Han Li's lips twitched slightly, cursing inwardly, but he reluctantly opened his eyes.
Although his mana was almost fully replenished, someone was approaching, and he didn't dare to continue meditating boldly, especially without knowing the newcomer's intentions!
"Which senior brother is here? Please save me!" A yellow-shirted woman rushed to the tree where Han Li was sitting, panic evident in her expression, as she looked up expecting to find her savior. Not far behind her, a figure in white leisurely strolled over, in stark contrast to the woman's distress, appearing quite relaxed!
Seeing this, Han Li rolled his eyes, feeling displeased with the woman's foolish behavior that had brought trouble upon them. However, he wasn't surprised that she had found his hiding place.
Before setting off, all disciples of the Yellow Maple Valley were blessed by the sect leader with a tracking technique, allowing them to sense the positions of their fellow disciples within a certain range, but this effect lasted only ten days. The purpose was to enable disciples to support each other and increase their chances of victory.
Han Li cast a glance at the woman, whom he recognized as a fellow disciple he had spent time with alongside Chen Junior Sister. Besides her alluring figure, she was quite ordinary in appearance.
Coldly observing the woman's pleading expression, Han Li didn't immediately jump down from the tree. Instead, he carefully assessed the newcomer who followed closely behind her.
Regardless of whether he chose to intervene or not, he wanted to gauge the newcomer's strength first. He wasn't willing to risk his life for a stranger.
If the newcomer's strength was average, Han Li would easily take action and play the role of a hero saving a damsel in distress. But if the newcomer possessed formidable power, Han Li would have to decide whether to join forces with his fellow disciple below or make a swift escape.
To be on the safe side, Han Li placed his hand on his storage pouch, retrieving the "Golden Cicada Mother Blade" and a defensive talisman, while also wrapping the nameless thread around his fingers.
"Tsk tsk, what an unsightly escape! Are all female disciples of the Yellow Maple Valley this useless? After running such a long way, you specifically seek help from other men. Could it be that the one in the tree is your lover?" The approaching figure gradually drew near, revealing a young woman in flowing white garments. She possessed a somewhat attractive face, but her raised eyebrows and menacing gaze belied her appearance.
Though her words were directed at the yellow-shirted woman below, her eyes kept darting towards the tree, indicating that she wasn't as confident as she sounded, harboring some concerns about the hidden Han Li.
"Twelve-layered technique," Han Li thought to himself as he discerned the newcomer's strength, feeling relieved.
However, he was puzzled. The yellow-shirted woman below also appeared to possess a twelve-layered technique. How could she be in such a dire situation? Could the opponent have some special means or powerful artifacts?
Just as Han Li pondered, the white-clad woman sneered and suddenly flicked her sleeves, sending two white lights flying towards the yellow-shirted woman.
"Senior brother, please save me! My artifacts are all destroyed, and I can't defend myself!" The yellow-shirted woman's expression turned pale as she desperately cried out.
As soon as she spoke, two golden lights shot down from the treetop, intercepting the white lights midair. It was Han Li, using the "Golden Cicada Mother Blade" to block the attacks.
The yellow-shirted woman's face lit up with joy as she regained her composure.
Han Li decided to intervene partly because he felt that the white-clad woman wasn't too formidable, and he should be able to handle her. Additionally, he wanted to find a helper for the future, so he wouldn't be too alone in battles. After all, a fellow disciple with a twelve-layered technique could be of great help in future conflicts.
"Finally willing to make a move! I thought you would continue to play dumb," the white-clad woman mocked, showing no surprise on her face. However, she raised her hand, and a huge ball of fire shot towards the treetop.
With a loud rumble, the upper half of the tree burst into flames, turning into ashes in an instant. However, there was still no sign of anyone appearing, leaving the white-clad woman bewildered.
"What a powerful fireball talisman. Miss, you are quite generous!" From behind the charred trunk, Han Li suddenly emerged, smiling wryly.
"Eleven-layered?" The white-clad woman was momentarily stunned, then showed a contemptuous expression.
Meanwhile, the yellow-shirted woman, who had just relaxed, immediately panicked again. She hadn't expected her savior to be a junior with weaker mana than hers.
"If you had just stayed aside and watched, perhaps I would have spared you. But since you've made a move, let's fight together!" The white-clad woman's eyebrows became more furrowed, her voice dripping with a sinister tone, which transformed her once beautiful face into something sinister.
Han Li smiled faintly, silently commanding the golden blades to attack, while casually walking towards the woman.
"Stop! What are you going to do?" The white-clad woman shouted, quickly raising a defensive spell to shield herself.
At this point, Han Li was only about twenty yards away from her, much to his disappointment!
Earlier, when he easily killed a disciple from the Heavenly Gateway Sect using transparent threads, he became interested in such tactics. Seeing the white-clad woman not releasing a defensive spell earlier, he naturally wanted to recreate that scene.
Unfortunately, the opponent was quite vigilant and realized something was amiss early on, plugging this loophole. This made Han Li sigh inwardly, realizing that women were indeed much more cautious than men!
Since his trickery didn't work, he had no choice but to attack directly.
Disappointed, Han Li didn't waste any words. After casting a defensive spell, he flicked the "Golden Cicada Mother Blade" in his hand, causing six identical golden blades to fly out from his storage pouch, viciously assaulting the white-clad woman.
The yellow-shirted woman, seeing Han Li's formidable artifacts, regained some hope, immediately throwing out a talisman that transformed into a long fire snake and shot towards the white-clad woman.
The white-clad woman sneered, gently raising a small mirror about the size of a palm.
As she waved the mirror, a burst of blue light shot out, enveloping the golden blades and fire snake, immobilizing them mid-air, as if they were restrained by a spell.
Han Li's eyes widened in shock! What kind of artifact was this? How could it be so powerful? It could actually immobilize others' artifacts and spells, making it impossible for them to descend. It was as if they were under a spell or restriction!
"Junior brother, don't worry. This artifact can only immobilize one area at a time, and it can only do so for half a quarter-hour before it becomes ineffective!" The yellow-shirted woman, noticing Han Li's astonishment, quickly reassured him.
Han Li breathed a sigh of relief, but the yellow-shirted woman's next words immediately put him on edge again.
"However, this wicked woman is the
descendant of an elder from the Concealed Moon Sect and possesses many strange artifacts bestowed upon her. Junior brother, you should be extra careful!"
Han Li was speechless.
"It's no wonder that despite being a twelve-layered disciple, this senior sister of mine ended up in such a miserable state. It turns out the opponent is a treasure trove! If I had known, I wouldn't have jumped out to play the hero!" Han Li regretted deeply, realizing that he would likely have to fight for his life once again!
