With just a slight flap of its wings, the crow unleashed a surge of purple flames far more powerful than the previous fire pillars. Not only did it instantly clear the yellow mist before it, but it also froze the bizarre insects behind into crystalline blocks of varying sizes, rendering them completely immobile.
The fire crow’s crimson eyes flashed as it lunged toward the three-eyed demon beast, carrying boundless, bone-chilling cold.
Pinned down by the immense force of the demon-subduing staff, the beast couldn’t move an inch. It barely managed to release a black beam from its third eye.
However, the black beam struck the giant crow like mud sinking into the sea—utterly ineffective.
With a long cry, the purple fire crow vanished in a flash, reappearing atop the ninth-grade demon beast.
The beast’s body was instantly engulfed in raging purple flames. After a single shriek, its horrified expression froze as it transformed into a massive block of purple ice.
Its protective demonic aura had failed to hinder the Violet Extreme Flames in the slightest!
A figure flickered beside the ice block—the humanoid puppet emerged within a silver glow. Rubbing its hands together, it then flung them outward, sending two golden arcs crackling with thunder toward the ice.
With a deafening boom, the purple ice shattered into countless fragments, and the ninth-grade demon beast’s body was torn apart along with it. But amidst the debris, a green light flashed—a soul fire larger than the long-eared, green-eyed beast’s shot out, teleporting over twenty zhang away in a few blinks.
“Thinking of fleeing now? Isn’t it a bit too late?”
A voice drifted lazily through the air. A silver arc crackled into existence before the green soul fire, and Han Li materialized, hands clasped behind his back, smirking faintly within the silver light.
The ninth-grade demon soul knew it was in dire straits. It immediately attempted to flee again, but Han Li flicked his wrist, summoning a green wooden ruler. With a gentle wave, spiritual light shimmered, and a silver lotus about a foot in size materialized around the soul.
As the lotus petals rotated slightly, the surrounding spiritual energy solidified, preventing the soul from teleporting.
The demon soul’s heart sank. The silver lotus erupted in radiant light, and multicolored Buddhist rays shot from its core, ensnaring the soul before swiftly retracting it into the lotus.
A terrified scream echoed before the lotus flickered violently and dissipated into nothingness, taking the demon soul with it.
Han Li sighed softly, and the wooden ruler vanished from his hand.
Meanwhile, the humanoid puppet floated toward him, expressionlessly handing over two storage pouches, an ancient silver ring artifact, and a thumb-sized black orb—the third eye of the three-eyed demon beast.
Han Li narrowed his eyes, pinching the orb between two fingers for closer inspection.
Aside from its pitch-black hue, it appeared unremarkable.
Yet when he turned the eye to face himself, his expression shifted slightly. He stored both the orb and the silver ring away.
Though the silver ring was a decent ancient treasure, it barely met Han Li’s current standards.
As for the yellow streak that had clashed with his flying swords, now masterless, it had reverted to a peculiar blade-like weapon, which Han Li casually stored.
After retrieving his swords and the demon-subduing staff, Han Li wasted no time. Wrapping the puppet in his aura, he transformed into a green streak, shooting toward the corridor’s end.
The closer he got to the main hall, the fewer the beasts and cultivators became—but those remaining were all high-level experts, including Core Formation cultivators and shape-shifting beasts. Since their battles didn’t block his path, Han Li merely observed from afar, avoiding unnecessary trouble.
Passing through several courtyards and a plaza, Han Li finally reached the main hall of the Ethereal Spirit Palace.
The white jade walls stretched endlessly, their vastness impossible to gauge. The entrance before him, however, was modest—only about ten zhang tall, likely a side gate.
At the entrance, two cultivators and a beast were locked in a fierce battle.
The two white-robed cultivators—a man and a woman—were none other than the gray-haired Elder Ye, the supervisory elder of the Small Extreme Palace whom Han Li had met before, and Bai Yaoyi, clad in flowing white robes.
Their opponent was an elderly man in a black robe, his hair shimmering faintly with a blue-green hue, his cold, piercing eyes exuding an intimidating aura.
Bai Yaoyi and Elder Ye wielded two silver flying swords and a strange jade bottle spewing black-and-white mist, engaging the old man in a deadlock.
The old man controlled a shimmering green net with one hand, spreading it into a vast cloud of thunderous might, while his other hand wielded an iron pestle-like artifact, conjuring dozens of illusory strikes with each swing—some real, some fake, wielded with masterful precision.
Despite facing two opponents, the old man suppressed them effortlessly, his demeanor casual.
Yet the jade bottle in Elder Ye’s hand proved formidable, its black-and-white mist absorbing both thunder and illusions, while Bai Yaoyi’s twin swords provided additional support, keeping them barely afloat.
Han Li’s eyes glowed blue as he scanned the old man, his pupils contracting in shock.
This was a tenth-grade shape-shifting beast! Even with his Brightsight Spirit Eyes, Han Li couldn’t discern its true form.
Heart tightening, Han Li’s green streak shot toward the battle’s periphery—but instead of stopping, it accelerated, aiming to slip beneath the fray and into the hall.
“Seeking death!” The old man, a tenth-grade beast, wouldn’t tolerate such audacity. Though he sensed Han Li’s mid-Nascent Soul cultivation, he dismissed it with a flick of his finger toward the green net.
With a thunderous roar, dozens of fist-sized green fireballs erupted from the net, swelling to skull-sized as they rained down, covering a twenty-zhang radius and leaving Han Li no room to dodge.
Han Li frowned but didn’t slow. The puppet on his back materialized, drawing a small bow wreathed in red flames. With a single pull of the string, countless fiery arrows shot forth, clashing with the green thunder in midair.
Though the arrows were weaker, they stalled the thunder long enough for the green streak to slip past the battle and into the hall.
“Hmm?” The old man’s brow furrowed in surprise. Despite the speed, he’d glimpsed the puppet behind Han Li.
Yet as Han Li vanished inside, the old man refocused on his opponents, intensifying his assault.
Bai Yaoyi, though unable to see Han Li clearly, recognized the familiar green streak.
“Has the Grand Elder emerged from the Profound Jade Cave?” she wondered, but the sudden surge in the enemy’s attacks forced her to concentrate on reinforcing her swords.
Elder Ye, too, was startled by the green streak’s defiance but dismissed it as an ally, pouring more power into his jade bottle.
Even with this imitation “Dual Qi Vase,” two mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators were no match for a tenth-grade beast.
Meanwhile, Han Li reappeared inside the hall, scanning his surroundings.
Before he could take stock, a hoarse, mocking laugh echoed:
“Another fool for the slaughter? Fine—one more makes no difference. Enter, then!”
Before Han Li could react, black light engulfed him, and the scenery shifted. He now stood in a dark, roiling space filled with demonic energy.
Trapped.
Han Li’s heart pounded. The demonic energy surged toward him like a crushing tide.
Taking a deep breath, he clenched his fists.
Thunder roared as golden lightning erupted around him, forming a protective barrier.
Dozens of golden sword rays shot from his sleeves, swirling into a radiant shield outside the lightning.
The black demonic energy crashed against the golden light, testing its defenses.
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