Chapter 1328: A Single Strike Succeeds

Outside a secluded hall within the Mist Dragon Sect, the void flickered, and Han Li's figure materialized.

Flanking the hall's entrance stood two guards clad in blue armor, their auras formidable, both at the late Taiyi stage.

Startled by Han Li's sudden appearance, they were about to shout.

Han Li swept his gaze over them, a faint glint flashing in his eyes.

The two late Taiyi guards instantly froze, as if turned to statues.

Ignoring them, Han Li turned his attention to the sealed hall before him.

The hall's doors were tightly shut, shimmering with a hazy blue light, clearly protected by a formidable restriction.

Han Li scrutinized the doors briefly, then looked into the distance and flicked his sleeve.

Seventy-two thin golden lightning bolts shot from his sleeve, vanishing into the void in an instant.

Lightning flashed in the void for millions of li around the Tianhai Continent, and seventy-two golden thunder swords materialized, forming a vast circular encirclement that enveloped the entire continent.

Golden arcs of electricity spread from the swords, interweaving to form a birdcage-shaped golden lightning net that covered the whole continent.

Yet the net appeared only for an instant before merging into the void and disappearing.

But dark clouds gathered in the sky above the continent, thickening as if a storm was imminent.

Cultivators across the continent soon noticed the change in the sky but paid it no mind; the Dragon Abyss Immortal Domain was rich in water vapor, and storms were common.

With that done, Han Li moved, transforming into a streak of golden light that shot toward the doors.

The restriction on the doors flared up, emitting countless waves of blue light in an attempt to block the golden light's intrusion.

But the golden light did not pause; it pierced through the blue light and entered the doors.

Inside the hall, an emaciated old man with a gaunt face sat cross-legged on a cushion.

Blue light swirled above his head, coalescing into a blue flower about ten feet in size that spun slowly, emitting a clear, chanting sound.

Blue petals drifted from the flower, flitting and wandering around the hall, exuding a peculiar fragrance.

The old man's eyes snapped open as he looked toward the hall's entrance, about to rise.

A golden light flashed, and a figure appeared inside the hall—Han Li.

Reacting swiftly, the old man leaped up, blue light blazing around him as his overwhelming aura erupted, reaching the peak of the Daluo stage.

A loud, resonant roar emanated from within him; blue light flashed, and a thousand-zhang blue dragon shadow materialized around the old man.

As the dragon shadow appeared, the old man's withered body seemed to rejuvenate like dried grass meeting celestial dew: his shrunken muscles swelled, his graying hair turned black and glossy, and his skin became fair as jade. He appeared instantly fifty years younger, his aura transforming into something wild and untamed, like a battle dragon roaring across the heavens.

The old man's sleeves billowed as he threw a punch at Han Li.

A surge of immense fist force shot toward Han Li, the blue dragon shadow flying alongside it, charging at him.

With a crack, the void within the hall shattered, countless fissures appearing but not fully exploding, like a paper covered in cracks barely holding together.

As the old man threw his punch, all the restrictions within the Mist Dragon Sect activated, blazing with light. The entire sect was engulfed in towering blue radiance, like a resplendent sea of blue light.

In an instant, the world's energy for millions of li converged, merging into the blue sea of light, and then all the restriction power gathered at this hall.

The hall's four walls emitted intense blue watery light, profound and mysterious, accompanied by ethereal sounds like ancient, wondrous music.

Rustle!

Countless blue watery rays shot from the walls, surging like waves and tides, sweeping toward Han Li with even greater force than the old man's punch.

Everything within the hall suddenly became oppressively heavy, as if instantly transported to the bottom of an unfathomable abyss, rendering movement impossible.

All this, though complex to describe, happened in the blink of an eye.

Sensing the situation outside, Han Li frowned slightly, then relaxed, casually striking the void with his hand.

Golden light flashed in the void, and a giant fist coalesced, punching forward.

No remarkable phenomena occurred, nor did the void ripple.

But the incoming fist force, dragon shadow, and blue light all halted, then shattered and collapsed like dry twigs.

Terror-stricken, the old man turned to flee.

Yet the golden fist shadow was faster, appearing above the old man's head in a flash, transforming from fist to palm and striking down.

The old man roared, blue light blazing as he raised both hands to block.

With a thunderous boom, the entire hall shook violently!

Half of the old man's body was driven into the ground, his form reverting to its previous withered state as he coughed up blood, barely clinging to life.

A finger materialized before the old man, tapping lightly on his forehead.

Several crystalline chains shot from the fingertip, piercing into the old man's brow.

The old man's body stiffened, his eyes turning vacant and lifeless.

Han Li appeared before the old man, lifted him from the ground, and vanished with a flicker.

The blue watery light in the hall gradually dissipated, and the shattered void slowly mended.

Just then, three streaks of light landed outside the hall, revealing three figures.

A tall, middle-aged man; a blue-robed young woman; and a child-like figure only three feet tall.

All three exuded powerful auras, each at the Daluo stage: the middle-aged man and the young woman at mid-Daluo, and the child-like figure at late Daluo.

The two blue-armored guards lay unconscious outside the hall.

Seeing this, the three's expressions turned grim.

"Sect Leader, what happened?" the tall middle-aged man called into the hall after exchanging glances with the others.

No response came from within.

"Something must have gone wrong inside. Let's go in and check," the blue-robed young woman said solemnly.

The other two agreed, and they began to break the restriction on the hall's doors.

Though the immortal artifact to activate the restriction was in the Sect Leader's possession, it wasn't impossible to open without it.

Working together, they soon broke the restriction on the doors and entered the hall.

Inside, the floor was in disarray; the Sect Leader was gone, and a pool of blood remained.

The tall middle-aged man dabbed a finger in the blood, probed with his divine sense, and identified the owner.

"Not good. It seems the Sect Leader was severely wounded and taken away," the man said coldly, exhaling lightly.

Though the others had anticipated it, their expressions darkened upon hearing this.

"The Sect Leader's strength is at the peak of Daluo. Who could have wounded and abducted him in such a short time? Could it be..." the blue-robed young woman said, her expression turning ugly as a thought struck her.

"Indeed. No Daluo could accomplish this, but a Dao Ancestor might," the child-like figure suddenly spoke, his voice crisp but carrying an unusual aged quality.

"That can't be. Dao Ancestors hold such exalted status; why would they stoop to dealing with us Daluo cultivators?" the tall middle-aged man forced a laugh, lowering his voice as if afraid to be overheard.

"The situation in the True Immortal Realm is chaotic now. It's best not to cling to old ways, or we'll suffer greatly," the child-like figure continued.

"Elder Ji, what do you think we should do now?" the tall middle-aged man asked, looking at the child-like figure.

The blue-robed young woman also turned to him.

"The Sect Leader's disappearance likely involves a Dao Ancestor, which is beyond our ability to handle. Notify the Ancestor," the child-like figure said.

The tall middle-aged man and the blue-robed young woman exchanged glances and nodded.

...

Amidst the chaotic void, a mass of golden light the size of an acre floated like a giant egg, its interior invisible.

Within the golden light was a fully materialized space, far larger than its external appearance—dozens of li in size, complete with mountains, rivers, and vegetation.

The Mist Dragon Sect's Sect Leader lay on the ground, Han Li's hand pressed to his head, a faint light flickering in his palm as he performed a soul search.

The faint light flickered, growing brighter, emitting a ghostly wailing sound.

Han Li frowned slightly. The Sect Leader's soul was peculiar, as if he had cultivated some secret technique that condensed all memories into a single point, forming a unique seal.

Moreover, this seal was tightly bound to the Sect Leader's soul and highly unstable; any attempt to forcibly probe would cause the soul to self-destruct.

Han Li pondered for a moment, then withdrew his hand. He patted the Sect Leader several times to seal his cultivation, then tapped his brow.

Several crystalline chains flew from the Sect Leader's brow and entered Han Li's body.

The Sect Leader slowly regained consciousness, looked around, and finally fixed his gaze on Han Li. He spoke:

"Which Dao Ancestor are you, Senior? Why would you stoop to abducting me here?"

"Sect Leader Yangshan, there's no need for such wariness. I invited you here not to take your life, but to inquire about some matters. Once I've accomplished my goal, you may leave freely," Han Li said with a light laugh, observing the Sect Leader's expression.

Hearing this, Yangshan showed surprise. After a long deliberation, he suddenly closed his eyes.

"Do you mean to refuse cooperation?" Han Li raised an eyebrow.

"Indeed. Though I don't know who you are, you'll get nothing from me about the Ancestor. Do as you will," Yangshan said coldly.

"Loyal to the end. I admire such people, but what I need to know is crucial, so I must ask. Forgive me for making you suffer a bit," Han Li said calmly, unperturbed by the refusal.

"Go ahead and try a forced soul search. My soul bears the Nine Dragon Seal personally placed by the Ancestor. Even if you're a Dao Ancestor, you can at most destroy my soul, but you'll never probe my memories," Yangshan sneered.

"So that seal was personally set by Feng Qingshui. Clever indeed, capable of preventing most Dao Ancestors from searching your soul. But unfortunately, you've met me," Han Li said with a faint smile.