Liu Jing and the other Huang Fenggu Valley cultivators, already having heard from Han Li that these demonic beings could transform, did not hesitate. They launched their weapons and spells simultaneously at the four glowing orbs. They knew well that, before the demons broke through their transformations, these blood attendants would serve as excellent stationary targets—and thus, they would not miss this opportunity to gain the upper hand. Unfortunately, as Han Li had predicted, each of the glowing orbs proved impossibly resilient. Despite the relentless barrage of attacks, they remained undisturbed, standing firm without a single mark. Liu Jing and his companions' faces grew increasingly serious. "Don't hold back! Use your strongest techniques now! If we wait until after they transform and emerge, it will be too late!" Liu Jing declared firmly. Immediately after speaking, he withdrew his weapons and with solemn dignity drew out a golden scroll, holding it between two fingers. Then, from his mouth, he began reciting a series of incantations. As the mysterious chants echoed, the golden scroll gradually emitted a brilliant golden glow. Han Li was struck by surprise. Though he did not know the exact rank of the scroll, he knew that even with his mid-stage foundation-level cultivation, Liu Jing required a set of incantations to activate it—clearly, this scroll was no ordinary one. Seeing this, the others exchanged glances and soon began to display their own abilities. Among them, the most striking were Chen Qiaoqian, his senior, and Song Meng. Each of them produced a scroll inscribed with the patterns of their magical artifacts and immediately sat down to concentrate and activate them. Waves of blue and gray light radiated from their scrolls, leaving the others in admiration. Such magical artifacts were not easily accessible to most foundation-level cultivators. Possessing one was strong evidence that either these two had strong familial support or had earned deep favor from their senior teachers. Otherwise, how could they possibly have gathered such opportunities and preserved their lives solely on their own! While others envied them, many were not willing to lag behind—some unleashed powerful spells, others deployed even more marvelous artifacts, launching a fresh wave of attacks immediately. Thus, brilliant light surged upward, and artifacts danced in all directions. Yet Han Li neither activated his seal-artifact nor employed the stunning "Great Sword Technique" he had just used. Instead, he simply utilized the most effortless method—after a gentle sweep of his hands, several heavy impacts echoed, and four beast-like puppets materialized before him. As these puppets opened their cold, steady eyes and opened wide mouths, beams of light surged forth like long, flowing white ribbons, forcefully blasting outward. Han Li remained behind them, taking the time to recover the magical energy expended in the previous battle. Having not yet seen the face of the Black Evil Monarch, he was determined not to exhaust his strength prematurely. He had firmly resolved from the outset to conserve his magical energy, setting aside a reserve for unforeseen contingencies. Otherwise, his inner energy would be depleted, and no matter how many skills or techniques he possessed, he would be unable to employ them. When the beast puppets appeared, the other disciples glanced at them with slight surprise, but soon resumed their own activities. After all, the specific cultivation methods or techniques each person used were personal secrets—no one would be eager to inquire about them everywhere. Those familiar with the origins of "puppet arts" assumed that Han Li had obtained these techniques from Li Hua Yuan. Indeed, it was no uncommon occurrence for someone of Li Hua Yuan's level to defeat several cultivators from the Qianzhu Sect and acquire their cultivation techniques. Thus, everyone else was merely curious about Han Li's several beast puppets. At this moment, Liu Jing's golden seal successfully activated. It trembled slightly before transforming into a beam of golden light that soared upward toward the crimson light cocoon. Then, a sharp "pffft" sound echoed, and the golden light burst into a shower of sparkling droplets that drifted down in all directions, creating a dreamlike, breathtaking spectacle. Yet amid this striking and vivid spectacle, a deadly threat lay concealed. After Liu Jing blinked rapidly and activated a series of spells, the countless points of light underwent an eerie transformation—gradually contracting and elongating, eventually coalescing into slender golden blades. Though only an inch long, each blade exuded a piercing coldness and sharpness that was formidable. It was only then, with a soft murmur, that Liu Jing uttered the name of this golden-element spell: "Thousand Blades Technique." This sight caused everyone else—those not actively manipulating the talismans—to pause in astonishment. For golden-element spells were inherently rare among the five elemental traditions, typically serving as auxiliary techniques such as "Armor of Gold" or "Iron-Skinned Protection." Now, Liu Jing's scroll not only produced an offensive golden spell but also a mid-level or higher, area-of-effect technique—something that could not fail to surprise the group, including Han Li. All of them instinctively slowed their movements, eager to witness the spell's true brilliance. At this moment, thousands of golden swords hung brilliantly in the air above the luminous cocoon, creating an awe-inspiring spectacle. But as Liu Jing recited his incantation, the golden swords fell like hail, plunging straight toward the blood-colored orb below. A series of dull, sharp thuds echoed in the ears of Han Li and the others. Golden and bloodish glows intertwined, splashing forth in dazzling waves, as if fireworks were bursting everywhere. The cocoon, which had remained unchanged under previous attacks, now exhibited remarkable responses under this intense assault. The blood glow gradually surged upward, as though recognizing the strength of the attack, thickening actively and colliding fiercely with the relentless waves of golden swords. Seeing this, Liu Jing felt neither urgent nor anxious—he was actually delighted. Since the cocoon had responded with such a transformation, it clearly indicated that his attacks were effective. With only a bit more intensity, he was confident he could ultimately shatter the blood glow. Yet in a moment, most of the numerous small swords in the air fell, yet the crimson glow on the light cocoon remained as fresh and vibrant as ever, displaying a calm and confident demeanor. "Master Liu, I'll lend you my strength!" Song Meng roared suddenly. The gray scroll in his hands had transformed, now into a slender gray spear several feet long, radiating an eerie gray aura. "First, focus on eliminating that blood servant on the left before dispersing your attacks," Master Liu said, beaming with delight upon seeing Song Meng's scroll manifest its true form. Then, with a single gesture, he pointed at the remaining swords. Instantly, all the golden swords tightened into a dense formation and surged forward, converging on the luminous orb formed by the blood servant on the far left, known as the 'Ice Demon'. After a series of thunderous impacts, the onlookers turned to gaze again, and found the crimson glow of the cocoon had noticeably shrunk. Seeing such effectiveness, Han Li and his companions simultaneously launched their spells, magical artifacts, and beast puppets' attacks, with Song Meng's gray lance following closely behind, emitting a piercing shriek. In Han Li's eyes, the once-unbreakable crimson light cocoon was swiftly eroded by the "Thousand Blades Technique" and the combined assaults, leaving only a thin layer—within which the figures had become blurred. Ultimately, the gray lance struck through, followed by a thunderous roar of shock and fury that resonated clearly in everyone's ears. Then, two translucent, pristine claws suddenly emerged from the bloodlight and swiftly danced in a flurry, tearing the final remnants of the light to shreds and revealing the true form inside. A white creature only partially transformed into a spirit-being. At first glance, its face was exceptionally refined, clearly that of a handsome young man. Yet two small white horns slightly protruded from its head, and a洁白 tail of several cun in length grew from its rump, shimmering faintly with white scales. Not to mention its two sharp, piercing claws. Layer upon layer of semi-transparent, milky feline patterns adorned its body. There was a large, blood-soaked wound, the size of a bowl, on its shoulder, and the surrounding flesh was constantly contracting and pulsing, making the sight deeply unsettling. However, within moments, the wound began to close and heal. "You're all going to die!" the half-transformed ice spirit exclaimed, clearly still maintaining full awareness. Though not fully completed in his transformation, he felt confident—thanks to the inherent qualities of his spirit form, he could hold off long enough for his companions to complete their transformations. The others, who had never witnessed such a transformation, were visibly startled by the creature's terrifying appearance. Although Han Li had mentioned the strange appearance of the blood servant after transforming into a spirit beast, seeing it firsthand left him profoundly stunned, even a bit uneasy. Several streaks of white light shot forth swiftly and struck precisely upon the upper body of the ice spirit, sending it crashing to the ground with a solid thud—looking quite disheveled. This was exactly the attack initiated by Han Li himself, who had no intention of listening to any further explanations. Upon witnessing this, the others finally realized what was happening and resumed their offensive, launching a renewed, relentless barrage. However, the fallen ice spirit began to emit a mist that enveloped its body; as the mist dispersed, the figure vanished completely from its original spot. Now the others were deeply startled and hurriedly searched for the missing spirit. Based on their experience, such an occurrence usually indicated that the opponent had employed a form of evasive technique to swiftly retreat, but never to a great distance. Yet, aside from the three still faintly glowing cocoons, where was anyone else? The ordinary disciples of the Black Shao Sect weren't stupid—they had all fled long before. Han Li was startled by this development and suddenly recalled something. He hurriedly slapped his storage pouch, and both the white phosphorus shield and the turtle-shell artifact shot out, spinning rapidly around him as he shouted, "All of you, take care! This person is concealed!" As soon as Han Li finished speaking, a sharp female cry suddenly rang out, drawing everyone's attention. They turned to see that Chen Qiaoqian's senior sister, who had been sitting on the ground, activating her talismanic artifacts, now lay face-up on the ground. A large hole had appeared unexpectedly in her chest, as if someone had inserted a hand and crushed her heart right there. Her beautiful face was distorted, her limbs convulsing uncontrollably, and her eyes filled with sheer disbelief. But soon, a look of stubborn resistance appeared on her face, only for her eyes to then go completely still—her life fading away completely.