Chapter 1595: Collateral Damage

As Han Li had anticipated, the two Void Refinement-level puppets proved irresistible. The nearby armored soldiers and twin-headed eagles stood no chance, either being torn into pieces or screaming as they plummeted from the sky engulfed in raging flames.

The two puppets appeared to be crafted from an unknown material, as the twin-headed eagles' talons and various energy blasts simply deflected off them. Even the treasures unleashed by the Soul Transformation-level cultivators managed to leave only shallow indentations.

Despite this, the Horned-Chi people seemed to have anticipated the situation and showed no sign of panic. Instead, many armored soldiers suddenly patted their waists, causing swathes of five-colored light to surge towards the long-haired alien. Before even reaching the alien, these lights transformed into large nets, swooping down to ensnare him. The Horned-Chi people clearly intended to capture the alien alive. Han Li watched the scene unfold with considerable surprise.

But at that moment, the long-haired alien let out a cold snort. He suddenly stomped on the flying boat beneath him, causing the artifact to flash brightly and instantly materialize a thick yellow energy shield. Then, he formed hand seals, seemingly activating a powerful technique. Crackling sounds immediately erupted from the shield as a layer of pale white electric arcs flickered into existence. As the nets descended, the electric arcs immediately repelled them, causing them to explode into bursts of spiritual light.

Before the armored soldiers could react with further attacks, the long-haired alien flipped his hands, producing two shimmering golden artifacts resembling circular shields, which he then tossed into the air. The two artifacts shot forth with a whistling sound. The surrounding armored soldiers were startled and watched the objects warily. After a brief spin, the two golden lights unexpectedly shot back towards the alien. This left everyone momentarily stunned.

With a muffled "boom," the two shields actually collided on the long-haired alien's body, erupting in a blinding golden light. Immediately after, the alien's figure vanished entirely, replaced by a golden sphere approximately ten feet in diameter. The sphere glowed with a brilliant golden light, as though forged from pure gold, and its surface was covered in a dense array of strange runes, giving it an exceptionally eerie appearance.

With a strange "shriek," countless foot-long sharp blades suddenly emerged from the golden sphere's surface. The sphere then moved, rolling into the crowd, leaving a trail of afterimages. Though its surface appeared unchanged, any armored soldier struck or even grazed by the golden sphere immediately exploded into countless pieces, utterly incapable of resisting. Even direct attacks on the sphere were repelled by its rapid rotation.

In an instant, the golden sphere rendezvoused with the horse-bodied puppet, both charging in the same direction. Meanwhile, the bizarre lion puppet followed closely, continuously spewing fireballs. Most of these were directed at the twin-headed eagles flying above, preventing them from descending. Together, the three were extraordinarily formidable. In the blink of an eye, nearly a hundred armored soldiers and giant eagles were annihilated, allowing the three to reach the edge of the encirclement, seemingly poised to break free and escape.

Suddenly, one of the Horned-Chi's Soul Transformation-level leaders let out a sharp cry. The armored soldiers who had been encircling the long-haired alien and puppets immediately paused, then scattered outwards, retreating instead of advancing. The twin-headed eagles that had been circling above also scattered as if driven by some unseen force. An empty space of nearly a hundred feet suddenly appeared around the golden sphere and the two puppets. The long-haired alien, concealed within the golden sphere, was momentarily taken aback.

Just then, the two battle-skiffs in the sky began to move. Hundreds of crystal pillars beneath the battle-skiffs simultaneously lit up, and countless milky-white light beams simultaneously shot downwards. In an instant, the white light completely enveloped the open area, accompanied by deafening explosions. For a moment, the golden sphere and the two puppets under attack were completely engulfed by the white light. Seizing this opportunity, the surrounding armored soldiers and giant eagles repositioned themselves, re-forming a tight encirclement around the area.

The attack from the two battle-skiffs did not last long; after a short while, it ceased. As the white light receded from the encircled area, visibility returned. Han Li, observing from below, also narrowed his eyes and watched intently. In the very center of the encirclement, a gigantic blue umbrella, over ten feet in diameter and shimmering with spiritual light, had appeared.

Beneath the giant umbrella, the long-haired alien's upper body had emerged from the golden sphere. He frowned deeply, his gaze constantly scanning his surroundings, a hint of anxiety in his expression. The other two puppets, right beside the golden sphere, were also completely unharmed. This time, the long-haired alien seemed unwilling to delay further. With a low shout, he raised a hand and beckoned towards the sky. The giant umbrella instantly flashed with spiritual light, shrinking rapidly to mere inches before landing in his palm. Then, with a twist of his body, his upper half vanished into thin air, retracting back into the golden sphere. The horse-bodied and bizarre lion puppets beside him sprang into action, pouncing forward once more.

The battle immediately resumed. Much like before, the surrounding armored soldiers and giant eagles remained powerless against the rampage of the two puppets and the golden sphere. In a short time, nearly half of them had been slain. It seemed the long-haired alien was on the verge of breaking through the encirclement once more. But suddenly, the strange lion puppet's fireballs ceased, unable to be spewed. Its body then flashed red several times, and its seven heads simultaneously drooped, leaving it motionless.

The nearby armored soldiers were first startled, then erupted in joy. Immediately, several of them raised their hands, and swathes of light rolled over, instantly forming several large nets that completely ensnared the strange lion puppet. With a synchronized pull, the armored soldiers forcibly captured the entire puppet.

Without the strange lion puppet's cover, the giant eagles in the air descended fearlessly, flapping their wings furiously. Thick wind blades descended with whistling sounds, striking the golden sphere, causing its golden light to flicker and its rolling speed to significantly decrease. The long-haired alien thus found himself re-encircled, having lost his opportune moment to escape. To make matters worse, the horse-bodied puppet also lost its mobility shortly after, for unknown reasons, and was similarly seized by the Horned-Chi people.

In the blink of an eye, despite its astonishing defensive power, the golden sphere, now heavily encircled, began to falter. Its golden light dimmed under the constant assault of blade energies and sword qi from the armored soldiers, as well as the wind blades from the giant eagles. Han Li sighed lightly as he witnessed this.

The long-haired alien, capable of controlling puppet beasts several cultivation realms higher than his own and enduring such a prolonged encirclement, clearly possessed an extraordinary background. However, from the current situation, it seemed he truly had no escape; his capture was only a matter of time. While he didn't know why the Horned-Chi people were so determined to capture this individual alive, Han Li had no desire to expose himself or invite trouble. He promptly prepared to depart discreetly.

But at that very moment, the long-haired alien's unusually clear voice suddenly emanated from within the golden sphere: "Senior below, I am Jia Tianmu of the Myriad Ancient Clan! If Senior is willing to lend a hand, upon my return to the clan, I will gladly present a Spirit-Enlightened Puppet as a token of gratitude!"

The long-haired alien had not used a sound transmission spell; instead, he had infused his voice with spiritual power, ensuring everyone within several miles could hear him distinctly. Upon hearing this, Han Li was initially stunned, then found himself inwardly cursing. Although he had no idea how the alien had detected his presence, Han Li knew such blatant exposure of his whereabouts could only mean trouble.

As anticipated, the situation unfolded exactly as he had thought. Upon hearing the alien's words, one of the Horned-Chi leaders in the air suddenly waved his hand. Immediately, several armored soldiers, accompanied by over ten twin-headed eagles, sped directly towards the small hill where Han Li was concealed. By some unknown means, these individuals instantly pinpointed the vicinity of his hiding spot near the large tree, hovering in the air and looking around with puzzled expressions.

Han Li's mouth twitched. Realizing he could no longer conceal himself, he felt little fear. These low-cultivation Horned-Chi people and giant eagles posed no real threat to him. The only potential trouble came from the two battle-skiffs. Nevertheless, being unnecessarily exposed by the long-haired alien naturally stirred annoyance within him.

A stern expression flashed across his face. He suddenly flicked his sleeve, and dozens of inch-long miniature swords shot out. They vanished in a flash, instantly transforming into fine green threads that melted into the void, disappearing from sight. The next moment, loud "hissing" sounds erupted. Several green threads appeared near the Horned-Chi armored soldiers and giant eagles overhead, flashing with green light. These armored soldiers and twin-headed eagles instantly burst apart, their mangled remains raining down as blood.

Han Li's figure then materialized from beneath the large tree. With a clap of thunder behind him, a pair of feathered wings emerged. With a single beat of his wings, Han Li vanished as if carried by the wind.

The next moment, a clap of thunder echoed among the Horned-Chi armored soldiers who were encircling the long-haired alien. Amidst flashing green and white electric arcs, Han Li's figure appeared in a strange, sudden manner. He formed hand seals, and seventy-two green threads shot out from various parts of his body. He then formed more hand seals. Immediately, all the green threads blurred slightly, doubling in number, then doubling again.

In an instant, green light flashed everywhere, and the sound of tearing air filled an area of a hundred feet in circumference. The thirty-odd armored soldiers and twin-headed eagles in this area screamed incessantly, plummeting from the sky within a few breaths. Not a single one could withstand a single strike from Han Li's sword threads. Moments later, there were no enemies left around Han Li.

The other Horned-Chi armored soldiers nearby finally came to their senses, their faces etched with horror as they instinctively retreated further. However, Han Li showed no intention of stopping. With a flick of his sleeve, two dark shadows simultaneously shot out. After a flash of golden and black light, a small leopard-like beast and a foot-tall black monkey materialized in the nearby air.

"Attack! Kill them all. Leave no one!" Han Li commanded sharply, his face filled with murderous intent.