"Oh no, this place really is going to collapse. It seems that person's words were true!" Bao's expression turned grim.
Han Li furrowed his brow, his gaze sweeping toward the spot where the Insect Mother had been slain, then suddenly reached out with one hand into the void.
Whoosh!
From that seemingly empty expanse of space, ripples spread outward, and a pitch-black crystal bead no larger than a thumb materialized out of thin air. After another flash, it sank into Han Li's palm.
"Hm? What's this—" Bao blinked in surprise and was about to say something more when the entire abyss lurched into catastrophic collapse. Countless pale-white cracks tore through the void in all directions, visibly widening by the second.
Bao's face drained of color. She raised one hand, and a crimson formation disk blazed to life in her grasp. But the instant its hum began, a strange wave of energy swept across her hand.
The spinning formation disk instantly dimmed, its light withdrew, and it fell motionless once more.
"It's no good. That man really did lay a trap — neither of us can leave this place easily now," Bao said, her expression dark.
"Of course. If he dared say what he did, he naturally had every confidence he could keep us here," Han Li replied calmly.
Bao snorted and was about to retort when, without warning, a hazy gray radiance coiled around the two of them, and a blurred formation of light descended directly over them like a shroud.
Han Li and Bao both tensed, but neither attempted to resist or dodge.
After a flash from the light formation, their figures vanished without a trace from the abyss.
Almost at the same moment, the entire abyss collapsed with an earth-shattering boom.
On the other side, when Han Li shook off the dizziness of teleportation, he found himself standing before a blood-red altar over ten zhang tall.
Nearby, Bao stood close beside him. Having just recovered her senses, she surveyed their surroundings with a grave expression.
Upon the altar sat an ink-black alms bowl, and around it towered eight enormous bronze pillars, each bearing what appeared to be a blood-red ancient lamp at its top.
"This appears to be a highly profound ancient restriction — it seems to share the same origin as the ancient seal, bearing a striking resemblance," Bao murmured after studying it for a moment.
"Quite impressive that you recognize the Eight-Origin Soul-Locking Formation down here in the Lower Realm. Indeed, this formation is closely related to the restriction that sealed the Insect Mother. One might even say it is a miniature version of that seal, shrunk ten-thousandfold, and that would not be inaccurate." That familiar male voice drifted over, unhurried.
Han Li and Bao fixed their gazes in unison upon the ink-black alms bowl on the altar.
The man's voice was unmistakably emanating from within.
"Senior flatters me. I merely once stood guard over the seal for a period, so I was able to recognize the resemblance at a glance. When it truly comes to the Dao of formations and restrictions, Fellow Daoist Han far surpasses me," Bao replied with a forced smile.
"Oh? Your clan hasn't forgotten the instructions I left behind all those years ago. You have indeed been working diligently to repair this seal — a meritorious effort, I suppose." The man spoke lightly.
"Senior — you really are one of the two True Immortals who originally sealed the Insect Mother!" Though Bao had long harbored this suspicion, hearing the man openly admit it still made her cry out in shock.
"Heh heh. I never expected that my descent to the Lower Realm this time would result in such a prolonged stay, let alone that I would end up in this wretched state. This time, with the Insect Mother destroyed, you girl have contributed no small part. I have a gift for you — your willingness to risk your life this time will not have been in vain." The man's voice chuckled, and then the lid of the alms bowl flew open, and an object soared out from within.
Bao's spirits lifted upon hearing this. She raised her hand and snatched the object from the air, then focused her attention to examine it closely.