Chapter 247: Avoiding the Brunt

Before the dust had even settled here, Han Li saw a blur before his eyes as the white-haired old man's figure flashed over, his speed so fast it was dazzling.

"Bang!"

His heart tightened, and he instinctively raised his arms, crossing them in front of him just in time to be sent flying backward by a heavy, powerful punch.

Fortunately, he had already secretly activated the True Extreme Membrane and covered his arms with golden scales, so he wasn't as狼狈 as Lin Shiqi, but he still flew backward like riding a cloud for several hundred zhang before barely stabilizing himself.

Although the white-haired old man had sent Han Li flying with one punch, he himself staggered back a step, a flicker of surprise passing through his eyes, which had not yet completely lost their reason.

But as Lin Jiu approached with his sword, the old man roared and swung his fist to meet him.

At this moment, the skin on his body was gradually changing from dark red to bright red, and the color of the steam rising from his body was also fading, turning into a light pink.

Correspondingly, his speed seemed to be getting faster and faster, and the force of his punches was also increasing, each punch producing a crackling sound from friction with the air.

Lin Jiu wielded his golden sword continuously, while the white-haired old man fought bare-handed, each punch heavily striking the blade of the golden sword, producing deafening "bang bang" sounds.

Their figures kept shifting positions, and at the points where fist and sword met, waves of invisible law fluctuations erupted, sweeping everything around into them, easily churning it into nothingness, and even gouging out huge pits in the ground.

Although Lin Jiu's swordsmanship was exquisite and unparalleled, facing the old man with astonishing speed and seemingly simple but overwhelmingly powerful strikes, he felt a sense of inadequacy.

"You all will die!"

The white-haired old man roared, and with a slight blur of his fists, over a dozen identical fist shadows appeared unpredictably, descending toward Lin Jiu, a terrifying sight.

Without time to think, Lin Jiu dared not stop moving. He gripped his sword with both hands and swung it fiercely. Suddenly, a blindingly bright sword light burst from the sword tip, growing brighter and brighter, quickly transforming into a golden ball of light several zhang in size that spun out and then exploded with a whirl.

In an instant, countless crisscrossing golden sword qi swept out, colliding with the roaring fist shadows, producing a series of sharp screeches like metal friction.

However, almost all the sword qi dissipated and vanished in an instant, while the fist shadows did not completely disperse, causing a flicker of surprise in Lin Jiu's eyes. Then, golden light flashed on his body, and a large swath of golden radiance emerged from his surface, blocking in front of him.

At that moment, from a huge pit not far from the two, a disheveled figure of Lin Shiqi suddenly flew out.

With a flick of his wrist, a earth-yellow rope shot out from his sleeve, twisting in midair like a spirit snake, forming seven or eight loops that descended toward the white-haired old man not far away.

"Bang bang!" A few loud noises!

Lin Jiu was sent flying backward with golden light trembling all over. The white-haired old man was about to chase after him to land another punch, but was caught by the rope. Then, with a flash of strange light, the rope suddenly tightened, binding him completely.

Lin Shiqi held the rope with one hand and, without a word, pulled it back hard. The old man's figure was lifted off the ground and thrown toward them.

Han Li appeared from somewhere, shaking his silver longsword, pointing the blade at the old man's head and stabbing down fiercely.

Golden light flickered in the white-haired old man's eyes, and he uttered indistinct murmurs from his mouth.

The next moment, his body blazed with blood-red light. The skin on his arms split open, and two bones wrapped in a layer of pink fascia thrust out, cutting the earth-yellow rope like blades, freeing himself.

Before he could stabilize, he raised an arm and swept the blade-like bone toward Han Li, who was now close at hand.

The tip of the silver longsword stabbed straight onto the bone, producing a grating sound that set one's teeth on edge.

Han Li felt a tremendous force surging like a tidal wave. With a thought, he chose not to confront it head-on and flew backward, using the momentum.

Seeing Han Li easily sent flying, even with his mind lost, the white-haired old man was momentarily stunned. But then, as if remembering something, he spun around and, brandishing the bone blades on his arms, lunged straight at Lin Shiqi, who was still holding the rope.

In almost a flash, he appeared directly in front of the latter. With a single thrust of his blade, he broke through several layers of protective shields on his body and then pierced his chest clean through, with gushing blood flowing from the hole.

Lin Shiqi's body arched backward like a shrimp, and a large mouthful of blood spurted from beneath his mask. But then, a ball of white light exploded from his waist, enveloping him as he plummeted heavily, crashing into the ground with a boom.

The white light faded, revealing Lin Shiqi's figure, motionless, his fate unknown.

The white-haired old man let out a "giggle" laugh, no longer looking at Lin Shiqi. He turned his head, his eyes full of森然, and stared at Han Li, who had already retreated hundreds of zhang away.

Han Li watched this scene with a calm expression.

The old man should also be a Xuanxian with considerable physical strength. After swallowing the Infant-Burning Blood Pill, his strength had reached such a terrifying level. Even if he had chosen to fight head-on, he would probably have been seriously injured.

At this moment, the old man's eyes had completely turned pure gold, with no trace of human reason left.

A Xuanxian who had lost his mind and whose strength was close to that of a Golden Immortal—no wonder Lin Shiqi couldn't resist.

Suddenly, the old man's figure blurred and disappeared from the spot.

Without a moment's hesitation, Han Li shot backward, while golden scales rose on his arms. He raised a fist and punched directly into the void in front of him.

With a loud "boom!"

His fist collided heavily with the fist of the white-haired old man, who had suddenly appeared.

An invisible wave of air erupted from the ends of their fists, spreading like a monstrous wave, shaking the void around, sending sand flying, and rolling stones away.

Han Li felt a vast, overwhelming force surging toward him, and he was sent flying backward hundreds of zhang, smashing directly into a black cliff behind him, shattering it before barely stopping.

The white-haired old man on the other side also flew backward, but after only two to three hundred zhang, he stabilized again.

"Fellow Daoist Jiao Shi, I didn't expect you to be a Xuanxian as well. But don't engage him head-on. Wait for me to set up the trapping formation, and you lead him in. Now that he has lost his mind, once his essence blood and Nascent Soul burn out, he will surely die without us needing to act." Lin Jiu hovered in midair, calling out to Han Li.

"I can't guarantee I can hold him off for long. Fellow Daoist, set up the formation as quickly as possible." Han Li steadied the surging blood and qi in his body and said to Lin Jiu.

With that, he tapped his foot, flew into the air, and tossed his longsword.

The silver longsword soared into the sky, shining brightly, and from it emerged a dense ring of sword shadows, blooming like a thousand-petal lotus in the air.

Han Li chanted incantations, and with one hand forming a sword finger, he pointed downward.

In midair, the sound of piercing air suddenly grew loud.

A continuous stream of dense silver sword shadows shot down like rain from a pear blossom, enveloping the white-haired old man who had just climbed out of the rock wall.

"Boom boom boom!"

Explosions echoed continuously in the valley. Inside the valley, rocks shattered and dust rose, quickly burying the old man's figure.

Then, a roar almost like a beast's howl sounded.

From the dust, the white-haired old man's figure leaped out. His skin was covered with red cracked lines, his originally high bun had come loose, and his snow-white silver hair danced wildly in the wind, making him look like a ferocious demon.

He only used his arms to protect his face, letting Han Li's silver sword shadows continuously stab into his body, and charged straight into the silver sword lotus.

The silver sword lotus shone brightly, then exploded with a bang, sending chaotic silver sword shadows shooting wildly in all directions.

The silver longsword at the center also snapped in two with a "crack."

Seeing this, Han Li frowned slightly. Golden scales appeared on his arms, which thickened considerably, and he swung his fists to meet him.

On the other side of the valley, Lin Jiu was holding a golden rod as thick as an adult man's arm. He walked a few steps to a rock, raised his hand, and thrust the rod heavily into the ground.

The golden rod, covered with dense runes and three zhang long, went straight into the ground, burying two-thirds of it, leaving only about a zhang of the rod exposed above the surface.

Lin Jiu glanced around and saw that a circular formation made of golden rods had basically taken shape, with only two gaps left at the east and west ends.

"Fellow Daoist Jiao Shi, quickly lead him over!" He looked toward Han Li and shouted loudly.

Hearing this, Han Li twisted his body, and with a flash of escape light, he shot toward this side.

The white-haired old man, who had completely lost his reason, lunged and missed. He stamped his feet hard, and his speed was even a bit faster than Han Li's as he pounced straight at him.

Han Li had just flown to the edge of the formation when the white-haired old man caught up. The bone blade on the outside of his arm thrust out, heading straight for Han Li's back.

Just then, a sharp whistle sounded.

A golden flying sword shot up from beneath Han Li, striking the old man's bone blade directly, sending a shower of golden sparks.

The old man staggered and stopped above the formation.

"Fellow Daoist, catch the rod."

At the same time, Lin Jiu shouted, flicking his wrist, and threw a golden rod along the ground toward Han Li.

Han Li plummeted down, bent over to grab the golden rod, and with a flip, thrust it heavily into the gap in the formation.

On the other side, Lin Jiu almost simultaneously thrust another rod into the ground.

With a "hum,"

An invisible wave suddenly rose from the formation. The runes on each golden rod blazed with dazzling golden light, and from them emerged golden chains that shot up with a clatter, binding the white-haired old man tightly.

The white-haired old man was bound, his silver hair flying, white steam rising from his body, and he struggled violently in midair.

Over a dozen golden rods called "Dragon Locking Rods" were violently dragged by this tremendous force, swaying unsteadily on the ground like small trees in a storm, seemingly precarious but, like tumbler dolls, always swaying without falling.