This Loyal-Sand relic is no ordinary treasure. To refine such a weapon capable of tainting others'法宝, the Huang-Pao Han had to secretly slay countless junior cultivators, extracting their refined essences and spiritual cores, along with vast quantities of rare materials. In past encounters with powerful adversaries, whenever the Han duo released this sand, they had nearly always achieved decisive victories. Even when facing peers of equal rank, the sand consistently demonstrated remarkable prowess, achieving numerous triumphs and even forging the renowned reputation of "The Sand-Wielding Master." Among the offshoot sects and fringe traditions, he was well-known as a distinguished elder master. This time, he dared to challenge the famed Xuanye King among the evil cultivators, and this very relic provided him with solid confidence. Yet now, upon releasing the sand into the current array to combat this unknown cultivator, not only did it fail to harm the opponent, but it was swiftly subdued—taken in pieces—by the giant ape summoned by the adversary. This naturally made the yellow-robed man deeply regretful, and he no longer dared to drive the sand mist to besiege his opponent. Instead, he hurriedly recited incantations, drawing back all the black sand near Han Li. At the same time, this development made him hesitate, and a subtle desire to withdraw began to stir within him. "Brother Kuangsha, didn't you borrow the Blue Crystal Divine Sand? Why not use this precious artifact to deal with him directly? Though I don't know what kind of spiritual beast this giant ape is, it's clearly only effective against shadows and ghostly energies. The Blue Crystal Divine Sand, however, is a pure Daoist treasure—his opponent will surely be unable to withstand it. As long as we eliminate this man, everything can still proceed exactly as originally planned." It was the Tianfeng True Sovereign, a man with an unusually unattractive appearance—dark-skinned, with a broad face and small eyes—who spoke these words. For this mission, he had devoted immense effort and energy. With the success of the operation now so close, he was truly unwilling to see it fall short. "The Blue Crystal Divine Sand," he said, "was the very last resort I painstaking Master Tian Shi is deeply connected with me, which is why she has lent me these treasures. I have repeatedly promised to use them solely for my life preservation. Should anything go wrong, I shall not be able to face her. Upon hearing this, Master Kuang Sha immediately shook his head vigorously, as if a drum were being struck, and firmly rejected the proposal. "Yet, the current cultivator possesses all his treasures and spiritual beasts, each exceptionally sharp and powerful. Without this sand, we simply cannot stand a chance against him. Would then all our prior efforts have been in vain? Other items may be secondary. But the Old Demon's Heavenly Corpse Pearl—such a rare treasure for cultivating a solid physical body—is absolutely vital to our breakthrough into the next stage of cultivation!" Upon hearing this, Master Tian Feng grew increasingly anxious. "Hmph! The Heavenly Corpse Pearl is important, but the blue crystal sand is not. This sand is not something that can be reused—it is one-time use. Once consumed, I shall have nothing left. Even though Master Tian Shi has a certain connection with me, should she wish to lend me this sand again, it will be impossible." Moreover, the divine capabilities of the person before them were truly profound and beyond comprehension. Even the Blue Crystal Sand might not be enough to defeat him. Should he still be overcome, it would indeed be a matter of snow adding to snow. The Master of the Blazing Sand snorted, still refusing to agree. "But..." Although the Heavenly Wind Sovereign found his argument sound and reasonable, he still felt deeply dissatisfied and intended to press his point further. Yet at that very moment, a sudden flash of fiery light surged from afar, spiraling through the sand mist before piercing into it and landing in the hands of the yellow-robed gentleman. "What is this?" The gentleman, now holding the flame in his right hand, which had transformed into a sealed transmission scroll, was momentarily surprised. Yet without hesitation, he immersed his consciousness into the flame. In mere moments, his expression darkened, and with a single gesture, the flame vanished completely. "Let's go! Even now, using the Blue Crystal Sand would be too late. The seven disciples and the three calamities—those mere incompetents—have been forcibly driven back by Lady Yu Hua's spectral troops, breaking through their enclosures." He's bringing a large number of high-level spiritual corpses rushing toward this location. If they don't move now, they'll be in serious danger. Master Kang Sha said coldly. Upon hearing this, Tian Feng True Sovereign was utterly astonished, and finally gave up his last shred of hope, only able to nod in resignation. Then, without delay, the two swiftly cast spells. The black sand mist surged violently, then suddenly rose together into the sky, coalescing into a single mass, before spreading out and rolling steadily away toward the distance. The two men had not appeared once throughout the entire process. Han Li stood on the back of the giant ape, his gaze steadily fixed upon their retreating figures. His time was limited. Should the other party continue to press him, he would undoubtedly have to activate the Xutian Ding once again. Last time, the Xutian Ding had collected the spiritual sand of Tian Lan's noble maiden on its own—this time, it should be sufficient to handle these sand mists. Yet the Xutian Ding was still a celestial-grade artifact. Though only a few cultivators from the Luanxing Oversea would know of it, he did not wish to use it lightly. Otherwise, should anyone recognize him by chance, things would certainly become quite troublesome. Even if he possessed boundless power, he might still find it difficult to enjoy peace thereafter. "Your mastery is truly remarkable—you've managed to dispel this Falling Soul Sand! It has truly amazed Your Majesty. I am most grateful for your life-saving assistance." Upon seeing the yellow-robed scholar and others carry away the sand mist, eventually vanishing into the horizon, King Xuanye exhaled a deep breath of relief. Yet he did not immediately withdraw the corpse flames that enveloped his body. Instead, amidst the glow of fire, he bowed respectfully to Han Li and said so. Han Li's gaze was calm and detached, showing no emotion at all. Even though Xuanye Wang, though not an ordinary cultivator, had witnessed Han Li's magnificent display of power just now, he could not help feeling a deep chill spreading through him. He immediately raised his guard, alert and cautious, fearing that while his front gate held firm against a tiger, a wolf might be approaching from behind. Since the sand mist had departed, the giant ape beneath Han Li had remained motionless, half-closing its massive eyes, as though savoring the large quantity of black sand it had just absorbed. When Xuanye Wang, initially somewhat hostile toward Han Li, sensed the connection between them, the giant ape instantly became aware of the change. With a quick shift of its gaze, it fixed its attention on the Wanyuan Shijiang. Suddenly, a distinctly human-like expression of admiration appeared on its face—its wide mouth opened and closed continuously, murmuring in a way that seemed as though it were relishing a delicious meal. It looked utterly eager and enthusiastic, as though it could hardly contain its delight. This very demeanor sent the once-great ancient emperor, now a mortal, shivering with fear. He had just witnessed this giant ape effortlessly gathering the fallen souls of sand, and naturally understood the creature's formidable power—indeed, even in its presence, he felt a subtle, innate sense of fear. Though not intense, King Xuanye sensed that this beast might have a certain inherent advantage over him, and thus found himself quietly distressed, his mind filled with apprehension. Han Li had just carefully observed the other person, sensing a corpse qi similar to that of the Jingu Pavilion. Upon hearing the Yellow Robe Han address him as "Xuan Ye brother," he immediately formed a clear picture of the man's identity. It was truly unexpected to meet him so soon. However, after forcefully employing the Da Yan Ju to clear his mind, Han Li estimated the duration of his own sealing, the likelihood of the other possessing several desperate secret techniques, and considering that the wind-thunder wings, ice-flame, and other divine arts had already been revealed in sequence, making it impossible to achieve any further surprise. Thus, even with the assistance of the Ti Hun beast, this ten-thousand-year-old corpse king was no ordinary corpse cultivator—securing a victory within a short time remained highly unlikely. Therefore, after some deliberation, Han Li managed to suppress his inner killing intent. However, after saving the other once, the advantages naturally wouldn't be relinquished. Thus, he spoke without hesitation earlier. "Heh! Besides some spiritual stones and materials, which I still have in reserve, I'd be honored if you'd join me back. I promise you a most satisfactory experience. Upon hearing this, Xuanye the King felt a bit reassured, smiled gently, and said, 'No need to go through such trouble. I notice your golden beads are quite valuable—would you be so kind as to part with one?' After pausing thoughtfully, Han Li said this with calm composure. 'Precisely this item, you mean?' Xuanye the King's face darkened upon hearing Han Li's words. Yet, glancing at the still watchful giant ape, he only managed a hesitant reply, finally expelling the golden bead from his mouth. Han Li nodded casually, confirming it was indeed this item. 'This is known as the Heavenly Corpse Pearl—a kind of essence artifact that naturally forms when our Corpse Kings practice the Heavenly Corpse Technique.' He was never one to readily reveal himself. If I'm not mistaken, the two demons from Fangjian Mountain likely came all the way for this very item. Yet, this pearl holds no particular value for me—my friend, please take it whenever you'd like! With a flicker of his gaze, XuanYe Wang suddenly smiled and pointed at the golden pearl before him. Instantly, the pearl shot forth toward Han Li. Han Li was quite surprised, yet his hands remained steady, catching the pearl that surged through the air with a single grasp. A large, jade-colored hand materialized in the space above, seizing the golden pearl effortlessly. The old demon had indeed done nothing to tamper with it! Han Li wrapped the pearl in a swirl of green light and examined it closely, his eyes narrowed. It was genuine—no substitution, no deception—exactly the same golden pearl the old demon had originally summoned. He had originally intended to negotiate for it, hoping to secure some advantage. But the offer had come so smoothly and decisively, which now left him somewhat puzzled.