In the void about a li away, countless blue lights suddenly emerged once more, coalescing densely around Han Li and Crab Daoist, forming over a hundred crystalline figures identical to the previous eight.
“Impossible!”
Han Li’s heart shuddered at the sight.
If these newly appeared figures truly possessed the same abilities as the previous eight, it would mean he was facing nearly a hundred enemies at the level of Demon Venerables.
Even if Yuansha was a Demon Venerable, she couldn’t possibly wield such heaven-defying power.
Taking a deep breath, the giant ape transformed by Han Li split open a bloody mark between its brows, from which a surge of black mist emerged, materializing into a pitch-black demonic eye—the Annihilation Dharma Eye!
With a mere flicker of its dark pupil, the eye swept a cold, piercing gaze across the surrounding figures.
“So it is…”
The giant ape let out a resonant roar as one of its arms abruptly reached into the void ahead.
A spatial ripple surged as the arm blurred and vanished into the void.
Simultaneously, before one of the newly formed crystalline figures, a golden flash appeared, and a furry, massive hand shot out from the void, grasping lightning-fast.
A bizarre scene unfolded!
The previously expressionless crystalline figure suddenly displayed panic, crossing its arms before its chest. A burst of blue light condensed into a pale blue ice shield, spinning rapidly in front of it. Then, stomping its foot, the figure shot backward like an arrow.
Unlike the previous eight figures, this one dared not face the giant ape’s grasp head-on.
But the ape let out a thunderous shout, shaking the surrounding void. The golden hand became indomitable, its fingers spreading and shattering the blue ice shield effortlessly.
With a muffled sound, the arm extended further.
The fleeing crystalline figure felt a sudden heat in its chest as the golden hand blurred and pierced through, sending excruciating pain deep into its soul. A scream escaped its lips.
Its face, originally resembling Yuansha’s, twisted into the sharp-featured visage of a thunder god. With great difficulty, it looked down to see the golden hand protruding from its chest.
*Bang!*
Silver flames erupted from the golden palm, engulfing the demonic creature.
After a few more agonized screams, the creature fell silent.
The golden hand flicked and vanished into thin air.
The golden ape slowly retracted its arm.
Almost simultaneously, the other crystalline figures scattered throughout the space exploded into blue specks, dissipating into the void.
Below, Yuansha’s expression shifted slightly for the first time.
These crystalline creatures were a rare breed of Crystal Statue Beasts she had nurtured, capable of wielding extreme cold and the innate ability to multiply into hundreds of avatars. Under normal circumstances, as long as their true form remained hidden, these beasts could overwhelm any opponent below the Saint Ancestor level.
Yuansha had relied on them to eliminate countless formidable foes. Yet now, within moments of their release, Han Li had discerned their weakness and destroyed them effortlessly.
This outcome was beyond her expectations, and her initial arrogance diminished significantly.
However, the core of the Crystal Statue Beast had long been fused with her own soul. Though its physical form was lost, she could revive it with secret arts after some time.
Thus, while wary, she showed little outward anger.
“Impressive skills. No wonder you spoke so boldly earlier. But do you truly believe such abilities can oppose a Saint Ancestor? That would be a grave mistake. I don’t know under what circumstances you encountered other Saint Ancestors, or what restrictions they faced. But here and now, with me unleashing my full power, you stand no chance.”
With a cold declaration, Yuansha formed a hand seal. A blue pillar of light erupted behind her, and a colossal wolf phantom, dozens of zhang tall, materialized above the hall. Its body shimmered blue, its eyes blazing with purple flames.
An overwhelming, suffocating aura radiated from the wolf, filling the sky and pressing down upon Han Li and the others.
The giant ape staggered back several steps under the force.
Though unmatched among those at the Body Integration stage, Han Li had no choice but to retreat before the full might of a Mahayana existence.
Beside him, Crab Daoist remained expressionless but flicked his sleeve, summoning a golden barrier that shielded both him and Zhu Guo’er.
The terrifying pressure struck the barrier, which flickered slightly but held firm. Zhu Guo’er remained unharmed.
“So this is Yuansha’s true demonic form. Truly fearsome! Brother Crab, how much of your power have you recovered? Can you fight at full strength now?” The giant ape glanced warily at the blue wolf phantom before turning to Crab Daoist.
“I’ve yet to fully regain my Mahayana-level strength. Alone, I cannot repel her,” Crab Daoist replied impassively.
“You’re not alone. I’m here. Unless we drive Yuansha back, she won’t let us leave. Do your best,” the ape rumbled.
“Together, we might stand a chance,” Crab Daoist conceded after a brief pause.
Relieved, the ape roared and struck its chest, releasing several multicolored orbs that transformed into the dharma forms of a heavenly dragon, a phoenix, a roc, and other divine beasts.
Simultaneously, the Vajra Buddha Fused Body merged into the ape’s form.
In an instant, the golden ape swelled tenfold into a mountainous behemoth, its body blurring with golden light before morphing into a three-headed, six-armed titan.
Crab Daoist stepped forward, his body erupting into a colossal golden crab. Silver lightning arced across his form, weaving into a vast net of electricity.
Yuansha’s pupils contracted at the sight. Without hesitation, she flipped her hand, producing a small, white hammer.
Three chi long, its surface was covered in hundreds of golden eye-like patterns.
With a slight shake, the hammer glowed, and all the eyes snapped open, their golden pupils rotating eerily.
A chilling sight!
With a cold snort, Yuansha hurled the hammer into the air.
A deafening boom echoed as a massive white hammer phantom materialized overhead and slammed downward with thunderous force.
Han Li’s eyes narrowed in surprise—the hammer wasn’t aimed at him or the golden crab, but at an inconspicuous hill nearby.
The hill, barely a few hundred zhang tall, would be obliterated instantly.
Just then, a calm male voice rang out from the hilltop:
“Fellow Daoist Yuansha, as expected of a Saint Ancestor, to detect me so swiftly.”
A silver streak shot up from the hill, meeting the hammer mid-air.
A cataclysmic explosion followed as silver and white light merged into a colossal orb before bursting apart, sending shockwaves that flattened the surrounding landscape.
When the dust settled, two figures stood above the lone remaining hill.
Han Li’s gaze sharpened, and his heart lurched.
A man and a woman.
The man wore silver robes, his long black hair cascading to his waist, his face youthful and smiling faintly.
The woman was slender, her skin snow-white, her straight hair gleaming like pure silver. Her beauty was ethereal, radiating an otherworldly grace.
Her pale green eyes locked onto Han Li’s giant ape form, brimming with emotion.
Yuansha’s expression darkened at the sight of the man. “Ao Xiao! You dare venture here alone? Do you seek death?”
The man was none other than Ao Xiao, the sole Mahayana existence of the demon race, hailing from the Silvermoon Wolf Clan. His presence in the Wood Clan’s territory was unexpected.
Beside him stood Silvermoon—the “Linglong Fairy” of the Spirit Realm—whom Han Li hadn’t seen since their parting at Kunwu Mountain in the human world.
Han Li was stunned, then overjoyed. But before he could speak, Ao Xiao chuckled.
“Yuansha, if you could truly keep me here, I wouldn’t have come. But now, with these two fellow Daoists by my side, how confident are you of victory? Don’t overreach and find yourself overwhelmed.”
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