Just as the old man surnamed Mu was inwardly shocked and secretly considering retreat, Han Li gazed at the black mountain peak, a trace of desire flickering across his face.
Such a peculiar and astonishing treasure was clearly not something the old man could have forged—it was likely an ancient artifact left behind by a cultivator from antiquity. Given its power, Han Li was certain that even a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator would be severely injured if struck by this mountain peak. If he could land a hit, it would almost guarantee victory in a single blow. Acquiring this treasure would immediately compensate for his own lack of offensive power. Moreover, he found himself intrigued by the old man’s Wind-Riding Chariot as well.
With these thoughts in mind, Han Li shifted his gaze to the old man, his expression gradually turning icy, a sharp glint of killing intent flashing deep in his eyes.
Though they had not fought extensively, he was confident he had a rough understanding of the old man’s techniques. Whether it was the old man’s misfortune or not, the cultivation method he primarily practiced and the spiritual techniques he employed were all ice-attribute. For Han Li, who had absorbed the Dry Blue Iceflame, this posed little threat. Earlier, when countless ice spikes had attacked, he had effortlessly neutralized them with ice flowers formed from the Dry Blue Iceflame.
As for this black mountain peak capable of teleportation, it was likely the old man’s most formidable treasure. Yet, under the lightning-speed movement of his Wind Lightning Wings, it posed no threat to him. From this perspective, eliminating the old man was not an impossible task.
Having made up his mind, Han Li hesitated no longer.
With a flick of his hand holding the ice flower, blue light shimmered as the flower rapidly deformed and melted, transforming into a fist-sized blue flame floating in his palm, exuding an eerie aura.
With his other hand, Han Li pointed at the giant sword and silver bell in the air. A thunderous roar erupted from his back as his wings twitched slightly, and his figure vanished instantly. The next moment, he reappeared within a hundred zhang of the old man, the blue flame still cradled in his hand.
Meanwhile, the giant sword and silver bell erupted with dazzling light, transforming into streaks of silver and azure that shot toward the old man. Mid-flight, the giant sword suddenly disintegrated, splitting into hundreds of foot-long azure sword beams that rained down like a storm, trapping the old man within a cage of blades. Azure light flickered incessantly as the sword beams ruthlessly pierced the old man’s protective barrier. Simultaneously, the silver bell released wave after wave of silver sound waves, causing the barrier to tremble violently.
This relentless assault startled the old man, but he remained composed. Aside from pouring a surge of spiritual power into the pearl above his head to reinforce his barrier, he swiftly formed a hand seal with one hand. Blue spiritual light shimmered around his body before shooting outward.
After a brief rotation, the spiritual light condensed into four crystalline ice shields, each several feet in size, delicate and exquisite, slowly revolving to encase the old man.
With these shields in place, the old man felt a measure of relief. His other hand beckoned from afar, summoning the black mountain peak back as a streak of black light, his eyes darting about warily, fearing Han Li might suddenly appear nearby for a sneak attack.
Truly befitting a Nascent Soul cultivator—his combat experience was indeed vast.
When the thunderous roar sounded again, Han Li materialized in a flash of lightning a mere ten zhang to the old man’s side. With a sweep of his hand, a dense barrage of azure threads erupted from his palm—none other than the incredibly sharp “Azure Nether Needles” talisman.
At such close range, the old man surnamed Mu had no time to react before the countless azure threads pierced through his blue barrier and struck the four ice shields.
A sound like raindrops pelting leaves rang out as the azure threads collided with the shields. White light flared, and in an instant, the threads froze into pristine, crystalline ice needles, clattering to the ground.
The old man’s initial shock quickly turned to delight, and he let out a hearty laugh. Opening his mouth, he spat out a beam of blue light, shooting directly at Han Li, who was now within arm’s reach. Naturally, Han Li vanished in a flash of silver light, leaving no trace.
But in that brief moment of delay, the black mountain peak returned to hover above the old man’s head, casting an oppressive shadow.
Without hesitation, the old man sent a spell into the peak, causing it to tremble slightly before releasing a vast expanse of black light from its base. Instantly, the light enveloped the hundreds of azure sword beams and the silver bell, centering on the old man. The previously relentless attacks of these treasures immediately grew sluggish and weakened. The violently shaking barrier around the old man stabilized once more.
Seeing this, the old man felt greatly reassured.
He then flipped his hand, and with a flash of white light, the Wind-Riding Chariot he had previously stored reappeared in his palm. With a gentle toss, the chariot expanded in the wind, quickly returning to its original size and landing beside him.
For some reason, ever since the ice flower in Han Li’s hand had transformed into that strange blue flame, the old man surnamed Mu had harbored an ominous premonition. When Han Li’s Wind Lightning Wings manifested, he finally concluded that the situation was untenable and decided to retreat, cutting his losses.
Now that the Wind-Riding Chariot was successfully activated, the old man transformed into a streak of light, darting past the blockade of flying swords and heading straight for the chariot with astonishing speed, arriving almost in the blink of an eye.
As the light dissipated, the old man safely appeared inside the chariot. Relieved, he was about to retrieve the pearl and black mountain peak still hovering in place when a thunderous crackle erupted from beside the chariot.
Amidst the dancing arcs of lightning, Han Li’s figure abruptly materialized there.
“Ah—!” The old man gasped in shock, raising a hand to act, but Han Li’s arm shot forward like lightning. His palm, wreathed in Dry Blue Iceflame, clenched into a claw and stabbed toward the old man.
Startled, the old man instinctively relied on the ice shield floating around him, which moved autonomously to protect its master. With a flash of white light, the shield interposed itself between Han Li’s palm and the old man.
Seeing this, the old man’s face lit up with glee. For Han Li to attack his “Crystal Ice Shield” bare-handed was practically suicidal! Surely, in the next moment, his arm would be frozen and shattered by the extreme cold.
A dull thud echoed as white and blue light flared simultaneously.
The old man blinked in confusion, only to feel a blur before his eyes and a chill in his chest. The palm wreathed in blue flame had ghostly pressed against his torso with an unsettling gentleness.
Before the old man could even scream, a sharp tearing sound rang out. Bizarre blue ice spread rapidly from where Han Li’s fingers touched, covering most of his body in the span of a breath. In moments, he would be entirely encased in ice.
Terror gripped the old man’s heart. In desperation, he summoned the Dan-Yang Fire he had cultivated for centuries, causing his still-intact head to emit a blinding white radiance. The light resisted the encroaching ice at his neck, creating a temporary stalemate.
Han Li sneered coldly and swung his free hand. A streak of azure sword energy materialized out of thin air, slashing viciously at the old man’s head. The white light trembled violently, allowing the blue ice to gain the upper hand, swiftly sealing half of his head, including his mouth and nostrils.
The old man’s remaining half-face twisted in despair, but then a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes. A clear chime sounded from the crown of his head, and with a soft pop, a Nascent Soul identical to the old man’s appearance emerged above his skull.
Han Li’s expression darkened. Without hesitation, he opened his mouth and spat out a golden lightning arc, aiming straight for the Nascent Soul.
Yet the Nascent Soul wasted no time. The moment it emerged, it erupted in dazzling blue light and vanished instantly, leaving the golden lightning to strike empty air.
By the time Han Li scanned his surroundings, the Nascent Soul had already reappeared a hundred zhang away. Without pause, it flashed blue once more and disappeared again.
This time, the blue pearl left behind trembled before vanishing as well, reappearing moments later cradled in the Nascent Soul’s arms.
The Nascent Soul shot Han Li a venomous glare before flickering in and out of sight, soon shrinking to a distant speck on the horizon. Abandoning teleportation, it rode the pearl through the sky, vanishing without a trace.
Han Li watched coldly as the Nascent Soul fled, holding the old man’s frozen body in one hand, unmoving.
Though his Wind Lightning Wings granted him teleportation-like speed, chasing a fleeing Nascent Soul was futile. Since he had failed to kill it in one strike, a second attempt was pointless.
Now that the old man’s Nascent Soul had escaped beyond reach, Han Li emotionlessly shook the frozen corpse in his hand. It shattered into countless blue crystalline fragments, scattering like dust in the wind.
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