Chapter 1899: Dependence

A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality, Volume Ten: War in the Demon Realm

“Since Elder Tian says so, it must be correct. As for that burly man, I vaguely perceived a faint phantom image of a flood dragon on him, and a very pure demonic energy subtly contained within his body. Surely he has no connection to the True-Devil Race, does he?” the Wood Tribe woman respectfully added.

“A flood dragon, demonic energy! He should have no connection to the Demon Race. Currently, there are countless cultivation techniques in the Spirit Realm that utilize demonic energy, available to various races. As for his true form being a flood dragon, that's even more impossible. The Flood Dragon Race and the True-Devil Race are mortal enemies; once they meet, only one side can survive.” After a brief moment of thought, the old man in green robes slowly shook his head in denial.

Even though this Grand Elder of the Wood Tribe was well-informed, he could never have imagined that the black-armored man's true form was actually a descendant of an evil dragon, a species thought to have been extinct in the Spirit Realm for countless years.

As a result, his judgment was greatly mistaken.

Meanwhile, high in the sky, ten thousand miles away, the burly man respectfully asked the woman in white:

“Saint Ancestor, since this Black Spirit Flower is useful to you, why didn't you take all of it? What was the intention behind leaving half? That Wood Tribe elder is only an early Mahayana stage cultivator; how could he possibly threaten you? After all, your divine abilities rank among the top five even among all Saint Ancestors in the Saint Realm.”

“What does a mere little crocodile like you know! While I am confident I could defeat that Grand Elder of the Wood Tribe, I wasn't certain I could truly kill him. Furthermore, the Black Spirit Flower only offers limited help for my injuries; consuming more than ten flowers would be useless. Given that, the reward isn't worth the risk, so why would I make such an unwise move?” the woman in the white dress said softly.

“I see. But Saint Ancestor, we've traveled through most of the Fengyuan Continent. If we don't find anything more valuable soon, should we perhaps leave this continent? If I recall correctly, the Saint War seems imminent. If we were to encounter other Saint Ancestors who have descended from the Saint Realm, that would likely be very unfavorable for us.” The burly man asked cautiously after a moment of hesitation.

“The Saint War! Hmm, back when we hadn't left the Saint Realm, we Saint Ancestors predicted its timing and discussed related matters. This indeed is one of the most densely interconnected regions between the two realms. But you, little crocodile, have nothing to worry about! Even if the Saint War were to break out immediately, other Saint Ancestors couldn't instantly appear in the Spirit Realm; at most, only their avatars would descend first. Furthermore, while I wasn't certain before, upon arriving in this region, I used a secret art to divine, and there's a strong possibility that what I'm looking for is here. Under such circumstances, how could I leave immediately?” the woman in the white dress replied with a soft smile.

“I understand. Then, even if it costs me my life, I will certainly find that item for you, Saint Ancestor, so that your divine abilities can be fully restored.” Upon hearing this, the black-armored man's heart trembled, and he immediately patted his chest repeatedly in assurance.

“It seems my Ming Luo truly disciplined you well back then. If you can indeed help me recover my divine abilities, I, this Saint Ancestor, will certainly not be stingy; there will be immense benefits for you.” The woman in the white dress smiled, a hint of mystery appearing at the corner of her lips.

“Thank you, Saint Ancestor Baohua! I will dedicate my life and perform any task, even if it means death.” The burly man was overjoyed at these words and immediately renewed his fervent expressions of loyalty.

The woman in the white dress glanced at the burly man with an enigmatic smile but said nothing further.

However, the direction their escape light was heading was precisely towards the Human Race territory.

Han Li stood atop a certain mountain peak, gazing at the massive demon mark stretching for over ten miles in the high sky, his expression a mix of apprehension and contemplation.

Several *zhang* behind him, his three disciples, Bai Guo'er among them, stood with their hands respectfully clasped, their faces showing deference.

“Let's go back. It seems the demon calamity will definitely erupt in half a year.” Han Li exhaled and instructed in an unquestionable tone.

“Yes, Master!”

The three disciples, naturally, had no objections.

With a flick of Han Li's sleeve, a streak of green light shot forth, enveloping all four of them and swiftly carrying them back towards his cave dwelling.

Half an hour later, Han Li was seated on the main seat in his cave dwelling's great hall. Beside him sat an elegant woman in silver robes, who was none other than Ice Phoenix, cultivating under his protection for many years.

By this time, Ice Phoenix had not only fully recovered her magical power but had also subtly entered the late Soul Transformation stage. Her rapid advancement to this realm clearly owed much to Han Li's considerable support in elixirs.

Below Ice Phoenix, in the subordinate seats, were his three disciples: Bai Guo'er, Young Master Hai, and Tool Spirit Child.

“Brother Han, the demon mark is now so close to our cave dwelling that this place is clearly no longer suitable for cultivation. What do you plan to do next? Do we need to immediately relocate the cave dwelling elsewhere?” Ice Phoenix softly inquired of Han Li, a hint of worry in her brows.

These past few centuries had been the most satisfactory period in her cultivation career. Not only did she have no worries about her safety, but there was also a continuous supply of cultivation-advancing elixirs for her to consume. Naturally, she felt a great deal of helplessness regarding the demon calamity erupting at this time.

“Indeed, the cave dwelling must be relocated. However, there's no need to move it elsewhere; we'll simply relocate directly into Tianyuan City. After all, once the demon calamity erupts, almost all less populated areas will become extremely dangerous. Even if we don't go to Tianyuan City, our only other option would be the Three Emperor City.” Han Li said slowly after his gaze flickered.

“Move to Tianyuan City? Does Brother Han intend to join the Elder Council then?” Ice Phoenix asked in surprise.

“No, only you few will reside long-term in Tianyuan City from now on. After I help Tianyuan City withstand the initial waves of demonic attacks, I will find a secret place where the demons cannot easily find me and continue my cultivation.” Han Li said, shaking his head.

“Why is that? Is Brother Han going to...” Ice Phoenix blinked suspiciously a few times, but then she suddenly understood.

“Precisely. If I can get another ten years, I can attempt to break through the bottleneck of the late Integration stage. In that case, I naturally need to cultivate for a while longer.” Han Li nodded.

“Good. If that's the situation, then this is indeed a wise move. As for assisting fellow Daoist in breaking through the bottleneck of the late Integration stage, it was already agreed upon. I, your humble servant, will await Brother Han's instructions at any time.” Upon hearing Han Li's words, Ice Phoenix's face flushed slightly as she replied softly.

“Alright, since Fairy Feng has no objections, the three of you immediately issue orders to all the disciples under your charge. Pack up the cave dwelling, and we will leave here in three days. Guo'er, since you don't wish to go to Tianyuan City, once the disciples are settled, you can go to Xuanwu City. With the Profound Turtle Hegemon Emperor and that old turtle guarding it, Xuanwu City is also a very safe place.” Han Li decisively instructed his three disciples.

“As you command, Master!”

“Thank you, Master!”

Bai Guo'er and the other two naturally had no objections, rising together and bowing.

Thus, three days later, several colossal boats, each over thirty *zhang* long, rumbled as they flew out from the mountain peak.

At the very front of one of these colossal boats, a young man in green robes stood silently, his expression extremely calm, as if nothing in the world could disturb his mind.

On the other colossal boats, hundreds of men and women, old and young, stood packed closely together, some looking tense, others appearing greatly excited.

Moments later, spiritual light flared from the surfaces of the colossal boats, transforming them into immense spheres of light that rapidly shot away, vanishing into the distant horizon in the blink of an eye.

At almost the same time, in a small mountain range enveloped by a hilly region untold thousands of miles away from Han Li's cave dwelling, another group of tens of thousands of mortal cultivators were also boarding massive flying boats.

For a moment, the bustling sounds merged into a single din, like a busy marketplace.

On one of these flying boats, over a dozen cultivators at the Soul Transformation and Void Refinement stages were gathered around a woman in palace attire.

The woman, appearing to be in her early twenties, possessed peerless beauty, but her elegant brows were slightly furrowed as she observed the chaotic scene before her.

“Lord Xueling, is our Xu family truly going to seek refuge with the Holy Emperor? This junior feels it might be safer to go to the Profound Turtle Imperial City. After all, besides the Profound Turtle Hegemon Emperor, there's also a giant beast akin to a true spirit guarding the city.” An old man at the Void Refinement stage asked with some hesitation.

“What? Do you doubt my judgment?” the woman in palace attire asked coldly, turning her head to face the old man.

“I wouldn't dare. This junior had no such intention,” the old man hastily explained.

“Hmph, what do you know! While Xuanwu City, with its Hegemon Emperor and that old turtle, is indeed a notch stronger than Tianyuan City, I have some connections with the current lineage of the Tianyuan Holy Emperor. Once we are in Tianyuan City, our Xu family won't be used as cannon fodder. As for Xuanwu City, I can't make any guarantees.” The woman in palace attire said with confidence.

“I see. This junior was presumptuous!” The old man's heart relaxed upon hearing this.

“Considering you were thinking for the Xu family, I'll let it slide this time. If there's a next time, don't blame me for being ruthless,” the woman in palace attire said chillingly, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.

The others present, including the old man, naturally felt a chill in their hearts and simultaneously bowed, repeatedly saying, “We wouldn't dare.”

The woman in palace attire waved her hand, then turned her head away again.

More than half a day later, over a hundred battle boats of various sizes simultaneously soared into the sky and flew off in a certain direction.

In a blink of an eye, this small mountain range became completely empty, devoid of people. The Xu family's vast estate had been entirely abandoned.

Similar scenes were unfolding simultaneously across various human territories.

Smaller and medium-sized families who had not yet aligned with other powers could no longer maintain their composure after the appearance of the demon mark, and they, one after another, abandoned their homes and livelihoods.

Two months later, atop the massive city walls of Tianyuan City, an old monk clad in a golden robe stood motionless, but from his slightly narrowed eyes, sharp glints occasionally flashed forth.

Behind the monk, over a dozen high-level cultivators, dressed in various attires, also stood, mostly looking curiously at the distant sky.

After about the time it takes to eat a meal, a flash of spiritual light appeared on the horizon, and one flying boat after another emerged, flying directly towards the people on the city wall.

Instantly, the group of cultivators behind the monk stirred, appearing somewhat disorderly.

Although the old monk didn't turn around, he could clearly sense the reactions of the crowd behind him. He immediately frowned and let out a light cough.

Although the sound was not loud, the commotion behind him immediately subsided.

At that moment, several flashes of spiritual light flickered in the distance, and the silhouettes of several battle boats appeared.