Chapter 1902: Magic Bat

**Volume Ten: War in the Demon Realm (Revised Edition)**

**Chapter Ten: War in the Demon Realm (Revised Edition)**

"Boom!" With a tremendous roar and a flash of black light, a gigantic warship rapidly expanded into view. This warship, initially only dozens of *zhang* long, transformed in the blink of an eye into a behemoth the size of a mountain. Its three black masts, each towering ten thousand *zhang* high, resembled immense pillars supporting the sky. From each mast hung a dark sail, faintly imprinted with several lifelike black monstrous beasts, baring their fangs and brandishing their claws. An astonishing aura of malice surged skyward.

Even more shocking, as the ship magnified to such an enormous size, various artifacts of differing forms emerged from the centers of the glowing magic arrays across its hull. Some of these objects were spherical, others cylindrical, but all were intricately inscribed with complex runes. They clearly appeared to be simple to activate, designed purely for immense destructive power. However, to fully unleash the power of so many artifacts would likely require hundreds of cultivators. Compared to these artifacts, the three translucent, five-colored crystal pillars rising from the top of the cabin were the most striking features. These three crystal pillars were not only as thick as water vats but also a hundred *zhang* long, making all other artifacts pale in comparison.

As Han Li intently examined the enormous warship, Old Ancestor Long had finished inspecting the spiritual milk and storage bracelet in his hand, put them away, and then glanced at the giant vessel, saying calmly: "The raw materials alone for building a Sky-Grasping Warship are worth hundreds of millions of spirit stones, not to mention the labor, time, and effort invested in its construction. If this ship were truly put up for sale outside, I wouldn't even consider it unless the price were at least doubled."

"I naturally know that I've gained a slight advantage in this transaction, but the spiritual milk and materials you've received are also not something that can be bought with mere spirit stones outside. Well, in any case, this transaction is finally complete, so I won't linger here. When you decide to enter the Demon Realm in the future, just leave a message for me in Tianyuan City in advance. I will definitely be there on time!" Han Li said with a light chuckle, then, with a single-hand incantation, he vastly shrunk the massive object in the air, transforming it back into a few-inch-long item which he stored in his sleeve.

"As long as humanity can withstand the initial waves of demonic attacks and keep the demonic tribulation within a controllable range, the journey to the Demon Realm will certainly not be abandoned. I will definitely inform Fellow Daoist Han in advance. After all, with your current cultivation, you would undoubtedly be a great asset for that endeavor," Old Ancestor Long said, a faint smile appearing on his impassive face.

Han Li nodded upon hearing this, then his gaze flickered. He cast a strange, knowing smile towards a seemingly empty spot nearby, cupped a hand in salute, and with a flash of green light, transformed into a green rainbow, soaring away. Old Ancestor Long's expression subtly changed at this sight, but he remained rooted to the spot until the green rainbow completely vanished at the horizon, then he let out a soft sigh.

But just then, from the empty space Han Li had swept with his gaze before leaving, spatial ripples suddenly appeared. A figure shimmered into view amid the distortion—a black-robed man. He was none other than another Grand Elder of the Long family. At this moment, with a gloomy expression, he too gazed at the horizon where Han Li had vanished, and spoke in a deep voice:

"Brother Long, it seems he had already detected my presence. Even you, Fellow Daoist, cannot easily perceive this newly cultivated concealment divine ability of mine, yet it couldn't escape his notice. This person either cultivated a special great divine ability or possesses some supreme treasure specifically designed to break through concealment."

"Indeed, but it's also possible his spiritual sense is even stronger than mine. Given his incredibly fast cultivation speed, it's perfectly reasonable for him to possess one or two heaven-defying talents. Regardless, with him joining us, the human race's strength for entering the Demon Realm has increased by another notch. We won't be too inferior to the spirit race's Saint-level cultivators then," Old Ancestor Long replied expressionlessly, nodding slightly.

"But Brother Long, we know too little about this Han fellow's background, which could become an unstable factor for our journey into the Demon Realm," the black-robed man said, frowning slightly.

"...Hmph, knowing too little is nothing. How much do we truly know about the other individuals we've invited? As long as they can help us achieve our goals, that's enough. This demonic tribulation, though a great catastrophe for our race, is also a heaven-sent opportunity for cultivators at our Integration stage. This endeavor must succeed; failure means we will truly be stuck at the Integration stage for the rest of our lives, unable to advance further," Old Ancestor Long said, clenching his hands within his sleeves, a stern expression flashing across his face.

"What Brother Long said makes some sense, but before that, we must truly be able to withstand the demonic attacks," the black-robed man readily agreed, then turned his head to glance at the giant city and said.

"I have gathered the power of thirteen noble families to build this stronghold. It allows for mutual defense and attack, serving as a strategic point. I am confident that in terms of both the number of high-level cultivators and defensive capabilities, it is in no way inferior to the three great imperial cities. Even if this demonic tribulation proves to be many times more formidable than rumored, we should still be safe," Old Ancestor Long said confidently.

"I absolutely believe that, otherwise, I wouldn't have sought cooperation with you, Brother Long. Since that young fellow has left, let's also return and deal with our affairs. The demonic rifts are growing larger; it's estimated that in three to four months, the true demons will break through the boundary and arrive. We must maintain utmost vigilance to face them," the black-robed man said with a solemn expression.

"Yes, let's go. I do have an important batch of pills currently being refined," Old Ancestor Long nodded, then flicked his sleeve. A golden glow immediately swept out, enveloping his figure, and he transformed into a ball of golden light, shooting towards the giant city. Seeing this, the black-robed man likewise performed a single-hand incantation, transforming into a gust of black wind and soaring away.

At the same time, thousands of miles away, Han Li was also speeding towards his destination.

More than two months later, Han Li finally returned to Tianyuan City via a teleportation array. By then, the entire city was under martial law, and all restrictive spell formations were in a semi-activated state. Had Han Li not been an Integration stage cultivator, he likely wouldn't even have had the permission to use the teleportation array at that time.

Han Li paid no heed to the murderous atmosphere pervading the city. Instead, he returned directly to the tall pagoda where Hai Dashao and his disciples resided. He handed the Sky-Grasping Warship to a few disciples, instructing them to quickly familiarize themselves and hundreds of their fellow sect members with this treasure. After all, the Sky-Grasping Warship naturally required a certain number of people to unleash its true power. This was considered Han Li's trump card for his disciples' survival. Otherwise, with their Nascent Soul stage cultivation, it was truly debatable whether they could escape the demonic tribulation unscathed.

After entrusting the giant ship to his disciples, Han Li immediately returned to the top floor of the pagoda and resumed his secluded cultivation. This time, however, he instructed his disciples to keep an eye on the demonic rifts and report their status daily.

Days passed, and the atmosphere in Tianyuan City naturally grew tenser by the day. The demonic rifts near Tianyuan City were now not only tens of thousands of miles wide but also turned pitch-black and luminous. In closer proximity, one could even clearly see turbulent, ink-black demonic energy swirling within them. However, the demonic rifts in Tianyuan City were not particularly vast compared to those in other human territories. It was said that the largest rift appeared near the new Spirit Emperor, stretching over a million miles, its area more than a hundred times that of Tianyuan City's rifts. Upon hearing this news, Han Li could only sigh lightly and then put the matter out of his mind.

One day, near a massive, dark demonic rift countless miles from Tianyuan City, two dazzling golden flying ships, several *zhang* long, were cleverly hidden in a dense forest about ten miles away. On each of these warships were two golden-armored Heavenly Guards and several black-armored guards. These individuals had been stationed here for an unknown number of days, and their expressions were somewhat solemn as they conversed in low voices.

"Brother Chen, for the past two days, my heart has been restless, and my eyelids have been twitching uncontrollably. Is it possible that the demonic tribulation will erupt in these next few days?" a burly golden-armored man with bulging muscles in his arms asked, a hint of unease in his tone.

"Fellow Daoist Jin, it's not just you. Since I was assigned here to monitor the demonic rift, I've been on edge. However, thankfully, we're only responsible for surveillance. As soon as the demonic rift breaks, we can immediately activate the teleportation array and return to the city. There isn't much real danger," another short, elderly man replied with a wry smile.

"Hmm, I know there shouldn't be any danger to our lives, but I'm still like this. It seems my mental state isn't strong enough. Still, to be unlucky enough to be chosen by lot and assigned here, it's really unfortunate for both of us," the burly man replied with a grimace, sounding a bit helpless.

"Heh heh, staying in the city is certainly extremely safe. But as long as we successfully complete our mission, the rewards for this trip are quite substantial. I don't think taking this small risk is anything to worry about," the old man said, shaking his head.

"True. The pills the Elder Council provided this time are indeed extremely rare and very useful to us... Oh no, what is that...?" The burly man couldn't help but laugh at this, but the next moment, his gaze swept across the distant sky, and he abruptly stood up from the golden ship, his face instantly changing dramatically.

"What? Has the demonic rift changed?" The old man's heart sank when he heard this, and he quickly turned to look in the same direction. The other black-armored guards also looked at the distant sky, their faces turning deathly pale.

A vast expanse of void beneath the distant demonic rift suddenly began to violently twist and shake, as if the entire sky were about to overturn. But just then, an earth-shattering roar erupted, and from the swirling demonic energy within the rift, countless demon bats, each over a *zhang* in length, suddenly appeared. Each had blood-red fur and a single black horn on its head. As they opened their mouths, waves of sound energy surged towards the distorted void below.