Han Li’s five fingers pinched with precision, and the flicker of cyan light was immediately enveloped by the purple flames on his fingertips. However, Han Li felt a softness at his fingertips, followed by an immense force emanating from the cyan flame, violently repelling his fingers apart.
A surge of shock ran through Han Li, but with a thought, his palm reversed and made a grasping motion in the air, the purple flames descending to encase the cyan flame. The radiance intensified as the cyan flame was shrouded within the purple glow. Han Li’s arm remained motionless, the purple flames on his fingers dazzling as the cyan and purple lights intertwined, flickering between brightness and dimness.
After maintaining this posture for a quarter of an hour, Han Li sighed lightly and flicked his fingers, dispersing the purple flames in an instant. He then gazed at the still-glowing cyan flame, a bitter smile crossing his face.
The stubbornness of this peculiar flame exceeded his initial expectations. While the Violet Heavenly Flame could contend with it, refining this flame seemed beyond his current capabilities.
With this thought, Han Li pondered briefly before lightly tapping the flying sword before him. A low rumble of thunder erupted as a blinding golden arc shot from the sword. The moment the arc appeared, it exploded into countless fine golden threads, descending upon the cyan flame. In a flash of cyan light, the threads were absorbed entirely by the flame, which then swelled to the size of an egg, its radiance magnified.
Witnessing this, a sharp blue light flickered deep within Han Li’s pupils as he stared at the flame, his expression shifting between uncertainty and contemplation. After an indeterminate period of stillness, he exhaled softly, the blue light in his eyes fading, replaced by hesitation. However, moments later, he shook his head, his resolve firm. Opening his mouth, he inhaled sharply toward the flying sword, drawing the purple flames into his mouth as a thin violet thread, leaving none behind.
Without the suppression of the Violet Heavenly Flame, the cyan flame surged, engulfing the entire sword. Han Li grunted in discomfort, a flash of green crossing his face as he winced slightly. Ignoring the discomfort, he rapidly flicked his fingers toward the sword, releasing over a dozen cyan sword auras.
Like the golden arcs transformed from the Evil-Suppressing Divine Thunder, the cyan sword auras were absorbed by the flame, vanishing without a trace. Unfazed, Han Li continued channeling his spiritual power, sending wave after wave of sword auras into the flame, rapidly depleting his mana. As the flame absorbed the auras, it grew increasingly vigorous, soon transforming into a blazing cyan fireball before Han Li.
By this point, Han Li had expended over a third of his mana.
Yet, seeing the massive fireball, Han Li instead smiled. Halting the release of sword auras, he beckoned toward the sword within the fireball.
With a *whoosh*, the Emerald Swarm Sword effortlessly shot out from the cyan flames, circled once, and returned to Han Li’s hand.
Inspecting the pristine cyan sword, now devoid of the flame, Han Li couldn’t help but smile.
“Just as I thought! Though this flame is incredibly potent, its capacity to devour spiritual energy is limited. Overloading it with Green Origin Sword Auras allowed me to seize control,” Han Li murmured with satisfaction. Clapping his hands together, the sword vanished into his palm in a flash of light.
Turning his attention to the cyan fireball, Han Li extended a finger, sending a wisp of divine sense into it. The fireball trembled, beginning to rotate slowly as its cyan glow flickered erratically.
With a thought, Han Li urged the fireball to move. After a moment’s delay, it lurched unsteadily forward, wobbling as it traveled a few feet.
Frowning, Han Li stroked his chin in contemplation. The flame’s immense power made abandoning it seem wasteful. While he could now barely manipulate it due to the absorbed sword auras, his lack of affinity with its nature hindered precise control. Unlike the Dry Blue Ice Flame or Violet Heavenly Flame, this flame hadn’t been refined by him, making it difficult to wield with ease.
Deep in thought, Han Li suddenly reached for his storage pouch. A white flash later, he held a jade-like rib bone and a small pale-yellow vial—the jade slip recording the Profound Yin Scriptures and a tool he’d once used to capture demon beast spirits.
Opening the vial, a wisp of black mist emerged. Han Li grasped at it, and the mist condensed into his palm. With a mental command, the yin soul energy leaped onto the rib bone in his other hand, turning it from white to black. The bone floated free, emitting faint, chilling black light.
Immersion his divine sense into the bone, Han Li rapidly scanned the Profound Yin Scriptures, searching for something specific.
When his gaze fell upon the term “Yin Fire Thunder,” his heart leaped with joy. Slowing his pace, he began carefully studying the section.
“Yin Fire Thunder” might sound unremarkable, but in reality, it was a treasure on par with the Heavenly Corpse Fire in the Profound Yin Scriptures. Unlike demonic arts, it was a secret method for crafting thunder pearls, similar to the “Heavenly Thunder Beads” Han Li had once obtained. According to the scriptures, successfully crafted Yin Fire Thunder possessed astonishing destructive power, even surpassing that of the Heavenly Corpse Fire.
The principle involved compressing vast amounts of pure yin fire, infusing it with lightning energy and other materials, then stabilizing it through special means. When deployed against enemies, the yin fire and lightning would detonate simultaneously, unleashing devastating force.
Unfortunately, thunder pearls were single-use consumables, difficult to craft and with numerous restrictions. Only cultivators capable of manipulating lightning-attributed spiritual power could attempt their creation. Thus, even figures like the Elder Devil and Profound Bone had never crafted them.
Initially, Han Li had glossed over this method, as he lacked proficiency in the Profound Yin Art despite his ability to wield the Evil-Suppressing Divine Thunder. Now, however, faced with the unyielding cyan flame, the idea of repurposing it into thunder pearls struck him as ingenious.
Though he couldn’t follow the Profound Yin method exactly, his current knowledge and cultivation allowed him to adapt the technique. By modifying the process, he could use the cyan flame to create a new type of thunder pearl, preserving its formidable power—comparable to his Violet Heavenly Flame—without waste.
Previously, he’d considered crafting pearls with the Dry Blue Ice Flame or Violet Heavenly Flame but abandoned the idea due to their scarcity. Now, with the unrefinable cyan flame, this presented a perfect solution, providing a potent weapon for the upcoming conflict.
Decision made, Han Li began retrieving materials from his storage pouch.
Fortunately, he possessed all the necessary ingredients—common items used in pill refining and artifact crafting, which he’d stockpiled over time.
Laying the materials before him, he focused on the flickering fireball. Raising both hands, two golden lightning arcs shot forth, striking the cyan flame with a thunderous roar.
—
In the main hall of the Falling Cloud Sect’s encampment, Lu Luo sat motionless, his expression unreadable. Before him stood several Core Formation cultivators of the sect, including the red-robed elder and the Song-clan woman, all bearing traces of anxiety.
“Disciple Duan, how long has your Uncle Han been in seclusion?” Lu Luo suddenly asked calmly.
“Reporting to Uncle, Uncle Han has been in meditation for over two months. Disciple Song and I have been guarding outside his chamber, and he has yet to emerge.”
“Hmm. Before secluding himself, your Uncle Han informed me he was preparing for the upcoming battle and requested not to be disturbed. However, the Mulan people seem to have assembled their forces and are growing restless. Our allies have repeatedly requested your Uncle Han’s presence at meetings, which I’ve deferred. But now, with the three Great Cultivators gathered at Tianyi City, they’ve sent an invitation for tomorrow’s assembly—a meeting exclusively for mid-Nascent Soul cultivators. This demonstrates their regard for your Uncle Han. It would be impolite to decline further. Moreover, I suspect this gathering will finalize our battle strategy. Our sect stands to gain much from participation.” Lu Luo sighed, speaking almost to himself.
The others in the hall exchanged wry smiles at his words.
“But if Uncle Han is at a critical juncture in his cultivation, disturbing him might ruin his efforts,” the Song-clan woman ventured, her delicate features creased with concern.
“Precisely why Uncle Lu has delayed this long. But if Uncle Han doesn’t appear tomorrow, others may…” A middle-aged cultivator with a thin mustache trailed off hesitantly.
“Others may what?” A light, clear voice floated in from outside the hall, reaching every ear effortlessly.
Hearing this, Lu Luo’s face lit up with joy.
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