Han Li silently exclaimed in his mind. This mythical beast was a vivid crimson in color, with a body stretching nearly a hundred zhang long—almost identical to the black dragon he had seen before—and was indeed a genuine dragon of the toxic variety, renowned among the dragon species for its ferocity. The luminous glow emanating from its crimson scales, appearing almost tangible, confirmed it as a true Class Eight mythical creature. The inexplicable pressure it exerted upon him was one he had only encountered before on the bodies of the senior Yuan Ying-stage immortals. Dragons were among the few celestial and terrestrial spiritual beasts that had persisted since ancient times. Not only did they grow in spiritual cultivation far faster than ordinary beasts, but once they achieved mastery, their magical prowess surpassed that of peers. Indeed, defeating opponents one rank higher was not merely possible—it was even conceivable for pure-blooded dragons. If the ancient texts were accurate, this toxic dragon, though classified as a Class Eight creature, would not be outmatched even in a direct confrontation against a Class Nine beast. How could Han Li help but be struck with awe! Han Li almost immediately thought of retreating, but managed to remain calm and refrain from making any hasty moves. Now, two streams of fleeing light were approaching from the distance, clearly with ill intentions; it would be safer to take advantage of the chaos to escape than to act prematurely and risk revealing their position. Nevertheless, Han Li quietly draped the crimson cloak over his shoulders and, at the same time, gently waved his hands, causing the Five-Element Ring and the flower basket to appear in his hands. Only then did he feel a bit more at ease. At this moment, the toxic dragon ceased its prolonged roar, turned its massive head, and glanced at the giant turtle still struggling fiercely amidst the lightning. A subtle expression of surprise flashed in its eyes. Then, a powerful blue light radiated from its body, causing its enormous form to rapidly shrink and transform. A few moments later, a human-sized dragon appeared in place. The head remained a fierce, dragon-like form, unchanged, while the body and limbs transformed into human shape, covered in vibrant red scales, with a thick, serpentine tail still trailing behind, swaying back and forth continuously. Witnessing this transformation, Han Li was utterly stunned. The toxic dragon, now in human form, stood calmly upon the waves, as if walking on solid ground, its body motionless. Yet, as it took human form, its emerald eyes, unintentionally, glanced toward Han Li's hidden position, and the cold, penetrating gaze instantly made Han Li feel chilled to the core, his palms gripping the ancient relics damp with cold sweat. Fortunately, at that moment, a golden glow arriving from afar, indistinguishable from the crimson glow at another location, drew near. The toxic dragon immediately turned its attention away from Han Li, its cold gaze now fixed upon the three figures who had materialized in the air. A senior Taoist with a noble, serene demeanor stood bathed in golden light, his back resting against a jade sword and his hands holding a bamboo fan. Dressed in a brilliantly gilded Bagua robe, he gently stroked his beard, gazing in astonishment at the humanoid venomous dragon, his face filled with shock. Yet, amidst his amazement, a glint of keen interest and greed flickered in his eyes. Standing not far from him were two middle-aged men who bore strikingly similar appearances—both with pale, corpse-like faces and robes of a vibrant crimson, indistinguishable in every way. The only difference lay in one who carried a large red gourd on his back, and the other who held a ghostly staff towering over a zhang in height. The two men first glanced at the massive turtle and the venomous dragon below, then at the Taoist across from them, remaining silent and expressionless. Among the three, the elder Taoist had the cultivation level of a Yuan Ying stage beginner, while the two red-robed men were only at the late Jie Dan stage. Yet, what puzzled Han Li was that these two red-robed men, despite facing the venomous dragon and the Yuan Ying-level Tao It's quite a surprise to meet two friends from the Ho family—I must say, I'm truly humbled!" The elder monk blinked several times, then suddenly smiled warmly at the two red-robed figures. "We hadn't expected to encounter Master Jinxia here either. Might it be that you intend to hunt the two beasts below? If so, then I'd be honored to hand over the engagement to you." The red-robed figure carrying the gourd drew a breath, maintaining a composed expression as he spoke. Do either of you have interest in giving it a try? An eight-tiered spirit beast hasn't been seen in many years. Should we succeed, I shall not take the eight-tiered spirit essence—instead, I must extract the dragon’s soul myself." Master Jin Xia stared steadily at the two red-robed figures, speaking slowly. His words seemed to surprise them. Yet, exchanging glances, they found no words to exchange, and it was the middle-aged man holding a ghost-headed staff who simply nodded briefly. "Very well! Since the elder has spoken so clearly, that shall be settled. We, too, wish not to miss this opportunity—so we shall give it our all!" Upon saying this, the other figure flipped his hand, and the crimson gourd that had been behind him appeared in his grasp. At this, Master Jin Xia beamed with delight, lifting his hand to release a jade ring from his sleeve, which immediately expanded and emitted a resonant hum as it caught the wind. The venomous dragon below, who had been quietly observing the three of them, now seemed to understand their words. A flash of sternness passed, and without a word, he opened his mouth wide—sending a beam of bloodlight that flashed past the old monk and vanished in an instant. At the same moment, his figure flickered, and he seemed to have vanished completely from the sea's surface. Meanwhile, the blood glow spewed by the venomous dragon intertwined and clashed dynamically with the jade rings shot out by the elder. Observing the elder's serious expression, barely allowing the blood glow to approach, it was clear that the blood glow was equally formidable. Forced to face three opponents, the venomous dragon was clearly delaying the celestial turtle's ordeal. Likewise, the elder and the two red-robed figures feared that the dragon might sense the turning tide and flee, thus willingly siphoning off the dragon's magical energy bit by bit before launching a decisive strike. As for the giant turtle, even after its ordeal concluded, it would be severely weakened—no real threat. Thus, in the sky, three elders and one dragon now engaged in fierce combat, while below, the giant turtle's ordeal reached its critical phase. The descending strikes were no longer mere lightning bolts, but clusters of silver thunderballs, directly impacting the turtle, causing it to tremble violently and roar in deep, thunderous cries. Seeing this, Han Li, who had been quietly observing from the sidelines, felt a surge of great satisfaction. He certainly wouldn't entertain any foolish notion of reaping the benefits of the struggle—such a contest was far beyond his capacity to intervene. Regardless of whether the victor was a demon or a human, they would easily dispose of a cultivator at the initial stage of the Jiandan stage. Now that he had finally secured an opportunity to escape, he swiftly poured all his inner cultivation power into the crimson robe, instantly transforming it into a blazing sphere of bloodlight that surged forward through the air. The astonishing speed of Han Li's flight startled the three human and one demon engaged in the battle, yet they soon dismissed it. For though the bloodlight moved swiftly, it clearly revealed Han Li's cultivation level—someone at the initial stage of Jiandan was simply insignificant to them. Concerned that his sanctuary might be discovered by these beasts and cultivators, Han Li did not head directly toward the misty sea, but instead chose a different route to flee. Leveraging the extraordinary speed of the crimson robe, Han Li escaped over several thousand li without pause. Only when he confirmed that no pursuers were following did he finally feel at ease. Relax and activate a simple stream of light, then continue flying forward. After flying for several hours, Han Li finally settled on an isolated island for a temporary stay. After lingering in the surrounding waters for several days, he estimated that the great battle there had concluded and carefully began his return journey. Indeed, the area near the misty sea was now calm—no traces of beasts, cultivators, or thunderstorms remained, as though nothing had ever happened. Han Li stood on the nearby water, quietly pondering, then gradually extended his awareness to scan the surrounding waters. Suddenly, a flash of green light passed through him, and he sank swiftly into the sea. After a meal's worth of time, Han Li emerged from the water, holding one object in each hand.