Seizing the opportunity, Han Li rubbed his hands together without the slightest hesitation, then flared them outward!
Thunderous booms erupted!
Golden arcs of lightning flickered as countless bolts sprang outward. In a single flash, they wove into a massive net of electricity that swooped down over the Stone Spirit, then instantly constricted.
By the time the spirit recovered from that cold snort, its body was already tightly entwined layer upon layer with crackling arcs of lightning.
This Devouring Spirit was naturally unwilling to be captured so easily. With a sharp shriek, yellow demonic flames rolled off its body once more.
The moment the golden arcs forged from Wiping Evil Divine Lightning made contact with the flames, they began to dissolve with a series of low, crackling pops.
The Stone Spirit was on the verge of breaking free!
But Han Li had gone to such great trouble to trap it — how could he give it even the slightest chance? A cold smirk curled at the corner of his mouth as he formed a single-handed incantation, preparing to teleport to the Stone Spirit's very side in an instant.
At that exact moment, however, a somewhat urgent voice transmission reached his ear from Black Rain Sovereign: "Fellow Daoist Han, wait a moment. Let my spirit insects subdue this spirit creature."
Han Li paused in surprise, and his hand movements instinctively halted.
The old man, who had been hovering motionless in the air, suddenly moved his eyeballs a few times, then let out a long, piercing cry.
Almost simultaneously, the azure flying scorpion's surface blurred slightly. After a frenzy of flickering afterimages, it split into over a dozen identical copies.
The moment these flying scorpions spread their wings, each transformed into a streak of blue light and vanished from where they stood.
An instant later, spatial fluctuations rippled, and the scorpions materialized above the Stone Spirit. The hooks at their tails flashed, and the same blue beams they had fired before shot out all at once.
This time, bound tight by the golden arcs, the Stone Spirit could not move an inch. Naturally, every blue beam pierced straight into its body.
A layer of hazy blue mist instantly surfaced on the spirit creature's face. The raging yellow demonic flames that had been blazing across its body dimmed as though meeting their bane, and with a final muffled pop, they dispersed and were extinguished.
The Yellow Grain Stone Spirit flew into a violent rage at this sight. Baring its teeth, it suddenly opened its mouth and inhaled fiercely, its body swelling like a balloon. At the same time, a terrifying aura radiated outward from its being.
The moment Han Li sensed the strange quality of that aura, something clicked in his mind. His expression changed, and with a flicker of his figure, he reappeared over a hundred zhang away.
In that brief instant, the Devouring Spirit's body had already become perfectly round and bloated, straining the golden arcs of lightning until they crackled and popped wildly, threatening to burst apart at any moment.
"You fool, still trying to self-destruct? I've been prepared for that trick of yours all along."
Freshly freed from the illusion, Black Rain Sovereign gave a cold snout and grabbed at the void with an outstretched hand.
Through a sky full of flashing silver lightning, a gossamer-thin silver net materialized above the mountaintop, then shrank down in a flash, descending directly over the Yellow Grain Stone Spirit.
A thunderous boom!
The silver silken net clung tightly to the Stone Spirit's massive body, then tightened rapidly as the old man channeled his incantation.
Blinding filaments of lightning flared simultaneously, and countless silver runes surged from the net in torrents. The entire Stone Spirit was transformed into a dazzlingly bright orb of silver light.
An incredible sight unfolded!
Under the constricting grip of the silver net, the Stone Spirit's swollen body rapidly shrank.
In the span of just a few breaths, it had returned to its original size. Then, no matter how desperately the spirit creature tried to unleash any further technique, nothing stirred within its body at all.
The Stone Spirit was seething with fury inside, but there was absolutely nothing it could do.
"Heh heh. Now that you've fallen into my Silver Firmament Lightning Net, don't even think about squirming around. Just behave yourself and come with me to Holy Island. Don't worry — I'm not after your little life. I only need to borrow your true form for a while." The moment Black Rain Sovereign confirmed the capture of the Yellow Grain Stone Spirit, delight filled his heart and a smile spread across his face. He drifted slowly down from the sky.
"Congratulations, Brother Yu. It seems the mission has been completed successfully. I'm rather ashamed — this humble monk wasn't of much help. If Fellow Daoist Han hadn't been here to assist, that little creature might have gotten away." Tian Chan, standing off to the side, suddenly spoke with a note of apology.
Clearly, the instant the Stone Spirit had been captured, the illusion trapping him had naturally shattered and vanished, allowing him to break free.
"Master is too modest. Without both you and me acting together, we couldn't have drawn out the Stone Spirit's illusion technique so quickly, and Fellow Daoist Han wouldn't have been able to block it so easily. But Master is quite right about one thing — we truly owe it to Fellow Daoist Han's help this time!" Black Rain Sovereign replied with hearty laughter.