Yu Zitong's Primordial Spirit was trapped in a narrow corner, crashing about like a fly with broken wings. Whenever it tried to fly out from there, a black liquid would force it back halfway. Then a lethal cold light would follow, hacking repeatedly at the glowing orb, constantly dimming its green radiance.
Despair filled his heart. The relentless attacks of the opponent's sharp sword had weakened his Primordial Spirit considerably, but that wasn't what troubled him most. What truly left him helpless was the relentless corrosion of that black liquid.
Ever since the liquid had splashed onto him, he'd felt a numbing, tingling weakness spreading through his Primordial Spirit. It was slowly grinding away his remaining Magical Power. More critically, it disrupted his spellcasting, causing his techniques to fail repeatedly, as if he were bound.
"Why are you killing me? Why?..."
Facing Han Li's cold, merciless attacks, Yu Zitong's hoarse cries echoed intermittently from the glowing orb, filled with unwilling resignation. But Han Li remained silent, answering only with the accelerated swings of the blade in his hand.
Before long, Yu Zitong's voice faded, growing weaker and weaker until only a faint hum remained, then silence altogether.
Han Li didn't stop immediately. He delivered over a dozen more slashes to the dwindling spark of the Primordial Spirit on the ground, no brighter than a candle flame. Only when he saw it was truly impossible to extinguish the last vestiges of green light did he sheathe the flexible sword and wrap it back around his waist.
Only then did Han Li speak coldly: "I never cooperate with someone who swears a poisoned oath on their own parents. Let alone follow in Doctor Mo's footsteps and trust the guarantee of a villain like you."
With one last cold glance at Yu Zitong's final spark, Han Li turned without hesitation and walked to the stone door, pushing the heavy door open with a shove.
As the stone door swung open, several beams of dazzling sunlight pierced in from outside, falling directly on the lingering Primordial Spirit. With a soft *poof*, the faint green light flickered and was extinguished, dissolving into wisps of faint blue smoke that vanished into the air.
Thus, the last trace Yu Zitong had left in the world was thoroughly wiped away by Han Li, making it impossible to trace the man ever again.
If Han Li knew that the Primordial Spirit feared light, it was thanks to Doctor Mo's habit of extinguishing many lamps the moment he entered the room, which had given him the idea. Otherwise, he would have been truly helpless against this final threat, immune to swords and knives, leaving him to live perpetually on edge.
However, Han Li's easy dispatch of the opposing spirit was also thanks to the other tube of Seven Poison Water he had prepared in advance.
This venom, improved upon the Five Poisons Water Doctor Mo had confiscated earlier, incorporated a new ingredient called "Earth Mushroom." This poisonous herb was not only highly toxic to ordinary people but also significantly hindered a cultivator's Primordial Spirit. It was precisely this that had prevented Yu Zitong from successfully casting spells, allowing his spirit to be destroyed so easily.
Han Li had used the Seven Poison Water to spray the Primordial Spirit first simply because he'd been influenced by various legends. In those stories, all demons and monsters were afraid of liquids like chicken blood or black dog blood. Han Li had a flash of insight and treated Yu Zitong's spirit like one of those creatures.
Whether Yu Zitong, knowing of this coincidence in the afterlife, would be so furious as to die of rage once more, Han Li couldn't say.
Han Li naturally remained unaware of these coincidences. He only knew that even if the venom hadn't worked, opening the door would have destroyed the spirit anyway. It was with this thorough preparation that he had attacked Yu Zitong without mercy.
Now he was finally free. He no longer had to live with a blade constantly at his throat, always ready to flee for his life.
Han Li walked slowly back to the center of the stone room and stood there silently for a moment. Suddenly, he sprang into the air, leaping more than three feet high, and roared several times, fiercely venting the joy in his heart. Only then did he truly return to being himself—a mere sixteen-year-old boy.
"I'm finally free!"
"I'm finally free!"
"I'm—"
Abruptly, Han Li's voice, cut off as if by a knife, stopped mid-cheer.
A massive figure, drifting aimlessly not far outside the stone door, caught his eye. It was the giant known as "Tie Nu."
Han Li's expression instantly soured. The mere sight of the man made his shoulder ache faintly. He had made a terrible mistake, once again overlooking this person's presence, forgetting to extract the giant's origins and weaknesses from Yu Zitong's spirit.
However, Han Li felt slightly relieved as the giant seemed utterly uninterested in the stone room, simply pacing restlessly outside, strictly adhering to the vigilance orders Doctor Mo had given him before death, without so much as glancing toward the open doorway.
Han Li frowned, feeling this situation was tricky. The giant was clearly somewhat dim-witted, only knowing how to obey orders blindly. For Han Li, such people were the hardest to deal with because he couldn't persuade him through words to stop fighting and make peace. Once a fight started, Han Li was no match. The only thing that could threaten the giant was that now-empty tube of venom.
Han Li paced back and forth in the room, racking his brains for a way to subdue the giant, but for a while, his mind was a tangled mess, yielding no ideas.
Unconsciously, Han Li's gaze fell upon Doctor Mo's corpse.
An idea sparked in his mind.
"Perhaps I can find something to counter the giant among these remains," Han Li thought.
He glanced toward the door. The giant was still pacing tirelessly, showing no sign of approaching.
Reassured, Han Li stepped forward to Doctor Mo's body and, without hesitation, reached out both hands to begin meticulously searching it inch by inch.
(End of Chapter)