"If it were merely a regular strike, receiving it would naturally pose no problem. But should he be willing to sacrifice some of his lifespan—or even summon his spiritual treasure—then Brother Han might not be able to remain unharmed. Yet, I believe Daoist Hu would not make a move that results in mutual defeat." Xiang Zhili furrowed his brows and spoke slowly. "Your words are most respectful, Brother Xiang. However, I suspect you may not be aware that, recently, Daoist Hu has obtained a rare treasure. It is said to possess power equal to or even surpassing that of a spiritual treasure. Yet, this treasure requires only a special ritual to be prepared beforehand, after which it can be used with ease. With only a slight coordination of his own qi, Hu's power becomes truly unimaginable. I believe he will definitely summon this treasure." Feng, the old monster, chuckled. "Indeed, something like this!" Xiang Zhili's face slightly changed, showing genuine interest. While Xiang and Zhili were still exchanging murmurs, the two figures facing each other in the sky finally took action. To the sight, the elder with the wooden crown flicked his sleeve, and a surge of emerald light shot forth, spiraling before settling into an object before him. It was a simple, ancient scroll, glowing with an eerie jade light, exuding an atmosphere of profound mystery. The old demon glanced coldly at Han Li across the way, then suddenly clasped his hands in seals, murmuring incantations. As the chants flowed, the scroll slowly unrolled. A shimmering jade glow danced across its surface, and faintly, several small green hills of varying sizes appeared—forming a beautiful landscape painting. Yet before the onlookers could fully appreciate the scroll's contents, a wave of green mist burst forth from it, swiftly engulfing the entire scroll. Immediately, a series of cries echoed through the mist, and eighteen beams of vivid green light rose skyward. An utterly astonishing scene unfolded! These beams of light dimmed as they reached the upper sky, and suddenly revealed one miniature mountain after another, each about a zhang high, lush and vibrant with emerald green hues, exuding a vibrant qi. The melodic calls emanated from within these small mountains. "Indeed—!" Han Li was startled. His previously relaxed expression grew serious, and without hesitation, he flipped his hands. Instantly, the two treasures he had been holding—first a green wooden ruler and then a small jade cauldron—rose into the air, hovering before him. With one hand, he tossed the wooden ruler forward. At once, a lotus bloom materialized, rapidly expanding into a magnificent silver lotus that shielded him from the front. The ruler gently rotated at the heart of the lotus, glowing with a bright green light. At the same time, Han Li lightly flicked the small jade cauldron. A clear chime rang out, and the lid of the cauldron shot upward, sending out a cascade of fine, delicate green threads. Under the spreading glow of the green light, a silken net, stretching over ten zhang in width, descended from the sky and enveloped Han Li within. Then Han Li once more pressed a series of gestures, and a shimmer of golden light flashed over his body, forming a radiant golden aura tightly adhering to his garments—precisely the Dharmakaya shield forged from Buddhist relics. After setting up three layers of the most powerful defenses, Han Li felt a sense of relief. Faced with this, the elder demon, Hū, calmly remarked, “Since you have prepared well, I shall now make my move.” As soon as he spoke, the elder demon emitted a low cry, pressed two sets of gestures, and a column of dark light erupted from his mouth, plunging directly into the green mist and vanishing. He poured his spiritual energy into the mist with great intensity, channeling it into the scrolls. A deep rumble followed, and the green mist surged violently, giving rise to eighteen columns of black light that shot skyward, each one penetrating and settling into one of the eighteen miniature mountains in the heavens. These small hills instantly radiated a vibrant jade glow, rapidly swelling in size. Within just a few breaths, they had transformed into massive beings, each reaching fifty to sixty zhang in height—now solid mountain peaks. The cries echoing within the mountains grew ever clearer and more resonant. Small, cypress apes, each about a foot in size, appeared and vanished subtly within the peaks, hinting at some hidden mystery. At the sight, the cultivators below were all astounded. Zi Ling herself grew increasingly concerned. "Go!" A surge of black mist rippled across the old demon's face. With a single hand movement, heavy as a thousand jin, he reached out into the void, and one of the small hills instantly trembled and flew across to the opposite side. As the old demon grew steadily more serious, he continued to grasp and send several more hills into motion. By the time he had done so, seven or eight of the hills roared forward, crashing directly toward Han Li's position. Such colossal formations—seven or eight alone—would be utterly beyond the reach of even an ordinary Yuanjing cultivator. Though still over a dozen peaks remained, the old demon exhaled deeply, his eyes dimming It was either that the old demon truly felt restrained, believing these peaks would give Han Li enough leverage, or that the sheer effort of seizing them consumed a significant amount of magical energy—something he was unwilling to expend. Han Li found himself momentarily stunned. Though he had anticipated a formidable effort from the other side, given the terms they had set, he hadn't expected the old demon to simply hurl several small mountains at him with such force. Beyond their potential magical properties, the sheer impact alone would have been unbearable—even with his spiritual artifacts shielding him, he could hardly withstand several such blows. And had there not been the prior agreement, he could have easily evaded them using his teleportation technique. But now, he was forced to stand his ground, motionless. Han Li's mouth tasted bitter, yet as his thoughts raced, he suddenly struck his waist with a single hand. Instantly, a streak of dark light shot forth, spiraling into the shape of a small black monkey, only a few inches tall—none other than the Ti Huo Beast! At the same time, a gentle shake of the sleeve sent a black small bottle soaring out. After the bottle's mouth was inverted, five humanoid skeletons emerged, propelled by a surge of gray-white magical energy—five spirits of harmonious unity. Han Li quickly pressed a series of hand seals and simultaneously sent a strong mental command. The little monkey's black glow flowed continuously, and its body rapidly expanded, transforming instantly into a colossal celestial ape towering over thirty zhang in height. With its two massive fists striking against its own chest, it roared in a thunderous, rolling cry that shattered the air, like a cascade of thunder. Then, with a sharp, powerful snort from its nostrils, a thick wave of golden-hued mist surged forth, coalescing into a large, yellowish mace. The ape raised its hand and effortlessly grasped the weapon, as if a celestial deity had descended. On the other side, the five skeletons also converged toward the center, swirling with magical energy and simultaneously transforming into a giant skeletal ape, each one holding a massive, luminous bone blade in hand. These two magnificent beings—one a spirit, one a creature—stood side by side on either side of Han Li. At almost the same time, the first small mountain crashed down with tremendous force. Before Han Li could react, both the skeleton and the giant ape launched their attacks. One suddenly inhaled deeply, raised his massive pike, and blocked it upward; the other lifted two bone-blades in hand and delivered a powerful, sharp cross-cut toward the sky. "Boom! Boom!" Two thunderous impacts echoed as the interwoven streams of luminous energy burst into splendor. The giant ape and the skeleton sank slightly, and the towering, emerald-green mountain peak, bearing its three massive weapons, momentarily slowed its descent—truly being held firm in mid-air. Han Li, who had just produced a fan of three colors, showed no sign of satisfaction. A series of further thunderous sounds followed, and several more small mountains continued to press down, all converging on the same spot and stacking upon one another. As a result, even with Ti Hun and the skeleton greatly enlarged and wielding extraordinary divine strength, they were utterly unable to withstand the cumulative pressure. As the third great roar echoed, the colossal ape trembled violently, its spectral ghostly faces on its back dimming, and the yellow great pike in its hands cracked and shattered inch by inch. At the same time, the ape's form suddenly shrank within the black glow, reducing to just a few zhang in height. Without the ape's support, the skeleton's strength naturally grew weaker. When the fourth roar came, the bone-blade in the skeleton's hands snapped with two crisp cracks, and the four great mountains pressed down without mercy. The dark mass instantly enveloped the skeleton beneath. Seeing this, even though it had always been exceptionally fierce, the giant skeleton now showed a hint of fear. Han Li was startled, and with a motion of his hand, he raised his three-flame fan to launch it skyward. Yet at this very moment, something unexpected occurred that surprised Han Li. A deep, resonant sound, "pffft," accompanied a roar from the skeleton transformed into the five demons. A surge of five-colored flames erupted from its mouth and struck the base of the lowest emerald mountain. A vast expanse of five-colored light streaks burst forth, causing the mountain that had been plummeting to descend at only a fraction of its original speed. However, the subsequent mountains remained unaffected by the five-colored light flames and continued to press down forcefully. Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed through the sky, and to everyone's astonishment, the four mountains collided with one another mid-air, erupting a magnificent surge of emerald light that shimmered like the noon sun. Beneath this emerald glow, the five-colored flames swayed and rolled, as though gently supporting and lifting the radiant light. The contrast between the two scenes was breathtakingly beautiful. Han Li stood in awe. Though he was aware that when the five polar cold flames combined, they generated a unique and unusual ability, he had never imagined such a powerful effect—capable of influencing even such massive objects. At a distance, the elder wizard Hū, upon witnessing this spectacle, grew serious. With a subtle mental command, two of the four mountains behind him paused in mid-air and then fell simultaneously, fully submerging into the emerald light. This time, a more intense roar erupted. The space rippled and twisted, and Cuiyang pressed down with renewed vigor. The five-colored light halos surged violently, fracturing into scattered fragments and dissipating. Yet Han Li had already activated his spell, and the massive skeleton instantly transformed into five streams of white vapor, scattering upward. A sound of phoenix flight resonated from below, as a three-colored fire bird surged forth from the San-Yan fan and crashed into Cuiyang’s path. A luminous aura, spanning dozens of zhang in diameter, burst apart, momentarily slowing Cuiyang’s descent. The two light forms intertwined in the air, though clearly the three-colored flames were beginning to falter and soon resumed their downward fall. Han Li’s eyes flashed, and with a single gesture, he pointed to the small blue cauldron atop his head. The protective blue silk net, now shimmering with a sudden flash, transformed into a dense, misty aura of blue light and surged upward. As this aura merged with the three-colored glow, it finally managed to temporarily support the descending Cuiyang’s brilliance. But as the other two peaks also descended one after another, the翠芒once again slowly pressed down. Han Li took a deep breath, then swept his sleeve across the silver lotus before him. The massive lotus swayed and vanished mid-air. Yet the very next moment, a flash of seven-colored Buddhist light appeared above Han Li's head, and the silver lotus reappeared. As the green small ruler at the heart of the lotus spun around, the lotus surged outward once more. (First chapter!