The white-robed woman saw her magical treasure take effect, blocking Han Li's Golden Blade, and a smug expression surfaced on her face.
"I was wondering why someone would jump out so overconfidently! Turns out you're relying on a top-grade magical treasure!" she sneered, but her hands didn't pause for even a moment. She flipped her hand and produced a pinkish crystal ball, sending it flying to hover above her head.
"Not good! That crystal ball can corrode other magical treasures—Junior Brother, stop her quickly! That's exactly how all of my magical treasures were destroyed!" The yellow-robed woman's face changed dramatically as she hastily warned him.
Han Li's heart skipped a beat. Without a moment's hesitation, he raised his hand and flung the Silver Hook he had been holding, transforming it into a streak of silver light that shot toward the woman's crystal ball.
The white-robed woman's lips curled into a slight smirk. Her ten fingers formed a strange hand seal, and she shot a beam of red light at the crystal ball above her head.
The crystal ball, infused with the magical incantation, immediately blazed with red light and began spinning on its own, spraying streams of pinkish liquid that formed a cloud-like mass centered around the orb. Though only about ten feet across, it blanketed the space above the woman in a crimson hue.
Han Li hesitated briefly, not daring to let the Silver Hook plunge recklessly into the red liquid. Instead, he manipulated it to dive downward, heading straight for the white-robed woman beneath.
At the same time, he secretly deployed another high-grade magical treasure—the Azure Rope—sending it slithering along the ground like a ghostly serpent, silent and invisible.
"Strike!"
The white-robed woman suddenly pointed at the crystal ball, and a small portion of the liquid cloud separated and shot downward. It engulfed the white light passing below, slowing it down until the Silver Hook's true form was revealed!
Seeing this, Han Li grew anxious. He steeled himself and abandoned the Silver Hook entirely, instead commanding the Azure Rope to arrive a moment later. With a cunning lunge, it coiled tightly around the white-robed woman, wrapping her and her protective shield together like a sticky rice dumpling. Despite her many treasures, the white-robed woman was thrown into a panic, unable to free herself immediately.
At that moment, Han Li unhesitatingly pulled out the Talisman Treasure—the Golden Light Brick!
Though he had no confidence in how long the Azure Rope could hold the enemy, he had no choice but to take the gamble, hoping to strike the woman down before she broke free.
The yellow-robed woman, though plain in appearance, had a measure of wit. Though she no longer had magical treasures or powerful talismans, she continued casting minor spells—fireballs and ice cones—striking at the liquid mass trapping the Silver Hook and the small mirror, hoping to free Han Li's magical treasures and tip the odds in their favor.
But unfortunately, these attacks were about as effective as scratching an itch through a boot.
"Hmph! A mere high-grade magical treasure thinks it can contain me? I'll show you how foolish you are!" Though trapped inside the Azure Rope, the white-robed woman remained utterly arrogant.
Han Li couldn't be bothered to respond. He raised the Golden Light Brick Talisman Treasure, bracing himself for the violent drain on his spiritual power.
But just then, from the dense forest behind the white-robed woman, an terrifying surge of spiritual energy suddenly erupted.
Han Li froze, and before he could even react, a blinding streak of yellow light shot from the trees like lightning. It pierced clean through the Azure Rope, the woman's protective shield, and the white-robed woman herself, killing her instantly before she could even let out a scream.
Han Li was shocked at first, but then realization dawned on him. He was about to flee, but it was too late.
A blue-clad figure flickered through the air like a meteor chasing the moon, arriving at the woman's corpse in the blink of an eye. The figure snatched the storage pouch from her waist and burst into hearty laughter, face alight with wild elation.
Realizing he had been a step too late, Han Li sighed in frustration. But for the sake of survival, he forced himself to stay alert, watching the newcomer's every move with cold eyes.
The newcomer was a middle-aged man covered in scars. His eyes were narrow and long, his nose hooked like an eagle's beak. A murderous aura clung to him, making anyone who saw him shudder and want to keep their distance. His cultivation was at the peak of the thirteenth layer, which made Han Li's heart grow even heavier.
"Feng Yue—you're the Madman Feng Yue from Heavenly Gate Fortress!"
Unexpectedly, before the blue-clad man could speak, the yellow-robed woman cried out in terror, her expression as though she had encountered the most horrifying demon—far more afraid than when the white-robed woman had been chasing her.
"Heh heh! Didn't expect the little girl to recognize me. Stand right there and behave yourself, and wait until I've checked my haul before I decide what to do with you two!" The blue-clad man merely glanced sideways at the yellow-robed woman, then proceeded to examine the storage pouch in his hand right in front of the pair.
Han Li rubbed his nose and stared at the man indifferently, his gaze flickering uncertainly. Though he didn't know who this newcomer was, he was deeply irritated by his senior sister's panic.
For Han Li, no matter who the enemy was, he could not lose his composure. The more powerful the foe, the calmer he had to remain!
He glanced at his recovered magical treasures and reached out, summoning the Golden Blade and Silver Hook back.
The Golden Blade was fine—as good as new—but the Silver Hook's condition made Han Li's heart skip. The once-silvery weapon was now riddled with rust and pockmarks, like a ruined blade. It had lost most of its spiritual power and was no longer usable!
Only now did Han Li understand what the yellow-robed woman meant by "destroyed magical treasures." The pinkish liquid sprayed by the crystal ball was truly vicious! Anyone whose magical treasure touched it would have to retreat three paces!
After this sobering realization, Han Li's attention was drawn to the dazzling yellow glow before the blue-clad man.
It was a strangely shaped small knife with a handle, the handle roughly a foot long while the blade itself was only three or four inches. The entire weapon was crystalline and translucent, radiating a piercing yellow light.
Such an odd-looking weapon had killed the white-robed woman in a single strike.
Han Li stared at the object, his expression gradually darkening. A storm cloud of tension hung over his face, and his mouth pressed tightly shut. But the words "Talisman Treasure" kept flashing through his mind.
From the weapon's power, its near-luminescent appearance, and the explosive spiritual energy it had released—everything confirmed that this was indeed a Talisman Treasure, just like his Golden Light Brick, carrying the might of a true magical treasure.
This discovery left Han Li's mouth filled with bitterness.
He raised his head to gaze at the murky sky. Though he couldn't tell the exact hour, it was certainly the morning of the second day. He wondered whether he had burned through all his luck on the first day, and now on the morning of the second day, terrible fortune had found him.
First he had run into a senior sister from his own sect, who had dragged him into acting as her shield, forcing him to confront the treasure-hunting woman from the Masked Moon Sect. Her top-grade magical treasure had been devastatingly powerful, nearly overwhelming him!
And now this Madman Feng Yue appeared—not only was his spiritual power far superior, but he also possessed a Talisman Treasure. That made him even more dangerous than the treasure-hunting woman. How could Han Li possibly escape?
He didn't believe this madman would let them go out of good spirits. It seemed his only option was to fight with everything he had!
Just as Han Li was thinking this, Feng Yue across from him finally finished examining the storage pouch and looked up with a hint of pleasure—it seemed the harvest was considerable!
He grinned hideously and was about to say something to Han Li and the yellow-robed woman, but his eyes fell on the small mirror and crystal ball lying on the ground. Greed flickered through his eyes, and he waved his hand, intending to draw the two magical treasures to him.
But before the two treasures could even rise, a small fireball flew in from a distance, interrupting his collection and forcing him to take a step back. He waved his hand, launching an identical fireball to destroy it. This infuriated Feng Yue, and a vicious expression twisted across his face.
That fireball had been Han Li's doing. Having witnessed the power of the small mirror and crystal ball, there was no way he would let them fall into the hands of an enemy. The yellow-robed woman, however, was startled by Han Li's boldness and nearly screamed aloud!
Feng Yue slowly turned his gaze toward Han Li. The scars on his face began to writhe like squirming earthworms, a sight that sent chills down the spine. After staring menacingly at Han Li for a moment, he suddenly spoke:
"How do you want to die? Flayed alive, one cut at a time? Or roasted over a slow fire, one inch at a time?"
The yellow-robed woman trembled at these words, her face draining of all color. She could no longer suppress her terror and began casting furtive glances to either side, hatching other plans.
"I want you dead!" Han Li replied with a smile, natural and bright!