Chapter 1221: Yuan Magnetic Mountain

Han Li’s mana surged wildly as he let out a low shout.

The massive sword erupted with radiant spiritual light, trembling once before transforming into a golden arc resembling a flood dragon. It circled once in the air before slashing down with immense force.

With a thunderous boom, the golden arc cleaved straight through the enormous bronze pillar.

The towering green-red pillar, as if made of clay, was split cleanly in two by the golden light, collapsing with a deafening roar on either side.

From a distance, it looked as though heaven and earth were being torn asunder!

The remaining Starfall Coalition cultivators lingering on nearby spirit boats hastily took to the air on their artifacts.

Such a massive disturbance drew the shocked gazes of cultivators from both sides.

Han Li, floating motionless in the air with his robes fluttering, was instantly spotted by the crowd.

At the sight of him, expressions either twisted in horror or erupted into ecstatic exclamations, presenting two starkly opposite reactions.

Of course, not everyone had the luxury to look over immediately.

For instance, the man and woman in a nearby battle that Han Li was observing were completely preoccupied, surrounded by five enormous ghostly heads and roaring in fury.

Coincidentally, the demonic Qi and pink mist released by the Twin Demons of the Lan Clan were perfectly countered by the gray-white demonic flames spat out by the five ghosts, leaving them barely able to defend themselves.

The nearby Elder Zhao and the purple-robed burly man, witnessing this, were both shocked and delighted, frantically urging their treasures to join the assault on the Twin Demons.

Meanwhile, the dozen or so golden insect clouds Han Li had released were wreaking havoc.

Guided by his split consciousness, they targeted Starfall Coalition cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage. Wherever they passed, a buzzing sound heralded their descent, and no matter what defensive artifacts or treasures were employed, they were instantly reduced to nothing under the golden swarm.

In mere moments, dozens of cultivators had been devoured clean by the Gold Devouring Beetles.

Chaos erupted among the nearby Starfall Coalition forces, with cultivators scrambling to avoid the insect clouds as if they were venomous scorpions.

Coupled with Han Li’s destruction of the Windfire Heaven-Severing Array’s core, the morale of the Starfall Coalition plummeted to its lowest point.

Almost immediately, Starfall Coalition cultivators began to flee.

At first, it was just a few, then dozens, and soon hundreds were scattering in all directions!

Without Han Li even needing to lift a finger, the Starfall Coalition’s defeat was sealed. Even Elder Long and the old woman, sensing the dire situation, abandoned their opponents and vanished in streaks of light.

The Twin Demons of the Lan Clan, realizing their peril, suddenly unleashed several immensely powerful treasures, detonating them with hand seals to force the five ghosts back momentarily and break free from the encirclement, attempting to escape.

Seeing this, Han Li frowned slightly before his wings flickered without hesitation, and he vanished.

In the next moment, as the Twin Demons barely escaped the ghosts’ encirclement, a low thunderclap sounded ahead. A green arc flashed, and Han Li materialized eerily before them, blocking their path with a cold gaze.

Meeting his emotionless eyes, the Twin Demons’ hearts sank.

But as seasoned demonic cultivators, they were not about to surrender. Exchanging a glance, they simultaneously released several multicolored treasures and activated their demonic arts, launching a fierce assault.

A trace of killing intent flickered in Han Li’s brow.

…

Several days later, the entire Chaotic Star Sea was in an uproar. The life-and-death battle between Star Palace and the Starfall Coalition had not only occurred unexpectedly early but had also resulted in a resounding victory that left most dumbfounded.

Not only had Wan Tianming of the Myriad Laws Sect perished in the battle, but numerous high-ranking Starfall Coalition cultivators had also fallen, including the infamous Twin Demons of the Lan Clan, who were effortlessly slain by Star Palace.

Han Li’s name naturally became known throughout the Chaotic Star Sea after this battle. Even his past exploits—such as navigating the Void Sky Hall before forming his Nascent Soul, obtaining the Void Sky Cauldron, and later being hunted under the Starfall Coalition’s extermination order—were dug up, leaving countless ordinary cultivators in awe.

But with Han Li’s current reputation, no Nascent Soul elder would dare covet the cauldron now.

Over the following months, Star Palace dispatched teams to reclaim lost territories and hunt down retreating Starfall Coalition elites, pushing their counterattack all the way to the coalition’s stronghold.

The remaining Starfall Coalition Nascent Soul elders, unwilling to accept total defeat, mustered another force and engaged Star Palace in a final battle at their headquarters.

This time, without a late-Nascent Soul cultivator to anchor them, the Starfall Coalition suffered an even more crushing defeat.

Though they sent three mid-Nascent Soul cultivators to confront Han Li, he effortlessly slew two. The third barely escaped with his life, his body severed in half by a single sword stroke. Even if he succeeded in seizing a new body, his cultivation would never fully recover.

Within half a year, Star Palace had regained control over the Inner Star Sea, with other factions pledging allegiance once more.

Ling Yuling seized the opportunity to recruit fleeing low- and mid-ranking Starfall Coalition cultivators while relentlessly pursuing the remaining Nascent Soul elders.

Thus, the Starfall Coalition collapsed from within.

In the blink of an eye, the once-mighty alliance became a relic of the past.

Six months later, deep within the sacred mountain of Heavenly Star City, a man and a woman walked single-file down a long, pristine jade corridor.

The woman was stunningly beautiful, while the man was unremarkable in appearance—Han Li and Ling Yuling, the current master of Star Palace.

“So the Magnetic Divine Mountain is kept here? Is it truly so terrifying that you fear it to this extent?” Han Li asked casually, examining the jade walls as he walked slightly behind.

“Terrifying doesn’t even begin to describe it. Cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage who approach it risk immediate Qi backlash, potentially fatal. Even Nascent Soul cultivators can only linger briefly before their cultivation suffers,” Ling Yuling replied, turning her head with a smile.

“Your words only deepen my curiosity. I wonder how such a mountain was originally discovered,” Han Li mused, his eyes glinting with interest.

“My father once mentioned it. During his travels in the Outer Sea, he witnessed it erupting from an undersea volcano. Moving it required Herculean effort, costing several Golden Core disciples their cultivation. After my parents mastered a fraction of the Magnetic Divine Light, they began refining the mountain as a treasure, but the process was so time-consuming that they had only completed a small portion by their passing,” Ling Yuling explained.

“Had they succeeded, they might have broken free from the mountain’s constraints and avoided being bound to one place,” Han Li chuckled softly.

Ling Yuling merely smiled without responding, stopping as they rounded a corner.

A massive emerald jade gate blocked the path ahead, covered in glowing multicolored restriction talismans.

“This was their cultivation site. My parents set up special restrictions to block the mountain’s Five Elements power,” she said, raising a white jade token toward the gate.

A misty white light shot forth, sweeping the talismans away.

The previously silent gate trembled violently, emitting a low hum as it began to shake.

Her expression solemn, Ling Yuling spat out a blue jade hook, which transformed into a protective azure arc around her.

Turning to Han Li, she warned, “Only artifacts devoid of the Five Elements are minimally affected. Even with your power, exercise caution inside.”

“Rest assured, I know my limits,” Han Li replied with a faint smile.

Without any visible movement, a golden light enveloped him—the Vajra Shield, a technique outside the Five Elements.

Ling Yuling blinked in surprise before smiling. Chanting softly, she levitated the jade token, sending streams of colored runes into the gate.

The humming ceased, and the gate slowly swung open, revealing a spacious chamber bathed in milky white light.

As the gate opened, a chilling sensation washed over Han Li. His pure wood-attribute Qi surged wildly through his meridians like untamed horses.

Anticipating this, he quickly circulated the Azure Essence Sword Art to suppress the rampaging energy, restoring calm.

Outwardly composed, inwardly he was shaken.

Even with the Vajra Shield, the backlash was intense. Without it, he would have suffered greatly—let alone ordinary cultivators.

Glancing at Ling Yuling, he noted her flushed cheeks despite the jade hook’s protection, her beauty accentuated by the exertion.