Han Li's inner qi surged wildly. The great sword emitted a brilliant glow, trembling and instantly transforming into a golden dragon-like streak of light that spiraled through the air before plunging downward with a fierce strike. A thunderous roar echoed as the golden streak split the massive copper pillar in two. The towering, emerald-and-crimson pillar, like clay, was severed in half and collapsed heavily to either side, creating the impression of heaven splitting and the earth cracking. Some members of the Inverse Star Alliance still aboard the nearby spiritual vessels hurriedly ascended, their vessels in hand. The magnitude of the commotion caused both parties' cultivators to turn and gaze in surprise. Han Li, now floating motionless in the air with his robes fluttering, was immediately noticed by the onlookers. Upon seeing him, everyone either grew pale with alarm or burst out in joyful exclamations—displaying two completely contrasting reactions. Of course, not all had the opportunity to turn and look immediately. For instance, the man and woman standing within one of the battle groups that Kun Li is now gazing at are completely oblivious to the thunderous commotion, being tightly surrounded by five massive ghost-headed beings, their voices rising in furious protest. Remarkably, the blue magical aura and rose-colored mist emitted by the two blue-family demons are precisely counteracted by the gray-white magical flames spewed out by the five demons, leaving them only able to fend off the onslaught. Observing this, the elderly Zhao-family elder and the purple-robed gentleman are both astonished and delighted, and promptly hasten to activate several of their own treasures, joining the assault on the blue-family demons. As for the dozen golden insect-clouds released by Kun Li, they are currently exerting overwhelming dominance. Guided by Kun Li's focused attention, these insect-clouds specifically target the reverse-star alliance cultivators below the Yuan Ying stage. Wherever they pass, a resonant hum follows, and upon striking their heads with a sudden surge of the insect-clouds, any protective magical artifacts or法宝 instantly dissolve into fragments under the brilliant golden flashes. In this brief moment, no fewer than dozens of cultivators were completely devoured by the gold-devouring insects. As a result, the cultivators of the Nixing Alliance near by grew wildly disordered—everywhere the insect cloud passed, they reacted as if encountering venomous scorpions, retreating three paces each. With Han Li's subsequent strike that shattered the heart of the Wind-Heaven-Fire-Endless Array, the Nixing Alliance cultivators were deeply shaken, their morale plummeting to its lowest point. On the spot, several cultivators began to flee, initially just a few, then a dozen or so, and soon surged into dozens and even hundreds, scattering in all directions. Even without Han Li's direct intervention, the collapse of the Nixing Alliance was now inevitable. Even the elderly man named Long and the elder woman, sensing the situation was dire, promptly abandoned their opponents and vanished into two streaks of light. The Blue Twin Evils clearly sensed the growing peril, suddenly consecutively summoning several powerful artifacts, channeling their energy to trigger self-explosions, which enabled them to temporarily repel the Five Evils, break free from the encirclement, and begin a multi-prong At this sight, Han Li's brow furrowed, and then, with no hesitation, his wings behind him shook once—by the time the movement was complete, he had vanished. The next moment, the two blue-family demons who had just escaped the five ghosts' encirclement heard a deep rumble from ahead. A streak of emerald light flashed, and suddenly Han Li appeared, materializing in a most eerie fashion, gazing calmly at the two demons, now exactly blocking the path of the couple. Upon making eye contact with Han Li's utterly expressionless gaze, the two demons felt their hearts sink. Yet both were well-established magicians of the demonic sect, and certainly would not remain passive. After exchanging a glance, they simultaneously raised their hands, releasing several magical artifacts of varying colors, and then shifted their forms, employing their demonic techniques to launch a fierce assault. A subtle aura of determination stirred on Han Li's brow. ...Several days later, the entire Luan Xing Sea was abuzz. The life-or-death battle between the Star Palace and the Reverse Star Alliance had not only taken place far earlier than expected, but also, to the astonishment of most observers, ended in a decisive victory for the former Not only did Wan Tianming of the Wan Fa Sect perish in this battle, but numerous high-ranking cultivators of the Reverse Star Alliance also fell. Even the formidable ancient demons, the "Blue Twin Demons" from several centuries ago, were easily eliminated by the Star Palace forces. Naturally, the name Han Li became widely known throughout the Chaotic Star Sea as a result of this campaign. Even the fact that Han Li, before he had condensed his Yuanjing, had once entered the Xutian Hall, obtained the Xutian Immortal Cauldron, and was subsequently pursued and hunted down by the Reverse Star Alliance, came to light. Many ordinary cultivators in the Chaotic Star Sea were left marveling at this remarkable tale. However, with Han Li's growing reputation, no Yuanjing elder would now dare to risk his life in pursuit of the Cauldron. Over the following months, the Star Palace dispatched successive waves of troops, gradually reclaiming their lost territories and relentlessly pursuing the retreating high-ranking cultivators of the Reverse Star Alliance, ultimately advancing all the way to the Reverse Star Alliance's ancestral stronghold. The other Yuan-Stage elders of Nixing Alliance naturally wouldn't accept simply retreating and fleeing. With a determined resolve, they organized another group of forces and engaged in yet another fierce battle at both the Nixing Alliance's main hall and the Star Palace. This time, without the presence of any Yuan-Stage late-stage cultivators to support them, the Nixing Alliance suffered even more devastating losses. Though they deployed three Yuan-Stage mid-stage cultivators together to confront Han Li, Han Li effortlessly eliminated two of them. The third cultivator, relying on a secret technique, managed to escape with his life, though his body was severed into two halves by a single sword strike—making it likely that even if he succeeded in taking over a host body later, his inner energy would never fully recover. As a result, within just half a year, the Star Palace successfully reclaimed its control over the Inner Star Sea, and all other regional and smaller powers expressed renewed submission. Ling Yuling seized this opportunity to begin recruiting and integrating the mid- and lower-level cultivators who had fled from the Nixing Alliance, while continuing to pursue and eliminate only the very few Yuan-Stage elders of the Nixing Alliance. Thus, the Inverse Star Alliance began to crumble from within. In a matter of moments, what had once been a vast and mighty alliance had dwindled down to mere withered yellow flowers. Half a year later, deep within the mountain cradle of Tianxing City's Sacred Mountain, a man and a woman walked side by side along a long corridor. The corridor was entirely crafted from pure, lustrous jade, smooth as a mirror, appearing spotless and immaculate. The woman was beautiful and graceful, while the man was ordinary in appearance—none other than Han Li and the current sovereign of the Star Palace, Ling Yuling. "The Yuanmagnetic Mountain is placed in such a location. Truly, it must be terrifying—so much so that even you are afraid to approach it?" Han Li, walking slightly behind, gazed at the jade walls nearby, his voice soft and calm. "It's not merely terrifying. Should any cultivator below the Yuan婴 stage come near, their inner energy will immediately be reversed, threatening their very lives. Only cultivators at or above the Yuan婴 stage can linger near the Yuanmagnetic Mountain for a while, though even then, prolonged exposure will still impair their cultivation level." Ling Yuling bowed her head slightly, smiling and said, "With your words, I am now even more curious about this Yuanmagnetic Mountain. I truly have no idea how it was originally discovered." Han Li's eyes flashed with a touch of emotion. "Actually, I heard this from my father. During one of his journeys overseas, he personally witnessed the mountain erupt from a seafloor volcano. To move it, my father exerted tremendous effort—so much so that several of his Disciplinary Stage disciples suffered significant setbacks in their cultivation. After my parents eventually mastered the Yuanmagnetic Divine Light, they began to gradually refine and transform the mountain into a treasure, but the process took far too long. Even by the time they passed away, only half of the mountain had been fully integrated." Ling Yuling explained carefully to Han Li. "Heh, if the refinement is truly successful, perhaps both of your parents will be free from the constraints of this mountain and no longer confined to this single location." Han Li chuckled softly. This time, the young lady only offered a slight smile, saying nothing on the subject. But as she turned the corner, she paused. At the entrance of the corridor, a massive jade gate of vivid emerald color stood revealed, its surface densely covered with colorful sealing talismans that shimmered brilliantly. "Here is where they lived and practiced during their lifetimes," said Ling Yuling, "several specially arranged seals, carefully laid by my parents, serve to block the five elemental energies of this meta-magnetic mountain." As she spoke, she lifted her slender wrist, and a snow-white jade plaque floated gently into her palm. With a gentle motion, she aligned it toward the jade gate and lightly waved it. At once, a cascade of white mist threads shot forth from the plaque, swiftly sweeping away the talismans on the gate. The once calm and silent gate suddenly trembled violently, then emitted a low hum, and began to sway as a whole. A look of seriousness appeared on her face. Suddenly, she opened her mouth and expelled a blue jade hook. This hook was truly marvelous—once it moved, it transformed into a vibrant blue arc that swayed up and down, shielding Ling Yuling within its embrace. Then, turning her head toward Han Li, she straightened her expression and said, "Only the artifacts without the Five Elements are least affected by this disturbance. Even though Brother Han possesses great abilities, he must remain vigilant upon entering the mountain's domain." "Friend Ling, please rest assured—I will certainly manage," Han Li replied with a gentle smile. Without any visible movement, a sudden flash of golden light rippled over him, and a radiant golden aura materialized around him. It was precisely the Golden Aura he had cultivated—the very essence of which indeed fell outside the Five Elements. Ling Yuling was momentarily stunned, then smiled warmly. Raising her hand, she raised the jade tablet into the air, and a series of melodious incantations flowed gently from her lips. The tablet trembled, and a series of symbols of varying colors burst forth from its surface, vanishing seamlessly into the emerald jade gate. The previously resonant Jade Gate suddenly ceased its hum and slowly unfolded outward, revealing a luminous milky glow—suggesting a spacious interior. At the very instant the gate opened, Han Li was overwhelmed by an eerie, unsettling sensation that pressed upon him. As he stiffened in surprise, his refined wooden spiritual energy surged suddenly, rushing wildly through his meridians like a wild stallion. Fortunately, he had anticipated this development. He quickly recited several rounds of the Qingyuan Sword Technique, successfully restraining the energy surge and restoring calm within his body. Han Li's expression remained composed, yet his mind was filled with growing astonishment. This had occurred even with the protection of his Jade Body Shield. Without such shielding, even he would have sustained a significant setback. He could only imagine the fate of ordinary cultivators approaching this mountain. With this thought, Han Li glanced over at Ling Yuling beside him. To her credit, though she had the jade hook protecting her, she had experienced a surge of qi and blood just now, her porcelain complexion tinged with a delicate rosy hue. For a moment, she appeared extraordinarily graceful and alluring! (Second chapter!)