This person was none other than the “Grand Elder” of the Lin Family, ranked third among the five great clans, and seemed to have some discord with the Supreme Elder of the Ye Family.
“Hehe, if Fellow Daoist Lin is so eager to spar with this fairy, I naturally won’t refuse,” the feathered-robed maiden from the Ye Family replied with a light chuckle, covering her mouth with her hand.
The disheveled young man merely snorted coldly and did not respond.
Representing the Gu Family, Fairy Xiaofeng, as well as the two Harmonious Spirit men from the Feng Family, naturally had no objections.
Seeing this, the Long Family’s Ancestor nodded slightly and clapped his hands twice.
At the sound of the clap, another golden-armored guard walked onto the Ten Thousand Spirits Platform, holding a tray in both hands.
On the tray lay a pale yellow bamboo tube containing five slender, blood-red bamboo sticks, most of which were inserted into the tube.
The entire bamboo tube was shrouded in a layer of spiritual light, impervious even to divine sense.
“Fellow Daoists participating in the upcoming matches, please draw your lots first! As per the old rules, our contests are only sparring matches among Harmonious Spirit cultivators. The juniors need not embarrass themselves on the stage. Contestants one and three will face off, as will two and four. Number five gets a bye and will later participate in the drawing for the winners’ group,” the Long Family’s Ancestor said indifferently.
“It seems Brother Long won’t draw first, so I’ll take the lead,” the lavishly dressed man from the Feng Family chuckled. Without stepping onto the platform, he made a grasping motion toward the bamboo tube from afar. Instantly, a blood-red stick shot out and landed in his hand with a flash.
“Number three!” the man announced calmly after a glance.
Seeing this, the feathered-robed maiden from the Ye Family pursed her lips in a faint smile and pointed at the bamboo tube from a distance.
With a soft “pfft,” a silver thread shot from her fingertip, crossing dozens of feet in an instant to reach the tube.
“Whoosh!” Another blood-red stick was pulled out by the silver thread, transforming into a streak of crimson light that landed in the maiden’s hand.
“Number five,” she said with a playful smile, her beautiful eyes lingering on the stick.
The Supreme Elder of the Ye Family had drawn the bye in one go.
“Senior Han, would you like this junior to draw for you?” Fairy Xiaofeng, seated beside Han Li, asked respectfully.
“Then I’ll trouble the fairy,” Han Li replied nonchalantly.
Fairy Xiaofeng nodded and flicked her sleeve, sending out a white ribbon that coiled around a blood-red stick and brought it back to her hand.
“Number four,” she announced softly to Han Li after a glance.
Han Li nodded without a word.
Meanwhile, the disheveled man from the Lin Family made a grasping motion toward the platform and retrieved one of the remaining two sticks, coldly declaring, “Number one.”
At this result, the Gu Family cultivators all paled.
This meant the last remaining stick, yet to be drawn, would inevitably be the number two, pitting them against the Lin Family.
The Long Family’s Ancestor swept his gaze over the sole remaining stick in the tube, grabbed it, and then gave Han Li a meaningful look before announcing to the others, “The drawing is concluded, and the matches shall begin. The specifics of the contests and the criteria for victory shall be decided by the participants themselves. Now, let the first match between the Lin and Feng Families commence.”
“No need for a match. We brothers admit we cannot break Fellow Daoist Lin’s Wood Mirage Technique. The Feng Family concedes,” the lavishly dressed man from the Feng Family declared without hesitation.
The disheveled man’s eyes flickered slightly at this, but he showed no surprise.
“Very well. The Feng Family is placed in the losers’ group and will later compete against another losing family. The winner may then challenge any of the remaining three families. If they forfeit, they will directly take the fourth or fifth rank. Next is the contest between our Long Family and the Gu Family. Will the Gu Family be represented by Fellow Daoist Han? Our Long Family will field myself and Elder Hui. Only by defeating both of us can the Gu Family surpass us!” the Long Family’s Ancestor declared coolly, his sharp gaze fixed on Han Li.
“Senior Han, let’s forfeit,” Fairy Xiaofeng said urgently, her expression tense.
She knew full well that even if their Supreme Elder were present, they stood no chance against the Long Family. She hoped Han Li would conserve his strength for the battles ahead.
“A late-stage cultivator! For a mere sparring match, it would be interesting to observe. Since advancing to the Harmonious Spirit stage, I’ve yet to face such a high-level opponent,” Han Li said with a faint smile, stroking his chin, leaving Fairy Xiaofeng and Elder Xiao stunned.
For Han Li, this was a rare opportunity—not a life-or-death struggle, but a chance to gauge the true strength of a late-stage Harmonious Spirit cultivator and see if he could match them after his advancement. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have deliberately used his divine sense to provoke the Long Family’s Ancestor earlier.
Moreover, if possible, he wouldn’t mind leveraging the reputation of these True Spirit families to establish his prestige among the human race.
After all, his circumstances now were vastly different from when he was among foreign races.
Among foreign races, no matter how high his cultivation, he had to remain as low-key as possible to avoid drawing lethal attention. But among his own kind, establishing a formidable reputation would bring countless tangible and intangible benefits, free from the constraints he faced abroad.
As for the other Harmonious Spirit cultivators from the True Spirit families, at best, they were mid-stage. Even without testing, he was confident he surpassed them.
“Ah, Senior Han, you mustn’t! The Long Family is—”
“If I recall correctly, the terms of our agreement did not stipulate that I must obey the Gu Family’s directives on whom to fight,” Han Li said coldly, his eyes flashing with blue light as he glanced at Fairy Xiaofeng.
The female head of the Gu Family felt a chill upon meeting his gaze, and her words died in her throat.
Seizing the moment, Han Li’s body shimmered with green light, and he vanished with a single step.
The next instant, he reappeared on the Ten Thousand Spirits Platform, a mere ten feet from the Long Family’s Ancestor. With a slight bow, he said, “Han has only recently advanced to the Harmonious Spirit stage, but I’ve long heard of Fellow Daoist Long’s reputation. I hope you won’t begrudge me some guidance.”
“So it is indeed Fellow Daoist Han representing the Gu Family. How is your disciple, Qi Lingzi, faring these days?” the Long Family’s Ancestor asked suddenly, his lips curling slightly.
Han Li was momentarily taken aback but showed no outward reaction. “Thank you for your concern. That disciple of mine is rather troublesome, so I’ve had him seclude himself for cultivation. He won’t emerge for decades.”
“That’s for the best. Your disciple is no ordinary individual and warrants caution. However, Fellow Daoist Han, if you wish to challenge me now, you’ve chosen the wrong opponent. The first representative from our Long Family naturally won’t be me,” the Long Family’s Ancestor said impassively.
Almost simultaneously, space beside him rippled, and a black-robed figure materialized, saying coldly to Han Li, “For the first match, I’ll be your opponent. If you can defeat me, Fellow Daoist Long will personally spar with you.”
This newcomer was none other than the Long Family’s other Supreme Guest Elder, the mid-stage Harmonious Spirit black-robed man.
Recognizing the man’s earlier hostility, Han Li nodded calmly. “Very well. I’ll first learn Fellow Daoist Hui’s techniques.”
The Long Family’s Ancestor’s eyes flickered with a hint of a smirk as he turned into a golden streak, retreating beyond the platform. “Increase the barrier’s power immediately. We mustn’t let their battle affect our disciples,” he commanded loudly.
At his order, the cultivators managing the protective formation scrambled to act.
The array flags surrounding the platform flared with light, and the massive barrier enveloping the stone platform thickened several times over, its surface now adorned with multicolored runes.
The disciples of the five great families and other smaller clans buzzed with excitement at the sight. Witnessing a battle between Harmonious Spirit cultivators was a rare opportunity, whether for broadening their horizons or gaining insights.
No wonder the elite disciples were so thrilled.
Inside the barrier, the black-robed man glanced at the reinforced shield and sneered. With a flick of his wide sleeves, two black hooks shot out, each three feet long, dark and sinister, with faint silver blossoms swirling on their surfaces.
The hooks didn’t attack Han Li directly but circled the man protectively.
Han Li frowned slightly, surprised.
But then, another pair of white short swords, gleaming coldly, flew from the man’s sleeves, followed by silver flying daggers, one after another.
Watching the endless stream of bizarre treasures emerging from the man’s sleeves, Han Li’s eyelids twitched involuntarily.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage