The "Soul-Draining Ghost Sounds" — Master Zilin barely needed to think about it. This was a natural spell of high-tier spectral and ghostly beings, capable of causing opponents with significantly lower cultivation levels to experience reversed blood flow, losing control and dancing wildly. Truly a devastatingly subtle technique from the Ghost Island! She had initially mistaken the sounds she began to hear for a mere ordinary ghost howl, and naturally regretted her oversight. As she watched herself gradually, step by step, being drawn forward and unable to control her movements, her fear and astonishment reached a peak. At that moment, a man's sharp "Hah!" rang out in her ears—though soft in volume, it struck her like a thunderclap, sending her heart and spirit trembling, and causing her legs to give way as she sat down on the ground. Yet soon after, she was delighted to find that she had regained full control over her body. This brought her great relief, and she turned gratefully toward the direction of the sound. She had clearly heard it was the voice of Han Li. "Master Zilin!" With your current cultivation, as long as you maintain your mental focus, you won't be infiltrated by this spectral sound. You simply were careless. Han Li's steady voice resonated once again in the young woman's ears. The purple-spirit princess blushed slightly, softly nodded with a "hm," and then stood up with some embarrassment, making her way toward Han Li while keeping her mental focus. Only when she reached behind Han Li did she notice something unexpected—Han Li had remained motionless in place, gazing intently ahead. Following his gaze, she saw what caused her heart to tighten with concern. In the distance, within the spectral mist, the dark fog churned continuously, occasionally releasing flashes of green and red light. The deep, resonant rumbling and the spectral sounds that had previously embarrassed her were now interwoven, blending together. At the center of the scene, a black-robed mage was skillfully wielding a crimson strange hammer, launching countless streams of blue flame, engaged in a continuous struggle with a hazy, black ghostly figure. That spectral figure was enveloped in mist, summoning a jade bead the size of a thumb, releasing a dark, cold yin energy that trapped the black-robed figure and gave it the upper hand. Meanwhile, the啼魂兽, famed for its ability to "siphon souls and devour ghosts," was being纠缠 by two humanoid ghost creatures covered in green hair. Aside from their pointed heads and hands each gripping white bone spears several feet long, these creatures were otherwise indistinguishable from ordinary green-haired zombies. Now, they were wielding their bone spears to emit greenish ghost flames, continuously attacking the啼魂兽. In response, the啼魂兽 exhaled golden radiance from its nostrils, and whenever the ghost flames struck it, the radiance would engulf them completely, absorbing them entirely. At first glance, the啼魂兽 appeared to be gaining the advantage. Indeed, these green-haired creatures dared not advance within a few paces of the beast, even resorting to their bone spears' ghost flames for ranged attacks—clearly intimidated by the golden radiance. However, this left the Ti-Hun beast trapped by the two spectral creatures and unable to assist the cloaked figure anymore. Upon seeing the two green-furred monsters, Zǐ Líng gasped in astonishment and exclaimed aloud. "By the way, Master Han, do you know these two?" Han Li, listening intently, turned only slightly and asked without looking back. "Indeed, I believe so. Though I've never seen them before, they match the descriptions in the texts exactly. This is a rare type among zombies—the kind that can move freely during the day and even roam the heavens and earth. That's why they dared to approach the Ti-Hun beast without being intimidated by its aura. They possess solid physical forms; as long as they aren't directly struck by the soul-sucking beams from the Ti-Hun beast, they should be able to hold it in place. After all, this Ti-Hun beast appears to be still in its early stages of cultivation. Aside from its soul-sucking light, it lacks other notable abilities." Zǐ Líng stepped forward and stood beside Han Li, her presence serene and graceful, as she spoke with composed elegance. After hearing her words, Han Li showed no outward surprise, yet a quiet sigh stirred within him. Though her cultivation level was not high, her insight was truly something that even a free-standing cultivator like himself could not match. Although he had previously studied many texts in Huangfeng Valley, his cultivation level at the time had been relatively low, and he had not yet been granted access to the most valuable, hidden materials. Later, after arriving in Luan Xing Sea, he had acquired numerous books as well—but these had not been systematically curated by any sect. Many were repetitive, while others were entirely missing. These shortcomings were usually imperceptible under ordinary circumstances, but during critical moments like this, they became clearly evident. It seemed that if he were to survive this situation, he would indeed need to visit the Miao Yin Sect's archives and examine such materials firsthand. He was certain the other party would not hesitate to welcome him as his titular senior elder. As Han Li was pondering this, changes unfolded once again in the hall. The azure flame of the crimson flying hammer was finally completely obscured by the black yin qi of the ghostly green pearl, appearing as if the fire were about to vanish entirely—now in a most precarious situation. This deeply startled and enraged the cloaked figure! To be sure, for this treasure-seeking expedition, he had made every possible preparation. He believed that, with the power of the Ti-Hun beast, he would surely pass the first trial—the Land of Ghosts and Unjust Accusations—without much difficulty, and thus had firmly declined the invitations from Han Li and his companions. Yet he had unexpectedly encountered such a deeply rooted evil spirit, one who mastered the strategy of striking one target at a time. Seizing upon his momentary lapse in concentration, the spirit launched a sudden assault, separating him from the Ti-Hun beast and leaving him in this perilous state. Unfortunately, among his disciples, aside from those who had successfully cultivated the Ti-Hun beast and possessed some unique, unusual techniques, none demonstrated particularly outstanding abilities when facing direct combat. They could only watch helplessly as the magical hammer—whose spirit resonated with his own—gradually dimmed in brilliance and weakened in power. Thinking of the dreadful consequences of his fall, the cloaked figure felt an icy chill spread through his heart, filled with growing panic. Just then, Han Li arrived at the scene. To the cloaked figure, who had only just noticed the peril, Han Li's arrival was like a lifeline—bringing him immense relief. Yet, Han Li's demeanor upon arrival deeply irritated the usually proud man, who was nearly driven to the point of expelling blood from his mouth. While Han Li watched the cloaked figure struggle, he showed no sign of approaching to offer assistance, merely standing at a distance, cold and detached, observing the clash between the cloaked figure and the ghostly creatures. This lack of action stirred deep resentment in the cloaked figure, who gritted his teeth in frustration. Soon after, the purple spirit maiden also arrived. Seeing the cloaked figure desperately fighting to survive, she found it puzzling why Han Li had not yet intervened. Could it be that Han Li was deliberately watching, hoping to witness the cloaked figure's demise, due to his earlier harsh treatment? The maiden did not believe Han Li to be such a short-sighted individual, and thus her growing suspicion deepened. Moreover, owing to the life-saving grace Han Li had just shown her, she could not directly voice her doubts. She could only gaze at the black-robed figure and the spectral form with a complex expression, silently observing their struggle. But now, the black-robed figure was truly unable to hold on. His flying hammer, enveloped by the negative qi emitted by the green pearl, had finally lost all its magical flame and was now completely encased, trapped in mid-air. At that moment, the black spectral figure let out a piercing cry, suddenly transforming into a streak of dark light and rushing straight toward the black-robed figure's chest. Although the figure's attire obscured her view of his facial expression, he remained motionless, standing in place as though he were closing his eyes in grim resignation, preparing to meet his end. The black-robed figure was well aware that, though he still released various protective spells around his body, to such a fierce spirit, these defenses were no more than fragile paper. Without a magical artifact in front of him to absorb the impact, the moment the spirit reached out to grasp him, his protective layers would surely shatter, and he would perish on the spot. His flying hammer was now trapped and he had no other法宝 to summon—only able to wait helplessly. At this critical moment, Han Li, who had been quietly observing from the side, suddenly intervened without any prior warning. He raised his hand, and several slender streaks of jade-green sword energy shot forth swiftly, striking the vital areas of the dark figure. Should the dark figure continue to grasp the cloaked figure, it would certainly succeed in killing him, but at the same time, the crystalline core within his own body would likely be shattered by these sword energies. Naturally, the dark figure would not risk such a loss. After a slight shift in posture, it stepped back as if untouched, returning to its original position. Its eyes then glowed with a steady green light, fixed steadily upon Han Li, showing no trace of emotion. Observing this, Han Li's eyes flashed with unusual light, and with a simple hand motion, a small, elegant spirit-animal pouch appeared in his hands. Yet he did not summon the leather bag from Ma Shan, but instead, with the swift flick of his five fingers on the other hand, several identical streaks of green light shot forth, directly targeting the two green-hair night demons. The two spectral beings proved quite alert—upon sensing the sudden surge of green light from Han Li’s surprise attack, they wavered slightly before dissolving into two streams of green vapor, vanishing without a trace. Yet a moment later, their forms reappeared flanking the black ghost figure, now glaring fiercely at Han Li, their black and yellow fangs bared in a threatening display. While the black-robed figure, seizing the moment when the ghost’s attention shifted to Han Li, suddenly poured all his remaining magical energy into the effort, successfully drawing back the flying hammer. Instantly delighted, he transformed into a beam of red light and shot toward Han Li. At that very instant, however, Han Li suddenly stiffened, his face turning cold, and roared, “Beware! There are more spectral beings!” The black-robed figure paused, startled by these words. But at that moment, a faint, almost imperceptible gray figure shot forth from the mist on the other side, materializing instantly before the black-robed figure. The black-robed man had no time to dodge, his eyes filled with sheer astonishment!