The demon soul, having transformed once more, let out a sinister laugh before vanishing like a wisp of wind.
The Sky-Severing Corpse, which had been motionless in front of Han Li, suddenly let out a low growl. Its two arms abruptly moved, unleashing countless emerald claw shadows that tore through the air with sharp *whooshing* sounds, descending upon the space before it.
A flash of black light—the demon soul, now with two heads and four arms, appeared ghost-like amidst the claw shadows. A vicious glint flickered across its demonic face as one of its arms lightly waved, releasing claw projections even denser and sharper than the green ones. The moment the two clashed, the black radiance effortlessly shredded the green claw shadows. Then, its arm bizarrely elongated by several feet, transforming into a shadowy streak as its fingers plunged into the corpse’s chest, which was as hard as metal.
With a clenching motion, it tore out a gaping hole the size of a bowl, black corpse blood gushing forth.
Such a wound would have been fatal to an ordinary cultivator, but for the demonic corpse, it only brought excruciating pain to its chest, instead inciting a frenzy. Instead of retreating, one of its arms flashed with green light, instantly morphing into a three-colored spike several feet long, thrusting straight at the demon soul.
The demon soul let out a soft *hmm*—whether surprised by the corpse’s tenacity or the sudden appearance of the spike, it was unclear. But after that sound, it sneered coldly. Two of its arms moved like phantoms to its chest, and the moment the spike reached them, it was firmly clamped between two palms encased in black, hardened shells, unable to advance further. Then, the demonic face twisted into a grin as the hands suddenly clenched and twisted, attempting to snap the spike in half.
With a soft *pop*, before the immense force could be applied, the spike exploded on its own. A cloud of three-colored insects abruptly appeared, immediately swarming toward the demon soul. At such close range and with such a bizarre turn of events, even the demon soul, who had pushed its demonic arts to the limit, was greatly startled.
As the insect cloud was about to descend, a fierce glint flashed in the demon soul’s eyes. Suddenly, it opened its mouth, releasing concentric rings of black shockwaves that enveloped the three-colored insect cloud.
An eerie scene unfolded—the three-colored Gold Devouring Beetles, once trapped within the black ripples, froze in place. Then, a series of muffled *bangs* rang out as the insects exploded one after another, turning into a mist of blood that dissipated into the air.
These three-colored beetles were far less resilient than their golden counterparts. The demon soul, now with heightened cultivation, had annihilated the entire swarm with its demonic soundwaves, leaving not a single survivor.
At that moment, the corpse’s other arm came slashing down.
The demon soul’s face twisted with impatience. With a cold expression, it flickered and vanished from its spot, reappearing behind the corpse in the next instant. A pitch-black fist lightly struck backward.
Despite the seemingly slow motion, the demonic corpse barely managed to tilt its head before the fist was upon it. Simultaneously, a foot-long black bone spike shot out from the fist, piercing straight through one side of the corpse’s skull and out the other. The corpse shuddered violently, all movement ceasing.
The demon soul smirked darkly as black flames erupted from the bone spike, blazing fiercely. With a retraction of the spike, the corpse swayed under the black flames before plummeting to the ground.
From the demon soul charging into the insect cloud and transforming again, to dispatching the corpse with a bone spike—though it seemed lengthy, it had all transpired in the blink of an eye.
The moment Han Li saw the demon soul closing in and the Sky-Severing Corpse stepping forward, he didn’t hesitate to retreat, putting distance between himself and the demon. At the same time, he pointed at the golden sword lights circling above him, merging them into a single entity with his sword art, transforming the sword shadows into layers of golden waves. With a thought, he prepared to unleash these golden waves upon the demon soul’s position. But before he could act, the dual-headed, six-armed demon soul had already crushed the Sky-Severing Corpse left behind.
Han Li sucked in a cold breath, his heart bitter and aching. He had only just refined the Sky-Severing Corpse to a usable state, and now, after its first deployment, it had been effortlessly destroyed by this ancient demon. Though the corpse’s undead body had fallen to the ground, its fate unknown, it was clear that even if it wasn’t completely annihilated, it had lost all combat capability.
Despite these thoughts, Han Li split his focus, reactivating the tiger puppet that had been scattered by the shockwaves. With a flash of white light, it lunged at the demon soul once more. Meanwhile, the giant turtle puppets, like Han Li, scattered while preparing to unleash their icy beams again. The golden sword waves above Han Li’s head also rumbled as they descended upon the demon soul.
The demon soul snorted coldly at the sight. With a slight wave of its four demonic arms, black bone spikes sprouted from its elbows and fists—some curved, some straight, all gleaming with a cold, razor-sharp edge. Before the tiger puppets could close in, the demon soul vanished with a *whoosh*.
All attacks momentarily lost their target, pausing in confusion. Then, a black streak flashed—the demon soul appeared eerily behind one of the tiger puppets. With a casual swing of its four arms, black streaks flickered across the puppet’s body, reducing it to scrap metal in an instant.
The demon soul vanished again, reappearing beside another puppet. A thick bone spike pierced through its chest, causing it to collapse lifelessly. Han Li, watching from afar, was both shocked and furious, directing the golden sword waves to relentlessly pursue the demon soul.
But the demon flickered in and out unpredictably, its movements and concealment techniques flawlessly synchronized. The tiger puppets couldn’t encircle it, nor could they withstand a single blow.
Han Li had always prided himself on his close-combat prowess, surpassing that of ordinary cultivators. But witnessing the demon soul’s techniques sent a chill down his spine. Compared to this demon, his own skills paled in comparison. Even with his Brightsight Spirit Eyes, he couldn’t lock onto its movements.
As his heart pounded, the demon soul withdrew its bone spike from the last tiger puppet’s neck and cast a casual glance at Han Li. The coldness in its eyes sent a shiver through him, stirring a long-dormant unease.
Since achieving Nascent Soul, he hadn’t felt such uncertainty—yet now, it resurfaced. Han Li exhaled, forcing himself to remain calm.
Given the demon’s near-instantaneous movement, setting up the Great Firmament Sword Formation would be difficult. He’d have to rely on other means to buy time.
With this in mind, Han Li solemnly pointed at the sword waves in the air. The golden lights chimed in unison before swiftly returning to circle above him, forming layers of protective waves.
Then, he formed a hand seal. Thunder rumbled from his body as thick golden arcs emerged, weaving into a shimmering golden lightning cloak. Simultaneously, he spat out a dazzling purple sphere. With a *crackle*, purple flames surged, and from within, a piercing cry rang out—a foot-long purple firebird materialized, fluttering around him, scattering brilliant sparks.
This was the entirety of the Purple Apex Flame he had cultivated thus far.
His display seemed to pique the demon soul’s interest. Its ghastly face twisted into a grin, yet it remained still, as if waiting to see all of Han Li’s tricks before delivering a decisive strike.
Han Li’s expression remained impassive as he observed the demon’s grotesque visage. His eyes flickered before he flipped his palm, revealing a small, blood-red sword. The blade, only a few inches long, was translucent crimson, pulsing with a sinister black streak within. This was the Blood Demon Sword obtained from the woman in white.
The moment the sword appeared, it trembled and hummed on its own, releasing a thick, metallic scent.
Han Li knew wielding this sword came with dire consequences, but with his life on the line, he had no choice. He exhaled a wisp of azure essence onto the blade, causing it to glow fiercely and expand to a foot in length, hovering before him.
Grasping the hilt with a solemn expression, Han Li gave it an experimental swing. Instantly, his spiritual energy surged toward the sword, alarming him enough to sever the connection. *This sword is truly sinister*, he thought grimly before turning his cold gaze back to the demon soul.
The demon, whose expression had been one of perpetual malice, suddenly stiffened at the sight of the Blood Demon Sword, its eyes locked onto the blade with unmistakable recognition.
Han Li, noticing this reaction, was taken aback.
“Excellent. I hadn’t expected you to possess one of the sacred artifacts we left behind in this realm,” the demon soul spoke after a pause, a trace of delight flashing across its face. “Hand it over, and I’ll spare your life, allowing you to leave unharmed.”
“A sacred artifact? This thing is a relic from the Ancient Demon Realm?” Han Li frowned in surprise.
“Hmph. You need not know of the Demon Realm’s affairs. Answer me—do you agree or not?” The demon’s voice turned icy, its patience thin.
“If you were a human cultivator, I might consider it for the sake of my life. But you…” Han Li’s lips curled into a cold smirk.
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