At this moment, two black beams and over a dozen yellow streaks shot toward the giant roc, seemingly about to strike its massive body.
But suddenly, a flash of spiritual light erupted, and a crystalline barrier abruptly emerged from the roc’s body.
The two beams and the yellow streaks struck the barrier, paused for an instant, then veered off at an angle, completely missing the roc.
The two black beams dissipated in the distance, while the yellow streaks flickered a few times before circling back toward the roc.
Yet the roc merely flapped one of its wings violently.
A fierce white gale erupted, and the yellow streaks were swept away before they could even get close.
Then, arcs of lightning crackled across the roc’s body as it surged forward with a thunderous boom, charging straight at the dwarf.
The dwarf, who had just witnessed Han Li effortlessly kill the old woman and deflect his own attack, was already pale with shock. Seeing the roc now charging at him, his face turned deathly white.
Without hesitation, he stomped on the silver cloud beneath him, instantly transforming into a streak of silver light that flickered rapidly.
In the next moment, he appeared beside the barefooted freak as if by magic.
With a quick gesture, he activated the green wooden bowl beside him, which expanded into a protective green barrier around him.
The barefooted freak, his face livid, suddenly roared, and black mist surged from the dark armguards on his wrists, swiftly engulfing both him and the dwarf.
The black mist churned violently, expanding rapidly until it covered an area of over thirty zhang, still spreading further.
Within the mist, eerie wails and ghostly howls echoed, and spectral figures flickered in and out of sight.
The auras of the barefooted freak and the dwarf vanished completely within the mist.
The giant roc, now deprived of its original target, turned its gaze toward the sudden emergence of this black sea of mist.
“Yin energy!” Han Li recognized it immediately—this was not just any yin energy, but an exceptionally pure and concentrated form.
An ordinary cultivator caught unprepared within this mist would likely be reduced to a withered corpse in an instant.
Yet, upon seeing this yin energy, the roc’s eyes flickered with an odd glint.
Before the roc could react, the Soul Devouring Beast, watching from the sidelines, suddenly let out an excited cry. It pounded its chest with its massive fists and snorted through its large nose.
A vast expanse of yellow light shot from its nostrils, sweeping toward the black mist.
At the same time, the roc let out a clear cry, flapped its wings, and arcs of lightning erupted from its body, forming a dazzling ball of electricity.
As the light vanished with a flash, a thunderous boom echoed, and a thick white lightning bolt, as wide as a water vat, appeared above the black mist.
The roc’s mountain-like body emerged from the lightning, circled once, and then dove toward the mist below.
“Seeking death!” The barefooted freak, hidden within the mist, now held a pitch-black banner in his hands. Seeing Han Li’s actions, he wasn’t angered—instead, he grinned fiercely.
With a sharp shout, he shook the small black banner violently.
The black mist surged upward, coalescing into a massive ghostly face spanning nearly an acre. The face’s eyes burned with green flames, and its gaping maw opened wide to meet the descending roc.
But at that moment, the Soul Devouring Light swept in.
The yellow radiance flashed wildly, and the ghostly face, which had just begun to rise, let out a terrified shriek.
The enormous face twisted grotesquely before exploding into countless tendrils of black energy, all of which were sucked into the yellow light.
Not only that, but the entire expanse of black mist below began to boil the moment the yellow light appeared.
Wherever the light passed, the mist transformed into countless black threads, vanishing mysteriously.
Had this been the Soul Devouring Beast of the past, even with its natural advantage against yin energy, absorbing so much at once would have required significant effort.
But after multiple evolutions, the Soul Devouring Light had grown immensely powerful.
In the span of a single breath, most of the black mist had been devoured.
The barefooted freak and the dwarf, previously concealed within the mist, now flickered into view before fully revealing themselves.
The barefooted freak, still gripping his banner, wore an expression of utter disbelief.
At the same time, the roc descended upon them with crushing force, its massive talons reaching out to seize them both.
To make matters worse, the roc’s wings shimmered with cyan light as they slowly beat downward.
Though nothing seemed to happen at first, the freak and the dwarf suddenly felt the air around them tighten, followed by an invisible force pressing down on them like a collapsing mountain.
The barefooted freak, with his considerable cultivation, managed to stay standing, though his legs trembled violently.
The dwarf, however, was far weaker. With a muffled groan, he was forced to one knee. The green barrier around him warped grotesquely, its top caving inward as it trembled violently, on the verge of collapse.
Horrified by the imminent failure of his treasured defensive artifact, the dwarf could only watch helplessly as the roc’s talons descended.
Though their movements were sluggish under the immense pressure, neither was willing to surrender.
The barefooted freak forced his wrist to move, and the black banner in his hand transformed into a misty flood dragon that surged upward. At the same time, the dark armguards on his arms shimmered, releasing two spectral figures—one red, one green.
These were two ferocious ghosts, their faces twisted with malice, horns sprouting from their heads. Their upper bodies were bare, while their lower halves were wrapped in unknown beast hides. Raising their arms, they unleashed a wave of black light that followed the misty flood dragon.
Meanwhile, the dwarf opened his skull’s heavenly gate, releasing a small white jade sword. With a tremble, it transformed into a dazzling streak of light, slashing at the descending talon.
In their desperation, both seemed ready to fight to the death.
Above, the silver battleship rumbled once more, unleashing a hundred beams of light that streaked toward the roc.
Unfazed, the roc continued its descent, but the crystalline barrier around it detached, forming a massive translucent shield.
Initially only about ten feet wide, the shield expanded to over twenty zhang in an instant, gleaming brilliantly under the sunlight.
The beams struck the shield, only to be deflected harmlessly away.
The battleship’s attacks had no effect on Han Li’s assault.
With a dull thud, the white jade sword’s dazzling slash struck the talon—only to be effortlessly deflected. The talon then clenched, seizing the sword’s light in its grasp.
No matter how fiercely it struggled, the sword could not break free.
A crisp snap echoed as the talon’s immense strength shattered the sword into several pieces.
The dwarf below let out a blood-curdling scream, vomiting several mouthfuls of blood.
Seizing the opportunity, the talon descended further, clamping onto the green barrier.
Though the dwarf inside turned ashen with terror, the barrier held firm, emitting a grating screech under the pressure but not yet breaking.
Meanwhile, the misty flood dragon absorbed the black light, its body solidifying into a gleaming, scaled form. With a mighty roar, it lunged at the other talon, halting its descent.
Han Li’s eyes flickered with surprise, but the roc suddenly opened its beak, spitting out a silver fireball that struck the black flood dragon.
Instantly, the dragon was engulfed in silver flames, its body shrinking rapidly as if being consumed.
At the same time, the roc’s beak stabbed downward, striking the green barrier held by the other talon.
With a crisp crack, the already faltering barrier shattered completely.
The dwarf inside, now defenseless, was crushed instantly, his body and even his hidden soul obliterated in a burst of bloody mist.
The barefooted freak fared no better. As the black flood dragon shrank to a third of its size, it could no longer withstand the talon’s force and was effortlessly crushed.
Wrapped in silver flames, the talon now descended upon the freak.
Seeing his companion’s demise, the freak’s face twisted in horror. Realizing his own trump card had failed, he gritted his teeth and let out a piercing shriek.
With a deafening explosion, his body erupted in a burst of bloody light, transforming into a wheel-sized crimson sun.
Even the silver-flame-wrapped talon was repelled momentarily.
Seizing the chance, a faint blood shadow shot out from the crimson sun, darting dozens of zhang away before reappearing over a hundred zhang distant—close to the intact battleship.
With his spiritual sight, Han Li naturally noticed the blood shadow. Ignoring the lingering blood light below, he twisted his body, preparing to pursue.
But at that moment, a golden beam shot from another direction without warning, striking the blood shadow just as it reappeared near the battleship.
A thunderclap echoed as golden lightning arced across the shadow.
With a final scream, the blood shadow dissipated into smoke.
“Golden Lightning Tribulation!”
Recognizing the familiar sight, Han Li was momentarily stunned.
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