Chapter 12: I Am Han Li

The black centipede screeched, its body swaying left and right as it transformed into a black shadow, instantly pouncing before him. Its mouth opened wide, revealing rows of dagger-like, gleaming white teeth that flashed coldly, inspiring fear, as it bit toward Liu Shi's shoulder.

The tall young man was still clutching his head and screaming, completely unaware of his surroundings. With a "crack," the centipede's jaws clamped down on him.

Upon seeing this, White Stone Elder revealed a cruel smile.

He knew best how formidable this centipede was—it could bite through ordinary magical artifacts with ease, and its most fearsome trait was the potent venom covering its body, capable of corroding spiritual energy and causing instant death upon contact with blood.

But the next moment, the old Daoist's smile froze.

The black centipede suddenly let out a miserable shriek, releasing its jaws as blood gushed forth, its rows of sharp teeth shattered and broken.

Yet on the tall young man's shoulder, where golden scales were revealed, not a single scratch remained.

Though severely wounded, the black centipede was stirred into a frenzy. After its shriek, it coiled its body like a venomous snake, wrapping around the youth, while its sharp abdominal legs shook and slashed down.

Clang! Clang!

Sparks flew in all directions, but the scales on the youth's body remained intact, completely unharmed.

Seeing this, the old Daoist nearly had his eyes pop out of their sockets.

"That's right, I remember... I... I am Han Li, the number one cultivator of the human race, the Great Ascension of the Spirit Realm!"

The tall young man's screams abruptly ceased. His lowered head suddenly lifted as he roared, his eyes clear and bright, with no trace of confusion left.

He was none other than Han Li, who had endured countless hardships to ascend from the Spirit Realm to the Immortal Realm. (For readers unfamiliar with Han Li's past, you may first read the prequel, "A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality.")

Without even glancing at the black centipede coiled around his body, Han Li moved his arm, and his hand, like a steel fork, plunged directly into the centipede's seemingly hard carapace. With a slight exertion of force, he tore the black centipede off his body.

The black centipede screeched incessantly, struggling violently with its massive body, but could not break free in the slightest.

"Bang!"

The youth's five fingers, embedded in the centipede's body, merely twitched, and an invisible tremendous force rippled outward.

The black centipede let out a mournful cry, its body going limp section by section after the shock, losing all strength to resist.

Rip!

Han Li's other hand also plunged into the centipede's body. With both hands exerting force simultaneously, he tore the giant insect in two amidst a rain of blood, then casually discarded it.

The two halves of the centipede's remains on the ground twisted violently for a moment before reverting into two tattered small banners, their spiritual light completely lost, clearly destroyed.

This entire sequence of actions happened in the blink of an eye.

White Stone Elder stood there dumbfounded, his mouth slightly agape, unable to close for a time.

Only then did Han Li turn his head to glance at White Stone Elder.

The moment the old Daoist met the youth's icy gaze, he shuddered, his heart sinking as if into a bottomless frozen pit, his entire body chilled to the bone.

"Trap me!"

After his face changed several times, White Stone Elder suddenly roared, forming hand seals with both hands.

The black formation in the secret chamber instantly blazed with light, a loud humming arose, and streams of black-gray mist once again surged madly toward the tall youth.

At the same time, the old Daoist flicked his sleeve, and a pale white flying shuttle shot out. After circling once, it lifted him up and shot toward the door, attempting to flee.

"Trying to leave!"

Han Li snorted coldly. Golden scales on one arm flashed wildly as he punched toward the ground.

"Boom!"

Stone slabs and debris flew in all directions, revealing a huge pit. The black formation vanished without a trace, and all the mist dissipated.

Hearing the sound of the formation shattering behind him, White Stone Elder's body trembled. But by now, he had already flown to the cave entrance, about to crash through and escape.

At that moment, a figure flickered before the stone door, followed by a sharp air burst.

"Whoosh!"

The old Daoist flew backward like a sack, crashing heavily into a nearby stone wall with a loud thud.

"Ugh!"

White Stone Elder spat out a large mouthful of blood, collapsing weakly to the ground, his face full of terror. The flying shuttle beneath his feet had vanished somewhere.

At the entrance, Han Li stood upright, slowly withdrawing his left fist, which had punched through the air. His figure flickered, and he appeared before White Stone Elder like a ghost, staring coldly at him.

"Spare me, Senior! This humble one failed to recognize your greatness. Please be magnanimous. I am willing to offer all my possessions to you!" White Stone Elder trembled all over, barely managing to crawl up. He removed the storage pouch from his waist, placed it with both hands at the youth's feet, and kowtowed repeatedly, begging for mercy, his head thudding against the ground.

The tall young man remained expressionless, not even glancing at the storage pouch.

"Besides these, this humble one has some treasures stored elsewhere, which I can offer to you entirely. As a guest elder of the Chancellor's mansion, I also know the location of its treasure vault. If you nod your head, I will immediately go and fetch them all for you," the old Daoist continued to plead, his heart sinking when the other remained silent.

To save his life, he could no longer care about much else.

Upon hearing this, Han Li's face showed a hint of interest, as if tempted by the offer. The golden light on his body slowly receded.

Seeing this, the old Daoist was overjoyed and was about to speak further when Han Li suddenly raised his hand and grabbed at the void beneath him. A mass of black qi flew out from his shadow. With a flip of his hand, he slapped it, and it directly vanished into the old Daoist's face.

"Spare me, Senior!"

The old Daoist was terrified, hastily checking his internal condition, but found nothing unusual, which only made him more fearful.

"Rest assured, I won't kill you for now. This is turning your own methods against you. With a single thought, I can detonate this black fiendish energy inside you. You should know the consequences. Also, I have remembered everything. My surname is not Liu, but Han," Han Li said calmly. His enlarged body began to shrink back to normal, and the scales on his surface rapidly receded.

White Stone Elder's face turned ashen, but hearing that Han Li would not kill him immediately, he felt a slight relief and repeatedly acknowledged.

"Bang!"

Han Li grabbed the old Daoist by the collar, lifting him up, while his right index finger pointed at the old man's brow. A black light emerged from his fingertip and entered the old Daoist's brow.

"Senior..." White Stone Elder was terrified, thinking the other had gone back on his word, but before he could finish, his eyes became vacant.

Han Li pressed his lips together, a fine layer of sweat gradually forming on his forehead, his face slowly turning pale.

A moment passed.

He let out a soft breath, moving his finger as the black light at its tip dissipated.

The old Daoist's eyes rolled back, and he fell into unconsciousness.

Han Li waved his hand, tossing White Stone Elder to the ground. He took a few deep breaths, his complexion recovering, but then his brow furrowed, his face shifting between light and shadow.

He had just performed a soul-searching technique and had gleaned the information he wanted from White Stone Elder.

Han Li's gaze shifted to Liu Le'er, who was also unconscious nearby, a trace of tenderness in his eyes. The golden rope on her body had loosened on its own due to the lack of magical power, but she was still trapped within the black light barrier.

His form flickered, appearing beside Liu Le'er. With a single wave of his hand, an invisible tremendous force surged forth.

The black light barrier shattered on impact.

Han Li looked at the girl's battered body and sighed. After hesitating for a moment, he formed a hand seal and spat out a thin wisp of green qi, which quickly merged into her body.

Liu Le'er's pale face immediately flushed with a hint of ruddiness, and the wounds on her body began to heal at a visible rate.

"Little girl, these past few years have truly been hard on you. But this way, my remaining magical power is even less," Han Li murmured, looking at the girl. Then he walked over to White Stone Elder, picked up the storage pouch, and tore it open with both hands, spilling a large pile of items.

Most of these items were materials, but there were also some pills.

Han Li examined them carefully, then casually picked out two bottles, each containing a green pill and a red pill. He carefully administered them to Liu Le'er.