Chapter 1505: Insect Shadow

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Volume Five: Renowned in All Directions

Upon hearing the spiritual message, Han Li showed no outward emotion, but his heart stirred.

However, before he could transmit a reply, he suddenly frowned. Turning his head, he calmly addressed a seemingly empty spot nearby: "Who's hiding there, sneaking around?"

Han Li's words startled Yuan Yao and Yan Li. The high-level demonic beasts nearby, initially confused, immediately looked in that direction as if facing a formidable enemy. "Haha, Fellow Daoist Han truly is remarkable. My concealment spell really couldn't fool you." A burst of laughter echoed from the air, and with a flash of golden light, a golden figure emerged. It was Jin Ling, the golden-furred ape. Although the ape was laughing heartily, its gaze towards Han Li was unusually cold. Yuan Yao and Yan Li’s expressions changed as soon as they saw the ape. They had spent so many years in the underground abyss that they knew perfectly well how powerful this golden ape was. Even with great confidence in Han Li, the two women absolutely did not believe he could truly contend with a top-tier Void Refinement cultivator. With this ape, plus a dozen or so other high-level demonic beasts, escaping would be a pipe dream.

"Congratulations, Brother Jin, for safely escaping the danger! Fellow Daoist Han and I got separated in the mist, and I was worried for a long time. It seems I worried too much! With Brother Jin's cultivation, how could mere ghosts trouble you?" Han Li’s eyes flickered as he spoke nonchalantly.

"Although I have some life-saving abilities, they are far inferior to Fellow Daoist Han's. That you could exit the mist by yourself with your Spirit General cultivation level truly fills me with admiration," Jin Ling said with a smile on his furry face. "How could I possess such ability? It was thanks to the assistance of Fairy Yuan and Fellow Daoist Yan," Han Li replied, shaking his head. "Even if the two fairies had a way to leave the mist, if not for Brother Han's help, they probably wouldn't have been able to handle so many fierce specters," Jin Ling said noncommittally. Han Li smiled faintly, said nothing more, but his thoughts raced.

He was confident that his divine abilities were certainly not inferior to Jin Ling's, and even if the dozen or so high-level demonic beasts attacked together, he had a seventy to eighty percent chance of safely escaping.

However, this was only if he were alone. If he had to bring Yuan Yao and Yan Li, his chances would immediately drop to less than fifty percent. Such a great risk was not worth taking. In any case, this Nether River territory was so strange and unpredictable; it was better to seek another opportunity. Han Li made up his mind in an instant and began to casually chat with Jin Ling, one word at a time. Seeing that Han Li showed no unusual movements, the golden ape also relaxed and responded with a smile. They appeared to be close friends who had known each other for many years. As they talked, a green light flashed in the sky, and a mass of green light flew back. The escaping light was silent, faintly revealing a slender figure within—it was Mu Qing, flying back with golden flowers underfoot. Han Li was initially stunned, then, recalling the woman's bizarre teleportation-like escape technique, he understood.

The green light flickered a few times, stopping directly above Han Li and the others, revealing Mu Qing’s clear form. "Greetings, Master!" The golden ape bowed, immediately greeting her respectfully. "It is truly fortunate that Elder Jin is safe and sound," Mu Qing said, a look of relief appearing on her face upon seeing the golden ape again.

"Thanks to the several protective treasures Master bestowed, otherwise Jin Ling truly would not have been able to remain safe among so many ghosts. In the end, it was by leveraging the divine abilities of Lords Six-Legs and Earthblood that I was able to escape," Jin Ling continued respectfully.

"Hmm, the hurricane just now was clearly summoned personally by Fellow Daoist Six-Legs. It's my first time knowing that Fellow Daoist Six-Legs is also proficient in wind-attributed divine abilities," Mu Qing slowly said, her words carrying a hint of an inexplicable, subtle flavor. "Lord Six-Legs's divine abilities are indeed far beyond expectation. But precisely because of this, these ghosts and puppets could be killed so easily," Jin Ling said in a deep voice. "That's true! In such a perilous place, the more divine abilities Fellow Daoist Six-Legs possesses, the better. Since I have already succeeded, they probably won't be delayed for too long," Mu Qing pondered for a moment, then nodded, and raised her head to gaze at the horizon in other directions.

It was quite a coincidence! Just as the woman raised her head, a spiritual light flashed in the far distance in the direction she was looking. A mass of black qi emerged, then whistled towards them.

A moment later, this black mass arrived before everyone like a shooting star, and as the black qi converged, the white-haired woman, Fu Fu, appeared. She showed no outward abnormality, but her aura was somewhat weaker than when she set out, appearing to have expended a considerable amount of magic power. She scanned her surroundings and frowned, asking, "Why haven't Fellow Daoist Six-Legs and Earthblood returned yet? With Six-Legs's ability and Old Monster Earthblood's assistance, how could they return later than us?"

"Little Sister is not clear about this matter. Perhaps they encountered some unexpected situation. Sister Lan, where are your eight ghost kings? Didn't they accompany you to pursue that puppet?" Mu Qing countered with a strange expression.

"The opponent used a self-detonation technique; they were all severely wounded and have been put into my Yin Cloud Pouch for temporary recuperation. I just hope nothing truly happened to Fellow Daoist Six-Legs and the others. If only you and I remain, then don't even think about coveting the Nether River Divine Milk," the white-haired woman, Fu Fu, explained briefly, then adopted a thoughtful expression. Mu Qing smiled slightly, about to say something more, but suddenly a thunderous roar came from a certain direction. The direction from which the roar emanated was precisely where Six-Legs and the others had pursued their target.

Hearing such an astonishing sound, Mu Qing and the white-haired woman, Fu Fu, exchanged glances, both seeing surprise and unexpectedness in each other's eyes. "Could it be..." Fu Fu began, full of doubt. But before she could finish, a piercing shriek suddenly erupted from the direction of the roar. As the shriek entered his ears, Han Li felt his mind buzz, his eyes went black, and he plummeted straight down from high altitude. "This is bad!"

Han Li reacted almost immediately, quickly sealing his ears, and the Great Development Art rapidly circulated within him.

However, to Han Li's great alarm, the shriek seemed to completely ignore his attempt to block his hearing, still penetrating his divine sense undiminished. Though the Great Development Art was extremely profound, it was forcibly interrupted halfway through its circulation by the shriek, rendering its effect minimal.

In his horror, Han Li shouted loudly without much thought. He suddenly felt a needle-like pain in his divine sense, having used a spiritual sting on himself, which temporarily allowed him to break free from the shriek's peculiar influence, and his body momentarily regained control.

He quickly activated a spell, and with a thunderous sound emanating from his body, a layer of golden arcs emerged. Then, his black and white hands sharply struck each other in front of his chest.

With a muffled thud, five-colored flames and gray shimmering light burst forth simultaneously from between his hands. They rolled outward, forming a double-layered light shield that protected him securely.

Under such rigorous protection, the shriek transmitted to his divine sense was greatly diminished, causing Han Li's body to sway as he regained his balance.

However, as he scanned his surroundings, he immediately saw Yuan Yao and Yan Li also plummeting rapidly, their bodies about to crash heavily onto a pile of rocks on the ground. Without hesitation, Han Li extended a hand towards the two women.

With a loud 'puchi' sound, a swath of gray mist transformed into countless crystal threads and shot out, instantly reaching the two women. With a flash of spiritual light, they were enveloped. With a pull, the two women, wrapped in primal magnetic divine light, were drawn back to Han Li's side.

The flames and gray mist around Han Li's body expanded, shielding the two women within. This allowed some color to return to their unusually pale faces, and they were able to float in mid-air once more.

At this moment, a series of thudding sounds came from below. It was the dozen or so high-level demonic beasts, unable to resist the shriek, falling heavily to the ground.

Although these demonic beasts were thick-skinned and tough, and didn't care about falling from such a height, they were all covering their ears with their hands, frantically rolling on the ground. Even though various protective spiritual lights pulsed wildly around their bodies, they seemed to be largely ineffective. Han Li gasped, his gaze sweeping over the others.

He saw that Jin Ling had, at some unknown point, stood together with Mu Qing. Golden flowers below them cast layers of flower shadows, protecting the two. They seemed largely unaffected by the shriek.

As for the white-haired woman, Fu Fu, on the other side, she was enveloped in a blurry yin wind, her figure motionless. Clearly, the shriek also had little effect on her.

However, all three of them were now staring unblinkingly into the distance, because in the sky they were gazing at, the shriek was getting louder and louder, and an unbelievable celestial phenomenon was emerging.

A giant crimson insect shadow appeared on the horizon. This insect shadow was so enormous it almost covered half of the distant sky. Its pair of dark compound eyes rotated, emitting cold light in all directions, and its pair of translucent wings, like two light curtains, vibrated incessantly on its sides. It was a giant fly, enlarged countless times!

The piercing shriek that had almost caused Han Li to suffer a minor setback was precisely emitted from this insect shadow's pair of wings. As these wings vibrated, ripples visible to the naked eye spread out in all directions, then seemed to vanish invisibly, but in reality, they transformed into the shriek that reached Han Li.

With such a great distance, it possessed such terrifying power. If one were closer to that insect shadow, there would be no need for battle; the sound of its wings alone could directly vibrate weaker opponents to death.

But this fly-like insect shadow was not just moving its wings at the moment. Its pair of dark compound eyes were actually spraying countless thick, crimson light beams. These light beams, densely interwoven, almost covered all the space below.

Although it was impossible to feel the power of these crimson light beams, looking from afar, the space covered by the red light beams had turned into a dazzling crimson expanse. It was unclear whether this was merely the reflection of the red light beams, or if these light beams truly ignited the entire space there.

And beneath the giant red net woven by these light beams, two objects were frantically trying to avoid the attacks of these light beams.

These two objects were also ten zhang in size, but compared to the insect shadow, they were truly tiny, which was why one initially overlooked their presence. Han Li's eyes flashed with blue light, and he immediately saw clearly the two ghost-like flickering objects.

One of them was precisely the purple-blooded puppet, shrunken dozens of times in size, and the appearance of the other object greatly astonished Han Li!

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