Han Li looked up as the rainbow streak finally disappeared into the sky. Then he lowered his head, gazing at the three Ice Spirit Flowers.
After a moment of thought, he patted his storage bag, and over ten beams of various colored light shot out, disappearing into the surrounding crystal walls. A faint layer of blue mist emerged, enveloping the area.
After ensuring everything was secure, Han Li released a cloud of golden insects from his body, which scattered into the mist as specks of golden light. This should ensure that he could refine the Profound Ice Pill without any disturbances from weaker beasts.
Satisfied, Han Li then summoned a fist-sized cauldron, which landed lightly before him, glowing with a silvery light. Next, numerous wooden boxes and small bottles flew out from his storage bag, filling the ground around him.
Han Li's gaze then shifted to the crystal wall. With a wave of his sleeve, three golden beams shot out, circled around the three flowers on the ice, and then the millennium-old Profound Ice, along with the flowers, fell.
Prepared for this, Han Li pointed to the ground, and three jade boxes, about a foot long, vanished only to reappear below the crystal wall. The three white flowers fell into the boxes without any damage.
Han Li revealed a satisfied expression, and then his hands formed a series of incantations, directing several spells into the surrounding blue mist. The mist churned and spread out, eventually covering the entire bottom of the ice crevice, making it impossible to see inside.
The icy wind howled above the crevice, but everything else was eerily quiet.
Time passed slowly, and three days went by in the blink of an eye.
At this moment, the bottom of the ice crevice was still filled with dense blue mist, showing no signs of dissipating, as if it would remain forever.
Suddenly, a flash of light appeared on the distant horizon, and three beams of light shot towards the crevice, moving extremely fast. In no time, they reached the vicinity of the ice crevice.
The leading beam of silver light was dim and appeared to be carrying an injured person. Behind it, two beams of red and green light followed aggressively. It was clear that the three were in a chase.
The silver light revealed a slender woman in white robes with a pale face covered with a faint green hue. It was Bai Yao Yi, who had left three days earlier. She seemed to be severely poisoned, unable to suppress it despite her mid-Nascent Soul cultivation.
Upon reaching the crevice, Bai Yao Yi quickly glanced down, and seeing the swirling blue mist barrier, she breathed a sigh of relief, her expression relaxing.
But just then, the red and green beams of light were less than a hundred feet away. A man's voice came from the green light:
"Why, finally decided to stop running now that you're poisoned? If you surrender obediently, I might spare your life."
The voice was sinister and filled with glee.
Bai Yao Yi snorted coldly, ignoring the voice, and dove headfirst into the ice crevice. The silver light flickered a few times before disappearing into the mist.
The two beams of light then arrived above the crevice, revealing a man and a woman.
Both were transformed demons with fully developed intelligence, no less than humans. Seeing Bai Yao Yi hide in the barrier below instead of continuing to flee, they became wary.
Just as they were about to search the crevice with their divine senses, twelve snow-white centipedes with six wings on their backs appeared amidst a swirl of white mist, each one looking extremely fierce.
"Six-Winged Frost Centipedes!" The woman in the red light exclaimed with delight, her voice trembling slightly.
"What, those are Six-Winged Frost Centipedes?" The man in the green light was also shocked.
"Great. If I devour these spirit insects, the yin-yang fusion will greatly enhance my cultivation." The woman laughed harshly, and fire snakes emerged from her body, pouncing on the centipedes.
A fierce battle of fire and cold ensued, with loud screeches and explosions.
The red light faded, revealing a slender woman with green eyes and red scales on her cheeks, dressed in red. She was a seventh-level demon beast, a transformed serpent. Her green eyes stared greedily at the Six-Winged Frost Centipedes.
Just as she was about to take action herself, a buzzing sound came from below, and a golden cloud of light shot out from the mist, forming a giant golden cloud that rushed towards the two demons.
The man in the green light hesitated but then flicked his sleeve, releasing a green mist that engulfed the golden cloud. He smirked, expecting the cloud to dissolve into nothing, but was shocked to see the buzzing continue as the golden cloud pierced through the mist, heading straight for him.
Alarmed, he quickly spun around, releasing a green fire wall to intercept the golden cloud. The green fire halted the buzzing, but crackling sounds followed as countless golden insects fell, engulfed in green flames.
The remaining golden cloud dispersed, revealing golden beetles struggling in the green fire.
The man's relief turned to horror as he recognized the beetles. "Gold Devouring Beetles! How can there be so many of them!"
He revealed his true form—a green-haired man with small yellow eyes and a wide mouth full of sharp teeth, his face contorted with fear.
Meanwhile, the golden beetles continued to devour the green fire, flying up again, their struggle renewing.
The serpent demon woman suddenly appeared with a flash of red light, spitting out a green wooden bowl that expanded into a large light barrier, trapping the beetles inside. The beetles could only futilely hit the barrier.
The serpent demon woman sneered, casting another spell that released numerous red scales, each razor-sharp.
Seeing this, the man also relaxed. The serpent demon woman remarked coldly:
"Don't be afraid. These are not fully matured ancient beetles. We have ways to kill them."
To prove her point, she flicked her finger, sending a red scale into the barrier, slicing a beetle in half effortlessly. She then released hundreds of similar scales, ready to exterminate the beetles.
But just then, a cold snort came from the blue mist below, followed by a rumbling sound. A figure appeared in the silver light.
The serpent demon woman, highly alert, immediately directed the red scales at the figure. However, a silver shield appeared, effortlessly deflecting the scales.
The serpent demon woman was startled, and the man in green released a green mist with hidden green needles, a deadly toxin. But the figure released a red cauldron that emitted countless fire crows, incinerating the green mist and needles.
The figure was none other than Han Li, and the red cauldron was the spiritual fire cauldron he had obtained at Kunwu Mountain.
The fire crows, a powerful weapon against dark arts, proved their worth. Han Li, satisfied, prepared for his next move.
