The golden scissors transformed into a streak of golden light as soon as they were released. The black-clad beauty clearly intended to use this treasure to sever the Soul-Severing Silk and rescue the elderly Fu first.
Han Li, however, frowned deeply.
While rescuing someone was understandable, rushing forward and recklessly widening the distance between them was far from ideal.
As the golden light approached the giant cocoon, a “bang” sounded from below, and a green figure shot out from the ground. In a flash, it blocked the cocoon, casually raising its bare hands to unleash several claw strikes that sent the golden scissors flying.
At first, Han Li and the black-clad beauty naturally assumed this figure was the Silver-Winged Nightfiend. But when the light faded and they saw its face clearly, both were shocked.
The green figure had the head of a wolf and the body of a human, with blood-red eyes—it was none other than the giant corpse wolf they had encountered earlier. However, it had undergone some unknown secret technique, not only taking on a humanoid form but also shrinking several times in size. It glared viciously at the black-clad beauty.
What caught Han Li’s attention even more was that the Yin Spirit Horse, which had been perched on the wolf’s head earlier, was now missing. Had the creature remained underground, or was it hiding elsewhere?
Han Li instinctively thought this way, his eyes flashing with blue light as he scanned his surroundings.
Suddenly, his expression changed drastically, and he urgently shouted at the black-clad beauty:
“Watch your back!”
Without hesitation, he flicked his fingers, sending over a dozen azure sword beams shooting toward her.
Hearing Han Li’s warning, the beauty, being an experienced fighter, immediately felt a chill in her heart.
She reflexively tapped the small azure shield in front of her, causing it to shift behind her in an instant. At the same time, she concentrated her spiritual power, causing the dharma wheel above her head to radiate brilliant light. Seven-colored spiritual energy merged into her protective aura, instantly doubling its intensity.
Just as the beauty fortified her defenses, a faint golden figure, almost invisible, appeared behind her in a flash.
It was the Silver-Winged Nightfiend!
The flying corpse had undergone a drastic transformation—its green fur had vanished, replaced by pale golden scales. Its silver wings shimmered with blue-white light, and its silver eyes now bore a pair of faint golden pupils. Most astonishingly, the overwhelming corpse aura it once exuded had completely disappeared, leaving no detectable presence. A spiritual scan would suggest it was nothing more than an empty vessel.
As soon as it appeared, the fiend raised a single hand without a word. Though its body remained still, its arm suddenly elongated several times.
Black claws extended, sprouting golden light several inches long, and it struck the small azure shield that had just materialized behind the beauty.
The shield had barely appeared before it expanded rapidly, glowing brilliantly as if indestructible.
But then, something unbelievable happened!
The Silver-Winged Nightfiend treated the shield as if it were nothing. A flash of golden light on its arm, and its claws silently pierced through, grasping the black-clad beauty’s protective aura.
A crisp shattering sound rang out as the claw strikes paused only briefly before tearing through the aura like paper.
With a “squelch,” the claws plunged into her chest, crushing her heart before effortlessly emerging from her back.
Han Li’s heart sank at the sight.
Being caught at close range by such a monstrously powerful flying corpse was indeed a fatal mistake.
At that moment, the azure sword beams arrived from afar, but the Silver-Winged Nightfiend merely flapped its wings, summoning a blue-white radiance that scattered the attacks effortlessly.
Still, Han Li’s rescue attempt wasn’t entirely in vain—it had bought the beauty a sliver of time.
Seizing the moment, a red light flashed at the crown of her head, and a tiny, naked infant—her Nascent Soul—appeared there. The infant, resembling the beauty but clutching a small flying sword, panickedly flashed red and teleported dozens of feet away.
A few more teleportations, and it would have escaped.
But the Silver-Winged Nightfiend sneered, tossing aside the corpse and vanishing into thin air.
A faint figure reappeared beside the Nascent Soul, opening its mouth to spew a gray silk net that ensnared the infant just as it was about to teleport again.
“Fellow Daoist Han, save me!”
The beauty’s Nascent Soul cried out in desperation, struggling within the net while her flying sword clashed futilely against it. Had she still possessed her physical body, she might have had a chance to sever the net and escape. But now, reduced to just her Nascent Soul, her spiritual power was greatly diminished, and the Soul-Severing Silk absorbed elemental energy, rendering her efforts futile.
The Silver-Winged Nightfiend showed no mercy. As soon as the net left its mouth, it raised a hand, summoning a giant gray claw that seized both the net and the Nascent Soul.
A flash of gray light later, a foot-wide cocoon formed, floating in midair.
Only then did the Silver-Winged Nightfiend’s body solidify. It glanced at the cocoon, then at Han Li, letting out a cold laugh.
“Heh! I thought you’d use your lightning movement to save her. Seems you know how to prioritize self-preservation.”
“Save her? If I could, I would have. But rushing over would’ve been walking into a trap. You can retract that giant net you set up above.” Han Li replied calmly, his expression unchanging.
“You noticed? So you can see through my illusions—no mere luck.” The Silver-Winged Nightfiend’s face flickered with surprise.
At that moment, dozens of feet above its head, a massive gray net materialized. It was unclear what technique the fiend had used to conceal such a large trap so flawlessly.
Had Han Li’s Brightsight Spirit Eyes not reached a certain level, he would never have detected this sinister snare.
Even without the net, Han Li likely wouldn’t have acted rashly.
This transformed Silver-Winged Nightfiend was truly bizarre. Not only had it completely suppressed its corpse aura, but its wind movement technique had also become far more refined—almost as if it could merge with the wind itself.
Without his spirit eyes, Han Li might not have noticed its approach until it was right in front of him.
Moreover, the way the Silver-Winged Nightfiend had effortlessly bypassed the black-clad beauty’s defensive treasure with its strike sent a chill down Han Li’s spine.
Seeing that Han Li hadn’t taken the bait, the Silver-Winged Nightfiend snorted and beckoned to the humanoid corpse wolf.
The corpse wolf immediately flew over, arriving beside the flying corpse in an instant. It twisted its wolf head, glaring viciously at Han Li.
But just then, a deafening roar erupted beneath Han Li—it was the Soul Devourer, pounding its chest in a display of dominance.
Throughout the earlier battle, Han Li had restrained it with his divine sense, preventing it from acting. Watching the Silver-Winged Nightfiend flit about overhead had frustrated the beast immensely. Now, with the corpse wolf approaching, it bared its teeth aggressively.
The corpse wolf flinched at the sound, its expression turning fearful as it shrank back from the Soul Devourer.
The Silver-Winged Nightfiend’s face darkened, but after a moment’s thought, it suddenly spat out a gray orb. Grabbing it, it tossed the orb into the corpse wolf’s gaping maw.
Upon swallowing the orb, the humanoid corpse wolf immediately began emitting streams of gray mist, its corpse aura intensifying as its fear dissipated.
Han Li ignored all this, instead seizing the opportunity to examine the black-clad beauty’s azure shield.
Now ownerless, the treasure hovered motionlessly in midair, its surface smooth and glowing faintly with azure light.
Frowning, Han Li shifted his gaze to the Silver-Winged Nightfiend’s pale golden scales, his expression suddenly shifting as if recalling something.
At that moment, the Silver-Winged Nightfiend threw back its head and let out a piercing shriek before vanishing into the wind. Meanwhile, the corpse wolf roared, spewing streams of corpse fire as it charged toward the Soul Devourer below.
Without hesitation, the Soul Devourer swung its head, releasing a yellow mist from its nostrils.
Though the corpse wolf’s fear had lessened after consuming the orb, it still dared not approach the mist.
Its body blurred as it split into multiple illusions, circling the Soul Devourer at incredible speed. Its shrunken size made its movements even swifter, allowing it to evade the yellow mist for now.
But the corpse wolf also couldn’t get close. The Soul Devourer continuously exhaled divine light, forming a protective barrier around its massive body while swinging its enormous fists wildly.
Given the Soul Devourer’s gorilla-like size, its fists were anything but small. Even the corpse wolf’s undead physique wouldn’t withstand a direct hit.
Thus, the two found themselves locked in a stalemate.
While the Soul Devourer was occupied, Han Li and the Silver-Winged Nightfiend engaged in a high-speed chase across the sky, appearing and disappearing like phantoms.
Han Li’s wings crackled with lightning, thunder rumbling incessantly as he teleported unpredictably—one moment in the west, the next in the east; one instant high above, the next just a few feet off the ground.
The Silver-Winged Nightfiend, meanwhile, employed some unknown technique, its fleshy wings shimmering with blue-white radiance as it pursued Han Li’s lightning trail relentlessly.
Before long, Han Li began to struggle.
The fiend’s wind movement was clearly superior to his lightning teleportation, closing the gap between them faster each time. Now, Han Li barely had time to vanish as an arc of lightning before the Silver-Winged Nightfiend reappeared beside him.
Suddenly, when Han Li materialized in midair again, he didn’t immediately teleport away. Instead, he tapped the Snow Crystal Pearl before him, causing it to spin rapidly and unleash a wave of purple flames in all directions. Simultaneously, the dozens of golden flying swords orbiting him erupted with sword light, enveloping the surrounding area in a ten-zhang radius.
Just as he finished setting up this defense, a faint figure appeared six or seven zhang away, space rippling around it.
Purple flames and sword light instantly converged on the figure.
Han Li also raised a hand, thunder rumbling as a thick golden lightning arc coiled around his arm before transforming into an electric serpent that lunged forward.
The Silver-Winged Nightfiend, startled by the sudden assault, shuddered as its scales erupted with golden light.
A golden barrier materialized, shielding the fiend within.
A deafening explosion followed as sword light, purple flames, and the golden lightning arc struck in succession, engulfing the golden barrier in a blinding eruption of energy.
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