Chapter 737: Purple Luo Extreme Fire

Han Li sat cross-legged in a quiet room on the second floor of the pavilion, his eyes closed. His body shimmered with a glazed azure light, and his fingers formed a strange incantation gesture. Between his palms, an egg-sized cluster of purple flames floated gently, flickering continuously.

This was the demonic flame Han Li had cultivated using the Azureflame Ice and the frigid air expelled by the Six-Winged Frost Centipede.

This flame was noticeably more powerful than the Azureflame Ice, serving as Han Li's greatest trump card at present.

Since its appearance, Han Li had converted every wisp of Azureflame Ice he refined into this purple demonic flame, truly making it his own.

To distinguish it from the Asura Sacred Flame, Han Li named it the "Violet Aurora Extremeflame."

He believed that even late-Nascent Soul cultivators would be unable to withstand this flame if it touched their bodies. As for whether it could outright kill late-Nascent Soul cultivators, Han Li had never truly witnessed one in combat, so he couldn't predict its full effect.

Unfortunately, while the flame's power was incredibly vast, its quantity was limited by the amount of Azureflame Ice refined. Currently, he could only control this much Violet Aurora Extremeflame. If its quantity were to increase severalfold, he might even be able to openly contend with a late-Nascent Soul cultivator.

"Congratulations, Master! When I first saw this Violet Aurora Extremeflame, it seemed to have gained another third of its power. It appears this flame still has much potential to be unearthed!" Silvermoon's pleasant voice, filled with wonder, echoed in Han Li's mind.

Hearing this, Han Li's lips curved into a faint smile. Without a word, he opened his mouth, and with a single breath, the cluster of Violet Aurora Extremeflame instantly transformed into a thin thread of flame, which was then drawn into his abdomen.

Only then did he relax his fingers and conclude his cultivation.

"Although this Violet Aurora Extremeflame is potent, its quantity is too small to be a complete reliance. What I hope for most now is to open the 'Heavenly Void Cauldron.' If the power of the Heavenly Spiritual Treasure you mentioned isn't exaggerated, then having this cauldron should be enough to sweep through the Southern Sky region. Only then can I truly rest easy in this realm." Han Li slowly opened his eyes and spoke.

"Please rest assured, Master. The Heavenly Void Cauldron's divine power is even greater than I described, certainly not less," Silvermoon chuckled softly, her voice brimming with confidence.

Han Li nodded at her words. Just as he was about to say something more, a white light suddenly shot in from outside. Ying Ning's clear voice urgently emerged from within the light.

"Uncle Han! Please come to the main hall quickly! Senior Ma and the others have returned, and the Mulan cultivators are about to arrive!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the white light swirled once before shooting out of the quiet room again.

Han Li's expression darkened, and a cold glint flickered in his eyes. He then stood up and walked out.

By the time Han Li reached the main hall, Gu Shuangpu and the bald-browed man were already there.

The elder surnamed Ma, who had gone to provide support, and another palefaced, brocade-robed cultivator with a slightly hunched back, were conversing with the two.

The Murong brothers, Ying Ning, and others stood nearby, listening alongside two unfamiliar Core Formation cultivators. Their faces were all solemn.

However, upon seeing Han Li enter, Ying Ning glanced at him and smiled sweetly.

"Fellow Daoist Han is here too. Allow me to introduce you. This is Fellow Daoist Bu Yunhe, who presides over Tiantai Valley. And this is Fellow Daoist Han from the Falling Clouds Sect," the bald-browed man introduced, forcing a slight smile and feigning ease.

Seeing this situation, Han Li's heart sank slightly.

It seemed the situation was even worse than anticipated!

"I have long heard Brother Lu speak of Fellow Daoist Bu's esteemed name. It is truly a cause for celebration that you were able to escape safely," Han Li said politely, a friendly smile gracing his lips.

"My disheveled appearance truly makes Fellow Daoist Han laugh. This time, I owe much to Fellow Daoist Ma's timely intervention; otherwise, it would have been quite perilous," the cultivator surnamed Bu said with a wry smile, showing no surprise as he had already heard of Han Li from others. He also expressed gratitude towards the elder surnamed Ma.

"It was nothing, merely a small effort. What vexed me was that the pursuers retreated on their own before I even made a move!" the elder chuckled.

"It was Fellow Daoist's ancient treasure; its presence was too astonishing. The pursuing Mulan cultivators naturally wouldn't risk a direct confrontation without certainty. However, this magical invasion is truly different from previous ones. Not only are they far better trained, but the ancient beasts they brought are extremely formidable. They have thick hides and flesh, wear battle armor, and are astonishingly colossal. Furthermore, they are imbued with various peculiar restrictive spells. Once they break into a grand formation, its collapse is only a matter of time," the cultivator surnamed Bu explained, a lingering look of trepidation on his face.

"Even with Fellow Daoist's Nascent Soul cultivation, you couldn't harm these giant beasts?" Han Li was taken aback and couldn't help but ask with a peculiar expression.

Although he already knew that the giant beasts brought by this magical army were unusual, he found it hard to believe they were so powerful.

"With my cultivation and a full-force strike from my magic treasure, I could indeed injure these beasts. However, at the time, I was being attacked by two high-level Mages simultaneously, leaving me no time to spare. That's why the grand formation was breached by the giant beasts. Fellow Daoist Lu, you have reinforcements like Fellow Daoist Ma here. It shouldn't be as easy to lose as my Tiantai Valley, right?" Bu Yunhe's expression softened considerably after a moment of thought.

"Fellow Daoist Bu, how many Grand Mage-level cultivators are in this group of Mages? If their numbers aren't too large, we five Nascent Soul cultivators could launch a surprise attack together. Even if we can't eliminate one or two Nascent Soul-level Mages, severely wounding them would still be beneficial," Gu Shuangpu suggested with a somber tone.

"I'm afraid that might disappoint Brother Gu. Although I haven't personally engaged all of them, besides the two Grand Mages who showed themselves, I also encountered another unfamiliar Mage whom we were later warned to pay close attention to. That person never made a move, but their aura was truly bizarre, possibly an anomaly transformed. Moreover, besides these three, I can't be sure if there are other high-level Mages hidden and not yet revealed," Bu Yunhe sighed, his expression showing disapproval.

"I see. It seems we should first assess their strength. If their power is too overwhelming, we should rely on the grand formation to confront them. After all, our current task is merely to buy time for those behind us," the bald-browed man nodded in agreement after hearing this.

Gu Shuangpu frowned slightly, showing indifference, and did not press the matter further.

Han Li and the elder surnamed Ma had no further objections.

Following this, the bald-browed man first instructed Daoist Chongxu to take Bu Yunhe to a quiet room for healing. He then ordered Ning Ying and other cultivators to arrange accommodations for the defeated cultivators from Tiantai Valley and immediately commanded an increase in personnel guarding the grand formation.

Han Li secretly nodded, watching the man surnamed Lu arrange everything in such an orderly fashion.

It seemed there was good reason for the Nine Nations Alliance to send this man to guard this crucial front alone.

Just then, the people in the hall suddenly heard a faint "rumbling" sound of war drums from afar, growing steadily louder like thunder on a clear day.

The expressions of everyone in the hall changed.

"It seems the Mulan cultivators are pursuing us quite aggressively; we've barely returned, and they're already at our heels," the elder surnamed Ma said, his face grim and a murderous glint in his eyes. "Very well, let's meet them first and see what formidable individuals are in this group of Mages. This time, we'll need to trouble you three Fellow Daoists. You two," he said, turning his head to the two Core Formation cultivators who had retreated with Bu Yunhe, after cupping his fist towards Han Li and the other two, "also come out with us. Since you've already engaged them, you can give us advance warning of any sinister tactics they might employ."

Of the two, one had thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a dark complexion, while the other had a long face, thin eyebrows, and appeared somewhat gloomy.

Upon hearing the man surnamed Lu's words, they exchanged glances and immediately clasped their fists, agreeing without hesitation.

At that moment, Han Li gazed leisurely in the direction of the drumbeats, his face expressionless, his thoughts unknown.

To the south of Huanglong Mountain, a vast, dark mass of Mulan Mages, riding various peculiar flying magic tools, were neatly arrayed in the high sky, looking down upon a sprawling emerald mist sea tens of miles wide.

At the forefront of the Mages' army, a dozen or so individuals stood side by side, their bodies shimmering with various spiritual lights and arcane energies. These were the high-level Mulan Mages.

Among them, three were particularly striking. One was enveloped in a red glow, with a strange, bowl-sized fire serpent coiled around their body, looking fierce and terrifying. Another was unusually tall and emaciated, like a bamboo pole, appearing as if a gust of wind could blow them over.

The third wore a black robe that obscured their face, but their entire body emanated an eerie black aura, and faint wails of ghosts could be heard from within their robe, making others shiver and hesitate to approach.

Indeed, this was the case; everyone else clustered around the other two, while this black-robed Mage floated alone at the front of the group, seemingly distinct from the other Mages.

The other Mages' gazes towards the black-robed figure were shifty, filled with reverence. However, a closer look would reveal that this reverence subtly contained a hint of disgust.