The headless ancient demon immediately dropped the four demonic artifacts it was holding, its corpse swayed a few times before collapsing to the ground.
At that moment, a faint gray light flickered above, and a shadowy figure twisted into existence—a slender woman clad in black robes.
She wore a wolf-headed mask and a pair of pitch-black gloves, leaving not an inch of her skin exposed.
“Shadow Fang, I owe you this time!”
Upon seeing the masked woman, Silvermoon visibly relaxed, a trace of gratitude flashing in her eyes.
“It’s nothing. As your shadow guard, your safety is naturally my duty. But just to be sure, let’s join forces to eliminate the remaining demons below,” Shadow Fang replied with a light chuckle.
“Good! With you joining in, none of these demons will escape,” Silvermoon agreed without hesitation, delighted.
Shadow Fang nodded, then twisted her body and vanished into a shadow, darting into the nearby demon horde.
Gray streaks flickered, and several demons were instantly bisected without warning.
Meanwhile, Silvermoon formed a hand seal, and silver light shimmered behind her as the massive silver wolf apparition reappeared.
Though slightly fainter than before, the silver wolf’s manifestation was more than enough to deal with the remaining demons.
Under Silvermoon’s command, the silver wolf let out a long howl and pounced into the fray, slaughtering the demons mercilessly.
Within the span of a single cup of tea, the dozens of powerful demons were completely annihilated by the two.
On a nearby hilltop, Xu Qianyu and several Xu Clan disciples watched in stunned silence as the demons—each no weaker than themselves—were wiped out in an instant. A chill ran down their spines.
The might of a Body Integration cultivator was truly beyond their comprehension.
—
In the Heart Devil Realm, atop a towering mountain, a grand hall stood filled with nearly a thousand burly men clad in various martial attires. They crowded around dozens of massive banquet tables, laughing and feasting boisterously.
The tables were laden with sumptuous delicacies and jars of fine wine, fueling the revelry as the men drank and ate to their hearts’ content, many already tipsy.
At one end of the hall, two figures sat in ornate chairs beside an exquisite octagonal table.
One was a dashing young man in black brocade robes, a golden-hilted saber at his waist. His gaze swept over the crowd with a faint smile.
Opposite him sat another young man of similar age, dressed in plain blue robes, his skin slightly tanned and features unremarkable—none other than Han Li.
Yet Han Li remained silent, downing cup after cup of wine, seemingly lost in thought. Perched on his shoulder was a small yellow bird, while behind him stood a towering figure draped in a green cloak, his face hidden beneath a hood.
“Junior Brother Han, under our leadership, the Seven Mysteries Sect has dominated Jingzhou in just a few short years—a truly remarkable feat. Our next step should be expanding into neighboring provinces. Soon, the Seven Mysteries Sect will become one of the few superpowers in Yue Kingdom capable of controlling multiple regions. You’ve contributed the most to this success. Here, let me toast you.”
The dashing young man smiled, pouring a cup of emerald-green spirit wine and tossing it toward Han Li.
Han Li caught the cup but hesitated, staring at the wine for a long moment before sighing.
“Senior Brother Li, do you truly wish for me to drink this?”
The young man’s expression stiffened slightly, though he forced a smile. “What do you mean? Is there a problem with me offering you a toast?”
Han Li narrowed his eyes, then flicked his wrist, spilling the wine onto the ground.
With a hiss, green flames erupted where the wine landed.
The young man’s face darkened, his hand instinctively gripping the hilt of his golden saber.
Yet Han Li spoke calmly, “Though you’ve done this, I bear no resentment toward you.”
“What are you saying? Enough! There’s no need for pretense now. Two tigers cannot share one mountain. The Seven Mysteries Sect can only have one true leader. Today, only one of us will leave this place alive.”
The young man’s voice turned icy as he glared at Han Li.
Han Li chuckled. “You’re not the real ‘him’—just an illusion wearing his name. The true Li Feiyu would never forget my true ambitions, nor would he entertain such petty thoughts of power.”
Before the young man could react, Han Li’s hand shot out, summoning a three-foot-long green sword from thin air. With a swift slash, he cleaved the towering green-cloaked figure behind him in two.
A muffled explosion followed as the bisected body dissolved into two plumes of black smoke, soaring into the sky.
In that instant, the dashing young man and all the feasting men blurred and vanished.
The grand hall itself collapsed into nothingness, replaced by a bustling street filled with low-level Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Han Li found himself in a familiar-looking marketplace, but before he could dwell on it, his consciousness blurred once more, sealing his memories as another cycle began…
Thus, he continued to cycle through one dreamlike world after another.
Some lasted centuries, others mere decades, yet each felt utterly real. With his memories sealed, he never doubted their authenticity.
But Han Li’s spiritual sense was far too powerful. Bolstered by several secret techniques, he always broke free from the illusions sooner or later, identifying and slaying the heart devil’s manifestations to escape the cycle.
From the outside world, only an hour or two had passed, yet within the Heart Devil Realm, Han Li had endured over a dozen cycles.
With each cycle, he regained his memories faster.
As time passed, the cycles grew shorter and more frequent.
By the time half a day had elapsed outside, Han Li had experienced nearly a hundred cycles within the Heart Devil Realm. Yet with each escape, his demeanor grew calmer and more composed.
Throughout these cycles, the heart devil had taken the forms of his parents, younger sister, Li Feiyu, and even his beloved Nangong Wan and Purple Spirit—only to be ruthlessly exposed and slain each time.
Some of his closest kin and friends had even been impersonated multiple times across different cycles.
Frustrated, the heart devil began manifesting as past enemies like Mo Daoren and Patriarch Jiyin, yet to little avail…
—
In the Heart Devil Realm, Han Li slowly withdrew his golden hand from the chest of a terrified white-haired elder.
With a hiss, silver flames erupted from the elder’s torso, engulfing him in a fiery inferno.
A moment later, the burning figure exploded into a plume of black smoke, which coalesced into a massive ghostly face in the sky, its expression furious.
“Tch! You saw through this cycle too. You’re truly ruthless—slaying the master who raised and taught you without hesitation, even after just regaining your memories. Aren’t you afraid of killing the wrong person?”
“Spare me your mind games. In the early cycles, I might have hesitated, but after nearly a hundred trials, my resolve is unshakable. If anything, you’re the one running out of tricks. Unable to exploit my memories, you resort to fabricating nonexistent figures to unsettle me. Pathetic.”
Han Li’s expression remained cold.
“Is that so? Then in the next cycle, I’ll take the form of a true immortal from the Immortal Realm. Let’s see how you slay that!” the heart devil roared, its voice laced with fury.
“Empty boasts. You’ve never even seen a true immortal—how could you mimic one? Besides, I doubt you’ll get another chance.”
A strange glint flashed in Han Li’s eyes as a green sword mark briefly appeared on his arm. He raised his hand, and a faint green sword materialized in his grasp.
Without hesitation, he swung it at the ghostly face.
“An Empyrean Treasure?! Impossible! How can you still wield such power—”
The heart devil’s scream was cut short as it tried to disperse into smoke, but it was too late.
Before the blade even descended, a wave of cosmic law surged forth, enveloping the entire space.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage