Two dull thuds rang out!
The beastman's frantically thrown fists shattered inch by inch the instant they made contact with the Extreme Mountains, bursting into two clouds of blood mist. His body shook violently, and under an immense force he was sent hurtling backward involuntarily.
The two Extreme Mountains, however, didn't slow in the slightest. With another blur, they appeared on either sides of the beastman — and slammed inward toward each other without a shred of mercy.
A thunderous boom!
The two Extreme Mountains collided with a tremendous crash, unleashing a blinding halo of light as wave after wave of shockwaves rippled outward!
Amidst the deafening roar, a faint, wretched scream from the beastman could just barely be heard — but it was cut off in an instant.
Once the halo of light and shockwaves had dissipated from around the two Extreme Mountains again, several soft pops sounded, and four orbs of light suddenly shot out from a patch of blood mist between the peaks, each fleeing desperately in a different direction.
They were the Nascent Souls of the four Void Refining demon cultivators!
"Still thinking of running away?"
Han Li snorted coldly from midair. The giant ape his transformation had become merely raised one massive palm and struck toward the distant figures from afar.
A deep, droning hum filled the air. The void within a li radius of the Extreme Mountains blurred and warped, physically shuddering under the sheer force contained in the ape's palm strike.
The four Nascent Souls' surface glow flickered once — and without even a scream, they all detonated, dissolving into scattered motes of spiritual light that vanished into the void.
Han Li let out a soft chuckle and finally withdrew his technique. The giant ape rapidly shrank in an instant, reverting back to his human form.
The Wood Clan cultivators who had witnessed this spectacle stood with mouths agape, completely dumbstruck!
High above in the sky, Fei Xiaoxi's expression was no better — her cherry lips parted slightly, her gaze momentarily blank.
The formidable enemy she had been battling for so long, the one she had nearly been unable to hold off — had been obliterated by Han Li in a single exchange, without even lasting one encounter. For this woman, who had always held herself in extremely high regard, it was almost impossible to believe. It felt like a dream.
But just as this Fusion-stage Yaksha clan expert drew a deep breath and was about to manage a strained smile to say something, a low, humming sound suddenly came from Han Li's sleeve — deep and subdued, yet perfectly audible to everyone present.
Han Li's expression shifted subtly. Without a word, he flicked his sleeve, and a ball of green light shot out. After a single spin it resolved into a formation plate that settled in his hand.
He tapped twice on the emerald-green plate with one finger, and the panicked voice of the large Wood Clan man immediately came through: "Brother Han, this is bad! Five demon cultivators suspected to be Sacred Ancestor incarnations have appeared nearby and are rapidly approaching our mountain range! I've activated every restriction we have to slow them down, but at best I can delay them for half the time it takes to eat a meal. Have you finished your battle over there? Can you spare a hand?"
Fei Xiaoxi and the other Wood Clan cultivators' faces changed dramatically upon hearing the message.
Han Li's own expression darkened slightly as he asked in a low voice: "Can you confirm they're Sacred Ancestor incarnations and not ordinary demon lords? Also, rest assured — I've already cut down every last demon on my end!"
"Wonderful — you can finally lend us a hand! From the way these five demons fought, they all appear to have late-stage Fusion cultivation. Apart from Sacred Ancestor incarnations, how could the demons possibly assemble so many cultivators of that terrifying caliber all at once? It's almost certainly them. This group doesn't seem to be the same batch that attacked Formation Eye Number Three. It looks like the demons have actually gathered all their incarnations together and split them into several groups to assault our three formation eyes simultaneously. Brother Han, do you have any way to hold them up, even briefly?" The Wood Clan man replied hurriedly, his voice brimming with hope.
"Is that so? Could it be that you have some other strategy for repelling them?" Han Li narrowed his eyes and asked slowly.
"As long as Brother Han can delay these Sacred Ancestor incarnations for half a shi chen, I'll be able to reverse the formation eye's power, absorb the enormous energy of the entire grand formation, and then use a secret technique to merge with the reserve sacred tree. This will activate an extremely powerful restriction that can temporarily trap those Sacred Ancestor incarnations!" The Wood Clan man dispensed with all pretense and hastily revealed his original trump card.
"If the formation eye has such a remarkable capability, why was Formation Eye Number Three still breached?" Han Li furrowed his brow slightly, a trace of surprise in his voice.
"The previous Sacred Ancestor incarnations arrived too quickly. The fellow daoists at Formation Eye Number Three had no time to execute this technique before the enemy broke through the restrictions and destroyed the formation eye." The Wood Clan man answered with a bitter laugh.
"I see. Half a shi chen, then — that shouldn't be a problem. Brother Crab and I will do our best. Teleport the two of us directly to those Sacred Ancestor incarnations!" Han Li smiled faintly and agreed without a moment's hesitation.
"Excellent! If Brother Han can truly hold them for that long, I'll have every confidence in defending this formation eye." The Wood Clan man's spirits visibly lifted, evidently brimming with confidence in the restriction.
"Miss Fei, you heard Fellow Daoist Cao's transmission just now. Leave those Sacred Ancestor incarnations to Brother Crab and me. Go back and stand guard at the formation eye — watch for any other demons attempting a sneak attack. The rest of you, head back as well and keep alert." After pocketing the formation plate, Han Li turned to Fei Xiaoxi and the Wood Clan cultivators, issuing his instructions in a calm, even tone.
"Since Brother Han has the matter well in hand, this little sister won't stand in the way here. I'll go back and provide Brother Cao with support!" The Yaksha clan woman had only just recovered from her shock. Upon hearing Han Li's words, her expression flickered several times before she exhaled softly and agreed.