“What is that?”

Han Li was greatly surprised that Crooked Soul was actually able to block his full power strike and couldn’t help but stare at the green light.

The inch-long dagger glimmered with a translucent green brilliance.

“Magic treasure!” Han Li couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise.

Regardless of whether it was a magic treasure or not, Han Li was still shocked.

With just his sixth layer Qi Condensation cultivation, he still was able to use that item to block the Black Dragon’s Claws. 

Han Li was surprised that he still had a magic treasure to protect himself. It’ll be a bit more troublesome, but Han Li would be able to kill him with pleasure and leisurely acquire this treasure.

He was now completely certain that this person was once a Core Formation cultivator!

With that in mind, Han Li continued his fierce assault with the Black Dragon’s Claws and flipped his hand, revealing the “Spirit Guiding Bell”.

The reason why Han Li didn’t think of using it from the start was because he thought that it was unnecessary, since Crooked Soul had already been restrained by the Soul Lock Talismans. 

Seeing that Han Li took out the Soul Guiding Bell, Crooked Soul’s eyes flashed with panic. But, soon after, he immediately struck his lower abdomen with a grimace, spitting out an emerald-green ball. As soon as it appeared, it released a soft green light that enveloped his entire body.

At this moment, Han Li started to ring the Soul Guiding Bell, intending to cause Crooked Soul’s bones to become numb and leave him unable to fight.

After a series of rings, Crooked Soul stood there unscathed as if he was completely unaffected.

Han Li’s expression grew solemn. It was clear that the green ball’s radiance was protecting him from the bell’s effects.

With that in mind, he rang the bell two more times. Seeing that it had no effect, he gloomily put it away. Then with a wave of his hand, over ten puppets appeared in a flash of white light. They were Han Li’s last remaining grade two puppets. If these were broken, then he would only be able to use his weak self-made puppets.

Therefore, Han Li had no intentions of dragging this on further. As soon as the puppets appeared, he commanded them to shoot light beams and arrows in an overbearing assault. 

Upon seeing such a fearsome attack, Crooked Soul clenched his teeth in furious alarm. He hastily flung incantation gestures toward the green ball, causing it to quickly spin and glow brighter.

Suddenly, the streaks of light interweaved among each other and erupted in a dazzling explosion. Crooked Soul then rode the waves of the explosions to retreat about ten meters.

Han Li was left dumbstruck. A cultivator at only the sixth layer Qi Condensation was actually able to block the full power attack of a mid Foundation Establishment cultivator; this action was heaven defying. However, when he recalled that this person was once a Core Formation cultivator, he didn’t feel that it was too strange; he’d have a few trump cards after all.

Crooked Soul inwardly sighed in relief; his secret techniques had managed to block Han Li’s attack. At that same moment, he was mulling over the words he should use to persuade Han Li to stop his furious barrage of attacks. Since he had a pitiful amount of magic power, he wouldn’t be able to last much longer.

But without waiting for him to speak, Han Li touched his storage pouch after a moment of hesitation and suddenly raised his hand, releasing a blinding flash of red light.

Crooked Soul was astonished!

Without understanding what had happened, the floating green ball had ruptured before his eyes, and he felt an agonizing pain from the very depths of his soul. He couldn’t help but scream loudly as he fell to the ground with limbs incessantly flailing about.

The green light protecting Crooked Soul’s body had disappeared without a trace upon the destruction of the green ball. With nothing left to obstruct the light beams and arrows, he was suddenly overwhelmed as if he were drowning in a torrent of rain.

Without a master to control it, the green dagger suddenly decreased in power and was forcibly suppressed by Han Li’s Black Dragon’s Claws, as if it was going to collapse at any time.

Han Li was overjoyed.

He hadn’t expected that risky strike to be so effective.

The reason why he hadn’t used the Blood Spirit Drill to directly strike at the heart or the head was because they were not vital points to Crooked Soul, a moving corpse. 

At most, Han Li would only be able to severely injure him while being unable to kill him.

With that in mind, it would be better to strike at that troublesome green ball.

However, he hadn’t expected that the green ball would rupture from a single strike and cause Crooked Soul to meet his end.

It appeared that the green ball had a close connection to his soul. It was no wonder that he had such an unsightly expression when he spouted it out to face an enemy!

Could it have been the golden core he had condensed from Core Formation? Han Li sinisterly guessed.

Han Li then waved his hand, stopping the puppets’ attacks before taking a close look in Crooked Soul’s direction.

After the streaks of light faded away, Han Li clearly saw a blackened corpse lying on the ground. Han Li was greatly surprised to find that the corpse hadn’t turned into ash.

Could it be that Crooked Soul’s body was extraordinary because he was a jiāngshi?

Han Li remained motionless, looking at the corpse for a moment and muttering to himself. He then raised his hand to the sky, causing six fist-sized fireballs to appear in the air. “Go”. With a single command, the fireballs shot toward the corpse like a loosed arrow.

Puff. Puff. Han Li indifferently gazed at the corpse as it burned in the inferno.

An instant later, an egg-sized green sphere of light suddenly flew out from the inferno, wanting to escape.

Han Li’s face grew cold and his body blurred, appearing behind the ball of light. His hand shot out like lightning, grabbing it while covered in white light. The green sphere of light suddenly let out a miserable scream before Han Li crushed it with his spiritual power infused hand.

Han Li then blurred, returning to Crooked Soul in an instant. With a wave of his sleeve, the fire on Crooked Soul’s body disappeared without a trace.

“It seems even a Core Formation cultivator can be duped with a mere illusion technique.” Han Li lowered his head to look at the blackened Crooked Soul with a sneer on his face.

Han Li then carefully examined Crooked Soul’s injuries.

He was greatly surprised to find that apart from his completely scorched exterior, Crooked Soul’s internal organs and bones were entirely undamaged, much to Han Li’s pleasure. 

Although Crooked Soul was only an empty corpse, Han Li had regarded him as a loyal servant. If Han Li was able to repair him, then he would naturally do so. Besides, he had a plan in mind that required Crooked Soul.

As such, Han Li lightly rung the “Soul Guiding Bell”. Crooked Soul immediately stood up and opened his eyes with a blank expression.

Han Li nodded his head. Although Crooked Soul had flesh wounds, he should be able to quickly recover with his exceptional regenerative power as a jiangshi.

Han Li then turned his gaze toward the small shining green dagger floating in the air. Having lost its master, it was now completely still.

Han Li proceeded to use his Black Dragon’s Claws to gradually suppress it before carefully submerging his spiritual sense into it. He found that he was completely blocked from entering it.

“It seems like the rumors were true. Without Core Formation cultivation, I will be completely unable to use magic treasures.” Han Li thought with annoyance. He could only look upon this magic treasure with envy.

However, Han Li was still very interested in this magic treasure. After a few cautious tests, he finally grabbed it with his hand and carefully admired it.

The blade of the dagger was only an inch and a half long. Without a master to imbue it with spiritual power, its splendor had greatly weakened. However, it still released a mist of cold aura that appeared exceptionally beautiful.

In addition, the dagger’s body was inscribed with two ancient characters. Han Li couldn’t help but softly whisper upon reading its name, “Green Brilliance.”

Han Li lovingly fiddled with it for a moment before reluctantly putting away the “Green Brilliance Dagger” inside his storage pouch.

Han Li looked around to see if he had missed anything. As a result, his attention was drawn to specks of green light on the ground.

He went over to take a careful look and discovered that they were fragments of the green ball that had been destroyed by Blood Spirit Drill. Although it had been shattered, its radiance hadn’t diminished in the slightest.

He walked over and bent down, carefully gathering the shards. 

Although he didn’t know how he could make use of it, Han Li could guess that it should have something to do with a Core Formation cultivator’s golden core.