The two high-ranking mages huddled together, whispering in low voices, seemingly discussing how to break the formation. After a short while, they finished their discussion. The unusually tall mage swayed slightly before being enveloped in a blue glow and arriving beside the black-robed figure.
“Master Tianku, shall we begin? The defensive formation here seems even stronger than the last one. Moreover, I’ve heard there are quite a few Nascent Soul cultivators here. It might take us more time,” the Nascent Soul mage said with a smile, his tone exceedingly polite.
“No need for us to strike first. They’re already coming out. Let’s test their abilities first before deciding,” the black-robed mage replied, shaking his head. His voice was hoarse, stiff, and indistinct, as if he had no tongue, making it extremely unpleasant to hear.
At these words, the tall, bamboo-like mage was startled and hurriedly looked toward the sea of mist, as if he deeply trusted the black-robed man’s judgment. Sure enough, the previously still mist below suddenly churned violently, splitting open to reveal a passage several zhang wide. Then, flashes of light shot out, followed by seven long streaks of light that circled above the mist before revealing several figures—Han Li and the others.
Following the bald-browed man’s suggestion, they had not brought any low-level cultivators this time. Apart from the two Core Formation cultivators from Tiantai Valley, only the Taoist Chongxu followed behind.
Once Han Li steadied himself, his gaze swept over the vast, dark mass of mages above. Naturally, his attention was drawn to the dozen or so leading mages, especially the eerie and sinister black-robed figure. At the sight of him, Han Li’s pupils involuntarily contracted.
His first impression of this person immediately reminded him of the Bone Sage, whom he had killed. Could this person truly be a ghost cultivator? A chill ran down Han Li’s spine, and his vigilance soared.
Before the Bone Sage had possessed Quhun’s body, he had also exuded a similarly sinister aura, thick with ghostly energy. Yet, there seemed to be some difference between the two, though Han Li couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was.
As Han Li and the others observed the sky, the mages above stirred. The mage wrapped in a strange serpent suddenly transformed into a massive fireball and shot downward. The bald-browed elder and the others watched coldly, none showing any signs of panic.
Unless this mage had a death wish, he wouldn’t dare attack alone. Sure enough, under the hostile gazes of the cultivators, the fireball halted about fifty or sixty zhang above them. Even at such a distance, the scorching flames made everyone frown, their hearts secretly trembling.
“I am Ku Yao, the Great Master of the Fire Worship Tribe. Since you’ve come out, you must be ready to test your skills first. How do you wish to proceed? One-on-one, or a free-for-all regardless of numbers?” A faint figure swayed within the fireball, and a thunderous voice boomed out, shaking the surrounding space and causing the bald-browed man and the others to pale slightly.
“One-on-one. Life and death are left to fate,” the bald-browed man replied icily, glaring at the figure in the fireball without hesitation.
“Haha! Good! That suits me perfectly. I’ll be your first opponent. Who among you will step forward?” The figure in the fireball laughed wildly, openly challenging them without restraint.
Naturally, the bald-browed man and the others were furious. The horse-faced elder’s expression darkened, murderous intent flashing in his eyes as he transformed into a streak of white light and shot forward. The Lu surnamed burly man hesitated for a moment but didn’t stop him, tacitly allowing the horse-faced elder to take the first match.
After all, in his mind, among the four Nascent Soul cultivators present, aside from Han Li—who had only recently advanced—it was hard to say who among the other three was the strongest.
Seeing the white light emerge, Ku Yao in the fireball immediately retreated higher into the sky. Moments later, the two stopped midway between the sea of mist and the mage army, ensuring neither side could interfere in their battle.
“How skilled is this Great Master of the Mulan people? Does he have any special techniques?” the bald-browed man suddenly turned and asked the horse-faced cultivator gravely.
“His fire-attribute techniques are extremely powerful, especially the fire serpent on his body—it’s incredibly agile and nearly impossible to defend against. Another Core Formation colleague stationed with us at Tiantai Valley was reduced to ashes after being ensnared by that creature,” the horse-faced cultivator replied, a trace of hatred flashing across his face.
“I see. Brother Gu, if I recall correctly, the ‘Haoran Righteous Qi Art’ of the Haoran Pavilion is impervious to fire and water, repelling evil and warding off ghosts. Against this mage, it should give us a slight advantage, no?” the bald-browed man asked, turning to the other side with a hint of uncertainty.
“That’s hard to say. Against ordinary fire-attribute techniques, the Haoran Righteous Qi Art would naturally be effective. But this mage’s fire energy permeates his body, clearly indicating he has grasped the true essence of heavenly and earthly spiritual flames. The Haoran Righteous Qi Art might not be able to suppress it. Still, among us, Elder Ma is the most suited to face him. Even if the Haoran Righteous Qi Art can’t counter him, it won’t be affected by his demonic flames, nor will he have to worry about inner fire disturbing his heart,” Gu Shuangpu said slowly, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.
Hearing this, the bald-browed man felt his suspicions confirmed and let out a sigh of relief, his expression easing slightly.
Han Li, however, took a few extra glances at the fire serpent within the fireball. A thought crossed his mind, and his eyes flashed with blue light before his expression turned peculiar for a moment, though he quickly returned to normal.
At that moment, high in the sky, the horse-faced elder formed a hand seal, and a soft white glow enveloped his body. He then opened his mouth, and a silver light the size of a walnut shot out, rapidly expanding into a silver-white ruler. With a slight tremble, the ruler emitted countless silver reflections, its clear chime resembling the cry of a phoenix.
Ku Yao, in contrast to his earlier arrogance, made no move, merely crossing his arms within the flames and watching coldly, a faint sneer on his face. Seeing this, the horse-faced elder grew furious and snorted, preparing to strike first.
But just then, a faint yet crystal-clear voice whispered into his ear. Startled, he glanced downward suspiciously, his gaze sweeping over the spectators before settling on Han Li, his expression turning odd.
Han Li smiled faintly at him. The horse-faced elder was momentarily stunned before looking back at Ku Yao with a mix of doubt and belief, his expression gradually turning solemn.
“That fire serpent on your body—it’s no ordinary spirit beast, is it?” the horse-faced elder asked darkly after a moment of contemplation.
“Oh? You’ve got a sharp eye. This fire serpent is a manifestation of heavenly and earthly fire spirits, far beyond any mere spirit beast,” Ku Yao replied, momentarily surprised before grinning ferociously.
With a shake of his body, the fire serpent on him blazed with red light, suddenly soaring into the sky. Amid the crimson glow, a horn sprouted from its head, and claws grew from its belly, transforming into a red-scaled fire flood dragon that coiled menacingly above Ku Yao’s head.
“Fire spirit materialization!” The bald-browed man below gasped in shock. Beside him, Gu Shuangpu’s expression also darkened.
The horse-faced elder’s heart sank. The opponent’s mastery over fire-attribute techniques had reached the level of refining fire spirits—something no ordinary Nascent Soul mage could achieve. A fierce battle was inevitable.
Realizing this, the horse-faced elder abandoned his initial plan of holding back. Taking a deep breath, he flicked his sleeve, and an object wrapped in five-colored light shot out, hovering in the air a few feet before him.
Instantly, the cultivators below and the mages in the distance all looked on curiously. Any treasure that emitted five-colored light was likely no ordinary artifact.
Han Li narrowed his eyes slightly, focusing on the object. It was a slender, cylindrical scroll about a few chi long, pale yellow in color. As the horse-faced elder solemnly chanted an incantation, the scroll slowly unfurled downward, revealing what appeared to be an ordinary Bagua diagram.
Everyone was stunned.
At that moment, the horse-faced elder sent a seemingly simple spell into the scroll, causing it to erupt with dazzling five-colored light. An astonishingly powerful ripple of energy burst forth from the diagram.
Seeing this, Ku Yao immediately sensed danger. Without hesitation, he pointed at the horse-faced elder. The fire flood dragon coiled above his head raised its neck and opened its maw, spewing endless crimson flames that instantly engulfed the horse-faced elder and the Bagua diagram in a sea of fire.
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