Now that this has happened, Han Li naturally knew that the later arrivals were no ordinary cultivators, and had no patience to linger with the elusive white figure. He could now fully focus on the newly arrived Ju Dan stage cultivator. Turning back to survey the scene within the valley, he saw that the magical array was completely encircled by a thick, dark, ink-black qi, suggesting that Yuan Yao’s resurrection technique was reaching its critical moment. Should anyone now disturb the scene, not only would Yuan Yao’s beauty likely perish, but the young woman herself might suffer from a reversal of her cultivation techniques, sustaining serious injuries. Han Li furrowed his brows, then turned and pondered. Though he didn’t yet know what divine virtue the young man possessed, the sheer strength of his spiritual awareness alone made him unable to dismiss him lightly. Yet he remained calm and confident—believing that, with his own array of divine artifacts and cultivation techniques, no other Ju Dan cultivator could pose a real threat to him. He was now deciding whether to proactively engage and eliminate this visitor. After all, the other party still seemed rather difficult to handle; should they join forces with other cultivators, it would certainly pose a significant challenge. As Han Li hesitated, his expression suddenly changed, his eyes narrowing as he abruptly stood up. To his surprise, the man had taken his beautiful young companion and had departed from the animal carriage, flying toward their location. Han Li's face darkened. He raised both hands, summoning over a dozen giant ape puppets to remain in place, ensuring that he wouldn't be exploited by opportunistic minor figures should any unforeseen incidents arise. With decisive motion, Han Li then stomped his foot, transforming into a streak of azure light and rushing forward to meet the couple. Should such cultivators engage in combat nearby, their clash might well disrupt Yuan Yao's spellcasting within the valley. Given that the other party appeared strong, it was unlikely they could instantly defeat them—thus, they would only be able to hold them at a distance. The couple did not appear to be fleeing at full speed, their pace being rather moderate. Consequently, shortly thereafter, Han Li met them at the outer perimeter of the small island. Already when Han Li began his protection duties, he had subtly altered his appearance, so he needn't fear the other party recognizing him as the owner of the Xiangtian Ding. Instead, from a distance of over a hundred paces, Han Li observed the man and woman with a calm, expressionless gaze. After a brief assessment, a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes. The man was unremarkable—though the golden glow visible in his brow was noticeable, it likely stemmed merely from the uniqueness of his cultivation technique. The woman, however, was astonishingly beautiful, to the point that one felt a sense of reverence, as though one couldn't dare to intrude upon her. This prompted Han Li to glance at her more than once. Yet for some reason, Han Li suddenly felt a strong sense of familiarity toward her, especially in the clarity of her bright eyes, as though he had seen them before. Still, Han Li was certain he had never encountered this exquisite young woman before. Otherwise, with her exceptional beauty, she would surely have left an indelible impression. At that moment, both the man and the stunning woman turned to look at Han Li as well. "May I ask your name? Is it your companion who has been practicing those extraordinary techniques here?" Wen Tianren, with both hands behind his back, glanced at the man with a slight expression of surprise before smiling gently. It seems you are a wandering cultivator. Then, Master Wen offers you and your companions in the valley two choices. Either join our alliance and serve as the enforcement magistrate of my Shenjiao Hall, remaining obedient to me, or allow me to act here and have you fall at this very moment." Master Wen's composed face revealed a touch of sternness as he spoke coldly. "At your command! Our alliance! Are you from the Yuxing Alliance?" Upon hearing this, Han Li was momentarily stunned, then looked at the man again with growing curiosity. "Master Wen is a distinguished disciple of the Sixth Path Saint of the Yuxing Alliance. Should you join us, your status will not be diminished, and given your cultivation level, you will certainly receive significant recognition and appointment within the alliance." The beautiful young woman beside him suddenly spoke calmly, revealing the man's identity. "The Sixth Path disciple?" Han Li's expression was visibly moved. Though he had always known the man's background was exceptional, he hadn't expected it to be so impressive. Seeing the astonishment on Han Li's face, Wen Tianren's expression remained composed, yet a touch of pride gleamed in his eyes. He particularly enjoyed witnessing the humble, reverent demeanor of unfamiliar cultivators when they learned of his identity—there was nothing remarkable about leveraging his status as a descendant of the Six Paths. After all, status was an integral part of one's strength. However, Wen Tianren's pleasant mood lasted only briefly, as Han Li's expression swiftly shifted to one of cold scorn. "Indeed, it is a pleasure to have the young master of the Inverse Star Alliance here—I was quite taken aback! Yet, I have no intention of joining your alliance, nor do I wish to meet my end at this moment. On the contrary, I would like to propose something else. Why not entrust your life to me?" Han Li said with a tone of mockery. Given the other's vigorous and imposing demeanor, he was certain that the matter would not conclude amicably. Moreover, from the very beginning, he had sensed a subtle aura of hostility emanating from this Six Paths descendant. Though he did not yet understand the reason, even if he agreed to submit, he suspected that the young master would still take decisive action to Thus, Han Li shed his mask and no longer offered his opponent any courtesy. While others feared the vast influence of Nixing Alliance, he cared little for that. After all, as the holder of Xitian Ding, he was already a fugitive wanted by all major powers. "Excellent! Truly excellent!" Wen Tianren now laughed bitterly, his eyes blazing with frost as he stared at Han Li, spitting out the words one after another. But just as the final "excellent" left his lips, he suddenly expelled a surge of blue light. This blue light burst forth instantly, radiating brilliant brilliance, then vanished in a swift "whoosh." Witnessing this familiar scene, Han Li's grim expression flickered briefly. Without hesitation, he raised his hand, and the jade ruyi he had already clenched in his grasp flashed with light, forming a red-and-yellow luminous shield around him. At that moment, the blue light suddenly appeared before Han Li, striking the shield with a deep, resonant thud. Han Li's expression shifted slightly, and both he and the shield were sent flying several meters away. At that moment, he finally made out that the blue glow was actually a peculiar, slender cone, only a few inches long, shimmering with a cold brilliance, adorned with flowing runes, and emitting a strange crackling sound. Without hesitation, Han Li swiftly flicked his fingers ten times, launching ten beams of jade-colored sword energy that struck the blue glow simultaneously, sending the cone flying off. Then, he immediately raised his hand and lightly tapped his storage pouch, where five bronze rings materialized in his hands with a clear, resonant chime, radiating vibrant hues of five colors. As he swept his sleeve aside, over twenty flying swords surged forth, rushing toward the opponent. Despite the fact that his initial attack had failed to land on Wen Tianren, he showed no surprise, calmly bringing both hands together to produce a small banner in his grasp. The banner was about three to four inches long, glowing with a deep purple light, exuding a strong aura of spiritual energy. At this moment, he again saw a multitude of flying swords rushing toward him from the opposite side. This finally stirred him enough to emit a light, surprised "Hm!" He no longer dared to be negligent, hastily waving the purple banner in his hands. Instantly, countless purple mist surged out, fully enveloping him and concealing his form. The azure light swirled like countless towering peaks circling the purple cloud, piercing it hundreds of times within mere moments—yet the cloud remained utterly still, showing no reaction at all. So many flying swords passed through the cloud, yet they seemed to strike only empty space. Seeing this, Han Li furrowed his brows, his expression growing increasingly stern. Though he knew he couldn't easily defeat the opponent this way, the tenacity of this sixth-path disciple surpassed even his expectations. With that thought in mind, he rapidly tapped the distant flying swords twice. Instantly, the swords emitted a resonant hum, spiraled once upon the purple cloud, then combined into two massive blades several zhang long, which then descended with the force of a mountain pressing down. At the same time, Han Li lightly pressed his hand against his waist pouch housing his spirit-beast.