But this momentary hesitation cost the turtle demon its life.
A few feet away, space rippled as Han Li emerged in a flash of purple flames. Without a word, he flicked his sleeve toward the turtle demon.
Instantly, thirty-six small swords shot out from his sleeve, transforming into over a hundred golden sword beams. The air roared as a dense web of sword light descended upon the turtle demon.
“It’s you?”
The turtle demon twisted its head and finally caught sight of Han Li’s face. It shrieked as if seeing a ghost, instantly recognizing him. But when it saw the countless sword beams slicing toward it, its face drained of color.
It had witnessed from afar how Han Li had effortlessly slain another eighth-grade demon beast of its level with just a single golden sword beam—its opponent’s treasured artifact unable to block even slightly.
Terrified, the turtle demon let out a few roars, tore off its robe, and hurled it forward as a dark cloud to intercept the sword net. Meanwhile, it condensed its black demonic aura, preparing to flee with a secret technique. But at that moment, an icy snort erupted from Han Li.
Instantly, the turtle demon felt its divine sense tear apart in excruciating pain. Clutching its head, it screamed as black blood gushed from its ears and nose.
The demon plummeted from midair.
The dark cloud barely touched the golden sword beams before being shredded into countless fragments, the remnants falling like broken turtle shells the size of fingernails.
The golden light intensified as the sword net descended relentlessly onto the turtle demon below.
The demon managed to recover slightly from the agony of its torn divine sense, but by then, it was already ensnared in the sword net with no escape.
In desperation, it gritted its teeth and shouted, “Brother Jin, he’s that man surnamed Li from back then—” But before it could finish, Han Li’s expression darkened, and he activated his sword technique.
The sword net abruptly contracted. Countless golden beams flashed through the turtle demon’s body, slicing it into countless pieces. Even its soul, transformed into green flames, vanished without a trace under the relentless sword light.
The entire execution took only a few breaths. Han Li’s figure blurred as he transformed into a dazzling streak of light, vanishing into the distance. In moments, he was hundreds of feet away.
A faint azure glow flickered at the horizon before disappearing entirely.
Naturally unwilling to let him escape, the Golden Flood Dragon King pursued Han Li beyond Biling Island. But realizing he stood no chance of catching up—and acknowledging he lacked the confidence to defeat Han Li alone—he reluctantly abandoned the chase and returned to the stone peak, his expression dark.
“Surnamed Li…” The Golden Flood Dragon King muttered under his breath as he hovered above the stone peak, his expression shifting slightly.
By then, the other shape-shifting demon beasts had gathered, their faces equally grim.
“Brother Jin, who was that late-Nascent Soul cultivator? His appearance doesn’t match the rumors of Six Paths, and the Twin Saints of Heavenly Star can’t leave Star City. Could he be a newly ascended Great Cultivator among the humans?” asked a demon wrapped in flames, its true form obscured.
“I’m not sure,” the Golden Flood Dragon King replied in a low voice. “Though we didn’t fight, his treasures and techniques are unfamiliar. He doesn’t seem to be a renowned Nascent Soul cultivator of the Scattered Star Seas.”
“His powers are extraordinary. Fellow Daoists Lan and Wu fell in a single exchange. He might even surpass Six Paths and the Twin Saints,” said another demon in a green robe, visibly shaken. The others also wore traces of fear.
Most present were eighth-grade demon beasts, no stronger than the slain turtle and its companion. If Han Li could kill them so effortlessly, they stood no chance either. Many silently resolved to flee immediately if they encountered him again.
“I once fought Six Paths,” the Golden Flood Dragon King said calmly. “This man seems even more troublesome. At least Six Paths couldn’t have slain our shape-shifting kin so cleanly in an ambush. But don’t overestimate him—this was our first encounter, and his techniques were unfamiliar. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have succeeded so easily.”
Some demons nodded in realization, while others remained silent.
But then, the ninth-grade demon—the plump one who had fought the gaunt elder earlier—spoke up. “Brother Jin, what did Fellow Daoist Wu mean before his death? He seemed to recognize this man, calling him ‘surnamed Li.’ If I recall correctly, years ago, the flood dragon and qilin clans joined forces to hunt a human cultivator surnamed Li near the Abyssal Sea. Could this be the same person?”
The surrounding demons stirred, but the Golden Flood Dragon King frowned.
“Unlikely. Back then, my descendant was ambushed and killed by a Core Formation human. This man is a late-Nascent Soul cultivator—unless he’s a once-in-a-hundred-millennium prodigy, how could he advance so quickly in under two centuries?” He shook his head.
“Not necessarily,” the plump demon chuckled. “Years ago, I killed a human Nascent Soul cultivator and learned through soul-searching that the legendary Void Heaven Cauldron had been claimed by a Core Formation cultivator surnamed Han. Later, human elders discovered he’d posed as ‘Li’ in the Outer Seas. With the Cauldron’s Heaven Mending Pill and other ancient elixirs, rapid advancement isn’t impossible.”
The demons gasped, murmuring among themselves.
The Golden Flood Dragon King’s eyes flashed coldly. “If what you say is true, this man may indeed be my grandson’s killer. If so, I won’t let him escape—whether for vengeance or the deaths of Wu and Lan today. And he’s taken the supreme spirit stone and the Void Heaven Cauldron.”
“But he’s a late-Nascent Soul cultivator with formidable powers. Without trapping him and at least three experts of your caliber, we stand no chance,” the plump demon cautioned.
“True. We must plan carefully and enlist the qilin king and Fellow Daoist Bi. But for now, we’ve lost two but killed six human Nascent Souls. The Biling Island mine is ours. Even if the supreme stone was taken, others may remain. Our priority is securing the mine against human retaliation. The Inverse Star Alliance and Star Palace won’t surrender easily.”
The Golden Flood Dragon King steered the discussion back to the mine, diverting the demons’ attention. Only the plump demon remained uneasy, his gaze restless.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, Han Li slowed his flight after confirming no pursuers within hundreds of miles.
He wouldn’t return to Thunder Void Island. Instead, he adjusted course toward Silver Shark Island.
Mid-flight, he retrieved the cyan storage pouch, excitement flickering in his eyes. A white mist spilled forth, revealing a thumb-sized, emerald-green spirit stone.
He scrutinized it carefully. The stone throbbed with vitality, its surface glimmering with faint white specks—resembling snowflakes or ancient runes—that erupted into pure wood-attribute spiritual energy. The stone was so densely saturated that it forcibly expelled its excess energy.
This was undoubtedly a supreme spirit stone—wood-attribute, no less, perfectly suited to him.
Given Biling Island’s wood-attribute veins, this was no surprise.
Han Li closed his eyes, sensing the stone’s energy. After a pause, he channeled his own wood-attribute spiritual energy, testing its absorption.
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