Although Han Li didn't know exactly how fearsome this so-called "Seven Dragon Pillar" truly was, hearing the panic in Silver Moon's voice naturally made his heart tighten.
With a flick of his wide sleeve, the thirty-six Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords hummed in unison and flew out from his cuff like fish swimming through water.
Since he now knew his opponent was no ordinary demonic cultivator, Han Li had no interest in probing the man's depths with other means. He would deploy the flying swords he had only recently refined, intending to defeat his enemy in one stroke.
Thirty-six beams of golden light, each roughly a foot long, circled above Han Li's head. He cast several consecutive hand seals into the formation.
Immediately, all the golden light trembled gently before splitting into over a hundred identical sword lights, their radiance blazing brilliantly.
Han Li was just about to drive the seals forward and arrange these sword lights into the Great Metal Sword Formation when the seven pillars of light surrounding him attacked first.
The silver dragons atop each pillar simultaneously turned their heads toward Han Li at the center, opening their great jaws. Silver light gleamed brilliantly, as though something was about to be spat forth.
Han Li had no time to think. He tapped the blue shield before him, and with a flash of spiritual light, the treasure instantly transformed into a layer of blue, misty water-screen that enveloped him completely. With his other hand, he sent out the brocade handkerchief, which dissolved into a pale white fog that materialized around the water-screen's perimeter.
At the same moment, a white figure shot out from Han Li's sleeve, landed on the ground, and transformed into a slender, exquisitely beautiful woman— It was Silver Moon, who had possessed the fox's body and run out on her own.
Just as Han Li registered his surprise, Silver Moon raised her hand and a burst of purple light shot forth. It was the Purple Pincer Net.
With Silver Moon's face taut with tension, this ancient treasure transformed into a purple fire net, forming yet another layer of protection on the outermost perimeter.
Han Li's heart sank. He had already set up two layers of defense, yet Silver Moon still thought it wasn't enough. Was this "Seven Dragon Pillar" really that powerful?
The thought had barely formed in Han Li's mind when the silver dragons had already silently spat forth from their mouths. They were seven pillars of silver light that appeared almost solid.
The seven beams of silver light, each as thick as a bowl's mouth, flashed and vanished in an instant, striking the fire net formed by the Purple Pincer Net.
Silver light and purple fire interwove, but the purple net lasted only a moment before being pierced through with seven holes, melting away like spring snow.
The seven beams of silver light continued unabated and struck the white fog formed by the brocade handkerchief ancient treasure.
The moment they made contact, the fog churned violently, showing signs of imminent collapse.
Seeing this, Han Li drew in a sharp breath, his expression shifting slightly.
At this rate, all three layers of his defense would be shattered almost in the blink of an eye. What kind of attack were these light pillars, to be so devastating?
Just as Han Li was thinking this, Silver Moon, witnessing the scene, actually looked greatly relieved.
"So it's a copy. I worried for nothing!" Silver Moon muttered. Her delicate hand formed a seal, and her cherry lips parted, spraying out a pink bead along with a puff of fragrant mist.
The bead was about the size of a thumbnail, its fragrance rich and intoxicating.
Then Silver Moon's mouth emitted a low, pleasant chanting incantation as she extended a slender, fair finger and tapped the bead.
With a soft "pop," the bead burst open on its own, transforming into countless brilliantly glittering powders of dazzling color that flew toward the surrounding blue water-screen.
Han Li was momentarily stunned but made no move to stop it.
Once the water-screen absorbed these powders, its spiritual light blazed brilliantly, its surface suddenly becoming luminous—as if the entire barrier were composed of countless mirrors of equal size.
At this moment, the silver light broke through the outer layer of white fog and struck, without mercy, at the final layer of defense.
Seeing this, Han Li's heart tensed, but the hand seals he was forming never stopped. At some point, the sword lights that had been circling above his head had begun vanishing one by one in eerie fashion.
The water-screen released a dazzling, piercing radiance. After the seven beams of silver light shuddered slightly, they were actually deflected back within the blaze. Moreover, they shot straight back toward the seven pillars of light along their exact original paths—faster even by three-tenths than when they had come.
This move not only caught Han Li completely by surprise—the black-robed young man had absolutely no defense against it either.
His attention had been entirely captivated by the sudden appearance of a beautiful young woman at Han Li's side.
And Silver Moon's muttered word of "copy" had not escaped his ears, causing a flicker of surprise to cross the black-robed young man's face.
Booming sounds came in rapid succession as the seven pillars of light and the silver dragons atop them were instantly engulfed by the silver light, vanishing into nothing.
Han Li stood frozen. Such a seemingly powerful treasure had been destroyed so easily. It was truly hard to believe.