Chapter 1641: Silver Jiao, Strange Insect

"No wonder all the Spirit Realm cultivators who entered this place this time were after him. No, these people don't know the true purpose of the Spirit Ganoderma." A surprised voice, clearly astonished, came from the giant toad's mouth.

"In any case... this item absolutely cannot fall into their hands. However, the matter of welcoming the Sacred Ancestor cannot be delayed either. Here's what we'll do: you immediately return and gather a group of demonic beasts to find the Spirit Ganoderma for me. Given their knowledge of the entire mountain range, they will surely succeed. But remember, act quietly. Don't let the subordinates of Many-Eyes and Blood-Arm detect this. Furthermore, if you encounter any other Spirit Realm cultivators, eliminate them all. Although we have an agreement with those high-level beings in the Spirit Realm, as long as we don't leave the mountain range in large numbers, the disappearance of twenty or thirty people at a time is insignificant. Would beings of their status really make a fuss over such a small number of people?" The giant-winged man pondered for a moment before giving the cold command.

"Since you've said so, my lord, I will return immediately. Those human cultivators have magical artifacts that can track the Spirit Ganoderma. Although they are only effective within a hundred miles, if we seize all of them, our chances of finding the Spirit Ganoderma will be much greater. Another person's artifact has already been destroyed by my lord. The one I swallowed, however, is still intact. Allow me to hand it over to you first, my lord." After nodding its massive head, the giant toad opened its mouth and spat out a magical disk shimmering with faint spiritual light.

"So that's the case! If so, those Spirit Realm cultivators must be eliminated. Once these artifacts are demonized, that Spirit Ganoderma will truly be within my grasp. Go attend to this at once." The giant-winged man was delighted to hear this and raised his hand, pulling the magical disk into his grasp.

"As you command," the giant toad respectfully replied. Its massive body suddenly plunged into the foggy sea below, silently disappearing into it.

The giant-winged man then put away the magical disk in his hand. With a shake of his immense wings, he transformed into a streak of avian light and shot towards the horizon.

Two days later, above a strange area filled with towering trees tens of meters high, two groups of non-human beings were chasing each other through the air, one after the other.

In front was a pale yellow spirit boat, only ten to thirteen meters long, with three men in blue robes standing on it. One of them sat motionlessly, seemingly heavily wounded, while the other two, their bodies shimmering with spiritual light, were frantically channeling their magic power to propel the spirit boat.

The one in hot pursuit behind was an odd, pointed-cone flying chariot, entirely blood-red, shrouded in a cloud of gray mist, with faint ghostly shadows flickering within.

There was only one figure on the flying chariot, clad in silver battle armor covered in blood-red spikes, making him exceptionally conspicuous.

It was none other than the man surnamed Gui, who had nearly come to blows with Han Li at the Thundercloud Pavilion.

With his arms crossed, the man expressionlessly watched the fleeing spirit boat ahead, a faint, bloodthirsty glint flickering deep within his eyes.

As the two parties chased and fled, they covered dozens of miles in an instant.

However, both in terms of his flying treasure and his own magic power, the man surnamed Ren was clearly far superior to the three ahead. In just a moment, he significantly closed the distance with the spirit boat.

"Fellow Daoist, why relentlessly pursue us? We three have no grievances with you. We are willing to withdraw from the mountain range now and hand over the spirit tracking disk. We only ask that you spare us," one of the men on the spirit boat desperately transmitted loudly towards the one behind them.

"Spare you? Of course. Offer your vital blood and primordial spirits to this Venerable One, and I will let you go," the man surnamed Gui said expressionlessly. His voice was not loud, yet it was remarkably clear despite the distance.

"You are indeed a vile cultivator whom everyone should exterminate!" The speaker, hearing this, couldn't help but curse loudly.

Naturally, the three men grew even more panicked. Immediately, the two standing men sprayed vital blood from their mouths to ignite their potential, and even the one who had been meditating ignored his injuries. He, too, pressed both hands down and began injecting spiritual energy into the spirit boat.

As a result, the spirit boat's speed greatly increased, becoming almost as fast as the flying chariot behind, even slightly quicker.

However, before the three men in front could even show joy on their faces, the man surnamed Gui let out a cold snort. The surface of his battle armor suddenly blazed with silver light, and then he formed a hand seal with one hand and abruptly stomped his foot on the flying chariot beneath him.

An incredible scene unfolded: the gray mist around the originally blood-red, pointed-cone flying chariot violently churned, transforming into a cloud mass several acres in size. Following this, a thunderous dragon roar erupted from within.

Hearing such a commotion behind them, the three men in front all looked back, astonishment on their faces. The result left all three utterly terrified.

Because a flash of blood-light burst forth from the gray cloud mist, a silver flood dragon shot out like a fleeting ripple, disappearing in the distance with just a flicker. The next moment, spatial fluctuations appeared above the spirit boat, and the flood dragon mysteriously emerged from the void, pouncing downwards with a gust of foul wind.

The three men were greatly startled, but they were not ordinary individuals after all. Those who formed hand seals did so, those who raised their hands did so, and in an instant, seven or eight treasures were simultaneously unleashed, smashing down onto the flood dragon.

However, a blood-light flashed in the flood dragon's demonic eyes. It merely opened its mouth, and a blood-red pearl, emitting a clear ringing sound, shot out.

As the pearl spun around, it suddenly unleashed a vast expanse of dark red blood-light.

All the treasures that struck it head-on, upon being swept by this blood-light, let out mournful cries and plummeted straight down from the sky.

The blood-light then swept downwards.

The spirit boat itself had a layer of pale yellow protective light, but upon contact with the blood-light, it melted and dissolved instantly, like wax.

Then, with a flash of blood-light, it enveloped the three men on the spirit boat.

Screams erupted one after another.

No one knew what kind of tyrannical divine ability that blood-light possessed; in the blink of an eye, the three blue-robed men, along with their body-protecting spiritual light, melted into three fist-sized blood masses, their flesh and bones dissolving.

The silver flood dragon opened its massive mouth, and a swath of shimmering light flew out, sucking the blood masses into its belly.

At this moment, a spiritual light flashed on the silver flood dragon's body, and it transformed into human form.

It was none other than the man surnamed Gui.

With cold eyes, he raised a hand and slowly wiped away a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth, then turned his head to glance at the depths of the mountain range.

His escape light flashed, and a blood-red arc shot away.

A vast expanse of hazy white mist lay horizontally between the mountains, resembling an endless waterfall. Compared to the surrounding black and gray demonic energy, this thin mist was extremely conspicuous.

Han Li and his two companions hovered before this mist, each silent with varying expressions.

"Must we pass through here? Can't we go around it?" Xianxian suddenly spoke.

"I'm afraid not. A few days ago, we wasted two extra days bypassing that suddenly appearing swarm of demonic bees. If we take another detour, we might run out of time." Yue Zong frowned.

"However, according to Fellow Daoist Yue, this mist wasn't here before. Its appearance now is quite strange," Xianxian sighed.

"More than just strange," Han Li said faintly, gazing into the depths of the thin mist. "These mists contain a malevolent aura. Most likely, some powerful demonic beast is hidden within, or perhaps this mist itself was created by that beast."

"However, with Brother Han here, even if there are high-level demonic beasts, they will be no match for us," Xianxian said, glancing at Han Li and chuckling softly.

"Fairy Xian, you are mistaken," Han Li said, shaking his head with unusual calm. "If there are only one or two demonic beasts inside, I naturally wouldn't have a problem dealing with them. But if a group of high-level demonic beasts resides there simultaneously, I could only protect myself."

"How could there be a group of demonic beasts? High-level demonic beasts rarely live in groups," Xianxian said, her smile freezing, forcing a strained laugh.

"That's not necessarily true," Yue Zong said, his eyes flickering. "Such a vast expanse of mist, even if thin, doesn't seem like something one or two demonic beasts could gather. Either that one demonic beast is exceptionally powerful, or there's a group of high-level demonic beasts residing within."

Upon hearing Yue Zong's words, the Crystal Race woman's expression turned somewhat grim. After a long moment, she spoke again:

"Fellow Daoists, what do you intend to do? Are you planning to turn back now?"

"Of course, we won't return yet," Han Li said with a smile. "My point is that we must be extra cautious when entering. In case we truly encounter danger, we'll be prepared to respond thoroughly. Naturally, if we face something we truly cannot overcome, then for the sake of our lives, we'll have no choice but to return the way we came."

Xianxian's expression relaxed, but Yue Zong's face subtly changed, and he couldn't help but ask, "Senior Han, you've also decided to enter?"

"Indeed. This trip is equally important to me; I cannot easily withdraw. Are you perhaps feeling timid, Fellow Daoist Yue?" Han Li glanced at Yue Zong and said indifferently.

"I previously received Senior's grace when you lent a hand," Yue Zong said, his expression fluctuating for a long time before finally gritting his teeth and declaring, "If Senior insists on entering, I will naturally accompany you even if it costs my life."

Han Li smiled faintly and said no more.

Xianxian, hearing this, smiled and said sweetly:

"Since both Fellow Daoists have made up your minds, let us enter now. If we truly encounter any powerful demonic beasts, Fellow Daoists, you need not worry about me. Although my cultivation is meager, I believe I still have some means of self-preservation, enough to take care of myself."

"With Fairy Xian's words, there's even less to worry about," Han Li chuckled. Immediately, his escape light activated, and he transformed into a streak of green rainbow, leading the way into the mist.

With his current divine abilities, he possessed means of self-preservation even against Saint-level demonic beasts, so naturally, he had no great concerns about the thin mist before him.

After the Crystal Race woman and Yue Zong exchanged glances, they naturally followed closely behind.

The green rainbow flew unhurriedly at a low altitude. Within his escape light, Han Li constantly looked around, faint blue light flickering in his eyes, making him appear exceptionally mysterious.

At this moment, he had already poured a considerable amount of spiritual energy into his pupils, fully activating his Spiritual Eye divine ability.

At the same time, a small shield slowly rotated around his body, its surface shimmering with crystal light and faint runes flickering into and out of view.

It was precisely the crystal shield refined from strange moth materials. In such a dangerous place, he would hold nothing back. Meanwhile, Yue Zong, who was following behind, was stepping on a pair of Dharma wheels, and in his hand, he held an unusual gray box.

The lid of the box was wide open, revealing a plump, white, yet silver-dotted strange insect inside.

The insect's body resembled a silkworm, but the top of its head bore a peculiar ghost-face pattern that seemed eerily lifelike when it moved, as if it were alive.