However, the lightning ball in the sky naturally showed no mercy. As it pressed downward, a vast expanse of electric arcs flashed and struck into the swarm of insects.
In an instant, arcs of black and white lightning danced wildly among the dozen or so clusters of insects. Many of the spirit insects were scorched black and fell from the sky like rain.
Although the Gold Devouring Beetles possessed near-indestructible bodies, under the ferocious assault of the True Lightning Tribulation, the weaker ones still suffered significant injuries. While their robust physiques spared them from death, many were knocked unconscious on the spot.
Yet, the remaining Gold Devouring Beetles and the dozen or so candidate beetle kings, jolted by the lightning bombardment, suddenly snapped out of their dazed state.
At the shrill cries of these beetle kings, tens of thousands of Gold Devouring Beetles surged toward the lightning ball, instantly enveloping it in a golden sphere as they voraciously devoured the lightning energy.
The black-and-white lightning ball retaliated by unleashing even more arcs from its surface, intertwining and mercilessly bombarding the insect swarm.
As a result, while the lightning ball rapidly shrank under the beetles’ relentless consumption, more mature Gold Devouring Beetles succumbed to the electric onslaught and fell unconscious.
Within a few breaths, the ordinary mature beetles had all dropped from the lightning ball, leaving only the dozen or so beetle kings fiercely clinging to it, ravenously absorbing the lightning energy.
By this point, however, the black-and-white lightning ball no longer cared about the beetle kings. With a thunderous roar, it plummeted toward Han Li below.
Now, the lightning ball was only a quarter of its original size, yet it still measured several zhang in diameter, crackling with countless arcs as it descended with terrifying momentum.
Thanks to the brief delay caused by the Gold Devouring Beetles, Han Li below had completed his transformation into the Nirvana Saint Body.
As the lightning ball fell, the demonized giant ape let out an earth-shaking roar. Its body swelled monstrously within a purple-gold halo, reaching hundreds of zhang in height. Simultaneously, its four solid arms raised toward the sky.
Silver spirit patterns emerged across the ape’s body, rapidly flowing and converging into its six arms, forming intricate silver arrays of varying sizes.
A brilliant silver light erupted!
The next moment, a sharp tearing sound filled the air.
The silver light on the ape’s six arms condensed, manifesting a layer of gleaming silver armguards that encased its four arms from fingers to shoulders.
Upon closer inspection, these armguards were composed of countless exquisitely crafted silver plates, each faintly inscribed with a miniature array and exuding an eerie, mystical aura.
Han Li had not only activated the Nirvana Saint Body and the Awakening Secret Art but had also employed the newly mastered Hundred Meridians Treasure Refinement Technique.
This was the first time he had ever unleashed all three divine abilities simultaneously.
Yet, sensing the terrifying power within him—as if he could tear through the void itself—Han Li felt a surge of confidence in facing this final strike.
The four silver-armored arms slightly retracted before slowly pushing upward. Four piercing shrieks tore through the air as four colossal silver hand phantoms materialized and struck the descending black-and-white lightning ball.
A deafening explosion erupted in the void!
The hand phantoms solidified, their fingers digging deep into the lightning ball like silver hooks, while immense force surged from their palms, crushing inward.
Under this pressure, the lightning ball rapidly shrank, but it retaliated with relentless black-and-white arcs lashing at the four hand phantoms.
With each strike, the divine light in the eyes of the Nirvana-transformed ape dimmed slightly, and its aura weakened.
In moments, the four hand phantoms endured hundreds of lightning strikes, and the demonized ape’s aura dwindled by more than half.
But then, the ape below roared, and the four silver hand phantoms expanded, doubling in size.
Their fingers spread, enveloping the entire lightning ball. Ignoring the intensified counterattacks, their palms erupted with blinding silver light.
Within the radiance, countless five-colored runes swirled, and the crushing force multiplied severalfold. With a final squeeze, the shrunken lightning ball was forcibly crushed into an explosion.
The shattered lightning ball transformed into countless black-and-white arcs, wildly lashing at everything nearby. The four silver hand phantoms were instantly obliterated in the electric storm.
The ape spat out a mouthful of blood essence, and the silver armguards on its four arms shattered into motes of silver light, vanishing without a trace.
The remaining hundred or so black-and-white arcs in the sky, now unimpeded, struck the demonized ape like a torrential downpour.
A series of thunderous explosions followed as bursts of black-and-white lightning engulfed the ape completely.
With a heavy thud, the ape, having endured the assault with sheer physical resilience, swayed before collapsing onto the ground, its massive body shaking the earth.
After several more rounds of bombardment, the black-and-white arcs finally exhausted their energy and dissipated.
The pockmarked battlefield now held only the battered, colossal ape.
Motionless, its body was a pitiful sight—most of its purple-gold scales had been torn away, and the exposed golden fur was scorched black.
Simultaneously, the massive hole in the sky vanished without a trace within the dark clouds.
For a moment, aside from the slowly churning black clouds above, there was no further disturbance—only an eerie silence.
“Hahaha! The True Lightning Tribulation lives up to its reputation, but it still falls short of taking my life…” A hearty laugh suddenly rang out from the ground, followed by words laced with suppressed excitement.
The previously motionless ape suddenly shimmered with purple-gold light as its spirit patterns, golden scales, and horn gradually receded.
At the same time, its massive body rapidly shrank within the glow, soon restoring Han Li’s human form.
After flexing his limbs slightly, Han Li slowly rose to his feet and examined his restored body.
Apart from his unnaturally pale complexion, there wasn’t a single visible wound on him—thanks to his formidable regenerative abilities, which had healed all external injuries during the transformation reversal.
Of course, internal injuries remained severe, requiring prolonged rest for full recovery.
But just then, a buzzing sound echoed from above.
Han Li looked up in surprise to see the dozen or so Gold Devouring Beetle kings circling unscathed in the sky, emitting strange cries.
An eerie scene unfolded.
As the beetle kings called out, a similar buzzing arose from the ground as the previously unconscious golden beetles awoke en masse, taking flight and clustering around their respective kings.
They fluttered their wings frantically, displaying intense hostility toward rival swarms.
Alarmed, Han Li instinctively pointed a finger skyward and whistled sharply, attempting to recall the spirit insects.
But his heart sank—despite their agitated buzzing, none obeyed his command.
Frowning, Han Li prepared to forcibly summon them with a secret technique when the swarms above suddenly moved.
Led by their candidate kings, they launched frenzied attacks on neighboring swarms.
The sky filled with a cacophony of rustling as tens of thousands of beetles merged into a massive golden cloud, savagely tearing into one another.
Individual beetles were devoured alive by groups of their kin, while the candidate kings ravenously consumed ordinary beetles, swallowing them whole in mere bites.
Watching this, a strange glint flashed in Han Li’s eyes, and he hesitated, withholding the spell he had prepared.
As he wavered, a chorus of eerie howls erupted from the dark clouds above.
The black mist churned violently, disgorging countless black orbs—each containing ghostly visages of varying sizes and colors, their discordant cries inducing a disorienting haze in the listener’s mind.
“Heavenly Devils!”
Han Li’s pupils contracted, his expression darkening. He immediately abandoned his focus on the battling beetle swarms, scanning the sky above him intently.
Simultaneously, the dark clouds convulsed as celestial music filled the air.
Streaks of gray-white light emerged, converging to form a hazy, mirror-like phantom.
Within it, swirling gray-white radiance pulsed before slowly turning to illuminate Han Li.
The moment the mirror’s light flickered, Han Li felt his body grow weightless.
His mind blurred—and he found himself in an unfamiliar realm.
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