Now they are searching a vast expanse of sea to the west of Qiongying Island. Just a few days ago, a group of cultivators here were attacked by that eighth-rank blue dragon. Though they believed the beast to be so cunning that it would unlikely linger nearby to be ambushed, the Nanhai Gate has still dispatched this group to conduct a thorough search, hoping for any unexpected discoveries. Facing so many witnesses, Han Li naturally wouldn't fully open his awareness, lest it raise suspicion among the leading Yuan-Infancy cultivator. Instead, he used his spiritual perception to encompass the entire sea surface within a ten-li radius. This range was sufficient to allow him to detect the dragon's movements early, thus avoiding surprise attacks. The十余 cultivators flew ahead, even though the sea area was vast and would take most of the next few days to cover according to their schedule, yet as expected, they found nothing of significance. "What on earth is that?" one of the cultivators leading the advance suddenly exclaimed, gasping in surprise. Hearing this, Han Li, who had been carefully searching the surface of the sea, raised his head in response. To his sight, a vast expanse of gray misty妖cloud suddenly appeared on the horizon, spanning several mu in size, drifting steadily toward them. "Excellent! There must be high-level beast creatures inside—don't let her go!" The crowd immediately stirred, and one cultivator exclaimed in excitement. "Something's off. The evil dragons usually flee at the first sight of us. How come they're now approaching us willingly? Perhaps there's a trick at play," another cultivator, more composed, said hesitantly. The leading Yuan-Infusion cultivator, a middle-aged man dressed in golden yellow robes, frowned upon hearing these two. Subconsciously glancing toward the other directions, he immediately grew pale and shouted urgently, "Be alert—beast creatures are approaching us from other directions as well!" Upon hearing this, the cultivators were startled and quickly became disoriented. One after another, they unleashed their divine artifacts, entering a state of alert, and glanced around. Yet far off, the sky was clear and cloudless—where were the traces of any beastly creatures? As some cultivators exchanged glances, puzzled and eager to inquire of the Han official, a sharp, piercing roar of a dragon echoed simultaneously from all around the sky. Then, at a distance, swirling clouds of various hues began to emerge, undulating and gradually revealing the forms of dragons—scaled, fierce and menacing—rushing steadily toward them. But this was not the most significant development. What truly mattered was that two clouds, one from each of the eastern and western sides, were notably larger than those from the other directions, displaying vivid shades of blue and red, striking in their brilliance. "How is this possible? There must be two eight-tiered beasts!" exclaimed several cultivators, their eyes wide with astonishment, as their divine senses clearly detected the presence of such powerful creatures within these two clouds. The rest of the cultivators, too, pale-faced and visibly alarmed, stared on in growing apprehension. Clearly, these malevolent jiao beasts have summoned another jiao of the eighth rank, and now they no longer content themselves with ambushing them one by one—they've decided to launch a coordinated assault to wipe out the entire group of cultivators. The host-guest roles have completely reversed! "Panick? Stay calm. Immediately send out transmission seals to request aid from the other groups and divide your forces to meet the attackers head-on. If these malevolent jiao beasts gather together and combine their strength, their power will only grow stronger. Don't attempt to flee in separate groups. With their mastery of water-based teleportation, we will simply be overwhelmed one by one." The Yuan Ying-period man remained composed, raising his voice sharply before issuing clear instructions. Upon hearing this, the Jian Dan-period cultivators on the scene found their hearts steadied, and several immediately launched multiple transmission seals into the sky. "I'll handle one of the eighth-rank jiao beasts. The other one—let the two more agile cultivators go ahead and engage it for a while. No need to fight it directly; just delay it for a time. The rest of you take on the several seventh-rank jiao beasts." The man continued, speaking in a But this time, the assembled cultivators exchanged puzzled glances. Facing a seventh-rank evil dragon was manageable—most of them, though not always able to defeat their opponents in single combat, still had some confidence in defending themselves. But to have two of them work together to face an eighth-rank evil dragon? That was no jest! Even if they managed to hold their ground in a prolonged battle, how long could ordinary cultivators sustain against an eighth-rank beast? Could it be that the South Sea Gate sensed something and deliberately assigned a Yuan-Stage cultivator within its own ranks? Thinking thus, Han still had no time to ponder further as the demonic clouds were closing in. Spinning swiftly, he too transformed into a blue glow and rushed toward the blue demonic cloud on the opposite side. The other cultivators, seeing Yuan-Stage cultivators successfully repelling two Level-8 demonic beasts each, gained renewed confidence and took off in various directions, their forms turning into colorful streaks of light, intercepting the advancing demonic clouds along the way. Soon, brilliant flashes of light erupted simultaneously from all directions, accompanied by a continuous series of thunderous roars. Unlike the others, Han remained motionless within the midst of the demonic clouds. A faint purple ice flame enveloped him, while around him, vast seas of scorching fire—like the very depths of hell—roared constantly, emitting hissing sounds. These sounds, though steady, were naturally far less dramatic than the thunderous clamor heard elsewhere. At a distance of several dozen zhang across, a humanoid creature half-man, half-jiao, stood within a column of fire, coldly gazing at him. Though its form resembled a man, its entire body was covered in large, crimson, translucent scales, emitting streams of red flame of varying thickness and intensity. "Indeed, a crimson jiao. It seems I've come just in time. An eighth-level crimson fire jiao—this is a significant upgrade from the seventh-level one I originally encountered. I'd wager your scales are even more effective." Han Li suddenly smiled. "You came for me," the humanoid crimson fire jiao said, first startled, then a flash of green light passed through its eyes. Its mouth slightly opened, revealing a series of snowy, pointed teeth that made the observer shiver. At the same time, the surrounding columns of fire surged by a third, growing increasingly imposing. Yet despite its fierce appearance, the jiao's heart was filled with growing unease. This human cultivator, who had plunged straight in, was not only at the mid-Stage of Yuan Ying cultivation, but his ice-element purple flame was profoundly profound, utterly unafraid of the beast's long-practiced phoenix fire, effectively weakening its divine powers by half. Moreover, for some inexplicable reason, whenever he looked at Han Li's calm demeanor, a deep chill surged through its heart, as though a great peril loomed—this only deepened the beast's sense of unease. "Let me reduce you to ashes and send you dreaming by day beneath the earth," the crimson fire jiang said, instantly furious upon hearing Han Li's words. The innate scales, which come with a jiang from birth and vary in number, have absorbed considerable essence and spiritual energy over the years—nearly as vital as the jiang's inner spirit pearl. Once lost, they would cause the creature's cultivation to drop by half, naturally provoking immediate outrage. In her rage, the jiang rolled violently within the flame column, and with a soft "thud," the column shattered into fragments. Suddenly, a red jiang dragon, seven or eight zhang long and several zhang thick, emerged fully formed amidst the flames. Now completely focused, it had abandoned all caution, determined to tear Han Li to shreds and then consume him entirely with its divine fire. As soon as it revealed its true form, it opened its mouth wide and unleashed a jet of molten, crimson liquid, aimed directly at Han Li. Han Li's brow lifted slightly upon seeing this scene: "To refine the妖fire into a Dao-level mastery—this truly proves no easy feat. Yet it seems, only I can personally intervene." As he spoke, he did not hesitate. Raising his hand to tap his back of the skull, a snow-white, translucent orb burst forth from his mouth—the already refined cold-element artifact, the Snow Crystal Pearl. As soon as it left his mouth, the pearl swelled rapidly in the wind, growing to the size of a clenched fist and rushing toward the opposite side. At the same time, Han Li murmured a low command, extended his hand, and lightly pointed at the pearl from afar. Suddenly, a clear, resonant tone rang out, and thick streams of purple flame surged from the pearl, instantly coalescing into a purple fire serpent several zhang long, its mouth cradling the large Snow Crystal Pearl. As soon as the serpent took form, it immediately launched itself with vigor, shaking its head and tail, and charged straight into the crimson liquid fire. A sharp "crack" echoed, and a dense cloud of white vapor swiftly rose, swiftly engulfing both entities within. Glimpsing only, it seemed the purple dragon was using a round orb in its mouth to spout streams of purple flame, pushing the fiery liquid back step by step. Seeing this, the crimson fire dragon showed a hint of fear in its eyes, but soon its fierce gaze flared, its body radiating intense red light. With a sharp roar, it emitted a powerful blast that caused the flames near Han Li to surge wildly, instantly rising into towering waves over ten zhang high, which then surged violently from both sides, pressing directly toward Han Li. Han Li chuckled, then rubbed his hands together, separated them slightly, and gently brushed them outward. A clear, crisp sound resonated within his mind, and a series of luminous purple glimmers burst forth. Two towering ice peaks, each over twenty zhang high and transparent, rose suddenly, their faint purple cold light shimmering continuously, effectively blocking the two massive waves of fire. At that very moment, the distant fire dragon suddenly shifted its form, its body shortening several times, transforming into a creature only a zhang in size. Then, as the flow of fiery liquid from its mouth ceased, it emitted a sharp "whoosh" and instantly transformed into a streak of crimson light, rushing straight toward Han Li at incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, it covered over twenty paces and halted just a short distance ahead of him, simultaneously raising both foreclaws into an attacking stance. Originally, upon finding the magical fire ineffective, the dragon-jade had decided to rely on its powerful body to close in on Han Li, then deliver a surprise strike with one of its claws to seize and kill him.