With a “bang,” the golden light was actually flicked away by a finger, revealing a face that seemed both angry and delighted. It was an enchantingly beautiful woman dressed in a black skirt, her charm so ethereal she seemed not of this world.
Upon seeing this peerless face, Silvermoon trembled, her complexion turning pale.
Han Li, however, first fixed his gaze on the demonic shadow with two heads and four arms. He couldn’t be mistaken—this demon was the ancient fiend that had escaped from the Fallen Devil Valley.
The Emerald Swarm Sword inside him hummed faintly, sensing the presence of the other two flying swords that had been taken.
As for the extraordinarily enchanting woman standing before the ancient fiend, she appeared utterly frail, devoid of any detectable magical power, making it impossible to discern her cultivation level.
Han Li sucked in a cold breath. With a few swift movements, he pulled Silvermoon to the other side of the Ninefold True Demon-Suppressing Formation before releasing her arm. Gui Ling, who had remained silent from the start, followed closely like a shadow, casting a few odd glances at Silvermoon with a strange expression.
“Thank you, Master,” Silvermoon said softly, her voice tinged with complexity as she looked at Han Li.
“Be careful,” Han Li replied, frowning slightly. Though he now knew Silvermoon’s identity was far from ordinary, he still felt compelled to warn her.
Silvermoon nodded, turning her head to gaze at the enchanting woman, her face filled with melancholy.
The Xu youth and the Ye Clan cultivators had also retreated to this side of the formation. Though they remained highly wary of one another, their faces betrayed shock and confusion.
“What’s going on? These two also have demonic energy!” an incredulous voice came from the Sun-Moon Shuttle. Moments later, Madam Mu appeared atop the treasure, holding the Dragon Transformation Seal, which once again manifested the shadow of a true dragon.
However, this time, the dragon shadow reacted even more violently to the woman and the ancient fiend than it had to “Hua Tianqi.”
Had Madam Mu not exerted control over the artifact, the dragon shadow might have lunged out on its own.
Unaware of the Dragon Transformation Seal’s origins, the Xu youth shot Madam Mu a cold glance. At this point, he cared little about demonic energy—the situation was too chaotic, with increasingly powerful demonic entities appearing. He had already begun considering retreat.
Even if the Heaven-reaching Spiritual Treasure was tempting, one needed to be alive to claim it.
With this thought, he whispered to the Heavenly Lasso Saintess beside him.
After Lin Yinping frowned slightly and nodded, the Heavenly Lasso Great Immortal’s gaze grew restless, scanning their surroundings as if searching for something.
In contrast to the Xu youth, the white-robed scholar noticed that most of the others were distracted by the newly appeared demons, their attention momentarily diverted from the Eight Spirit Ruler. Seizing the opportunity, he exchanged glances with the other two Ye Clan members and, under their cover, formed a hand seal. His body flickered, leaving behind an identical illusion while his true form vanished without a trace.
The Silver-Winged Nightfiend was stunned upon seeing the woman’s face.
If not for the demonic energy surrounding her, she looked exactly like the legendary Linglong Fairy. But who, then, was the one who had destroyed the teleportation formation earlier? And what of Silvermoon, who stood beside Han Li? The Silver-Winged Nightfiend muttered to himself, his eyes darting around as he pondered his next move.
Madam Mu of the Hua Xian Sect stared at the Dragon Transformation Seal in her hand, her expression shifting between uncertainty and resolve. Suddenly, she stamped her foot and retreated into the Sun-Moon Shuttle, which then plunged into the ground and disappeared.
“Foolish! Whether above or below, this place is sealed by ancient restrictions. What good will hiding underground do?” Gui Ling sneered from behind Han Li, clearly disdainful of Madam Mu’s actions.
“Not necessarily. These two women are mysterious and seem to know much about Kunwu Mountain. They might have a way to break the restrictions,” Han Li countered, his eyes gleaming. He recalled the origins of the so-called “Ninefold True Demon-Suppressing Formation” from a formation manual he had once read. Though the details were sparse, it was described as one of the most formidable demon-suppressing formations in the human realm, said to have slain countless ancient fiends during the great war of antiquity.
With this in mind, Han Li focused his gaze ahead.
Since the young woman’s appearance, the nine massive golden blades had been frantically unleashing countless golden rays, sweeping forward like a storm.
Yet the black-robed woman flicked her fingers with effortless grace, deflecting even the sharpest and thickest blade-light as if it were mere straw. The sight left onlookers dumbfounded.
However, despite his shock, Han Li noticed something.
The woman seemed wary of the demon-suppressing formation, lingering outside it rather than charging in recklessly. After casting a brief glance at Han Li and the others, she turned her attention to the palace, her gaze settling on the Eight Spirit Ruler.
Since the two demons had appeared, the Eight Spirit Ruler had been humming and flickering incessantly. The silver lotus patterns around it had doubled in size, and the eight spirit beast illusions had grown so vivid they seemed almost tangible.
The black-robed woman turned her head and whispered to the ancient fiend beside her, her voice too faint for Han Li to catch.
“Silvermoon, is that woman the incarnation of the Yuan Cha Saint Ancestor?” Han Li exhaled deeply before asking.
“Who else could it be? She is a manifestation of a wisp of the ancient fiend’s essence, one of the three commanders during the invasion of the human realm. Countless ancient cultivators died by her hand,” Silvermoon replied after a brief silence, her restored memories clearly revealing much about the Yuan Cha Saint Ancestor’s origins.
“A split soul of the Ancient Fiend Saint Ancestor? Earlier, someone mentioned your primordial spirit was forced to leave your body. Does that mean this split soul is now using…?” Han Li’s pupils flashed blue as he scrutinized the black-robed woman’s physical form, confirming it wasn’t an illusion.
“Yes, it is my original body. Though I don’t recall how she took possession of it or how I became a tool spirit sealed inside the Void Heaven Cauldron, this body was indeed the one I once shared with Long Meng,” Silvermoon said through gritted teeth.
“Is there still a chance for you to reclaim it? After all, you are its true owner. There must be a way,” Han Li pressed, studying the black-robed woman’s expressionless face.
“Master, have you forgotten? I’ve already undergone soul devouring, and I’ve inhabited this fox body for so long. I no longer have the ability to switch back. Even if there were a technique to do so, it wouldn’t be possible in the human realm—only in the Spirit Realm. Moreover, my divine sense is damaged, my cultivation has plummeted, and I’ve forgotten most of my former techniques. How could I possibly contend with the demon soul? Unless…” Silvermoon hesitated.
“Unless what?” Han Li pressed.
“Unless Long Meng and I join forces, there might be hope. But look at her now—would she ever help me? The moment the demon soul is expelled, she’d likely seal me away to claim the body for herself!” Silvermoon sighed.
Han Li fell silent.
Just then, the four-armed ancient fiend suddenly shouted at the big-headed freak in the palace, “Fellow Daoist Ye, why hesitate? Since you cannot destroy the wolf soul, as long as you suppress the Eight Spirit Ruler, the Saint Ancestor will still grant you demonic infusion. Your cultivation isn’t demonic, and without a master, the treasure won’t harm you.”
The fiend’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried clearly to Han Li and the others.
Everyone tensed, their eyes darting back to the palace.
The big-headed freak hesitated briefly before gritting his teeth and transforming into a streak of yellow light, shooting straight for the Eight Spirit Ruler.
Strangely, despite its imposing aura, the treasure showed no reaction to his approach. In the blink of an eye, he reached it, the eight spirit beast illusions ignoring him completely.
Relieved, the freak let his light dissipate and reached out to grab the treasure.
“You dare!” A cold snort echoed from below the palace. The freak’s expression changed as he twisted aside.
A deafening explosion erupted where he had stood, a tremendous force blasting through and tearing away nearly half the palace roof.
The freak’s face darkened.
“Old fiend, don’t bother manipulating these juniors into shortcuts. As long as I guard the Eight Spirit Ruler, no one takes it without my consent. I never expected you to escape the Black Wind Flag. Now, the treasure meant to suppress me has become your bane!” Long Meng’s icy voice rang out.
“Oh? I have no interest in further games with you, Long Meng. Do you truly believe a mere spatial barrier can stop me?” The black-robed woman laughed before suddenly retreating a dozen yards, evading the golden rays.
She turned and clawed at the void behind her. The swirling demonic energy condensed instantly, revealing a small, pitch-black flag.
Without hesitation, the flag shot into her palm.
“The Black Wind Flag? Impossible! You never cultivated its treasure-controlling incantation. How can you wield it?” Long Meng’s voice turned urgent.
“I didn’t have time to master it, but don’t forget our Saint Ancestor’s demonic infusion. Even a Heaven-reaching Spiritual Treasure must obey temporarily after I infuse it with demonic energy.” The woman smiled sweetly before shaking the flag.
A dull rumble erupted, shaking the entire space.
Han Li and the others felt the air around them solidify as if frozen in an instant.
Every cultivator’s face paled in shock.
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