Chapter 391: Extending a Helping Hand

After an unknown amount of time, in a certain void where the Downcast Wind was raging, a flash of silver lightning appeared, and the figure of the Thunder Roc emerged.

Compared to the beginning, the silver arcs of electricity swirling around its body had weakened by more than half.

But then the Thunder Roc suddenly flapped its wings, and with a flash of silver lightning, it transformed into a human form.

At that moment, the void less than a thousand zhang away trembled violently, and then a large swath of black flames shot out from within, followed by the emergence of a massive ghost head.

Seeing this, Han Li's expression turned cold.

Continuing to flee like this was not a solution. Although he was reluctant to use the Crab Immortal as a trump card, he had no other choice at this point.

As he pondered, golden arcs of lightning began to appear on his body, and the Crab Immortal inside him stirred restlessly.

The massive ghost head seemed to sense something, pausing slightly in its movements, and a hint of solemnity flickered in its eyes.

At that moment, the black mist behind it suddenly churned, and a dazzling yellow light shot out from within.

This yellow light was over ten zhang in size, elliptical in shape, spinning rapidly with a whirring sound.

Inside the yellow light mass, something was faintly visible, but the yellow light was very dense, emitting an indescribable prohibition fluctuation—not ordinary spiritual light—making it impossible to see clearly from the outside.

As soon as the light mass appeared, a red light shot out from within, filled with countless flickering red runes.

As the red runes tumbled, they suddenly converged at one point, transforming into a red crystalline thread that flashed with incredible speed and vanished into the massive ghost head.

The black flames swirling around the ghost head could not obstruct the red crystalline thread in the slightest.

The red crystalline thread was too fast; the massive ghost head only reacted at that moment, abruptly turning its head to look behind.

At that instant, a loud rumbling sound suddenly erupted from within the ghost head.

The giant ghost head's movements immediately stiffened, and then the black flames around it roiled violently.

Another loud bang sounded, and a massive crimson pillar of fire suddenly erupted from within the ghost head, shooting into the sky like a volcanic eruption, spreading an intensely scorching aura.

The black flames around the giant ghost head churned, and after a few breaths, the entire ghost head collapsed with a bang, turning into a vast expanse of black flames.

With a sharp cry coming from the depths of the black flames, a dark mass shot out from within, ignoring both Han Li and the yellow light orb, and swiftly flew deep into the black misty sea, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

A flicker of blue light flashed in Han Li's eyes, and he narrowed them slightly.

The black light around the dark mass had thinned a bit just now, and he vaguely saw what was inside—it had a humanoid form, but its head was much larger than an ordinary person's, and it held a weapon in its hand, which was the same three-pronged spear from before.

Unfortunately, the dark mass flashed and vanished into the distance, so he didn't get a clear look.

Han Li withdrew his gaze, looked at the yellow light orb, and retreated a distance while forming hand seals and waving his hand. Seven star rings shot out from his body, precisely the Seven Luminaries Star Rings.

The seven star rings hovered around him, forming a well-arranged star formation.

Dazzling starlight emerged from the seven star rings, connecting with each other to form a starlight barrier.

Although this yellow light mass had helped him repel the black shadow, he naturally would not be naive enough to think that the newcomer was an ally, and he dared not underestimate it in the slightest.

Under Han Li's gaze, the oval yellow mass turned slightly, countless yellow runes flashed within it, and then the light mass dissipated, revealing a yellow flying boat.

This boat was four or five zhang long, shaped like a flying dragon, and appeared to be made entirely of some kind of yellow spiritual wood.

On the front of the flying boat and on both sides of the hull, there were embedded bright yellow oval crystals, each the size of a chicken egg, shimmering with crystalline yellow light and emitting a special law fluctuation, unknown what treasures they were.

Two people stood side by side on the yellow flying boat. On the left was an old man with gray hair and beard, a slightly red nose, and a green gourd of wine hanging from his waist—it was Daoist Hu Yan.

He carried on his back a long object wrapped in yellow cloth, about a foot in size. The yellow cloth seemed capable of blocking spiritual sense, making it impossible to probe what was inside.

On the right was a plump young woman dressed in a white gauze skirt—it was Yun Ni.

"Elder Hu Yan, Elder Yun Ni!" Han Li was startled and blurted out involuntarily.

"Hehe, I sensed someone fighting here from afar and came over for a look. I never expected it would be you, lad." The old Daoist Huyan chuckled.

Yun Ni beside him merely nodded to Han Li in greeting, saying nothing.

"I never expected to meet you two here either." Han Li flew up to the flying boat, formed a hand seal, dispelled the starlight barrier of the Seven Luminaries Star Ring, and smiled.

Huyan the old Daoist was the person he knew best in the Candle Dragon Dao; they were both teacher and friend, with a fairly good relationship.

Over the years, he had secretly kept an eye on news of Huyan the old Daoist, never expecting to meet him here. He felt a sense of encountering an old friend in a strange land.

"It seems you and I are truly fated." Huyan the Daoist stroked his beard and smiled.

"Thank you, Elder Huyan, for your help just now in driving back that shadow." Han Li's expression turned serious as he cupped his hands in a bow.

"We've known each other for a while; today's effort was nothing. But how did you, lad, provoke that Yin Mei? That thing is no simple matter. It's extremely fortunate that you weren't devoured by it." Huyan the Daoist first waved his hand, then his expression grew stern.

"So that shadow is called Yin Mei. It is indeed incredibly powerful. Does Elder Huyan know its origin?" Han Li asked with sudden realization.

"The so-called Yin Mei is a kind of monster in this region. Though its exact cultivation level can't be determined, even an ordinary Golden Immortal would be devoured if encountered. But generally, this thing only appears occasionally in the deepest parts of the Desolate Wind. How could it appear here on the edge..." Huyan the Daoist murmured, a puzzled look on his face.

Hearing this, Han Li raised an eyebrow and was about to say more, but Huyan the Daoist spoke again:

"Forget it, let's not talk about that. Though the Yin Mei is formidable, its intelligence is not high. Since it has retreated now, it won't come back."

"That's good. If I hadn't been fortunate enough to meet you two elders, I might have perished here today." Han Li felt slightly relieved and nodded in thanks again.

"We have both left the Candle Dragon Dao now, so you can drop the 'elder' title." Huyan the Daoist glanced at Yun Ni, then suddenly winked at Han Li.

"Very well." Han Li replied, but his mind stirred.

He had now joined the Reincarnation Hall, and Huyan the old Daoist was likely also a member. In a sense, they were fellow sect members, but this was a secret matter, and Han Li had no intention of revealing it.

"By the way, Fellow Daoist Li, you are now on the bounty list of the North Han Immortal Palace. Actually, I have implicated you. If we hadn't been close back then, you wouldn't have been targeted for arrest." Huyan the Daoist changed the subject and said apologetically.

"Actually, the reason I am wanted by the North Han Immortal Palace is not because of our acquaintance. I have other conflicts with them, and they are unwilling to mention it, so they put it that way on the wanted order." Han Li explained vaguely.

"I see. We haven't seen each other for years, and you, lad, have become much more carefree. Eh, your cultivation has reached the peak of True Immortal. Such rapid progress—no wonder you could withstand that Yin Mei." Huyan the Daoist said with a smile, then his expression suddenly changed as he looked Han Li up and down and gave a light exclamation.

Yun Ni, who had been standing quietly by, also looked Han Li up and down upon hearing this, a flicker of surprise in her beautiful eyes.

"It was just a fortunate breakthrough. My meager cultivation is nothing compared to you two." Han Li's eyes flickered, then he smiled.

"Fellow Daoist Li was only at the early True Immortal stage back then, and in just a few hundred years, you've broken through to the late True Immortal peak. Such a cultivation speed—I've never heard of it in the Candle Dragon Dao, or even in the entire North Han Immortal Domain." Huyan the Daoist still looked incredulous.

"Elder Huyan, you flatter me. I am truly unworthy. It's just that in recent years, I've had some opportunities and obtained some elixirs, which allowed my cultivation to progress a bit faster." Han Li smiled wryly and said vaguely.

"Oh, is that so? With suitable elixirs, cultivation speed can indeed increase a thousandfold." Huyan the Daoist paused, then nodded.

Han Li breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.

With the Heaven-Devouring Bottle in hand, although he could rapidly improve his cultivation, it also caused a series of problems that needed proper resolution.

"By the way, why are you two here?" Han Li was unwilling to dwell on the matter and changed the subject.

"We barely escaped from the Candle Dragon Dao back then. To avoid capture by the North Han Immortal Palace, we've been living incognito in various places all these years. This time, we need to go to the Black Wind Sea for an important matter, but the teleportation array connecting to the sea is closed, so we have to cross this Desolate Wind." Huyan the Daoist explained.

"I see." Han Li nodded thoughtfully.

"Why is Fellow Daoist Li here? Did you come from the Black Wind Sea?" Yun Ni suddenly asked.

"Elder Yun Ni has sharp eyes. Yes, I came from there. The Black Wind Sea is indeed somewhat unsettled now." Han Li's gaze shifted, and without hiding anything, he nodded.

Hearing this, Huyan the Daoist and Yun Ni exchanged glances, both showing a hint of joy.

Han Li noticed their expressions and his mind stirred.

"The Black Wind Sea is remote. How did Fellow Daoist Li come to be there?" Yun Ni continued asking.

"Actually, before joining the Candle Dragon Dao, I had spent some time in the Black Wind Sea. After leaving the Candle Dragon Dao and being pursued by the Immortal Palace, I dared not stay in prosperous areas, so I came to this desolate sea to hide. I lived peacefully for a few hundred years. But now, with constant conflicts in the sea and other changes, it's no longer suitable for quiet cultivation, so I planned to leave. Since the teleportation array was closed, I thought of crossing this Desolate Wind. But now it seems I was overestimating myself." Han Li sighed and said with some self-mockery.

"What changes have occurred in the Black Wind Sea?" Huyan the Daoist's eyes flickered as he pressed further.