As he spoke, South Longhou lightly brushed his chest with his hand. A flash of soft white light later, the previously sunken area instantly returned to normal.
Wang Tiangu and the others showed slight changes in their expressions, but the old man surnamed Yun remained unfazed and said coldly, “No need to worry, everyone. He’s merely using a secret technique to temporarily suppress his injuries—it doesn’t mean he’s unharmed! But why bother with this brat surnamed Han? Send one person to hold him off while the rest of us finish off South Longhou first.”
After delivering this icy remark, the old man calmly pointed at the silver wheel before him. The treasure immediately transformed into a silver streak and flew above his head, casting a broad silver radiance that enveloped his entire body. His figure became indistinct within the shimmering light. Clearly, he was well aware of South Longhou’s deep hatred for him, so rather than seeking victory, he prioritized defense.
Wang Tiangu frowned slightly, seemingly finding some logic in this. He then turned his head and said to the cultivator surnamed You beside him, “Brother You, leave this kid to you for now. No need to fight him to the death—just keep him occupied for a short while. Once we deal with South Longhou, his time will be up.”
Wang Tiangu no longer concealed his killing intent toward Han Li, giving him a cold glance before black light several feet high suddenly erupted from his body, engulfing him in darkness and making him appear eerily sinister.
Seeing this, the old woman and the dark-faced man also summoned their magic treasures and slowly closed in.
“Very well, I’ll take care of this Fellow Daoist Han,” the cultivator surnamed You chuckled. A white jade ruyi silently slid out from his sleeve, and he stepped forward with a faint smirk, standing opposite Han Li.
For him, restraining a newly advanced Nascent Soul cultivator was a trivial matter—far safer than directly confronting South Longhou, a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.
Han Li stared at the cultivator surnamed You, standing motionless. However, his heartbeat suddenly accelerated the moment the old woman moved away from the staircase. One of his hands, hidden in his sleeve, tightly gripped an ancient treasure.
At that moment, South Longhou suddenly flicked a hand backward, releasing a golden mist that swiftly wrapped around the three jade boxes on the jade bed behind him and brought them back into his grasp.
“Take it!” Without hesitation, South Longhou flung one of the jade boxes toward Han Li.
This move took everyone by surprise, and naturally, no one had time to stop it. Han Li easily caught the jade box, though he blinked in slight confusion.
“Since you haven’t colluded with them, I’ll gift this jade box to you. If it truly contains the secrets of the Fallen Demon Valley, and if you manage to leave here alive, then consider it your fortune,” South Longhou said meaningfully, clasping his hands behind his back.
Wang Tiangu and the old man surnamed Yun, among others, immediately paled upon hearing this.
Han Li lowered his head to glance at the jade box in his hand, licking his slightly dry lips. A wild urge to laugh surged within him, but his exceptional self-control kept it in check. The very treasure that every cultivator in the pavilion was desperate to seize had been handed to him willingly—how absurdly amusing.
Of course, South Longhou’s gesture was far from benevolent. Given Wang Tiangu and his group’s determination to obtain the jade boxes, passing one to Han Li was clearly an attempt to divert their attention, easing the pressure on himself so he could escape.
Still, this man had the decisiveness to relinquish a treasure he had just obtained—a true display of a ruthless leader’s character. But now that the treasure was in his hands… Heh!
With a cold laugh, Han Li flipped his hand, and the jade box vanished, stored away in his storage pouch.
“Chan’er, you two assist Fellow Daoist You. Don’t let that brat surnamed Han slip away. The rest of us old fellows are enough to handle things here,” Wang Tiangu ordered sternly, his expression darkening.
He remained remarkably composed, not letting the allure of the jade box cloud his judgment. He only dispatched the weakest—Wang Chan and another—to keep an eye on Han Li, unwilling to divert more manpower.
The others exchanged glances but said nothing. Though the treasure was tempting, once South Longhou was dealt with, a mere early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator like Han Li would be easy prey.
“Understood, Second Uncle! I’ve been wanting to meet this Senior Han,” Wang Chan replied with a sinister smile, his eyes flashing with malice. He then beckoned to Yan Ruyan, and the two approached Han Li.
A flicker of complex emotions passed over Yan Ruyan’s beautiful face before she silently followed.
Han Li watched them approach with an indifferent gaze, his expression unreadable.
Amusingly, despite the tension in the pavilion, neither Wang Tiangu’s group nor South Longhou made the first move. This wasn’t due to lingering sentiment—everyone knew South Longhou was a cornered beast. If he struck, it would be with devastating force, possibly dragging one or two opponents down with him.
The terrifying retaliation of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator in their death throes was something these old foxes understood all too well. None were willing to be the first to bear the brunt of his final assault.
Moreover, they had no reason to rush. The longer South Longhou went without meditating to recover, the worse his injuries would become—only benefiting them.
Strangely, South Longhou also remained motionless, as if utterly unconcerned about his condition. Yet, the crimson hue on his cheeks deepened, now as vivid as fresh blood.
This only made Wang Tiangu and the others more cautious, fearing he had already activated some deadly forbidden technique. Their icy gazes remained fixed on him, unblinking.
As for the cultivator surnamed You facing Han Li, he harbored similar thoughts—his only task was to stall Han Li, so he saw no need to strike first. Wang Chan, though eager to kill Han Li immediately, knew his own cultivation was insufficient and dared not act rashly.
Thus, despite the pervasive killing intent, the pavilion fell into an eerie silence.
After a moment, Han Li, who had been deep in thought, suddenly let out a soft sigh. Though the sound was faint, it stood out starkly in the quiet.
Yet, the Nascent Soul old monsters in the pavilion were all cunning veterans. Aside from the cultivator surnamed You opposite him, none so much as glanced his way. Wang Chan curled his lip, a mocking glint in his eyes.
In their minds, Han Li would naturally wait for South Longhou to act first before making his move—only then would he have the slimmest chance to escape the chaos. But to their surprise, after his sigh, Han Li actually took action.
With an impassive expression, Han Li raised a hand, and a dark object materialized in his palm.
The cultivator surnamed You narrowed his eyes, but before he could discern what it was, Han Li unceremoniously tossed it into the air. The object spun rapidly midair before abruptly expanding, transforming in the blink of an eye into a colossal wall-like mass nearly eighty feet wide, separating the two of them.
Only then did the cultivator surnamed You see clearly—it was a pitch-black miniature mountain, its surface shimmering with dark light. Though startled, he didn’t panic. Instead, he pointed at the jade ruyi before him, which emitted a resonant hum before bursting with white light. Within the radiant halo, the silhouette of a massive white tiger materialized.
Though the tiger appeared somewhat indistinct, the moment it formed, it opened its maw and unleashed a searing white beam as thick as a bowl, striking the black mountain with a thunderous boom. The white radiance instantly engulfed most of the mountain.
Wang Chan, standing to the side, reacted swiftly. Without hesitation, he formed a hand seal, and a thick crimson mist erupted from his body, swallowing his figure whole. Simultaneously, a nauseating stench of blood filled the entire pavilion.
Yan Ruyan, her expression cold, also formed a seal, summoning a similar blood-red mist around herself. However, instead of a bloody odor, hers carried a peculiar sweetness that dulled the senses and clouded the mind upon inhalation.
Seeing this, the cultivator surnamed You grew even more at ease. While controlling the white tiger to unleash another beam, he tapped his storage pouch with one hand, summoning a small, pale-blue gourd.
Just as he was about to activate the gourd, a faint thunderclap seemed to come from the opposite side. Startled, his vigilance spiked. Without delay, he formed another seal, conjuring a thick white barrier around himself.
Almost simultaneously, a flash of silver lightning erupted beside him—Han Li’s figure, now sporting a pair of wings, appeared right against his protective barrier.
“You—!” The cultivator surnamed You paled, but his combat instincts kicked in. He hastily raised the blue gourd, and a dazzling blue lightning bolt shot from its mouth.
Yet, as the blue lightning streaked toward him, Han Li made no move to evade. Instead, he emotionlessly opened his mouth and exhaled a wisp of slender blue flame. The flame pierced effortlessly through the white barrier, streaking straight toward the cultivator’s body.
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