"Very well. This time, you've been lucky. But should my awareness once again awaken a heart-monster, it will be nothing short of a trivial matter—something I can easily accomplish. Your identical method will certainly not succeed in extinguishing your second heart-monster." The demon, both male and female, spoke with growing irritation. A flash of black light followed, and a mass of black energy coalesced mid-air, swirling and gradually taking on the form of a humanoid figure. "Next time? There won't be a next time! Since you've performed your magic right before my eyes and still wish to conceal your form—it's nothing short of delusional!" The three-headed, six-armed giant ape that had taken the form of Han Li suddenly emitted a low rumble. Then, with a sudden exhalation, it blew out a sphere of bright green light. This light was formed from a pure stream of spiritual energy within Han Li's body, yet it contained within it a slender, pale-yellow incense stick, emitting a faint sandalwood fragrance. The middle head of the giant ape, its blue-glowing eyes flashing, swiftly extended both hands and grasped the incense stick firmly, then rubbed it vigorously between A soft "pffft"~ A cluster of silvery flames materializes between the two hands, and a pale yellow mist instantly spreads out from the massive palms. At the same moment, the giant ape opens its second head wide, puffing out its cheeks and blowing hard. A roar echoes— the pale yellow mist solidifies into a crossbow arrow, which flashes and vanishes mid-flight. Then, a moment later, a yellow glow flickers at a spot not far from Han Li, and the arrow appears, swiftly piercing the void. A sharp exhalation follows! Where it had previously seemed empty, a swirl of dark light now takes shape, and the yellow arrow precisely embeds itself at its center. The figure appeared hazy and indistinct, barely recognizable at all, yet exuded a strange, eerie malice that sent a shiver down one's spine, as if plunged into an icy abyss. "I never said this was an ordinary treasure. Regardless of whether your true form is indeed a celestial demon king, a mere thread of demonic consciousness would be more than enough to drive you away." Upon seeing the crossbow arrow strike its mark, the giant ape relaxed slightly and spoke in a cold, measured tone. "What? This thing is…?" Startled, the figure within the black glow suddenly recalled a memory from its long history, his voice instantly sharp with surprise. Yet none of this could alter the outcome—immediately, the yellow crossbow arrow burst with a deep, resonant crack. A thick aroma of sandalwood diffused into a gentle yellow mist, spreading and enveloping the entire area, spanning several mu. "Impossible! This is Black-Yuan Ice Incense, a divine incense specifically designed to repel demons! It should have vanished from this realm long ago. How could you possibly possess it?" But don't be too pleased yet. When you next aspire to attain the Mahayana stage, I will personally descend—by no means will I let you escape so easily this time." Under the enveloping yellow mist, the black little figure could no longer maintain its form. With a sharp, resentful cry, its body burst into a thousand wounds and rapidly disintegrated, vanishing completely into thin air at the spot. Clearly, a fragment of the celestial demon's magical consciousness had been forcibly expelled from Han Li's spiritual awareness. The three-headed, six-armed giant ape watched the scene, swiftly pressing hand seals with both hands, and gradually shrinking in size. In moments, it dissolved its double transformation, returning to its original human form. Now, Han Li's face was slightly pale, and his chest slightly heaved with breath. The spiritual energy and divine power consumed during that divine technique had been substantial—this was precisely why he had initially refrained from employing it. Surveying the place where the demon had vanished, Han Li showed no sign of relief. Without a word, he raised one hand and pressed a seal, and his body then dispersed into scattered points of jade-like light. Earlier, to prevent the heart demon from seizing the opportunity to interfere with his consciousness lingering outside his physical body, he had completely severed the connection between his inner awareness and the outer flesh. Now that the heart demon had been banished, he naturally eagerly returned to his true form at once. As soon as Han Li opened his eyes, he observed that the gray light spots surrounding him had, at some point, coalesced into five indistinct, ethereal figures, each about three zhang tall and constantly shifting in form, fiercely attacking the protective aura he had maintained outside. With each wave of assault, the luminous aura of his protective light trembled violently, shrinking significantly. The five figures emitted strange, piercing cries, circling Han Li without ever leaving his side, radiating an astonishing surge of wild energy. "Hmph. How dare these mere demons formed from accumulated evil qi show off their strength before me! Vanish!" Han Li's expression darkened. With a sharp command, he unleashed a sudden flash of golden lightning across his body, sending out countless golden arcs that surged forth from his form. The five magical beasts formed by the convergence of fierce energies were instantly vaporized in a golden glow that spread across the Nordic region, dissolving completely without putting up any resistance. After clearing away these five creatures, Han Li's face showed no sign of joy, instead growing increasingly gloomy. At this very moment, several seals and magical arrays that he had specially prepared to counter the heavenly calamity were suddenly activated and had transformed into multiple vast luminous screens, fully enclosing the entire stone tower. Above his head, eighty-one black dragon serpents, summoning wind and rain, unleashed cascades of vibrant, furious lightning arcs. These lightning bolts ranged from just a few feet to several meters in length, pouring down from the sky like a relentless downpour. As the flashes of light danced and flickered, the seals began to strain, emitting low, strained murmurs of distress. At that moment, the arcs of various colors falling from the sky suddenly converged upward, instantly solidifying into a single, massive arc as thick as a water column, which flashed down and struck the light shield with great force. A crisp crack! The entire light shield trembled and shattered into fragments. Without any obstruction, the five-colored arcs vanished from above the tower, reappearing the next instant across the expanse of space above Han Li's inner chamber, where they struck down once more. Han Li, without hesitation, shook his sleeve, and several golden arcs shot out simultaneously. A thunderous roar erupted! As the golden arcs met the five-colored lightning, they vanished together in a mutual annihilation. Yet this was only the beginning—more five-colored lightning surged into the chamber, pouring down upon Han Li in overwhelming force. Han Li narrowed his eyes, then reached out with one hand into the air, and a shimmering blue glow appeared in his palm, spinning rapidly before dissipating into seventy-two scattered blue streaks. A dragon's roar echoed forth. A countless number of azure sword energies burst forth, intersecting and weaving through the air, densely filling every corner of the chamber. Yet, when they converged upon Han Li's head, they coalesced into a single glowing azure sphere. This sphere spun steadily, with countless brilliant sword streaks appearing and disappearing, and upon a sudden crack, a green-bodied, coiled dragon with its jaws agape and limbs outstretched surged forth. Han Li not only caught the azure sword lotus mid-air with a single hand, but instantly reconfigured it into dozens of smaller swords, reestablishing the Qing Pan Sword Formation. Indeed, this sword formation proved to be one of Han Li's signature strengths—while the multi-colored electric arcs struck it as it spiraled above the chamber, the dragon remained unharmed, even shaking its head and tail to effortlessly disperse each arc. At that very moment, the previously contracted fire cloud not only regained its original size but, as the fire essence within it surged and stirred, clusters of molten red rock, each the size of a human head, fell spontaneously from the cloud, transforming into glowing red fire orbs and plummeting straight downward. Yet Han Li was by no means daunted by the slightest hue of color. After taking a deep breath, the two towering peaks suddenly came into view. With a single hand raised and gently pressing upward, the hazy, primordial magnetic light and a cascade of intangible sword energies instantly surged forth in waves, cascading out from within the peaks... And as the black dragon dispersed, a clear, resonant roar suddenly rose from within the stone tower, soaring straight into the heavens. At the same time, a streak of pale green light burst forth from the tower, sweeping across the sky and clearing away both the fiery clouds and the black mist, leaving only a myriad of colored runes scattered in the air. After the light streak faded, a colossal, ethereal figure, towering a thousand paces high, hovered with astonishing presence in the upper skies, bearing a face and appearance identical to Han Li's. "Ah! Isn't this Han, the esteemed guest?" "Indeed, it's Han Master nearing the later stage of his breakthrough—what a remarkable phenomenon!" ...Upon closely examining the figure's face, nearly half of the nearby cultivators instantly recognized Han Li, causing a wave of excitement and murmurs throughout the area. The green ethereal figure then glanced over the dense array of colored runes scattered around, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Suddenly, he opened his mouth and drew in a deep, powerful breath. After the runes trembled, they instantly surged into countless radiant points, rushing in a manner akin to myriad rivers converging into the sea, all being swiftly drawn into the vast, looming form and swallowed by its immense mouth. With such a vast number of points, each intake absorbed nearly tens of thousands. The greenish silhouette expanded at an astonishing pace. Once the points near it were completely drawn in, more luminous halos from farther away, under the influence of some mysterious force, began to flock toward the form like moths to a flame, likewise being consumed by the greenish silhouette. "Unfortunate! Everyone, retreat immediately! Master Han has successfully passed the late-stage trial and is now absorbing celestial and terrestrial vital energies to rebuild his spiritual essence. Our current positions are all within his influence range. We must now quickly evacuate to avoid disrupting Master Han." The silver-haired elder, who had previously displayed disbelief, now gasped and shouted in alarm upon witnessing the scene beyond. (Hehe, New Year's Day is here! Wishing everyone a prosperous and healthy new year!) Highly recommended: "The Journey of Rebirth" (Book No. 2172811) Endowed with three treasures of the Heavenly Realm, witness a former Golden Immortal endure trials and renew his path, ultimately achieving the Supreme Path. After five millennia of rigorous cultivation, he finally attains the rank of Golden Immortal, entering the ranks of the immortals. Yet, during a conflict with the supreme deity of the demonic realm, he accidentally destroys the hall of ascension, thus suffering a cycle of nine reincarnations. In the first seven lives, he either dies young or fails to progress due to his mortal body. Now, in this ninth life, it is his final chance. Either he can recommit to the path of immortality or he will sink into oblivion. The path to eternal life proves as arduous as this.