Chapter 714 Drawing the Blade

"I feel like I've been tricked by you, kid... Fine, I'll say it. I am indeed not the spirit of this Celestial Fox Blood-Transforming Blade. Like the countless remnant souls within this blade, I too was slain by this Celestial Fox Blood-Transforming Blade, my soul bound within the blade. But my cultivation was not low, and my soul was not completely assimilated by the infinite resentment within the blade. Instead, I comprehended some of the mysteries of the Celestial Fox Blood-Transforming Blade, survived, and became what I am now." Shi Qinghou first glared at Han Li, then spoke with a somewhat complex tone.

"Oh, then what was your identity before you were slain? What level of cultivation?" Han Li asked, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

With his soul power after reaching the fifth layer of the Divine Refining Art, he was no weaker than late-stage Taiyi beings like Su Liu or Bi She.

But even he could not withstand the infinite resentment within the Celestial Fox Blood-Transforming Blade. That Shi Qinghou had not only done so but also controlled the blade—this indeed warranted attention.

"Junior, don't push your luck. Do you want me to tell you everything—my origin, my growth, my cultivation techniques? I need something from you, but I have my limits!" Shi Qinghou's face flashed with anger as he shouted coldly.

"Senior, please forgive me. I spoke out of turn. You only need to answer my three previous questions." Seeing this, Han Li quickly cupped his hands in apology.

It was also his nature to subconsciously want to learn more about the other party's background, but clearly, the other party was no pushover either.

Shi Qinghou gave a cold snort and, after a moment, slowly spoke: "Before I was slain, I was the domain lord of a certain domain in the Gray Realm. The one who slew me was Yin Chengquan, and he was the domain lord of the Netherworld Domain."

He spoke coldly and urgently, then closed his eyes, appearing utterly unwilling to speak further.

Han Li's expression shifted several times upon hearing the three answers, and it took a while before he calmed down.

"Alright, the first condition is fulfilled. My second condition is to set up some restrictions within your body as a means of leverage." After a long while, Han Li spoke again.

Shi Qinghou opened his eyes and looked at Han Li, who met his gaze calmly.

"Agreed." Shi Qinghou surprisingly agreed readily, without even asking what restrictions Han Li intended to set.

"Forgive my impertinence."

A flicker of surprise passed through Han Li's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. After cupping his hands to the other, he stepped forward a few paces.

Shi Qinghou's phantom figure also detached from the Celestial Fox Blood-Transforming Blade and landed beside Han Li.

Han Li muttered incantations, then abruptly bit his tongue and spat out a mass of essence blood. At the same time, his hands swiftly formed hand seals.

The essence blood immediately undulated like a living thing, quickly transforming into countless twisted, eerie blood-colored runes.

Crystalline light flickered from Han Li's glabella, and several crystalline threads shot out, merging with those eerie blood-colored runes before all sinking into Shi Qinghou's glabella.

A flash of blood light appeared within Shi Qinghou's body, and blood-red lines emerged on his surface, spreading from his glabella and visibly extending to every part of his body.

However, these blood-red lines flickered a few times and then quickly faded away, everything returning to normal as if nothing had happened.

"It's done." Han Li lowered his hand and said calmly.

The restriction he had just set was a special secret art targeting soul-like existences, quite similar to the restriction he had once placed on Mo Guang. Only this time, he used his own essence blood as a guide, binding himself to the other party to a certain extent.

Thus, if the other party harbored thoughts of harming him, he would immediately know. Likewise, he could not harm the other party without cause.

This was a relatively fair restriction. The reason Han Li did this was naturally related to the other party's easy agreement.

"Your two conditions have been fulfilled. Is the earlier deal considered complete?" Shi Qinghou gave Han Li a deep look and then asked.

"Indeed." Han Li nodded without hesitation.

"Good." A smile once again appeared on Shi Qinghou's face. His form flickered, turning into a beam of white light that vanished into the Celestial Fox Blood-Transforming Blade.

Suddenly, bright white light emerged on the Celestial Fox Blood-Transforming Blade. Amid a series of sharp hisses, strands of hair-like white light rose from the blade and shot out to the left and right.

The black light within the surrounding Great Black Heaven Divine Restriction seemed to sense the threat and also brightened sharply, with patches of black cloud-like mist rolling out to meet the white light.

The two collided fiercely, black and white light flashing wildly, and a series of thunderous explosions rang out continuously, with neither side gaining the upper hand for a time.

At that moment, a murmuring incantation sounded from within the blade. The Celestial Fox Blood-Transforming Blade trembled violently, and streams of liquid-like white light surged out from within, like tentacles, flowing along the blade into the stone platform below.

The black array patterns on the stone platform were quickly dyed white. The black light emitted by the Great Black Heaven Divine Restriction rapidly dimmed, and the black mist also thinned quickly, soon pierced by the slender white light, then dissipated like snow under the spring sun.

The black restriction light thus receded to both sides, quickly forming a passage wide enough for one person, extending from the Celestial Fox Blood-Transforming Blade to outside the stone platform.

However, the white light on the Celestial Fox Blood-Transforming Blade was all used to break the restriction, becoming extremely thin. Instead, black mist rose from the blade, accompanied by ghostly wails and fox howls.

"Quick! Draw the Blood-Transforming Blade! I can't hold back the Great Black Heaven Divine Restriction for long!" Shi Qinghou's urgent voice came.

Han Li's entire body was now shrouded in dazzling golden light. This golden light coiled around every part of his body, almost tangible, vaguely forming a suit of golden armor.

At this point, he did not hesitate. Hearing Shi Qinghou's words, his form immediately turned into a golden light, shot through the passage on the stone platform, and appeared beside the Celestial Fox Blood-Transforming Blade in a flash. His five fingers spread apart and grasped the hilt.

With a loud bang!

The black light on the Celestial Fox Blood-Transforming Blade suddenly flared, spreading outward to form a dense black halo.

Han Li's right arm and half of his body were swallowed by the black halo. A powerful, evil resentful force surged along his arm, violently rushing toward his mind.

However, his entire body was enveloped by the power of the Time Law. As soon as this evil resentful force entered his body, it was greatly suppressed. Although it could still advance, its speed was slowed tenfold.

Though the evil resentful force did not invade his mind, it was so powerful that Han Li's mind still spun wildly, as if something was churning violently.

He forcibly ignored the situation in his mind, mobilized all his immortal spiritual power, and the golden light on his body leaped like flames. He exerted force with his arm holding the hilt, pulling upward.

A tremendous force burst from his arm, and even its residual ripples caused ripples in the nearby void.

Rumble!

The entire stone platform trembled violently, and the black light emitted by the Great Black Heaven Divine Restriction fluctuated sharply.

The connection between the Celestial Fox Blood-Transforming Blade and the stone platform buzzed and trembled, but the blade was not pulled out.

Seeing this, Han Li immediately formed a single hand seal. Suddenly, various lights burst from his body, and phantom images of dharma forms—true dragon, colorful phoenix, giant ape, and others—appeared in succession.

These dharma forms circled around his body once, then plunged into him, merging within.

With a thunderous roar, purple-gold light blazed on Han Li's body. His form swelled several times, transforming into the purple-gold demon god of the Nirvana Saint Body.

An aura twice as powerful as before erupted from his body, causing the entire pool to shake.

"Ha!"

The purple-gold demon god's eyes bulged, and with a low shout, his thick purple-gold arm pulled with all his might.

A cracking sound exploded!

The connection between the Celestial Fox Blood-Transforming Blade and the stone platform shattered, breaking a large hole.

The purple-gold demon god, clutching the Celestial Fox Blood-Transforming Blade, flew backward and slammed heavily into the pool wall.

With the blade drawn, the black restriction light on the ground stone platform quickly dimmed, flickered a few times, and then vanished completely.

Cracks also appeared on the stone platform, spreading rapidly until it shattered into a pile of rubble.

A mass of white light flew out from the stone platform and, in a flash, returned to the Celestial Fox Blood-Transforming Blade.

White light immediately rippled across the blade, quickly suppressing the black light on it.

"Haha! How many tens of thousands of years—imprisoned in this damned place for tens of thousands of years! I am finally free!" Shi Qinghou's figure emerged from the white light, his face wild with madness, laughing uproariously!

"Yin Chengquan, you used treacherous schemes to bring me to this state. This hatred, this grudge, I, Shi Qinghou, will never forget. I will surely exact revenge on you!" Shi Qinghou's face twisted with rage as he roared at the sky.

Light flickered on the purple-gold demon god's body, and his massive form shrank rapidly, soon returning to Han Li's original appearance. He quietly watched Shi Qinghou, not interrupting.

"Ah..." Shi Qinghou let out a great roar to the sky, a roar containing countless years of suppression and anger!

After the roar, he let out a long breath, and his expression slowly calmed.

"My apologies. I've been suppressed for too long. Now that I'm free, my emotions are a bit stirred. Don't laugh at me." Shi Qinghou looked at Han Li and said with a smile.

"Not at all. I can certainly understand such feelings." Han Li waved his hand.

"Since the blade is drawn, we should leave quickly. The commotion just now was considerable; it would be bad if someone discovered us." Shi Qinghou said after letting out a long breath.

"I was thinking the same." Han Li nodded.

He then looked at the Celestial Fox Blood-Transforming Blade in his hand. Although Shi Qinghou had suppressed the blade's baleful and resentful aura, it still emitted a powerful presence.

Han Li's mind turned, pondering how to suppress the blade with a spell.

"Lad Li, those black crystals are Langhuan Black Jade, which can extremely effectively conceal baleful and resentful auras. If you use these Langhuan Black Jade to forge a scabbard, you can hide most of the Celestial Fox Blood-Transforming Blade's aura." Shi Qinghou seemed to read Han Li's thoughts and reminded him.