He raised the azure orb above his head and swiftly cast a hand seal upon it.
The treasure immediately blazed with radiant light. Countless azure threads of light shot outward, piercing through the dense fog within a hundred-zhang radius in an instant and transforming into gusts of fierce azure wind.
After a violent whirlwind swept through, the thick fog was blown apart, and everything nearby became clearly visible.
The green-robed woman raised her elegant eyebrows. Several dozen zhang away, a young man in azure robes stood in silence, his eyes sweeping over her up and down without a trace of expression on his face.
It was none other than Han Li, who had been waiting for quite some time!
A cold glint flashed across the woman's face. Her bright eyes flickered as her spiritual sense swept outward in every direction. Then she furrowed her brow slightly and glanced upward.
High above, at an altitude of several dozen zhang, a brilliantly glowing golden cloud drifted silently through the air.
When the woman focused and made out the true form of the golden cloud, her expression changed dramatically.
"Gold Devouring Beetles! So you're the cultivator who possesses spirit insects as well." The green-robed woman let out a soft breath, her lips murmuring the words. But in the depths of her beautiful eyes, the frost grew three shades colder.
"So many Mulan Dharma Masters recognize these beetles. Han is genuinely surprised. Was it the Dharma Master who escaped from me last time who told you about this?" Han Li was inwardly startled, but his expression remained perfectly calm as he spoke in an even tone.
"The physical body of Upper Master Mu of the Heavenly Wind Division — you're the one who destroyed it, aren't you?" The woman didn't answer Han Li's question, instead posing another.
"Upper Master Mu! The Dharma Master who chased me in the Wind-Riding Chariot last time? If it's that person, then yes — I did destroy his physical shell. If his Nascent Soul hadn't fled fast enough, I would have obliterated both body and spirit. Are you looking to avenge him?" Han Li showed no anger on his face, his tone remaining placid. But inside, his vigilance immediately spiked!
Since this woman knew about the Azure Blue Ice Flame and the Wind Thunder Wings, it seemed that surprise attacks wouldn't work against her. That was rather troublesome.
Otherwise, based on his experience fighting several Nascent Soul cultivators, he would have used the Wind Thunder Wings to close the distance unexpectedly, then unleashed the Azure Blue Ice Flame to freeze his opponent in one move.
"Upper Master Mu's body was destroyed because his cultivation was lacking — what is there to complain about? However, since you can command Gold Devouring Beetles and possess so many extraordinary abilities, I absolutely cannot let you leave alive today."
The green-robed woman's pretty face darkened in an instant. Her hands flew through a rapid series of seals, and white light flickered across her body as a white, ribbon-like magical treasure emerged and fluttered in the wind.
Then she turned her palm over, and a pale yellow miniature cauldron appeared in her hand.
The cauldron seemed to be forged from some unknown species of spiritual wood. About three or four inches tall, it had an ancient, elegant appearance, its surface carved with inscrutable runes and incantations.
After Han Li probed it briefly with his spiritual sense, his expression shifted subtly.
"Gold Devouring Beetles are indeed rare insects from ancient times. Once fully matured, they are nearly impossible to destroy and can devour all things. However, they just so happen to be restrained by treasures made of wood and jade. As it happens, I once dealt with a Tuyuhun cultivator who also commanded Gold Devouring Beetles. I went out of my way to obtain this 'Yellow Spirit Cauldron' specifically to counter his insect command technique. I never expected that instead of finding the original, I'd encounter you — a Tianlan cultivator who also commands Gold Devouring Beetles. Otherwise, even though your beetles haven't fully matured, with such vast numbers, they would truly be difficult to deal with."
The green-robed woman spoke icily, her slender hand moving without hesitation to gently touch the handle of the yellow miniature cauldron.
The wooden cauldron immediately blazed with spiritual light, and a shimmering yellow barrier of light emerged from it, enveloping the woman's figure within.
"There are others who possess Gold Devouring Beetles?" Hearing this, Han Li was stunned. After a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, his expression began to grow grave.
"You probably don't know this yet. The Gold Devouring Beetles are the mortal enemies of us Mulan people — sacred insects of the Tuyuhun. Their ancestors spent countless ages to finally cultivate several dozen mature specimens. Throughout history, only the most exceptional Tuyuhun cultivators have been qualified to inherit them. Since these beetles first matured, who knows how many of our Dharma Masters they've devoured. We Mulan have long since grown to hate them to the bone."
"Since you also possess Gold Devouring Beetles, and so many at that — even though they aren't mature — I absolutely cannot allow you to propagate them further."
After delivering these words with an expressionless face, the green-robed woman immediately raised the small cauldron above her head.
The small cauldron spun rapidly above her head, then with a flash of yellow light, a massive wave of golden radiance erupted from within and swept directly toward the cloud of insects hovering above Han Li.
After hearing the woman's earlier words about mature Gold Devouring Beetles already existing in the world, Han Li had been somewhat dumbfounded. But when her tone turned menacing, he immediately collected himself and pushed that matter to the back of his mind.
Now seeing the woman command the wood-attribute spiritual energy from the cauldron to directly attack his Gold Devouring Beetles, his heart sank. But then a fierce glint flashed across his face, and he quickly pointed a finger at the cloud of insects above his head.
A sudden, deafening buzz erupted as the golden cloud of insects scattered in an instant, splitting into countless individual gold specks that shot outward in every direction. In the blink of an eye, the Gold Devouring Beetles had divided into numerous small swarms, each vanishing into the surrounding sea of fog.
As a result, the golden radiance swept through empty air.
The green-robed woman was initially stunned, then suddenly recalled something. She hurriedly extended her spiritual sense to scan the surrounding fog.
A moment later, her elegant brows stood upright in fury, her face covered in frost.
"You're commanding the Gold Devouring Beetles to attack the other Dharma Masters! Did you think I'd let you divert your attention to do that?"
Before her words had even faded, the woman tore the white ribbon treasure from her body and hurled it at Han Li.
The ribbon blazed with blinding white light. After circling wide, it suddenly transformed into a massive snow-white eagle. Its wings spread to a span of several zhang, its eyes burned red as fire, and its talons gleamed black as iron.