Two hours later, the formation below was still being set up. After such a long time, even Han Li, who was usually composed, couldn’t help but feel a hint of anxiety.
After all, time was of the essence for him now. The Six-Armed Demon Kings and others could activate the mark in his body at any moment.
However, Han Li himself was well-versed in formations and understood the complexity of setting up such a massive one. Suppressing his worries, he silently waited in the air.
After another span of time roughly equivalent to a meal, Yuan Yao and Yan Li flew up from the ground and approached Han Li.
Yan Li, her face beaming with a smile, said:
“Brother Han, the formation is complete. We can now gather Yin energy to expel the mark from your body.”
Han Li was overjoyed and was about to reply when suddenly his face paled, his body trembled, and a ripple of cyan light shimmered across his skin.
“What’s this…?” The two women were startled, and Yuan Yao gasped in shock.
“Someone is activating the mark. I just don’t know which of those demon kings it is,” Han Li said in a deep voice as golden light flashed around him, steadying his stance.
As he spoke, his spiritual pressure fluctuated wildly, showing extreme instability.
The two women exchanged glances, their faces filled with concern.
“It’s fine! For now, I can still suppress the mark. If we remove it before it’s fully activated, there won’t be any trouble,” Han Li said with a forced smile, waving his hand dismissively.
“Brother Han is right. Senior Sister, let’s hurry with the spell,” Yuan Yao exhaled lightly and said.
“Indeed. However, there’s one thing we haven’t mentioned to Brother Han yet. This Yin infusion technique was originally designed for ghost cultivators and spectral beings. For a living person like Brother Han to endure such an infusion, the physical pain will be excruciating. If you lose consciousness, the spell will fail without your guidance. Do you understand what I mean?” Yan Li said gravely.
“Excruciating pain? Don’t worry. If nothing else, I have some confidence in my physical resilience,” Han Li chuckled, unfazed.
Han Li wasn’t exaggerating. His body had reached an unimaginable level of toughness after cultivating multiple body-refining techniques and undergoing numerous fortuitous encounters, tempered by various spiritual medicines. What would be fatal to others was negligible to him.
Seeing Han Li’s confidence, Yan Li nodded and guided him down to the formation’s core—a small hill.
At the hill’s summit was a flat area no more than ten zhang wide, where a smaller formation had already been set up within the larger one.
The three of them stepped into the smaller formation side by side.
Han Li sat cross-legged at the center, while the two women took positions slightly behind him on either side.
As Han Li slowly closed his eyes, the two women simultaneously opened their mouths and spat out pitch-black orbs.
The orbs spun midair before shooting toward opposite ends of the formation, embedding themselves into prepared grooves.
With a synchronized incantation from the women, the formation buzzed to life!
Black mist surged from the formation’s edges, rippling outward in waves.
In an instant, the entire massive formation centered on the hill was activated.
Clusters of Yin energy erupted from the formation, swirling rapidly under the formation’s power until they formed a colossal vortex over a hundred zhang high.
The vortex was vast enough to envelop the entire formation with room to spare, a sight that sent shivers down the spine.
Under the vortex’s immense suction, both airborne and underground Yin energy transformed into wisps of black mist, surging endlessly into the swirling abyss above. The vortex grew even larger, expanding its reach.
Had Han Li looked up, he would have seen the vortex’s core, where swirling black radiance continuously shredded and recombined Yin energy.
Within it, an inky-black sphere was slowly taking shape.
From this sphere emanated a terrifying spiritual pressure, as if it contained an overwhelming force ready to plummet at any moment.
Yuan Yao and Yan Li murmured obscure incantations, their hands weaving seals as they channeled spells into the smaller formation, accelerating the vortex’s rotation.
In mere moments, the vortex had absorbed a staggering amount of Yin energy.
Just then, ghostly wails erupted from the distance, rising and falling as if countless specters had been drawn by the vortex, converging toward them.
Yuan Yao frowned slightly at the sounds.
Though she sensed no powerful ghosts nearby, a horde of low-level specters disrupting the spell at a critical moment was no laughing matter.
They had underestimated the allure of pure Yin energy to such beings.
Before she could rise to deal with them, Han Li flicked his sleeve, releasing a black spirit beast into the air.
The ring spun midair before shooting out a streak of golden light and a mass of dark radiance.
As the light faded, a leopard-like beast and a small black monkey appeared—Tihun and the evolved Leopard-Qilin Beast!
At Han Li’s mental command, the monkey transformed into a towering ape over ten zhang tall, leaping away in one direction, while the leopard split into a dozen afterimages, vanishing in the other.
Yuan Yao blinked in surprise, but Yan Li chuckled:
“Don’t worry, Junior Sister. Brother Han rescued us from the Ghost Granny and others—his abilities are beyond doubt. He’ll handle these low-level ghosts without disturbing our spell.”
“Senior Sister is right. I overthought it,” Yuan Yao smiled sweetly.
“You flatter me, Lady Yan. But these ghosts are indeed nothing to worry about,” Han Li said lightly, eyes still closed.
Soon, a mighty ape’s roar echoed from one side, silencing the ghostly cries instantly. On the opposite side, terrified shrieks erupted before fading into the distance.
“Brother Han’s spirit beasts are truly extraordinary, clearing the ghosts so swiftly,” Yan Li remarked in surprise.
Though she’d expected the beasts to prevail, their speed was astonishing.
Han Li smiled faintly.
The Leopard-Qilin Beast had likely only slain a few, driving most away, while Tihun had probably devoured every low-level ghost in its path.
Choosing not to elaborate, Han Li instead said:
“My meridians are prepared, and the Yin energy above is sufficient. Let’s begin. With only one demon king activating the mark, I can still suppress it. But if two or more join in, I won’t hold out.”
“Indeed, it’s time. Junior Sister, let’s proceed,” Yan Li said solemnly after glancing at the vortex.
Yuan Yao nodded gravely in agreement.
With that, black mist shimmered in the women’s hands as they each produced a small black banner, tossing them to opposite sides of the formation. The banners expanded into towering black flags.
As they chanted, a thunderous hum echoed from the vortex. The black sphere at its core pulsed with light, releasing two streams of thick, liquid-like Yin energy that poured into the banners.
Yuan Yao and Yan Li were suddenly enveloped in swirling black mist, their spiritual pressure skyrocketing.
With a sharp cry, they raised their hands, fingers flicking rapidly toward Han Li’s back.
Whooshing sounds filled the air as countless black threads shot from their fingertips, vanishing into Han Li’s body.
Han Li trembled slightly but otherwise showed no reaction.
The two women exchanged impressed glances but continued their assault, threads pouring into Han Li like a storm.
Yet apart from faint cyan light flickering across his skin, Han Li remained unfazed. This time, their admiration turned to awe.
When they’d been struck by Divine Annihilation Lightning, they’d passed out instantly from the pain. The Yin energy Han Li was enduring far exceeded that, making them hesitate.
“Keep channeling. I can feel the mark stirring,” Han Li’s calm voice cut through their doubt.
Taking a deep breath, Yan Li nodded to Yuan Yao and intensified her spell.
Black mist surged around her, condensing into a blinding dark radiance that swallowed her form.
After a brief hesitation, Yuan Yao followed suit, her body also wreathed in black light.
Moments later, two pitch-black beams shot from the radiance, piercing Han Li’s body.
The sudden influx of Yin energy forced a grunt from Han Li. His body swayed, cyan light flickering wildly across his skin.
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