Chapter 1530: Ghost Fog Reappears

Hearing this, Yuan Yao and Yan Li exchanged glances, their expressions fluctuating between thoughtful and uncertain.

Neither of them, of course, would give up the idea of restoring their bodies to normal.

"I was not thorough enough in my consideration," Yan Li said with a wry smile after a long silence. "Listening to Brother Han Li, it seems you've traversed spatial nodes before. If so, and if we can truly find a safer node, my junior sister and I would naturally wish to leave this place. However, we have no idea how to find such nodes."

"You two fellow Daoists can rest assured on that point," Han Li said slowly, sounding exceptionally confident. "I have some unique methods in this regard. However, for us to truly start searching, we must wait a while, only after avoiding the searches of Ghost Mother and others. Regardless of whether they ultimately get what they want, they won't stay here for long because of the Ephemera Race. The period between their departure from the Netherworld River and the arrival of the Ephemera Race will be the best opportunity for us to search for nodes and escape. For now, we need to find an extremely secluded place and hide there for a while."

Yuan Yao and Yan Li found this greatly reasonable and nodded repeatedly.

After their discussion concluded, the three continued their flight without pause, flashing across the nearby sky and finally disappearing at the edge of the horizon.

Several days later, Han Li and his companions appeared above a strange expanse of water.

The water below was dark jade in color, with a faint black haze swirling above it.

Even more peculiar was that this endless body of water, whether sea or lake, was dotted with islands of various sizes, scattered like stars.

Han Li and the others traveled deep into it for a full day and night but still saw no sign of an end.

"Let's hide here," Han Li said slowly, halting his flight. A blue light flashed in his eyes as he swept his gaze across a large expanse of unusually dense black mist below. "This body of water is so vast that it's probably no smaller than a typical ocean. Even if those demon kings come looking for us, they'll never find us quickly. Moreover, I faintly sense many terrifying things hidden deep beneath the water. If such beings exist, Ghost Mother and the others wouldn't dare to search too brazenly with their divine sense, which would also serve as a barrier for us to some extent."

They had encountered many such dense, congealed mist clusters along the way, but this particular black mist, under his Spirit Eyes ability, faintly revealed the appearance of a small island hidden beneath it.

Although Yuan Yao and Yan Li couldn't see through the black mist to the island, since Han Li had said so, they had no hesitation. They immediately agreed and descended with Han Li into the black mist below.

Something that startled all three of them occurred.

The black mist appeared ordinary, but the moment the three flew into it, they suddenly felt the surrounding mist surge and envelop them. Immediately, their spiritual energy dispersed, causing their escape lights to instantly dissipate and vanish.

"Ah!"

Yuan Yao and Yan Li were greatly alarmed, their expressions changing drastically as they gasped. Various spiritual lights flickered continuously around their bodies, but they continued to fall straight down into the depths of the mist.

Han Li was equally shocked, but fortunately, he had experienced countless unexpected situations. He instantly switched between several cultivation techniques within his body, activating methods like the Primordial Magnetic Divine Light and the Brahma Holy True Devil Arts simultaneously. However, they also proved ineffective, preventing him from gathering enough spiritual power. Yet, in a moment of quick thinking, as he activated the Kun Peng Transformation from the 'Twelve Heavenly Thunders' cultivation method, a blue light suddenly flashed across his body. He transformed into a giant azure roc, fully restoring his magical power.

Overjoyed, Han Li spread his wings, his body swelling several times in size. With a swift movement, he seized each of the two women with a claw and then shot upwards into the sky.

After a few flashes, the azure roc flew out of the mist, appearing at a higher altitude.

The azure light receded, and the roc vanished, Han Li reappearing in his human form in the void. Yuan Yao and Yan Li, their faces pale with shock, had by now regained their magical power and were once again suspended in the void.

"What's going on? How is this black mist so terrifying?" Yan Li murmured, her face still pale. "If Brother Han hadn't acted, we would have suffered a great loss."

Yuan Yao's face was also pale, but a strange expression flickered in her bright eyes.

Han Li clasped his hands behind his back, observing the swirling black mist below, and also showed a thoughtful expression.

"It is indeed a bit strange, but this feeling... Fellow Daoist Yuan, do you also find it familiar?" Han Li turned his head and asked Yuan Yao.

"Brother Han is right," Yuan Yao said, surprised and doubtful. "I did experience something like this once before in the Human Realm. It was in the Chaotic Star Seas, when I was drawn into that 'Ghost Mist' and entered the Underworld."

"The Underworld, the Netherworld River... Heh heh, these two do sound quite similar," Han Li mused, stroking his chin. "Coupled with this peculiar mist that makes one lose magical power, there must be some connection."

"But there are still some differences," Yuan Yao said, sounding uncertain. "The mist here seems slightly less potent at draining spiritual energy than the Ghost Mist in the Human Realm. While I can't muster magical power, I can still sense the presence of spiritual energy. When I was pulled into that Ghost Mist back then, I felt completely like a mortal."

"I have the same feeling," Han Li replied, shaking his head and incisively pointing out the differences. "The specific reason might be that the mist here isn't as formidable as the one in the Human Realm, or perhaps it's because our cultivation has greatly advanced, making the Ghost Mist seem less formidable than it once was. However, there are indeed some distinctions. The Human Realm's Ghost Mist seemed more sentient and would actively devour nearby cultivators. But here..."

"It's exactly as Brother Han says. This black mist shows no signs of active engulfment. But since the Human Realm's Ghost Mist can draw people into the Netherworld River, could this mist also lead to other realms or spaces?" Yuan Yao's eyes lit up, a hint of excitement in her voice.

"That's not entirely clear," Han Li said with a sigh. "After all, we've never been able to fully ascertain the origins of the Ghost Mist and the Underworld in the Human Realm."

Yan Li, who had been listening nearby, suddenly asked, "I see the nearby black mists are all similar. Are other mists also this potent?"

"I haven't actually checked that," Han Li said, surprised for a moment but then raising an eyebrow. "You two fellow Daoists wait here for a moment; I'll be right back."

A blue light flashed around him, and he once again transformed into an azure roc. With a flap of its wings, it immediately shot several dozen feet away and flew off into the distance.

Only the two women were left, exchanging bewildered glances.

"Junior Sister Yuan, Fellow Daoist Han truly cultivates many remarkable abilities," Yan Li remarked with admiration. "He's even learned this Spirit Race transformation secret art."

"Sister, have you forgotten? Brother Han entered the Abyssal Land as a Saint Son of the Spirit Race," Yuan Yao said with a smile. "It's not so strange for him to know such a secret art."

"Junior Sister, you might not know this," Yan Li said with a charming smile. "A Saint Son of the Spirit Race isn't someone just anyone can impersonate. I've heard from others about it. A branch Saint Son of the Spirit Race not only needs to possess the true spirit essence blood of the combined Spirit Race branches but also has various other strict requirements. Even for native Spirit Race members, becoming a Saint Son is incredibly difficult. I wonder how Fellow Daoist Han managed to do it and learn such a divine ability."

"So that's how it is," Yuan Yao nodded, but her gaze was slightly dazed as she looked in the direction where Han Li had vanished.

Seeing Yuan Yao's expression, a flicker of something unusual passed through Yan Li's beautiful eyes, but she immediately said with a smile:

"Compared to that, I'm more curious why Brother Han immediately became unafraid of this ghost mist after transforming into a roc."

"It is a bit strange, and I'm also puzzled," Yuan Yao said, distracted by the question. She withdrew her gaze, also showing confusion. "Could the Spirit Race transformation secret art possess some unknown divine ability?"

"It's hard to say," Yan Li said with a suppressed laugh. "Let's ask Fellow Daoist Han later. Perhaps he knows something."

"That might not be appropriate," Yuan Yao said, hesitating when she heard this. "It seems improper for us to directly inquire about matters concerning someone's divine abilities and cultivation methods."

"Heh heh, with the friendship you and Fellow Daoist Han shared back then, this minor matter shouldn't be a big deal," Yan Li said casually. "We're not trying to pry into his cultivation techniques. It's just that this ghost mist is so peculiar, we merely want to see if we can find a way to counter it. However, I'm not very familiar with Fellow Daoist Han, so it would be more appropriate for you, Junior Sister, to ask."

Yuan Yao frowned upon hearing this, thought for a moment, then nodded silently.

A full half an hour later, a blue light flashed across the sky again, and after a clear cry, the azure roc shot back.

After a few flashes, a sudden gust of wind rose, and the roc appeared before the two women. Then, the blue light receded, the roc vanished, and Han Li's figure reappeared in its place.

"Well? Are those black mists also strange?" Yan Li couldn't help but ask first.

"Not all of them, but a portion can drain spiritual energy," Han Li replied, his expression solemn. "These are mostly the denser mist clusters with a larger area of condensation."

Hearing Han Li's reply, the two women also looked surprised.

"So, should we still enter the black mist to investigate thoroughly?" Yan Li asked, letting out a long breath.

"Logically, we already have our own troubles, so it would be unwise to investigate this further," Han Li said, hesitating slightly. "These black mists have a miraculous effect of restricting and concealing divine sense. If we can hide within them, even if those demon kings are incredibly powerful, they would never be able to find us. My only concern is whether there are any dangers lurking deep within these black mists."

"As long as we can avoid Ghost Mother's search and the others', it's worth taking some risks," Yan Li said with a smile. "Besides, Brother Han, aren't you fearless of this ghost mist after transforming into a Kun Peng?"

Han Li smiled faintly. Before he could say anything, Yuan Yao hesitated, then spoke up and asked,

"Brother Han, your transformation secret art comes from the Spirit Race, right? Why are you not afraid of this strange mist's spiritual energy restriction after transforming? Do you know the reason? Is there a way for us to also avoid losing all our magical power in the mist?"