(Finally finished this chapter—there's still one more to go tonight! Considering Wang Yu has been sitting motionless at her computer all day, please give her your monthly subscription support if you can. Writing 6,000 words a day is no small feat for a newcomer like Wang Yu!) With a loud "crack," the two upper-tier spiritual artifacts, only slightly dented by the tentacle's strikes, burst apart crisply, leaving Han Li momentarily stunned. "Such remarkable hardness! It's almost on par with mid-tier spiritual artifacts!" Han Li breathed a sigh of relief—had he not used a few subtle techniques, he would have had to exert considerable effort to subdue this giant worm. Seeing the flying dagger and golden bowl failed to make an impact, Han Li simply retrieved them. Though the creature had sustained a fatal wound, its vitality remained exceptionally strong, continuing to roll and writhe in place. It seemed unlikely to fall any time soon. Thus, furrowing his brow, he simply extended his body movement and flashed swiftly past the beast's head, no longer concerned about its fate, and directly returned along the mountain cave passage to the stone hall. In the stone hall, the several clusters of "Purple Monkey Flowers," still in perfect condition, remained exactly where they had been—this filled Han Li with great joy! He took out several identical jade boxes from his storage pouch and placed them on the ground before summoning his flying blade. With great care, he carefully severed the "Purple Monkey Flowers," including the small patches of purple stone beneath their roots, and then gently carried them back to his hands using the blade, sealing them carefully within the jade boxes. Only after he had collected and properly stored all the medicinal herbs did Han Li take a deep, long breath, his mind finally at ease. He stretched his arms, then casually surveyed the stone hall once more, confirming that nothing had been overlooked, before leaving the hall with calm composure. When Han Li passed by the spot where the giant centipede had been severely wounded, the creature lay motionless on the ground, completely dead. A thick pool of black toxic blood oozing from beneath it filled the section of cave with a foul odor so strong that Han Li felt dizzy and nauseous upon inhaling it. He was startled to realize this was due to the toxic vapor rising from the blood. So he quickly took a dose of "Clearing and Invigorating Powder," which eased his discomfort. It was precisely during the period of its disappearance. Han Li swiftly inserted all eight subsidiary blades of the "Golden Flies Mother-Child Blades" upright into the ground within the passageway, arranging them in a straight line along the mountain cave, exposing their sharp, pointed ends above the surface. Concerned that the brilliant glow of the golden blades might alert the beast creatures prematurely, he coated each blade's edge with dark mud, blending them seamlessly into the blackness of the cave so that they became nearly invisible. Thus, when the colossal earthworm, pressing closely against the ground and pursuing Han Li to this section of the cave, was silently and unexpectedly severed through its abdomen by the upright golden blades, it met its end right here. Regrettably, as a high-tier toxic insect beast, it had not yet had the chance to deploy its formidable array of venom techniques—its death was entirely unexpected and utterly unfortunate. Truly, it perished with great injustice! Although Han Li still didn't know that the centipede he had slain was a high-tier immortal beast, he was certain that even if it weren't, it must have been among the top-tier creatures of mid-tier immortal beasts. Thus, he was deeply satisfied to have dispatched it so effortlessly! Now, after walking continuously for seven or eight steps, bending down each time to wipe and collect the golden blades, he finally gathered all the blades and raised his leg to leave. Yet, upon glancing casually at the giant centipede's body, he hesitated for a moment before walking over to it. Not long after, several hard, plate-like sections, each several feet in size, were forcibly severed from the centipede and carefully collected into韩立's storage bag. These were rare treasures—capable of withstanding a full-force strike from a top-tier artifact—excellent materials that, if fashioned into a simple inner armor, would undoubtedly prove very useful. In fact,韩立 had originally intended to cut away and carry away every single shell of the centipede. However, doing so would have been extremely time-consuming, and time was now the most scarce resource he had! Thus,韩立 had to leave the cave with a sense of slight regret and immediately set off toward his next pre-arranged gathering site, where he expected to find some unripe "Heavenly Spirit Fruits" as well. While韓立 was tirelessly following his plan to collect various unripe medicinal herbs, significant conflicts erupted among the elite disciples at several well-known locations where medicinal herbs were traditionally known to mature. After all, there are only a few places capable of accurately predicting where the medicinal herbs will mature—so it's inevitable that the top practitioners from each sect will gather. In a quiet valley to the southeast of Han Li, three individuals are currently僵持, all disputing over two "Purple Monkey Flowers" that Han Li recently obtained. These two flowers now display a vibrant, dazzling deep purple hue, radiating a strong, distinct fragrance. In front of the two flowers lies a strange deer with a fiery red single horn, its head and body separated, lying in a pool of blood and already dead for some time. Nearby, three people dressed in different garments stand in a triangular formation, yet none of them has moved to act—each clearly wary of the other two. "You two, what exactly is your intention? This fiery-horned deer was slain entirely by me! The medicinal herbs should therefore belong to me!" Finally, one of them speaks, his face flushed with anger. The speaker was a young man in his twenties, dressed in a blue robe, with a refined countenance and a slender build. He held a green flying fork in one hand and supported a yellow bead in the other; both items radiated brilliant luminescence, clearly top-tier magical artifacts—no wonder he was able to single-handedly defeat that seemingly exceptional mid-tier immortal beast. "Brother, I didn't expect to see you again this year—we truly seem to be fate-bound!" This time, it was an ordinary elderly man in a green robe, holding a walking cane, who appeared kind and gentle, yet paid no attention to the young man's questions, instead engaging in conversation with another middle-aged Taoist. "Indeed, I didn't expect to meet Master Li again this year!" The Taoist, carrying a simple, unadorned long sword sheathed over his shoulder, spoke calmly, and likewise, he didn't glance at the young man once. The young man from Tian Que Fort was furious. Ever since childhood, he had been exceptionally talented, came from a distinguished family, and possessed a handsome, refined appearance—always the center of attention wherever he went. Yet now, he was being humiliated by these two, and how could he help but feel deep resentment? However, before he could utter a word, the elder and the Taoist’s subsequent remarks immediately caused his face to pale, sending him into a state of shock and panic. With the two opponents working in unison, though he was confident in the power of his artifact, he knew he was no match for them. Yet to give up the precious herbs he was about to secure—he would not accept that! After a flurry of thoughts, the young man suddenly shot backward, rushing straight toward the two herbs, determined to seize them and then flee immediately. "You're dead!" As he rose, the young scholar in green robes frowned, raised his staff, and hurled it forward—transforming it into a streak of vibrant green light that surged ahead of him, intercepting his path. The light from the staff moved so swiftly that it only flashed once before reaching him in advance, blocking his way. The young man was startled—what kind of artifact was this, and how fast could it move? But with the situation now at this point, he didn't have time to ponder further. He raised his blue-bladed spear to meet the incoming light, yet continued advancing without pause—clearly determined to secure the herbs before he would yield. "It's too late, young friend!" It would be best to depart swiftly—do not press the Master to unleash his full wrath today! As the young man had taken just two steps forward, a calm, steady voice echoed behind him, as if the Daoist were right beside him, sending the youth into a state of sheer panic! The young man, pale as a sheet, turned around and found the Daoist only a zhang or so away, smiling gently at him. Without another word, the youth’s face still drained of color, he immediately turned and dashed toward the valley entrance, not daring to glance back once. He knew deep down that his strength was vastly inferior to that of these two—any further attempt to secure the elixir would only be a death sentence. To be allowed to live at all was already a miracle! "Hmm! Brother Daoist’s Linghu Step has grown even more refined—truly masterful!" The elder, surprised that the Daoist had spared the young man, was both amazed and yet chose not to intervene, instead offering praise. "Nothing special, just a minor skill," the Daoist replied calmly, gazing steadily after the young man’s retreating figure. (To be continued. For more chapters and to support the author and official reading, please visit!)