"Tight!" Han Li pressed two palms together, forming a series of gestures. Instantly, the five bronze rings rapidly contracted, deeply embedding themselves into the old demon's neck and limbs, locking him firmly in place. "Heh! The Five Elements Rings! Though this ancient artifact is well-known among the ancient treasures, it proves ineffective against cultivators with unusual spiritual roots—or those whose cultivation level surpasses that of the one who summons it—like ourselves, the outsiders." Xuan Gu, suffering greatly under the tight grip of the five rings, spoke with a tone of quiet contempt. Then, as he had expected, he raised his hand smoothly and struck the glowing orb at his chest with a single palm. The surface of the orb flickered erratically, and suddenly, with a sharp "crack," it split open wide. A steady flow of blue light surged through the crack, followed by a long, vibrant blue flame shooting out. This flame was exceptionally alive—upon gently sweeping it over Xuan Gu's neck and limbs, the bronze rings that had previously been tightly sealed instantly formed a thick layer of ice frost. Then, after an utterly不可思议 twist and tremor in his body, several clear copper rings—once seemingly lifeless—clinked down onto the stone platform with crisp, resonant sounds. Yet Han Li’s heart sank. Without hesitation, he opened his mouth and expelled nine slender jade-like swords in succession, which immediately coalesced into a single massive blade and struck straight toward Xuan Gu in a decisive, unyielding motion. The colossal sword merely absorbed a few blows before its radiance dimmed, and faintly crystalline frost began to appear on its surface. As the sword moved and shifted, its movements grew increasingly sluggish and heavy. A sharp thunderclap echoed, and several strands of pale golden lightning erupted across the sword's surface, striking the ice dragon with great force. The impact freed the sword from its hold and sent the ice dragon retreating several paces. "Still trying to escape?" said Xuan Gu, a grim smile playing on his lips. "I claim your Golden Lightning Bamboo Artifact. As for your Divine-Defying Thunder—how much of it do you still have? I wonder how many more times you'll be able to unleash it." He then pointed at the ice dragon, sending it charging again toward the jade sword. Hearing this, Han Li felt a subtle stir within himself. Though Xuan Gu spoke with calm assurance, Han Li sensed a quiet undercurrent of hesitation—seeming to imply a subtle apprehension about the Divine-Defying Thunder. But before Han Li could ponder this further, he launched a seal of jade light, which shot directly toward the sword. Then, pointing at the sword, it suddenly shimmered and vibrated violently before splitting into two identical giant swords—exactly the "Sword Shadow Division Technique" from the Qingyuan Sword Sect. Both swords simultaneously launched thick, pale golden lightning arcs. One charged straight toward the blue ice dragon, while the other swiftly slashed diagonally at Xuan Gu Old Mage. "Ah!" Xuan Gu uttered a surprised exclamation. Whether it was due to the unexpected strength of Han Li's lingering divine-protective lightning, or simply amazed by the fact that the "Sword Shadow Division Technique" could simultaneously manifest two tangible flying swords, he found himself momentarily stunned. Yet his astonishment quickly faded as he calmly struck again with the glowing orb in his hand, causing the dry blue ice flame to surge once more. This time, after briefly flickering in front of him, the flame solidified into a triangular ice shield, which promptly blocked the oncoming giant swords. The pale golden arc of electricity intertwined and collided with the blue, cold glow of the ice shield, and neither party retreated an inch, resulting in a temporary stalemate. Seeing this, Han Li grew more pleased than ever. This indicated that while the divine, pestilential thunder could not be suppressed by the cold of the Qianlan Ice Flame, the extreme cold of the Qianlan Ice Flame was equally unable to overcome the divine thunder. As for who would ultimately prevail, it would simply depend on the relative strength of each. With this thought in mind, Han Li raised one hand and lightly tapped his storage pouch at his waist, causing the crimson cloak to float automatically onto his body. Though he had not yet reached a point of desperation, he knew it was essential to prepare some key reserves in advance. Then, without delay, he brought both hands together and solemnly unfolded them. A series of thunderous crackles echoed, and between his palms, a small sphere of pale golden light appeared, with delicate electric arcs continuously flickering and dancing upon its surface. This arc-ball was only a few inches in size, yet as Han Li redirected the divine辟邪神雷 from within his body through the Qingzhu Fengyun Sword, the ball began to expand rapidly, emitting a soft hum. In moments, it grew to nearly a foot in diameter. Watching this unfold, the one controlling the Qianlan Ice Flame, who had been aiming to simultaneously shatter the two large green swords, first grew pale, then his eyes widened with disbelief. He could hardly believe what he was seeing—Han Li had clearly managed to generate such a powerful thunder ball. How many Qianlan Ice Flame swords did the other possess? Xuan Gu now felt increasingly uneasy. Indeed, he had suddenly grown serious, believing it would be effortless to eliminate Han Li, precisely because he had just acquired these powerful Qianlan Ice Flames. Though these flames had not yet been fully refined or integrated into a "Shurō Sacred Flame," under the strong pressure of his Xuan Hún Yin Huǒ and the Divine Exorcising Thunder, he had managed to maintain control over them. The Divination Divine Thunder can withstand the cold attacks of the Qianlan Ice Flame, and Xuanyu naturally knows that Han Li possesses the Golden Thunder Bamboo Flying Sword capable of releasing Divine Thunder. Yet precisely because of this, he must now eliminate Han Li without fail. In Xuanyu's estimation, Han Li's Divine Thunder should have been depleted long ago—by now, it should be nearly exhausted. Even if some remained, they would be only a small fraction. With this, Han Li would utterly be unable to resist the attacks of the Qianlan Ice Flame. As for the Golden Thunder Bamboo artifacts—no one could possess many such materials. The number of Golden Thunder Bamboo Flying Swords Han Li currently holds has left Xuanyu utterly astonished! Each time Han Li releases Divine Thunder, it diminishes. Without proper rest and recovery, the Golden Thunder Bamboo artifacts cannot regenerate the Divine Thunder. Xuanyu would not allow Han Li any such recovery opportunity! As for the rebellious one, Ji Yin, although he was even more deeply resented, once the Qi Lan Bing Yan was secured and proven capable of evolving into the Shou Luo Sacred Flame through trials, Xuan Gu's ambitions surged dramatically. With the Shou Luo Sacred Flame achieved, dominating the entire Lun Xing Sea would no longer seem impossible. In comparison, Han Li, who possessed the Jin Lei Bamboo artifact, naturally became his top priority for elimination. After all, the Divine-Defeating Lightning remained the greatest threat to their Ghost Dao practitioners. Once he established contact with the Hairy Man, the elimination of Ji Yin would become even more feasible regardless of Han Li's involvement. When Han Li first simultaneously generated powerful electric arcs on the two massive swords, Xuan Gu had been somewhat surprised. Now, witnessing the large Jin Lei sphere appearing in Han Li's hands, Xuan Gu was truly at a loss—this was completely beyond his expectations! A cultivator only at the initial stage of the Ji Dan stage, seemingly possessing an endless number of Jin Lei Bamboo artifacts. This left Xuan Gu deeply regretful and even more stunned and incredulous. How many golden thunder bamboo relics did Han Li truly possess? This enigma now loomed like a mountain, pressing heavily upon the old demon's heart. As Xuan Gu was barely taken aback, the electric arc sphere in Han Li's hands had swelled to several feet in diameter, floating several feet above his head, emitting a deafening hum. Upon regaining his composure, the old demon's face turned pale. Compared to this thunder sphere, the previous divine-protecting thunder had seemed utterly insignificant. "Excellent! Remarkable!" Xuan Gu declared, gritting his teeth. "Though I do not yet understand why you possess so many golden thunder bamboo relics, from the very day you acquired them, you have been destined to be our greatest adversary among the ghost sect practitioners. Today, I shall personally demonstrate to you the true power of the Warlord's Fire—the famed sacred fire of the ghost sect." Now, having found himself firmly committed, he resolved to press on and temporarily combine the three energies into the legendary Warlord's Fire. Hope to use this blaze to shatter Han Li's辟邪神雷, thus completely eliminating this core threat. Of course, this secret technique of forcibly synthesizing sacred fire over a short period is inherently perilous, with the risk of being reversed at any moment. But at present, Xuan Gu's circumstances allow him no time for such considerations. He may still have other means to gradually drain Han Li's divine lightning, or temporarily employ the secret technique and his artifacts to escape the protective dome and seek refuge. Yet his own time is equally limited. Either he must simply allow Han Li to depart, or he must eliminate Han Li before the others return. Thus, with a determined breath, he tossed the luminous orb before him and then swiftly waved his hands in a wheeling motion, continuously inscribing a series of colorful spells into the orb. Instantly, the orb came to life, with the central blue flame spinning rapidly within, while the outer layer of Xuan Hún Yin Huǒ and the black electric arcs rotated in the opposite direction. Soon, the entire sphere radiated a brilliant, dazzling glow. Then came a deep rumble, and countless gray-white, cold sparks surged forth from the light sphere, rushing in all directions toward Han Li. Han Li's face first showed a moment of surprise, then grew pale. Though he had never heard of the Warlord's Holy Flame, he knew this fire must surpass even the Dry Blue Ice Flame in intensity. With a deeply serious expression, Han Li shook his hands, ceasing to channel divine lightning into the massive thunder sphere above his head. Instead, his fingers rapidly flickered through various hand seals, and soft incantations poured from his lips. The pale golden thunder sphere began to stretch and transform, soon becoming a golden grid that formed a shimmering electric shield, encasing Han Li from head to toe. The gray-white sparks from the opposite side then struck the golden net without hesitation. Immediately, the golden light intertwined with the white flames, and a sharp crackling thunderous roar erupted.