Chapter 1761: Gu Family

The Dharma Form of the Brahma Sage did not manifest a golden body, but its six arms each formed hand seals, while its two faces remained distinct. Its lips moved slightly, silently reciting something.

Moments later, resonant Sanskrit chants reverberated throughout the chamber. At the same time, golden light swirled across Han Li’s face, and his skin rippled as golden scales emerged—clear evidence that the Brahma Sage True Devil Art had been pushed to its limit.

The nine silver disks hovering around him trembled faintly before glowing brilliantly and emitting a low hum.

This sound harmonized seamlessly with the Sanskrit chants in the chamber, blending together as if they had always been one, without the slightest discord or harshness.

*Puff! Puff!* Two muffled sounds rang out as golden halos abruptly appeared behind both Han Li and the Dharma Form. The halo behind the Dharma Form was noticeably larger, but its density paled in comparison to the one beneath Han Li.

With a low grunt, Han Li swiftly changed his hand seals.

The two golden halos spun rapidly, unleashing countless golden runes from their centers—each one dazzlingly radiant.

Upon closer inspection, these runes were all composed of Golden Seal Script. As if summoned by them, the nine silver disks suddenly underwent a transformation.

Amidst the humming, fist-sized silver runes swiftly floated out of the disks and shot toward the golden halos. These silver runes were unmistakably Silver Tadpole Script.

In the blink of an eye, both gold and silver runes filled the halos, multiplying rapidly until they covered every inch. Yet, more continued to surge forth, pouring in relentlessly.

Han Li remained motionless, but his previously expressionless face now showed signs of strain, growing more pronounced as the runes within the halos increased.

After a short while, his eyes widened like bells, and he let out a thunderous shout. Instantly, the nine silver disks shattered with a sharp screech, dissolving into silver light before vanishing completely.

Meanwhile, the golden halo behind Han Li spun wildly, shrinking and blurring as the gold and silver runes within it also diminished in size.

Within mere breaths, the thousands of runes had condensed to the size of rice grains, and the golden halo itself transformed into a fist-sized, eerie golden sphere.

The other golden halo, high above and guided by the Dharma Form, similarly condensed into another golden sphere before slowly descending. With a flash of light, the massive Dharma Form vanished.

Now, only the two golden spheres remained, gently floating beside Han Li.

His expression grave, Han Li pointed a finger at each of them. *Whoosh! Whoosh!* The two golden spheres flashed before disappearing into his brow.

The next moment, beads of sweat the size of peas formed on his forehead. His body swelled abruptly, his limbs trembled, and thick veins bulged beneath his scales. It was as though something raged violently within him, contorting his face in agony.

Soon after, his entire head shimmered with spiritual light before being enveloped in a layer of strange purple-gold radiance, expanding and contracting erratically.

Meanwhile, gold and silver runes flickered across his face—appearing and vanishing as if something struggled to escape, only to be forcibly dragged back. The sight was profoundly eerie.

Han Li closed his eyes, his hands forming a rapid succession of seals as if desperately channeling something. The golden light on his body flickered wildly, alternating between dim and bright…

At the same time, an astonishing phenomenon unfolded in the sky above the mountain where his cave was located.

The once cloudless blue sky suddenly churned with violent winds. Then, the entire sky darkened as thick clouds emerged, turning the hundred-mile expanse as black as the bottom of a pot.

The raging winds abruptly ceased, replaced by a frigid current that surged from nowhere, wreaking havoc within the clouds.

A barrage of fist-sized blue hailstones pelted down, followed by a torrent of snowflakes as large as goose feathers.

Within moments, the area transformed into a frozen wasteland, glittering like the polar extremes.

Before the snow could fully settle, a scorching hurricane erupted from the clouds, dispersing the thick overcast in an instant. Sunlight poured down in brilliant shafts.

Anyone standing atop the mountain at that moment would have gasped in shock at the sight.

It was high noon, yet of the multiple suns that should have been visible, only one remained—shining faintly with a golden hue. The sky, now a pale silver, contrasted starkly with the golden sun, casting the entire region into an otherworldly realm.

However, if one were to fly hundreds of miles away from Han Li’s mountain, they would find the celestial phenomena gradually fading.

Beyond the hundred-mile radius, the sky remained blue, with multiple suns still hanging in place. Only the misty sea above the mountain shimmered with faint silver light.

Yet, the distant *rumbling* from the same direction alarmed many nearby cultivators, who emerged from their caves in surprise.

Some stood atop peaks, while others rode treasures into the sky, all staring toward the misty sea with wary expressions.

Above a mountain just over ten miles from the misty sea, a group of over a dozen hovered at a thousand zhang altitude, also gazing into the distance.

A refined-looking man in white robes, appearing to be in his thirties, stood at the forefront on a massive white sword—his status evidently far above the others.

The rest, men and women of varying ages, stood slightly behind, their gazes filled with deference.

“Are you certain this person only occupied Sunrise Peak three days ago?” the white-robed man asked without turning his head, his expression unreadable.

“Reporting to Granduncle, it is true. This person descended upon Sunrise Peak three days ago and expelled all nearby cultivators with an overwhelming spiritual pressure. This junior’s friend, a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, was among them. He said that under that pressure, he couldn’t even stand, let alone circulate his magic power. He had no choice but to leave without resistance,” replied an elderly man with white hair and beard, bowing slightly.

“Hmm… Suppressing a mere Nascent Soul cultivator with spiritual pressure alone is difficult, but I could manage it. However, simultaneously suppressing cultivators across a dozen caves? That’s impossible for a Void Refinement cultivator—even one at the peak of the stage,” the white-robed man mused, his expression odd.

“Granduncle, are you suggesting… this senior is a Body Integration existence?!” The white-haired elder’s face paled, his voice trembling.

The others also gasped in shock.

“Based solely on spiritual pressure, it’s highly possible. But he might also be using a rare treasure or a specialized spiritual pressure technique,” the white-robed man said after a pause, not entirely convinced.

“I see…” The white-haired elder relaxed slightly, finding this explanation more palatable.

“Humph. This is merely speculation. Even if he isn’t a Body Integration cultivator, he’s undoubtedly at the Void Refinement stage—likely its peak. Do not provoke him. For a high-level existence like this, our True Spirit Family would seek friendship, not enmity,” the white-robed man warned coldly.

“How would this junior dare offend such a senior? If not for Granduncle’s timely arrival, our branch might have already relocated to avoid trouble,” the elder admitted with a bitter smile.

“Relocate? That’s unnecessary. Since he only expelled others with spiritual pressure, he’s likely just domineering, not ruthless. And judging by these celestial phenomena, he’s cultivating some formidable divine ability here, not scheming anything. Choosing such a remote location suggests he’s a rogue cultivator without affiliations. If we could recruit him as an honorary elder, our Gu Family’s strength would soar. In that case, I’ll stay here longer to establish rapport,” the white-robed man said thoughtfully.

“Granduncle’s presence here is an immense honor for our branch!” The elder beamed with joy.

His granduncle was an early-stage Void Refinement cultivator. Even casual guidance during his stay would greatly benefit their lineage.

As the leader of this Gu Family branch, the elder himself was only a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

Pleased with the elder’s response, the white-robed man nodded slightly before turning his gaze back to the misty sea, pondering which human divine ability could manifest such phenomena.

However, the Soul Refinement Art was a rare secret technique from the Immortal Realm. Even as a high-ranking member of a True Spirit Family, he remained utterly baffled after prolonged observation.

Fortunately, the celestial phenomena here weren’t extreme. Had he been at the misty sea’s center, he would have been stunned beyond words.

While some Spirit Realm techniques could influence the heavens and earth, they merely disrupted local spiritual energy—nothing as astonishing as the Soul Refinement Art.

Yet, even these subdued phenomena convinced the white-robed man that Han Li was no ordinary cultivator, strengthening his resolve to recruit him.

After watching for a while longer and seeing no further changes, the white-robed man left a young disciple on the mountain before leading the others back to the cave at the foot.

Other nearby cultivators who had witnessed the phenomena also hesitated before eventually returning to their caves, though unease lingered in their hearts.