Chapter 1171

Taoist Underworld Master Lu Yuan’s eyes snapped wide open.

Behind him, countless ghostly creatures panicked and fled, their howls of terror echoing like broken spirits. Yes—this was exactly the feeling he sensed. All the ghosts’ innate fear surged back into Lu Yuan’s Divine Sea. They were frightened—even begging for a swift death when this man approached.

With no phantoms left to block the path, the crimson figure lunged forward and delivered a fist to Lu Yuan’s face, sending him hurtling backward.

Once the distance opened, the fleeing spirits lingered at his back, huddled together but unwilling to fully reenter him—each poised to scatter at a moment’s notice.

Lu Yuan rose slowly, wiping a trickle of blood from his mouth, and laughed heartily. What a cosmic joke. He had entered # Nоvеlight # the Dao using the Ghost–Hidden Body, with inexhaustible spirits as his trump card. Yet now these once-docile, mighty ghosts fled in terror from an obscure youth. The irony was priceless.

Yet the more absurd the scene, the more intrigued Lu Yuan became. He could not fathom why all spirits revered him yet trembled before this kid. Clearly a child of destiny! If he could convert this fellow into a ghost phantom within his own body, he would forge the strongest spirit in the Six Realms. His own power would skyrocket—perhaps even rivaling Supreme Gods, let alone Divine Lords. That was why he stalked Han Qianzhang so relentlessly.

But to his surprise, before he could question the matter, the youth emerged of his own accord—truly effortless fortune.

Indeed, the scarlet figure was Han Qianzhang himself—Hanyuexi’s brother—but now his appearance was nothing like the simpleton he’d known. His hair blazed red, his eyes flickered like living flames, and a strange crimson aura radiated from his form.

Seeing this, Ye Yu glanced at the eclipsed sun and asked, “Is this how your brother loses control? How did he get here?”

Hanyuexi’s face drained of color. Why was Han Qianzhang here? Because she had hidden him in this valley to evade Lu Yuan’s search. By coincidence, their path to Balance City passed through this spot. Coincidentally, Lu Yuan caught up with them here. And coincidentally today was the eclipse day—Han Qianzhang had broken free in his frenzy. Convergence of coincidences beyond belief.

But why now? She knew that in his berserk state, Han Qianzhang had no rational thought. Yet she had sealed him with a potent array—strong enough that even peak Golden God Realm warriors could not easily shatter it. How could he have... broken through? Advanced to Late Ancient God Realm? It must be so—only such a realm plus his rampaging power could burst her seal. Damn it, why did everything collide at once?

Hanyuexi’s composure nearly collapsed. She shattered the ghost binding behind Ye Yu and transmitted her voice: “I’ll wait for the right moment to knock out Han Qianzhang—then you take him to Balance City. I’ll hold off Lu Yuan briefly. Here—take this Communication Stone. If my parents contact you, hand him over. They will reward you handsomely. Please!”

She pressed the stone into Ye Yu’s hand, her eyes pleading.

Meanwhile, Han Qianzhang had been struck away by Lu Yuan more than a dozen times. Each assault reset his charge, keeping him beyond five paces from Lu Yuan. This demonstrated the sheer might of Ancient God Realm: even without ghostly aid, Lu Yuan could easily subdue Han Qianzhang.

“Late Ancient God cultivation, and when enraged, he matches peak Golden God in destructive power—spanning two realms. If he ever truly enters Ancient God, would he dare challenge Supreme Gods? Tsk tsk, fascinating—but it ends here.”

Lu Yuan had held back from killing Han Qianzhang immediately only to study this transformation. Though he did not yet understand the cause, the surge in power was undeniable. Now he was eager to fuse Han Qianzhang’s essence into his own. The secrets would all be revealed!

As Han Qianzhang charged again, Lu Yuan made no move to dodge; he reached out to seize him. But at half a meter apart, Han Qianzhang halted mid-air—pulled back as Hanyuexi intervened. Yet Han Qianzhang, ungrateful, glared and attempted to strike his sister. Anticipating this, Hanyuexi struck to knock him unconscious.

Perhaps out of stubborn strength, Han Qianzhang did not collapse; instead, he roared, a mighty shockwave rippling outward and billowing Hanyuexi’s robe. She frowned—she had never struggled to subdue someone so painstakingly. Unfamiliar with her own strike’s force, she worried: too light wouldn’t knock him out; too heavy might harm him.

What? Why not restrain him? With what? A Divine Art? Hanyuexi had prepared for her own death—without her divine power, any binding spell would dissipate quickly. Then Ye Yu, a nascent Divine God, would face a berserk Han Qianzhang alone—sending him to certain death. Hence her plan to render him unconscious. But how best to deliver the blow?

“Bang!”

Ye Yu’s palm struck the back of Han Qianzhang’s neck, and he slumped unconscious.

“No thanks needed—it was nothing!” Ye Yu’s physical strength remained immense even in the divine realm. Knocking out an unguarded Han Qianzhang was effortless. Heavy-handed? This youth, born of destiny, likely would not die so easily anyway. Besides, he wasn’t Hanyuexi’s brother—what did it matter?

“Please—” Hanyuexi handed Han Qianzhang’s limp form to Ye Yu and turned to race at Lu Yuan, her eyes steeled with resolve.

But Lu Yuan had no intention of wasting time on her.

“Begone!”

Countless spirits coalesced into a massive ghost god that lifted its hand and barred Hanyuexi completely in place.