The golden light transformed by the Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Swords danced briefly through the air, each beam spinning like a wheel, slashing the demonic energy apart and forcing it to scatter and retreat in every direction, unable to draw near even slightly.
Seeing that the demonic energy was not as troublesome as he had imagined, Han Li felt somewhat relieved, though his expression remained dark and gloomy as his gaze swept ceaselessly around him.
Unfortunately, beyond the pitch-black surroundings, there was nothing else to catch his attention.
"A few rather well-forged flying swords you have here. Once I've claimed them, I'll keep them around for amusement." The aged voice of the Azure Dragon drifted in from some unknown direction, carrying a note of surprise before openly revealing its covetous intent toward Han Li's swords.
Han Li started slightly upon hearing this, then a cold sneer appeared on his face. He flicked one sleeve, and a ball of tricolored light slid out from within, the spiritual glow contracting to reveal the Three Flames Fan materialized in his palm.
With an opponent speaking so brazenly, he had no choice but to proceed with caution.
The moment he completed this action, the demonic energy above his head shuddered violently, and a tremendous howling sound erupted. The demonic energy churned like colossal waves, and from the void a massive vortex appeared.
The vortex was pitch-black, easily over ten zhang in diameter. The instant it manifested, it began spinning at furious speed while emitting an eerie, piercing shriek.
Vast swathes of black radiance immediately shot outward from the vortex's center, rolling downward with overwhelming force.
Han Li's heart lurched—he knew things were bad. Without a moment to spare, he quickly formed sword seals with his single hand.
The golden light surrounding him immediately let out a long, clear ring. The broad, sweeping golden sword beams abruptly contracted, and amid the ceaseless flow of light, they transformed into a golden lotus that rotated gently.
Just then, the black radiance descended in a shroud, sweeping the entire golden lotus into its embrace.
The instant the two made contact, a strange sound erupted—like countless blades and swords slashing against one another—grating on the ears and profoundly unsettling to the spirit.
Han Li suddenly felt his mind tremble. The flying swords forming the golden lotus were simultaneously seized by an enormous pulling force, threatening to tear free of his control and fly upward.
Han Li's expression shifted slightly as the Magical Power within his body surged into motion all at once.
An ordinary mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator facing such tremendous suction might truly have been unable to retain control of their life-bound treasure. However, after cultivating the Green Yuan Sword Art, Han Li's cultivation base was far deeper than that of cultivators at the same level. Moreover, these Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Swords had been repeatedly refined with rare materials over time, making them far beyond ordinary magical treasures.
In the end, under the combined efforts of Han Li's frantic sword seals and the forceful suppression of his Magical Power, the golden lotus trembled violently and barely held its ground against the suction, continuing to revolve around Han Li as it resisted the black radiance pouring from the vortex.
At that moment, Han Li wasted no time. The feathered fan in his hand flashed as he swept it toward the vortex overhead, his face solemn.
With a muffled *whoosh*, a pillar of tricolored flame surged forth from the fan, crashing directly into the black radiance descending from above.
The instant they met, a savage, dense cacophony of explosions erupted at the point of intersection. The tricolored flames and the black radiance collided like boiling oil thrown upon cold water, bursting apart on contact.
Clearly, the tricolored flames were far more powerful than the black radiance. With the runes upon them flickering, they merely paused for a moment before tearing through the radiance as if shredding dry straw, plunging directly into the vortex over ten zhang above—then vanishing within it without a trace.
Han Li fixed his gaze upward, unblinking.
A moment later, a humming sound emanated from within the black vortex. The surrounding black light swelled and contracted once, then a tremendous detonation boomed from its center.
Within a radius of dozens of zhang, the demonic energy surged and churned as if maddened, and the vortex itself flashed once and vanished from the sky in an eruption of black light.
Han Li's expression remained grim. He waved one hand, and the Three Flames Fan likewise disappeared. Not the slightest hint of triumph crossed his face.
After all, that single sweep of the fan had consumed nearly twenty percent of his Magical Power, yet it did not appear to have harmed his opponent in the slightest.
"A replicated spirit treasure? So it's you — your surname is Han?" The aged voice spoke again, tinged with something unusual, as though caught off guard.
"How do you know me?" Han Li's expression flickered, a vague suspicion forming in his mind, though his face betrayed nothing as he asked calmly.
"Heh heh! That feathered fan spirit treasure of yours capable of unleashing tricolored flames is simply far too recognizable. When we were at Kunwu Mountain, I heard that you ruined one of my deputy valley master's little schemes. And now what brings you to the Minor Extreme Palace?" The old voice chuckled lightly, offering neither confirmation nor denial.