The white lotus did not appear to be formed from any treasure but was entirely condensed from the woman’s own magical power, yet it possessed such formidable might. This truly astonished Han Li. However, his surprise lasted only a fleeting moment before his expression darkened. Taking a deep breath, he abruptly raised his right arm, which became enveloped in a faint layer of black mist.
The black mist writhed as if alive, gradually thickening until it turned pitch-black. At that moment, Han Li’s face grew solemn. His entire arm rapidly swelled, becoming two to three times its original size in an instant, its surface even glowing with a glaring crimson light. Under the shroud of black mist, it looked eerily sinister—this was the “Yin Devil Slash” Han Li had cultivated.
With a cold glance at the green-robed woman, Han Li saw that she had also completed her incantation. Coincidentally, she lifted her head at the same time, her bright eyes meeting his gaze before settling on his grotesquely transformed arm. A flash of cold light flickered in her eyes.
“Go!” Han Li uttered a low shout without hesitation, swinging his arm downward in a sweeping motion. A crescent-shaped black-and-red blade shot forth from his arm, expanding to several zhang in width the moment it left his hand.
With a piercing sound, the blade streaked through the air, trailing a long tail of light, and arrived instantly at the area enveloped by the white lotus’s spiritual glow.
The green-robed woman arched her delicate brows and spat a crystalline white mist onto the white lotus. Immediately, a phantom image of a lotus flower materialized from the white lotus, encasing her within a seemingly solid barrier.
The black-and-red blade struck the lotus phantom with a flash of light. At first, it sliced through effortlessly, but after penetrating several zhang deep, its speed drastically slowed before becoming completely immobilized within the phantom.
A trace of smugness appeared on the woman’s face, but her expression abruptly changed as Han Li, without a word, hurled a dark object toward her. The object expanded wildly in the wind, transforming in the blink of an eye into a towering black mountain over a hundred zhang tall, crashing down menacingly toward her within the lotus phantom.
“Thousandfold Peak!” the woman exclaimed upon seeing the colossal mountain descending upon her. She was well aware of this ancient treasure, renowned even among the Mulan spellcasters. Despite her mid-Nascent Soul cultivation and the ancient Buddhist secret technique she was employing, she dared not confront the mountain head-on.
Without hesitation, the green-robed woman formed hand seals, merging her body, the white lotus above her head, and the small yellow cauldron into a streak of white light. In an instant, she vanished from the lotus phantom as a wisp of wind. Moments later, her graceful figure reappeared within a green glow about twenty zhang away.
The pale white lotus phantom, now devoid of her magical support, dimmed but did not immediately dissipate. However, under the crushing weight of the black mountain, it held for only a brief moment before shattering into fragments.
“Wind Evasion Technique?” Han Li muttered under his breath, his face devoid of joy. Instead, he inwardly lamented. He hadn’t expected the woman to possess such a bizarre evasion technique, comparable to his own Thunder Evasion Technique. Unless he could trap her in an inescapable location, defeating her would be nearly impossible.
Nevertheless, Han Li resolved to try. He doubted her Wind Evasion Technique was as effortless as his Wind and Thunder Wings. If he could close the distance, he was confident that the terrifying power of his Dry Blue Iceflame could severely injure her, no matter how mysterious the white lotus was.
While strategizing, Han Li acted swiftly. With a wave of his hand, he directed the newly freed black-and-red blade and dozens of Emerald Swarm Swords toward the green-robed woman, who had evaded to the side. Simultaneously, thunder roared behind him as a pair of silver-white wings unfurled on his back.
With another gesture, the blue shield before him shrank and flew into his sleeve, while the black-and-red giant hand gripping the frozen eagle released its icy prey and transformed into a streak of black light, charging toward the woman.
Han Li’s eyes flickered as he raised a hand, summoning a blue flame to his palm. Instantly, his hand radiated a dazzling, eerie blue light.
Amidst a deafening thunderclap and a flash of silver lightning, Han Li vanished.
Meanwhile, the green-robed woman, witnessing Han Li’s relentless barrage of treasures, grew increasingly frustrated. Initially, she had assumed this early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator’s prowess stemmed from a few peculiar techniques. Once she countered most of them, she expected an easy victory. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he had unleashed four or five formidable treasures, keeping her on the defensive—a humiliating situation for someone revered among the Mulan spellcasters.
Realizing that conventional methods and treasures were unlikely to seriously harm, let alone kill, Han Li, she decided to sacrifice some vitality to unleash her ultimate technique and eliminate him in one strike.
However, she couldn’t allow Han Li to close the distance with his Thunder Evasion Technique. With a thought, the white lotus above her head descended and vanished into her skull. At the same moment, Han Li reappeared beside her in a thunderous flash, only three to four zhang away.
In a blur, he closed the gap to within a zhang of her. With a flicker of blue flame, his hand shot out silently, pressing against the yellow protective barrier around her.
Han Li was eighty percent confident that the Dry Blue Iceflame could shatter the wood-attribute barrier formed by the small cauldron. Yet, as his attack landed effortlessly, the woman remained motionless within the barrier, showing no intention of evading. A sense of foreboding gripped him.
Suddenly, the woman within the barrier emitted a soft, milky-white glow as pristine lotus petals blossomed around her. The moment Han Li breached the yellow barrier, a single petal intercepted his palm.
Upon contact, Han Li felt his arm tremble violently. A blinding white light engulfed his vision as the petal gently brushed against him. Despite its seemingly slow motion, he found himself unable to dodge, watching helplessly as the petal struck his chest.
With a resounding “bang,” excruciating pain erupted in his chest, sending him flying backward.
After being flung twenty to thirty zhang away, Han Li barely stabilized himself, swaying unsteadily. Clutching his chest, he stared at the woman in shock.
Beneath the green-robed woman’s feet, a massive lotus several zhang in diameter had bloomed. Its white petals rotated slowly around her as she stood expressionless within, coldly observing Han Li. The Emerald Swarm Swords and other attacks were effortlessly repelled by the petals, far surpassing the earlier lotus phantom in power.
A metallic taste filled Han Li’s mouth, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. Wincing inwardly, he acknowledged the severity of his injury.
Exhaling a turbid breath, he slowly removed his hand from his chest and looked down. His robe had been shattered, revealing the gleaming tri-colored armor beneath. The deliberately concealed armor was deeply dented, with several thumb-sized cracks.
Han Li inhaled sharply as the pain in his chest intensified. Glancing up, he caught the woman’s gaze sweeping over his insect armor, her face betraying disappointment and surprise.
With a cold snort, Han Li tore off his robe, fully revealing the majestic insect armor. A green glow flashed across his hand as he lightly brushed the damaged areas. Astonishingly, the dents and cracks rapidly repaired themselves, restoring the armor to its pristine state in moments.
The green-robed woman’s expression flickered with surprise before reverting to icy calm. Her killing intent toward Han Li grew stronger. Without further hesitation, she raised a delicate hand, fingers splayed, and chanted an arcane incantation. A stream of green light flew from her sleeve, circling before settling in her palm.
The light faded, revealing an ancient, tarnished bronze oil lamp, its surface blackened with age. The woman gazed at it with a hint of reluctance before glaring fiercely at Han Li, her eyes flashing with malice.
Sensing danger, Han Li, though unfamiliar with lamp-type treasures, knew better than to underestimate it. With a flash of green light, he transformed into a green streak, recalling all his treasures. His wings flapped, and he vanished with a thunderous boom.
Reappearing beside the frozen eagle statue, Han Li grabbed it without hesitation and disappeared again in a thunderclap, emerging at the edge of the dense mist. Without pause, he plunged into the fog.
The green-robed woman’s mouth fell open in astonishment. In all her battles against formidable opponents, she had never encountered a high-level cultivator who fled without hesitation after suffering a setback.
Realizing Han Li had taken the eagle statue, her shock turned to fury. With a sharp cry, she stepped onto the white lotus, cradled the ancient lamp, and transformed into a gust of wind, pursuing him into the mist.
Within the fog, silver arcs and green light flickered intermittently as thunder and wind howled in turn. Under Han Li’s guidance, the woman was soon led to an unfamiliar location.
There, Han Li halted, silver light fading from his body. Glancing at the blue ice sculpture in his hand, he smirked as a golden arc flashed across his palm, shattering the ice.
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