Chapter 1069: Escape

However, Han Li merely glanced at the two of them before shifting his gaze to the distant altar, his face showing a hint of tension.

The Yuancha Saint Ancestor’s split soul had just detonated the Black Wind Flag, clearly targeting the seal. Above the altar, a massive cluster of dark, piercing radiance enveloped the space. Though nothing could be clearly seen, most of the surrounding stone pillars had been destroyed in the earlier spatial tear. Only a small portion remained, standing isolated—evidently, the formation had been thoroughly ruined.

Under Han Li’s narrowed gaze, the distant black radiance flickered a few times before rapidly shrinking and then vanishing abruptly in an eerie manner.

What was revealed caused Han Li’s pupils to contract involuntarily.

The hundred-zhang-tall altar now stood only fifty to sixty zhang high, its upper half seemingly erased by a colossal blade, leaving only the lower portion behind.

Near the altar, two objects and one person floated in the air.

One was Xiang Zhili, encased in a purple light barrier. The once-brilliant protective shield now swayed precariously, as if it could dissipate at any moment. Xiang Zhili himself was drenched in sweat, his face pale, as though he had just endured a fierce battle.

Of the two objects, one was the Reverse Star Disk, about a foot in diameter, spinning mid-air, enveloped in a mysterious golden, glue-like radiance. The other object, hovering directly above the altar, was a small, blackened fragment—its bizarre shape initially puzzling Han Li, but he soon recognized it as the remnants of the Black Wind Flag, now reduced to less than half its original size.

Most of this spiritual treasure had vanished without a trace during the earlier self-destruction. The remaining fragment still flickered with black light, seemingly not entirely destroyed.

Han Li scanned the surroundings but saw no sign of Linglong or the black wolf. Just as he was growing puzzled, the Reverse Star Disk suddenly rotated, emitting a golden beam from its center.

A graceful figure emerged within the golden light, her cold gaze fixed on the Black Wind Flag. It was Linglong. Simultaneously, the half-destroyed Black Wind Flag underwent a strange transformation—a surge of black energy erupted from it, coalescing into a two-headed black wolf several feet in size. The wolf’s fur was dull, its four eyes lifeless.

Upon seeing the wolf, Xiang Zhili’s expression darkened. He took a deep breath, his previously pallid complexion instantly regaining vitality. Without hesitation, he raised a hand and pointed two fingers at the wolf.

With two soft “pops,” a golden and a crimson sword light shot from his fingertips. The moment they left his hand, they expanded to over ten zhang in length, resembling divine dragons from beyond the heavens, crossing paths as they slashed toward the black wolf.

Xiang Zhili was quick-witted. Though he didn’t know what had transpired earlier, it was clear this demonic entity, shrouded in demonic energy, was undoubtedly one of the fiends suppressed within the Demon-Suppressing Tower. Naturally, he had to strike first while the enemy was weakened.

The wolf, however, snarled in fury, each head spewing a black beam of light to counter the massive sword rays. Yet, upon contact, it was immediately apparent that the wolf was outmatched—its demonic energy had nearly been exhausted from detonating the Black Wind Flag.

Unfazed, the wolf sinisterly clawed at the altar below before letting out a piercing shriek that could rend metal and stone.

Han Li, watching from afar, showed a trace of astonishment as an unbelievable scene unfolded.

The several-dozen-zhang-tall altar shattered instantly, as if made of beach sand, vanishing into nothingness amid the howling winds.

Almost simultaneously, streams of pitch-black demonic energy surged from the altar’s remnants, rapidly spreading throughout the space.

“Disaster! The seal has been broken!” The Ten-Thousand-Year Corpse Bear exclaimed in horror.

Linglong’s expression darkened at the sight.

Though Xiang Zhili was unaware of the earlier events, the sight of so much demonic energy erupting from below seemed to trigger a memory, and his face twisted in dread.

Han Li’s lips twitched at the sight of the surging demonic energy. Without a word, he pointed skyward, and the massive golden sword hovering above him emitted a hum before transforming into a golden streak, slashing repeatedly at the nearby barrier.

Deafening booms erupted as blinding golden light exploded against the barrier, followed by a barrage of crimson arrows—the humanoid puppet, wielding thunder and fire, had unleashed a storm of flaming projectiles.

In an instant, the entire barrier trembled faintly, but it was far from being breached.

Han Li’s face was grim. With a flip of his hand, the Three Flames Fan appeared in his grasp. Before he could even take a deep breath to wield it, a blinding blood-red light and two crescent blades shot over, embedding themselves into the barrier.

Han Li glanced in surprise—the Ten-Thousand-Year Corpse Bear and Lin Yinping had also flown nearby, their faces etched with anxiety as they attacked. Clearly, they understood that if they couldn’t break the barrier and escape quickly, they would be unable to withstand the demonic energy’s corruption. Whether they sought to ascend to the Spirit Realm with Linglong’s help or coveted the Heaven-Spanning Spiritual Treasure, survival was now their priority. Han Li said nothing, merely channeling power into the fan. A three-colored firebird erupted from its surface with a piercing cry, slamming into the barrier.

The next moment, a three-colored halo emerged. As various runes flickered, the barrier emitted an ear-splitting roar and began to warp and distort.

The attacks from other treasures intensified simultaneously!

Despite the relentless assault, the barrier warped to its limits but refused to shatter.

Han Li’s expression grew even grimmer. While swiftly retrieving a jade vial to replenish his spiritual energy, his mind raced for alternative solutions.

Just then, a streak of yellow light flashed by, materializing into a yellow talisman that adhered to the barrier.

Instantly, a layer of yellow light spread across the barrier. Before Han Li could process this, another blinding golden light—like a meteor—streaked down from above.

A monstrous creature wreathed in golden flames materialized near the barrier.

With a tremendous quake, the spatial barrier shattered, revealing a hole through which beams of white light streamed in.

Overjoyed, Han Li didn’t hesitate—he transformed into a streak of light and shot through the opening. The humanoid puppet vanished from its spot in a flash.

In the blink of an eye, Han Li found himself in a familiar hall. Several other streaks of light followed closely behind, circling briefly before revealing their forms.

Aside from the Ten-Thousand-Year Corpse Bear and Lin Yinping, the third figure was none other than Xiang Zhili, who had just been near the altar.

This hall was the seventh floor of the Demon-Suppressing Tower!

Han Li stared at Xiang Zhili in surprise, but the latter merely grinned at him, as if about to speak.

However, a golden beam shot from the barrier, coalescing into a massive orb of light. A figure flickered within—the silver-haired woman, now holding the Reverse Star Disk, appeared in the orb.

Xiang Zhili promptly shut his mouth, swallowing whatever he had been about to say.

Meanwhile, the hole in the barrier rapidly shrank and sealed itself.

Silence fell over the hall as the group eyed each other warily.

“Hmph, if you linger here much longer, once that demon absorbs enough demonic energy, we’ll all be doomed,” Linglong said coldly, her gaze sweeping over Han Li and Xiang Zhili.

“Are you Senior Longmeng?” Xiang Zhili asked hesitantly, uncertain.

After all, the entity that had trapped him in the Illusory Mirage was a fusion of Longmeng and the demon soul—a far cry from the aura Linglong now exuded.

“You know quite a bit. Did the Three Elders of Kunwu leave you some message? But that so-called Longmeng was merely a part of me,” Linglong retorted bluntly.

The complexity of the situation left Xiang Zhili blinking in confusion.

Linglong frowned but then transmitted a few words via voice transmission. After a brief exchange, Xiang Zhili’s expression shifted from shock to realization. He scrutinized Linglong anew, confirming with his spiritual sense that the silver-haired woman bore no trace of demonic energy before relaxing slightly. He quickly clasped his hands and said, “Congratulations, Princess Linglong, on your liberation today. Regarding your past, the Three Elders did leave some guidance for us juniors. Back then, they had no choice—Longmeng’s soul had fused with the demon soul, making it impossible for them to release her.”

“Hmph, we’ll settle that when I return to the Spirit Realm. For now, focus on containing the demonic energy. If my body is soaked in true demonic energy for more than three days, it will solidify into a demonized form. Once that demon regains its former power and taps into the endless demonic energy beneath the altar, it won’t be difficult for it to raise an army of demons upon leaving. The human realm will descend into chaos akin to the ancient wars,” Linglong said icily.

“Princess, we’re aware of the dangers. Not only is true demonic energy terrifying, but if that demon regains its former strength, no one in the human realm could stop it. But the ninth floor is already flooded with demonic energy. Even if we wanted to strike while it’s weak, we lack the means. With the demon continuously replenishing its energy, it could simply evade us until we’re forced to retreat. Moreover, the Boundary-Breaking Talisman I obtained from the Taiyi Sect is down to its last two,” Xiang Zhili explained with a wry smile.

The silver-haired woman fell silent, acknowledging the truth in his words.

“If that’s the case, can’t we reseal the demonic energy?” Lin Yinping interjected.

“It’s not that simple. The original sealing formation is destroyed, and the Dragon Seal—which could control Kunwu Mountain’s restrictions—was shattered by that demon before I left. Otherwise, if we’d secured it, we could have activated a backup formation to suppress the demonic energy again. But now…” Xiang Zhili shook his head with a sigh.

Silence reclaimed the hall.

“If there’s a backup formation, given the ingenuity of ancient cultivators, surely the Dragon Seal wasn’t the only control artifact?” Han Li, who had been silent until now, spoke calmly.