"If that's the case, it's perfect … In fact, the members of the Impermanence Alliance only recognize the mask and not the person … Even if they know that the member under the mask has changed, as long as the mask isn't destroyed, they will still recognize the person who replaced the mask … Furthermore, as the alliance strictly forbids members from revealing their identities to each other … Therefore, it's even more difficult to discover the change of members …" Roman's soul said with a smile, but his words were intermittent, making him look rather weak.
A wisp of extremely fine black mist slowly flowed out from his shoulder, and like a water plant, it began to sway in the air.
"Fellow Liu, this wisp of my remnant soul can't … can't hold on any longer. If you have any questions … Hurry up and ask …" The black avatar turned his head to glance at the black mist on his shoulder and said with a wry smile.
Just as his voice faded, a wisp of black mist began to escape from his calf.
"I have nothing else to ask.
If you still have any unfulfilled wishes, say them. I will do my best to fulfill them. "Han Li looked at Roman's soul and shook his head.
Roman's soul looked up into the sky and muttered,
"What I asked for before, as long as you can fulfill it … I don't dare to have any other extravagant hopes … If my Luo clan can prosper again in the future, my wish will be fulfilled …"
As his voice gradually weakened, his figure gradually distorted and turned incorporeal, turning into wisps of black gas that rose into the sky before finally dissipating from the world.
Han Li looked at the void where Roman's soul disappeared and fell into a daze. This shackle that was inherited from the depths of his bloodline couldn't help but move him.
After a short while, he finally recovered from his shock, and then he made a grabbing motion in the air and pulled the ox mask over to him.
This time, the mask didn't turn incorporeal, but it obediently landed in his hand.
Han Li's eyes focused slightly as he sized up the strange patterns on the mask. He fell into deep thought once again.
…
Half a month later.
In a sea region tens of thousands of miles away from Wu Meng Island, lead-gray clouds covered the entire sky. Strong winds blew above the sea, setting off monstrous waves.
A streak of azure light that was like an incomparably sharp treasured sword pierced through the heavy waves, splitting them in half and sending up countless pearl-like silver splashes.
In the green light was a tall man in a green robe. He wore a blue ox mask on his face. His face could not be seen, but his eyes shone brightly through the holes of the mask.
This person was none other than Han Li who went to Hai Banyan Island on behalf of Roman.
Dozens of kilometers in front of him, there was a circular island that was less than a kilometer in circumference. From afar, it looked like a green lotus leaf that swayed slightly with the rise and fall of the waves. This was the destination of his trip.
Han Li slowed down. After flying another ten miles, the appearance of the small island became clearer.
There were many Hai Banyan trees on the island. Their branches were luxuriant and green. The huge canopies were close to each other, covering the entire island. Countless branches as thick as an adult's arm were stacked layer by layer, intertwining with each other to form a thick green wooden wall.
On these densely packed side branches, there were countless slender side roots. Some of them penetrated into the soil, while others hung in the seawater. They were so densely packed together that they looked like the beard of an old man.
When Han Li arrived in front of Banyan Sea Island, he stopped and looked inside. He saw that the island was covered in grey-white bird droppings, but there wasn't a single seabird to be seen in the forest.
Moreover, apart from the 'wu wu' sound of the sea breeze passing through the tree branches, there was not the slightest sound. The entire island seemed to be abnormally quiet.
At this moment, a somewhat cold voice suddenly sounded in Han Li's ear.
"Jiao Fifteen, since you're here, why haven't you landed on the island?"
Han Li was slightly surprised. This was because the voice did not come from the island, but from the mask on his face.
He then moved and flew down to the island.
The soil on the island was very soft, and when one stepped on it, a hole would be formed. Han Li walked through the dense forest and arrived at the center of the island.
In the center of the island, there was a huge Hai Banyan Tree. The hanging side roots around the main trunk had already been cut off, and a relatively spacious area had been cleared.
There were several figures on the open space, some sitting or standing around the trunk.
Han Li's gaze swept across, and the first thing he saw was a man in a red robe sitting in front of the Hai Banyan Tree.
This man wore a crimson dragon mask on his head, and there were many strange runes carved on it. In the middle of the mask's eyebrows, there was a number "three" carved in strange runes.
"Jiao San."
Han Li's heart skipped a beat, but he did not say anything.
The man in the dragon mask only casually looked at Han Li before looking away. He did not seem to want to talk to him.
Han Li naturally did not pay attention to him, and he turned to look at the others.
He saw that one of them was slightly hunched, and he wore a large purple robe. He wore a blue sheep mask on his head, and there was a number "nine" carved on it.
He was half-squatting on the ground, and his eyes were fixed on the ground. No one knew what he was looking at, and he had no intention of raising his head to look at Han Li.
Not far from him, there was a tall man wearing a blue tiger mask. He nodded at him.
Han Li did not say anything, and he looked at the number "one" on the man's forehead, and he nodded as well.
On the left side of the tree, there was a woman wearing a gauze dress and an owl mask. Her graceful body was leaning against the Hai Banyan Tree, and her slender arms were folded in front of her chest. She looked at Han Li slightly, and the number on her mask was "two one."
Behind her, on the other side of the Hai Banyan Tree, there was a head wearing a blue eagle mask with the number "two five" carved on it. He looked at Han Li from head to toe, and then looked away.
On the right side of the Hai Banyan Tree, there was a thin figure hanging upside down. He wore an ape mask, and the number "eight" was carved on it.
Seeing that Han Li was looking at him, the man's earthy yellow eyes also looked around through the holes in the mask, and he also looked at Han Li.
Below this person, there was a thin man wearing a blue robe and a bear mask. He sat upright and still, and his eyes were closed.
On the eyebrows of the mask, there were two engraved "one three."
It was unknown whether it was due to the rules of the Anicca Alliance, or some other reason, but no one spoke. Even the red-robed man wearing the Jiao Three mask didn't say a word to the others.
Seeing this, Han Li chose a place to sit down, and then closed his eyes to adjust his breathing.
This wait lasted for eight days.
During this period of time, no one else came. None of the people present spoke, and no one left.
The atmosphere was indescribably strange.
On the morning of the eighth day, when the first ray of sunlight shone on the island, the red-robed man who had been sitting quietly in front of the Hai Banyan Tree raised his head slightly and stood up from the ground.
A slightly stiff voice came from under the Jiao Dragon mask.
"Time's up …"
Hearing this, everyone stood up from the ground one after another. The skinny man wearing the ape mask, who had been staying on the tree branch, immediately jumped down from the tree branch.
At this moment, a streak of light suddenly flew over from outside the island. Like a boulder, it fell from the sky and smashed into the island.
The entire island shook, and all the branches shook violently.
Where the ray of light had disappeared, a burly figure wearing a wild boar mask appeared.
As soon as he landed on the island, he rushed to the center of the island. He did not dodge, and all the branches and roots that he encountered were broken by him.
When he arrived in front of the crowd, he looked around and shouted, "Which one of you is Jiao Three?"
After he finished speaking, his gaze swept across the people present without the slightest scruple. In the end, his gaze fell on the red-robed man wearing a dragon mask.
"So you are Jiao Three.
Hurry up and announce the mission. I have important things to do after this, "the man wearing the wild boar mask said loudly as he looked at the burly man.
"Jiao Thirty-Two, you are late," the red-robed man looked at the burly man and said coldly.
"You are not even half an incense stick's worth of time.
Hurry up and get to the point. Don't waste time, "the burly man waved his hand and said impatiently.
Han Li stood to the side and his heart skipped a beat. He instinctively took a step back.
In the next moment, a shocking scene appeared.
The red-robed man's body suddenly lit up with a layer of red light. With a "whoosh", a red flame appeared and wrapped around his body. A wave of heat suddenly burst out from his body, forcing the crowd to step back.
He suddenly leaned forward and used his fingers like a knife to stab the chest of the burly man wearing the wild boar mask.
Facing the red-robed man's attack, the burly man reacted quickly. He took a step back and quickly formed a seal with his hands. Suddenly, a layer of white light appeared on the surface of his body.
At the same time, an octagonal white crystal shield appeared in front of him.
The shield was covered with prismatic patterns and its surface was covered with a layer of dazzling white light. There was a wave of law coming from it.
Even though this was only a hasty response, Han Li discovered that these fluctuations of laws seemed to be even more powerful than those of the glacial hills from before.
There was a muffled "puff" sound.
There was no violent collision as expected, nor was there a powerful momentum as expected. The two of them had only exchanged one blow, and the victor was decided in an instant.
Everyone watched in horror as Jiao Three's palm penetrated the octagonal crystal shield and pierced the burly man's chest.
There was white smoke coming out of the wound on his chest. The surrounding muscles had been burned to a liquid state and were dripping like oil.
"Disobeying the order and delaying the report, Jiao Thirty-Two's membership in the Impermanence Alliance will be revoked," Jiao Three slowly withdrew his palm and said coldly.
As soon as he finished speaking, the runes on the wild boar mask on the burly man's face lit up. With a "bang", the mask broke into pieces and disappeared into the air.