That alone wasn't the end of it. Just as Marquis Nanlong and the old man surnamed Lu were examining the scene closely, the headless body of the Fire Toad Beast suddenly emanated threads of crimson light from its severed neck, while the Fire Toad Beast's head floating to one side similarly flickered with radiance at the wound.
The two streams of crimson light continuously extended and intertwined, gradually drawing closer to each other.
"An Indestructible Body! This Fire Toad actually possesses such an innate ability?" Upon seeing this, Marquis Nanlong blurted out in astonishment.
The old man surnamed Lu's face showed a flash of shock, followed by an expression of horror.
"Indestructible? There's nothing truly indestructible in this world. Its life force is simply a bit stronger than that of ordinary spirit beasts."
Han Li, who had read numerous ancient texts, naturally understood what the so-called "Indestructible Body" referred to. After severing the Fire Toad's forelimb and noticing its unusual reaction, he had already harbored suspicions. That was why he had spoken up to stop Marquis Nanlong from rashly opening the restrictions.
Otherwise, if the Fire Toad had taken the opportunity to revive and escape, all his efforts would have been for nothing.
But now Han Li let out a cold laugh and pointed at the massive sword that had decapitated the Fire Toad.
The massive sword spun in the air with a whirring sound, then suddenly split apart into two, transforming into two streaks of golden light that shot downward simultaneously.
A flash of blue light passed, and two crisp cracks rang out.
The Fire Toad's head and body were first instantly frozen into ice sculptures by the icy flame on the sword, sealing the crimson light within. Then they were shattered by the flying swords, dissolving into countless motes of luminous light that scattered across the sky.
Where the body had shattered, a thumb-sized crimson sphere remained — the Fire Toad Beast's demon core!
The moment the demon core appeared, Marquis Nanlong and the old man surnamed Lu exchanged a glance, each detecting a hint of covetousness in the other's eyes.
After all, it was the demon core of an ancient beast that possessed an Indestructible Body — who knew what special properties it might hold?
But the moment the two thought of the abilities Han Li had displayed earlier, along with his thunderous reputation of late, that flicker of wavering in their hearts was snuffed out in an instant.
The two of them understood perfectly well that Han Li's abilities were definitely superior to their own. Even if they joined forces, they would likely only manage to fight him on even terms, with the odds no better than fifty-fifty.
To turn on each other over an unknown ancient beast's demon core — neither of them felt it was worth it.
After all, there would be plenty more opportunities in the Falling Demon Valley.
Though Han Li possessed no mind-reading technique, he had guessed roughly seventy to eighty percent of what Marquis Nanlong and the other man were thinking.
During the earlier battle against the Fire Toad, the two of them — despite being Nascent Soul cultivators — had clearly not exerted their full strength, leaving nearly all the work to Han Li's abilities alone.
Therefore, the moment the Fire Toad Beast's head was severed, Han Li had maintained his outward composure while secretly raising his vigilance several times over against the two men, lest they be blinded by greed and do something foolish.
Now, seeing their expressions briefly waver before returning to normal, Han Li silently breathed a sigh of relief.
Though he feared no confrontation with these two, avoiding a fight altogether — avoiding the risk — was naturally preferable.
Han Li immediately reached toward the water barrier with a beckoning gesture, and the crimson demon core shot out with a whoosh, flying into his palm.
The two flying swords let out a clear hum, then split apart of their own accord into over a dozen smaller swords, which flew back and vanished into Han Li's sleeve.
Han Li lowered his gaze to the crimson demon core in his hand and let out a long breath. One of the goals for entering the valley had finally been accomplished.
At that moment, Marquis Nanlong suddenly spoke up with a smile.
"We owe it to Daoist Han for slaying this Fire Toad. Now then, why don't we go take a look at this beast's lair? I'm sure Brother Han is also quite interested in the treasures on the remains."
"Naturally." Han Li tucked the demon core away and nodded calmly.
The old man surnamed Lu's face lit up with delight upon hearing their words.
The three of them then dispersed the nearby magical formations and headed straight for the cave beneath the massive peak.
As a matter of fact, Han Li had considered the idea of secretly releasing Silver Moon to enter the cave and search for treasure first.
However, the two of them were old and cunning, and they had been keeping a close watch on Han Li the entire time. Moreover, their cultivation bases were a tier above his own. If he released Silver Moon without any cover, there was a good chance it would be detected by their spiritual sense. Besides, the ancient cultivator's remains seemed to have something unusual about them, and Han Li had other concerns as well. After a brief consideration, he dismissed the idea.
The three streaks of brilliant light transformed by the trio arrived at the cave entrance in an instant and flew inside without hesitation.
Upon seeing the lake of molten lava, Marquis Nanlong and the other man were momentarily stunned, but quickly composed themselves and looked around nonchalantly.
But after only a cursory sweep of the lake's shores, their gazes fell upon the ancient cultivator's remains on the stone platform, wrapped in green robes.
Both of their faces lit up with excitement!