Following the huge wolf’s descent into the world, Han Li and the others slowly surrounded a silhouette glowing in red light.
The four stared at the person with unrestrained hostility.
Both the Silver-winged Night Fiend and the Lion Hawk observed from a distance, not willing to involve themselves.
“Fellow Daoists, why are you surrounding me? I haven’t done anything to offend you!”
The silhouette was a man about fifty years of age with a kindly appearance — Master Scatterwind. His eyes were wildly glancing at each cultivator that surrounded him.
“Why are you acting so stealthy after just arriving? If you don’t have any sinister designs, you should’ve come with some other scheme in mind,” Grand Immortal Xu said.
“Fellow Daoist must be joking. I only risked coming in knowing that there were so many experts here. Since I don’t know who is friendly, it is only natural to be careful,” Master Scatterwind jabbered.
“Is that so? Then why did you hide by my side? Fellow Daoist’s movement techniques are truly wondrous. If it weren’t for the Keen Spirit Peacock’s light sweeping past you, I fear you would’ve remained undiscovered.” Lin Yinping raised her brow with an unsightly expression.
“You are mistaken, that’s…”
Master Scatterwind smiled and thought to give an explanation, but Han Li cut him off with a cold voice, “Before I entered the pagoda, didn’t you attack me? I caught a glimpse of you from behind when you feld. Furthermore, the malevolent blood Qi of that vicious blade is faintly present on your body. It must’ve devoured many Nascent Soul cultivators. On the way, I spotted all those who entered with you— all dead. Hehe…”
Grand Immortal Xu and Lin Yinping felt their hearts tremble.
Scatterwind’s smile froze and he immediately shook his head, refuting, “Fellow Daoist Han, don’t joke around. There is no blood Qi on me. Why would a vagrant have a heaven-defying treasure that could kill cultivators of the same grade? How can you accuse me so casually without any evidence?”
“Evidence? That’s hilarious. Those dead bodies are enough!” Han Li’s expression turned cold and his voice harsh. He then spat out an inch-large golden blade in a direct attack towards Scatterwind.
Grand Immortal Xu and Lin Yinping exchanged a glance and made no attempt to block him.
“Mercy, please! This is a misunderstanding!” Scatterwind was alarmed and he continuously uttered refutations, summoning a blue flying sword with a shake of his sleeve to block Han Li’s attack.
The two weapons fluttered in the air as they battled, filling the space with violent eruptions and flashes.
Han Li sneered.
He clasped his hand in an incantation gesture and golden light flared from his sword. The blue blade cried out, falling to the ground in broken shards.
In his fright, Master Scatterwind raised his arm and summoned an azure shield in front of him, but it too was shredded by Han Li’s swordlight without any resistance.
Even Grand Immortal Xu raised his brow at such power.
After all, auric essence was a rarely seen material in this world. Han Li’s incredibly incisive sword inspired deep vigilance in him.
The golden streak took this opportunity to chop down at the head.
Master Scatterwind’s expression wavered and white light suddenly flashed from beneath him as he shot away.
But in a similar flash of black-white light, Gui Ling blocked his path, much to his alarm. He could only twist his body and change direction.
Strangely enough, Immortal Xu assisted to block his way as well, forcing Master Scatterwind to come to a stop.
After a short moment of delay, golden light arrived above his head and hummed, splitting into copies of itself.
Master Scatterwind found it was too late to dodge and a trace of fury appeared on his face. With a wave of his sleeve, crimson light streaked out and attacked the golden swordlights, scattering them and pushing back the original sword ten meters. The crimson light trembled and quickly duplicated itself a dozen times before giving chase.
Repeated clangs pounded out as crimson light immersed the golden sword, filling the air with the stench of death.
Even well experienced cultivators such as themselves still found the scent of blood unpleasant.
Han Li narrowed his eyes as this unfolded, but his expression remained calm as if he wasn’t concerned for the sword in the slightest.
Grand Immortal Xu looked at Han Li with astonishment. Wasn’t that his soulbound magic treasure?
Master Scatterwind also sensed something amiss and pointed at the air with a sullen expression. The crimson light withdrew and spun around his head before revealing itself to be a half-foot-long blade. It was scarlet and a faint mist of blood enveloped it.
“So it was you!” Han Li examined at the short blade and asked, “That’s a replica of the Devil Dragon Blade, isn’t it?”
When Han Li mentioned the name of the Devil Dragon Blade, the others felt shaken. Even the demons couldn't help but look at the blade with surprise.
Master Scatterwind didn’t reply and instead looked at Han Li’s golden sword with amazement.
Although Han Li’s sword endured so many strikes, not even a single mark scarred its surface, much to the astonishment of Scatterwind.
“Don’t waste your breath. My flying sword is quite special. Even if your blade were stronger, destroying it is an impossible task.” Han Li faintly smiled and raised his hand in the air, recalling it back towards him.
“…You don’t intend on killing me?” Master Scatterwind was utterly bewildered when he saw this.
“Kill you? Why would I do that?” Han Li grimly smiled, “You haven’t killed anyone I was close to, and I don’t intend on taking revenge on behalf of the others. If you truly aren’t the person I suspect, there is no point. Rather, since you possess such a powerful treasure, we can form an alliance.”
“Fellow Daoist Han means…” Grand Immortal Xu stirred as he faintly guessed Han Li’s intentions.
“If we want to leave, we’ll have no choice but to rely on brute force,” Han Li sullenly said, “Although the Black Wind Flag is a genuine Divine Spirit Treasure, the Devil Ancestor is distracted and incapable of using its full power. If we forcefully attack a single point in the seal, we should have an opportunity to shatter it.”
After experiencing entrapment in the Spirit Ether Garden after the events of Devilfall Valley, he had some grasp of their situation.
However, his proposal would only work if he could find a weak point, but on the other hand, there were many Nascent Soul cultivators trapped together. If they joined hands, it should be possible to break the seal without a weak point.
After a moment of thought, Grand Immortal Xu said, “Fellow Daoist Han’s words are reasonable. What does Nightfiend think?”
The Silver-winged Nightfiend looked at Master Scatterwind for a time and an odd expression appeared in his eyes. “This cultivator’s blade does appear quite powerful. If it can break us out from here, then let’s at least give it a try!”
Han Li faintly nodded and turned to Master Scatterwind. “You heard us. We still don’t have your stance on the matter. If you help us in breaking the seal, you’ll be helping yourself as well. You don’t want that devil to consume your Nascent Soul after all.”
Master Scatterwind’s expression remained calm, but his eyes stirred as he considered Han Li’s proposal.
Eventually, Master Scatterwind asked, “After we depart, we’ll head on our own way, right? You won’t use this opportunity to settle accounts?”
Grand Immortal Xu coldly snorted and disdainfully said, “In the past, we’ve suffered much at the hands of the Righteous Dao. So long as you don’t intend on acting against us, who would bother to find trouble with you?”
Master Scatterwind smiled, “Agreed. If those fellows from the High Zenith Sect were here, I’d hesitate, but I have no reason to refuse now.”
Han Li felt somewhat surprised that they had come to an agreement so quickly.
Then, they promptly discussed their plan of action.
In order to eliminate the seal trapping them in, they would need to produce the greatest amount of attack power, but this didn’t mean a simultaneous attack. After all, with their various types of attacks muddling together, it could produce an opposite result.
After the discussion went on for a moment, Immortal Xu turned to Han Li and said, “Fellow Daoist Han, I recall that you have an ally hidden nearby. Won’t you have him join us in our talks? His flying saber is quite powerful.”
The nightfiend and others turned to look at him.
Han Li inwardly cursed at that clever Immortal Xu, but maintained a calm exterior and coldly replied, “Don’t worry. That Daoist will naturally help us. It is too late to call him out. Because of his techniques, it is inconvenient for him to make an appearance.”
Grand Immortal Xu was displeased by his reply, but after he saw Han Li exterminate the two-headed Elder Devil with his bizarre abilities, he didn’t dare to force the issue. He could only end the matter with an annoyed snort.
Master Scatterwind wore a giggling smile ever since he agreed to the plan. But when he saw that Han Li and Grand Immortal Xu had many disagreements, a cold glint shone from his eyes.
At that moment, his expression faintly changed before he slowly lowered his head to hide his face as if he were pondering about something.
In truth, Master Scatterwind’s lips were faintly stirring as he sent voice transmissions to another person present.
A short moment later, he raised his head to the sky and wore a beaming smile, but no one seemed to notice. He then stretched his hand behind him and grew dense several-inch-long white fur from it, each one as hard as a needle.
