A flash of cold light flashed in Han Li's eyes. His hands, manipulating the golden arcs of electricity, suddenly trembled, and a burst of golden light erupted. Countless arcs leapt and shot forth, forming a web of electricity that was now three notches tighter than before—then abruptly contracted. As a result, the black threads launched out naturally struck the golden arcs. A series of sharp "crack" sounds resonated. Under the relentless assault of the golden arcs, the black threads dissolved into countless plumes of black smoke within the web, accompanied by intermittent, piercing cries of agony. The cries were both sharp and desperate. Then, the black threads retreated in fear, gathering at the center of the golden net to form a strange, dark, glossy infant, its face filled with shock and terror. As it opened its mouth, waves of dark,阴y energy surged out, rapidly enveloping the infant layer upon layer, striving desperately to withstand the now-approaching divine, purifying lightning. Han Li remained expressionless, a faint scorn flickering at the corner of his lips. Suddenly, the golden arcs he was projecting thickened by one-third, becoming dazzling and blinding, making it difficult to look directly at them. The cries resumed amidst the electric flash, then gradually faded into silence as the thunder roared on. Seeing this, Han Li exhaled a sigh of relief, and with a simple roll and draw of his golden arc, he brought a dark-black storage pouch into his hands. Then, he glanced upward, his expression calm, and with a slight shift of his body, a surge of green light flared once more, carrying him swiftly back as a streak of jade-green light. From the brief exchange between Han Li and the cloaked figure, to Han Li unleashing the Divine-Exorcising Lightning that extinguished his opponent, the entire sequence had taken only the span of an eyeblink. Even the bald man and the elderly scholar named Ma below, who had been utterly stunned, could not believe their eyes—nor could the tall, slender priest above or the two senior masters of Mulan, who had been equally speechless, amazed at what they had just witnessed. After all, while the southern region's cultivators were unfamiliar with the cloaked figure's background, they were well aware of the mysterious figures' origins—these enigmatic cultivators hailed from a vast empire located on the other side of the Mulan Grasslands. Though it remained unclear why they had suddenly arrived at Mulan Grassland and had reached an agreement with the senior masters of the three major tribes there, resulting in their decisive assistance, there was no doubt that these individuals far surpassed their peers in the Tiannan immortal realm in terms of cultivation techniques and divine powers. Even before the actual battle had truly begun, two Tiannan Yuan-Stage cultivators had been eliminated by them, earning the strong confidence of the two senior masters of Mulan. The second engagement prompted the black-robed figures to step in precisely because the number of Yuan-Stage cultivators stationed at the defensive array appeared excessive—thus, it was deemed wise to strike unexpectedly and either eliminate or severely injure one of them first. Yet, who could have imagined that a seemingly ordinary young cultivator emerged and swiftly defeated the black-robed warrior, even preventing him from escaping to Yuan-Stage? This indeed left the two masters utterly astonished. The tall, slender cultivator and Kuyao finally regained consciousness, exchanged startled glances, and then expressed hesitation on their faces. Should they send more people to challenge, or should they simply command their rear contingent to advance en masse? At that moment, both suddenly heard a faint, almost inaudible voice, barely audible. "Today our momentum has been weakened; for now, let us retreat. We'll return tomorrow. By then, this formation might have... hehe! As for the matter of Tian Ku's death, it may prove troublesome, but I will explain it to the divine masters myself." The voice was neither clearly male nor female, yet it carried an undertone of authority. Upon hearing this, the tall, slender monk and Ku Yao were momentarily stunned, yet without hesitation, they immediately obeyed and turned to the group of monks extending their hands, giving them clear commands. The rear contingent stirred, but no one objected. The front line gradually shifted to the rear, retreating steadily. The two senior masters naturally took the rear position. Before departing, however, they cast glances of serious displeasure at the monks, especially at Han Li, who they stared at with particular intensity, before turning to leave. Shall we pursue them? Gu Shuangpu watched the retreating army of the Fa Shi, his expression somewhat uncertain. "Well," the bearded man said, after a brief pause, shaking his head. "Although the Mulan people have withdrawn, they haven't been defeated, we might end up getting surrounded if we rush over there by accident. It's better to rely on the great formation, conserve our strength, and wait for the right moment. Our Huanglong Mountain's 'Thousand-Tone Illusory Array' isn't something that can be easily broken. Even if the Mulan manage to take it, they'll have to lose at least half of these Fa Shi to do so." Han Li had always smiled in this manner, and previously no one had found it remarkable. But now, after having single-handedly eliminated a high-level Yuan-Infant cultivator, when they saw him smile again, everyone simultaneously felt a sense of profound, almost enigmatic depth. The initial sense of slight disdain they had held had completely vanished. "This is truly excellent news, Han friend—your decisive victory over a senior cultivator in one stroke. I will certainly report this to the alliance upon my return. The alliance will certainly offer you a generous reward," the bearded man said, offering a warm smile while expressing his congratulations. The elderly man named Ma and Gu Shuangpu also now realized the significance, smiling warmly and offering commendatory remarks. Yet, there was a subtle difference in their tone and demeanor toward Han Li, reflecting a growing sense of reverence. Han Li, however, seemed entirely unaware of this shift, maintaining his graceful and courteous demeanor throughout. Yet, while speaking, Han Li's gaze unconsciously lingered on one of them for a moment longer, and as no one noticed his expression, a faint, subtle smirk played at the corner of his lips. Once the ranks of the mage forces had finally disappeared, the bearded man cast a spell, opening a passage through the misty sea; several figures swiftly vanished into the passage, and the mist closed the entrance once more. Peace settled once again around Huanglong Mountain, leaving behind an endless expanse of soft, emerald-hued mist, still and silent. He sat in the main seat, lowering his head, his face deep in contemplation, lost in thought, as if pondering something new. After a while, suddenly his brows arched, a flicker of surprise crossing his face, and he murmured in a low voice, "Who is there? Come forth!" "Ah! Brother Lu indeed possesses profound insight. I barely entered, and you already sensed me. That explains why the Nine Kingdoms Alliance entrusts you with sole authority over one region." At the once-empty entrance of the hall, a flash of light revealed a figure stepping forward with a smile. "Is it you? Brother, if you didn't go to rest, why remain hidden and return now?" The bearded man frowned, his expression puzzled. "Nothing much. I simply stumbled upon a secret that I believe warrants discussion with you." "Secret? What secret?" The bearded man paused, studying the figure closely, his expression now tinged with suspicion. "Brother Han of Luoyun Sect—most likely a spy of the Mulan people!" The man spoke without hesitation, and slowly advanced toward him. "A spy? Brother, are you surely out of your mind? Friend Han just eliminated a Yuan-Stage cultivator today. This is truly most amusing!" Upon hearing this, the bearded man blinked, then fell silent with a look of disbelief. "I knew Land Brother would not believe this, but I have evidence—once you see it, you'll know my words are no mere fiction." The man sighed, his face showing a wry smile. Then, with a single hand motion, a flash of light revealed a jade scroll of green color in his hands. He stepped forward a few paces and approached the bearded man. The bearded man's eyes widened in surprise, hesitated slightly, then rose to his feet and extended his arm to receive it. The man facing him calmly raised his hand as though to pass it over. Just as the bearded man's fingers were about to touch the scroll, the man's expression suddenly changed—his fierce demeanor flashed briefly—and the jade scroll emitted a green glow, instantly transforming into a slender green serpent that snapped onto the bearded man's wrist with a sudden, startling bite. A tall man of Lu surname was filled with astonishment, about to call out something, when suddenly his face turned black and purple, and then he collapsed silently to the ground, motionless. "Indeed, the Double-Tailed Jade Snake lives up to its reputation—its venom is surely no less potent than that of the legendary Ten Absolute Poisons. After being bitten, the Yuan-Emperor's inner essence is completely drained, and he can no longer even attempt to flee. If this creature had wings, it would undoubtedly be a formidable and deadly adversary for any adept." With a pleased expression, the man murmured, stepping forward to carefully examine the body, which was now gradually melting. The small green snake, having released its venomous fangs from the body, flicked its tail and revealed two slender, equally sized, pointed tails. Then, with a swift tap of its tails against the ground, it shot upward with a "whoosh," returning to the palm of its master. It then raised its neck, coiled itself, and expelled a core of dark purple and black venom, its eyes gleaming with a deep, serene jade green. At that moment, the attacker held the small snake in one hand and with a gentle gesture in the other, the storage sack on the corpse instantly shot into his hand. He then slightly calmed his awareness, appearing eager as if searching for something.