Chapter 469: Dark Currents Surge

**Fourth Volume: Rising Winds Overseas**

Seeing this, Yuan Yao’s eyes sparkled, and she said with a soft chuckle: “What’s wrong, Brother Han? Don’t you want this item anymore? Or are you afraid the Soul Calling Orb I gave you is a fake?” Her words held a hint of sarcasm.

Han Li didn't immediately reply. Instead, he stared at the orb intently for a moment before speaking: “Is it fake? I can discern that much from the ghostly aura on it. It’s just that I know very little about Soulcry Beasts. I'm unsure if refining this orb would cause any harm to oneself.” As Han Li spoke, he fixed his gaze on Yuan Yao’s beautiful eyes.

“Harm? How could there be! If there were any real issues, why would I refine this orb myself? You might experience a slight discomfort during the refining process, but once you endure it, there will be no problems!” Yuan Yao explained with a casual tone, her expression unchanged.

“Discomfort?” Han Li frowned. After gazing at the woman for a moment, he glanced at the orb again, realizing that what she said must contain some untruths, yet he couldn't detect any abnormalities at the moment. After a moment of contemplation, he decided to accept the orb for now and study it more thoroughly later. If it truly posed a risk, he simply wouldn't refine it. After all, possessing the orb was enough to command the Soulcry Beast. With that thought, he carefully placed the orb into his storage bag.

“Let's go! As we traverse the lava path, I will do my best to protect your life, Miss Yuan. However, I must be frank: should we encounter a danger that even I cannot manage, Fellow Daoist Yuan, you'll have to fend for yourself and escape!” Han Li stated calmly to Yuan Yao after securing the Soul Calling Orb. Then, with a flick of his finger at the Frost Orb hovering above his head, a surge of chilling aura erupted, instantly enveloping Yuan Yao as well.

“That’s understandable. Should such a situation arise, I would accept my fate. However, I believe that with Brother Han’s golden and silver armored insects, the likelihood of that happening is quite low.” The alluring woman crinkled her nose before her lips curved into a smile. Her smile, at this moment, was as enchanting as a blooming flower.

With such beauty before him, Han Li unapologetically admired her for a few moments before turning to leave without a word. Seeing this, Yuan Yao smiled and gracefully moved, taking a few steps to walk beside Han Li, appearing quite intimate. The closer she was to Han Li, the more abundant the chilling aura emitted by the Frost Orb became, so she naturally positioned herself for greater comfort.

“Speaking of which, this Ice and Fire Path is truly peculiar! How did a black desert appear, along with such formidable flying ant swarms that are immune to magical artifact attacks and can even spit black fire and combine? If I hadn't coincidentally possessed some Azure Fire Thunder, I doubt I would have survived long enough to meet you, Brother Han. Even with it, they still managed to destroy one of my ancient defensive artifacts.” Yuan Yao complained, her almond lips subtly moving, as she walked with a relaxed expression.

Evidently, she didn't recognize the Iron Fire Ants. “The black desert never appeared before?” Han Li asked in a deep voice, startled by her words. He also felt that the appearance of such formidable spiritual insects as the Iron Fire Ants here seemed somewhat amiss. Aside from cultivators possessing unique divine abilities or powerful magical artifacts, even those in the late Core Formation stage might not escape the black desert unscathed.

“No! This black desert has never appeared on the lava path before. Previous cultivators who passed this trial only faced high temperatures and treacherous terrain, perhaps encountering some flame beasts at most. These bizarre flying ants have never been seen. If cultivators knew of such a formidable ant colony, I'm certain very few would attempt the lava path. Most would likely turn back immediately after clearing the Ghost Mist. No cultivator would gamble with their own life.” Yuan Yao replied without hesitation, clearly well-informed, though her lovely face still betrayed a hint of confusion.

“So, the Ice and Fire Path is quite abnormal then!” Han Li muttered, a contemplative look flashing in his eyes.

“Definitely not normal; someone must have tampered with it.” Within a forest of blood-red ice pillars in the Mysterious Crystal Path, Layman Qingyi spoke the same words, his hands clasped behind his back as he gazed at the sky. Around him, countless inch-long azure rays hovered and danced, while outside, hundreds of silvery, rat-like beasts swarmed densely. These small creatures resembled rats, their fur shimmering with silver light. Each also sported a short, delicate silver horn on its head, giving them a compact and exquisite appearance. They swarmed around the old man, constantly transforming into streaks of silver light. Like arrows, they repeatedly struck him with their silver horns, producing thunderous roars that seemed incredibly formidable. Yet, the azure rays before the old man remained utterly still, unperturbed by the chaotic silver streaks.

“Seeking death!” The Confucian-robed old man seemed irritated by the sounds of the strange rats' attacks. Lowering his head once more, he swept his wide sleeve outward, his face turning cold. Instantly, the azure rays exploded, casting a blinding light that illuminated an area of several tens of feet, making it impossible to look directly at them. Moments later, the azure glow dimmed. The ground was littered with the silver-white corpses of the small beasts. Each one was impaled by numerous slender azure needles, shimmering with an eerie blue light. Layman Qingyi’s expression remained unchanged; this outcome was clearly well within his expectations. He cast a cold glance at the ground, then extended a withered right hand and subtly beckoned towards the empty space. The flying needles on the ground, like countless rivers converging into the sea, transformed back into azure piercing rays and vanished into his body.

“Silverlight Rats! How could such abominations appear in the second trial? Could it be…” The old man mused, his face grim, standing motionless. “Hmph! Since the Mysterious Crystal Path now has Silverlight Rats, it seems the lava path won't be the same as before either. That Han fellow is probably in deep trouble!” Layman Qingyi huffed with extreme vexation, muttering anxiously to himself. He then sighed, swayed a few times, and vanished from his spot. Among the towering blood-colored ice pillars, only the corpses of the silver beasts remained scattered across the ground, lending an eerie air to the scene.

In a lightless expanse within the Grand Canyon, two voices conversed unhurriedly in the darkness.

“Was it too hasty to deploy the Iron Fire Ants and Silverlight Rats this time? In the past, while we've manipulated previous treasure expeditions, our actions were discreet. However, the emergence of the Black Desert and the Blood-Ice Forest now seems overly blatant. Apart from the few who haven't encountered these two areas, I fear most Core Formation cultivators from both the righteous and demonic factions will perish here. When we eventually face Wan Tianming and Barbarian Beard, we'll no longer be able to deceive them,” a somewhat concerned voice stated.

“Deception! Do you truly believe that neither the righteous nor the demonic factions were aware of our manipulations within the Void Heavens Palace in the past? They've always known. It's simply that our Star Palace held significant power back then, so they feigned ignorance. They were also aware that we could only control minor restrictions within the Void Heavens Palace, posing no substantial threat. It merely meant that a few more Core Formation cultivators from both sides would perish during each treasure expedition,” another chilling voice replied calmly.

“The Black Desert and the Blood-Light Forest are the most formidable restrictions I can control. It's still a bit regrettable to deploy them like this, considering our previous Star Palace Master put immense effort into mastering them,” the first voice said with lingering regret.

“Not regrettable in the slightest!”

“Currently, rumors are rampant, and the two Holy Lords are undergoing crucial closed-door cultivation, making them unreachable. This has left the Scattered Star Sea in turmoil, even unsettling some of our Star Palace's inner disciples. The palace's affairs are currently sustained entirely by us old veterans. However, both the righteous and demonic factions are becoming restless, and it's difficult for a few of us to maintain control. While we wouldn't fear facing either the righteous or demonic side individually, it would be disastrous if they were to suddenly join forces.”

“The only solution now is to adopt a firm stance and forcefully weaken the strength of both factions, leaving them with doubts and unable to ascertain our true situation. After all, the Star Palace has governed the Scattered Star Sea for so many years; they cannot possibly be without apprehension. If we can just buy a little more time, the two Holy Lords will emerge from their seclusion. By then, even if they join forces, we will have nothing to worry about. After all, even the madwoman of the Myriad Arts Sect and the Six Paths of Holy Demon Island can only retreat before our Holy Lords' Primordial Magnetic Divine Light.”

“The deployment of the Iron Fire Ant and Silverlight Rat restrictions was a necessary evil. Besides these two, no other restrictions can inflict such severe casualties on Core Formation cultivators. They wouldn't achieve the necessary warning effect or demonstrate our firm stance. As for your concern that they might exploit this to cause trouble, you're merely fretting unnecessarily. Judging by their stances, it's highly probable they're once again targeting the Void Heaven Cauldron. Since it's not their own disciples who are dying, they won't bother creating more issues! At most, they'll harbor some resentment.”

The chilling voice concluded with a cold chuckle, having delivered a lengthy explanation. Upon hearing this, the first voice sighed softly and fell silent, seemingly accepting the other's assessment.