Threads of crimson and cyan light emerged around the hall, surging like waves toward the icy woman at the center. The sonic attacks from the silver bell reached her in an instant.
The woman remained unfazed. With a flick of her finger, the two flying swords before her shimmered in black and white light, then spun gently in midair. A sudden burst of alternating cold and heat erupted, forming a bizarre dual-layered barrier—white on the outside, black on the inside, with opposing forces resonating.
The sonic waves struck the barrier like mud sinking into the sea, leaving it utterly unmoved. But then, the crimson and cyan restraining lights from all directions engulfed her and the barrier entirely.
At that moment, Nangong Wan also acted. The Vermilion Bird Ring before her flashed, and with a sharp *zila*, it transformed into a massive fireball, hurtling toward the center with overwhelming force. Simultaneously, her seemingly idle hand twitched imperceptibly, and a fleeting crimson streak vanished from her grasp.
Had Han Li’s spiritual sense not been exceptionally sharp, he would have missed Nangong Wan’s covert attack.
A muffled grunt from the woman echoed from within the light almost the instant the streak was unleashed.
“*The Evil-Slaying Thorn*? You actually used this against me. Impressive, Junior Sister. I thought you had exhausted your supply long ago. To think you still had one hidden.” The icy woman’s voice was laced with shock and fury, as though she had suffered an unexpected loss.
Yet, though her tone carried a hint of pain, her vitality remained strong. Han Li deduced that she had only sustained minor injuries—likely Nangong Wan’s ploy to disrupt her activation of the command token.
After activating the hall’s restraints, Han Li flipped his palm, summoning the pitch-black *Thousandfold Mountain*. He swiftly cast several incantations onto it before hurling it into the air.
Meanwhile, the icy woman, still shrouded in the restraining light, seemed momentarily immobilized. She took the full brunt of the fireball, now writhing with seven or eight fiery serpents as thick as arms, which coiled and tore at her.
The hall was engulfed in a sea of flames.
Just as the mountain had expanded to fifty or sixty feet, Han Li prepared to unleash it—but then, a soft *puchi* sounded in the distance. A five-colored beam as thick as a bowl shot forth from the flames, sweeping away all restraints and fire in its path with unstoppable force.
A crisp *clang* rang out as the previously agile beam suddenly froze midair. A crystalline crimson ring spun helplessly within it, trapped by the beam’s power.
“*The Condensing Light Mirror*!” Han Li’s eyes narrowed, his expression grave.
Before this woman’s arrival, Nangong Wan had briefed him on her senior sister’s techniques and treasures, ensuring he had some advantage in battle. The *Condensing Light Mirror* was one of her most renowned ancient treasures, its might unparalleled.
In fact, the *Emerald Condensing Mirror* Han Li had obtained during the Bloody Trial was a simplified imitation of this very artifact. Though its power paled in comparison—less than one percent of the original—it was still a top-tier treasure among low-level cultivators. That alone spoke volumes of the *Condensing Light Mirror*’s true strength.
Now, with the crimson and cyan restraints and flames scattered by the beam, the icy woman reappeared, standing within her black-and-white barrier, one hand forming a seal, the other gripping the mirror.
Han Li’s gaze locked onto the infamous mirror—a treasure even among Nascent Soul cultivators.
The mirror was small, similar in size to the *Emerald Condensing Mirror*, but its surface was obsidian-black, exuding an eerie, abyssal aura. Yet from its depths, the five-colored beam erupted—a stark, unsettling contrast.
The command token she had been holding was now gone, and her jade-like fingers forming the seal were stained with blood, as though injured despite the barrier. Clearly, this was the work of the *Evil-Slaying Thorn*.
Seeing Nangong Wan’s lifebound treasure trapped by the mirror’s power, Han Li wasted no time. With a silent gesture, the black mountain trembled, then vanished—only to reappear directly above the icy woman, crashing down with immense force.
The woman below sneered, tilting the *Condensing Light Mirror* upward while channeling another incantation into it. The beam within flickered, splitting into a slightly thinner strand that shot toward the descending mountain, aiming to immobilize it as well.
But Han Li, now wary, wouldn’t let her succeed so easily. Without hesitation, he formed a seal with both hands. The mountain’s descent halted abruptly, then spun rapidly, releasing a torrent of black light from its base. The two forces collided—black radiance swallowing the slender beam, its residual glow even enveloping the woman below.
Her barrier shuddered under the black light, disrupting her spiritual energy and nearly destabilizing the beam from the mirror.
Her figure dimmed within the black radiance. Without hesitation, she spat a wisp of vital essence onto the mirror’s surface. The beam resisting the mountain thickened by a third, transforming into a five-colored radiance that held both the black light and the mountain at bay.
A low, grinding rumble filled the air as the two forces locked in stalemate.
Seizing the moment, Nangong Wan intensified her efforts, causing the trapped Vermilion Bird Ring to expand and contract violently, struggling to break free.
For the first time, the two had truly joined forces against her senior sister.
But none of the three were done yet. Almost simultaneously, they acted again.
Han Li yanked a spirit beast pouch from his waist, unleashing a deafening hum as a swarm of golden insects surged forth, forming a terrifying golden cloud.
Nangong Wan chanted an ethereal incantation, and a massive crimson halo materialized above her head, rotating like sacred light, growing increasingly blinding.
“*Samsara Divine Light*?!” The icy woman’s face darkened as she raised the mirror above her head and summoned a triangular emerald banner. “Junior Sister, are you truly willing to fight to the death? You dare use this technique?”
Though slightly surprised by Han Li’s golden insect swarm, she paid it little mind—evidently unaware these were near-mature Gold Devouring Beetles.
“If Senior Sister doesn’t wish for a life-or-death struggle, then hand over the *Heart-Binding Art*’s command token and let us leave,” Nangong Wan replied calmly.
“Arrogant words. The *Samsara Divine Light* is formidable, but do you truly believe it can defeat me?” The woman’s eyes flashed with killing intent as she spat out a tiny crimson sword.
The sword was only a few inches long, but its blood-red crystal body emitted a piercing radiance. Within it, a wisp of black energy writhed ominously.
The instant it emerged, the blade quivered and resonated on its own, saturating the hall with an oppressive, blood-soaked stench.
“*The Blood Demon Sword*?!” Nangong Wan’s smile vanished. “When did you obtain this demonic artifact? Aren’t you afraid of demonic backlash?”
“Backlash? Don’t worry, Junior Sister. Once I unleash this treasure, defeating you both won’t take long enough for backlash to occur.” The woman’s voice was icy. “But I’ll ask one last time—for the prosperity of our sect, will you truly refuse to marry Wei Lichen? If you still refuse, once the *Blood Demon Sword* rampages, I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to control its power. If you’re injured, don’t blame me for not warning you.”
“There’s no need to ask again. Even if Wan’er were willing to sacrifice herself for the Veiled Moon Sect, I would never allow it. Abandon this delusion,” Han Li interjected coolly, his tone dismissive of the sword’s threat.
“Who *are* you? With your cultivation and abilities, you can’t be a nobody. Yet I recall no Nascent Soul cultivator like you. Did you only recently break through?” The woman’s eyes gleamed with murderous intent. “*Wan’er*? How nauseatingly intimate. So *this* is why my junior sister has refused all marriage proposals.”
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