A Grand Display of Skill

Chapter 312: A Grand Display of Skill

Han Li glanced at the several magic tools beside him, then reached into his storage pouch and pulled out three identical red small tridents.

He tossed them lightly into the air, and they transformed into three streaks of red light, shooting toward a certain black-robed cultivator.

This set of "Flame Chain Flying Forks" was plunder Han Li had collected from some unlucky wretch who had fallen during the battle with the Blood Spider. Their power was quite respectable. And because they came as a set, they were easier to control, so Han Li had kept them.

With another gesture from Han Li, the two streaks of black light and six streaks of golden light let out a resonant hum, then flew off in different directions.

It was at this moment that the true terror of Han Li's Great Derivative Art was revealed. He could control this many magic tools without the slightest disorder. The banner-wielding cultivator who saw so many top-grade tools rushing toward him was struck with horror—he had no thought of meeting them head-on.

He hurriedly tossed the black banner in his hand toward the three red streaks, then tried to escape on his magic tool. But the black banner, once caught in the twisting of the three red lights, exploded in a burst of black light, snapping into pieces.

Without the slightest pause, the three red streaks reached the cultivator in an instant and slammed viciously into his protective barrier.

Pitiful. It was merely the low-grade barrier of a Qi Condensation cultivator—how could it withstand the combined strike of three top-grade magic tools? The barrier held for only a moment before a sharp crack rang out, and it dissipated into nothing.

In the cultivator's despairing gaze, the three red streaks wound around him once. With a soft "puff," the black-robed cultivator transformed into a massive fireball and burned to ashes.

At the same time, the two streaks of black light and six streaks of golden light that had flown out behind reached the heads of two other cultivators. With equal effortlessness, they shattered their defensive tools and barriers, cleaving the men in two.

This threw the remaining cultivators into chaos. Who could still care about setting up a grand formation? Saving their own lives was the priority.

Most of them immediately turned and fled into the sky. The bolder ones, or those whose wits were slow, released their prized magic tools, trying desperately to block Han Li's advance.

But unfortunately, Han Li had no intention of trading blows or getting entangled. He pressed forward with complete, merciless force.

Wherever the ten-plus streaks of gold, black, and red light touched, they swarmed together. The blocking tools were no match—they shattered into countless fragments, vanishing from this world. As for the owners of those tools, Han Li naturally did not let them off, erasing them in the same stroke.

By now, aside from the black-robed cultivators who had fled several hundred zhang away, the only ones left unmoving on the spot were the young prince, whose eyes held an expression of disbelief, and the masked man beside him, who should be Manager Wang. This so-called "Black Wind Formation" had been disabled by Han Li's prescience before it could display even a shred of its power.

Han Li's gaze shifted to the young prince and his companion, causing them to silently cry out in alarm. They both assumed defensive stances, and faint black light emerged from their bodies, shrouding their forms and instantly turning them sinister and oppressive.

"Hmph. Playing tricks," Han Li said with a cold laugh.

He didn't know what technique these two were using, but it was clearly very similar to the bald giant's demonic art. He was only puzzled why theirs emitted black light instead of the giant's bloody glow. Could it be due to a difference in cultivation level? Han Li mused.

What Han Li didn't know was that the young prince and his companion were secretly panicking.

Han Li's cultivation level and the sharpness of his magic tools far exceeded what the two had anticipated.

They had seen Foundation Establishment cultivators before. But Han Li's strength as a Foundation Establishment cultivator was not something that could be compared to the hall masters of their sect, who were also at Foundation Establishment. Forget a one-on-one fight—even two or three hall masters working together might not be a match for this man.

A body technique so fast it was nearly invisible to the naked eye. The bizarre ability to control over a dozen magic tools simultaneously. All of this was unheard of.

Now, it seemed even the Blood Attendant might not necessarily be this man's match. Even though that Blood Attendant seemed to be using some kind of secret technique.

And while the two of them were confident they were far stronger than the average Qi Condensation cultivator, they were not arrogant enough to think they could join forces and stand against Han Li. So even as they activated their secret techniques, their bodies did not advance but instead began to retreat cautiously, moving slowly backward.

In contrast, the Four Meng Mountain Friends were stunned speechless by Han Li's overwhelming display.

They knew Han Li was powerful. But without a point of reference, they had no way to gauge the true extent of his strength.

But having now witnessed with their own eyes Han Li single-handedly take on over a dozen cultivators of similar cultivation to themselves, killing five or six in an instant and scattering the rest in terror, they were left with no choice but to be thoroughly convinced. Such skill! Such methods!

Han Li took a deep breath, intending to capture the young prince and Manager Wang in one go, when suddenly a beastly roar, filled with boundless madness, rang out from the bloody light mass on one side.

Hearing this sound, the young prince and his companion exchanged a joyful glance.

Han Li's expression turned serious. Abandoning the two across from him for the moment, he hurriedly reached into his storage pouch and pulled out a small, exquisitely crafted magic tool.

Without the slightest hesitation, he tossed it toward the bloody light mass.

A small yellow bell grew as it left Han Li's hand, expanding in the blink of an eye into a massive bronze bell five or six zhang tall. This was the "Sky-Covering Bell," a trophy Han Li had taken from the Moon-Masking Sect cultivator Xuan Le. That very bell had once trapped the ferocious Blood Spider beneath it, a testament to its fearsome power.

With a resounding "DONG," the bell precisely covered the bloody light mass that was undergoing a strange and violent transformation, trapping it inside. No more roars could be heard.

Seeing this move from Han Li, the young prince and his companion, who had just shown joy, were left dumbfounded.

Had that Blood Attendant been captured so easily?

Han Li turned back and suddenly shot them a strange smile. Then he raised both hands simultaneously.

In an instant, countless large and small fireballs surged forth from his palms like a storm, densely packed and raining down upon them. The sky nearby was dyed a blazing red.

This sight startled the young prince and his companion. They hurriedly released round, shield-like magic tools to place in front of themselves.

A continuous chain of ear-splitting explosions crackled and popped, leaving the young prince dizzy and disoriented.

Because the number of fireballs was so great, a few slipped through the defense and struck the young prince directly, scattering a considerable amount of the black protective qi around his body.

The young prince, thoroughly disheveled and furious, knew full well that this could only be the result of a massive volley of talismans being released at once.

Finally, the storm of fireballs passed. But a sudden scream from beside him made the young prince's body shudder. He quickly turned to look.

What he saw made him draw in a sharp breath. His eyes were filled with shock.

The gaunt, masked man who had been standing not far from his side was now completely devoid of the black qi around him. He was held limply in Han Li's hand, one side of his body covered in blood, with only one arm remaining.

This sight filled the young prince with dread, and a true fear of being unable to withstand Han Li took root in his heart. He couldn't help but curse the uselessness of that Blood Attendant.

Han Li coldly glanced at the young prince, then unceremoniously tore off the mask of the masked man in his hand. It was Manager Wang of the Xin Estate. His gaunt face was twisted in pain from the severed arm.

"Impossible. How did you capture him? Our protective baleful qi is not so easily broken through!" the young prince said, exhaling lightly. But then, he suddenly flung both hands forward. Over a dozen streaks of black light flashed and shot toward Han Li.

A hint of mockery appeared on Han Li's expressionless face.

With a single hand, he produced a dark, shield-like object that materialized in front of him.

The streaks of black light struck it directly. But aside from a dull thud, they had no effect at all.

The young prince was startled. Looking closely, he realized the "shield" was actually an enormous tortoise shell. The shell was pitch-black and lusterless, clearly having been specially refined.

Seeing this, the young prince's eyes darted. With a surge of black light, his entire body shot backward like lightning. Then he turned, intending to flee like the other escaping cultivators.

But as one of the primary targets for capture, how could Han Li let him escape so easily? With a flicker of his form, Han Li appeared effortlessly in front of the young prince. Raising a hand, a cyan greatsword several zhang long materialized out of thin air and, without any ceremony, cleaved down toward the young prince's head.

Seeing this, the young prince felt a secret joy.

His protective baleful qi was specifically adept at corrupting various magic tools. He didn't need to worry about the greatsword harming him at all. On the contrary, he could use this opportunity to cover his escape and flee at full speed.

With this thought, the young prince, who was mid-flight, rose slightly, intending to soar directly over Han Li's head.