusion.
Han Li didn't give a direct answer to this. Instead, he smiled and responded with a question of his own. "Are you under the impression that this Rahu is the same as the Rahu of the human world?"
"Are you saying that these are two different Rahu Beasts? That does explain the differences in the mists. It's said that the Rahu Beast is unfathomably massive and is capable of devouring celestial bodies like the sun and the moon. This infernal river is clearly far larger than the Umbra Realm, so we must be inside the body of a Rahu Beast that's far larger than the one in the human world!" Yan Li's face paled slightly as that realization dawned on her.
"That's probably not the extent of it." Han Li shook his head with a grim expression.
"Oh? Do you have something else to add, Brother Han?" Yuan Yao asked with a curious expression.
"The mist in this place feels quite dead in comparison to the ghostly mist in the human world. I've seen some records that mention that when Rahu Beasts reach the ends of their lifespans and pass away, the space within their bodies won't collapse and can actually continue to exist forever."
"Are you saying we're currently in the space within the carcass of a Rahu Beast?" Yuan Yao faltered upon hearing this.
"Hehe, I'm merely speculating. As for what the actual situation is like, that's yet to be verified," Han Li chuckled in response.
"I think you're very close to the truth if not spot-on in your speculation, Brother Han. In that case, everything can be explained. It's due to fact that this Rahu Beast has already passed away that the Yin Qi within its body is far more abundant than in the Umbra Realm, thereby giving rise to so many high-grade ghostly beings. I wonder if the demon monarchs already know this or have figured it out at this point yet. The only thing that I'm still confused about is the existence of spiritual Qi and spirit veins here. There's no spiritual Qi at all in the Umbra Realm, and magic power can't be used there, either," Yan Li mused.
"Who knows? Perhaps the powerful beings of the Mayfly Race modified this place after discovering it or perhaps these changes naturally occur after the Rahu Beast passes away. In any case, none of that had anything to do with our current situation, so we don't need to delve too deep into those matters. The only thing I'm interested in is whether this black mist can actually take us away from the infernal river. As long as this place is the same kind of entity as the Umbra Realm, then there has to be an exit here as well. If this really is the exit, then it's a lot safer then having to go through a spatial node," Han Li said with a hint of excitement in his eyes.
"You're right, Brother Han! Did you find anything amiss within the clouds of mist that you explored earlier?" Yan Li asked.
"No. Aside from the fact that the black mist can also seal away one's magic power and abilities, there were no other noteworthy discoveries. Of course, I only searched through a few patches of mist in the nearby area. Seeing as this black mist exists here, the exit should be somewhere in this body of water as well. Should we try and search for the exit right away or hide here for a while as we originally planned?" Han Li asked.
"Seeing as the exit could be nearby, let's spend some time to try and find it. Perhaps we'll be able to come across it rather quickly. In that case, we'll be able to get out of this place, so there'll be no need to take risks by hiding," Yan Li immediately replied.
Yuan Yao hesitated momentarily before nodding in agreement. "You're right, Senior Martial Sister. If we hide here as we originally planned, we could be tracked down by the demon monarchs anyway or perhaps even hunted by the Mayfly Race if their reinforcements arrive earlier than expected. In either of those scenarios, we'd be as good as dead."
Han Li fell into deep thought upon hearing this.
The proposal raised by the two women was quite reasonable, but he couldn't shake this feeling of uneasiness that had plagued him during the past few days. He could sense that something wasn't quite right, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it, and it was making him quite hesitant about how to proceed.
After pondering the issue for a long while, he finally said, "Alright, let's search for the exit here, but we can only spend two days in our search at most. After that, we have to hide right away. I think we should be safe during this period of time."
Han Li offered a compromised course of action.
Yuan Yao and Yan Li exchanged a glance upon hearing this before nodding in unison.
"Alright, let's search through the black mist below us first. Even if we can't find the exit here, let's set up a temporary
base that we can hide in if any unforeseen circumstances arise. Seeing as my Kun Peng power is immune to the effects of the mist, I have a way to temporarily grant you two immunity to its effects as well," Han Li said with a smile.
"Is that true, Brother Han?" Yuan Yao and Yan Li were ecstatic to hear this.
Han Li smiled as a loud thunderclap suddenly erupted behind him, and a pair of wings appeared on his back. He flapped the pair of wings, and their color changed drastically, with one wing taking on an azure hue while the other wing was flashing incessantly with five-colored light. Both wings were glittering and translucent, and presented a glorious sight to behold.
Han Li had disguised his Thunderstorm Wings as Tian Peng wings this entire time, and he was finally revealing the true form of the spirit treasure.
This was the first time that the two women had witnessed these wings in their true form, and both of them were quite taken aback.
Not only had the appearance of these wings changed drastically, the astonishing spiritual pressure emanating from them also came as quite a shock to the two women.
Right at this moment, Han Li flapped his azure wing, and two translucent azure feathers short forth before stopping in front of the two women.
"These are feathers manifested from the aura of the Kun Peng. You can try to inject your magic power into them; perhaps they'll be able to grant you immunity to the mist," Han Li said with a smile.
Yuan Yao and Yan Li glanced at one another, and both of them were a little skeptical.
However, Yan Li then immediately made a grabbing motion to draw one of the azure feathers into her grasp, then injected her magic power into it as Han Li had suggested.
A ball of azure light dispersed around her following a dull thump, enshrouding her entire body.
"Oh, it does indeed seem to be working. I'll go first; if I fall, make sure to catch me, Brother Han," Yan Li chuckled.
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