On a broad, flat outcrop near the summit of the Storm Mountain, a towering silver giant ape, standing over ten dozen feet tall, pounded its chest and roared skyward. Below its immense form, Han Li gazed silently at the heavens, his expression grave; the two young women, pale as ghosts, showed faint signs of growing alarm. A thousand shadow-beasts, each with flesh wings sprouting from their ribs, circled and danced above the rock. Some were as large as five or six dozen feet, others only a few feet in size, yet all bore a fearsome, menacing appearance. Yet these aerial shadow-beasts seemed to be intimidated by the fierce aura of the giant ape transformed into a啼魂 beast, hesitating to descend—though they did not intend to retreat, and thus remained in a temporary standoff. Han Li, however, felt no ease at all. From the hungry, watchful eyes of the shadow-beasts, he could see their patience steadily fading. At any moment, they might grow impatient and surge downward in a mass. Han Li cursed internally. The stout elder who had provided him with intelligence mentioned that there were flying yin beasts atop Fengbo Mountain, yet never specified how numerous they were—whether he had deliberately withheld this information or simply was unaware. As their group had just passed through the misty region, expecting to finally ease their burdens, they were immediately detected by these flying yin beasts and swiftly encircled. With no choice, Han Li released the Ti-Hun Beast, commanding it to assume the form of a giant ape. He was confident in the Ti-Hun Beast's ability to counter yin beasts, yet the sheer number of aerial yin beasts on the sky left him uncertain whether the Ti-Hun Beast could handle them all at once. Nevertheless, given the circumstances, he had no time to dwell on doubts and could only press forward with all his might. Thinking of this, Han Li turned to face Mei Ning and Zi Ling, both of whom looked pale, and whispered a few words to them. Then he produced from his sleeve a small red bow and a folded leather shield, handing one to each. To himself, he simply shook out his robe, and with a series of clear clinks, ten small swords settled neatly on the ground. Each sword was connected to one of Han Li’s fingers by a slender animal tendon, resembling a lasso. However, to operate ten such swords simultaneously—something Han Li had never done before—was truly unprecedented. Just as Han Li had finished preparing, the sky-bound yin beasts finally lost their patience. A massive three-headed yin beast suddenly roared, and the nearest cluster of about fifteen yin beasts immediately flapped their wings vigorously, plunging downward with great force, no longer hesitating under the pressure of the Ti Hun beasts. The great battle had finally begun! Almost at the moment when the shadow beasts charged down, the giant ape suddenly inhaled deeply, then closed its massive mouth and forcefully exhaled. A vast sheet of silver light surged out from its enormous nostrils, instantly enveloping nearly all of the shadow beasts. The flying creatures immediately screamed in agony, then collapsed and tumbled downward. However, two smaller shadow beasts managed to escape the silver sweep. With a flutter of their flesh wings, they deftly dodged the light and launched themselves with force toward Han Li and his companions from either side. One of them crashed to the ground with a loud "thud," knocked back by a casual punch from the giant ape, flying several meters away and eventually landing somewhere on the massive rock below. The other, about five or six feet tall and resembling a bald eagle, seized the opportunity to reach the heads of Han Li and his party, and immediately began slashing with its sharp claws. Han Li remained motionless, his face grim, but his fingers moved with remarkable agility. Ten small swords launched themselves, whistling into a shimmering, jade-green sword net that surged directly toward the shadow beast overhead. A piercing, agonized cry erupted from the beast's mouth. Even without channeling any magical power, the sharpness of the Qingzhu Fengyun swords proved insurmountable for such a small shadow creature. It shattered instantly, its flesh and blood scattering in all directions. Han Li staggered slightly, taking a few splashes of the debris, but after furrowing his brow, he decided to no longer dwell on it. For more shadow beasts were descending from the sky. This time, the number wasn't just a few—there were over twenty, rushing down from all directions. Others remained in the air, eager to join the fray. Han Li felt his heart tighten, then, without hesitation, raised both hands, extending the beast's sinew by several feet. The jade-green sword net reappeared, now spanning a broader area, this time also sheltering Mei Ning and Zi Ling within its protective embrace. A shimmer of silver, a gleam of jade green, and piercing cries of agony intertwined... Seven or eight days later, at the height of noon under the blazing sun, the sea surface appeared turbid and yellowish, utterly still—no waves, no breeze, nothing stirring. Everything lay lifeless, as if the entire area were devoid of any living beings, a true sea of death. Yet, at this very moment, somewhere on the surface, the water surged violently, and suddenly a black mist rose from the depths. The dark mist spread swiftly, expanding within moments to span over a hundred zhang. Then, a thunderous rumble echoed through the air, and within the mist, flashes of silver light danced. Suddenly, a brilliant silver glow materialized above the black mist, within which a bulky human figure seemed to be隐约 visible, as if bearing a pair of silver wings spreading behind. Before anyone could fully identify the figure within, the silver glow flashed several times, then vanished abruptly. Moments later, it reappeared at the edge of the black mist. Amid the continuous roar, figures shimmering in silver repeatedly appeared and vanished, swiftly transforming into a glowing dot on the horizon before disappearing altogether—seeming as though they had fled in panic. The sea surface fell once more into stillness, with only the black mist expanding steadily, and black arcs beginning to flicker silently within it. ...At a distance of a thousand li from the black mist, the silver glow finally dimmed after a series of flashes, then revealed the bulky figures inside—Han Li cradling Zilin in one arm and embracing Mei Ning in the other, the three of them pressed closely together, exuding an intimate warmth. Han Li himself remained composed, though warmly embraced, his expression calm. The two women in his arms, however, were flushed with a delicate glow, appearing graceful and endearing. "Done! The ghost mist can't reach this far now. We've finally escaped that dreadful place." After taking a moment to survey the surroundings, Han Li relaxed and said, then calmly released the two women in his arms, displaying a most gentlemanly demeanor. "This truly owes much to Friend Han. Had it not been for your remarkable teleportation technique, we might have had little chance of escaping that realm of shadow and gloom." "Friend Zilin is right. If it weren’t for Friend Han’s swift and timely assistance, we likely would have been drawn back into the realm of shadow and gloom once again. Thank you so much, Friend Han." As soon as Zilin and Mei Ning stepped free from Han Li’s embrace, their protective glow instantly brightened and floated around him, continuously expressing their gratitude. A few days prior, after several near-misses, the three had finally managed to defeat all the flying shadow creatures thanks to the power of the Tihun beast and climbed to the summit of the Storm Mountain. While waiting on the peak for the fissure to open, the two women had grown remarkably compatible, soon bonding as inseparable sisters-in-arms. This development had come as a surprise to Han Li. At the mountain's peak, they had only waited a few days when, already hundreds of feet below the summit, a spatial rift of over ten zhang in width suddenly appeared. A vast influx of celestial qi poured in, instantly restoring their divine powers. Overjoyed, they immediately took flight. Yet just as they emerged from the rift, a powerful suction force suddenly arose behind them, immobilizing them and seemingly pulling them all back to the Yin-Ming realm. Fortunately, Han Li acted swiftly, unfurling his wind-and-thunder wings, swaying a few times to securely hold the two women—one in each arm—and then activating the Lightning Transit Technique, swiftly escaping the black mist and reaching this very spot in a single bound. As a result, the two women expressed their genuine gratitude toward Han Li. "What place is this? It seems rather strange—so quiet and still," said Zilin, her rosy cheeks now pale as she took a moment to survey the surrounding sea. "Hm!" Indeed, as Lady Zǐlíng said, something seems amiss—there's not a single ripple of sea breeze, and the sea surface is unusually still. After glancing at the scene, Mei Ning also showed a look of puzzlement. Han Li said nothing, but narrowed his eyes and expanded his awareness, scanning the depths of the sea floor nearby. A moment later, Han Li froze, his face revealing astonishment. "Have you noticed anything, Han brother? The fish in the sea are so scarce, and they appear to be fierce sea beasts—yet they don't seem to be magical creatures," Lady Zǐlíng remarked, equally probing with her own awareness and then blinking in surprise. "Just a moment!" Han Li took a deep breath and then gently flicked his finger, causing a long, shimmering blade of jade-green light to surge forth and plunge straight into the depths beneath him. Moments later, to the astonishment of the two women, a strange, unusual sea creature lay floating on the surface of the sea.