In addition to the incantations and chains covering its entire body, there are thousands of copper mirrors, each about the size of a palm, scattered throughout the vicinity, projecting a series of yellowish light beams that form an unusual magical array. Layer upon layer of seals radiate outward from the space where the colossal creature resides, like endless waves of shimmering spiritual light. The creature itself, whose form is as bulky as a small mountain, remains unchanged—its silhouette steady and still—except for occasional subtle undulations on certain parts of its surface, which would otherwise be mistaken for a mere lifeless object. In contrast, in a neighboring spatial region, the scene is entirely different. There, lush greenery stretches everywhere, dotted with rare flowers and strange plants, so rich in spiritual energy that it is breathtaking. At the heart of this ethereal paradise stands a magnificent palace stretching hundreds of zhang in width. From a distance, the palace appears quiet and still, as though deserted. Yet, when viewed from above the palace, it becomes evident that the palace is situated precisely at the center of a vast magical array. Nearby, there are eighty-one smaller altars, each about ten zhang high, scattered throughout the array. Most astonishingly, each altar hosts a towering white stone statue, several zhang in height. These stone figures are clad in golden armor, their hands clasped together holding unknown golden great blades, facing the palace with solemn, lifelike expressions—resembling living beings. Yet, despite this, everything remains utterly silent. Whether the palace or the statues, they appear as though they have existed in this state for countless tens of thousands of years—mysterious and profoundly eerie. At this very moment, at a specific location on Kunwu Mountain where the Ziwei Seven-Star Array has been laid out, the magical array is roaring with intense color and sound, reaching the critical stage of its breaking. Seven columns of purple light rose skyward into the boundless purple mist, accompanied by deep rumbling thunder. From the surfaces of the light columns, thick arcs of electricity burst forth one after another, striking various points within the magical array. The mist had grown so dense that visibility was completely lost, and at intervals, haunting cries of ghosts and wild howls disturbed the peace. Han Li moved steadily toward one of the light columns, his golden aura swirling around him, his expression unwavering. As the mist-formed serpents, each as thick as a large bowl, approached him, they were instantly severed into fragments by the golden light and dispersed back into mist. Yet Han Li showed no sign of satisfaction—more purple serpents continuously materialized from the mist and surged toward him. The silver-white lightning arcs that struck down from above, no matter how powerful, failed to move him at all. Whenever the silver arcs were about to reach him, he merely raised his hand, palm glowing with golden arcs, and instantly guided all the electricity aside, rendering them completely ineffective. Suddenly, two faint, barely audible hums resonated from behind. Frowning slightly, Han Li did not turn around but instead flicked his hand back, sending forth two slender golden arcs. After two thunderclaps, a wave of scorched air followed. Only then did Han Li turn to look back and see two massive peaks, each the size of a human fist, plummeting straight down from the lower sky, their bodies now darkened. These peaks were not only impressively large but adorned with vibrant yellow patterns across their bodies; their back spines, measuring nearly three inches in length, sent a shiver down one's spine. Though Han Li had already eliminated at least thirty or forty such creatures in the mist, he had primarily dispatched them using his Divine-Defeating Lightning. It wasn't that his lightning supply was depleted—he could afford to use it freely—but rather that these particular peaks had initially proven to be a challenge, giving him a small setback. Though the potency of this bee's stinger at the rear was unknown, its entire body, shimmering with emerald insect blood, possessed a strong corrosive nature. When Han Li's flying sword inadvertently came into contact with some of it, the sword's surface immediately became pitted and even suffered a noticeable loss of its inherent vitality. Consequently, Han Li was unwilling to use the flying sword to strike down the bee. Yet, this bee also demonstrated a certain resistance to more elementary spells such as fire balls and ice spikes, forcing Han Li to rely solely on golden arcs to finally defeat it. Fortunately, although the bee numbers were substantial, it offered no resistance whatsoever to the divine, purifying thunderbolts—almost instantly succumbing upon contact. Han Li's thunderbolt expenditure remained minimal, aside from these large, towering peaks. In the purple mist, several unusual, blood-red bats also launched attacks upon Han Li. These bats, apart from their color, appeared indistinguishable from ordinary bats. However, upon being struck by Han Li's flying sword, the sword's blade light failed to kill them; it was only after the sword's physical body made contact and momentarily hesitated that the bat's body was finally cleaved open. This surprised Han Li deeply. The Qingzhu Fengyun sword, since it was infused with Geng Jing, had become exceptionally sharp—capable of cutting down even slightly inferior flying swords as easily as severing grass or trees. Yet, it proved difficult to eliminate these bats. Indeed, the bats' bodies appeared remarkably resilient. Both the giant bees and blood bats were among the most common immortal creatures in the cultivation world; yet they had been cultivated to such a degree that they were now hard to handle, clearly requiring immense effort and dedication. Now, to align with the array's requirements, they were simply placed here without any operators to guide or control them, and thus their full power—only half of it—had not yet been unleashed. It seemed the earlier cultivators had genuinely sacrificed heavily in order to delay the progress. As he pondered these thoughts, he had now come within just十余丈 of the purple light pillar ahead. It seemed only a few steps away, and he was certain he could soon destroy it. Just then, the massive purple bamboo that had vanished since the moment he entered the battlefield suddenly reappeared around the light beam, blurring slightly before swiftly expanding outward, and in an instant, completely encircled Han Li in a dense thicket of bamboo shadows. The light beam that had been so close at hand instantly turned into vapor and vanished entirely. There were even illusions and seals set around the light beams, which first startled Han Li, who then smiled lightly, his lips curling upward. For ordinary illusion seals, how could they possibly hold him, unless they were the top-tier transformation magic of ancient beings—like the one he had encountered before. Without a thought, the blue glow in Han Li's pupils flickered, and instantly, all the purple bamboo transformed into mere shadows, while the light beam reappeared precisely where it had been. With a gentle shake of his robe, seven or eight golden flying swords shot forth, spiraled through the air, and then suddenly coalesced into a single massive golden sword, emitting a brilliant golden glow. A remarkably thick sword beam struck the base of the light beam at once. A tremendous roar echoed, and the light column vanished instantly after its base was destroyed. At the same time, the purple mist bamboo grove surrounding Han Li—whether in the form of phantom or real spell—disappeared in vast patches, centered on him, leaving behind a clear expanse of over a hundred paces, revealing white jade slabs spread across the ground. Han Li glanced down, his brow lifting slightly unconsciously, then raised his gaze toward the distant areas still shrouded in purple mist. There, among the original six light columns, only three remained; the other two had been struck down by the two figures before him. Han Li remained silent for a while, deciding not to go and destroy the remaining columns. Instead, he withdrew a spiritual stone and sat cross-legged. Taking this moment, he resolved to carefully consider his strategy in response to the ancient demon's emergence. With so many high-level cultivators and monsters gathered on this mountain, the situation was indeed pressing. Even with his Three Flame Fan and his late-stage Yuan婴 (Immortal) puppet, a single misstep might well threaten his life. Han Li responded to the magical energy while his eyes flickered with thought. After an unknown length of time, Han Li suddenly reached into his waistband storage pouch with one hand, and instantly a long, bluish-tinged rectangular object appeared in his grasp—precisely the miniature crystal stele he had first discovered within the stone tablet at Kunwu Mountain. This object was remarkably concealed! Despite his exceptionally powerful consciousness, which he had focused on the tablet for half a day, he had failed to detect the presence of this item. Without the innate ability of the Tǔ Jiǎ Lóng to perceive precious stones and metals, he would never have noticed it at all. The stele itself was also quite unusual—though it appeared to be formed entirely of some unknown essence, it was unusually heavy before any spiritual energy was infused into it. Once that energy was introduced, however, it instantly became light as if weightless. Yet none of this was what truly captivated Han Li. What drew him most was the several lines of unfamiliar ancient script inscribed upon the stele. Although these classical characters were from an ancient era, Han Li found himself completely unfamiliar with them—neither did he recognize any of them, nor had they ever been recorded in any known classical texts. Even so, by observing the forms and contours of these characters, Han Li could confidently determine that they dated back even further than the so-called "ancient times" he was familiar with—truly ancient relics, and absolutely a rare treasure. Han Li held the crystal stele in his hand, weighing it twice, then sighed, and with a flash of luminous light, stored it away. At that moment, almost consecutively, two more sounds of destruction came from the distant array, and two additional light pillars were extinguished. Even the last remaining light pillar faded away on its own, without any need for Han Li or his companions to intervene. Thus, this marvelously intricate array was finally broken by their combined efforts. After all the purple mist phantoms had vanished, the figures of the others gradually materialized. Yet instantly, a voice of furious anger rang out from the old master of the Dry Sect: "Where are the four members of the Poison Saint Sect? They recognized this array and quietly slipped through it!" Upon a quick glance, Han Li indeed found that the four senior figures of the Poison Saint Sect had completely disappeared. "Hmph! It's not just them—Steng Wei himself is gone too. I told him he was going to persuade us all to enter together, and it turns out he had some ulterior motive from the very beginning!" The tall man at the Yuan Ying stage broke into a heated tirade, his face flushed with anger. "It makes sense that these few suddenly decided to leave us and go on alone," sighed Bai Yao Yi, pointing gently with her jade finger ahead. At that moment, the others noticed that at one end of the square beneath their feet, there stood a series of stone steps, each leading in a different direction. "It seems these few feel that as long as they don't choose the same path as the earlier cultivators, or if the others split their forces, they can handle things on their own and claim something for themselves. That's why they've slipped away independently!" the elder named Fu remarked, frowning. "Hmph. Well, that suits me just fine. I've long wanted to act on my own. Whoever dares stand in my way to claim the treasures, I'll have them killed." The Qian Old Demon quickly regained his composure. Then, the five white figures swiftly paused several times before each jade plaque, inspecting every stele thoroughly. Afterward, the five white figures gathered together and flew directly toward the stone steps marked with the name 'Kunwu Hall'.