Of course, despite the Rainbow Fish’s formidable nature, its true rarity far outweighs its lethality. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so swiftly exterminated by powerful beings in the Spirit Realm, vanishing like a fleeting bloom.
Now, encountering such strange fish here was an utterly unexpected event.
Although ancient texts described the Rainbow Fish’s venom as terrifyingly potent, Han Li remained somewhat skeptical.
With a wave of his hand, a hazy gray barrier materialized before him. His other palm flipped over, releasing a torrent of five-colored flames.
The two forces surged and transformed into protective layers, enveloping him completely.
Without hesitation, Han Li flicked his sleeve, unleashing dozens of small azure swords. They swirled around him before multiplying into hundreds of sword beams, each gleaming with a cold, green light, densely filling the surrounding space.
Upon seeing this, the nearby Rainbow Fish emitted a shrill cry, and in unison, they lunged toward Han Li with fierce momentum.
“Slash!” Han Li’s expression darkened as he formed a hand seal and uttered a chilling command.
The hundreds of sword beams trembled before shooting outward, sweeping through the swarm of fish like a storm. Wherever the sword light passed, the fish were cleaved in two, their corpses raining down as green droplets.
In an instant, over a thousand fish were annihilated, filling the air with the stench of blood.
Despite the Emerald Swarm Sword’s unparalleled sharpness, the relentless onslaught of Rainbow Fish made it impossible to eradicate them all at once.
As the remaining fish drew closer, they spat out fist-sized globs of green liquid, blanketing the sky toward Han Li.
Han Li’s expression shifted, and he altered his sword technique.
The sweeping sword beams abruptly contracted, transforming into a massive azure lotus that slowly rotated, shielding him beneath its petals.
The hundreds of sword beams converged into a purely defensive formation.
Han Li knew that if he could withstand the venomous assault, annihilating the Rainbow Fish would be feasible—after all, their greatest weapon was their poison.
Though his cultivation had advanced significantly, he remained uncertain whether he could truly resist this legendary toxin.
Yet, he was unwilling to retreat without trying.
The Seven-Colored Elixir was said to be extraordinarily potent, greatly beneficial to his Gold Devouring Beetles. If it could enhance their power, the risk was worth taking.
With several treasures at his disposal and mastery of formidable techniques, he was confident he could escape unscathed if things turned dire.
By now, the outermost azure lotus had fully bloomed, its petals forming layers of sword barriers, a breathtaking sight.
*Thud! Thud!* The green globs struck the petals, and despite the seemingly impenetrable defense, wisps of smoke rose as holes of varying sizes appeared, riddling the sword barrier with gaps.
The venom dissolved even the Emerald Swarm Sword’s light effortlessly—an astonishing feat.
Though startled, Han Li’s expression remained composed.
While the Emerald Swarm Sword had suffered damage, its mystical nature allowed for swift recovery.
But when the venom dissolved the five-colored flames just as easily, his eyes darkened with gravity, and he altered his technique once more.
The five-colored flames spun wildly, transforming into a cyclone that deflected many of the incoming globs.
Yet, the sheer number of Rainbow Fish and their endless venom overwhelmed even the cyclone, reducing it to nothing and exposing the innermost gray barrier.
As the venom splattered against it, sizzling sounds erupted.
Han Li’s eyes twitched, and with a cold snort, he spat out a fist-sized silver flame.
With a *whoosh*, the flame expanded into a massive firebird, circling once before darting through the gray barrier.
“Go!” Han Li commanded without hesitation.
The silver firebird spread its wings, let out a piercing cry, and soared forth.
To Han Li’s delight, the venom that struck the firebird dissipated into multicolored mist, utterly harmless against it.
Just as he prepared to intensify the firebird’s power, a group of Rainbow Fish shrieked in unison, their venom coalescing into a single point midair.
In an instant, a venomous green serpent, nearly eight zhang long, materialized with lifelike ferocity.
The serpent coiled and lunged at the silver firebird, which retaliated by flapping its wings and spewing a blinding white flame—the Golden Crow True Flame it had once devoured in the Demon Mountain Range.
Upon contact, the flames surged, engulfing the serpent in a fiery inferno. The serpent let out a mournful cry before vanishing into nothingness.
With another shout, Han Li pointed at the firebird, its silver feathers shifting to pure white.
Then, with a deafening *boom*, the firebird exploded, releasing countless fiery threads that pierced through the venomous globs, igniting them into bursts of flame.
The Rainbow Fish’s venomous assault faltered, and the dissolving gray barrier instantly restored itself.
Seizing the moment, Han Li swiftly gestured, summoning the vanished foot-long swords back into existence.
With a forceful command, they multiplied into countless beams, sweeping outward once more.
Though the Rainbow Fish continued spewing venom, the white fire threads rendered their attacks ineffective.
Unhindered by the venom, the sword beams cut through the swarm mercilessly. Higher-tier fish resisted briefly, but the weaker ones fell in droves, their corpses littering the ground.
With the combined might of the Spirit Devouring Flame and the sword beams, within the time it took to drink tea, Han Li had annihilated forty to fifty thousand Rainbow Fish.
As he recalled the swords and flames, the sky lay empty. But when he glanced downward, he froze.
The lake’s surface was strewn not only with Rainbow Fish remains but also countless other fish, belly-up and lifeless. The water shimmered eerily white as far as the eye could see.
Han Li blinked, his gaze lingering on the faint green tint in the water before realization dawned.
Though most of the venom had been neutralized by the Spirit Devouring Flame, some had splashed into the lake, poisoning its inhabitants.
Despite his understanding of the venom’s potency, the sight sent a chill down his spine.
Had it not been for the Spirit Devouring Flame, dealing with the fish would have been far more arduous—perhaps requiring the Gold Devouring Beetles or the Profound Heavenly Blade, both of which carried heavy repercussions.
Lost in thought, Han Li flicked his sleeve, releasing a ball of white light that transformed into a pigtailed girl—Qu’er.
“Greetings, Master! What are your orders?” she chirped, bowing playfully.
“Extract the cores from these fish heads. I preserved them intact during the battle. Once done, meet me on the island,” Han Li instructed coolly.
“Understood!” Qu’er nodded, and with a rustle, countless blades shot from her back, raining down on the lake as she descended gracefully.
Han Li then soared toward the distant island as a streak of azure light.
Moments later, he hovered above the misty peak, scanning it intently.
After a long pause, he produced a golden disk—a tool given to him by the Stone Cocoon Clan before departure.
Examining it briefly, he exhaled a wisp of azure qi that vanished into the disk.
With a flick of his wrist, he sent a white incantation into the artifact.
The golden disk trembled, emitting a resonant hum as silver runes surfaced.
Then, it broke free from his grasp, streaking toward the mountain below like a golden comet.
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