Aside from the Gold Devouring Beetles, the three-colored sword light was a technique Han Li had comprehended from the Brahma Saint Devil Art—a method of fusing different types of true essence into one.
This secret technique could simultaneously activate the Brahma Saint True Devil Art, the Azure Essence Sword Art, and the Vajra Art, then unleash them in a single strike through the True Devil Dharma Form.
The Brahma Saint True Devil Art and the Azure Essence Sword Art were one thing, but the Vajra Art was originally a body-refining technique. The fact that its contained true essence could be released externally through this method was an extremely rare occurrence.
This technique, which Han Li called the “Tri-Element Slash,” amplified its power several times over a single true essence attack due to the complementary and reinforcing nature of the three vastly different true essences.
The previous slash had also consumed nearly half of Han Li’s internal true essence.
Thus, though the three-colored sword light appeared compressed and unremarkable, that single slash was nearly capable of splitting mountains and parting seas.
Coupled with the simultaneous assault of his other attacks, Han Li was over seventy percent confident that if the black demonic ape took a direct hit, he could slay it with a single sword strike.
At that moment, as the azure lightning arcs struck the purple armor materializing on the giant ape’s body, an unexpected change occurred within the formation!
The blood-red bed suddenly glowed with runes, emitting a blinding crimson radiance that instantly obscured the purple-armored figure lying upon it.
The ferocious lightning arcs struck the crimson light, yet, astonishingly, the blood bed—whatever treasure it was—merely trembled under the assault, holding firm.
But in the next instant, the three-colored sword light and the two golden beetles crashed into the crimson radiance.
A deafening explosion erupted, shaking the entire hall violently as it was instantly engulfed in a dazzling array of colors. It was as if a radiant sun had risen at the center of the formation, blindingly brilliant!
Han Li, standing far away, narrowed his eyes slightly, blue light flickering within them, but his hands never stopped moving.
One hand pointed toward the distant sky, while the other formed a seal, activating the Brahma Saint Dharma Form above his head.
With a clear cry, before the explosions in the hall subsided, the Spirit Devouring Firebird folded its wings and shot downward, plunging into the radiant mass.
Suddenly, amidst the blinding brilliance, clusters of silver flames flickered before vanishing without a trace.
Meanwhile, the six-armed Dharma Form above Han Li dispersed the giant swords in its hands, replacing them with dense volleys of golden orbs shooting forth from its palms.
Amidst the thunderous roar, a golden tornado surged upward, sweeping everything in the hall into its vortex.
A tremendous pressure radiated outward from the center, forcing even Han Li, standing far at the entrance, to take two steps back.
Suddenly, his expression shifted, and the Dharma Form’s attacks abruptly ceased.
At the same time, Han Li flicked his sleeves, summoning a layer of gray light and a sheet of five-colored flames that swirled protectively around him. A small crystalline shield also flew from his sleeve, hovering lightly before him.
Han Li stood motionless, silently gazing into the distance.
Despite his spiritual eye technique, the blinding brilliance of the explosion made it impossible to see clearly, yet an uneasy feeling gnawed at him.
No matter how grievously injured this Saint-rank demonic ape was, it had remained utterly silent, with no reaction from the epicenter of the explosion. This was highly unusual!
A being at the Body Integration stage, even if slain by his sword, would never perish so quietly.
As Han Li pondered, he released his divine sense, intending to sweep the surroundings.
But at that moment, a strange, cackling laughter suddenly echoed through the hall.
Han Li’s heart tightened as he retracted his divine sense instantly, focusing on the golden tornado.
A thunderous boom resounded.
The golden tornado and the massive radiant mass within it split apart as several slender purple streaks flashed through them.
With a deafening explosion, both the tornado and the light dissipated instantly, revealing the enormous formation at the center once more.
Han Li’s eyes narrowed as he took in the sight, his pupils contracting sharply.
The entire purple formation had been utterly ravaged. Not only were its edges pockmarked with countless craters, but parts of it had simply vanished. A black trench, several feet wide, now bisected the hall’s floor.
Yet, to Han Li’s shock, the blood bed—lying directly in the path of the trench—remained completely unscathed.
On the bed, a figure had now half-risen. It was the black demonic ape clad in purple armor!
Every inch of the beast’s body was encased in the armor, leaving no exposed flesh—not even its eyes, which were covered by white crystal lenses, rendering its expression unreadable.
From a distance, it resembled a colossal metal puppet.
The purple armor, however, was far from intact. Many sections were shattered, and several areas had melted into blackened ruin.
Yet, in its massive, gauntleted hands, the ape clutched two golden objects—Han Li’s two mature Gold Devouring Beetles.
The beetles, in turn, had each clamped onto one of the ape’s fingers, refusing to let go.
The armor’s material was evidently extraordinary, having withstood such a devastating assault and even resisting the beetles’ bites—at least for now.
Clearly, the demonic ape feared the beetles greatly, willing to sacrifice its fingers to restrain them. Had the beetles found a weak spot in the armor, it would have been in serious trouble.
But none of this was the most striking sight.
Han Li’s gaze quickly locked onto something hovering before the ape—a gleaming object.
It was a broken blade, half a foot long, shimmering with purple light. Though its upper half was missing, the blade was semi-transparent, with something writhing inside.
“That is…”
Han Li narrowed his eyes, peering into the blade.
Inside was a creature that resembled both a flood dragon and a phoenix—yet was neither.
At first glance, it resembled the feathered serpents of the Horned Race, but upon closer inspection, it was entirely different.
Though it had massive wings and a serpentine body, its wings bore no feathers—instead, they were covered in purple scales. Moreover, it had two pairs of wings, one large and one small.
Most striking was the ridiculously long golden horn protruding from its nose, giving it an almost comical appearance.
Yet Han Li felt no amusement—only a chill as his pupils contracted further.
With every movement of the creature inside the blade, the weapon pulsed with light.
The sheer spiritual pressure radiating from it made Han Li inhale sharply.
Even in its broken state, the blade emitted such terrifying power. If intact, its might would be unimaginable.
It seemed this Saint-rank demonic beast, despite its grievous injuries, possessed treasures far beyond ordinary. Defeating it would not be as easy as he had initially thought.
Han Li’s mind raced.
Then, the eerie laughter from within the purple armor ceased abruptly. A surge of black mist enveloped the ape as it rose unsteadily from the blood bed and began lumbering forward.
Han Li’s lips twitched. Suddenly, he reached out with one hand, making a grasping motion in the distance.
With a sharp hiss, countless silver flames the size of beans materialized around the ape before streaking toward it like a storm.
Simultaneously, talismans flickered into existence on the hall’s walls, only to vanish instantly.
Above the ape, a silver formation materialized in midair.
Within it, the illusory silhouette of a grand palace loomed, ethereal and otherworldly. The palace gleamed with silver light, adorned with swirling runes, while faint celestial music drifted from its center.
Yet, the moment one tried to focus on the music, it vanished without a trace.
This was the Nine Palaces Heavenly Talisman!
The formation spun once before unleashing a silver beam downward.
In an instant, both attacks reached the ape simultaneously.
Yet the beast showed no intention of dodging. From behind its mask, another sinister chuckle emerged as it simply swung a fist.
A thunderous boom erupted as a black shockwave burst from its body.
The silver flames were instantly scattered and extinguished, while the silver beam halted midair, unable to descend.
Han Li’s expression darkened. Without hesitation, he activated another technique.
The celestial music from the formation swelled abruptly as the palace illusion expanded several times over, plummeting toward the ape with overwhelming force.
The ape tilted its head slightly, glancing upward.
Then, the broken blade before it twitched.
A slender purple streak sliced through the air.
In a flash of violet light, both the descending palace illusion and the silver formation above split cleanly in half before dissipating.
Han Li’s face paled at the sight, but before he could react further, the broken blade tilted upright—then flicked toward him.
Another purple streak materialized before his eyes.
At the same time, the ape—seemingly sluggish—merely swayed its shoulders before vanishing.
In the next instant, purple light flashed as the armored figure reappeared beside Han Li, a massive fist crashing toward his skull.
Despite the two protective barriers before him, Han Li felt a deafening buzz in his ears as an invisible sonic wave pierced the defenses, striking directly at him.
**Crack!**
**Boom!**
Two distinct sounds echoed through the hall simultaneously.
As the purple streak flashed past, a white shockwave engulfed the spot where Han Li had stood.
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