Han Li sat cross-legged in a quiet chamber on the second floor of the pavilion, his eyes tightly shut, his entire body suffused with an azure, glass-like glow. His ten fingers formed an intricate hand seal, and floating gently between his palms was a ball of purple flame, the size of an egg, flickering ceaselessly.
This was the demonic flame that Han Li had cultivated from the Qianlan Ice Flame and the frigid qi exhaled by the Six-Winged Frost Centipede.
Its power was clearly a cut above the Qianlan Ice Flame, making it Han Li's most formidable trump card at present.
After discovering this flame, Han Li had since converted every trace of Qianlan Ice Flame he refined into the purple demonic flame, truly making it his own.
To distinguish it from the Shura Holy Fire, he had named it the "Purple Luo Extreme Fire."
He was certain that even a late Nascent Soul cultivator would be unable to withstand this fire if it touched their body. As for whether it could actually kill such a cultivator, Han Li had never truly witnessed a late-stage cultivator in action and could not say for certain for the time being.
Unfortunately, although the flame's power was incomprehensibly great, the amount was limited by how much Qianlan Ice Flame he could refine. He could currently only control this much Purple Luo Extreme Fire. Otherwise, if he could multiply its quantity several times over, he would not necessarily lack the strength to face a late Nascent Soul cultivator head-on.
"Congratulations, Master! This Purple Luo Extreme Fire seems to have grown about thirty percent more powerful since I first saw it. It looks like this flame still has much untapped potential!" Silver Moon's pleasantly surprised voice echoed in Han Li's mind.
Hearing this, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Han Li's mouth. Without a word, he opened his mouth, and with a single breath, the ball of Purple Luo Extreme Fire instantly transformed into a thin thread of flame and was drawn into his abdomen.
Only then did he release his fingers and cease the technique.
"This Purple Luo Extreme Fire is sharp enough, but unfortunately its quantity is far too small to serve as a true reliance. What I hope for most right now is to open that Void Heaven Treasure Cauldron. If the power of the Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasure you described is no exaggeration, then having that cauldron in hand should be enough to sweep through all of Tiannan. Only then would I truly be able to rest easy in this world." Han Li opened his eyes and spoke slowly.
"Rest assured, Master. The Void Heaven Cauldron's power is even greater than what I described — never less." Silver Moon let out a delicate laugh, her voice full of confidence.
Han Li nodded at this and was about to say something more when suddenly a streak of white light shot in from outside. Yingning's clear voice hurriedly came from within the light.
"Martial Uncle Han, come to the main hall quickly! Senior Ma and the others have already returned, and the Mulan people will be arriving any moment!"
The moment these words were spoken, the white light circled once and then shot back out of the chamber.
Han Li's expression darkened. A cold light flickered in his eyes several times before he rose and walked out.
...
When Han Li arrived at the main hall, Gu Shuangpu and the bald-browed giant had already arrived.
The old man surnamed Ma, along with another cultivator in brocade robes who had a slight hunch and a pale complexion, were speaking with the two.
The Murong brothers, Yingning, and the others stood nearby listening together with two unfamiliar Core Formation cultivators, their faces all grave.
When Yingning saw Han Li enter, she glanced over and gave him a radiant smile.
"Friend Han has arrived as well. Let me introduce you — this is Friend Bu Yunhe, who oversees Tiantai Valley. And this is Friend Han of the Luoyun Sect." The bald-browed giant forced a thin smile and made the introductions with a show of ease.
Seeing this, Han Li's heart sank slightly. It seemed the situation was even worse than he had imagined.
"I have long heard Brother Lu speak of your great reputation, Brother Bu. It is truly congratulations that you were able to escape unharmed." Han Li's mouth showed a hint of goodwill as he spoke politely.
"This sorry state of mine must be quite a sight for you, Friend Han. I owe it all to Friend Ma's intervention this time. Otherwise, things would have been truly dangerous." The cultivator surnamed Bu had already learned of Han Li's existence from others, so no surprise showed on his face. Instead, he spoke with a bitter smile, his expression filled with gratitude toward the old man surnamed Ma.
"Not at all, it was merely a small effort. But those pursuers — they retreated on their own before I even had to lift a finger. That was actually quite disappointing!" The old man said with a chuckle.