Chapter 883: Frenzied Absorption

"It's about time..." Chen Yang glanced at Du Qingyang, whose eyes were bloodshot, and murmured to himself.

No sooner had he spoken than the Garuda Blood Array indeed underwent some changes.

With a soft sound, the blood-colored vortex that shrouded the array first abruptly halted its rotation, then suddenly reversed direction.

The blood energy that had previously flowed into Du Qingyang's body instantly reversed along the blood groove between the two troughs and flowed back toward Han Li.

The thick plasma in the trough beneath him instantly began to boil as this blood energy flowed in.

Han Li felt as if his body were about to be set ablaze; his skin turned blood-red, his entire being was scorching hot, and even beneath the cracked tortoiseshell patterns on his skin, streaks of magma-like blood-red light began to emerge.

The blood that had originally only enveloped his lower body spread upward, first reaching his chest, then his neck, and finally wrapping his entire body, transforming into a large blood cocoon.

This sudden influx of blood energy, which also carried the star power of five people including Du Qingyang, was immensely powerful. Without the aid of immortal spiritual power or divine abilities, how could Han Li's physical body withstand it?

"Roar..."

Muffled, indistinct roars continuously emanated from the human-shaped blood cocoon.

Han Li felt waves of power rampaging through his body, causing his limbs, bones, and even his eight extraordinary meridians to swell unbearably, and his head felt as if it were about to explode.

This agonizing sensation was no less intense than the refinement he had undergone in the Marrow-Washing Thunder Pond.

At this moment, Han Li could not afford to think; he instinctively mustered a remnant of his divine sense to protect his sea of consciousness, preventing himself from completely losing awareness.

Time passed bit by bit. Han Li endured through gritted teeth, and the others did the same.

Even now, Du Qingyang was still unwilling to give up.

He too persisted through clenched teeth, waiting for Han Li to collapse and explode, at which point he would still have a chance to reclaim the bloodline power he had long coveted.

As long as he could hold on until then, Chen Yang, who had dared to betray and harm him, would surely die an even more miserable death than this Li Feiyu.

Chen Yang had already retreated with the Crab Daoist to the edge of the cave.

At this moment, his expression was equally uncertain, and sweat droplets as large as beans frequently rolled down his forehead.

In fact, he was also waiting, waiting for the massive impact that would come when Han Li exploded and died. Under that force, the several squad leaders would naturally be torn to pieces without a complete corpse.

As for Du Qingyang, although he might not die on the spot, he would certainly be severely wounded, and then he would be at his mercy.

But both Han Li and Du Qingyang's current performance and endurance made him somewhat uneasy.

His actions today were clearly a last-ditch gamble. Once he failed, what awaited him, he did not want to think about, nor did he dare to think about.

As for the Crab Immortal, his expression remained calm and unruffled, and even his gaze forward seemed somewhat vacant, as if everything before him had nothing to do with him. No one knew what he was thinking.

As the central blood cocoon slowly expanded and grew larger, Han Li's body inside also swelled, his entire form looking as if it had been blown up with air, doubling in size.

It seemed that in the next moment, he would be unable to hold on and would collapse and explode.

But just then, within the immense power of blood energy, numerous true spirit phantoms re-emerged, no longer in a state of fleeing outward, but one by one merging into Han Li's body.

"Not good!"

"What is happening..."

Exclamations rang out. The four squad leaders, firmly held by the Garuda Blood Formation, felt their blood and qi begin to pour back wildly, surging toward Han Li.

In a short while, their cheeks visibly caved in.

Seeing this, Du Qingyang, at the center of the formation, no longer dared to hold onto that glimmer of hope. If he waited any longer, instead of sucking blood, he might have his own essence blood drained by Han Li.

"Ha!"

With a loud shout, starry points of light around his body lit up one after another. Compared to the initial manifestation of over two hundred points, several dozen more appeared, mainly concentrated on his waist, abdomen, and arms.

He raised a fist, and at its tip, the power of stars gathered intensely, emitting dazzling starlight. He suddenly hammered it down toward the ground.

With a thunderous crash!

The entire Garuda Blood Formation, along with the entire underground cavern, shook violently but did not immediately collapse.

Du Qingyang was clearly not surprised by this, because when the formation was first designed, it had taken into account that external attacks might disrupt its operation, so it was built extremely sturdy. Even he could not destroy it with a single blow.

But he never expected that Chen Yang would suddenly betray him, secretly altering the blood formation from within, turning this supposedly foolproof array into a trap that now ensnared him.

With a continuous hum, the lingering shockwaves spread outward.

A powerful force of counter-shock surged upward, striking Du Qingyang, jolting his body violently and forcing him back from the blood array.

Midair, Du Qingyang punched out again, forcibly severing his connection to the Garo Blood Array.

With a "puff" sound,

Du Qingyang spat a mouthful of blood, his chest suddenly caved in, and his body tumbled backward before he finally broke free of the blood array's control.

With his escape, the other four squad leaders, no longer sharing the array's pressure, naturally could not hold on.

"No..." A miserable cry rang out.

The bodies of the four exploded in succession, their flesh bursting into four patches of crimson blood blossoms.

Du Qingyang steadied himself, casting a fearful glance at the gruesome fate of the four, his rage reaching its peak.

"Chenyang, your life is mine!" he roared, ignoring his injuries as he lunged at him.

"A dying sick tiger, still trying to show off its ferocity?" Chenyang sneered upon seeing this.

Though his words were light, his expression was extremely grave. He clenched his fists, his mysterious apertures lighting up, and charged to meet him.

"Ha..."

Suddenly, Han Li inside the blood cocoon let out a long howl.

The power contained within the entire Garo Blood Array began to contract rapidly, crazily pouring into his body.

His body started to swell rapidly, making him look like a round, bloody ball. The tortoise-shell cracks on his skin split open further, as if about to burst in the next instant.

Yet at this moment, except for the Crab Immortal, no one noticed that a faint green light had suddenly flickered within Han Li's chest and abdomen.

The moment those powerful streams of star power surged into his body, they were continuously absorbed by the Gourd Vase, leaving only an even stronger force of blood and qi surging through Han Li's body.

Only then did Han Li, who had nearly lost his consciousness, feel that the power threatening to burst his body had weakened considerably.

His mind cleared, and after a brief pause, he immediately began to fully operate the "Feather Ascension Art," crazily absorbing the blood and qi power and star power colliding within him.

The star power channeled through the Gourd Vase was naturally absorbed without hindrance. As for the blood and qi power, aside from the power drawn from Du Qingyang and the other four, it was mostly mixed with his own true spirit blood. Though much more difficult, he could still absorb it smoothly.

As these two forces began to merge into his body, his swollen body slowly started to contract.

At the same time, a hazy white light spread over his legs, and streams of star power began to gather toward his lower body.

With a "bang," a mysterious aperture on his left leg suddenly opened.

Then, another soft "bang" sounded!

A mysterious aperture on his right leg suddenly opened as well.

Two more sounds followed in succession, and two more mysterious apertures on Han Li's left and right legs lit up.

Thus, his "Feather Ascension Art" was finally perfected, with all eighteen mysterious apertures on his legs formed by the art fully connected.

The Crab Immortal, watching from afar, his usually wooden expression shifted slightly, and a flicker of disbelief flashed in his eyes.

The successive opening of mysterious apertures should have been a great joy for Han Li, but at this moment, it became a problem.

Because the "Feather Ascension Art," like the "Great Cycle Star Origin Art," once cultivated to completion, could no longer promote the opening of new apertures, leaving his total number of apertures at fifty-four.

The star power and blood and qi power that could not be absorbed could only stagnate within his body with nowhere to go. Meanwhile, the two forces in the Garo Blood Array had not yet been exhausted and continued to surge into his body.

Whether his body could withstand this indescribably vast power remained unknown!

On the other side, a loud boom erupted!

All one hundred and thirty-plus mysterious apertures on Chenyang's body lit up, yet he was still firmly suppressed by the already injured Du Qingyang, with conspicuous cracks appearing on his white bone armor.

Du Qingyang, too, was suffering in silence. His internal injuries were not light; he was merely suppressing them forcibly. Once he could no longer hold on, they would worsen immediately, with unimaginable consequences.

With a heavy "boom!"

The dense mysterious apertures on Du Qingyang's arm lit up one after another. He threw a punch that struck Chenyang's crossed arms, producing a crisp "crack."

Chenyang's arms snapped instantly, and his entire body was sent flying by the immense force, rolling dozens of times on the ground before crashing heavily into the cave wall.

After falling, he propped himself up with one hand and couldn't help but vomit a large mouthful of blood.

"I always knew you had a rebellious streak. Sure enough, not only have you been hiding your true strength, but you also dared to plot against me. Truly deserving of death," Du Qingyang said coldly, not immediately pursuing but standing still to suppress a counterattack from his internal injuries, staring at Chenyang.

"Heh, whether I deserve to die or not, I'm afraid it's no longer up to you, City Lord," Chenyang wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and sneered.