Within a strange tributary of the spacetime interstice, Han Li instantly clashed with the strands of reawakened dark-gold divinity. Though slender in appearance, the strands were extraordinarily tough, imbued with the resentment of an Ancient God before its demise and its lingering divine might. Every lash and coil carried a chill that froze the soul and a venomous power that corroded spiritual power.
"Star-Magnetic Slash: Sever!" Han Li shouted under his breath, the Water-Magnetic Sword becoming a curtain of golden-red light in his hand. Star patterns flowed across its blade as he poured in his chaos-colored spiritual power, now deeper after its rebirth. Every slash struck precisely at a crucial node in the strands' circulation of power.
Sword qi collided with the strands, producing grating screeches and showers of light. The strands recoiled beneath the repeated cuts, flickering uncertainly, but soon writhed back together. Drawing scattered ancient god power from the surrounding spacetime turbulence, they lunged again, clinging like maggots burrowed into bone.
"So troublesome!" Han Li's brow knotted. These strands possessed an exceptionally lofty essence. Had his spiritual power not transformed, his swordsmanship not advanced, and his star-magnetic power not naturally countered sinister forces, an ordinary nascent soul late stage cultivator would likely have been entangled and corroded long ago.
Worse still, within the spacetime interstice, his spiritual power and mental strength were already being consumed far faster than in the outside world. He also had to divide his attention to keep track of the Grand Elder's "star cocoon" and prevent himself from being swept away by the turbulence. The pressure was immense.
I can't drag this out. I must end it swiftly, rescue the Grand Elder, and withdraw at once! Han Li's thoughts raced. His gaze swept over the increasingly dim star cocoon, then flicked toward the twisting,