The entire Mystical Flower Domain was affected by the mutation of the flower trees, causing the number of phantom petals swirling within to nearly double. These petals danced wildly, transforming into palm-sized pink crystalline shields that enveloped and protected everyone behind them.
As for Han Li himself, after taking a deep breath, the silver patterns on the surface of his three-headed giant ape form buzzed loudly, and streams of five-colored radiance surged forth, pouring into the Profound Heaven Severing Spirit Sword through his six arms.
With a clear chime, the emerald-green sword’s surface shimmered with dazzling silver inscriptions, nearly blinding to the eye.
When all the light faded, the spirit sword had astonishingly grown to over ten zhang in size, its silver inscriptions twisting and fluctuating as if they had come to life.
With a low shout, the giant ape form of Han Li blurred as it swung the sword, sending out a silent emerald ring of light in all directions.
Almost simultaneously, the skeletal warriors surrounding them suddenly moved their arms, hurling all their bone spears with tremendous force.
The sound of tearing air filled the sky!
The bone spears, wreathed in black mist and with gleaming black tips, exuded an eerie, razor-sharp aura.
The moment the spears were launched, a series of muffled explosions erupted from the skeletal warriors, their supporting power vanishing instantly as their bodies crumbled into dust.
In the next instant, the bone spears collided with the expanding emerald ring.
A deafening roar erupted as black mist and green light intertwined, the power of laws churning violently in the void, throwing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into chaos.
Though Han Li’s sword strike was immensely powerful, facing the combined assault of over a hundred attacks equivalent to full-force strikes from Great Ascension cultivators was too much to withstand directly.
The emerald ring formed by the sword energy lasted only a brief moment before vanishing along with most of the bone spears.
The remaining dozen or so spears, now unhindered, shot forward with a thunderous roar, transforming into streaks of black light that plunged into the rapidly spinning flower domain.
Silently!
A glint flashed in Baohua’s pupils as a slender finger hidden in her sleeve curled slightly, a faint ripple vanishing as quickly as it appeared.
At that moment, the rapidly rotating flower domain suddenly stilled and contracted, revealing over a dozen pitch-black spheres within.
These spheres swirled and expanded, merging in a flash to engulf the flower domain and a vast expanse of the void in inky darkness before vanishing without a trace.
The insect mother’s spiritual domain, which had once enveloped the entire sky, seemed to have exhausted all its power, receding like a scroll to reveal the deep-sea abyss below.
Two massive flames—one green, one yellow—glowed brilliantly in the water, radiating intense fluctuations of law. Within them stood Baohua, Han Li, and Crab Daoist.
Baohua held a rusted ancient nail in one hand, while Han Li stood expressionless, gripping his sword horizontally.
Though they had survived the previous attack unscathed thanks to their Profound Heaven treasures, the Mystical Flower Domain had been utterly destroyed.
Crab Daoist, having reverted to human form at some point, stood close to Han Li, faint traces of lightning still flickering around him. The massive gray net in the sky had vanished without a trace.
It was unclear whether the net had been dispersed by the clash of laws or if Crab Daoist had employed some mysterious means to dissolve it.
High above the trio, the massive form of the Mother of Screaming Souls floated steadily in the water. The golden eyes of the woman’s head at its center gleamed as they fixed on the three, a hint of something strange flickering in her pupils.
“To think that just three individuals possess two Profound Heaven treasures and even grasp the rudiments of a Profound Heaven spiritual domain. No wonder my previous two avatars were no match for you. That pseudo-immortal puppet aside, the two of you must be the most outstanding figures this lower realm has seen in millennia,” the Mother of Screaming Souls said slowly, her tone now tinged with gravity.
“Your praise flatters me, but had you not been weakened and unable to unleash the full power of your Profound Heaven domain, even with our treasures, we could never have broken through. It seems your forced awakening has left you with little of your former strength,” Baohua replied after exhaling softly, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.
“Oh? So you believe you’ve gained the upper hand in our earlier exchange?” the Mother of Screaming Souls chuckled, her face twisting into a sneer.
“Whether we’ve gained the upper hand or not, I cannot say. But it’s clear you’re incapable of wielding any great supernatural powers at the moment,” Baohua said after a brief silence, her delicate features suddenly blooming into a smile.
“What do you mean—what is this?!” The Mother of Screaming Souls initially scoffed, but her expression abruptly changed as she lifted a forelimb, revealing a look of shock and fury.
Embedded in her forelimb was a faint yellow needle, most of it buried in her flesh and emitting a soft glow.
Baohua’s lips curled into a cryptic smile as she gave the Earth Emperor Nail in her hand a slight shake.
A flash of yellow light!
The needle in the Mother of Screaming Souls’ forelimb instantly transformed into a foot-long nail, erupting with a blinding yellow radiance. A surge of law power descended, enveloping the insect mother as countless yellow runes surged forth.
An astonishing sight unfolded!
Under the deluge of runes, the mountain-sized insect shrank rapidly under the power of laws, dwindling to a mere few zhang in size in the blink of an eye.
“A Profound Heaven treasure! You possess a third one?! When did you plant this on me… Ah, I recall now. During the clash of laws earlier, I felt a faint discomfort. You must have secretly deployed it then,” the Mother of Screaming Souls muttered, her usual composure shaken. She attempted to channel her energy, only to find most of her power frozen and unresponsive, her expression darkening.
“Tsk tsk, a third Profound Heaven treasure? You’re mistaken. The Earth Emperor Nails are a pair. Only when combined do they unleash their full power,” Baohua said with a smile, flicking her wrist to send the second yellow nail shooting forth like a streak of light.
A moment later, a ripple appeared above the Mother of Screaming Souls’ head as the second nail materialized and shot down like a phantom.
Even with her immense power, if both nails had struck, the insect mother would have been completely immobilized.
Yet, faced with this surprise attack, the Mother of Screaming Souls merely snorted. One forelimb blurred.
With a *bang*, the second nail was sent flying like straw, unable to approach her.
Another forelimb, shaped like a human arm, reached out effortlessly, catching the yellow nail mid-flight and retrieving it with ease.
“So this is why your Profound Heaven treasure seemed so weak—it’s part of a pair. Perfect. As I’ve just awakened, I lack suitable protective artifacts. This pair of Earth Emperor Nails will suffice for now,” the Mother of Screaming Souls mused, examining the struggling nail in her grasp with mocking eyes.
“Impossible! Your energy is mostly sealed! How can you still do this?!” Baohua stared in disbelief, her confidence shattered.
She had kept the second nail hidden as her trump card, only for her meticulous plan to collapse before her eyes.
Her heart sank to its lowest point, her belief in victory extinguished.
Beside her, Han Li’s brow twitched slightly as a glimmer of understanding flashed across his face.
“You’ve had poor luck. Had you encountered me a few centuries earlier, your scheme might have succeeded. But now? Even without a shred of magic power, crushing the three of you is but a trivial matter,” the Mother of Screaming Souls drawled, gripping the writhing nail tightly. Though her earlier terrifying aura had vanished, an intangible pressure now weighed heavily on Baohua, Han Li, and Crab Daoist, freezing them in place.
Each word from the insect mother drained more color from Baohua’s face, leaving her visibly shaken.
“Such confidence… Is it due to your formidable physical form?” Han Li asked calmly, his gaze sharp.
“Ah, you’re perceptive. Indeed, you’ve guessed correctly. Did you truly believe I remained trapped here merely to recover my strength and break the seal? Hah! The truth is, I could have shattered the seal tens of thousands of years ago had I wished. I stayed willingly to temper my Jade Bone True Body, reforging it into the ultimate Vajra Physique. Now that it’s complete, even if I stand still and let you attack with all your treasures, you cannot harm me in the slightest. With this body, I shall reign supreme across all realms!” the Mother of Screaming Souls declared with triumphant laughter.
As she spoke, her limbs slashed through the air, creating countless white streaks that darkened into fine spatial rifts.
A tremendous suction force emerged from the rifts, swallowing the yellow runes and law power enveloping her before the rifts sealed shut with a hum.
Then, with a casual stroke of a human-like hand, she plucked the deeply embedded nail from her forelimb.
“Impossible… The Earth Emperor Nail was refined by my ally for countless years. How can she remove it so easily?!” Baohua whispered, her face ashen.
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