The Elder Yan didn’t speak directly to the other party but instead turned his head to look in another direction.
There, another peak-stage Void Refinement alien cultivator was also staring expressionlessly in their direction, locking eyes with the elder. The elder’s pupils contracted sharply!
This alien, aside from having rough skin covered in green patterns, bore a striking resemblance to an ordinary human in appearance. He wore silver battle armor studded with blood-red spikes, exuding a faint aura of bloodlust. His gaze was utterly lifeless, regarding them as if they were already corpses.
Even the elder shuddered involuntarily upon meeting that gaze. A sinking feeling settled in Elder Yan’s heart.
Given his experience, he knew that the other party must have cultivated some extremely formidable technique. Otherwise, as someone of the same cultivation level, he wouldn’t have felt such an oppressive sensation.
Without showing any outward reaction, the elder swiftly swept his gaze over the alien’s surroundings. Although not all outsiders in the area had banded together, over a dozen of the twenty or so people present were clustered near that figure.
After glancing at his own group of seven or eight, including Han Li and Yue Zong, the elder’s expression darkened.
In his estimation, even counting Yue Zong and Han Li, their numbers barely matched the other side. Worse, the opposing group held an advantage in high-level cultivators—aside from two Ninth-Step Upper Clan members, they also had four Seventh- and Eighth-Step Upper Clan cultivators.
On his side, apart from himself, the only other Seventh-Step or higher cultivator was a long-haired, silent man who had yet to speak.
The elder sighed inwardly, realizing that the other side was blatantly relying on their superior strength to bully them, hence their brazen behavior.
“Yue is under my protection. I won’t stand by and let you take him. Moreover, I must remind you—this is Thundercloud Town, not a place where you can act recklessly. Even if you intend to cause trouble, you must abide by the town’s rules,” the elder finally spoke coldly.
“Rules? What rules?” The green-haired alien was momentarily taken aback but quickly sneered, his eyes flashing with malice.
“In this town, if two parties have a dispute, they must settle it in the arena. The winner is in the right,” the elder replied sternly.
“Hah! Are you suggesting this brat should duel me?” The green-haired alien burst into laughter.
“Of course not. I forgot to mention—according to the town’s rules, such duels must be between cultivators of similar strength. If you insist on taking Yue, you must either find someone of his level to fight or face me instead,” Elder Yan said coolly.
“Similar strength? Whose rule is that? What if I refuse?” The green-haired alien bared his teeth.
“Then you’ll be deemed a troublemaker. The town’s overseers will revoke your entry rights to the Demon Ridge Mountains and expel you from Thundercloud Town. Do you really wish to defy the council?” Elder Yan’s eyes gleamed sharply.
“The council?” The green-haired alien hesitated, then glanced back at the armored figure.
The armored alien frowned and turned to someone behind him. “Is what he said true? Does Thundercloud Town really have such a rule?”
“Esteemed Senior Gui, this rule does exist, though it was established when the town was first built. It hasn’t been enforced in years,” replied a black-robed, hooded figure who seemed familiar with the town’s customs.
The palace-robed woman and others eyed the cloaked figure with suspicion. They had assumed he was an outsider, but now it seemed otherwise.
“Enough. I only want to know—if we act here, will the overseers intervene?” Gui asked coldly.
“That’s uncertain. They might ignore it or step in. However, the new overseer is said to be rigid. The odds of interference are high,” the hooded man whispered.
“Then we can’t act recklessly here. Fine, we’ll follow your rules. After we retrieve the Lightning Repelling Umbrellas, I’ll personally test your skills. If I win, Yue comes with us. If I lose, we let him go. Agreed?” Gui proposed.
The elder nodded gravely, then turned to Yue Zong, whose face was pale. “Yue, I’ll fight in your stead. What do you say?”
“Senior Yan, this is my matter. I can’t drag you into it. I’ll fight myself—let them find someone of my level!” Yue Zong shook his head vehemently.
“Change opponents? Do you take us for fools? Either he fights for you, or I duel you directly. No other options,” the green-haired alien sneered.
Yue Zong fell silent, his expression grim.
“Senior Han, we can’t let them take Yue. Without him guiding us, we’ll never reach the Sacred Beast’s lair during the demonic eruption,” Xian Xian’s urgent voice whispered into Han Li’s ear.
Han Li glanced at her impassively. The crystal clan woman’s face was tense with anxiety.
“You overestimate me. I’m only a Seventh-Step Upper Clan. How can I stop this?” Han Li replied indifferently.
“Senior, don’t feign modesty. Though my cultivation is low, my sources are reliable. When you rescued Senior Jia of the Wangu Clan, you slew multiple peers in an instant. Your power far surpasses even Ninth-Step Upper Clans,” Xian Xian pressed.
Han Li’s gaze sharpened. After a pause, he responded coolly, “You’ve investigated me thoroughly, it seems. Very well, for the sake of the Heavenly Demon Armor, I’ll help once more.”
“Thank you, Senior!” Xian Xian beamed.
At that moment, Han Li stepped forward, his voice calm but firm.
“Only two choices? I propose a third. Yue has prior commitments to us. He won’t be going with you.”
As he spoke, Han Li moved in front of Yue Zong.
The palace-robed woman and the pale-faced youth exchanged bewildered glances. Yue Zong looked stunned.
Elder Yan, after a brief hesitation, scrutinized Han Li with renewed interest.
“Who are you? Seeking death? Or do you wish to fight me instead?” the green-haired alien roared, his eyes blazing with fury.
Without waiting for a reply, he lunged forward, his green-furred hand swelling to the size of a fan as it clawed downward at Han Li. Yellow light flickered from his fingers, unleashing an immense pressure.
“Be careful, Fellow Daoist Han!” Elder Yan warned, though his reaction was deliberately delayed.
For an ordinary early Void Refinement cultivator, the sudden attack would have immobilized them instantly. But Han Li’s physique was beyond comprehension. The crushing force meant nothing to him.
As the green-haired alien’s palm descended with a thunderous roar, Han Li’s lips curled into a cold smile. His own hand shot out from his sleeve, turning pitch-black as it met the attack.
A gray radiance flashed, coalescing into a massive, misty hand that materialized above Han Li, countering the yellow palm.
“Fool! Kneel!” the green-haired alien bellowed, pouring all his power into the strike, intending to crush Han Li outright.
Yet, to everyone’s shock, the yellow palm shattered like glass under the gray hand’s grip.
The gray hand then blurred, reappearing above the green-haired alien and clamping down. Before it even landed, the magnetic light’s gray mist surged forth.
“Impossible!” the alien gasped, stunned that his signature technique had been not only broken but turned against him.
In desperation, he threw two furious punches at the descending gray light. The yellow fist-shadows vanished without a trace upon contact.
Realizing his peril, the alien tried to flee, but the gray mist accelerated impossibly fast, engulfing him completely.
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