Han Li expressionlessly raised his hand, and the Blue Light Shield flew out, expanding in the blink of an eye into a massive shield that blocked in front of him. With a deafening boom, yellow and blue lights intertwined, and both the giant brick and the blue shield trembled before being flung backward, seemingly evenly matched.
As the massive shield recoiled toward him, Han Li extended a finger with an indifferent expression and lightly tapped it. A flash of green light later, the shield came to an eerie halt. Meanwhile, the giant brick circled once more before transforming into a streak of yellow light, hurtling toward Han Li again.
Han Li sneered, and with a flicker of silver lightning behind him, he vanished once more. The yellow-robed elder was startled and, without hesitation, raised his hand, sending out a small purple banner that instantly expanded into a cloud of violet mist, enveloping him completely.
At that moment, thunder rumbled to the elder’s left, and Han Li’s figure reappeared. He opened his mouth, and a small sword several inches long shot out, instantly wrapped in deep blue flames before streaking toward the purple mist.
The elder within the mist, who had been composed moments earlier, paled in terror at the sight of the blue flames on the sword, as if he had seen a venomous scorpion. Without hesitation, he shifted his body, teleporting several yards away to evade the attack. Yet, to his utter shock, the moment he moved, a faint, ghostly female figure materialized behind him as if anticipating his move. With a graceful motion, she flicked a green orb toward him with lightning speed.
The woman’s appearance was silent and ghostly, as if the elder had coincidentally stepped into her path. Her timing was flawlessly synchronized with Han Li’s attack. Despite this, the elder’s Nascent Soul-level spiritual sense detected the anomaly behind him, but at such close range, evasion was impossible. His only recourse was to channel all his spiritual power into the protective purple mist. This ancient treasure’s mist was formidable, and he still had some confidence in it!
A thunderous explosion followed as golden and green lights erupted. The once-mighty purple mist disintegrated under the assault, and the elder within let out a pained cry as half his body was obliterated, the remaining half soon engulfed by green flames.
The elder’s intact head twisted in shock and disbelief, quickly morphing into an expression of venomous hatred. Gritting his teeth, he uttered a single word, and with a loud *bang*, his mangled body self-destructed. A blinding yellow light shot out, streaking dozens of yards away, revealing a tiny infant resembling the elder—his Nascent Soul. Realizing the dire situation, the elder had decisively abandoned his physical form, hoping his Nascent Soul could escape.
But Han Li seemed to have anticipated this. The moment the Nascent Soul fled, he vanished in a flash of silver light, reappearing directly in its path. With a flick of his hand, a golden net descended amid crackling thunder, while the small sword wreathed in blue flames pursued from behind.
The infant within the yellow light panicked, spewing out a small silver bowl that shattered before even touching the net under the elder’s desperate command. Silver shards scattered, disrupting the descending net just enough for the Nascent Soul to teleport away, vanishing from sight and reappearing thirty yards distant before disappearing entirely in a streak of light.
The golden net closed just a fraction too late, allowing the Nascent Soul to slip away. Han Li frowned, gazing in the direction of its escape but making no move to pursue.
“This man is quite shrewd—willing to destroy his own lifebound treasure to escape. Such ruthlessness is rare,” remarked the white-robed woman who had suddenly appeared, holding the elder’s storage pouch. It was Silvermoon, whom Han Li had discreetly released after breaking free from the blood barrier.
“Hmph! It seems fate spared him,” Han Li muttered, equally frustrated. It appeared that both his Wind Lightning Wings and Dry Blue Iceflame were now well-known to the Mulan people, making it far harder to ambush high-ranking spellcasters.
“Still, your movement technique has grown even more refined. You managed to approach so closely without him noticing,” Han Li remarked, glancing at Silvermoon.
“This Four-Eyed Fox body’s concealment ability recently improved, and with you distracting him, he had no chance to detect me,” Silvermoon replied with a light laugh.
“Perhaps,” Han Li said noncommittally. Though Silvermoon was now his artifact spirit and the only other person who knew the secret of the small vial, he couldn’t shake the feeling that she remained shrouded in mystery, always just out of his grasp.
After exchanging a few more words, Han Li surveyed the battlefield. At first glance, chaos reigned, but he quickly discerned the broader situation.
Aside from the six high-level cultivators still clashing somewhere high above, the battlefield was divided into several scenarios. The first involved groups of cultivators—ranging from dozens to hundreds—clustered in small skirmishes. These were mostly sect disciples or tribal spellcasters accustomed to fighting together, making them far more formidable than lone combatants. Most of these skirmishes were deadlocked, with neither side gaining the upper hand.
The second scenario involved one-on-one or small-group battles, typically between high-level cultivators or spellcasters. These fights were far more perilous, where a single misstep could mean annihilation.
The third scenario featured both sides employing extraordinary secret techniques or rare treasures in fierce clashes.
Most striking was a vast expanse of eerie black ghost mist, shrieking as it swept through the air. Any spellcaster caught within was instantly reduced to a desiccated corpse. Behind the mist, several Mulan spellcasters unafraid of its effects relentlessly bombarded it with wind and thunder-based spells, dispersing parts of it. Yet, within the mist, someone continuously waved a banner-like artifact, replenishing the fog and leaving the Mulan spellcasters struggling to counter it.
Elsewhere, over a dozen high-level cultivators battled a stone giant over a hundred yards tall. The giant, seemingly carved from ordinary bluestone, hurled boulders the size of millstones with every motion. Even with protective barriers, none of the cultivators dared take a direct hit. On the giant’s shoulders stood two spellcasters, directing it and assisting with their own artifacts.
Other cultivators and spellcasters wielded immensely powerful treasures, clashing in spectacular displays. These artifacts far surpassed ordinary ancient treasures, likely being sect or tribal heirlooms, leaving Han Li thoroughly impressed.
Though Han Li had broken free from the blood barrier, the chaos meant only a few nearby skirmishers noticed him. The closest groups were hundreds of yards away, yet two Mulan Great Masters immediately broke off to intercept him, transforming into streaks of light.
Having witnessed Han Li’s ruthless efficiency—dispatching a fellow Great Master in moments—they had little confidence in victory. But leaving a Nascent Soul cultivator unchecked was unthinkable given the devastation he could wreak.
“Let’s go!” Han Li had no intention of being surrounded again. With a cold command to Silvermoon, he transformed into a streak of green light, streaking toward another blood barrier. Silvermoon smirked, her figure blurring before vanishing entirely.
As the green light reached the blood barrier, Han Li paused just long enough to launch a thunder pearl before darting toward the next barrier without waiting for results. His plan was clear: free the other trapped Nascent Soul cultivators first.
A thunderous explosion erupted behind him, and a streak of crimson light shot out, followed by a hearty laugh. “Which fellow Daoist has come to my aid? Sui Hun is deeply grateful!” The crimson light faded, revealing a dignified, black-robed cultivator.
“Sui Hun the Soul Shatterer?” Han Li was mildly surprised—he hadn’t expected to rescue this man first.
“Fellow Daoist, hold off those two while I free the others,” Han Li transmitted mentally.
“Oh, it’s Fellow Daoist Han! No need for thanks—leave this to me!” The black-robed cultivator, initially startled, quickly agreed and transformed into a white streak, intercepting the two pursuing Mulan Great Masters.
Pleased, Han Li accelerated toward the next blood barrier, preparing to launch another thunder pearl. But suddenly, a gray-robed man materialized atop the barrier, eyeing the incoming projectile with solemnity.
Han Li was stunned—how had this man approached undetected? A quick spiritual scan left him even more astonished.
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