With one hand, five fingers lightly flicked, releasing five thick golden arcs that surged downward. The other hand shimmered with spiritual light as a square brocade handkerchief unfurled below, its surface revealing an eerie rune that glowed faintly, exuding an air of profound mystery.
The green shadow, startled but not panicked, merely swayed its shoulders, abruptly releasing two additional gray shadows from its back. These shadows shot toward the golden arcs and the brocade handkerchief in a flash.
Meanwhile, the green shadow itself twisted as if intending to retreat momentarily.
Above, the winged figure let out a bone-chilling snort.
An unbelievable scene unfolded!
At the sound of the snort, the green shadow trembled violently, its retreat abruptly halted as it froze in place, seemingly dazed.
A thunderous roar erupted as the five golden arcs collided head-on with one of the shadow puppets.
Upon contact, the gray shadow dissolved layer by layer under the golden radiance, releasing plumes of gray mist.
Simultaneously, the strange rune on the brocade handkerchief flared with silver light before exploding into countless fine silver threads, ensnaring the other gray shadow. With a sharp contraction, the threads reformed into the handkerchief, trapping the puppet within.
The handkerchief crackled with lightning, arcs of electricity dancing across its surface, rendering the shadow puppet utterly incapable of escape.
At that moment, the winged figure’s wings fluttered, transforming into a silver streak that vanished on the spot.
In the next instant, the streak reappeared above the green shadow. Without summoning any treasure, the figure merely extended a palm and pressed downward slowly.
The palm was translucent, its five fingers glowing as five bone rings of different colors materialized.
These rings, white as jade, each bore an intricately carved skull the size of a bean. The skulls’ eyes flickered as if alive, their jaws gaping open.
Five-colored cold flames spewed forth, merging into a dazzling five-colored blaze that descended upon the green shadow.
Just as the green shadow regained its senses from the snort’s shock, before it could react with fury or cast any spells, the five-colored flames engulfed it.
Its body stiffened, every movement slowing to a crawl.
Terror seized the green shadow.
Yet, as a high-ranking member of the Shadow Clan, it acted without hesitation, letting out a shrill shriek as its emerald body exploded into countless green threads shooting in all directions, attempting to break free from the five-colored flames.
The winged figure seemed to have anticipated this. Its other hand pressed downward, the back of its palm revealing the faint outline of a black mountain. As the hand flipped, waves of gray light surged from its palm.
Wherever the gray light passed, the green threads were swept up and shredded, dissolving back into green mist.
The green shadow’s crimson eyes now brimmed with horror.
But its body felt as though weighed down by mountains, its immense power rendered utterly useless.
With a series of *whooshes*, multicolored beams shot from the winged figure’s hand—restriction talismans that affixed themselves to the green shadow.
The green shadow shuddered, the blood-red light in its eyes dimming.
Then, the unbelievable occurred.
Under the talismans’ restraints, the green shadow shrank and deformed, eventually condensing into a fist-sized green orb pulsing with faint spiritual light.
Unfazed, the winged figure retracted its techniques and reached out, effortlessly summoning the orb into its grasp.
Then, it turned its head and smiled at the stunned old man in green armor.
“Brother Yue, I arrived a bit late. No harm done, I hope?”
“Brother Han, you jest! Had you not intervened, this old man would have been in dire straits. Long have I heard of your extraordinary abilities, and today’s display proves the rumors true! Even a high-ranking Shadow Clan member was no match for you.” The old man, now composed, sheathed his flying sword and clasped his fists in gratitude.
The winged figure was none other than a young man clad in green armor—Han Li!
Yet now, his cultivation had advanced from early-stage to mid-stage Divine Transformation.
Han Li chuckled lightly.
“Brother Yue exaggerates. My techniques merely happen to counter the Shadow Clan. Against other races, I wouldn’t have succeeded so easily.”
“Haha, Brother Han is too modest. Everyone knows your patrol squad is the only one in decades to suffer no losses. Moreover, word has it you’ve slain or captured numerous enemy scouts. In terms of merit, I can’t hold a candle to you.” The old man shook his head with a wry smile.
“You flatter me. Are the others unharmed?” Han Li glanced around casually.
“They’ll be fine. With the Shadow Clan member subdued, its puppets will dissipate. Even if my subordinates were briefly possessed, they’ll only suffer minor vitality depletion—nothing serious. But Brother Han, what brings you here? Where are your subordinates?” The old man tactfully changed the subject.
“A fortunate coincidence. I recently acquired a high-grade Spirit Detection Plate with a broader range. My patrol happened to be nearby, so I came to investigate. As for my team, I left them behind.” Han Li retrieved a jade box from his storage bracelet, sealing the green orb inside as he spoke calmly.
“I see. It seems this old man’s survival was sheer luck!” the old man sighed.
Meanwhile, two Black Iron Guards approached, bowing deeply to express their gratitude. Other cultivators, returning from the ground and distant skies, also offered their thanks.
Han Li acknowledged them briefly before announcing his departure, transforming into a green streak that vanished into the horizon.
“Rumor has it that Senior Han was only at early-stage Divine Transformation when he first arrived at Skydeep City, yet his prowess rivaled mid-stage cultivators. Now, a decade after advancing to mid-stage, his strength must be even more unfathomable,” the fierce-faced man murmured as Han Li’s figure disappeared.
“Indeed. In just decades of patrol duty, he’s slain or captured seven or eight high-ranking enemies—far beyond any ordinary Azure Guard’s achievements. Are ascended cultivators truly this formidable?” another Black Iron Guard marveled.
“Humph. While ascended cultivators generally surpass us in combat, Senior Han is likely an exception even among them,” the middle-aged female cultivator remarked coolly.
The others paused, taken aback.
The green-armored old man stroked his beard, lost in thought as he gazed in the direction Han Li had departed. After a long silence, he finally waved his hand, leading the group away.
Hundreds of miles away, above a hill, the green streak halted abruptly as Han Li emerged from the light.
Simultaneously, over a dozen streaks of light rose from the hill, revealing ten black-armored men and women before him.
“Captain!”
“Senior Han!”
Varied greetings rang out as the cultivators stood respectfully in the air.
Decades had passed, yet Big-Eyed and Fairy Xu remained, their reverence for Han Li now genuine, devoid of any lingering defiance.
This was hardly surprising.
After witnessing the staggering casualties suffered by the other three patrol squads in the same region—some even replacing most of their members—while their own squad, despite numerous dangers, emerged unscathed under Han Li’s effortless leadership, how could they not hold him in the highest esteem?
Moreover, under Han Li’s command, Zhuo Chong and the others had reaped ample rewards, leaving no room for dissatisfaction.
“Let’s go. The enemy was a Shadow Clan green shadow—already dealt with,” Han Li said casually.
“A green shadow! Haha, that one was truly unlucky. Captain’s Magnetic Divine Light is the bane of their kind. Even a higher-ranked red shadow might not stand a chance,” the youthful-looking cultivator chuckled.
“Humph. Red shadows are difficult even for Void Refinement cultivators to handle, let alone a Divine Transformation cultivator. Enough chatter. Let’s finish our patrol. After this last stretch, we’ll have half a year’s rest. First, a high-ranking Voidwalker, now a high-ranking Shadow Clan member—something’s amiss,” Han Li said, his eyes glinting.
“Indeed. The past decade has been unusual. While the Floating Mire Marsh has always had enemy scouts, never this frequently. Even high-ranking ones are appearing recklessly. I’ve heard the Bone Burial Desert, patrolled by the demons, is also swarming with scouts. Many shape-shifting demons have fallen. Could the enemy be plotting against our two races, planning to attack Skydeep City?” Daoist Ma’s expression darkened.
The group paled, their smiles vanishing.
“Impossible! The last siege was only thirty thousand years ago. They usually strike every sixty or seventy thousand years,” Fairy Xu, still as beautiful as ever, frowned.
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