Gold Light Immortal stood in the center of the field, his face etched with arrogance. Behind him were the members of the Wild Wolf Gang. Before making his appearance, he had already assured Jia Tianlong that he alone could handle everyone from the Sect of Seven Mysteries who was participating in the duel. Of course, as compensation for taking on the entire battle, the originally promised five thousand taels of gold had now increased to eight thousand.
The thought of receiving so much gold afterward made Gold Light Immortal's heart burn with excitement. He cast a contemptuous glance at the crowd opposite him, eager to slaughter them all.
Han Li was not standing with Li Feiyu. Instead, he was positioned on the other side of the crowd. Li Feiyu was with Zhang Xiuer, whispering intimate words between lovers. Han Li naturally wouldn't be so tactless as to disturb their little world.
"I really don't understand what this young couple is thinking," Han Li muttered to himself. "To be flirting in a life-and-death situation like this!" He felt a hint of sourness in his mouth.
After snapping out of his thoughts, Han Li, like the others, looked curiously at the dwarf on the opposite side.
"The people from the Wild Wolf Gang are all hiding in the back, yet they're sending a short, tackily dressed dwarf to fight first. This is too incredible! Could this dwarf have some extraordinary skills?" Han Li blinked, pondering this.
Sect Leader Wang clearly shared the same thought. He didn't send everyone rushing forward. Instead, he dispatched a saber-wielding Protector to face this opponent, apparently wanting to gauge the situation before making any further plans to avoid unexpected casualties.
Although the duel was supposed to be a free-for-all, if both sides only sent one person to fight each other, it would be a one-on-one battle. That was what Sect Leader Wang was thinking, and that was what he did.
Gold Light Immortal saw only one person coming towards him from the opposite crowd and understood their intentions.
"Heh heh," he let out a strange laugh. His grating voice made everyone who heard it feel uncomfortable.
The Protector sent out was a man in his thirties, with a fierce expression. The veins on his hand gripping the saber bulged prominently, indicating he was a skilled close-combat fighter. Upon hearing the strange laugh, his expression remained calm and composed, showing he had ample experience in battle.
As the burly man approached, Gold Light Immortal stopped laughing. Calmly, he took out a yellow talisman from his pocket. The talisman shimmered with golden light, covered in golden characters and patterns, clearly of great value.
The dwarf ignored the approaching man, holding the talisman with one hand and chanting a spell.
The Protector from the Sect of Seven Mysteries didn't know what the dwarf was up to, but his extensive combat experience told him that no matter what the dwarf was doing, it was best not to let him finish. Otherwise, it would surely be disadvantageous.
Without a moment's hesitation, he lunged forward, covering several yards in a few quick steps until he was right in front of Gold Light Immortal. He swung the steel saber in his hand, a cold flash cutting through the air, aiming straight for the dwarf's head. The strike was swift and heavy, clearly delivered with full force.
Just as the blade was about to land on Gold Light Immortal's head, the spell was completed. Before the saber could touch him, he slapped the talisman onto his body. Immediately, a dazzling golden light erupted from where his hand had slapped.
The blinding golden light made the burly man's eyes unable to see clearly. However, he didn't panic. The steel saber continued its downward slash.
"Clang!" A metallic clash echoed across the field.
The burly man felt a jolt in his hand, and his weapon nearly slipped from his grip. Startled, though his eyes still couldn't see clearly, he knew the situation was bad. He pushed off with his toes and swiftly leaped back several yards before stopping and raising his saber in defense.
At that moment, he heard gasps of astonishment from many people both inside and outside the field.
Hearing this, the burly man grew even more anxious. He was eager to know what had just happened to his opponent—why it was so strange. Fortunately, his vision finally returned to normal. He quickly focused his gaze.
He saw that the dwarf stood several yards away, completely motionless, but his entire body was enveloped in a layer of golden light about an inch long. This golden light was like a thick armor, encasing the dwarf inside, protecting him completely. It seemed the previous strike had only hit the golden shield and not actually touched the dwarf. This golden light was incredibly tough, like steel, rendering the saber strike useless.
Although the burly man Protector was experienced and knowledgeable, he was still stunned by this unprecedented sight.
He gripped his steel saber, his mind in a daze, unsure whether to advance or retreat.
It wasn't just the burly man who was shocked. Everyone on Sunset Peak was stunned.
It was well known that knowledge about cultivators was extremely rare in the martial world, especially in such a remote area where very few people were aware of it. Therefore, most people found this talisman phenomenon incredibly mysterious and unfathomable.
While Jia Tianlong was secretly delighted and the Sect of Seven Mysteries side exchanged bewildered glances, Han Li, standing at the back of the crowd, was far more surprised than anyone else.
Han Li was probably the only person on the entire peak, aside from the dwarf, who had some understanding of magical arts. Clearly, the opponent was using a talisman similar to the Spirit-Pinning Talisman, and it seemed even more advanced.
When no one was paying attention, Han Li silently recited the incantation for the Spirit Eye Art and secretly cast it upon himself. He then hurriedly looked at the dwarf.
Beneath the golden light, he saw faint white light floating around the dwarf's body. Compared to the golden light, this white light was extremely faint. If one wasn't deliberately looking for it, one might not notice it at all.
This dwarf was actually a cultivator with much lower magic power than Han Li. This discovery filled Han Li with both joy and worry.
He was glad that even as a beginner, his magic power was deeper than the dwarf's, indicating that the dwarf was also only a half-baked cultivator. But he was concerned about how many spells the dwarf knew and how powerful they were, and whether he could handle them.