The barefoot man was thunderstruck with rage! This woman was barely able to save herself, yet she kept challenging his very limits! "Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!" "Then today, you shall die right here!" With that, he pointed at the silver great sword. Instantly, the sword burst forth with brilliant light, radiating an dazzling blade of brilliance. Then, with the force of a mountain pressing down, he launched a relentless, unyielding strike straight toward the girl's head. Witnessing this, the girl clenched her teeth tightly and quickly summoned a small yellow plate from her handkerchief, which she raised to meet the blow head-on. A sharp "shriek" rang out—the already weakened, top-tier artifact, struck by the fully unleashed power of the silver sword, was instantly shattered into countless fragments, drifting everywhere. The silver sword, under the man's command, flashed once and without hesitation, continued its downward strike toward the girl, who now lay gasping with a pained, wry smile. A clear, crisp sound, and the silver sword, hovering one zhang above the young girl's head, was intercepted by a golden blade that shot forth from one side. The golden blade then spun in the air above the girl, forming a radiant whirl of light, firmly preventing the silver sword from descending even an inch. "Who are you? Come out here!" The bare-footed man with Chinese characters in his eyes grew stern, gesturing with a hand to draw back the silver sword. His gaze then swept sharply to the side, fixated on a massive boulder, for he had clearly seen the golden blade emerge from there. "Ah, what a lovely day today! Why not all settle down and have a peaceful conversation instead of fighting and killing one another?" A figure stepped forward from the stone, revealing a plain-looking young man in yellow robes. He scratched his head, looked up at the sky, and chuckled. Yet, his expression betrayed clear resignation. It was precisely because he had sensed the young girl's life was in danger that he had stepped in to save the green-robed girl, Han Li. Han Li could only stand there, gazing up at the heavens, speechless—his swift actions upon seeing the young woman's pale and distressed expression had utterly defied his long-standing principle of prudent self-preservation. He had simply drawn upon himself a series of unforeseen troubles, and now he could only lament that beauty had indeed become his undoing. Yet Han Li knew that this was primarily because the girl had left such a profound impression upon him. And he could not, in good conscience, remain unmoved while a woman he deeply admired fell at his very feet. Clearly, his heart was not as cold as he had once believed—he was no cold-blooded, unfeeling strategist of ruthless ambition. With a wry smile, he busied himself with internal reflections. Nevertheless, the troubles had now been stirred, and he had no choice but to summon his strength and meet them head-on. Fortunately, having weathered the struggles with the young lady Mu Bao and the disciple Feng Yue, Han Li now felt a growing confidence in his ability to stand up to these elite disciples. Thus, though the situation was pressing, he remained calm, already grasping several key items in his hands. "You?" At this moment, the green-robed maiden finally made out the features of Han Li's face, and could hardly contain her astonishment, gasping in disbelief. Seeing that the maiden had only just recognized him as her life-saving savior, Han Li felt a mix of bewilderment and irritation, yet couldn't help but smile at the situation. On the surface, however, he gave the maiden a gentle nod and then turned to the barefoot man, saying, "As for my suggestion, what do you think? Why don't you let this young lady go free? Then you proceed on your path to Yangguan, and I shall follow my own narrow path—our waters won't mingle, and thus we'll avoid any friction. Isn't that a perfect arrangement?" Han Li still harbored the hope of avoiding a physical confrontation, and thus spoke these words. After all, it would be unwise to suddenly clash with a "master" of such caliber, especially one who might even pose a threat to his life. Yet Han Li had never expected the barefoot man across from him to pay no attention to his words, instead showing keen interest in the golden Fú Blade he held. To him, the blade seemed far more fascinating than Han Li himself. This behavior stirred a quiet annoyance within Han Li. Though he suppressed his displeasure and prepared to speak further, the barefoot man suddenly broke the silence, and upon speaking, Han Li was left utterly stunned. "This golden blade in your hands—should it be part of the same set as the one floating above? And it has withstood my silver sword's attack, remaining undamaged for now—this surely indicates a top-tier artifact. Is that correct?" The barefoot man from Ju Jian Gate's eyes sparkled brightly, and his tone rose with remarkable intensity. Han Li blinked, momentarily confused, unsure of the man's intent. Yet he responded casually, "You're absolutely right. Indeed, they are part of a set of top-tier artifacts—and..." "Enough!" That's all you need to know. Now, step forward, sir! Should you defeat me, not only shall I relinquish this woman's life, but also all the elixirs stored within this stone pavilion shall be yours!" Without waiting for Han Li to finish speaking, the man abruptly interrupted him, then spoke with such fervor that Han Li was left utterly stunned. This man was clearly a true "martial enthusiast" in the cultivation world! At this moment, Han Li suddenly realized this, and felt a wave of frustration wash over him, unable to utter a single word. "Attack!" The large man didn't wait for Han Li's response—he even omitted releasing his protective aura—and immediately ordered the silver sword to pivot sharply toward the young woman, charging straight at Han Li with great intensity. Upon gaining a clear understanding of the opponent's strength, Han Li realized that any further words would be in vain. He thus merely shook his mother blade, and the remaining seven child blades sprang forth from their storage pouches, transforming into seven golden streaks, boldly meeting the opponent's silver great sword. Yet, Han Li did not draw out any defensive talismans to fortify himself with a protective shield. After witnessing the silver sword's ability to pierce through the young woman's silk scarf, Han Li was certain of its overwhelming power—any ordinary shield would be utterly shattered and the bearer would be killed under a single strike. Therefore, it would be wiser simply not to employ any defensive spell, allowing him instead to rely on the agility and unpredictability of his movements to counter the opponent's sudden attacks. As he pondered this, besides the golden blade guarding the young woman, the other seven subsidiary blades had become entangled with the silver great sword, rolling and biting at each other like seven golden serpents engaged in a relentless struggle against a single massive python.