Yuan Sha’s eyelids twitched, and her tightly shut eyes opened once more, revealing a cold, emerald glow within.
“Hmph, can you be certain there won’t be another mistake this time? I’ve gone through so much trouble and am on the verge of success. Even if this isn’t the true body, capturing it alive would still be of great use to me. If you can’t wait any longer, feel free to leave first. Once I’ve subdued this one, I’ll naturally regroup with you,” the woman said icily.
“Since Fellow Daoist Yuan Sha insists, I’ll take my leave first. A mere incarnation shouldn’t pose any problem for someone of your abilities. But the true body is far more troublesome—only by joining forces can we be certain of success. I hope you won’t entertain any… alternative ideas,” the blood-robed youth replied, slightly surprised, his tone laced with warning after a brief hesitation.
“Rest assured. I understand the benefits of cooperation. I have my own reasons for wanting this incarnation—perhaps you’ll find out soon enough,” Yuan Sha sneered, entirely unfazed.
Though still puzzled, the blood-robed youth could no longer object. “I’ll leave half my forces behind to assist you. They may not be many, but they should still be of some help,” he said flatly.
“My thanks,” Yuan Sha replied, her expression softening slightly.
With that, the blood-robed youth summoned a bloody light and shot into the sky. After a few flashes, he vanished into the jade disk. Moments later, the crimson radiance emanating from the disk flickered and disappeared. Strangely, half of the elite demons gathered around the disk had also vanished.
The jade disk trembled before transforming into a streak of white light and disappearing into the distance. The remaining hundred or so demons, led by a tall late-stage Deity Transformation demon, descended toward Yuan Sha’s location.
Approaching her, the demon bowed deeply. “Venerable Yuan Sha, Lord Xue Guang has departed. Do you have any orders for us?” Despite being under Xue Guang’s command, the demon showed utmost deference to Yuan Sha.
“Stand guard nearby,” she replied dismissively.
“As you command!” The demon immediately complied, and the remaining demons dispersed around the stone platform without further disturbance.
Yuan Sha’s eyes flickered before she slowly closed them again. Meanwhile, the black cloud of crows finished scouring another corner of the valley and, under her command, surged toward a new area.
This time, it didn’t take long for an anomaly to appear. Over a hundred crows circling a patch of low shrubs suddenly began screeching erratically.
“Found you!” Yuan Sha’s eyes snapped open as she let out a low cry of triumph. In a flash, she transformed into a white streak and shot toward the shrubs.
At the same time, a burst of purple light erupted from the bushes, warping the air as a wisp of black smoke shot out with a piercing shriek, attempting to flee.
But it was already too late.
Yuan Sha pointed toward the fleeing shadow, and the crows nearby let out raucous cries before diving en masse toward it. While a few dozen might have been insignificant, hundreds descending at once forced the black smoke to halt, revealing its true form—a pitch-black Nascent Soul resembling Han Li, exuding thick demonic energy.
This was Han Li’s second Nascent Soul. Though far weaker than his main one, constant nourishment with spiritual medicines had elevated it to the Deity Transformation stage, its demonic techniques refined to purity.
Cornered, the second Nascent Soul wasn’t panicked. With a shout, it clapped its hands together before flinging them outward. A black gale erupted, spawning two serpentine demonic energies that surged into the flock of crows, shredding them effortlessly.
Just as the black serpents gained the upper hand, the second Nascent Soul began spinning rapidly, forming hand seals.
At that moment, a white streak flashed through the air, revealing Yuan Sha’s graceful figure. Without hesitation, she raised a hand and clawed downward.
A deafening boom echoed as a colossal white hand materialized from the void, its fingers splayed as it crushed downward.
Had it landed, the second Nascent Soul would have had no chance of escape. But Han Li’s demonic infant had already activated a life-saving technique. The spinning shadow burst apart, releasing over a dozen black flames that morphed into tiny figures before teleporting dozens of feet away.
“Still trying to flee?” Yuan Sha’s brows arched as she spat an incantation.
The white hand shimmered before exploding into a radiant halo, unleashing countless crystalline needles that blanketed the area, piercing through the fleeing figures.
All but one dissolved into black flames—mere illusions. The sole survivor, the true second Nascent Soul, spat several mouthfuls of blood essence, chanting rapidly as the blood dispersed into a mist that engulfed it.
“More tricks?” Yuan Sha sneered, flicking her sleeve. A black streak shot forth, slicing through the mist—but a crimson streak simultaneously shot out, vanishing in a blink.
At the horizon, the demonic infant reappeared, black wings sprouting from its back before disappearing again.
“Blood Shadow Escape? Annoying, but you won’t slip away so easily,” Yuan Sha muttered coldly before summoning the twin stone pillars. They merged back into the gray-white stone palace, which she boarded before soaring away, her demonic entourage scrambling to follow.
Meanwhile, far from the second Nascent Soul’s location, Han Li stood above a lake, directing a colossal azure dragon of sword light as it tore apart a long-necked, insectoid high-ranking demon—soul and all.
With a wave of his sleeve, the dragon dissolved back into countless sword beams, which he recalled into his body. His face paled momentarily before steadying.
“They’ve caught on. I can’t keep heading this way. If only they’d been slower, I might’ve made it back to Tian Yuan City. I can’t let them predict my path—I’ll have to try another direction. At least the pursuers are dealt with… I might still escape.”
Han Li exhaled slowly, scanning his surroundings.
Earlier, after conjuring multiple illusions, he had sent Qu’er and the second Nascent Soul to divert pursuers while he used the Taiyi Concealment Talisman to remain invisible on the spot.
Though the talisman’s effects were limited by his cultivation, it had bought him enough time. Now, with his pursuers scattered, he had a real chance to slip away.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage