Chapter 1156: Encounter with Xiao Bai

Han Li looked at the five remaining colored flames atop the silver flame figure's head, feeling a twinge of guilt.

Earlier, when trapped in the Nine Dragons Divine Fire罩, it was the Essence Flame Firebird that had consumed two of the Seven-Colored Fire Cinnabar's flames to protect him, buying him time to communicate with the Bottle Spirit and traverse through flesh.

Han Li felt quite distressed about this, but the Essence Flame Firebird seemed unbothered, still hopping about on his palm after emerging, appearing quite cheerful.

"I will make up for what you've lost in the future," Han Li communicated to the Essence Flame Firebird through his mind.

The silver flame figure standing on his palm seemed to understand Han Li's words and nodded heavily.

Then, Han Li raised a hand and made a grasping motion in the air toward the dog-shaped black stone, lightly lifting it and capturing it midair.

The Essence Flame Firebird, being of one mind with him, flew out without needing words, transforming into a sheet of silver flame that enveloped the black stone entirely.

As layers of silver flame wrapped and burned, the black rock began to emit streams of black smoke, its surface gradually melting away like ice crystals.

The blackness attached to it grew thinner and thinner, the entire rock peeling away layer by layer, gradually revealing what lay inside.

Han Li stared at the increasingly thin rock, his surprise growing more intense.

After a moment, the outer layer of the black stone completely melted and peeled away, revealing a piece of ice crystal, within which curled a small beast covered in white fur.

When Han Li saw the appearance of the small beast, he finally couldn't help but cry out: "Xiao Bai..."

The small beast curled up in the ice crystal was none other than the pixiu Xiao Bai, who had followed Gold童 to the Great Gold源 Immortal Domain.

Seeing that Han Li seemed to recognize the young beast, Sang Tu and the others all changed expression, greatly surprised.

But Han Li ignored everything else, ordering the Essence Flame Firebird to completely melt the last layer of ice crystal, then reached out and took the white small beast into his arms.

However, after the ice crystal faded, Xiao Bai's eyes remained tightly shut, without any sign of life, looking like a lifeless corpse.

Han Li's gaze swept over Xiao Bai, and his divine sense also probed around its body.

It was then that he discovered that although Xiao Bai was no longer sealed in ice crystal, its soul was still in a dormant state, seemingly locked away by a power inherent in its bloodline, trapped in a state of suspended animation.

Han Li knew this was a self-protection mechanism triggered by Xiao Bai, which alleviated some of his worries, but he didn't know how to awaken it for the moment.

Seeing Han Li like this, the Essence Flame Firebird did not disturb him, instead landing on his shoulder, flashing with light, and disappearing.

Han Li calmed down for a moment, then activated the Soul Refining Art, using one of its secret techniques to enter Xiao Bai's sea of consciousness, attempting to awaken it.

However, when he entered Xiao Bai's sea of consciousness, he found it pitch black, unable to see anything at all.

Moreover, Han Li felt that in this deep darkness, there seemed to be a strange force pulling his wisp of divine thought, sliding it deeper into the darkness.

Alert, Han Li quickly withdrew the secret technique and exited Xiao Bai's sea of consciousness.

After hesitating for a moment, he once again activated the Soul Refining secret technique, but this time he did not directly enter Xiao Bai's sea of consciousness; instead, he tried to awaken Xiao Bai through the faint mental connection they had once shared.

But when his divine sense focused on Xiao Bai, Han Li suddenly felt the surroundings darken, just like before in Xiao Bai's sea of consciousness, everything around him plunged into pitch black.

Just as he was in doubt, light suddenly swirled in the dark void, and two enormous pupils gleaming with琉璃 light emerged, casting two icy, indifferent gazes upon Han Li.

Before Han Li could figure out what was happening, he felt a swelling pain in his sea of consciousness, the Soul Refining secret technique was interrupted, and he woke up.

"How could this be..." Han Li muttered in astonishment.

"Can you save him?" Sang Tu asked.

"This beast is an old acquaintance of mine. For some reason, his sea of consciousness is now pitch black. As soon as my divine thought enters, two琉璃 eyeballs gaze at me inside, making it impossible to awaken him," Han Li shook his head and said slowly.

"Dark sea of consciousness,琉璃 eyeballs... Could this beast be a descendant of the Ink-Eyed Pixiu, one of the eight ancient wild kings?" Yun Bao exclaimed in surprise upon hearing this.

Sang Tu's expression also changed upon hearing this.

"Ink-Eyed Pixiu?" Han Li asked in confusion.

"Legend has it that the Ink-Eyed Pixiu clan possesses the most powerful spiritual eye techniques in the world. Through their琉璃 ink eyes, they can see through the root essence of illusions and recognize innate treasures born from the heavens. Some even say their eyes can see through the ethereal cycle of reincarnation," Yun Bao explained.

Han Li was slightly surprised upon hearing this. Xiao Bai had indeed had the ability to discover hidden treasures in secret realms, but it was nowhere near as mystical as Yun Bao described. As for seeing through illusions or reincarnation, that was even more absurd.

"Not only that, the Ink-Eyed Pixiu's eyes can also connect to a strange space. When their cultivation is strong enough, a single glance can trap an enemy inside. Unless one's strength far surpasses theirs, there is no hope of escaping that space," Yun Bao continued.

"Xiao Bai does seem to have a special space inside its belly that can block external detection, but it needs to open its mouth to swallow others. I've never seen any connection with its eyes," Han Li said after a moment of thought.

"Alas, it seems that precisely because the Ink-Eyed Pixiu clan's abilities were too bizarre, after the Ink-Eyed Pixiu lord, who was a true spirit king, disappeared, the entire clan faced extinction. Even now, very few of their blood descendants remain. If we take him to the Eight Desolate Mountains, he will surely be treasured by all the wild tribes there. The True Spirit King there will definitely be able to awaken him," Sang Tu sighed and said.

Han Li's eyes flickered with hesitation upon hearing this.

He had originally planned to find a place to quietly go into seclusion, cultivate until he could advance to the early Great Luo stage and recover his time Dao patterns, then immediately go to the Great Gold源 Immortal Domain to lie in wait for the Reincarnation Hall's action.

But now, having stumbled upon Xiao Bai, he had to reconsider.

After thinking for a moment, Han Li decided to save Xiao Bai first. Once Xiao Bai woke up, he would ask about the Nine Yuan Temple, then follow the Reincarnation Hall's plan, which would give him a better chance of rescuing Gold童.

"Since only by going to the Eight Desolate Mountains can we save Xiao Bai, I am willing to escort him there with you," Han Li said.

Sang Tu and Yun Bao both changed expression upon hearing this.

"It is enough for our Silver Horn Rhinoceros clan to escort him," Sang Tu said first.

Yun Bao just snorted coldly and said nothing.

After all, Xiao Bai was found by the Silver Horn Rhinoceros clan and was currently staying with them.

"Chief Sang Tu, I have a question. Do you plan to move the entire clan to escort Xiao Bai to the Eight Desolate Mountains?" Han Li asked with an unchanged expression.

"Well... of course not, just bring a group of capable warriors from the clan," Sang Tu hesitated and said.

"In that case, if you take all the important combat strength of your clan, how will the remaining tribesmen fend for themselves? All the main combat strength of the Cloud Leopard clan are still here," Han Li raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile.

As soon as he said this, Sang Tu instantly understood the implication, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

If he really did that, before he could return from the Eight Desolate Mountains with the tribe's glory, the pressured Cloud Leopard clan would surely strike first, slaughtering all the tribesmen he left behind.

By then, even if he was rewarded and supported by the Eight Desolate Mountains for escorting the bloodline of the eight kings, his people would already be gone.

"I am willing to escort Xiao Bai back to the Eight Desolate Mountains together with the Cloud Pattern Tiger clan," Sang Tu said sincerely.

Yun Bao's expression also turned serious upon hearing this, casting a grateful look at Han Li.

"Not only that, after you leave, the two tribes will be leaderless. Over time, news may leak out, inviting covetousness from other tribes. Therefore, you must not only set aside past grievances and refrain from attacking each other, but also come to each other's aid when one is in trouble. Only then can both tribes endure for a long time," Han Li continued.

Sang Tu and Yun Bao both showed expressions of difficulty upon hearing this.

The others in the tent were in a similar state; millennia of grudges could not simply be erased with a smile.

Naturally, these two tribes would not give up their hatred and become friends again just because of Han Li's few words.

"Actually, you don't have to be too troubled. I'm not asking you to do this forever; just hold out until you return from the Eight Desolate Mountains Blood Sacrifice Assembly. After that, whether you want to fight or make peace, it's up to you," Han Li said with a smile.

Sang Tu and Yun Bao were silent for a long time, then finally nodded simultaneously and said:

"Thank you for the advice, Senior. We will do as you say."

"Don't call me Senior; just call me Shi Mu or Fellow Daoist Shi. By the way, when is the Blood Sacrifice Assembly you mentioned?" Han Li said.

"When it was announced thirty years ago, it was said to be a hundred years away. Now there are less than seventy years left. The journey to the Eight Desolate Mountains is long, and time is not very abundant. We should set off soon," Sang Tu said.

"Then return to your tribes quickly, arrange your affairs, and select the escort team. We'll set off in a few days," Han Li, now acting as the common leader of the two tribes, ordered.

"Yes," Sang Tu and Yun Bao responded simultaneously.

After the two left, Sang Tu ordered that this tent be temporarily used as Han Li's residence, and no tribesman was to approach without permission.

Han Li sat alone in the tent for a moment, then raised his hand and opened the Flower Branch Cave Heaven.

Then, he picked up Xiao Bai horizontally and stepped through the silver light gate into the bamboo building within the cave heaven.