Chapter 100: The Ox-Head Mask

"Daoist Liu, I have disturbed you enough today. I shall take my leave." Madame Hube spoke indifferently, then turned and transformed into a black shadow, shooting off into the distance.

"Daoist Liu, until we meet again!" Ancestor Lukun cupped his hands toward Han Li and Hanqiu respectively, then turned and flew away.

In the blink of an eye, only Hanqiu remained standing alone before Han Li, not leaving.

"Daoist Han, do you have something else to discuss?" Han Li asked, his voice slightly deep.

"Daoist Liu, I was rude earlier. Please forgive me." Hanqiu suddenly cupped his hands toward Han Li.

Han Li frowned slightly, a hint of strangeness flashing in his eyes, but he said nothing.

"You are right. I do have a matter to discuss with you, Daoist Liu." Hanqiu hesitated briefly, then spoke.

"Speak your mind, Daoist Han." Han Li said calmly.

"As far as I know, Fellow Daoist Luomeng once obtained a Soul-Birth Flower by chance. Now that flower should be in your hands, Daoist Liu. Since you are walking the path of the True Immortal, you likely have no use for it. I wonder if you could transfer it to me. As for the price, do not worry, Daoist Han; I will not disappoint you." Hanqiu's face showed a hint of hope as he spoke.

"I am sorry, but I did not find that flower on the island. I have disappointed you, Daoist Han." Han Li replied with a calm expression.

Hanqiu's smile stiffened, and his eyes darkened slightly.

"Haha, I see. Then I shall take my leave." Hanqiu laughed, nodded to Han Li, transformed into a white rainbow, and shot off into the distance, disappearing in a flash at the horizon.

Han Li watched Hanqiu disappear, then turned and descended toward Wumeng Island.

The water curtain around the island had vanished without a trace, and the sea surface within a hundred miles was calm as before, as if nothing had happened.

"Senior Liu!"

Led by Luofeng, several He-Lian stage cultivators of the Luo family approached excitedly, surrounded by many cultivators at the Lian-Xu stage and below.

"Thanks to Senior Liu today, our Luo family would have faced annihilation otherwise." Luofeng's face was solemn as he bowed deeply to Han Li.

"Thank you, Senior Liu, for your great kindness!"

The other Luo family members also bowed in unison.

"You are too kind, Patriarch Luo. Since I agreed to protect Wumeng Island, I naturally would not go back on my word in matters of repelling enemies." Han Li said indifferently after a flicker in his eyes.

From the change in how these people addressed him, it seemed Luofeng had already explained his identity.

That was fine, as this matter could not be hidden for long anyway, and he could not provide protection to these clansmen.

Luofeng and the others wanted to say more words of gratitude, but Han Li excused himself, citing the need to rest after the battle, and soon returned to the small courtyard.

...

Several months passed in a flash.

Beside the wooden hut in the secret realm, Han Li, dressed in blue, stood bent over the Soul-Birth Flower, gently stroking one of its petals with his palm.

The golden patterns on the Soul-Birth Flower had increased by one, now three, embedded from the outside inward on all petals.

After more than thirty thousand years, the flower had turned purple with gold, originally giving an exceptionally enchanting feel, but now it exuded a more noble aura.

Han Li's gaze wandered over the petals, but his mind was occupied with the battle against the three incarnations of the ancestral earth deities.

Although that encounter ended with the three retreating in defeat, it gave him a deeper understanding of the power of laws and sparked greater interest in mastering this mysterious force.

After a moment, he slowly withdrew his hand and straightened up.

Just as he was about to turn, the corner of his eye caught a sudden flash of light from the small wooden hut beside Luomeng's grave, and something flew out silently.

He looked closely and saw that it was Luomeng's statue earth deity head, floating in midair with a blue glow.

Previously, every time he tried to comprehend the faith power within the statue's head, it would trigger varying degrees of disturbance, the strongest even cracking the walls of his small courtyard.

For easier investigation, he had repaired the small wooden hut in the secret realm. Over the past month, aside from using the small bottle to condense green liquid at night, he spent most of his time here.

The statue head had naturally been moved here from the secret chamber.

Previously, as long as he did not attempt to comprehend the faith power in the head using the method recorded in the jade slip, the head would remain as still as a dead object.

This was the first time it had flown out on its own like this.

Han Li frowned slightly and was about to step forward to examine it, but his heart suddenly leaped, and he instinctively moved to dodge backward.

With a loud "bang"!

A burst of blue light exploded in midair, and a violent air current swept out from the center, surging in all directions.

Han Li caught a glimpse of the large purple flower not far from the explosion, silently cried out "Oh no," and instantly flashed to stand before the Soul-Birth Flower.

He crossed his arms in front of him, his mana surging, and erected a green light screen to block the impact of the air current.

"Boom, boom, boom"

Waves of air currents struck the green light screen continuously, then spread to both sides, raising clouds of dust in the surrounding forest, snapping and toppling dozens of nearby ancient trees.

With a loud crash.

The newly repaired wooden hut could not withstand the impact and collapsed again, becoming even more dilapidated than before.

The fluctuations from the statue head's explosion continued for a while before gradually weakening, and the blue light at its center also dimmed.

Just then, an ox-head mask the size of a human head suddenly emerged from the blue light without warning and rushed straight toward Han Li.

The mask was entirely deep blue, covered in strange patterns he had never seen before, emitting waves of peculiar fluctuations. On its forehead, there were two strange characters that seemed to read "one" and "five."

Han Li instinctively raised a fist to strike at the strange mask.

But the mask directly turned ethereal, passing through his fist and arm, and stopped right in front of the Soul-Birth Flower.

Han Li was slightly startled and immediately turned around, seeing the ox-head mask suddenly flash with blue light, emitting visible pale blue ripples.

A bizarre scene appeared!

The mask's seemingly rigid mouth suddenly trembled slightly and spoke human words:

"Jiao Fifteen, you have not performed any alliance missions for several thousand years, and the exemption from tribute you last obtained has now expired. Within the next month, you must immediately go to Hairong Island to rendezvous with Jiao Three. He will lead you through this mission. If you fail to arrive on time, you will be expelled from the 'Wuchang Alliance.' All consequences shall be borne by you alone."

After the words fell, the fluctuations on the mask disappeared, but it did not fall to the ground; instead, it continued to glow and hover in midair.

Han Li's expression remained unchanged, but his gaze suddenly turned cold as he looked at the Soul-Birth Flower.

He snorted coldly, moved his hands, formed a strange hand seal, and suddenly reached forward. A strand of crystal thread shot from his fingertip, piercing straight into the cockscomb-like stamen of the Soul-Birth Flower.

As he slowly withdrew his hand, the crystal thread trembled, pulling out a wisp of wildly twisting black mist from the flower.

The wisp of black energy, once free of the stamen, twisted violently in midair and finally condensed into a small black figure a few inches tall.

The small black figure's facial features and body shape were exactly the same as Luomeng's statue, and Han Li sensed that its aura was basically consistent with the residual aura on the statue head.

"You are... Luomeng..."

Han Li glanced at it, raised an eyebrow slightly, and murmured in surprise.

The small black figure showed panic, its mouth opening and closing continuously but no sound coming out. Wisps of black energy were escaping from its newly formed body into the air, showing signs of dissipating.

Han Li frowned slightly at the sight.

The small black figure before him seemed to be merely a wisp of Luomeng's soul aura, not his true soul, not even a remnant soul. Given the current situation, it would not last long before dissipating again.

After a moment's thought, Han Li quickly formed hand seals in front of him. Several green incantation seals flew from his hands and struck directly into Luomeng's soul aura.

A green light screen appeared on the surface of the small black figure, wrapping it entirely like a film of light.

The escaping black energy was blocked by the light screen and could no longer escape, stabilizing the figure's form.

Its lips trembled, and a faint but slightly hoarse voice emerged: "Thank you, Daoist..."

"Don't thank me yet. What is your intention in hiding this wisp of soul aura in the Soul-Birth Flower?" Han Li asked coldly, expressionless.

"You are not my clansman... yet you speak my name and are willing to stabilize my soul. You must not be an enemy of my Wumeng Island. But why... are you in this small secret realm of mine?" The small black figure did not answer but instead asked.

"I happened to pass by and saved your Wumeng Island lineage from the Blue Crystal Clan. I am staying here temporarily for certain reasons." Han Li did not hide the truth and answered frankly.

"So, my Wumeng Island owes you a debt of gratitude... But may I ask... where is Luofeng now?" Luomeng's soul hesitated briefly and spoke.

"Whether you believe me or not, first answer my questions honestly, then we can talk about other things." Han Li's eyes suddenly shot two piercing cold glares, and he shouted coldly.