The Condensing Light Mirror and the Wheel of Reincarnation Light

Glowing motes of crimson and teal light flickered to life around the hall, surging in a wave towards the icy woman at the center.

The silver bell's sonic attack reached the woman in an instant.

The woman facing them directly showed no change in expression. She pointed at the two flying swords before her. Black and white light flashed, and the swords rotated gently in place. An explosive burst of cold and heat erupted, forming a strange, double-layered shield of black and white light.

White on the outside, black on the inside. Cold and heat in perfect opposition.

When the silver sonic waves struck the shield, they vanished as if into a bottomless pit. The barrier remained completely still, as if the attack had no effect at all.

Then, the red and teal restrictive light from all sides surged forward, engulfing the woman and her shield entirely.

Nangong Wan entered the fray.

The ‘Vermillion Bird Ring’ before her flickered with light. With a sharp zip, it transformed into a massive fireball, hurtling towards the center of the hall with tremendous momentum. At the same time, one of her delicate hands, which had been hanging still, moved imperceptibly.

A dark red flash streaked by, vanishing from her hand in an instant.

Had it not been for his overwhelmingly powerful divine sense, Han Li would never have noticed Nangong Wan’s concealed strike.

A muffled grunt of pain from a woman came from within the glowing mist almost at the same moment the dark light struck.

“The Netherbane Sting! How dare you use that on me, little sister! A fine move. I always thought you had exhausted those things. I didn't expect you still had one hidden away.” The icy woman’s voice was sharp with rage and shock, as if she had suffered an unexpected disadvantage.

However, her voice, though betraying a hint of pain, was still full of vitality.

Han Li knew she was only slightly injured. It was most likely Nangong Wan's attempt to disrupt her control of the token, prompting her to use that method.

Having already activated the hall’s restrictive array, Han Li flipped his palm. The dark, ominous-looking ‘Peak of a Thousand Weights’ appeared in his hand.

He tossed it into the air and struck it with several hand seals in rapid succession.

The icy woman, now enveloped by the restrictive light, seemed temporarily trapped by the formation. She was unable to dodge as the massive fireball from the Vermillion Bird Ring struck her directly. In an instant, she was entangled by seven or eight thick, ferocious fire snakes that bit and clawed at her.

The hall was consumed by a sea of raging flames.

Just as the black mountain peak swelled to five or six zhang in height, and Han Li was about to command it, a light pfft sounded from the distance. A five-colored pillar of light, as wide as a bowl, burst forth from the inferno. Wherever it passed, whether it was the restrictive light or the roaring flames, it swept them all away with unstoppable force.

A clear clang echoed from the air. The originally highly mobile pillar of light suddenly froze.

Within it, a glittering, crystalline crimson ring spun uselessly, trapped and unable to escape.

“The Condensing Light Mirror.”

Han Li’s pupils contracted. His face turned serious as he murmured to himself.

Before this woman had arrived, Nangong Wan had naturally given him a brief outline of her senior sister’s techniques and treasures, to give him a better chance in battle.

The ‘Condensing Light Mirror’ was the ancient treasure Nangong Wan had mentioned most often. It was one of her senior sister’s signature items, possessing great mystical power.

In fact, the ‘Clear Condensing Mirror’ magic tool Han Li had obtained years ago in the Blood Forbidden Land was a simplified copy of this treasure. In terms of power, it was not even one percent of the ‘Condensing Light Mirror’. Despite that, the ‘Clear Condensing Mirror’ was famous among low-grade cultivators and was more than qualified to be considered a top-grade magic tool.

This alone illustrated the terrifying might of the ‘Condensing Light Mirror’.

Now, the teal-red restrictive light and the fire had been scattered by the pillar of light, making it impossible to trap the foe. The icy woman’s figure was revealed once more.

Inside her black and white shield, she held a mirror in one hand while forming a hand seal with the other.

Han Li’s gaze shifted, landing on the famed mirror, a treasure celebrated even among Nascent Soul cultivators.

The mirror was small, similar in size to the Clear Condensing Mirror, but it was entirely pitch black and glossy. The surface of the mirror was a profound, deep darkness, giving a feeling of depth and gloom. Yet from it shot a hazy, five-colored pillar of light. The stark contrast was quite strange.

The token she had been holding was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the jade hand forming the seal was stained with blood. To have been injured through the protective shield seemed almost impossible.

It must have been the work of the ‘Netherbane Sting’.

Seeing Nangong Wan’s lifebound treasure trapped by the mirror’s power, Han Li naturally would not stand idly by.

Without a word, he pointed at the black mountain peak. It trembled slightly before instantly vanishing from its original spot. The next moment, it appeared directly above the icy woman, bearing down with a terrible momentum.

The beautiful woman below let out a cold laugh. She tilted the ‘Condensing Light Mirror’ in her hand slightly upward, while her other hand struck the surface of the mirror with a spell seal.

Immediately, the pillar of light within the mirror quivered. A second, slightly thinner beam of light split from it, shooting toward the descending black mountain peak with lightning speed, intending to trap this treasure as well.

Prepared, Han Li would not let her succeed so easily. Without a second thought, he made a hand seal. The black mountain peak suddenly halted its descent. It spun in place, and a vast expanse of black light shot out from its base, colliding head-on with the incoming beam of light.

At first, the black light swallowed the thinner pillar of light, and the residual blackness enveloped the icy woman below as well.

The black and white shield around the woman trembled within the black light. She suddenly felt her spiritual energy disorder, nearly causing the pillar of light shooting from her mirror to scatter.

The woman’s figure dimmed for a moment within the black light.

Her expression changed slightly. Without hesitation, she opened her mouth and spat a mouthful of refined qi onto the mirror’s surface. The pillar of light facing the black mountain peak immediately thickened by a third, transforming into a five-colored cloud of light that gently held the black light and the small mountain in place, preventing their descent.

A dull, muffled sound of explosions came from the friction between them.

They had fallen into a temporary stalemate.

Seeing this, Nangong Wan’s spirits lifted. She forcefully urged the trapped Vermillion Bird Ring. With a phoenix’s cry, the treasure began to swell and contract, struggling desperately against the binding.

For a moment, they had formed a combined front against Nangong Wan’s senior sister.

The three of them naturally had more tricks up their sleeves. Seeing this deadlock, they all made their next move almost simultaneously.

Han Li swiftly reached for his waist, untying a spirit beast pouch and tossing it into the air.

A loud buzzing filled the hall. Countless golden insects swarmed out, forming a ferocious, terrifying golden cloud.

Nangong Wan began to chant a spell, her voice like celestial music. A massive crimson halo formed a few feet above her head, revolving like a Buddha’s halo, growing increasingly dazzling.

“The Wheel of Reincarnation Light! Nangong, are you really trying to risk your life? How dare you use that divine ability!”

After sacrificing her mirror above her head and rubbing her hands together to produce a triangular, emerald-green banner, the icy woman’s expression darkened upon seeing the halo forming above Nangong Wan.

Although she was slightly surprised by the golden insect cloud Han Li had released, she did not seem to care much about it. She clearly did not recognize these nearly mature Gold Devourer Beetles.

“If Senior Sister doesn’t want to fight to the death, then hand over the restrictive token for the Heart-Binding Art, and let us go,” Nangong Wan said, her expression calm and composed.

“Hmph! Big words. Do you think your Wheel of Reincarnation Light can deal with me?” The icy woman snorted coldly, a murderous look flashing across her face. She opened her mouth again, spitting out a small, blood-red sword.

The sword was only a few inches long, but it was a translucent, crystalline red, radiating a blinding blood light. Within the body of the sword, a faint wisp of black energy swirled, adding to its eerie nature.

As soon as the small sword appeared, it began to tremble and hum on its own, as if impatient, even before the woman urged it. A scent of fresh blood immediately permeated the entire hall.

"The Blood Demon Sword! Where did you get that demonic vessel, Senior Sister? Using that thing, aren’t you afraid of demonic energy backlash?" Nangong Wan’s face lost all its previous coldness as she stared at the woman, her voice icy.

"Backlash? Don’t worry, little sister. Now that I am using this treasure, defeating you will take no time at all. There won’t be a chance for backlash. This is my last question. For the prosperity of our sect, are you truly unwilling to marry Wei Lichen? If you still refuse, when the Blood Demon Sword goes berserk, I may not be able to control its full power. If you get hurt, don’t say I didn’t warn you,” the icy woman said brusquely, seemingly full of confidence in the Blood Demon Sword.

"Don't bother asking. Even if Wan'er were willing to sacrifice herself for the Moon-Masking Sect, I would never allow it. Give up on that idea," Han Li said calmly, casting a glance at the Blood Demon Sword as if he didn't care about it at all.

"Who exactly are you? Judging by your cultivation and abilities, you shouldn't be an insignificant figure. But I don't recall any Nascent Soul cultivator like you in my memory. Did you just recently break through to the Nascent Soul stage? Wan'er? How sickeningly sweet. It seems the reason my little sister has refused to marry all these years is mostly because of you," the icy woman said, her starry eyes flashing with cold light, a murderous intent settling in her gaze as she stared at Han Li.