The massive black tiger, seeing the flood dragon formed by the Emerald Swarm Sword charging toward it, flashed a fierce glint in its eyes. With a low roar, it opened its bloody maw and spat out over a dozen black orbs the size of human heads, sending them hurtling toward the emerald flood dragon.
The two flood dragon phantoms managed to tear the first few orbs to shreds with their claws and teeth, but by the seventh or eighth orb, they could no longer withstand the assault. With a mournful cry, the flood dragon forms were shattered by the impact of the orbs, revealing the true forms of the flying swords.
The two swords were sent flying dozens of feet away, tumbling end over end. The green glow on their surfaces dimmed significantly, as if their spiritual nature had been damaged.
Han Li felt a pang of distress upon seeing this. He quickly pointed a finger, and the two swords transformed into streaks of green light, shooting back into his body to recuperate. At the same time, he raised his other hand and released four more identical green flying swords, which shot toward the giant tiger in a flash.
The ghostly figure standing behind the tiger grew impatient upon seeing this. It took a deep breath and let out an ear-piercing, shrill cry.
Hearing this sound, the demon tiger immediately lowered its head, twisted its neck, and dug its front claws deep into the ground.
What happened next was astonishing!
A large bulge swelled on one side of the tiger’s head, and after a flash of black light, a slightly smaller tiger head abruptly appeared beside the original, transforming it into a two-headed monstrosity! As the second head emerged, the demonic aura around the tiger surged dramatically, causing Han Li to furrow his brows in concern.
Without hesitation, the two-headed tiger spirit opened both its mouths simultaneously, spewing out a dense barrage of black orbs that swarmed menacingly toward Han Li.
Han Li didn’t dare delay. He formed a hand seal, and the four flying swords mid-flight trembled violently, multiplying into eight. After a brilliant flash of light, the eight swords converged into a single massive green sword several yards long.
Han Li gazed at the sword, a strange light flickering in his eyes, then without hesitation, he opened his mouth and exhaled a stream of pure true essence, which transformed into a misty green haze that enveloped the broad blade of the great sword.
Instantly, the sword emitted a long, clear hum, radiating brilliant light as it transformed into a green streak over thirty feet long, slashing fiercely toward the black orbs with a sound akin to wind and thunder.
Black and green lights collided, scattering in all directions amid explosive crashes, creating an incredibly spectacular and deafening scene.
The green great sword cleaved through numerous orbs with unstoppable force, displaying astonishing might. However, the black orbs continued to pour forth endlessly from the two tiger heads, showing no signs of stopping, as if they were infinite.
This situation darkened Han Li’s expression, taking him somewhat by surprise.
As he contemplated whether to use another spell to break through the onslaught or release more flying swords, the air behind him, about thirty feet away, rippled slightly. Then, the faint gray ghostly figure silently materialized.
Apart from its pair of blood-red eyes, it emitted no unusual aura, and Han Li seemed completely unaware of its presence behind him.
The gray shadow glanced at the insects floating around Han Li, its red eyes flashing several times. Suddenly, it lunged forward, transforming into a slender gray streak that shot silently toward Han Li’s back, aiming to shatter his golden core with a single grab.
As for the insects, it paid them no mind. The cultivation technique it practiced excelled at transformation and stealth, and its body had currently assumed an intangible form. How could it fear discovery by mere insects? Even if they did notice, it was confident that Han Li would be unable to react in time, doomed to die under its sharp claws.
Indeed, the ghost’s cultivation technique was exceedingly bizarre. The gray streak shooting toward Han Li made no sound and was incredibly fast.
In the blink of an eye, it closed in on Han Li’s back. But just then, the gold and silver armored insects hovering in the air buzzed loudly and swarmed toward the gray light like a tidal wave.
The gray shadow was greatly startled. Before it could react, countless gold and silver insects blocked its path and charged at it. Instantly, the gray light plunged into the cloud of insects, which swarmed all over it, covering its body in a glittering gold and silver hue.
Enraged and alarmed, the gray shadow shook its body several times, trying to fling the insects off, but to no avail. Soon, a dense, peculiar sensation spread across its entire form.
Puzzled, it lowered its head for a closer look. Its ghostly eyes flickered with blood-red light, filled with horror.
These seemingly insignificant beetles were tearing bites out of its intangible ghostly body. Though each bite required considerable effort, they were indeed devouring it piece by piece—they could actually ignore its formless nature.
Now panicked, the gray shadow began to shift forms rapidly. One moment it turned into pitch-black mist, the next into a scale-armored monster. Yet no matter how it changed, the densely packed insects clung stubbornly to its true form, making escape impossible.
In this short time, its ghostly body had already been significantly devoured by thousands of these strange insects.
Just then, Han Li finally turned his head and cast a cold glance at the gray shadow.
Without a word, he waved both hands, releasing two more spirit beast pouches into the air. Two additional swarms of gold and silver insects buzzed into existence, forming two massive arrows that shot down and joined the feast.
The gray ghost finally let out a deafening shriek of terror, crying out for help to the black ghostly figure in the distance.
Hearing this, the black shadow finally showed a trace of anxiety.
It glanced at the tiger spirit, still deadlocked with the green great sword, hesitating briefly. But then, the green light in its eyes contracted sharply, and it transformed into a mass of murky ghostly mist, merging directly with the two-headed demon tiger.
The black tiger roared in agony, suddenly rising onto its hind legs. Its back legs thickened and enlarged while its front legs thinned and shrank.
Then, one of the tiger heads blurred, features shifting until a furry, human-like face emerged, shrouded in thick black energy. The other head remained unchanged in form, but its eyes now brimmed with sheer brutality.
“Possession Art!” Han Li gasped, involuntarily uttering the name of this technique.
At first glance, this art seemed similar to “Body Possession,” also involving attachment to a living creature, but in reality, their effects were worlds apart!
For one, using Body Possession not only failed to increase one’s power but also limited the host body to a fraction of the practitioner’s original strength. It was merely a convenient method for remote control, with few lasting consequences after use.
The Possession Art, however, was different. It couldn’t be used on other cultivators—only on beasts with low intelligence.
Moreover, after possession, not only did the cultivator’s power multiply by combining with the host’s, but once this secret art was used, it forged a life-and-death contract between the two. If either soul perished, the other would vanish as well.
Most astonishingly, after performing the Possession Art, an entirely new entity was formed, possessing its own consciousness and memories, completely distinct from both the practitioner and the possessed creature.
Although initially, this possession lasted only a short time before dissolving automatically, the more frequently the art was used and the longer it lasted, the more this new entity would gradually dominate. Eventually, the process would become irreversible!
Ironically, this half-human, half-demon monster, born with astonishing power, had an pitifully short lifespan.
The price for such tremendous strength was an immense consumption of its own life force. Often, shortly after gaining independence, it would meet its end.
Additionally, though its truth was uncertain, rumors claimed that cultivators who practiced the Possession Art would have their souls eternally damned to an endless abyss after death, forever barred from reincarnation. This made cultivators pale at the mere mention of it.
Fortunately, very few cultivators knew of this secret art, and even those who did would never practice it. Otherwise, they would either suffer drastically reduced lifespans or die as half-human, half-demon freaks.
The merged form of the ghost and the giant tiger before him matched the legendary Possession Art perfectly. Yet, this secret art should only be performable by normal cultivators—never had he heard of ghosts practicing it, let alone applying it to their own tool spirits.
Han Li, usually stoic, couldn’t help but show doubt on his face, his vigilance skyrocketing.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage