The entire light array shimmered with white radiance and silver runes, speckled with starlight as if transforming into a dim galaxy. Clearly, the power of the formation had been pushed to its limit.
Upon seeing this, Jin Yue’s eyes twitched, and her expression turned grave.
But in the next moment, her face abruptly changed as she let out a sharp shout:
“Who’s hiding there? Show yourself!”
As soon as her words fell, a hand shot out from her sleeve without warning, grasping toward the nearby void.
An invisible force pressed down!
With a thunderous boom, the space where the force struck erupted in a burst of silver lightning. A flash of electricity later, a silver serpent shot out from within, darting straight toward the light array.
The serpent moved with astonishing speed, as if traversing a thousand miles in an instant, completely unaffected by the immense force.
Jin Yue was momentarily stunned, but before she could react, the silver serpent plunged into the light array.
Almost simultaneously, a piercing shriek arose from the massive light array, and a white beam shot out, tearing through the void for over a thousand zhang before vanishing into a dark hole that had appeared out of nowhere.
At this point, the five-colored light array dimmed, its glow dissipating entirely.
The white disk at the center of the formation shattered into nothingness.
“Elder, who was that? It seems they teleported away with Senior Han!” Lei Lan, who had been watching in shock, finally murmured after a long pause.
“That person’s lightning technique is highly unusual—it actually resisted my suppression. It’s likely the thief the enforcement team has been searching for,” Jin Yue replied, her expression equally grim as she deduced the serpent’s origin.
“What? That thief! If they broke through the boundary together, won’t there be problems?” Lei Lan gasped.
“Don’t worry. Fellow Daoist Han’s abilities should be no weaker than mine. Even if that person teleported alongside him, they won’t gain any advantage. However, the fact that this thief could hide nearby suggests they’ve been tailing us since the giant pit days ago. To evade detection by both me and Fellow Daoist Han, their concealment technique must be extraordinary. No wonder the enforcement teams couldn’t capture them! But…” Jin Yue shook her head, a trace of doubt flickering across her face.
“But what?” Lei Lan asked, puzzled.
“But there’s something odd about that person’s aura—it seems mixed with the presence of a strange beast, somewhat resembling the Thundercloud Eagle of the primordial world, yet not quite the same,” Jin Yue mused, narrowing her eyes uncertainly.
“A beast’s aura? Could it be their spirit beast?” Lei Lan speculated.
“Unlikely. The aura is fused with theirs, not an independent entity. Regardless, our objective here is complete, and we shouldn’t draw attention to this matter. Let’s leave immediately. We came under the pretense of aiding your cultivation, so we should at least visit the Frostflame Land for a brief session. Moreover, the disturbance from the teleportation might attract others soon. Leaving now will avoid suspicion,” Jin Yue said calmly after a moment’s thought.
“Elder’s words are wise!” Lei Lan nodded in agreement.
With a flick of Jin Yue’s sleeve, a golden mist swept away the remnants of the formation’s energy, and the two transformed into streaks of light, departing swiftly.
—
Elsewhere, in a space shrouded in white mist, Han Li hovered in the void, staring at the man who had unexpectedly intruded into the teleportation formation with a peculiar expression.
“So it’s you! It seems you were also the one who raided the deep mines of the Abyss,” Han Li said slowly, enunciating each word.
Though he had noticed the intruder just before the teleportation began, the process was already underway. Fearing disruption to the formation, he had no choice but to tolerate the man accompanying him to this Netherworld River Land.
Yet, to his utter surprise, he recognized the man the moment he saw his face.
“Oh? From your tone, it seems you know me,” the man replied.
Standing a few dozen zhang away was a gaunt middle-aged man in a blue robe. He smiled faintly at Han Li, exuding an air of calm composure.
“How is Fellow Daoist Yu’s Thunder Beast faring these days? Your advancement to the Saintly Stage must be closely tied to it,” Han Li asked with a cold smirk.
“Who are you? How do you know about the Thunder Beast?” The gaunt man’s expression darkened instantly at the mention of the beast, his voice sharp with suspicion.
Simultaneously, an overwhelming aura of early Saintly Stage cultivation erupted from him, pressing down mercilessly on Han Li.
This man was none other than the shopkeeper surnamed Yu whom Han Li had met in the Skywing Tribe’s sacred city years ago.
Back then, Yu had lured Han Li and two other Void Refinement cultivators with the promise of Green Luo Fruit to assist in subduing the Thunder Beast. After succeeding, he had abruptly turned on them, killing the other two.
Only Han Li, with his extraordinary prowess, had managed to secure a fruit core and escape under mutual wariness.
Even then, Han Li had sensed that Yu was no ordinary Skywing tribesman. Now, centuries later, Yu had advanced to the early Saintly Stage, confirming his suspicions.
However, Han Li’s aura had drastically changed, his appearance altered by a secret technique, and his cultivation suppressed to mid-Void Refinement—far from how he had appeared during their first encounter.
No wonder Yu failed to recognize him immediately.
Facing the crushing spiritual pressure, Han Li remained composed. In the next instant, an equally formidable Saintly Stage aura surged from his body.
Boom!
The two pressures collided mid-air, exploding and dissipating in a draw.
“You’re also at the early Saintly Stage?” Yu’s heart clenched at the sight.
He had tailed Han Li’s group from afar and, upon realizing Han Li had a way to escape the Abyss, had boldly entered the teleportation formation. Believing Han Li to be only at Void Refinement, he had acted without much concern.
Had he known Han Li’s true cultivation, his decision might have been very different.
Han Li smiled faintly at Yu’s words. Then, in the next moment, he released all his suppressed power. A terrifying spiritual pressure, far surpassing that of an ordinary early Saintly Stage cultivator, erupted into the sky.
“Mid-Saintly Stage! Which tribe do you belong to? I should recognize all mid-Saintly Stage and above experts among the Flying Spirit Tribes,” Yu demanded, his face paling slightly as his pupils contracted.
Surprisingly, he remained composed, showing no signs of panic.
“Since you don’t recognize me, there’s no need for further talk. You raided the Abyss’s mineral vaults—your gains must be substantial. I’m not greedy. Hand them over, and I’ll let you leave. Consider it payment for using my formation to escape,” Han Li said coolly, not revealing his identity.
“So that’s why you’ve been talking in circles—you want those materials. Fair enough. I did use your formation to evade pursuit, so a reward is due. Here you go!” Yu laughed mockingly before flipping his hand to produce a blue ring, which he tossed toward Han Li.
Han Li frowned momentarily, then his eyes turned icy as he watched the ring fly toward him.
With a flick of his sleeve, a golden flash severed the ring mid-air. Strangely, nothing fell out. Instead, a thunderclap erupted as the ring transformed into a blue lightning net, descending upon Han Li.
But Han Li seemed prepared. With a flap of his wings, a silver lightning net shot out from behind him.
The two nets collided, but the silver one spun rapidly, morphing into an intricate lightning array.
In an instant, the blue net’s energy was silently absorbed, its power nullified.
Yu’s heart skipped a beat at the sight.
Han Li, however, casually pointed at the array, which vanished with a thunderclap.
“I’ll let this attack slide—once. Hand over the rare ores now, and you may leave unharmed. Otherwise…” Han Li’s voice turned frigid, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes.
Yu had schemed against him in the past, and now, having followed him here, likely harbored ill intentions once more.
If Yu complied, Han Li would let him fend for himself in the Netherworld River Land. If not, he wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate him.
Given Han Li’s abilities, Yu’s apparent confidence meant little.
“It seems you know me well. In that case…” Yu’s expression shifted uncertainly before he finally seemed to yield.
But in the next instant, a chilling wind arose behind Han Li as over a dozen translucent needles materialized, streaking toward the back of his head like silver threads.
At the same time, a deafening thunderclap boomed above him!
A blinding sphere of lightning split into gold, silver, and blue arcs, within which loomed a half-human, half-bird monstrosity.
With a roar, it unleashed a colossal tri-colored lightning bolt straight at Han Li.
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