Chapter 1966: Escape

Seeing this, Baohua merely formed a strange hand seal with a casual flick of her fingers.

With a muffled sound, the enormous pink flower beneath the giant stone figure swiftly rotated, releasing two dazzling crystalline beams in succession.

Each beam was thick and translucent, almost tangible, and shot forward with lightning speed, reaching the stone giants in an instant.

The two stone giants were startled. Though they tried to dodge, it was already too late.

The beams ignored their protective spiritual light, vanishing into their massive bodies in a flash.

They barely had time to let out a furious roar before their bodies erupted in white light, covered in blooming crystal-like flowers that spread across every inch of their forms.

In an instant, the two stone giants were encased in a layer of mysterious ice-like crystal, completely immobilized.

Gazing at the frozen figures within the massive crystals, Baohua silently gestured toward them.

White light flickered across the crystal surfaces as they rapidly shrank, soon becoming fist-sized objects that she effortlessly tucked into her sleeve.

“Congratulations, Master, for vanquishing your foes!”

The black crocodile, snapping out of his daze, hurried forward to speak.

“Those three were merely three avatars of Xue Guang—hardly worthy of being called formidable foes. The six avatars of Liu Ji, however, are her true right-hand forces. After taking my Sunset Arrow, it will take her at least a century to recover her original power,” Baohua said indifferently.

“Then, Master, should we pursue and eliminate them all? This is a rare opportunity!” the crocodile cautiously suggested.

“No need. Since Liu Ji was willing to expend her vitality to escape my Illusory Sun technique, she must have already fled thousands of miles away. Even if I gave chase, the chances of catching her are slim. Securing the Heavenly Ephemeral Flower is more urgent now. If it slips away, it will only cause more trouble later. Let’s go.” After a brief consideration, Baohua made her decision.

“As you command, Master!” The burly man bowed respectfully.

With a slight rotation of the giant flower beneath her, pink mist surged forth, enveloping both of them before vanishing into the void.

In an instant, the once-bustling space was left empty and silent.

—

Somewhere countless miles away, in a hidden valley, two silver lightning arrays—one large, one small—roared into existence mid-air.

The two arrays overlapped, one inside the other, and at their center hovered two figures.

One wore a flowing green robe, crystalline wings crackling with electricity on his back, while the other was wreathed in arcs of lightning, gripping a pair of silver disks in his hands.

They were Han Li and Lei Yunzi!

“Brother Han, are you ready? I’ve studied this dual lightning array thoroughly—in theory, it should work flawlessly. But since we’ve never tested it, if something goes wrong, you’ll have to bear the consequences yourself,” Lei Yunzi said with a laugh, his body crackling with electricity, his excitement palpable.

“Haha, if that’s the case, I’ll accept it. But since you’re willing to teleport with me, you must be at least eighty to ninety percent confident. If you’re not worried, why should I be? Besides, I’ve briefly reviewed the dual array technique myself and found no major issues,” Han Li replied with a faint smile.

“Tch, you act so trusting, but you’re still the same old cautious fox as centuries ago. Fine, those pursuers will catch up soon—let’s go.” Lei Yunzi rolled his eyes, then hurled the two radiant disks into the arrays.

With a swift incantation, thunder roared as the arrays activated, countless arcs of lightning erupting and exploding within them, filling the space with silver light.

Amid the deafening noise, Lei Yunzi shouted, and several thick lightning bolts surged from the array’s center, engulfing both him and Han Li.

In an instant, they vanished.

—

Fifteen minutes later, a ripple disturbed the void as a pink glow materialized, transforming into a massive flower.

As its petals unfurled, Baohua and the black crocodile emerged.

Though the lightning arrays had long dissipated, Baohua’s expression shifted slightly as she scanned the space where they had been.

“The spatial fluctuations are completely different from before—I can’t even trace their destination now,” she murmured, a rare flicker of surprise in her eyes.

“Impossible! Master, you’ve already deciphered most of that lightning array’s laws. How could this happen?” the crocodile exclaimed.

“Not only that, but the faint imprint I sensed has been severed. Either they’ve perished, or they’ve truly escaped thousands of miles away,” she said, shaking her head.

The crocodile’s eyes widened, but he was at a loss for words.

“Judging by the residual spatial energy, it’s likely the latter. It seems I underestimated those two—they actually managed a long-range teleport. No matter. The Heavenly Ephemeral Flower, while useful, isn’t worth expending my vitality to divine its location. Let’s head to the human lands. The true medicine for my recovery must be there. Only by getting closer can I perform another divination for more precise information.” Baohua’s eyes gleamed, her tone calm and composed.

Surprised by her composure, the crocodile nodded obediently.

Baohua nodded back but suddenly frowned, turning to glance in a certain direction. After a long pause, she shook her head, dismissing her unease, and stepped onto the giant flower. With a flash of light, it carried them toward the human territories.

—

Thousands of miles away, above an endless lake, a thunderclap split the sky as countless silver lightning bolts erupted from the void, forming a massive rotating array.

With a deafening boom, the array flared brightly, and Han Li and Lei Yunzi materialized within it.

Surveying their surroundings, both wore expressions of relief.

“Good. The dual array worked—we’re thousands of miles away, and the feeling of being watched is gone. But to be safe, let’s part ways here,” Lei Yunzi said, his earlier joy fading as he turned to Han Li.

“I was thinking the same. It’s a pity this technique requires two people—otherwise, it’d be a perfect escape method,” Han Li replied with a hint of regret.

“Heh, nothing in this world is perfect. Surviving this ordeal was fortune enough. Who knows what blessings await us next?” Lei Yunzi chuckled.

“Why wait? You’ve already secured the Heavenly Ephemeral Flower—that’s fortune enough,” Han Li said with a knowing smile.

“Oh? Brother Han is interested in it too?” Lei Yunzi smirked.

“Not at all. The flower clashes with my cultivation method. I’ll take my leave now. May we meet again.” Han Li clasped his hands in farewell.

“Safe travels, then.” Lei Yunzi returned the gesture, relieved.

Without another word, Han Li’s body glowed green as he shot into the sky like a streak of light.

Lei Yunzi watched until Han Li vanished, then turned and flew in the opposite direction.

—

Han Li flew nonstop for three days and nights, far from human lands, until he reached a desolate mountain of jagged rocks.

Certain he was beyond pursuit, he descended to the mountainside.

Muttering an incantation, he formed a seal, and a yellow glow enveloped him before he vanished into the stone.

Moments later, he reappeared in a cavern deep within the mountain. With a wave of his sleeves, dozens of formation flags shot out, embedding themselves into the surroundings.

A faint white light soon encased the cavern, sealing it tightly.

Only then did Han Li exhale deeply, sitting cross-legged on a flat stone.

He produced several jade vials, pouring out a dozen differently colored pills and swallowing them in one go. Closing his eyes, he began meditating to restore his depleted energy and refine the potent medicinal effects.

This process would take at least two to three months.