“What do you mean? Naturally, it’s about striking first.” The giant ape rumbled, its hands grasping at the air as two swirling masses of cyan and black light coalesced in its palms, transforming into two towering hills several zhang high.
With a swift motion of its arms, the ape hurled the hills with tremendous force. Amidst explosive roars, they morphed into two colossal orbs of light, hurtling toward two of the elderly men.
Simultaneously, a crystalline flash appeared above its head, and a third hill materialized out of thin air.
With a sharp hiss, countless invisible sword Qi erupted around the third elder, slashing toward him in a dense, relentless wave.
The three gaunt elders paled, but two of them roared in unison. Behind them, phantom images of a centipede and a giant scorpion emerged. Their four arms moved, each extending two palms to strike fiercely at the oncoming hills.
The moment the four seemingly ordinary palms extended, two of them instantly became covered in countless blue scales, crackling with dazzling arcs of lightning.
The other two palms darkened, their surfaces turning glossy black as they swelled grotesquely, fingers sprouting ten sharp green claws that emitted a foul, rolling black mist.
As for the third elder, seeing himself surrounded by invisible sword Qi, he flipped a hand, producing a half-chi-tall statue of a fox-headed humanoid figure. He tossed it above his head.
The statue emitted a clear chime, glowing brilliantly before transforming into a five-tailed crimson fox puppet.
With a swift sweep of its tails, the fox conjured a crimson light barrier, shielding the space below.
The next moment, the four palms collided squarely with the two light orbs formed from the hills.
Two earth-shaking booms erupted, sending violent tremors through the nearby void.
The orbs shuddered, halting momentarily and revealing their true forms as the hills.
However, the two gaunt elders who had struck were abruptly sent flying backward, their expressions shifting dramatically.
When they steadied themselves dozens of zhang away, their arms were drenched in blood, their skin seemingly shattered, with not an inch left intact. Their fingers were completely broken.
Meanwhile, the invisible sword Qi relentlessly slashed against the third elder’s crimson barrier.
The barrier flickered wildly, its surface soon riddled with fine cracks.
Startled, the third elder spat a wisp of vital energy into the statue in his hand and activated a spell.
The crimson fox puppet above him shimmered with golden light, its five tails transforming the barrier into a pale gold hue. The cracks rapidly sealed, stubbornly blocking the onslaught of sword Qi.
Yet, Han Li, fighting one against three, had clearly gained a slight upper hand.
This unexpected turn gave the three elders pause, their earlier ferocity waning as they hesitated.
After a brief, hushed exchange, their expressions darkened, and they slowly advanced toward the giant ape.
It seemed these three Great Ascension elders were determined to gang up on him.
Han Li sneered inwardly. The giant ape pounded its chest and let out a deafening roar that pierced the heavens.
Behind it, the colossal Dharmic Form of the Sacred Buddha flashed into existence before merging seamlessly with the ape.
Purple-gold light erupted from the ape’s body as it slightly hunched. Golden light burst from its sides, sprouting two additional heads and four furry golden arms.
Han Li had simultaneously activated the Awakening Art and the Sacred Buddha Demon Art.
At this moment, the sheer resilience of his physical form was second only to his Nirvana Sacred Body.
Facing three opponents of equal rank, Han Li dared not take any chances.
Just as the four were about to unleash their full might, a ripple appeared in the void a hundred zhang away. A glowing formation materialized, and with a swirl of light, three figures of varying heights emerged.
The three elders, who had been advancing toward Han Li, stiffened and halted.
The three-headed, six-armed giant ape turned its heads, six eyes scanning the newcomers like lightning.
The trio consisted of an old woman, a Daoist priest, and a masked man—Xiao Ming, Lady Wanhua, and Qingping.
Upon completing their teleportation and spotting the three elders and Han Li’s transformed form, they exchanged startled glances.
“Brother Xiao, what a coincidence to meet you here,” the giant ape boomed with laughter. Its golden light dimmed as it shrank rapidly, reverting to Han Li’s human form.
“I hadn’t expected to encounter Fellow Daoist Han here either. Truly a coincidence,” Xiao Ming replied with a strained smile after recognizing Han Li.
Lady Wanhua and Qingping inwardly sighed in dismay.
The three gaunt elders, observing the newcomers warily, refrained from rash actions, their gazes sharp and assessing.
Xiao Ming studied the three elders thoughtfully before asking, “Your faces are unfamiliar. Might you be recluses from the Black Marsh Forest in the northwest?”
“Hmph, you’re quite knowledgeable to recognize our origins at a glance. Indeed, we three sages of Wu Ling have long dwelled in the Black Marsh,” the elder controlling the crimson fox puppet replied coldly, his tone laced with hostility.
“Three Sages of Wu Ling? So you cultivate the arts of witchcraft. But what grievance do you hold against Brother Han to warrant such hostility?” Xiao Ming probed, his eyes glinting.
Though he hadn’t witnessed the earlier clash, the residual spiritual energy and the tense standoff spoke volumes.
“Treasures belong to the strong. Since we’ve entered this Heavenly Tripod Palace, everyone is a potential rival. Why need a reason?” the elder retorted bluntly.
“Does that mean we three are also your rivals? Brother Han, what do you think?” Xiao Ming’s voice turned icy as he glanced at Han Li.
“Whatever. If they want a fight, they’ll get one,” Han Li replied nonchalantly, shrugging.
Xiao Ming’s wariness deepened. He frowned slightly at the Wu Ling trio.
Originally, he should have already reached the palace’s core or located its control hub. Yet, the second area’s restrictions had proven far more intricate than anticipated, trapping them until now.
Emerging to find Han Li and the Wu Ling trio—both formidable forces—was an unwelcome complication.
Ideally, he’d prefer them to battle fiercely, allowing him to slip past to the final area. But with their arrival, such a scenario was unlikely unless both sides were fools.
A prolonged stalemate was equally undesirable. Other Great Ascension cultivators might also find their way here.
With a stern expression, Xiao Ming spoke again, “Fellow Daoists, we’re here for treasures, not conflict. Why fight before securing the real prizes? The true treasures lie ahead. Save your strength for the remaining areas. Given the difficulty of the restrictions thus far, we may not even have enough time to claim them.”
“I have no objections, as long as no one provokes me first,” Han Li said with a faint smile, his eyes twinkling.
“Very well. Since Brother Xiao insists, we’ll postpone this battle. Let’s go!” The elder with the fox puppet nodded after a brief consideration, his gaze fierce.
After a quick exchange via voice transmission, the three elders turned and flew toward a nearby region.
Xiao Ming seemed momentarily surprised by their chosen direction but quickly masked it, smiling at Han Li. “Brother Han, have you decided on a destination? If not, we’ll take our leave.”
“What’s there to deliberate? I’ll explore… that area.” Han Li waved dismissively, pointing vaguely. Midway, his pupils constricted, and his finger shifted slightly to indicate an adjacent region.
Lady Wanhua and Qingping, who had remained silent, blanched at Han Li’s choice.
Before they could react, Han Li had already transformed into a streak of light, vanishing into a pale blue barrier amidst flashes of radiance and distant thunder.
“What now? This brat from the Wind Continent chose our target! Does he know about the palace’s control hub?” Lady Wanhua exclaimed.
“Impossible. The legacy of Heavenly Tripod Ancestor was passed solely to our lineage. No one else should know its location or how to control it,” Qingping said grimly.
“So it’s a coincidence? But his actions suggest otherwise,” Xiao Ming muttered, recalling Han Li’s subtle finger shift.
“Do we choose another area?” Lady Wanhua asked bitterly.
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