The woman nodded faintly and said nothing more. With a flick of her sleeve, two streaks of white mist surged out, swiftly disappearing into the bodies of the two giants.
The giants’ bodies crackled and shrank rapidly, their towering forms collapsing into two fist-sized grayish-white stone spheres in the blink of an eye. These spheres flew toward the woman and vanished into her sleeve.
At that moment, she stomped her foot, and a black cloud materialized beneath her, enveloping her figure before shooting off toward the horizon.
Simultaneously, Han Li’s physical body, seated cross-legged beside the massive crater, twitched his eyelids and slowly opened his eyes, his expression tinged with a hint of peculiarity.
His Spirit Infant had already returned, withdrawing his spiritual projection from the Demon-Sealing Lock.
“Judging by the demeanor of those two old demons, the Chaos Qi must be of utmost importance to them—otherwise, they wouldn’t have nearly clashed in their spiritual forms inside. Could it be that obtaining the Chaos Qi would allow them to break free from the Demon-Sealing Lock immediately? Impossible! The Demon-Sealing Lock is indeed an embryonic Profound Heavenly Treasure, but even the Chaos Qi, as extraordinary as it is, couldn’t have such an effect. Those two old monsters must have some other scheme. Still, since I’ve already made a Heart Demon Oath with them inside, I can’t easily go back on my word.” Han Li muttered under his breath, his face darkening.
“Heh, forget it! Once I divide the Chaos Qi between them, I’ll just toss the Demon-Sealing Lock back into the Demon Realm. I’ll be heading there eventually anyway, so I can deal with it then. They’re just two disembodied spirits—once the demonic calamity ends, who knows how many tens of thousands of years will pass before the next one? Who cares what havoc they wreak after escaping?” Han Li suddenly sneered, as if he had made up his mind.
Having settled on this decision, Han Li wasted no time. He flicked a finger toward the white wooden box before him.
With a *whoosh*, the box shot toward the center of the crater, trembling slightly before hovering in midair.
Han Li took a deep breath, formed a hand seal with one hand, and began chanting under his breath.
Moments later, a three-headed, six-armed Dharma Form materialized behind him. Its six arms moved in unison, forming seals of their own, while golden radiance surged from Han Li’s body, flashing briefly before vanishing into the wooden box.
In an instant, the originally milky-white box turned dazzling gold, as if forged from pure gold.
At that moment, a layer of azure light flickered across Han Li’s face. With a low shout, he pointed at the box again, and a wisp of silver flame shot from his fingertip, wrapping around the box.
Simultaneously, the golden Dharma Form behind him opened its six eyes, strode forward, and in a few flashes, crossed dozens of feet to stand before the blazing box. Two massive hands reached out and clasped it firmly.
Golden light shimmered as the Dharma Form, still holding the box, began descending slowly into the depths of the crater.
Though the descent was unhurried, within a few breaths, the golden Dharma Form vanished into the mist below.
Han Li continued chanting, his hands still forming seals, but soon, his body trembled, and an indescribable chill emanated from him.
The ground around him flashed with yellow light, and a faint layer of frost formed out of thin air.
A short while later, the azure glow on Han Li’s face faded, replaced by a yellow radiance that enveloped his entire body. His hair, face, and even limbs were soon coated in a layer of yellow frost.
Meanwhile, the yellow mist at the bottom of the crater churned violently, and thunderous roars erupted from below, as if something deep within was continuously exploding.
Han Li remained expressionless, seemingly indifferent to both the cold and the subterranean tumult, silently driving his secret technique without pause.
Time passed slowly, stretching on for seven days and nights.
Han Li remained seated beside the crater, unmoving. Only someone with his unfathomable spiritual power, physical endurance, and mental fortitude could endure such a prolonged exertion. Even so, he felt his energy waning, his body growing weary.
By now, the roars from the crater had ceased, and the churning mist had calmed considerably—clear signs that the secret technique was nearing completion.
Suddenly, a muffled thunderclap erupted from the crater’s depths, followed by a burst of golden light that pierced through the mist, illuminating the entire pit in a dazzling, resplendent glow.
“Success!” Han Li exclaimed, his spirits lifting at the sight.
If he could obtain the Chaos Qi, advancing to the late-stage Body Integration realm in a short time would be guaranteed. And with further progress in his cultivation, his power and abilities would grow immensely, ensuring his survival in the impending demonic calamity and his future journey to the Demon Realm.
Even as these thoughts crossed his mind, his hands moved swiftly. With a *puff*, a layer of five-colored flames erupted from his body, melting away the frost covering him in an instant.
Now restored, he raised an arm and reached toward the crater’s depths.
The mist churned violently as the golden Dharma Form emerged once more, still clutching the wooden box. But within its indistinct form, a faint green glow had appeared—a small, egg-sized mass of light, unremarkable at first glance, yet containing two suspended black-and-white specks the size of beans.
Han Li’s lips curled into a smile at the sight.
But in the next moment, his expression hardened. He jerked his head up, his face twisting into a mix of shock and fury.
Almost simultaneously, an earth-shaking explosion erupted from the sky above, followed by an overwhelming force slamming into the barrier overhead.
The white mist forming the barrier shattered like paper under the impact, scattering into nothingness as a gale-force wind swept it away.
As the force dissipated, a slender figure materialized in the sky, gazing down at Han Li with icy disdain.
Her gaze was piercingly cold, and the moment it landed on Han Li’s face, he felt a stabbing pain, as if needles were pricking his skin.
“Good, very good! The information extracted from that human cultivator’s soul was correct—it really is you,” the woman said coldly, her words sending a jolt through Han Li’s heart.
Though he didn’t recognize her, her tone made it clear she was a high-ranking demon and seemed to know him.
Despite his confusion and anger, Han Li had no time to ponder the implications. His outstretched hand snapped back toward his chest.
The golden Dharma Form flashed and transformed into a ball of light, carrying both the wooden box and the green mass toward him at lightning speed.
The woman in the sky blinked in surprise, but when her eyes fell upon the box and the green glow, her expression changed abruptly.
“The Demon-Sealing Lock… and Chaos Qi! So you were using the Yin Fire here to extract the Chaos Dual Qi!”
She was evidently decisive—almost as soon as she spoke, her sleeve flicked downward.
A streak of white silk shot out, crossing hundreds of feet in an instant to appear directly above the golden light. With a brief pause, it lashed downward like lightning, aiming to intercept the box and the Chaos Qi.
The silk was a square *zhang* in size, shimmering with silver patterns—clearly a rare treasure.
At the same time, two thunderous booms erupted beside the crater where Han Li sat. The ground shook violently as two enormous gray-white stone hands burst from the earth, smashing toward him from both sides.
Even before the stone palms struck, the sheer force of their approach immobilized Han Li, as if tens of thousands of pounds of pressure had suddenly crushed down on him.
Han Li’s fury flared, but he remained composed.
With a cold snort, he formed a hand seal and spat out a single word: “**Explode!**”
The golden light surrounding the box and the Chaos Qi flashed violently before erupting into a ring of golden radiance.
Where the light spread, space itself distorted. The white silk, despite its mystical properties, was momentarily slowed.
Seizing the opportunity, a green hand shot out from the void, snatching the box and the green mass with lightning speed before transforming into a faint silhouette—the spirit body in the form of the “green-skinned Han Li.”
The spirit body immediately formed a seal and vanished in a flash of green light.
At the same time, Han Li’s physical body erupted with golden light as thick golden fur sprouted across his skin. His form swelled rapidly, and within a breath, he had transformed into a towering golden ape over ten *zhang* tall.
The immense pressure that had immobilized him vanished instantly.
With a deafening roar, the golden ape swung its massive fists, smashing into the oncoming stone palms.
Two thunderous explosions followed. The ape staggered back several steps, while the stone hands shattered, large chunks of them obliterated.
Behind the ape, space rippled as a faint green figure holding the box and the green mass reappeared. It lunged forward, merging seamlessly into the ape’s body.
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