Naturally, Han Li could sense the pursuers closing in once more. Immediately, the giant roc he had transformed into let out a low cry, and countless golden lights suddenly burst from its body.
Each light swelled in the wind to the size of a rice bowl, revealing themselves to be glittering golden beetles.
These were the mature Gold Devouring Beetles that Han Li had kept in reserve — and he released several thousand of them in a single breath.
Though those golden blood shadows appeared to be virtually indestructive, they were instantly engulfed by the sheer number of beetles. In the span of just a few breaths, every last one had been devoured completely, without so much as a scrap remaining.
The giant roc let out another long cry, and all the spirit insects flew back to it at once.
A peal of thunder!
The giant roc spread its four wings and vanished in a streak of silver lightning.
Meanwhile, booms echoed endlessly along the distant horizon as the silver arc flickered in and out of sight a few times before disappearing for good.
About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea later, the jade disc and the stone palace came hurtling over, slowing slightly before hovering side by side in the nearby void.
With a flash of light, two figures materialized above them.
One was slender and statuesque, the other wreathed in hazy blood light.
They were avatars of Yuan Sha and Blood Light!
Both swept their gazes across the surroundings, though their expressions differed.
The woman in the blue palace dress kept her face impassive, but as her beautiful eyes moved, a trace of irritation flickered within them.
The youth in blood-red robes wore a livid expression, his brow furrowed with undisguised frustration.
"That brat is genuinely troublesome — even my Blood Light Crystal Guards couldn't hold him up for more than a moment. It seems he truly intends to drag this out against both of us," Blood Light said through gritted teeth.
"Hmph. Your bodyguards are supposed to be virtually indestructible, yet they were wiped out by a mere handful of spirit insects? That's rather pathetic!" Yuan Sha snorted coldly.
"Yuan Sha, spare me the cheap talk. I don't believe for a second that you couldn't identify where those spirit insects come from. My guards had cultivated the Blood Body Demonic Art — how could they possibly withstand the devouring of an ancient swarm?" Blood Light shot back, clearly annoyed.
"Of course I recognized them. But if those Gold Devouring Beetles numbered in the hundreds of thousands or even millions, I might be somewhat wary. Since there are only this pitiful number, how could they truly pose a threat to either of us? At worst, we simply trap them with treasures made of wood or stone," the woman said coolly.
"I do happen to have a couple of wood- or stone-class treasures on me. But can you be certain that brat has no more insects than what we just saw? If he were to command a hundred thousand or more, I wouldn't be able to cope. And who knows how many other methods he still has up his sleeve — if we keep pressing him like this, won't we end up both gravely wounded?" Blood Light's mouth twitched as he spoke.
"A hundred thousand Gold Devouring Beetles? You certainly have quite the imagination. Fine — let's say this Han brat truly has that many on hand. Do you think he has the mental resolve to command them all? Driving a hundred thousand Gold Devouring Beetles would drain the spiritual sense of even our true bodies in an instant. Relax. Those insects we just saw must be his absolute limit. If he could deploy them this easily in battle, he would have used them against us long before now rather than waiting until this moment. That said, his abilities are genuinely formidable, and we would do well to exercise extra caution. Tell me, Blood Light — you aren't planning to give up now, are you? If so, I shall continue the pursuit alone. All you need to do is order your subordinates to seal off every route he might use to flee back to the human strongholds," the woman said, a cold smirk playing on her lips as she tossed her head.
"I was merely saying as much. Since you are so confident, dear friend, then naturally I shall see this through to the end," the blood-robed youth said. His expression shifted slightly, but he quickly yawned as if to cover it.
This Demon Sovereign had already lost two precious treasures to Han Li in succession — how could he possibly abandon the chase now?
"However, you must understand, even though I command the Holy Ancestor's armies in this region, I cannot commit all of my forces to cornering this one man. If something were to go wrong, I wouldn't be able to answer to the others," Blood Light said, his eyes darting sidelong as he changed the subject.
"If you have something to say, just say it directly. There's no need to beat around the bush," the woman said, a delicate eyebrow arching with impatience.
"Heh heh, it's nothing really. Since we cannot capture this human cultivator quickly, you and I have no choice but to make longer-term arrangements. Why not call in some of Liu Ji's elite forces to assist? With them deployed, that brat won't be able to escape even if he sprouted wings. Given your relationship with Liu Ji, this shouldn't be too much to ask," Blood Light said, fixing his gaze on the woman's face as he spoke deliberately.
"Call in Liu Ji's people? Hmm, that is actually a reasonable proposal. Very well, I can agree to that. But in the meantime, your forces must keep that brat under relentless pressure — not giving him a single moment's rest, and certainly not letting him slip away," the woman said, her eyes flickering several times as if weighing the idea, before agreeing outright.
"Rest assured, fellow Daoist Yuan Sha. I will deploy my forces to seal off every passage leading to Heavenly Abyss City and the other major human territories. He won't be able to rendezvous with anyone — he'll be a frightened bird with nowhere to roost," Blood Light said, beaming with delight.
"Mm, that would be ideal. Until Liu Ji's people arrive, you and I might as well maintain this distance — neither too close nor too far — and simply tail him. Once that brat is exhausted, we move in and take him down. It should be an effortless capture at that point," the woman said coldly.
"Naturally. In truth, if you and I were truly willing to sacrifice some of our vital essence, we wouldn't have been unable to catch up with him all this time," Blood Light said with a smile.
"Enough. Let's get moving. That brat's escape speed is truly impressive — if we delay any longer, he'll slip right out of our detection range," Yuan Sha said, suddenly raising her head to gaze into the distance.
"Of course. But further ahead, I've already positioned another seven waves of reinforcements lying in wait. They should be able to wear him down a few more times," Blood Light said, nodding slightly, a strange look crossing his face.
Yuan Sha said nothing further. Instead, her shapely figure twisted and transformed into a ball of white light that shot straight toward the stone palace.
As for Blood Light, he formed a single-handed seal, and with a muffled pop, dissolved into a cloud of black gas that sank into the jade disc.