Instantly, the spiritual energy of the entire massive island trembled violently, and countless fist-sized, multicolored light spheres emerged above the pond, madly surging into the body of the pseudo-immortal puppet.
The seemingly immobile puppet suddenly saw its dark green spirit patterns rapidly thicken and expand, writhing like tiny snakes across its surface.
A flash of ferocity crossed the puppet’s face as it uttered a single, calm word: “Explode.”
In the next moment, the thick dark green spirit patterns flared wildly, unleashing an overwhelming, violent aura.
Cracks twisted and spread across the puppet’s body, while countless dazzling rays of light burst forth from within.
With a deafening **BOOM**, a multicolored sun erupted in the sky, engulfing the puppet entirely.
“Not good!”
The black-robed youth, witnessing this, showed the first hint of fear in his eyes. He instantly shot backward, leaving a trail of afterimages, while the colossal phantom of the demonic toad behind him let out a piercing shriek. Its golden tongue retracted at an impossible speed.
The massive tongue lashed wildly, weaving a net of shadows to shield the youth below.
The multicolored sun shrank slightly before expanding once more—then detonated completely.
“Self-destruction!”
“Run!”
The Long Family Patriarch and the feathered maiden, seeing this from afar, were utterly terrified.
Given the terrifying power the pseudo-immortal puppet had displayed earlier, such a self-destruction at close range would leave them no chance of survival.
They couldn’t expect the Spirit King’s split soul to show mercy—in fact, this Spirit Race Great Ascension cultivator might have intended to eliminate all witnesses, given the secrecy of his earlier deal with the Yuan Yao Saint Ancestor.
Han Li, equally shaken, acted without hesitation. The giant ape he had transformed into shook its arms, summoning two mountain-like artifacts before him. With a flash of light, the small peaks expanded into towering hundred-zhang mountains, while the demonic armor on his body surged with black light, unleashing countless dark runes that formed a protective barrier.
Simultaneously, he activated a secret technique. Golden light flickered before him as a three-headed, six-armed golden body materialized. Its six arms struck the air, releasing six golden orbs that formed a massive golden vortex, spinning furiously.
At the same time, a buzzing sound erupted from Han Li’s sleeve as tens of thousands of golden beetles swarmed out, forming a dense cloud that solidified into an ancient, incredibly sturdy insect shield before him.
The other two, in desperation, also unleashed their final trump cards.
The Long Family Patriarch roared as his half-demon form rolled on the ground. With a dragon’s cry that pierced the heavens, he transformed into a ten-zhang-long five-clawed golden dragon. Its scales gleamed like pure gold, and with a fierce motion, it spat out a golden pearl the size of an egg. The pearl, wreathed in misty radiance, spun rapidly before manifesting a massive golden flower as a shield.
The dragon itself then bristled its scales, which shot outward, expanding into countless golden shields that encased it completely. Finally, the dragon coiled into a tight golden sphere.
Meanwhile, the feathered maiden’s body shimmered with five-colored light before transforming into a multicolored phoenix several zhang long. With a flap of its wings and a piercing cry, the surrounding space distorted violently, tearing open hundreds of white spatial rifts that emitted terrifying suction forces.
The phoenix also unleashed thirteen layers of five-colored barriers, nearly exhausting its spiritual energy.
Then, from the exploding multicolored sun, a storm of razor-sharp rays erupted like countless arrows, piercing the sky. The once-intact green barrier above the valley was shredded in moments, and the devastation spread to the edges of the island.
The sheer, unrelenting force of the explosion felt endless, suffocating.
Only after what felt like an eternity did the storm of light finally fade.
When the valley reappeared, it was unrecognizable.
The ground had been stripped bare, the once-spirit-rich pond now completely dry. Its exposed bottom revealed an enormous black formation, pulsing with dark light.
High above, where the explosion had occurred, the pseudo-immortal puppet was gone—only a pavilion-sized spatial rift remained, slowly sealing itself.
The black-robed youth hovered nearby, his face pale. His massive black sword shielded most of his body, but one side of his torso had been obliterated. Yet, no blood spilled—only writhing tendrils of flesh rapidly regenerating.
The Yuan Yao Saint Ancestor’s aura had weakened drastically. Had it not been for the Black Demon Dagger absorbing most of the blast, he might have perished.
His eyes burned with fury as he glared at the shrinking rift.
Then, with a furious swing of his sword, he shattered the rift entirely.
Yet his rage remained unquenched. He turned his gaze to where Han Li and the others had been—only to freeze in shock.
Amid the devastation, only one figure remained standing: Han Li.
The two damaged mountain artifacts floated nearby, their surfaces cracked and dim. The insect shield had lost most of its beetles, leaving only a fraction intact. The golden body was gone, likely dispersed by the explosion.
Han Li himself stood unharmed, though his demonic armor had shattered into nothingness.
The Long Family Patriarch and the feathered maiden had vanished without a trace.
The black-robed youth’s astonishment deepened.
Han Li, however, seemed lost in thought, staring at his own arm before letting out a long sigh.
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