Han Li could naturally sense the pursuers closing in once more. With a low cry from the giant roc he had transformed into, countless golden flowers suddenly flew out from his body.
Each flower, swaying in the wind, swelled to the size of a bowl—revealing themselves to be shimmering golden beetles.
These were none other than the mature Gold Devouring Beetles Han Li had kept in reserve, and he had unleashed several thousand of them in one go.
Even though the golden blood shadows seemed nearly indestructible, they were instantly overwhelmed by the sheer number of beetles. Within mere breaths, they were devoured completely, leaving not a single trace behind.
With another long cry from the giant roc, all the spirit insects swiftly flew back to him.
A thunderous boom!
The roc’s four wings flapped, and in a flash of silver arcs, it vanished from the spot.
In the distance, the sound of thunder rumbled continuously as the silver arcs flickered faintly before disappearing entirely.
A short while later, the jade disk and the stone hall arrived with a roar, pausing briefly before halting in the nearby void.
Light flashed as two figures materialized above them—one slender and graceful, the other shrouded in bloody mist.
These were the avatars of Yuansha and Xue Guang!
Though both scanned their surroundings, their expressions differed.
The blue-robed woman remained expressionless, but a flicker of anger lurked in her beautiful eyes.
The blood-robed youth, however, wore a grimace of fury, his brows tightly knit.
“This brat is truly troublesome. Even my Blood Crystal Guards couldn’t hold him for a moment. It seems he’s determined to drag this out with us,” Xue Guang spat bitterly.
“Hmph. Weren’t your guards supposed to be indestructible? Yet they were wiped out by mere spirit insects—how utterly useless!” Yuansha retorted with a cold snort.
“Yuansha, spare me the sarcasm. Don’t pretend you didn’t recognize those insects! Even with their Blood Body Demon Arts, how could my guards withstand the devouring power of those ancient horrors?” Xue Guang snapped back irritably.
“Of course I recognized them. But if there were hundreds of thousands of those Gold Devouring Beetles, even I would be wary. With just this paltry number, how could they truly threaten us? At worst, we can trap them with wood or stone-based treasures,” the woman replied coolly.
“I happen to have a couple of such treasures on me. But can you be sure this brat doesn’t have more insects? What if he commands a hundred thousand? I wouldn’t stand a chance. And who knows what other tricks he’s hiding? If we push too hard, we might end up crippling each other!” Xue Guang’s lips twitched as he spoke.
“A hundred thousand Gold Devouring Beetles? You’re truly letting your imagination run wild.
Even if this Han brat really had that many, do you think his divine sense could handle controlling them? Even our true selves would exhaust our spiritual power instantly trying to command so many. Relax—those insects earlier were likely his limit. If he could wield them so easily, wouldn’t he have used them against us from the start?
That said, his abilities are indeed formidable. We should proceed with caution. Xue Guang, don’t tell me you’re thinking of giving up now. If so, I’ll pursue him alone. Just have your forces block all routes back to the human stronghold,” Yuansha sneered.
“I was merely voicing concerns. Since you’re so confident, I’ll naturally see this through,” the blood-robed youth replied with a forced yawn, though his expression darkened briefly.
Having already lost two precious treasures to Han Li, this Demon Sage had no intention of letting him escape.
“Still, you know I can’t divert all my forces to cornering him. If something goes wrong, I’ll have no way to explain it to the others,” Xue Guang added suddenly, his eyes shifting.
“Speak plainly. What are you getting at?” Yuansha’s brows arched impatiently.
“Nothing much. Since we can’t capture him quickly, we’ll need a long-term plan. Why not ask Liu Ji to send some elites? With her help, this brat won’t escape. Given your ties, it shouldn’t be a problem,” Xue Guang suggested slowly, watching her face.
“Liu Ji’s forces? Hmm, not a bad idea. Fine, I’ll agree. But until then, your men must keep him pinned down—no respite, no chance to slip away,” Yuansha said after a brief pause, her eyes glinting.
“Rest assured, I’ll seal all routes to Tianyuan City and other human territories, cutting him off from reinforcements. He’ll be like a startled bird with nowhere to flee,” Xue Guang vowed eagerly.
“Good. Until Liu Ji’s people arrive, we’ll maintain this distance. Once he’s exhausted, we’ll strike and capture him with ease,” Yuansha said coldly.
“Naturally! If we were willing to sacrifice some vitality, we could’ve caught him long ago,” Xue Guang agreed with a smile.
“Enough talk. Let’s move. His speed is impressive—if we delay, he’ll slip beyond our senses,” Yuansha said, glancing into the distance.
“Agreed. But ahead, I’ve stationed seven more waves of troops to wear him down further,” Xue Guang nodded, a sly grin playing on his lips.
Without another word, Yuansha twisted her body, transforming into a streak of white light that shot back into the stone hall.
Xue Guang, meanwhile, formed a hand seal and dissolved into a cloud of black mist, merging with the jade disk.
A moment later, both the stone hall and the jade disk shimmered with light before streaking away in the direction Han Li had fled.
Meanwhile, Han Li, now a giant roc, raced across the sky tens of thousands of miles away, his mood grim. After two months of relentless pursuit, he understood his pursuers’ intentions all too well.
In this short time, he had repelled or slain at least thirty to forty waves of enemies.
Some were mere ragtag groups of low-tier demons or beasts, while others were elite forces—even two waves led by Demon Venerables.
Under normal circumstances, such foes wouldn’t have fazed him. But with two formidable adversaries watching his every move, he couldn’t afford prolonged battles. Instead, he resorted to swift, overwhelming strikes, annihilating each wave instantly.
The cost? His magic power and divine sense had plummeted alarmingly.
Were it not for the numerous spirit-nourishing pills he carried, he’d have collapsed long ago. Even so, his condition was dire.
After relentless battles, his magic power was less than half its peak, and his divine sense—drained from controlling thousands of Gold Devouring Beetles—was barely a fraction of its former strength.
His heart sank.
Fortunately, his relentless counterattacks seemed to have intimidated his pursuers, who hesitated to confront him directly, relying instead on underlings to slow him.
For now, this kept him safe—but not for long.
Once they realized his weakness or mustered enough forces to encircle him, his life would be forfeit.
Han Li refused to wait for that. He had tried every trick to shake his pursuers, but both Xue Guang and the woman—likely Yuansha—matched or surpassed him in tracking and stealth.
At best, he could lose them for half a day before they caught up again.
It was maddening.
If only one pursued him, he might exploit their carelessness to escape. But with their combined efforts, such hopes were futile.
Worse, as he neared Tianyuan City, the ambushes grew more frequent.
*This can’t go on! They’ve pinpointed my goal—Tianyuan City—and are surely laying traps ahead. If I keep this course, I’ll exhaust myself before getting close. I must change direction!*
He gnashed his teeth, channeling his dwindling magic power to refine the pills he’d just swallowed.
*Other routes may have fewer guards. But I can’t reveal my plan outright—I need to mislead them, buy myself breathing room.*
Driven to desperation, inspiration struck.
Soon, an idea crystallized in his mind.
Back on the jade disk, three of Xue Guang’s avatars stood before a pristine crystal wall.
Two had their eyes closed, conserving energy, while the third stared unblinking at the images displayed.
Suddenly, the third avatar’s expression shifted.
“Hmm?”
The sound roused the other two, who snapped their eyes open.
On the crystal wall, the giant roc that was Han Li abruptly shimmered back into human form. Halting mid-flight, he formed a hand seal, and his figure blurred—multiplying into seven or eight identical copies.
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