Having completed all this, Han Li showed no intention of stopping. He rubbed his hands together and then flung them into the air.
With two thunderous cracks, two golden arcs as thick as arms shot out from his sleeves, converging into a single golden serpent as wide as a bowl, which shook its head and lashed its tail as it charged into the sky.
At the same time, Han Li opened his mouth and spat out a crystalline orb, which transformed into a ten-zhang-long purple flood dragon, equally ferocious as it lunged forward.
Meanwhile, the massive silver lotus drifted upward to meet the emerald radiance descending from above.
Suddenly, the emerald light flickered, revealing eight emerald peaks once more—though four of them were now damaged and dimmed, while the other four remained intact. Yet, in the next moment, the peaks shimmered with emerald light and underwent an incredible transformation. The eight peaks merged into one, forming a colossal mountain nearly a thousand zhang tall, which immediately pressed downward without hesitation.
At the same time, the purple flood dragon, the golden serpent, and the silver lotus surged upward to meet it.
Instantly, bursts of multicolored spiritual light erupted, intertwining arcs of lightning, chilling frost, silver radiance, and emerald brilliance, causing the mountain to momentarily halt.
However, the mountain was simply too massive. Whether struck by lightning or frozen by cold, its enormous bulk barely trembled before continuing its descent, crushing the thirty-zhang silver lotus beneath its weight.
Below, Han Li narrowed his eyes, a flash of blue light appearing in his pupils. With a low shout, he spat out a mouthful of vital essence blood, which was immediately absorbed by the green ruler at the center of the lotus.
His fingers moved like a spinning wheel as he rapidly formed a series of hand seals, while chanting an arcane and cryptic incantation.
Hearing this chant, Xiang Zhili and Feng Laoguai, who had been calmly observing the battle, exchanged glances, their expressions betraying surprise.
Just as the thousand-zhang mountain was about to crush the lotus, eight eerie screeches erupted from the green wooden ruler within it. The ruler spun rapidly, suddenly manifesting eight phantom beasts, each an inch in size.
Under Han Li’s incantation, these phantoms swelled violently, transforming into ten-zhang-long spiritual beasts wreathed in green light, appearing almost corporeal. Each phantom resembled legendary spiritual beasts of heaven and earth.
Some spewed spiritual flames, others lunged forward—together, they exerted enough force to halt the mountain’s descent, leaving it suspended mid-air, unable to move further.
From afar, the old demon’s expression finally darkened.
Though he hadn’t intended to kill Han Li outright, he had certainly hoped to severely wound him. If Han Li could so easily block this attack, his plan would be thwarted.
With this thought, the old demon subtly activated his divine sense. A chorus of shrieks erupted from the emerald peaks as countless gray shadows shot forth, transforming into savage, one-zhang-tall gray apes that descended with terrifying ferocity.
These apes were not actual demon beasts but rather the vengeful spirits of creatures sacrificed during the treasure’s forging. Nearly indestructible, they could regenerate from the peaks even if torn apart, making them a formidable and relentless force.
Yet the moment these apes appeared, the Soul Devouring Beast beside Han Li—now shrunk to a mere zhang in size—let out a piercing cry. Its body swelled once more in a burst of black light, stopping at ten zhang before exhaling streams of yellow mist from its nostrils.
The mist transformed into hundreds of hazy yellow beams that shot skyward.
Strangely, despite the apes’ dense demonic aura—each possessing power no less than a fifth-tier demon beast, with some even reaching the peak of the seventh-tier—they crumpled like insects under the yellow light, dissolving into wisps of green energy that were swiftly absorbed by the beams and drawn back into the Soul Devouring Beast.
Not a single ape escaped. All were devoured, and the beast, having gorged itself, shrank once more before vanishing into Han Li’s spirit beast pouch in a streak of black light.
Han Li was momentarily stunned, but then sensed the beast’s intent to evolve further, filling him with joy.
This bizarre spectacle left the other cultivators astonished—even the old demon himself was momentarily speechless.
While others might not grasp the apes’ true menace, the old demon, as the treasure’s master, knew their resilience all too well. His shock far surpassed theirs.
Meanwhile, the thousand-zhang mountain remained suspended, held firmly by the eight phantom beasts.
Han Li, his face slightly pale, stared at the mountain, contemplating whether to unleash another treasure to destroy it outright.
“Haha, Junior Brother Han and Fellow Daoist Hu have truly displayed remarkable prowess. Shall we call an end to this bout? Continuing further might truly sour relations,” Xiang Zhili suddenly laughed from below.
With a flicker, he vanished, reappearing between Han Li and the old demon in the next instant. Casually, he reached out toward the emerald mountain.
A thunderous boom echoed as a massive ghostly claw wreathed in black mist materialized, seizing the mountain’s peak and lifting it another ten zhang into the air.
Han Li’s expression shifted slightly at this display, while the old demon’s face darkened.
“Hmph, I never imagined Fellow Daoist Xiang’s Giant Spirit Claw had reached such heights. Are you flaunting your power before me?” the old demon sneered.
“The Giant Spirit Claw is but a trifling skill, hardly worthy of your attention. I merely feared you might forget your one-strike agreement in the heat of battle. Has Junior Brother Han not withstood your attack?” Xiang Zhili replied with a smile.
“Hu, as master of the Demon Palace, would never go back on my word to a mere Nascent Soul cultivator. Fellow Daoist Han has indeed withstood my strike,” the old demon said after a long pause, his expression shifting before he finally nodded.
With a wave, he summoned the distant mountain. It trembled, emerald light flickering across its surface.
Xiang Zhili’s lips twitched, and the giant claw vanished. The mountain shuddered, splitting back into eight hundred-zhang peaks that shrank rapidly as they flew back to the scroll, vanishing inside.
The same occurred with the peaks hovering above the old demon’s head. In moments, all had returned to the scroll, which folded shut with a flash of light, reverting to an unremarkable ancient-looking artifact.
The old demon snatched it from the air, and it disappeared into his sleeve as a streak of green light.
“Though I shall not be wedding Ziling now, the other two women remain. The concubine ceremony in three days will proceed as planned. Surely, Brother Xiang won’t depart without partaking in the festivities?” the old demon said, his wooden crown glinting as he swept his gaze over Han Li and Xiang Zhili, his earlier hostility seemingly forgotten.
“Of course. Having already presented my gifts, I wouldn’t dream of missing the celebration,” Xiang Zhili replied with equal cheer.
“Fellow Daoist Han, why not remain at the palace a few more days? Depart after the ceremony,” the old demon added, his tone now amiable.
Han Li’s eyes flickered, but his expression remained neutral. “Naturally. Since Senior Brother Xiang and Fellow Daoist Feng are staying, I shall as well.”
“Excellent! Let us return to the palace and drink our fill!” the old demon boomed with laughter before transforming into a streak of black light and streaking toward the palace below.
The watching cultivators, still awed by the battle’s display of power, murmured assent and followed.
Feng Laoguai chuckled and re-entered the hall, leaving only a visibly relieved Ziling below.
“Junior Brother Han, let us join them. Rest assured—Fellow Daoist Hu is a man of his word. Having withstood his strike, this matter is settled. He won’t seek further trouble. Stay and enjoy the palace with this girl for a few days,” Xiang Zhili said with a grin before floating down and striding into the hall.
Han Li sighed wryly and shook his head before descending.
“Brother Han, are you unharmed?” Ziling rushed forward, her exquisite face a mix of worry and gratitude.
“I’m fine—just drained some vitality. But what of you? Will you leave now or after the ceremony?” Han Li asked calmly.
“I’ll depart whenever you do,” she answered without hesitation.
“Then you’ll be staying a while longer. I cannot leave immediately,” Han Li said after a pause, exhaling softly.
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