This gentleman is Lin Family's Third Elder among the Five Great Houses. "Heh, if Master Lin would like to spar with me, I shall be delighted to join him," replied the young lady in feathered robes from the Ye family, smiling lightly and covering her lips. The young man with flowing hair, however, merely snorted and said nothing. The representative of Lu Family, Xiao Feng, and the two combined-stage male representatives from Feng Family naturally had no objections either. Seeing this, the elder of Long Family nodded and lightly clapped his hands twice. Instantly, after the clapping sound, another golden-armored guard approached the platform with a tray held in both hands. On the tray lay a pale yellow bamboo cylinder, inside which five slender bamboo slips, bright red as blood, were inserted, nearly half of them protruding from the cylinder. The entire cylinder was enveloped in a luminous aura, so that even the cultivator's spiritual awareness could not penetrate its walls. "The competitors shall draw their slips first," he announced. As always, the rivalry among us is merely a sparring match between senior cultivators—those younger ones need not come on stage and embarrass themselves. Number one versus three, number two versus four. Number five will rest this round and then draw lots with the winners of the first match. "Ling Master spoke calmly. "It seems Ling Brother won't draw first, then I shall take my pick." The well-dressed man from Feng Family chuckled and, without even stepping onto the platform, reached out from outside the Ten-Thousand-Spirits Stage, gently grasping the bamboo cylinder with his fingers. Instantly, a blood-colored scroll shot forth and swiftly arrived at his hands. "Three!" he declared, after only a glance at the scroll. The young lady in a feathered robe from Ye Family observed this, smiled softly, and raised her arm to point at the bamboo cylinder from a distance. A soft "pffft" sound, and a silver thread shot out from her fingertip, swiftly traveling across dozens of zhang to land precisely at the bamboo cylinder. With a sudden "whoosh," the second blood scroll was gently nudged by the silver thread and shot forth, transforming into a streak of crimson that reached the young girl's hands. "Number Five," the feather-dress maiden said, her eyes briefly gliding over the scroll, her expression half-smiling, half-reflective. At that moment, the bearded man from the Lin family reached up to the platform and seized one of the final two blood seals in his hand, coldly announcing a "No. 1." This development sent the cultivators from the Gu family pale with shock. With this, the last remaining blood seal still intact—wouldn't it precisely be their Gu family's designated "No. 2" to face? The elder of the Long family glanced at the single blood seal still left in the bamboo tube, grasped it firmly in his hand, and then gave a thoughtful look toward Han Li before turning to the others and declaring: "Sealing complete. The match begins. The specific format and criteria for victory will be determined by the two competing parties themselves. Now, please allow the cultivators from the Lin and Feng families to commence their first match." "No need for a contest. We believe our two brothers cannot penetrate Lin's Wood Spirit Formation. Therefore, we hereby concede the match," said the well-dressed man from the Feng family without hesitation. The man with flowing hair glanced slightly, showing no surprise at all. "Then it shall be so. The Feng family will join the losing group and compete against another losing family. The victor will then have the right to challenge any one of the remaining three families. Should they choose to withdraw, they will directly secure the fourth or fifth position. Now, it is our Lóng and Gué families' turn to compete. Will it be your family, Han friend, representing the Gué family? On our Lóng side, it will be me and the elder Hui. Only by defeating both of us can they surpass our Ye family!" The Lóng family elder declared calmly, his eyes flashing with sharp intensity as he fixed them on Han. "Han elder, we Gué family would like to step aside," the Xiao Feng fairy said, her expression tightening immediately and speaking without hesitation to Han. Deep within her, she knew clearly that even with the Gué family's Supreme Elder present, they would have absolutely no chance of defeating them. Thus, she hoped Han would maintain his strength and prepare for the upcoming grand battle. "Late-stage cultivators! Just a sparring match—seeing them firsthand would be quite beneficial. Since I've attained the Consolidated Stage, I've never actually fought against cultivators of this level before." Han Li gently stroked his chin, and with a calm, composed smile, said something that left Xiao Feng's young lady and Xiao Elder utterly stunned. To Han Li, it wasn't a life-or-death battle, but simply an opportunity to gain firsthand insight into the true strength of late-stage human cultivators, and to assess whether his own abilities after reaching the Consolidated Stage truly matched theirs. That was a rare chance—otherwise, he wouldn't have deliberately used his divine awareness to impress the Lóngdōng region, stirring up the elder of the Lóng family. Moreover, if possible, he would be delighted to leverage the words of these true spiritual families to solidify his reputation among the human cultivators. After all, his situation now is vastly different from when he was living among the non-human races. Among the non-humans, even with his high cultivation level, he had always remained as humble as possible, striving to avoid drawing suspicion or hostility. Should he return to his own clan, as long as he establishes his own distinguished reputation, he would naturally no longer be bound by the numerous reservations he once had when among the foreign clans. The tangible and intangible benefits he would gain would be utterly incalculable. As for the other true spirit families with cultivators at the Consolidation stage, their attainments were merely at the mid-level—without even needing to verify, he would surely consider himself far superior to them. "Ah, Master Han, please—Ling family is indeed..." "If I'm not mistaken," Han Li said, his expression suddenly serious, his blue glow flashing as he glanced at Xiao Feng the immortal maiden, "the condition I originally agreed upon for assisting did not stipulate that I must follow Ling family's directives whenever I faced any of their members, did it?" Upon the maiden's eyes first meeting the blue glow, a sudden sense of awe passed through her, causing the words on her lips to falter and pause. In the meantime, Han Li's body shimmered with a flash of green light, and in a single step, he vanished completely from his original spot. At that very moment, the figures on the Wàn Líng Platform flickered, and Han Li appeared only十余zhang away from the elder of the Long family. He bowed slightly and said, "I have just recently reached the Consolidated Stage, though I've heard of your esteemed name before. I would be honored if you could kindly offer me some guidance." "Indeed, it is you, Han Brother, representing the Gu Valley. But I wonder—how is your disciple, the one known as Qi Lingzi, these days? Is he still well?" The elder of the Long family narrowed his eyes slightly, and unexpectedly, a subtle movement at the corner of his mouth brought up the name Qi Lingzi. Han Li was momentarily taken aback upon hearing this, yet he concealed his surprise perfectly, responding calmly, "Thank you for your concern. My disciple is rather prone to mishaps. I've already arranged for him to retreat to a secluded location to meditate and recover. He's likely to remain there for several decades." "That's quite reasonable. Your disciple is no ordinary person—indeed, he deserves careful attention. Nevertheless, Han Brother, if you're challenging me now, you've perhaps chosen the wrong person." Our family's first to step onto the stage naturally couldn't be the old man himself," said the elder of the Long family with a composed demeanor. At the very same moment, a ripple of spatial disturbance surged beside the elder, and another figure materialized suddenly, stepping forward with a cold gaze directed at Han Li. "For the first match, allow me to introduce myself and engage you in a few exchanges," the figure said. "Should you truly defeat me, Long will personally take on a bout with you." This person, of course, was the other Senior Guest Elder of the Long family—the middle-stage Consolidated stage man in black robes. Upon seeing him, Han Li immediately recalled the unfriendly look the man had once given him, and nodded calmly. "Very well," he said. "Then I shall first learn the arts of Hui brother." The elder of the Long family heard this and seemed to flash a faint, sardonic smile. Without speaking, a golden glow surged across his form, and he instantly vanished in a streak of golden light beyond the Ten-Thousand-Spirits Platform. Immediately, he issued a clear command: "Increase the strength of the seal immediately—do not let the two esteemed masters' dispute affect our junior disciples." Upon hearing this, the cultivators secretly overseeing the entire protective array hurriedly began their actions. The various array banners originally encircling the platform suddenly burst forth with brilliant radiance. The vast golden dome enveloping the stone platform trembled slightly before instantly thickening several times over, and vibrant, multicolored seal symbols began to shimmer and drift across its surface. As a result, members of the Five Great Houses and those from other smaller or mid-sized families alike were stirred into excitement, their faces brightening with anticipation. To personally witness a duel between fused cultivators is no easy feat for anyone—whether it's to broaden one's horizons or to observe and absorb insights, such an opportunity is truly rare. It's no wonder the elite disciples from various families are so excited. But at the next moment, a flash of light burst forth from within the black-robed man's sleeves, and a pair of radiant white beams shot out. This time, however, the beams materialized as two slender, white short swords, each about a foot long, gleaming with a sharp, cold radiance and carrying a distinct chill. The clear, resonant sound of the blades never ceased, as the black-robed man continuously waved his sleeves, and a pair of silver flying daggers followed swiftly, shooting out... Han Li watched in amazement as an endless succession of strange artifacts—pairs after pairs—emerged from the man, flowing out one after another, his eyes involuntarily darting with sudden excitement. The man in the black robe could simultaneously manipulate so many treasures at once, his spiritual awareness so powerful it was truly astonishing—far beyond that of an ordinary consolidated cultivator. Han Li, mentally revolving his thoughts, also found himself quietly marveling at this feat. In the very moment, the man in black robe burst into laughter, and all seventy-two treasures instantly transformed into a cascade of radiant light, sweeping powerfully toward Han Li. Upon seeing this, Han Li raised an eyebrow and waved his sleeve. A dozen slender jade swords shot forth, then, in a single motion, coalesced into seventy-two streaks of jade light, facing the oncoming light showers. A series of crisp, ringing sounds followed, as the jade swords collided with various treasures, weaving together into a dense, interlacing mass. Although the seventy-two treasures either spewed out swirling black vapors or transformed into thunder, lightning, and electric glimmers, the green flying swords remained subtly visible and faintly shimmering in the green light, seemingly untouched by these powerful effects. Instead, they appeared as if woven into an invisible form, tightly coiling around and holding fast to the treasures, never gaining the upper hand. The black-robed man, witnessing this, was slightly surprised. He then continuously summoned and altered the powers of the treasures, yet clearly saw little improvement—still maintaining a steady stalemate with the seventy-two green bamboo honey-cloud swords. His expression darkened noticeably. Suddenly, he took a deep breath and stepped forward with decisive momentum, extending one hand to grasp a treasure across from him. A tremendous roar echoed throughout the inner light dome, causing a surge of celestial and primordial energies. Instantly, countless black filaments materialized in the void, trembling and then shooting forth as sharp black spears. Wherever these spears passed, the entire space dimmed. In a flash, they reached the very spot before Han Li, creating a strange and sudden effect. "Excellent!" Han Li remained calm, even raising a low cry and sweeping his hand forward. Instantly, a hazy glow materialized before him, solidifying into a gray luminous wall. The torrent of black spears rushing into the wall instantly froze and halted within it. Han Li arched an eyebrow, then suddenly pressed a dark, ink-black palm against the wall. In an instant, the gray glow within the wall surged brilliantly. A series of deep, resonant thuds echoed as the frozen black filaments burst apart, transforming into black smoke that was swiftly drawn into the radiant glow. "Primordial Magnetic Light," the black-robed man exclaimed, his eyes widening in astonishment. Yet, at the very next moment, his shoulders stiffened, and a thick, dark mist surged forth from behind him. As the mist condensed, it coalesced into an immense, towering black sword hovering majestically above his head. The first half of the sword was solid and dense, resembling a tangible entity, while the second half appeared hazy and somewhat blurred. Yet, as soon as the great sword trembled slightly at its tip, a black orb of light instantly materialized in midair, emitting a low, resonant hum. "Go!" The black-robed man raised both hands, forming incantations, and with serious intent, pointed his gesture toward the great sword in the sky. Immediately, the black orb flashed once and shot forth from the tip of the sword—originally only the size of a fist—but after a few quick movements, it expanded into a massive sphere, roughly one zhang in diameter, resembling a great black stone, and surged straight toward Han Li with tremendous force. As it passed through the void, the space itself twisted and blurred, leaving behind a faint trail of pale black light. This black orb possessed a terrifying ability to tear through space. Even more astonishing was the fact that, in quick succession, multiple such orbs were launched from the great sword, and within moments, seven or eight of them flew out in a continuous chain. "Indeed, a remarkable adept at the mid-level stage—no wonder," Han Li remarked, not at all surprised, but He lifted his arm, and a pale, snow-white hand swiftly emerged from his sleeve, gently brushing against the dark one at his chest. A resonant sound, like metal clashing, echoed, and instantly two small mountains—one black, one green—materialized above his head. They spun smoothly, then emitted two soft "puff" sounds. A ring of green light and a band of black aura surged upward from the peaks, interweaving and shimmering until they fused into a massive black-green ring, which enveloped Han Li within. At that moment, the first black orb flashed and struck the ring with a tremendous impact. A brilliant burst of green and black light erupted, spreading outward. The space where the collision occurred then collapsed inward, forming a large black void. As the second, third, and subsequent orbs continued to enter the ring, the black hole rapidly expanded, growing more than tenfold and eventually filling the entire upper expanse of the stone platform, completely submerging Han Li and the entire ring in endless darkness. The entire Wanling Platform, under the gradual pressure of the immense black hole, emitted creaking sounds and began to shake violently. Observers outside the light shield could not help but draw in sharp breaths. Llong's elder, with both hands behind his back, gazed steadily at the scene within the shield, maintaining a composed expression—yet upon closer inspection, one could see his eyes subtly flickering, indicating a far from tranquil mind. The young lady from the Ye family, dressed in feathered robes, blinked her dark eyes repeatedly, emitting a steady, somewhat weary sigh. The cultivators from other True Spirit clans naturally displayed vastly different expressions. Xiao Feng, the immortal princess, and Xiao Chao, the senior monk, looked particularly pale and distressed. Fortunately, the jade-colored flying swords still danced up and down, maintaining their control, not yet losing their grip. This indicated that Han Li had not yet reached the point of being completely helpless, thus offering them a measure of reassurance. The man in the black robe, continuously channeling spells to launch so many black luminous spheres from the great sword, clearly found it no easy task. At this moment, his eyes, once bright, now seemed dimmer than before, and with his vital energy waning, even the purple scar on his forehead subtly twisted, appearing slightly larger than it had moments ago. Yet, just as he exhaled deeply, opened his mouth, and expelled a large, vivid blue seal—seeming to prepare for his final strike—a soft, gentle voice suddenly emanated from within the black abyss: "This, then, is Brother Hui's most masterful technique? If so, it truly is quite interesting. Yet, if this alone is sufficient to defeat me, it still seems somewhat insufficient." As the words fell, an intensely piercing cry erupted from the black hole, followed by a thunderous roar. Then, a silver measuring rod, several dozen feet long, suddenly split the black light in two, and with a flash of green light, a figure began to emerge from within. The man in the black robe was genuinely surprised. Without hesitation, he immediately chanted a spell, and the large silver seal swayed and expanded, growing into a mountain-sized form that surged straight toward the figure that had just flown out. However, Han Li, who had emerged from the black hole, merely smiled lightly. With a mere thought, the two mountain-like formations hovering above his head shifted—one slightly blurred, then vanished in a flash of emerald light. The other one shimmered, turning entirely into a cascade of black rippling light, expanding to a height of over a hundred paces, and countless silver runes surged forth from within, directly facing the descending blue seal. When the two massive objects collided, they initially made no sound at all, as if they had simply merged into one another. Then, suddenly, a gray, hazy wave of energy erupted into the void, spreading out like a surge of waves in all directions. The man in the black robe had a沉沉 countenance. With a sweep of his sleeve against the gust of wind, he effortlessly split it in two, then narrowed his eyes, intent on closely examining his opponent. Suddenly, however, his expression changed as his body shifted—then, a series of sharp, rushing sounds echoed, and an invisible blade of energy flashed past his shoulder, barely missing it. His protective aura failed to stop it at all. Had he not reacted swiftly, he would have been pierced right through the shoulder. The man was deeply startled. As he turned to take a closer look at the invisible blade of energy, similar rushing sounds erupted again, one after another, soon forming a continuous, torrential barrage. Startled, he spun around instantly, without hesitation, and at once, a black shield and a golden ancient mirror shot forth from his body, transforming into a golden aura and a dark, shimmering shield that enveloped him completely. At the same time, the massive black sword hovering above instantly burst open, its form swallowed by a swirling mass of black mist. Yet immediately, countless intangible sword currents—invisible to both divine awareness and the naked eye—began seeping into the black mist. First, a series of dull thuds echoed, quickly giving way to sharp, metallic clinks. Suddenly, high above the black mist, a wave of jade-green light surged upward, and a small, misty green mountain materialized, spinning rapidly. With each full rotation, a ring of jade-green light spiraled outward, only to vanish into countless intangible sword currents as soon as it detached from the mountain's body, dispersing into the void. At this moment, Han Li's figure flickered slightly on the spot, and after a few quick movements, he materialized directly atop the green mountain. With a single footstep, he stood firmly in place, gazing calmly downward. Below, the black mist, pierced by countless sword qi streams, had already fragmented into scattered patches, and the black-robed man seemed destined to be exposed. Yet at that very instant, a golden light column surged forth from the mist, directly targeting the azure mountain in the sky. Han Li raised an eyebrow slightly and suddenly stepped with his single foot. The azure mountain's rotation instantly halted, and a layer of jade-like mist rolled back, instantly forming a translucent light shield that protected the mountain behind it. However, this caused the rushing sword qi to momentarily cease. As soon as the golden light column touched the shield, the shield trembled slightly, and half of the golden column wavered and dispersed, while the other half rebounded along its original path, returning into the mist. In a flash, it vanished. A thunderous burst of sound followed, and the black-robed man's startled and furious voice could be heard clearly. Finally, the black mist began to part and clear.