Just as Han Li was about to engage the ancient demon's spirit fragment in combat, ready to test whether the demon's injuries had fully healed, the ancient demon suddenly stirred. Han Li paused, then realized what had happened, raising an eyebrow and turning in the same direction. Moments later, a brilliant flash of spiritual light appeared on the distant horizon, followed by a sudden streak of radiant light that surged toward them at breathtaking speed—so swift that even Han Li was astonished. The streak carried with it a faint rumble of wind and thunder. Upon seeing a cultivator approaching, the ancient demon flashed a glint of fierce determination, then calmly smoothed out his stern expression, gazing steadily at the incoming light. Covering just a few dozen miles, this astonishing streak of light arrived at the vicinity almost instantly. A flash of light revealed a head monk, disheveled and bareheaded, standing several dozen paces away. This ascetic had broad, rugged features, one hand supporting a round, crimson bowl, the other gripping a jade Zen staff several feet long. Now, after glancing at Han Li and the ancient demon, he noticed their faces were strikingly similar and could not help but feel a flicker of surprise. "I wonder if any of the guests who just returned from the exchange fair would be willing to chat with me about a matter of some importance," he said, his eyes subtly shifting, suddenly bright with a warm smile. Han Li merely moved his lips slightly, glanced at the man with a sideways look, and said nothing. This ascetic was a cultivator at the mid-Immortal stage—both in his cultivation level and in the quality of his treasures—clearly exceptional, which explained why he had come all the way alone. Yet Han Li was well aware of the ascetic's intentions, and naturally, he paid him no mind. The ancient spirit, on the other hand, had been gazing upward, arms crossed behind his back, since the ascetic first appeared, never once turning to look at him, as though he were completely unaware of his presence. Upon seeing Han Li and the other's indifferent demeanor, the ascetic grew deeply annoyed. To be honest, since he advanced to the Yuan Ying stage, he had always been treated with great courtesy by fellow cultivators of the same level—never had he been treated so lightly before. Now, the current Han Li and Gu Mo displayed Yuan Ying stages of mid and early stage, respectively, and their appearances were so similar that he naturally regarded them as allies. Facing them together, though he didn't believe he would definitely lose, he knew his chances of victory would be slim. Thus, despite his visibly displeased expression, he managed to suppress his anger and quietly pondered strategies to defeat them one by one. However, before he could devise a solid plan, a flash of light appeared from the direction they had come. Then, three streams of colored flight lights emerged simultaneously and converged into a single, powerful surge, rushing toward them. The Tuo Dao was momentarily stunned. He had always believed his own skills in flight techniques to be exceptional, which allowed him to catch up so swiftly with Han Li. These three figures must possess some remarkable abilities—despite their numbers, they still arrive only a step behind him. It seems unlikely now that he will be able to claim the treasures alone. Yet, their arrival eliminates the need for him to face two cultivators single-handedly, which is not entirely a disadvantage. With this thought in mind, the head monk cast a stern, sharp gaze upon Han Li and Gu Mo. Sensing the head monk's ill will, the ancient demon, who had previously been gazing upward at the sky, suddenly lowered his head, scanning the approaching light trails with growing impatience. "Indeed troublesome. I thought only one such intruder would disrupt things—now it seems many have come to meet their end. Then, perhaps, it's time to send you on your way. "Coldly, he finished speaking. At that moment, a flash of black light surged from the ancient demon, and he suddenly transformed into a streak of black energy, rushing straight toward Head Tu. Head Tu muttered in surprise, 'Dying here!' and, without hesitation, flipped his round bowl overhead. Instantly, a surge of blood-red flame erupted from the bowl, spreading out to form a vast curtain of fire that shielded him completely. With his other hand raised, his jade-green meditation staff detached and soared into the air, morphing into a green jade dragon that charged directly at the black streak. As the dragon exhaled green breath, its tendrils fiercely grasping the black energy form of the ancient demon, the black streak trembled and then vanished abruptly. Several zhang away from the Bodhisattva, a streak of black light flashed, and two arms of deep purple hue surged forth, swiftly plunging into the fiery veil—without a single sign of hesitation. "Ah!" The Bodhisattva was struck with cold dread upon seeing this. Without further thought, he roared aloud, and as he opened his mouth, a vast expanse of golden radiance erupted, instantly solidifying into a luminous shield before him. At the same time, his body trembled, and he began to retreat to the side. A soft "thud," and the golden shield, like paper, was shattered by the two magical arms in a single blow. As the Bodhisattva moved, two large holes appeared simultaneously in his dantian. Then, the two arms split violently from left and right, tearing his entire body in two—his internal organs and a torrent of blood rain cascaded down from the sky. The red Yuan-Embryo cried out once, then swiftly guided a golden flying sword, flashing through the debris, and materialized twenty zhang away. Yet as the Yuan-婴's golden glow flashed, when it tried to instantaneously retreat further, it had no chance. Suddenly, a streak of purple surged past the Yuan-婴's back. The Yuan-婴 felt a sudden warmth in its mind, as something pierced through its skull from behind, and with a sharp cry, it instantly lost all strength, utterly helpless, swept back by the purple streak and vanishing into the flames. How could they dare to seek certain treasures and risk their lives by coming all the way here? Naturally, they simply slipped away! In a moment, the traces of three streaks of light vanished completely! Faced with the ruthless manner in which the ancient demon had instantly slain the head monk, Han Li took a sharp breath, gazing at the distant flames, his expression shifting between gloom and uncertainty. A sharp, eerie laugh erupted from within the flames, followed by the sudden extinguishing of all the flames, revealing the ancient demon once more. Upon seeing the demon clearly, Han Li couldn't help drawing his lips slightly, his face growing increasingly grave. Now, the ancient demon had transformed into a half-magical, half-human form. Though his face and body still retained humanoid form, the arms and legs protruding from the torn green robe had turned deep purple and had grown nearly twice their original size. More chilling still, a purple tongue several feet long extended from the slightly open mouth of the figure, the upper half of the tongue raised high, its tip precisely piercing the immortal embryo of the monastic disciple, whose fate remained unknown. The two eyes, devoid of any emotion, stared coldly at Han Li. Han Li narrowed his gaze, maintaining steady eye contact with the demon without speaking. Han Li spoke calmly, then shook his sleeve, and the golden flying swords swirling before him emitted a resonant hum before being fully drawn into the folds of his robe. With a simple mouth movement, several clots of pure blood burst forth, instantly enveloping Han Li in a thick, dense mist of blood. "Want to leave? Too late now," the ancient demon flashed an unearthly gleam in his eyes, retracted his long tongue, and swallowed Han Li's immortal embryo whole. As his form flickered, he vanished once more from his original spot. Han Li paid no attention to the demon's actions. With two books in hand and a series of gestures, a pair of silvery-white wings suddenly emerged from behind him, and his form began to blur within the blood mist. Yet almost simultaneously, a surge of black light flashed before him, and the demon's now-magical, terrifying form materialized directly before him—his teleportation speed was nearly half as swift as when he had defeated the bodhisattva earlier, and he had clearly not exerted his full strength. Han Li, who had remained remarkably composed, suddenly frowned, muttering under his breath, "Not good." The ancient demon smiled coldly, then, as he opened his mouth, aimed to instantly strike and kill Han Li, who was suspended in the blood mist. Just then, a piercing, icy exhalation suddenly surged through his mind—so sharp and clear it felt like an invisible drill. Even with his exceptionally refined awareness, the ancient demon felt a sharp sting in his brain, gasping faintly and pausing mid-motion. In that brief instant, Han Li flashed through the blood mist, transforming into a streak of crimson shadow, and within just a few breaths, had vanished beyond the horizon. Startled, the demon quickly extended his awareness, only to find Han Li just beyond a hundred li away—only for Han Li to vanish again into the shadow, now beyond the reach of his mental perception. The ancient demon stood motionless, stunned. "Shadow-form elusion—wasn't that the secret technique of Tiechi the Demon? How can a mortal cultivator master it? This is quite troublesome. Wait—there seems to be something different about it!" As he murmured these thoughts, a thoughtful expression settled upon his face. But at that moment, a luminous glow flashed from afar in the sky, and soon after, six or seven streaks of differently colored light emerged on the horizon, racing toward them. The ancient demon stirred, startled from his contemplation, his gaze cold as he scanned the approaching cultivators, a hint of fury flashing across his face. "Perfect timing," he murmured. "The golden elixirs I absorbed several years ago have now been fully refined. With another batch of cultivators to absorb, I believe my injuries will be completely healed within a few years." He drew a deep breath, and instantly, vast streams of dark purple magical energy surged from his body, fully enveloping him within moments. A few sharp roars followed, and the energy surged and churned violently. Then, a massive, dual-headed, four-armed magical creature emerged, drifting steadily within the swirling energy, its four dark purple eyes fixed with emotionless intensity upon the streaks of light hurtling toward it.