When Han Li still offered scrolls and incantations, the man with a beard didn't worry at all. The wooden-defense shield on his body was remarkably resilient, effortlessly deflecting ordinary attacks. Moreover, considering the other party was merely a novice with an eleventh-level cultivation technique, he didn't believe they could possess any powerful scrolls—no more than early to mid-level ones. Thus, he continued walking forward, opening the bag as if ready to release something inside. However, when he unexpectedly found himself trapped by a yellow light shield and recognized the technique as "Earth Prison Seal," his expression subtly changed, sensing that things were no longer as straightforward. At that moment, a greenish serpent with a pair of purple fleshy wings burst out from his pocket. As soon as it appeared, it emitted a series of loud, strange croaks and aggressively collided against the yellow light shield, striking it so repeatedly that the shield trembled continuously, clearly demonstrating considerable strength. The man with a beard of fine, well-groomed whiskers felt a slight sense of relief and then removed another sack, intending to release a second spiritual beast to jointly shatter the earth prison. He believed he could free himself without much delay! At that moment, he would surely extract each of the opponent's ribs one by one, to vent his accumulated rage. At that moment, Han Li was still at least eight or nine zhang away from him, which gave him a sense of relief—he now had ample time to activate his talismans. Yet, before he could channel his spiritual energy to ignite the talismans, he was startled to see Han Li suddenly smile at him in a mysterious way as he approached. With a gentle wave of his hand toward him, the gesture was as casual and familiar as that between close friends. At the same time, he felt a slight itch on his neck, as though a mosquito had just bitten him. The headless body continued retreating several steps before collapsing to the ground, spewing a geyser of blood several feet high. The man with a beard felt his limbs grow cold, a cold draft rising from his back. The manner in which his friend had been slain was truly extraordinary! He had clearly seen the entire process—the opponent had killed him without a single spell or magical technique employed. "Young man, wait until I emerge! I'll skin you alive, slice you to pieces!" Though a thin sheen of sweat beaded on his forehead and a deep sense of sorrow for his friend's fate filled him, the man with the beard forced himself into a fierce, thunderous demeanor, braving his trembling resolve. In truth, deep within, he had already resolved that as soon as he broke free from the earth-bound seal, he would immediately make his escape—after all, a gentleman's vengeance need not be immediate, and it could wait ten years. This young man was truly unusual—possessing not only a high-level earth-seal scroll but also the ability to kill without any visible contact. He was simply too difficult to handle. While avenging his friend was important, his own life now seemed far more pressing. The rugged man with a beard, seemingly fierce and bold, turned out to be actually timid, cowering before the weak and afraid of the strong—quite a surprise! Han Li had no idea of the other's thoughts. What he saw was that the opponent released another creature resembling a pangolin, joining the strange serpent in a fierce assault on the yellow light shield. Han Li himself summoned a pair of iron-bar-like artifacts, assisting both creatures in hammering the shield with relentless force, causing it to flicker constantly between bright and dim. It seemed the earth prison technique wouldn't last much longer! Upon realizing this, Han Li immediately drew forth the scroll artifact "Jin Guang Zhan," holding it steadily in front of him with both eyes fixed upon it, concentrating intently to activate it. With ordinary artifacts, he simply couldn't feel confident. After all, the opponent was a master of the thirteenth rank. If he couldn't knock him out with a single blow, there would surely be serious trouble once the opponent escaped. Han Li still remembered the hardships he'd endured in his battle against "Master Lu"—who, at the time, had only reached the twelfth rank! Though he had unexpectedly defeated a fellow twelve-layered opponent with a transparent silk thread, this did not mean that the bearded man, who was already on guard, would fall so easily! The bearded man, under the influence of the "Earth Prison Technique," grew increasingly tense as he observed Han Li's unusual gesture of holding up a seal artifact, prompting his two black iron rods to press harder. Yet the yellow glow of the "Earth Prison Technique" proved remarkably resilient! Even though it had significantly deformed and dimmed, it still maintained its structural integrity, leaving the bearded man nearly gasping for breath in frustration. Suddenly, a surge of astonishing spiritual energy erupted from Han Li and rose skyward, causing him to pause and lift his head. He saw that Han Li's hands were now radiating a brilliant golden light, and a golden, rectangular object slowly ascended, floating steadily in mid-air—this was the source of the rising energy. "A Seal Artifact!" the bearded man exclaimed, his face pale with shock and fear. He had finally recognized the origin of the golden brick. Yet he didn't know that Han Li himself was now pale, filled with fear. The floating object was desperately siphoning away his inner spiritual energy, drawing it off continuously and without pause—so relentless that it seemed determined to drain him completely, turning him into a dry husk. Han Li groaned silently, enduring the ordeal while cursing the Wan Bao Pavilion, the merchant who had sold him this item, "This isn't just a magical artifact—it's a death-dealing vampire!" When the golden brick reached the top of the man with the beard, it descended like a mountain, hitting him squarely and without hesitation. "Boom!" A sharp crash and a cry of pain from the man followed, causing the ground to tremble violently. Han Li was both astonished and delighted, his expression somewhat puzzled. Could it be that the man from the thirteenth floor had truly perished? It was hard to believe. After retrieving the seal artifact, the golden brick instantly returned to its original form and hovered back into Han Li's hands. In the place where the brick had struck, a massive crater—over ten zhang wide and more than one zhang deep—had formed. The man with the beard and his spirit beast were now completely turned into a mass of mud, indistinguishable from one another. Truly gone! Han Li was momentarily bewildered—like having struck a soft target that offered no resistance at all. Whether it was the man's own inadequacy or the sheer power of the "golden brick" remained unclear. Nevertheless, the commotion had been tremendous, and it would be wise to leave immediately. That was certainly true. Han Li only paused in mild confusion for a short while before regaining his composure. After destroying the two bodies and carrying with him the five or six storage bags he had unexpectedly discovered, he left the scene and stepped out into a stretch of open ground. Ahead, there should be a vast forest—an ideal location for ambush and combat. It was possible that upon entering, even more fierce fighting would await him. Before proceeding, it would be wise to find a place to rest, recover some of the lost magical energy, and regain his strength to protect himself.