Chapter 1278: Something Unusual

"That's what I should be asking you! This is already the underworld. Don't think that just because you've washed away your yang aura with the Water of Three Lives, I can't recognize you as cultivators from the True Immortal Realm! Where did you come from? Go back at once. The underworld does not welcome you." The black-robed middle-aged man said coldly.

"I see. We arrived here by chance. Might you be a ghost envoy guarding this place?" Han Li said with a smile, his heart stirring but his expression revealing nothing.

"It seems you have no intention of retreating. In that case, die here. Form the formation... Ten Directions Piercing Heart!" The black-robed middle-aged man's expression turned cold. He raised his hand, drew the war spear from his back, and pointed it forward.

As soon as his voice fell, the ghost soldier phalanx behind him instantly split into two groups, forming two cone-shaped formations. The aura of the ghost soldiers within each formation connected, merging into one, becoming a single entity in an instant.

The two cone-shaped formations transformed into two massive arrow shadows, shooting toward Han Li and Ti Hun at an inconceivable speed. In the blink of an eye, they were before the two, bringing with them a vast wave of ghostly qi and wind pressure, nearly shattering the void ahead.

Caught off guard, Ti Hun staggered and was blown away.

Han Li, however, stood firm. While inwardly marveling at the power of the ghost soldiers' battle formation, his aura surged wildly. A dazzling golden light burst from his hand, and a golden lightning sword appeared in his grasp.

With a series of sword whistles, hundreds of golden sword qi shot out, converging before him into a spinning golden pillar of light that blocked the two massive black arrow shadows.

"Boom!"

A powerful shockwave turned into countless fierce air currents, sweeping outward in all directions.

The two battle formations abruptly halted, then recoiled backward. Though black light flashed wildly and ghostly qi churned within them, they did not collapse.

Han Li was also pushed back two steps by the recoil before steadying himself.

At that moment, the void behind him stirred, and a black spear shadow appeared out of nowhere, striking at his back like a venomous snake darting its tongue.

A flash of golden lightning, and another golden lightning sword materialized behind Han Li, as if waiting there all along, blocking the sudden spear shadow.

Another "boom"!

A black and a golden halo of unparalleled might suddenly appeared in this underground space, then burst forth violently.

The black spear shadow was repelled, and the black-robed middle-aged man's figure emerged, a look of surprise on his face.

Han Li's body was also sent flying backward. However, he flicked his sleeve, and a golden light shot out, transforming into a golden maiden—Jin Tong.

"You and Ti Hun deal with those two battle formations!" Han Li said to Jin Tong.

Before his words faded, his body immediately sprang forward, lunging at the black-robed middle-aged man.

The two golden lightning swords also shot toward the black-robed middle-aged man. In the blink of an eye, they reached him, expanding in size over a hundredfold, like a giant golden pair of scissors, snapping shut.

The black-robed middle-aged man's black war spear blazed with black light, spinning rapidly before thrusting out furiously, precisely striking the intersection of the two golden giant swords.

"Clang!" A crisp sound rang out.

The two golden giant swords immediately halted in midair, while the black-robed middle-aged man used the force to shoot backward.

Seeing this, Han Li formed hand seals and pointed.

The two giant swords suddenly brightened, and two thick golden lightning bolts shot out from them. Due to the close distance, the black-robed middle-aged man had no time to react and was struck.

A dazzling golden light mass appeared out of nowhere, enveloping the surrounding area for dozens of miles.

Within this void, all yin winds and cold air shattered and vanished without a trace. Only fierce golden arcs of electricity roamed and crackled.

But at that moment, a mass of black light appeared out of nowhere. The nearby golden arcs of electricity converged like a whale drinking water, being absorbed into the black light.

The black-robed middle-aged man's figure flickered into view, completely clean and unharmed. Black light flickered at the cuff of his right sleeve, emitting a devouring force—the source of that black light.

In the blink of an eye, all the golden lightning was absorbed into the sleeve.

Seeing this, Han Li frowned slightly.

The Dutian Divine Thunder possessed not only immense destructive power but also a pure, supremely yang nature that naturally countered yin and ghostly attributes. Yet now it had been easily absorbed.

As his mind raced, his attack did not cease. He pointed with his hand, and the two golden giant swords trembled, conjuring hundreds of golden sword shadows that shrouded the black-robed middle-aged man like clouds and mist.

The black-robed middle-aged man's war spear vibrated, the spearhead trembling rapidly, transforming into countless black cold stars that struck at the golden sword shadows.

Countless piercing clashes of metal rang out through the nearby void.

At this moment, Ti Hun and Jin Tong were also locked in fierce combat with the two squads of ghost soldiers.

Jin Tong had transformed into her Devouring Gold Immortal form and was trading blows with one battle formation.

However, her fighting spirit seemed low. She merely relied on her indestructible body to tie down the formation, preventing it from leaving, without attacking with full force.

On the other side, Ti Hun darted back and forth within the other battle formation. She appeared very excited, grabbing at the air with one hand.

The sky suddenly darkened, and a massive black claw the size of a small mountain materialized out of thin air, emitting surging black qi as it slammed down toward a cone-shaped battle formation—it was the Netherworld Ghost Claw.

A tremendous force crashed down, instantly freezing the air within dozens of li into steel, and the entire battle formation froze as well.

But in the next moment, the black light on the formation blazed up, tearing apart the surrounding force.

“Rotate!” a Taiyi-stage ghost within the formation bellowed.

The man held a black banner, and as he waved it, streaks of black light shot from the banner into the black radiance surrounding the formation.

The cone-shaped formation immediately elongated, transforming into a black demonic dragon that writhed toward the descending black claw, blocking it midair and preventing it from falling.

Ti Hun saw this but paid no heed; a faint smile even curled at the corners of his mouth as he suddenly opened his mouth and spat.

A beam of black light shot out, swiftly coiling toward the tail of the demonic dragon formation.

Because the formation had stretched, the protective black light covering it had thinned considerably. After being swept by the black light, it trembled violently and was finally torn apart.

The black light flashed into the formation, wrapping around several ghosts.

Seeing this, the Taiyi-stage ghost roared in fury, wildly waving the black banner. The demonic dragon formation immediately recoiled, shooting out crystalline beams like sword qi to slash at the black light.

Before those crystalline beams could arrive, the black light had already whisked the ghosts away, shooting back with a whoosh, and Ti Hun swallowed them in one gulp.

Ti Hun again showed an expression of ecstasy; black light flickered on his body, and it seemed to have thickened slightly.

“This is…” The black-robed middle-aged man, who was fiercely battling Han Li in the distance, saw Ti Hun devouring the ghosts and his expression changed.

Seizing the moment of distraction, Han Li transformed into a golden shadow and plunged into the dense spear shadows ahead, rapidly closing in on the black-robed man.

At the same time, his hands swiftly formed seals; a golden light flashed behind him, and the Truth Wheel emerged, spinning rapidly.

Countless golden ripples appeared, sweeping toward the black-robed middle-aged man.

But as soon as he moved, the black-robed man sensed it and shot backward, his speed far exceeding Han Li's.

The distance between them quickly widened, and the golden ripples of the Truth Wheel did not envelop him.

The black-robed man moved like lightning, instantly fleeing into the black abyss, and let out a sharp, piercing howl.

The two ghost squads fighting Ti Hun and Jin Tong immediately withdrew and flew toward the black-robed man.

"Master, help me catch some ghostly beings." Crying Soul's face showed great urgency as she immediately chased after them, calling out loudly.

The two ghostly battle formations were just flying past Han Li. Hearing this, Han Li formed hand seals with both hands, and the golden ripples around him suddenly expanded twofold, enveloping nearly a hundred ghostly beings.

The True Word Wheel had now materialized, its power greatly increased. Once covered by the golden ripples, those ghostly beings instantly came to a complete halt, frozen in place.

The other ghostly beings in the formation paid no heed to their trapped companions and continued flying toward the black-robed middle-aged man, reaching his side in the blink of an eye.

The black-robed middle-aged man cast a deep glance at Han Li and Crying Soul, then flashed into the abyss and disappeared.

The two ghostly battle formations immediately followed suit, flying into the abyss.

"What's going on? Why did these ghostly beings suddenly retreat?" Golden Child flew over, having already transformed back into human form, and asked in confusion.

"I don't know," Han Li said with a frown.

In his brief exchange with the black-robed middle-aged man, he had found that the other's strength was by no means inferior to his own. If the man was the guardian of this place, he should not have retreated so easily.

Could there be some other reason?

"Master, put away the Wheel of Truth quickly." Ti Hun flew over, ignoring the middle-aged man in black robes, and shouted with drool flowing.

Han Li shook his head with a smile, formed a hand seal, and put away the Wheel of Truth.

The nearly hundred ghostly creatures immediately resumed movement and scattered in all directions, but a black spiritual domain descended, enveloping all the ghosts. They instantly fell into a quagmire, unable to move.

Ti Hun opened her mouth and inhaled. The black spiritual domain rapidly shrank, and the nearly hundred ghostly creatures within also shrank, slowly being swallowed into the black spiritual domain.

The black spiritual domain finally transformed into a ball of pitch-black light the size of a fist and flew into her mouth.

Black light on her body immediately flickered wildly, and waves of black spiritual ripples emanated outward, spreading in all directions. It took a while before they calmed down.

The aura emitted by Ti Hun had noticeably increased again, vaguely approaching the early peak of the Great Luo stage.

"Forget it. Although I don't know why that person suddenly retreated, it's fine that he left on his own. Let's go. We'll also go down and see what's in this abyss." Han Li said, then flew downward first.

Ti Hun and Jin Tong quickly followed.

As soon as the three entered the abyss, they felt as if they had stepped into a colossal waterfall, wrapped by a force and rushed toward the darkness below.

This force was vast and boundless. Even though Han Li and the other two were Great Luo beings with formidable strength, they had no power to resist before this force and were immediately swept away, plummeting downward.