Chapter 1257: No Mercy Shown

Just as Han Li and the others were restrained, a ripple of fluctuations arose in the void within the golden light, and then a gray-robed old man's figure materialized out of thin air.

“Ancestor!” The three Pure Essence True Men, seeing the gray-robed old man, showed great joy on their faces.

Han Li and the others were also greatly shaken upon hearing this.

The one whom Pure Essence True Man could call “Ancestor” was, in the entire Nine Yuan Temple, none other than the legendary Nine Yuan Dao Ancestor.

The gray-robed old man paid no heed to Pure Essence True Man, his gaze fixed on the black-clad young woman, and he casually raised a hand in a beckoning gesture.

The storage ring on the black-clad young woman's hand flashed with light, and the five-colored vial shot out from it, flying toward the gray-robed old man.

But just as the vial reached the halfway point, the void above it tore open with a “crack,” and a dark red large hand shot out like lightning, grabbing the five-colored vial.

The gray-robed old man's expression remained unchanged as he flicked his sleeve.

The golden light within the hall rippled, and a golden large hand appeared out of thin air, reaching down to grab the dark red hand.

The five fingers of the dark red hand moved, forming a hand seal, and six mysterious incantation symbols emerged in the nearby void, holding off the golden hand for a moment.

“Oh? This is...” The gray-robed old man looked at the six incantation symbols, his pupils contracting.

The dark red hand swiftly turned and grabbed the black-clad young woman, Jiao San, Wu Yang, Lu Chuanfeng, and Shi Kongmo, seizing them.

A vortex appeared in the palm of the hand, swallowing the five people in an instant.

The dark red hand then shot out again, like a meteor, grabbing toward Han Li in the distance.

The gray-robed old man finally showed a trace of anger on his face, raised his hand, and pointed into the void.

A deep, ancient golden iron whip, exuding an endless aura of desolation, appeared in midair, swung through the air, and struck the dark red hand.

With a muffled “bang!”

The dark red hand was shattered by the whip, exploding into a mist-like dark red light!

A light snort came from the depths of the void, sounding as if it carried some pain.

The shattered dark red light suddenly contracted, instantly vanishing into the void, disappearing without a trace.

This exchange was as fast as lightning; even a cultivator of Pure Compass True Man's caliber could not keep up.

By the time he reacted, everything was already over.

The gray-robed elder looked somberly toward the void where the dark red great hand had appeared, silent and unmoving, making no attempt to pursue, standing there quietly.

After a moment, he withdrew his gaze and raised his hand to wave.

The golden light within the hall rippled, and the blue ice wall shattered with a crash.

The golden light then flickered and vanished, freeing Pure Compass True Man, Chi Meng, and the others, though Han Li remained completely immobilized.

"Greetings, Ancestor!" The three, including Pure Compass True Man, formed hand seals to withdraw the multicolored light prohibition around the hall, then immediately flew to the gray-robed elder's side, kowtowing in salute.

Although Chi Meng and Huo Yuan had been arrogant in their words and actions earlier, now seeing the gray-robed elder, they could not help but feel anxious and hurriedly bowed.

"Pure Compass, I entrusted the Nine Yuan Temple to your management, and this is how you have managed it?" The gray-robed elder said calmly, his voice not loud but carrying a tone of authority and coldness.

"This disciple deserves death! The Reincarnation Palace launched a large-scale invasion, and I failed to detect it early. I beg the Ancestor to punish me!" Pure Compass True Man trembled, fell to his knees, and said in a quavering voice.

Yangjunzi and Leijunzi also looked terrified and spoke to confess their guilt.

"Enough. With outsiders present, let us not discuss this now. Withdraw first and eliminate all Reincarnation Palace members within the temple." The gray-robed elder glanced at Chi Meng and Huo Yuan, gave a light snort, and said.

"Yes!" The three, including Pure Compass True Man, acknowledged and flew outward.

"Chi Meng, Huo Yuan, our Nine Yuan Temple has acted improperly, allowing petty villains to infiltrate its interior. You two must have found it amusing." The gray-robed elder turned to face Chi Meng and Huo Yuan, said with a light laugh.

"Senior, you flatter us. The Reincarnation Palace is a formidable enemy that even the entire Heavenly Court must treat with caution. Apart from the Central Immortal Domain, no other immortal domain can contend with them. For them to launch a surprise attack, Fellow Daoist Pure Compass's command of the Nine Yuan Temple disciples to hold out to this extent is already commendable." Chi Meng forced a smile and chose his words carefully.

Huo Yuan stood to one side, not daring to say a word.

"Heh, is that so? Then it seems he is not guilty but rather meritorious." The gray-robed elder threw back his head and laughed loudly.

The laughter echoed through the hall, growing louder and louder, like rolling thunderclaps, causing the void to tremble.

Thunder roared in the ears of Chi Meng and Huo Yuan, their bodies shook, and then the divine souls in their minds involuntarily trembled as well.

Their expressions changed drastically as red and purple light flared up around them, and they hurriedly protected their bodies with all their might.

But it was useless; the tremors in their souls grew more intense, like flames in a gale that could be extinguished at any moment.

Han Li's body and soul were also trembling violently, but he could not circulate his power to protect himself, causing him unbearable pain.

Fortunately, his physical body was extremely tough and his soul was exceptionally strong, so for now there was no danger of perishing.

At that moment, a red light shone from Chi Meng, instantly enveloping her and Huo Yuan beside her.

The pain on Chi Meng's and Huo Yuan's faces immediately vanished, and they gasped for breath, their eyes filled with fear.

"Daoist Jiu Yuan, please calm your anger." The red light flickered, and the figure of an old woman in red robes materialized.

The old woman had bright red hair, no less striking than Chi Meng's, but her face was covered in wrinkles. She held a crane-headed staff, appearing aged and decrepit, yet her expression exuded a fierce and murderous aura.

Seeing the red-haired old woman, the gray-robed elder's gaze shifted slightly, and the laughter echoing in the hall slowly ceased.

Han Li breathed a sigh of relief, but his mind did not relax in the slightest as he stared in shock at the red-haired old woman.

"A phantom with such divine powers—could it be another Dao Ancestor? It looks somewhat similar to Chi Meng; could this person be Chi Rong, the Dao Ancestor!" Han Li's thoughts churned.

"Chi Rong, your granddaughter sneaked into my territory and coveted the treasures of my Nine Yuan Temple. Who instructed her?" the gray-robed old man said coldly.

"So it is indeed Chi Rong, the Dao Ancestor..." Han Li's eyes flickered upon hearing this.

"Fellow Daoist Nine Yuan, this is all a misunderstanding. Little Meng'er came here on orders from the Celestial Court to capture the Gold Devouring Immortal and that Han Li, and she stumbled upon this place by accident. As for snatching that bottle just now, it was merely childish curiosity. Surely Fellow Daoist Nine Yuan is not so petty as to hold a grudge against a junior?" the red-haired old woman said with a light laugh.

"You think you can dismiss this matter with a mere 'curiosity'? Does Chi Rong believe that my Nine Yuan Temple is a place to be entered and exited at will?" The gray-robed old man's face remained cold as he sneered.

"This matter was indeed reckless of Little Meng and the others. Fellow Daoist Jiu Yuan, how do you wish to handle it?" The red-haired old woman frowned slightly as she spoke indifferently, seeing the gray-robed old man's expression.

The gray-robed old man said nothing, his eyes sweeping over Chi Meng and Huo Yuan.

Two beams of golden light shot from his eyes, striking swiftly toward Chi Meng and Huo Yuan.

"Stop!" The red-haired old woman flew into a rage, her staff striking out with a whoosh, hitting the golden light aimed at Chi Meng.

With a soft bang, the golden light flashed and pierced through the staff, though it dimmed considerably, still flashing swiftly into Chi Meng's brow.

"Ah..." Chi Meng clutched her head and screamed miserably.

Another beam of golden light shot into Huo Yuan's brow, and he had no time to react at all.

His body trembled, emitting dazzling golden light, and the next moment his head exploded violently, his headless corpse collapsing limply to the ground.

The red-haired old woman waved her hand, sending out a red crystalline light that once again enveloped Chi Meng's body, and her screams immediately lessened considerably.

"You!" The red-haired old woman's expression relaxed, then she suddenly turned to look at the gray-robed old man, her eyes shooting out venomous light.

"For your sake, I will spare your granddaughter this time. If she dares to cause trouble in Nine Element View again, it won't be so easy. No need to see me out!" The gray-robed old man sneered, then flicked his sleeve.

A beam of golden light enveloped Chi Meng and Huo Yuan's corpse, and with a flash, both vanished instantly, as if teleported away.

Han Li, watching the series of events from the side, was deeply shocked.

This gray-robed old man seemed kind but acted with such ruthlessness, killing the Hundred Refining Mountain Sect Master without hesitation, showing no respect even to Patriarch Chi Rong, who held a high position in the Celestial Court, and severely punishing his granddaughter.

What I have done since infiltrating Nine Element View is ten times more serious than Chi Meng and Huo Yuan's actions; it will be difficult to leave this place alive today.

Han Li's mind raced like lightning as he thought about how to break free and escape, but in the end, he couldn't move at all.

At that moment, the Nine Yuan Temple Ancestor walked slowly up to him with his hands behind his back, his eyes darkly appraising Han Li, his face betraying no emotional fluctuation.

Han Li met the old man's gaze and instantly felt as if he were looking into two deep, bottomless ancient wells, with moonlight seemingly reflected within, yet not a single ripple stirred.

The old man was in no hurry to speak; he simply walked around Han Li once, as if carefully scrutinizing him.

Han Li felt a bit unnerved by his gaze, as if under those eyes, all his hidden secrets would be seen through with piercing clarity.

Fortunately, the old man soon looked away. With a casual wave of his hand, a layer of dense golden light radiated from his body, transforming into a golden light barrier that enveloped the entire hall.

Han Li frowned deeply, astonished. He had seen no small number of spirit domains in the past, but never one like that of the old man before him, which could exert such overwhelming pressure on him.

The surrounding ruins could no longer be seen; the entire void had turned into a huge golden sphere, its golden light as thick as if poured from molten gold, completely sealing off this space.

Han Li soon discovered that his connection to the outside world had been completely severed, and what surprised him even more was that his links with Gold Boy, Ti Hun, and even all the Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords seemed to have been utterly cut off by this spirit domain imbued with the power of the metal-attribute law.

As for the unreliable Bottle Spirit senior, contact was even more impossible. Relying on him to use the small bottle to traverse spacetime and escape from here was now out of the question.