At that very moment, a flash of black light appeared several zhang ahead of Han Li, and the black spear mysteriously materialized. As Han Li reacted swiftly, almost instantly upon the spear's appearance, he opened his mouth and unleashed a golden arc of electricity that struck the spear precisely. Though he didn't know what magical powers the spear possessed, the faint scent of blood emanating from it suggested it was likely a malevolent artifact—his divine辟邪thunder should have effectively neutralized it. Yet, a surprising phenomenon unfolded! The spear suddenly shimmered with light, instantly transforming into a faint, ethereal silhouette that passed through Han Li's path. The golden electric arc seemed to strike empty space, failing to impede the spear at all. Originally positioned just a few steps away, the spear now displayed such an unusual ability that even Han Li, whose movements and reflexes far surpassed those of ordinary cultivators, found himself completely unable to evade it. With a loud "crash," the black spear struck firmly into Han Li, then burst into a swirling black glow that exploded outward. Hit by a powerful force, Han Li stepped back one pace, yet remained unharmed. Though the black light emitted after the spear's explosion was unusually dark and cold, resembling the depths of the Nine Tombs, it was effortlessly blocked by the black battle armor that momentarily shimmered on Han Li's body. This attack—certainly lethal to an ordinary cultivator—was mysteriously dissipated upon a single flash of black seals that appeared on the surface of the magical armor. Han Li and the young man both exchanged startled glances. Han Li was naturally amazed that the opponent's strike, so unexpected, had even managed to bypass the divine protective lightning. Had it not been for the celestial magical armor defending itself, Han Li would have suffered a serious setback at that very moment. The young man, on the other hand, was deeply surprised—his long-cherished, seemingly invincible "Yin Ling Spear" had unexpectedly failed. Indeed, this technique had previously defeated countless opponents, many of whom were of equal rank. A flash of unusual light flashed in his eyes, and he fixed his gaze firmly on Han Li's black battle armor. Though this was the first time the young man had seen such a magical armor, the black runes emerging from it and its formidable, imposing form immediately revealed its exceptional nature, causing him to feel not anger, but rather delight. "Excellent. Very good," the young man said, speaking the two words with a crisp, solemn tone. "Then, if you have the strength, go ahead and take it!" Hearing this, Han Li naturally felt furious within, yet only replied with a calm, composed phrase on his face. "What I seek is not merely this armor—I intend to take you with it, along with your life," the young man coldly remarked, clasping his hands before him and then spreading them apart. Instantly, a silver short staff materialized, radiating an astonishing surge of spiritual pressure that rose skyward from the artifact. Han Li's eyes narrowed, then widened with satisfaction, his heart stirred with awe. Because, with a single glance using his spiritual sight, he discovered a dense array of characters on the silver short ruler—clearly all silver frog script. Without pausing, he murmured a low command and pressed a hand seal. Instantly, countless points of jade-green light appeared in the surrounding space, swelling and expanding rapidly before transforming into a palm-sized jade-green lotus. At that very moment, Han Li activated the Chun Li sword formation, then gave a swift flick of his sleeve, sending a white figure streaking out. After a spiral motion, a luminous, several dozen feet long, serpentine giant emerged. As the serpent surged forward, shaking and thrashing, it swiftly ensnared the six-limbed lizard, which had just emerged from a golden glow, tightly wrapping it. With its massive mouth lined with sharp fangs, it bit down firmly. The six-limbed lizard, startled and furious, exhaled yellow energy and used its claws to meet the serpent's attack. The two soon locked in fierce combat. Han Li was fully confident in his spirit-controlled automaton. He had already inspected the great lizard, which appeared to be at the mid-Transcendent stage. Though the "child" was one rank below, it possessed two ice-element rare treasures within, whose combined power ensured it was hardly weaker than the opponent. Moreover, as a puppet body, it naturally gained an advantage in close combat, suffering no diminishment of its strength unless sustained critical damage. Thus, once the puppet successfully held the opponent's spirit beast in place, the young man's full concentration shifted to the youth within the sword formation. At that moment, the youth had already raised his hand, catching the silver short ruler released by the other, then glanced around at the surrounding lotus blossoms, a look of disdain forming on his lips. With a simple flick of his wrist, the silver ruler emitted a resonant hum, projecting shimmering, translucent blade-like shadows that remained distinct and stable, displaying an extraordinary quality. Han Li's eyes widened slightly, and without hesitation, he swiftly activated his inner sword technique. As the surrounding lotus blossoms spun and swelled several times, they seamlessly connected into a unified, ethereal veil of soft, jade-green light. The young man from the Golden Angle only felt the surroundings blur, and upon the flash of emerald light, he found himself standing on a lush green meadow. The ground beneath him was composed of tender, barely an inch tall green grass, interwoven with wild flowers of various hues, and faint bird songs drifted softly from all around. The sight immediately filled him with a deep sense of calm and drowsiness, as though he were about to sink into a peaceful sleep. "A spatial illusion!" The fleeting haze in his eyes vanished instantly, and he quickly realized what had happened, his expression growing serious. With a sudden motion, he swung his silver measuring rod sharply forward. A multitude of rod shadows shot out, then instantly converged before him, forming a massive rod several dozen feet long, which roared like a dragon, its silver gleam flashing as it delivered a powerful strike. The air erupted with thunder and wind, and where the rod descended, silver seals spiraled and danced, causing the space itself to ripple and warp as if the very void were being sliced open. Around him, the scene seemed as though a mirror had been forcibly shattered—first glowing with a soft, pale emerald hue, then dispersing into countless fragments. However, as the surrounding scenery blurred, the young man found himself once again deep within a vast, dense forest. Every tree was tall and emerald-green, straight and sturdy, with thick, lush foliage so dense that they nearly completely shaded the entire sky. A sudden, earth-shaking tremor caused the towering trees to sway and then fall, crashing down in great splinters of solid green wood, all rushing straight toward the young man. "Hmph! A mere illusion spell once should be enough—now you're trying to repeat it? You're truly asking for it!" The young man's face darkened with scorn. With a swift motion of his silver staff, a dense stream of staff-shadows surged forth from his body. Wherever the silver light passed, the green shadows shattered effortlessly, dissolving into scattered points of luminous energy. It seemed the silver staff possessed a special affinity against illusions. A flash of silver light caused the staff-shadows to reassemble and converge once more, forming the full staff, which then struck directly at a solid green screen. And there, a scene that made Han Li's eyes widen in surprise unfolded. At the very instant the silver staff was about to strike the azure veil, it radiated an intense glow, so bright that it was nearly impossible to look directly at it. Concealed beneath this brilliant light, the staff suddenly split in two, leaving behind a clear, undisturbed phantom of the original staff—identical to its former self—while the true form blurred and vanished into the void, disappearing without a trace. Had Han Li not held the young man in high regard and kept his spiritual vision technique constantly active, he likely would have been deceived. As the phantom staff struck the azure veil and burst forth with a seemingly powerful silver radiance, a subtle, barely perceptible ripple emerged just a few zhang above Han Li's head. Unexpectedly, the staff materialized there and descended without hesitation. Silent and undisturbed, carrying not a single breath of wind. In an instant, it had settled only a few zhang from Han Li's head. Then, with a sudden flash, it erupted with immense spiritual pressure, delivering a decisive blow without any further concealment. The precious artifact shimmered with cascades of silver light, its power and momentum truly astonishing. Yet at that very instant, a sudden brilliant golden light erupted from Han Li's spiritual dome. A golden hand, adorned with purple runes, flashed into being from the nearby void, swiftly seizing through the dense silver mist and catching the silver ruler in its grasp. The silver ruler trembled instantly, emitting a piercing, high-pitched cry. The young man within the sword formation seemed to have employed some mysterious technique, allowing him to remain unaffected by the illusions of the sword array and clearly perceive everything happening on Han Li's side. Surprised and agitated, he immediately exclaimed, without hesitation, then pressed his palm to the seal gesture and swiftly pointed toward the direction of the silver staff. A thunderous roar erupted. From the staff, a cascade of silver electric arcs burst forth, flashing and striking directly upon the golden palm, producing sharp crackling sounds. Though the palm was impossibly resilient, it could not withstand the fierce onslaught of the lightning and began to tremble slightly. Upon witnessing this, Han Li smiled. He suddenly swept his robe upward. The golden light in the air dimmed, and instantly, a towering figure of purple and gold emerged—two zhang tall, with three heads and six arms—exactly Han Li's golden form. At this moment, the golden form was not only adorned with purple runes across its surface, but the radiating spiritual light had also transformed into a lustrous purple-gold hue. The purple-gold hand that grasped the silver staff was precisely one of the six arms. As two of the three heads slightly inclined their heads, opened their mouths, and emitted two waves of golden shimmering light, the silver arcs launched by the staff were instantly wrapped and vanished. Seizing the opportunity, the hand clenched its five fingers with a solid force, "crack!" The protective silver light shield that had shielded the staff shattered completely, and the staff was firmly grasped in the fingers. Then, the other hand swiftly reached out and seized it as well. With a thunderous swirl of both hands, the silver staff emitted a mournful cry, and its silver glow faded dramatically. The golden form's head then opened its mouth wide, and a surge of golden light spiraled in, drawing the staff entirely into its mouth and swallowing it whole—this entire sequence unfolded in an instant. When the young disciples of the Golden Angle had finally reacted, the precious artifact—normally extraordinarily rare—had abruptly severed its spiritual connection with him. He was instantly both astonished and furious!