There was a tall and thin humanoid figure seated with their legs crossed in a motionless manner in front of the ancient lamps. The humanoid figure had its head lowered, and its entire body as well as its face was concealed under a golden cloak. There was a series of strange patterns emblazoned onto the cloak, and it was shimmering with spiritual light.
In the instant that Han Li had destroyed the two souls of the monstrous moth, one of the medium-sized lamps was suddenly snuffed out.
A strange creaking sound rang out from the humanoid figure's body as it slowly raised its head, and two balls of green flames appeared, instantly revealing its true appearance.
The humanoid figure had a white skeletal face, and the two balls of silver flames were burning within its eye sockets, creating a very eerie and unsettling scene to behold.
The skeletal head turned to appraise the snuffed-out ancient lamp with a cold look in its eyes, and it let loose an enraged harrumph as it suddenly opened its mouth to expel a ball of black light. The object that had been expelled was a square black seal. The object was extremely smooth, but there was an inky black true dragon carved onto its surface, revolving several times around the seal.
The skeleton uttered a strange incantation, and a swath of black light swept forth from the black seal, following which a giant black object appeared.
Under the dim light of the lamps in the secret chamber, the black object was revealed to be an azure beast that was around 30 to 40 feet in length with the head of a giant cow.
The monster lay motionlessly on the ground, and if it weren't for the slight rise and fall of its chest, one could be forgiven for thinking that it was a dead carcass.
The skeleton opened its mouth, and a pea-sized ball of fire flew forth from within, then disappeared into the monster's body in a flash.
The monster shuddered, and a series of cracks and pops sounded from its joints, following which it opened its eyes and rose to its feet.
It looked around in a confused manner initially, but a hint of clarity soon crept into its eyes, and its hands balled up into fists as it threw back its head and let loose a loud roar. A rumbling thunderclap erupted, and arcs of azure lightning surfaced over the beast's body.
The skeleton suddenly let loose a string of inhuman screeches, as if it were giving the monster a series of instructions.
The cow-headed monster nodded before the arcs of lightning emanating from its body intensified in brightness, and it abruptly disappeared amid another thunderclap using a lightning movement technique.
The secret chamber turned dim and silent again following its departure.
The green flames in the eye sockets of the skeleton flashed, and it cast its gaze toward the ancient lamp that had just been snuffed out before pointing a skeletal finger toward it.
Following a barely audible thump, the flame in the lamp was relit, but it was only a feeble pea-sized flame that looked as if it could be snuffed out by a gentle breeze.
After doing all that, the green flames in the skeleton's eye sockets flashed a few times, and it withdrew its gaze from the ancient lamp as it cocked its head to the side in deep thought.
However, in the next instant, it suddenly swiped a finger through the air and drew a circle up ahead.
As soon as the circle took shape, spatial fluctuations erupted, and a shimmering silver mirror was manifested before the skeleton.
The skeleton opened its mouth to expel a ball of green light onto the mirror, and the mirror's surface flashed with bright spiritual light before a series of images appeared on it.
Some of these images were extremely clear, as if they were right before the skeleton's eyes, while some were quite murky and indistinct, as if they'd been concealed by something. Each and every image depicted a different setting and subject, some of which were humanoid in nature while others were beastly creatures, but all of them appeared to be extremely powerful.
All of a sudden, the skeleton suddenly pointed toward the mirror, and it locked onto a single image.
The image depicted a young man with his hands clasped behind his back. He was hovering in mid-air in a completely expressionless manner and dressed in a set of azure robes.
The man in the image was none other than Han Li!
The skeleton appraised the image of Han Li in the mirror with a cold expression for a long while before waving a hand through the air in a nonchalant manner.
A crisp crack immediately rang out, and the mirror shattered down the middle before dissipating into specks of azure light.
The green flames within the skeleton's eye sockets then burned for a while longer before they were also snuffed out, following which it lowered its head and fell completely motionless again. Meanwhile, Han Li had just descended next to the carcass of the monstrous moth and was carefully inspecting it.
With a beast of such a high caliber, many of its body parts would naturally be extremely rare and precious materials. However, the thing that interested Han Li the most wasn't the beast's inner core. Instead, it was those scales that could conjure up small crystalline shields, as well as the pair of giant wings that could manifest countless sharp blades. Despite Han Li's interest in the moth's carcass, now wasn't the time to dissect it. As such, he rustled his sleeve, and a storage bracelet shot forth from within before expelling a swath of azure light. The carcass of the monstrous moth rapidly shrank down within the azure light before being stowed away into the storage bracelet.
After that, Han Li drew the storage bracelet back to him before inspecting his surroundings. After a brief pause for contemplation, azure light erupted from his body as he flew into the distance, traveling deeper into the island rather than away from it. A short while later, Han Li appeared above a cluster of buildings that had been reduced to rubble.
This cluster of buildings stretched for around several kilometers, and all of them were glittering and translucent, having been constructed from glacial ice.
However, all of these buildings were completely empty with only a few traces of blood and ruined scraps of clothing to indicate that they'd recently been inhabited. It seemed that everyone here had been killed by that monstrous moth. Han Li's brows furrowed as he descended toward the largest palatial building down below.
However, as soon as he landed on the ground, his expression suddenly changed as he cast his gaze toward a nearby mundane-looking pavilion. "Who's there? Come out right now!" Han Li's body blurred, and he abruptly appeared right in front of the pavilion with a cold expression on his face. "Please spare our lives! We're merely servants of Master Silver Shark!" A female voice sounded from within the pavilion. Immediately thereafter, a group of several tens of young men and women emerged from within.
This was quite a youthful-looking group of beings with most of them appearing to be around 16 to 17 years of age, and they were led by a white-robed woman who appeared to be in her twenties. As soon as they emerged from the pavilion, all of them knelt down before Han Li with horrified expressions on their faces.
Han Li glanced at this group of beings, and a hint of surprise flashed through his eyes.
At first glance, these beings appeared to be identical to normal human mortals, and none of them possessed any magic power, but upon closer inspection, one would realize that that was not actually the case.
All of these young men and women had remarkably translucent skin, and faint glacial Qi was emanating from their bodies. They were also quite sparsely dressed considering the air temperature, and they didn't seem to be fazed by the frosty conditions in the slightest.
Han Li raised an eyebrow, and he was just about to ask them a question when he suddenly turned toward another direction.
Moments later, spiritual light flashed in the distance, and two streaks of light shot forth rapidly through the air, reaching the nearby area after just a few flashes.
The lights then faded to reveal a pair of slender figures; they were none other than Qing Xiao and the woman in black.
As soon as the two wom
en appeared, expressions of shock and elation appeared on their faces.
"Senior Han, if you're here, then does that mean the giant moth..." Qing Xiao's voice trailed off as an incredulous look appeared on her face.
The woman in black beside her also awaited Han Li's answer with bated breath.
"I've already killed that thing," Han Li replied with a smile.
He flicked his wrist, and the giant moth carcass was dumped onto the ground before him with a dull thump.
Chapter 1559: Glacial Essence Race
The two women were naturally ecstatic at the sight of the carcass, and Qing Xiao heaved a long sigh of relief before extending a grateful bow toward Han Li.
"Thank you for taking care of this abhorrent beast, Senior Han. Not only did you save the two of us, you've also saved countless more beings on our Flame Coral Islands who would've undoubtedly perished to this thing."
The woman in black had also adopted a more respectful demeanor as she chimed in, "Indeed. Even Layman Silver Shark was no match for this monster; if it had been allowed to wreak havoc to its heart’s content, then countless lives would've been lost. We are extremely grateful that you've eradicated such a major threat to everyone, Senior Han!"
"There's no need to thank me. This beast was a little troublesome to deal with, but I just so happen to have mastered a few cultivation arts that are perfect for combating its abilities."
"You're far too modest, Senior. This is the first time this being has appeared here, and at the time, we were discussing with our fellow Daoists a course of action to hunt down that sea beast. All of a sudden, this moth flew out of the mist and onto the island, and many of our fellow Daoists were caught off guard before falling to its roars. Thankfully, Layman Silver Shark managed to delay the beast for short while, thereby allowing some of us to escape. Otherwise, we would've most likely all perished already." There was still a hint of fear in Qing Xiao's eyes as she recalled the horrors of the monstrous moth.
Han Li's brows furrowed as he nodded before turning to the group of young men and women who had just emerged from the pavilion.
"Are these the native inhabitants of this island? Their constitutions seem to be rather special, but they're not cultivators."
"Hehe, these are Glacial Essence beings. These beings are unable to draw the world's origin Qi into their bodies, but they can blast some glacial Qi out of their mouths, and they'll maintain their appearances after reaching full maturity, only reverting to their rightful elderly appearance in the instant that they pass away from old age. They're considered to be a rather rare race with a population of only around 10,000 on the entire Flame Coral Islands. However, due to the fact that the race can't produce any cultivators, they're forced to become subsidiaries to other powerful races or prominent powers. This group of Glacial Essence beings are the servants of the late Layman Silver Shark," the woman in black explained.
"Now that Layman Silver Shark is dead, they'll have to seek protection from another power," Qing Xiao sighed, seemingly feeling rather sympathetic toward these Glacial Essence beings.
"Oh? That's quite interesting!" This was the first time that Han Li had heard of such a race, and he couldn't help but take an extra glance at this group of beings.
Upon hearing the conversation between Han Li and the two women, the white-robed woman who appeared to be the leader of the Glacial Essence beings immediately to kowtow to the trio, and the other Glacial Essence beings behind her hurriedly followed suit.
"Are all of you planning to seek refuge under Mr. Han? If that's the case, you may as well take them, Mr. Han. These Glacial Essence beings are quite useful for organizing cave abodes and looking after medicine gardens," the woman in black said with a smile.
"Oh? They're skilled at nurturing spirit medicines?" Han Li was rather surprised to hear this.
"They’re not just skilled in the craft; their aptitude in that area far exceeds even most upper race cultivators. These beings were able to take refuge under Layman Silver Shark, so they're definitely the cream of the crop among their race. If news were to spread that they were looking for a new master, many upper race beings would be clambering to take them," Qing Xiao explained with a smile.
"It's a pity that I'm used to traveling alone, so I don't like having people with me. If you two would like to take them, then feel free to do so," Han Li immediately refused with a shake of his head.
"In that case, then we'd be more than glad to take them. I am really in need of servants in my cave abode; Sister Qing, how about we split them evenly among us?" the woman in black asked as she turned to Qing Xiao with a smile.
"I already have more than my fair share of servants on my island, so you can take all of them if you like," Qing Xiao replied with a nonchalant smile.
The woman in black nodded in response before asking the Glacial Essence beings whether they'd be willing to come with her.
Their original master had already perished, so the Glacial Essence beings naturally weren't going to refuse the woman's offer. As such, all of them agreed in a respectful manner. After that, they cleaned up the largest palatial building at the woman's behest before inviting Han Li's trio into the palace.
"What are your plans from here onward, Mr. Han? Do you still intend to hunt down that sea beast?" Qing Xiao asked as she took a seat on a stone chair within the palace.
"I do. I've already come all this way, so I'm certainly not going to give up without giving it a try," Han Le replied in a calm manner.
Qing Xiao and the other woman glanced at one another upon hearing this.
"Are you two of the opinion that I'm not capable of accomplishing such a feat?" Han Li asked as he raised an eyebrow?
"Of course not. You were even able to slay that monstrous moth, so it's certainly not beyond the realm of possibility that you'd be able to hunt down that sea beast. However, during our past hunting trips, we relied heavily on Layman Silver Shark's Silver Light Shark to track that sea beast. Now that the spirit beast has perished along with Layman Silver Shark, so it most likely won't be a simple task to find that sea beast again," the woman in black hurriedly explained.
"Is that so? Then how was that Silver Light Shark able to find the sea beast?" Han Li asked with a hint of surprise on his face.
"I heard about this from Layman Silver Shark once. Apparently, his Silver Light Shark has a natural tracking ability. As long as it's seen something once, it'll be able to sense it within a radius of 5,000 kilometers, then slowly find it. In the past, the Silver Light Shark led all of our hunting parties to the lair of the sea beast," Qing Xiao explained in a grim manner.
"In that case, things will indeed be a little troublesome. Looks like I'll just have to travel to the rough area where the sea beast resides and try my luck there," Han Li said with furrowed brows.
"If you insist on hunting down this beast, why don't you wait for another month or so? A few more of our fellow Daoists should've survived that attack from the monstrous moth, and there are many who've yet to arrive on the island. If we can organize a hunting party, it'd at least be better than going after the beast alone," the woman in black suggested.
"That's most likely not going to help much. I recall that Fellow Daoist Qing had once told me about the sea beast's powers. If we were to split, we'd most likely only be divided and conquered, and if we were to hunt for it together as a group, it wouldn't increase our chances of finding it any more than if I were to search for it on my own. On top of that, everything would be fine if we could hunt down the beast in a short time, but if the hunting trip drags on for too long, dissent would inevitably be bred among the party members. In that case, it would be better for me to go alone. As for everyone else, they can come along if they'd like, but I won't force them if they don't wish to accompany me," Han Li replied with a smile.
The two women naturally had nothing further to add upon hearing this.
"If I do manage to recover the Spatial Cloud Crystal, please assist me in repairing the teleportation for
mation."
"Rest assured, Senior; as long as you can recover the Spatial Cloud Crystal, you can leave the teleportation formation repairs to us," the woman in black promised with a smile, and Qing Xiao also followed suit.
Han Li nodded with a pleased look after hearing their responses.
The rest of the process was quite simple. Han Li inquired about the general location where the sea beast had been sighted in the past, then set up a method through which he could contact the two women before flying away as a streak of azure light.
Qing Xiao and the woman in black stood in front of the doors of the palace and looked on his departing figure with complex expressions on their faces.
"Even now, I'm still in disbelief that Senior Han was actually able to kill that monstrous moth. His cultivation base appears to be quite similar to that of Layman Silver Shark, but Layman Silver Shark was slain by that beast in a matter of mere moments," the woman in black murmured to herself.
"Didn't Mr. Han say that he's mastered a few cultivation arts that were perfect for combating the moth's abilities? That must be why he was able to defeat the beast," Qing Xiao replied with a peculiar look in her eyes.
"Are you really going to believe that, Sister Qing? At the very least, I'm not buying it. Setting aside that moth's strange abilities, just its demonic power alone made it comparable to a ninth-tier upper race being. Do you think it's possible that a few convenient cultivation arts could tip the scales so much in his favor that he'd be able to bridge such a vast gulf in power?" the woman in black analyzed with a hint of a smile on her face.
"What are you trying to say?" Qing Xiao sighed.
"Nothing much. I was just remembering that you're still missing a Dao Companion. This Mr. Han is a perfect choice, is it not? If you don't want him, then don't blame me for swooping in," the woman in black giggled.
"What are you saying, Sister? I've only met Mr. Han on two separate occasions in total; how could I possibly have such bold thoughts?" Qing Xiao scoffed as a blush appeared on her face.
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