“Yes, Master. This little servant will conceal herself in the shadows as before and intervene at the opportune moment.” The fox emitted a flash of white light, rolled once, and transformed into a bewitching young woman. She bowed to Han Li with a coquettish demeanor.
“Good, just like last time. Your timing was impeccable when dealing with the Grand Elder of the Masked Moon Sect.” Han Li nodded, offering rare praise.
“Many thanks for your undeserved praise, Master. This servant will continue to do her best.” Silver Moon smiled coyly, tucking away two treasures in her hands. Then, with a flash of yellow light, she vanished into thin air before Han Li.
Watching this, Han Li’s eyes flickered briefly before he raised his head to gaze into the distance, a ruthless glint flashing across his face. A green light flashed, and he disappeared into the mist.
Meanwhile, shortly after the numerous spellcasters ventured deep into the fog, the remnants of the formation’s restrictions activated one after another, unleashing waves of lethal intent. Fortunately, most of the spellcasters followed closely behind the massive rhinoceros leading the way, which bore the brunt of the attacks without concern. Whether fireballs, ice spikes, lightning, or earth spears, all assaults merely tickled the beast, bouncing harmlessly off its black armor.
The rhinoceros paid no heed to these attacks, charging forward relentlessly. Any barrier or restriction in its path was shattered by its sheer bulk, allowing it to break through effortlessly until it reached the first clearing created by the meteor strike—a space over a hundred zhang wide, completely devoid of mist. By then, none of the spellcasters following the beast had suffered any losses.
Strangely, the highest cultivation among these spellcasters was only at the Core Formation stage, with no Great Masters at the Nascent Soul stage in sight. It was unclear where the three green-robed figures had hidden after entering the mist or whether they had some other sinister plan.
Relieved to reach this mist-free area, the spellcasters relaxed slightly. A few Core Formation spellcasters even gathered to discuss their next move. But just then, two silver halberds, crackling with lightning, shot out from the dense fog ahead.
Startled, two Core Formation spellcasters immediately raised their hands, releasing a blue and a red streak of light to intercept the halberds. Unexpectedly, the silver halberds did not engage the spells directly. Instead, they veered sharply and accelerated toward the rhinoceros.
At first, the Core Formation spellcasters were alarmed, but they quickly dismissed their concern—given the beast’s defenses, ordinary magic treasures couldn’t possibly harm it.
Yet what happened next left them stunned. The halberds didn’t strike the rhinoceros directly. Instead, they paused midair above the beast, then suddenly clashed together, unleashing a deafening thunderclap. A thick bolt of lightning erupted from the point of impact, striking the rhinoceros squarely on the head.
The beast’s blue protective aura shattered instantly under the silver lightning, which then struck its black armor with full force. A thunderous boom echoed, and when the light faded, the rhinoceros stood unharmed—but enraged. With a furious roar, it spat out a ten-foot-long ice spike toward the halberds.
The halberds showed no intention of lingering. Dodging the ice spike with a slight tilt, they released another silver arc before retreating into the mist. The rhinoceros, its eyes bloodshot, gave chase without hesitation.
The Core Formation spellcasters, alarmed, hastily signaled their comrades and prepared to pursue. But before they could move, multicolored lights flashed in the surrounding mist as over a hundred cultivators emerged from all directions, unleashing a barrage of magic treasures upon them.
The Mulan spellcasters reacted with fury, retaliating with their own spells and treasures, plunging the scene into chaos. In the brief confusion, the rhinoceros vanished into the mist.
The Core Formation spellcasters found themselves blocked by high-ranking cultivators, unable to intervene. Furious, they considered rallying their forces to overwhelm the attackers—but the cultivators abruptly withdrew their treasures and fled back into the mist.
The spellcasters hesitated, unsure whether to pursue.
“There are too many of them. Split up. Most of the nearby restrictions have already been destroyed. Stay alert, and nothing major should happen. Since they’re intent on harassing us, let’s hunt them down and eliminate them all. As for the beast, Core Formation cultivators can’t harm it. We’ll retrieve it after dealing with these pests,” declared a late-stage Core Formation elder, evidently their leader.
With that, he transformed into a streak of light and plunged into the mist, chasing after a Core Formation cultivator. The others quickly dispersed in small groups to pursue their own targets.
The mist churned briefly before settling, leaving the area deserted. But moments later, a figure emerged from the green fog—hands clasped behind his back, expression composed. It was the elderly Ma, his face slightly pale but his eyes sharp and alert.
Reaching the center of the clearing, he surveyed his surroundings before speaking calmly, “Since I’ve already revealed myself, there’s no need for you to hide. Your concealment technique can’t fool me.” His gaze fixed on an empty spot.
“Hmph! I didn’t expect your spiritual sense to be so sharp. I had hoped to surprise you, but it seems that won’t happen,” came a cold male voice. A tall, gaunt spellcaster materialized in a flash of black light.
Without hesitation, the man rubbed his hands together and hurled dozens of black streaks—each as thick as a thumb—toward Ma like a sudden downpour.
Meanwhile, several hundred zhang away, the bald-browed man stood expressionless before Ku Yao, who was wreathed in flames so intense they burned away the surrounding mist, creating a clear space of over thirty zhang.
“You think intercepting me will save your companion? You have no idea how formidable Venerable Wen’s spiritual arts are,” Ku Yao sneered, frustrated at being blocked from flanking Ma.
“Worry less about others and more about yourself. After yesterday’s battle, Ma may not have fully recovered, but neither have you. Unless you have some heaven-defying treasure, you must be severely weakened,” the bald man retorted coolly.
He opened his mouth, spitting out a short white rod. It trembled before him, glowing brilliantly. Ku Yao scoffed, but his expression abruptly changed as the light shifted from white to gold. A faint golden beast materialized above the rod—a massive golden ape, five to six zhang tall, with four furry ears and a hideous, ferocious visage.
The ape roared, pounding its chest before glaring at Ku Yao.
“A weapon spirit! Your treasure houses a weapon spirit!” Ku Yao exclaimed in shock.
“Indeed. This is the first time I’ve revealed the Four-Eared Golden Ape’s spirit. If you die here, you’ve no right to complain,” the bald man said coldly, forming a hand seal.
The ape’s form solidified further, and the rod expanded to over ten zhang in length. The ape seized it effortlessly, then lunged at Ku Yao in a golden blur.
The green-robed woman, unlike Ku Yao and the tall spellcaster, had a singular goal—to strike at the formation’s core. Destroying its nexus would collapse the entire array. But first, she had to eliminate one cultivator.
From the moment she entered the mist, she had sensed a faint but persistent spiritual sense clinging to her—one even her near-late Nascent Soul-level perception couldn’t shake. This unsettled her, fueling her murderous intent toward the young cultivator.
A foe with such bizarre abilities could wreak havoc in future battles. Strangely, the young man seemed confident, openly revealing his location as if baiting her—a mid-Nascent Soul spellcaster. Smirking inwardly, she flew straight toward him.
When she sensed him within a hundred zhang, she slowed, stopping cautiously. Though confident, she wasn’t reckless enough to charge into a potential trap.
With a light pat on her storage belt, a fist-sized azure pearl materialized in her hand.
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