At this moment, the Reverse Star Disk controlled by Linglong was the first to unleash its power.
A flash of starlight erupted from its center, and countless fist-sized orbs of light surged forth like a torrent of thousands of stars, instantly tearing through space and leaving behind golden afterimages. It resembled a waterfall flowing backward or a galaxy reversing its course, mesmerizing anyone who gazed upon it.
The two-headed monstrous wolf at the center of the vortex paid no heed to this attack, instead frantically intensifying the black vortex, causing it to absorb even more white specks of light and compress itself at an accelerated rate.
Yet, in the next moment, the black wolf was stunned.
The golden starlight streaked past the top of the vortex without striking it directly.
“A mistake? Ridiculous. With divine sense as a guide, how could such an absurd thing happen?” The twin-headed wolf was baffled, but suddenly sensing something, one of its heads turned back in alarm.
Abruptly, the other head spat out a rapid incantation, and the five-colored radiance spewing from the vortex twisted, forcibly splitting the golden starlight in half.
But from Linglong came a chilling voice:
“Too late to realize now. He’s already been released by me.”
As her words faded, a massive cluster of starlight gathered dozens of feet behind the black vortex. A figure flickered within before solidifying and stepping out, looking around in bewilderment with a sly expression.
Han Li, who had just reached the edge, turned back and was shocked.
“Him? How could he be here?” Han Li felt utterly confused.
The round-faced old man was none other than Xiang Zhili, who had been banished into the Illusory Mirage by the fused soul of the demon spirit and Lingmeng upon entering Kunwu Mountain. At that time, the newly formed soul, supported by the silver wolf’s body and proficient in both ancient demonic and spirit realm techniques, far surpassed the current demon spirit and Linglong in power—several times stronger than their peak states, even approaching the early-stage Void Refinement realm.
Only with such strength could it transmit spiritual power beyond the seal to temporarily imprison Xiang Zhili.
The Illusory Mirage was an ancient secret technique long lost in the human realm. Essentially, it sealed a person into a temporary spatial rift formed by immense power. The rift couldn’t last long, and the caster couldn’t enter it themselves. Due to the nature of the rift, it had many names, such as “Immortal Cage” or “Nightmare Pavilion.”
Its effectiveness depended on the relative cultivation levels of the caster and the target.
For lower-level cultivators trapped by higher-level ones, misfortune was almost certain. Unless the rift collapsed on its own or they possessed a powerful treasure to break through, they could only wait inside until the technique dissipated.
However, outside specific circumstances, this technique was rarely practical. Higher-level cultivators had easier methods to deal with weaker foes, while lower-level cultivators attempting it would find their targets easily breaking free.
Thus, it was more commonly used between peers, but timing and positioning had to be precise to trap the opponent. Moreover, the technique required at least mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation.
These limitations likely contributed to its disappearance in the human realm.
Dispelling the technique, however, required little divine sense or spiritual power. With the Reverse Star Disk’s aid, Linglong could barely manage it.
Though Xiang Zhili didn’t understand the technique, he had heard rumors. During his confinement, he remained still to avoid falling into illusions. One moment he was brooding, the next he found himself here, both elated and bewildered.
Blinking his small eyes, Xiang Zhili scanned his surroundings in confusion.
Meanwhile, the twin-headed wolf’s four eyes flashed with ferocity. Without hesitation, it opened both mouths, firing two black beams at the Black Wind Banner before it. The banner trembled, releasing countless black threads that spiraled outward from the vortex’s center.
The black vortex, now shrunk to a few feet, suddenly contracted violently, collapsing into a foot-wide black hole.
The hole’s center was pitch-black, emitting no light, while its edges pulsed erratically, devouring everything nearby. The already distorted space began tearing apart, pulled toward the abyss.
This terrifying phenomenon could only be achieved by a treasure like the Black Wind Banner, which wielded spatial powers.
Xiang Zhili’s gaze locked onto the black hole, his face paling as he shouted, “Bad news!”
In a panic, he spat out a triangular crimson token. Flashing gold, it burst into flames, transforming into a golden fire beast—armored, horned, and wreathed in golden fire, neither bull nor tiger. Without hesitation, it lunged as a golden streak toward the black hole.
Simultaneously, Xiang Zhili’s unremarkable robe glowed, conjuring a violet barrier. He tensely watched the hole.
But before the fire beast reached it, the black-armored woman’s laughter echoed from within. The hole abruptly sank, teleporting above the altar before expanding and exploding.
To Han Li, the explosion birthed countless black fissures—some yards wide, others inches thin—spreading like lightning with a deafening screech.
From afar, it seemed as if a giant mirror had shattered.
Han Li’s face whitened. Was he about to endure another spatial collapse?
The eighth layer’s collapse had merely triggered ancient restrictions, posing no real danger. But this was different—the fissures were chaotic, unstable, and lethal. Unless they led to a small pocket dimension like before, survival was unlikely.
Near the altar, Qimiao Zhenren was bisected by multiple fissures, his body and treasures reduced to pieces. His fleeing infant soul was swallowed by a larger fissure without a sound.
Han Li’s heart sank as several fissures surrounded him, leaving no escape. Desperate, he charged toward the thinnest one, sending the Void Heaven Cauldron ahead as a shield.
To his relief, the fissure halted upon striking the cauldron, its green radiance flaring. He dodged past just as multiple fissures shredded his former position.
Cold sweat drenched his back.
But then the fissures trembled, their black light intensifying. Han Li’s stomach lurched.
Yet, to his astonishment, the fissures shrank and retreated as swiftly as they’d appeared, vanishing as if time had reversed.
Nearby, the space was pristine—as though the chaos had been an illusion.
Exhaling, Han Li recalled the earlier scream and checked Gui Ling’s position.
She was gone, her life token vanished. The fissures had claimed her.
Sighing, Han Li scanned the battlefield.
Lin Yinping and the Corpse Bear, though not at the edges, were unharmed. The bear was encased in bloody light, calm, while Lin Yinping was pale—several fissures had narrowly missed her. Whether by luck or the so-called Heavenly Lazure Beast’s protection, she’d survived.
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