From the distant horizon, a flash of light appeared. High in the sky, a vast expanse of black and purple radiance materialized, shimmering and flickering ceaselessly as it blotted out half the heavens. Beneath it, a cloud of vivid green — several acres in size, so lush it seemed to drip — rose slowly, revolving lazily beneath the otherworldly glow. The moment the green cloud and the strange radiance intertwined, a deep, rumbling boom rolled across the sky.
That colossal roar had been emanating from that very spot.
The black and purple radiance exuded demonic energy of tidal, overwhelming proportions — the kind that could suffocate anyone who merely sensed it from afar. And this demonic energy was something all three of them recognized only too well. It was identical in nature to the aura "Marquis of Nanlong" had released after transforming into his two-headed, four-armed form. The only difference was that the presence now flooding the sky was incomparably more terrifying.
What made Ancestor Linghu's face drain of color was that the black-purple radiance and the green cloud were hurtling toward their position at alarming speed, threatening to close the distance within moments.
"Corpse-Poison Cloud! That's the cloud formed from Fellow Daoist Wei's poison arts — any ordinary cultivator who touches it dies instantly. I've seen Fellow Daoist Wei use it once before." The white-robed woman's face brightened the moment she recognized the green mist.
But when Han Li and Ancestor Linghu heard this, they exchanged a peculiar look, each seeing deep fear reflected in the other's eyes.
The green cloud, for all its imposing momentum, was clearly being suppressed beneath the black-purple radiance. Whatever demonic creature was fighting Wei Wuya — could it be that even a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator was no match? But the aura flooding toward them was unmistakably not that of "Marquis of Nanlong," who had just fled from their vicinity.
The white-robed woman was no fool. One glance at Han Li and Ancestor Linghu's expressions, and she understood the implication. Her face darkened.
"Perhaps we should—"
She hesitated, about to propose something, when a frigid sweep of spiritual sense passed over all three of them. Her voice cut off abruptly.
Han Li's heart tightened. Ancestor Linghu's face grew even grimmer.
"The thing over there has already locked onto us. If we don't leave now, we may not be able to leave at all. The demon that attacked us earlier has also fled toward that location. If it joins forces against Fellow Daoist Wei, then no matter how deep Wei Wuya's cultivation runs, he won't hold out for long. Do you two intend to go to Wei Wuya's aid, or do you plan to part ways here — and after Wei Wuya falls, be hunted down separately by these demons, each relying on their own luck?" After a moment of silence, Han Li spoke in an expressionless, frigid tone.
He had just probed the black-purple radiance with his spiritual sense, only to find that the spiritual fluctuations within were so staggering that his consciousness couldn't penetrate even a fraction of the way in. His heart sank slightly. This meant that the combatants on both sides possessed cultivation far beyond anything he could compare to.
Ancestor Linghu and the white-robed woman stared at each other after hearing Han Li's words.
If it were possible, the two of them — having only just escaped with their lives — naturally had no desire to throw themselves back into battle against those demons. But as Han Li had pointed out, if Wei Wuya, who was currently the only thing keeping those demons occupied, fell, the two of them had no confidence whatsoever that they could escape the valley. After all, they had already ventured deep into the heart of the inner valley.
Moreover, should Wei Wuya survive and later learn that they had stood by and watched, the consequences would be dire. As cultivators of the Nine Nations Alliance — as the Grand Elders of their respective sects — they would bring calamity upon both the Moonfall Sect and Yellow Maple Valley.
Yet neither was willing to risk their life for their sects in a battle where they had not even a shred of certainty of success. Both wore expressions of deep hesitation.
Han Li sneered inwardly, clasped his hands behind his back, and gazed at the encroaching black-purple radiance on the horizon without another word.
"Among the three of us, Fellow Daoist Han possesses the greatest abilities. What do you intend to do?" Ancestor Linghu furrowed his brow, vented the frustration churning in his chest, and suddenly turned the question to Han Li.
"Me? Heh heh…" Han Li did not answer immediately. He merely smiled and said nothing.
Ancestor Linghu could only smile bitterly and silently curse Han Li as a cunning little fox. Had Han Li merely voiced the suggestion that all three flee immediately, then if Wei Wuya later pursued the matter, he and the woman could have shifted the blame squarely onto Han Li.
Just as Ancestor Linghu found himself in this awkward position, Han Li suddenly let out a soft exclamation.
"Oh? There are other cultivators nearby after all. Though I suppose that's not surprising. With such an enormous commotion, every cultivator within several thousand li would likely be drawn here."
Ancestor Linghu and the white-robed woman started in alarm and followed Han Li's gaze.
Sure enough, from one side of the distant battlefield, flickers of spiritual light were faintly visible. A group of cultivators was flying toward the space beneath the strange radiance and green cloud.
"Why, it's them? What are they doing heading toward such a dangerous place?" Han Li had just swept those cultivators with his spiritual sense for a closer look when his heart jolted violently.
There were three cultivators racing toward the fray, and to his surprise, he recognized two of them.
One was Perfected Tianjing — the same man he had traded with before. Still trailing behind him were two evil-ghost puppets, though both were now battered and scarred. One puppet had lost an arm entirely, suggesting they had already been through some ordeal.
The other was the silver-haired elder of the Flowing Cloud Sect — Senior Brother Cheng.
As for the third, he was an unfamiliar old man who had entered the valley alongside Elder Cheng. The fourth cultivator who should have been with them — a very aged individual — was nowhere to be seen, presumably having met with some mishap.
Once he had taken a clear look at these people, Han Li's expression turned dark.