Chapter 1638: Demonic Crow Appears

Volume Nine: A Hundred Races of the Spirit Realm

The scenery here was exceptionally peculiar!

From the ground up to three or four hundred zhang, everything was pitch black, submerged in a thick, dense mist. Above three or four hundred zhang from the ground, it was a swirling gray expanse, with pale gray demonic energy drifting everywhere. The boundary between the two was distinct, as if separating the realms of yin and yang.

Han Li's expression shifted, and he looked down. He saw that only a small portion of the mountain below was visible, with most of it submerged deep within the sea of mist. Only objects within forty zhang were dimly discernible, and features like trees and rocks were exceptionally blurry. Peering further down, it was completely black. Seeing this, Han Li pondered for a moment, then a blue light flashed in his pupils as he activated his Brightsight Spiritual Eye. Immediately, everything within several hundred zhang of the black sea of mist became clear. However, Han Li still frowned! The lowest hundred zhang or so remained hazy, his spiritual eye unable to penetrate directly to the bottom. As for his spiritual sense sweeping downwards, it could only penetrate a few tens of zhang before being repelled.

Even in his elevated position, with the gray demonic energy obstructing him, his spiritual sense could only extend to cover about a li. It was far less effective than his spiritual eye ability! If this were the case, it would be troublesome. Should they encounter a high-level demonic beast skilled in concealment, even he might not be able to detect it in time. Han Li pondered this, muttering to himself.

"Fairy Qian, you can tell me where we're going now, can't you?" At this moment, Yue Zong turned. "Of course. If I didn't tell you now, how could I hire Brother Yue as a guide?" Qian immediately flipped her hand, and a stone tablet, prepared beforehand, flew towards Yue Zong.

Yue Zong grabbed it with one hand, pulling the object into his grasp. He placed it against his forehead, closed his eyes, and immersed his spiritual sense within it.

Han Li had already confirmed there were no demonic beasts nearby, so he withdrew his gaze from his surroundings and calmly observed Yue Zong's actions.

"We're going to this area. That's the deepest part of the outer mountain range." A moment later, when Yue Zong opened his eyes again, his expression had become unusually solemn.

"Brother Yue has ventured into the true depths of the mountain range several times. How could there be a problem leading us to this area?" Hearing this, Qian chuckled softly.

"If it weren't for the period of demonic energy eruption, there would naturally be no problem. But now, entering such a deep place carries certain risks. Moreover, this area is quite far from the entrance, and the journey will certainly not be peaceful," Yue Zong sighed and said.

"It's only a possible risk, not a certainty of encountering high-level demonic beasts. Since we've arrived here, it's naturally impossible to give up halfway. Fellow Daoist Yue is quite familiar with the Demonic Gold Mountain Range, so I'll leave the matter of how to get there and which route to take to you. My only request is to reach this place within about ten days," Qian said with a smile.

"The fairy certainly trusts me a lot!" Yue Zong gave a wry smile upon hearing this, then instinctively looked at Han Li.

Among the three, Han Li had the highest cultivation. Coupled with the astonishing divine abilities he had displayed earlier, the most renowned demonic beast hunter of the Demonic Gold Mountain Range naturally held him in awe and needed to first inquire about Han Li's wishes. "I have no objections. Fellow Daoist Yue, you can make the decision." Han Li, of course, understood this.

"Since Senior Han has also said so, then I won't be modest. If we were to travel directly in a straight line to the destination, the risk would naturally be too great. However, going along the outermost edge of the mountain range, while much safer, might not allow us to arrive within ten days or so. In that case, we can only choose an intermediate route. This way, the danger can be reduced to a certain extent, and we can also arrive as requested," Yue Zong thought for a moment before saying this.

"Alright, we'll follow Brother Yue's suggestion," Qian agreed immediately. Han Li didn't speak, but nodded.

Thus, Yue Zong discussed some details carefully with the two, and after cautioning them about several matters requiring special attention in the mountain range, the three unleashed their escape lights together and flew forward.

Barely an hour after they departed, in another nearby location, four figures also emerged from the world of lightning.

The four first cautiously surveyed their surroundings, then gathered together and whispered a few words.

Led by a black-faced man, a cultivator at the Mid-Void Refinement stage, the four each took out a magic compass and flew away in another direction.

In this manner, over the subsequent period, every one or two hours, people continuously entered the Demonic Gold Mountain Range.

Some were alone, while others traveled in groups.

The largest group, naturally, was the outsiders led by the man named Gui. Next were the local cultivators from Lei Yun City, including the elderly man named Yan. However, these two groups, upon entering the mountain range, scattered and did not remain together.

Three days later, a low booming sound echoed in the low altitude somewhere in the Demonic Gold Mountain Range.

Several small white lights exploded simultaneously, transforming into a swirling white hurricane. Piercing screams erupted within the wind, and countless wind blades whistled and shot through it. The next moment, several screams emanated from the hurricane, and then dozens of hairy, mangled corpses plummeted directly from the sky, vanishing into the mist below in the blink of an eye. With a 'poof,' the hurricane dissipated like foam. Three figures appeared in the air. One of them held a white orb in one hand, his expression solemn. It was Yue Zong. Beside him, Han Li had a calm expression, floating with his arms crossed.

As for Qian, she now wore a light red battle armor, and on her shoulder perched a strange bird, entirely black but with a fiery red beak and golden, gleaming eyes. With a light sigh, Yue Zong put away the orb in his hand. The remaining strong winds nearby completely vanished.

"Something's not right!" Yue Zong said in a low voice.

"Not right? What do you mean by that? Didn't we just encounter a few low-level demonic beasts? It's not as if we haven't killed other low-level demonic birds in the past few days," Qian asked back, puzzled.

"If they were ordinary low-level demonic beasts, there would naturally be nothing amiss. But the key is this group of demonic ravens; they have never appeared in the outer regions before, always living deep within the mountain range. This type of flying demonic beast has a symbiotic relationship with the high-level demonic beast, the Three-Headed Badger. When one appears, the other should also show itself. That's why just now, I didn't let either of you make a move, and remained fully vigilant," Yue Zong explained.

"Could it be that this demonic bird naturally acts alone, and Brother Yue is just seeing this situation for the first time?"

"That's absolutely not possible. These demonic ravens are the most common demonic birds in the depths of the mountain range. It's not just me; countless people who have entered the mountain range before are aware of this habit of these demonic ravens," Yue Zong shook his head repeatedly. "Even if such an anomaly occurred, what would it signify?" Han Li's eyes flashed, and he asked.

"This indicates that either the Three-Headed Badgers associated with this group of demonic ravens have died, and they couldn't find other Three-Headed Badgers in time, making it impossible for them to survive deep within the mountain range, forcing them to flee here. Or, this group of demonic ravens has been forcibly driven here by other demonic beasts more powerful than Three-Headed Badgers, causing them to appear against their habits," Yue Zong pondered for a moment before slowly speaking.

"Oh, which possibility do you think it is, Fellow Daoist Yue?" Han Li smiled, asking nonchalantly.

"The first possibility is very small. After all, among low-level demonic beasts, demonic ravens are not considered powerful, apart from being fast flyers. Once they lose the protection of the Three-Headed Badgers, it's unlikely they could survive the journey from the depths of the mountain range to this place. The other demonic beasts in the mountain range are not to be trifled with," Yue Zong said with certainty. "In that case, these demonic ravens were driven here by other powerful demonic beasts, and we've been targeted by that beast." Han Li narrowed his eyes, a glint of cold light flashing within them.

"That's likely the case. And this demonic beast's intelligence should not be low," Yue Zong said gravely.

"Then, Fellow Daoist Yue, how do you think we should handle this next?" Qian frowned.

"First, we should increase our escape speed and see if we can shake off this demonic beast. After all, this beast possesses intelligence; its appearance here might have another reason. If that doesn't work, and we can't shake it off, then we'll have no choice but to kill it. Otherwise, if this beast attracts other demonic beasts, or constantly tails us, it will be a major hidden danger. Hehe, it's also because Senior Han is here that I dare to make such a suggestion. If it were just me, I would have to find another solution. However, that method is very time-consuming and unsuitable for our current situation," Yue Zong chuckled and flattered Han Li.

Upon hearing this, Han Li wore an unreadable expression, a semblance of a smile. He didn't say anything directly on the matter, but instead turned his head and asked Qian, who was beside him, "Fairy Qian, what do you think of Fellow Daoist Yue's suggestion?"

"Brother Yue's understanding of the demonic beasts here is certainly superior to ours. And with Brother Han's divine abilities, as long as it's not a Saint-level demonic beast, there should be nothing to fear," Qian smiled charmingly.

"Since both of you deem it feasible, I have no other opinions," Han Li stroked his chin, agreeing noncommittally.

"Since that's the case, let's act immediately. Unfortunately, we cannot fly too fast, lest we attract the attention of other demonic beasts. Otherwise, at full speed, we should be able to shake off any demonic beast, unless it's exceptionally skilled at flying," Yue Zong said with some regret. His words were true.

Han Li, it goes without saying, not only flew with astonishing speed, but his azure escape light was also silent, giving the impression that he still had plenty of power to spare.

Yue Zong's feet were adorned with a pair of white Dharma wheels. Amidst the flashing white light, his escape speed was in no way inferior to that of a Void Refinement stage cultivator.

As for Qian, she held a small golden banner in her hand. With a flash of spiritual light, she transformed into a faint, almost invisible golden rainbow, reaching a dozen zhang away in a single flicker.

Her escape speed was astonishing, actually keeping pace with Han Li.

The three streaks of escape light soared through the air, instantly vanishing without a trace on the horizon.

Almost simultaneously, beneath a small mountain about ten li away, deep within the black sea of mist, where it had been utterly dark, a flash of bloody light suddenly appeared, and more than a dozen dripping red demonic eyes lit up at the same time.