Chapter 423: The Bait

Seeing this, the dark-gold bronze man immediately turned toward one of the puppets and charged at it.

Han Li and Cold Flame Ancestor exchanged a glance, then took the opportunity to flash into the great hall.

One of them used the Wuchang Alliance mask, the other a dark red robe, to suppress their auras as much as possible as they moved toward a large screen at the rear of the hall.

But no sooner had they taken a step than a series of explosions rang out in the hall. The seven or eight giant ape puppets Han Li had released were all destroyed in an instant.

Immediately after, a figure flickered before them. The bronze puppet had already arrived at their side, throwing a punch at each of them.

Han Li had been on guard against such an event, so when the bronze man flashed before him, he was not flustered. He simply raised his arms to shield his face, meeting the bronze man's heavy blow.

With a "bang," his arms went numb, and he slid backward along the ground, slamming heavily into the door of the hall.

Cold Flame Ancestor was even more disheveled. He seemed to have never anticipated this situation. The sudden punch sent him tumbling toward a wall of the hall. His back struck hard, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

After getting up, he didn't bother wiping the blood from his mouth, shaking his head at Han Li with a face full of surprise.

This time, it seemed different from last time, didn't it?

Han Li had no time to reproach him. He shouted, "You go get the lower half of the technique. I'll hold him off."

With that, he flickered and took the initiative to meet the bronze puppet.

According to Han Li's original plan, while the giant ape puppets lured away the bronze puppet, Cold Flame Ancestor would lurk near the screen at the entrance to the rear hall. After Han Li took the lower half of the technique and alerted the bronze man, Cold Flame Ancestor would find a way to block one of the bronze man's attacks.

Once Han Li successfully brought out the technique, Cold Flame Ancestor would no longer need to tangle with it and could immediately withdraw from the hall.

But this sudden change completely disrupted his plan. Now he had to block this Golden Immortal puppet himself to buy time for Cold Flame Ancestor to steal the technique.

Cold Flame Ancestor spat out a mouthful of blood, no longer concealing his aura. With a movement, he dashed straight toward the rear hall.

His heart was bitter, and he was utterly perplexed, unable to fathom why the Golden Immortal puppet's intelligence had suddenly surged.

At the same time, he worried that Han Li might mistakenly believe that the information he had previously provided was deliberately deceptive. If so, even if he obtained the Great Cycle Star Origin Technique, he would not escape Han Li's censure.

After so many dealings, he had come to understand Han Li's temperament somewhat, knowing that Han Li showed no mercy to those who betrayed or harmed him.

How dare you!

After detecting his movement, the bronze puppet actually shouted in anger, abandoning Han Li to chase after him.

Cold Flame Ancestor had just reached the screen when a great sound of wind and thunder arose behind him. The bronze puppet's massive fist, wrapped in a layer of white light, was already smashing toward his back.

Just go get the technique. Leave this puppet to me...

He was about to turn and block when Han Li's voice suddenly rang in his ear. He steeled himself, ignoring the fist behind him, and braced himself to dash behind the screen.

Just as the bronze puppet's fist, launched later but arriving first, was about to strike his spine, Han Li's body suddenly crackled with lightning. The Wind Thunder Wings on his back flapped once, and he abruptly blocked behind him.

With furrowed brows and a solemn expression, Han Li crossed his hands and pushed them forward and upward.

A greenish light shadow surged from his palms, forming two solid green light palms that also crossed to block the bronze puppet's fist.

With a thunderous boom!

A violent gale erupted between their fist and palms. The chaotic airflow rustled Han Li's robes, but his figure stood firm, though his arms were bent by the immense force and his legs sank deep into the ground.

You seek death!

The bronze puppet, like an angry Vajra, roared. On his other fist, a white nebula-like light condensed and smashed down toward Han Li's head.

Han Li's temper flared. He let out a fierce roar, his muscles bulging, and a layer of golden coarse fur grew over his body. His eyes flashed blue, and two fangs protruded slightly from his mouth, transforming him into a ten-foot-tall mountain giant ape.

He pressed down with both hands, forcing the bronze puppet's previous fist down, then raised his other fist and swung it at the bronze man.

The two massive fists collided in midair. A dazzling white light blazed between them, producing a thunderous boom. A visible shockwave of air surged, shaking the entire hall.

Han Li's arm bent slightly, and his body sank another inch, but the bronze puppet showed no abnormality.

In a contest of strength, Han Li, having activated the mountain giant ape bloodline, was still at a disadvantage against this puppet.

Frowning, he pulled his legs out of the ground, leaped up, and actively swung his fist at the bronze puppet. The latter stepped forward and countered with a punch of his own.

Han Li's entire body was covered by a solid blue light membrane. On his chest and abdomen, dazzling star points lit up. His aura doubled, and a blinding light burst from his fist.

In contrast, the bronze puppet also had blue light points all over his body, corresponding to the acupoints refined by the Great Cycle Star Origin Technique, but in far greater number than Han Li's. The star power around his fist was naturally several times denser than Han Li's.

Before their fists even touched, the outcome of this clash was already predictable.

However, just as the star radiance on their fists merged and emitted a grating sound, Han Li's figure suddenly blurred and appeared behind the bronze puppet. He punched down at the center of its back.

With a hollow "bang," a large amount of star radiance surged from the acupoint on the bronze puppet's back, violently colliding with the star power on Han Li's fist. It blazed like fire, blooming into a dazzling blue flame.

Under the impact of this force, combined with the pull from its own punch, the bronze puppet staggered forward and fell.

Its massive fist also missed, smashing into the ground with a thunderous roar.

White light surged on the ground, the entire hall trembled violently, dust fell from the ceiling, and a crack over ten zhang long split the floor, its depth unfathomable.

Seeing this, Han Li felt a lingering fear.

If he hadn't reversed his inner true wheel at the critical moment to accelerate his own time, dodging the bronze puppet's fist, he would have been severely injured and lost an arm.

But what concerned him more was that the bronze puppet could actually use star power and seemed to have opened acupoints on its body, its power surpassing his own.

Could it be that it had also cultivated the Great Cycle Star Origin Technique?

Fellow Daoist Han, I've got the technique. Retreat quickly!" Suddenly, someone shouted from the rear hall.

Then, Cold Flame Ancestor's figure appeared from behind the screen, holding a gray stone slab with dense ancient seal script visible on it. Needless to say, it was the lower half of the technique.

Han Li's heart stirred. After nodding, both of them flashed to the hall entrance almost simultaneously.

He raised his hand to open the purple-gold door, but the entire hall suddenly trembled violently. All the runes inscribed on the doors and windows seemed to come alive, wriggling like earthworms and linking together.

At the same time, a layer of purple-gold light curtain began to spread from the doors, windows, ceiling, and floor, enveloping the interior of the hall.

Damn it!" Cold Flame Ancestor exclaimed.

Han Li had already reverted to human form. With a grim expression, he raised a palm and pressed it against the junction of the two doors.

In his palm, five silver thunderballs crackled with lightning, all landing on the purple-gold light curtain.

A series of crackling sounds rang out!

The purple-gold light curtain covering the entire hall brightened simultaneously, with dense ancient seal script浮现 on its surface. Lightning bolts like snakes shot out, directly dispersing the thunderballs Han Li had released.

The surging purple-gold lightning swallowed the scattered silver electric threads. Han Li felt numbness throughout his body and couldn't help but gasp.

Stealing the technique is an unforgivable crime!" At that moment, a cold voice suddenly sounded.

The bronze puppet had somehow stood up again, standing in a corner of the hall, staring coldly at the two.

A light suddenly flashed in its eyes, as if covered by a white mist, becoming cloudy. The dark-gold luster on its body gradually faded, and starlight surged from its "acupoints," making its entire body translucent and bright.

With this change, the aura it emitted rose sharply, reaching the peak of early Golden Immortal, just a hair's breadth away from mid-stage.

Fellow Daoist Han, I'm not hiding anything. When I stole the technique last time, none of these situations occurred." Cold Flame Ancestor glanced at Han Li's expression and suddenly spoke.

I believe you." Han Li said succinctly.

You..." Cold Flame Ancestor was greatly surprised and momentarily speechless.

Don't you find it strange that the outer禁制 of this hall is like heaven and earth compared to the inner one?" Han Li said, keeping a close eye on the bronze puppet's changes.

Cold Flame Ancestor's eyes suddenly lit up, and he realized with a flash of insight:

The design and construction of this hall were not to prevent outsiders from entering, but to ensure that those who entered could never leave. Like the previous hall, this is also a trap. Could it be... that this Great Cycle Star Origin Technique is the bait?