When it looked like the two were about to start fighting, everyone else instinctively took a few steps back and held their breath.
A battle between cultivators at such a high level of Qi Refining was an exceedingly rare sight for ordinary people.
But for Han Li, dealing with a Qi Refining stage cultivator like this was hardly worth getting excited about. He simply stood there with his hands clasped behind his back, calmly waiting for his opponent to make a move.
The middle-aged man named Ma Yulin, seeing Han Li looking so nonchalant, flew into a rage.
Without another word, he raised the small trident in one hand while murmuring an incantation, his other hand forming a series of magical seals.
After a brief moment, the trident trembled several times, emitted a faint spiritual glow, and suddenly transformed into a streak of yellow light that shot straight toward Han Li.
Han Li's expression didn't change in the slightest. He had no intention of using any artifact of his own. With an unhurried motion, he raised his hand, and over a dozen talismans shot out from between his fingers at once, instantly coalescing into a string of fist-sized crimson fireballs that streaked forward to meet the yellow light head-on.
Ma Yulin let out a cold sneer at the sight.
His Yellow Wind Trident was a mid-grade artifact personally bestowed by his sect. How could it possibly be blocked by a handful of petty fireballs?
Though he thought this, he was still unwilling to clash head-on for fear of damaging the artifact. He promptly formed a seal with both hands to redirect the trident's course, and the yellow light abruptly curved in an arc, attempting to sweep around the fireballs and attack from the side.
Han Li smiled faintly and pointed casually at the air.
The fireballs paused in unison, then gathered together overhead, condensing into a massive fire cloud the size of a cartwheel. The cloud then morphed, taking the shape of a fire serpent roughly ten feet long. With a flash of red light, the serpent shot forward, coiled its body, and wound itself tightly around the trident's yellow glow.
Ma Yulin was horrified. He hurriedly funneled every last bit of his spiritual power into the artifact, desperately trying to wrench the trident free.
But the yellow light flared briefly before the serpent constricted tighter and tighter amid crackling sparks. The artifact's glow faded rapidly, and low hums began emanating from within — an unmistakable sign that the trident was on the verge of being destroyed.
"Stop! Your Magical Power is far superior — I concede!" The middle-aged man, seeing how dire the situation was and unwilling to part with his artifact, blanched and shouted loudly.
Hearing this, Han Li gave a faint smile and pointed at the sky. The fire serpent spiraled once, released the trident, then burst apart with a muffled bang, scattering into countless sparks that vanished without a trace.
Han Li had defeated such a powerful opponent without breaking a sweat, which left the three women in the pavilion both astonished and delighted.
Meanwhile, the burly man across from them, Wu Xiaoyu, looked thoroughly unsettled. He hesitated, then muttered to his senior disciple-brother:
"Senior Brother Ma, this is..."
"Forget it, Junior Brother Wu! You saw it yourself — they have a true expert among them. I even brought out the Yellow Wind Trident and it wasn't nearly enough. All I can say is that your nephew's fate was simply not meant to be." Ma Yulin cut him off without allowing any argument.
He retrieved his artifact and inspected it, finding it undamaged, which put him somewhat at ease. But his awe toward Han Li's abilities only deepened, and he had no desire to wade any further into this mess.
Wu Xiaoyu, hearing his senior brother say as much, was naturally unwilling to let the matter go — but if even his senior brother at the tenth level of Qi Refining was no match, then he stood even less of a chance.
What followed required no further explanation.
The two disciples of the Xili Spirit Sect departed the mountain peak in low spirits, flying away on their artifacts.
As for Cao Mengrong and her two companions, they crowded around Han Li, peppering him with questions about the spells he had just used.
Han Li offered a casual excuse about practice making perfect, then provided a few pointers on controlling low-level spells before deflecting the rest of their questions.
After that, the two women in Daoist robes began earnestly asking Han Li about difficult points in their cultivation techniques, and he answered each one with effortless ease, making the complex seem simple.
Time slipped by little by little. By the time dusk approached, the three women knew they couldn't linger any longer and reluctantly took their leave.
The next day, when the three women returned together, they found the thatched hut completely empty — nothing remained but a farewell letter.
After reading the letter, Cao Mengrong stood there in a daze. For reasons she couldn't quite explain, Han Li's sudden departure left her feeling hollow inside, with a strange, nameless ache.
Her two senior sisters seemed to sense something as well, and they exchanged helpless glances.
……
A thousand li away, Han Li soared through the sky on his artifact at a leisurely pace, conversing with the Divine Sovereign of Da Yan through his spiritual sense.