Born as an ant, I was summoned to ascend to immortality.

Chapter 63 The Battle for the Demon Platform

Zhou Li solemnly picked up the bone fragment, closed his eyes slightly, and immersed his spiritual thoughts into it.

A moment later, Zhou Li hurriedly memorized the contents of the incantation, returned the bone fragment to Young Master Ye, and drank the cup of spiritual tea in front of him in one gulp.

"Young Master Ye, please rest assured, I will never pass on this technique. Please allow me to bid farewell to my companions briefly before setting off."

After Zhou Li left, an aged voice echoed in the quiet room: "Jin'er, was it a bit hasty to pass on the 'Spiritual Rhinoceros Transformation Manual' to this person?"

An old man leaning on a dove-shaped cane appeared out of thin air. The "Jin'er" mentioned by the old man was none other than Young Master Ye, whose face was covered with silver foil.

Upon hearing this, Ye Jin'er said gently, "Grandpa Chen, you have a keen eye. Please take another look at this person for me. What do you think?"

The elder surnamed Chen straightened his somewhat hunched back: "This child's spiritual power is as round and pure as dew on a lotus leaf, and his brows shine with the light of the rising sun. He is a fine piece of jade, but it is a pity that the knife has not yet been used."

Ye Jin'er nodded slightly: "It is said that this person entered the Changtian Sect with the talent of a double-class master. If you don't place your bet today, the price will be much more than just one volume of 'Lingxi Wanhua Yin' when he ascends to the clouds in the future."

Elder Chen tapped his staff lightly: "Those old owls in the Punishment Hall are just looking for lambs to cook. If they peck at you after you secretly opened the scriptures, how can you bear it?"

"Then let's take this man as a guest advisor and shut them up. No matter how ruthless the Punishment Hall is, would they dare to bite their own people?"

Elder Chen's gray beard trembled, his expression a mixture of sigh and uncertainty: "Your elder brother is plotting against Mirage Continent, which may cause friction with the Changtian Sect. Add to that the 'Spiritual Rhinoceros Transformation Guide,' and you're caught in the middle—are you the bridge or the target?"

Ye Jin'er removed her mask wearily, revealing a flawless face.

Her eyebrows and eyes were like distant mountains just beginning to be cut, her complexion like spring cherry blossoms yet to bloom, and her skin was as white as a snow-white jade statue, long kept in a dark box, devoid of human warmth.

She raised her finger and rubbed her temples, saying, "It's alright. The 'Spiritual Rhinoceros Transformation Technique' still needs to be paired with a Soul Jade to become the clan's twin treasures. The 'Spiritual Rhinoceros Transformation Technique' alone is no different from an ordinary beast-taming technique. No matter how bold Jin'er is, she wouldn't dare to hand over the clan's true lineage."

Finally, she asked, "When Yuwen Zhao was mentioned earlier, did his expression change?"

"His complexion was normal, his breathing was steady, and there was nothing wrong with him."

After saying this, Elder Chen said no more and his figure gradually disappeared. However, he did not know that Zhou Li's human body was controlled by an ant body, so naturally it would not change in the slightest due to fluctuations in his mind.

…………

In the late afternoon, the Sky Patrol Boats above the sea of ​​clouds became even more bustling.

Ye Jin'er had put her mask back on, and a purple jade beast ring hung from her waist. Leading Zhou Li, the two of them traveled back and forth for about half an hour before arriving at the bow of the boat.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, the Demon-Fighting Arena is just ahead."

Zhou Li looked up and was startled.

At the most open part of the bow, there were several huge high platforms shrouded in protective magic arrays.

The platform was paved with solid blue stone, polished to a mirror shine. On the high platform stood several huge water mirror artifacts, clearly showing the details of the battle between the two sides. Countless spectator seats rose up around the high platform, and at this moment, it was bustling with noise.

The entire Demon-Fighting Arena resembles a magnificent aerial arena, igniting a sense of exhilaration.

Merchants and vendors set up stalls along the ship's side, selling common items such as spirit-feeding pills and rejuvenating talismans. The noise and the strong winds created a bustling scene of a cloud market.

"What an imposing manner," Zhou Li sighed.

"The Demon-Fighting Arena on the Sky Patrol Ship is extremely large, with nearly a hundred duels taking place there every day, involving countless spirit stones, precious materials, and even grudges." Ye Jin'er said calmly, as if she were used to it.

"Let's go over there. That person is guarding the arena at stage number one in the T-shape."

As Zhou Li walked, Ye Jin'er explained, "The Demon-Fighting Arena here is divided into four groups: A, B, C, and D. Spirit beasts in the Qi Refining stage can only use the D-group platform."

"If you defend the arena on this demon-fighting platform for a day without being defeated, you will receive a generous reward. If you successfully attack the arena, there will be an additional reward."

The two walked through the crowd to platform number one at T, where they found someone already waiting.

This person was wearing an old Taoist robe stained with dirt, his hair was like tangled weeds, his short beard was uneven, and his aura was refined and otherworldly, indicating that his cultivation had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage.

Beside him lay a strange, azure-blue beast with several soft whiskers. Its body shimmered with water and was shrouded in mist, giving it a rather mystical appearance. It must have been the so-called mirage demon.

Upon seeing Ye Jin'er arrive, the man grinned, his eyes filled with a sinister light, resembling a spotted viper.

"That little wench from the Ye family, bringing her lover to deliver a spirit beast?" He licked his teeth, his gaze sweeping over Zhou Li. "Just beginning to cultivate Qi? Daring to stand here? Aren't you afraid of hurting your back in the wind?"

Ye Jin'er's gaze turned cold: "Jiang Liulang, stop trying to outwit me with your words. You won by luck last time, but that may not be the case today."

"Tsk tsk, Young Master Ye, your family is powerful and influential, you certainly speak with confidence." Jiang Liulang chuckled and patted the mirage demon beside him. "In that case, let's have a martial arts contest! As for the stakes... if Young Master Ye loses again, I'll gladly accept the hundred-year-old dragon tendon."

"Okay." Ye Jin'er said decisively, "If you lose, you must return my Wind Chaser Weasel from last time."

The steward of the Demon-Fighting Arena, who was standing nearby, clearly recognized both parties and skillfully stepped forward to check the bets.

Zhou Li observed silently from the side, taking in Jiang Liulang's expression and the mirage demon. He vaguely felt that the mirage demon's aura was somewhat strange, but he couldn't put his finger on why.

After both sides verified the bets and signed the contract, the steward of the Demon Fighting Arena loudly announced the start of the duel and invited both sides' spirit beasts to the stage.

Jiang Liulang waved his hand lazily, and with a "bang," the demonic mist exploded, and the water vapor condensed into a vortex several meters high. A ferocious beast with a dragon's head and a salamander's body rose up from the vortex.

Ye Jin'er then unfastened the purple jade beast ring from her waist and shouted, "Go!"

With a clear and melodious cry, a three-tailed phoenix took flight, its body three feet long and its tail feathers trailing a fiery rainbow over ten feet long, creating a dazzling spectacle on the demon-fighting platform.

"It's actually a Three-Tailed Golden Phoenix?" Jiang Liulang was a discerning person and thought to himself, "Who is this little wench in the Ye family? She can even bring out such a rare spirit beast."

"Fortunately, it's just a cub. If I could take it for myself..." His eyes gleamed with greed.

Ye Jin'er then looked at Zhou Li and said, "Last time, the Wind Chaser Sable was fast but was countered by illusion magic. This time, we've switched to the Three-Tailed Golden Phoenix. This beast was carefully bred by me, and its fire attribute may be able to counter the Mirage Demon's water illusion magic."

On the stage, the two spirit beasts stood ready, and once the protective formation was activated, the three-tailed golden phoenix launched the first attack.

With a flap of its wings, it unleashed a long, fiery tail, and a hundred or so fiery feathers poured down like a torrential rain.

The mirage demon exhaled a breath of mirage gas, then swung its tail fin, causing waves to crash against the shore, and the mirage gas transformed into a massive curtain of water that pressed down powerfully.

Water and fire clashed, exploding in mid-air with a "hiss," and a large amount of water vapor rose from the demon-fighting platform. The mirage water curtain covered the sky and the three-tailed golden phoenix's fire feathers were equally matched.

Ye Jin'er activated her magic, and the three-tailed golden phoenix let out a sharp cry, transforming into a streak of crimson light that rushed straight at the mirage demon. Its long beak spewed out scorching flames, and its approach was fierce.

Jiang Liulang shouted in a low voice, "Well done!"

But the mirage demon did not take the attack head-on. At this moment, the water vapor on the platform turned into mist, and the mirage demon's figure disappeared into the mist, appearing and disappearing intermittently.

Immediately afterwards, several crystalline ice arrows condensed from the mist and shot towards the golden phoenix. The golden phoenix's fiery feathers trembled, forming a protective flame shield. When the ice arrows struck it, even more water vapor was released.

At this moment, under Jiang Liulang's deliberate guidance, the thick mist generated by the battle between the two beasts had already enveloped most of the demon-fighting arena.

The three-tailed golden phoenix plunged into the mist, but it was like a clay ox entering the sea, without stirring up even the slightest ripple.