Chapter 2018: The Great Abyss War (Part 1)

Volume Ten: War in the Demon Realm

However, cultivating such immortal secret techniques would undoubtedly be a lengthy process, not yielding quick results, so there was no immediate need to begin practicing them.

Han Li extended his spiritual sense into the two jade slips and carefully re-examined their contents. After quietly contemplating them for a while and feeling that he understood everything, he put away the jade slips and slowly closed his eyes.

He intended to first adjust his body, mind, and magical power to their optimal state before beginning to refine the "Sky Ge Talisman."

He believed that with this talisman in hand, he would have more than enough to protect himself, even if any unforeseen circumstances arose during the upcoming great war.

Of course, Han Li's readiness to agree to confront the Bloodlight Sacred Ancestor's avatar wasn't based solely on this.

Given his powerful spiritual sense, he could now just about control the unevolved Gold Devouring Beetles to formally engage enemies.

He believed that if thousands of Gold Devouring Beetles were unleashed simultaneously without prior warning, even a Demon Sacred Ancestor's avatar would be overwhelmed.

Furthermore, he was about to practice the divine abilities recorded in the "True Devil Arts of Brahma," each of which was extraordinary and capable of delivering a major surprise to his opponents.

What's more, with the assistance of his Leopard-Lin Beast and the still-evolving Gold Devouring Beetle Kings, he was confident that he would have enough power to protect himself, not to mention against a Demon Sacred Ancestor's avatar, but even against a true Sacred Ancestor's original form.

With these thoughts in mind, Han Li relaxed his spiritual sense, gradually letting go of everything as he entered a state of meditation.

Subsequently, the secret chamber remained exceptionally quiet for a period. Then, a low humming sound suddenly emanated from within, occasionally interspersed with loud thuds that caused the entire room to vibrate intensely.

Half a month later, a piercing shriek suddenly erupted from the secret chamber, and a golden light pillar flashed forth, piercing through the chamber's roof and appearing directly above the stone tower where Han Li resided.

This golden light pillar shimmered with spiritual energy, soaring thousands of feet high and roughly as wide as a water vat. At its apex, a colossal, halberd-shaped phantom faintly hovered, emitting an astonishing resonant hum.

Even more remarkably, countless silver lights flickered around the halberd-shaped phantom, revealing thousands of silver runes dancing in the air.

Viewed from afar, the sight was profoundly mysterious.

The next moment, the halberd phantom's shriek abruptly ceased, and it suddenly emitted a blinding golden light. Concurrently, an unspeakably terrifying fluctuation erupted from within, sweeping wildly in all directions.

Wherever the fluctuation passed, spiritual light flashed in the nearby void, revealing countless minute specks of golden light.

Though only the size of grains of rice, these specks were innumerable and surged like a tide towards the light pillar.

These specks of light radiated incredibly pure golden spiritual energy, spreading across tens of thousands of miles, evidently having completely drained the golden spiritual energy from this vast region.

Furthermore, nearby cultivators meditating in their residences and armored guards patrolling at low altitudes, who were externally wearing golden-attribute armor or other weapon-type treasures, all discovered their artifacts emitting peculiar low hums. Subsequently, the golden spiritual energy within these treasures rapidly surged outwards, similarly transforming into tiny golden specks and rushing towards the same direction.

Upon witnessing this, the cultivators were naturally alarmed and scrambled to employ various methods to control the strange behavior of their treasures. However, whether they used secret arts to communicate with their artifacts or directly employed talismans and other means to restrict them, the outflow of golden spiritual energy was utterly unstoppable, appearing completely irresistible.

Within moments, nearly half of the golden spiritual energy in their treasures was lost, and the artifacts themselves became noticeably dim.

It was evident that if this continued, these treasures would be forcibly destroyed on their own.

The assembled cultivators were utterly terrified, yet they could only watch helplessly as the scene unfolded.

Just as the situation seemed truly on the verge of spiraling out of control, the halberd phantom within the light pillar suddenly trembled, and the eerie fluctuations it emitted abruptly ceased.

The colossal light pillar then flashed, enveloping the phantom and transforming into golden light, which plunged downwards and finally dispersed without a trace.

Concurrently, the golden-attribute spiritual energy in the cultivators' treasures immediately ceased its outflow and returned to normal.

For these cultivators, had their treasures not visibly weakened in aura, everything that had just transpired would have seemed like a dream.

Many exchanged bewildered glances.

Naturally, such astonishing celestial phenomena occurring at Han Li's residence could not escape the notice of nearby cultivators. They naturally assumed that this senior was refining some extraordinary treasure, which required a massive infusion of golden spiritual energy, thus causing the preceding events.

Filled with awe and apprehension, they naturally dared not confront a late-stage Integration cultivator about the matter. Those whose treasures had been damaged could only reluctantly accept their misfortune.

Though Grandmaster Jinyue and several other elders from the Elder Council did not personally witness this unusual phenomenon, they soon received corresponding reports.

While slightly surprised, they did not consider it a major issue, and none of them sent anyone to inquire about it with Han Li.

At this moment, the movements of the demon armies outside the city were becoming increasingly frequent. Any cultivator in Tianyuan City could now clearly sense the palpable pre-war atmosphere.

In such circumstances, these high-level beings naturally wouldn't trouble themselves with such trivial matters. Two months later, in the secret chamber, Han Li sat cross-legged on the ground, radiating golden light, his eyes tightly closed. His hands were clasped together at his chest, vaguely holding a gold and silver talisman.

Above his head, a phantom of a three-headed, six-armed dharma idol hovered at a low altitude.

Bearing a striking resemblance to Han Li's three faces, it was not only exceptionally clear but also displayed three distinct expressions: joy, anger, and sorrow. Its six raised hands each faintly held a shimmering golden phantom of a magical artifact in their palms.

These artifacts, whether hammers, staffs, or bronze vessels, each shimmered with golden light, appearing as solid as true objects, their surfaces adorned with intricate pale silver runes.

At this moment, some of these artifacts emitted sounds like wind and thunder, others hummed softly, and some pulsed with fluctuating light. It was clear they not only contained terrifying power but also possessed vastly different divine abilities.

Han Li suddenly stirred. With a flash of golden light in his hand, the gold and silver talisman silently vanished, and he opened his previously closed eyes.

Almost simultaneously, the three-headed, six-armed dharma idol moved and merged directly into his body, vanishing from sight.

A crimson light flashed, shooting in from outside the secret chamber, circling once, and settling into Han Li's hand.

Han Li narrowed his eyes, staring at the crimson light for a moment, then suddenly extended his spiritual sense beyond the secret chamber.

His immense spiritual sense instantly swept through every level of the stone tower, finally pausing within the hall on the very top floor.

"Since she has come personally, it seems the demon race has begun its assault on the city; otherwise, they wouldn't easily disturb my seclusion," Han Li murmured thoughtfully, his expression suddenly turning solemn.

With a clap of his hand, the crimson light instantly dispersed and vanished.

After a brief moment of contemplation, he wasted no more time in the secret chamber. He rose from his meditation mat, his form flickering, and transformed into a streak of green light, shooting out of the secret chamber.

In the great hall on the top floor of the stone tower, a woman in silver robes was waiting somewhat anxiously.

Qi Lingzi, Hai Dayan, and Bing Feng respectfully accompanied her.

The woman was indeed Fairy Silverlight, with whom Han Li shared a good rapport. At present, her delicate brows were tightly furrowed, and she frequently glanced towards the hall entrance.

"Senior, please rest assured. I have already sent a communication talisman to my master. He will arrive shortly to meet you," Qi Lingzi said respectfully.

"Mm, that's for the best. The demon armies have already started moving from their stronghold and are approaching our Tianyuan City. The great war could erupt at any moment. It would be safer if Brother Han arrived a bit earlier. In a while, you three should also go with Brother Han. By the time you need to act, the war should already be in its later stages, and your chances of survival will be somewhat higher than those of ordinary cultivators," Fairy Silverlight said, nodding.

"Many thanks, Senior!" Hai Dayan and Qi Lingzi naturally exclaimed with delight.

Upon hearing this, Bing Feng also showed a hint of gratitude on her face.

Just then, a green light suddenly flashed in the hall, and a figure materialized without the slightest warning.

"Fellow Daoist Yin, have the demon armies begun their attack? It isn't merely a harassment this time, is it?" Han Li asked Fairy Silverlight calmly as he materialized.

"Brother Han, you've emerged from seclusion! The demon race is indeed about to begin its assault on the city. This time, it's certainly not a mere harassment battle like before; all demons and demonic beasts have been mobilized. Even the Bloodlight Sacred Ancestor's avatar seems to have appeared among the demon army. Eh, Brother Han, after advancing to the late stage, your cultivation has actually increased to such an extent that even I cannot discern your realm." Fairy Silverlight's face lit up with joy upon seeing Han Li, but after sweeping him with her spiritual sense, she became somewhat astonished. "What is this small increase? Since the demon race has arrived so swiftly, let's immediately rendezvous with Brother Gu and the others. You all should follow along too," Han Li said with a faint smile, turning to instruct his disciples.

Qi Lingzi and the others naturally bowed in acknowledgement.

Upon hearing this, Fairy Silverlight also snapped out of her astonishment at being unable to discern Han Li's cultivation and nodded repeatedly in agreement.

The group immediately left the stone tower and flew directly towards the main direction of the demon army's assault. Before long, Han Li and the others could see Tianyuan City's massive walls, towering like mountain peaks, in the distance. A colossal palace, resembling a floating island, was suspended high in the air within the city walls.

Han Li and his companions altered their flight path and slowly descended onto a massive platform in front of the palace.

Thousands of high-level cultivators were gathered there. At the center of the platform, a stone tower over a hundred zhang high stood, with a few figures faintly visible at its summit.

Upon closer inspection, they were none other than the silver-haired elder, Grandmaster Jinyue, and several other members of the Elder Council!

Han Li naturally had no intention of joining the ordinary cultivators. After giving a few instructions to Qi Lingzi, Bing Feng, and the others, telling them to remain below, he and Fairy Silverlight flew towards the high tower.

"Fellow Daoist Han, you've finally arrived! Quickly come and see, that person should be the Bloodlight Sacred Ancestor's avatar, who is leading the demon army's assault on the city this time!" the silver-haired elder exclaimed, overjoyed at Han Li's arrival, as he pointed towards a certain part of the demon army outside the city.