Chapter 2044: Magic Source Sea

“Thank you for your grace, Master. Even if I am crushed to pieces, Black Alligator will certainly help Master achieve this wish!” The giant black-armored man was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately pledged his loyalty.

“Very good. From now on, you don’t need to ask anything about what happens; just do as I instruct. We’ve delayed long enough. Now, follow those human cultivators!” The woman in the palace dress nodded with satisfaction, then turned to look at the distant mountains, a cold glint flashing in her eyes as she spoke.

“Yes, Master!” The black-armored giant respectfully replied.

With a flick of Bao Hua’s sleeve, the illusory pink floral tree shimmered out again, enveloping both of them, and transforming into a streak of pink light, shot forward and vanished.

At the same time, tens of thousands of miles away in the high sky, Han Li, Old Ancestor Long, and their group were also flying silently.

Although they had encountered some minor mishaps before entering the passage, the situation after exiting the passage was exactly as Old Ancestor Long had previously investigated.

Not only was their exit point precisely in the Bloodstone Mountains of the Demon Realm, but outside the passage, only some ordinary demon cultivators were stationed.

To avoid attracting attention, they did not go on a killing spree. Instead, as soon as they broke through the encirclement, they immediately fled without hesitation.

The Bloodstone Mountains were an area in the Demon Realm severely lacking in resources and demonic energy, and covered a vast area. Thus, throughout their journey, they did not encounter any other demons.

This allowed Old Ancestor Long and the others, who had been constantly on edge, to finally relax for the most part.

After flying forward like this for half a month, and dealing with a group of unknown demonic birds along the way, Han Li and the others finally flew out of the dark mountains below, to a vast, unusually verdant grassland stretching before them.

Green grass covered the grassland everywhere, with blooming flowers as far as the eye could see, giving it a boundless appearance. However, faint black-gray mists drifted at low altitudes, indicating that the demonic energy here was clearly denser than in the mountains.

At this moment, at Old Ancestor Long's call, everyone halted their escape lights and gathered together again to discuss their detailed itinerary.

“According to the last words of our previous Spirit King, the location of the Spirit Cleansing Pond and the Spirit Purifying Lotus is on a mysterious island in the Demon Source Sea, at the easternmost edge of the Demon Realm. Although I still have some clues regarding the exact location, they can only be used once we reach that area. What we need to do now is reach this Demon Sea as soon as possible and as safely as possible. I imagine Fellow Daoist Long has already made plans for this.” Saintess Qianqiu said with a solemn expression, addressing the human cultivators.

“Indeed, over the years, I've specifically gathered information about the Demon Realm, sifting through ambiguous and erroneous intel, and I've finally achieved some results. From our current position, there are three possible routes to the Demon Source Sea. However, each of these three routes has its pros and cons, and I alone cannot make a decision. We must discuss them together, and perhaps even try all three routes before making a final judgment.” Old Ancestor Long nodded, replying gravely.

“What are these three routes, Brother Long? Please tell us.” The man from the Lin family asked without hesitation.

Han Li and the Feathered Garment Maiden, among others, also wore listening expressions.

“One route is to continue straight along this grassland into the Soaring Moon Great Plain, then traverse several prosperous regions controlled by major demon clans, using the teleportation arrays of some large demon cities to easily reach the Demon Source Sea. If all goes smoothly, we could reach our destination in just one or two years. However, the only problem is that those demon cities with teleportation arrays are certainly guarded by Demon Venerables or even Saint Ancestor avatars, and they are also equipped with many powerful restrictions. Even if we use the counterfeit demon beads, we would at most have a 20% chance of slipping through these cities undetected. And that's assuming our luck is exceptionally good.” Old Ancestor Long stated the first route as if it were nothing.

“A 20% chance is far too low. We cannot take this route!” The Feathered Garment Maiden, upon hearing this, raised an eyebrow and objected without hesitation.

“Indeed, Fellow Daoist Ye has a point. While this route is the shortest in terms of time, it is simply too risky. I also don't approve of this path.” Saintess Qianqiu's eyes flickered a few times before she slowly shook her head.

Han Li and the other Spirit Race members remained silent, but their expressions clearly indicated the same opinion.

Old Ancestor Long was not surprised by this reaction and instead directly proposed the second route:

“For the second route, we can first head to the center of the grassland, then follow the Fifth Demonic River, a famous river in the Demon Realm, directly into the great sea. From there, we would cross numerous sea areas, ultimately reaching the Demon Source Sea. Given the vastness of the Demon Realm's oceans, we naturally wouldn't need to worry about encountering high-level demons and having our identities exposed. However, the problem is that there are also countless types of sea beasts in the Demon Sea. If we were to encounter sea beast hordes numbering in the tens of thousands or more, we would only be able to flee in disarray. Moreover, the deep seas of the Demon Realm are not lacking in numerous shapeshifting sea beasts at the Demon Venerable level, and it's even rumored that there are sea beasts at the Saint Ancestor level. Furthermore, taking this route would require about five or six years to reach our destination.”

“Traveling by sea is still too dangerous. While I'm not familiar with the Demon Realm's oceans, the formidable power of sea beasts in the Spirit Realm is something even our strongest terrestrial races must regard with caution. Furthermore, we are completely unfamiliar with the Demon Sea. If we accidentally stumble into some dangerous sea area, our lives could similarly be in peril. Brother Long, what is the third route?” Saintess Qianqiu frowned, continuing her inquiry with some disapproval.

“As for the last route, we would need to travel west along the edge of the grassland, entering the desolate lands of the Demon Realm, an area rarely traversed even by demons. That area is similar to the desolate wilderness in our Spirit Realm; while it also harbors various land-based demonic beasts, they are far fewer in number than those in the oceans. With our strength, we shouldn't encounter too many problems there. However, to reach the Demon Source Sea from that route, not only is the path long, but we must also cross the infamous Whistling Mirage Desert, renowned during the Demon Tribulation. This desert is one of the ten great forbidden lands of the Demon Realm. Regardless of their cultivation level, any powerful individual who enters it will have 90% of their magic power suppressed. Even more terrifying is that no escape techniques or treasures can be used in this desert. We can only cross this desert step by step on foot.” Old Ancestor Long said, his mouth twitching.

“Are there any powerful demonic beasts or venomous insects in this Whistling Mirage Desert?” Han Li's heart stirred upon hearing this, and he took the initiative to ask.

“Not really. While the Whistling Mirage Desert does have some mid to low-level demonic beasts, even with 90% of our magic power suppressed, we can easily deal with them. The only real threat would likely be the desert's famous Whistling Demonic Winds. However, only our magic power is suppressed; our divine sense remains completely unharmed. Even if these demonic winds cause some trouble, we can handle them with enough caution.” Old Ancestor Long thought for a moment before replying with certainty.

“In that case, all we'd have to do is walk through this desert for some time, just taking a bit longer. Brother Long, why did you bring it up so solemnly as a separate point? There must be another reason for it, right?” Han Li asked with a faint smile.

“Brother Han, you're right. However, if that were all, I wouldn't have bothered preparing the other two routes; I would have simply chosen this last one already. The crucial point is that this Whistling Mirage Desert is simply too vast. If we cannot fly or use treasures, walking through this area would be impossible without fifty or sixty years.” Old Ancestor Long listened to Han Li's words and then gave a bitter smile.

“Fifty or sixty years!” Upon hearing this, not only did Han Li's expression change, but the Feathered Garment Maiden gasped.

Only Saintess Qianqiu's expression merely flickered, showing no unusual reaction. The other few Holy Spirits likewise remained unperturbed.

Evidently, these Spirit Race members had some understanding of the Whistling Mirage Desert's conditions.

“Fifty or sixty years? No. That's far too long. By the time we reach the Demon Source Sea, the Demon Tribulation in the Spirit Realm will probably have long ended. Moreover, the longer the delay, the more likely unexpected complications will arise along the way.” This time, the man with disheveled hair immediately objected.

“Since Brother Lin finds the time too long, which do you think is better then, the first or the second route?” Old Ancestor Long, however, calmly retorted.

“The first one is too dangerous. While the second also carries some risks, with extra caution, we still have a certain chance. If our luck holds, we might even reach the Demon Source Sea smoothly without provoking any sea beasts.” After his expression fluctuated between uncertainty and resolve for a moment, the man with disheveled hair said through gritted teeth.

“Oh, traveling by sea is indeed an acceptable route. Fellow Daoist Qianqiu, Fellow Daoist Han, what do you two think?” Old Ancestor Long didn't comment further, instead asking Saintess Qianqiu and Han Li.

Aside from the Holy Spirit enveloped in white light who rarely spoke, they were the only two late-stage Body Integration cultivators present, so Old Ancestor Long naturally valued their opinions more.

“The second route certainly seems more reliable than the first and the last. However, if the time taken for the third route could be shortened further, it would actually be a more secure choice.” Han Li sighed softly and slowly replied.

“I also think that under these circumstances, taking the sea route isn't entirely unfeasible. But Brother Han, you might not know this. Actually, crossing the Whistling Mirage Desert doesn't necessarily take fifty or sixty years; there's a trick to reduce the time by nearly half. One could cross the Whistling Mirage Desert in just about thirty years. However, even thirty years might still be too long for us.” Saintess Qianqiu said with a sudden smile.

“Oh, what method is that? Please tell us, Fellow Daoist. I truly wasn't aware of this.” Old Ancestor Long, upon hearing this, asked in surprise and haste.

“I, Han, would also like to listen attentively!” Han Li's expression shifted, revealing great interest.