As soon as “Marquis Nanlong” saw the tiger demon puppets materializing before him, he was momentarily stunned but charged forward without hesitation.
A dozen puppets flashed with white light, moving like the wind in unison. After a blur of shadows, they instantly surrounded “Marquis Nanlong,” dozens of claw streaks slashing viciously at him from all directions.
“Marquis Nanlong” darkened his expression and let out a low growl, completely ignoring the claw streaks aimed at his body. Instead, he swung his arms, his fists striking like lightning toward the sharp claws of two puppets lunging at him.
Two dull thuds echoed as the claw streaks and black mist collided. The claws failed to harm his fists, and under the swelling black mist, they shattered inch by inch from the claws to the arms. Yet, the puppets, unafraid of death and unaffected by disrupted magic power, retaliated with cold flashes as two more claws joined the assault alongside the others.
“Marquis Nanlong” let out a sinister chuckle, his shoulders shifting slightly before he vanished from his original position with a *whoosh*. The claw streaks aimed at him struck nothing but air, only for two more dull thuds to resound.
His figure reappeared outside the encirclement, withdrawing his arms from the chests of two one-armed tiger demon puppets. Though puppets lacked hearts, such severe damage rendered them uncontrollable, sending them plummeting from the sky. His fists were so indestructible that even Han Li’s meticulously crafted tiger demon puppets couldn’t withstand them.
However, this strike was merely incidental—his true target was Han Li, whose body had yet to fully recover. After destroying the two puppets, he didn’t pause, darting past the remaining puppets and appearing before Han Li in a flash, throwing a decisive punch.
Inside the light barrier, Han Li still couldn’t muster his magic power, but as he watched the demonic energy-wrapped fist approaching, his expression remained eerily calm, even revealing a trace of peculiarity.
“Marquis Nanlong,” sensing something amiss, hesitated. Just then, a sharp, explosive sound erupted behind him, as if something had lunged at him from point-blank range. Startled, he retracted his fist and twisted his body unnaturally, leaving behind countless afterimages as his true form vanished without a trace.
Where he had stood, countless green claw streaks tore through the afterimages, shredding them instantly. Then, amid a flash of green light, a green-haired, skeletal monster materialized, coldly staring at “Marquis Nanlong” without a word—the Sky-Severing Demon Corpse Han Li had secretly summoned under the cover of his puppets.
“Marquis Nanlong,” having focused solely on the tiger demon puppets, had failed to notice the hidden demon corpse and nearly fell victim to the ambush.
“A refined corpse?” “Marquis Nanlong” exclaimed in surprise upon recognizing the demon corpse.
Meanwhile, the remaining tiger demon puppets swiftly regrouped around Han Li. Suddenly, Han Li raised both hands, fingers splayed—one hand crackling with thick golden arcs amid thunderous roars, the other silently conjuring a small cluster of purple flame.
Having done this, Han Li cast an indifferent glance at the demon soul.
“Marquis Nanlong” snorted, realizing his opponent had regained control of his magic power, making further aggression futile. What unsettled him was that Han Li, despite unleashing so many Divine Devilbane Lightning strikes, still hadn’t exhausted his reserves—an astonishing feat.
If memory served, before his sealing, Divine Devilbane Lightning had been devastating to ancient demons, yet those who wielded such treasures were exceedingly rare. Even those who possessed them could only unleash the lightning once or twice before being spent. Otherwise, during the ancient demons’ invasion of the human realm, they wouldn’t have been so unstoppable. Yet, this man seemed to have an endless supply, wielding it without restraint—a troublesome development.
Moreover, the sudden appearance of the purple flame in Han Li’s other hand sent a chill down his spine. Though he didn’t recognize it, its mere presence screamed danger, marking it as anything but ordinary.
As for the puppets, he dismissed them. Unprepared, they might have posed a surprise, but in a real fight, they’d be negligible. Even the eerie aura of the refined corpse merely added an early-stage Nascent Soul opponent—hardly a threat.
The demon soul, possessing Marquis Nanlong, pondered briefly after failing to subdue Han Li in the initial clash.
Meanwhile, Master Linghu and the white-robed woman, seeing Han Li and “Marquis Nanlong” momentarily disengage, exchanged wary glances. Not daring to recklessly attack with their ancient treasures, they kept the five-colored light pillar and the ring hovering above “Marquis Nanlong,” poised to strike. The ring, an enigmatic treasure, hummed softly, fluctuating in size.
Suddenly, an explosion sounded from the side, drawing “Marquis Nanlong’s” attention.
A gray-white flame burst mid-air, from which a golden insect cloud emerged unscathed, buzzing as it flew free. The once-trapped ghostly claws had vanished without a trace. “Marquis Nanlong’s” expression darkened.
The golden insect cloud, now liberated, shot straight toward Han Li.
“To think you possess so many tricks. It seems extracting your Nascent Soul won’t be straightforward. In that case, I’ll have to obliterate you outright—permanently. This body is merely borrowed; its destruction matters little.” After a pause, “Marquis Nanlong” spoke with brutal finality.
He took a deep breath, and black demonic energy erupted from his body. His bones cracked unnaturally as his frame expanded by several feet, his neck and shoulders bulging grotesquely, as if something sought to burst forth.
Han Li, momentarily stunned, reacted swiftly—flinging golden arcs that wove into a massive golden serpent lunging forward, while a seemingly ordinary purple fireball shot from his other hand. Simultaneously, he uttered a low cry, and the returning golden insect cloud dispersed above him. The tiger demon puppets and the Sky-Severing Demon Corpse remained stationary, guarding against sneak attacks.
Master Linghu and the white-robed woman, unwilling to let “Marquis Nanlong” unleash any devastating techniques, exchanged a glance and activated their treasures. The five-colored light pillar descended first, striking before Han Li’s attacks, while the white ring expanded into a massive loop, descending to ensnare.
The demon soul remained indifferent. As the light pillar neared, black energy engulfed him, causing the pillar to vanish upon contact—as if swallowed whole.
Han Li’s golden serpent, purple fireball, and the white ring attacked simultaneously, with the golden insect cloud trailing closely.
This time, the demon soul refused to engage directly. With a flick of black energy, he shot backward at incredible speed, evading all pursuit. The attacks, guided by Han Li and the others, chased relentlessly but couldn’t lock onto his erratic, ghostly movements.
Frustrated, the white-robed woman unleashed more five-colored light pillars from her mirror, yet none found their mark.
The chase lasted briefly before Han Li, though controlling the golden arcs and purple flame with his spiritual sense, frowned deeply.
“Boy, if you’ve no other trump cards, I suggest fleeing now. Ancient demons differ vastly from human cultivators—each is vicious, battle-hardened, and immensely experienced. Though the ones crossing realms aren’t the most formidable, once they get serious, you stand no chance. I’ve yet to complete my final Nascent Soul puppet and have no desire to perish with you.” Great Divination Sage’s voice suddenly transmitted into Han Li’s mind.
Han Li ignored the remark, his expression hardening as he flicked his sleeves. A chorus of clear chimes rang out as dozens of golden small swords swam forth, transforming into foot-long golden lights swirling around him.
With a series of hand seals, the sword lights trembled and multiplied into over a hundred identical streaks, their brilliance intensifying.
“Go!” Han Li formed a seal, and the hundred sword lights hummed in unison before vanishing eerily, only to reappear moments later—forming the Great Geng Sword Array before him.
“Oh? A sword array! So you’ve held back. Forget my earlier words. Still, I’m curious—what array gives you such confidence?” Great Divination Sage mused lazily.
“You’ll see soon enough. Against an ancient demon’s true form, this array’s efficacy is uncertain. But possessing a human cultivator? Once trapped, even if it doesn’t kill, it’ll strip him to the bone.” Han Li replied coolly.
“Tch! Don’t boast prematurely. That demon has only relied on brute strength so far. You’ve yet to witness the true horrors of ancient demonic arts!” Great Divination Sage scoffed dismissively.
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