Han Li and Mei Ning were strangers to the guards, who merely glanced at them and did not inquire further. Instead, they gathered around the others who had departed, asking the several tall men to display the fish and shrimp from their leather bags, which then elicited a series of exclamations of astonishment. This observation caused Han Li, who had been watching quietly, to slightly furrow his brow. It seemed that fish and shrimp were not particularly rare here, or that the village faced a severe shortage of food supplies. Han Li then cast his gaze over the entire village. It was enclosed at its center by identical tall stone walls. All the buildings within the village were constructed from dark stone, mostly simple and rough, with square shapes. The most striking feature, however, was the stone platform at the village's center. Though not large in size, it rose several times higher than the surrounding houses, reaching a height of thirty or forty paces. And from the summit of the stone platform, a pale purple mist was released, blanketing the entire village. As soon as a blue lightning streak fell upon the village, it was instantly absorbed and vanished into the purple haze. This purple mist must surely be the result of some magical array or seal. Yet he felt no presence of spiritual energy on the stone platform—instead, a cold energy seemed to linger and hover there. After all, though his consciousness could not detach from his body, his sensitivity to spiritual energy remained remarkably acute. This was beyond doubt. Han Li could not help but feel deeply puzzled. Nearby the high platform, several grand halls stood much taller than ordinary stone dwellings. At their entrances, several figures were gesturing toward the lean man and his companions, murmuring to one another. One of them glanced at Han Li with bright, sharp eyes. Han Li felt a sudden sense of alertness. This was the first person he had encountered in this place who clearly possessed profound internal energy. If he were outside, he would easily crush them with just a fingertip, paying them no mind at all. But now, he had to be on his guard, fully attentive to the other person. At that moment, the slender man approached the group, spoke a few words, then turned back and gestured toward Han Li and Mei Ning. The others' eyes immediately shifted to Han Li. Han Li remained composed, showing no signs of hesitation or fear. Yet Mei Ning, standing beside him, appeared slightly uneasy, unsure of how they would be treated. "Come over here, both of you," the slender man said, waving them forward. "The village elders have some questions for you." Han Li nodded, his expression calm, and walked with the woman toward the group. The others turned and entered the hall behind them, with Han Li following close behind. "Please sit down," the man said. "Since we're all of the human race, we'll certainly do our best to assist one another. Still, this place is quite different from the outside world." Could the two of you please introduce yourselves first, and then I’ll share some details about this place?” The slightly plump elder, with a kind and benevolent expression, sat in the central seat and spoke to the two guests. Several others were seated on either side. One of them, a pale-faced man with long, sharp eyes that carried a hint of sternness, was the one who had glanced at Han Li briefly when he entered the hall. Though his eyes shone with intensity, he only briefly scanned Han Li’s face before his gaze settled on the beautiful woman standing behind him. Though he said nothing, his expression betrayed clear interest. “Actually, we don’t have much to say,” Han Li replied calmly and with a simple smile. “We simply encountered a ghost mist at sea, which carried us here. As for our past identities—what use would they be once we’ve arrived? Perhaps it’s best to leave them unmentioned.” Hearing Han Li’s rather vague response, the elder chuckled. He studied the two of them with a steady gaze, then suddenly said something that surprised Han Li. “You two are both cultivators, aren’t you?” "There's nothing to hide about this identity," the elder said, his gaze settling on the storage pouch at韩立's waist, which appeared full and substantial.韩立's expression remained calm, yet he remained silent for a moment. Mei Ning, meanwhile, grew pale and grew increasingly concerned. "You needn't be afraid. While the number of cultivators who come to our village isn't large, it's certainly not small. Compared to ordinary people, we welcome former cultivators more than anyone else. However, I'm sure you've already realized—here, in this land of Yin and冥, the natural energies and magical forces simply cannot be used. The only forces available are Yin and冥 energy, and some basic martial techniques." The elder explained calmly. "Yin and冥 energy?"韩立 asked, his expression momentarily puzzled. "Exactly. It's a kind of external energy similar to magical power. While it can't be used directly to cast spells, cultivators can harness the Yin and冥 crystals found within certain Yin beasts to set up small magical arrays." It still plays a significant role. Even if they don't master the array techniques, the bodies of cultivators are far stronger than ordinary people. They would surely be valuable allies as well." The elder gently stroked his short beard and spoke slowly. "You seem to have a good understanding of our cultivators. Do you know if there are any other cultivators in the village?" After listening to the elder's words, Han Li paused briefly before asking. "Yes, certainly. There are several—perhaps five or six. Though I may not be particularly distinguished, I myself am one of them. I had already achieved the Foundation Stage before being drawn into the ghost mist." The plump elder smiled slightly, his lips curling up. As Han Li's face briefly showed a look of surprise, and he hesitated to ask further questions, the entire hall suddenly began to tremble. One after another, deep rumbling sounds came from afar, as though some massive creature were charging directly toward the village. The people in the hall immediately exchanged glances, their expressions turning serious, and without pausing to attend to Han Li, they all rose and began to hurry toward the exit. Han Li frowned slightly and stepped out without delay. Outside the hall, several village elders were solemnly directing hundreds of young men and women to gather at the thick stone walls, each holding long white spears or rudimentary bows. Though everyone looked tense, the process was orderly and calm, with no sign of panic—seeming as though they had gone through such scenes many times before. Han Li glanced around, then turned toward the direction of the loud rumble. However, due to the stone wall blocking the view, although the ground trembled more intensely, he saw little beyond that. He stroked his chin, looked left and right, and then walked a few steps to a nearby tall building. Taking advantage of the moment when others were not paying attention, he lightly tapped the wall with his foot and easily climbed up to the roof, standing there to gaze outward. Now, at last, he could see what was happening far away. Outside the village, farther out, sand and dust were swirling, the wind howling wildly, creating a dark, turbulent gale that made it impossible to see anything clearly. And wherever these black winds passed, a layer of black ice and frost had formed on the ground, appearing astonishingly cold. This must indeed be the阴wind the lean man spoke of—no ordinary wind, one that could be endured. Yet, as soon as these winds approached the village at a distance of over a hundred paces, they began to dissipate on their own, unable to cross an invisible boundary. Amidst the black winds, a series of heavy impacts of falling objects could be heard, though still some distance away—the impressive momentum was already subtly evident. A short while later, a colossal black silhouette, towering over fifteen paces in height, surged suddenly from the midst of the wind. Upon closer inspection, Han Li gasped in astonishment. At first glance, the figure resembled a gray giant ape magnified by more than ten times. However, this creature had four eyes on its face, a pair of fleshy wings sprouting from its ribs, and in one hand, it carried a strange, dark, gnarled tree trunk, charging straight toward the village with great force. Its four eyes glowed with a vivid crimson, radiating an overwhelming aura of relentless killing intent. "It's the Jiao-Zheng Beast! This time, it's the Jiao-Zheng Beast! Quickly bring the great shields over!" As soon as the group clearly saw the giant creature, several people shouted simultaneously. Immediately, a crowd of women, children, and elderly people emerged, each holding various shields, and delivered them one by one to the people on the wall. Then they hurried back down the stone wall again. By then, the beast had already reached within less than a hundred paces of the stone wall. The vibrations from its massive feet striking the ground were so powerful that Han Li nearly doubted whether the seemingly solid wall would collapse under the force before the beast even reached it. Fortunately, this did not happen. In a moment, the beast closed the distance to just thirty paces. At that very moment, however, several enormous tentacles suddenly burst forth from the ground, formed from thick purple mist, and tightly secured the beast's feet. The beast lost its balance and crashed down squarely before the stone wall, sending the people on the wall staggering and swaying. Han Li was taken aback and instinctively turned to look at the high platform. To his astonishment, he discovered that four figures had settled upon the stone platform, their bodies radiating a faint purple aura as they cast spells. "This is the Yin-Ming power?" Han Li thought with sudden realization. "Attack!" Someone issued the command almost instantly. A dense stream of spears and arrows rained down upon the fallen giant, completely enveloping it. Upon seeing this, Han Li felt his heart tighten.