After descending from the back of the giant turtle, the two demons instantly transformed back into their hideous forms, their faces pale and appearing drained of energy due to the earlier usage of the Golden Magnetic Light.
The three demons moved swiftly, not pausing as they shot towards the grand hall.
At this moment, the blood shadow that Old Devil Qian had transformed into had already flown inside ahead of them. The three demons saw countless silver threads piercing through the blood shadow, riddling it with holes. However, a dazzling blood radiance burst from the shadow, constantly repairing the damage.
Despite the dire situation, Old Devil Qian's blood shadow did not stop, and in the blink of an eye, it vanished into the Polar Light.
Witnessing this, the three demons dared not hesitate. It seemed they had pre-planned their actions, as the lion-headed beast moved to the front and opened its massive maw.
A wave of golden sound emanated silently, instantly severing all the silver threads in its path.
Following closely, the Silver-Winged Yaksha flapped its wings, releasing a gust of cyan wind that scattered the severed threads.
With these two supernatural powers clearing a path, the three demons seized the opportunity to advance further into the hall.
Outside the Kunwu Hall, Lin Yinping's expression turned grim. In the blink of an eye, only she, Ge Tianhao, and their companions were left, continuing to attack the giant trees.
Biting her lip and furrowing her brows, she turned to the youth named Xu and said:
"Brother Xu, we..."
"No need to rush, Saintess. Our primary target is Han Li, not the treasures in this hall. Besides, with so many people entering, no one can easily claim those treasures for themselves. We should destroy these giant trees and guard the hall entrance," Xu replied, his jade flying sword relentlessly attacking a giant tree.
"Haha! Brother Xu is right. Even if others obtain the treasures, they must exit through the hall entrance. Though we can't enter the Polar Light, they can't leave without our consent," Ge Tianhao laughed.
Lin Yinping glanced at the silver light in the hall, contemplated briefly, and then nodded calmly.
The two black-clad elders also found this reasoning convincing and resumed their attacks on the trees with less apprehension.
In no time, a loud crash echoed as a massive, yellowish tree, over ten zhang tall, fell under their assault.
Simultaneously, Han Li, standing deep within the Kunwu Hall, exhaled a long breath and looked back at the dense silver threads.
"Ancient cultivators were indeed cunning, setting up an illusion array within the Polar Light. Without my Clear Sight Spirit Eyes, it would have been troublesome to find my way out," he murmured, turning his gaze forward.
He now stood in the latter half of the Kunwu Hall, a relatively small area resembling a conference room with two rows of variously styled wooden chairs.
At the far end of these chairs stood a golden chair, flanked by a green table, emanating an aura of vibrant spiritual energy, clearly an extraordinary object. A green light shield covered the table, revealing several items inside.
This must be the treasure of the Kunwu Hall!
Han Li raised an eyebrow and surveyed the empty surroundings before focusing on the items.
Above the golden chair hung an inconspicuous painting of three figures gazing at the moon. A monk, a Daoist, and a Confucian scholar conversed in a bamboo grove under a full moon.
The painting, only about a chi in size, was dim and lacked any spiritual glow, making it easy to overlook. Yet, Han Li stared intently at it, seemingly deep in thought.
After a while, he lowered his head, pondering.
He hadn't detected anything unusual about the painting, and his spiritual sense indicated it was an ordinary item. Still, he felt it was out of place in such a location.
Resolving his doubts, Han Li decisively waved his hand, sending a golden light that tore the painting to shreds, scattering the fragments.
Surprised, Han Li hesitated.
Had he been overly cautious? Han Li felt puzzled.
Regardless, since he had taken this step, he wouldn't hold back.
He summoned several fireballs and prepared to incinerate the remnants of the painting.
At that moment, a sudden warning from Silvermoon echoed in his mind:
"Master, be careful!"
Startled, Han Li instinctively blurred into multiple identical phantoms, making it impossible to discern his true form.
Simultaneously, from the ground behind him, sharp gold and silver beams pierced through several phantoms, striking only one with a clang, deflected by a hidden defensive artifact.
The attacker, a large gold and silver drill-like artifact, recoiled from the impact, but Han Li's true form emerged several zhang away, his face showing anger and relief.
If not for his quick reflexes and the defensive shield, he could have been severely injured.
Despite usually maintaining his composure, Han Li felt a surge of rage and fear. He immediately summoned a silver shield and released dozens of golden swords, which shot towards the debris on the ground.
A woman's laugh echoed as a massive gold-silver object emerged, deflecting the sword lights.
Alarmed, Han Li retracted his swords and focused his gaze.
The giant gold-silver drill was identical to the earlier attacking artifact but significantly larger.
"Impressive vigilance, to evade my strike. What cultivation technique do you practice, I wonder?" the woman's voice came from the drill, her tone curious.
While summoning his swords, Han Li's thoughts raced. He transformed into a blue streak, heading towards the green table.
With other cultivators present, he intended to seize the treasures first. Delay would only allow more to arrive, reducing his chances of success.
These thoughts flashed through his mind as he closed the distance to the table, ignoring the woman's surprised exclamation.
As Han Li neared the table, a spatial fluctuation appeared above him, and a large, rune-covered blue cloth descended, trapping him.
Despite his abilities, Han Li was momentarily confined. He immediately activated a protective shield.
Above, a woman appeared on the blue cloth—none other than the Cultivating Immortal Sect's Lady Mu.
Having witnessed Han Li's formidable skills, she knew the cloth couldn't hold him long. Taking advantage of her surprise attack's success, she swiftly moved to the green table.
She produced a silver token, releasing silver light that dissolved the green barrier, revealing the treasures.
Four stacked blood-red wooden tablets, a purple small sword, a palm-sized demon-slaying rod, a glowing red book, and a green seal with a five-clawed dragon carving.
Seeing these, the woman was overjoyed. She paused briefly on the seal before extending her sleeve to collect all the items.
