I'll make you the furnace and the cauldron, so you can refine Yin and Yang and prove the Great

The air on the stage seemed to freeze for a moment.

Wu Qingfeng's aura suddenly surged, abruptly crossing the invisible threshold from the peak of the Nascent Soul stage to become a half-step Divine Transformation cultivator. This was a realm only half a step away from becoming a Divine Transformation cultivator, and the quality of his spiritual power had already acquired the unique weight and solidity of a Divine Transformation cultivator.

His effeminate face wore a calm smile as he formed hand seals. A black spell, several times thicker than before, condensed in front of him, resembling a giant black python coiled in the void, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression.

"Seventh level of Nascent Soul, indeed surprising. But the suppressive power of a half-step Deity Transformation cultivator cannot be compensated for by the quantity of spiritual energy."

Wu Qingfeng pushed his hands forward suddenly, and the black python pounced on Li Hanshan like a living creature, its speed creating a sharp whooshing sound.

Li Hanshan dodged to the side, but the giant python suddenly turned its head in mid-air, forcing him to use pure yang fire to condense a thick fire shield to take the hit head-on.

The moment the fire shield collided with the giant python, a dull thud resounded, and cracks appeared all over the surface of the fire shield. Li Hanshan was jolted back several steps by the impact, and the array patterns on the arena surface beneath his feet rippled under his weight.

Wu Qingfeng gave him no chance to catch his breath.

The second giant python followed closely, then the third and the fourth, unleashing a barrage of attacks like a machine gun. Black magic exploded on the arena, and chilling spiritual energy fluctuations permeated the air, causing the surrounding temperature to drop sharply.

Li Hanshan received several attacks in succession, leaving deep footprints on the arena with each step he took backward. Although the light of the Pure Yang Fire was still dazzling, it was clear to anyone with eyes that his spiritual energy was being consumed at an accelerated rate.

"That old man's spiritual power is almost depleted."

"The late Nascent Soul stage is still a step below the half-step Deity Transformation stage. It's quite remarkable that the old man has managed to hold on this long."

"Senior Brother Wu is serious now; that old man is really in danger."

When the fourth giant python came crashing down, Li Hanshan did not try to take it head-on again.

His figure blurred, a purple-gold flame exploded beneath his feet, and he vanished from his spot like an arrow, reappearing beside Wu Qingfeng.

The pure Yang fire condensed into a flaming longsword in his hand, and he slashed down with it. Wu Qingfeng's composed smile froze slightly; he hadn't expected Li Hanshan to maintain such speed after taking several spells in succession. He hastily raised his hand, and a small black shield appeared in front of him. The flaming longsword struck the shield, sparks flying, and a deep gash was carved into it.

Li Hanshan did not stop.

The flaming longsword seemed alive in his hands, its blade flashing down one after another, each strike landing precisely on the deep wound.

Forced back several steps, Wu Qingfeng's smile vanished completely, replaced by an intensely focused seriousness. He formed hand seals, and an even thicker black shield materialized before him, completely blocking Li Hanshan's sword light. The two exchanged blows on the arena, spells and sword light clashing and colliding, waves of spiritual energy surging outwards like a tidal wave.

"This old man can actually fight Senior Brother Wu to a standstill?"

"His sword is so fast! Every strike lands precisely on the same spot; Senior Brother Wu's shield is almost shattered!"

"How can someone at the seventh level of the Nascent Soul stage possess such combat power? Just who is this old man?"

Chang Sheng, who had been leaning against the stone pillar, had unconsciously straightened up.

His gaze was fixed on the arena, his lips pressed into a thin line. If even Wu Qingfeng couldn't defeat Li Hanshan, then all his previous plans would be in vain. He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, but he was completely unaware of it.

The battle on the arena lasted for dozens of rounds. Although Wu Qingfeng's spiritual power was abundant, Li Hanshan's fiery sword light was like a persistent ailment, each strike precisely hitting the same point on the black shield, wearing it down until it became thinner and thinner. Wu Qingfeng took a deep breath, suddenly withdrew his shield, and stepped back, his hands forming an extremely complex hand seal. A dense black aura surged from his body, like boiling ink churning around him, condensing into a gigantic black shadow tens of feet tall, radiating a chilling pressure.

"The Yin Sha Dharma Form." Wu Qingfeng's voice deepened. "To force me to use this move, Junior Brother Li certainly has some skill. However—this ends here."

The massive black figure raised its hand and slammed it down towards Li Hanshan.

Wherever the palm strike passed, the moisture in the air froze into fine ice crystals. Li Hanshan could clearly sense that the power of this palm strike had far exceeded the realm of the Nascent Soul stage, touching the edge of the Divine Transformation stage.

He did not retreat. Pure Yang fire surged around him, the purplish-gold flames engulfing him like an erupting volcano. The flaming longsword reformed in his hand, fine golden patterns appearing on its blade—proof that his pure Yang energy had been refined to its extreme.

"Flowing Light Sword Technique - Fifth Form, Burning Heaven."

The flaming longsword traced a near-perfect arc in the air, carrying the momentum to incinerate everything as it met the gigantic black hand. Purple-gold and black clashed violently in the center of the arena, producing a deafening roar that even caused the protective array at the edge of the arena to flicker violently. Wu Qingfeng's gigantic black shadow hissed under the scorching heat of the pure Yang fire, melting and disintegrating rapidly like ice thrown into boiling oil.

Wu Qingfeng groaned, forced back several steps by the recoil. "Pfft!" As soon as he straightened up, Wu Qingfeng spat out a mouthful of blood, swaying and almost losing his balance.

Li Hanshan stood in the center of the arena, the flaming longsword in his hand slowly dissipating. His aura was slightly weaker than before, but his posture remained upright, and his eyes were as calm as ever. He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Wu Qingfeng and said, "Senior Brother Wu, you flatter me."

"Damn it!"

Wu Qingfeng's face turned extremely ugly.

He actually lost!

The referee's voice rang out across the square: "Li Hanshan wins."

A fierce discussion erupted in the square once again. "A late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator defeated a half-step Divine Transformation cultivator! What kind of monster is this old man?!" "I didn't even see that sword light clearly, it was too fast!" "Wu Qingfeng even used the Yin Sha Dharma Form, but he still lost..." Several inner disciples who had been observing the crowd exchanged glances, quietly took a few steps back, and disappeared into the crowd without making a sound.

Chang Sheng stood frozen in place, his face ashen, his gaze fixed on Li Hanshan as he walked off the stage. His throat bobbed a few times, as if he wanted to say something, but he found that he couldn't utter a single word. Wu Qingfeng had lost, beaten to the point of vomiting blood in front of the entire Hehuan Sect by someone from a branch sect in the Northern Wilderness.