At that moment, a light chuckle suddenly rang out.
“Hehe! How amusing. I never thought that taking a little nap here would lead to witnessing such a scene—people plotting murder and theft. But the funniest part is that two Foundation Establishment cultivators are actually scheming against a Spirit Infant cultivator. Am I still dreaming?”
The voice was tender and crisp, resembling the playful laughter of a young girl.
Upon hearing this, Han Li’s expression shifted slightly, while the short, stout cultivator and the bald giant were as if struck by lightning, their faces instantly turning deathly pale.
“A Spirit Infant cultivator?” the short, stout cultivator shrieked, staring at Han Li as if he had seen a ghost.
“How is this possible? A Spirit Infant cultivator? It must be his accomplice trying to scare us with empty threats!” The bald giant was equally panicked but quickly thought of something and shouted loudly, as if trying to bolster his own courage. Yet, his body involuntarily took two steps back, and his eyes darted around, searching for the source of the girl’s voice, as if finding her would instantly restore his bravery. However, the surroundings were empty—there was no trace of anyone.
At this moment, the shock in Han Li’s heart far surpassed that of the “Peng Yi Twin Evils.”
For some reason, the moment he heard the girl’s voice, an inexplicable chill ran down his spine. The Spirit Infant in his dantian, which had been dormant, suddenly awoke with a tense expression, its tiny face showing a trace of extreme fear.
What was even more baffling was that he had just scanned every inch of the area within a ten-mile radius with his spiritual sense and was certain there was no fourth person present. Yet, the girl’s voice had clearly come from nearby. With his early-stage Spirit Infant cultivation and the enhancement from the Great Development Art, he still couldn’t detect her. Could it be that her techniques were unfathomable, or was there some other mystery at play?
Han Li’s throat felt dry.
“Who? Who’s playing tricks here? How dare you mock us, the Peng Yi Twin Evils!” The short, stout cultivator regained some color in his face, seemingly convinced by the giant’s words. He calmed down and began looking around warily. As he spoke, a yellow light barrier enveloped his body, followed by a small black shield materializing in front of him.
“Hehe! If I let you see me, I might as well bash my head against a wall and die. But your spiritual sense is quite strong for a Spirit Infant cultivator. If it were just a bit stronger, you might have actually found me.” The girl’s voice continued, utterly unperturbed.
Han Li’s face darkened. While listening to the girl’s words, he continued to frantically scan the area with his spiritual sense. It was bizarre—no matter where his sense reached, there was no trace of any cultivator.
“Hmm, I’m a bit hungry. How about you three let me eat you? Tsk tsk, a cultivator’s Spirit Infant—it’s been so long since I’ve tasted one. I really miss that flavor!” The girl’s voice was sweet and innocent, but her words were utterly terrifying.
Hearing this, Han Li remained expressionless, as if he hadn’t heard a thing. But with a low grunt, he no longer concealed his cultivation.
A flash of cyan light enveloped his body as an overwhelming aura surged forth. Dozens of cyan beams shot out—seventy-two Emerald Swarm Swords emerged simultaneously, forming a protective barrier around him.
“A… a real Spirit Infant cultivator! Senior, spare us! We were blind and didn’t recognize your greatness. We didn’t mean to offend you! Second Brother, what are you doing? Don’t run! There’s no chance of escaping from Senior Han!” The short, stout cultivator, seeing Han Li reveal his true cultivation and summon so many flying swords, was scared out of his wits. Without hesitation, he dropped to his knees and kowtowed, groveling for mercy.
In contrast, the giant’s reaction was the opposite. His face turned pale as he instantly pulled out a golden talisman and slapped it onto his body, transforming into a golden streak that shot into the sky.
“Trying to run? Do you think a Golden Escape Talisman can save you?” Han Li’s lips curled into a sneer. With a flick of his finger, one of the flying swords let out a clear chime and vanished in a flash of cyan light. The next moment, it reappeared behind the golden streak, which had barely flown any distance. The speed was astonishing.
A flash of cyan light, followed by a scream from the giant. The golden streak shattered into specks of golden light, vanishing along with the bald giant.
“Tsk tsk, what a waste. A Foundation Establishment cultivator’s soul is quite a nourishing treat. Since I woke up, I’ve only eaten seven or eight of them.” The girl’s voice sounded almost indignant, as if scolding Han Li for the loss.
“Why bother hiding? You’re just a mere Spirit Infant cultivator yourself, yet you dare to speak so arrogantly. Do I have to drag you out myself?” Han Li, having dealt with the giant, ignored the trembling short, stout cultivator and instead turned his head sharply, fixing his gaze on a small tree nearby. A faint blue light flickered in his eyes.
The girl’s voice abruptly stopped. After a long pause, it returned, cold and sharp: “How did you find me? My Phantom Transformation Art is impossible for a Spirit Infant cultivator to see through.”
“Regardless of how I did it, why don’t you show yourself? Or should I treat you as a tree and chop you into pieces?” Han Li showed no intention of answering, appearing calm on the surface but inwardly sweating bullets. He had acted on a hunch, using his slightly enhanced Bright Sight spiritual eyes to scan the area. To his surprise, he noticed a subtle difference between the small tree and its surroundings under the blue light. Taking a gamble, he had bluffed—and it worked.
“A mere Spirit Infant cultivator, yet you talk big. I wonder how your Spirit Infant will taste.” The girl’s voice turned sinister as the small tree shimmered with green light, shrinking and transforming into a half-foot-tall figure.
The figure had delicate features, slightly long hair, and a body glowing green, as if unclothed. The girl’s voice emanated from this tiny being.
“A Spirit Infant! Wait, no…” Han Li blurted out upon seeing the figure but quickly hesitated upon closer inspection.
“A Spirit Infant? Hehe, you’re not wrong to call it that. But you’re the first Spirit Infant cultivator I’ve met since waking up. I wonder if it’s your bad luck or my good fortune.” The tiny figure gazed at Han Li leisurely.
Then, in a flash, it appeared behind the short, stout cultivator and said playfully, “Mind if I borrow your soul for a snack?”
“No! Senior, spare me!” The short, stout cultivator, realizing the figure was at least as powerful as a Spirit Infant cultivator, desperately pleaded for mercy. His rotund body bounced up, trying to flee.
But the tiny figure’s face twisted into a vicious grin as it transformed into a ball of green light, shooting straight into the short, stout cultivator’s body. It emerged moments later, reverting to its original form, but now holding a thumb-sized green orb that flickered faintly in its tiny hand.
The leader of the “Peng Yi Twin Evils” collapsed lifelessly to the ground, his eyes vacant.
Without another word, the tiny figure brought the orb to its mouth and swallowed it whole. The green glow around its body intensified slightly.
“Are you human or ghost? How dare you devour living souls!” Han Li could no longer remain calm, his lips pressed tightly as he shouted sternly.
He had clearly sensed that the tiny figure’s spiritual energy matched his own—early-stage Spirit Infant cultivation. Yet, after consuming a soul, its power had increased slightly. Though the gain was minimal, it suggested the figure could enhance its cultivation by directly devouring souls. What kind of technique was this? It defied belief.
“Appetizer done. Now for the main course. As a Spirit Infant cultivator, I wonder if devouring your Spirit Infant will push me straight into mid-stage Spirit Infant cultivation!” The green figure ignored Han Li’s question, instead staring at his dantian with a greedy expression, as if it could see his Spirit Infant directly.
“Devour my Spirit Infant? Don’t choke on it!” Han Li laughed angrily. Clapping his hands together, a deep rumble erupted as a thick, pale golden lightning arc crackled between his palms.
Since reaching the Spirit Infant stage, Han Li had been able to store the Evil-Warding Divine Lightning from his swords within his body. Thus, even though all seventy-two swords were outside, he could still wield the lightning freely.
“Golden lightning? I feel like I’ve heard of this before… Why can’t I remember?” The green figure tilted its head, muttering to itself upon seeing the lightning.
“Why not taste it and find out?” Han Li raised an eyebrow, his tone indifferent. With another clap, the lightning arc transformed into a golden serpent, lunging at the tiny figure.
To Han Li’s surprise, the figure didn’t dodge. It let the serpent swallow it whole, only for countless golden lightning bolts to erupt around it, crackling and exploding in a dazzling display.
Han Li narrowed his eyes, watching intently. His expression remained grim, devoid of joy. If the figure dared to take the lightning head-on, it must have a plan. There was no way it would be defeated so easily.
Sure enough, before the golden light faded, the girl’s laughter rang out amidst the thunder: “Ah, I remember now! This is the Evil-Warding Divine Lightning! Tsk tsk, what a rare treasure! To think a mere early-stage Spirit Infant cultivator would possess such a thing. But you didn’t actually think I practice some demonic or ghostly technique, did you? Using this lightning against me is such a waste!”
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