Just as Han Li drew the small green ruler close and let it gently settle before him, the ruler stared at him with an icy gaze, lips tightly closed. Clearly, this senior elder of Xiao Ji Gong was well aware that, once the conflict had reached this point, any further appeals for mercy would only be a source of humiliation. The only thing he regretted was that, at the moment he was trapped by the seal, he hadn't used a secret technique earlier to sever his immortal embryo of his own. Now, completely subdued by Han Li, any attempt to explode his immortal embryo was utterly out of the question. Han Li gazed at the immobilized immortal embryo of Han Li, smiled slightly, said nothing further, and then shook his sleeve. A small bottle of jade-green hue shot forth and swiftly hovered above the embryo's head. Han Li lightly touched the bottle. The bottle's opening reversed, and a steady glow of white light flowed within, followed by a surge of radiant light that enveloped and absorbed the immortal embryo, sealing it inside. Then, Han Li raised his hand and waved it toward the distant Qianlan Cauldron. That beam of True Yin Fire immediately enveloped the cauldron and shot toward this spot, vanishing instantly after a flash, absorbed into the sleeve. Han Li then retrieved the green vial artifact, transforming it into a streak of azure light and swiftly descending. A moment later, the azure glow flashed, and Han Li reappeared above the pile of scattered stones, his eyes scanning the surroundings, his brows slightly furrowed. The white-clad Bai Mengxin, originally confined within the silver light barrier, now lay prone on a patch of broken stones at the edge of the pile, blood flowing freely from her, her abdomen pierced through by a wound as wide as a large bowl—she had already turned into a lifeless body. Her vital essence and spiritual energy were completely drained, clearly exhibiting the signs of a true Yuan婴 (spiritual embryo) having extruded from her body. Looking upward, beside the Qilin phantom, the puppet stood motionless, as if it had not moved a single step since Han Li had departed. Yet, before it, the Yuan Gao Shield and the Magic Mucilage Blade floated, gently pulsing with a faint luminous glow. Five humanoid skeletons stood shoulder to shoulder, swaying slightly, some fifty to sixty paces away. The once all-encompassing gray-white magical aura had vanished entirely. One of the skeletons clutched a pale green storage bag in its hand, while another held a small, dark flame in both hands, flickering intermittently between bright and dim. Then this female cultivator detached her Yuan婴 from her body, only to be shattered by a lightning and fire bow wielded by a humanoid automaton, with golden lightning wooden arrows striking her in one blow, thus vanishing completely from the mortal realm. As for the young man in green robes, he ultimately could not withstand the five demons' coordinated assault, and both his physical form, his Yuan婴, and several of his treasures were completely consumed by them, leaving only his storage sack and a faint remnant of extreme cold flame. After understanding what had transpired, Han Li exhaled gently, said nothing, and then gestured toward the five demons in the distance. Instantly, their storage sacks and the black cold flame floated gracefully toward him, arriving in his hands within moments. Han Li carefully examined the storage sack, then casually tucked it into his chest. However, he showed interest in the black cold flame, hesitating slightly before rubbing his palms together. A thunderous sound resonated, and countless slender golden arcs shot forth from his hands, swiftly wrapping around the now lifeless flame, thus sealing it into a golden silk sphere the size of a clenched fist. With a single hand motion, he tapped his storage bag, and a chilled jade box floated into his hands. Han Li casually tossed the sphere into the box and neatly closed it. Then, his gaze shifted to Bai Mengxin's preserved body. After a brief pause, he shook his sleeve, sending a crimson fire ball soaring forth. Han Li then reached out with one hand, grasping the storage bag floating effortlessly from the corpse and bringing it into his hands. As for the cluster of Feng Li Bing Yan, Han Li employed the same method—using the Bixie Shen Lei to seal it in place, then enclosing it within a Xuan Bing Box. Though most of the cold flames had dispersed and vanished due to the death of their master, the remnants were purest essence. If these could be incorporated into his own reserves or blended into the Zi Luo Ji Huo, their power would undoubtedly be amplified. But now was not the time for experimentation. Finally, Han Li paid special attention to the remains of Han Li Shangren. To his surprise, the pair of golden Feng Li Li that had initially aroused his caution were absent from the spirit-animal bag attached to the corpse—an unexpected development. Though he didn't understand the reason, Han Li simply closed the storage bag and didn't dwell on it further. After completing all these tasks, Han Li turned his gaze toward the celestial Qilin phantom floating above and the piece of Xuanyu Plate, his expression growing increasingly serious. Though this phantom was merely a mass of lifeless matter, it contained an astonishing amount of spiritual energy—yet it was somewhat peculiar, as if formed by the condensation of cold qi, or as if manifesting from pure spiritual energy. He could not confidently determine its true essence. After a brief hesitation, he slowly raised one of his hands, and at the tip of his finger, a flash of golden light appeared, as he prepared to emit a sword-like energy wave to probe the phantom. But at that very moment, a sudden flash of flame burst from the sleeve of his robe, a crimson flame shooting forth and immediately merging into the celestial qilin phantom floating above. Then, a second flash of red light appeared, and a fiery phoenix emerged. It was the spiritual entity formed from the pure yin true fire. Watching the phoenix move gracefully within the qilin’s body, its feathers glowing with red light, steadily drawing in the white vapor that composed the phantom’s form, Han Li’s expression shifted. He lowered his arm, paused briefly, then turned around, no longer paying attention to the phoenix’s movements, and instead gazed toward a more distant, vibrant five-colored light curtain. Within this seal, the roar had softened slightly but never ceased. The gray-robed monk and the elderly woman remained locked in fierce combat. It seemed that the seal had obscured their view, so they were unaware that the battle outside had already concluded—nor could they have imagined that Han Li, with only mid-stage Yuan婴 cultivation, had single-handedly eliminated one senior cultivator and two peers in mere tea-time since the conflict began. All the golden light trembled slightly, then instantly branched out into hundreds of identical sword beams, scattering in all directions and shooting outward toward the edges of the luminous screen. Yet an astonishing sight unfolded—the sword beams one by one vanished mysteriously, completely disappearing without a trace. He had thus laid out the Dajiang Sword Array, fully enveloping the area within its control. At this moment, Han Li suddenly raised his hand, and a yellow glow shot forth from his palm, spiraling through the air before solidifying into a staff that shimmered with a soft yellow light. He maintained a calm expression, closed his eyes, pressed his palms together, and then suddenly began uttering a low, resonant incantation, activating the magic of this staff. The staff trembled slightly, then rapidly expanded in size within a brilliant yellow glow, growing to over ten zhang in length and as thick as a water cistern within just a single blink. When Han Li stopped chanting, he calmly opened his eyes. He glanced down at the massive object, then suddenly rubbed his hands together. A small orb of seven-colored Buddhist light materialized in his palms. With one hand, he supported the orb, then flicked it with the other, and it shot forth, striking the demigod staff instantly. The staff, which had previously emitted a yellow glow, suddenly acquired an additional layer of seven-colored Buddhist light on its outer surface. At the same time, it began to emit a deep, solemn hum. "Go!" Han Li murmured, pointing with a single hand at the staff. The staff, now greatly enlarged, immediately descended with a firm, decisive force from top to bottom, striking precisely upon the lower light screen. A sound like the heavens collapsing and the earth splitting rang out, resonating powerfully throughout the entire underground cavern. The five-colored light screen managed only a hesitant resistance before succumbing to the immense force of the staff, fracturing piece by piece. The scattered fragments of the screen transformed into scattered points of luminous energy and gradually faded away. After clearly observing the scene within, Han Li was momentarily stunned, then his face took on a strange expression. "I never expected that both of you were actually performing a scene! Why don't I join in and lend a hand? Otherwise, without any direct interaction between you two, wouldn't that be a great pity?" Han Li's expression quickly returned to its usual calm as he spoke softly. Hehe, New Year's Day is here! Wàngyǔ extends a warm New Year greeting to everyone—wishing you a joyful and prosperous Year of the Tiger! We'll keep posting throughout the Spring Festival period, with one update each on the 30th and the 1st. After that, we'll return to our regular update schedule. Of course, should any unexpected circumstances arise, we'll notify you promptly.