Chapter 499: Confrontation

All this is a long story, but it happened in just a few breaths.

The spirit domain released by Feng Tiandu was shattered, and he couldn't help but let out a muffled groan, seemingly suffering from a not insignificant internal injury.

Seeing the shadow of the blue giant's staff hurtling toward him, his expression changed drastically. He shot backward while waving his hands urgently.

A black light flashed, and a black scroll shot out from Feng Tiandu's body. When it unfurled, it depicted a steep, isolated black mountain.

The scroll burst forth with myriad beams of black light. The black mountain in the painting trembled violently, then flew out from the scroll, rapidly expanding until it transformed into a hundred-zhang-tall black mountain, surrounded by black mist, blocking in front of him.

Within the black mist swirling around the mountain, countless black runes fluttered, exuding a heavy and steady aura, clearly also a rare treasure.

No sooner had the black mountain appeared than the blue staff shadow crashed down. The black mist on the mountain's surface scattered with a bang upon the blue shadow's impact.

A thunderous, earth-shattering roar!

The moment the staff shadow struck the mountain, blue light and black radiance intertwined. Countless light clusters flickered and emerged within the blue-black glow, then exploded one after another.

The entire mountain trembled violently, cracks appearing on its surface before it exploded with a bang, shattering into countless fragments that flew in all directions.

It was shattered in a single blow!

The black scroll also tore in two with a ripping sound.

However, the blue staff shadow seemed to have exhausted its power at that point, flickered a few times, and then vanished without a trace.

Although Feng Tiandu was not directly hit by the massive staff shadow, he was caught in the aftermath and sent flying hundreds of zhang before steadying himself with a flash of black light, a trace of shock in his eyes.

At this moment, the blue giant's phantom blurred, rapidly dissipated and shrank, disappearing completely in a few breaths, revealing Luo Qinghai's figure.

He had now returned to human form, with circles of dense, deep blue light radiating from his body, but his face was deathly pale.

"Palace Master."

The four Golden Immortals of Cangliu Palace and Nan Ke Meng quickly flew over, landing beside Luo Qinghai, surrounding him in the middle, and warily watching the others.

"It's nothing." Luo Qinghai waved his hand, flipped his palm to produce a golden pill, and swallowed it with his head tilted back.

Han Li's eyes flickered. The aura emitted by the golden pill was somewhat similar to the Golden Soul Pill he had refined earlier.

Golden light flickered on Luo Qinghai's face, and his pale complexion quickly recovered.

On the other side, Qi Tianxiao, who was battling Jintong, let out a low shout. The gray light around him suddenly contracted, then rapidly expanded.

With a loud bang, a dense mass of gray light exploded, sending Jintong flying.

Qi Tianxiao's face was slightly pale, but he forced himself to hold on, transforming into a streak of gray light and shooting away.

Jintong was blasted dozens of zhang away, but golden light flickered on her body, and she was completely unharmed.

This made Qi Tianxiao's heart tighten, and his eyes were filled with bitterness.

She shook her head, regained her senses, and let out an angry roar. Golden light blazed from her body as she was about to give chase again when Han Li's voice reached her ears:

"Forget it, Jintong. Come back first."

Jintong, fuming, made a threatening gesture toward Qi Tianxiao, hesitated for a moment, then turned and flew back to Han Li's side.

At this moment, the white-haired Golden Immortal of Zhulong Dao also flew over, and the group gathered together in a corner of the hall.

"Senior Brother!" With a flash of gray light, Qi Tianxiao appeared beside Feng Tiandu.

Feng Tiandu's face was still quite pale. He waved his hand, then flipped his palm to take a black pill, and his complexion gradually recovered somewhat.

Meanwhile, the ancient-looking elder of the Nanli Tribe transformed into a streak of blood light and landed beside the hoary-haired old woman.

The four groups of cultivators each occupied a corner of the hall, forming a triangular formation. They glanced at each other but did not make a move.

Jintong flew back to Han Li's side, landing on his shoulder, and looked toward Ouyang Kuishan and the white-haired Golden Immortal.

"Eh, two more? Are they good people? Are they strong?" Jintong asked with a curious tone.

At these words, Ouyang Kuishan and the white-haired Golden Immortal both showed a strange expression.

Han Li raised an eyebrow and looked at Hu Yan Dao Ren, a questioning look in his eyes.

He also wanted to ask this question. Ouyang Kuishan and this white-haired Golden Immortal seemed to have allied with their side, but when had this happened? He had no idea.

"Fellow Daoist Li, the situation was chaotic earlier, and I didn't have a chance to explain. Actually, I had already secretly contacted Dao Lord Ouyang, and we agreed to act together in the immortal mansion," Hu Yan Dao Ren explained.

Han Li's eyes flickered upon hearing this.

"Fellow Daoist Li, it's been many years. I didn't expect you to have already advanced to the Golden Immortal stage. Congratulations," Ouyang Kuishan said, cupping his hands toward Han Li.

"Dao Lord Ouyang is too kind. Regardless, we are all colleagues of the Zhulong Dao, so we should advance and retreat together," Han Li said with a nod and a smile, his mind racing.

Seeing Han Li agree, Ouyang Kuishan and Hu Yan Dao Ren were inwardly pleased.

The strength Han Li had displayed was already on par with Feng Tiandu, and with Jintong, a Golden Immortal-level Devouring Gold Immortal, he was definitely a major asset.

Counting this, their side now had a full six Golden Immortals, making them the strongest force present, which was greatly advantageous for seizing the Taiyi Pills.

"However, there is something I want to clarify in advance," Han Li suddenly spoke up again.

"Please speak, Fellow Daoist Li," Hu Yan Dao Ren said hastily.

"Although we are allied, the Taiyi Pills each of us captures should belong to ourselves, right?" Han Li asked.

Ouyang Kuishan's expression changed slightly upon hearing this.

"Of course. The alliance is only for dealing with enemies; seizing the Taiyi Pills naturally depends on each person's own ability," Hu Yan Dao Ren said before Ouyang Kuishan could speak.

Ouyang Kuishan showed a hint of discomfort and exchanged a glance with the white-haired Golden Immortal.

In terms of strength, the two of them were currently the weakest, with the lowest chance of obtaining a Taiyi Pill. But since Hu Yan Dao Ren and Han Li had agreed, they had no choice but to nod as well.

"That's good," Han Li said with a smile, then looked toward the green cauldron, a gleam of light flashing in his eyes.

His earlier promise to help Hu Yan Dao Ren obtain one Taiyi Pill had already been fulfilled, and now he had no more worries or concerns.

On the other side, Luo Qinghai looked toward Han Li and the others, a trace of wariness in his eyes.

At this moment, only three of the nine Taiyi Pills had been produced, leaving the majority still to come, so there was no need to rush.

Now, the Fuling Sect side had only two people left. Feng Tiandu had revealed all his cards, and after the recent battle, his consumption was surely immense, making him no longer a concern.

On the other hand, Han Li's side, which had been weak and isolated, now had numerical superiority, along with the time domain and the Devouring Gold Immortal, making them the greatest threat.

Noticing Luo Qinghai's malicious gaze, Han Li and the others all became alert.

Luo Qinghai had just shattered Feng Tiandu's spirit domain in one move, displaying strength at the Taiyi stage. Although his aura had now subsided, everyone present was on guard against him.

"Everyone, be careful of Luo Qinghai. He is no ordinary cultivator; he possesses the bloodline of the true spirit Washe. If I'm not mistaken, he just consumed the true spirit source of a Taiyi-stage Washe, forcibly unleashing Taiyi-stage power. Although it cannot compare to a true Taiyi cultivator, it is still not to be underestimated," Hu Yan Dao Ren's voice echoed in the minds of Han Li and the others.

The others' expressions changed upon hearing this.

Han Li's eyes flickered. He had seen records of true spirit sources in ancient texts; they were the source of bloodline within a true spirit's body.

True spirits differ from ordinary cultivators. When ordinary cultivators fall, their Nascent Souls, divine souls, and such are difficult to reuse.

But true spirit sources are different. As long as one possesses the same bloodline power, they can inherit or even merge with these source powers, unleashing strength far beyond their own. However, controlling a true spirit source consumes a great deal of soul power and carries considerable risk.

"Fellow Daoist Hu Yan, in your opinion, did Luo Qinghai's strike just now exhaust the true spirit source?" Han Li asked via voice transmission, sizing up Luo Qinghai.

"Probably not. With Luo Qinghai's cunning and depth, he would never reveal all his cards. Everyone must be extremely careful later," Hu Yan Dao Ren warned solemnly via voice transmission.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Han Li shifted his gaze to Feng Tiandu and his companion, then quickly looked away, fixing his eyes on the two Nanli Tribe members, a strange glint in his eyes.

"Fellow Daoist Li, do you know these two Nanli Tribe people?" Hu Yan Dao Ren noticed Han Li's gaze and asked via voice transmission.

"No," Han Li shook his head, his mind racing.

The pill the hoary-haired old woman had taken out was precisely the Void Yuan Pill.

He had personally refined that pill, so he could not be mistaken.

But he had personally handed it to Jiao San. How had it ended up with this hoary-haired old woman? Could it be... that this person was Jiao San in disguise?

However, judging by her cultivation level, it didn't seem likely.

"These two are not simple, especially that hoary-haired old woman. She avoided those stone statues so easily just now. But they don't seem interested in the Taiyi Pills; their goal appears to be that living corpse. I wonder what they're plotting," Hu Yan Dao Ren mused, seemingly puzzled by the old woman's actions.

Han Li frowned. What Hu Yan Dao Ren said was exactly what he was wondering about.

Not only the hoary-haired old woman, but Feng Tiandu also seemed quite interested in that corpse.

This living corpse appearing in the Taiyi Hall was certainly no ordinary corpse, and the sudden burst of power when the old woman fed it the Void Yuan Pill was extraordinary.

What secrets did this corpse hide?

After the previous commotion, the hall was now so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. The atmosphere was oppressive, and the situation became increasingly confusing.

Boom!

At that moment, the three chi dragons on the surface of the green cauldron suddenly lit up with multicolored light.

Another three Taiyi Pills had been successfully refined!

Winds and clouds surged above the golden hall. A vast expanse of golden light appeared again, rolling and churning, forming a huge golden vortex, even larger than the previous two.

This scene made everyone present turn their gazes toward the cauldron, and a single thought arose in their minds:

"It's starting again!"