The lady in imperial attire saw this scene and briefly flashed a look of despair, but immediately clenched her teeth, her face turning slightly crimson as she resolved to summon a family-secret incantation—sacrificing everything to meet her leading demonic foe in death. Yet, just as she began to form the gestures, a sudden ripple surged from above the sky, and a faint, graceful figure materialized mysteriously. This unexpected sight left the human cultivators and the surrounding demonic beings all stunned. The figure scanned the demonic ranks with a composed gaze and emitted a clear, crisp cold snort: "Demonic forces daring to tread this land? They've truly courted their doom! Let them die—'Kill'!" As she spoke, a brilliant silver glow surged from her body, and a series of sharp crackling sounds echoed as countless crystalline filaments burst forth, shooting out in all directions like a burst of energy. The surrounding magical beings were stunned, some hastily activating their magical techniques to block, others quickly summoning magical artifacts for protection. Yet the crystalline filaments paid them no heed, merely flashing swiftly through each of them, piercing them all and causing them to collapse like withered grass. Even the Liangxu-level magical being who had taken the form of a serpent-human was among those who fell. As his body descended to the ground, his face remained etched with disbelief and rage. It was no wonder for his expression. He had led the pursuit only to capture a group of human cultivators far less powerful than himself, believing it to be a straightforward victory. Now, unexpectedly, he had been interrupted and ultimately fell, deeply disheartened. The dressed-in-imperial-gown woman and the other human cultivators were filled with astonishment and joy. Immediately, under her leadership, all the cultivators bowed collectively to the faint, indistinct figure in the air. With utmost reverence, the imperial-dressed woman said, "Thank you, elder, for your life-saving grace." "Had it not been for the elder's timely rescue, our younger disciples, along with the Xu family, would have surely fallen victim to these magical beings." "The Xu family? Is it the Xu family where the Ice-Purity Immortal resides?" The figure in the air seemed slightly surprised and only asked after a pause. "Does the elder know our ancestor? Indeed, we are the descendants of the Ice-Purity Immortal!" The lady in court attire was momentarily taken aback, but quickly replied with care. "I don't personally know the Ice-Purity Immortal, though one of my friends has a close connection with your ancestor. How then did you end up being pursued by the demonic clan all the way here?" As the figure in the air gently folded back her silver glow, revealing a graceful form and a face as ethereal as a heavenly maiden, she smiled. This lady was precisely the Silver Moon who had just floated across the sky from the basin. During her time spent with Han Li, she had already learned through him about the existence of the Ice-Purity Immortal and the Xu family, which is why she spoke so warmly and cordially. Otherwise, if she had exchanged for another unfamiliar human cultivator, she would certainly have been far more courteous. "A dear friend of my family's! But I'm not sure of the esteemed elder's surname—perhaps I've heard of him before." The lady in court attire relaxed slightly, yet politely inquired. "What is your name?" Silver Moon did not immediately respond, instead studying the blue-dressed woman from head to toe before asking thoughtfully. "My name is Xu Qianyu. Should the elder have any matter, I shall be honored to assist." The lady stiffened, quickly replying. This Xu lady was precisely the "Xu Lady" that Han Li had first met in Tianyuan City years ago. Now, after so many years, she had advanced to the Lingxu stage, and it was surprising how she had suddenly appeared here, pursued all the way by a group of demonic cultivators. "Xu Qianyu! By appearance, you indeed are the Xu family member he mentioned. Then, I shall temporarily requisition your family's services. This area is currently off-limits to outsiders—please patrol nearby to prevent any more strangers from entering unexpectedly." Silver Moon smiled lightly, delivering the instructions with no hesitation. "To serve you is indeed our honor. Yet, with our own cultivation still quite modest, we may not be able to withstand a truly powerful visitor. In that case, we might inadvertently disrupt your important plans." Xu Qianyu looked puzzled but replied without delay. "Rest assured—here are several scrolls. Should you encounter someone truly insurmountable, simply summon the scrolls without forcing a confrontation. I will arrive instantly upon receiving the news." Silver Moon had already thought this through. "Since you've anticipated such a situation, we will do our utmost and never fail to live up to your trust," Xu Qianyu bowed slightly, accepting the offer with full commitment. Seeing this, Yin Yue nodded with satisfaction, just about to say something more to the imperial-dress woman when suddenly, a flash of silver appeared on the horizon behind her, followed by a distant, muffled rumble—shaking even the ground beneath. "Good," Yin Yue said, her expression shifting instantly. With a swift motion of her sleeve, several silver scrolls shot out like arrows. Then, with a thunderous roar, she herself surged forward, transforming into a streak of silver light, vanishing into the sky within just a few flashes. "Affirmative"—most of the others immediately bowed and agreed, but several of the Xu family cultivators exchanged glances, their expressions showing some hesitation. Eventually, an elder stepped forward and bowed to the court-dressed woman, saying, "Qian Yu, don't you find the senior's demeanor and gestures a bit suspicious just now? Moreover, what about the distant sounds and vibrations? We've been entrusted with this task—will we not only remain unharmed, but also become entangled in some major trouble? Xu Qianyu's face darkened, and she delivered a sharp reprimand. "It was my oversight. Naturally, everything will now follow my younger sister's lead." The elder's face flushed and paled several times, yet in the end, he remained silent, unable to add another word. The other several Xu family cultivators who had previously hesitated now looked equally embarrassed, and none dared to challenge the decision any further. Thus, they immediately divided into three groups and began patrolling in various directions. Although the areas they needed to cover were extensive, with their flying cultivation tools activated, a full circuit of patrols took only a short while. Xu Qianyu, accompanied by four of her younger relatives, flew steadily and calmly through the sky. But suddenly, at the far horizon, a brilliant flash of light emerged—brief and then vanished. A deep, resonant rumble followed, echoing faintly from an even greater distance. Xu Qianyu couldn't help but turn her head toward the direction of the flashing light, her eyes flickering with a subtle change, yet she dared not linger, quickly turning back to urge the other cultivators to move forward. One of the extreme peaks roared with a hissing sound, countless invisible sword qi intersecting and weaving through each other, severing one after another electric arcs and thunder spheres. The final peak shimmered with vibrant hues of five colors, and every electric glow instantly burst and dispersed upon contact. Below these three peaks, a thousand zhang tall, golden bodhisattva figure stood upright, his six arms moving rhythmically, launching golden light orbs in a torrential rain that forcibly dispersed several electric arcs. Further down, a large, jade-green sword lotus spun continuously. Any remaining electric arcs and thunder spheres that fell into it were instantly shattered and pulverized by the sword qi within the lotus. Han Li, single-handedly channeling inner spiritual energy through precise hand gestures, had managed, through meticulously prepared defensive measures, to withstand the true thunder calamity—considered a near-death experience by other cultivators—without a single injury, all the way up to the present moment. Yet Han Li was actually quite clear in his mind—he could credit a great deal of his current resilience and unharmed state to the three towering peaks. Though the Yuanhe Five Peaks had not yet been fully fused, their combined presence had already demonstrated a remarkable ability to counteract the thunderous calamities of the lightning calamity. With merely these three still-unfused treasures, they had effortlessly absorbed most of the lightning attacks, leaving only a smaller portion to be directly intercepted by Han Li himself and the Buddha-Saint’s golden body. Even thus, he had barely managed to endure this far—his complexion was pale, his face weary, and his internal qi consumed to nearly eighty percent. At last, Han Li understood why great transcendents were so rare and difficult to find in the spiritual realm. Despite his thorough preparations, with both his internal energy and physical form far surpassing those of ordinary late-stage fusion cultivators, he had nearly failed to withstand the true lightning calamity. The chances of other fusion-level cultivators succeeding, therefore, were even more negligible. Just as Han Li was silently astonished, the true lightning calamity in the sky also reached its final moment. After a series of intense flashes around the massive hole, it suddenly began to shrink. Yet, within the hole, the sea of lightning surged and churned, gradually gathering into a single cluster and fiercely compressing itself. Within just a cup of tea's time, the overwhelming, nearly world-shattering aura in the sky dispersed, and a terrifying, black-and-white lightning sphere began to take shape faintly within the shrinking hole. —— Volume Eleven: The True Immortal Descends Chapter 2,180: The Black-and-White Lightning Sphere Han Li immediately took a deep breath and, as soon as he opened his mouth, expelled three clumps of refined blood. Then, with both hands pressing seals and pointing upward, the blood flashed instantly, transforming into dozens of blood-colored runes that shot skyward, vanishing swiftly into the cores of the three towering peaks. The three mountains spun smoothly and gradually converged toward the center, instantly merging into a single massive mountain of three hues, emitting a thunderous roar. As the mountain shrank in size—reducing in volume in pulses—it condensed down to several tens of zhang in height, while a vast and majestic aura radiated outward from its summit. This three-mount fusion not only requires the practitioner's own vital essence to activate it, but the duration of the fusion is exceptionally brief—lasting only long enough to allow the ability to receive the next strike. It was merely a temporary strategy devised by Han Li specifically to overcome his current stage of advancing toward the Great Multiplication stage. As soon as the three mountains fused, the black-and-white lightning spheres in the sky plummeted with a thunderous crack, descending precisely toward Han Li's position. Unlike the earlier lightning attacks, this black-and-white sphere contained several threads of celestial and terrestrial laws, firmly locking Han Li's immortal embryo body in place. Unless it was directly blocked and dispersed, even if Han Li managed to flee to a distance of a million li, he would inevitably perish, like a persistent shadow that never left. Most daunting of all, however, was the immense power inherent within the black-and-white sphere itself. For ordinary fusion-stage cultivators, merely brushing against it would be enough to instantly reduce them to ashes due to its destructive force. Witnessing this, Han Li immediately activated his spell without hesitation. The Buddha-enchanted golden form roared once, and simultaneously, its six arms surged upward, striking the air with firm precision. "Pop! Pop!" Several golden spheres burst forth, slightly blurring before merging into a single, luminous whirlpool ahead of the towering peak. The whirlpool, spanning several mu in size, spun rapidly, with countless runes dancing within it, while a suffocating force surged outward from its core. As soon as the black-and-white lightning spheres were drawn into this suction, they only emitted a soft hum before being swiftly pulled into the center of the vortex. At once, a resonant sound of sacred mantras emanated from within the golden whirlpool, and golden light and electric flashes surged wildly. A thunderous boom! The whirlpool trembled, and the golden light at its base cracked and fragmented, yet the black-and-white lightning spheres surged upward through the center, their electric surfaces brilliantly radiant—unharmed in the slightest. Han Li's face changed, yet he made no movement. The azure sword lotus hovering above his head emitted a long, resonant cry before vanishing suddenly, as if it had simply slipped into the sky. At that very moment, the ripples beneath the black and white lightning spheres surged together, and the azure lotus materialized silently. With a gentle turn, a thousand streaks of jade-like sword qi erupted, slashing continuously and resounding against the spheres with thunderous force. Instantly, the surface of the black and white spheres was filled with intersecting sword qi, forming bursts of azure light that nearly engulfed the spheres entirely. Even with its formidable strength, the spheres momentarily paused, unable to descend further. Seeing that the attack was taking effect, Han Li was greatly relieved. He then drew upon his inner spiritual power, channeling it wildly into the floating azure lotus. The sword qi emanating from the lotus surged by nearly double, dense and pervasive, covering every inch of the spheres' surface and causing constant rumbling, as if they might shatter at any moment. A deep rumble echoed within the spheres, and suddenly, the black and white electric arcs on their surface expanded, thickening into thick ribbons, then bursting with electric flashes that deflected all the incoming sword qi. At the same time, the spheres themselves groaned and descended once more toward the ground. Han Li's expression grew serious. With a cold exhalation, he pointed a finger toward the azure lotus floating in the air. Instantly, the great lotus expanded, its petals swelling and the volume increasing noticeably, and the sword qi emanating from within grew thicker and more powerful. Yet the massive thunder sphere flashed once and was immediately absorbed into the lotus. A thunderous roar erupted within the lotus, which spun wildly, its petal-like sword blades rapidly contracting toward the center, as if trying to crush the thunder sphere into fragments. Suddenly, a sharp, piercing cry rang out from within the azure lotus, and the translucent petals began to bulge and distort, then rapidly expanding. Han Li was startled by this development, but before he could react, a tremendous roar erupted from above. The azure sword lotus burst open amidst a cascade of black and white electric arcs, reforming into seventy-two flying swords that mourned in unison, their light dimming and shooting off in all directions. With his spirit linked, Han Li's face paled and he suddenly spat out several clots of pure blood. His vital energy wavered slightly, yet he didn't pause to attend to anything else—he urgently waved his long robe toward the sky. Instantly, the seventy-two flying swords that had been hovering shifted direction and shot downward, each vanishing into the folds of his robe as Han Li drew them back into his body. As the white and black lightning spheres descended without mercy, the Consolidated Supreme Mountain, requiring no further effort from him, slowly rotated in place, releasing countless symbols that surged upward. Following a shimmer of crystalline light across its surface, the entire mountain suddenly became translucent, almost transparent, before steadily advancing toward the descending spheres. Upon impact, a deep resonance echoed as the white and black spheres struck solidly against the mountain's summit, sending out countless arcs of white and black lightning that surged in a relentless barrage against the peak. The Consolidated Supreme Mountain trembled continuously, its surface glowing with shifting hues of light, desperately resisting the onslaught of the lightning arcs. Han Li also urgently channeled the remaining spiritual energy within his body, rapidly tapping his fingers toward the sky, pouring forth a continuous stream of power to the towering mountain above. The mountain radiated brilliant, dazzling light, shimmering like a resplendent, golden sun. For a moment, the white-and-black thunder spheres and the unified peak trembled violently in the sky, emitting deafening roars and surging waves of energy that rose straight into the upper reaches of the heavens. The two forces momentarily held their ground, locked in a tense standoff. Yet as time passed, the white-and-black thunder spheres, though gradually shrinking due to the colorful light radiating from the peak, continued to weaken. Han Li’s own spiritual energy was vanishing at an astonishing pace. Had it not been for the fact that his internal energy was several times stronger than that of an ordinary combined-stage cultivator, he would have been completely drained within moments. Nevertheless, even so, Han Li’s face grew increasingly pale and strained. He had realized that if he continued to drive the peak to resist the thunder spheres in this manner, his own energy reserves would be exhausted before the spheres were fully dissipated. Yet Han Li was no ordinary cultivator, and he had already made numerous preparations for this great crisis beforehand, so in that instant he devised a strategy involving some risk. With a firm resolve, he suddenly pulled his spiritual energy back from the mountain peak floating in the air. Then, with a swift motion of his sleeve, a dark circular ring shot upward, expanding instantly into a size of one zhang and emitting a strange, mournful whistling sound. He immediately roared, rolling his body onto the ground, and at that moment transformed into a massive golden-mantled ape, his body radiating a brilliant golden glow and rapidly swelling in size. The originally upright form of the Buddha Saint, upon a swift flicker, began to disintegrate into scattered golden lights, which then swiftly shot downward and embedded themselves within the ape’s body, vanishing completely. The ape raised one massive hand to its head, and as it touched the crown, the cranial dome opened, revealing a golden immortal embryo that flashed into view. A few feet tall, the Yuan Ying gently waved her small hands outward, and instantly, several clusters of light emitted distinct sounds, shooting out from the giant ape's body. After a graceful spiral, they transformed into true spirit manifestations—sky dragons, colorful phoenixes, green phoenixes, and various other forms. These spirit images only spun once in the air before roaring and swiftly entering the Yuan Ying's body. The golden Yuan Ying's aura shifted, her form blurred, and she condensed into a radiant golden glow, then flew back into the giant ape's body. At that moment, the giant ape suddenly raised his head with a powerful roar, then pounded his chest with both hands, causing a brilliant display of purple and golden light to radiate across his body. Purple and golden scales emerged all over his form, and a green single horn sprouted instantly atop his head. More astonishingly, at the shoulders and along his ribcage, golden light solidified, giving rise to two additional golden heads and four arms covered in scales. Among these, one golden head and two arms appeared solid and tangible, while the other head and two arms remained slightly blurred, retaining their ethereal, shadowy forms. Han Li suddenly unleashed his most profound secret technique, the "Nirvana Sacred Body," all at once. Though he still appeared in his second Nirvana form, it was clearly a significant improvement over his previous state. If Han Li could further solidify his third head and the two additional arms into tangible forms, his Nirvana Sacred Body would truly mature and reach the third Nirvana stage. At that moment, after losing Han Li's magical support, the towering mountain in the sky could no longer withstand the relentless strikes of the now significantly shrunk lightning orb. It finally collapsed in several mournful cries, its light fading and dispersing into three clusters of luminous energy that drifted outwards. Meanwhile, the black and white lightning orb only needed a single thunderous impact to begin its swift descent, and after a brief flash, it struck the otherwise unremarkable black ring below. The black ring shattered almost instantly under the electric surge, yet immediately began to emit resonant hums, as a group of dozens of crimson-gold insect clusters suddenly materialized in the void. These golden insects are as large as a clenched fist, yet within every group there stands out a single giant beetle, measuring nearly a foot in size. They are precisely the golden insect colonies and the dozen or so candidate beetle kings! Nevertheless, whether the colonies or the kings themselves, their movements now seem sluggish and unresponsive—mere, rigid wing-flutters hovering in midair, as though they had paused in indecision and taken no further action.