Chapter 1470

To be honest, because this leopard kirin beast only has the strength equivalent to a Nascent Soul cultivator, after being subdued it is rarely released to face enemies. However, ever since it followed Han Li, it has never lacked various rare elixirs. Over these years, its cultivation has clearly increased greatly, and it is now at the peak of tenth-level demon beasts. Taking one more step would allow it to break through the bottleneck and become a Soul Transformation existence.

According to common sense, most beasts, upon reaching eighth-level demon beasts, can undergo the lightning tribulation, transform into human form, and fully awaken their spiritual intelligence.

However, some mutant spirit beasts and beasts with special bloodlines are exceptions. Some delay their transformation to a later stage, while others may never be able to transform throughout their lives. Correspondingly, once these beasts do transform, their spiritual intelligence and divine powers far surpass those of same-level beasts, and even cross-level slaughter of enemies is not impossible.

The leopard kirin beast originally inherited the qilin bloodline, and this particular individual underwent a mutation by chance. Whether it still has a chance to transform is now known only to heaven.

However, looking at it now, the ice-slaying qi within these ice-slaying demon beasts is precisely the opportunity for this beast to break through the Soul Transformation bottleneck.

Han Li didn't need to think much; he quickly understood what this beast was currently facing, and a bitter smile rose in his heart.

If this beast were to break through its bottleneck at another time, it would naturally be a welcome event. But now, making a breakthrough suddenly in this abyss is truly not a good opportunity.

Who knows what kind of phenomenon will occur when this beast advances—whether it will attract great trouble.

Although Lei Lan and the others did not know the leopard kirin beast's current situation, they all saw its body emitting increasingly dazzling white light and its aura growing stronger, and they were naturally surprised again.

At this moment, Han Li's group had already penetrated deep into the ice-slaying region, and according to the distance traveled, they had covered nearly half of this area.

After the leopard kirin beast devoured another batch of mid-level ice-slaying beasts, it lay prone on Han Li's shoulder, motionless, with its eyes slightly narrowed, appearing lazy and listless.

However, the white light on its body did not fade in the slightest; instead, it flowed unpredictably across its form, creating an eye-catching abnormality.

At this moment, the group flew over a field of ice mountains, and ahead appeared an extraordinarily long canyon, filled with gusts of black wind that nearly obscured the entire sky, except for the canyon's interior, which was unusually quiet.

Faced with this strange sight, Han Li and the others showed no peculiar expression.

They had seen this situation several times before on the journey, and the group immediately urged their escape light forward into the canyon without hesitation.

The canyon was not very wide, spanning three to four hundred zhang, yet it reached a depth of a thousand zhang. Added to the ceaseless howling of the black wind overhead, flying through it naturally induced a nameless sense of oppression in the heart.

Fortunately, Han Li and the others were no ordinary individuals, and they were not disturbed by these phenomena; within the escape light, they remained unusually calm.

Suddenly, a low growl sounded.

Han Li's expression shifted, and he involuntarily turned his head to look.

He saw the leopard kirin beast, which had been lying prone on his shoulder, suddenly leap up with a "whoosh-pfft," its eyes wide open, its fur bristling, as if facing a great enemy.

Han Li started!

Previously, this beast had encountered numerous ice-slaying demons without such a reaction. Now, behaving this way—could it be……

In the blink of an eye, he recalled something, and his escape light involuntarily paused.

Lei Lan, Qin Xiao, and the others following Han Li's lead also halted their advance, but all swept over with doubtful gazes.

Han Li said nothing, merely glancing forward with a faint blue light flickering in his eyes.

Before anyone else could speak, he suddenly thrust his palm forward into the void.

A golden light sprayed from his palm, shooting directly toward an unknown distance into the canyon's depths.

After a tremendous roar, the golden light flashed and vanished in the darkness, actually slicing open a patch of ice at the canyon's bottom, revealing a long, massive ice fissure.

A pained, strange cry echoed from underground, followed by a great surge of black qi bursting from the fissure, which in an instant condensed into a black-colored mist ball ten zhang in diameter.

"Ice Slaying King, it's an Ice Slaying Demon King! This place actually has such a demon creature." Bai Bi cried out in alarm.

Lei Lan and Qin Xiao, upon hearing this, also immediately started in surprise.

At that moment, the huge mist ball spun in the void, and countless ice shards rose from the ground, enveloping the mist ball from all sides in a crystalline wrapping.

Black light blazed forth!

A twenty-zhang-tall black-colored ice phoenix emerged, its entire body crystalline and dark, its eyes flickering with strange black light, fixedly staring at Han Li.

No, it should be said that it was staring at the small beast on Han Li's shoulder, revealing a strange expression as if encountering a mortal enemy.

Seeing this, the leopard kirin beast continued its low growl, but its jade-green beast eyes showed a restless, eager-to-fight expression.

Han Li's brow twitched, and he pondered silently.

He suddenly reached back with one hand, grabbed the small beast from his shoulder, and, amid everyone's astonished gazes, exerted force with his arm and hurled the small beast high above his head.

Then, Han Li flared the wings behind him, and with a thunderclap, he vanished as a blue-white electric arc.

The next moment, thunder rang from the ice phoenix's head, and Han Li strangely appeared. But his shoulder swayed slightly, and, amid a series of afterimages, he appeared beneath the ice phoenix's massive body.

The ice phoenix first froze, then let out a furious cry, and one massive claw shot out, intending to seize this ant in its eyes and crush it to death.

A pair of ebony giant claws, each about a zhang in size, descended and immediately enveloped Han Li's figure beneath them.

But Han Li treated the giant claws as if they were nothing; his arms blurred slightly, and black-and-white fist images densely appeared, surging violently toward the sky like a storm.

The sound of "bang bang" continued without cease, and black-and-white light erupted within the giant claws.

A strange scene appeared!

After the explosion, the two giant claws emitted a brittle sound like shattering porcelain, then shattered inch by inch, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

The black-colored ice phoenix let out a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering screech, opened its mouth, and a surge of dark, murky cold wind gushed forth, instantly reaching Han Li's head, attempting to envelop him.

But Han Li's eyes flashed, and at the very moment the black wind reached him, he vanished along with the wind.

The ice phoenix stared blankly, then instinctively looked around, trying to locate its opponent.

But at that very moment, a strong wind blew above the black phoenix's back, and a human figure silently materialized.

With a flick of his body, the person stepped ghostlike onto the ice phoenix's back, his black and white fists flashing as he struck the ice phoenix's back with a vicious wind.

With two booming sounds, black-and-white light halos spread across the ice phoenix's back, enveloping its entire body.

Without any reaction, the ice phoenix's massive body, like its claws before, developed cracks, then with a "crack!" sound, shattered inch by inch into crystalline ice flakes that fell downward.

A large mass of black-colored mist reappeared in the void, but now had no discernible shape, merely flickering with strange black light.

With a "whoosh," a small shadow flashed, lunged into the black-colored mist, wrapped its limbs around it, and began devouring it with big mouthfuls, even letting out excited hums from its nose.

It was precisely the small beast that Han Li had hurled high into the air earlier!

After landing, seeing Han Li shatter the ice phoenix formed from the black mist, the small beast naturally would not pass up this great tonic! It immediately lunged forward in delight, frantically tearing and biting at the mist.

Since the black-colored mist was the form of the so-called Ice Slaying Demon King, it naturally refused to be swallowed so easily by the small beast. It not only extended countless black-colored tendrils from within, flailing wildly, but also caused numerous black ice spikes to rise from the ground, flying toward it again, attempting to recondense a body.

As for those black tendrils, they had not yet touched the leopard kirin beast when the small beast struck them with a claw blade, shattering them to pieces.

As for those black ice spikes, they were struck by countless thumb-sized silver sparks from a shake of Han Li's sleeve, instantly turning into clear water that fell downward.

From the moment Han Li made his move to shattering the black ice phoenix, it took only a few breaths.

Even though Lei Lan and the others were not seeing Han Li act for the first time, they were still startled by his thunderous methods, their faces showing varied expressions.

The black mist, tossed about by the small beast's devouring, surged erratically, swelling and shrinking, but to no avail. The small beast lay prone on it with all four paws, as if rooted, utterly still.

In the blink of an eye, the vast black mist was nearly half swallowed in one gulp.

Then the small beast let out a low growl from its mouth, its body flashing with white light several times, and leapt down from the black mist in one bound, lying motionless on the ground.

Han Li's expression shifted slightly, and without a word he flipped his hand once, producing a white jade bottle, which he hurled at the remaining black mist while murmuring an incantation.

The jade bottle spun around, its mouth inverted, and a stream of azure light sprayed out from within.

As this light swirled and flew, the residual mist instantly condensed into a wisp of black qi, which was forcibly sucked into the jade bottle.

Seeing this, Bai Bi and Lei Lan and the others couldn't help but flash a hint of envy on their faces.

Although this so-called Ice Fiend Demon King bore the title of demon king, his abilities were merely ordinary; any typical Soul Transformation cultivator could easily deal with him. Yet this demonic entity was extremely rare, and the ice fiend qi emanating from its origin was exceptionally pure—whether for pill refinement, artifact forging, or even cultivating certain secret arts and divine abilities, it was of great use. Far beyond ordinary ice fiend demonic entities.

But since this demonic entity had been shattered by Han Li's hand, though they harbored some thoughts, they dared not voice them.

After a short while, the ice fiend qi was completely absorbed by the jade bottle, down to the last trace.

Han Li gestured, and the jade bottle instantly transformed into a streak of white light that vanished into his sleeve cuff, leaving no trace.

At this moment, his gaze shifted, and with a hint of concern, it fell upon the small beast lying on the ground.

At this moment, the Leopard Kirin Beast curled its body inward, its surface white light fluctuating, eyes half-closed.

Through spiritual connection, Han Li clearly sensed the small beast's inner excitement, fear, anxiety, and other emotions intertwined into a complex state.

He exhaled lightly, then slowly descended from the air, landing beside the small beast and half-kneeling.

He raised his hand and patted the small beast's skull, then gently stroked its unusually soft fur with his palm, and with a thought of his divine sense, transmitted his soothing intent.

The Leopard Kirin Beast extended its pink tongue and licked Han Li's hand once, and its unease gradually eased.

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