“Fellow Daoist, have you changed your mind yet? Why go to such lengths to hide for over a month just for a single spiritual flower? You must know that the Celestial Epiphyllum is of little use to you at your current stage. Hand it over, and I’ll spare your life. What do you say?” The white-robed woman spoke softly, her words turning Lei Yunzi’s face ashen.
“Hmph! The Celestial Epiphyllum is an exceedingly rare spiritual treasure. Even if I can’t use it now, it will be invaluable in the future. Expecting me to hand it over for nothing? Impossible!” Lei Yunzi snorted coldly, refusing without hesitation.
“It seems you place great confidence in your lightning escape technique,” the woman remarked, unperturbed, her tone indifferent.
“Heh, if you truly had the means to catch me, how could I have evaded you for over a month?” Lei Yunzi sneered, his earlier wariness of her seemingly cast aside.
“Audacious! How dare you speak to Lady Baohua in such a manner!” The hideous black-robed man suddenly roared at Lei Yunzi, his face twisted with fury.
“A mere lackey hiding behind another’s power! Do you believe that in a one-on-one fight, I couldn’t end your life in moments?” Lei Yunzi’s expression darkened as he retorted icily.
The ugly man was so enraged that he nearly charged forward, fists clenched, but the white-robed woman raised a hand, stopping him with a calm command: “Hei’e, stand down. You’ve only recently taken human form—you’re no match for this fellow Daoist.”
“Lady Baohua, I—” The man reluctantly lowered his fists but still seethed with resentment.
“Do you question my judgment?” The woman known as Baohua arched a delicate brow, her voice cool.
“N-No, of course not! This subordinate misspoke!” Hei’e stammered, hastily backtracking.
Baohua’s gaze lingered on him for a moment before she dismissed the matter with a faint “Let it be the last time.”
Hei’e exhaled in relief, nodding repeatedly.
Han Li observed the exchange silently, his expression grave. Yet, as he studied the black-robed man, a flicker of doubt crossed his eyes.
Though he had never met the man before, the aura of savagery he exuded felt strangely familiar—as if he had sensed it from afar somewhere.
But now was not the time to dwell on such thoughts. The priority was finding a way to escape with Lei Yunzi.
Given his understanding of the Thunder Array’s intricacies, Han Li wasn’t overly concerned. With Lei Yunzi’s abilities, teleporting them away would be effortless if prepared in advance. Even if this woman was a Mahayana cultivator, she likely couldn’t stop them.
Otherwise, Lei Yunzi wouldn’t have faced her with such confidence.
As Han Li’s thoughts raced, the woman atop the giant flower spoke again: “This Thunder Array technique is your own creation, isn’t it? It’s indeed profound, but only someone with a Five Thunder Physique like yours could wield it to its full potential. Your earlier refusal was based on this, wasn’t it?”
“What if it was?” Lei Yunzi replied darkly, puzzled by her line of questioning.
“Your teleportation array merges spatial and lightning energies to traverse thousands of miles in an instant. But fusing two such forces is no simple feat—you must have drawn inspiration from some secret art to achieve it,” Baohua mused.
Lei Yunzi’s expression flickered, but he remained silent.
The woman chuckled lightly before continuing, “Coincidentally, my own cultivation encompasses both spatial and lightning laws. I’ve studied their principles extensively.”
“What are you implying?” Lei Yunzi’s face stiffened.
“You must have noticed that the intervals between my pursuits of you are growing shorter. Soon, I’ll decipher the laws governing your Thunder Array, rendering it useless before me. And since I’ve already marked you, unless you can teleport millions of miles away, capture is inevitable. My earlier offer was merely to save time—a final chance. Otherwise, I have a treasure in need of a few Body Integration-stage souls as its core. Refuse now, and once caught, yours will be one of them.” Her voice was soft, almost gentle, but her words sent a chill down Lei Yunzi’s spine.
His face paled, his expression shifting between fear and defiance.
Baohua didn’t press him. Instead, her gaze drifted to Han Li.
Her eyes were clear as water, yet Han Li felt an icy sensation, as if his entire being had been laid bare—a sign of her vastly superior spiritual sense.
Startled, he immediately activated the Great Development Art and the Spirit Refinement Technique, reinforcing his mental defenses to block the invasive scrutiny.
Even so, cold sweat trickled down his back. His spiritual sense was formidable, nearly on par with Mahayana cultivators, yet this woman’s gaze was terrifyingly oppressive. She must be among the pinnacle of Mahayana experts.
Then came an even greater shock.
After studying him briefly, her eyes gleamed with an odd light. “So, it was you who killed my subordinate in Mojin and took the Profound Heavenly Ruyi Blade. Having kept my treasure for so many years, isn’t it time to return it?”
“Senior must be mistaken. This is our first meeting—I don’t understand what you mean,” Han Li forced a smile, though his heart pounded with dread.
“If you won’t return it willingly, I’ll take it myself.” Without emotion, she beckoned toward him.
A golden light shot from Han Li’s sleeve—the Profound Heavenly Blade fragment! The artifact, previously dormant, severed its connection to him instantly and flew toward her.
Han Li’s expression twisted in alarm. Instinctively, his arm shot out, transforming into a massive azure hand to snatch it back.
But the golden blade flashed once in midair before vanishing, reappearing between Baohua’s delicate fingers.
Han Li’s face darkened.
Now he remembered where he had sensed the ugly man’s aura before—it was from a powerful demonic beast in the Demon Mountain Range!
This woman must be the hidden Demon Ancestor of that region.
Though furious at losing the blade, Han Li quickly pieced together their origins. He braced himself, knowing he’d need extreme caution.
“This is indeed the Ruyi Blade. I’ve possessed it for so long, I’ve lost count of the years. No matter how you concealed its aura, you couldn’t hide it from me.” She stroked the blade thoughtfully before tossing it to Hei’e. “Since you lack a proper weapon, this fragment is yours.”
“Thank you, Lady Baohua!” The man stammered in disbelief before bowing profusely.
Han Li could only watch helplessly, seething inwardly but powerless against her might.
To his surprise, Baohua ignored him afterward, turning back to Lei Yunzi. “Have you decided? Will you cling to a useless herb and risk eternal damnation?”
Lei Yunzi shuddered slightly before exhaling. “Had you spoken these words half a day earlier, I might have yielded. But now—”
Before he finished, lightning wings unfurled from his back as he formed a seal.
A thunderous boom erupted as silver arcs erupted from his body, and he vanished in a flash.
A massive thunder array materialized beside Han Li, Lei Yunzi’s figure flickering within.
“Go!” he barked.
Han Li lunged into the array without hesitation.
Hei’e roared in fury, summoning a black axe and slashing toward the array. A monstrous axe-light tore through the air, space trembling in its wake—
But it was too late. The array flared, and both figures disappeared.
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