Before Han Li and the others could react, amidst the cold laughter of the black-robed woman, the distant glimmer of light swiftly vanished. Darkness enveloped everyone’s vision as they were plunged into a murky, oppressive space.
This Yuancha Saint Ancestor had actually activated the spatial divine ability of the Black Wind Banner, resealing a small section of space and trapping everyone within it.
The Xu-clan youth and the others all paled dramatically.
“Quick, teleport away!”
“Eh? Where’s the person who just teleported in?”
“The teleportation array has failed—it can’t be activated!”
A series of alarmed and furious shouts rang out, and most of the group began to panic.
Han Li’s heart sank. He, too, had failed to notice how the teleported individual had disappeared, let alone discern their appearance. But compared to the teleportation array’s failure, this was trivial.
With a flicker of movement, he appeared before the teleportation array.
Lin Yinping and Gui Ling were already inside the array, frantically inspecting it, their faces etched with anxiety.
“Let me take a look!” Han Li said in a low voice, raising a single hand.
A spell formula shot toward the edge of the array, but the resulting glow was weak and flickered out almost instantly, leaving no further reaction.
Han Li’s expression darkened.
By then, the Xu-clan youth and the Silver-winged Yaksha had also gathered around. However, neither was particularly skilled in array formations. Seeing Han Li’s grim expression, the Silver-winged Yaksha couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong? Is there a problem with the teleportation array?”
“The array itself is fine, but it’s been sealed by the spatial power of the Black Wind Banner. Unless we break this space or the banner’s owner releases the restriction, we can’t teleport out,” Han Li replied slowly, his gaze fixed on the array.
“Break the space? How? Are we supposed to kill the Yuancha Saint Ancestor? If we had that kind of power, why would we be in such a hurry to leave?” the Silver-winged Yaksha exclaimed in frustration.
“What’s the point of complaining to me? At least the demon is currently focused on dealing with the person in the palace and has only trapped us for now. Let’s think carefully and see if we can come up with an escape plan. Save your grievances for later,” Han Li retorted bluntly, his eyes flashing with impatience.
The Silver-winged Yaksha’s face twisted with anger, a fierce glint appearing in his eyes. But then, as if remembering something, he snorted and forcibly suppressed his rage, his expression shifting uncertainly as he pondered.
Beside him, the Xu-clan youth wore a thoughtful look.
Lin Yinping and Gui Ling stepped out of the array helplessly, their brows furrowed in worry.
While Han Li and the others were momentarily at a loss within the sealed space, outside, the black-robed woman, enveloped in a black hurricane, glanced at the giant banner in the sky, its dark radiance significantly diminished. A cold smile played on her lips.
Apart from the few wind pillars around her, the surrounding gales had gradually subsided, revealing a scene of devastation that slowly came into clearer view.
Though the spatial divine ability had consumed much of the Black Wind Banner’s power, the Nine Truths Demon-Subduing Array before her had already been destroyed. The remaining energy was more than enough to deal with the uncontrolled Eight Spirit Ruler. While this spiritual treasure was formidable, relying solely on its own sentience, how much of its power could it truly unleash? At most, it could only suppress the wolf spirit in the palace, which lacked its original body.
With these thoughts, her gaze swept outward.
The eight spirit beast phantoms, torn apart by the hurricane, continuously shattered and dispersed, only to reform under the Eight Spirit Ruler’s power. Though they couldn’t breach the hurricane’s interior, the woman had no intention of leaving its protection lightly.
Her expression impassive, the black-robed woman suddenly turned her gaze toward a figure on the palace—the large-headed oddity who had remained nearby since the battle began, not daring to leave or take any other action.
Amidst the Black Wind Banner’s ferocious gales, the palace’s center had been a safe haven, and this individual had emerged unscathed.
A strange light flickered in the black-robed woman’s bright eyes as she spoke in a melodious voice:
“Fellow Daoist Ye, retrieve the Eight Spirit Ruler for this Saint Ancestor. Don’t worry—I’ll keep an eye on things. Fellow Daoist Long Meng won’t have a chance to strike at you.”
The oddity’s face froze momentarily, revealing hesitation.
“What? Are you afraid this Saint Ancestor can’t guarantee your safety?” The black-robed woman chuckled softly, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead before casually pointing toward the Ye Clan cultivators in the distance.
The group had been standing their ground, summoning protective treasures around the illusion of the white-robed scholar. At her gesture, they paled in alarm.
Her slender jade finger twitched—
Yet no spiritual light appeared at her fingertip. It was as if she had merely flicked at the air.
The Ye Clan cultivators were baffled, and the large-headed oddity, witnessing this, was equally confused, unsure of the black-robed woman’s intent.
Then, with a series of muffled *thuds*, the Daoist nun and the elderly man among the Ye Clan cultivators suddenly sprouted crimson blossoms between their brows. Their corpses toppled backward, their protective treasures and spiritual shields utterly useless.
The square-faced middle-aged man, however, saw a skeletal ring flash before him, its yellow light deflecting a translucent pearl.
The pearl, no larger than a thumb, was crystalline and clear. Knocked aside by the yellow light, it exploded with a *bang* and vanished. The white-robed scholar’s illusion, standing among them, was also struck between the brows, its form shattering instantly.
“Eh?”
“Ah?”
The black-robed woman and the large-headed oddity exclaimed simultaneously—hers in surprise, his in shock.
“Moon Reflection Ring? No, a replica!” the black-robed woman murmured, a trace of astonishment crossing her face.
“Saint Ancestor, what is the meaning of this?” the oddity demanded, his expression darkening.
“Meaning? Since Fellow Daoist Ye doubts this Saint Ancestor’s capabilities, I naturally had to demonstrate. Or do these people have some connection to you?” she replied offhandedly, her gaze flickering.
The oddity snorted coldly, clearly displeased but holding his tongue. His eyes lingered on the spot where the white-robed scholar’s illusion had vanished, a mix of suspicion and unease in his expression.
Meanwhile, the corpses of the two slain Ye Clan cultivators burst apart, their nascent souls fleeing in panic toward the square-faced man.
The square-faced man, his face like stone, retracted the skeletal ring, allowing the two nascent souls to vanish into his sleeve before summoning the ring again. Throughout, his eyes never left the black-robed woman, wary of another sudden attack.
Whether disdaining to strike again after her initial failure or simply intending to showcase her power to the oddity, the black-robed woman ignored the man’s actions and addressed the oddity again: “Fellow Daoist Ye, if you retrieve the Eight Spirit Ruler for me, it will count as aiding me. Once we escape, I’ll infuse you with demonic energy, greatly extending your lifespan. And when it comes time to deal with that demonic consort, you won’t need to lift a finger. Surely you can manage this small task?”
Her jade-like face grew icy, her clear eyes suddenly tinged with a bloody hue, giving her an eerie, demonic aura.
The oddity’s expression shifted. He understood the Yuancha Saint Ancestor’s avatar was growing impatient. After a moment’s deliberation, he realized refusal wasn’t an option. Gritting his teeth, he said nothing and floated toward the Eight Spirit Ruler.
The moment he moved, an icy snort echoed from beneath the palace. Space above him twisted, and a colossal fist over ten zhang in size materialized, smashing down like a mountain.
Sensing the terrifying spiritual pressure, the oddity recoiled in alarm, preparing to retreat. But at that moment, the black-robed woman chuckled softly and lightly tapped her jade hand toward the palace.
With a deafening *boom*, the giant fist was struck by an invisible force, sent flying sideways before dissipating into motes of white light.
Reassured, the oddity wasted no time. His body shimmered as he transformed into a streak of yellow light, darting toward the Eight Spirit Ruler.
But just as he shot forward a dozen zhang, a nearly inaudible sigh came from one side. A strange black-red blade shot out from the void, its light sweeping toward him like a tidal wave.
“Black Blood Blade!”
The oddity gasped, instinctively opening his mouth to spit out a small yellow sword. The sword expanded to a zhang in length, swirling to create layers of sword shadows that enveloped him. Simultaneously, he flipped his hand, producing a pristine white vial, which he aimed at the incoming blade light.
A white mist sprayed from the vial, meeting the blade light that had arrived in the blink of an eye.
Upon contact, the black-red blade light shredded the seemingly dense mist effortlessly. The light then condensed into a massive black-red blade several zhang long, slashing straight at the oddity.
Panicked, the oddity formed hand seals, urging the yellow greatsword to block while flicking his sleeve to release a silver flying fork.
The black-red blade paused momentarily against the sword shadows but then hummed ominously, slicing through them like paper and striking the greatsword’s body.
The yellow sword let out a mournful cry, a crack appearing where the blade light had struck.
The oddity’s face whitened, and he spat a mouthful of black blood. Fortunately, the silver fork arrived just in time, transforming into a screen of silver light to help block the descending blade.
Yet it was clear that even with this extraordinary fork, the two treasures couldn’t hold out for long. The oddity’s body glowed as he prepared to dart sideways.
Seeing this, the black-robed woman’s expression darkened. She flicked a finger toward an empty spot above the palace.
A muffled grunt followed as a faint white figure staggered into visibility—none other than the Ye Clan’s Grand Elder, the white-robed scholar who had been concealed all along.
But now, his face was expressionless, and a thin bloody hole pierced his chest—directly over his heart. Strangely, he seemed entirely unbothered by the wound.
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