Chapter 182: The Power of the Golden Light Brick

The bearded man wasn't worried when he saw Han Li still casting talismans. His wood-attribute protective shield offered astonishing defense, making ordinary attacks negligible. Given that his opponent was merely a novice with an eleventh-level cultivation, he also doubted Han Li would possess any high-powered talismans, expecting them to be, at most, elementary or intermediate level. He continued to advance indifferently, opening his bag as if to release something.

However, when he was unexpectedly trapped by the yellow light shield and recognized it as the "Earth Prison Art," the bearded man's expression subtly changed, sensing that something was amiss. At that moment, a bizarre emerald-green snake with a pair of purple fleshy wings darted out from his pocket. Upon its appearance, the snake immediately let out several "croaking" cries and aggressively slammed into the yellow light shield repeatedly, causing it to tremble continuously with considerable force. Seeing this, the bearded man felt a surge of hope. He took off another bag, intending to release a second spirit beast so they could combine their efforts to shatter the Earth Prison. He was confident he wouldn't need much time to escape! Once free, he vowed to rip out his opponent's ribs one by one to satisfy his rage.

Han Li completely ignored his trapped enemy. With a flicker of his body, he charged towards the man from Sky Citadel. His movement technique was so swift that he appeared to flicker in and out of existence, even leaving a trail of afterimages, making him seem utterly ghostly. Simultaneously, he lightly tapped the storage bag at his waist. The "Gold Cicada Mother-Child Blades" he had been holding were suddenly replaced by another, smaller magical artifact, which he gripped tightly.

At this moment, the man from Sky Citadel finally awoke from his pleasant dream. Upon seeing such a bizarre sight, his face drastically changed, and he hastily retreated. He then flipped his palm, revealing a talisman paper. Han Li was still at least eight or nine zhang away, which relieved him, as it meant he had enough time to activate the talisman. However, before he could activate the talisman with his spiritual energy, he was surprised to see Han Li, who was charging towards him, suddenly offer a mysterious smile. Then, with a casual wave of one hand, as if greeting an acquaintance, Han Li made a gesture. Simultaneously, he felt a slight itch on his neck, as if a mosquito had bitten him.

The man from Sky Citadel froze. Before he could grasp Han Li's intention, he felt a dizzying sensation, followed by darkness, and then he lost consciousness.

"Brother Yan!"

The bearded man from Spirit Beast Mountain, standing on the other side, watched everything with wide, round eyes and couldn't help but cry out. He had personally witnessed it: when Han Li was still several zhang away from his friend, he simply waved his hand. His long-time confidant's head tilted, then rolled to the ground, completely severed from his body. The headless corpse continued to stagger back a few steps before collapsing, spouting fountains of blood several feet high.

The bearded man felt his limbs turn cold, and a chill crept up his spine. The method Han Li used to kill his friend was utterly bizarre! He clearly saw that Han Li hadn't used any magical spells to kill him from a distance.

"Kid, when I get out, I'll hack you into a thousand pieces!" Despite feeling cold sweat seep from his forehead and a pang of grief for his fallen comrade, the bearded man stubbornly maintained a fierce facade to embolden himself. In reality, however, he had already decided that as soon as he broke free from the Earth Prison Art, he would immediately flee. After all, "a gentleman's revenge can wait ten years." This kid was too sinister! Not only did he possess a high-tier Earth Prison Art talisman, but he could also kill invisibly, making him truly difficult to deal with! While avenging his friend was important, his own life seemed even more precious. The seemingly fierce bearded man, unexpectedly, turned out to be a timid coward who bullied the weak and feared the strong! This was truly surprising!

Han Li, of course, had no idea of the other man's thoughts. He merely observed the bearded man release another beast, resembling a pangolin, which, along with the strange snake, fiercely attacked the yellow light shield. The bearded man himself also conjured a pair of iron rod-like magical artifacts, assisting the two strange beasts in powerfully smashing the light shield, causing it to flicker erratically. It seemed the Earth Prison Art wouldn't last much longer!

Realizing this, Han Li immediately took out the talisman treasure "Golden Light Brick." He held it in one hand before his eyes, staring intently and concentrating on activating it. Han Li was truly uneasy about using any other ordinary magical artifact. After all, his opponent was a thirteenth-level master; if he couldn't kill him in one blow, he would face significant trouble once the man escaped! He still vividly remembered the arduous battle with "Senior Brother Lu," who was only at the twelfth level then! While he had just unexpectedly taken down a twelfth-level cultivator using transparent threads, this didn't mean the already wary bearded man would be so easily subdued.

The bearded man, still trapped by the Earth Prison Art, observed Han Li's strange gesture of holding the talisman treasure. His heart tensed, and he frantically urged his pair of black iron rods to strike harder. But the yellow light shield of the "Earth Prison Art" proved incredibly resilient! Even though it was dangerously deformed and dimmed, it stubbornly maintained its integrity, almost making the bearded man spit blood in frustration.

At that moment, he suddenly felt an astonishing surge of spiritual energy erupting from Han Li's direction. He instinctively slowed his movements and looked up. He saw a brilliant golden light burst forth from Han Li's hand. A glittering, rectangular object slowly rose and floated in mid-air, the source of the soaring spiritual energy.

"A talisman treasure!"

The bearded man's face paled, and he cried out in fear. He had actually recognized the "Golden Light Brick." What he didn't know, however, was that Han Li's face was also pale, etched with alarm. The floating object was desperately draining spiritual power from his body, relentlessly and continuously, seemingly intent on not stopping until Han Li was completely depleted.

Han Li, secretly grumbling, endured the draining while silently cursing the Myriad Treasures Pavilion that had sold him the item. "What kind of talisman treasure is this?" he thought. "It's clearly a deadly vampire!" However, when one-third of his spiritual power had been drained, the talisman treasure finally ceased its frantic activity, became calm, and control returned to Han Li's hands.

Han Li didn't hesitate. With a pointed finger, the Golden Light Brick talisman treasure immediately shot out, heading straight for the bearded man still trapped in the Earth Prison Art, causing him to turn ashen with terror and his soul to scatter. The golden brick expanded with the wind, instantly becoming as large as a house. Spiritual energy swirled around it, and golden light radiated in all directions, creating an astonishing display of power. When it reached the bearded man's head, the golden brick, resembling a small mountain, slammed straight down without mercy.

"Boom!"

"Ah!"

After a thunderous boom and the bearded man's shriek, the entire ground shook violently.

Han Li was a mix of surprise and delight, his expression somewhat odd. Could he have really annihilated a thirteenth-level cultivator just like that? Han Li found it hard to believe. He retrieved the talisman treasure, and the Golden Light Brick immediately reverted to its original form, flying back into his hand. Where the golden brick had struck, a massive pit, dozens of zhang wide and over a zhang deep, now lay. The bearded man and his spirit beasts had been reduced to an unrecognizable pile of mush.

He was truly dead! Han Li felt a strange sense of bewilderment, as if he had thrown a punch that met no resistance. Was the bearded man simply too weak, or was the "Golden Light Brick" truly too powerful? Han Li couldn't immediately determine the answer. One thing was certain, though: creating such a massive commotion meant it was unwise to linger.

Han Li's momentary bewilderment quickly faded. After destroying the two corpses, he collected the five or six storage bags he had unexpectedly found and left the area, exiting the One-Line Sky section. Further ahead lay a vast forest, an ideal spot for ambushes and killings. He suspected that another fierce battle might await him there. Before entering, it would be best to find a place to rest and recover his lost spiritual power to ensure he could adequately defend himself.