"Chu, shall we act?" The sturdy man's voice had grown a bit tense. The hunched elder stared downward, his face showing a hint of doubt, and said nothing immediately. But when he saw the young man in blue robes pull out a black basin and begin extracting the soul of the lapis creature, his expression changed dramatically, and a streak of fear flashed into his eyes. "This person is rather odd. Perhaps we should pass. It would be unwise to provoke someone whose true nature we don't yet understand," the Min-named cultivator remarked, slightly startled by the elder's demeanor, yet then furrowed his brows, hesitantly asking. Since these three had managed to thrive so far in this extraterrestrial sea, each of them had always been exceptionally cautious. The current situation felt strangely eerie—so much so that it had even caused the Min-named cultivator to hesitate and consider retreating. "Well then? Now it's not a matter of whether we act, but whether we can still make it out alive," the hunched elder said after a moment of uncertain glances, finally offering a rather vague remark. This statement stunned the fierce man and the scholar named Min. Both of them were well acquainted with the elder's nature and knew he would never speak such words without purpose; their faces soon revealed a subtle expression of surprise. "Have either of you noticed that the recent rumors about a powerful demon bear a striking resemblance to this person?" the elder with the crooked face gently pressed his lips, speaking in a somewhat bitter, low tone. "A demon? Do you mean...?" "What? Indeed, that very person!" The two standing beside him were first startled, then immediately exclaimed in astonishment. Their faces were now filled with growing alarm. "Most likely. Look at this young man—so youthful, capable of summoning multiple flying swords, all glowing with a clear, jade-like hue. These details match the accounts perfectly!" the elder with the crooked face said thoughtfully, as if analyzing it to himself. "But isn't that person renowned for commanding vast numbers of flying insects? Yet this one has never once employed any insect-summoning technique. Isn't that a mere coincidence? The robust man turned pale, his voice trembling slightly, as though the figure mentioned by the elderly man with the crooked face were an utterly terrifying being. "Chu's words are likely correct," said the scholar of the Min surname, his pale, golden complexion turning slightly blue, and his spoken words growing quieter. "That demon usually displays only the early stage of Jie Dan cultivation, and he too has a habit of siphoning the essences of beast spirits. As for not releasing his flying insects earlier, he probably deemed it unnecessary." Upon hearing this, the other two exchanged glances and found it reasonable, thus deciding not to act hastily. However, the tall man named Xuan, after gazing at the young man being ritualistically drained of his spirit for some time, suddenly seemed to recall something, and spoke with a hint of doubt: "I've heard that this insect demon had a conflict four years ago with a seven-tiered beast and a group of cultivators. He single-handedly eliminated seven or eight cultivators at the Jie Dan stage, with only one cultivator at the late Jie Dan stage surviving. Are all these accounts truly accurate?" "Indeed, they are! That survivor was a senior cultivator from Bi Yun Sect. All the others were his fellow disciples. In this battle, Bi Yun Sect—renowned as one of the Five Major Powers of Qi Yuan Island—suffered a loss of nearly one-third of its personnel, resulting in a significant decline in strength. As a result, the Grand Senior Master of Bi Yun Sect, Master Miao He, became furious, his seven orifices blazing with anger. He has made several solo expeditions to the sea in search of this insect demon, yet each time returned empty-handed. In fact, many people had speculated that even if this true master, Miao He, truly found this insect demon, he might not necessarily be able to do much to him. After all, since this demon possesses such a remarkable ability, he might very well be a newly emerged Yuan-Stage master. It's said that other factions on Qi Yuan Island are also closely observing this insect demon, showing clear intentions to court and attract him. "Master Min," after swallowing several times, explained softly, "I've just been trying to clarify. 'Yuan-Stage? That's not certain. I've heard an alternative account—supposedly, the insect demon himself isn't particularly accomplished in cultivation. His strength stems entirely from his unique colony of strange insects. It's said during the battle, he didn't even deploy any of his other artifacts; he simply released countless flying insects, which completely devoured the numerous Ju Dan-stage cultivators, leaving them untouched and alive. That's how he earned the title of 'Insect Demon.' " The elderly man with a鸠-faced expression remained silent for a while, then shook his head in disagreement. "Yet just now, Brother Qiu also witnessed this." The man before them didn't even summon the flying insects—he simply struck down the lapis beast with a single sword blow. Even a late-stage Ju-Dan stage cultivator wouldn't have managed that. Clearly, the person was a senior Yuan-Ying stage cultivator posing as such. "I still stand by my opinion," the Man-Min cultivator insisted. As the elderly man with a crooked face grew unconvinced and prepared to speak further, the fierce man beside him interrupted him with a sigh. "Ladies and gentlemen, whether or not this insect demon is a Yuan-Ying cultivator makes no difference to us. He has effortlessly eliminated us—this is absolutely true. What I'm genuinely worried about is his reputation. It's said that any cultivator who has encountered this demon has been infected with insects. Countless cultivators—well over a hundred—have fallen victim to him. In the past two years, this demon has become a subject of widespread dread among the cultivators." Upon hearing the man's words, the Man-Min cultivator's expression grew increasingly grave. He turned to the young man in blue robes below and exhaled, "The insect demon is indeed ruthless and bloodthirsty. This must be true." Many incidents in recent years, where cultivators have been killed and their treasures seized, have all been attributed to this demon! We, on the other hand, have inadvertently invited him here, bringing him right to our doorstep. The tone of his words is now filled with regret. Upon hearing this, the hunched-featured elder's face likewise grew grave; he pressed his lips together, silent. He, too, deeply feared the reputation of this insect demon. Below, the three elders, once more, found themselves unable to speak or transmit any messages. They all fixed their gaze intently on the young man's every movement, hoping he would finish off the beast and then promptly depart. Yet, at this moment, the young man raised his head and surveyed the surroundings. The three nearby figures, in unison, held their breath, their hidden forms motionless. But alas—this did not go as expected. As the young man's gaze fell upon the three figures concealed in the air, it suddenly paused, a trace of scorn curling at the corner of his lips. He said coldly, "You've watched for so long—have you seen enough? Would one of you care to step forward and speak with me?" Upon hearing this, the three elderly figures nearly gasped simultaneously, each feeling a chill run through their bodies. "Run!" Someone among them shouted without hesitation. At once, they transformed into three streaks of brilliant light, each dashing off in a different direction, fleeing in panic. "My words are still unfinished," the young man murmured, frowning slightly, a hint of doubt flickering across his face. "Why are you fleeing so urgently? Do you fear I'll devour you?" Yet, soon after, his expression darkened. With a sweeping gesture of his hands, he summoned three spirit-beast bags one after another into the air. A deluge of three-colored beetle creatures surged forth, filling the sky in a sweeping, overwhelming tide. This young man in blue robes was none other than Han Li, just returned from the deep sea! The three elderly figures with ashen faces, who had been quietly glancing back, suddenly grew pale, their flight speed unconsciously increasing by another third. Yet at that moment, a soft, melodic hum emanated from the young man. In response, the myriad three-colored beetles in the sky gathered into the air, instantly coalescing into three towering spears, each about a zhang in length. A sharp, resonant cry rose as the spears transformed into vibrant arcs of tricolor light, flashing and swiftly diverging in different directions—so fast that their flight seemed almost miraculous. The rushing sounds of the spears slicing through the air, "shhh-shhh," echoed continuously, and in a moment, they vanished, pursuing the three elderly figures with the ashen faces. Far off in the sky, flashes of light successively emerged from three different directions. As they drew closer, it became clear that three elderly men with a distinctive bird-like facial appearance were riding their incandescent trails and flying back. Their direction matched precisely where Han Li had stood. All three now had pale faces, each wearing a tricolor collar around their necks, and carried a weary, resigned air. Upon seeing this scene, Han Li stroked his chin, a cold smile forming in his eyes. As the three elders settled down gracefully before him, Han Li smiled warmly and asked with a pleasant tone, "Could the three of you kindly tell me why you all reacted so startled and hurried away upon seeing me? Do you know me, perhaps?"