Han Li had not expected to defeat the old magician so easily, nor had he anticipated the sheer strangeness of his magical prowess. Yet clearly, the old magician was no ghostly essence, but rather had temporarily transformed his body into this nearly immortal, demonic form through a specific magical technique. Han Li had heard of this technique before—some ancient demons from the early days of the era were known to exist in such forms, once causing great hardships for the ancient cultivators. Now, seeing it firsthand, he was truly impressed. Yet his attacks never wavered. With a single breath, a purple fire ball erupted from his mouth, rolled slightly, and expanded into a massive disc resembling a great wheel, rushing directly toward the blood-like shadow. With one hand, he chanted a seal, causing the great network formed from the North Polar Light to surge and expand, following closely to envelop the shadow. With the other hand, he shook his robe, launching a thick golden arc that crackled with thunder, swiftly reaching the opponent and striking head-on. Gui Ling, the plain woman, likewise crossed her black staff, held it firmly, and with serious determination, delivered several powerful strikes to the blood-like shadow. A fresh wave of bamboo staff shadows suddenly appeared around the blood-like aura, swelling into a surging tide that surged toward it. Indeed, in this northern realm of primordial light, both parties had hesitated to deploy flying swords or blades—otherwise, a single misstep might see such treasures shattered before they even reached the opponent, their very essence pierced and dissolved by the northern light. Thus, Han Li had refrained from using his Qingzhu Fengyun Sword, opting instead for the Divine Exorcising Thunder and the Purple Luo Extremity Fire. Seeing that his just-secured position was now once again under relentless assault, with attacks mounting even more fiercely than before, the old demon Qian grew increasingly furious. After a flash of grim determination, he bit down hard on his tongue, breaking it, then exhaled a gray luminous orb threaded with streaks of blood—precisely intercepting the golden lightning arc descending upon him. The thunder struck the orb, producing only a deep, resonant thud, and the two elements merged into a strange, ethereal green mist that rose upward, effectively neutralizing the assault. Han Li was momentarily stunned by this development. Yet the old demon had spun around smoothly, and suddenly five gray-white energy columns erupted around him. Five towering human-shaped skeletons, each standing two zhang tall and slender and lean, materialized into view within the magical aura. Their bodies were tall and majestic, their bones translucent and luminous as jade, radiating delicate strands of cold energy. The old demon had directly summoned the true forms of the Five-Hearted Skeleton Magic. As soon as the five skeletons appeared, each opened its mouth to exhale a stream of phosphorescent green flame. Though these flames seemed unimpressive—mere ordinary ghost flames—they proved formidable when two of them struck head-on the spherical flames formed by the Purple Lotus Fire. The latter were momentarily halted in mid-air. The other three flames rose upward, forming a broad green fire curtain that held firm against the colossal network of northern primordial light, preventing it from approaching close enough to descend. The spears from all directions now surged forward with a roaring sound, converging toward the center—just as before—yet before they could reach the old demon, an invisible, immense force had already materialized around him, clearly intending to once again bind him fast. The elder demon did not unleash his body again this time. Though that power was extraordinary, each time his body split and reformed, it consumed considerable spiritual energy. Unless absolutely necessary, he naturally wished to avoid using it. Moreover, since he had summoned the true forms of his five offspring demons, he also had a well-thought-out strategy in place. With a mere flick of his divine awareness, the five skeletal figures materialized around him, and as his hands extended straight behind the elder demon, a pale gray light screen shimmered into being on his palms, instantly shielding both the elder demon and the five figures within. A continuous roar of thunder echoed, with each heavy blow striking like a thunderclap, sending waves of shock through the listeners. Han Li, witnessing the power of the staff’s attacks, felt a measure of awe. This level-ten rock turtle demon truly possessed considerable abilities. It seemed that during their earlier confrontation, due to insufficient spiritual energy, he had only managed to unleash half of his true powers. Otherwise, even within this northern Yuan Guang realm, subduing the opponent would never have been as easily achieved as it had been before. Yet the resilience with which the Five-Child Harmonious Magic released its protective shield far exceeded Han Li's expectations. After the great roar subsided and the shadow of the staff finally vanished, the gray-white light shield remained intact, supported by the five skeletal frames. Such a powerful assault had failed to shatter this thin layer of defense. Gui Ling observed this, and her expression darkened. She cast a gloomy gaze upon the shield, then emitted a cold sigh, and as she opened her mouth, a sudden surge of black and white essence erupted, spraying onto the black staff in her hands. The staff emitted a long, resonant cry, and as brilliant light radiated outward, its form instantly transformed into a sleek black battle axe. With a simple wrist flick, Gui Ling raised the axe to the zenith of her head, gazing at it with serious concentration, while murmuring incantations. Suddenly, a layer of silver radiance burst forth from the surface of the black axe, dazzling in its brilliance, and as the light intensified, the axe rapidly expanded in size and its hue shifted dramatically. In an instant, it transformed into a massive silver great axe, over ten dozen feet long. Not only was its blade as bright and clear as a door panel, but the handle itself was as thick as a grown man's thigh. After growing so large, the great axe seemed to have been unsealing some ancient seal, radiating an astonishing aura of lethal ferocity. Even from such a distance, Han Li could clearly sense the blade's relentless hunger and bloodthirsty intensity. This was truly a fearsome, unyielding blade! At that moment, Gui Ling's grim, fierce expression briefly flickered as she clenched her palms in a series of gestures, and her form likewise expanded dramatically, soon growing into a giant towering seven or eight dozen feet tall. "Great Size Technique! I didn't expect this creature to manifest such a powerful ability without first revealing its true form. It seems its cultivation has now reached the peak of the late Yuan婴 stage," Han Li murmured, a touch of wonder in his voice. At the same time, he casually glanced toward a spot in the northern Yuan Guang region, then gently withdrew his gaze. With a flash of cold light in his eyes, he shook his sleeve, and without a sound, his palm concealed within the sleeve closed around the Three-Flame Sacred Fan. The plain woman extended her fan-like hand and grasped the silver axe firmly, then lowered her gaze to the distant Qian Elder Demon, holding the axe in both hands and slowly sweeping it through the air in a hollow stroke. A silver crescent-shaped blade of moonlight shot forth from the axe's edge, emitting a sharp cry as it was thrown out—stretching several zhang in length. As it passed, it left a trail of white marks in the air, as if slicing through the very space around it. The Qian Elder Demon, sheltered behind the protective barrier, was startled at this sight. Even with the utmost confidence in the Five-Unity Demon, he dared not meet such a powerful assault head-on. Without further thought, he suddenly raised his hand, and a short, snow-white blade materialized in his palm. He seized it firmly. A flash of cold light—his hand moved, and the blade fell But before the short finger had even settled, the old demon spurted a surge of vital essence onto it, completely enveloping the finger. In an instant, flashes of bloodlight danced as the blood and essence fused, transforming the finger into a blood-bladed sword several feet long—slender, sharp, and utterly unusual in form! The old demon held the blade single-handedly, facing the massive crescent moon that had now approached. With a serious gesture, he swung his hand, and the long sword vanished from his grasp, reappearing mysteriously before the five sons of the demon, directly facing the axe-blade and absorbing its force. To everyone's sight, a crisp, resonant crack echoed, and the blood-red blade shattered inch by inch. As the bright axe blade surged forward to strike, the colossal skeleton formed by the five demons burst out in a strange, booming laugh, lifting its neck and spewing a thin veil of gray mist. Though the glow was only a small patch, it proved thick and substantial—like a solid crescent moon's slash—failing to cut through it at all. Instead, it seemed to sink into a viscous liquid, halting naturally mid-motion. The silver axe blade instantly dimmed, turning gray-white within moments, then being completely absorbed by the radiant mist. The glow spiraled once and shot back into the giant skeleton's mouth. Since you are aware of the severity of the impure shadow demon energy, first experience the power of the Five Demons united. Dry Old Demon sneered, then murmured a low command, raising his hand and swiftly casting a series of spells upon the colossal skeleton. The skeleton emitted a deep, resonant roar, and its previously emotionless eyes suddenly flashed with vivid crimson light. As the demon raised his leg, he charged straight toward the giant formed from the ugly woman, each step sending a tremor through the ground. Han Li's eyes flickered several times. He glanced at the massive frame, then tightened his fingers slightly around the three-flame fan, only to release them a moment later. With his other hand, he swiftly threw the Yang Ring, launching it into the air above his head. Instantly, a wave of silver light composed of the North Pole's primordial radiance surged forth, emitting a loud hum, with countless silver points flashing continuously. Streams of light shot out from the sound waves, densely converging toward the giant skeleton. The skeleton gave a piercing, mournful cry, and instantly a layer of gray light shimmered upon its body. Numerous silver filaments struck it, yet scattered like dust with no effect whatsoever. Han Li's expression remained stoic, though suddenly he poured immense inner energy into the Yang ring. A remarkable transformation occurred instantly! Subsequent beams of light converged mid-path, coalescing into dozens of silver chains that vanished as swiftly as they formed. A series of "pffft" sounds followed. Several holes, each as thick as a thumb, appeared on the skeleton's body. One fine aperture even pierced straight through the skull from front to back. The impure,阴, dark qi had failed to withstand this assault! By manipulating the Yang ring to gather these northern primordial light beams, the attack's power had indeed intensified. Yet Han Li still showed a hint of satisfaction, only for his expression to grow gloomier a moment later. (Man, I just got home this evening—by year's end, things have piled up so fast. I'd love to have Han Li's ability to manifest multiple bodies! Just typing this, and then helping me attend all those tedious social engagements! I'll finish one chapter now; as for the other two, I'm not sure if I can catch up tomorrow.) With our snail-like pace, missing just one chapter would be an exceptionally painful ordeal! But for all of you, I'll do my very best!