As soon as he stepped inside, Yun Tianxiao saw a man sitting low in the center of the room, a bright gleam in his hands as if he were fiddling with something.
Surprised, he glanced left and right, but saw no sign of the woman called Yunqin. He froze for a moment, then a chill of wariness shot through him.
"Who are you? And where's that girl Yunqin?" he stared at the man and said slowly, the treasure within his body already stirring and ready to be unleashed.
"Heh heh! Brother Yun, it's only been a short time apart, and you've already forgotten me?" The man chuckled lightly and raised his head to look at him.
"It's you?" The moment Yun Tianxiao made out the man's face, his expression changed drastically. Without a second thought, his body shot upward, about to transform into a streak of light and flee the place.
"Too late!" The man's calm voice drifted out as a swath of colored radiance suddenly rose from his hand.
After a flash of light, several five-colored copper rings appeared around Yun Tianxiao's body. With a low hum, they all tightened at once.
Yun Tianxiao let out a scream and toppled over on the spot.
In panic, he hurriedly tried to release his treasure, but the treasure inside his body was completely immobile, sealed as if it were a lifeless object.
"Senior Miaohe, save me!" Yun Tianxiao's soul nearly fled his body. No longer caring about anything else, he immediately let out a terrified cry for help.
But he only managed that single shout before the man across from him opened his mouth and a streak of cyan radiance shot out. It circled once, then in one slash, severed his head from his body.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, the man reached out with one hand. The storage pouch on the corpse flew into his palm, and the Five Elements Rings and the cyan light also shot back to his side on their own.
This entire sequence of actions had been completed in the span of a heartbeat, like a flash of lightning.
But almost at the same moment the storage pouch reached Han Li's hand, a thunderous boom erupted from one side.
The stone wall on one side of the room suddenly shattered. Amid a swirl of dust and debris, Perfected Miaohe appeared there, his Taoist robes billowing.
The old Daoist's face was grim as he glanced at the headless corpse on the ground, then raised his eyes to look at Han Li. A killing glint flashed in his eyes, and he spoke softly: "You're courting death."
He then flicked his finger, and a searingly brilliant beam of white light flashed toward Han Li in an instant.
Han Li's pupils contracted. A chill ran through his heart.
In his hands, the Five Elements Rings swelled violently and merged into one, forming a colossal five-colored ring that shielded him within.
At the same time, he flipped his palm again, and the red-and-yellow jade ruyi appeared in his hand once more.
This was the first time since Han Li's cultivation had advanced significantly that he was directly meeting an attack from a Nascent Soul cultivator head-on, relying on the sharpness of his ancient treasures. Naturally, he harbored a desire to test the waters. So while his face appeared composed, his heart was pounding with uncertainty, without the slightest confidence.
With a muffled bang, the white light and the five-colored radiance collided.
Han Li was sent flying backward as if struck by a massive hammer, crashing hard into the stone wall behind him. The world spun around him.
"Oh?"
Just as Han Li was seeing stars from the impact, a surprised exclamation came from across the room.
White light blazed before his eyes once more. Han Li drew a sharp breath and swung the jade ruyi with all his might.
Within the five-colored ring of light, a red-and-yellow protective canopy instantly appeared.
Another tremendous blow came. This time it was noticeably better than before. He staggered back a few steps, then steadied himself.
Relief flooded Han Li's heart. At the same time, with a thought, a pair of silvery-white wings unfurled behind his back.
With a rumble of thunder, he vanished from where he stood in an instant, reappearing in the opposite corner of the room just in time to dodge the white light's next wave of attack.
Only now did Han Li get a clear look at the true form of the white light — it was a small jade hammer that gleamed with white radiance.
The oval hammerhead was covered in runes, no bigger than a palm, and radiated a startling spiritual energy.
At this point, Miaohe showed a flicker of emotion after his blow had missed.
He beckoned, and the small hammer whizzed back into his wide sleeve.
"I didn't expect a Core Formation cultivator to possess so many ancient treasures. What is your name?" A trace of surprise flashed in Miaohe's eyes as he asked.
Han Li pressed his lips together and was just about to speak when the door was pushed open, and Madam Fan walked in with a slightly excited air.
"Senior Miaohe! This Senior Li is a helper I specifically invited to deal with the traitor Yun Tianxiao. Please rest assured, Senior — whatever conditions this traitor promised, I am willing to double the compensation." Madam Fan gave Perfected Miaohe a deep bow, her manner exceedingly respectful.
Hearing this, Miaohe's brow furrowed slightly. His gaze swept over the corpse on the ground, and his expression turned indecisive.
Han Li was relatively calm, simply standing in place in silence. But Madam Fan, witnessing Miaohe's expression, grew tense.