The multicolored curtain conjured by the cultivators was clearly a restriction specifically designed to counter spiritual techniques. Despite the seemingly devastating attacks, the curtain remained completely unshaken. Seeing this, Long Han’s face revealed a trace of joy.
The thousand or so cultivators who had flown out were all elite disciples of the Nine Nations Alliance, rigorously trained over time, which was why they could proficiently set up this formation. After witnessing its power, Wei Wuyan’s claims were indeed not exaggerated.
The gaunt elder, seeing their attacks ineffective, wore an ugly expression but immediately issued another command to attack without hesitation.
Amid the chanting from the spellcaster ranks, this time, instead of simple fireballs and ice spears, fiery crows and crystalline ice pythons slowly took shape in the air. Naturally, this second wave of attacks took longer to prepare than the first.
At this moment, a slight commotion arose from the opposing cultivator ranks as a group of green-robed cultivators flew out of the protective barrier. Simultaneously, they removed spirit beast pouches from their waists and cast them into the air. The pouches opened downward, spewing multicolored radiance from which dozens of bizarrely shaped demonic beasts emerged.
The three leading beasts were particularly extraordinary. One had dragon horns and shimmering white scales—a rare dragon-horse beast. Another exhaled a foul wind—a green-furred, two-headed demon lion. The last was the most terrifying: a massive, crimson scorpion, five to six zhang long, with a venomous stinger that was pitch-black with a purple hue, sending chills down the spine of anyone who saw it.
These demonic beasts were a batch of powerful spirit creatures meticulously raised by the Devil Dao’s Beast Taming Sect. Once released, under the leadership of the three leading beasts, they aggressively charged toward the opposing giant beasts and the phantom creatures summoned by the spellcasters. In an instant, demonic winds howled as the beasts clashed in battle.
Though only the three leading spirit beasts could individually hold their own against the savage giant beasts, the sheer number of the remaining trained beasts allowed them to swarm and halt the advance of the giant beasts, even gaining a slight upper hand.
As the demonic beasts took flight, thousands of cultivators also rose into the air, dividing into five teams and charging directly toward the enemy. Mid-flight, they activated their magical artifacts, raining attacks like a storm upon the spellcaster ranks. The spellcasters’ current spiritual technique was clearly more ferocious than the last, but the cultivators had no intention of waiting for them to finish. A dense barrage of magical artifacts crashed against the Mulan people’s protective formation like raging waves.
The gaunt elder’s expression darkened. With a cold snort, he issued an order, and a large number of spellcasters also took flight. In an instant, the two sides clashed fiercely in the sky between their formations, with spiritual techniques, magical artifacts, and treasures intertwining like countless fireflies. After just a brief exchange, hundreds had their protective barriers shattered, their bodies exploding and plummeting from the sky—a scene of extreme brutality.
But in that brief delay, the spellcasters’ spiritual technique attacks were already prepared. Dozens of fiery crows and ice pythons, now seemingly alive, shot toward the opposing cultivator army. This time, however, the cultivators were ready. Before the attacks could land, countless magical artifacts and treasures surged upward, obliterating most of the fiery crows and ice pythons. The few that slipped through were all blocked by the multicolored curtain, which swayed slightly but posed no real threat.
Yet Long Han frowned. It seemed the Nine Nations Alliance’s protective formation, though formidable, couldn’t fully withstand more powerful spiritual techniques. Taking a deep breath, he coldly issued orders, and the cultivator army, shielded by the multicolored curtain, began advancing slowly toward the spellcaster ranks.
At the same time, the cultivators activated their magical artifacts and treasures, transforming them into various radiant lights that either hovered in the air or enveloped their bodies. Chants rose as the artifacts glowed brightly, ready to unleash devastating strikes at any moment.
Seeing this, the elder among the spellcasters flashed a cold glint in his eyes. He understood that the enemy’s risky advance was to deny them time to cast another spiritual technique formation. Given the circumstances, they indeed had no time for another attack. With a command, the spellcaster army also began moving forward under their massive barrier.
The distance between the two sides rapidly shrank. When they were only a hundred zhang apart—close enough to vaguely discern each other’s faces—seven soft *pops* sounded from the cultivator ranks. Seven white jade talismans were solemnly cast by seven elders of the Luan Ming Sect. The moment the talismans left their hands, they transformed into seven white rainbows, shooting into the sky above the spellcaster army. After circling at a height of several dozen zhang, they revealed their true forms. With a pulse of expansion and contraction, earth-shattering thunderclaps erupted from the talismans.
The seven talismans shattered, revealing seven blinding white electric spheres that rapidly expanded, soon becoming as large as blazing suns. Seven white suns, each over ten zhang in diameter, now hovered ominously above the spellcaster army.
The sight was truly astonishing. Many spellcasters instinctively looked up, their faces filled with terror.
“Not good! Those are ancient talismans!” The previously composed gaunt elder paled in shock. But before he could react, the seven suns exploded one after another.
In an instant, the sky above the spellcasters was filled with sizzling white arcs, forming seven massive electric nets that descended upon them. Seemingly inspired, the other cultivators hurled out countless multicolored talismans of various radiant lights. Amid the blinding white light, the rumble of thunder echoed.
—
“It seems things are getting lively out there,” Han Li murmured to himself, his hands clasped behind his back as he stared at the blood-red barrier before him, his expression calm despite being trapped.
Once he realized the spellcasters’ plan was merely to confine them, Han Li’s initial worries vanished. Though the Mulan people’s confidence in this barrier suggested its formidable nature, Han Li was equally confident in breaking it. The real question was timing—leaving too early might not be ideal.
While Han Li was willing to contribute to the fight against the Mulan, he had no intention of becoming cannon fodder in the chaotic initial clashes. This wasn’t a one-on-one duel; being targeted by multiple Nascent Soul cultivators or dozens of spellcasters simultaneously would be perilous, even with his lightning evasion techniques. Only by avoiding the initial chaos, when most high-level combatants were already engaged, could he minimize the risk of being overwhelmed.
Had it not been for this blood barrier, Han Li had other methods to delay his involvement. But now, it provided a legitimate excuse to avoid the most dangerous phase of the battle. The thunderous roars just now were so intense that even within the barrier, he could feel the vibrations—likely signaling the start of the main clash. He wondered which side had unleashed such a devastating attack and how the other side would endure it.
With a sigh, Han Li turned his attention back to the barrier.
This blood barrier was indeed peculiar. His spiritual sense couldn’t penetrate it at all, and despite its demonic nature, his Divine Devilbane Lightning had no effect on it, piquing his curiosity. Earlier, he had used his Brightsight Spirit Eyes to inspect the barrier but saw nothing beyond a crimson haze. Still, he wasn’t in a hurry. The battle outside had just begun, and he had plenty of time to study how to break free.
Opening his mouth, Han Li spat out a small azure sword. Under his spiritual guidance, it transformed into a foot-long green streak and slashed fiercely at the barrier.
A dull *thud* echoed as the barrier remained unmoved, the sword rebounding several feet away.
Unfazed, Han Li retrieved the sword and flipped his hand, revealing a dark object—the ancient treasure, “Thousandfold Peak.”
Tossing it into the air, he formed hand seals. With a flash of black light, a small mountain over ten zhang tall silently appeared before him.
Pointing at the mountain, Han Li sent it crashing toward the barrier. A deafening boom followed as black and crimson lights clashed, but the mountain was repelled, and the barrier only trembled slightly.
A hint of surprise flickered across Han Li’s face. Stroking his chin, he pointed at the mountain again, sending it flying to the center of the blood barrier. Chanting an incantation, the mountain rapidly expanded.
Moments later, it reached seventy to eighty zhang in height, its peak and base nearly touching the ground and the barrier’s ceiling. Yet Han Li showed no signs of stopping. Instead, he fired several more spells at the mountain, accelerating its growth.
With a series of rumbles, the mountain swelled to over a hundred zhang, standing like a pillar of heaven in the center of the barrier, its black spiritual light flickering. Under its pressure, the barrier’s top began to bulge slightly, the entire structure shaking violently.
Encouraged, Han Li channeled more spiritual power, continuously casting spells to further expand the mountain. The bulge in the barrier grew more pronounced, but after reaching a certain point, it mysteriously stopped deforming, and the mountain’s growth was forcibly halted.
Han Li ceased his spells, narrowing his eyes at the barrier’s top. It seemed using the Thousandfold Peak to burst the barrier wouldn’t work. Next, he’d have to test whether his Dry Blue Ice Flames and Purple Apex Flames could break through.
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