At that moment, a golden arc suddenly flashed like a celestial strike, hitting the ghostly face with a resounding “boom.” The golden light exploded, causing the ghostly face to shriek as half of it instantly dissipated. However, the remaining part grew even more ferocious. Seizing the moment when the Xu youth was momentarily elated, it lunged downward and bit into his neck.
Layers of bloody light enveloped him, threatening to swallow him whole in an instant. Feeling his body rapidly corroded by the blood light, the Xu youth panicked and silently recited an incantation. His remaining body suddenly glowed with a yellow light, expanding and contracting before exploding violently.
The blood light was instantly pierced by numerous rays of light, shattering into fragments. A tiny, several-inch-tall Spirit Infant flashed into existence, teleporting out and appearing dozens of feet away in midair. With another flash of protective spiritual light, it transformed into a yellow streak, attempting to flee.
“Trying to escape?” The Corpse Bear snorted coldly and made a grasping motion in the air. A mass of black energy materialized above the Spirit Infant, quickly forming into a giant hand that reached down. Before it even descended, the hand’s oppressive force locked down the surrounding area within a dozen feet.
The Xu youth inwardly cursed his misfortune. Had he not been ambushed earlier, he could have teleported repeatedly or even broken free using his Spirit Infant’s innate abilities. After all, a late-stage cultivator’s Spirit Infant was far more resilient than those of early or mid-stage cultivators. Even without a physical body, he could still hold his own in battle. But now, his Spirit Infant had already exhausted its spiritual power in the Blood Sea, leaving him powerless to counter this attack.
Meanwhile, Han Li stood dozens of feet away, hands behind his back, his expression indifferent. After unleashing a single golden arc, he seemed unwilling to intervene further.
Left with no choice, the Xu youth prepared for a desperate move. Summoning his remaining mana, his Spirit Infant spat out a golden token—his lifebound treasure—intending to make a final stand.
But just then, a silver flash appeared above the black hand, and a figure materialized out of nowhere. Raising its hands, the figure unleashed a dragon-like cry as a streak of emerald light, tinged with gold, shot forth with lightning speed, piercing the black hand in an instant.
With a thunderous “boom,” the golden arcs flickered wildly, and the giant hand was torn apart, dissolving into black mist. The silver figure blurred, crossing dozens of feet in a flash to appear near the Xu youth’s Spirit Infant.
Shocked yet relieved at his narrow escape, the Xu youth didn’t hesitate. His Spirit Infant flared with spiritual light, transforming into a streak of light as he fled. Though the silver figure seemed to be his savior, he dared not let his Spirit Infant fall into another’s hands.
The silver figure paid no heed, instead turning its cold gaze toward the distant Corpse Bear and its allies. Meanwhile, the Spirit Rhinoceros Peacock, seemingly responding to a command from the Xu youth, suddenly shuddered and shot several brilliantly colored tail feathers forward. They exploded in a dazzling display of five-colored light, forcing the Lion Hawk Beast to retreat hastily.
The purple mist melted away under the radiant glow, revealing a gap several feet wide. Seizing the opportunity, the peacock flapped its wings wildly, its form twisting like smoke before vanishing and reappearing outside the mist. Without hesitation, it shot toward the Xu youth’s Spirit Infant, reaching it in an instant.
Overjoyed, the Xu youth urged his Spirit Infant forward, and the two merged seamlessly. An incredible sight unfolded—the peacock opened its beak, and the Spirit Infant vanished inside. With a clear cry, the peacock’s remaining tail feathers fanned out in a dazzling display of five-colored light, obscuring its form entirely.
At the same time, above the battlefield where the Silver-Winged Nightfiend and Lin Yinping clashed, a swirl of black-and-white energy emerged, revealing the figure of Gui Ling. The Silver-Winged Nightfiend tensed at the sight of the ugly woman, but Gui Ling merely glanced at him indifferently before whispering something via sound transmission.
The Silver-Winged Nightfiend’s expression shifted slightly before he sighed and waved his hands. The dense net of soul-devouring threads trapping the Heavenly Lace Saintess retracted, freeing Lin Yinping at last.
Lin Yinping, overjoyed, immediately tried to flee, but Gui Ling smirked and blurred into motion, appearing beside her. A silver axe descended like a streak of light, forcing the saintess to hastily raise her embroidered handkerchief in defense.
But with a strange flash, a phantom of a one-horned tiger emerged from the axe and pounced. The handkerchief was sliced in two, and the tiger phantom transformed into a yellow mist, enveloping Lin Yinping. Overcome by a foul stench, she collapsed unconscious.
Gui Ling wasted no time, binding the woman tightly with the yellow mist before vanishing in a swirl of black-and-white energy. In a few blinks, she reappeared beside Han Li with Lin Yinping in tow.
Throughout this, the Corpse Bear made no move to intervene, merely watching coldly. The silver humanoid puppet, having completed its task, flew back to stand behind Han Li.
Han Li, however, paid no attention to the captured saintess. Instead, he gazed curiously at the dazzling five-colored light in the distance, which had now doubled in size.
“Fellow Daoist Han! What is the meaning of this?” A thunderous voice boomed from within the light, resembling the Xu youth’s but rougher and more savage.
“Nothing much. I merely helped Fellow Daoist Xu rescue Fellow Daoist Lin,” Han Li replied calmly.
“If that’s the case, then I must have misunderstood,” the voice softened. The five-colored light dimmed, revealing the Spirit Rhinoceros Peacock, now noticeably larger. A faint, milky-white face—bearing the Xu youth’s likeness—hovered above the peacock’s head.
The face glanced anxiously at the unconscious Lin Yinping before turning back to Han Li.
“Rest assured, I mean no harm to Fellow Daoist Lin. However, I have a few questions for you. I trust you won’t disappoint me,” Han Li said coolly.
“Are you threatening me?” The spectral face darkened with anger.
“Threatening? Hardly. Have you forgotten your promise so soon? Fellow Daoist Lin is merely insurance to ensure you keep your word. Or do you intend to break it?” Han Li’s tone turned icy.
“Whatever you wish to ask, shouldn’t we deal with these monsters first?” the Xu youth countered, his spectral eyes shifting.
“Deal with them? Very well. I was just thinking the same,” Han Li agreed casually, stroking his chin.
His nonchalance surprised the Xu youth, leaving him momentarily speechless.
With a faint smile, Han Li turned and gave Gui Ling a brief order before flying out alongside the humanoid puppet. Stopping near the Blood Sea, he fixed his gaze on the Corpse Bear.
“Fellow Daoist, as the deputy chief of the Ten Thousand Demons Valley, you must have other business on Kunwu Mountain. I’ll be taking these two with me for now. I trust you have no objections?” Though phrased as a question, his tone brooked no argument, angering the Silver-Winged Nightfiend and Lion Hawk Beast.
“Fellow Daoist Han Li, you’re from the South Heaven Region, correct?” the Corpse Bear suddenly asked, its voice eerily calm.
Han Li blinked, then smirked lazily. “Indeed. Are you planning to seek revenge in the South Heaven later?”
“Revenge holds no interest for me. This time, I’ll overlook your interference with the Heavenly Lace duo. But only this once. If you obstruct the Ten Thousand Demons Valley again, even with their help, you won’t leave Kunwu Mountain alive.” The Corpse Bear’s green-flame eyes flared briefly before returning to normal.
Han Li’s lips twitched, but he remained silent.
The Corpse Bear raised its hands in a spell-seal and pointed at the distant blood light. The bloody mist swirled, coalescing into a massive crimson blade. With a spin, the blade plunged into the Blood Sea below.
A pillar of blood shot skyward as the ghostly face—previously shattered by Han Li—reappeared on the blade. With a sinister grin, it opened its maw, and the entire Blood Sea surged into its mouth, absorbed in moments.
The blood blade looked unchanged, but its stench was now unbearably foul. Without another word, the Corpse Bear gestured to its companions, and the three demons vanished into the palace.
Han Li narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharp and calculating.
“Now, Fellow Daoist Xu, shall we continue our discussion?” he asked calmly, turning back to the Spirit Rhinoceros Peacock.
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