Chapter 2339: True Immortal Descends Clan Oath

The figure suddenly flicked its sleeve.

With a bang, the array of light vanished into countless gold and silver runes, revealing the figure's true appearance.

It was a youth clad in a black robe, his hands clasped behind his back.

The youth's skin was unusually fair, and combined with the black and white of his attire, it gave him a sickly, gaunt appearance.

After the youth glanced at the gloomy void, seemingly realizing his current surroundings, he immediately furrowed his brow and, without a word, flicked a finger towards the sky.

With a loud whooshing sound, a dozen or so silver runes shot out, and after blurring briefly, they vanished into the void.

The next moment, a rumbling sound erupted all around, and all the mud and stones seemed to come alive, rapidly receding to both sides, forming an incredibly long, colossal canyon that extended directly to the surface.

The youth looked up, and only after vaguely seeing streaks of white light penetrating downwards did he reveal a satisfied expression.

Without any visible movement from him, a radiant glow swirled beneath his feet, lifting him up, and he steadily ascended towards the top.

A moment later, with a flash of silver light, the youth shot out from underground, appearing high in the sky, a thousand zhang above the ground, where he paused and stopped.

His gaze swept around, and he clearly saw everything in his surroundings.

It was a desolate place covered in black mud and stones, but apart from some short, inch-high wild grass on the ground, there was no sign of any mountains or trees. Moreover, it was completely silent all around, without even the slightest sound of insects, as if it were a land of death.

The youth showed no surprise at this; he merely pondered for a moment, then formed a hand seal with one hand.

Immediately, sacred chants echoed from high in the sky, and specks of spiritual light emerged, as a ferocious beast, over a hundred zhang long, actually materialized.

This beast had the head of a lion and the body of a Qilin; its upper body was covered in rolling crimson flames, while its lower body shimmered with brilliant silver light. Beneath its feet, vibrant radiant glows swirled erratically, making it impossible to discern its true spiritual beast form.

But the next moment, the youth's face suddenly turned pale, and a muffled sound escaped his lips.

Immediately, the giant beast's form dispersed, unable to maintain its cohesion. It could only exist as a vague, phantom presence.

“Hmph, my magic power has been suppressed to such an extent! This trip to the lower realm is indeed not a good sign. No wonder the sect sent me on this journey.” The youth snorted, muttering to himself.

“However, this is also a good thing. It also means those old fellows can't interfere with my actions anymore. Heh heh, that treasure still needs a bit more time to be fully refined; it's a good opportunity to perform a blood sacrifice again. While the living beings in this lower realm generally have impure bloodlines, if there are enough of them, it should be sufficient to compensate. As for that traitor, there's no rush to find them. Before I complete this matter, even if those old fellows are displeased with my actions, they can only hold their noses and tolerate it.” After the youth's eyes narrowed, he suddenly let out a chilling sneer.

Then he flipped his palm, revealing a gleaming golden cylinder filled with vibrant, emerald-green bamboo slips.

The surface of these bamboo slips was covered with countless exquisite silver patterns, and colorful radiant glows swirled around them erratically. It was clear at a glance that these were extraordinary treasures.

The youth tossed the cylinder into the air, and began chanting incantations.

With a loud boom.

Amidst ten thousand rays of golden light, the cylinder transformed into a shimmering golden sphere. Then, it spun rapidly, and a massive Eight Trigrams phantom image appeared.

“Rise!”

The youth's chanting stopped; he let out a low shout and pointed a finger towards the sky.

With a loud whoosh, a streak of emerald light shot out from the Eight Trigrams phantom image and sped directly towards a certain direction.

“Very good. That direction has the most living aura; I'll start there then.” A sinister expression appeared on the youth's face, and he flicked his sleeve. Transforming into a golden rainbow, he streaked through the air to follow.

The phantom image of the lion-headed, Qilin-bodied beast also transformed into a ball of crimson flames and shot out, always staying within half a step above the golden rainbow.

“So this is the true form of the Mountain Sea Pearl!” Han Li gazed at the completely transformed spherical pearl in his hand, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

The formerly pale blue crystal pearl had now shrunk by more than half, and was only about the size of a fava bean.

However, its surface had become exceptionally smooth. Its color also transformed into five hues, and a wisp of milky-white aura swirled around it, making it truly wondrous.

“Indeed, Senior,” the Emptyfish Clan Chief, standing nearby, spoke respectfully, “the traces left within this pearl have been completely erased, and the concealing power left by our ancestors has naturally vanished along with them. You can now refine this treasure without any further concerns, Senior.” A hint of paleness was visible on his face.

Evidently, he had expended a considerable amount of vital blood from his body, which was why he looked this way.

“Very well, go arrange for your clansmen to pack their belongings. Once I've refined this pearl, I'll immediately take you all away from this Minor Asura Realm.” Han Li said to the elder without hesitation, after withdrawing his gaze from his hand.

“Many thanks for your great kindness, Senior. I will give the orders immediately. Oh, by the way, Senior will certainly need a quiet place to refine this pearl, so please use my usual cultivation chamber.” The Emptyfish Clan Chief replied, greatly agitated by the news.

“Alright, lead the way.” Han Li showed no intention of refusing, and nodded.

Not long after, Han Li, personally led by the elder, arrived at the base of a triangular building, where a tightly closed bluestone door appeared before them.

“Senior, please enter.” After the elder pushed the stone door open, he immediately stood aside with his hands folded respectfully.

Han Li stepped inside, and after a quick glance, a hint of surprise flashed across his face.

He saw that in the elder's usual cultivation chamber, besides some common furnishings, there was also a row of black wooden shelves, on which were placed bamboo slips, jade boxes, and various bottles and jars, as well as a several-foot-tall crimson alchemy furnace.

“You also know alchemy?” Han Li pondered for a moment before asking the elder.

“Replying to Senior, I do not understand the path of alchemy. This alchemy furnace belongs to my granddaughter. That girl has some talent in alchemy. It's just that the spiritual herbs in this realm are too limited, so she can only refine a few types.” The elder bowed and quickly explained, but there was a hidden trace of pride for his granddaughter in his words.

“Heh heh, if she truly has talent in alchemy, I could cultivate her a bit when we return.” Han Li chuckled lightly.

“If she could truly receive guidance from Senior, that would naturally be her immense good fortune.” The elder was naturally overjoyed.

“Alright, you may leave first. Other matters can be discussed after we leave this realm. I am going to refine the Mountain Sea Pearl now.” Han Li waved his hand, his expression noncommittal.

The elder naturally would not disobey, and hastily offered an apology before exiting the chamber.

Han Li flicked his sleeve towards the doorway.

Immediately, with a flash of radiant light, the stone door closed by itself with a creaking sound, and at the same time, countless runes flickered into existence on its surface, instantly forming a layer of restriction.

At this point, Han Li sat down on a meditation mat in the center of the chamber, and with a flip of his palm, took out a yellow jade slip.

This slip contained a certain refinement technique of the Emptyfish Clan, which the elder had personally presented to him not long ago.

He placed the jade slip against his forehead with one hand, and a wisp of spiritual sense swept through it.

Han Li's expression subtly shifted.

This treasure refinement technique was indeed somewhat different from what he had learned previously, and it seemed likely that the Emptyfish Clan's ancestors had specifically created it for the Mountain Sea Pearl.

However, with his cultivation attainments, he merely pondered this secret technique silently a few times and had already grasped most of it.

He immediately put away the jade slip, and with a flick of his sleeve, he produced the Mountain Sea Pearl.

An invisible force surged forth, suspending the spherical pearl in mid-air.

Han Li's eyes gleamed as he stared at the object in the air. He took a deep breath, then suddenly opened his mouth, sending several wisps of vital energy to envelop the pearl. Then, he formed a hand seal with both hands, and with a flash of golden light behind him, the three-headed, six-armed Brahma Saint True Form appeared.

At the same time, a black light flashed between Han Li's brows, and his third spiritual eye slowly opened.

A loud whooshing sound echoed!

Crystal threads formed by spiritual sense immediately shot out in dense array from his eyes.

Immediately, various fluctuations surged throughout the entire chamber, and a buzzing sound faintly emanated from the spherical pearl...

After a full two days and two nights, when a hint of anxiety appeared on the face of the Emptyfish Clan Chief, who was waiting outside the chamber, the stone door slowly opened once more.

Han Li walked out from within, a hint of weariness in his expression.

“Senior, have you already...” The elder immediately approached him with great joy, and asked with a trace of apprehension.

“Don't worry, I have successfully refined the Mountain Sea Pearl. Gather your clansmen, but you must be quick. I can already feel the repulsive force of this realm, and I likely won't be able to stay here much longer,” Han Li said unhurriedly.

“That's wonderful! I will go arrange it immediately.” The elder was naturally ecstatic; he acknowledged with a congratulatory tone and then hastily departed, flying away on a streak of light.

Only then did Han Li faintly smile, and with a slow movement, he also floated upwards.

A short while later, at the original plaza, hundreds of Emptyfish clansmen had gathered, all with excited expressions, yet they all stood straight, not a single one speaking loudly or whispering.

The elder stood at the very front of the crowd, but the moment Han Li flew out from the building, he suddenly adopted a solemn expression and was the first to bow down, then reverently declared in a loud voice:

“Many thanks, Master, for your great grace of salvation! All five hundred twelve members of our clan hereby swear a blood oath: From this day forth, our entire clan shall serve you, Master, for generations to come, never to regret it! Should we violate this oath, our entire clan shall suffer heavenly punishment, our bloodline power shall be severed, and the Emptyfish Clan shall cease to exist in this world.”

As soon as the elder finished speaking, he immediately made a grabbing motion in the air with one hand, and a short blade appeared. With a flash of cold light, he shockingly plunged it several inches deep into his chest, and blood immediately spurted from the wound.

The other Emptyfish people behind him also knelt before Han Li, and after similarly plunging various sharp blades into their bodies, they also chanted and swore blood oaths, each one with an extremely solemn expression.

Seemingly influenced by the power of the oath, a bloody aura gathered in the sky, and a faintly visible, mu-sized crimson rune appeared, only to strangely vanish in a flash.

“Rise. To have sworn an oath with the blood of your entire clan, it shows that your hearts are truly sincere. After I accept you, I will not discriminate in the slightest; I will treat you all as my own kin.” Han Li appeared with a flash above the crowd, and after sweeping his gaze downwards, he said with a light sigh.