"More?" The elder was first startled, but then grew even more delighted. Though he didn't know what materials Han Li would bring forth, it was natural that the finest items were reserved for last. His gaze toward Han Li grew increasingly hopeful. Although Han Li had some doubts about the elder's craftsmanship, he couldn't think of any other more reliable master of alchemy at the moment, so he hesitated and laid out the materials from the Black Dragon Moth one by one on the table. In his heart, however, he had already decided: if the elder couldn't even recognize the original forms of these materials, then clearly his knowledge and skill were lacking. In that case, he would only ask the elder to refine the hard shells from the beginning. As for the finer materials on the Black Dragon Moth's body, he would seek out other more accomplished alchemists. With this plan firmly in mind, Han Li naturally paid even closer attention to the elder's expressions and actions. At that moment, the elder was sipping a cup of clear tea, only to suddenly gasp, spilling the entire half-sip right onto the ground before him. "This is the dragon's hide, its sharp horns, its fangs—these are its eyes! Heaven's sake, Master, did you single-handedly slay an evil dragon?" The white-haired shopkeeper was stunned, his usual composure shattered, gazing at the materials with a look of disbelief, murmuring in amazement throughout. Almost entirely dismembered the entire dragon-jelly, transporting it whole. Could it be that he had consumed it all single-handedly, leaving no share for any other cultivator? Or perhaps he possessed some extraordinary technique capable of defeating this dragon alone? The elder, excitedly patting and pinching the materials as he thought and mused, now truly held deep respect for Han Li. The shopkeeper immediately recognized these materials, a development that surprised Han Li. He had expected that even if the other could identify them, it would take considerable time and effort. Now, however, the recognition came so effortlessly, which had begun to instill confidence in Han Li. "Master Xu, you've recognized these so quickly. That gives me great reassurance. Then, please go ahead and prepare the concoction," Han Li said politely, after a moment of thought. "Certainly! Certainly! Master, please rest assured—when I first learned my craft, I had the opportunity to work with my father on preparing a batch of dragon-jelly materials, so I'm quite confident in my ability!" The elder nodded repeatedly, still holding a sharp claw from a black dragon-jade, having not yet been willing to let go. Han Li found this scene somewhat amusing. Yet he also understood that this man was likely one of those deeply devoted to crafting artifacts—otherwise, even with the finest materials, he would not have reacted so dramatically. Indeed, this very demeanor gave Han Li greater confidence: it clearly indicated that the elder possessed a commendable level of craftsmanship. Thus, the elder led Han Li through the materials into the back courtyard! The small boat gradually grew larger, and in a short while, it had become a genuine, multi-person single-boat. Seeing this, Han Li gently swayed his body and stepped onto the boat. Then, with a flash of white light, Han Li and the boat vanished from their original spot, appearing suddenly in the sky several dozen feet high! "This divine wind boat crafted from the ink-toad's fin and tail—truly an exceptional flying artifact. Though it still falls short of the Yanyue Sect's Tianyue Divine Boat in passenger capacity and lacks any defensive capabilities, it must be one of the rarer flying artifacts in terms of speed. Now, there's no need to rely on those slow, turtle-like leaf-shaped artifacts anymore!" Han Li said softly, standing at the front of the boat, a gentle smile playing on his face. When Han Li suddenly channeled his spiritual energy from his feet into the boat's hull, the divine wind boat immediately burst with white light, transforming into a streak of white light that shot forth at breathtaking speed—so swift that even ordinary cultivators would be left speechless! Han Li sat at the prow of the boat, his eyes gently closed, experiencing a sense of speed he had never before known. He estimated that even at half the speed of the Shenfeng boat, it would take no more than a single hour to return to his dwelling. Then, he would set up the now-weakened Inverted Five Elements Array, ensuring a secure and worry-free period of cultivation. As he was pondering this, he suddenly sensed a powerful surge of spiritual energy rushing upward from the ground beneath him, directly impacting his Shenfeng boat. Though he did not yet know what it was, the sheer magnitude of the energy alone meant that should it strike the small vessel, the boat would surely be destroyed, and he would perish. Han Li was both startled and furious, and he snapped his eyes open. At that moment, the boat suddenly accelerated, doubling its speed and leaping several dozen feet ahead. Meanwhile, a massive yellow light beam shot straight through the spot where Han Li had originally been standing, extending far into the distance without dispersing—this caused Han Li's expression to grow increasingly grave. "Could it be that someone knew they would pass through here and had already laid an ambush?" thought Han Li, stunned and furious. Immediately, he withdrew two spherical orbs of alternating green and red hues and gently touched them together. A deep, resonant "thud" echoed. At once, thick, vibrant mist of green and red surged forth from both orbs, swiftly enveloping Han Li and continuously expanding. In moments, it swelled into a massive, wide cloud of green and red, spanning over a dozen zhang in diameter, completely concealing his form. With this protective cloud now in place, Han Li finally felt reassured and composed himself, turning his gaze steadily toward the ground. Upon seeing the scene below, Han Li's mouth opened wide, unable to close it for a long time. For there, a fierce brawl was underway—five or six cultivators at the Foundation Stage were being besieged by nearly a hundred opponents who had surrounded them. And their opponents—each one expressionless, lifeless, were all mechanical tigers and leopards, or other kinds of mechanical beasts. Among them were also several figures resembling the puppet archers in Han Li's hands. Though these puppets moved slowly and seemed quite easy to deal with, every time one of them was knocked down or shattered by the cultivators' artifacts, several new ones would step out from the trees on the side, replenishing the ranks and keeping the number of attackers constant. Moreover, their attacks were remarkably vigorous! Whenever these mechanical beasts opened their mouths, they would emit massive beams of light, as wide as a bowl—identical to the one that nearly struck Han Li—only these beams came in various colors, representing different elemental properties. It was precisely these beams that injured Han Li. As for the puppet figures, they were even more formidable! There are also puppet archers resembling Han Li’s archer dummies, who launch streams of five-colored light arrows of finger-thickness directly from their longbows. While their power falls short of the luminous beams produced by the mechanical beasts, their relentless barrage never ceases. Had it not been for the cultivators jointly maintaining a vast protective shield, they would have perished long before under the relentless assault of beams and arrows. Yet what truly troubles them most are the humanoid combat dummies wielding spears and swords. These figures are clad in heavy armor, and the weapons in their hands shimmer with genuine light—each a true low- to mid-tier artifact. Though only a dozen in number, once they encircle the shield, they continuously slash and pierce it, driving the protective barrier into a state of constant tremor and fluctuating light and dark. Without the constant infusion of magical energy by two cultivators who press their palms against the shield, the barrier would have been shattered repeatedly. This is not because the cultivators are genuinely helpless against these dummies. They were all cultivators who had reached the foundational stage, possessing strong inner qi and wielding powerful artifacts. In just a brief moment, thirty or forty puppets had been knocked motionless by their attacks. Yet no matter how potent their artifacts were, the puppets within the forest seemed endless, continuously replenishing themselves, forcing the cultivators into a prolonged battle of attrition—making the practitioners increasingly uneasy. Han Li, hidden within the semi-transparent, vibrant green-and-red cloud, watched in sheer astonishment. It appeared that no one had yet noticed his presence, and the light column had merely been an accidental hit. Eventually, one of the cultivators lost his patience. He suddenly layered several protective spells upon himself and waved a banner-shaped defensive artifact, breaking free from the main protective shield and taking flight—clearly intending to escape the scene. The other cultivators, witnessing this, immediately began shouting in frustration. But as soon as they uttered their curses, a colossal beam of light—diameter of several zhang—suddenly shot forth from the forest, flashing past and striking the cultivator floating in the sky directly. The man didn't even manage to emit a single breath; he instantly turned into a ball of fire and tumbled to the ground, his fate now unknown. (No further explanations—this is a critical moment! We're asking for moon tickets now! We'll keep working late to keep writing for you! You'll see another chapter in the morning!)