Chapter 999

Upon hearing remarks like “Han Li” and “Tiannan,” the elderly man of the Fu clan and Bai Yaoyi both showed a flicker of surprise, glancing at Han Li with suspicion.

Han Li, however, merely gazed at the five distant white figures, his expression dark and silent.

He had personally slain a mid-stage Nascent Soul elder of the Yin Luo Sect, even seized one of their sect’s treasured Ghost Banner, so there was no talk of turning spears into plowshares. Moreover, he had originally intended to obtain the counter-curse for the Soul-Sealing Spell from the Yin Luo Sect—and only the sect master and the elder before him knew that spell.

Thus, Han Li had already planned to deal with them after this affair.

So now, encountering them unexpectedly here, Han Li, caught off guard, had already secretly weighed the possibility of a direct confrontation. After all, these two were high-ranking figures in the Yin Luo Sect; chances to catch them alone were exceedingly rare.

He had previously clashed with a Silver-Winged Night Demon equivalent to a late-stage Nascent Soul. Though the monster lacked a proper magic treasure and was bound by restrictions, barely escaping annihilation, Han Li knew he hadn’t used all his cards—he hadn’t even deployed his humanoid puppet—and he still had confidence he could defeat this late-stage Nascent Soul demon cultivator.

Moreover, even if the Five Sons’ Heart Demon was fearsome, his Evil-Purifying Thunder was supremely effective at countering demonic arts.

As Han Li’s thoughts raced like lightning, weighing pros and cons, the central white figure among the five distant shapes suddenly formed a hand seal; a faint gray glow flashed around it, and a gray-robed cultivator instantly emerged from the white shadow, his appearance so uncanny it seemed spectral.

The gray-robed cultivator’s face was veiled by a faint gray mist, obscuring his features, but his slightly grayish-white topknot and attire clearly marked him as an elderly man.

The true body of the Old Devil had separated from the possessed demon sons and appeared directly.

This startled not only Han Li, but also the Fu elder and Bai Yaoyi, who fixed their eyes unblinkingly on the old devil, watching for his next move.

Yet the old devil said nothing; instead, he slapped his waist, and a pitch-black, ink-like small banner appeared in his hand. He gave it a gentle shake toward Han Li and the others.

The elder’s face turned ashen; he immediately clutched a treasure.

Bai Yaoyi’s body erupted in icy light, instantly enveloped in her protective spiritual aura.

Han Li, however, merely raised an eyebrow, made no further move, yet his expression grew colder.

“Strange… strange…” The banner flashed once with black light, yet nothing unusual occurred. The old devil muttered to himself, clearly puzzled.

“Old Devil Gan, what are you implying? Pulling out the Ghost Banner—do you intend to fight? Are you trying to spark a war between our sects?” The Fu elder, though deeply wary of the old devil, knew they had three mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators here, and Han Li’s abilities were unfathomable—he wouldn’t be easily intimidated.

“War between sects? I have no interest in that. I merely have old business to settle with this Han Daoist. If you two wish to leave now, I won’t hinder you.” The old devil’s gaze swept over the three, calm and level.

“Your words suit me perfectly, Old Devil Gan. I’ve long heard of the Five Sons’ Heart Demon—I’ve been eager to test my skills against you!” Han Li laughed, immediately agreeing with casual ease.

Hearing this, the Fu elder and Bai Yaoyi exchanged glances.

The old devil was also taken aback, his icy gaze circling Han Li several times.

“Old Brother Gan, I know Han Daoist has grievances with your sect, but to act here so rashly is unwise. Won’t you first explore this mountain?” The Fu elder frowned, urging caution.

This wasn’t out of loyalty to Han Li—he simply knew Kunwu Mountain looked perilous, and having a capable ally was rare; he didn’t want to lose him to sudden misfortune. Only by securing Han Li’s alliance could he avoid being isolated and vulnerable to the old devil’s sudden betrayal.

“I will certainly explore this mountain. But this Han Daoist is someone my sect has pursued for a long time—I cannot let him go so easily. I’ll settle matters with him first. Do you intend to interfere, Brother Fu?” The old devil sneered.

“Outside this mountain, I won’t meddle in your feud with Han Daoist. But here, the three of us must join forces to explore this mountain—I cannot let you have your way,” Bai Yaoyi said firmly after a moment’s glance.

For her, losing Han Li as a powerful ally would leave her vulnerable in this mountain. More importantly, she and the Fu elder had witnessed Han Li’s prowess—they didn’t believe he truly feared the old devil.

Otherwise, she might not have spoken these words at all.

Facing the unexpectedly firm stance of the Fu elder and Bai Yaoyi, the gray-robed man’s eyes flashed with icy light; his gaze seemed to freeze the very marrow of their bones.

Yet neither the Fu elder nor Bai Yaoyi were ordinary cultivators; though startled internally, their faces showed no trace of fear.

“Very well. Out of respect for you two, I can postpone this matter. But one of my sect’s treasures lies with this man—I demand it returned now. Otherwise, even if I must expend great spiritual energy, I will fight all three of you.” The old devil’s icy gaze faded, his tone calm.

“Treasure? You mean the Ghost Banner?” Han Li chuckled, bluntly.

“Precisely. When our fourth elder perished in Tiannan, the banner should have fallen into your hands. Return it now, and I’ll spare you—for now.” The old devil spoke gravely.

“Spare me? Your tone is bold. I can return the Ghost Banner—but there’s a condition. Will you hear it, Old Brother Gan?” Han Li fell silent for a moment, then looked up at the sky, a mocking smile curling his lips.

“Condition? You killed our fourth elder and stole our sect’s heirloom—and dare you make demands before me? Do you truly think I won’t take your life?” The old devil laughed furiously. Behind him, the five white shadows shifted forward, stepping instantly before him.

The atmosphere turned instantly tense.

Beside them, the Fu elder stared in shock, his face twisted with disbelief.

The mysterious disappearance of the Yin Luo Sect’s fourth elder was known to the Nine You Sect, another of the Ten Great Demon Sects.

Yet the elder never imagined this famed demon cultivator had been slain by Han Li—and that even the famed Ghost Banner had fallen into another’s hands. No wonder the old devil, despite knowing this wasn’t the ideal moment for conflict, refused to let Han Li go.

As for Han Li concealing his origins as a Tiannan cultivator rather than a foreign one, that was trivial.

“Hmph! Return it to your sect? You speak lightly. Why did your fourth elder suddenly come to Tiannan and secretly attack my consort? Do you think I’d hand over the banner so easily?” Han Li’s face darkened, his voice suddenly chilling.

“Why he went to Tiannan or why he died at your hands—I don’t care, and I have no interest. But our sect’s heirloom—I must reclaim it. Otherwise, what face will the Yin Luo Sect have?” The old devil declared firmly.

“So you have no intention of hearing my condition at all!” Han Li’s pupils contracted, revealing an abyss of darkness.

“Ha! Conditions? If you were a grand elder of one of the Ten Great Sects, perhaps I’d listen. But you? A mere Tiannan cultivator—dare you bargain with me?” The old devil threw his head back and roared with laughter, suddenly unleashing a terrifying aura of malice. His body flickered and vanished into one of the white shadows.

The five white shadows instantly blazed with gray light; their once lifeless eyes now glowed with bloodthirsty fervor, turning dangerously menacing.

“Damn! I nearly forgot. This old devil cultivates the ‘Reverse Emotion, Sever Heaven’ technique. This art thrives on unrestrained impulses—our threats only enraged him!” Seeing the old devil’s frenzy, the Fu elder suddenly remembered and cursed himself.

Bai Yaoyi frowned slightly, but without hesitation, she raised her hand; an ice-crystal flying dagger shot upward, then spiraled into a white ribbon above her head.

Han Li’s expression remained calm; he narrowed his eyes, subtly moved his hand within his sleeve, and the Three-Flame Fan appeared in his grasp. His other hand quietly pressed against his storage pouch, his spiritual sense instantly locking onto the humanoid puppet.

He had decided: the moment combat began, while the old devil’s attention was distracted by the elder and Bai Yaoyi, he would unleash all his trump cards at once, aiming to cripple the enemy in an instant.

Even if he couldn’t kill him outright, he must damage his cultivation base—creating the conditions for a future strike against this Yin Luo Sect grand elder.

After all, Nan Gong Wan’s Soul-Sealing Spell was a matter Han Li could never forget. Only by obtaining the true counter-curse could he find peace. Even if it meant he could never remain in Da Jin, even if he must spend the rest of his days hunted by Yin Luo Sect cultivators, he would not hesitate.

At that moment, the five demon sons simultaneously emitted eerie wails; their forms instantly grew faint, appearing from afar as five wisps of smoke gently swaying. Then their shapes stretched, preparing to lunge down viciously.

But just then, from the spot where the white shadows had emerged, a deafening explosion erupted—a blinding mass of silver light burst forth, dazzling and intense.

Before Han Li and the others could comprehend what had happened, a series of sharp “whooshes” rang out from within the light; nearly ten colored light trails shot out in rapid succession, then circled once before dimming their glow, revealing numerous figures nearby.

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