Chapter 416: Joining Forces

"Fellow Daoist Lengyan, do not be provoked by this man. My actions were not directed at you; I merely wished to guard against the appearance of an enemy like this one while we focused on breaking the禁制. As it turns out, it was quite necessary." Xiong Shan said slowly, glancing at Han Li.

Upon hearing this, Patriarch Lengyan's expression eased slightly, but his eyes flickered, still seeming hesitant.

"Is that so? If that's the case, why did you release it secretly without informing Fellow Daoist Lengyan?" Han Li chuckled, unconcerned.

"This... circumstances forced my hand; it was indeed improper." Xiong Shan faltered, somewhat embarrassed.

In truth, his move was not meant to ambush Patriarch Lengyan but rather to seize the initiative in unexpected situations, though it also carried some precaution against the other. Now that Han Li had stirred things up, it was hard to explain.

"Fellow Daoist Xiong, do not blame yourself. It is I who trusted others too readily and was too careless." Patriarch Lengyan's face turned cold again as he said flatly.

Xiong Shan, knowing he was in the wrong, did not offer further explanation.

"Fellow Daoist Lengyan, you and I are old acquaintances. Though the Youhan Palace holds many treasures, as they say, risk and opportunity go hand in hand; dangers are surely plentiful. How about we join forces to explore it? You know my strength; I should be able to help you considerably." Han Li said to Patriarch Lengyan.

Patriarch Lengyan frowned but said nothing.

"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Lengyan. I am grateful for your传授 of the 'Great周天 Star Yuan Art' back then. Though I am no saint, I can say I would never scheme against a friend." Han Li glanced at Xiong Shan and smiled.

A cold glint flashed in Xiong Shan's eyes as he snorted.

"Very well, then. Let us travel together. I ask for your guidance, Fellow Daoist Han." Patriarch Lengyan, after a brief hesitation, smiled.

"You flatter me, Fellow Daoist Lengyan. In that case, let us first break this last layer of the starlight禁制." Han Li nodded with a smile.

"What do you two mean by this?" Xiong Shan's expression darkened as he watched Han Li and Lengyan converse amiably.

"Fellow Daoist Xiong, do not misunderstand. There is no deep enmity between us; it was merely a misunderstanding caused by your hasty attack without giving me a chance to explain. In my opinion, let us put this matter aside. Our sole goal now is to work together to break this禁制. Time is not on our side." Han Li turned to Xiong Shan and said.

"Fellow Daoist Han speaks truly. Under current circumstances, cooperation benefits both sides. Fellow Daoist Lengyan, I was petty earlier; please do not take offense. If we find treasures, you may choose first." Xiong Shan, after a moment's thought, smiled.

"You are too kind, Fellow Daoist Xiong. Now that Fellow Daoist Han and this friend have joined us, our chances are certainly greater. But may I ask your name?" Patriarch Lengyan smiled slightly, not declining, but then turned his gaze to Lu Yuqing.

Xiong Shan also looked at Lu Yuqing, then at Han Li.

"Senior flatters me. With my meager cultivation, how dare I claim equal status with you two? I am merely here with Brother Han to broaden my horizons. If you have any treasures you deem unworthy, just give me one or two." Before Han Li could speak, Lu Yuqing quickly waved her hand and said.

She seemed to have gathered something from the conversation between Han Li and Patriarch Lengyan and adapted her address accordingly.

Hearing this, Patriarch Lengyan and Xiong Shan's expressions eased, and they said no more.

"To avoid further complications, let us begin now. Please continue your spellcasting to break the禁制; I will join in." Han Li said without further explanation.

"Good!" Xiong Shan and the other replied.

With that, Xiong Shan waved his hand, retracting the golden sword and golden banner, then flickered back to his previous spot, his fingers moving like wheels before him.

Patriarch Lengyan also turned and began to chant and form hand seals. The five spirit treasures in the air resumed their operation, and the five-colored light pillars began to flicker again.

The starlight barrier shone brightly, emitting a layer of dazzling starlight, within which countless star patterns tumbled up and down, appearing intricate and ingenious.

Clusters of five-colored orbs shot out from the light pillars, striking the starlight barrier.

Boom!

A series of explosions erupted, and the previously calm starlight barrier trembled violently, emitting dazzling starlight.

Han Li retracted the Seven Luminaries Star Ring without deploying any treasures, fully activating the 'Great周天 Star Yuan Art.' Brilliant starlight appeared on both his arms.

Then, his arms blurred and transformed into two phantoms, wildly striking at the starlight禁制.

In an instant, the sound of punching wind rose loudly!

Countless starlight fist shadows appeared alternately, slamming into the starlight barrier like a storm.

Lu Yuqing did not stand idly by either. A green light flashed in her hand, revealing a green feather fan, which she fanned out fiercely.

Countless green wind blades shot out, striking the starlight barrier.

With the combined efforts of the four, the power was earth-shattering.

Although the starlight barrier was mysterious, it could not withstand such a fierce assault. The dazzling starlight on its surface quickly dimmed, soon becoming only a thin layer.

But at that moment, a dull rumbling sound came from the sky above the island.

The white mist in the sky, as if stimulated, began to rotate, forming a huge vortex.

Han Li frowned and looked up at the sky.

"This is the starlight禁制 communicating with the celestial stars to replenish itself. If we cannot break it in one go, it will soon return to its previous state. Everyone, hold nothing back!" Xiong Shan shouted.

"Indeed, we must strike with full force and not let the禁制 recover!" Patriarch Lengyan said quickly.

The two rapidly formed hand seals. The five-colored light pillars blazed brightly, and countless five-colored orbs shot out, converging in an instant to form the previous huge orb, which struck the starlight barrier.

Han Li raised an eyebrow, his lips moving as he began to chant silently.

A layer of golden light appeared on his body, which rapidly expanded, growing several times larger in an instant. At the same time, a layer of golden fur emerged on his skin, transforming him into the form of a mountain giant ape.

On his chest and abdomen, eighteen starlight dots shone brightly, interweaving with the golden light on his body.

The mountain giant ape clenched its fists, pounded its chest, then let out a low roar and punched out fiercely.

Hum!

A golden light flashed in the air, and a gigantic golden fist shadow appeared, entwined with strands of starlight force, striking the starlight barrier.

Lu Yuqing also let out a delicate shout. The green feather fan in her hand blazed with green light. With a fan, a green gale surged forth, turning into a green wind dragon that struck down fiercely.

Boom!

Several earth-shattering explosions followed!

The starlight barrier twisted violently, and cracks finally appeared on its surface, spreading rapidly.

With a loud 'bang'!

The starlight barrier shattered, turning into dense, rich starlight filling the air.

But this starlight did not disperse; instead, it quickly converged into a huge vortex, from which an indescribably terrifying suction force swept out.

Before Han Li and the other three could react, with a 'whoosh,' they were sucked into the huge starlight vortex.

Han Li felt his vision blur and his mind spin.

When his vision cleared, he found himself on a wide stone platform. Patriarch Lengyan and the others were nearby, their eyes closed, apparently still unconscious. Judging by their positions, they were roughly in the same arrangement as when they had jointly cast spells to break the禁制.

The stone platform was entirely of a藏青 color, about a hundred zhang in size, giving an ancient feel.

Beneath their feet was a teleportation array, still humming and emitting white light.

Han Li's mind was still somewhat dizzy. He shook his head to clear it and looked around.

He was now in a blue space. A sun hung in the sky, white clouds drifted, and a gentle breeze blew. It was nothing like the black sea filled with cold mist earlier.

"So this is the real Youhan Palace..." Han Li thought to himself, looking ahead.

About a li in front of the stone platform stood a mountain, towering and straight, its peak hidden in the clouds, at least four or five thousand zhang high.

The entire mountain was silver-white, with very steep slopes.

At the cloud-encircled peak, a faint purple light flickered. From this distance, one could vaguely see a purple palace within the light.

A straight and steep staircase descended from the purple palace at the peak, extending all the way to the foot of the mountain.

The staircase was also silver-white and glittering, appearing extremely magnificent, like a ladder to heaven.

Han Li's heart stirred at the sight.

But the next moment, he frowned slightly.

For some reason, this scene gave him a faint sense of familiarity.

He looked around again, trying to recall, but found nothing. So he shook his head, dismissed the thought, and prepared to step out of the array.

But as soon as he made the move, a tremendous force surged from the teleportation array, firmly restraining his body, making him unable to move.

He frowned, looking at the white light around him, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Before long, Patriarch Lengyan, Xiong Shan, and Lu Yuqing also woke up one after another.

Seeing the scene before her, Lu Yuqing let out a low exclamation of wonder.

Patriarch Lengyan and Xiong Shan ignored everything else, their eyes fixed on the purple palace at the mountain peak, burning with desire.

But neither of them moved.

"Is this the real Youhan Palace... Truly magnificent." Lu Yuqing admired, stepping forward.

But her body tightened, unable to move at all, and her pretty face changed.

"This teleportation array is still active. We can only leave when it completely stops." Patriarch Lengyan said slowly.

Lu Yuqing was startled, then nodded to Patriarch Lengyan in thanks.

Han Li glanced at Patriarch Lengyan but said nothing.

He had used some provocative tactics earlier to win this man over precisely because the latter had been here before.

From his experience in secret realms and dangerous places since the mortal world, he knew that having a relatively familiar guide in an unfamiliar environment could save many unnecessary troubles.