Friends like me, stuck in the mid-stage of fusion cultivation, are surely numerous among the human and immortal clans. Yet only a few have managed to break through to the late stage. If I'm not mistaken, Brother Han has only recently advanced to the mid-stage. To already begin pressing against the late-stage bottleneck so swiftly—such cultivation speed is truly extraordinary. Even among our ancient, legendary figures, few might have matched it. Master Jin nodded in full agreement with the silver-haired elder. "It's precisely because Brother Han possesses such exceptional talent that this step has become even more challenging. After such a short period, his foundational strength remains relatively shallow, which naturally increases the difficulty of overcoming the bottleneck." The silver-haired elder said, his eyes slightly narrowed. "Ah, all of this is merely our speculation. The actual outcome remains to be seen. Brother Han might very well surprise us both!" "Master Jin once again smiled lightly and replied. "I hope so! If we can have one late-stage cultivator stationed here to bolster our ranks during the final battle against the demonic forces, our efforts will be significantly eased. And with Brother Han's extraordinary abilities, he already matches a late-stage cultivator at the mid-stage level. Should he further advance, even the incarnations of the demonic patriarchs might stand a chance against him." The silver-haired elder paused thoughtfully. "Indeed, until the true body of the demonic patriarch arrives, his incarnations are already the highest-ranking figures within the demonic army. If Brother Han can successfully hold them off, then we may abandon our current plan and instead focus our strength on confronting the demonic elders first." Upon hearing this, Master Jin's eyes suddenly flashed with a sharp chill. The silver-haired elder nodded in agreement but said nothing further, instead turning his gaze toward the distant sky. At that moment, the fiery clouds in the heavens had transformed into a vast expanse of crimson ocean, now fully enveloping half of the sky. Below the fiery cloud, the resplendent light streaks began to coalesce into clusters, transforming into massive, vividly colored glyphs that floated gently in the sky, radiating brilliant luminescence. Suddenly, these glyphs surged with a sharp tremor, darting straight upward toward the cloud as if determined to pierce through it. The cargo platform emitted a loud, increasingly intense hum and began to roll violently. Upon contact with the cloud, the massive glyphs immediately emitted a hissing sound, then trembled and shattered one after another. The glyphs were firmly pressed beneath the cloud, unable to advance even a single inch. A sharp exhalation of cold disdain resonated throughout the void, followed by a flash of emerald light—then a form of a figure, indistinct at first but towering a thousand feet high, materialized and calmly tapped the empty space above several times. As the space rippled with an unseen current, the glyphs began to coalesce at a rate more than ten times faster than before. Countless runes materialized in mere breaths, then surged upward in a tidal wave. The fire cloud, for some mysterious reason, remained steadfast and undisturbed despite the surging influx of runes, maintaining its course as if untouched. Yet both the fire cloud and the colossal runes expanded at an astonishing pace, as though their growth would know no bounds. However, the immense silhouette seemed growing impatient—suddenly, one of its arms moved, striking the red cloud at a distance. Though it appeared only as a mere outline, the impact resonated with a thunderous roar. The azure figure dissolved instantly, yet an invisible force effortlessly penetrated the fire cloud, then burst forth in a powerful wave. A continuous series of thunderous booms followed, and suddenly, a section of the fire cloud vanished entirely, leaving behind a massive hole, over a hundred zhang in diameter. Some of the runes shot forth from the gap with sudden vigor, while the fire cloud shifted, seamlessly restoring the hollow as if it had never been. The runes that had flown out instantly coalesced into a single cluster, gradually taking on the form of a massive rune roughly an acre in size. A flash of light revealed the rune beginning to grow clearer, steadily solidifying into a tangible, physical form! Yet, at this decisive moment, thunder and lightning erupted above the fire cloud. Dark, billowing clouds gathered spontaneously, seemingly transforming into long, serpentine black dragons, each with outstretched jaws and limbs, instantly tearing through the five-colored figures that had momentarily become motionless. Immediately after, the thunder roared throughout the sky. Radiant silver arcs of extraordinary thickness emerged on the dragons' bodies, interweaving and shimmering with breathtaking splendor. "No less than ninety-nine—eighty-one, truly astonishing! I recall that during the late-stage trials of the elder I once encountered, the lightning dragons summoned were only thirty-six. Yet here, in the late-stage trial of Mr. Han, so many have appeared—this is simply beyond belief!" Master Jin saw this and couldn't help but softly exclaim. The silver-haired elder, though his eyes also flashed with astonishment, spoke calmly: "This late-stage celestial calamity is so severe; I wonder how Fr. Han will manage. Should anything go wrong, not only will he fail to advance to the late stage, but he might suffer significant depletion of his vital energy. Unfortunately, such a heavenly calamity cannot be intervened upon by outsiders. If we had stepped in to assist, perhaps Fr. Han would still have a chance." It seemed the elder had already concluded that Han would not survive this trial! "Brother Gu, there's no need to be overly concerned. Since Fr. Han has chosen this moment to challenge his late-stage breakthrough, he must surely have a solid grasp of the situation. Let us observe and see, then." Master Jin took a deep breath, his expression serious. As if to confirm the monk's words, a thunderclap erupted in the clear sky! Several golden lightning bolts, each as thick as a water cistern, surged forth from below, piercing the air and instantly passing through the incantation fire cloud, striking the massive black serpents with full force. A roar erupted! Where the golden light passed, massive holes appeared on the black dragon's colossal body. The silver electric arcs winding around its surface were completely absorbed by the light, as if returning to the sea. Had the golden light lasted any longer, these dragons would have surely been shattered in one blow. Yet, this sudden display of light infuriated the dragons. All the black dragons roared low, and gusts of wind and clouds surged around them. Thick mist gathered instantly at the damaged spots on their bodies, instantly mending them as if nothing had happened. With a single breath, each dragon unleashed powerful gusts of gray energy wind, which surged downward with great force. The fiery clouds below were instantly whipped into a roaring blaze, "hiss!" The fire fed on the wind, and the wind amplified the fire—under this mutual enhancement, a vast ocean of flames, stretching over a hundred miles, surged upward and then gently pressed down from the sky. Even before the flames truly reached the ground, the space beneath them glowed a deep crimson, as though the very atmosphere were being ignited. Master Jin and the silver-haired elder exchanged a slight frown. Given the vast extent of this fire, if the one enduring the celestial calamity failed to respond properly, the number of ordinary cultivators affected would surely far exceed anyone's expectations. The other cultivators nearby likewise drew in their breaths in astonishment. They had not anticipated such formidable power even at the very beginning of the heavenly calamity. They doubted that, should it be their own turn, the first wave of celestial flames alone would be enough to reduce them to ashes. At the very center of the descending fire sea, there stood precisely the stone tower where Han Li had been meditating. Though the tower was protected by certain seals and defenses, if truly overwhelmed by the fire, it would inevitably meet the fate of being destroyed along with its occupants. At that moment, a flash of silver light suddenly appeared at the tower's summit, followed by a clear chime. Then, a silver flame emerged from the radiance, spun gently, and gradually transformed into a magnificent fire bird adorned with silver plumes. The fire bird began only a few zhang in size, but as it spread its wings, a surge of silver flame erupted, rising ten zhang high—expanding into a creature a hundred times its original size—and surged forward, plunging into the sea of flames. A deep rumble! As the silver bird made contact with the sea of fire, it vanished silently, yet instantly, the sea of flames began to boil. The crimson flames, as if drawn by an irresistible force, surged wildly toward the point where the great bird had disappeared, only to flash and vanish swiftly. Within a short time, the sea of fire lost a fifth, and more. At this pace, the complete disappearance of the sea of fire seemed merely an instant away. Yet before this could unfold, the black dragon in the sky shook its head and swayed, then opened its mouth once more. This time, a stream of white vapor swept down from the sky. Though these white vapors appeared ordinary, as soon as they dispersed in the air, they transformed into translucent ice spears, each several zhang long, with sharp, brilliant tips and an exceptionally clear, transparent body. Yet before these ice spears could truly descend, a wailing cry erupted from the stone tower below. Suddenly, five smaller skeletal heads rolled forth, each opening its mouth to spew out a surge of five-colored cold flames. These flames spiraled upward like a cascading waterfall of ice and snow. As soon as the ice spears were engulfed by this cold flame, they melted and dissolved, reverting into exceptionally pure spiritual energy, vanishing within the flame’s embrace. With two consecutive attacks repelled, the black serpents remained unmoved. Their bodies twisted and then, in the next instant, burst open with tremendous声响. The fragments of their bodies shimmered briefly in the air before transforming into countless massive stones of varying sizes—some smaller than their heads, others towering up to a thousand zhang, as massive as small mountains. The sheer volume of these colossal stones crashing down created a scene of utter upheaval, as if the heavens had collapsed and the earth split open, leaving ordinary cultivators beneath the stone canopy pale and stunned. Deep within the deepest chamber of the stone tower beneath, a figure sits in meditation upon a yellow cushion, eyes closed. His qi surges vigorously, his face flushed with a deep red hue, and sweat pours down his temples, as though he were standing at a crucial turning point. Before him, two miniature mountain peaks—one green, one black—stand side by side, each towering a zhang high. Above his head, seventy-two small green swords spiral and dance around him, forming a blooming green sword lotus. Layer upon layer of black runes swirl about him, subtly enveloping a dark, ink-black battle armor. Yet strangely, amidst this abundance of protective artifacts, countless gray luminous dots dot the outer perimeter—each no larger than a thumbnail—emitting an intensely cold aura and emitting a low, steady hum.