Seeing everyone crumple the jade scrolls, the yellow glow flashed on his hands, and a small banner about a foot long appeared in his grasp. The banner was entirely snow-white, yet radiated a yellow light, making the patterns embroidered upon it indistinct. "I will use the Feng Yun Banner to conceal the movements of my junior disciples," said the Yellow Senior. "Then, once the enemy arrives, I will launch a surprise attack." After speaking, he gently waved the banner, and instantly, countless milky-white mist surged forth from it, quickly coalescing into a vast cloud several dozen zhang wide, enveloping Han Li and the others. Han Li and the other foundation-stage cultivators were both astonished and delighted! Though the cloud was dense, they found themselves completely clear-sighted, with no sense of blurriness or obstruction—truly an ideal place to hide. Under the elder's spell, the great cloud surged upward swiftly, carrying the group rapidly toward the sky, and soon blended seamlessly with other clouds, making it impossible to distinguish one from another. Han Li was silently impressed. Although his artifact, "Qing Huo Zhang," could also generate dense mist, it was utterly unmatched compared to this "Feng Yun Fan." Not only was its range narrow, but it could only be used on himself—any fellow monks entering his Qing Huo toxic mist would likely suffer poisoning. As he pondered this, Han Li glanced over at the yellow senior disciple. After approximately an hour, the middle-aged man, who had been closed his eyes, suddenly opened them and spoke coldly, "The enemy has arrived. We've diverted by about two miles, and we must now reach the sky above their main route." Upon saying this, he took no further notice, simply summoning the cloud mist and speeding off. The group within the cloud mist naturally did not dare to break free from the mist, instead fully unleashing their inner powers and riding closely behind the Yellow Senior Brother. Han Li, however, slightly furrowed his brow. On the way, he drew out the large silver sword and handed it to Qu Hun behind him. Though he didn't know its exact purpose, it would surely add some strength to their defense. "Here we are. The enemy is approaching quickly—everyone, get ready!" A short while later, the massive cloud mass reached the sky above the designated main route, where the Yellow Senior Brother issued his orders without hesitation. Immediately, the group members all drew forth their magical implements and vigorously reinforced their defenses with protective spells, their various glimmers of light rising and falling in succession. Han Li then withdrew two spherical orbs of alternating green and red hues from his body and gently touched them together. With a deep, resonant "thud," a thick, vibrant mist of green and red surged forth from both orbs simultaneously, swiftly enveloping Han Li and forming within moments a vast, cloud-like mass spanning five to six zhang in diameter. The figure of Han Li was completely absorbed into the mist, vanishing entirely. Han Li had thus created a protective shield of mist and cloud, concealing himself within it—an unexpected and astonishing maneuver that left his fellow disciples in profound astonishment, wondering at his intent. Han Li paid no attention to the others. With one hand he grasped the turtle-shell artifact, and with the other he held a simple blue flying dagger—without retrieving the Dragon-Loong blade. Han Li was fully aware of what he was doing. To him, the more subdued and unobtrusive the attacking instruments, the better. Only in this way could he remain undetected after a surprise assault, ensuring a smoother escape. Under the collective gaze of anticipation, time passed swiftly—within moments, half a moment had elapsed—yet no trace of the enemy appeared. By now, most had grown anxious and impatient, turning their curiosity toward the Yellow Senior Brother. The lean middle-aged man shared the same bewilderment, and after a brief pause, spoke calmly: "Everyone, please don't worry—I'll search once more with my spiritual awareness!" With these words, he settled back into his seat. But before he could begin his actual search, a thunderous roar suddenly erupted from above—initially intermittent, a few scattered sounds—yet soon it surged into a continuous, overwhelming roar that resonated throughout the heavens. Everyone was startled, quickly lifting their heads to gaze upward, only to find the scene before them leaving the Huang Feng Valley cultivators utterly stunned. Suddenly, the sky turned a deep crimson, and all the clouds had transformed into vast, fiery clouds of molten rock, rolling and surging like lava, forming cascading bubbles that hung inverted. The tremendous rumbling sounds were precisely the bursts of these bubbles as they shattered. "What in the world is this?" one of the companions beside Han Li exclaimed, in sheer astonishment. "Stay alert! This is the mid-to-high level spell, 'Heavenly Fire Technique.' Every drop of molten rock falling from above equals a single strike from a Construct-stage cultivator. If you can't withstand it, you'll be reduced to ashes," said Huang Shishu, though his expression was clearly strained. It was evident that they had intended to ambush others, but now found themselves being ambushed themselves. "Better hurry—this I don't want to take on directly!" another person cried out in panic. As he spoke, his flying artifact glowed brightly, and he prepared to take off on it. "It's too late. The spell has fully formed. There's no way we can escape its range now." Now listen to my command—everyone, form the joint protective shield!" Master Huang's eyes flashed with cold determination, and he issued the order with unwavering authority. Upon hearing this, the others quickly realized and immediately joined forces, releasing a large, glowing shield in a broad expanse of blue light. Almost as soon as the shield took shape, the mid-to-high level spell from above began to unleash its fury—dropping a droplet-sized deep red lava directly onto Han Li and the others below. However, the newly formed shield easily absorbed the impact. This was merely the beginning, though. Countless drops of molten rock began to fall continuously, like rain. While most missed their mark, several struck the shield, instantly creating vibrant patterns of red and blue light. At first, the group felt confident, believing they had more than enough protection. However, as the lava dripped faster and faster, growing denser, the spiritual energy of Han Li and the others began to dissipate at an accelerating pace, soon making the group unable to sustain it. The blue glow on the protective shield gradually weakened. Fortunately, this spell had come swiftly and departed just as quickly; when the shield trembled on the verge of collapse, the "Heavenly Fire Technique" abruptly ended, and the vast expanse of fiery clouds vanished instantly. This left the people of Huang Feng Valley utterly astonished! Yet, just as their joy began to surface on their faces, it instantly froze. For without any prior notice, nearly a hundred cultivators had appeared silently all around them, encircling them subtly and gazing at them with a mocking expression—clearly members of the Six Sects of the Magic Path. Huang Feng Valley's people were stunned and furious! Fortunately, these cultivators were all at the Foundation Stage, with no one reaching the Condensation Stage, which greatly eased the concerns of Huang Feng Valley. Though our own spiritual energy has been significantly depleted, with one Jiandan-period cultivator stepping forward, we should not fear the others. "How did you discover our traces? My Fengyun Fan is absolutely capable of concealing my aura from your spiritual perception!" Huang Shishu's expression darkened, and she demanded sharply. "I can tell you that!" A lazy, graceful voice came from above, causing Huang Shishu to feel a sudden sense of alertness and turning to look. There, two figures descended from the sky. The man had snowy white hair, yet was thin and frail, as if a single breeze could carry him away. The woman, on the other hand, was as vibrant and alluring as a blooming flower, with a slender waist and full hips, every movement stirring the heart. Han Li quickly glanced at the two, silently sighing in relief—yet to his surprise, two Jiandan-period cultivators had appeared simultaneously. This was now truly a serious matter. "Two bone-fragile beauties?" Huang Shishu gasped upon seeing them, her eyes narrowing in astonishment, and asked with the utmost seriousness. Then, without waiting for a reply, he suddenly shook the Feng Yun Banner, and at once the white mist dispersed. Han Li and the others stepped into view. The skeleton chuckled softly, then spoke in a solemn, eerie tone. At the same time, Han Li and the others heard Huang Shishe's voice transmitted directly to their minds. "As soon as we start fighting, break through immediately. Whoever can make it, make it." Huang Shishe's voice remained completely neutral, devoid of emotion.