However, in just the span of two breaths, the sharp screeching abruptly ceased, and the glowing figure was reduced to a wisp of green smoke by the silver flames.
The purple-haired woman witnessing this nearby displayed a mix of shock and delight on her face, secretly wondering if the rumors were mistaken—perhaps these demon spirits were actually afraid of fire.
With this thought flashing through her mind, she wasted no time in attacking another one of the split demon spirits.
She hurled her halberd into the air, and with a tiger’s roar, it transformed into the illusory form of a massive one-horned tiger. The beast opened its maw and spat out a pitch-black beam of light, which struck another demon spirit in an instant.
The possessed body and the shimmering, illusory head of the demon spirit were torn apart in a deafening explosion, instantly reduced to countless fragments.
The woman then rubbed her hands together and flung them outward.
A storm of black thunderfire erupted, transforming into countless black flames that engulfed the demon spirit’s remnants, igniting them in a fierce blaze.
The purple-haired woman exhaled deeply, summoning her halberd back with a wave of her hand. Gazing at the roiling demonic flames in the distance, a faint smile appeared on her lips.
It seemed these demon spirits weren’t as troublesome as the ancient texts had described. If they could truly be dealt with this easily, it would indeed be a stroke of luck!
But just as this thought crossed her mind, the black flames in the distance suddenly exploded, sending tendrils of demonic fire scattering in all directions, mixed with countless thumb-sized specks of light.
The moment these specks emerged from the flames, they swiftly converged in one spot. With a flash of white light, they reformed into a faint white silhouette.
The black demonic flames she had unleashed seemed utterly incapable of harming this demon spirit!
“How is this possible?”
Her delicate face paled as she gasped in shock, realizing now that the silver flames Han Li had released earlier must have held some hidden secret.
Yet, before she could react further, the white silhouette—now the demon spirit—stretched its form and shot toward her like a streak of white light. In a blur, it closed the distance to just a few zhang away.
Though startled, the woman remained composed. With a flick of her halberd, countless black streaks shot toward the white light, while her other hand formed a seal and thrust forward.
A thunderous boom!
A sphere of green light flew from her palm, swelling to the size of a cartwheel mid-flight, revealing itself to be a crescent-shaped blade.
But the white silhouette showed no intention of dodging. Instead, it collided head-on with the black streaks and green light.
A sharp tearing sound erupted!
The white silhouette twisted its body, somehow slipping through the black and green attacks unscathed, lunging straight for the woman.
Her expression darkened as she let out a sharp cry. Her slender frame suddenly grew several inches taller, and she tossed aside her halberd, thrusting a delicate fist toward the oncoming white figure.
Though the punch appeared delicate, the moment it was unleashed, the space before her trembled violently. A gray halo erupted as if the void itself had collapsed, sucking in the surrounding air with terrifying force.
“Space manipulation!”
Han Li, observing nearby, narrowed his eyes, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.
The demon spirit, caught within the gray halo, struggled desperately, its body bending and twisting like a boneless serpent. Yet, despite its efforts, the strange suction at the halo’s center inexorably dragged it inward.
Seeing her technique working, the woman intensified her efforts. Her other hand, now also coated in gray light, struck the same spot in the void.
With a dull thud, the gray halo trembled, and the surrounding winds howled as the suction force doubled in strength.
Even the formless demon spirit could not resist.
With a muffled *puff*, the white silhouette was sucked into the halo’s center, where it was instantly shredded by blade-like forces.
The woman’s eyes gleamed as she smirked, forming another seal. Black energy roiled around her as she pointed a slender finger toward the gray halo, preparing to unleash another devastating technique to finish off the trapped demon spirit.
But just then, Han Li suddenly called out, “Be careful!”
Before she could react, a sharp *chi-chi* sound erupted from the gray halo. Hundreds of white threads shot out, piercing through her multiple protective barriers as if they weren’t there, striking her pristine white armor.
The armor, forged from unknown materials, erupted in bursts of white light upon impact, revealing shimmering silver runes that momentarily held the threads at bay.
Yet, the sheer force behind the threads sent her flying backward uncontrollably.
The white threads then coalesced back into a hazy white figure where she had stood, its arms reaching out to grab her.
With a thunderous roar, two massive light hands emerged from the void, descending upon her with crushing force. Even before they made contact, the sheer pressure alone sent gale-force winds howling toward her.
Though protected by formidable demonic arts, the woman paled at the sight. She knew that even if she survived the blow, she would be severely injured.
Gritting her teeth, she resolved to fight back with everything she had.
A surge of blood qi rose to her face as a monstrous, tiger-headed demonic apparition materialized behind her. With a low growl, its massive claws tore through the gales, intercepting the light hands.
But she had underestimated the demon spirit’s cunning.
At the last moment, the light hands twisted at impossible angles, evading the claws and reappearing above her head, slamming down.
“Damn it!” she cursed inwardly, realizing it was too late to react. She poured all her remaining energy into her armor, which blazed brilliantly as she braced for impact.
Just as the light hands were about to crush her, two silver flames shot out from the void, striking the hands with explosive force.
*Boom!*
The hands froze, engulfed in silver fire before vanishing into nothingness.
The flames then merged, forming a massive silver firebird that soared toward the demon spirit.
Han Li, seeing her peril, had intervened once more.
The demon spirit recoiled in fear, retreating dozens of zhang in an instant. It spat out streams of violet-red crystalline light, which transformed into dozens of crisscrossing purple sword beams, slashing at the firebird.
The silver flames around the bird flared, effortlessly absorbing the attacks without a scratch. The purple sword beams, however, disintegrated into smoke upon contact.
Though delayed by the assault, the firebird pressed forward. But the demon spirit had already vanished into the cavern walls, escaping.
Han Li frowned slightly, recalling the firebird with a wave of his hand. It let out a clear cry before dissolving back into silver flames and disappearing into his body.
The purple-haired woman steadied herself and bowed deeply toward Han Li. “Thank you, Brother Han. Without your aid, I might have fallen to that demon spirit’s hands. I shall repay this debt upon our return.”
“You flatter me,” Han Li replied with a faint smile. “Since I was invited here, assisting is only natural. However, this demon spirit seems highly intelligent. Capturing it again won’t be easy.”
“Your kindness is unforgettable. But we must eliminate it, or the mining operations here cannot proceed safely. For now, let’s deal with that beast first!” she said with a bitter smile, turning toward the other battle.
There, the lava giant continued to spew endless crimson flames. Despite being suppressed by the yellow-haired man and the two other demonic elders, its ferocity remained undiminished. Its massive fists hurled boulder-sized green fireballs like meteors, forcing the three demonic elders to dodge rather than block.
This late-stage demonic beast was indeed formidable. Without Han Li’s intervention, defeating it would have been a daunting task.
Han Li observed the scene calmly before forming a seal. Dark demonic energy surged behind him as a golden, three-headed, six-armed Dharma Form emerged. With a single stride, it marched toward the battlefield.
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