The ferocity of this wind was enough to alter the heavens and earth, instantly scattering the magical treasures of the five cultivators. As for the cultivators themselves, they were trapped within the gale, unable to break free despite their struggles.
“Hahaha! You refused the wine of respect, so now you must drink the wine of punishment. You forced this venerable to exert himself—truly ignorant of life and death!” The bald Dharma Master let out a strange, metallic laugh, his face brimming with smugness. With a single hand, he made a grasping motion toward the wind, and a massive yellow hand materialized within the tempest, lunging viciously toward the stunningly beautiful woman among them.
His plan was clear: first capture the female cultivator he fancied, then swiftly eliminate the remaining four with thunderous force, leaving no room for hesitation.
The woman, whose skin was as smooth as jade and whose beauty was radiant, wielded a fiery-red flying sword. But as the giant hand descended upon her, her treasure spun wildly in the gale, beyond her control. Her delicate face paled instantly.
The other four cultivators, though eager to rescue her, were similarly disoriented by the wind, their movements erratic. Only the portly elder, whose cultivation was the deepest, managed to remain somewhat composed. In his desperation, he barely managed to raise a hand and release a bolt of lightning several feet long, striking the side of the giant hand. But the attack vanished without a trace, as if swallowed by mud.
Just as the yellow hand was about to seize the woman, it suddenly disintegrated into nothingness mere feet above her head. Simultaneously, a furious roar erupted from the direction of the yellow-robed Dharma Master. The hurricane trapping the cultivators rapidly diminished, vanishing in the blink of an eye, as if the wind and the giant hand had been mere illusions.
The group exchanged bewildered glances before naturally turning their attention to the bald Dharma Master. To their surprise, he had pivoted to face an empty spot in the distance, his expression livid with rage. They were stunned.
“If you dare disrupt this venerable’s spell, why hide like a coward?” the yellow-robed Dharma Master snarled, suppressing his fury as he spoke, completely disregarding the female cultivator and her companions.
“It’s not that I’m hiding—it’s that your cultivation is insufficient to detect my presence. It seems you’ve only recently advanced to the Nascent Soul stage. Compared to the Dharma Masters I’ve encountered before, you’re far inferior.” A leisurely male voice echoed from the empty space.
A flash of azure light later, an unremarkable young cultivator appeared—none other than Han Li himself.
Having witnessed the five cultivators in peril, Han Li had acted without hesitation, unleashing a streak of Azure Essence Sword Qi from afar, instantly knocking away the feather-fan treasure and dispelling the hurricane.
At the sight of Han Li, the portly elder and the others were first startled, then overjoyed upon sensing his Nascent Soul-level cultivation. They knew their lives were now secure.
The female cultivator quickly bowed from a distance, saying respectfully, “This junior, Nie Ying, thanks Senior for saving our lives.”
“Nie Ying?” Han Li glanced at her sideways, faintly recalling her.
But now was not the time for reminiscing. With a wave of his hand, he motioned for her to rise. It was no surprise that neither she nor the elder recognized him—their previous encounter had been brief, and nearly two centuries had passed since then.
With that thought, Han Li turned to the yellow-robed Dharma Master and said coolly, “Are you waiting for me to drive you away?”
The bald Dharma Master laughed mockingly. “Hah! You’re merely an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator yourself, yet you speak so arrogantly. This humble Tan shall test your abilities!”
With a swift hand seal, the bald Dharma Master flicked his fingers downward, sending two golden pellets streaking toward the ground.
Han Li was momentarily puzzled but made no move to stop them, merely narrowing his eyes with interest.
Seeing Han Li’s arrogance, the burly man inwardly rejoiced. Without delay, he began chanting incantations, causing the yellow clouds around him to churn violently, swiftly enveloping him.
“Rise!” A low growl emanated from the swirling yellow mist.
Han Li’s heart stirred as he scanned his surroundings, but nothing seemed amiss—until a series of deep rumbles erupted from below, shaking the earth as if the sky were collapsing.
Han Li’s divine sense swept downward, and his expression flickered with surprise. Without hesitation, he flicked his sleeves, releasing two massive azure sword beams that shot toward the ground. Two thunderous explosions followed, but Han Li frowned—his sword Qi had seemingly failed.
Then, with a series of whistling sounds, two yellow-scaled flood dragons, each dozens of feet long and as thick as a man’s waist, burst from the earth, coiling menacingly around the bald cultivator’s yellow mist as if standing guard.
“What is this?” Han Li was astonished to find that the terrifying dragons were entirely formed of earth and stone, yet exuded a lifelike vitality. The source of this vitality was the golden pellets embedded between their brows, glowing with an eerie yellow light.
“Heh! Let’s see how you fare against my summoned beasts. Go!” The bald Dharma Master’s voice rang out arrogantly from the mist. Two yellow spell seals struck the earth dragons, and the creatures lunged ferociously at Han Li.
Han Li sighed softly. Opening his mouth, he exhaled a wisp of Dry Blue Iceflame, which split into two slender threads midair, striking the dragons’ heads with pinpoint accuracy.
With a sizzle, the dragons were instantly encased in a layer of blue ice, freezing into sculptures mere feet before Han Li, hovering motionlessly.
A flash of azure light later, two crisp cracking sounds echoed as Han Li’s sword Qi shattered the frozen dragons effortlessly. With a casual wave, he retrieved the two golden pellets, examined them briefly, and stored them in his pouch.
“Show me whatever other tricks you have. I’d like to witness the true power of your Dharma Master arts,” Han Li said calmly.
Silence fell within the yellow mist. The ease with which Han Li had destroyed the earth dragons had clearly shaken the bald cultivator.
“Which sect’s elder are you? May I know your esteemed name? Among the renowned Nascent Soul cultivators, none match your appearance. Have you advanced to Nascent Soul only in the past century?” The bald Dharma Master’s voice emerged from the mist, now devoid of any arrogance.
“I’m but a nobody—my name would mean nothing to you. Since you won’t attack, I’ll take the initiative.” Han Li’s expression darkened as he slapped his spirit beast pouch. A swarm of golden beetles surged forth—his meticulously bred Gold Devouring Beetles. This was his first time deploying them in battle, and he was eager to test their effectiveness against a Nascent Soul cultivator.
“Gold Devouring Beetles! You have Gold Devouring Beetles? And so many?” To Han Li’s surprise, before he could even command the insects, the yellow-robed cultivator identified them instantly, his voice laced with terror.
Without another word, the yellow-robed cultivator turned and fled as a streak of yellow light, his speed so astonishing that Han Li hesitated, ultimately deciding against pursuing with his Wind Thunder Wings.
If a Nascent Soul cultivator fled with all his might in such open terrain, Han Li had little confidence in annihilating both body and soul. After all, even Thunder Escape would struggle to match a Nascent Soul’s desperate flight.
Still, it was unexpected that this bald Dharma Master, though not exceptionally powerful, recognized the Gold Devouring Beetles.
Though puzzled, Han Li recalled the unused beetles into his pouch and calmly approached the portly elder and the others.
“Senior, we are eternally grateful for your aid! May we know your esteemed name? This junior, Lei Wanhe of the Yellow Maple Valley, is deeply indebted!” The portly elder rushed forward, bowing deeply before Han Li could even draw near.
The others, except for Nie Ying, who had already introduced herself, also stepped forward and bowed in reverence.
“Shi Qiyun of the Giant Sword Sect, Tang Minghua of the Veiled Moon Sect, and Qian Huan of the Heavenly Fortress pay respects to Senior!” The three spoke almost in unison, their faces filled with gratitude and deference.
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