"Is that so? But do you happen to know about this demon's latest exploits on the Thunder Continent, Fellow Daoist Han?" Ming Zun nodded, then suddenly changed the subject.
"The Thunder Continent? Has he done something shocking again?" Han Li asked, his expression turning grave.
"Shocking doesn't begin to cover it — the sensation this time far surpasses even what happened in the Blood Sky Continent." Ming Zun said in a dark tone, then flicked his wrist and tossed the jade slip straight across.
Han Li raised a hand, catching the jade slip with ease, and pressed it to his forehead without a moment's hesitation, sending a wisp of spiritual sense sweeping inside.
After only a brief moment, he removed the jade slip with a somewhat unsightly expression and said slowly to the person across from him: "I never expected that this murderous fiend would actually provoke the Horned races, slay four of their Mahayana cultivators, and then fight three ancient True Spirits in battle. But what's this about him going missing? What does that mean exactly?"
"It's quite straightforward — after his battle with the three ancient True Spirits, the man suddenly vanished on the Thunder Continent. No one has been able to track down his whereabouts since." The elder replied at an unhurried pace, the worry on his face showing no signs of abating.
"Is your alliance hiding something else you've discovered?" Han Li was no fool — he instantly detected the oddity in the other's expression and asked directly.
"You truly have a keen eye, Fellow Daoist! Indeed, at the conclusion of that battle, our alliance had people among the crowd who investigated the site of the fiend's disappearance. They detected faint spatial fluctuations and signs that the void nearby had been torn open. Unfortunately, despite employing every method at our disposal, our people were unable to continue tracking him." Ming Zun explained.
"If that's the case, then this fiend truly hasn't perished — he simply used the power of spatial laws to conceal himself for the time being." Han Li's expression shifted slightly as well.
"Correct. That is most likely what happened." The elder replied slowly.
"Then what is Brother Ming so worried about, and why did you summon me here to discuss this?" Han Li pondered for a moment, then posed the question in return.
"Fellow Daoist Han, you play the fool well. If this fiend has already appeared in both the Blood Sky Continent and the Thunder Continent, there would be nothing strange about him coming to our Wind Source Continent next. You are a Mahayana cultivator of the human race and one of the supreme powers of the Blood Sky Continent — could you truly turn a blind eye to such an incomprehensible fiend? Would you not fear that he might suddenly descend upon your clan and carry out a blood sacrifice? Even a superpower like the Horned races has suffered grievous losses to its vitality. If any of the smaller clans here on the Wind Source Continent were to attract his attention, the danger of total annihilation would be very real." Ming Zun said with a sudden smile.
"Heh, your words are a bit strange, Brother Ming. The Wind Source Continent has so many races — what are the odds that this man would coincidentally pick out a weak race like ours? I would think the great clans would be far more conspicuous targets." Han Li chuckled without committing to anything.
"Our alliance has already analyzed the characteristics of this fiend's blood sacrifice targets. We've found that he doesn't seem to have any specific objective — he strikes wherever he encounters a dense gathering of living beings. Your clan may not have had a prominent reputation in the past, but that was only because you previously lacked a supreme Mahayana cultivator. In terms of actual population and the density of settled areas, your clan ranks among the foremost on the continent. Are you truly certain that this madman won't come knocking on your door, Fellow Daoist Han?" The red-haired elder said calmly.
"Brother Ming, are you threatening me?" Han Li's pupils contracted, and all expression drained from his face.
"I have absolutely no such intention — I am merely informing you of the facts. Moreover, it so happens that this fiend appears to have some connection to you, Fellow Daoist. The likelihood of him targeting the human race is far from as low as you might imagine." A strange look appeared once more on Ming Zun's face.
"What do you mean by that?" Han Li was genuinely taken aback for a moment.
"I have two portraits here. Would you happen to recognize them, Fellow Daoist Han?"
As he spoke, Ming Zun flipped his free hand, and another jade slip materialized. After grasping it with five fingers and waving it several times, a swath of shimmering, hazy light rolled out from within.
Suspended in the luminous glow were the images of a man and a woman.
"These are…"
Han Li narrowed his eyes, surprise flickering across his expression.
"It seems you truly do know these two. Would you care to share something of their background?" Ming Zun said, showing no surprise at all at this reaction.