Han Li gave Patriarch Linghu a brief nod, then turned his head and addressed Zi Ling in an indifferent tone: "Your cultivation is too low. You won't be of any help here and could easily lose your life. Leave now. Don't worry — as long as the three of us are keeping this creature occupied, he won't bother going after you."
He and Zi Ling had at least some history, so the first thing he said was to get her out of harm's way. Once the fighting truly began, there would be no way to watch over her as well.
Zi Ling was momentarily stunned upon hearing this, hesitated briefly, then nodded obediently.
"Since Senior Brother Han puts it that way, this little sister will take her leave first. Senior Brother Han, please take care of yourself!" Zi Ling said softly. She glanced down at the "Nanlong Marquis," then threw a lingering look toward Patriarch Linghu before transforming into a streak of brilliant light that shot off into the distance.
The "Nanlong Marquis" below — whether he deemed Zi Ling's cultivation too insignificant to bother with, or whether he was genuinely finding the three of them troublesome — merely watched her departure with cold indifference before turning his gaze back to Han Li.
Han Li's face darkened when he saw the hostility in those eyes. He raised one hand, and several thick arcs of golden lightning materialized along his arm, followed by a rolling succession of thunderclaps.
His entire arm blazed with blinding electric light in an instant.
Facing such a terrifying ancient devil, Han Li had no interest in testing the waters. From the very first move, he unleashed the Evil-Suppressing Divine Lightning — a power specifically suited to countering demonic arts. Since it had come into his possession, this divine lightning had never once failed him when confronted with dark sorcery.
Although this ancient devil was fearsome beyond measure, Han Li still had a degree of confidence in the Evil-Suppressing Divine Lightning.
The moment the golden arcs crackling along Han Li's arm came into view, the "Nanlong Marquis's" eyelids twitched rapidly and his pupils contracted sharply.
"I recognize you. In the residual memories of this body I've possessed, your impression runs deep. I can't recall any specifics, but the original owner of this flesh was extraordinarily wary of you. Now it seems that instinct was well-founded — not only did you see through my ambush, but you can wield that Evil-Suppressing Divine Lightning that once gave us so much trouble. It appears that dealing with you will require no small amount of effort." After staring at Han Li for a long moment, the "Nanlong Marquis" finally spoke in a frigid voice.
Han Li listened to these words with a faint, cold smile playing at the corner of his lips, his expression unchanged. The golden arcs on his arm simply grew a fraction larger. At the same time, he flicked his sleeve, and a small blue shield shot outward, circling once before expanding into a shimmering blue barrier of light that enveloped him completely.
Seeing Han Li take the foremost position of his own accord — clearly intent on going toe-to-toe with the "Nanlong Marquis" — Patriarch Linghu and the white-robed woman exchanged a look of undisguised delight.
Han Li's reputation was considerable these days, placing him virtually second only to late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators. That thought gave the two of them a measure of confidence.
Without delay, they murmured a brief exchange via sound transmission, then split to either side and advanced slowly, preparing to support Han Li from the flanks.
The "Nanlong Marquis" noticed that Han Li was completely unmoved by his words, his resolve unshaken. The devil's brow creased almost imperceptibly, but then his mouth split into a savage grin. Without another word, he stamped his foot — his body shuddered, leaving behind an afterimage — and vanished from where he stood.
Han Li's face remained calm, but inwardly he was on high alert, his vigilance raised to the maximum. Yet when his spiritual sense swept outward, he detected absolutely nothing. Truly worthy of being an ancient devil — this concealment technique alone would be enough to leave ordinary cultivators utterly helpless.
Even as this thought crossed his mind, Han Li narrowed his eyes without any trace of panic. A blue glow flickered within them as he activated the Myriad Eye Spectral Vision — a technique he could now deploy with practiced ease.
Suddenly, he raised one hand, and the golden arcs on his arm sprang outward, weaving into a net of golden lightning that fell toward a seemingly empty stretch of air.
In an instant, arcs of electricity and peals of thunder filled the space in a tangled web.
A bizarre scene unfolded. Where moments ago there had been nothing, a flash of black light appeared, and the "Nanlong Marquis" materialized precisely there.
The instant his figure became visible, he found countless golden arcs raining down upon him from overhead and could not help but register a flicker of alarm.
But his expression immediately hardened. His shoulders swayed, and a cascade of afterimages bloomed outward. When the lightning struck, every afterimage was obliterated — yet his true body had vanished without a trace.
Han Li's lips were pressed tight, the blue light in his eyes flickering ceaselessly. He tilted his head to look in one direction — but his other arm snapped up, aiming in the opposite direction.
A thunderclap rang out, and a thick bolt of golden lightning erupted from his palm, hurtling toward a perfectly ordinary patch of empty air some six or seven zhang away.
And sure enough, the moment the golden arc reached that spot, the "Nanlong Marquis" materialized right in its path, as though he had thrown himself into the attack. All he could do was watch as the lightning roared toward him head-on.
This time, the "Nanlong Marquis" was truly shocked. One occurrence could be chalked up to luck, but two consecutive strikes landing with perfect accuracy was no coincidence whatsoever.
His opponent could genuinely perceive his movements.
The timing of Han Li's attack this time was impeccable. With the golden arc bearing down upon him, the "Nanlong Marquis" had no room to evade. He could only shoot his eyebrows upward in a furious scowl and spit out a ball of black-red demonic flame from his mouth, which collided squarely with the lightning arc.
With a soft "poof," the flame and the golden arc flickered once — and then, like fire meeting water, both dissolved simultaneously into a wisp of greenish smoke and vanished.
"Oh?" This time, it was Han Li whose expression changed dramatically.
This ancient devil actually had a way to neutralize the Evil-Suppressing Divine Lightning! What manner of demonic flame was this black-red fire that it could accomplish such a feat?
Yet Han Li, ever meticulous, also noticed something. In the instant the demonic flame was extinguished, the "Nanlong Marquis's" complexion had gone briefly, almost imperceptibly pale — though it returned to normal in the blink of an eye. That black-red demonic flame was clearly no ordinary power. It most likely had something to do with his vital essence or soul force.
Before Han Li could fully work out how to exploit this detail, the "Nanlong Marquis" — having dispelled the golden arc — lunged forward with his entire body, stretching grotesquely as though his bones had turned to liquid, and in an instant he was right in front of Han Li.