At the very moment Han Li released his flying sword, "If I cut off that black wolf's head, I can temporarily drive away the ancient magic immortal's fragment. I'm certain of this—wouldn't that be a case of making things more complicated than necessary? Why hasn't Long Meng gone to claim the body first?" "Rest assured. Since the magic is now controlled by the Ban-Magic Ring, it means not only is the magic within the beast's body unable to escape the ring's grasp, but even its spirit soul cannot depart from the wolf's head. As long as the spirit soul temporarily separates from the body, I'm confident I can reclaim the original form. As for Long Meng, though her spiritual awareness is unparalleled, she lacks a weapon infused with Bing Metal. Ordinary treasures are utterly ineffective against the silver wolf's body. Moreover, she would be hesitant to compete for control of the body while the body is filled with magic energy—she'd surely be at a disadvantage. Indeed, she would likely suffer a decisive defeat. Of course, this was precisely what she hadn't anticipated—how could she have easily given up such an opportunity to pursue something like the Heavenly Spiritual Treasure, when the Master possesses so many flying swords infused with Bing Metal?" Hearing this, Han Li took a deep breath and decided no longer to hesitate. After all, Yin Yue was his spirit artifact; if he could reclaim his body and greatly enhance his strength, he would be more than willing to do so. At once, he pressed his palms together in a series of gestures, and all the flying swords surged upward, converging into a single, brilliant golden sword. With one hand, he gently touched the great sword. Instantly, a deep rumbling thunder echoed, golden electric arcs shimmered around the sword, and at the tip, a burst of silver light erupted, revealing a silver wolf's head that then vanished. Yin Yue had now directly manifested as part of the great sword—both to amplify its power and so that, after a single strike severed the black wolf's head, she could immediately enter the wolf's body. With a further surge of the spell, the great sword swayed and transformed into a golden arc, slicing through the magical aura. As it passed, flashes of lightning illuminated the path, and the dark mist was instantly dispersed and shattered. After a few swift movements, the sword reached the space above the altar, where it delivered a decisive strike against the motionless giant wolf. The astonishing move of Jin Jian naturally caused the human and spirit-bound beings, who had been locked in a fierce struggle over the two spiritual treasures, to pause in surprise. Upon seeing this, the "Hua Tian Qi" taking on the form of Long Meng first gasped, then smirked with a cold expression. She naturally did not believe that a mere mid-stage Yuan Ying stage flying sword could possibly wound this silver wolf's body at all. Yet, just as this thought formed in her mind, an even more astonishing scene unfolded below. As the massive sword descended with great force, poised to cleave the black wolf's neck squarely, the wolf that had seemed completely motionless suddenly leapt upward, perfectly avoiding the path of the sword's blade. All the cultivators, including Han Li, were left speechless. "It's not a feint!" exclaimed Xuan Qingzi, suddenly startled. "The magic that restrains the beast has not truly bound it!" Master Qi's face was also pale, yet he remained undaunted, urgently pressing hand seals and muttering incantations to once again activate the five emerald rings on the giant wolf's body. At once, the five rings glowed brightly and shrank, tightening their hold. But this time, the black wolf's head lowered slightly, gazing at the circular rings upon its body, and a hint of scorn flashed in its eyes. It did not emit a single cry of distress; instead, its four legs suddenly stamped firmly upon the altar beneath. Immediately, a deep, inky glow surged outward from the wolf, enveloping the giant creature, then vanished as if it had been imbued with spirit, fully merging into the immense wolf form. In an instant, the once-lustrous silver fur of the silver wolf dimmed, turning dark—except for the other silver wolf's head, all other parts of its body had turned completely black. "Magical transformation! When exactly did this transformation complete?" Seeing this scene, the celestial figure "Hua Tian Qi" in the sky instantly turned pale, his face filled with disbelief. At the same time, the black wolf lifted its neck, exhaling concentric waves of black ripples from its mouth. These ripples emerged silently, appearing utterly powerless. Yet, as soon as the five emerald rings on the wolf's body came within the reach of the black waves, their luminous glow flickered and then shattered, one by one—transforming the five magic-muting rings into nothingness in an instant. The golden great sword, which had previously missed its target and spiraled back into the air, suddenly reacted as if struck by a venomous scorpion, rushing straight toward its origin. The wolf emitted a piercing, mournful howl; the previously dispersed magical aura instantly coalesced and surged again, tightly encircling the sword, attempting to trap it. Han Li's face grew pale with alarm. Without hesitation, he swiftly activated a sword technique with one hand, shouting a command at the sword embedded within the magical aura. A surge of divine-protective lightning erupted from the sword, revealing a massive golden arc that soon exploded with a thunderous roar, completely shattering. Countless fine electric arcs flew and flashed wildly, causing the central magical aura to dissolve and vanish as if crumbling, revealing a vast open space. The magical auras farther away were now riddled with wounds and extremely sparse. The imprisoned great sword seized this opportunity, emitting a resonant hum, transforming into a golden arch that pierced through the remaining magical aura and instantly returned to Han Li's side. "Such a number of divine-protecting thunderbolts?" the great wolf, witnessing this, could not help but express mild astonishment, gazing at Han Li with deep intensity. Though Han Li maintained a composed expression, he felt a sudden surge of awe within. The strange black waves expelled from the wolf's mouth, though formidable, clearly lacked speed and could not reach far—by the time they moved beyond thirty paces from the wolf's body, they began to dissipate and vanish. At this moment, the seven-skill master and the other cultivators all felt a cold sweat break out on their backs, silently murmuring their relief. Indeed, the Yuan-Sha Sage's incarnation was remarkably cunning! Though he could easily have shattered the magical seals encircling his body, he deliberately feigned weakness, collapsing to the ground, Had it not been for Han Li's accidental strike earlier, which had forced the creature to reveal its true form, they would have likely suffered serious injuries—or even deaths—just from the sacred artifacts. At that point, the remaining members would have been severely drained, utterly unable to withstand this demon. Now, they exchange glances and instantly disperse like a single rainbow. Though the celestial treasures are indeed rare, no one is certain they can subdue them within a short time. Thus, it is clear that they must first deal with the stronger foe. At this moment, the giant wolf flashes a cold gaze from its purple eyes, lifts its paw, and sweeps it across the empty space to one side. Five streaks of paw-light, each stretching a few zhang in length, surge forth and vanish almost immediately. Immediately afterward, a woman's cry of agony is heard. The others turn in surprise. They see that, at the edge of the demon's aura, the wood lady—engaged in a struggle with her master and sister, using her golden loom—was caught off guard and suddenly severed from waist to chest by the paw-spark that appeared right beside her. Even her protective silk scarf and her body's spiritual glow failed to offer any resistance The Yuan Ying immediately darted out of the lifeless body, hesitating briefly to gaze at the golden loom floating in the sky, as if intending to summon the treasure back before fleeing again. But in that brief pause, the young woman was utterly trapped. A surge of magical energy rippled around her, suddenly coalescing into a massive black hand that snapped toward her Yuan Ying. Startled, the Yuan Ying tried to instantaneously teleport away, yet at that very moment, the distant giant wolf suddenly let out a piercing, sharp cry. The cry was so sharp and intense that upon hearing it, the Yuan Ying's inner qi instantly froze, losing control and being seized by the black hand, which then pulled her back—she vanished instantly, swallowed whole by the swirling magical energy. "Stop!" Seeing this scene, the originally composed and serene Xuan Qingzi, with his Taoist grace and calm demeanor, suddenly turned ashen-faced. With a thunderous cry of shock and fury, he poured his entire inner power into his ancient sword, simultaneously wielding it to strike relentlessly downward. In an instant, the old Taoist master's Tian' a Shén Jì sword transformed into a multitude of sword shadows, forming a towering mountain of deep yellow swordlight that pressed down with astonishing force—seeming determined to save the Mu Lady's immaterial essence at all costs. Seeing this, Han Li was momentarily stunned. Yet the others naturally welcomed the old master taking the lead in such a determined effort. After exchanging a glance, Huā Tiān Qí and the Shī Xióng each unleashed a beam of bloodlight and a white giant hand, attacking downward from either side simultaneously. The Seven-Perfection Master, observing the old master's resolute demeanor, slightly furrowed his brows, then recalled some old tales concerning both the Mu Lady and the old master, his face taking on a touch of puzzlement. Yet after a brief thought, he merely waved his hand and suddenly produced a small drum, about half a foot in diameter. This drum is a deep, vibrant crimson, with subtle crimson glimmers radiating across its surface—seeming as though forged from blazing flame. As soon as it appeared, the temperature within a radius of several dozen zhang surged dramatically, instantly causing all humans and immortals within its influence to feel parched, as if standing beside a furnace. "Hengming Drum," exclaimed Lin Yinping, who had slightly suffered setbacks during the earlier contest for spiritual treasures, her face filled with astonishment. The Xu-family youth, embodied in a spirit-qi peacock, circled above her head, its eyes likewise reflecting surprise. The middle-aged scholar single-handedly supported his small drum, then suddenly turned and said directly to Han Li. Han Li's eyes narrowed slightly at this. At that moment, the astonishing sword aura released by the old monk collided with the rising magical energy below. A thunderous roar erupted instantly. The sword light and magical energy intertwined and merged, creating a stalemate. As Hu Tianqi's white hands and Shi Xiong's blood-bladed attacks joined the scene, the giant wolf opened its mouth and expelled a series of dark, luminous columns that effortlessly countered both. Moreover, the giant wolf, now entirely black, suddenly shook its head and expelled two dark, solid masses from its mouth. Upon landing, these masses immediately rolled once within the magical energy, transforming into two magical beings with eagle bodies and human forms. These two monsters appeared as young men, save for their dark eagle-like wings, a hooked nose on their noses, and a large black sword held in each hand. As they spread their wings, they surged directly toward the silver-winged yaksha and the lion-fowl beast already halfway destroyed a stone pillar at a distance. Before they even reached the two creatures, they swept their black blades, sending a continuous stream of dark blade sparks straight at the two monsters. (Second chapter!