Chapter 1646: Unexpected Visitor

Han Li stood atop a small mountain peak, gazing at a distant mountain range, his eyes slightly narrowed. "This is the place you mentioned! It doesn't look like much," he said to Xian Xian beside him, retracting his gaze.

"That's exactly why it chose this spot," Xian Xian said with a smile to Yue Zong. "Brother Yue, you don't need to lead us any further. Please rest nearby for a while. Senior Han and I need to go there. We'll be back in at least half a day, or at most three to four days. If we truly don't return by then, please don't worry about us. Just leave on your own."

"Since Fairy Xian has said so, I shall take it easy," Yue Zong readily agreed. He then clasped his fists and flew towards another small mountain nearby. He vanished into the mountain in a flash.

"Senior Han, let's go," Xian Xian said, taking a deep breath and her expression turning serious.

Han Li nodded. Without a word, he activated his escape light and flew towards the mountain range ahead.

Upon entering the mountain range, the Demonic Smoke Bird, which had been resting on Xian Xian's shoulder, immediately flapped its wings and shot into the sky. After circling briefly in the air, it darted off in a certain direction. Han Li and Xian Xian quietly followed behind.

Within the mountain range, peaks of all sizes piled up, stretching endlessly. The two followed the small black bird for several thousand miles. When a seemingly ordinary mountain peak appeared before them, the Demonic Smoke Bird folded its wings, let out a clear cry, and circled in place. Xian Xian's eyes lit up, and she joyfully exclaimed, "The entrance has been found!"

Then, Xian Xian activated her escape light. After a few flashes, she suddenly appeared near the mountain peak, quickly circled it several times, and finally stopped at a certain spot on the mountainside. She revealed her form and carefully observed something. Han Li's green light also flashed, and he appeared beside her, following her gaze.

Before them was a seemingly ordinary cliff, over a hundred feet high, grayish-white and smooth. Aside from some black energy floating nearby, there was nothing unusual about it. However, a blue light flickered slightly in Han Li's eyes, and his expression shifted, as if he had perceived something.

At this moment, Xian Xian let out a low cry, and the Demonic Smoke Bird, which had been circling in the air, suddenly shot downwards, darting towards the cliff like an arrow.

With a muffled "poof," the seemingly rock-solid cliff rippled with waves the moment it came into contact with the Demonic Smoke Bird. Its surface then blurred slightly, transforming into a layer of thick, dead-looking black mist. The entire cliff was actually the entrance to a gigantic cave. The Demonic Smoke Bird seemed unaffected by the black mist and instantly vanished into it. "Senior, please wait. I'll first check the situation inside," Xian Xian said cautiously. She then sat down cross-legged in the air, formed hand seals with both hands, and closed her eyes.

Her consciousness was already attached to the Demonic Smoke Bird; all she needed to do now was control the bird to scout the interior. Han Li stood to the side, his eyes flickering, seemingly deep in thought.

After about fifteen minutes, with a chirp, the Demonic Smoke Bird shot out from the black mist, circled once, and landed on Xian Xian's shoulder. At the same moment, Xian Xian opened her eyes.

"Good, the saint-level demonic beast is still sleeping soundly inside. It's the perfect time to act," Xian Xian said gravely. "I'll have the Demonic Smoke Bird lead the way for Senior Han, directly to the saint-level demonic beast. However, the demonic energy inside is exceptionally fierce; even with Senior Han's demonic cultivation, it won't be able to endure for long. It's best not to awaken the beast; extinguishing it swiftly with decisive force would be ideal!" She then pointed her finger towards the air. The small black bird intelligently flew back into the black mist.

"Don't worry, Fairy Xian, I know what to do. Since you don't have demonic cultivation for protection, please wait here for me to come out," Han Li said, staring at the woman for a moment before nodding imperceptibly. He then formed hand seals, and suddenly, his body shone with radiant golden light, as a thin layer of golden scales appeared. With a movement of his figure, he transformed into a golden rainbow and vanished into the black mist. Seeing Han Li truly enter the black mist, the smile on the woman's lips faded, replaced by a thoughtful expression.

"It's almost time. We should act now," a ball of green light suddenly flew out from Xian Xian, transforming after a flash into a fist-sized Qilin phantom. It turned to the woman and spoke. "Wait a moment longer. Regardless of whether he can truly kill that saint-level demonic beast, the moment they engage in combat will be the best time for us to enter the True Spirit Den." Xian Xian shook her head and replied. "Oh? You're quite wary of him," the Qilin phantom chuckled.

"You've been inside me all this way; you've seen how powerful his divine abilities are. Even a ninth-level demonic beast of the upper races couldn't last for more than a moment against him. If I were to truly fight him, I wouldn't stand a chance. As for that saint-level demonic beast, if my guess is correct, though it's still sleeping, it will definitely have taken precautions in its dwelling beforehand. It's likely impossible to approach it easily. We can only stealthily open the True Spirit Den when they are fighting," Xian Xian calmly explained. "What you say makes some sense. Let's wait a little longer then."

The Qilin phantom tilted its head in thought, then nodded.

At the same time, outside the mountain range, Yue Zong was meditating with his eyes closed in a newly excavated cave on a mountain peak. Suddenly, he sensed something, and his expression abruptly changed as he flipped his palm. The box containing the strange insect instantly appeared in his hand. As soon as the lid was opened, the silkworm-like creature frantically shook its head and cried out.

Yue Zong gasped, then, almost without thinking, he leaped up, transforming into a white rainbow that shot out of the cave.

However, the moment his figure appeared outside, his expression turned extremely grim. Floating before him was a man clad in silver armor, with an expressionless face. It was surprisingly the foreigner named Gui, with whom they had previously clashed in the pavilion.

"So Senior is here; I thought another demonic beast had appeared," Yue Zong said, his heart sinking, but forcing a smile. "Does Senior need anything from this junior?"

The man named Gui stared coldly at Yue Zong, remaining silent for a long moment before finally asking emotionlessly, "Where are the others?"

"What others? This junior is the only one here," Yue Zong replied, maintaining his composure.

"Is that so? In that case, you can be on your way," the man named Gui said. A bloody light flashed across his face, and a murderous aura emerged.

Yue Zong's expression changed. He suddenly threw the box in his hand towards the man, then a spiritual light flashed in his sleeve, and dozens of talismans of various colors shot out explosively. He also opened his mouth, spitting out a white jade token.

The strange insect shot out from the box, transforming into a creature about ten feet long, and wrapped around the man named Gui like a strange snake. The dozens of talismans instantly transformed into light spheres of various colors and exploded, while the jade token, with a bang, turned into a ball of white mist, about an acre in size, enveloping the man named Gui.

Meanwhile, a white light flashed beneath Yue Zong's feet, and a pair of Dharma wheels appeared. With just a flicker, he suddenly vanished from his spot and reappeared about thirty feet outside the mist. Then, activating his escape light, he was about to transform into a white rainbow and shoot away.

Seeing this, the man named Gui sneered. He suddenly slapped the crown of his head, and his figure blurred slightly, conjuring three identical clones.

One clone raised both arms, which suddenly transformed into a pair of blood-colored ghostly hands with sharp fingers and black energy entwined. It grabbed the giant insect that had lunged forward, pinching it with both hands. With a surge of force, its fingers, like sharp blades, tore the strange insect into several pieces.

Another clone suddenly roared loudly and forcibly spat out. Immediately, a surge of blood-red light mist violently poured out, instantly enveloping the multi-colored light spheres that subsequently shot forth. With another inhale, as the blood-red light flickered, these light spheres were all swallowed into this clone's stomach, and even a small portion of the nearby white mist was absorbed.

The last clone's eyes flashed with silver light, and its body suddenly leapt, instantly transforming into a silver Flood Dragon that shot out. With just a flicker, the silver Flood Dragon appeared above Yue Zong's escaping light as if teleporting. It swished its tail, and two massive claws menacingly grabbed downwards.

Yue Zong's face was pale, but he naturally wouldn't passively wait for death. A rumbling sound erupted from his body, and two white bone flying swords shot out from within him. Electric light flickered on the surface of these flying swords, making them appear quite extraordinary. They crossed and slashed down, meeting the Flood Dragon's two giant claws. With a "crack," although the two bone swords caused the giant claws to pause and were able to block them, they themselves were snapped into two halves under the immense force.

Seizing this opportunity, Yue Zong opened his mouth and spat out a ball of vital blood, which covered the two Dharma wheels beneath his feet, intending to perform some escape art to flee.

However, a cold light flashed in the silver Flood Dragon's eyes. It merely opened its mouth, and a blood-red bead shot out, emitting a clear chirping sound. The bead spun rapidly, suddenly releasing a large expanse of black-red blood light. In a flash, it unexpectedly enveloped Yue Zong. After a miserable shriek, Yue Zong melted like a candle into a puddle of blood, which was then swallowed by the silver Flood Dragon.

Subsequently, the silver Flood Dragon circled and shot back, while the other two clones also rose into the air to meet it. As phantoms flickered, the three clones instantly merged into one, reforming into the man named Gui. His expression was gloomy, and his eyes flickered as if contemplating something.

"These people actually appeared here; could they also be after that item? But no one else should know the location of that item, unless they are like me, a… Humph! No matter who these people are, only I am qualified to obtain that item. Whoever stands in my way, I will swallow them whole," the man muttered to himself, his eyes gleaming with fierce light.

The next moment, he suddenly turned his head and shouted sternly in a certain direction: "Who's there? Get out here!"

However, the surroundings remained quiet, and no one appeared. A cruel look flashed across the man's face. He suddenly raised his hand, and a silver flying knife shot out. With a flash of silver light, a flurry of knife shadows instantly enveloped that space.