The six golden orbs flickered and suddenly converged into a cluster in the void below. After spinning rapidly, they transformed into a massive golden vortex.
Initially only a few zhang in size, the vortex expanded wildly as it spun, swelling to the size of an acre. Countless golden and silver runes floated out from within, while an immense force surged from its center.
The two streaks of black light barely touched the vortex before they emitted mournful shrieks and were violently sucked in, torn to shreds.
The phantom of the giant purple claw, however, trembled slightly as it was blocked by countless golden and silver runes.
In that brief moment of delay, a chanting sound arose from the golden vortex, and its size swelled once more.
The air around the claw phantom tightened, and a crushing force like a collapsing mountain pressed down mercilessly.
Under this force, the five fingers of the purple claw trembled violently, its surface growing dim and indistinct, as if it would vanish at any moment.
At the same time, the five demons below suddenly felt their shoulders weighed down, their bodies immobilized by an invisible force.
For a moment, the demons were stunned, but then fury erupted within them.
With their cultivation and abilities, how could they be truly restrained by such a simple binding? With furious roars, they unleashed surges of light and dark energy, preparing to break free in the next instant.
Yet at that moment, a strange smile flickered across Han Li’s face. He formed a hand seal, and the wings on his back flapped violently, unleashing a thunderous roar. Countless silver-white lightning arcs surged forth, rapidly intertwining to form two massive thunderballs.
Han Li pointed a finger toward the robed elder and the winged woman below.
With a deafening boom, the two thunderballs vanished into thin air.
The next instant, the robed elder and the winged woman felt a jolt of alarm as thunder crackled beneath them—the two thunderballs had reappeared. Silver arcs erupted, weaving together to form two lightning arrays several zhang in size.
Both the elder and the woman stood right at the centers of their respective arrays!
“Not good—it’s a teleportation formation!”
The robed elder’s face paled as he recognized the array beneath him. Purple flames erupted from his body, burning away the invisible restraints. His figure blurred as he attempted to escape.
But then, an icy snort echoed from above.
The moment the sound reached his ears, a soul-rending pain exploded in his skull.
Even with his cultivation far surpassing that of ordinary Body Integration cultivators, the elder clutched his head in agony, swaying unsteadily as if about to collapse.
In that brief delay, the lightning array spun rapidly, and his figure vanished amidst the crackling arcs.
The winged woman met the same fate—a thunderous boom, and she was gone.
Han Li laughed heartily, his wings trembling once more as countless lightning arcs surged forth, forming yet another silver lightning array before him.
With a single step, he vanished in a flash of thunder.
Almost simultaneously, the golden vortex collapsed with a muffled explosion.
The remaining three demons broke free from their restraints, their faces twisted with rage.
But then, the petite demon woman relaxed slightly.
“Good news—Brother She and the others were only teleported ten thousand miles away. It’s not too far. If we wish to regroup, we can do so in moments.”
“As long as they’re unharmed. Thanks to Sister Wu’s secret technique, we can communicate with them directly. Otherwise, we’d truly be worried,” the golden-armored demon man exhaled in relief.
The three-eyed demon, hearing this, visibly relaxed as well.
But then, a deafening explosion shook the earth.
The golden barrier, previously suppressed by various attacks, suddenly exploded into a burst of golden light. Countless golden rays shot out, piercing through the surrounding energy and shadows with unstoppable force before vanishing into the two swarms of bees high above.
Instantly, blood bees rained down from the sky, leaving only a scant hundred survivors that scattered in panic.
From the explosion of golden light, an overwhelming, suffocating aura erupted into the heavens.
A clear cry rang out, and a colossal golden crab, as large as a small mountain, emerged from the radiance.
“What?! The Sacred Crab from the Demon Source Sea!”
“That puppet with the power of a Sacred Ancestor—why is it here?!”
The petite woman and the golden-armored man recoiled in shock, their demonic energy surging as they instinctively retreated.
The three-eyed demon, though not fleeing, wore an expression of astonishment. Yet after a moment, his gaze flickered with strange light, a hint of something mysterious flashing in his pupils.
“It seems your true forms have encountered me before. I’ll be brief—if the three of you stay here peacefully until Han Li resolves his battle with your companions, I won’t attack you first. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being merciless.” The golden crab raised its massive claws, its voice booming like thunder.
The petite woman and the golden-armored man froze, their retreat halted.
“Don’t fear! Though its power has increased, it hasn’t reached the Mahayana realm, and its aura is far weaker than when we faced it in the Demon Source Sea. This puppet must be damaged—its strength greatly diminished. The three of us can fight it!” the three-eyed demon declared. With a wave, he summoned three jade-like skeletons from a pouch at his waist, each wielding a bone shield and a dark, mist-wreathed hammer.
“You’re sure it’s weakened?” the petite woman asked urgently.
“Brother Ming’s Treasure Wheel Eyes never err. Besides, if we flee now, this crab won’t let us go easily. Better to fight together than be picked off one by one,” the golden-armored demon growled, gripping his massive axe tightly as killing intent flared around him.
“I’ve heard rumors of the Sacred Crab being taken by a human, but I never thought we’d encounter it here. Since it serves a human cultivator, and you both believe we can fight, I’ll stay and assist!” the petite woman said after a moment’s hesitation.
“Good! Even if we can’t defeat it, we can hold it off long enough for our companions to kill that human. Then, with five of us, this weakened puppet won’t stand a chance,” the three-eyed demon said confidently.
“I hope so,” the petite woman sighed.
Their encounter with such a formidable enemy was entirely unexpected.
Yet she vaguely recalled that the human who had taken the Sacred Crab was said to be powerful. However, having been away from the Demon Realm fighting in the Spirit Realm, the news she received had been vague, and some rumors seemed too exaggerated to believe.
“Enough talk—let’s attack!” the golden-armored man roared, spitting a mouthful of blood onto his axe.
The blood dispersed into mist before being absorbed by the weapon. As he chanted, the axe trembled violently, turning crimson before he hurled it into the sky.
A blood-red streak vanished into the heavens, and moments later, thunder rumbled as dark clouds gathered, turning the sky pitch-black.
A colossal crimson axe, hundreds of zhang long, materialized amidst the storm, radiating terrifying demonic energy.
Seeing this, the three-eyed demon and the petite woman acted simultaneously.
The three skeletons blurred into position around the golden crab, raising their shields before swinging their hammers. Black mist surged, forming dozens of massive tentacles that lashed toward the crab.
Meanwhile, the petite woman spat out a silver gourd, from which pink mist billowed, condensing into a flock of eerie silver-eyed, golden-beaked demon crows.
With a sharp cry from the woman, the crows shrieked and dove toward the crab.
The golden crab merely clashed its massive claws, unleashing a storm of silver lightning that formed a protective net around it.
At the same time, two house-sized thunderballs coalesced between its claws, crackling with terrifying power.
The battle between Crab Daoist and the three demons erupted in full force.
Ten thousand miles away, between two mountain peaks, Han Li hovered in the air with a faint smile. Behind him, his golden three-headed, six-armed dharma form shimmered like a solid entity, while seventy-two small azure swords swirled beneath him, forming layers of lotus petals that gently supported him.
Opposite him, the robed elder and the winged woman stood apart, their expressions grave as they stared at Han Li with utmost wariness.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage