Chapter 2009: Qinglong's Fall

Chapter 10: Battle in the Demon Realm

A few hours later, Reverend Azure Dragon appeared in Tianyuan City's teleportation hall with two disciples. The guards responsible for the hall were startled and immediately stepped out to greet them.

"Greetings, Elder Azure Dragon. May I ask the purpose of your visit?" The leading Void Refinement cultivator asked Reverend Azure Dragon with extreme respect. Clearly, this person knew that Reverend Azure Dragon had become one of Tianyuan City's elders, which was why he addressed him as such.

"Open the teleportation array immediately. I have urgent business and need to leave at once," Reverend Azure Dragon commanded without ceremony, his gaze sweeping over the teleportation arrays in the hall.

"What? Elder, you intend to use the teleportation array? May I ask if you have a handwritten order or token from the Elders' Council?" The Void Refinement cultivator was stunned for a moment, then asked hesitantly.

"Hmph, as an Elder of the Elders' Council, why would I need such trouble to use a teleportation array? Hurry and open it for me!" Reverend Azure Dragon narrowed his eyes, his face darkening.

"Elder Azure Dragon, it's not that this junior disrespects you, but the Elders' Council issued a strict order two days ago. From that day onward, regardless of status, all cultivators wishing to use the teleportation array must obtain the Elders' Council's approval. Elder Azure Dragon, please don't make it difficult for us juniors, or we will surely face severe punishment for disobeying orders," the Void Refinement cultivator said, his face showing a troubled expression.

"Such a thing exists? In that case, I won't make things difficult for you. I'll just go to the Elders' Council to get a token!" Reverend Azure Dragon's expression changed slightly, but after a moment's thought, he said with a relaxed demeanor.

"Thank you for your understanding, Elder, this junior will respectfully prepare..." "Ah, Reverend Azure Dragon, what are you doing!" The Void Refinement cultivator, who had been smiling apologetically, suddenly found the surrounding air thicken, and his entire body became utterly unable to move. Not only him, but the other hall-guarding cultivators who had come out to greet them were similarly held in place by an unseen force, their faces filled with terror.

"Don't panic. I merely have urgent business that cannot be delayed even for a moment. I'll just teleport myself away," Reverend Azure Dragon said, a cold expression on his face, as he subtly released the spell he had been secretly forming in his sleeve.

Then, Reverend Azure Dragon raised one hand, and a white jade token suddenly appeared in it. He waved it towards the layers of restrictions behind the hall's entrance. Immediately, a beam of white light shot out, and wherever it passed, the hall's restrictions dissolved and dispersed. Reverend Azure Dragon's face showed a hint of joy. He immediately strode into the hall with his disciples, found a small, dedicated teleportation array, and stepped onto it at once.

A hum resonated! The array was instantly activated, and after a flash of white light, Reverend Azure Dragon and his three disciples vanished within it.

At this moment, the Void Refinement cultivator and the other guards felt the restriction on them loosen, and their ability to move returned.

"This is bad! Quickly report this to the Elders' Council! You few, restore the restrictions immediately!" The leading cultivator, filled with shock and anger, commanded his subordinates loudly and with extreme alarm as soon as he regained movement.

Hearing this, some cultivators hastily pulled out communication talismans, while others immediately took out array flags and plates, beginning to restore the protective restrictions broken by Reverend Azure Dragon. The entire teleportation hall descended into chaos.

And at this very moment, the teleportation array that had just sent Reverend Azure Dragon away suddenly emitted a low hum again, activating once more. Amidst the flashing spiritual light, an incredibly tiny shadow flashed and was swiftly teleported away. Given the cultivators' cultivation levels in the hall, not a single one could clearly see what that shadow was.

"Did something just get teleported away?" Amidst the bewildered stares of everyone present, a guard swallowed hard and mumbled, greatly doubting if he had just imagined it.

Meanwhile, Reverend Azure Dragon and his two disciples were swiftly moving through a bluestone passage built within a mountain. After a few flashes, they flew out from a cave entrance cleverly concealed by restrictions. After briefly discerning their direction, they set off rapidly in a specific direction. Just a short while after the three of them departed, another faint golden light flew out from the cave entrance, pursuing Reverend Azure Dragon without hesitation.

Half a day later, high above a desolate wilderness countless miles away from Tianyuan City, a thick beam of green light enveloped three figures, flying through the air. Inside the escape light, Reverend Azure Dragon's face was grim, his eyes flickering as if he were contemplating something crucial. At the edge of the world below, a faint yellow line was vaguely visible. They were about to fly out of the wilderness and enter an endless desert.

Just then, about a dozen zhang behind the green escape light, two explosive roars suddenly sounded! Two faint golden figures shot out from the void, piercing through the air... With a flicker, they appeared incredibly close to the escape light. A fierce sound of claw-energy rang out, and instantly, countless claw-shadows erupted from the two illusory figures, completely enveloping Reverend Azure Dragon. Wherever the claw-energy flashed, sharp golden streaks appeared in the void, densely interwoven to form a massive net, making escape impossible.

Reverend Azure Dragon was greatly alarmed, and an expression of extreme fear instantly appeared on his face. "Little Han, you actually intend to wipe me out completely!"

He let out a venomous roar, and with a sudden shake of both sleeves, a golden and a silver spiritual brush extended. With a slight wave, a torrent of golden and silver runes surged out, forming a protective light curtain around him. Then, his figure flickered again, and green scales emerged on his limbs and face. With another movement, he transformed into a furious gale, charging towards the claw net. Just before his body made contact with the claw-energy, he opened his mouth again, and a ball of green light shot out, striking the claw-energy net first.

With a "bang"! The seemingly formidable claw net and the green light, upon contact, were effortlessly torn apart. Reverend Azure Dragon was first stunned, then, with a flash of wild joy, he transformed into a hurricane, bursting out of the net. With another flicker of his escape light, he appeared in the void over a hundred zhang away. His strained heart finally relaxed a little.

But just then, two shrill screams suddenly came from behind him! "Not good!" Reverend Azure Dragon inwardly cried out, hastily turning his head to look. He saw that his two disciples, who had been following him, had astonishingly turned into two showers of blood, raining down from high above. Not only were their protective treasures utterly unable to resist the claw-energy in the slightest, they were instantly shredded, and not even their nascent souls managed to escape.

"You're not that Little Han! Who are you, daring enough to attack me!" Reverend Azure Dragon, after taking a careful look at the two golden illusory figures, immediately discerned something and let out an enraged roar.

"Heh heh, does my young master need to make a move to take your life? My actions are enough." A young woman's voice came from the opposite side. Following this, the two faint illusory figures merged, becoming a single faint golden light. Within the golden light, a golden exotic beast, about ten feet tall, stared coldly at Reverend Azure Dragon. It was the Leopard-Kirin Beast.

"An Integration-stage spirit beast! You're that Little Han's spirit beast!" Reverend Azure Dragon couldn't help but gasp as his divine sense swept over the golden exotic beast.

"Since you already know, you can die without regrets. I am commanded by my young master to make you completely disappear from this world," the Leopard-Kirin Beast said, its eyes flashing with fierce light.

"Hmph, you, a mere early Integration-stage fellow, think you can take this old man's life? Little Han, don't dream foolishly," Reverend Azure Dragon roared, though a hint of shock had momentarily flickered across his face.

"You were injured by my young master, so having seventy to eighty percent of your magical power left would be generous. Yet you dare to boast before me! When I seize your nascent soul, we'll see how arrogant you remain!" The Leopard-Kirin Beast completely ignored Reverend Azure Dragon's words, speaking with a ferocious expression. Then, after its body blurred slightly, specks of golden light immediately appeared in the surrounding void. With a slight condensation, they transformed into hundreds of identical golden beastly figures.

"Is that so! This old man happens to be short of a good spirit hide, so I'll just take yours then." Reverend Azure Dragon, hearing this, was utterly enraged. After a faint remark, he flicked his sleeve, and four or five treasures simultaneously flew out, circling and dancing around his body. At the same time, after frantically tapping with the two brushes in his hand, even more runes appeared before him.

With a low growl from the Leopard-Kirin Beast, all the beastly figures moved, transforming into a hundred golden beams that charged straight towards the opponent. Seeing this, Reverend Azure Dragon took a deep breath, about to activate all his treasures to block these beastly figures. But just as he mobilized a large amount of magical power within his body, his face suddenly turned pale, and a layer of strange black qi instantly emerged, completely covering his face.

Five days later, as Han Li was meditating with closed eyes in his secret chamber, his expression suddenly stirred, and he slowly opened his eyes. A few moments later, the tightly shut door of the secret chamber flashed with spiritual light. A golden beam pierced through and flew in, then after a circle, transformed into a small golden beast about a foot in size.

"Oh, you're finally back. You've been out for quite a while. Was the trip not very smooth?" Han Li asked with a faint smile.

"Master, what exactly did you do to Reverend Azure Dragon? Soon after he started fighting, he looked deeply poisoned. It seemed like he would die even without my intervention..." The Leopard-Kirin Beast asked Han Li, its eyes wide.

"Heh heh, I merely injected a wisp of 'Spirit Vortex Evil Light' from the Soul Devouring True Flame into his body. It wouldn't have mattered if he didn't mobilize too much magical power... but once he did, the evil light would immediately flare up. With its peculiar poisonous power, once it activates, even an Integration-stage cultivator cannot endure it. Unless he quietly meditates to refine it, or temporarily uses magical power to forcefully suppress it. But during a fierce battle with you, neither of these methods would naturally be possible. In that case, he naturally only had a path to death," Han Li said understatedly, no longer concealing anything.

"Master's divine abilities are truly becoming more unfathomable. To be able to tamper with a cultivator of the same stage without being detected," the Leopard-Kirin Beast exclaimed in admiration.

"Heh heh, it's nothing. This method is just a minor trick I only recently comprehended. If Reverend Azure Dragon hadn't had time to properly meditate and inspect himself, it wouldn't have been so easy to succeed. Alright, you haven't told me the result of your trip yet. Is Azure Dragon gone?" Han Li explained a little further, then asked with narrowed eyes.