Chapter 2082: War of the Demon Realm Soul Controller Pendant

Chapter Ten: The Battle of the Demon Realm

Han Li had only coincidentally discovered this fact after meticulously studying countless ancient texts about the Demon Realm in the period leading up to his entry.

According to the texts, Bloodtooth Rice was said to be produced only in a place called Bluefall Lake in the Demon Realm, a location extremely distant from Phantasm Night City. Typically, local demon cultivators couldn't even obtain enough for their own use, making any external flow impossible. So, how had the Bai family acquired such a high-grade Bloodtooth Rice?

Han Li's mind raced, and he made no effort to conceal the surprise on his face.

"Oh, are Brother Han and Fellow Daoist Han perhaps interested in this Bloodtooth Rice as well?" Heavenly Monarch Luan Long remarked, his eyes subtly shifting after a glance at Han Li and Han Qizi. "Unfortunately, I, this Heavenly Monarch, have already claimed this item. If you desire it, you will have to seek it from Brother Bai." He then snatched the Bloodtooth Rice from the jade box, bit off more than a third of it, and began to chew slowly, shaking his head slightly.

A potent, unique aroma immediately filled the entire hall.

"Oh, does Brother Bai happen to have more Bloodtooth Rice?" Qian Li asked, his expression shifting.

Han Qizi's gaze also snapped towards the large man and the purple-haired woman.

"Fellow Daoist Luan Long, you jest. I possess only this single grain of Bloodtooth Rice; there is no second!" The yellow-haired man replied with a bitter smile, flatly denying it.

"Brother Bai, I doubt many would believe that statement. Everyone knows that the more Bloodtooth Rice one consumes, the more significant the physical improvements. Since you were able to acquire this rice, why possess only a single grain?" Han Li remarked, his eyes narrowing imperceptibly.

Han Qizi's gaze turned slightly cold, clearly indicating his disbelief as well.

"To be frank, Fellow Daoists, while our Bai family did coincidentally acquire a few grains of this Bloodtooth Rice, the remaining ones have already been consumed by my Fifth Sister and me. Even the grain given to Fellow Daoist Luan Long was originally intended to be preserved as a seed or for alchemy; otherwise, not a single trace would have remained." The yellow-haired man hastily explained.

"If the Bai family managed to acquire Bloodtooth Rice once, they can certainly do so again. As long as Brother Bai can help me procure some as well, the price is entirely negotiable, no matter how high." Han Li mused for a moment, then spoke slowly.

"If Brother Bai can help me acquire one hundred grains of Bloodtooth Rice of this quality, I will intervene on the Bai family's behalf the next time they face a significant predicament." Han Qizi spoke coldly for the first time, his voice somewhat obscure and hoarse, as if he had not spoken in a very long time.

Upon hearing Han Qizi and Han Li's words, the purple-haired woman's expression subtly shifted, appearing somewhat tempted. However, the large man unhesitatingly refused: "Acquiring these few grains of Bloodtooth Rice this time was purely a matter of serendipity. My Fifth Sister and I coincidentally encountered a fellow Daoist from Bluefall Lake some years ago and exchanged treasures to obtain this small amount. Our Bai family simply does not possess the means to acquire such rare items again. There is no need for further discussion on this matter; it is absolutely impossible."

Seeing the yellow-haired man's resolute stance, Han Li and Han Qizi exchanged glances and found themselves with nothing further to say.

Though Heavenly Monarch Luan Long's chewing didn't cease, a clear expression of disappointment flashed in his eyes.

For the remainder of the time, everyone sat and rested in the hall. About an hour after Heavenly Monarch Luan Long consumed the Bloodtooth Rice, his internal aura suddenly surged, and his face instantly turned blood-red. It took a considerable amount of time, with him silently circulating his energy, for his complexion to return to normal.

Han Li, observing everything from the side, was secretly astonished and felt an even greater desire for the Bloodtooth Rice.

The efficacy of this Bloodtooth Rice appeared to be far greater than what was documented in the ancient texts.

Meanwhile, the yellow-haired man and the purple-haired woman secretly communicated, discussing the inexplicable disappearance of their clan disciples. However, since no clues had been left at the outpost, they ultimately failed to reach a reliable conclusion.

They could only temporarily put the matter aside and began to conserve their energy.

After all, only mid-level disciples were stationed there, and their absence was not a significant concern for the Bai family as a whole.

The group remained at the outpost for a full day and night. Once everyone's physical and mental states were optimal, they mounted their eight-legged demon lizards and departed the oasis, traveling westward.

A little less than half a day later, the yellow-haired man leading the group looked up at the dim sky and the seemingly denser gray sand swirling around them. He suddenly turned to Han Li and the others and cautioned, "Fellow Daoists, that demon beast possesses considerable power. We must exercise extra caution from this point on. Everyone should conceal their auras and recall their demon lizards!"

Recognizing the critical nature of the moment, Han Li and the other Body Integration cultivators had no objections. They dismounted their demon beasts, recalled their demon lizards into their spirit beast rings, and then, led by the large man, continued forward by flying at a low altitude.

Although various escape techniques were unusable in this desert, they could still manage to fly slowly at a low altitude. However, this exertion required them to expend several times more magical power than usual.

Fortunately, the Bai family's ore vein was not far from their location. After flying at a low altitude for an hour, a colossal sand dune suddenly appeared on the distant horizon.

This sand dune, several thousand zhang high, stood like a colossal mountain peak, its surface entirely covered by gray sand. From within, eerie, wailing sounds, like ghostly cries, faintly emanated.

Upon seeing the sand dune, the yellow-haired man raised an arm, signaling caution to the group. He then led them to an area several miles away from the colossal sand dune, where their escape light suddenly dissipated, and they descended.

Bai Yunxin and the others descended without hesitation. Heavenly Monarch Luan Long and Han Qizi exchanged glances before silently following suit.

Han Li also silently followed the others, but with a faint blue light flickering in his eyes, his gaze settled on a spot in the sand barely a dozen zhang away, a pensive expression on his face.

At that moment, the yellow-haired man extended a large hand from his sleeve and grasped at the air in the direction Han Li was observing.

A muffled "thump" echoed!

A mass of sand and earth, the size of a small house, shot from the ground, transforming into an earth dragon that settled onto an open patch of land.

The yellow-haired man continued to grasp repeatedly with both hands, revealing a pit several dozen zhang deep at the original spot. At its bottom, a large bronze-colored door became visible.

"Oh, what is this?" Heavenly Monarch Luan Long asked, narrowing his eyes with a hint of surprise.

"The main entrance to the ore vein is actually at the top of the sand dune, but that area has been occupied by the demon beast. To be safe, we are using an alternate entrance to the mine. Only my brother and I within the entire Bai family know about this particular entry point. Furthermore, this entrance is not only located in an extremely secluded part of the ore vein but also lacks any magic formations or restrictions.

It's highly unlikely that the demon beast will discover it anytime soon. Entering from here might even allow us to catch the creature off guard." The purple-haired woman explained with a sweet smile.

"I see!" Heavenly Monarch Luan Long nodded, then glanced at the structures atop the distant sand dune, the doubt on his face fading.

At that moment, the yellow-haired man pointed a single hand towards the bronze door from a distance, and an immense, invisible force impacted it.

With a creak, the large door slowly trembled open, revealing an utterly dark passage.

"Let's go. This entrance truly hasn't been discovered by that demon beast yet," the yellow-haired man said, a trace of joy on his face after sweeping his divine sense below. He then immediately floated down towards the bronze door.

Seeing this, the others naturally followed him into the passage.

The moment Han Li stepped through the bronze door, a faint blue light flashed in his eyes, rendering the previously pitch-black passage as clear as day.

He saw light green stone walls on both sides, completely separating the external sand and earth from the passage. What was even more remarkable was that these stone slabs were smooth and flat, with no fluctuations emanating from their surface, clearly indicating that no magic formations or restrictions had been inscribed upon them.

After following the passage deeper for about half an hour, the area ahead suddenly brightened, revealing a strange, reddish-brown mountain wall that completely blocked their way forward.

This time, the yellow-haired man at the forefront did not act rashly. Instead, he flipped his palm, revealing a triangular ancient mirror. With one hand, he formed a spell and tapped the mirror several times.

Instantly, black energy swirled across the mirror's surface, and a five-colored light mist materialized within it.

The man gazed intently for a few moments, his expression relaxing. He then put away the ancient mirror and flicked a sleeve towards the reddish-brown mountain wall before them.

Instantly, a wave of black light unfurled and vanished into the mountain wall.

The next moment, the reddish-brown mountain wall gently trembled, then slowly moved aside on its own. The entire process was completely silent, without a single sound.

As the mountain wall moved aside, a wave of intense heat immediately washed over them, revealing a fiery red underground world ahead.

"Let's proceed. Since that demon beast has occupied this ore vein, it will undoubtedly be hidden where the fiery energy is most concentrated. While most demon beasts typically absorb energy for cultivation during slumber, a Demon Venerable-level beast is a different matter entirely. To this day, my Fifth Sister and I still haven't determined its exact species, making its habits even harder to predict. All of you Fellow Daoists must be exceedingly cautious! Furthermore, for this operation, merely severely wounding and expelling this beast will suffice. Of course, if we genuinely manage to slay it, our Bai family will equally share the acquired demon beast materials with all of you; we would never shortchange anyone." The yellow-haired man surveyed their surroundings, took a deep breath, and then gravely reiterated his instructions to Han Li and the others.

"Hehe, Brother Bai, when did you become so verbose? We've heard these words many times over. If we can truly slay a Demon Venerable-level beast, that would naturally be a most desirable outcome. If not, none of us will force the issue." Heavenly Monarch Luan Long replied with a smile.

Han Li merely smiled without speaking.

But at that moment, the purple-haired woman suddenly opened her mouth and spat out a white jade pendant, though a faint blood-red pattern was subtly embedded within its surface. She then chuckled lightly and said to the others, "Don't worry, Big Brother. Last time I battled that demon, although I was far from its match, I unexpectedly managed to obtain a trace of its essence blood. Now that I have refined it into this Chaos Guide Pendant, pinpointing its location will be an effortless task."