The next morning, as the sky was just beginning to lighten, the cultivators silently materialized above the "evil cultivators' stronghold." "Is this really it?" Pu Ling, the purple-robed lady, examined the dark, small island below her several times, puzzled. The island was indeed quite small—only a few miles across—and it would be more accurate to call it a massive rock outcrop than an island. "Yes," the Lady Fan softly replied from beside her, "not only has the 'Golden Cicada Bee' tracked us here, but both senior elders have independently confirmed that the people entering and exiting are indeed the evil cultivators." Hearing this, the purple-clad woman nodded silently, her doubts now fully resolved. Yet clearly, this was merely a temporary base for the opponents. Not only was the island itself modest in size, but even in the sky above it, there was only a simple, rudimentary small illusion array—barely sufficient to stop anyone from passing through. "Eliminate without mercy!" Thus, under the icy command of the Purple Spirit maiden, the red-fire elder monster in the clouds burst out in a strange laugh, and with several thunderous blasts of lightning and fire, effortlessly cleared the array. The cultivators then immediately charged forward without further hesitation. The commotion of breaking the array clearly startled the inhabitants of the island. As a result, a series of sharp cries rang out, and nearly forty to fifty beams of various hues rose from the island, a group of cultivators advancing toward them. Leading the charge were three cultivators at the Jiadian stage, who were momentarily stunned upon seeing the Miao Yin Sect and others. But before they could react, Lady Fan exclaimed a single word—"Strike!" and immediately launched a silver disc artifact, advancing to attack first. The other cultivators, seeing this, also stepped in without delay. Instantly, beams of colorful light scattered across the sky, and the cries of sharp exhalations grew louder. Since Han Li wished to claim the upper hand in the contest for the Thunder Bamboo, he naturally didn't hesitate to make a move, casually releasing his own treasures and encircling five or six Foundation Stage cultivators, intending to eliminate them all at once. With Han Li and Qu Hun both at the Condensed Stage, defeating several Foundation Stage cultivators should have been a straightforward task. Yet, an unexpected development occurred. Upon recognizing Han Li and Qu Hun as Condensed Stage cultivators, the four or five Foundation Stage practitioners suddenly changed their expressions, then burst through their garments, their bodies swelling rapidly and transforming into the deadly spectral demons—exactly the form Han Li was already familiar with—leaving Han Li so astonished that he nearly dropped his eyes. Although the transformed figures gained both in speed and cultivation level, Han Li himself was no longer the novice Foundation Stage cultivator he once was. After holding out for a while, these figures eventually succumbed to Han Li and Qu Hun's Green Brilliant Sword and the Huaxuan Cauldron, being reduced to ashes. Han Li realized at this moment that the transformations of these individuals differed from those of the Sha Yao of the Hei Sha Sect. Not only did they succeed in transforming without chanting incantations or forming cocoons, but their bodies also lacked the coagulated Blood-Element Five-Phases Pills that typically condensed within them. This left Han Li utterly confused, deepening his suspicions: what exactly was the connection between these robbers and the Hei Sha Sect? Yet he quickly steadied himself, focusing his attention on other directions. Now was not the time to ponder such questions—otherwise, someone might strike them from behind, which would be truly unfortunate. But the scene before him only amplified his growing doubts. He observed that nearly all the Xuji-level practitioners had employed the Sha Yao transformation technique, forming small groups and fighting with fierce determination. Among them, the three highest-ranked Jin Dan-level cultivators had already been pulled into the black clouds by the old red-fire monster, trapped within and unable to escape. Hearing the continuous thunderous roars from within the clouds, it seemed as though they were struggling desperately. Under the relentless assault of several Jiandan-period and a dozen Juzhi-period cultivators, the opposing Juzhi-period cultivators had been swiftly reduced by half—yet the survivors remained resolute, fearless and unyielding. Their tenacity left even the more aggressive Miao Yin Sect cultivators stunned and in awe, each one silently marveling at their steadfastness. At that moment, however, a fierce, thunderous roar erupted from below, shaking the Miao Yin Sect cultivators so violently that their ears rang with the sound, and every one of them instantly grew pale. "What are you waiting for? Strike them down now! The troublesome ones have arrived!" came the sharp voice of the Cihuo Elder from within the clouds, and only then did the cultivators realize the urgency, quickly summoning their talismans and implements to intensify their attacks. Nevertheless, the island's cultivators, stirred by the roar, were galvanized into renewed spirit, defending with even greater determination. For a time, they managed to hold their ground and failed to expand their battlefield advantage. And from the island, several long, silvery arches shot upward, reaching the sky within moments. The cultivators, now, all halted, gazing at the five new Dan-stage opponents who had arrived, as if facing a formidable threat. The middle-aged man leading them had a stern, pale face—though his features were otherwise well-proportioned, he now radiated intense anger. From the flow of his cultivation energy, it was clear that his level surpassed the other four, seemingly at the late stage of Dan stage. The remaining four were ordinary Dan-stage cultivators, yet they too stared fiercely at the members of Miao Yin Sect. "Who are you? How dare you slaughter our Hidden Slaughter Sect disciples! Our sovereign demands that you settle this blood debt with blood!" The middle-aged man surveyed the dwindling number of survivors in the field, his expression sharp and severe. The others were stunned. How could this bandit, seemingly untouched by any summons or warnings, speak so confidently and with such firm resolve? Some sharp-minded individuals began to hesitate, turning their gaze toward the leading lady, Zilin Immortal Maiden and Lady Fan, and the other women. A faint trace of doubt appeared in Zilin Immortal Maiden’s clear eyes as she prepared to speak, when suddenly a voice roared out, cutting through the silence. “Enough talk! All of you are guilty beyond measure!” It was Zhao Elder, who had been closely following Lady Fan, who suddenly surged forward and raised his hand, releasing a flame streak stretching a zhang in length, aimed directly at the group of people. The middle-aged cultivator was furious. With a flash of cold light in his eyes, he spun around swiftly. “Huff!” A surge of gray-white magical aura erupted from his body, rising ten zhang high. The swirling gray-white mist instantly coalesced into a massive, luminous ghost face. As soon as the ghost face materialized, it opened its mouth wide and charged forward with fierce determination. The flame Zhao Elder had released plunged straight into the ghost’s gaping maw and vanished instantly. Then, the ghost-faced figure launched directly at Zhao Elder himself, leaving him utterly startled. With a speed faster than the initial flight, Zhao Elder flickered several times and instantly returned to the crowd, shouting loudly, "Everyone, come on! This man is a late-stage Jiandan cultivator—by himself, we simply can't stand a chance!" Hearing this clearly persuasive appeal, two Jiandan cultivators and several Jiandan-level disciples from Miao Yin Sect immediately launched their artifacts and divine tools against the ghost-headed figure. However, most others remained skeptical, watching with cold, guarded eyes. The scene now grew increasingly chaotic. Observing this, Han Li's face slightly tightened, though his hands and feet remained still—his body and Qu Hun slowly retreated backward. Something felt off. Though he didn't know exactly what would happen, Han Li now had the clear intention of withdrawing immediately should any danger arise. "Hold on! There's something suspicious going on!" The woman in purple robes also sensed the oddity and coldly reprimanded the disciples of Miao Yin Sect. Yet the cultivators who had already engaged in combat showed no reaction, continuing to relentlessly attack the ghost-headed figure, as if completely indifferent. Observing this scene, the members of Han Li's party who had not yet intervened grew pale and their expressions grew serious. The middle-aged cultivator on the other side, far from being dull, likewise perceived the anomaly. After a brief pause, he decisively gestured toward the ghost-headed figure. The figure let out a strange cry, then opened its mouth, expelling countless gray-white luminous spheres that instantly knocked over and dislodged all the implements and artifacts, allowing it to swiftly return to the man's side. The cultivator who had just acted was momentarily stunned, and no one dared to step forward alone to confront the opponent. "Who can tell me," the Purple Spirit Princess finally broke through the crowd and stood between both parties, her voice cold, "what exactly is going on?" "What exactly is going on?" "You've arbitrarily killed so many of our disciples and now come to us asking for our master?" The middle-aged man spoke with a cold, sharp tone, his eyes having turned an eerie green at some point. "You've seized our妙音门's goods and killed our master—wasn't that you?" The purple-robed woman stared steadily into his eyes, asking calmly and without emotion. "Nonsense! Though our Yin Sha Sect has rarely interacted with external cultivators, how could we possibly do such a dishonorable thing?" The middle-aged man spoke with growing anger. Upon hearing this, the purple-robed woman fell silent, though a coldness now glimmered in her gaze. The others, listening to the exchange, also began to sense the underlying issue, their expressions now varied. "It seems we've both been caught in someone's scheme!" Lady Fan suddenly stepped forward from among the cultivators, speaking slowly. "Hmph—wasn't it *you* who were caught in the scheme, not us?" The middle-aged man replied, his expression as still and solemn as water, radiating a deep, frosty demeanor. This disciple had nurtured with great care over the years—now nearly wiped out in a single day. How could he not be filled with deep resentment toward these present figures? If it weren't for the fact that he sensed many of the opponents were at the Jiandan stage and lacked confidence in handling the strange cultivator hovering in the clouds, he would have fought regardless, even at the cost of severe internal injuries, to decisively injure them all here. The purple-robed woman remained as cold as ever in her gaze, while Lady Fan could only offer a wry, helpless smile. "Master Zhao, Master Fu—shouldn't you now give us some explanation?"