Clearly, the young lady was aware of her situation. Though none of the three had spoken a word, it was evident that whoever arrived at the palace first would naturally secure the treasure first. In that case, compared to Shi Kun, her own chances seemed truly slim. Yet even under such circumstances, Liu Shui'er was far from completely helpless. With a brief thought, she flipped her palm and produced several scrolls of varying colors in her fingers—one yellowish, one shimmering silver, and one deep crimson. With a soft "puff," "puff," "puff," the three scrolls instantly struck the young lady’s delicate form, releasing three distinct beams of light that flashed and vanished into her body. Immediately, waves of golden-yellow, silvery, and crimson luminous energy spread out over Liu Shui'er, radiating an impressive aura. These three scrolls were actually distinct auxiliary scrolls, each capable of enhancing the practitioner's physical strength in different ways—such as through strength or meridian vitality. With the combined benefits of these three abilities, the woman no longer hesitated and stepped steadily upward toward the mountain. Han Li observed the scene without any noticeable expression of surprise. While auxiliary scrolls were indeed remarkable, they were often considered rather underwhelming for high-level cultivators. Ordinary cultivators who primarily focused on refining their spiritual energy naturally showed little interest in such physical-enhancing scrolls, as they rarely found themselves needing them during combat. For cultivators whose primary focus was on physical cultivation, scrolls akin to "Jingang Scrolls"—which bolster physical strength—were often seen as merely supplementary, since their own bodies had already been significantly strengthened. Indeed, even with the most advanced auxiliary scrolls, it was rare for a single scroll to enhance a cultivator's physical strength by several fold. Even rare, advanced auxiliary talismans that could enhance a physical cultivator's strength by a mere few percent were considered exceptional. Thus, ordinary cultivators, no matter how many auxiliary talismans they applied, still found the resulting effects significantly inferior to those of a physically strong cultivator. Han Li, himself well-versed in the art of talismans, was fully aware of all this and remained indifferent, proceeding steadily and calmly up the steps. The three of them moved one after another, maintaining a slight distance between each other as they ascended toward the summit. At first, despite the growing strength of the enchantments emanating from the stone steps, which made it possible for Liu Shui'er and Shi Kunming to simply pause and momentarily counteract the suction force, both of them chose to press on without hesitation. Together, they managed to reach one-third of the mountain path. By this point, however, Han Li and his companions found themselves in a very different situation. The foremost stone figure, Shi Kun, had steady and powerful legs driving him forward, yet his chest slightly rose and fell, and faint traces of sweat began to appear on his forehead. In the middle, Han Li's skin gradually turned to a pale golden hue, yet his expression remained calm and composed, showing no sign of strain at all. As for the cloaked woman at the rear, though her face was barely visible, it was clear that her steps were growing slower and slower, and each step caused her body to tremble subtly. The three-color spiritual lights radiating from her flickered intermittently, as though they might vanish at any moment. Clearly, even with the spiritual seals protecting her, she could not sustain this much longer. Liu Shui'er herself was fully aware of the situation, her eyes repeatedly flashing with a sense of helplessness. After advancing another two or three hundred steps, the cloaked woman finally sighed softly, pausing her feet momentarily. Han Li did not turn around; his spiritual awareness sensed everything, and though his face slightly shifted, he showed no sign of stopping. Then Shi Kun and Han Li advanced another thousand steps, finally reaching the midpoint of the entire mountain path. Sweat began to roll down Shi Kun's face. With every step he took, the ground trembled slightly, and his yellow glow flashed continuously, no longer showing any signs of ease. The sturdy man from the Shi Jian clan had been constantly observing Han Li with his divine awareness. At this moment, aside from his golden aura becoming slightly more intense, Han Li's expression and movements remained unchanged from when they first began ascending—seeming completely unaffected by the restrictions beneath his feet. "Could it be that this man is also a high-level body-tempering cultivator, with a more robust physical strength than even myself!" Shi Kun was growing increasingly astonished. After resting a little longer, Liu Shui'er took some pills to restore her strength and then resumed her steps forward. Han Li's mind raced, feeling his legs grow increasingly sluggish, as if an immense suction force—like that of Mount Tai—were pressing down on his feet. A faint, resonant cracking sound emanated from his bones throughout his body, clearly indicating the immense strain on his physical form. As Shi Kun's pace dramatically slowed, Han Li maintained a steady stride, finally catching up to the Han man after a cup of tea's worth of time, walking side by side with him. Han Li merely turned his head, offered a calm, gentle smile to the drenched Shi Kun, and then, without breaking stride, swiftly overtook him. With just a few easy steps, he soon pulled away from the Han man. Han Li bit his teeth, his body suddenly halting, his feet firmly rooted in place. He fixed his gaze on Han Li's back, his expression darkening and uncertain. Watching Han Li walk another hundred stone steps in mere moments, yet still showing no sign of slowing down, Shi Kun's face grew pale. He lifted his gaze toward the purple palace atop the mountain, then used his divine awareness to sense Li Shui'er approaching slowly from below. With a flicker at the corners of his eyes, he suddenly reached into his cloak and drew out a small blood-colored vial. The vial was translucent and deep crimson, with several miniature talismans, each about an inch long, affixed to its surface—remarkably enigmatic. Without further hesitation, Stone Kun blew gently into the object in his hands. At once, a surge of golden mist erupted and spiraled around the vial, causing the talismans to detach and fall away. A series of dull thuds echoed as the talismans transformed into clusters of ethereal flames and vanished into the void. As the talismans were removed, the bottle's lid flew open, and a glowing, blood-hued flame burst forth from within, subtly encasing a blood-colored pill. Stone Kun had anticipated this development; he then took a firm breath. Instantly, a suction force materialized, drawing the pill into his mouth and down his throat, where it settled in his stomach. The pill dissolved almost instantly, flowing into the Dan田 and meridians with intense vigor. Although Han Li was walking briskly ahead, he naturally noticed Shi Kun's movements, which stirred a sudden sense of awareness within him. Moments after swallowing the pill, Shi Kun's face instantly flushed a strange deep red, and his originally pale skin suddenly turned vividly crimson, radiating an unusual heat. The luminous aura emanating from his body shifted from yellow to a strange, mixed hue of red and yellow. Then, with a low exclamation, Shi Kun's forehead burst forth with thick, prominent blue veins, his neck swelled significantly, and his body rapidly expanded, growing to a height of four or five zhang. Without hesitation, Shi Kun took a decisive step forward, and with a deep, resonant boom, he effortlessly crossed over two steps at once. As a result, Shi Kun now moved with a speed slightly faster than when he had begun, steadily advancing in swift strides toward Han Li. Han Li observed this scene, a subtle flash of light passing through his eyes. Clearly, Shi Kun had employed a secret technique that sapped his own vital energy; otherwise, if he possessed such a power, he would have used it from the very beginning, and not only now. As he thought this, he could not afford to be slow. He inhaled deeply, then pressed a hand seal, and at once a brilliant golden glow surged over his body. Golden scales, shimmering swiftly, began to rise on the surface of his skin. Finally, Han Li raised his hand and brushed it gently against the back of his head. "Pffft!" A cascade of golden, misty light erupted from behind, then coalesced into a golden, ethereal figure with three heads and six arms. As soon as the golden figure appeared, it flashed once and darted straight toward Han Li's physical form. Instantly, a flash of crimson-gold passed across his face, and the golden scales on his body shimmered with an unusual radiance, suddenly solidifying into a set of slightly blurred golden armor that snugly encased his frame. Then, as Han Li shifted his stance, his movements seemed three steps faster than before. He maintained a steady distance from the rapidly growing stone figure of Shi Kun behind him. Seeing this, both of the trailing figures were naturally taken aback. Yet, regardless of the extraordinary powers already unleashed by Shi Kun or the last figure, Liu Shui'er, they could only advance step by step toward the mountain peak, following their own pace. Once enveloped by the golden armor formed from his own spiritual form, Han Li's physical body was evidently imbued with an extraordinary speed—though not quite as swift as a bounding stride, he could effortlessly glide from one stone step to the next with barely a shift of his foot. Even as Shi Kun grew increasingly anxious behind him, he could only watch Han Li's figure recede, gradually widening the gap between them. After a moment's pause, Han Li had already pulled ahead by four or five hundred steps, while Shi Kun could no longer sustain his current pace and was forced to slow his steps once again. Yet this time, Shi Kun was not only drenched in sweat on his face, but also waves of white vapor rose from his body, as if his entire frame had transformed into a blazing furnace—remarkably impressive. However, not only did Shi Kun's pace slow, but even Han Li, ahead of him, furrowed his brow and finally began to feel the overwhelming suction force, causing his feet to momentarily hesitate. At this point, Han Li was still only about two or three hundred steps away from the summit. Yet he found himself increasingly frustrated, as the suction force intensified with each step he took—far exceeding the gradual increase he had experienced before. Even someone like him, possessing a body as formidable as that of a typical celestial race, now found it difficult to keep up. After advancing another hundred steps, his form stilled, and his steps became incredibly slow—so slow that he often had to steady himself before lifting his leg again to continue ascending. At that moment, Shi Kun and Liu Shui'er had already stopped again, watching helplessly as Han Li steadily approached the peak. When Han Li finally reached the final dozen steps, the immense suction from the ground caused him to grow increasingly nervous, his golden armor trembling violently, as if it might instantly disintegrate. With no choice, Han Li had to come to a halt just a few steps from the mountain's summit.