Chapter 1020: Countermeasure

Before Lü Yun's words had even faded, the flames and lightning on the square gradually subsided, and Dongfang Bai's figure reappeared.

But at this moment, he was far from the composed and confident demeanor he had shown earlier; his entire body had turned into a charred, pitch-black stump like a piece of charcoal, emitting billowing black smoke.

However, the charcoal-like Dongfang Bai was covered in tiny red sparks, and a green light flickered unsteadily in his chest, from which strands of green light spread like fine threads, extending like blood vessels to all parts of his body.

Wherever the green threads passed, a powerful life force emanated, causing his seemingly lifeless torso to revive and gradually recover.

At that moment, Han Li's figure flashed into view, and he struck horizontally with his hand shaped like a knife.

Dongfang Bai's charred head immediately rolled to the ground with a thud, and Han Li crushed it into charcoal powder with a single kick.

At the same time, a Green Bamboo蜂云 Sword appeared and pierced through the chest of the charred corpse, releasing golden lightning that instantly shattered the green light into fragments, scattering like fireflies.

Han Li stood with his sword, his face showing no sign of relief; instead, he frowned and looked puzzledly at a spot not far away.

There, a fragile wild grass grew from a crack in the stone slab, swaying gently in the wind.

Suddenly, a burst of green light erupted from it, and the grass grew rapidly, its leaves spreading out, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a human figure.

Its appearance and attire were exactly those of Dongfang Bai!

"The law of wood... quite interesting," Han Li said with a faint smile, his eyes glinting.

"I've had enough of these little tricks of yours, Fellow Daoist Han. It's time to wrap things up," Dongfang Bai said coldly.

As his words fell, he rubbed his hands together, and the green domain surrounding him suddenly blazed with light. Countless green dots appeared in the void within, and a law force of wood attribute, so potent that even Han Li felt a chill in his heart, radiated outward.

Seeing this, Han Li's pupils contracted, and he instinctively retreated rapidly.

"Sen Luo... Wan... Xiang!" Dongfang Bai uttered a soft cry, his voice sounding somewhat ethereal and unsteady.

In the void, thick vines with unknown roots emerged from within the green light screen, extending and spreading through the air. Giant trees hundreds of feet tall also rose from the ground, instantly overturning the entire ancestral hall of the Qingjing Sect.

This area, once the bottom of a lake, was transformed in an instant, turning into a dense jungle scene.

The four imposing Vajra guardians stationed around the small hill were entangled by rapidly growing vines and wrapped in spreading moss, quickly buried and losing contact with Han Li.

On the other side, even the beast Ti Hun, transformed into a Punishment Beast, was entangled by special vines with golden patterns, trapped in place and struggling.

Although Han Li had retreated hundreds of feet when he sensed something was wrong, moss had already covered his feet, and his entire body seemed to have turned into a plant rooted to the ground, completely immobile.

"I've seen many domains at the Creation realm, but one like this... truly breathtaking," Han Li said, trapped, glancing at Ti Hun and seeing that although she was trapped, she was unharmed for the moment, which eased his mind slightly.

"If the Palace Master hadn't devoted himself to cultivating his domain, he would be more than just a peak Tai Yi cultivator now. But then again, in the entire Jinyuan Immortal Domain, who would dare to treat him as merely a peak Tai Yi cultivator?" Lü Yun said with a chuckle.

Tao Ji's expression changed repeatedly, and he felt even more awe toward Dongfang Bai.

"Fellow Daoist Han, whether you hand over that item that doesn't belong to you or not, it makes no difference," Dongfang Bai said slowly, walking toward Han Li with a smile.

"You don't need to tell me that; I know it well," Han Li said calmly.

As he spoke, he secretly tried to activate his immortal spiritual power, but found that as soon as it surged, it was instantly absorbed by the golden-patterned vines wrapped around him.

At this moment, not to mention circulating his techniques, he couldn't even summon the True Word Wheel.

He clenched his fist secretly, discovering that the star power within his body was also being absorbed, albeit at a much slower rate.

"Don't waste your effort. Trapped within my domain, everything you have belongs to me. After I slowly drain your immortal spiritual power, your incredibly powerful physical body will become nourishment for my domain, and your nascent soul will become my slave, serving me for eternity," Dongfang Bai said, approaching, his smile growing wider.

His gaze fell on Han Li's neck, where a thin cord was visible, and he reached out to touch the front of Han Li's robe.

But at that moment, Han Li's voice suddenly rang out:

"You'd better not touch what's mine!"

As he spoke, a bloody light suddenly flared around him. He activated the Heavenly Fiend Prison Suppression Art, and his body instantly expanded, transforming into a three-headed, six-armed giant demon.

Feeling the strange aura emanating from Han Li, Dongfang Bai's heart inexplicably tightened, and he retreated rapidly.

While distancing himself from Han Li, he formed hand seals, and countless vines within his domain surged toward Han Li, entangling and engulfing his entire body.

Han Li took a step forward, and the vines缠绕 around him snapped apart one after another, unable to stop him at all.

Seeing this, Dongfang Bai waved both hands abruptly, and within his domain, a violent tremor shook the land. The towering ancient trees shimmered with azure light, transforming one after another into eighteen hundred-zhang-tall wooden-armored giants, each wielding a massive coiling-dragon wooden spear, charging toward Han Li.

Those wooden-armored giants were all imbued with dense wood-attribute law power. As the coiling-dragon wooden spears thrust forward, spiral azure light condensed at the spear tips, tearing at the surrounding void and distorting it toward the points.

Han Li swung all six arms simultaneously, sometimes forming fists, sometimes extending claws, showing no fear at all. In just over ten breaths, he destroyed eight wooden-armored giants, broke through the encirclement, leaped high into the air, and came crashing down toward Dongfang Bai.

But by then, Dongfang Bai had already taken his stand. His body shimmered with azure light as countless green vines coiled around him, converging and engulfing him, transforming him into a wooden-armored giant over ten zhang tall.

However, his entire wooden armor was covered with golden patterns. Besides containing extremely dense wood-attribute law power, it was also filled with a rich life force.

Seeing Han Li plummeting from above, he raised his left hand, and a golden-patterned long whip whistled out, wrapping around Han Li's waist. He yanked downward fiercely while his other hand gripped a golden-patterned wooden spear, thrusting straight at Han Li's heart.

Bound around the waist, Han Li immediately felt his blood and qi energy surge out like a river bursting its banks, pouring out wildly. If not for his astonishingly strong physique, he would have long been unable to hold on.

He reached out with his dragon-clawed giant hand, trying to grab the golden-patterned wooden spear, but a mass of azure light suddenly exploded at the spear tip, its power far beyond imagination. It directly knocked his hand away and stabbed into his chest.

A thunderous boom rang out!

A torrent of immense immortal spiritual power surged from the golden-patterned wooden spear, blooming into a dazzling azure-golden light at the spear tip, which exploded violently.

A violent wave of energy burst forth from the center, spreading in all directions, shaking the entire domain violently.

Lü Yun and Tao Ji, watching from afar, were even more horrified in their hearts.

As for the Soul-Devouring Beast, bound by the golden-patterned vines, most of its immortal spiritual power had been drained away. It had reverted to human form, her small face pale, looking toward Han Li with some worry in her eyes.

However, when all the energy waves dissipated, Han Li's figure stood motionless on the spot, the golden-patterned wooden spear still embedded in his chest.

"This... how is this possible?" Dongfang Bai's heart tightened at the sight.

"I've heard that when facing Palace Lord Dongfang, one should not judge by the Taiyi peak level. But even if you have the power of a Daluo, so what?" Han Li's golden ape head bore a sinister grin as he spoke in human tongue.

His current body, when simultaneously using bloodline power and the Heavenly Fiend Prison Suppression Art, was far more formidable than an ordinary Daluo cultivator. Although Dongfang Bai's domain was powerful, he ultimately lacked the strength.

With that, Han Li pressed down, forcing the golden-patterned wooden spear to bend. He grabbed the golden-patterned vine whip around his waist and pulled Dongfang Bai toward him instead.

His six arms clenched into fists, raining down blows like a storm, pounding densely onto the wooden-armored giant.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

A series of explosive sounds came continuously, and the entire azure domain shook violently.

The wooden-armored giant that Dongfang Bai had transformed into flashed with azure light, constantly blocking Han Li's heavy punches, but could only barely deflect half of them. Soon, it was smashed into flying debris, battered and broken.

Lü Yun and Tao Ji exchanged a glance, and only fear remained in their eyes.

With their strength, they were utterly incapable of participating in such a battle. Even Han Li's fists, striking with all his physical power, were something they could not withstand.

Before long, Dongfang Bai's figure emerged from the shattered wooden-armored giant, seized firmly in Han Li's grasp.

"Of all things, you should never have gone too far. The Green Fox City was merely a place for a small clan to thrive. Why couldn't you show mercy?" Han Li's three true spirit heads spoke simultaneously, their voices like bronze bells.

"So it's for those ants. They..."

"Pfft..."

Before Dongfang Bai could finish, Han Li clenched his fist, crushing him into pulp.

After a moment, blood trickled through Han Li's fingers, but no nascent soul fled out.

He threw the twisted, deformed corpse to the ground, his figure gradually returning to normal. Frowning deeply, he looked toward Tao Ji and the others.

There, beside the two, azure light surged from a green sapling, gradually swelling and taking human form—another Dongfang Bai.

As for the one at Han Li's feet, it had already been swallowed by green vines, covered in moss, and merged into the ground.

"It seems today's outcome is destined to be inconclusive. I can't claim all the credit alone. Fellow Daoist Han, until we meet again." Dongfang Bai, having re-manifested in human form, said with a gloomy expression.

"Want to leave? Too late." Han Li snorted coldly.

As his words fell, a layer of golden light curtain instantly expanded, and within the azure domain, an even more dazzling golden domain emerged.