Chapter 1043: Black Wind Banner

Han Li drew in a sharp breath.

The battle before him had clearly surpassed the level of a Spirit Infant and was not something he could easily interfere with.

Immediately, his mind raced with thoughts, and his lips moved slightly. Behind him, the Flood Dragon Spirit’s eyes flashed with a sharp light. After a brief hesitation, it transformed into a streak of yellow light and burrowed into the ground.

Han Li’s gaze then wandered around before suddenly stopping on a certain spot opposite him.

Behind the two demons, in a large empty space, an intact black teleportation formation appeared in a corner, covered by a set of formation flags.

“This is…”

In an instant, Han Li recalled the differently colored teleportation formation he had seen in the original stone chamber. A surge of joy rose in his heart!

But when his gaze shifted, it met that of the Xu Clan youth.

Both were momentarily stunned before quickly looking away, each harboring ulterior motives.

Clearly, the Great Immortal Master of the Heavenly Grasslands had also taken a liking to what seemed like the only way out of this place.

The black-robed woman, who had summoned the Black Wind Banner, was evidently unwilling to delay any further. Holding the banner in one hand, she strode toward the palace within the formation, while the ancient demon followed closely behind, retrieving four ordinary treasures from its body.

Their actions naturally triggered the formidable restrictions of the Nine True Demon-Suppressing Formation.

A wave of golden light, even more terrifying than before, surged down from the sky with overwhelming force.

The black-robed woman sneered, rubbing the small banner in her hands. A burst of black light erupted, forming a dark, hazy barrier that enveloped both her and the ancient demon.

A bizarre scene unfolded!

The ferocious golden light, upon touching the black barrier, vanished without a trace, as if swallowed by the sea. The barrier’s surface didn’t even ripple, showing no signs of damage.

With the barrier shielding her, the black-robed woman swiftly advanced into the inner circle of the formation’s restrictions.

The nine giant blades trembled simultaneously, emitting clear chimes. Mysterious runes flickered into existence, and the blades rapidly shrank, transforming into nine golden swords, each about a foot long.

Though smaller in size, the swords radiated blinding spiritual light, as if nine golden suns had suddenly appeared in the space, making it impossible to look directly at them.

The black-robed woman’s expression shifted, her previously calm face now showing a trace of solemnity.

The black barrier instantly expanded, its surface becoming even darker and more lustrous.

At that moment, the nine golden swords floated upward, their tips rotating before simultaneously pointing at the black-robed woman.

A flash of light, and nine slender golden threads shot forth, vanishing in an instant.

Almost simultaneously, nine bursts of golden light exploded on the barrier formed by the Black Wind Banner. The dazzling radiance quickly engulfed the barrier.

Surprisingly, despite the terrifying attack, not a single sound was heard. Everything happened in eerie silence, making it all the more unsettling.

Seizing the opportunity, Han Li glanced at the others. Seeing that everyone was captivated by the spectacle, a strange glint flashed in his eyes as his hand moved like lightning.

A spirit beast pouch silently slipped into his sleeve.

With an indifferent expression, he clasped his hands behind his back, and golden flowers flew out from his sleeves, disappearing into the ground upon contact. In the blink of an eye, all traces vanished without a trace.

Thousands of Gold Devouring Beetles had now burrowed underground, unnoticed by anyone.

Relieved, Han Li turned his attention back to the formation.

At that moment, a faint command of “Retreat” echoed from within the Nine True Demon-Suppressing Formation.

The golden light wavered, revealing a dark hole about ten feet wide.

As soon as the hole appeared, the golden light was sucked into it like rivers flowing into the sea, leaving nothing behind.

With a soft sigh, the hole trembled violently before collapsing and disappearing, revealing the black-robed woman and the ancient demon once more.

Holding the Black Wind Banner, the woman saw the nine golden swords preparing for another attack. She suddenly raised her eyebrows toward the palace and said, “Fellow Daoist Long Meng, don’t think you can exhaust my demonic energy with the Nine True Demon-Suppressing Formation before making your move. You should know that the Black Wind Banner is a rare spatial treasure among the Heaven-reaching Spiritual Treasures. No matter how sharp the attacks are, without the power to tear space, they cannot harm me in the slightest. If you’re wise, you’d better come out willingly. If I have to force my way in, I won’t be as accommodating.”

“Why should I come out? Have you changed your mind and decided merging with me is better?” Long Meng’s playful laughter echoed from the palace, as if she wasn’t bothered by the formation’s failure.

“Indeed, I’ve reconsidered merging our souls once more!” To everyone’s surprise, the black-robed woman responded bluntly.

“What? You old demon, do you take me for a three-year-old child? Do you think I’d believe that?” Long Meng was momentarily stunned before scoffing in disbelief.

“Of course, it won’t be like before. I’ll need to place some restrictions on you to ensure my soul dominates after the merger,” the black-robed woman said coolly, lightly shaking the banner to conjure a massive black hole that effortlessly swallowed the golden threads spat out by the swords. Since she had paused her advance, the swords didn’t trigger any further transformations.

“Are you dreaming? Why would I agree to such nonsense? Letting your soul dominate? You’re out of your mind. You’ve already taken my body—why go through the trouble of merging again? Just say what you really want!” Long Meng retorted suspiciously.

“I do have my reasons. After our previous mergers, you must have noticed that neither of us can fully utilize this body’s potential alone. But together, we effortlessly trapped that Nascent Soul cultivator in the Illusory Mirage. If we don’t want to be sealed away again by human cultivators after escaping, merging is our best option,” the black-robed woman said coldly.

“Hah! The mighty Demon Commander who once roamed the human realm is now afraid of a few Nascent Soul cultivators? How laughable,” Long Meng mocked after a brief silence.

“Back then, the Demon Realm and the human realm were connected. We could replenish our demonic energy at will and unleash our full power. But now, the passage is sealed, and the spiritual energy of this world has changed. Even if I once wielded immense power, I can’t use much of it now. Is it so strange to be wary of Nascent Soul cultivators? You’re no different! Don’t forget, you were once a Spirit Realm demon at the late Nascent Soul stage. How much of your power can you still use?” the black-robed woman replied impassively.

“Letting your soul dominate? No matter how sweet your words, I won’t agree. Even if we escape, what’s the difference from before? Don’t think I don’t know—infusing the Black Wind Banner with demonic energy only lets you wield a fraction of its power. Whether you can even reach the palace is still uncertain! If you want to merge, fine, but my soul must dominate. Otherwise, forget it!” Long Meng declared firmly.

The black-robed woman’s beautiful face twisted into a sinister expression.

“Seems you still have faith in the Nine True Demon-Suppressing Formation and the Eight Spirit Ruler. Fine. If you refuse, I’ll just capture you myself, extract your soul’s essence, and let you vanish into nothingness. The effect won’t be as good, but it’ll still enhance my powers.”

After this chilling declaration, she glanced at Han Li before turning to the ancient demon and whispering instructions. The four-armed, two-headed demon nodded repeatedly before darting backward, leaving the formation and hovering near the black teleportation formation.

This sudden development left Han Li and the others dumbfounded, inwardly cursing.

Their plan to sneak over and escape unnoticed was now ruined.

Compared to the Xu Clan youth and the Silver-winged Nightfiend, Han Li had prepared some contingencies, so he remained relatively calm. However, when he glanced around, he noticed the Silver-winged Nightfiend and the Lion Hawk blurring before vanishing in a flash of green light.

Han Li frowned.

Nearby, the Xu Clan youth and the Heavenly Grasslands Saintess were whispering intently, their faces dark with discussion.

The Ye Clan cultivators, meanwhile, stood quietly around the white-robed scholar, showing no signs of movement or speech.

Han Li’s frown deepened as his gaze lingered on the scholar’s blank expression. A sense of unease crept over him. After a moment’s thought, his pupils flashed with blue light as he activated his Brightsight Spirit Eyes.

To his shock, he realized the white-robed scholar was merely an illusion formed of spiritual energy.

Alarmed, Han Li quickly scanned his surroundings. Finding nothing amiss nearby, he relaxed slightly and began searching for the true body of the Ye Clan’s elder.

At the same time, the black-robed woman—the incarnation of the Yuan Cha Saint Ancestor—blocked another wave of golden threads from the swords. Suddenly, she unfurled the Black Wind Banner and tossed it into the air, forming hand seals and chanting in an eerie, incomprehensible tongue.

With a thunderous boom, a black whirlwind erupted from the banner.

The whirlwind grew rapidly, transforming into a towering hurricane. Simultaneously, dark yellow clouds gathered above, crackling with silver lightning that seemed ready to strike at any moment.

Beneath the clouds, near the black hurricane, the howling wind spawned countless blades, and the entire space became a chaotic storm of flying debris and deafening roars.

Han Li’s body glowed with cyan light as a thick protective barrier enveloped him and Silvermoon. Yet, all he could see was a yellow haze of wind, and the barrier trembled violently under the assault, like a tiny boat in a tempest.

His lips pressed tightly together, his face pale.

Under the control of the Yuan Cha Saint Ancestor’s incarnation, the Black Wind Banner had finally begun to reveal the terrifying might of a Heaven-reaching Spiritual Treasure.