Chapter 971: Thunderous Measures

Although the eight spider legs were as fast as lightning, the white figure was even faster. He stretched out both hands, and with a flick, the eight spider legs somehow all fell into his grasp. Then he exerted force and snapped them.

With a crack, all eight spider legs were broken cleanly.

The man flipped his hand and swept it out. The eight spider legs turned into eight black shadows that shot back, piercing through Zhuo Ge's chest with lightning speed before he could react.

Zhuo Ge was sent flying backward, but mid-flight, he somersaulted in the air and simultaneously raised his hand to fling out a long white rope from his sleeve. With a thud, it embedded into the roof.

He pulled on the rope with one hand, his body shooting upward like a rocket, and flew out through a large hole in the roof, disappearing outside.

This series of movements was incredibly agile, showing no signs of injury.

Eh! The white figure let out a soft exclamation of surprise, but did not give chase. Instead, he moved and shot downward.

The bloody air currents below had only just begun to dissipate. Hei Da, his face full of terror, urged the silver leopard puppet, which had just regained its balance, to flee toward the large hole in the distant wall.

But at that moment, a blur appeared on the silver leopard's head. The white figure materialized out of thin air, as ghostly as a specter.

Daoist Hei Da, why the hurry to leave?

After speaking, the figure's body flickered with white light, and a vast, immense force swirled around him, causing the nearby void to undulate like the surface of water.

With a crack, the silver leopard puppet's head instantly sprouted a large web of cracks.

Hei Da moved, about to leap off the silver leopard puppet and flee, but then thought better of it. Realizing that his speed was far inferior to this person's and that escape was impossible, he halted.

Clever. If you had dared to run just now, you would have ended up like this puppet. The white figure raised his foot and tapped.

A sharp, immense force suddenly erupted from under his foot, piercing into the silver leopard puppet's head.

With a muffled boom, the silver leopard puppet's head was pierced through by that immense force, leaving a large hole. Its massive body then crashed to the ground with a thud.

Hei Da's body trembled, a flicker of fear in his eyes. He stood obediently, not daring to make any rash move.

A loud bang came from the side. A large hole was blasted in a distant wall, and two figures flew out from it—it was Wu Yun and Hei Er.

When the two saw the situation at the blood array, they were greatly alarmed and immediately abandoned Zhu Zi Yuan and Zhu Zi Qing, turning to flee.

The white figure glanced in that direction but did not give chase.

Zhu Zi Qing, her face full of fear, was about to turn and flee as well, but Zhu Zi Yuan grabbed her. After exchanging a few words via sound transmission, they walked over.

Daoist Li, thank you for saving us today. Zhu Zi Yuan, though covered in wounds, stood straight and bowed to the white figure.

Zhu Zi Qing also bowed and expressed her thanks.

The white light on the figure quickly dissipated, revealing Han Li's form.

Those people from Puppet City left on their own. There's no need for you two to thank me. Han Li glanced at the two and said indifferently.

He bore no ill will toward the Zhu siblings, but since he was now a mortal enemy of E Kuai, he naturally did not wish to have any dealings with them.

Regardless, our lives today were saved by Daoist Li. I, Zhu Zi Yuan, owe you a favor and will surely repay it in the future. Farewell. Zhu Zi Yuan said, then turned and walked toward the large hole in the opposite wall.

Zhu Zi Qing glanced at Han Li, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something, but she held back and turned to follow Zhu Zi Yuan.

The two quickly leaped out through the hole in the wall and soon disappeared.

Daoist Li, you asked me to stay. May I ask what for? Hei Da, after Zhu Zi Yuan and the other had left, looked at Han Li's expression, feeling uneasy, and asked cautiously.

Don't be afraid. I kept you here only to ask a few questions. As long as your answers satisfy me, I won't take your life. Follow me. Han Li did not answer Hei Da's question but turned and walked away.

Hei Da, relieved at these words, immediately followed.

The two soon arrived beside the Golden-winged Owl puppet. Han Li looked at the puppet, examining it up and down, his eyes gradually brightening.

The puppet-controlling technique of Puppet City, if I'm not mistaken, involves condensing divine sense power into a form to control the puppet. Am I right? Han Li turned to look at Hei Da and asked.

Yes, that's correct. Hei Da hesitated for a moment before answering.

Condensing divine sense power into a form requires very strong divine sense. Everyone in Puppet City controls puppets, so you must have cultivated a powerful secret technique to enhance divine sense. What is it called? Han Li asked again.

It is a secret technique called 'Puppet Heart' taught to us by City Lord Sha Xin. Hei Da answered honestly.

Tell me this secret technique. Han Li raised an eyebrow and said coldly.

He had now fallen out with Puppet City, and with the black-robed woman in the picture, a major battle might be inevitable in the future.

He already had a general understanding of Puppet City's methods, but he needed to study them in detail.

Upon hearing this, Blackie's expression changed, revealing a hint of hesitation.

"What, is this difficult for you?" Han Li narrowed his eyes, his face covered with a layer of frost.

"No, the secret art is here. Please take a look, Fellow Daoist Li." Seeing Han Li's expression, Blackie's heart skipped a beat. Knowing that disobedience would lead to immediate death, he quickly set aside his concerns and took out a jade slip to hand over.

Han Li's expression softened slightly. He took the jade slip and immersed his divine sense into it.

Inside was a secret art for tempering the soul, divided into five layers, exceptionally exquisite, not much inferior to the Soul Refining Art.

Besides the "Puppet Heart," the jade slip also contained a secret art for materializing divine sense to control puppets, extremely profound.

Han Li had always been very interested in the art of puppetry, so he began to study it carefully.

After a moment, he put away the jade slip and raised both hands.

With a soft "hiss," thick crystal threads shot out from his fingertips and entered the Golden-winged Owl's body.

The Golden-winged Owl's surface glowed with golden light, and it immediately rose into the air, hovering in midair.

Seeing this, Blackie was shocked.

This puppet manipulation art was extremely profound. Even with sufficient divine sense power, mastering it would require at least a hundred years of hard practice. Yet this person had mastered it in an instant!

Han Li moved, leaping onto the back of the Golden-winged Owl. With a slight movement of his fingers, the Golden-winged Owl shot forward, circling and flying around the hall.

However, his manipulation technique was still unfamiliar. The Golden-winged Owl bobbed up and down, far inferior to Zhuo Ge's, and compared to Sha Xin's exquisite control, it was worlds apart.

Han Li did not stay in the air for long. He soon stopped the Golden-winged Owl and leaped down.

This puppet manipulation art was quite profound. He had only barely mastered it by relying on his immensely powerful divine sense. Moreover, he did not intend to use it to control puppets in battle; he only wanted to become familiar with this art to facilitate future battles with people from Puppet City.

"Earlier, I saw that the puppets in your Puppet City could shrink into balls. What method did you use?" Han Li asked Blackie again.

"That is a puppet-retracting secret art invented by City Lord Sha Xin, combining puppet techniques with spatial arts. The specific method is as follows." Blackie had already told Han Li about the "Puppet Heart" and the puppet manipulation art, so he didn't mind revealing more. He then informed Han Li of the puppet-retracting secret art.

This art was quite complex, but Han Li had already mastered the puppet manipulation art. After a little practice, he quickly learned this art as well.

He formed hand seals, and several beams of crystal light entered the Golden-winged Owl puppet.

The surface of the Golden-winged Owl puppet flashed with golden light. The massive puppet rapidly shrank, and in a few breaths, it turned into a golden ball that fell into his hand.

Han Li felt satisfied and nodded.

"Does Fellow Daoist Li have any other questions? I will certainly tell you everything I know." The big black man said ingratiatingly, secretly relieved.

"What is the purpose of your Puppet City's entry into the Great Ruins this time?" Han Li asked, putting away the golden sphere.

"According to City Lord Shaxin, our Puppet City has two objectives: one is to kill Ekuai, and the other is to seize the Saintly Remains. As for whether there are other purposes, I am not aware." The big black man said after some thought.

"One last question. If you answer it clearly, you may leave." Han Li squinted his eyes, remained silent for a moment, then spoke again with a grave expression.

"Please speak, Fellow Daoist Li." The big black man's heart tightened, and he quickly said.

"That black-robed woman beside City Lord Shaxin—I heard you call her Xiao Zi. What do you know about her? When did she come to Puppet City?" Han Li said slowly.

"I hold a lowly position in Puppet City. Miss Xiao Zi has always been by City Lord Shaxin's side, and she has a somewhat reclusive nature, never interacting with outsiders. So I know little about her, only that she has exceptional talent in the art of puppet manipulation, and the city lord thinks highly of her. As for when she came to Puppet City, I had been in seclusion cultivating for several hundred years until recently, when I emerged. By then, Xiao Zi had already appeared. It is said she came to Puppet City over a hundred years ago." The big black man said after thinking it over.

Han Li heard this and stood silently. After a long while, he raised his head and said, "Alright, you may leave."

The big black man was delighted at this, clasped his hands in a salute to Han Li, and quickly departed, leaving behind the silver leopard puppet whose head had been destroyed.

Han Li stood still for a moment, let out a light breath, and his expression returned to calm. He first put away Zhuo Ge's white wolf puppet, then walked over to the blood pool.

The Weeping Blood Array had burst, and the five statues beside the blood pool had all shattered and collapsed, but the blood pool itself was not much damaged.

He looked toward the bottom of the blood pool, his expression slightly startled.

The blood-colored light gate at the bottom of the pool had vanished without a trace, disappearing at some unknown time.

A figure was now lying at the bottom of the pool, motionless—it was Fu Jian.

Han Li's eyes flickered. He leaped down and landed beside Fu Jian, extending his spiritual sense to probe.

There was hardly a single intact spot left inside Fu Jian's body. His muscles, sinews, and internal organs were all on the verge of collapse, as if about to fall apart entirely. The Nascent Soul within his dantian was also on the brink of disintegration.

Although a faint trace of aura still lingered on his body, it was rapidly dissipating and would likely vanish completely before long.

Han Li held no particular fondness for Fu Jian; the two had even clashed earlier. Yet seeing him in such a state, he could not help but feel a pang of melancholy.

However, he naturally had no intention of saving him, nor did he possess such heaven-defying means. He quickly averted his gaze and looked toward where the blood-colored light door had once stood.

But now, there was nothing there—not even a single trace remained, as if that light door had never existed.