"If not under these circumstances, then what about now?" Han Li glanced at Ge Tianhao and the others, shaking his head with a half-smiling, half-ambiguous expression. "Ah! From the tone of Han brother, it seems you're quite confident. I heard that you've defeated a senior monk of Yin Luo Sect at the peak of the early Yuan婴 stage. Is that true?" The young white-robed man showed no sign of irritation, instead asking calmly. Upon hearing this, Ge Tianhao and the other two representatives from Yin Luo Sect exchanged a look of surprise. "At this point, even if I deny it, it would be of no avail. Indeed, there was a Yin Luo Sect senior monk whom I eliminated during my time in the southern lands. Does Xu brother intend to speak up on behalf of Yin Luo Sect?" Han Li pressed his lips together and narrowed his eyes. "To defeat a peer at the peak of the early Yuan婴 stage with one's own Yuan婴 mid-stage cultivation—how remarkable your abilities must be! If it weren't for our deep-standing grievances with Tian Lan Sect, I would truly have liked to make your acquaintance." Why don't we proceed this way? I've heard that Brother Han once used a strange, odd-shaped tripod to reclaim our temple's ancestral tripod and the spiritual avatar of our sacred beast. If you are willing to present this tripod to me, I shall personally arrange for our temple and you to transform your rivalry into harmony. Of course, if Brother Han is also willing to hand over that ghostly Luo Fan, I will do my utmost to resolve any grievances between you and the Yin Luo Sect. What do you think? The Xu youth stared at Han for a moment, then spoke so earnestly. "What? How can Xu brother possibly do this? He certainly—!" "The Princess need not speak further—this matter is entirely under my authority!" Lin Yinping's face changed instantly, and she quickly opened her mouth to speak, only to have her words swallowed as the white-robed youth raised a hand, silencing her. Though the three members of Ge Tianhao were equally astonished, they exchanged glances and, in unison, remained silent, choosing not to object. "As for my precious tripod—I must regretfully decline. Please, go ahead and act yourselves." "As soon as the other mentioned the Xitian Ding, Han Li immediately declined without hesitation. 'Should Master Han refuse my good intentions, then do not expect me to show any leniency,' said the young Xu, who, seeing Han Li's firm stance, expressed a touch of regret. Yet soon after, his expression darkened, and with a flick of his sleeve, he suddenly produced a jade如意 of a jade green hue. As he gently shook it, waves of green light shimmered continuously. Then, he fixed his stern gaze upon Han Li. Han Li, seeing this, remained silent. With a series of hand gestures, a thunderous sound echoed behind him, and a pair of silvery-white wings materialized behind his back. Then, he raised his hand and spun it once, revealing an ancient fan in his grasp, glowing with hues of gold, silver, and crimson. This was precisely the San Yan Bao Shan, which had been secretly held in reserve. Facing so many opponents, Han Li could no longer rely on ordinary means—he had already drawn upon his most powerful treasure from the very beginning. The young Xu was drawn to the unusual glow of the San-Yan Fan, and with his keen eyesight, immediately recognized its exceptional nature. Moreover, the formidable spiritual pressure emanating from the three hues of luminous light caused even a slight lift at his brow corners—his face finally darkened. "Xu, this young man harbors a deep grudge against our Yin Luo Sect. We aren't here to truly spar or exchange techniques; let us all move in together and capture him." Ge Tianhao too had noticed the Fan's remarkable qualities. After a subtle glance, he suddenly said this. Without waiting for the young Xu to respond, he gestured to the other two elderly figures in black robes, who each stepped forward and simultaneously launched their respective treasures—two uniquely shaped flying swords and a bone blade glowing with phosphorescent light, swirling around them in an unsteady pattern. Lin Yinping's expression shifted slightly, and without a word, she merely swept her fragrant sleeve, producing a silk handkerchief embroidered with silver silkworms, which shimmered softly in her hands. The young Xu frowned slightly, yet said nothing. Instead, he casually brushed his hand over the如意, and the green glow intensified, his gaze on Han Li's three-flame fan instantly turning icy. The encircling attack from the five figures was about to take full shape. Yet how could Han Li, who had been preparing all along, truly allow himself to fall into a passive position? At once, a thunderous sound rang out, and he vanished from his silver-glowing form right there, reappearing a dozen paces behind on a stone staircase. Seeing this, the opponents on the other side could hardly let Han Li leave so easily. Immediately, two streaks of blue light and a surge of green iridescence shot forth, followed by a swirling cascade of silvery threads. Instead, the young man of Xu family stepped forward calmly, his robes flowing as if he were at ease. Yet suddenly, he appeared ten zhang away, not even a moment slower than Han Li's Lightning Step. The jade如意 in his hand, initially glowing green, blurred slightly before transforming into the head of an unknown beast—neither a dragon nor a horse, fierce and glaring directly at Han Li. The young man with the surname Xu, precisely situated within the glow, suddenly exclaimed, "Unfortunate!" As he raised his green jade如意 with a sudden motion, a strange, serpentine creature with a beast's head burst forth from the jade staff, spiraling once before transforming into a radiant green sphere that instantly enveloped him. As for the two flying swords and the bone dagger, they were already submerged within the glow at the very moment it appeared, unable to evade it. Even the dense silver filaments sprayed by Lin Yinping's silk-caterpillar, which had just begun to unfold, instantly vanished upon mere contact with the glow. The radiance did not cease; instead, it swelled and contracted, rapidly expanding outward, its brilliance so intense that it caused the half of the white jade plaza to crack in patches and gradually melt away. Such power and presence were truly awe-inspiring, as if the very heavens had been stirred to awe. Han Li paid all this no attention, showing not the slightest intention of stopping. With a further flick of his silver wings, he surged forward, forming a streak of silver that flashed several times, swiftly heading straight for the mountain peak. Along the way, he quickly drew out a small vial and drank a drop of the immortal night essence from the bottle. At the plaza, the great tri-color glow appeared for only a few seconds before vanishing abruptly. Yet at the edges of the plaza, Eg Tianao and the others emerged, all looking extremely disheveled. Among them, Eg Tianao fared the worst. Though not his primary法宝, his bone blade had been carefully refined and carried a subtle connection to his consciousness. When the glow passed through it, the blade instantly melted and dissolved, causing immediate damage to his spirit and nearly compromising his ability to escape the influence of the glow's reach. Even so, he was lightly brushed by the outer edge of the glow, which caused his protective aura to collapse, leaving one entire arm scorched and visibly injured. The flying swords of the two black-robed elders also failed to escape unscathed, but these two acted swiftly—upon sensing something was amiss, they immediately severed their connection to their swords. As a result, aside from their half of their robes and their eyebrows and hair being completely consumed, they remained unharmed. Lin Yinping stood at the farthest point from where the circular aura burst, and although the silver filaments were damaged, they only caused a minor loss of spiritual energy to his法宝, with little impact. Moreover, a previously unknown, massive black shield now stood in front of him, concealing his form behind it. As for the young Xu, who possessed the highest cultivation level, though he was precisely at the center of the strongest influence of the Three-Flame Fan, he managed to instantly escape thanks to the protection of his green jade如意, appearing completely unharmed. Yet, the Heavenly Lan Immortal now looked visibly distressed, lowering his gaze to examine the hands that had tightly grasped his treasure. There, the jade如意, which had been glowing with a green hue, snapped with a crisp sound and then drifted down in a heap of shimmering fragments from his palm. To resist the power of the three-colored light halos, this ancient artifact had not even had a chance to fully unleash its true potential before being destroyed. "What exactly is this fan? Is it truly the legendary celestial treasure mentioned in the tales?" Ge Tian endured the pain in his arm, hastily extracting medicinal herbs from his storage pouch to apply them to his wound, while speaking in a face filled with astonishment and anger. The other two elderly figures in black robes also looked pale, clearly shaken and full of after-the-event apprehension. "Hmph, truly a celestial treasure! Ge friend, I suspect you won't be able to speak here alive. This appears to be merely a reproduction of a celestial treasure. I didn't expect someone to possess such an item. That's why he remained so composed when we arrived in such numbers." The young man with the surname Xu raised his gaze toward the distant stone steps, his expression clouded with gloom. "Even a reproduction of this caliber possesses such power?" Ge Tian was stunned. "That's not surprising at all. This fan seems to be a reproduction with a single, unchanging effect—no additional transformations. Such power is quite ordinary for a reproduction." The young man shook his head. "What now? He has such a precious item. This proves far more challenging than we originally anticipated. Should we still pursue him?" "A middle-aged elder in black robes blinked, clearly impressed by the fan's power, which had caused him to hesitate. "My friend, please don't worry. Though the fan is sharp, the spell force it consumes is no small matter. Otherwise, he would have turned and fled already. As long as we catch him before his energy recovers, he won't be able to summon the fan again. Now is precisely the optimal moment to eliminate him," said Ge Tianhao calmly, then lightly struck his waist. A swirl of five-colored light burst forth, condensed into a clear glow, and with a clear cry, revealed the spirit phoenix peacock. "We must climb the mountain this time—by no means let him escape! Otherwise, we'll face endless troubles in the future!" The young man in white robes inhaled deeply and spoke coldly. Then he launched himself toward the stone steps, followed closely by the five-colored peacock, who spread his wings and took flight.