A Name That Shakes a Region; The Wood Spirit Infant

Chapter 660: A Name That Shakes a Region; The Wood Spirit Infant

The green figure emerged from the Exorcist Divine Lightning completely unscathed. Instead of being harmed, it turned to Han Li and let out a jeering laugh.

"Don't celebrate too early. If you truly had the confidence to devour my Nascent Soul, would you waste your breath babbling at me? If I'm not mistaken, while you can swallow the souls of cultivators, your ability is limited to low-level ones. Speaking of swallowing a Nascent Soul is pure wishful thinking. Perhaps you could have done such a thing in the past, but now, it's clearly beyond your reach. You can only rely on this monstrous form to bluff. Enough talk! Let's see how you handle my flying swords first!" Han Li let out a cold laugh. With just a few words, he caused the little figure's face to dramatically change, its gaze turning venomous.

At the same time, Han Li pointed a finger at the flying swords hovering before him. With a resonant hum, the twelve flying swords transformed into streaks of azure light and shot forward.

The green figure stood its ground, its face dark and expressionless. The dozen or so azure sword beams circled around it a few times before instantly slicing its body into countless fragments. These fragments floated gently in the air, glinting faintly.

Han Li was momentarily stunned by the sight.

But then, a strange "giggling" sound came from across the way. The fragments of the figure's body flashed with light and then swiftly reassembled.

A green figure, identical to the original, stood there once more.

"Remarkable, truly remarkable! These flying swords of yours are forged from Gold Lightning Bamboo, aren't they? I don't know how you managed to acquire so much of it, but thinking you can harm me with just these swords is laughable. As for whether I'm just 'babbling,' you'll find out soon enough."

It seemed that Han Li's previous words had truly enraged the figure. After uttering these words with a sinister tone, it formed a hand seal, causing a piercing green light to flicker all over its body as if it were about to unleash a powerful technique.

Before it could complete its spell, however, a brilliant light flashed above its head. The twelve flying swords simultaneously erupted with arcing lightning, weaving together into a massive golden net that descended upon it without warning.

"Hmph! Brat, you still don't give up, do you? Didn't I tell you? The Exorcist Divine Lightning is completely useless against me. Hey! What are you doing?!" The female child's voice started with a hint of surprise but quickly became shrill with panic.

The lightning net didn't explode upon contact. Instead, it instantly constricted, wrapping tightly around the figure. The net continued to tighten and shrink.

Realizing something was wrong, the figure struggled desperately, its body flashing with green light. But it was all in vain. Within moments, it was bound into a large, gleaming golden ball.

Seeing this, a cold sneer crept across Han Li's face.

The technique of condensing Exorcist Divine Lightning into a net was, as far as Han Li knew, an innovation of his own invention since the creation of Gold Lightning Bamboo.

In the past, even if someone were fortunate enough to obtain a stalk or two of Gold Lightning Bamboo and refine it into a magic treasure, they would have used its Divine Lightning as a trump card against demonic techniques and evil arts. No one would have dared to waste it so freely.

Moreover, forming a lightning net of this size required the Exorcist Divine Lightning from over ten stalks of Gold Lightning Bamboo. Without such a supply, the technique couldn't even be attempted. Even if one had the idea, they lacked the means to achieve it.

Over the years of driving the Exorcist Divine Lightning, Han Li had noticed an additional property. Besides its natural克制 over demonic techniques and evil arts, the Divine Lightning also possessed the remarkable ability to seal and suppress the Five Elements spiritual energy.

He had already used it to trap the Profound Yang Sacred Flame and, later, the Wind Spirit Restriction. In both cases, the Divine Lightning held them firmly in place, preventing them from detonating or escaping.

This unexpected discovery had naturally delighted Han Li.

During his Core Formation stage, his cultivation had limited his control, preventing him from using the Golden Lightning Net with ease. He had rarely employed it in battle.

But now, with his cultivation greatly advanced and having mastered the fourth layer of the Great Derivative Art, his divine sense had increased dramatically. He no longer had such concerns.

Although he didn't know the exact origin of this green figure, he was certain it wasn't a physical body of flesh and blood or a ghostly entity. It seemed more like a strange, mutated form of a cultivator's Nascent Soul.

With this in mind, Han Li had decided to give this technique a try.

Unfortunately for the figure, while it had heard rumors of Gold Lightning Bamboo artifacts, it knew nothing of the Exorcist Divine Lightning's hidden properties. Otherwise, it would never have been so reckless, relying on its demonic infant body.

In the blink of an eye, the arrogant figure had been effortlessly captured and sealed by Han Li.

Seeing his success, a hint of a smile appeared on Han Li's face. He raised his hand, and a flash of azure light shot out, wrapping around the golden ball and drawing it back into his grasp.

"How dare you trap me! Let me out this instant, or I'll extract your soul and refine it, making you wish you were dead!"

The golden ball trembled slightly, and within it, the female child's voice screamed, a mixture of shock and fury, piercingly shrill.

"Extract my soul and refine it? It seems you still don't understand your situation. Stay in there and think things over for a while," Han Li said with a frown, his expression darkening.

With another crackling sound of thunder, a new strand of golden lightning leapt from his hand.

Strand after strand of fine lightning wrapped around the golden ball, layer upon layer. Han Li continued until nearly half of the stored Exorcist Divine Lightning from his flying swords was consumed. Only then did he look at the now much larger golden ball with satisfaction.

Ignoring the maddened curses emanating from the trapped figure, Han Li slapped his storage pouch. A white jade box appeared in his hand.

He stuffed the golden ball into the jade box, immediately closed the lid, and then retrieved several sealing talismans from his storage pouch. Without hesitation, he pasted them onto the box.

Instantly, the sound from within the box ceased.

Han Li weighed the jade box in his hand, his expression returning to normal.

He glanced at the short, rotund cultivator who had lost his soul and become a living corpse. With an impassive face, he shot a fireball from his hand, turning the man to ashes.

Afterward, he unhurriedly flew back toward the small city.

A short while later, Han Li leisurely appeared back at his inn. He didn't venture out again, quietly waiting for the birthday celebration to arrive.

Not long after, the cultivators of Yuanwu Nation were stunned to discover that the infamous "Twin Terrors of Peng and Yi," notorious rogue cultivators who had built their reputation on murder and plunder, had vanished from Yuanwu Nation without a trace. Their whereabouts were never heard of again.

In the cultivation world, this turn of events naturally signified their doom.

When news spread, the rogue cultivators of Yuanwu Nation celebrated. Some speculated that the pair had offended a major sect and been wiped out. Others claimed their reputation had become so foul that a passing expert had finally dealt with them. Rumors flew thick and fast.

…

Tianluo Nation, located millions of li away from Yuanwu Nation, was the stronghold of the Six Demonic Sects.

In the western part of Tianluo Nation lay the Qi Ling Mountain Range, stretching for tens of thousands of li. With its steep terrain and countless spirit beasts and strange insects, it was the headquarters of the Imperial Spirit Sect.

At the very moment Han Li had sealed the demonic infant figure, a furious roar from an old man echoed from a pitch-black stone room deep within the Qi Ling Mountain Range.

"Who? Who has sealed the Wood Spirit Infant? Someone! Contact the Imperial Spirit Sect disciples in Yuanwu Nation immediately! If the escaped Wood Spirit Infant cannot be found within three months, I will hold them accountable for both their current failure and their past negligence. They can kill themselves to atone! Also, proceed with utmost caution. Do not let the Devil Flame Sect catch wind of this."

Although the elder in the room was furious, his orders remained clear and logical.

"Understood, Senior Uncle. I will see to it immediately." A steady male voice responded from outside the stone room.

"Wait! Also, send Yun Zhi and Liu Yu to Yuanwu Nation personally. Both of them have Wood-attribute spiritual roots, making them the most suitable hosts for the Wood Spirit Infant. If they get close enough to the infant, they might be able to sense something. However, tell them to be careful. The person who can seal the Infant is no ordinary cultivator, far beyond their ability to confront. I only need to find out who has taken the Infant. I will deal with them myself." The old man added another instruction.

"Yes, I will personally ask Junior Sisters to undertake this mission. I shall take my leave." The man outside the door replied respectfully.

Footsteps sounded, slowly fading into the distance.

A deep sigh echoed from the stone room before silence once again descended.

…

In the grand fortress of the Fu Clan, completely shrouded by the purple mist of Purple Dao Mountain, the clan leader, Fu Tianhua, was in a state of high spirits. His face was ruddy with vitality, and he treated every younger member of the clan he encountered with unusual kindness. This display of affability left many of the juniors, accustomed to their patriarch's stern demeanor, feeling flattered and overwhelmed.

It was no wonder. The four-hundredth birthday of this ancestor was fast approaching. As the oldest Core Formation cultivator currently in the Fu Clan, even the two Protectors of the Devil Flame Sect were expected to attend the celebration. This was a matter that would greatly enhance the prestige of the Fu Clan.

The younger generation of the Fu Clan naturally dared not show any negligence. They worked tirelessly within the fortress, making every preparation. They could not afford to allow their ancestor to lose face on his birthday.

After making a brief tour of the fortress and appearing quite satisfied with the preparations, the ancestor, accompanied by several junior members, entered a side hall within the compound.

"Qing'er! Have the honored guests from the Devil Flame Sect not arrived yet? There isn't some issue preventing them from coming, is there?" The Fu Clan ancestor, wearing a purple robe and possessing eagle-like eyes, asked slowly as he leaned back in a grand armchair.

His voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority. It was the very presence of a man who had managed the Fu Clan's prosperity for a hundred years.

"Reporting to our ancestor, Senior Sun of the Devil Flame Sect has already sent word through a clan disciple. He and Protector Mo have confirmed they will personally attend to pay their respects to you. They should arrive within the next day or two," replied a pale-faced cultivator in his forties, standing with his hands respectfully at his sides. His expression was one of utmost deference.