Chapter 941: Pursuit and Blockade

Not long after Han Li and the other person had just ascended into the air, a strange rustling sound continuously came from within the ruins below.

Han Li and his companion, hovering in midair, looked down following the sound, their expressions changing slightly.

As the soil surface of the ruins kept heaving, one arm after another stretched out from within, followed by strangely shaped heads emerging.

One figure after another continuously crawled out from underground, revealing themselves to be puppets.

These puppets were not very large, roughly about two zhang tall, with lower bodies in human form, wearing bright blue armor. However, their upper bodies and heads differed slightly, roughly divided into three types.

One type had a wolf head and human body, with a slender torso, each hand gripping a blue longsword with a curved blade.

Another type of puppet had a tiger head and human body, with thick arms and torso, holding a gleaming giant mountain-cleaving saber in one hand.

The last type of puppet had a snake head and human body, wearing no armor, with a layer of fine scales on its body surface, and a blue glowing snake-shaped bow and arrows strapped to its back.

These sabers, swords, bows, and other weapons all emitted traces of Star Power fluctuations.

The number of puppets was extremely large, not only near the two of them, but as far as the eye could see, puppets were continuously crawling out from underground in all directions.

Han Li swept his gaze around, unable to hide his change in expression.

Although these puppets seemed unremarkable, their strength was clearly not low, and their numbers were staggering. Even with his ability to fight a hundred alone, once entangled, it would be a narrow escape from death.

His mind raced, and the Star Acupoints all over his body blazed with light. He stepped repeatedly in the void,全力 dashing forward.

However, although he could fly in the air with the help of the Feather Transformation Ascension Art and the Star Moon Boots, his speed was limited. Especially carrying Shi Chuankong, despite his utmost effort, he could not go much faster.

As soon as these puppets emerged from the ground, they immediately looked at Han Li and the other person speeding through midair, their eyes instantly showing a human-like hatred.

Roar!

An unusually tall snake-headed puppet raised its head and let out a beast-like roar.

The snake-headed puppets on the ground moved their arms, drawing their bows and nocking arrows.

Immediately, blue arrows shot out like meteors, emitting a terrifying whistling sound, raining down from all directions, so dense that there was no way to avoid them.

Han Li inwardly cried out in alarm. The Star Acupoints all over his body blazed with intense light, and with a凝, they formed a crystalline film of starlight covering his entire body.

At the same time, he waved his free hand, and the white crescent blade appeared in his hand, transforming into countless white blade shadows to slash at the incoming blue arrows.

Shi Chuankong's body also flashed with crystalline light as he activated the True Extremity Membrane, while rapidly swinging his long staff, turning it into streaks of afterimages to protect himself.

A series of crackling explosions erupted!

The blade light from the crescent blade in Han Li's hand danced around him, forming a dense white curtain of blades that shredded all the blue arrows.

However, the force contained in these arrows was truly extraordinary, numbing his arm.

Shi Chuankong swung his purple-black long staff, also blocking all the arrows, but his arm trembled repeatedly.

Under such密集 attack, the two's rapid forward momentum came to a halt.

At that moment, dozens of nearby wolf-headed and tiger-headed puppets immediately sprang up, easily leaping dozens of zhang high with extreme agility, their swords and sabers turning into blue streaks slashing at various parts of the two's bodies.

The three types of puppets coordinated flawlessly, as if they had rehearsed countless times.

Before Han Li and Shi Chuankong could catch their breath, they had to strike again to block these attacks.

After a series of loud clangs, large pieces of puppet remains fell from the sky, and the dozens of puppets that had leaped were almost completely dismembered.

Before Han Li and the other could make any other move, the sharp whistling sound came again, and countless blue arrows rained down once more.

Han Li frowned, swung his crescent blade to parry the arrows, and at the same time stepped repeatedly in the void, rising higher and shooting toward the sky.

At this moment, thick yellow clouds hung in the sky, with faint white light appearing within. The two had originally been in midair, and as they continued upward, they soon approached those yellow clouds.

Although they had increased their altitude, they still had not escaped the range of the arrows shot by the puppets.

Han Li glanced at the yellow clouds above, hesitated slightly, and was about to rise higher again.

Don't go to high altitude; those yellow clouds must not be touched. I'll block these attacks, Fellow Daoist Li, you just focus on rushing forward!" Shi Chuankong said urgently, stopping Han Li's action.

As he spoke, the Star Acupoints on his purple-black long staff blazed with light. As he swung it rapidly, the staff transformed into a purple-black tornado, sweeping up all the incoming blue arrows and easily shredding them.

Han Li was puzzled but, seeing Shi Chuankong's serious expression and his full effort in defense, did not ask. The Star Acupoints on his legs lit up as he stepped repeatedly in the void, shooting forward.

Seeing this, the puppets on the ground let out roars of fury. The wolf-headed and tiger-headed puppets leaped up one after another, pouncing on the two, while puppets from other places also gathered around.

Shi Chuankong shouted loudly, rapidly swinging his staff to knock back the approaching puppets.

However, these wolf-headed and tiger-headed puppets were large in build and not as easy to deal with as the arrow rain. Although Shi Chuankong blocked their attacks, his face turned pale, and he let out a muffled groan.

Before he could catch his breath, the sharp whistling sound came again, and Shi Chuankong quickly focused to respond.

While flying swiftly, Han Li glanced at Shi Chuankong's pale face and felt a pang of concern.

Shi Chuankong's previous injuries had not yet healed, and he probably couldn't hold on much longer.

At this moment, the puppets on the ground below were attacking while closely pursuing the two, as if they would not stop until they killed them on the spot.

Han Li frowned deeply, having to parry while continuing forward.

In the blink of an eye, the two endured dozens of waves of attacks from the puppets below, all blocked by Shi Chuankong. Apart from occasionally helping, Han Li focused all his energy on traveling.

However, puppets kept crawling out from the ground in all directions and joining the siege. As far as the eye could see, they were densely packed, like an ocean of puppets.

With low roars, nearly a hundred wolf-headed and tiger-headed puppets leaped up again, their weapons interweaving into a net of death, casting down toward the two.

Shi Chuankong's face was now as pale as paper. He waved his hands, and the purple-black long staff in his hands once again transformed into a purple-black tornado storm, sweeping toward these puppets.

A series of loud bangs!

The charging puppets were all sent flying, but Shi Chuankong also spat out a large mouthful of blood with a "wa" sound.

The True Extremity Membrane on his body flickered repeatedly, immediately becoming much dimmer. He almost couldn't hold the purple-black long staff and it fell.

Fellow Daoist Shi, you can't go on like this," Han Li said, his expression changing slightly.

It's just a relapse of my injuries; I won't die yet," Shi Chuankong said with difficulty.

Suddenly, the "shushu" sound grew loud!

A new round of arrow rain shot over like lightning, in even greater numbers than before.

You try to recover a bit first; leave the rest to me," Han Li said, moving his left arm to tuck Shi Chuankong under his armpit.

As he spoke, he waved his right arm, and the curved knife in his hand once again turned into streaks of blade light, parrying all the blue arrows from the left, right, and front, leaving only the arrows shot from behind unattended.

Bang bang bang!

More than a dozen blue arrows from behind struck Han Li's back fiercely, blocked by his True Extremity Membrane.

The True Extremity Membrane trembled violently but soon stabilized. Using the force of these arrows, Han Li's speed suddenly increased, and he flew a great distance forward.

Seeing this, Shi Chuankong secretly admired Han Li's boldness and resourcefulness. He took out a pill and swallowed it, then quickly closed his eyes to regulate his breath.

After the rain of arrows, the hundreds of puppets below leaped up again, covering the sky as they charged at the two, their blades slashing in unison. For a moment, the flash of swords and shadows of blades dazzled the eyes.

A white light flashed on Han Li's legs, and he lunged forward, plunging into the midst of the puppets, his curved blade slashing horizontally.

A flash of snowy blade light passed, and dozens of puppets in front were instantly cut in half at the waist.

At the same time, he kicked out in midair, conjuring streaks of leg shadows that sent the puppets approaching from left and right flying away.

At that moment, the puppets behind brought their blades down, slashing at Han Li's back.

He did the same as before, not dodging, but taking the blows head-on with the True Extreme Membrane covering his body.

Amid a series of loud "bang" "bang" sounds, Han Li was sent flying forward, but the True Extreme Membrane on his back trembled violently, causing his face to turn slightly pale.

Han Li let out a muffled grunt, silently activated the <Heavenly Fiend Prison Suppression Art>, and without pausing, borrowed the momentum to dart forward like lightning, crashing through dozens of puppets in one breath, finally breaking out of the encirclement.

But he had only flown a few hundred zhang when, accompanied by a piercing shrill whistle, another rain of arrows shot over.

He moved his arm, and countless blade lights appeared once more, sweeping toward the flying arrows.

In the blink of an eye, half a day had passed.

Han Li had been fending off attacks from the puppets below for some time, and even with his formidable strength, he now began to feel the strain. A pallor crept across his face, and the True Extremity Membrane on his body had dimmed and thinned considerably.

Shi Chuankong's earlier injuries had flared up, and although he had taken some pills and recovered a bit of his vitality, he still could not move and could only watch helplessly with anxiety.

The expanse of the ruins below was truly beyond his imagination; even now, there was no sign of an end in sight. Tens of thousands of puppets surged toward the two of them in a overwhelming tide.

By now, the puppets were no longer limited to the three types; a new kind had appeared—giant ape puppets wielding spiked clubs. Though fewer in number, they possessed immense strength and were incredibly agile, almost as if they had consciousness, making them far more troublesome to deal with than the other three types.

Swish, swish, swish!

Countless blue arrows shot up from below, and amidst the rain of arrows were black stones that emitted a terrifying shriek—these were the projectiles thrown by the giant ape puppets.

Han Li let out a low shout, swinging his curved blade rapidly to shatter the arrows and stones, while simultaneously dodging continuously.

The True Extremity Membrane on his body had weakened considerably, and he no longer dared to use it to directly withstand the attacks from the puppets below; his forward speed had also slowed greatly.

Just then, with a "whoosh," a massive blue figure swiftly lunged up from below—it was a giant ape clad in blue armor, twice the size of the other puppets, precisely the giant ape puppet.

This giant ape puppet completely disregarded the rain of arrows around it. Seizing the moment when Han Li was dodging, it swung its thick ape arm, and the spiked club in its hand transformed into a blue streak. With a "woom," it smashed fiercely toward Han Li's back.