Chapter 1220: Breaking the Formation

“You recognize me?” Han Li was somewhat surprised.

Although he had met several female cultivators in the Chaos Star Sea, aside from Ling Yuling, he couldn’t recall knowing any others at the Nascent Soul level or above.

“You’re Han Li, aren’t you? I saw you once in the Void Sky Hall back then. Later, I heard you obtained the Void Sky Cauldron. I never expected you not only to escape the pursuit of those old monsters but also to advance your cultivation to such an extent.” The female Nascent Soul spoke after a long pause, her voice oddly strained.

“You… you’re Lady Wen?” Hearing her mention the Void Sky Hall and recognizing the vaguely familiar voice, Han Li’s mind flashed with realization, and he hesitantly asked.

“I didn’t expect you to remember me, Fellow Daoist.” The female Nascent Soul sighed deeply.

Upon hearing her frank admission, Han Li’s face was filled with astonishment!

This Nascent Soul was none other than Lady Wen, whom he had briefly encountered in the main hall when he first entered the Void Sky Hall. Though her cultivation had been considerable back then, she had only entered the Void Sky Hall to gather a few spiritual herbs and had withdrawn midway.

However, because she seemed closely connected to the Six Paths, he remembered her clearly.

“If I recall correctly, you were the dual cultivation partner of Six Paths?” Han Li asked with suspicion.

“Dual cultivation partner? Have you ever seen someone imprison their partner’s Nascent Soul in a treasure? But Fellow Daoist Han, did you truly kill that old thief Six Paths?” Lady Wen let out a venomous snort, still somewhat doubtful.

Hearing her words, Han Li smiled faintly and, without a word, lightly pointed a finger toward a certain spot.

Lady Wen’s Nascent Soul was momentarily stunned before following his gesture.

Only then did she notice a massive block of purple ice floating in midair not far away, within which was sealed a mutilated corpse—none other than the remains of Six Paths the Peerless.

At the same time, the cyan giant hand that had been tightly gripping her Nascent Soul flickered violently before vanishing into thin air.

Lady Wen’s Nascent Soul was temporarily freed.

“It really is that old thief! Well done—I never thought you’d die before me, despite all your scheming!” As soon as she regained movement, the Nascent Soul swiftly flew over, circling the purple ice block several times before letting out a shrill, piercing laugh.

Han Li frowned. Though he didn’t know the specifics of what had caused the rift between Six Paths and Lady Wen, he had no interest in delving further. With a shift in thought, he began considering how to handle her.

The laughter from the Nascent Soul gradually subsided. Then, noticing Han Li’s contemplative expression, she spoke bluntly, “Fellow Daoist Han, there’s no need to trouble yourself. I’ve been imprisoned in that treasure for too long—my Nascent Soul is already too weak to attempt possession. I must disperse it immediately to have any chance of reincarnation. You’ve avenged me, and for that, I am deeply grateful. But given your current power, I have nothing to offer in return. I can only hope to repay your kindness in my next life.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the Nascent Soul suddenly slapped the top of her own head.

A blinding red light erupted, enveloping her entirely from head to toe. Then, her Nascent Soul shattered inch by inch within the light, vanishing completely before Han Li’s eyes.

Han Li was stunned.

He hadn’t expected Lady Wen to be so resolute—without exchanging more than a few words, she had chosen self-destruction. It seemed she had no intention of revealing what had led to her current state.

But even without guessing, it wasn’t hard to imagine. There must have been some unspeakable secret between her and Six Paths, given how decisively she had acted, without the slightest hesitation.

Though somewhat frustrated, Han Li supposed it was for the best. Otherwise, deciding how to handle her would have been a headache.

Shaking his head, he sighed softly before reaching out and recalling the small green vial from the air, storing it back into his pouch.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, a golden lightning bolt struck the purple ice block, shattering it into countless fragments. The remnants of the old demon’s corpse dissipated into motes of light, vanishing along with the ice shards.

Naturally, Han Li didn’t hesitate to claim the storage pouch Six Paths had left behind.

A quick sweep with his spiritual sense revealed a few treasures inside, but given his current standards, none particularly caught his eye. However, he was somewhat intrigued by the demonic cultivation manuals left behind. Unfortunately, a brief inspection confirmed that the Six Extremes True Devil Art—the one he was most interested in—was not among them.

After tidying up, Han Li beckoned to the humanoid puppet and headed straight for the distant bone banner. Meanwhile, the other “Han Li” flickered and vanished once more into thin air.

By now, the five demonic heads had completely devoured the three skulls and were nearly finished consuming the bone banner itself.

Arriving at the scene, Han Li shook his head but said nothing.

Though the banner had some history, its overwhelming baleful aura made it unsuitable for him. Thus, he had noticed the five demons’ actions from the start but made no move to stop them.

Moments later, the five demons finished gnawing the banner clean, letting out eerie howls of delight as their demonic aura thickened further.

Han Li watched calmly, expression unchanging. Once their cries subsided, he formed a hand seal and commanded them forward.

Though reluctant, the demons, having suffered the consequences of disobedience before, dared not resist and obediently gathered around him.

Without lingering, Han Li transformed into a streak of azure light and flew leisurely toward Starfall City, the five demons following closely in a gust of demonic wind.

His battle with the old demon had been brief—lasting no longer than a meal—yet decisive.

If Starfall City couldn’t hold out even for such a short time, Han Li would have turned away without a second thought, deeming it unworthy of his efforts.

Fortunately, things unfolded much as he had anticipated.

When Han Li returned with the five demons to the eye of the Windfire Heaven-Severing Formation, the battlefield was in chaos. Thousands of cultivators from Star Palace and the Anti-Star Alliance clashed fiercely across dozens of miles, locked in a brutal stalemate.

To be precise, the Anti-Star Alliance held a slight advantage.

The so-called Twin Devils of the Blue Clan were terrifyingly ferocious. Wherever their blue demonic mist and pink fragrant fog spread, Star Palace cultivators were forced into retreat. The old man surnamed Zhao and the purple-robed burly man, who had been holding them off, were clearly outmatched and could only provide minimal interference.

As for the lower-ranked cultivators, contact with the blue mist or pink fog resulted in either agonizing disintegration or drunken collapse.

This only amplified the Twin Devils’ overwhelming dominance.

Amid the chaos, Han Li’s return went unnoticed.

After a glance at the towering windfire pillar, his gaze settled coldly on the conspicuous Twin Devils. With a sneer, he pointed at them, and the five demons beside him let out low growls before transforming into five streaks of gray-white energy, lunging forward.

Without hesitation, Han Li then slapped his spirit beast pouch, releasing a golden cloud of insects that hovered above his head.

With a flick of his wrist and a muttered incantation, the insect cloud buzzed violently before splitting into over a dozen smaller swarms, dispersing across the battlefield.

After casting the spell, Han Li’s Wind Thunder Wings fluttered, and he vanished without a trace in a gust of wind.

At the massive copper pillar, though the Anti-Star Alliance’s Nascent Soul cultivators were already engaged in battle, a few Core Formation cultivators remained stationed at the top to guard against sabotage.

Chatting among themselves, they grew visibly pleased as their side gained the upper hand.

One scholar-robed middle-aged cultivator turned to speak to another but froze upon glancing behind him, his face draining of color.

The others, startled, followed his gaze and gasped in shock.

A mere ten zhang behind the pillar, a young man floated silently in midair, arms crossed, wearing an enigmatic smile.

It was the same Star Palace elder who had left earlier with their alliance leader—how had he returned alone?

A chill ran down their spines. Before they could decide whether to flee or call for help, Han Li’s expression darkened, and his fingers flicked within his sleeves.

Several golden sword beams shot forth!

Panicked, the Core Formation cultivators scrambled to escape, but blinding golden flashes pierced through them effortlessly. Those who tried blocking with treasures found their artifacts shattered alongside their bodies.

None survived.

With his current Emerald Swarm Swords, Han Li’s sword beams were as lethal as top-grade treasures—something even Nascent Soul cultivators wouldn’t dare face head-on, let alone mere Core Formation cultivators.

Having effortlessly wiped them out, Han Li coolly eyed the towering pillar before shaking his sleeve. A crisp chime rang out as dozens of golden flying swords emerged, swelling to several feet in length before merging midair.

Amid a dazzling golden radiance, a colossal golden sword, several zhang long, materialized above the copper pillar.