Chapter 2099: Interception

A Mortal's Journey to Immortality

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“No need to rush, Daoist Luo. Since we’ve found our target, the mission must naturally be completed. However, acting in the town would be inconvenient. There’s no rush to make a move until they leave. In the meantime, we can just have the Shadow-Tracing Worm keep an eye on them.” The middle-aged Daoist advised, then flicked a finger slightly.

With a whoosh!

A speck of green light shot from his fingertip, and with a flicker, it vanished into the nearby air.

“Alright, I’ll follow Brother Leng’s advice. I wonder if this target truly possesses the cultivation of a Demon Venerable. If so, it would be a perfect opportunity to test a powerful divine ability I’ve recently comprehended.” The big man let out a strange laugh and sat back down as instructed.

“Daoist Luo, you shouldn’t underestimate this target. The fact that someone is willing to offer such a high reward to enlist an elder from our Beast Venerable Hall indicates that this target is far from simple. Don’t let carelessness lead to embarrassment; that would be quite a disgrace,” the middle-aged Daoist said with a light chuckle.

The big man chuckled upon hearing this, his face full of nonchalance, clearly not taking his companion’s words to heart.

Seeing this, the middle-aged Daoist could only shake his head with a wry smile, turning his gaze once more towards the black flying boat steadily parked in the square.

The flying boat suddenly erupted in a dazzling black light, and after a blur, it vanished without a trace.

In its place, a man and a woman, both appearing remarkably young, materialized out of thin air.

A faint purple light flashed in the middle-aged Daoist’s eyes as he scrutinized the two, his brow furrowing slightly in a display of doubt.

“Interesting. One of them deliberately concealed their cultivation, and the other’s cultivation realm is simply impossible to discern. It seems this trip was truly worth it!” The big man, after clearly seeing the two disembark from the flying boat, muttered in surprise, his previously relaxed expression completely gone.

“These two are not simple. It seems we’ll have to use the second plan,” the middle-aged Daoist mused.

“As for the woman, though she used a spell to conceal her cultivation, we can still tell at a glance that she’s just an ordinary Demon Venerable. But the man is somewhat unfathomable. Let me test his true cultivation first!” The thick-browed big man’s eyes darted slightly, still eager to try.

“Hmm, that works. I’ll handle the woman for now, but be very careful not to actually provoke her too much,” the middle-aged Daoist agreed after a moment’s thought, surprisingly not opposing the idea.

The big man nodded, a hint of ferocity flashing across his face.

The man and woman in the square were, of course, Han Li and the Feathered Maiden, who had parted ways with Patriarch Long and others at the edge of the Illusion Howl Desert.

At this moment, Han Li seemed to sense something, glancing towards the inn and showing a thoughtful expression.

The other floors were fine; one could clearly see a dozen or so devils conversing and drinking inside. However, the floor where the middle-aged Daoist and his companion were located was covered by an incredibly profound restriction, which Han Li’s Spirit Eyes and divine sense were temporarily unable to penetrate.

Han Li’s eyes flickered, and his expression subtly darkened.

“Brother Han, did you find anything?” The Feathered Maiden asked, noticing Han Li’s unusual behavior with some curiosity.

“It seems someone is paying special attention to us, and their cultivation isn’t low,” Han Li replied slowly, withdrawing his gaze.

“Oh, could there be Demon Venerables in this small town too!” The Feathered Maiden was taken aback by his words.

This was understandable, as the likelihood of a Demon Venerable appearing in a town of this size was indeed quite low.

“Perhaps. If they are truly after us, there will always be traces to follow,” Han Li replied, his expression returning to calm.

“Now that Brother Han mentions it, I also feel a subtle unease in my heart. Could someone really be targeting us?” The Feathered Maiden pondered for a moment, then followed Han Li’s gaze, scanning the inn herself.

When she realized her divine sense was blocked by the restriction on that floor of the inn, her eyes also grew colder.

“Never mind. It’s not certain if they’re truly after us. Let’s quickly replenish some Azure Devil Crystals in town. Although this flying boat has good escape speed, its consumption of these crystals is a bit too much,” Han Li said indifferently.

“Alright. Once we’ve acquired enough crystals, we’ll leave this place immediately. It’s embarrassing to admit, but this is my first time using this devil artifact, and I didn’t expect it to consume so much of this material. No wonder the devil who sold it to me didn’t ask for a very high price. It turns out this devil artifact isn’t very practical!” The Feathered Maiden replied, her delicate brows furrowed.

Han Li shook his head and said nothing more. He didn’t have a more suitable flying devil artifact than the one the maiden possessed, otherwise, they wouldn’t necessarily have needed to stop in this town.

Without further hesitation, Han Li and the maiden walked towards a street near the square lined with shops.

After the time it takes for a meal, the two purchased a sufficient quantity of Azure Devil Crystals from a larger shop. As soon as they exited, they released their flying boat and immediately activated it, soaring into the sky and flying away.

Simultaneously, in the inn’s restricted floor, the two wine cups and wine pot on the table near the window remained as before, but the big man and the Daoist who had been sitting there were nowhere to be seen.

Several hours later, millions of miles away from the small town, the black flying boat came to a halt, hovering in the void above a mountain peak.

Dozens of feet away, the thick-browed big man and the middle-aged Daoist stood boldly blocking their path, one looking excited, the other composed.

At the front of the several-dozen-foot-long black flying boat, Han Li and the Feathered Maiden had appeared at some unknown moment, impassively observing the two devils opposite them.

“You two have blocked our path. May I ask your purpose?” Han Li’s eyes flashed, and he spoke first.

“Nothing much. My companion and I saw that you two Daoists possess extraordinary bearing, and our hands grew a little itchy. We merely wish to spar with you two in cultivation techniques and divine abilities. We hope you won’t hesitate to enlighten us!” The middle-aged Daoist said without changing his expression, uttering words that left one somewhat speechless.

“Are you sure you haven’t misspoken, that you only blocked us to spar in cultivation techniques?” The Feathered Maiden’s beautiful eyes widened, and a hint of anger appeared on her delicate face.

“That’s right. Although this fairy has suppressed her aura, her original realm should be more than just Refinement Void, correct? This humble Daoist, though untalented, has also advanced to the Demon Venerable stage for some time now. If we spar a bit, perhaps we can both gain something. As for the Daoist next to the fairy, my companion happens to have some interest in him,” the middle-aged Daoist replied languidly.

Seeing that the other party completely avoided mentioning the reason, speaking with a tone that implied a fight was unavoidable, the Feathered Maiden’s face turned icy, and she subconsciously glanced at Han Li.

“You two were the ones who targeted us in the town from the beginning, weren’t you?” Han Li asked calmly. Then he suddenly moved an arm, grabbing lightning-fast into the void behind him, before opening his palm with splayed fingers in front of him.

In his palm, there was a startling pea-sized green spirit worm, its body flickering in and out of sight, appearing eerily translucent.

Upon hearing Han Li’s words and seeing this sight, a glimmer flashed in the middle-aged Daoist’s eyes, and he yawned, saying, “It seems this Daoist truly possesses formidable divine abilities. The reason this humble Daoist acted thus was merely out of fear of losing track of you two Daoists.”

“Hmph, do you not think it’s too childish to expect us to fight you based solely on such insincere words?” A hint of murderous intent flashed across Han Li’s face, and a red light burst from his palm. A ball of crimson flame erupted, instantly reducing the spirit worm to ashes.

“I’m afraid that’s not up to you,” the thick-browed big man said with a strange laugh, his eyes fixed on Han Li.

The Feathered Maiden’s expression changed, and she was about to retort something, but Han Li suddenly waved his hand, stopping her from speaking. Instead, he continued coldly, “It’s not impossible to spar. But if you lose, you must reveal the true reason. Otherwise, if you truly force us to fight, it will be a fight to the death.”

Upon hearing Han Li’s words, not only did the middle-aged Daoist’s expression harden, but even the seemingly crude big man’s demeanor changed.

From the faint murderous aura emanating from Han Li, the two of them could naturally discern the truth of his words.

“Alright. If you two Daoists truly have the ability to defeat us, this humble Daoist will tell you the reason truthfully!” The middle-aged Daoist was surprisingly decisive; after a brief thought, he immediately agreed.

“Very well, then I shall personally experience your divine abilities. Fairy Ye, please assist me by observing from the side for now,” Han Li said, his expression softening upon hearing the reply, as he turned his head directly to the Feathered Maiden.

“Brother Han, you…” The maiden was startled and surprised, wanting to say something, but at that moment, Han Li’s silent voice transmission entered her ear: “Fairy Ye, your main cultivation technique does not involve devilish divine abilities. These two have suspicious origins. If we truly engage in battle later, it might inadvertently expose your background. Let me handle these two alone.”

“Alright, then I’ll trouble Brother Han!” After listening, the Feathered Maiden’s expression changed several times before she finally nodded with some hesitation, retreating a few steps backward.

After all, Han Li had a record of slaying a Saint Ancestor’s avatar and had also demonstrated an astonishingly powerful divine ability once in the Illusion Howl Desert.

This naturally gave this female cultivator of the Ye family great confidence in Han Li!

Han Li exhaled lightly, then activated his True Devil Brahma Arts. Instantly, pure devil qi erupted from beneath his feet, transforming into a black cloud that lifted him, carrying him soaring into the sky.

Seeing this, the thick-browed big man let out a wild laugh, his figure suddenly transforming into a ball of yellow light that shot upwards.

In the blink of an eye, the two were thousands of feet above the ground in the void, facing each other across the distance.

Han Li touched the back of his head with one hand, and instantly a golden light dispersed, then condensed, immediately forming a three-headed, six-armed golden Dharma idol. It was over a hundred feet tall, its body covered in black devilish patterns, appearing exceptionally fearsome.

“You alone are not my match. Have your companion come up as well,” Han Li said indifferently, narrowing his eyes, as he activated a magic chant in his mind.

In an instant, the devil qi within several miles trembled!

The Dharma idol’s six thick arms swept through the air, unleashing piercing shrieks. With a flash of golden light in their hands, six extraordinarily heavy golden treasures—including hammers, staffs, and maces—appeared. Simultaneously, black qi erupted from the brows of its three heads, revealing a third pitch-black devil eye that emitted an eerie, hissing black light.