The sword formation was already fully set up within moments. With a surge of his spiritual power, Han Li caused countless shimmering golden threads to emerge simultaneously along the edges of a hundred and twenty zhang diameter range, centered on the blood-red giant sword, gradually converging toward the center. Though the Long family cultivators did not know the origin of the Dageng Sword Formation, they were nonetheless struck by its grandeur. After exchanging glances, the cultivator who had been handling the blood-scroll suddenly pressed two palms together, and the scroll in mid-air swiftly turned several pages, launching ten crimson spectral figures with a whoosh toward Han Li. Though they did not believe Han Li truly capable of destroying the blood-red giant sword, they certainly did not wish to allow him—so unimpeded—to launch such direct attacks upon it. The crimson spectral figures appeared hazy and indistinct, their bodies flashing with red light as they gradually took form near Han Li. Yet, with a sharp exhalation, Han Li merely rubbed his palms together and then raised them suddenly. Following a series of thunderclaps, a dozen golden arcs shot out unexpectedly, flashing briefly before striking the crimson shadows. Most of the spectral figures screamed as they were instantly extinguished in the golden light, while the remainder, though still a few, also cried out and recoiled in dismay. Indeed, these spectral beings—magical creatures summoned and controlled by cultivators at the Lingxu stage—were generally formidable when facing ordinary cultivators. They were unshaken by sword strikes, axe blows, fire, or water immersion, making them among the most difficult opponents for regular cultivators to handle. However, due to their dense magical aura, they were effectively neutralized by Han Li's Bixie Divine Thunder. This was especially true now, as Han Li's cultivation had advanced significantly, and his Bixie Divine Thunder now far surpassed its former power—when he had first encountered it in the human realm. Otherwise, even with their formidable abilities, these spectral beings might have been able to withstand a direct hit from Han Li's Yuanying-period Divine Thunder. Han Li's display of this technique sent the other four combatants involved into a fresh state of astonishment. But this time, Han Li did not wait for the Long family cultivators to summon any more objects. Suddenly, the Ti-Hun beast at his side snorted, and a surge of azure light erupted, swiftly advancing to counterattack the seven red-haired demons who were engaged in a chaotic struggle with the white-robed young woman. Though these seven demons possessed considerable prowess, they were no match for the formless Ghost King. Upon being enveloped by the azure light, three of them instantly transformed into crimson mist and were absorbed whole into the Ti-Hun beast’s body. The remaining four, sensing the danger, instantly teleported to a distance of over a hundred paces, narrowly escaping. As a result, the white-robed young woman broke free. She was delighted, glanced briefly at the blood-red giant sword encircled by countless golden threads, and then at the Long family’s dual cultivators, and immediately, without hesitation, accelerated the rotation of the five unique treasures before her, joining the battle on Ye Chu’s side. Originally, even with the combined efforts of the two Long family cultivators, they could only barely contain Ye Chu. Now, with the addition of the white-robed maiden and her five treasures, the five shimmering light halos activated simultaneously, instantly merging with the green spiritual glow emitted by Ye Chu, and pressing the surrounding purple mist back step by step. For a moment, the two cultivators paid no attention to Han Li's side, and immediately summoned another red small drum and a blue iron ruler each. As the red drum resonated, a host of crimson ghost bees materialized within the mist, buzzing and swarming toward the two. Meanwhile, the blue iron ruler spun and danced through the air, suddenly cleaving open the nearby void and lifting out a colossal octopus-like eight-armed monster, whose eight massive tentacles promptly swept toward Ye Chu and her two companions. Thus, the two Long family cultivators were able to stabilize the situation just barely. On the other side, the Ti Hun beast summoned its divine soul light, directly pursuing the four escaped evil spirits. The two parties chased each other through the sky, yet neither managed to secure a decisive victory immediately. Han Li, seeing this, finally felt at ease and continued to urge the Dageng Sword Array. Without any disturbance from Long family cultivators, he wouldn't believe that the power of the sword array couldn't overcome such an artifact. Freed from all other concerns, the Dageng Sword Array finally revealed its true strength—the dense network of golden threads gradually converged and finally made contact with the Blood Sword. The countless golden threads slicing across the massive blade emitted a harsh, metallic scraping sound. The sword itself flashed with brilliant luminescence, its golden and crimson glows interwoven, radiating beams of swordlight from both sides, seemingly resisting the golden threads. Yet soon, the Blood Sword suddenly emitted a long, resonant cry and surged upward, attempting to break free from the array. However, in the sky, the golden threads became denser and more numerous. As soon as the giant sword rose several feet, it burst forth with an even more brilliant radiance and was forcefully pushed back. In the end, the precious artifact could only endure the array's relentless power, struggling to hold on. Though this sword possessed the might of a spiritual treasure, on its own, relying solely on its inherent powers, it could not endure for long without a master to guide it. Within moments, the luminous aura of the blood sword began to fade under the relentless, tidal waves of golden threads slicing through it, and it emitted a plaintive cry. Meanwhile, the golden threads forming the sword array seemed endless, growing finer and brighter with each passing moment—clearly, the array's power had surpassed its earlier strength. From afar, the four observers saw this development. The two members of the Long family were startled, swiftly switching several secret techniques to summon and activate their spectral demons and demonic beings, attempting to impede Han Li's advance. Yet the white-robed young lady and Ye Chu were overjoyed, unleashing all their reserves of power without reservation, tightly ensnaring both opponents and the surrounding spirits and demons. While defeating the Long family's dual cultivation practitioners might have posed a challenge, merely holding them in place was far more manageable. Thus, despite their fury, the Long family's dual cultivators could only address the immediate threat at hand. The blood-crystal Mohe sword spirit shimmered, its brilliance seemingly being gradually worn down by the power of the sword formation. Suddenly, Han Li heard Long Dong's voice, strained with suppressed anger, transmitting through the air: "Han brother, are you really going to ruin my plans? If you destroy this sword, you'll never be on equal footing with our Long family again. Do you really think the Ye family can protect you for long?" Han Li, however, merely continued to focus on his hand seals and accelerated the sword formation, paying no attention at all. "If you're willing to give me a chance, the Ye family can offer you certain terms—I can double those benefits for you," Long Dong said, quickly shifting his tone and adding a touch of earnest appeal. Han Li chuckled softly, a subtle coldness playing at the corners of his lips, yet still showed no intention of stopping. In Longdong, after observing that Han Li showed no reaction to his words, he ceased transmitting any further messages. Yet the Blood Sword within the sword formation remained suspended in midair, motionless, as countless golden threads continuously slashed across its surface. When even the final spark of vitality on the sword's surface had finally faded and dispersed, a series of slender, fine streaks gradually appeared across the massive blade. Though each streak was not particularly deep, under the relentless, dense cutting of so many threads, the great sword soon became marred with numerous wounds, as if it were about to be completely destroyed. Han Li was momentarily stunned by this sight. However, after a few flashes of his gaze, he suddenly recalled something, his face turning pale as he roared aloud and instantly launched himself backward in a streak of jade-green light, completely abandoning his role as the commander of the sword formation. At the same moment, the Blood Sword emitted resonant sounds of dragon and phoenix calls, and then, with a tremendous explosion, burst apart. From within, a brilliant, scorching sun of white light emerged, radiating countless white flashes outward. The golden filaments within the sword formation shattered instantly upon contact with the white radiance. Within just one breath, the area of the blazing sun expanded countless times, spreading over hundreds of zhang, and even affecting nearby combat groups such as the Long family's dual cultivation practitioners and the white-robed maiden. The four were startled. Fortunately, they had originally been at a distance from the Blood Sword's position, allowing them to summon their powers in time and instantly teleport away from the scene. The power of a top-tier, transcendental divine artifact's self-explosion was likely something even a cultivator at the Consolidated Stage could only barely withstand. Had Han Li not been exceptionally alert, he would have fled even earlier, and his fate under the full force of the explosion would have been nothing short of complete vaporization and the disintegration of his spirit. Now, standing hundreds of zhang away from the white blaze, Han Li's face was pale as he gazed steadily toward the direction of the explosion. Although he had immediately retrieved all the flying swords during his retreat, several dozen of them were slightly affected by the blast, sustaining damage to their spiritual essence. It seemed he would have to recover and retrain later on. This was precisely why the Qingzhu Fengyun Sword had incorporated so many rare materials—such as crystallized essences—otherwise, a regular flying sword would not merely suffer damage to its spiritual essence; it might even be completely shattered with the spirit dispersed. At this moment, Han Li's eyes flashed with a steady blue glow, fixed intently on the spot ahead. While the blazing sun was utterly unbearable to others, he could now see clearly. Suddenly, his expression shifted, and his wings behind him unfurled, transforming into a clear white electric arc that vanished in place. Yet, a moment later, Han Li appeared strangely in a different section of the void, his hand reaching out downward as if grasping the air. Five bone-ringed bracelets emerged from his fingers, only to vanish again instantly. From the tips of his fingers, five jets of intensely cold flames burst forth, then coalesced into vibrant, multicolored flames that spread and enveloped a wide area beneath. A soft "pffft," and a blood-shadow several cun long suddenly materialized amidst the flames—revealing a five-clawed crimson dragon, its entire body vividly red. Yet within its mouth, it clutched firmly a fragmented blood phoenix, which had lost half its body, the remaining portion motionless, as if its spirit had already faded entirely. In the cold flames, the dragon appeared shy and hesitant, constantly peering around, clearly having used the cover of its own self-explosion to attempt concealment and escape. But it had never anticipated that Han Li possessed the divine sight of the Ming and Qing dynasties—its form was instantly revealed, and Han Li then unleashed a cascade of five-colored cold flames, trapping the dragon within. Now encased in the five-colored cold flames, the dragon's movements had slowed by over tenfold, every action sluggish and delayed. A flash of cold light in its eyes, followed by a single hand gesture, caused the five-colored flames to surge backward and tightly encircle the dragon, sealing it completely. And as Han Li spoke, a sphere of azure light enveloped the Shitu Treasure Cauldron and shot it forth. With a surge of the Tongbao Technique, the smaller cauldron instantly swelled several times, growing to several feet in size. At the same time, the lid rose on its own, releasing countless streams of azure silk that surged straight toward the blood dragon below. (Second chapter!)*