The image displayed was none other than Han Li, sitting upright in the main hall just as he had been moments ago. Though there was not a single sound, the likeness of Han Li within was vivid and lifelike, as though everything that had just transpired were being replayed like time flowing in reverse.
At that moment, the large man said to the purple-haired woman, "Watch closely," and then flicked a finger toward the image. A speck of black light shot out, vanishing in a flash as it merged into the sphere of light.
In the next instant, layers of radiant flame suddenly erupted from Han Li's body in the image. The outermost layer was a pitch-black radiance as dark as ink. Within that was a layer of purple-gold light. Further in was a hazy, chaotic gray, beyond which nothing further could be distinguished.
"Hmm, what is this?" The purple-haired woman let out a surprised exclamation at the sight.
"Heh heh — this is the first time you've seen this kind of Guangyin Realm secret art, isn't it, Fifth Sister? As you can see, this Han fellow's primary cultivation technique seems rather special. The outermost black layer displays the most pristine True Devil Qi of our Sacred Realm. This is quite normal — if this layer of black light weren't present, I would suspect he isn't from our Sacred Realm at all. As for the purple-gold color within, it indicates this person has also cultivated a remarkable body-refining devil art and has already pushed it to its absolute limit, seemingly approaching the legendary realm of Purple Marrow and Gold Bones. However, this seems rather unlikely. To cultivate the physical body to such strength — aside from certain Sacred Ancestors of old, I have never heard of anyone else achieving this." The large man pointed out the various layers of radiance on Han Li's body as he spoke with a grave expression.
"Purple Marrow and Gold Bones! This person's physical body is truly that powerful? Could the Guangyin Treasure Mirror be malfunctioning?" The purple-haired woman's expression changed dramatically, and she shook her head in disbelief.
"It shouldn't be wrong. Though the Guangyin Treasure Mirror's effectiveness on this person is greatly reduced, a rough scan like this shouldn't produce any wildly inaccurate results. Moreover, this person is only approaching that realm — otherwise, the outermost True Devil Qi wouldn't show up in the mirror at all. It would all be contained within his physical body's meridians, without leaking out in the slightest." The large man let out a long breath as he spoke.
"But even so, this person's physical body alone should be sufficient to suppress an ordinary Demon Sovereign. What about that gray layer of light on him? Could he have cultivated other powerful abilities as well?" The purple-haired woman swept her gaze over the image in the air and asked again.
"The gray light represents parts that even the Guangyin Treasure Mirror cannot probe, which means they are certainly anything but ordinary. Being able to scan to this degree is already my absolute limit. Otherwise, if I had channeled more Magical Power into the mirror at the time, I'm afraid I would have truly offended this person — more trouble than it's worth. But the fact that this person could detect me within the restriction also shows that his spiritual force is extraordinary." The large man replied with a solemn expression.
"An exceptionally powerful body, mysterious abilities that even the treasure mirror cannot penetrate, and spiritual force that is abnormally strong. So you're saying a truly monstrous being has arrived in our Huan Ye City. Fortunately, he doesn't seem inclined to stay here long, and the White Family has already established a connection with him first. This way, not only is there no cause for concern, but dealing with that demonic beast shouldn't be a problem either." After the purple-haired woman's expression shifted back and forth for a moment, she said with a bitter smile.
"From this perspective, it could be considered good news. We of the White Family absolutely cannot offend this person, but neither do we need to exert ourselves trying to win him over. With power so unfathomably deep, our family is simply not a stage worthy of him. Fifth Sister, when you interact with this person again, be extra cautious." The large man said earnestly.
"Naturally, I am aware of this." The purple-haired woman's beautiful eyes flickered several times, and she gave a gentle nod.
…
At the same time, Han Li sat cross-legged inside the beast-drawn carriage, toying with a white crystal ball in one hand, an ambiguous smile playing on his face.
Suddenly, black qi surged from the surface of his body. A layer of black light screen materialized and spread outward, enveloping the void within several zhang. He then tapped a finger between his eyebrows and tossed the crystal ball before him.
With a soft pop, black light flickered between his brows, and a third black demonic eye appeared. A beam of golden light shot out from it, striking the white crystal ball squarely.
In the next instant, the white crystal ball turned golden and resplendent. After a brief flash of spiritual light, a golden light screen erupted from within it.
The light screen was first a blur, then with a flash of white light, a figure about a zhang tall appeared — holding a rhombus-shaped ancient mirror in one hand.
It was none other than the pale-haired man from the White Family.
The phantom of the large man remained motionless, one hand forming seals, the other appearing to cast spells at the ancient mirror.
Han Li quietly studied the phantom for a few moments, a faint cold smile appearing at the corner of his lips. He withdrew the seals in his hands, and the black demonic eye between his brows vanished in a flash.
Just as this White Family Demon Sovereign had said — while he was hiding within the restriction and using a secret art to probe, with spiritual force as powerful as Han Li's, he had sensed the presence almost instantly. Without betraying any emotion, he had used a secret art of his own to counter-probe the other party. Discovering that this person was also a Demon Sovereign, and only a mid-stage one at that, Han Li had put his mind at ease.
With the Devil Qi contained in his Brahma Sacred True Devil Art and the power of the Pseudo Devil Bead, aside from possibly showing some slips before those unfathomable Sacred Ancestors, he naturally had nothing to worry about when facing anyone else in the Demon Realm.
The crystal ball let out a muffled hum and returned to its original crystalline translucence. At the same time, the phantom of the large man silently cracked apart and dissipated.
Everything returned to normal within the span of a few breaths, as if the previous spell had never existed at all.
At this point, Han Li closed his eyes and, with an expressionless face, settled into meditation.
In the days that followed, Han Li was transported to and from the White Family's estate every day aboard the massive beast-drawn carriage, exchanging cultivation insights with the purple-haired woman. In addition to body-refining techniques and ordinary devil arts at first, they even ventured into discussions of certain secret arts and extraordinary techniques.
Both parties found these exchanges extremely beneficial.