Chapter 1664: Discovery

"Heavy gratitude?" Han Li chuckled upon hearing this. "What's wrong, fellow Daoist? Don't you believe my words? If so, it's not that I can't offer some compensation first," the man surnamed Gui said with a chilly expression.

"Brother Han, only I, having studied that extraterrestrial demon armor, can repair it. As long as we join forces, not only will I repair the armor once we return, but in a few centuries, I will also bring you back here to search for the True Kylin Origin and share it with you." Qianqian spoke with remarkable calm, seemingly confident that Han Li would assist her.

The outcome was precisely as she had predicted. Han Li merely pondered for a moment before shaking his head at the man surnamed Gui:

"Regardless of what the future holds, I, Han, cannot stand idly by this time. If you are sensible, you should leave on your own."

Hearing Han Li's words, the man surnamed Gui's heart swelled with fury. A malevolent expression twisted his face, and the bloody aura around him grew even thicker.

Han Li's eyes narrowed. A thunderous rumble echoed from his body, and golden arcs of electricity suddenly flickered into existence. Simultaneously, a faint golden Dharma Idol with three heads and six arms vaguely appeared behind him.

Below his feet, ten azure flying swords flashed forth, casting a chilling glow, and a blue lotus slowly unfurled.

Han Li himself stood with his hands clasped behind his back, watching the man surnamed Gui with an impassive expression.

Seeing this, Qianqian's face bloomed into a radiant smile.

Yet she was not idle. With a flick of her wrists, a shimmering azure talisman appeared in one hand, embossed with a blue Qilin pattern. In her other hand, a black banner flashed into existence.

Both items were covered in dense runes, immediately indicating their extraordinary nature.

She merely gave the two items a slight shake, and a swirling black wind along with a phantom of an azure Qilin simultaneously rose, then merged instantly with another tremor.

The Qilin phantom, empowered by the wind, instantly swelled several times in size. It continuously let out low roars, its gaze fixed menacingly on the formidable enemy before it.

Though the man surnamed Gui was typically ruthless, his expression turned exceptionally grim upon witnessing Han Li and the woman's combined might.

He didn't much care for the strength of the Crystal Race woman. However, Han Li's recent feat of dealing with the Cave Spirit single-handedly had genuinely shaken him.

He was confident that, even facing the Cave Spirit one-on-one, his chances of victory were only about fifty percent. Moreover, it was a being possessed by the avatar of an extraterrestrial demon lord.

"Good, very good. We have a long future ahead. I hope that when we meet again, both of you fellow Daoists will still be safe and sound." After his eyes flashed with malevolent light several times, the man surnamed Gui spoke coldly.

As soon as he finished speaking, he flicked his sleeve, and a cloud of grey mist shot forth. After a single rotation, an odd, pointed conical flying chariot materialized, entirely blood-red and faintly flickering with ghostly shadows.

The man surnamed Gui's figure flickered, and he instantly vanished into the chariot. Then, with a loud ghostly shriek, the flying chariot transformed into a blood-red rainbow and shot towards the horizon.

After only a few flashes, it vanished without a trace.

This individual was exceptionally decisive; seeing his chances of victory were slim, he immediately fled without hesitation.

The Crystal Race woman's expression relaxed. With a hand seal, the Qilin phantom in the air dispersed, instantly reverting into a talisman and a small banner, which fell and were then collected by her.

The woman then turned with a smiling face and gracefully curtsied to Han Li:

"This time, we owe much to Brother Han for frightening away this scoundrel. Otherwise, it's truly uncertain if we would have left this place alive today."

"Hmph, you seem to trust me a great deal. Aren't you afraid I might become displeased, turn on you instantly, seize you, and then use soul-searching techniques to extract the method for repairing the demon armor?" Han Li glanced at her and snorted.

"Although I haven't known Brother Han for long, I believe I can discern that you are not someone who would turn ruthless so easily. Furthermore, even though my cultivation isn't high, I possess some secret techniques to deeply seal my spirit. Even if my soul were to scatter, it would be impossible for anyone to easily obtain crucial information." Qianqian paid no attention to Han Li's tone, instead offering a sweet smile.

Upon hearing this, Han Li couldn't help but feel somewhat speechless.

His primary objective for this journey was to repair the extraterrestrial demon armor, and he truly wished to avoid any further complications. As for something as extraordinary as the True Kylin Origin, it was the first time he had heard of it, and obtaining it seemed impossible for now. He naturally intended to gather more information upon his return before deciding how to proceed. Furthermore, the strange transformations of the extraterrestrial demon lord and the Soul-Cry Beast had left him somewhat unsettled, requiring careful consideration upon his return.

"This time, I will be taking the materials from that Saint-rank Demonic Ape." Han Li pondered for a moment before speaking in an unyielding tone.

"No problem. After we return, besides repairing the demon armor for Brother Han, I will also present you with another gift as a token of gratitude for your crucial assistance." Qianqian was exceptionally compliant, not only agreeing instantly but also volunteering further compensation.

Seeing her so understanding, Han Li nodded, his expression softening slightly.

"Brother Han, our recent battle has likely alerted many demonic beasts. Let's leave now to avoid further complications." Qianqian's gaze swept over the vast expanse of wreckage on the ground, a hint of melancholy flashing in her eyes, before she asked in an inquiring tone.

"Indeed, the commotion just now was too great. Let's leave immediately." Han Li scanned his surroundings and agreed without hesitation.

The Crystal Race woman naturally showed a joyful expression.

Immediately, their escape lights rose, transforming into two striking rainbows, one white and one blue, which shot towards the mountain range's exit.

Moments later, the area fell silent, devoid of any human presence.

After less than half a day, Han Li and the woman had exited the mountain range. Their escape lights receded, and they reappeared on the mountain peak where they had parted ways with Yue Zong.

Without a word, Qianqian raised a hand, and a silver light shot forth. After circling in the nearby air a few times, it flashed back into her sleeve.

Her expression changed, and then she gave a bitter smile before turning to Han Li and saying:

"Indeed, as I expected, fellow Daoist Yue has likely perished. The attack must have come from either the man surnamed Gui or the high-level demonic beast that was slain by the Cave Spirit. If I had known this, it would have been better to have fellow Daoist Yue accompany us into the mountain range. Now, our return journey might involve some risks."

"The demise of fellow Daoist Yue is indeed an unfortunate event. However, even if he had entered that place with us, he wouldn't have been able to proceed through the demonic energy passage. Thus, his fate would likely have remained the same. As for our return journey, let's simply retrace our steps. After all, we've already traversed that path once, and it's relatively safe and reliable," Han Li said after a brief contemplation.

"That's the only way then. There's no time to lose; let's depart immediately," the Crystal Race woman sighed and said.

Han Li nodded.

The two immediately reactivated their escape lights and flew back along their original path.

Han Li and the woman, of course, were unaware that tens of thousands of miles away, hundreds of transformed demonic beasts were surging along the same route, rushing madly towards them.

The one leading the charge was none other than another formidable subordinate of the Saint-rank Multi-eyed Demon: the humanoid demonic beast named Wuqi, distinguished by a pair of dark, colossal horns on his head.

He was clad in black iron armor, and his seemingly ferocious face held a heavy expression. He constantly glanced at a blood-red spherical bead clutched tightly in one hand.

The bead, which should have been crystal clear and exceptionally smooth, now bore a deep crack through its center, and its light had completely vanished.

Upon receiving a plea for help from his subordinate Jiuye, the Saint-rank Multi-eyed Demon could not go himself. Fearing that Han Li and his companions might truly escape, he immediately dispatched Wuqi, gathering all available mid-to-high-level demonic beasts nearby, and sent them directly to pursue the trail left by Jiuye.

However, not long after he set off, the artifact in his hand, originally used to locate his companions, split in two.

This immediately startled the demonic beast.

Such an occurrence naturally implied that the companion he was tracking had, more likely than not, already perished.

In that case, he truly had no confidence that he could still intercept the opponents.

However, the thought of the sinister, cold glint in his "master's" eyes just before his departure sent a shiver down his spine.

This made "Wuqi" shiver uncontrollably.

He had no doubt that if he were to return to his master now using this as an excuse, he would immediately be torn in half.

As these thoughts churned in his mind, the demonic beast, vexed, let out a low roar, urging the other demonic beasts behind him to quicken their pace.

Instantly, the demonic winds surged, and the horde of beasts, sweeping forward, increased their speed by another two tenths.

Above a seemingly ordinary small valley at the edge of the Demonic Gold Mountain Range, four figures stood motionless, confronting each other.

On one side stood an old man with grayish-white hair and a woman in palace attire. On the other were an alien with a square head and emerald green hair, and a lean, seemingly formidable man.

All four wore grim expressions, observing each other with hostile gazes.

"As soon as you arrived, you wished to drive us away. Don't you find that a bit too overbearing?" The old man, none other than the local cultivator surnamed Yan from Thundercloud Pavilion, spoke calmly.

"Hmph, I've set my sights on this place and intend to explore it. I don't want anyone guarding the entrance." The green-haired alien, a Void Refining stage cultivator who had suffered a significant setback at Han Li's hands, spoke without ceremony.

"You are going too far! We discovered this place first. Why should we hand it over to you?" The woman in palace attire grew furious upon hearing this.

"Why? For beings like us, might makes right. If you refuse to yield, then allow this Venerable One to test your divine abilities. If you can defeat me, this valley will naturally be yours. Otherwise, get out of my sight!" The green-haired alien's body erupted with malevolent aura, and he spoke with a ferocious sneer.

It was clear he intended to strike decisively if there was any disagreement.

"Why the rush to fight, esteemed one? Let's speak plainly. Your eagerness to drive us away is undoubtedly because your magic compass has reacted to this valley. However, a reaction from the compass doesn't necessarily guarantee the presence of a Spirit Immortal inside. You, fellow Daoist, must have experienced such false alarms several times recently. In that case, why don't we enter and search together first? After we confirm its authenticity, then we can make a decision. Otherwise, I, Yan, will certainly not leave and will have no choice but to fight you." The old man surnamed Yan, however, remained exceptionally calm and spoke indifferently.