A sharp tearing sound rang out, and Han Li's figure flickered into view from the nearby void. He glanced at the Vajra Saint Golden Body and a look of satisfaction crossed his face.
A sweep of his sleeve!
With a muffled boom, the golden body dissolved into motes of golden light and vanished.
His Second Nascent Soul then transformed into a wisp of black qi that shot toward him at tremendous speed, flashing once before disappearing without a trace.
Although he had released his Second Nascent Soul and fused it into the golden body, because the Second Nascent Soul's state of mind had not yet been fully consolidated, it had been unable to unleash any of its demonic arts during the earlier battle. It could only manipulate the golden body through spiritual sense.
By doing so, the Second Nascent Soul did not have to worry about suffering a backlash from Heart Demons. However, the golden body was also unable to unleash its full power.
But after Han Li had broken through to the late stage of Void Refinement, the Vajra Saint True Demon Art had also been cultivated to its final section. The golden body's might was incomparably greater than when he had been at the early stage of Void Refinement, and it could now execute several long-awaited new divine abilities.
The Void Swirling Golden Light was the most powerful and bizarre among them.
Even an ordinary existence at the Body Integration stage, if caught off guard and drawn in by that golden light, would likely perish within if they lacked extraordinary abilities or extraordinary treasures to protect themselves.
Therefore, even though the Second Nascent Soul had not activated the demonic arts, merely driving the golden body was more than sufficient to obliterate that Rong tribesman with effortless ease.
From the moment Han Li had taken action to the point where he used the treasure golden body to annihilate four Rong tribesmen of the same cultivation level, only a handful of exchanges had passed. Moon Fairy and the old man surnamed Xu, who were still wavering in the distance over whether to turn back and assist Han Li against their enemies, were still deliberating.
The four great foes who had been pursuing them in a wretched rout had already been completely destroyed by Han Li in a single breath.
The pair naturally wore expressions of stunned disbelief.
There was roughly seventy percent horror in their faces, twenty percent unease, and only the remaining ten percent was delight.
Han Li paid no attention to the shifting expressions of the woman and the old man. His figure swayed, and with a single flicker he appeared above Qu Er.
Ever since Han Li had shown himself, the young girl had remained perfectly still where she was. Now, seeing him arrive nearby, she blinked her eyes several times, exchanged a few sentences with Han Li through a private spiritual transmission, then flashed with white light before transforming into a ball of white light that vanished into his sleeve.
Han Li pondered for a moment, then raised his head and glanced at the woman and old man in the distance.
The two exchanged a look with each other, appeared to whisper a brief discussion, hesitated, and then finally flew over toward his position.
Their speed was neither fast nor slow.
Even so, after a short while they gradually arrived to within thirty feet or so of Han Li, their遁光 dimming as they came to a stop.
"We thank Fellow Daoist for your aid. Without it, Moon Fairy and I would have had little chance of escaping those Rong tribesmen's pursuit. Brother Han's abilities are truly remarkable — they put us to shame." The old man cupped his fists toward Han Li, his face beaming as he expressed his gratitude repeatedly.
"Fellow Daoist Xu is quite right. Those Rong tribesmen possessed exceptional escape techniques. Had we not encountered Brother Han here, the danger of perishing would have been very real. I am also endlessly grateful." Moon Fairy's jade-like features had regained their composure, though she still let out a soft sigh as she spoke.
"So the two of you had your spiritual power depleted — that explains why you couldn't shake off those Rong tribesmen. There is no need for thanks. Regardless of anything else, I entered this realm from Cloud City together with the both of you. Having encountered you here, I naturally could not stand by and watch you die." Han Li smiled faintly, his manner quite modest.
"Brother Han truly has a discerning eye! Before this, Moon Fairy and I fell for a Rong tribesman's trick. By the time we fled, our vital essence had already suffered considerable damage. The debt of Fellow Daoist's lifesaving grace is something I will never forget — I must repay it handsomely." Seeing Han Li's amiable demeanor, the old man surnamed Xu felt his heart ease, and a few more smiles crept onto his face.
Upon hearing the old man's words, Han Li merely smiled without comment.
Moon Fairy's gaze flickered a few times. She suddenly raised her hand, and a jade box appeared within it. Then she spoke slowly toward Han Li:
"In this box is a stalk of Nine Flame Spiritual Grass, a species long since extinct in the Spirit Realm. It is an essential ingredient for refining several types of spirit pills. Those Rong tribesmen pursued us relentlessly, and a small part of their motivation was this very spiritual grass. Having been saved by Fellow Daoist with no way to repay you, I shall gift you this spiritual grass."
As soon as her words fell, she tossed the jade box directly toward him.
The old man beside her showed a flicker of surprise at this sight, but it vanished in an instant, and his face once again filled with an easy smile as though nothing had happened.
Han Li found this somewhat unexpected. With a subtle shift in his expression, he reached out with one hand and drew the jade box toward him through the air.
He lowered his gaze to examine it.
The jade box glowed with a faint red light, its surface affixed with several pale blue talisman seals — clearly a set of precautions treating whatever lay within with the utmost care.
Han Li's eyes flashed. He opened his mouth and sprayed out a breath of azure radiance.
The azure light swept over the box, causing the talisman seals on its surface to flash wildly before peeling off of their own accord.
The box lid flew open, and a sphere of crystalline light shot out from within, brimming with spiritual vitality.
But Han Li had long been prepared and would never allow it to escape right under his nose.
With a sweep of one arm, he thrust his hand out and made a grasping motion through the air.
A sharp hissing sound of splitting air rang out as an invisible, immense force enveloped the crystalline light beneath it in an instant.