Whoosh!

A bone-chilling wind howled across the landscape. In an instant, the humidity in the air skyrocketed. A relentless surge of spiritual energy erupted from the brothers Liu Xu and Yang Yun.

The billowing energy converged into a literal river of spiritual power that circled their bodies. Above this river, a frigid, piercing frost radiated outward, threatening to freeze the very fabric of the world.

Then, under the brothers’ command, the vast river of energy exploded, transforming into a dense ice mist that blanketed the territory for miles.

This biting mist began to seep through Han Lie’s pores, invading his body.

“So this is the Yin Yang Scripture’s Taiyin Art?”

Feeling the cool sensation prickling his skin, Han Lie raised an eyebrow. He watched as the sky-covering ice mist began to rush toward him with even greater intensity.

“Is this old man a fool? Or has he simply never heard of our Sun Moon Sect’s Taiyin Art?” Yang Yun sneered when he saw Han Lie standing motionless.

“Who cares? Once the Taiyin Art takes hold, his combat strength will plummet. Eventually, he’ll be nothing more than meat on our chopping block,” Liu Xu added, crossing his arms and watching the mist-shrouded Han Lie with a smug look of victory.

The Taiyin Art lacked immediate destructive power. Its true terror lay in its extreme, bone-rotting Yin-cold energy. Generally, unless one’s cultivation vastly exceeded the caster’s, it was nearly impossible to block the invasion of such frost.

Before long, the mist had entirely entered Han Lie’s body.

Just as the brothers prepared to move in and finish him off, a sudden, fiery red aura began to radiate from Han Lie’s skin.

Not only was he unaffected by the Taiyin Art, but his aura actually surged with a visible boost in power!

“?”

The brothers frowned simultaneously, their eyes filled with utter confusion.

“Haha! Many thanks for your generous gift!” Han Lie couldn’t hold it back; he threw his head back and laughed.

Originally, Han Lie had intended to circulate the Yin Yang Demonic Art to use his Pure Yang energy to neutralize the frost. To his surprise, he found that his Pure Yang Sacred Body was actually assimilating the Yin-cold energy.

As the Yin Yang Demonic Art rotated, it converted that invading frost into pure spiritual energy, which Han Lie then absorbed for his own use!

“How is this possible? You aren’t affected by the Taiyin Art!?”

The brothers instinctively retreated several steps, their pupils shrinking in shock. This was the first time they had ever seen their signature technique fail so completely.

Worse yet, their attack had inadvertently increased Han Lie’s cultivation. What kind of monster could transform the Taiyin Art’s freezing energy into his own power?

Han Lie’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “Why don’t you try it again? Maybe something went wrong with the first attempt.”

“You bastard!”

Their faces darkened. They never imagined that a mere Golden Core early-stage ant could not only go toe-to-toe with two mid-stage experts but also ignore their trump card.

Instantly, the thought of retreat crossed their minds. If they couldn’t take him down together just now, they certainly couldn’t stand against him now that his strength had increased.

“The farce of you lot harassing the Heavenly Void Sect’s mines ends here.”

Boom!

Spiritual energy erupted along the edge of his blade. Holding his black saber, Han Lie radiated a tangible killing intent. “And the debt you owe for hurting Captain Zhuo last time… it’s time to settle that as well.”

“Retreat, now!”

Sensing the murderous aura thickening into something almost physical, the elder brother, Liu Xu, felt a premonition of doom. He made a split-second decision and bolted backward! Yang Yun didn’t dare hesitate and followed closely.

“This senior didn’t say you could leave.”

Han Lie’s eyelids lifted slightly as he raised his black saber high. “Soul Devouring Saber Art, Second Form… Soul Sever.”

As the words fell, the blade swung down toward the fleeing brothers.

Vroom!

The saber intent hummed, and a fiery red blade light stretching for miles tore through the night sky. In the blink of an eye, it descended upon the brothers’ heads. Their eyes, wide with terror, watched the light fall, helpless to stop it.

BOOM!

A violent explosion of energy erupted, shaking the earth and illuminating the dark night like high noon. The resulting shockwave expanded like a lightning strike. Every mountain peak in its path was sliced clean in half.

In the distance, Zhuo Hongyi—who had already finished off the dozen or so Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment disciples—was forced to deploy a protective shield to withstand the incoming blast.

“What’s happening on the old man’s side?” She knitted her brows, unsure if the massive disturbance was caused by Han Lie or the brothers.

Once the shockwave dissipated, she quickly collected the heads of the fallen disciples into her storage bag and sped toward the site of the explosion.

The storm of energy raged for a long time before finally fading. At the center of the blast lay a bottomless crater.

When Zhuo Hongyi arrived and saw the massive pit, she was stunned. However, seeing Han Lie standing there unharmed, the heart that had been stuck in her throat finally settled.

It appeared Han Lie had won.

“Finished on your end?” Han Lie asked casually.

“Mhm.” Zhuo Hongyi nodded slightly. “It seems I still underestimated your strength.”

Regardless of the explosion’s power, she could no longer sense the brothers’ presence. This meant the two men who had completely suppressed her in their last encounter had become ghosts under Han Lie’s blade. Perhaps his cultivation level was lower than hers, but his actual combat power had already surpassed her.

“Captain Zhuo flattens me with her praise,” Han Lie smiled faintly. He leaped down to the bottom of the crater.

The brothers lay there, clothes shredded and bodies covered in wounds, completely devoid of life. Han Lie raised his blade and neatly severed both their heads. Still not satisfied, he stabbed the corpses a few more times and hacked them into several pieces. Only after confirming they were dead beyond any doubt did he stop.

After harvesting their heads, he tucked the sword and trident they had used into his storage bag. He didn’t use those weapons, but they would fetch a handsome price.

“Hmm?”

Just as he finished collecting the loot, an exceptionally powerful aura entered the perception of both Han Lie and Zhuo Hongyi.

What’s more, this powerful presence was closing in on their location at an incredible speed!