Chapter 1357: Spirit Insects Completion

When the cultivators heard the two Spatial Tempering stage cultivators speak, they all felt a chill run down their bodies and their faces all changed.

A coin flip for death. This assignment was just too dangerous, but it was only a likely possibility for the foreign tribes to invade. And if it were only an attack by a single tribe, they were confident they would survive.

When that came to mind, the assignment seemed far more dangerous.

Of course, a decision regarding one’s own life couldn't be considered simple. They needed to put much consideration over it.

For a time, silence filled the hall.

Cultivator Wen added, “Fellow Daoists, don’t need to immediately make a decision. These assignments will continue to be issued for a year. Furthermore, so long as you take the assignment, we’ll find someone to take over your original office in the guard. Don’t worry if you’re on regular assignments.”

Han Li raised his head and said, “Senior Wen, even if we finish that assignment, how will the matter of the Earth Cleansing Pill be resolved. Even if we complete the mission, we’ll perish to two-colored tribulation.”

Zhao Wugui replied, “So it is Nephew Han. You don’t need to worry about that. These dangerous missions were meant to be putting everything at stake. Naturally, we will give you all the Earth Cleansing Pills you need, but they will be placed under a restriction.

If you don’t truly attend to your mission, these Earth Cleansing Pills destroy themselves, so do not abandon your mission. You should understand the consequences.”

“So it was like that. Thanks for the explanation, Senior.” Han Li nodded and calmly sat down.

When several people in the room heard this, their faces remained unchanged, but they wryly smiled in their minds.

The last of their hopes were annihilated.

“We’ve already mentioned this all to you. The first wave of missions will be issued in half a month. If you do plan on taking the assignment, it will be best to prepare. Although Elder Lei Luo chose those assignments for you all in particular, if there are other cultivators that take them, nothing can be done about it.

The meeting is now over. Everyone, return and think well about your choice.” With that said, Cultivator Wen ended the meeting with a smile.

He then stood up with Zhao Wugui and they took the first steps out of the hall.

The other cultivators remained still for a moment before heading out as well. Most of them frowned as if heavy thoughts weighed on their minds.

Han Li wasn’t in a hurry to leave. Instead, he remained in his seat as his mind wandered.

A short moment later, there were sparsely few in the hall.

“Oh? Is Brother Han tempted to take the assignment?” One person walked up and asked Han Li with a friendly face.

Han Li’s expression stirred and he looked at the person who approached him. He beamed and answered, “So it was Fairy Xuan. I am somewhat tempted. The Seniors arranged this choice so it was a method of self-preservation. It is only a bit too dangerous.”

The woman in azure palace robes who approached Han Li was a mid Deity Transformation cultivator.

Han Li had seen her several times during the meeting and had spoken to her before. They could be considered acquaintances.

Cultivator Xuan sweetly smiled and said, “I heard on a patrol mission not long before, Brother Han captured a green shadow all by himself. It appears Brother Han’s abilities are beyond a late-Deity Transformation cultivator. If Fellow Daoist takes this mission, you should be better off than most Fellow Daoists. How about we join hands and take on the mission together?”

Although an azure scarf covered her face, from her exposed skin and enchanting eyes, she was clearly a woman of outstanding beauty.

Han Li felt some surprise at her proposal. After staring at her face, he slowly shook his head. “You overpraise me. It hasn’t been long since I’ve entered mid-stage. I can’t be compared to you. As for taking on the assignment, I still haven’t made a decision. It is still too soon.” Han LI’s words were polite, but they carried a tactful rejection.

Cultivator Xuan betrayed some disappointment from her eyes, but she didn’t continue to pursue the topic. After chatting with him for a bit, she took her leave.

Once Han Li watched her leave, he withdrew his gaze and sank into thought.

Although the woman’s cultivation wasn’t weak and she cultivated the Three Thousand Jade technique that was said to be formidable, he has always acted alone. He didn’t want an outsider to know about the treasures he carried.

Even if he took on the mission, he had no intention to team up with anyone. Furthermore, there was an important matter that kept him near the city. Even if the war started tomorrow, he wouldn’t be able to immediately leave.

The myriads of Gold Devouring Beetles that he fostered with Rainbow Skirt Grass had finally fulfilled their requirements for maturation a year before. With the maturation technique he acquired from the Endless Sky Saintess, they’re finally done.

In several months to a year, the insects will finish their transformation and will become completely mature. How could he depart during a crucial moment of their change? It could result in the failure of their advancement.

As Han Li felt some anxiousness, he eventually took a breath and departed.

He flew up in an azure streak and headed back to the city.

A dozen days later, Deep Heaven Hall would have a lecture, something he wouldn’t want to miss.

As such, after he returned to the stone pagoda housing his squad, he immediately sealed himself inside a seclusion room and sat cross-legged on a mat.

Han Li flipped his hand to produce a yellow bottle and tossed out a thumb-sized azure pill before swallowing it.

A layer of faint azure light then lit off from his body.

A glint flashed through Han Li’s eyes and he reached out with his hand. His spread out his fingers and slowly shut his eyes.

A light pop sounded. A spiritual light flashed from the top of Han Li’s head and a two-inch large Nascent Soul appeared from his head.

The Nascent Soul stood on top of a small cauldron. Dozens of miniature golden swords were flying around him. It had an imposing appearance.

The Nascent Soul lowered its head to look at the body beneath it and it closed its hand together. It blinked and its eyes separately turned black and white before wearing an innocent smile.

It opened its mouth and spat out a silver fireball that struck the top of its palm. With a light bang, the silver flames enveloped the palm.

A strange scene followed.

Black light flashed from the seemingly ordinary palm and the five fingers released five bone rings. Every bone ring had a vividly detailed skull engraved on it.

These skulls twisted their appearances inside the silver flames as if they were alive. They had had differing expressions, ranging from happiness, pain, to nothing at all.

Regardless of their appearance, the ring’s shapes continued to fluctuate inside the silver flames. What was even more outrageous was his palm was changing alongside the rings. Furthermore, its flesh had become more crystalline and white as if it were more jade than flesh.

The Nascent Soul tilted its head and opened its mouth to release a fireball, striking the body’s other palm.

Silver light brightly flashed and the bewitching flame completely wrapped the hand.

What was most incredible was that the palm changed under the effects of the silver flame. It turned pitch-black and began to char from the heat. A small mountain design appeared from his palm and the back of his hand simultaneously. Grey slightly faintly pulsed from them.

As this strange scene occurred from both these palms, the silver flames and the Nascent Soul blurred, disappearing back into the crown of Han Li’s head.

Meanwhile, an azure light lit up from Han Li’s body and turned faintly golden. A golden phantom appeared from behind him.

Although the silhouette was vague, it appeared to possess three heads and six arms.

Han Li’s naked wrist and cheek had squares of pure gold talisman characters that slowly roamed across his flesh. From a distance, they looked like golden scales.

With golden light radiating from Han Li’s body, he looked nearly divine.

...

A dozen days later, Han Li emerged from seclusion with a calm expression. After attending the lecture of Deep Heaven Hall for three entire days, Han Li walked out from the city and returned to his cave residence.

In addition, a month after Han Li returned to his cave residence, Deep Heaven City’s panel of elders suddenly released a set of extremely dangerous and rewarding missions. These missions were related to various foreign clans but most of them required Deity Transformation-grade cultivation.

This aroused commotion in the city.

But because these missions were extremely dangerous, very few accepted them.

During this time, several uninvited guests arrived in Han Li’s spirit land and paid him a visit.

Inside his cave residence, these people had a probing chat with him for half a day before quietly departing. This led Han Li with a wavering expression. After spending several days in deep thought in his seclusion room, he finally came to a decision.

Four months later, most of his Gold Devouring Beetles have reached complete maturation, resulting in seven thousand formidable spirit insects.

Han Li promptly collected them and headed to a secret area in Deep Heaven City where the secret missions were being assigned and quietly vanished.

Not long after, Han Li’s small squad received an order and had their leader replaced with another Deity Transformation cultivator.

It wasn’t rare for cultivators like Han Li to mysteriously disappear. Since he was an ascended cultivator, he was likely to be unaffiliated or a secret disciple of a noble clan.

The sole trait of these people was that they were all Deity Transformation-stage cultivators. In addition, they were all particularly outstanding individuals.