Chapter 2188: Inner Demon Tribulation
The grey mirror-like object was still hanging high up in the air in a completely stationary manner, while murky images were quickly flas.h.i.+ng through the five-colored light within the mirror.
Even upon closer inspection, these images were completely indiscernible, like indistinct scenes from a dream.
Meanwhile, the Gold Devouring Beetles were still devouring one another like there was no tomorrow.
After such a long time, only several hundred beetles were left, and the situation had already transitioned into one where the beetle monarch candidates were devouring the normal beetles with reckless abandon.
The normal Gold Devouring Beetles were also retaliating valiantly, but they were clearly no match for the beetle monarch candidates and were quickly being devoured.
Shortly thereafter, the beetle monarch candidates" bodies had also become riddled with wounds.
Thus, time slowly pa.s.sed by, and after a long while, all of the normal Gold Devouring Beetles had been devoured, leaving only the wounded beetle monarch candidates behind.
In the instant that the final normal Gold Devouring Beetles was consumed, all of the beetle monarch candidates separated and rested for a short while, then began to appraise one another with animosity in their eyes.
After a burst of hostile buzzing, these beetle monarch candidates immediately sprang into action again, tearing at one another in a battle that was far more brutal than the one that had just taken place.
Screeches of anguish rang out as severed limbs rained down from above, and all of the beetle monarch candidates were unleas.h.i.+ng their abilities with all their might to try and devour one another.
However, they were too evenly-matched, so it would clearly require a very lengthy process before any substantial progress could be reached in the battle.
......
At the same time, Han Li was situated within another s.p.a.ce, being accompanied by a group of joyful villagers into a room that was decorated with large pieces of red fabric.
All of the villagers then departed with mysterious smiles after leaving behind heartfelt messages such as "we hope your marriage is long prosperous" and "give birth to a child soon", then quickly closed the door to the room.
Thus, Han Li and a pet.i.te figure seated on the large red bed with a red cloth over her head were the only ones left in the room.
Han Li scratched his own head in a slightly awkward manner, and only after a long while did he slowly approach the wooden bed with a faint blush on his face.
Han Li had never actually seen his new wife, who was from the neighboring village; he had only heard some details about her from the matchmaker, Auntie Liu.
Apparently, she was an extremely clever woman who was good with her hands, and was quite beautiful as well. She had immediately caught the eye of his parents, who had offered her family a pig and three lambs as a dowry, and their marriage had been sealed with this wedding, which had been arranged in a short span of just half a month.
What was his wife"s pet name again? Chun Mei? Chun Wan? Or was it Xiao Ling?
Han Li was suddenly struck with a sense of disorientation, and he discovered that he was unable to recall the pet name of his bride; there were only several names that sounded familiar, but didn"t seem quite right.
However, none of that was important. This woman had become his wife, and just like his sister-in-law, she was going to have two or three, perhaps even more children for him. After that, he would watch his children grow up and make families of their own, just as his parents had done...
At this point, Han Li was already standing beside the bed, but he was rather perplexed by why all of these random thoughts had suddenly popped into his head. Just as the teasing villagers had jibed, shouldn"t his mind be more fixated on the activity that he had been yearning for for such a long time?
Han Li took a deep breath to strengthen his own resolve, then laid a hand onto the piece of red fabric draped over his wife"s head.
The pet.i.te figure beneath the piece of red fabric shuddered slightly, seemingly also feeling rather uneasy.
Han Li felt like throat had run a little dry, but he still mustered up the courage to remove the piece of fabric in a slightly panicked manner.
A set of shy and relatively beautiful features were thus revealed to Han Li.
A bashful and extremely satisfied smile appeared on Han Li"s face as he tossed the piece of red fabric away, yet just as he was about to say something to the woman, a chilling sensation suddenly surged up to his head from his dantian, following which a stream of memories that had originally been sealed away came flooding out into his mind.
Han Li"s smile remained on his face, but his expression had instantly stiffened.
The woman seemed to find Han Li"s reaction to be rather strange, and she stood up from the bed before extending a slightly curtsey toward Han Li as she called out in a gentle voice, "Husband."
Han Li seemed to have returned to his senses, and instead of giving a reply, the smile on his face slowly faded as he appraised the woman before him. Only after a long while did he muse in a cold voice, "Good try, but unfortunately, it won"t be that easy to fool me into falling for this illusion."
As soon as his voice trailed off, Han Li swept a sleeve through the air, releasing a streak of azure light that instantly sliced the woman"s body in half.
The two halves of her body immediately collapsed beside the bed as blood flowed all over the floor.
Han Li took an expressionless glance at the woman"s dismembered body, then chuckled coldly to himself, "Even now, you"re still not willing to give up. You must think I"m a fool if you think this will be enough to fool me."
After that, he flicked a finger, and a bolt of golden lightning sprang out of his fingertip before hurtling directly toward the body at his feet.
All of a sudden, the two halves of the body reared up as a cloud of black Qi, but Han Li was already prepared for this, and he immediately made a hand seal, upon which the golden lightning swerved and struck the cloud of black Qi with unerring accuracy.
A shrill cry rang out as most of the black Qi was instantly destroyed, but a vicious male voice then immediately rang out.
"Don"t get c.o.c.ky, Han brat. I may not have succeeded this time, but I can make you go through all walks of life in this inner tribulation; I"ll be sure to find a c.h.i.n.k in your mental state, and when that time comes, I"ll be able to easily replace you."
"I"ve already mastered the Spirit Refinement Technique, so my spiritual sense is comparable to that of a Grand Ascension cultivator. On top of that, my mental state is completely resolute; even if you"re my inner demon, there"s no way you"ll be able to shake my resolve," Han Li chuckled in a nonchalant manner.
"Is that so? Are you really that confident? Don"t forget that in a sense, you and I are one and the same. I have all of your memories and emotions, and I know which things are most unforgettable to you. Your resolve may be strong now, but I"ll make you go through countless reincarnations. If you slip up in even one of them, haha..." The man within the black Qi suddenly burst into raucous laughter.
Han Li"s expression changed slightly upon hearing this, but before he had a chance to say anything, the black Qi in the distance exploded, and a burst of peculiar energy instantly swept through the entire s.p.a.ce.
The surrounding scene abruptly shattered like a mirror, following which Han Li appeared in another world amid a flash of white light.
This was the courtyard of an affluent family filled with all types of plants and flowers, and there was a winding stone path leading to a round door. Standing in front of the door was a beautiful green-robed young woman who appeared to be around 16 years of age, and she was currently appraising him with a wide smile.
"As my senior martial brother, shouldn"t you be offering me a present on our first meeting?" the young woman said as she extended a slender and fair arm toward Han Li.
The woman was Mo Cailian of the Mo Estate! [1]
Han Li almost instantly recognized the young woman standing before him, and he involuntarily asked, "What type of present would you like?"
"I"m not a picky girl; I"ll accept jewelry or anything that"s fun and catches my eye. If you don"t have anything like that, I guess 7,000 or 8,000 silver coins will suffice as well," Mo Cailian said in a confident manner.
Han Li"s lips twitched slightly upon hearing this familiar reply, but a burst of mysterious power then swept over his body, and he instantly forgot everything, retaining only the memories leading up to the point before he entered the Mo Estate.
Memories such as joining the Seven Mysteries Sect and accepting Doctor Mo as his master had become extremely clear, as if those events had taken place only a day ago.
Under these circ.u.mstances, Han Li reflexively replied, "There"s no way I would have 7,000 silver coins; how about I give you something else in the future?"
A pitiable look immediately appeared on the young woman"s face upon hearing this, and Han Li was at a complete loss for what to do...
......
In the outside world, Han Li"s physical body and Nascent Soul were still seated on the spot, but the devilish Qi around them was becoming denser and denser, and devilish creatures that were far more powerful than before were frequently appearing before attempting to attack Han Li.
Even though these devilish creatures were also forced back by the golden lightning that erupted out of Han Li"s physical body, they were appearing with increased regularity and also attacking more frequently, seemingly very determined to take Han Li"s body for themselves.
1. This is Mo Caihuan. The name was translated differently between double and johnchen.