Griffin's divine beam tore through the sky, and two more muffled groans, even more agonized than before, came from the distant horizon. The three indistinct Nascent Soul auras no longer lingered to fight. Seizing a gap between Griffin's attacks, they hastily retrieved their damaged treasures and turned into three dim streaks of light, fleeing frantically in different directions without looking back. Clearly, they had suffered grievously and dared not stay.
Han Li did not pursue the three Nascent Soul ambushers. His gaze, cold as ten-thousand-year ice, locked onto the late-stage Core Formation "inside agents" before him, whom he had driven back with a single sword strike and who were now turning to escape into the chaotic crowd.
"Since you've come, none of you will leave!"
Before his words had faded, Han Li's figure blurred again, becoming several afterimages so convincing that none could distinguish true from false, and lunged at them all at once. The Water-Magnetic Sword in his hand unleashed no earthshaking sword energy. Instead, with inconceivable speed, it jabbed, thrust, flicked, and slashed, every strike aimed precisely at a crucial point in the circulation of their cultivation arts, a weakness in their protective spiritual light, or the vital link between their treasures and minds.
The marvel of "evolution" within the Great Evolutionary Sword Art revealed itself to the fullest at that moment. The sword flashes seemed simple, yet held endless variations, always delivering the deadliest blow in the instant when an opponent's old strength was exhausted and new strength had yet to arise, or when a move had reached its limit. A concentrated sword intent also invaded their seas of consciousness along with the sword light, disrupting their minds.
"Pfft!" "Crack!" "Aaargh!"
Several brief, muffled impacts, sounds of shattering, and screams rang out almost simultaneously. Before Han Li's