Nan Long Hou spoke while gently brushing his hand across his chest. The area that had previously sunk in instantly returned to normal. Wang Tiangu and the others' faces slightly changed, but the elderly man with the Yun surname remained composed, saying, "You needn't worry. He's merely using a secret technique to temporarily stabilize his condition—it's not fully recovered yet! As for this Han youngster, there's no need to waste time on him. Send one person to hold him off while the rest go after Nan Long Hou." After delivering these words with cold precision, the elder calmly pointed at the silver wheel before him. Instantly, the artifact transformed into a streak of silver light that soared to his head, then spread out a broad shield of silver light, enveloping his entire body. In the glow, his figure appeared ethereal and slightly translucent. Clearly, he understood how deeply Nan Long Hou resented him, and thus, he only sought to avoid further complications. Wang Tiangu furrowed his brows, finding this reasoning plausible, and then turned to the physician of the You surname, saying, "You take charge of this young man for now." There's no need to fight him to the death—just hold him for a moment or two. Once we've dealt with Nanlong Marquis, his fate will be sealed. Wang Tiangu finally no longer concealed his murderous intent. He coldly glanced at Han Li, and suddenly a surge of black light erupted from his body, rising several feet high, swallowing him whole and leaving him strangely vanished into darkness. The old woman and the man with a dark face also promptly summoned their talismans, gradually encircling Han Li. "No problem at all, Master Yun! I'll take care of this esteemed Daoist friend of his!" The elder修士 chuckled, drawing a pale jade如意 silently from his sleeve, then stepped forward a few paces, standing before Han Li with a smile that was both warm and slightly amused. To him, holding onto a newly achieved Yuanjing cultivator was nothing short of trivial. It was far safer than facing off directly against Nanlong Marquis, a Yuanjing mid-stage cultivator. Han stood motionless, gazing intently at the scholar of the Yu surname, but his heartbeat surged suddenly the instant the old woman passed the stairway, and the hand tucked in his sleeve tightly clutched a precious ancient artifact. Wang Tiangu and the elderly man of Yun surname, upon hearing this, could not help but grow pale. Han Li glanced down at the jade box in his hands, pressed his slightly dry lips together, and felt an urgent impulse to burst out laughing—yet, with his sharp sense of judgment, he managed to suppress it. How could it be that something so coveted by all the cultivators in this hall had been so willingly handed over to someone else? Truly, it was most amusing. Nan Long Hou’s actions, naturally, did not seem to stem from goodwill. Given how determined Wang Tiangu and the others had been to secure the jade box, now that it had been given to him, it was clear he was deliberately shifting the pressure—diluting their focus and enabling them to ease off and escape with reduced stress. Yet, this man did show real composure and decisiveness, having the courage to part with the very treasure he had just obtained. Indeed, he possessed a certain touch of strategic leadership. But now that the treasure was in his hands—ah-ha! Han Li chuckled, then without hesitation flipped his hand, and the jade box vanished, being stored within his storage bag... "Chanyin, you two assist You Daoist here. Don't let the young man from Han escape with clever maneuvers. This clash between us older ones will be sufficient." Wang Tiangu's expression grew serious, and he issued the order without delay. Remarkably calm, he did not lose his composure despite the precious object in the box, assigning only the two weakest—Wang Chan and his companion—to guard Han Li, without sending any others to confront him. The others exchanged glances, saying nothing. Though the treasures had stirred, as long as they eliminated this Nanlong Marquis, Han Li, a mere Yuan-Enlightened cultivator, would surely fall into their hands. "Yes, Uncle! I've been looking forward to meeting this 'Han Elder'!" Wang Chan's eyes flashed with determination, and he nodded with a sly smile. Then he gestured to Yan Ruxian and walked toward Han Li. The complex expression on Yan Ru Yan's face faded instantly, and she silently followed without a word. Han Li glanced at the two figures calmly, showing no change in his demeanor. It was rather amusing—though the atmosphere in the pavilion was tense and charged, neither Wang Tiangu nor the Nansheng Marquis seemed inclined to take the first move. This wasn't due to any lingering courtesy or restraint. Everyone knew that the Nansheng Marquis was now fighting like a trapped beast; once he launched an attack, it would surely be a dramatic turning point. He might even decide to draw in one or two allies and go down together in a final, decisive blow. The sudden, determined resistance of a mid-Stage Yuan Ying cultivator at the moment of death was something all of them were well aware of. Naturally, no one wanted to be the first to act and bear that fatal strike. Moreover, they themselves were not afraid of the Marquis's hesitation—so long as he didn't have time to meditate and recover, his condition would only worsen with each passing moment, which would ultimately benefit them. What was strange, however, was that the Nansheng Marquis remained perfectly still, as if completely indifferent to his own Yet the rosy hue on his cheeks grew even more vivid, now turning as bright as fresh blood. This further caused Wang Tiangu and the others to hesitate, fearing that the southern lord had already employed a powerful, life-or-death secret technique, and all of them stared at him with cold, unblinking eyes. As for the Yuan-qi cultivator of the You family standing beside him, he shared a similar sentiment toward Han Li—believing that as long as he could keep Han Li engaged, he would be safe. Thus, he had no intention of making a move at this moment. Wang Chan indeed wished to strike and kill Han Li immediately, but, confident only in his own level of cultivation, he dared not act rashly. Consequently, though the air within the pavilion was thick with tension and potential threats, it grew remarkably still. After a while, Han Li, who had been quietly pondering, suddenly exhaled softly—a sound not particularly loud, yet strikingly noticeable in the stillness. However, the Yuan-qi elders in the pavilion, all seasoned and shrewd, except for the cultivator of the You family, remained completely unmoved, with not a single one lifting their eyes or turning to look. The King Chán on the other side sneered, a hint of scorn flashing in his eyes. In their minds, Han Li would naturally wait for the Nanlong Marquis to make the first move before taking action himself—only then would he have a slim chance of survival amidst the chaos. Yet no one expected that, after a sigh, Han Li had truly stepped forward. At once, the jade fan handle resonated loudly, and a brilliant white light surged forth, forming concentric rings of luminous halos within which a massive white tiger gradually materialized. Though the tiger appeared somewhat blurred at first, as soon as it took shape, it opened its massive maw and shot out a column of intense, glowing white light—thick as a large bowl—that vanished instantly, striking directly upon the black mound. A thunderous roar echoed through the air, and the white radiance swiftly engulfed half of the small mountain in its glow. The You-family cultivator, seeing this, felt even more at ease. As he controlled the white tiger on his jade如意 to emit another beam of light, he raised his hand and tapped his storage pouch, causing a small, pale blue gourd to float into his hands. Just as he was about to summon the gourd, he suddenly heard a faint rumble of thunder from across the way. Startled, his alertness immediately heightened, and without hesitation, he pressed a series of hand seals, forming a thick, luminous white light shield that appeared in his hands. At the same time, a flash of silver electric arcs rippled beside him, and Han Li, now with wings sprouting from his back, appeared almost touching the protective light shield. "Ah, you—" The You-family cultivator was greatly surprised, yet, with considerable combat experience, quickly raised his blue gourd, launching a bright blue electric arc from its mouth, which shone brilliantly. Yet at the very instant the blue arc surged forth, Han Li showed no intention of dodging. Instead, he simply opened his mouth and gently exhaled, sending a fine, thread-like strand of blue flame that effortlessly pierced through the white light shield and struck the Yuan-family cultivator directly.