The massive sword, still struggling in the three-headed tiger demon’s grasp, ceased its vibrations as Han Li pointed from a distance, though its green radiance flickered unsteadily.
The tiger demon, which had just spewed a large cloud of black mist, was taken aback by this development. Before it could react, dozens of faint golden arcs of electricity shot out from the broad surface of the giant sword.
These arcs moved with lightning speed, vanishing almost instantly as they traveled along the demon’s furry, massive hands and spread across its entire enormous body. They formed a golden net of light, trapping the monster within.
Upon seeing this, all three of the monster’s heads simultaneously showed expressions of terror. But before it could take any action, the electric net enveloping it exploded at Han Li’s command, triggered by his softly uttered word, “Strike!”
The blinding, scorching white light completely engulfed the massive body, making it impossible to see even the slightest detail.
Even Zi Ling and the black-robed figure, engaged in their own battle nearby, couldn’t help but glance over in astonishment. Their opponents, the “Wei Wu” ghosts and two night harpies, seemed momentarily confused before suddenly abandoning the fight and scattering in all directions.
Startled, Zi Ling and the black-robed figure hesitated briefly, allowing the creatures to escape into the ghostly mist. Only the Tihun Beast seized the opportunity, snorting forcefully with its large nose and releasing a shimmering light that engulfed an escaping evil spirit, pulling it into its belly.
The white light lasted only a moment before fading, returning the scene to normal. The tiger demon remained standing motionless where it was, its three heads frozen in expressions of horror, unchanged and rigid. Then, a cold gust of wind blew, and the creature’s massive body disintegrated into ash, vanishing without a trace.
Only the giant sword and a fist-sized tri-colored orb remained floating in mid-air. The orb, interwoven with gray, black, and green hues, shimmered incessantly.
Han Li let out a long sigh of relief. With a wave of his hand, the cyan giant sword emitted a low hum before dispersing into eight flying swords that shot back toward him. However, four of them vanished in a flash of cyan light mid-flight, while the other four obediently returned to his body, falling into a deep slumber.
The earlier electric arcs had completely depleted the “Evil-Warding Divine Lightning” they had accumulated, requiring an extended period of rest and recovery.
Han Li turned his attention to the peculiar orb. With a swift movement, he flashed to its side and stared at it intently, lost in thought.
A moment later, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes. He flipped his hand, and another cyan flying sword appeared. With a swift motion, he mercilessly slashed downward.
With a “thud,” the orb was cleaved in two, releasing three streams of black smoke that frantically tried to flee. But Han Li flicked his other hand, sending three egg-sized fireballs shooting out.
After three soft “puffs,” the streams of black smoke were struck by the fireballs, emitting faint screams before being utterly consumed by the flames.
These cunning demon ghosts had hidden their main souls within the magical treasure, attempting to lure him into grabbing it. Had he fallen for the trap, he would have faced a soul-seizure battle!
However, the fact that the combined tiger demon was destroyed by the “Evil-Warding Divine Lightning” from the flying swords was something he had anticipated.
Given the renowned reputation of Golden Lightning Bamboo and its specific ability to suppress demonic and evil arts, the simultaneous release of lightning from four flying swords would have been unjust if it failed to destroy such a demon ghost.
It was this trump card that gave him the calm and confidence when entering the ghostly mist. Even when faced with the merged demon ghost, though he found it bizarre, he remained composed and unhurried.
Of course, due to the presence of the black-robed figure and Zi Ling, he had initially hoped to defeat the enemy without using the “Evil-Warding Divine Lightning.” However, the merged tiger demon proved unexpectedly powerful and foolishly grabbed his Green Bamboo Cloud-Swarming Sword with both hands. Faced with such an opportunity to use the “Evil-Warding Divine Lightning,” he naturally didn’t let it slip away.
Now, he had succeeded in completely eradicating this monster, which was no weaker than a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, from the world.
Han Li glanced down at the now-split orb, shook his head lightly, and turned to walk toward Zi Ling.
The black-robed figure’s gaze toward him was still filled with shock. Although he hadn’t had time to closely observe Han Li’s battle, he had caught glimpses of the ghost demon’s possession, transformation, and merger, which had terrified him. He had even decided that if Han Li showed the slightest sign of defeat, he would immediately flee, as the three-headed demon tiger appeared incredibly fearsome and powerful.
Yet, after a blinding white light, the monster was effortlessly destroyed, something he found hard to believe. Could it be that Han Li possessed some legendary ancient treasure capable of reversing the situation? Otherwise, as an early-stage Core Formation cultivator, he couldn’t possibly have destroyed the three-headed tiger demon.
But if that were the case, aligning himself with Han Li would provide a strong backing within the Virtual Sky Palace. After all, aside from those Nascent Soul old monsters, he doubted anyone could destroy such a powerful ghost demon without a scratch.
With this thought, the shock in the black-robed figure’s eyes gradually faded, replaced by a complex expression as he looked at Han Li.
As for Zi Ling, though equally surprised, she had long suspected that Han Li was no ordinary Core Formation cultivator. She quickly regained her composure and greeted him with a smile.
“Senior Han, your powers are truly remarkable. To so easily destroy such a formidable ghost demon—it seems being transported here with you was indeed fortunate!” Zi Ling said gracefully.
“Easily? It was anything but easy,” Han Li replied faintly as he approached, denying her praise.
“Senior, you are too modest!” Zi Ling said with a smile in her eyes, clearly thinking he was being disingenuous.
“Might I ask what that white light was, fellow Daoist? It possessed such tremendous power,” the black-robed figure spoke up for the first time, his voice low and hoarse, unpleasant to the ear.
Hearing this grating voice, a strange light flickered in Han Li’s eyes as he looked at the black-robed figure and suddenly smiled.
“Fellow Daoist, you are a female cultivator, aren’t you? There’s no need to use a disguised voice. Fellow Daoist Zi Ling and I have already seen through it,” Han Li said calmly, his smile fading.
Upon hearing this, Zi Ling covered her mouth with a light, charming laugh.
The black-robed figure was first stunned, then filled with embarrassment and annoyance.
After a long moment, she switched to a soft, feminine voice and said, “Since both fellow Daoists have seen through it, I have nothing to hide. I merely did it for convenience while outside.”
After saying this, the black-robed woman hesitated slightly before slowly removing her hood, revealing an astonishingly beautiful face.
Her skin was snow-white and delicate, complemented by lustrous black shoulder-length hair. A golden hair ring adorned her forehead, adding a touch of mysterious charm and giving her an aura of cold, proud beauty.
Even Zi Ling, herself a woman, was struck by the black-robed cultivator’s beauty. But then, as if remembering something, she sneakily glanced at Han Li.
What she saw left her feeling somewhat uneasy.
Han Li was staring intently at the black-robed woman’s beautiful face, a strange, indescribable expression in his eyes.
A faint blush rose on the black-robed woman’s jade-like cheeks. She felt both pleased and slightly irritated. Coldly, she said, “Have you looked enough, fellow Daoist? Is there something wrong with my face?” Her expression darkened slightly.
Chided in this manner, Han Li showed no anger but also didn’t avert his gaze. Instead, he let out a long sigh and began scrutinizing her up and down with a mysterious smile, appearing quite interested.
This not only made the woman raise her delicate eyebrows, her face frosty, but also left Zi Ling wondering if Han Li had some improper intentions.
However, upon second thought, she considered it might not be so unusual.
Due to innate aptitude limitations, female cultivators who formed Golden Cores were far fewer than their male counterparts in the world of cultivation. Thus, most high-level dual cultivation partners typically involved a male at the Core Formation stage and a female at the Foundation Establishment stage. This arrangement made enhancing cultivation through dual cultivation techniques less effective for male cultivators. As a result, the few female cultivators who reached the Core Formation stage naturally attracted many male cultivators who deemed themselves suitable matches.
For a female cultivator as stunningly beautiful and highly skilled as the black-robed woman, it seemed only natural that Han Li would be captivated.
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