“Take a step back each? Fellow Daoist Gu, what do you mean by that!” The white-robed youth was momentarily stunned upon hearing this and asked with some surprise.
“Seeing the two of you locked in such a stalemate, I suggest a compromise. Fellow Daoist Du can take Han Li’s disciple back to Sacred Island, but Han Li could also accompany them there. If anything seems amiss, he can voice his objections in time. Given Han Li’s reputation, I doubt the elders of Sacred Island would refuse to show him some courtesy.” The silver-haired elder pondered for a moment before cautiously proposing this.
“Very well. If Fellow Daoist Han is uneasy, he is indeed welcome to accompany us to Sacred Island.” Du Yu’s eyes flickered briefly before he readily agreed without hesitation.
“No need for such trouble. Since Fellow Daoist Gu has spoken, I cannot refuse entirely. Here’s my proposal: if any one of the three envoys can withstand a single strike from me unscathed, I will allow my disciple to go with them. If not… heh.” Han Li narrowed his eyes slightly and let out a cold laugh.
“What? Withstand a single strike? Fellow Daoist Han, you dare say such words!” Despite Du Yu’s usually composed nature, his face darkened with anger upon hearing this.
The ugly woman and the yellow-haired man were equally furious.
“What, do the three of you doubt my words? Should I swear a Heart Demon Oath as well?” Han Li remained unfazed and countered with a question.
“That won’t be necessary. Given Fellow Daoist Han’s status, we trust you won’t go back on your word.” Du Yu snorted. As his anger subsided slightly, his mind raced to decipher Han Li’s true intentions.
He refused to believe Han Li was merely seeking an excuse to back down, but he also couldn’t fathom how the three of them could fail to withstand a single strike from him.
The assembled elders of Heavenly Deep City exchanged bewildered glances. While they all knew Han Li possessed extraordinary abilities—arguably making him the strongest among late-stage Body Integration cultivators—they found it equally hard to believe that Du Yu and his companions couldn’t withstand a single strike from him.
Just as Elder Gu and Golden Zen Master exchanged glances and prepared to speak again, the nearby Silverlight Fairy suddenly transmitted a message via voice transmission. Elder Gu’s expression shifted slightly, and his gaze involuntarily flicked toward Silvermoon beside Han Li. The words he was about to utter died in his throat.
After staring at Han Li with a dark expression for a long moment, Du Yu took a deep breath and said slowly, “Since Fellow Daoist Han insists on resolving this through force, we have no choice but to comply. Among the three of us, I will be the one to receive your strike. I am curious to see how you plan to defeat me with a single blow.”
Having observed that the Heavenly Deep City elders intended to remain neutral, Du Yu weighed his options and made his decision. Though he suspected Han Li’s overconfidence, he had absolute faith in his own strength. With his mastery of Confucian sacred arts and the treasures he carried, he believed he could even withstand a strike or two from a Mahayana cultivator, let alone a peer.
The yellow-haired man and the ugly woman, evidently confident in Du Yu’s abilities, voiced no objections and merely glared at Han Li with hostility. As Sacred Island envoys, they were accustomed to deference wherever they went, even from formidable figures. Never had they encountered someone as dismissive as Han Li.
Seeing Du Yu accept his terms, Han Li’s lips curled slightly before he burst into laughter. “Excellent! Fellow Daoist Du is indeed decisive. I shall await you in the arena hall below.”
With that, Han Li stood and took a single step forward. Space rippled, and he vanished into the void, leaving only his laughter echoing in the hall.
Witnessing Han Li effortlessly tear through space, Du Yu’s expression grew solemn. While he could achieve similar feats with full exertion, he couldn’t match Han Li’s casual ease. This heightened his wariness, though it didn’t shake his confidence. He merely snorted inwardly.
Meanwhile, Crab Spirit rose without a word and flicked his sleeves toward Silvermoon and Zhu Guo’er, enveloping them in silver light. With a crackle of lightning, the trio vanished, evidently following Han Li to the arena hall.
Du Yu’s heart clenched again. He turned abruptly to Elder Gu and asked, “Fellow Daoist Gu, who was that person just now? His abilities seem extraordinary as well.”
Previously, their attention had been wholly focused on Han Li, and Crab Spirit, being a puppet, had deliberately suppressed his aura, escaping notice.
“That person’s face is unfamiliar. This is the first time I’ve seen him,” Elder Gu replied, equally astonished. After exchanging glances with Golden Zen Master and the others, he shook his head.
“Regardless of who he is, we’ll find out soon enough. And no matter his abilities, only Fellow Daoist Han will be the one to strike. Fellow Daoist Gu, let’s go.” Du Yu’s expression shifted briefly before settling into calm determination.
Though Elder Gu was also stunned by Crab Spirit’s display, he preferred to avoid further complications and nodded in agreement.
Soon after, the group employed their own techniques to tear through space and teleport away.
Within the time it took to drink a cup of tea, a massive hall spanning hundreds of feet was illuminated by a colossal barrier covering most of its expanse.
High within the barrier, Han Li and Du Yu faced each other from a distance.
Du Yu’s expression was grave, while Han Li remained composed, hovering with his hands clasped behind his back.
“Let me confirm one last time. If I withstand your strike unharmed, you will no longer obstruct us from taking your disciple to Sacred Island?” Du Yu asked solemnly.
“Correct. If you emerge unscathed from my strike, you may take all my disciples to Sacred Island without objection. But if you cannot withstand even a single strike, the three of you will return whence you came,” Han Li replied coolly.
“Then make your move,” Du Yu said darkly, enunciating each word.
Han Li smiled and uttered a single “Good.” Without moving a limb, a golden, three-headed, six-armed Dharma Form materialized behind him.
“Grow!” Han Li commanded.
A whirlwind erupted from the Dharma Form as it raised its six hands in unison, crackling with golden lightning. Its size swelled rapidly, soon towering at nearly a hundred feet.
The Dharma Form’s three pairs of eyes snapped open, and one of its massive hands slowly reached toward Du Yu. Though the motion seemed leisurely, the pressure it exerted felt capable of crushing the void itself.
Du Yu, sensing this terrifying aura, paled and immediately slapped the back of his head, spitting out a white light-encased object—a small jade book. Simultaneously, he flicked his sleeve, releasing a milky mist that condensed into a pristine white inkstone brimming with silver liquid.
The two treasures hovered above him, one radiating five-colored light, the other spewing countless golden and silver runes. One was a formidable Spirit Treasure, the other a rare artifact forged from a fragment of a Profound Heavenly Treasure.
Han Li’s eyes flickered with surprise, but he quickly snorted. The descending golden palm trembled slightly as silver patterns emerged from its surface, forming intricate arrays.
With a low hum, the hand’s fingers expanded slightly, its hue shifting to violet-gold. Instantly, the pressure intensified threefold, bearing down with overwhelming force.
Du Yu, preparing to activate his treasures, staggered backward several steps under this pressure, his face twisting in horror. Even at the peak of late-stage Body Integration, he felt as though he might be crushed instantly.
“No… this isn’t the power of a Body Integration cultivator. This is Mahayana-level strength!” The realization struck him like a thunderbolt, but under the crushing pressure, he couldn’t even scream.
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