The old man glanced at the scroll, his face turning ashen. The object in his hand was riddled with holes, resembling a sieve—clearly beyond repair.
“What a pity! If Fellow Daoist Kuyao hadn’t rushed out and had held on a little longer without using his fire-attribute spiritual power, that cultivator would have likely run out of mana and withdrawn the formation on his own. Now, Kuyao has also expended much of his vitality, and neither side can gain the upper hand,” the black-robed man said regretfully. The tall, lean spellcaster paused upon hearing this, then looked down with a thoughtful expression.
The old man surnamed Ma alternated between pale and livid expressions several times, but in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to discard the scroll. Instead, he stored it in his storage pouch before glaring viciously at Kuyao across from him. Seeing the old man’s expression, Kuyao snorted coldly, stomped on the fire flood dragon beneath his feet, and flames surged around him once more, red light flaring anew.
“Venerable Kuyao, cease! This duel shall end in a draw. Both of you have exhausted too much mana—continuing will yield no result,” the tall, lean spellcaster suddenly called out from above, halting Kuyao’s advance. The latter part of his words was directed toward the bald-browed man and the other Heavenly South cultivators.
The bald-browed man was slightly surprised but exchanged a glance with Gu Shuangpu before nodding in agreement. “Very well. Let this match end here.”
Though unwilling, the old man surnamed Ma knew further fighting would be futile and could only retreat in frustration. Kuyao, equally resentful, retracted the fire flood dragon beneath his feet and flew back upward with a scowl.
Once the old man returned, the bald-browed man offered a few words of comfort, easing his expression slightly.
But at that moment, the black-robed man and the tall, lean elder among the spellcasters exchanged whispers. Then, the black-robed man drifted down lightly, stopping at the site of the previous battle. His gaze swept coldly over the cultivators.
“Your opponent this time is me. Let me make this clear—this duel will be to the death. Do not delude yourselves into thinking anyone will intervene to stop it,” the black-robed man rasped, a flash of disdain in his eyes.
His arrogant words naturally angered the bald-browed man and Gu Shuangpu, but neither dared to step forward recklessly. After all, they knew the two fallen Nascent Soul cultivators had perished at the hands of such unfamiliar spellcasters. No matter how confident they were, when it came to their lives, hesitation was inevitable.
“Let me face him,” Han Li said calmly.
“Ah, Fellow Daoist Han is going? Be careful. If anything goes wrong, the three of us will intervene,” the bald-browed man said, relieved inwardly but outwardly full of concern.
Han Li smiled faintly without responding. Green light swirled around him as he shot into the sky like a streak of azure. In an instant, he arrived near the black-robed man, the light dissipating to reveal him standing with his hands behind his back, expressionless.
The black-robed man’s eyes flickered as he scrutinized Han Li from head to toe, his gaze growing icy. His pupils shifted from black to green, exuding an eerie aura.
Han Li narrowed his eyes and suddenly asked, “Are you a demon or a ghost?”
“Heh! Do I not seem human to you?” the black-robed man sneered, unfazed. Black mist began seeping from his body, accompanied by ghostly wails. A chilling wind swept through the area, turning the surroundings into something akin to the underworld.
“So you are human. Good. It seems you’re a wicked cultivator who practices demonic and ghostly arts,” Han Li remarked coolly.
“Enough nonsense, brat. Stop probing my secrets. Once I kill you, your thoughts won’t matter,” the black-robed man rasped. The black mist around him surged, obscuring his figure.
“I have no patience for games. Hand over your life now,” he cackled from within the mist. With a hand seal, his body swelled dramatically, transforming from an ordinary-sized man into a towering giant over twenty feet tall. Though obscured by the dark energy, glimpses of horns and fangs could be seen—no wonder many believed these unfamiliar spellcasters were non-human.
A blue glint flashed in Han Li’s pupils, capturing the demonic visage of the giant with perfect clarity.
“This is…?” For the first time, a trace of surprise crossed Han Li’s face. The giant’s demonic form was identical to one of the illusions conjured by the Six Paths Inheritor during their battle.
“What is your relation to the Six Paths Paramount Sage?”
“Six Paths Paramount Sage? Don’t think you can stall with nonsense. Die!” The giant sneered before swinging his massive hand through the mist. A black object shot toward Han Li, vanishing the moment it left the darkness.
Han Li’s expression darkened as he swiftly retreated several yards. A massive green ghost claw materialized where he had stood, grasping at empty air.
“Oh?” The demonic giant seemed surprised by the miss.
“Interesting. Though you don’t practice ghostly arts, your attacks resemble them. Anyone mistaking you for a ghost cultivator would suffer greatly,” Han Li observed, eyeing the claw.
The giant stiffened slightly, glaring in silence.
Just then, Han Li frowned and sidestepped abruptly as another ghost claw emerged soundlessly from below, missing him by inches.
The giant could no longer remain composed. “How do you keep dodging my Ghost Yin Claws? Have you faced real ghost cultivators before?” A hint of unease crept into his voice.
“Of course. Otherwise, I wouldn’t evade so easily,” Han Li replied with a half-truthful smile.
“Hmph! You’re well-informed. But it doesn’t matter. Even if you know I use demonic arts, so what? Under the might of my Heavenly Slaughter Demonic Art, your death is imminent.” The giant let out a piercing shriek, sharp enough to split metal and stone.
Han Li’s calm demeanor faded, replaced by wariness.
The black mist around the giant swirled violently as an overwhelming demonic aura erupted. A massive shadow shot forth, closing the distance in an instant.
The shadow’s arms blurred, unleashing a storm of claw strikes aimed at shredding Han Li to pieces.
Instead of dodging, Han Li exhaled deeply and raised his hands, rubbing them together before flicking them upward. Thunder crackled as a golden lightning net materialized above him, meeting the claw barrage head-on.
The shadow hesitated but pressed on, confident his demonic arts surpassed ordinary techniques. Lightning might counter common demonic powers, but his Heavenly Slaughter Demonic Art was no ordinary skill.
Yet before he could finish the thought, his claws burned with searing pain. Golden light exploded as the net shattered his attacks and descended upon him.
“Golden lightning? Wait—this is…!” The shadow’s face twisted in horror as he recalled warnings from his sect’s elders. Among the few things his demonic art feared most was golden lightning!
Panicked, the giant shrieked and shrank rapidly into a three-foot-tall dwarf, buying himself a fraction of time.
But it was too late. With a muffled *bang*, the dwarf’s body convulsed before exploding into countless black threads, scattering in all directions.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage