Chapter 327: Strange

Volume 3: A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality

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With two thudding sounds, Liu Jing and his companion’s bodies were casually tossed aside by the assailant, causing Han Li’s eyes to twitch slightly.

“Since you’re here, don’t leave yet. I just happen to be short a few Foundation Establishment cultivators for a blood sacrifice!” The person said, then grinned sinisterly, revealing gleaming white teeth that shimmered in the moonlight.

This person was none other than the Yue Emperor, who had just appeared utterly panicked. Yet, at this moment, there was no trace of his previous disheveled or flustered appearance. His magical power fluctuations were no less than those of the blue-robed man, revealing him to be a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the late stage.

Feeling the man’s cultivation level, Han Li’s expression grew even colder.

He truly didn't know what cultivation method the man had used to conceal his cultivation so perfectly that the cultivators from the Yellow Maple Valley couldn't detect it at all. This instantly reminded Han Li of the time he had met the Young Prince and Steward Wang, where he likewise couldn’t sense any magical power from them. However, this time, the strange sense of danger hadn’t appeared, making Han Li even more wary and cautious.

Han Li flicked his finger, and the White Phosphor Shield and the Tortoise Shell artifact simultaneously flew out, slowly circling around him.

Chen Qiaoqian and Song Meng, standing nearby, nervously watched the Yue Emperor and the blue-robed man. They, too, released their artifacts, tightly protecting their entire bodies.

Seeing Han Li and the others preparing for battle as if facing a formidable enemy, the Yue Emperor and the blue-robed man exchanged glances, then both sneered coldly.

Then, the blue-robed man’s figure flickered, suddenly appearing a dozen meters away at a spot where a pile of shimmering ice shards lay—the scattered remains of the Ice Demon, dismembered by Han Li's chaotic blades.

The blue-robed man reached the pile of ice shards and gently extended his hand. A blue bead swiftly flew from the Ice Demon's remains into his hand.

At the same time, the insidious Yue Emperor also flashed to the burial site of the two Blood Servants, who had been incinerated by the Firebird True Treasure. He slammed his hand onto the ground, and two beads, one gold and one yellow, broke through the earth and obediently flew into the Yue Emperor's hand.

“What is this?”

Upon seeing these few beads, and recalling the previous green bead, Han Li immediately had a vague guess, and his heart instantly tensed.

He had been wondering how to achieve his objective for this trip. Yet, the items had just appeared before his eyes.

These must be the "Five-Element Blood Condensing Pills" that the Young Prince mentioned were related to Core Formation. But there were only four here; where was the fifth?

As Han Li was experiencing a mix of surprise and joy, the Yue Emperor and the blue-robed man also showed immense delight upon obtaining these beads.

They stood on opposite sides, suddenly bursting into laughter. Then, in their laughter, they cast cold glances at Han Li and the others, openly displaying their murderous intent. This caused the faces of Han Li’s group to change slightly.

“Everyone, get into the air!” After various thoughts swirled through Han Li’s mind, he suddenly shouted loudly. Then, his Divine Wind Boat appeared, and he was the first to fly into the sky.

The others were momentarily stunned, but trusting Han Li's extraordinary performance earlier, Song Meng and Senior Sister Xue Hong's cultivation partner instinctively followed Han Li's instructions and ascended into the sky. Only Chen Qiaoqian hesitated upon hearing Han Li's words, but then she pulled Zhong Weinang behind her and also soared into the sky on her artifact.

Upon seeing this, a strange look flashed across the faces of the Yue Emperor and the blue-robed man. But then, they both sneered coldly. Although they were two people with completely different appearances, Han Li had the eerie sensation that their expressions and smiles were identical, which made Han Li’s heart clench.

“These young ones are quite clever. It seems you’ll need to make your sacrifice ahead of schedule!”

“Mine? Isn’t it yours? Just take it!”

The Yue Emperor and the blue-robed man spoke nonchalantly below, one answering the other. However, the bizarre content of their words sent chills down Han Li and Chen Qiaoqian’s spines.

“Senior Brother Han, what are they talking about?” Song Meng leaned closer to Han Li, swallowing hard as he asked.

After witnessing so many fellow disciples die before his eyes, even Song Meng, who was typically competitive and aggressive, had lost his initial fearless spirit. At this moment, asking Han Li was more about seeking reassurance, as Han Li held a sense of mystery in his mind, making him feel somewhat reliable.

Han Li smiled bitterly to himself. Just as he was about to say something, a scene unfolded below that made his face change drastically, forcing him to swallow the words he was about to speak. Chen Qiaoqian even cried out in alarm, causing Song Meng to look over in shock.

Only then did they see the Yue Emperor’s hand plunged into the blue-robed man’s chest. The blue-robed man’s arms were spread wide, showing no sign of struggle, and he smiled as if nothing was amiss.

Then, dazzling blood-red light erupted from both the blue-robed man and the Yue Emperor, connecting through the Yue Emperor's arm inserted into the blue-robed man's chest. Immediately afterward, the blood-red light from the blue-robed man began to transfer to the Yue Emperor. It seemed both absorbed by the Yue Emperor and voluntarily offered by the blue-robed man, leaving them dumbfounded.

The light on the blue-robed man grew steadily weaker, his flesh and skin shriveling inch by inch. Meanwhile, the blood-red light on the Yue Emperor grew increasingly strong, and his face gradually appeared younger.

“What kind of evil art is this?” Song Meng exclaimed in horror.

But at this moment, Han Li's face was extremely grim. He completely ignored Song Meng’s astonishment. Instead, he took a deep breath, then suddenly flung both hands outward.

Countless fire-element talismans, such as fire snakes and fireballs, surged from his hands towards the Yue Emperor and the blue-robed man below, at least one or two hundred of them. These were all the fire-element talismans Han Li had left.

As a result, these talismans transformed in mid-air into an overwhelming torrent of fire-element spells, with a huge wave of fire aggressively rushing forward. Its power even surpassed that of Liu Jing’s Firebird True Treasure. However, few cultivators in the cultivation world could throw hundreds of talismans at once, as this wasn't merely throwing talismans; it was throwing hundreds of spirit stones.

The sheer power of this move startled Song Meng and Chen Qiaoqian, and even Zhong Weinang, who had been in a daze, blinked blankly and stared for a few moments. The Yue Emperor below was initially shocked by the sight, but then quickly discerned that these were merely low-level spells, so he disdainfully ignored them.

He knew clearly that with his protective blood light, these spells couldn't harm him at all. It was more important to focus on the matter at hand. Once this was concluded, killing those few opponents would be as easy as reaching into his own pocket.

Just as a chilling glint flashed in the Yue Emperor’s eyes, the sky-filling firelight engulfed him and the blue-robed man opposite him amidst deafening explosions.

Indeed, no matter how deafening the explosions or how soaring the firelight, the Yue Emperor and the blue-robed man remained unscathed. Most of the blue-robed man’s blood-colored light had already transferred to the Yue Emperor, who now appeared to be only thirty-some years old. This brought a look of joy to the Yue Emperor’s face!

At this moment, Chen Qiaoqian and the others, seeing Han Li act, also released their artifacts to attack below. After all, it seemed the two were performing some evil art and couldn’t retaliate. This was naturally an opportune moment to strike them when they were vulnerable.

But as soon as their artifacts were unleashed, a blinding white light erupted between the Yue Emperor and the blue-robed man, followed by a deafening roar. The white light contracted and expanded, engulfing the two of them.

The terrifying spiritual energy contained within the white light and the look of horror on the Yue Emperor’s face were clearly visible to Chen Qiaoqian and the others, astonishing and delighting them. They instinctively looked towards Han Li; clearly, this scene was the doing of their fellow disciple.

However, Han Li, in their eyes, showed no sign of joy; instead, his expression was even colder.

“Don’t celebrate too soon; that guy isn’t dead yet!”

Han Li glanced at them indifferently, then spoke coldly. These words startled them, and they quickly looked back.

Indeed, although the various smoke and dust below obscured everything, the Yue Emperor’s spiritual energy remained faintly discernible, suggesting that even if he was still alive, his magical power was greatly depleted.

After sensing this information with their divine sense, Song Meng and the other three were re-energized. They each commanded their artifacts to hover in the air nearby, ready to collectively strike down the Yue Emperor as soon as he revealed himself, thus avenging their tragically deceased fellow disciples.

“Cough… Good!… Good! Cough! I really misjudged you. I never thought you would be the most formidable one among this group! What did you hide in those talismans that even my protective blood light couldn’t block?!” A coughing sound emerged from the smoke, but gradually the voice stabilized, growing colder and more confident with each word.

Song Meng and the others’ expressions changed drastically, and even Han Li felt extreme horror.

“Just a Heavenly Thunder Bomb! I truly didn’t expect there to be a Foundation Establishment cultivator in this world who could withstand a Heavenly Thunder Bomb and survive!” Han Li sighed, speaking slowly. He then waved both hands, and over a dozen puppet beasts and puppet soldiers appeared before him in a flash of white light, each aiming at the gradually clearer figure on the ground.

As soon as the figure became visible, Song Meng and the others’ artifacts fiercely attacked without hesitation. But after a flash of red light, all the artifacts simultaneously lost connection with their owners. Then, the Yue Emperor, covered in bloodstains and grime, walked out of the smoke, his eyes full of venomous hatred, fixed intently on Han Li.