Chapter 351: The Art of Heavenly Fire

Once everyone had crushed their jade slips, Uncle-Master Huang showed a satisfied expression.

Then, with a flash of yellow light in his hand, a small, foot-long banner appeared. The banner was pure white but emitted a yellow glow, obscuring whatever was embroidered upon it.

"I will use the Wind and Cloud Banner to conceal your tracks, then wait for the enemies to approach before launching a surprise attack."

After saying this, Uncle-Master Huang gently waved the small banner in his hand. Countless milky-white mists instantly emanated from it, quickly forming a colossal white cloud several tens of feet wide that enveloped Han Li and the others.

Han Li and the other Foundation Establishment cultivators were both surprised and delighted!

Although the cloud was incredibly dense, for some unknown reason, they could see perfectly clearly within it, making it an excellent hiding place!

Under the middle-aged man's spell, the massive cloud swiftly carried everyone high into the sky, merging with other white clouds in moments, making it impossible to distinguish them.

Han Li was secretly amazed by this sight.

His own artifact, the "Azure Fire Mist," could also generate thick fog, but it was incomparable to this "Wind and Cloud Banner." Not only was its range limited, but it could only be used on himself; his fellow disciples would likely be poisoned if they entered his azure fire toxic mist.

As he thought, Han Li couldn't help but glance at Uncle-Master Huang.

He saw Uncle-Master Huang sitting cross-legged in the center of the mist, eyes closed and body motionless. Two other Foundation Establishment cultivators stood cautiously behind him, seemingly guarding him.

Han Li was momentarily puzzled but then understood what the other party was doing: searching for enemy traces with spiritual sense.

With the powerful spiritual sense of a Core Formation cultivator, they should be able to detect movements within a hundred-mile radius, right?

Seeing this, Han Li also sat on the Divine Wind Boat to conserve his spiritual energy, knowing the upcoming battle would be extremely dangerous! Qu Hun remained motionless behind him, looking like a loyal servant.

Approximately an hour later, he said:

"The enemy has arrived. We're off by about two miles; we must reach the sky above their intended path." After saying this, he swiftly took off with the cloud without another word.

Naturally, those within the cloud dared not leave the mist. They unleashed their full spiritual power, manipulating their artifacts to closely follow Uncle-Master Huang.

Han Li, however, frowned slightly at this. While in flight, he took out the silver greatsword and tossed it to Qu Hun behind him. Although unsure of its exact use, any boost in combat power was welcome.

"This is the spot. The enemy is almost here; everyone prepare!" A moment later, the huge cloud reached the sky above the designated path. Uncle-Master Huang gave the order without hesitation.

Immediately, everyone revealed their artifacts and desperately cast defensive spells on themselves, causing various colored lights to flicker among them.

Han Li, meanwhile, took out two dual-colored, blue-and-red spherical objects from his person. He lightly tapped them together.

With a muffled "thump," a thick blue-and-red smoke erupted simultaneously from both spheres, quickly enveloping Han Li. In a flash, it transformed into a massive blue-and-red cloud five to six zhang wide in diameter, completely obscuring Han Li's figure within the mist.

Han Li had surprisingly used the "Azure Fire Mist" to create a protective "mist within a cloud," astonishing his nearby fellow disciples. They wondered what his intention was.

Han Li paid no mind to his fellow disciples. Instead, he gripped his turtle shell artifact with one hand and held a common blue flying knife with the other, surprisingly not taking out his Black Dragon Scimitar.

Han Li knew exactly what he was doing! For him, the more inconspicuous an offensive artifact, the better. Only then could he avoid being targeted by formidable opponents after a sneak attack and make a clean getaway.

As everyone waited with focused attention, time passed quickly. Half an hour went by in a flash, but there was still no sign of the enemy.

Most of the cultivators grew anxious and impatient, casting bewildered glances at Uncle-Master Huang.

The lean, capable middle-aged man was equally perplexed. After a brief thought, he slowly said:

"Don't worry, everyone. I'll search with my spiritual sense again!"

Having said that, he sat down once more. However, before he could even begin, a thunderous roar suddenly reverberated from above. It started with intermittent rumbles but quickly filled the entire sky and earth, becoming a continuous din.

Startled, everyone hastily looked up at the sky. What they saw made the Yellow Maple Valley cultivators' expressions change drastically.

The sky, at some unknown point, had turned entirely crimson. All the clouds above had transformed into deep red fire clouds, endlessly churning like molten lava, forming inverted bubbles. The colossal roaring sound was actually the continuous bursting of these bubbles.

"What is this?" someone standing beside Han Li cried out in alarm.

"Be careful! This is a mid-to-high-level spell, the 'Art of Heavenly Flame.' Each falling drop of lava is equivalent to an attack from a Foundation Establishment cultivator. If you can't withstand it, you'll turn to ash." It was Uncle-Master Huang who spoke, his expression extremely grim.

It was clear that they had intended to ambush others but had instead been ambushed themselves.

"Then why aren't we running? I don't want to face this head-on!" another person cried out in panic. As he spoke, his flying artifact lit up, and he tried to flee on it.

"It's too late. Their spell has already formed; we can't escape its range. Listen to my command now: everyone, form a joint protective barrier!" Uncle-Master Huang's eyes flashed with a cold light as he sternly commanded, leaving no room for argument.

Hearing their Uncle-Master, the others suddenly realized the situation and hastily joined forces, releasing a massive light shield amidst a large expanse of blue light.

Almost at the very instant the barrier formed, the mid-to-high-level spell in the sky finally unleashed its fury. A foot-long drop of deep red lava plummeted directly towards Han Li and the others below, but the newly formed barrier easily blocked it.

However, this was just the beginning. Countless lava drops began to fall continuously like rain. While most missed, many struck the light shield, instantly creating a cascade of red and blue sparks.

At first, everyone was fine, feeling they had more than enough to cope.

But as the lava drops fell faster and denser, Han Li and the others' spiritual power also depleted more rapidly, soon overwhelming them.

The blue light on the barrier gradually weakened.

Fortunately, the spell came and went quickly. Just as the barrier was on the verge of collapse, the "Art of Heavenly Flame" abruptly ceased, and the sky-filled fire clouds vanished without a trace. This filled the Yellow Maple Valley cultivators with extreme joy and surprise!

But their joy quickly froze on their faces.

For, at some unknown point, nearly a hundred cultivators had silently appeared all around them. These individuals subtly surrounded them, watching with playful mockery. By their attire, they were clearly from the Six Devilish Sects.

The cultivators of Yellow Maple Valley were enraged and alarmed!

However, all these individuals were Foundation Establishment cultivators, with no Core Formation cultivators present, which greatly relieved the Yellow Maple Valley side.

Presumably, even with their spiritual power considerably depleted, having a Core Formation cultivator on their side meant they shouldn't fear the enemy.

"How did you know our whereabouts? My Wind and Cloud Banner can absolutely conceal us from your spiritual sense!" Uncle-Master Huang's expression darkened as he sharply demanded.

"I can tell you that!"

A lazy, charming voice drifted down from the sky, making Uncle-Master Huang's heart clench. He hastily looked up.

He saw a man and a woman descending from the sky.

The man had white hair but was so thin he looked like skin and bones, as if a gust of wind could blow him away. The woman, however, was enchantingly beautiful, with a slender waist and full hips, every movement captivating.

Han Li's gaze briefly swept over the two, and he inwardly groaned. Two Core Formation cultivators had appeared simultaneously; this was a major problem.

"The Rosy-Faced Skeleton?" Uncle-Master Huang's pupils contracted sharply upon seeing the pair, and he asked with extreme solemnity.

Without waiting for a reply, he abruptly waved the Wind and Cloud Banner, and the white mist instantly dissipated. Han Li and the others were revealed.

For Uncle-Master Huang, facing such powerful enemies, he naturally couldn't worry about Han Li and his fellow disciples anymore.

"Hehe, I didn't expect this fellow Daoist to recognize us, husband and wife! That's not fair; you know our origins, but we are quite unfamiliar with yours. However, I've heard that there's a cold, aloof individual in Yellow Maple Valley who possesses an interesting magical treasure called the Wind and Cloud Banner. Could that be you, esteemed Daoist?" the enchantingly beautiful woman said with a smile, appearing utterly devoid of hostility.

Yet, seeing the woman's charming, flower-like smile, Uncle-Master Huang's expression remained icy. He merely stared at her without a word.

"How dull! Just kill him then!" The woman pouted slightly at Uncle-Master Huang's demeanor, and her expression suddenly changed as she spoke.

"Alright, since junior sister wants his life, I shall gladly oblige!" The skeletal man chuckled grimly.

At the same time, Uncle-Master Huang's spiritual message echoed in the ears of Han Li and the others.

"Break through immediately once the fighting starts. Save whoever you can."

Uncle-Master Huang's voice was utterly devoid of emotion.