Chapter 1983: Flower Tree Reappears

Volume Ten: The War in the Demon Realm

The tall figure, enveloped in silver electric light, stabilized himself within the lightning formation and looked up, revealing a burly middle-aged man with a full head of red hair and a bushy beard.

The man had a square face and a remarkably large, curved nose, resembling an eagle's beak. On his back were a pair of crimson feathered wings. As they subtly flapped, streaks of electric light crackled into existence, making him appear like an incarnation of the God of Thunder.

However, the man, who should have looked mighty and imposing, was now pale. His silver long robe was scorched black in many places, and one sleeve was torn directly from the shoulder, exposing a bare arm.

This burly man was surprisingly an early Integration stage cultivator, yet he appeared even more disheveled than Han Li. The moment he appeared, he immediately turned his head, looking back repeatedly with an expression of utter panic.

“How is it him? Why is he here?” At such a close distance, Han Li could naturally see the man's face clearly. Startled, he involuntarily blurted out the words.

As if hearing Han Li's exclamation, the man suddenly turned his head, his eyes gleaming with sharp light as he looked toward Han Li's direction. Upon recognizing Han Li's face on the flying chariot, his expression instantly became extremely peculiar.

After his expression changed several times, Han Li seemed to recall something, and a hint of excitement appeared at the corner of his mouth.

The next moment, he stood up from the flying chariot and, with a swift movement, appeared like a phantom behind the spiritual puppet.

With a soft ‘thwack,’ Han Li lightly patted the shoulder of the white-robed woman.

The spiritual puppet transformed into a ball of white light and was collected into his sleeve.

Subsequently, a spiritual light flashed under Han Li's feet, and the flying chariot's escape velocity instantly surged by more than twofold. In just a few blinks, it appeared in the void about a hundred feet away from the burly man.

“Han Li, is that you! Why are you here, and in such a sorry state?” The man released a wave of spiritual sense, sweeping it over Han Li, then frowned and asked loudly.

The man's voice was somewhat low, and it was clear he also recognized Han Li.

“Brother Lei, it seems that I should be the one asking that question, shouldn't I? A dignified young master of a clan, acting like a startled bird. Are you being hunted by someone as well?” Han Li's mouth twitched, and he asked with a wry smile.

“Hmph, indeed, I, Lei, have encountered some trouble, but it’s certainly better than your situation. We haven’t met for several hundred years, and you’ve actually advanced to the Integration stage, and even to the Mid-Integration realm. But why is your magic power so depleted? You haven’t been chased by several Mahayana cultivators, have you?” The man's eyes shifted slightly as he looked at Han Li's face, speaking with a peculiar tone.

“Brother Lei, you’ve really guessed it. I was indeed hunted by Mahayana cultivators, which is why I fled here in such a sorry state. Brother Lei, given how panicked you are with your lightning formation abilities, you haven’t been pursued by a Mahayana-level being as well, have you?” Han Li raised an eyebrow, frankly admitting it, and then asked in return.

“Heh heh, it seems we truly are a pair of distressed brothers. But who exactly is pursuing you? Why have Mahayana cultivators suddenly become so numerous recently?” The man yawned and asked curiously.

“Brother Lei, are you asking knowingly? Our human race, along with several nearby clans, are already caught in the great catastrophe of the demon plague. Those pursuing me can naturally only be ancient demons! Don’t you know about this, fellow Daoist?” Han Li was startled by his words and spoke somewhat strangely.

“Demon plague? Are you saying ancient demon ancestors are pursuing you! I only just emerged from seclusion in a nearby place a few months ago; how would I know about this?” This time, it was the man’s turn to be greatly startled, and he replied with a gasp.

“Just emerged from seclusion, no wonder. The demon plague has already begun for some time. Those pursuing me are several incarnations of the Demon Race Saint Ancestors, each possessing terrifying divine abilities at the late Integration stage. With them working together, I naturally only had the option of fleeing for my life. Brother Lei, the ones following you wouldn’t happen to be incarnations of ancient demon ancestors as well, would they?” Han Li's unusual expression faded, and he asked in doubt.

“Whether they are Demon Race Saint Ancestors, I don’t know.

But they can indeed wield very pure True Demonic Qi. The cultivation technique of one of them can even suppress my Five-Thunder Body. As for the other, I still haven’t been able to discern the depth of their cultivation; perhaps they truly are an incarnation of one of the ancient demon ancestors.” The man spoke very vaguely.

Han Li frowned, but then his brow immediately smoothed out.

This Lei Yunzi, whom he had known from another race in the past, was clearly hiding something. However, at this moment, Han Li naturally couldn't be bothered to question him further. Instead, after a brief ponder, he said to the other party:

“Meeting you, fellow Daoist, is also my good fortune. Brother Lei, do you still remember the lightning formation you once introduced to me that day? If you and I were to join forces…”

“You mean that double lightning formation? How could I have forgotten about that! Haha, now there’s hope for us to escape!” Lei Yunzi's eyes lit up, and he was overjoyed upon hearing this.

“Fellow Daoist, since you understand the situation, we should quickly… Eh, where is this fragrance coming from?” Han Li also smiled and was about to add a few more words with a light cough, but after a soft sniff, his expression suddenly changed drastically.

“No good, those two are catching up! Fellow Daoist Han, quickly come here, I’ll take you away first!” Lei Yunzi's face instantly turned pale, and he urgently shouted.

Upon hearing this, Han Li was also startled. He didn't bother to find the source of the mysterious fragrance, but instead stomped his foot on the flying chariot, which instantly transformed into a streaking green rainbow.

In two flashes, Han Li suddenly appeared beside the burly man. With a shake of his sleeve, the flying chariot instantly transformed into a ball of spiritual light and merged into his body.

With an anxious expression, the man formed a hand seal with one hand. Immediately, a loud roar erupted, and countless silver electric arcs shot out from his wings and body, instantly forming a brilliant silver new lightning formation around them.

This lightning formation thundered, covering both the man and Han Li. Electric light flickered, as if countless silver snakes were dancing wildly, instantly engulfing both their figures. But just then, a ripple suddenly appeared above the lightning formation, and the ethereal image of a pink flowering tree silently emerged.

This flowering tree was about hundreds of feet tall, entirely pink and crystalline, and emitted an indescribably strange fragrance.

The flowering tree merely rotated slightly at its height. Instantly, countless pink flowers on it fell like autumn leaves, then, with another flash, transformed into a rolling wave of pink light that surged downwards.

Strangely, this pink light wave appeared slow, but with a single roll, it crossed several hundred feet and arrived directly above the lightning formation.

“No time! Get out of the way!”

The pink light was exceptionally beautiful, enchanting the viewer and filling them with joy. However, upon seeing it, the man’s face instantly turned pale, as if he had seen a poisonous scorpion, and he shouted loudly. He didn't even care about the lightning formation that was about to complete its teleportation. With a fierce flap of his wings, he shot out from the lightning formation as an electric arc, and with a single flash, disappeared into the void.

Although Han Li was seeing the pink flowering tree for the first time, upon witnessing Lei Yunzi's actions, his heart tensed. Without hesitation, he swayed his shoulder, and his figure blurred, also transforming into a streak of cyan-white light that shot out from the lightning formation.

The cyan-white light streak flickered in and out of sight. With just one flash, it instantly traversed over two hundred feet and appeared in another part of the void.

Under the sweep of the pink light wave, the electric arcs of the huge lightning formation instantly flickered and extinguished. In just one breath, the entire lightning formation was annihilated into dust amidst the flickering light!

The pink light seemed to be specifically capable of suppressing lightning power.

The cyan-white escape light receded, and Han Li reappeared. Looking back at the scene, he naturally gasped.

“Brother Lei, is that…?” He couldn't help but ask Lei Yunzi in surprise, leaving the sentence unfinished.

“Indeed, my pursuers have arrived. These two guys are catching up to me faster and faster.” Lei Yunzi, his face grim in the other direction, could only force a smile upon hearing this.

Upon hearing this, Han Li naturally cursed inwardly, feeling extremely bitter. He could only force himself to raise his full attention, cautiously refocusing his gaze on the ethereal image of the flowering tree!

But apart from the ethereal image of the flowering tree, the nearby void remained empty and unusually quiet, with no second object appearing.

Neither Lei Yunzi nor Han Li were ordinary cultivators, so they naturally wouldn't be fooled by such minor tricks. Instead of taking any reckless action, they remained silent and motionless in their original positions.

“Heh heh, this time, why aren’t you fleeing? Could it be that you’ve decided to surrender and hand over that item?”

As soon as the words fell, the void near the flowering tree shimmered slightly, and an ugly man in a black long robe suddenly appeared. He twisted his neck and swept his gaze around, instantly spotting Lei Yunzi and Han Li.

“Oh, there are others here. Who are you?” A fierce light flashed in the ugly man’s eyes, and he asked with a somewhat sinister growl.

“This is the person who chased you until you fled in such a sorry state!?” Han Li's expression shifted, and he asked Lei Yunzi, who was on the other side.

“Of course not. Besides him, there’s also…”

“And of course, myself!”

A faint female voice suddenly came from above the ethereal image of the flowering tree.

Then, the pink light on the surface of the flowering tree flickered wildly, and with a 'bang,' it shattered inch by inch.

After a gust of wind swept through, the ethereal image dispersed into specks of spiritual light and vanished. However, a ripple appeared at its original spot, and a barefoot woman in a white dress suddenly appeared.

This woman possessed unparalleled beauty and an exceptionally calm expression. Beneath her slender, jade-like feet, a giant pink flower was floating.

The instant Han Li saw this woman, his breath caught. A feeling that almost choked him emerged from his heart, and his face instantly turned extremely grim.

Almost instantly, Han Li was certain that even if the opponent wasn't a Mahayana cultivator themselves, they were definitely an incarnation of one. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to feel such dread.

After the woman on the giant flower appeared, her gaze swept over Han Li's and Lei Yunzi's faces. A corner of her mouth curved upward, revealing a mysterious smile.