When Liu Jing and the other cultivators from Yellow Maple Valley saw this, they immediately recalled Han Li’s warning about these demonic practitioners’ ability to transform. Realizing what was happening, they unhesitatingly unleashed their magical artifacts and techniques upon the four glowing cocoons. They knew that before the transformation was complete, these Blood Servants would be stationary targets, and they weren’t about to let such an opportunity slip by.
Unfortunately, just as Han Li had said, these glowing spheres were incredibly resilient. Even after a storm of attacks, they remained completely unscathed, standing firm in their original spots.
Liu Jing and the others wore grim expressions.
“Don’t hold back! Use whatever ultimate moves you have! If we don’t act now, it’ll be too late once they complete their transformation!” Liu Jing shouted resolutely.
With that, he retracted his magical artifact and solemnly drew out a golden talisman, holding it between two fingers. He began chanting an incantation, and as the mysterious spell filled the air, the talisman gradually emitted a dazzling golden light.
Han Li was inwardly startled. Although he couldn’t discern the grade of this talisman, the fact that Liu Jing, a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, needed an incantation to activate it indicated it was no ordinary item.
Seeing this, the others exchanged glances before each began to reveal their own unique abilities.
The most eye-catching were actually Chen Qiaoqian’s senior sister and Song Meng. Each produced a talisman treasure inscribed with images of magical treasures and immediately sat down to focus their energy on activating them. Blue and gray rays of light emanated from their talismans, drawing envious looks from the others.
Talisman treasures weren’t something every Foundation Establishment cultivator could easily obtain. Possessing one was proof that these two either came from powerful families or were deeply favored by their sect elders. Otherwise, they would never have had the opportunity or resources to acquire such items on their own.
Though envious, the others were not to be outdone. They either unleashed fierce spells or summoned even more exquisite magical artifacts, launching the next wave of attacks. In an instant, radiant lights shot into the sky, and magical artifacts danced wildly.
Han Li, however, neither used his talisman treasure nor the formidable “Giant Sword Technique” from earlier. Instead, he opted for the most energy-efficient method: with a light wave of his hands, several heavy thuds echoed as four beast puppets materialized before him.
As soon as these puppets opened their cold, lifeless eyes, they unleashed several beams of light from their gaping mouths, striking out fiercely like white ribbons. Han Li stood behind them, taking the opportunity to recover the spiritual energy he had expended in the previous battle.
They hadn’t even encountered the Black Fiend Sect Leader yet, and he had no intention of exhausting all his energy prematurely.
Conserving as much energy as possible for emergencies was a decision Han Li had made before the battle began. If his energy were depleted, even his numerous skills and methods would be useless.
The appearance of the beast puppets drew surprised glances from his fellow disciples, but they quickly returned to their own tasks. After all, the techniques and spells one cultivated were personal secrets, and it was impolite to pry.
Those who knew a bit about the origins of “puppetry” assumed Han Li had acquired the technique from Li Huayuan. Given Li Huayuan’s cultivation level, it wouldn’t be unusual for him to have killed a few Thousand Bamboo Sect disciples and obtained their cultivation methods.
Thus, the others were merely curious about Han Li’s beast puppets.
At that moment, Liu Jing’s golden talisman was successfully activated. With a slight tremble, it transformed into a golden streak of light, flying above the blood-red cocoons.
Then, with a “poof,” the golden light burst into a shower of sparkling raindrops, drifting down like a dreamy, dazzling spectacle.
However, beneath this enchanting scene lay a deadly threat. As Liu Jing’s hands blurred through a series of hand seals, the漫天光点underwent a bizarre transformation, contracting and elongating into countless tiny golden swords. Each was only an inch long, but they exuded a chilling, razor-sharp aura.
“Thousand Blades Technique!” Liu Jing murmured softly, revealing the name of this metal-attribute spell.
Everyone except the two still activating their talisman treasures was stunned.
Metal-attribute spells were already the rarest among the five elements, and most were supportive techniques like the “Golden Armor Technique” or “Iron Skin Technique.” For Liu Jing’s talisman to not only be an offensive metal-attribute spell but also a mid-level or above area-of-effect technique was astonishing. Even Han Li was taken aback, and they all paused momentarily to observe the spell’s effects.
Thousands of golden swords now hung menacingly above the cocoons, a breathtaking sight.
As Liu Jing chanted the incantation, the tiny golden swords began to fall like hail, piercing downward toward the blood-red spheres.
A series of dull thuds reached Han Li’s ears as golden and blood-red lights intertwined, splashing like fireworks.
The previously impervious cocoons finally showed signs of change under this fierce assault. The blood-red light intensified, as if aware of the danger, thickening to resist the relentless onslaught of golden swords.
Seeing this, Liu Jing felt encouraged rather than worried. The fact that the cocoons were reacting meant his attack was effective. With increased intensity, he could break through the blood-red light.
However, more than half of the tiny swords had already fallen, yet the blood-red light remained as vibrant as ever, seemingly unperturbed.
“Senior Brother Liu, let me lend a hand!” Song Meng shouted suddenly.
The gray talisman in his hand had transformed into a several-feet-long gray spear, emanating an eerie gray aura.
“Focus on the leftmost Blood Servant first! Don’t spread our attacks!” Liu Jing exclaimed joyfully upon seeing Song Meng’s talisman treasure take form.
He directed the remaining golden swords to converge, all striking toward the leftmost cocoon, which belonged to the Blood Servant known as “Ice Demon.”
After a series of rumbling sounds, everyone saw that the blood-red light around the cocoon had noticeably dimmed.
Seeing this strategy work, Han Li and the others redirected their spells, magical artifacts, and beast puppets’ attacks toward the same target. Song Meng’s gray spear, emitting a piercing shriek, followed suit.
In Han Li’s eyes, the once-impenetrable blood-red cocoon was worn down to a thin layer by the “Thousand Blades Technique” and the combined assaults. The figure inside was now faintly visible.
Finally, the gray spear pierced through, followed by an enraged roar that left everyone’s ears ringing. Two crystalline white claws emerged from the blood-red light, tearing through the remaining layer and revealing the figure within.
A half-transformed white monster.
At first glance, it appeared to be a handsome young man, but two small white horns protruded from its head, and a foot-long white tail covered in shimmering scales extended from its hips. Its hands had transformed into razor-sharp claws, and semi-transparent milky-white demon patterns covered its body.
A bowl-sized bloody hole gaped on its shoulder, the flesh around it writhing and contracting grotesquely. Yet, it seemed to be healing at a visible rate.
“You’re seeking death!” the half-transformed Ice Demon snarled, still lucid enough to speak.
Though his transformation was incomplete, he believed his demonic body was sufficient to hold out until his companions finished their transformations.
Liu Jing and the others, who had never witnessed such a transformation, paled at the terrifying sight. Though Han Li had warned them about the Blood Servants’ grotesque forms, seeing it in person was still shocking, filling them with unease.
Several white beams shot forth, striking the Ice Demon’s bare chest and sending him tumbling backward in a disheveled heap.
It was Han Li, unwilling to waste time listening to the monster’s threats, who had commanded his beast puppets to attack.
The others snapped out of their daze and resumed their assault with renewed ferocity.
But the fallen Ice Demon enveloped himself in a cold mist. When the mist dissipated, he had vanished without a trace.
Alarmed, the others frantically searched their surroundings.
Based on their experience, such disappearances usually meant the opponent had used some kind of evasion technique to quickly relocate but wouldn’t have gone far.
Aside from the three still-glowing cocoons, there was no one in sight. The ordinary Black Fiend Sect disciples had long since fled.
A cold dread gripped Han Li as he suddenly realized something. He hastily slapped his storage pouch, summoning the White Scale Shield and turtle shell artifact, which began orbiting him rapidly. “Everyone, be careful! He’s hiding!” he shouted.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a woman’s agonized scream pierced the air. Everyone turned in shock.
Chen Qiaoqian’s senior sister, who had been sitting on the ground activating her talisman treasure, now lay on her back, a gaping hole torn in her chest as if someone had reached in and crushed her heart.
In a pool of blood, her beautiful face was twisted in pain, her limbs convulsing. Her eyes held a look of disbelief and terror, then a flicker of resentment before they glazed over, lifeless.
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