With that in mind, expressions of bewilderment surfaced on their faces.
The woman was the first to recover from her shock. She forced a smile onto her face, and asked, "The three of us are indeed disciples of Master Man. May I have the honor of knowing your name, Senior?"
"My surname is Han. The three of you... Eh? I didn't think a small island like this would be such a lively place. Who's hiding over there? Show yourself!" Han Li was only halfway through his sentence when his expression suddenly darkened, and he casually flicked his five fingers toward a hill beside the lake.
Several azure threads immediately shot forth in a flash, transforming into streaks of light that were several tens of feet in length before slashing viciously into the kill.
The woman's expression immediately turned deathly pale upon seeing this.
A few resounding booms erupted and the pillars of azure light managed to slice away almost half of the entire hill.
However, what came as more of a surprise to the elderly man and the blue-robed man was that within the destroyed hill, a bald brawny man appeared.
This was a very large man with golden light shimmering all over his body, and it was as if his robes and attire had all been crafted from pure gold.
At this moment, the man wore a shocked expression on his face and was holding a golden shield in one hand, which was releasing a semi-circular barrier of light that kept the streaks of azure light at bay.
"Patriarch Golden Flower!" the elderly man immediately exclaimed upon seeing this man.
All of a sudden, a streak of red light suddenly flashed toward the man, upon which a lithe and graceful figure quickly appeared beside him. It was none other than Man Huzi's female disciple.
"Junior Martial Sister Cai, how could you ally yourself with Patriarch Golden Flower?!" The elderly man immediately figured out what was going on, and an expression of shock and fury appeared on his face.
The blue-robed man's expression also darkened upon hearing this.
It was quite clear that the woman had planned to use them to gain access to the cave abode, then join forces with this Patriarch Golden Flower to kill them and split the treasures between themselves.
"Hmph, you're sure one to talk! Senior Martial Brother Wu, did you not notify the people from the Blood Light Sect to intercept and kill me after we left this island? And Junior Martial Brother Lei, you joined the Wood Sword Pavilion of Grass Haven Island, and are preparing to marry the pavilion lord's daughter, yet you promised them all of the treasures in this cave as your dowry! If I didn't find allies of my own, today would be the day I die! However, don't pin your hopes on receiving any reinforcements; Patriarch Golden Flower's underlings have already cut them off. I was with Man Huzi and satisfied his desires for so many years; everything that he left behind should be left to me! Patriarch Golden Flower has also agreed to officially make me his Dao Companion after this." A smug smile appeared on her face as she stood beside Patriarch Golden Flower in an extremely intimate manner.
"If that's the case, then why did you come to Senior Martial Brother Wu and me? You could’ve just obtained the treasures on your own." A panicked expression appeared on the blue-robed man's face, but he quickly recomposed himself.
"If it weren't for the fact that the restrictions under the lake are extremely troublesome to deal with, and you two were the only ones who were instructed by Man Huzi in the way of formation spells, why would I inform you two of this?" The woman casting aside all pretenses and laying the cards directly onto the table.
The elderly man and the blue-robed man's expressions became extremely dark upon hearing this.
"That's enough, you can settle your differences with those two another time. I want to speak with this fellow Daoist." Patriarch Golden Flower's brows furrowed as he cut off what the woman was about to say next.
The woman fell silent obediently upon hearing this.
"Fellow Daoist, are you also here for the Man Huzi's secret cave abode?" Patriarch Golden Flower asked.
As an early-Nascent Soul cultivator, he was also unable to ascertain Han Li's cultivation base, and that made him extremely wary.
"Indeed. I'm taking everything under this lake. If you don't have anything else you want to say, you can go now," Han Li hovered in the air and replied coldly.
Patriarch Golden Flower was instantly enraged upon hearing this. At the same time, his heart jolted with a hint of shock. The fact that Han Li was speaking in such a bold manner clearly indicated that he was extremely confident in his abilities.
With that in mind, he suppressed the rage that had ignited in his heart and adopted a stern expression as he said, "You sure can talk big, Fellow Daoist; are you planning to send me on my way so you can take all of the treasures here for yourself?"
Patriarch Golden Flower's voice had suddenly become rather unpleasant!
Chapter 1162: Golden Flower, Ghost Dove
"Oh? Are you interested in a share as well?" Han Li turned to him with a slight smile on his face.
"I can't say I personally know all of the renowned cultivators in the Scattered Star Seas, but I certainly know all of their voices or appearances off by heart, yet I've never heard of anyone like you! Eh? Wait, you seem to be a little familiar!" Patriarch Golden Flower responded coldly at first before carefully surveying Han Li again, upon which his brows furrowed and a hint of bewilderment appeared in his eyes.
Han Li's pupils contracted abruptly upon hearing this and a cold light as sharp as daggers appeared in his eyes.
"Seeing as you've claimed the treasures here, I'll leave Man Huzi's cave abode to you. Let's go!" After a moment of contemplation, a thought suddenly occurred to Patriarch Golden Flower, upon which his expression changed minutely and he suddenly decided to back down.
The three Core Formation cultivators present were all slightly flabbergasted by this turn of events.
Golden light shimmered from around his body, sweeping up the woman beside him without any explanation, as he prepared to fly into the distance.
However, right at this moment, Han Li suddenly raised his hand without any warning. A burst of azure light shot forth from his hand, crashing violently toward Patriarch Golden Flower's head in a flash.
As such, this Patriarch Golden Flower's attempt to escape was naturally thwarted. In his shock and fury, he let loose a loud roar as he summoned his golden shield again, which transformed into a barrier of golden light before him.
Following a resounding boom, a ball of golden light exploded in the air, emitting such piercing light that everyone was forced to reflexively close their eyes and hurtle back in retreat, not daring to stare directly into the light in fear of being blinded.
However, after the light receded, Patriarch Golden Flower's stumbling figure was revealed. The golden shield before him had been damaged, yet the woman behind him was completely unscathed.
He had managed to block Han Li's attack.
"What are you doing, Fellow Daoist? I've already left all of the treasures here to you, so why are you still attacking me?" Patriarch Golden Flower roared with an enraged expression.
"Why? You think I'll let you go after you've identified me?" Han Li chuckled coldly.
Killing intent welled up in his heart and he didn't waste any more time with words as he slapped the storage pouch hanging from his waist. A monk staff shot forth, disappearing in a flash before instantly reappearing above Patriarch Golden Flower's head. Han Li made a hand seal and began to chant something. Brilliant yellow light erupted from the monk staff as it swelled to over 100 feet in length before crashing down with devastating might.
It was like a small mountain falling from above. Even prior to its initial descent, the surrounding space had begun to twist and warp, and there was even a sharp ringing sound being emitted.
Following the major advancement in his cultivation base, Han Li was able to unleash far greater power when using the treasures of the three masters of Kunwu now than compared to before.
Bel
ow the monk staff, Patriarch Golden Flower's face was twisted with shock and fury!
Only then did he realize that Han Li was an extremely vicious and decisive person. He was intent on killing Patriarch Golden Flower based on some assumptions alone, and he didn't allow Patriarch Golden Flower any chance to explain himself. Furthermore, the treasures that he had summoned was far more powerful than what Patriarch Golden Flower had imagined, and there was no way that the damaged golden shield overhead would be able to keep such a fearsome attack at bay.
In this dire situation, Patriarch Golden Flower didn't summon any more treasures. Instead, he flipped his hand over and a golden talisman appeared between his fingers.
He waved a hand through the air and uttered a peculiar chant before spinning on the spot, upon which large swathes of dazzling golden light immediately erupted from his body.
The monk staff came crashing down and the golden light transformed into countless fist-sized flowers, creating a dense canopy that completely submerged Patriarch Golden Flower and the woman.
Yellow and Golden light clashed, resulting in an earthshattering boom. Immediately thereafter, all of the light faded, leaving only a massive crater in the ground.
Patriarch Golden Flower and the woman were nowhere to be seen.
Han Li faltered slightly upon seeing this before giving a cold harrumph as he released his spiritual sense in all directions around him.
He then abruptly slashed a hand behind him, and a massive streak of azure light was sent hurtling into a certain spot in the air.
A dull thump rang out as golden flowers appeared from thin air. Patriarch Golden Flower emerged from space while hugging the woman to his side with one arm. The golden flowers before him were shuddering sporadically, yet he had managed to ward off Han Li's sword Qi attack.
Han Li raised an eyebrow as he carefully assessed these golden flowers with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Due to the fact that he had cultivated the Azure Essence Sword Art, his cultivation base was far superior compared to that of normal late-Nascent Soul cultivators. As such, even a burst of azure essence sword Qi that was unleashed as an offhand attack was devastatingly powerful.
However, this Patriarch Golden Flower was able to block it with ease through the use of a talisman. That was rather perplexing to Han Li.
"Impossible! How did you detect my location? Even a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator shouldn’t be able to do that!" In contrast, Patriarch Golden Flower was far more surprised than Han Li.
"Hmph! Your talisman is rather interesting, but you're dreaming if you think you can sneak away right under my nose," Han Li said in a cold voice. He then raised his hand toward the monk staff in the distance, the treasure immediately hurtled toward Patriarch Golden Flower again at his behest.
A vicious light appeared on Patriarch Golden Flower's face upon seeing this. He waved his golden talisman through the air and transformed into golden flowers again to evade the attack, reappearing nearby in the next instant.
He then abruptly cast the woman aside he let loose a thunderous roar. "Han bastard, I've been making concessions this entire time, yet you still insist on killing me. Do you really think you can defeat me just because you have that Heavenvoid Cauldron? I'm going to show you my true power!"
He then patted the storage pouch hanging from his waist, and a burst of black Qi containing a certain spirit beast emerged from within. Soon, the spirit beast was revealed to be a strange bird over 10 feet in size.
The bird had black Qi coiling around its entire body and a pair of green eyes. It had a fleshy crest that was bright red in color growing on its head and its appearance was extremely hideous. As soon as it appeared, it began to utter an extremely unpleasant noise as it stared viciously at Han Li, seemingly possessing enough intelligence to identify the fact that Han Li was the enemy.
"A Ghost Dove? You keep things like this around?" Han Li clicked his tongue in wonder, but he wasn't panicked nor flustered in the slightest.
He also patted a pouch hanging from his waist and cries of an ape rang out from within. A black streak of light short forth before spinning in the air, revealing a small monkey with gleaming black fur.
It was none other than the Weeping Soul Beast.
The beast rose to its feet in an unsteady manner, seemingly still a little dizzy and disoriented. However, its eyes immediately lit up with elation at the sight of the Ghost Dove nearby.
Black light flashed and the beast's body swelled drastically, transforming into a massive black ape over 100 feet tall in the blink of an eye. Its mouth was filled with sinister fangs and its eyes emitted a cold light as it thumped its massive fists into its chest. A thunderous roar then erupted from its mouth and it was as if it were a fiendcelestial descending upon this world.
Patriarch Golden Flower immediately drew a sharp breath upon seeing this.
In the face of the giant ape, the aggressive Ghost Dove's wings tremored erratically as an extremely fearful expression appeared on its face. It was circling in the air above Patriarch Golden Flower's head, and it didn't dare to attack.
At this moment, Han Li nonchalantly swept his sleeve through the air, from within which two small golden swords short forth. The swords transformed into two streaks of light around 10 feet in length each, before flying through the air toward Patriarch Golden Flower.
At the same time, the monk staff began to crash toward Patriarch Golden Flower again at Han Li's behest.
Patriarch Golden Flower's heart sank upon seeing this. He gritted his teeth and blasted a small golden bell out from his mouth. He then patted his storage pouch again and two bursts of green light emerged, transforming into a pair of green jade hooks after revolving in the air.
Green light flashed and one of the jade hooks flashed past Patriarch Golden's hand, soundlessly slicing off two fingers, yet no blood was drawn.
Patriarch Golden Flower cast an incantation seal in his heart, and the two fingers flew toward the Ghost Dove as two bursts of crimson light.
The Ghost Dove let loose a ghastly cry before accepting the crimson light into its mouth.
Upon doing so, the black Qi all over its body surged and its body swelled to twice its original size, taking it to 20 feet. At the same time, its green eyes lost their former clarity and instantly turned into a crimson color.
Following its transformation, the bird no longer feared the Weeping Soul Beast, and it spread its wings as black Qi poured forth from its mouth, taking the initiative to instigate a battle with the giant ape.
As for those two green jade hooks, they had transformed into two streaks of green light that were keeping the two golden flying swords at bay. At the same time, the small golden bell tolled to send a golden soundwave surging through the air, thereby warding off the massive monk staff as well.
Patriarch Golden Flower heaved an internal sigh of relief upon seeing this. However, right at this moment, a hint of a deriding sneer appeared on Han Li's face.
As the Ghost Dove reached the air above the massive ape, it blasted forth two bursts of black Qi from above. The massive ape harrumphed and a burst of yellow light suddenly swept through the air from its nostrils.
The light flashed once before wrapping the Ghost Dove within it.
The light then tumbled violently and the Ghost Dove was only able to utter a howl of anguish before it was reduced to a ball of black Qi, which the massive ape gladly swallowed.
Patriarch Golden Flower was petrified upon seeing this.
He had anticipated that the Ghost Dove wouldn't be able to match the giant ape in battle, but never would he have thought that it would be eaten after just a single exchange.
He had bred the Ghost Dove according to a ghostly cultivation secret technique that he had obtained by chance, and only managed to refine it after expending a vast amount of time and effort.
It was said that this bird was born with a pair of ghostly eyes that could repel Yin spirits and evil ghosts, and that it was proficient in a captivatio
n secret technique that could launch invisible attacks against the enemy.
In the case of normal cultivators, as long as the Ghost Dove was able to fly above their heads and blast out a burst of Yin Qi, the victim's soul would suffer severe backlash.
The loss of the Ghost Dove dealt Patriarch Golden Flower an extremely heavy blow.
Before he had even managed to recover from his astonishment, bursts of brilliant golden lights suddenly erupted from the two golden flying sword, following which the two jade hooks were shattered and reduced to nothingness in an instant.
Without any obstacles standing in their way, the two streaks of golden light immediately came hurtling toward Patriarch Golden Flower.
Patriarch Golden Flower's heart jolted with shock and he was just about to summon another treasure to defend himself, when he suddenly heard Buddhist Chants ring out from above.
A chill ran down his spine as he hurriedly looked upward.
Immediately thereafter, all of the color was drained from his face.
Buddhist chants had suddenly erupted from the monk staff and at the same time, seven-colored Buddhist light was released, making the monk staff impossibly heavy.
The golden soundwaves that were initially able to keep the monk staff at bay were immediately vanquished, thus allowing the staff to descend and at this point, it was only around 30 to 40 feet away from Patriarch Golden Flower.
"No!" Patriarch Golden Flower let loose a cry of shock and horror as he waved his golden talisman again.
He immediately transformed into a vast expanse of golden flowers and disappeared on the spot.
However, on this occasion, Han Li had summoned his Thunderstorm Wings in advance. A loud thunderclap erupted and he disappeared almost at the exact same moment as Patriarch Golden Flower did.
Chapter 1163: Slain
Patriarch Golden Flower had only just disappeared into space using the power of his talisman, when he felt a burst of devastating force approaching him soundlessly from behind. He desperately attempted to gather the golden flowers behind him as a makeshift barrier, but he was still struck by this immense force.
A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality c1-2248 Page 635