"Are you a man or a ghost?" Jin Qing forced down his fear. "A man? A ghost? You decide!" The strange figure smiled slyly, clearly mocking. Hearing this, Jin Qing's face grew pale. Meanwhile, Han Li said nothing, and without any warning, swiftly unfurled the scroll in his hands. A surge of fiery phoenixes burst forth, rushing toward the figure in a swirling tide. At the same time, the giant bird engaged in battle with the strange serpent gave a sharp cry, abandoned the fight, and transformed into a blazing white flame, shooting directly at the figure. Upon seeing this, the figure snorted coldly, showing clear disdain. "Phoenixes of Zhiyang? If it were the true form of these birds, I might indeed be somewhat afraid. But now it's merely a fragment of its essence—how dare it pretend to devour ghosts and eliminate demons like others?" As soon as these words left his lips, the green figure raised both hands, and black mist instantly coalesced into hands. Then came two sharp "pops." A surge of black qi erupted from both hands, transforming into two unicorne serpents of ink that darted into the flock of fire birds, feasting upon them with ruthless efficiency. Each time their blood-filled mouths plunged forward, several fire birds were swallowed whole, yet the delicate streams of white flame emitted by the fire birds failed to harm the two spectral serpents in the slightest. To the astonishment of Han Li and Jin Qing, the white fire sphere shattered upon impact, scattering in all directions and vanishing within moments. Suddenly, a milky-white crystal orb appeared on the palm of the green figure's fist. With a fierce grin, the figure swallowed the orb whole without hesitation, then fixed Han Li with a cold gaze. At that moment, the scroll Han Li was holding unexpectedly caught fire and burned to ashes as he hastily threw it aside. Simultaneously, the fire birds still engaged in battle with the two ink serpents also disappeared one by one. Han Li took a deep breath. Though he knew the "Zhiyang birds" were merely test figures—definitely no match for the opponent, merely used to gauge his strength—he had not expected the green figure to effortlessly dismantle such a precious artifact specifically designed to counter阴 ghosts, nor had he gained any clear insight into the opponent's capabilities. One thing was certain: the opponent was far from a mere ghostly being. Han Li gazed silently at the green figure, silently calculating in his mind the likelihood of victory should he engage in combat with him. "Indeed, it's you. Right now, I'm particularly interested in your body. The other two may as well leave!" The green figure stared steadily at Han Li as he slowly spoke these words. It seemed Han Li's earlier attack had roused the green figure. Qu Hun remained motionless, but Jin Qing, upon hearing this, found her thoughts disturbed, her expression shifting between uncertainty and hesitation. Though they had not yet faced off directly, she sensed the green figure's depth and complexity—even if allied with Han Li, she believed their chances of success were slim. Now, hearing the green figure's clear directive to depart, Jin Qing felt a deep sense of wavering. Having witnessed so many cultivators perish before her very eyes today, this usually self-assured, morally grounded cultivator for the first time felt a genuine desire to preserve her life—thinking ahead, to ensure a longer, more secure future. "Then, even if you let the other two live, you still wish to take them?" "Then I shall take the time to spare no effort and transform both of you into mummified corpses!" The green shadow coldly scoffed, speaking in a solemn, eerie tone, and cast a glance at Jin Qing and Qu Hun. Hearing the shadow speak with such deadly intensity, Jin Qing's face flushed and paled several times before finally bowing to Han Li with a respectful gesture, humbly saying, "Brother Han, I still wish to survive at this moment. I must apologize for this." After uttering these words, he hurried toward the stone steps without another word, not even looking back at Han Li. Han Li remained composed, showing neither sense of abandonment nor anger, only a faint, subtle coldness in his eyes as he watched Jin Qing's departure. The green shadow's eyes, meanwhile, gleamed with satisfaction. As Jin Qing rushed past the scattered white bones, another sudden upheaval occurred. The nearby skeletons suddenly launched a fierce assault upon him, their attacks striking like arrows. Jin Qing was stunned and furious; a flash of silver light rippled across his body, and he was instantly enveloped within it. But before he could question the strange figure or summon his divine artifacts, the white bones and luminous streaks surged forth, seemingly passing through his protective silver aura as if they were nothing. In an instant, Jinqing's body was torn to shreds, and he could utter no word, collapsing heavily to the ground. Han Li stared silently at the lifeless form, then gently shook his head. With a simple hand motion, a spirit-animal satchel appeared in his grasp, and the two flying swords before him trembled slightly, emitting a soft green glow. "Interesting! I won't even need to ask you why I've broken my word!" the green figure coldly remarked. "If you truly wish to speak, you'll say it without being asked. If you don't, then your words will simply be wasted." Han Li spoke with an expressionless face. "Indeed! You've struck the right note, young one. Had you not suffered such a calamity, I might have taken you as my disciple. But now, I shall never take any more disciples—indeed, I shall pulverize all my former rebellious disciples, scattering their bones and extracting their souls!" "Li Gu Ying was initially surprised, but then her voice turned cold and sharp. Han Li remained composed, gestured with his hand, and as a result, Qu Hun released a protective glow of blood light. Taking two steps, he positioned himself beside Han Li and stood shoulder to shoulder. He had no intention of wasting words—he was ready to strike with decisive force. At the same time, the other several jade bamboo bee-sword blades within him also readied themselves, poised to be unleashed at any moment. Han Li was utterly stunned! This ethereal figure could possibly be the master of the Extremely Yin Master—how astonishing! Han Li was still deeply amazed by the other's words when a flash of green light rippled across his body, followed by a deep, resonant sound from behind. Han Li turned around in surprise, only to find himself face-to-face with empty space—no one there. "Unbelievable!" He instantly realized he had been deceived. With swift motion, he turned his head back and, without hesitation, launched seven additional flying swords to form a protective shield in front of him. Controlling nine flying swords simultaneously was now his absolute limit. Indeed, as soon as he turned his head, the nine swords emitted a soft golden "Divine Exorcising Lightning," which instantly vaporized a green orb the size of a clenched fist. Han Li was drenched in sweat. He had narrowly missed being defeated. "Golden Lightning Bamboo," you're using flying swords crafted from Golden Lightning Bamboo. At that moment, the green figure emitted an utterly unbelievable sound. Han Li sneered, intending to mock his opponent, but as he did so, he sensed an unusual ripple in the air beside him. Almost instinctively, he leaned forward, yet then his chest convulsed as a familiar blood-silver glow pierced through him, sending a surge of blood rushing out. Immediately afterward, a bright yellow glow struck him with force. Han Li's face was pale as paper, yet after a deep breath, he clenched his fingers tightly and forcefully chanted a spell, spitting out a sharp, resolute "receive." At the same time, a small cluster of green light surged from the celestial crown of the distant "Qu Hu," swiftly reversing its trajectory and vanishing into Han Li's body where it had previously merged. By then, the long rainbow formed by the green shadow had also fully entered the "Qu Hu." Han Li pressed his hands against the wound on his chest and glared fiercely at the "Qu Hu" across from him. The "Qu Hu" slowly opened its eyes, revealing two vivid, blood-red orbs.