However, his Magical Power had now been depleted by more than half, and his combat strength had plummeted to its absolute nadir. He could not care less that this was still a battlefield — he waved his hand and released a hazy yellow meditation cushion, then sat cross-legged upon it.
Han Li formed a double-handed seal, closed his eyes, and immediately began circulating his energy to recuperate.
The pills he had swallowed earlier had saved him from the danger of a violent backlash that would have torn his body apart. But under such hasty circumstances, it was impossible to fully refine and absorb all of them. An enormous accumulation of medicinal force had built up inside his body — a terrifying concentration that needed to be forcibly suppressed promptly, or the consequences would be catastrophic.
Fortunately, he had a protective formation array surrounding him, and the Leopard Kirin Beast had flickered back into existence at his side to stand guard. For the time being, there was no need to worry about any unexpected disturbances.
After a short while, a layer of golden radiance surfaced around Han Li's body, slowly swirling in endless currents.
Immersed within it, Han Li sat motionless, resembling a golden war god made manifest.
Suddenly, his hands shifted their seal, and his fingers began flicking against his chest one after another in rapid succession, like the spokes of a turning wheel.
A series of sharp sounds cut through the air — over a dozen slender silver threads flashed and vanished without a trace.
They were silver needles as fine as hair, which he had flicked into his own body using a secret technique, locking down several critical points along his Meridians.
Next, he shook one sleeve, and over a dozen talismans of various colors shot outward. After a brief circling, they streaked toward Han Li and plunged into him.
*Pop! Pop! Pop!* The talismans burst into clusters of radiant flame, then transformed into over a dozen fist-sized runic phantoms that flickered and sank into his body, disappearing without a trace.
Han Li let out a muffled grunt. A faint golden glow swept across his face, his aura surged briefly, then quickly settled back to stability.
After waiting a moment longer, he exhaled softly and finally opened his eyes.
"I've managed to suppress it for now. I wonder how things are going on the other side. I hope those two haven't run into any trouble." Han Li stowed the cushion, stood up in one motion, and muttered a few words under his breath.
His gaze flickered as he glanced in a particular direction.
If he was not mistaken, Zen Master Jin Yue and the silver-haired elder should still be locked in fierce battle against the Blood Light Sacred Ancestor's avatar.
Han Li pondered briefly and was about to take further action when the void suddenly heaved with a violent tremor, followed by a cataclysmic boom that sounded as though mountains were collapsing and the earth were splitting apart!
The sky and surrounding light barriers shattered inch by inch in an instant. The entire spatial formation had been forcibly torn apart by someone of immense divine power.
Thirty-six male cultivators staggered as they materialized from the void — some spewing mouthfuls of blood, others with limbs that had ruptured on their own. The formation implements before them had likewise collapsed into nothingness under the devastating backlash.
Han Li's expression shifted slightly. His gaze sharpened as he looked toward a spot that had suddenly been revealed nearby.
There, a colossal skeleton — crystalline and blood-red throughout — was roaring as it rampaged wildly.
The enormous skeleton stood well over a hundred zhang tall, manifesting in the form of three heads and six arms. Each of its six massive hands gripped a pitch-black, rod-shaped demonic weapon.
As all six weapons swung in unison, they whipped up gale after gale of demonic wind. Within the churning black qi, the faint outlines of countless blades and spears could be seen howling through the air.
Atop the skeleton's enormous skull, the blood-robed youth stood with one hand forming a seal and the other holding aloft a massive black seal-stone. His eyes were half-closed, as though he was pouring every ounce of his power into driving the skeleton beneath him.
On the opposite side, the silver-haired elder and Zen Master Jin Yue cut thoroughly wretched figures.
One had his golden kasaya torn to shreds, a startling blood-colored handprint sunk more than half a foot deep into his chest, as though half his ribs had been reduced to powder — yet not a single drop of blood seeped out.
The other had his hair bun undone, his face deathly pale, the seven-colored feather fan in his hand radiating its light with extreme dimness.
Before each of them, several treasures circled and danced, forming layer upon layer of light barriers to shield them. But under the relentless assault of the demonic wind, these defenses swayed on the verge of collapse, flickering wildly, seemingly unable to hold out for any longer.
This blood-colored skeleton actually possessed such terrifying power — clearly, it had been the one to shatter the spatial barrier moments ago.
Han Li took in the entire scene, and his gaze grew somewhat heavier.
The strength of this final Blood Light Sacred Ancestor avatar appeared far greater than he had anticipated.
But his face betrayed no emotion whatsoever. Only the hand hidden within his sleeve moved ever so slightly.
A faint spiritual light flashed, and an object was grasped firmly in his palm.
With the barrier gone, the three combatants on the far side could now clearly see Han Li's situation as well.
Their expressions, however, were starkly different.
The silver-haired elder and Zen Master Jin Yue were both overwhelmed with shock and elation, while the blood-robed youth's face showed a look of alarm and disbelief.
It should be remembered that only a short while had passed since they had split off from Han Li and the demonic tribesman. Yet here Han Li stood, completely unscathed, while the demonic tribesman had vanished without a trace.
The blood-robed youth knew full well how formidable the demonic tribesman was — even his own true body would have had no certainty of killing him. Naturally, he could not bring himself to believe that Han Li had accomplished the feat in such a short time. His eyes darted back and forth, scanning the surroundings ceaselessly.