Two months passed in the blink of an eye. One day, while Han Li was quietly breathing and meditating in the chamber, a respectful voice from outside suddenly announced, "Master Han, Lady Biying has sent for you. She says the time for the battle of the strong has arrived." "Understood. I'll go right away. I wonder if this journey will be hazardous—please stay here with Huashishi." Han Li opened his eyes calmly and replied. Then, a shimmer of light rolled over his body, and he transformed into a streak of brilliant light, swiftly spiraling upward, vanishing through the air with a sudden burst that pierced the main gate. Half an hour later, in the largest building resembling a hall at the heart of the fortress, Han Li finally met Biying, Wen Xin Feng, and another tall, slender man dressed in silver armor, whose face was cold and expressionless. "This is Lei Yuan, the representative of our alliance on the Leiming Continent. His status and rank are equal to mine." As for the Blood-Slaughter companion who encountered a few minor difficulties along the way, he should arrive no later than tomorrow. But for now, let us proceed with this step—does anyone have any objections?” Upon seeing that Han Li said nothing, Bi Ying introduced the fourth teammate joining the battle of the strong, then immediately spoke as such. “Since it’s your responsibility to oversee this battle of the strong, I, Lei, won’t interfere with your plans.” The silver-armored man spoke evenly. Han Li and the scholar named Wen, naturally, had no objections either. Thus, after a brief discussion, the group promptly stepped out of the hall. Outside the grand structure, a dense line of fully armed soldiers stood in orderly rows. Above the fortress, several dozen large, flat flying vehicles—resembling islands—hovered in a dark, compact formation. Upon Bi Ying’s command, these soldiers instantly rose and entered the floating “islands.” “Are there only these people joining us in the battle of the strong?” The silver-armored man frowned slightly and asked, "Of course not. These are merely surface-level personnel. I've already transferred troops from other outposts and established a full setup at the designated locations two weeks ago. Should those spectral beings fail to uphold their commitments or harbor other intentions, they will simply vanish without a trace." Bi Ying replied without hesitation. Upon hearing this, the silver-armored man nodded and said nothing further. Once all the armored officers had entered the massive aerial vehicles floating in the sky, the accompanying light trails also converged into the largest of the "islands." Immediately after, the aerial vehicles began to emit thunderous sounds and sped off toward the distant horizon. Half a month later, the group of several dozen "islands" arrived above a seemingly eerie mountain range. This mountain range appeared to be divided by an invisible boundary—on one side, lush greenery and birdsong, fragrant with blossoms; on the other, dark mist rolled in, accompanied by howling winds, and faint echoes of ghostly wails and wild beasts' cries could be heard. After a tremor, the "Enormous Island" halted at a distance of over two li from the boundary line. Then, a flash of light emerged from its surface, and one after another, the armored soldiers descended. Some raised hand seals while others simply lifted their hands, sending out various array instruments that instantly began forming an immense magical array beneath. A few others tossed upward colorful light orbs into the sky. Once the great battle begins, we five will simply head directly to these five peaks. Once all combatants from both sides have gathered, the master strategists of each side will activate their pre-deployed two protective seals, enclosing all duelists within. Only when one side officially declares "retreat" or when a combatant clearly falls in or achieves victory will these two protective seals automatically dissolve and vanish. Bi Ying solemnly explained the general situation of the grand clash to Han Li and the others. "Will the opposing side make any alterations to these seals?" Wen Xin's eyes flickered thoughtfully before suddenly asking. "Rest assured, these two seals are identical and quite simple. After both sides have completed their setup, the master strategists will inspect each other's seals thoroughly to ensure accuracy before allowing their own personnel to enter." Bi Ying smiled and added a few sentences. "If one peak concludes early, will the victor be permitted to participate in the battles at the other peaks?" Han Li also asked, his gaze briefly shifting. "Although this aspect wasn't previously agreed upon, since this battle is fundamentally about securing control over this realm, it naturally requires an assessment of both parties' overall strength." Bi Ying stroked her short beard thoughtfully, adding with deep intention. "I understand." Though her response was somewhat vague, Han Li smiled with clear comprehension. "This battle comes without any restrictions—any divine techniques or treasures may be freely employed as long as one defeats and kills the opponent. Of course, for us at this level of cultivation, defeating the adversary may not be difficult, but truly killing them—achieving a decisive elimination—would undoubtedly prove exceedingly challenging. Moreover, the opponent is no ordinary being; the secret techniques they've cultivated differ significantly from what we typically encounter. Therefore, I urge all of you to remain vigilant and attentive." Bi Ying added one more instruction. "Brother Bi need not worry. I have indeed encountered several powerful spirits before, and have specially prepared several artifacts specifically designed to counter them. Even if the opponent differs slightly from ordinary spirits, I believe these will prove effective." Wen Xin Feng gently stroked her small creature in her arms with a jade finger, then smiled gracefully. "Mistress Wen's divine powers inherently have a certain advantage over spirits and ghosts. With a few specially prepared treasures, I believe our chances of victory are surely strong." Bi Ying listened with great delight. "That's hard to say. I've heard that the figures hailed as the Ten Kings of the Underworld are among the most powerful spirits within their realm. Once the battle truly begins, they won't be so easily handled." Wen Xin Feng shook her head. "Haha, Mistress Wen is being too modest. Even if the opponents are no ordinary ones, which of our five is a simple one? I'm confident this battle will surely satisfy Bi Ying. Now, all of you go ahead and rest in the temporary quarters below. Once Blood-Slaughter Daoist joins us, we'll dispatch people to set up protective spells on the five peaks. I believe the spirits from the Underworld have already arrived there." As Bi Ying spoke, she glanced toward the swirling masses of dark mist on the other side of the boundary. At the same time, hundreds of miles deep within the surging black mist,近百 towering white "mountains"—each reaching a thousand zhang—hovered silently in the sky. Dense shadows surrounded these peaks, with countless ghostly figures and spectral forms swirling and dancing erratically. Should a cultivator with spiritual awareness be present, they could clearly see the white "mountains" through the flowing wind. The surfaces of these mountains were uneven, with a faint, shimmering phosphorescence constantly pulsing—evidently composed of countless stacked white skeletons. At various entrances of the peaks, spirits with green faces and jagged teeth moved in and out, each radiating strong vitality and appearing fierce and menacing. One of these peaks differed from the others: thousands of evil spirits, clad in neat bone armor and wielding various weapons, patrolled continuously around it. Inside a solemn, blood-red hall at the heart of the bone mountains, several indistinct black silhouettes sat on dark, imposing chairs, engaged in conversation. "For a mere little world, we've had to send all five of us on this journey—aren't they overestimating us? If I'm given just a hundred thousand Yin Lin troops, I could single-handedly eliminate all of their outposts. What's the point of holding a tournament of the strongest then? It's entirely unnecessary." A tall black figure spoke coldly. "Hmph. Don't underestimate them. If these beings were truly easy to handle, the several Ghost Kings assigned to this matter wouldn't have sustained injuries after several fierce battles with their opponents and returned wounded—nor would our forces have been pinned down here, unable to advance even a single step. I'm certain this time, they'll send their very strongest warriors. We mustn't be too casual about it. Otherwise, if we fail here, the Thousand-Wheel King and the others will surely mock us five, and Lord Yin Xiong won't have much to say in defense." A slender black figure replied calmly. "Their strongest warriors? That's exactly what I had hoped for." My Five-Element Soul-Sealing Hammer still lacks a truly powerful soul to serve as its spirit essence. If I can defeat the opponent, I believe this life-bound artifact will truly come to full maturity." The first tall shadow replied with ease, clearly still unconcerned. "Unfortunately, Lord Mingxiong is currently engaged in a crucial struggle with the Yehui Clan over another Yin Realm—so he cannot spare his strength. If he had participated in this gathering of elite warriors with his power equal to that of a true Immortal, the opponent would have had absolutely no chance." The third shadow sighed and spoke. "The Yehui Clan is no mere minor force—according to reports, their clan leader possesses powers that are deeply profound, only matchable by Lord Mingxiong himself. Moreover, compared to this still-developing, gradually forming world, the already naturally established Yin Realm is inherently more vital." The slender shadow spoke calmly. "Since we've all arrived here, the great battle in a few days will certainly require our full involvement." There's no need to elaborate further. With our current strength, we should have at least a seven- or eight-out-of-ten chance of securing victory. The real question lies in whether the opposing side will uphold their commitments and actually withdraw from their controlled territories. Seven-Orifices King, have you prepared your backup plans? Suddenly, a voice as cold and sharp as a venomous snake emerged from the black silhouette who had remained silent throughout. Upon hearing this, all the other black silhouettes instinctively straightened up, immediately falling silent.