Suddenly, a flash of light appeared on the distant horizon, and a vast expanse of dark and purple luminescence rose in the upper sky, shimmering and pulsating continuously. Below it, a lush, emerald-green cloud, spanning several acres, slowly ascended, rotating gently within the glow. As the green cloud intertwined with the strange radiance, a deep, resonant roar echoed forth—precisely the sound that was now subtly emanating from that direction. The dark and purple luminescence radiated a surge of magical energy, like a mighty tidal wave of demonic power. This very aura was familiar to all three—exactly the same as the one that had first emerged when the "Nanlong Marquis" had manifested his dual-headed, four-armed form. Yet, it was far less intense than the current display, so powerful that merely sensing it from afar felt suffocating. What caused the old Master Ling to grow visibly alarmed was that both the dark-purple glow and the green cloud were swiftly approaching their current location, steadily closing the distance. "The abdomen-rotting toxic cloud! That is the mist formed by Wei's toxic technique—ordinary cultivators who come into contact with it will instantly perish." "I once saw Master Wei use his technique." The white-robed woman, upon seeing the green mist, beamed with delight. However, upon hearing this, Han Li and Lixu the Elder exchanged glances, each reading deep apprehension in the other's eyes. Though the green mist was powerful, it was clearly being subdued by the dark purple aura. It seemed that the creature battling Wei Wuyi was no ordinary late-stage Yuan-Enlightened cultivator—indeed, even a Yuan-Enlightened of the late stage could not match it. Yet the sheer intensity of this presence could not have been from the very one who just slipped away—the Nanlong Marquis. The white-robed woman, sharp as she was, instantly grasped the situation upon observing Han Li and Lixu's expressions, and her demeanor darkened. "Perhaps we should..." She hesitated, about to propose something, when suddenly a cold, penetrating awareness swept over all three of them. Her voice cut off abruptly. Han Li felt a sudden jolt of alarm, while Lixu the Elder's face grew even more strained. "Now that these three of us have been locked down by whatever's over there, we may as well be stuck in place—we won't be able to move unless we act immediately. The magical beasts that attacked us earlier have also fled over there. Should they now join forces to attack Mr. Wei, even if Mr. Wei possesses profound cultivation, he won't be able to hold out much longer. So, are you two planning to go over there to lend a hand to Mr. Wei, or would you rather part ways now, letting yourselves be pursued by these beasts one by one after Mr. Wei's demise, and then each settle your own fate?" After a brief pause, Han Li spoke with a calm, cold tone. He had just used his divine awareness to probe into the black-purple radiance beneath, only to find the fluctuations of spiritual energy there astonishing—his awareness could barely reach close enough. This caused a subtle weight to settle in his heart. It clearly indicated that the cultivators engaged in the battle were far beyond his own level. Lún Lóu, the elder sage, and the white-robed woman exchanged glances, surprised. If possible, they had just barely escaped with their lives, and certainly didn't wish to risk another fierce battle Yet, as Han Li had pointed out, once Wei Wuyah, who was holding back the magical beasts, failed, there would be little chance for the two of them to escape from the valley. After all, they were now deep within the heart of the inner valley. Moreover, should Wei Wuyah not perish, and later learned that they had failed to save him, as cultivators of the Nine Kingdoms Alliance, they would surely face serious consequences. As senior elders of their respective sects, they could even bring great misfortune to the Yanyue Sect and Huangfeng Valley. Yet, to make them willing to risk their lives and engage in a battle with only a slim chance of success—this the two were unwilling to accept. At this moment, both of them appeared hesitant. Han Li smiled coldly, arms folded behind his back, gazing at the approaching dark purple luminescence from the horizon, and said nothing further. "Among the three of us, it is my friend Han who possesses the greatest cultivation prowess. How do you intend to proceed, then?" Elder Lingfu furrowed his brows, exhaled a sigh of frustration, and suddenly turned to ask Han Li. "Me?" Hehe… Han Li didn’t answer right away, merely smiled and remained silent. Ling Fu the Elder sighed, shaking his head in quiet frustration, silently cursing Han Li for being such a slippery fellow. Otherwise, if Han Li had simply suggested that the three of them immediately retreat at once, then when Wei Wuya later pressed charges, he and the woman would have a solid excuse to shift the blame entirely onto Han Li. Just as Ling Fu felt a bit embarrassed, Han Li suddenly emitted a soft "Ah!" "Ah! There are other cultivators nearby. That’s not surprising at all—such a commotion must have drawn cultivators from as far as several hundred miles around." Ling Fu and the white-robed woman were startled by this, quickly turning to follow Han Li’s gaze. Indeed, at the edge of the battlefield, faint glimmers of spiritual light were visible, and a group of cultivators was clearly flying toward the strange green cloud. "It’s them! Why are they going to such a dangerous place?" As Han Li carefully scanned the group with his spiritual awareness, his mind suddenly snapped into alertness. The three cultivators who had journeyed to the site of the conflict were unexpectedly familiar to him. One of them was the Tianjing True Person with whom he had previously conducted business, still accompanied by two evil ghost puppets behind him—though both were now severely wounded, one even having only one arm left, as though they had endured considerable trials. The other was the silvery-haired elder from Luoyun Sect, Master Cheng, Han Li’s senior colleague. The third was an unfamiliar elder who had entered the valley alongside Master Cheng. The fourth cultivator, expected to be present and notably aged, had vanished entirely—presumably encountering some unforeseen incident. After observing these individuals closely, Han Li’s expression darkened. It seemed these people had been drawn here by the astonishing conflict. Perhaps they even believed the cultivators were fighting over some rare treasure. If only they knew that not only was there no such treasure, but that there were actually magical beasts capable of devouring Yuan-Infused cultivators, they would surely have fled long ago. Because the distance was too great, Han Li had no choice but to use his inner voice transmission to intervene—by then it was already too late. The few had reached the battlefield in the span of a moment. Surely, Wei Wuyi must be delighted to have several expendable allies stepping in to relieve some of his pressure. But the silver-haired elders and their companions were now in serious danger. As for others, Han Li didn’t care. Yet this "Cheng Senior Brother" had always been generous to him at Luoyun Sect. He was known for his clear sense of justice and would never allow someone he valued to fall right before his eyes. Thus, he would have to make the same journey himself. Han Li thought to himself, with a sense of resignation. His original plan had not been to simply rush away immediately, nor to directly engage in a head-on confrontation with Cang Hu and Wei Wuyi. Instead, he intended to quietly approach, observe the specifics of Wei Wuyi’s battle against the ancient demon, and then decide whether to intervene. If Wei Wuyi were only slightly disadvantaged, Han Li would naturally step in to assist and hold the newly arrived demon spirit at bay. After all, as a human Yet if Wei Wuyi was completely unable to hold on, and was already on the verge of collapse, he would certainly not sacrifice himself to the situation—he would rather make a hasty retreat to ensure his own safety. This could only be considered a misfortune for the cultivators in the valley. Facing an opponent who had even defeated senior Yuan婴 stage cultivators, he simply lacked the strength to turn the tide; merely preserving his life would be a great achievement. Now, however, the group of silver-haired elder and others suddenly charged straight into the battle fray. Han Li's face changed from expression to expression several times, and he could only grit his teeth and join in. If the situation became truly perilous, he could always resort to his Blood-Shadow Evade technique to escape. But he would have to time his direction precisely—otherwise, as soon as he emerged, he might immediately collide with one of the spatial fissures, which would be quite dangerous. He would only use this secondary technique if absolutely necessary. After carefully weighing all the circumstances, Han Li suddenly turned around and coldly said to his neighbor Ling Xu Elder and the white-robed woman: "Since other fellow cultivators have stepped in to assist now—" Faced with this monster devouring the immortal embryos of the cultivators, we cannot simply stand by and do nothing. Whether or not my two friends proceed, I shall go first. Yet, my two friends are now so close to the battlefield. I suspect Wei Daojun has already detected our presence. Then how shall I explain myself to him afterward? With a tone that blended seven parts warning and three parts threat, Han Li stomped his foot and instantly transformed into a streak of azure light, rushing straight toward the battlefield, breaking through the air. Li Feng, the elder cultivator, and the white-robed woman stood speechless, stunned, after hearing Han Li’s words. In this brief delay, the clash between the deep purple and green radiance grew even more intense. Now only about fifteen li away, if Wei Wuyi so wished, a mere flick of his awareness would reveal them completely hidden. Han Li’s words were not entirely mere threats. "Then let us go. Han Daojun is right. As human cultivators, it is indeed our duty to uphold righteousness and drive away evil." Lingfu the Elder drew a faint smile from his lips, then chuckled and said to the white-robed woman. The woman's expression remained gloomy, fully aware of the implications, and could only nod helplessly. Fortunately, with so many cultivators joining the fray, even the most formidable beast should be able to secure its own safety. With a mixture of hope and determination, the two of them transformed into streaks of brilliant light and pressed forward. They were unaware that, behind them, a hundred li away, Dongmen Tu, the Grand Elder of Yuling Sect, was already flying toward them with three green-robed disciples. Of the original three cultivators who had evolved from the Five Elements Ling Ying stage, only three remained—presumably the other two had perished in the spatial rift and the seals. Yet Dongmen Tu showed no sign of disappointment; instead, he appeared excited, occasionally glancing toward the distant horizon where the spiritual energy surged unusually. Even from a hundred li away, he could clearly sense the intense fluctuations. He naturally assumed that some cultivators were making significant efforts to secure a precious treasure, and he intended to go see what was happening, hoping to seize the opportunity to make his own gains. …Meanwhile, three hundred li in the opposite direction, Master Zhong of the Gui Ling Sect led a contingent of disciples toward the battle site, his face deeply somber. Although the route into the Plum Demon Valley was well-documented, two of his disciples had unexpectedly perished—both their bodies and spirits vanished within a mobile spatial rift along the way. His primary objective—the rare spiritual timber he had painstakingly sought—had also been compromised: the precious Ling Zhu Fruit, essential for his progression to the Yuan Ying stage, had already been snatched by someone else. Even with his profound cultivation, this news nearly drove him to collapse from frustration. The fruit’s fresh traces of removal and the urgent need to immediately incorporate it into medicine or elixir preparation meant the successful thief would not be able to retreat far. He immediately dispatched his disciples to search the surrounding area, but after several days of relentless efforts, they found nothing. Just as he was about to sigh in resignation and begin retracing their original path, a sudden surge of wind waves struck, nearly causing the entire contingent of disciples to be wiped out. Fortunately, he had a top-tier defensive ancient relic with him, which allowed him to narrowly escape the peril. As a sudden, astonishing surge of spiritual energy rippled from afar, he was struck with inspiration and immediately recalled the cultivator who had rushed to snatch the spirit pillar fruit, promptly taking off to fly toward him.