"Without its supernatural powers to shield it, no matter how powerful this creature's physical body may be, it absolutely cannot withstand a combined strike from all of us Fellow Daoists."
Bao paused briefly after explaining this much, but then continued with further admonitions: "However, the Moth Mother has surely also mastered the earthly laws of the Earth element. How long the Earth Emperor Nails can restrain it is not something I can say with certainty. Therefore, the moment I release this treasure, all of you must attack immediately without the slightest hesitation!"
"Fellow Daoist need not worry. This battle concerns our very lives — naturally there will be no mishaps," the ancient-looking elder replied without a moment's thought.
The others also nodded in agreement.
"Good. As a precaution, let me first commune with the Spirit of the Seal, having it concentrate the full power of the seal here. This will serve to suppress the Moth Mother's strength, and at the same time conceal our movements." Bao did not immediately release the treasure in her hand. Instead, she spoke with an expression of extreme gravity.
The woman then formed a peculiar hand seal with one hand while murmuring incantations under her breath.
A moment later, a flash of white light flickered in front of her, and a hazy, fog-like face materialized once more without the slightest warning.
Bao's lips moved silently as she transmitted a voice message to the entity before her.
Within the span of a few breaths, the fog face dissolved and vanished like a phantom.
Almost simultaneously, Han Li and the others felt an inexplicable sense of oppression suddenly descend upon the surrounding void.
Their hearts lurched. They hastily checked themselves individually, and only after confirming that the oppressive force had no effect on them did they allow themselves to relax.
At this moment, however, countless gray runic characters surfaced around Bao's body and rapidly swirled inward, enveloping her entirely so that only a vague, slender silhouette could be glimpsed within.
Strangely enough, the instant these gray runes surrounded her, the woman's presence utterly vanished.
She was clearly still standing in the same spot, yet when one swept spiritual sense over her, she felt no different from a patch of empty air — as though she had fused entirely with the void itself.
"The power of the seal has now completely obscured my presence. Even if I were to draw close to the Moth Mother, it would not be able to detect me. I am about to make my move. Fellow Daoists, please make your preparations."
The ancient-looking elder nodded. Without another word, he pressed his palms together, and a faint flash of spiritual light flickered as a jade token of pale, misty white appeared in his hands.
Its surface was exquisitely carved, with the faintly discernible patterns of countless spirit beasts appearing and disappearing across it.
"The Myriad Beast Token — so that's the treasure!" The black-robed woman's face showed a look of shock. "I've heard that although this item is not a Profound Heaven Treasure, it is a relic that descended from the Immortal Realm to the mortal world in ancient times. Back then, quite a few Mahayana cultivators fought bitterly over it. I never imagined this immortal secret treasure would end up in Fellow Daoist's possession."
"Heh heh, I had a bit of good fortune back in the day, which is how I managed to obtain it," the ancient-looking elder said with a dry cough, a trace of pride in his voice.
The red-faced brawny man looked on with undisguised envy.
Han Li swept the token with a curious glance.
"Excellent. With the Myriad Beast Token, our odds have improved yet another fraction," Bao said with undisguised delight.
At this point, the black-robed woman and the red-faced elder also brought forth their respective treasures. One opened her mouth and spat out a jet-black spear, dark as ink. The other reached into his robe and produced a massive blade of white bone, its surface flickering with crimson light and inscribed with countless scarlet spirit patterns.
Though both treasures had their radiance forcibly suppressed, the faint yet terrifying aura they emitted made it clear that even if they were not Profound Heaven Treasures, they were nonetheless extraordinary treasures of the highest caliber.
"Brother Crab — strike with everything you have!" Han Li turned his head and transmitted a message to Daoist Crab.
Daoist Crab's expression remained unchanged as he nodded. He raised one hand, and a pale silver pearl suddenly appeared in his grasp.
With a deep, muffled hum, countless threads of lightning leapt from the pearl's surface, intertwining and flickering before instantly condensing into a ball of thunder.
At first it was only about the size of a head, but as it rose slowly skyward, it silently swelled to the size of an entire house.
The spectacle was nothing short of awe-inspiring.
Daoist Crab held the thunder sphere aloft with one outstretched hand, standing perfectly still with no further movement.
Han Li, meanwhile, formed a one-handed seal. Behind him, a flash of golden light blazed as the projection of a three-headed, six-armed golden avatar materialized.
The projection solidified for only an instant before transforming into a corporeal golden body and lunging straight into Han Li.
A brilliant purple-gold radiance erupted. Han Li merged with the golden body in the blink of an eye, and his skin instantly turned a dazzling, lustrous gold. At the same time, countless silver spirit patterns surged to the surface, swirling and condensing before rapidly spreading across his entire body in a dense, intricate network of silver runic arrays.
Only then did Han Li reach out and grasp empty air with one hand. On his other arm, a flash of emerald light flickered, and a three-foot-long sword of purest jade-green materialized.
With a mere flick of his wrist, the surrounding void hummed and resonated, and it seemed as though the very essence of heaven and earth was being shaken by this blade.
It was none other than the Profound Heaven Spirit-Slaying Sword.