Chapter 1234: Plotting Against Yin Luo

That black streak was naturally the Demon Essence Flying Dagger!

To be honest, while this dagger is incredibly powerful and excels at stealth, when appearing from the void at such close range, there are always some detectable traces—especially for high-level cultivators, whose spiritual senses reach an unfathomable level.

Thus, Han Li first struck the opponent with a Soul-Piercing Spike, causing excruciating pain that forced their divine sense to instinctively retract into their body. Only then did Han Li summon the Demon Essence Flying Dagger from behind, seizing the opportunity to flash toward the opponent’s neck and deliver a silent slash, effortlessly severing their head.

Victory and defeat were decided in that brief instant.

Otherwise, even if Han Li had other means to subdue the opponent, it wouldn’t have been a quick affair—likely requiring significant effort!

In truth, this was also because the opponent placed too much confidence in their battle armor. They never imagined Han Li possessed a weapon like the Demon Essence Flying Dagger, which treated demonic energy as if it were nothing. The armor condensed from demonic energy proved utterly ineffective, failing to buy even a moment of time before the fatal strike landed.

However, just as the Yin Luo Sect Master’s head was separated from his body, Han Li—who had remained motionless—suddenly flapped his wings and vanished into the void as a cyan arc.

The next moment, his figure reappeared above the headless corpse.

But at that very instant, the corpse bizarrely swelled before exploding with a deafening blast, sending a bloody mist scattering in all directions—most of it surging toward Han Li.

Startled, Han Li reflexively raised both hands.

Thunder roared!

Two thick golden arcs shot out, intertwining to form a golden net that gleamed brilliantly as it counterattacked the bloody mist.

Though the bloody mist was a sinister technique that transformed a cultivator’s flesh into an offensive weapon, it happened to be countered by the Evil-Suppressing Divine Lightning. The moment the two collided, the seemingly ferocious mist instantly dissipated under the golden radiance.

Seizing the opportunity, a pitch-black miniature figure wrapped in a wisp of bloody mist had already fled.

This figure was naturally the Yin Luo Sect Master’s Nascent Soul.

In that brief moment, it had already escaped thirty zhang away before shamelessly activating its teleportation ability. After two flashes, it had moved another several dozen zhang, putting over a hundred zhang between itself and Han Li—seemingly on the verge of escape.

Seeing this, Han Li’s expression darkened, and he let out a cold laugh. Suddenly, thunder rumbled behind him as thick arcs of cyan and white lightning surged across his wings. Countless lightning orbs materialized around them, spinning rapidly.

With a flick of his Wind and Thunder Wings, the orbs exploded, channeling all the lightning into the wings.

Amidst the deafening thunder, Han Li transformed into a bolt of lightning, vanishing in a flash.

In the span of a breath, the lightning bolt reappeared thirty zhang away before vanishing again with another thunderclap. The next moment, it materialized dozens of zhang further, nearly catching up to the fleeing Nascent Soul.

The Yin Luo Sect Master, glancing back from within the bloody mist, saw Han Li’s miraculous Wind and Thunder Escape and panicked.

Without hesitation, he abandoned any thought of conserving his origin energy, forming hand seals as his Nascent Soul transformed into a streak of bloody light and vanished, attempting to chain-teleport away.

At that moment, Han Li had just reappeared forty zhang behind. Seeing the situation ahead, he let out a cold snort.

A thin crimson mark appeared between his brows, followed by a flash of black light as a dark eyeball emerged—Han Li’s long-cultivated Annihilation Eye.

As soon as the eye appeared, a black beam shot from its pupil, vanishing into the void ahead.

Almost instantly, a muffled explosion erupted in the distance.

A black flash later, the Nascent Soul stumbled out of the void as if its teleportation had been forcibly interrupted mid-execution.

The Nascent Soul’s face twisted in disbelief—it couldn’t fathom that Han Li had actually countered its teleportation!

After a moment of hesitation, it gritted its teeth and vanished again with another hand seal.

Han Li’s frown deepened, his expression turning icy. His Annihilation Eye fired another black beam as his wings flapped, transforming him into a lightning bolt once more.

Thus, when the Nascent Soul was forced out of the void again, Han Li appeared just ten zhang behind it.

The Nascent Soul, startled, flicked its fingers, sending several green threads shooting toward Han Li.

Han Li responded in kind, firing several fiery threads of his own.

Upon contact, crackling explosions erupted as the green threads revealed their true forms—slender, needle-like projectiles.

Seizing the moment, the Nascent Soul attempted to flee once more.

But this time, Han Li was prepared. With an emotionless flick of his sleeve, a golden streak shot out like lightning, vanishing instantly.

A moment later, a faint thunderclap sounded ahead as the Yin Luo Sect Master screamed, clutching his chest where a small golden sword—several inches long—was embedded halfway, its arcs of lightning wreaking havoc on his Nascent Soul.

Given that the sect master cultivated an ancient demonic technique, the golden lightning directly striking his Nascent Soul caused black light to flicker across his body as it began to destabilize, his expression contorted in agony.

Han Li’s eyes flashed as he blurred forward, appearing directly above the Nascent Soul.

Without a word, he rubbed his hands together, summoning a bowl-thick golden arc that crackled ominously.

“Fellow Daoist, wait! I have something to say!” the Nascent Soul below cried out in desperation, its face deathly pale.

“I have no interest in listening,” Han Li replied coldly, his movements unceasing as he hurled the golden arc downward, transforming it into a massive golden python that lunged at the Nascent Soul.

The sect master, both terrified and furious, refused to surrender despite his grievous injuries. With a flash of spiritual light, he prepared a desperate final move.

But just then, a cluster of cyan threads shot out from the void nearby, wrapping around the Nascent Soul before it could react.

At the other end of the threads, a small cauldron silently materialized—the Void Heaven Cauldron!

The sect master was horrified. As the threads bound him, his magic power inexplicably stagnated, his heart sinking like a stone.

With no escape, the golden python loomed above, jaws wide open—

Yet instead of death, a deafening explosion erupted behind him.

Confused, the Nascent Soul opened its eyes to find Han Li standing right before him, studying him indifferently.

“You—”

Before the sect master could speak, Han Li emotionlessly flicked his fingers, sending several silver streaks piercing into the Nascent Soul.

No!

Realizing the danger, the sect master had no time to react before darkness swallowed his consciousness.

Han Li then produced several restriction talismans, plastering them onto the unconscious Nascent Soul before gesturing at the cauldron.

With a clear chime, the Void Heaven Cauldron’s threads retracted, drawing the Nascent Soul inside.

Only then did Han Li relax, turning his attention to the Five Demons and the Three Corpses.

The Five Demons, empowered by the Extreme Cold Flames, had the Three Corpses thoroughly trapped. As Han Li watched, they morphed into spectral heads and plunged into the five-colored sea of fire, pouncing on the sluggish corpses…

Han Li smiled faintly, recalling all his treasures—friend or foe—before summoning the humanoid puppet. Cradling the cauldron, he descended toward a secluded mountain peak, the puppet following mechanically behind.

By the time Han Li reappeared from below the mountain, the Void Heaven Cauldron was no longer in his hands.

Observing the Five Demons nearing the end of their feast, he watched silently, deep in thought.

“So you’ve truly decided to infiltrate the Yin Luo Sect alone?” the childlike voice echoed leisurely.

“It’s not so much infiltration. From the memories extracted from Sect Master Fang, as long as I avoid a few particularly lethal restrictions, the Yin Luo Sect holds little danger for me. Currently, only five or six elders remain at their headquarters—the rest are dealing with rival factions. This is the perfect opportunity to eliminate the elders at the main sect first before hunting down those outside. Though the memories don’t pinpoint every elder’s location, I have a general idea. I won’t let the remaining Yin Luo Sect members unite against me,” Han Li replied calmly.

“If you’re this confident, that’s for the best. But do you plan to simply seize enough soul banners and leave, or do you truly intend to topple the Yin Luo Sect?” the child asked pointedly.

Han Li fell silent for a long moment before answering with a cold laugh, “What I think is irrelevant. Without their Great Cultivator and six or seven other Nascent Soul elders, do you think the Yin Luo Sect can maintain its position among the Ten Great Sects? Once word spreads, their enemies and opportunistic factions will descend like vultures. Why should I lift a finger?”