After a streak of bloodlight struck the barrier, the figure raised one hand, sending forth a cascade of tri-colored flames and a massive blade aura in succession. Simultaneously, the lightning-fire bow in the humanoid automaton's hands launched a volley of flaming arrows, all converging on the same point. Finally, the barrier twisted violently and was forcibly shattered, revealing a massive opening through which waves of magical energy surged forth. Yin Yue cried out in a sharp voice, her form darting through the bloodlight as she entered the space. With her wind-and-thunder wings fully unfurled, Han Li instantly teleported into the same realm. As soon as he emerged, swirling streams of magical energy surged toward him. Frowning slightly, he drew out his Yuan Gang shield from his sleeve with the other hand, rotating it briefly to form a shimmering silver energy dome that enveloped him. Upon contact with the dark magical energy, the shield's surface immediately emitted a hissing sound of erosion, dimming its luminous glow slightly. Seeing this, Han Li's brow furrowed slightly. When he had descended deep into the myriad-miles-long magical chasm of the Boundless Sea, the magical aura there had not been nearly as formidable as the one here. Unfortunately, the remaining power of the Immortal-Defying Thunder had dwindled significantly, and it seemed the protective shield formed from Yuan Gang energy would not withstand the magical aura for long—thus, a swift and decisive battle had to be waged. With this thought in mind, Han Li glanced sideways at Yin Yue. Now, she was enveloped in the bloodlight formed by the blood-blade, and the magical aura around her churned incessantly, preventing her from approaching too closely. It appeared that her borrowing of this blade from the corpse-bear was indeed a well-justified move. Yin Yue called out once and then shot straight toward the center of the space. Han Li, meanwhile, shifted his form and ascended into the sky, his trail of light gradually fading until his presence became concealed. At that moment, from the distant altar direction, came several soft laughs from Yin Yue, followed by a few howls of wolves, and then the cold voice of the black-armored woman. "Hmph! You dare return? That's fortunate—my Han Li was instantly energized and quietly flew toward the original altar site. In a short while, he emerged within a thick layer of clouds, gazing coldly downward. With his Mingqing Lingmiao divination technique operating at its peak—uninterrupted by the Yuansha Saint Patriarch's intentional separation of his awareness—even through the dense black magical aura, he could see the scene below with remarkable clarity. There, where the original altar once stood, a black cavern now stretched over a hundred zhang in width, continuously exhaling streams of dark magical energy. Inside, the darkness was profound and seemingly bottomless. Above this cavern, a crimson glow and a dark luminescence danced and chased each other incessantly, occasionally erupting in bursts of explosive sound that generated powerful spiritual pressure, causing the surrounding magical auras to surge and ripple as if two fierce dragons were locked in an unyielding struggle, overturning the very landscape. It remained unclear which of the two had the upper hand. Seeing that the silver moon was unharmed, Han Li felt a slight sense of relief. His blue-lit pupils flickered as he began to search the area around the black hole. Although the earlier spatial rupture had completely destroyed the altar, the two stone pillars crafted from Chi Ling's soft jade, thanks to their inherent material properties, should not easily vanish. Among them, one of the pillars was likely the one that would activate the Heavenly Crystal Pillar. Han Li didn't waste much time; within a brief moment, through his ability of spatial perception, he located both pillars buried among the rubble. One of them bore a half-remnant of the Small Half-Transformed Dragon Seal embedded within it, while the other lay intact. When he seized the stone tablet firmly in his hands, his heart finally eased a little. Han Li showed no hesitation at all. With a mere thought, a glowing blue orb shot forth from his storage pouch at his waist—the Tianjing Tablet. Watching this half-sheath-long object, Han Li tossed his jade如意 upward and, with a single hand reaching out into the air, drew it into his grasp. With the other hand, he gripped the stone tablet, channeling his spiritual energy into the blue crystalline tablet. The crystal tablet trembled slightly, its body radiating a brilliant, shimmering light, becoming exceptionally vibrant. Han Li, in solemn concentration, gently pressed the crystal tablet against the massive stone tablet. Instantly, the large stone tablet seemed as soft as tofu, and the crystal tablet sank silently into it without a sound. Yet before Han Li could express his satisfaction, an unexpected change occurred. The stone tablet suddenly glowed with a layer of blue light, then grew heavy as a thousand pounds, sinking directly downward and detaching from Han Li’s hands, falling straight to the ground. Half of the stone tablet plunged into the earth, standing upright. Meanwhile, the upper portion began to emit a resonant hum. A sudden, thunderous cry of shock and anger rang out in the space above the black hole. Han Li stiffened instantly, and without hesitation, pointed his finger at his Yuan Gang shield, causing the colored light aura to expand several times over. At the same moment, a streak of black light flashed and vanished in an instant! A tremendous crash followed, as the massive light sphere burst apart, instantly engulfing a radius of over fifteen zhang in dense black mist. Stones scattered in the black glow rapidly faded and dissolved into nothingness, while the silver light shield was now enveloped beneath the black light. The silver and black hues danced erratically against each other, now clearly distinct. Han Li's face paled, and with both hands pressing seals, he rapidly cast a series of spells upon the light shield. Instantly, the surface of the shield became remarkably smooth, and half of the black light slid aside effortlessly. The silver shield finally stabilized once more. Meanwhile, Yuan Sha, the Saint Ancestor, had only just managed to focus his attention and unleash this single attack before being ensnared by the silver moon. Otherwise, with one or two more strikes, the protective shield would have surely collapsed. Yet thus, the two-headed black wolves roared with furious rage, no longer retreating from the silver moon's attacks. Black light surged continuously from their mouths, swirling with surrounding magical energies to rise several zhang high, all converging directly upon the silver moon. They appeared determined to endure another major depletion of their vital energy before even attempting to repel the silver moon. But now, clearly, it was too late! In a flash, a massive, shimmering spiritual sphere took shape, so large it seemed like a small mountain! Upon seeing this, Han Li immediately knew that the backup spell array had been activated, and without hesitation, continued channeling spiritual energy into the stone stele. The spiritual rings on the stone pillar soon swelled in size, absorbing magical qi at an even more astonishing pace. Within just a few breaths, nearly all the magical qi in the space was drawn into the pillar and vanished. As a result, the two-headed black wolves, who had previously relied on their magical qi and the silver moon to hold their ground, now found themselves at a disadvantage. Their black glow intensified, and their howls grew louder, yet they were steadily pushed back by the radiant crimson sphere. Han Li relaxed, then raised one hand and cast a new spell, precisely targeting the stone stele. The stone tablet emitted a deep, resonant hum. Simultaneously, a milky-white spiritual aura hovering above the altar surged downward with great momentum. Before it even reached the black portal, the overwhelming spiritual pressure caused the two-headed black wolves still engaged in combat with the silver moon to recoil in surprise, abandoning their struggle and taking flight together. The silver moon snorted, her form flickering as she vanished from sight without moving. As the spiritual aura descended, a brilliant white glow instantly spread across the entire portal. After the light subsided, the black hole vanished completely, leaving behind a translucent, crystalline barrier that now bore the re-emergent traces of magical energy beneath it. The black wolf, a fragment of the Yuan Sha Sage's consciousness, immediately sensed the seriousness of the situation. Upon glancing at the stone tablet beside the seal, it quickly deduced the significance—having used the Dragon Seal before, it instantly grew resolute. With a low roar, its body began to blur and fade into darkness. At once, his figure moved, and he simultaneously transformed into three identical wolf shadows, charging straight toward Han Li and the stone stele. A burst of bloodlight erupted around Han Li, and vast expanses of blood surged into existence, splashing and cascading outward in all directions. Amidst the thick atmosphere of blood, the three wolf shadows, unawares, were suddenly engulfed by the rising tide of blood, becoming temporarily trapped within it. Almost at the same time, a flash of silver light appeared above the blood sea, followed by a thunderous boom—then a dense stream of fiery arrows burst forth from the silver glow, sweeping down and completely enveloping the three black wolves. The three black wolves were startled, lifting their heads and necks, and spouting out sheets of dark luminous light from their mouths, forming a radiant shield that deflected the barrage of arrows. Han Li's eyes flashed with cold determination; he flicked his hand, and the three flame fans spun into place in his grasp, then he swung them fiercely toward the black wolves. Instantly, a clear, resonant cry rang out, and three small fire birds—each only a few inches in size—flew out from the fans, darting directly toward the Before it had reached the scene, the scorching heat had already vaporized the surrounding flames, sending out fine threads of steam. Among the three black wolves, one showed signs of panic, while the other two remained motionless and expressionless. "Good!" Upon seeing this, Silver Moon beamed with satisfaction and softly exhaled, then pressed her palms together in a series of gestures, rolled her body, and instantly transformed into a massive silver wolf, over a丈 in height, charging straight at the black wolf that had revealed its vulnerability. The Primordial Saint, Yuan Sha, who had been focusing his attention, suddenly recalled something upon seeing Silver Moon also transform into a giant wolf. He immediately gasped in alarm and shouted, "You intend to use soul absorption—your plan is already doomed!" The wolf then deeply inhaled and forcefully exhaled, and instantly a wave of blood-red mist burst from its mouth, transforming into blood-red flames that enveloped it as the wind blew. Upon touching these flames, the nearby sea of blood melted and dissolved, as if it were spring snow. The wolf instantly regained its freedom and, with a flash of black light, shot upward into the sky. But just as its figure had retreated a dozen paces, a thunderclap suddenly resonated above its head, followed by a silver arc materializing out of nowhere. Before the wolf could even be startled and alter its direction of retreat, countless strands of silvery hair burst forth from the arc, flashing with luminous light and instantly binding the wolf in a tight, intricate knot. (First chapter!)*