When Lu Wei Ying stopped chanting, the banner trembled and suddenly unfurled, radiating a brilliant, dazzling light. Waves of hurricanes, identical to those before, surged upward from the banner, coalescing into several dozen shimmering white wind dragons that surged forth toward the distant gray mist with fierce momentum. The golden great sword, still humming, shot out from its original position and soared into the sky above the mist, hovering in an unstable, swirling motion. It seemed the Nán Lǒng Marquis intended to wait until the mist cleared and the monsters emerged, then unleash a sudden, decisive strike. Meanwhile, Han Li remained silent, then swept his sleeve outward—launching a silver-lit bowl that immediately transformed into a glowing silver sphere and flew off toward the distance. This bowl, one of the few ancient treasures Han Li obtained from defeating Mu Lan's mage, was not particularly powerful. By using it to attack, Han Li likely harbored a sense of cautious testing. A dozen wind dragons surged ahead, plunging into the thick mist. The gray vapor surged and rolled, then was lifted high by a gale and torn into fragments. The gray sea of mist gradually weakened. Yet this state lasted only briefly. Suddenly, a strange, low hissing sound emerged from within the mist. A massive serpent's tail, thick as a water cistern, shot out abruptly and struck one of the wind dragons. The gale instantly vanished. The tail delivered sharp, unyielding blows, easily defeating two more wind dragons. Seeing this, the elder named Lu frowned. Immediately, he formed an unusual hand seal and uttered the character "Pò." The remaining十余 gusts of wind flashed with white light and burst simultaneously. The violent winds surged through the mist, scattering the majority of the gray vapor into fragments. Finally, the mist completely dispersed, and the forms of the creatures began to emerge, faintly and indistinctly. Enormous and dark as a small mountain, the golden great sword, which had been circling above the gray mist for a long time, seized this moment to descend silently, cutting through the newly emerging giant serpent. Han Li, meanwhile, accelerated his spell, flying to the bowl he had launched, causing it to emit a brilliant silver glow and suddenly expand to the size of a few zhang. A deep, resonant hum echoed out, and a wave of silver light surged forth from the massive luminous sphere, sweeping directly toward the giant serpent, forming a united front with the golden sword. The serpent seemed somewhat sluggish, remaining coiled and contracted, motionless despite the combined assault of the silver waves and the golden blade. Nan Long Hou naturally felt greatly relieved, and promptly poured several more measures of spiritual energy into the sword, causing it to grow slightly larger once again. However, before the golden light could make a solid cut, a subtle flash of light rippled across the serpent's body, instantly revealing a layer of green radiance upon its surface. A tremendous roar echoed, as golden and green light intertwined, then surged into a brilliant azure glow that instantly rebounded the golden great sword. All three cultivators were taken aback. A subsequent wave of silvery light struck the azure glow, but likewise failed to make an impact. The great serpent, after these two blows, seemed to finally awaken. It slowly lifted its massive head from deep within its body, swaying it several times before turning its gaze toward Han Li and the others. By now, the gray mist had completely dissipated, revealing the serpent clearly to the three. The creature was entirely black, like iron, stretching over fifty or sixty paces in length, with an unusually thick body covered in palm-sized, dark, glossy scales. Two pairs of green, cold, luminous eyes glowed with a serene, penetrating chill. Han Li felt a sudden surge of alertness and was about to cast a spell to summon the silver basin back when the serpent seemed to stir. A long, ethereal shadow flickered past, and suddenly, the large silver basin, which had been thirty paces away, vanished entirely. Han Li was startled and had not yet grasped what was happening when the golden great sword of Nan Long Hou also encountered the same phenomenon. As the spectral image passed, the golden great sword suddenly vanished. However, this time, Han Li, who had been prepared, clearly observed the entire process. The great serpent stretched and thinned out in an astonishing manner, swiftly swallowing the two treasures whole. Due to the speed of the action, Han Li and his companions initially failed to react. Though the serpent itself was immensely large, its movements were remarkably swift. Han Li's expression grew serious at once. Beside him, Nan Long Hou, upon seeing his great sword swallowed, first expressed shock, then joy. That golden flying sword had been his life-long treasure, painstakingly cultivated over a century. Originally, the serpent's scales were impenetrable, rendering it immune to any external damage. Yet now, it willingly entered the serpent's body—wasn't that a self-imposed fate of certain demise? Thinking of this, Nanlong Marquis said nothing, urgently channeling his spiritual awareness to urge his golden flying sword to display its full might within the giant serpent’s body, aiming to pierce through its abdomen and end the creature’s life. Yet at the very next moment, his expression grew stiff. Though his soul artifact remained connected, it now seemed bound and immobilized within the serpent’s belly—completely unable to move. This caused him to grow increasingly anxious. After all, should his soul artifact suffer damage, his own spirit would surely be severely affected. "My two friends, my sword is now trapped. This giant serpent is no ordinary beast—please be especially cautious." As soon as he finished this reminder, Nanlong Marquis took a deep,沉沉 breath, then raised his hand, releasing a jade-green ring that floated before him. The ring’s surface flickered between light and dark, with various symbols shimmering and pulsing constantly. Clearly, it was no ordinary item. On the other side, Lu Weiying, upon seeing the precious items of Han Li and the other two suffer loss, was startled and promptly retrieved her magical banner. Then, with a wave of her hand, several scrolls floated gently into the air, followed by a burst of white light, which gave rise to dozens of strange, glowing white fire balls hovering before the elder. Han Li gazed at these white fire balls, feeling a faint sense of familiarity—as if he had heard of them before. But now was not the time for reflection. Turning back, he tapped his storage pouch at the waist, and four beams of white light shot out, landing on the ground. Three white wolves, two red oxen, and one green serpent—these were the six ancient automaton beasts he had exchanged for at the fair, from Tianjing True Person. Though he had not yet put them into practical use, now facing the colossal ancient serpent, he was eager to test their power. The southern land marquis and the elder both showed a slight surprise at seeing Han Li's automaton beasts, but soon their expressions returned to their usual composure. All three were seasoned combatants with extensive experience in duels. After exchanging serious glances, they prepared to each summon their respective powers and launch a coordinated assault. Yet the massive serpent fixed its gaze upon them, its eyes blazing with menace. It suddenly lifted its head and forcefully exhaled outward. Instantly, a pungent, nauseating scent surged toward the three—Han Li and his companions—facing them. Startled, they quickly flashed their protective spiritual radiance and held their breath. Yet a moment later, they realized that though the scent was unpleasant, it was not harmful. The three exchanged surprised, hesitant glances. However, during this brief pause, the serpent opened its wide, blood-filled maw, flattened its belly, and suddenly drew in a deep breath. In an instant, fragments of broken stones and soil from the ground leapt upward and rushed in a torrent into the serpent’s mouth. Without expecting it, the three of them felt as though a powerful force had pushed them from behind, causing their feet to loosen and their bodies to instantly become immobile, floating mid-air as if being forcibly drawn into the giant serpent's mouth. Even the four puppets stationed at Han Li's side were completely helpless, simply being sucked forward and reaching the edge of the serpent's maw within an instant. Han Li looked slightly startled, yet remained calm inside. A flash of green light emanated from his body, making him feel suddenly heavy as he began to descend. At the same time, his consciousness stirred, and the six puppets just reaching the giant serpent's mouth suddenly launched an attack. The four horns of the two red oxen flashed with red light, then burst forth as four brilliant crimson streaks aimed directly at the serpent's wide mouth. The giant serpent had been fully focused on drawing Han Li and his companions into its body, yet these streaks struck effortlessly upon the exposed serpent's core. After a flash of red light, a series of soft thuds echoed through the air. The serpent emitted a low, painful groan, and its massive core instantly contracted inward. Though unable to see the injury, the breath in his mouth momentarily faltered. In that brief pause, the tri-headed white wolf regained control of his body, his white glow intensifying, instantly reasserting mastery over his form. The tips of his four wolf paws shot out sharp, inch-long claws, and sharp, blade-like fangs extended from his mouth. His figure flickered, transforming into three streaks of white light that surged directly toward the giant serpent's head. A series of crisp "crackling" sounds, reminiscent of metal rubbing, echoed from the serpent's head. Just as the two white wolves had reached half their flight, they were struck heavily by the great serpent, which swiftly expelled its serpentine core and swept it left and right—sending one of them skidding off at an angle. The serpent’s head, the size of a room, tilted slightly and instantly swallowed a white wolf puppet that had been shot backward. As it attempted to prepare another puppet in the same manner, the green serpent puppet suddenly expanded to over a dozen zhang in height, charging straight at it. At the same time, the two red oxen once again launched their horns into the air. The ancient serpent beast was completely incensed by these puppet attacks. It roared low, then rapidly shook its head, and a surge of black mist burst forth from its nostrils, instantly enveloping the entire head. The remaining two white wolves seized the moment and prepared to shoot back. Yet, within the black mist, two silhouettes emerged, seizing both wolves at once—two heads of serpent, identical in appearance but smaller in size. Though this sequence of events may seem lengthy, it actually unfolded in a matter of moments. At this moment, the dark mist rapidly receded, revealing the true form of the colossal serpent. Meanwhile, the party who had just regained their freedom—Han Li and the others—immediately erupted in exclamations. "This is...!" "A three-headed black serpent!" "How is this possible!" Their voices were filled with disbelief. Across from them, a monstrous serpent with three heads stood in furious confrontation. The central head continuously exhaled thick serpentine spirals, while the two side heads simultaneously strained to bite through the puppet beasts lodged in their mouths. Suddenly, a cold, resonant "boom" echoed from across the battlefield. Two thunderous crashes followed. The two puppet beasts in the serpent's mouths burst apart, transforming into brilliant, dazzling white radiance, one after the other.