The fierce wind seemed to change the very color of the sky, instantly knocking the five cultivators' magic treasures off-kilter. As for the cultivators themselves, they were forcefully trapped within the raging winds, unable to break free.
"Haha! You refuse my toast, then you shall drink a forfeit! If you insist on making this old master exert himself, you truly don't know your place." The bald spellcaster laughed arrogantly, his face full of smugness.
He then reached out into the empty space, and suddenly, a large yellow hand materialized within the whirlwind, viciously grabbing towards the beautiful woman among them.
His plan was clear: capture the woman first, then unleash his thunderous techniques to annihilate the remaining four, eliminating any potential threats.
The beautiful woman, wielding a fiery red flying sword, found her magic treasure spinning out of control within the raging winds, unable to save herself, her face turning pale with fear.
Though the other four cultivators wanted to rescue her, they too were disoriented by the fierce winds, unable to regain control. Only the fat old man, with his profound cultivation, managed to fare slightly better. In his anxiety, he reluctantly raised his hand and released a few feet-long lightning arcs, striking the side of the large hand.
However, the attack seemed futile, having no effect whatsoever.
Just as the yellow hand was about to grab the woman, it suddenly disintegrated about a dozen feet above her head. At the same time, a furious shout came from the direction of the yellow-robed spellcaster, and the hurricane trapping the cultivators rapidly diminished, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
It was as if the fierce winds and the giant hand were nothing but illusions.
As everyone exchanged puzzled looks, their gazes naturally turned towards the bald spellcaster, only to find him turning his body sideways, his eyes staring angrily at a certain empty spot in the distance, his face contorted in rage.
They were bewildered.
"Since you dare to break my master's spell, why skulk in hiding rather than face me openly?" After a moment of silence, the yellow-robed spellcaster's voice, filled with suppressed anger, rang out. He completely ignored the female cultivator and the others.
"I'm not skulking; it's just that your cultivation is insufficient to see through my presence. It seems you've only recently advanced to the Nascent Soul stage. Compared to the spellcasters I encountered before, you're far behind." A calm voice echoed from the empty space.
Then, a flash of green light revealed a young cultivator, none other than Han Li himself.
When Han Li saw the five trapped cultivators, he didn't hesitate to release a strand of azure sword qi, instantly knocking the feather fan magic treasure out of the yellow-robed spellcaster's grasp.
The hurricane dissipated naturally.
Seeing Han Li appear, the fat old man and the others were first surprised, but upon sensing Han Li's Nascent Soul stage cultivation, they were overjoyed, knowing that their lives were saved.
The female cultivator hurriedly bowed from afar, respectfully saying, "Junior Nie Ying, I thank Senior for saving my life."
"Nie Ying!"
Upon hearing this, Han Li couldn't help but glance at the woman, vaguely recalling her.
But now was not the time to dwell on it. He waved his hand to signal her to rise.
It seemed neither she nor the old man recognized him for the moment.
Understandable, considering their brief encounter before, and the nearly two centuries that had passed since then.
After this brief thought, Han Li turned to the yellow-robed spellcaster and said calmly, "You still haven't left? Do you really want me to take action against you?"
Upon hearing this, the bald spellcaster laughed scornfully, "Haha! You're just a Nascent Soul early-stage cultivator, yet you speak with such arrogance. Let me show you a thing or two!"
With that, he snapped his fingers, and suddenly, two golden pellets shot out from the hurricane towards the ground.
This action surprised Han Li slightly. Instead of stopping it, he narrowed his eyes with a hint of interest.
The moment the pellets hit the ground, there was a rumbling sound, followed by cracking noises as if the heavens and the earth were splitting apart.
Han Li swept his divine sense downward, then showed a slightly astonished expression.
Without much thought, he flicked his sleeve, and two massive azure rainbows shot out from his sleeve, followed by two crisp explosions. The two earth dragons, made of rocks and soil, shattered easily under the sword qi, turning into dust. Then, with a single gesture, Han Li effortlessly retrieved the two yellow pellets, flicking them into his storage pouch.
"Is there anything else you'd like to try? I'm curious to see the true power of your spellcasters' techniques!" Han Li's expression remained unchanged as he spoke calmly.
The yellow mist around the bald spellcaster fell silent, apparently shocked by how easily Han Li had destroyed the earth dragons.
"What sect elder are you, and what's your name? Among the more famous Nascent Soul cultivators, none seem to match your appearance. Could it be that you also recently advanced to the Nascent Soul stage after nearly a century?" After a moment of silence, the bald spellcaster's voice sounded subdued, devoid of its previous arrogance.
"I'm just an insignificant nobody. Even if I told you, you wouldn't know. Since you don't intend to attack, I won't be polite anymore." Han Li's face darkened, his tone becoming stern.
With a single hand patting his waist, countless golden flying insects swarmed out of his spirit beast pouch. These were the meticulously cultivated golden devouring insects. It was the first time Han Li had ever used them in battle.
He wanted to see if these spiritual insects were effective against a Nascent Soul stage cultivator.
"Golden Devouring Insects! You actually have Golden Devouring Insects, and so many of them?" To Han Li's surprise, before he could command the insects to attack, the yellow-robed spellcaster exclaimed the name of the insects, his voice filled with fear.
Then, without another word, the yellow mist turned and transformed into a yellow rainbow, quickly fleeing into the distance. Its speed was so fast that Han Li hesitated for a moment before giving up on the idea of chasing after it with his Thunderstorm Wings.
A Nascent Soul stage cultivator, fully intent on fleeing in such an open space, wouldn't be easy to deal with. After all, once the Nascent Soul left the body, even the Thunderstorm Wings would be slightly inferior.
However, the fact that the bald spellcaster, despite his relatively low cultivation level, recognized the Golden Devouring Insects surprised Han Li greatly!
Although he was somewhat doubtful, Han Li still calmly retracted the yet-to-be-used Golden Devouring Insects into his spirit beast pouch. Then, with a calm expression, he flew slowly towards the fat old man and the other cultivators.
"Many thanks for your assistance, Senior! May I ask for your esteemed name?" The fat old man, unable to contain his gratitude, hurriedly flew a few steps forward, deeply bowing.
Aside from Nie Ying, the other cultivators also stepped forward to express their gratitude.
"Shi Qiyun of the Juejian Sect, Tang Minghua of Yan Yue Sect, and Qian Huan of Tianque Pavilion pay their respects to Senior."
