Master Arctic Dragon's Nascent Soul immediately began to spasm uncontrollably as the light in its eyes dimmed.
Only after seeing this was Han Li convinced that his work had been done. He clapped his hands together and a half-smile appeared on his face.
Chapter 1110: Obtaining the Flame
The Nascent Soul looked with a resentful expression as Han Li stowed away his green ruler before descending from above.
Its lips were tightly sealed as it glowered coldly at Han Li.
Master Arctic Dragon clearly knew that there was no point in begging for Han Li to spare him. There was no way that Han Li would let him go no matter how much he pleaded, and doing so would only bring more humiliation upon himself.
His only regret was that he didn't unleash a secret technique to put an end to his own Nascent Soul before it was captured.
Now that his Nascent Soul had been completely immobilized by Han Li, self-detonation was nothing more than a distant dream.
Han Li looked at Master Arctic Dragon's Nascent Soul with a smile on his face, but he didn't say anything. Instead, his sleeve rustled as he produced a small green vial, which flew through the air and appeared above the Nascent Soul in a flash.
Han Li pointed a finger at the vial and a burst of white light emerged from its opening, absorbing Master Arctic Dragon's Nascent Soul into the vial.
Han Li raised his hand and gestured toward the Celestial Blue Cauldron in the distance. The wisp of Greatyin True Flame immediately carried the cauldron toward him before disappearing into his sleeve.
Only then did Han Li stow away the green vial treasure before descending as a streak of green light.
A moment later, a green light flashed as Han Li re-emerged atop a pile of rubble before surveying his surroundings with furrowed brows.
Bai Mengxin, who had been trapped within the silver curtain of light, lay sprawled on a pile of rubble nearby. Blood was gushing from a puncture wound on her lower abdomen with a diameter comparable to a size of a bowl, and it was quite clear this was nothing more than a dead body.
Furthermore, the body was entirely devoid of blood essence and energy, thereby indicating that her Nascent Soul had already escaped.
Han Li turned his attention toward the Qilin silhouette, beside which the puppet stood on the spot, completely stationary, as if it hadn't taken a single step away from where it was standing since Han Li's departure. However, the Tailstar Essence Shield and Devil Essence Dagger hovering in front of it were shimmering with faint spiritual light.
Roughly 400 to 500 feet away, five sets of human skeletons were swaying as they stood shoulder to shoulder next to one another. The vast expanse of grey and white demonic energy in the air had already disappeared. One of the skeletons was holding a green storage pouch in its hand, while another was examining a small ball of black flames in its hands, which was flashing as it dimmed and brightened intermittently.
Han Li's furrowed brows quickly relaxed. He scanned through the surrounding area with his spiritual sense before forging a spiritual connection with the puppets, upon which he instantly understood what had just taken place.
It turned out that Bai Mengxin finally succumbed to her horror upon seeing Master Arctic Dragon's physical body being destroyed, and she forcibly broke through the curtain of light cast by the Tailstar Essence Shield at the expense of detonating several ancient treasures in an attempt to flee.
However, prior to Han Li's departure to pursue Master Arctic Dragon's Nascent Soul, the humanoid puppet had received strict instructions not to let anyone get away. Thus, it immediately attacked using the Devil Essence Dagger, catching Bai Mengxin by surprise and puncturing her lower abdomen, destroying her physical body in the process. After that, her Nascent Soul escaped her body, only to be blasted into nothingness by an arrow shot from puppet's Thunderfire Bow, thereby completely wiping away her existence off the face of this world.
As for the green-robed middle-aged man, he was ultimately unable to withstand the attacks from the five devils and in the end, his physical body, Nascent Soul, and the treasures he was carrying were all completely engulfed by the five devils. Only his storage pouch and his remaining shred of glacial flames were left behind.
After figuring out what had happened, Han Li heaved a sigh of relief and wordlessly gestured toward the five devils. The storage pouch and black glacial flames in their hands immediately flew toward him at his behest.
Han Li examined the storage pouch momentarily before stuffing it into his pocket. He was more interested in the ball of black glacial flames. After a brief hesitation, he rubbed his hands together
Loud thunderclaps erupted as countless thin arcs of golden lightning shot forth from his hands, ensnaring the black flames within to form a golden ball around the size of a fist.
He patted his storage pouch and produced a glacial Profound Ice Box, which he tossed the golden ball into before stowing the box away again.
He then turned his attention toward Bai Mengxin's body. After a brief hesitation, he swept a sleeve through the air hurled forth a crimson fireball.
The body was instantly enshrouded in scorching flames amid a faint spluttering sound, but a ball of white flames then immediately squirmed out of her body. It tumbled through the air, dousing the surrounding flames, before converging to form a white fireball again as it tried to squirm back into the body.
That was none other than Bai Mengxin's Glacial Phoenix Flame. As expected, following the destruction of her soul, the remnants of the glacial flame had returned to her body.
However, Han Li was prepared for this situation and he wasn't about to let the glacial flames retreat back to their host. He spread open his hand before closing his fingers, feigning a grabbing motion as he reached for the flames from afar.
A huge hand materialized from Purple Apex Flames immediately appeared in the aire above the glacial flames, before descending at an astonishing speed.
The ball of white flames was instantly ensnared by the hand before the latter flew back through the air.
Han Li feigned a grabbing motion with his hand again and the storage pouch on her body also rose into the air before landing in his hand.
As for this ball of Glacial Phoenix Flames, Han Li employed the same method again; ensnaring it within a ball of Divine Devilbane Lightning before sealing it away in a Profound Ice Box.
Most the glacial flames had dissipated due to the fact that their owner had perished, but the remnants were the purest of those flames. If he could use them or merge them into his Purple Apex Flames, his combat prowess would be enhanced once again. Of course, this wasn't the time to be conducting such experiments.
Lastly, Han Li examined Master Arctic Dragon's body. What came as a surprise to him was that the Goldwind Racoon he had been rather wary of wasn't in Master Arctic Dragon's spirit beast pouch.
He didn't know why that was the case, but he couldn't be bothered to ponder the notion as he stowed away Master Arctic Dragon's storage pouch as well.
After doing that, Han Li turned toward the Qilin silhouette and that Profound Jade badge, upon which a grave expression appeared on his face.
This silhouette was an inanimate object, but it was imbued with an astonishing amount of spiritual power. Furthermore, it was rather peculiar in that it seemed to have been materialized from some type of glacial Qi, but also appeared as if it had been manifested from pure spiritual power. He was unable to identify what its true constituents comprised. After a brief hesitation, he slowly raised a hand and golden light flashed over his fingertips as he prepared to unleash a streak of sword Qi to test its reaction.
However, right at this moment, a burst of crimson flames suddenly shot forth from his sleeve before disappearing into the Qilin silhouette. A flash of red light then appeared, manifesting into a Fire Raven.
This was the spirit beast manifested from the Greatyin True Flame.
The Fire Raven appeared ot be thoroughly enjoying itself within the Qilin silhouette. As re
d light flashed from the feathers all over its body, it began to absorb the surrounding white Qi, which the Qilin silhouette was comprised of.
Han Li's expression changed slightly upon seeing this and he put down his hand. After a brief hesitation, he decided to let the Fire Raven do as it wished while he turned his attention to the five-colored barrier of light in the distance.
The commotion ringing out from within the restriction had died down slightly, but it still hadn't completely stopped. It appeared that the grey-robed monk and the old woman were still locked in a heated battle.
Due to the fact that they were obscured within the restriction, the two of them hadn't yet realized that the battle outside had already concluded, nor could they have possibly imagined that the mid-Nascent Soul Han Li would be capable of slaying a late-Nascent Soul and two mid-Nascent Soul opponents. Only roughly 10 minutes had passed since the commencement of the battle.
Green light erupted from Han Li's body as he shot forth as a green streak of light, arriving above the five-colored barrier of light in the blink of an eye before surveying the situation down below.
A cold smile then appeared on his face as he humanoid puppet and five skeletons flew toward him at his behest. At the same time, 36 small golden swords flew out from Han Li's sleeves, transforming into 36 streaks of golden light that circled above his head.
He cast several Celestial Techniques onto the swords in quick succession.
The streaks of golden light tremored before immediately multiplying to form over 100 identical swords. The swords then dispersed and flew toward the barrier of light down below. An astonishing scene then ensued; all of the swords suddenly disappeared into thin air.
He had set up an Aureate Sword Formation which had encompassed this entire area.
At this moment, Han Li suddenly raised a hand and a yellow streak of light shot forth, circling in the air above the barrier of light before transforming into a monk staff that shimmered with a faint yellow light.
He closed his eyes expressionlessly and made a hand seal as he began to chant in a low voice, injecting his power into the staff.
The staff tremored gently before expanding drastically amid a ball of piercing yellow light. In the blink of an eye, it had transformed into a gargantuan staff that was over 100 feet in length and as thick as a water tank.
Han Li's chanting came to a halt as he opened his eyes with a calm expression.
He looked down at the film of light below him before rubbing his hands together, upon which a ball of seven-colored Buddhist light surfaced between his palms. He supported the ball of Buddhist light in one hand before hurling it through the air, where it struck the monk staff in a flash.
The staff was originally emanating yellow light when all of a sudden, an additional layer of seven-colored Buddhist light appeared around it. At the same time, the staff began to emit a low and forbidding ringing sound.
"Go," Han Li commanded as he pointed a finger at the monk staff.
The gargantuan staff immediately came crashing down at his behest, striking the barrier of light with unerring accuracy.
An earthshattering boom erupted and a thunderous burst of could be heard throughout the entire underground cavern.
The five-colored barrier of light down below only managed to withstand the might of the monk staff for a split second before being completely shattered.
The shattered fragments of the vast barrier of light were reduced to specks of spiritual light before disappearing.
After Han Li caught sight of the situation within the barrier of light, his expression stiffened before a peculiar look appeared on his face.
However, he soon reverted back to his usual calm expression as he said, "Who would have thought that you two were merely putting on an act? How about I join you two as well? Otherwise, it would be quite a pity if you two didn't have any opponents!"
Beneath the barrier of light that had just been shattered, the grey-robed monk and the old woman were sitting on two huge rocks that were situated only around 100 feet away from one another. Both of them had their eyes tightly closed as they meditated in a seated position.
In between the two of them, there was a strange mouse-like spirit beast that was only around the size of a fist. However, as its stomach inflated and deflated, bursts of thunderous booms rang out, making it sound as if two powerful cultivators were engaged in an intense battle.
The grey-robed monk and this Madam Long hadn't been fighting at all. Instead, they were merely using the sounds created by this spirit beast to fool everyone outside of the restriction!
Chapter 1111: Reappearance of the Sword Formation
The two of them immediately opened their eyes after the barrier of light was shattered by Han Li. Both of them directed their attention upward and were clearly surprised by the sight of Han Li that greeted them.
At the same time, a green and yellow barrier of light settled over the two of them. Even though it was far smaller than the five-colored barrier of light from before, it was still enough to encompass the two of them. At the center of the barrier of light, a semi-transparent embroidered cloth was slowly rotating.
This barrier of light was being released by the cloth.
"How could it be you?" The old woman's wrinkled face was etched with incredulity.
The grey-robed monk also wore a similar expression.
Han Li looked down at the new barrier of light and the embroidered cloth down below as a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Looks like you two have expended quite a lot of effort into this; to think that you would use a treasure to conceal your presence. Tsk tsk! I was wondering why I was unable to see through a mere illusion technique with my Brightsight Spirit Eyes; it turns out that you two were hiding in here hatching a plot this entire time. I really do admire you two for your wisdom!" Han Li was expression admiration with his words, but his expression suggested the contrary as a cold look appeared in his eyes.
The grey-robed monk finally managed to compose himself and uttered a Buddhist prayer before saying, "As expected, you are indeed very powerful, Fellow Daoist Han; even the other three fellow Daoists were unable to capture you. Speaking of which, where are the other three? Have they left the cave?"
The monk cast his gaze around the cave as he spoke, and a hint of alarm welled up in his heart upon making the discovery that Master Arctic Dragon and the other two cultivators were nowhere to be found. He clearly didn't think that Han Li would have any chance of being able to kill the three of them on his own.
Han Li narrowed his eyes and shook his head, then nodded his head. In the end, he heaved a long sigh but refrained from saying anything.
The two people down below were rather perplexed.
The old woman lost her patience first, and glowered up at Han Li as she grumbled, "Hmph, why are you putting on this cryptic act, fellow Daoist? If Master Arctic Dragon and the other two have already left the cave, then the three of us will have to break our way out as well. Otherwise, we'll be trapped once they summon more cultivators here from the North Night Palace."
"There's no need for you to worry about them; all three have died by my hands. Actually, Master Arctic Dragon left behind a Nascent Soul with me. Would you two like to see him one last time before I send you on your way as well?" Han Li asked coldly.
The old woman was initially stunned by Han Li's words before an enraged expression appeared on her face as she asked, "You defeated Master Arctic Dragon?! That's impossible! And what do you mean by send us on our way?"
"Nothing much. I don't know what kind of relationship the two of you share, nor what intentions you're harboring, and I can't be bothered to consider those things now. However, what I do know is that you two left me here to fight the North Night Palace cultivators, yet you were plotting against me in the process. That's all I need to know. I detest nothing more than to be used by others. Furthermore, I don't want anyone else to know that I have the Divine Spirit Treasures, so the two of you need to disap
pear from this world." Han Li's voice was absolutely implacable and it was as if he were announcing their deaths already rather than delivering threats. After saying all that, he closed his eyes and ignored the two of them before making a hand seal while chanting in a low voice.
The grey-robed monk and old woman both sensed spiritual Qi fluctuations nearby, and they hurriedly looked around in bewilderment.
Several hundred feet away, countless flashes of golden light appeared, following which strands of gold thread as thin as hair began to emerge. They flashed and moved with no rhyme nor reason, but all of them converging toward the center. They did so completely soundlessly, creating an extremely eerie and peculiar sight to behold.
The old woman looked around before exclaiming, "It's a sword formation!"
The grey-robed monk's heart jolted and he tried to repress his shock and suspicions toward Master Arctic Dragon's death as he yelled, "I think there's been a misunderstanding, Brother Han, the two of us do not harbor any ill will toward you. There are countless North Night Palace cultivators outside the Spirit Void Halls right now. If they don't see Master Arctic Dragon emerging from this place, you won't be able to leave. What we should be doing now is to join forces to combat our common enemy. As for the Divine Spirit Treasures, we can swear blood oaths to keep the matter a secret."
Han Li chuckled in response. "There's no need for that. Dead people are much more reliable when it comes to confidentiality!"
"Don't waste your words, Brother Mo Jiu. Look at the treasures behind him; with those things backing him up, there's no way he'd decide to comply with us." The old woman chuckled coldly as she flipped over her hand to produce her yellow cane.
The monk faltered upon hearing that and only then did he turn his attention to the humanoid puppet and the five skeletons behind Han Li, upon which his expression changed slightly.
"What are those things? And who's that man?" the monk asked.
The old lady transmitted her voice to the monk as said, "Those skeletons are most likely the legendary Unbroken Cinque Devils. As for that man, I don't recognize him either. He most likely managed to take Master Arctic Dragon by surprise and killed him using those things. Setting aside that other man for now, if those five skeletons really are the Unbroken Cinque Devils that once belonged to Old Devil Qian, then even if we join forces, we won't be a match for them. The only way for us to win is to finish this battle as quickly as possible by killing that Han brat. Those things won't be able to pose a threat to us once he's dead. For now, let's focus on breaking through this sword formation first. Otherwise, we'll be in big trouble once those five devils are released on us. Thankfully, Buddhist techniques can somewhat debilitate the five devils. Once the five devils strike, you'll have to be the one to hold them off. If all else fails, we'll use that thing we prepared for Master Arctic Dragon on him."
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