The man in the black robe appeared at his original spot, enveloped in a sphere of golden light. At first glance, he seemed untouched—his hair and garments unharmed—but upon closer inspection, several small spots of blood, no larger than a thumb, could be seen on one of his sleeves, subtly staining the dark fabric. Yet the cultivators present, all at least at the Yuan Ying stage or above, could hardly overlook such subtle marks. Immediately, a low murmur of astonishment and surprise rippled through the audience. Many expressions of amazement and wonder were evident. The two Feng family cultivators at the early Congti stage exchanged glances, their faces now showing signs of concern. In contrast, Xiao Feng the young lady and Xiao Lao, the elder, both looked visibly delighted. As for Han Li floating in the air, he had not yet launched any further action—merely standing calmly upon the small, jade-green mountain beneath his feet, gazing steadily at his opponents. Yet the faint, shimmering green light that flickered in and out of the mountain's surface was always ready to burst forth again, transforming into countless sword-like energies and sweeping down once more to envelop the combatants below. "This is not the Yuanmagnetic Divine Light—it must be the Taiyi Qing Light! Colorless and formless, sharp and powerful, even my protective artifact could not fully withstand it. Indeed, as the rumors have said, it is quite formidable." Suddenly, the black-robed man raised one arm, and a pale blue palm extended from his sleeve, its surface streaked with blood, bearing several small punctures caused by the sword qi. "Friend Hui, your prowess is equally remarkable—you have managed to withstand the Taiyi Qing Light with your bare body. I daresay your palm's resilience surpasses that of most defensive spiritual artifacts." Han Li gazed at the blue palm and smiled gently. "Heh, my palm is nothing special, merely slightly unique. However, since it has now revealed itself, I suppose I'll have to draw upon some of my most reserved techniques and truly seek guidance from Friend Han." With a cold laugh, the black-robed man gave a swift flick of his spirit light, and the several blood spots on his palm mysteriously vanished. At the same time, the man deeply inhaled, and a layer of black mist shimmered across his body. Instantly, countless black patterns emerged on his skin, drifting freely over his limbs, face, and entire form—seeming alive and dynamic. From a distance, he appeared transformed into a demon, his aura now profoundly strange and otherworldly. Han Li, observing this, showed a look of growing interest, and with one hand extended and gently grasped the air, a short, silvery staff materialized in his palm. Yet at that very moment, the elderly elder of Long family suddenly blinked and spoke: "Master Hui, I have assisted you in cultivating this ability—not for the sake of demonstrating it during a technical exchange. This young friend, Han Dao, is no weak opponent; you cannot easily defeat him. Let me take the initiative and try my hand. Master Hui, please come down." "As soon as he finished speaking, the elder of the Long family suddenly roared like thunder, shooting forth as a silver arc of lightning. In a single flash, he appeared beside the black-robed man, completely ignoring the massive light shield. The black-robed man, who had been displaying a fierce expression, was momentarily startled. But upon seeing the calm, composed face of the elder of the Long family, a surge of awe passed through him, and he reluctantly nodded, saying, "Brother Long, there's no need to worry—I have my own plans. However, since you also seem interested in stepping onto the stage, I shall yield the spot to my friend Han." With these words, the black-robed man immediately raised one hand and chanted a spell, drawing his cultivation technique in. The black patterns spreading across his body gradually faded from deep to light, eventually vanishing entirely from his skin. Then, after a further glance at Han, he transformed into a stream of black mist and stepped out of the light shield. "Brother Han, would you like to step forward personally? I am truly honored and surprised!" As soon as Han Li noticed the elder of the Long family's gaze directed at himself, he didn't show the slightest sign of fear; instead, he smiled lightly and asked. "Master Long has already reached the late Consolidation stage, while you have only just attained it. Even if I am treating you as a junior, merely by successfully countering three attacks, I will immediately step down and concede the match!" The elder of the Long family, arms crossed behind his back, spoke with a clear, cold tone. "Three attacks! Well, I must admit, I'm genuinely eager to give it a try." Han Li was momentarily stunned, then brightened and smiled. The other cultivators in the audience, listening to the exchange between the two, grew increasingly animated. Earlier, Han Li had already impressed many with his prowess equal to that of a mid-stage cultivator. Now, hearing that this senior cultivator of the Long family had set the condition of three attacks to decide the match, they were all filled with excitement. For these ordinary disciples of the True Spirit families, this True Spirit Grand Ceremony truly proved to be an eye-opener—experiencing the feats of a late-stage Consolidated Stage cultivator was no small feat, and they certainly wouldn't regret their journey. After all, in past ceremonies, whenever the Long family's True Spirit family was involved, they invariably withdrew, meaning no one had ever witnessed the first true cultivator of the family putting their skills into action. Han Li's eyes flashed with a gleam, and suddenly, a ripple of energy surged from above his head, revealing a strange, dark mountain materializing out of the void. A hazy glow curled downward and, as Han Li felt his body loosen, he immediately regained his freedom. He then raised a translucent, jade-like palm and gently tapped it against the air. A cascade of five-colored flames burst forth from his fingers, swiftly coalescing into a large, crystalline hand of five hues, which he then extended upward. A thunderous "crash" echoed as the golden great claw met the five-colored hand. Though the two briefly held their ground, the golden claw flashed with a golden radiance and forcefully shattered the five-colored hand into fragments. Yet Han Li remained calm, neither showing any signs of panic. With a slight twitch of his lips, he suddenly extended a single finger and lightly pointed it toward the sky. The fragments of the five-colored hand shimmered once and instantly transformed into five-colored cold flames, fully enveloping the golden great claw within them. At that very moment, the descending golden giant paw momentarily halted, its body surface shimmering with a flash of light before being sealed within a large block of five-colored cold ice, gently suspended in midair. Upon witnessing this, the elder of the Long family's eyes flickered with surprise, yet he spoke with a cold, resolute voice: "Second move!" As soon as the words left his mouth, he struck his head with a single hand, and instantly a roar of a dragon erupted skyward. A golden dragon phantom then flashed into being from within his forehead, spiraling through the air before suddenly darting toward his body with a graceful headshake and tail-flick. Instantly, the elder of the Long family radiated a brilliant golden glow, golden scales emerging on his cheeks and limbs, and golden horns rising several inches high atop his head. To his astonishment, he had instantly transformed into a half-dragon, serpentine form. With a barely perceptible shift of his feet, a thunderous rumble echoed, and in an instant, he vanished from his spot. At the same time, Han Li heard a thunderclap overhead, and there, the elderly patriarch of the Long family materialized. Raising his arm, the golden, scaled hand extended, fingers splayed out, and slowly descended. With a single mental shift, Han Li barely thought before his divine awareness stirred. The black mountain peak above his head trembled and surged forward, charging directly toward the other's palm with great momentum, while a flash of golden light erupted from behind, forming a towering golden phantom several zhang high—three-headed, six-armed, and grim-faced. At once, the sky erupted with continuous bursts of thunder. The golden fist and silvery ruler energies completely engulfed the area above. Han Li drew his ruler slightly inward, then the silver ruler continuously transformed—first into ten, then into a hundred, then into thousands—flooded forth in a surge of countless silver short rulers, forming a flowing silver tide that surged upward and spiraled wildly into the sky. A golden palm flashed into being, only a few zhang away from Han Li's head, and immediately descended with unwavering determination. Yet at that moment, a sudden ripple of energy surged through the surrounding void, and a second, jade-colored fist emerged, striking the golden palm with lightning speed. To Han Li's astonishment, the seemingly impregnable golden palm was deflected by the jade fist. Seizing this fleeting moment, Han Li's shoulders shifted slightly, and he blurred into the air, vanishing from his original position and appearing just over a dozen zhang away, facing the owner of the jade fist. His gaze remained calm and still, as still as still water.