The toxic flood dragon let out an angry roar, its body surging with bloody light, and was about to make a move against Han Li.
But at almost the same moment, the beast's face drastically changed. With a "thump," its knees buckled, and it knelt on the ground, watching helplessly as its entire body swelled and deformed, becoming just as unable to move or speak.
"You're courting death!"
Seeing this, Feng Xi's face flashed with cold light as he roared.
Then, his figure vanished from its spot, and the next instant, he appeared like a ghost behind Han Li. He raised a single hand, and with a "swish," it transformed into a black, sharp claw, stabbing down viciously.
His movement was fast as lightning. Although Han Li had long been on high alert, he simply couldn't keep up with the opponent's speed. He could only desperately twist his body to the side.
A clear "clink" rang out.
Han Li felt as if he'd been shoved by a tremendous force, sending him flying over a dozen yards away. He stumbled several times before barely managing to stand steady.
Having taken a direct claw strike from a ninth-grade beast, Han Li wasn't torn open or impaled through the heart on the spot.
Feng Xi, the demonic cultivator, was also stunned for a moment. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes as he stared at the torn clothing on Han Li's back.
There, some silvery-white scales were revealed. Most of these scales had been smashed by his previous strike, exposing the glossy, black garment underneath.
"Inner armor?" Feng Xi was greatly surprised, but he sneered and, without another word, turned into a gentle breeze and vanished.
This inner armor could block one of his strikes, so it was clearly a top-grade treasure. But next time, this armor wouldn't save the target's life.
Opposite him, Han Li secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.
That claw strike, had it aimed for his head, he'd probably be a corpse by now.
And this Emerald Scale Armor from the Barbaric Beard was truly a miraculous treasure—it was actually able to withstand a strike from a ninth-grade beast.
With the time this had bought him, Han Li stabilized his stance and, without a second thought, surged his emerald light and golden arcs simultaneously. The emerald radiance dazzled, and the golden arcs danced wildly, forming the spectacular Emerald Sword Shield.
At the same time, he raised his hands, and over twenty emerald sword beams shot out from his body, instantly forming another defensive layer within the shield.
Just as he finished all this, Feng Xi's tall, thin figure appeared before Han Li.
The beast's face was extremely gloomy. After a cold glint flashed in his eyes, he opened his mouth, and a piercing white light began to emerge.
Han Li's expression changed abruptly, his heart sinking.
This old beast was actually using his demon core to attack directly—he had absolutely no confidence in blocking it.
Just as despair began to fill Han Li's heart, Feng Xi suddenly closed his mouth. His figure swayed a few times, his face turning extremely unsightly, and he began to stand unsteadily.
Dazed for a moment, Han Li immediately noticed that the opponent's body was trembling slightly, and his abdomen had started to bulge and twist.
Although this old beast's cultivation was far deeper than the other two beasts, the drug's effects were finally taking hold.
Delighted, Han Li pointed a finger at him without the slightest courtesy. The twenty-four Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Swords swarmed out like a hornet's nest, surrounding the beast and attacking in a frenzy of slashes and stabs.
A moment later, the smile that had just begun to form on Han Li's face froze somewhat.
Though the Wind-Splitting Beast was in agony, kneeling on one knee and clutching its lower abdomen with both hands, it still emanated a layer of faint white protective light. Despite the swords' relentless assault, they couldn't penetrate this protective aura by even a fraction.
Moreover, the demonic cultivator could still barely raise his head to glare viciously at Han Li. Though unable to speak, his eyes were filled with venomous hatred.
Upon seeing this, Han Li felt a jolt in his heart. But after a moment's thought, he concluded that this beast must possess some kind of defensive treasure.
Otherwise, given the depth of its hatred, if it could muster even a speck of magical power, it would certainly try to crush him to death first to vent its frustration.
Reassured by this thought, Han Li's hands swiftly formed a series of hand seals. Immediately, the twenty-four flying swords soared into the air as one.
In the blink of an eye, two balls of piercing emerald light exploded in the sky, revealing two massive emerald swords, each several yards long, radiating cold, sharp light.
A strange glint flashed in Han Li's eyes. Without a word, he opened his mouth, and two streams of emerald qi flew out, striking the giant swords respectively.
As soon as they touched the emerald qi, the giant swords blazed with brilliant light in the air. With a series of soft humming sounds, they descended one after another, striking viciously at the Wind-Splitting Beast within the white light.
Two thunderous "booms" echoed out.
The giant swords slammed into the white light. Emerald and white light intertwined, but the swords only managed to press the white light down by a few inches before being unceremoniously repelled.
Seeing this scene, Han Li stood rooted to the spot, stunned.