The small azure figure that Han Li's Nascent Soul had transformed into felt a sudden jolt through his heart. An eerie chill surged up from his back, so intense it evoked the primal terror of his mortal days — the sensation of being locked onto by a fearsome beast.
Without a moment's hesitation, the small figure formed a one-handed incantation gesture while letting out a low shout.
The shout seemed unremarkable, but the instant it rang out, the void within a radius of over a li shuddered, and everything abruptly slowed to a near standstill, as though frozen solid.
Seizing this fleeting opening, the azure figure swayed and vanished, dissolving into a faint afterimage.
The next instant, a ripple stirred within the fierce winds several li away, and Han Li's Nascent Soul incarnation flickered back into view, its expression grim as it fixed an intense stare on the distant colossus.
At this greater distance, he could finally make out its true form — a hideous head as massive as a small mountain!
Two purple eyes, a pair of enormous golden horns, pale silver scales, and four extraordinarily long whiskers. It was unmistakably an enormous dragon head.
"A True Dragon!"
The moment Han Li saw the head, he nearly blurted out in alarm.
But in the next instant, the massive dragon head shook itself vigorously, and after a wave of spatial undulations rippled through the nearby void, everything that had been frozen snapped back to normal in an instant.
Yet the dragon head continued to fix its gaze upon Han Li in the distance. Its mouth moved, and a deep, humming voice spoke in the common tongue: "So it's a fellow Daoist who has recently advanced to the Mahayana stage. Judging from your appearance, this must be your first time embarking on a divine roaming beyond your shell."
"Ah, so you could tell. This is indeed my first time conducting a divine roaming within the gale winds! And you, fellow Daoist — could you be one of the legendary True Dragons? What brings you to this place?" The small figure that Han Li had transformed into quickly recovered his composure, though his tone remained cautious.
"Hehe. Although your Nascent Soul is far more solidified than that of most who have lingered in the Mahayana stage for years, wisps of vital essence still leak from you imperceptibly. That's the unmistakable sign of a Nascent Soul that has only recently achieved full maturity. In the eyes of those at our level, such things simply cannot be hidden. As for my true form — I am none other than the Purple-Eyed Dragon, one of the True Dragons! I merely encountered a formidable enemy in the inter-realm void some days ago, which forced me to take refuge here for a time!" The massive dragon head chuckled, making no attempt whatsoever to conceal anything.
Then the enormous head shook itself once more, and a mountain-like colossal body forced its way out of the void.
Sure enough, it was a titanic dragon covered head to tail in shimmering silver scales. However, its body was riddled with wounds, and many scales had fallen away entirely — it was clearly quite badly hurt.
This sight gave Han Li pause, his expression shifting.
The moment the silver dragon's full form emerged, the scales along its body flashed, unleashing a brilliant silver radiance.
Even Han Li instinctively squeezed his eyes shut, and by the time he opened them again an instant later, the colossal figure before him had vanished without a sound.
In its place stood a youth of about fifteen or sixteen, dressed in silver robes. His complexion was slightly pale, and he regarded Han Li with a smile.
"I am Fan Paozi. A pleasure to meet you, fellow Daoist! May I ask your honored name? Fellow Daoist Mo of your clan — he and I have crossed paths before."
"So Fellow Daoist Fan Paozi is an old acquaintance of Brother Mo's. My name is Han Li. The Purple-Eyed True Dragon's reputation has long preceded you. But given a True Dragon's extraordinary powers, how did you come to be wounded? It seems that enemy of yours must have been no ordinary being." Han Li was somewhat surprised, though his incarnation betrayed no change in expression.
"Sigh. Anyone who runs into that monstrosity — the Seven-Headed Owl — in the inter-realm void would do well to keep their distance. Unfortunately, this time I was after something of paramount importance and simply could not yield ground. I had no choice but to grit my teeth and fight it head-on. The result was that I sustained some grievous injuries and lost a number of true scales I had cultivated over many years. Still, of its seven heads, I managed to crush two with my own claws." The silver-robed youth sighed, then replied in a deliberately offhand manner.
"The Seven-Headed Owl — no wonder, then. Among the many avian True Spirits, this bird is one of the few renowned for its bloodthirsty nature. Brother Fan, to have fought such a creature to a standstill — your powers must truly be vast beyond measure." The name "Seven-Headed Owl" sent a jolt of alarm through Han Li's heart.
"I wouldn't say I fought it to a standstill — at best, we both came away wounded. Fierce as the Seven-Headed Owl is, its intelligence leaves much to be desired. With a few simple tricks, I still managed to get my hands on what I was after. If it weren't absolutely necessary, who would willingly pick a fight with such a monster? Most who encounter it simply flee as far and as fast as they can." The silver-robed youth couldn't quite hide the note of pride in his voice.