Chapter 1494: Bait

Upon witnessing this scene, Liu Zu immediately swept his divine sense toward Mu Qing’s concealed location, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

“Excellent! Fellow Daoist Mu’s ‘Chaotic Blossom and Leaf Restriction’ is indeed marvelous. As long as the Nether Lightning Beast isn’t deliberately searching this area, it truly won’t be able to detect us,” Liu Zu said with visible delight. He then signaled the others and flew toward the green light barrier.

The two blood-robed figures, the Purple Blood Puppet, and the white-haired beauty followed closely behind.

With a flash of green light, the group vanished eerily into the void, leaving only Han Li standing alone.

Moments later, the black bead between his brows flickered, and he slowly ascended toward the black light barrier, hovering boldly in mid-air without moving.

Meanwhile, beneath the concealment of the restriction, Liu Zu and the other demon kings each retrieved a short, blood-red blade.

The blades were no longer than three feet, with curled edges and an exceptionally peculiar design.

At a signal, they channeled their demonic power into the blood blades. Instantly, crimson light surged, and the blades trembled violently, writhing like blood snakes in their hands.

As the blades emitted a low hum, the demon kings all assumed battle-ready stances.

Unnoticed by anyone, Han Li, who appeared motionless in the air, subtly moved his hands hidden within his sleeves.

A silver talisman materialized in one palm, while the other silently released seven or eight azure orbs.

Han Li had not lost his consciousness—he still retained full control of his mind.

However, at this moment, he was inwardly cursing while struggling with indecision.

Earlier, when Mu Qing and the others had immobilized his body and a black thread pierced into him, he had believed himself doomed.

Yet, to his astonishment, the black thread had only briefly clouded his mind. Once the black bead embedded itself between his brows, the hidden Annihilation Eye in his skull spontaneously activated, absorbing all the soul-snaring black threads emitted by the bead.

His consciousness cleared instantly.

Han Li was initially baffled, but when Liu Zu mentioned that the bead was refined from the third demonic eye of the Ferocious Beast Cilie, he understood.

Since he possessed the Annihilation Eye, it was no surprise that he could neutralize and absorb the powers of a treasure of the same origin.

Despite Liu Zu’s cunning and ruthlessness, he had never anticipated that Han Li himself cultivated the Annihilation Eye.

Han Li quickly decided to play along, feigning control to seek an opportunity to escape.

But he never expected that Liu Zu and the others would use him as bait to lure the “Nether Lightning Beast.”

Though Han Li had never heard of this creature before, the evident fear in Liu Zu and the others suggested its terrifying nature.

Naturally, he had no desire to be a sacrificial pawn. Yet, under the watchful eyes of the demon kings, any suspicious movement would immediately alert them.

They surely had more than just the Cilie’s eye to control him. If they resorted to other secret techniques, his situation would worsen drastically.

While the True Devilish Saint Art could lock his divine sense within his soul, provoking their wrath might still lead to his soul’s annihilation.

Han Li’s face remained expressionless, but his mind raced as he sensed the surging spiritual power within him.

The blood talisman cast by the Earth Blood Old Freak had heated his blood, instantly boosting his spiritual power by a significant margin—a fact that both shocked and unsettled him.

Though such temporary power-boosting techniques often carried severe backlash, given the dire circumstances, the extra strength was not unwelcome.

Moreover…

Another flash in his palm holding the silver talisman revealed a small, misty-white banner about an inch long—the “Cosmic Banner.”

Though unremarkable in appearance, Liu Zu’s words and the white-haired beauty’s reluctance to part with it attested to its rarity.

Whether inherently unrefinable or deliberately left untouched by the beauty, the banner bore no trace of spiritual imprint. A quick scan confirmed its simple operation, allowing Han Li to wield its power effortlessly.

Since Liu Zu had instructed the beauty to hand it over, the banner must offer some defense against the Nether Lightning Beast. Otherwise, the gesture would be pointless.

With this treasure and his own hidden trump cards, escape from the beast’s jaws wasn’t impossible—especially if its speed wasn’t extraordinary, granting him a head start.

Otherwise, why would Liu Zu and the others bother with such preparations?

If he acted rashly and exposed his ruse, escape might still be possible, but with the tracking mark inside him, where could he truly flee? It was better to gamble and maintain the pretense.

If he could evade the Nether Lightning Beast and separate from the demon kings, he could temporarily suppress the mark, turning the tables. Then, seizing the chance to rescue Yuan Yao and Yan Li, he might yet survive.

His face still blank, Han Li made his decision.

Just then, Liu Zu and the others below finally acted.

With a low shout, the blood blades trembled and unleashed thick crimson beams, slashing violently at the black light barrier.

Clearly, these blades were specially prepared to counter the restriction.

Upon contact, the crimson beams rippled the barrier like stones striking water, eliciting a resonant hum.

Suddenly, a deep beastly roar erupted from the barrier, followed by thunderous rumbles growing louder.

“It’s coming! Cease the attack!” Liu Zu’s expression darkened as he halted his assault.

The blood-robed figures and the beauty also stopped, their blades vanishing as they tensed.

Almost simultaneously, Mu Qing’s lower body, transformed into a tree, flashed green as she activated the restriction beneath her, masking all traces of their presence.

To any observer, the area appeared as empty as when they had first arrived.

Meanwhile, Han Li’s brow flickered with black light as the refined Annihilation Eye relayed Liu Zu’s command.

With mechanical movements, he clapped his hands, summoning golden lightning to envelop his body. Then, with a flick of his sleeve, the white banner flew out.

Without any incantation, it transformed into swirling black-and-white energy, forming shifting Taiji patterns around him.

Simultaneously, his wings unfurled, shimmering with crystalline light, trembling faintly.

Han Li was ready.

Nearby, the black barrier flashed silver as a thick arc of lightning tore through it. The arc coiled in the air, something indistinct within.

Before Han Li could scrutinize it, Liu Zu’s urgent command echoed in his mind—escape at all costs.

Without hesitation, Han Li’s wings flapped, and a gust carried him away, vanishing from sight.

The silver arc dimmed, revealing a black beast the size of a foal.

Resembling a large wolf, its back was scaled, its head bore a silver horn, its eyes gleamed gold, and silver lightning coiled around its limbs.

This was the dreaded “Nether Lightning Beast.”

Though not overtly ferocious in appearance, its gaze locked onto Han Li—or rather, the golden lightning enveloping him.

Its previously cold eyes burned with fervor.

After a brief scan of the surroundings, the beast roared and lunged, transforming into a silver streak.

With each stride, thunder boomed, and it covered hundreds of feet in an instant, closing in on Han Li rapidly.

Though Han Li didn’t look back, he sensed the beast’s approach and cursed inwardly.

What Liu Zu considered “slow” was still lethally fast to him.

Abandoning all pretense, his wings shimmered—one radiating five-colored light, the other turning azure. With a single flap, he transformed into a crystalline thread, vanishing into the void.

Reappearing far away, his speed now matched the beast’s.

In moments, the two streaked beyond the horizon, disappearing from view.

Shortly after, green light flashed as Liu Zu and the others reappeared.

“Quickly! Han won’t buy us much time. Destroy the barrier now!” Liu Zu barked.

Their blood blades flared, unleashing crimson beams that morphed into roaring blood dragons, far more potent than before.

A colossal insect shadow loomed above Liu Zu, spewing a black beam.

The Purple Blood Puppet swelled under the blood-robed figures’ command.

Mu Qing retracted her root-like lower body, resuming human form. With swift strokes, her blade unleashed a massive crimson slash.

The combined assault struck the barrier with devastating force.