Han Li glanced at the scene, then flicked his finger. "Thud!" The sword's energy had not yet struck the rock or boulder when a faint blue glow suddenly rose from below, momentarily blocking the blade. However, this blue aura proved remarkably fragile, holding only for a brief moment before being shattered by the sword's force. The entire luminous screen dissolved into scattered sparks, vanishing completely. The rock beneath shimmered briefly and then seemed to fade into mere illusion, only to be replaced by a multicolored energy shield that enveloped the entire hundred-foot expanse of the lakebed below. The surface of the shield shimmered with constantly shifting streams of light, making it impossible to discern what lay beneath or what objects existed within. Han Li felt the powerful spiritual energy pulsing through the shield, stroked his chin, and slightly narrowed his eyes. The initial blue screen had been a simple, straightforward illusion spell—clearly laid down by the three graceful women on the spot. This multicolored shield, however, must have been personally crafted by the bearded man. Since the Hairy-bearded elder had initially only achieved a Yuan-Ember stage and had passed into stillness too hastily, he naturally hadn't left behind any artifacts or spells for Han Li to unseal the restriction. Han Li could only rely on sheer strength to break it. Nevertheless, this seal clearly consisted of five elements fused together—despite his divine abilities, it would still require considerable effort to dismantle. As he thought thus, Han Li no longer hesitated. With a swift gesture of his hands, a flash of silvery light erupted from the opening of his sash pouch, and suddenly, a faint humanoid figure appeared mysteriously behind him—none other than the human-shaped automaton! Han Li then waved his sleeve, and thirty-six golden flying swords shot forth instantly, gathering in a resonant hum to form a single massive golden sword stretching over ten dozen feet in length. With a single spell cast, it struck the surface of the great sword. A deep, thunderous roar echoed, and a golden arc the width of a human arm emerged on the sword's surface. After a graceful spiral, it transformed into a vivid, lifelike electric serpent. The serpent coiled several times around the great sword, then lifted its neck, emitting a hissing sound of remarkable intensity. At the same time, the humanoid puppet raised one hand, causing a small red bow to materialize, and with the other hand gently drew a jade-green arrow into place on the bowstring. As the thunder roared, golden arcs burst forth upon the surface of the arrow, flickering and shimmering. Han Li's face grew serious; he raised a finger toward the sky, and the great sword seemed to emerge as a divine force, thundering forward with a resounding crash, plunging straight downward. Almost simultaneously, the humanoid puppet's bow trembled, launching a surge of jade light interwoven with delicate streaks of gold. A tremendous roar echoed through the air, causing the light shield to tremble and then be completely enveloped by an endless cascade of golden electric arcs. The nearby lake water surged violently, forming a powerful underwater vortex that surged upward toward the surface. Yet Han Li remained motionless within the vortex, as if untouched by the turbulent waves surrounding him. Finally, the brilliance faded, and the golden light vanished. Han Li focused his gaze downward, his expression shifting slightly, then a gentle smile appeared. He saw that the five-colored light shield had disappeared, revealing at the center a small circular spell array, about ten dozen feet in diameter, radiating a faint white glow. The emerald lake water surged vigorously, yet upon touching the white light, it was completely blocked and held back. This spell array had been crafted from a special material and surprisingly possessed the ability to repel water. Han Li's eyes widened slightly in astonishment, but then he waved his hand, retrieving the puppet. He then stepped forward, his body settling onto the array. He did not immediately initiate the teleportation, but instead studied the small array beneath his feet. After a moment, he nodded, then tapped his waist pouch of spiritual beasts, releasing most of the six-winged frost centipedes he had previously stored. With a mere mental command, he instructed them. As the snow-white centipedes shook their bodies and swayed, they promptly burrowed into the ground near the array. Han Li finally felt at ease, channeling a spell into the edge of the magical array, thereby activating it. Instantly, a flash of white light erupted, and Han Li vanished from sight within the array. The next moment, as he recovered from the sensation of teleportation, he glanced around and immediately found himself in a stone chamber. Though the chamber was not large and spacious, it was empty and quiet. Nearby, a door of green stone stood slightly ajar. He paused, then settled into a meditative posture, extending his spiritual awareness. His consciousness slowly swept outward toward the stone door and gradually spread throughout the surrounding area, surveying the nearby buildings. After a while, his expression relaxed as he confirmed that the estate was indeed uninhabited, with no other cultivators concealed within. Only then did Han Li stand up, walked a few steps to the stone door, and vanished into the outer corridor with a subtle shift of his form. Half a day later, a brilliant streak of jade-green light surged from the lake's depths, flashing several times before vanishing into the horizon with a sound of rushing air. Han Li stood within the fading light, idly playing with a block of pale golden ore in his hands, a faint smile playing on his face. This time, in the cave of the Bearded Barbarian, his gains had truly been substantial. The Bearded Barbarian's treasure trove was not only rich but far exceeded his expectations. Whether it was materials and artifacts valued in millions of spiritual stones, or the collected scrolls and secret techniques—many of which he had long heard of but never had the chance to see—had left him deeply delighted. Han Li had previously deployed a half-set of sword formations arranged with thirty-six flying swords, each of which exerted such power that even late-stage cultivators trapped within would be left with skin peeled off. Once the full set of the sword formation was fully completed, its power would be unimaginably formidable. It was no wonder, then, that the founder of this sword formation, as mentioned in the final section of the Qingyuan Sword Technique, claimed that once perfected, it would be sufficient to secure dominance and security throughout the realm. Han Li himself held great hopes for this sword formation. He exhaled gently, then flipped his hand, and the piece of Geng Jing vanished completely, being stored into his storage bag. The trailing light continued advancing steadily and calmly. After a moment of quiet contemplation, Han Li suddenly opened his mouth, and a cauldron about an inch in size burst forth from his mouth. It was precisely the Xitian Sacred Cauldron! Han Li raised his hand, supporting the cauldron in his palm, then pressed a seal with a single hand gesture onto the cauldron's lid. Instantly, the small cauldron shimmered with a steady green glow, and the lid gradually shifted, revealing a narrow opening. A flash of golden light, and a scroll shot forth from within. Han Li was already prepared; he opened his mouth and expelled a surge of azure mist that struck the scroll directly. Instantly, the golden scroll trembled and its luminous glow dimmed, then became completely still, immobilized by Han Li's powerful spiritual force. He swiftly reached out and grasped the scroll, holding it up to examine it closely. This was precisely the strange scroll he had collected from Jin Hua Elder. He had never seen a scroll like this before—capable not only of enabling instant teleportation but also of transforming into golden flowers and spiritual bees—its power was truly impressive. It must be a unique, specially crafted secret scroll! Han Li couldn't help but pull it out to study it further. At first glance, the scroll seemed quite ordinary, with most of the characters drawn upon it being familiar and commonly used. The only difference lay in the several silver ancient characters inscribed at the four corners and in the center of the scroll. This ancient script appeared profoundly mysterious, as though composed of silver tadpoles arranged in a pattern, instantly conveying a strong sense of primordial wildness. Han Li examined it repeatedly before finally confirming that this script was entirely distinct from all others he had encountered before—unique in its own right, with no connection whatsoever to any other ancient scripts. Moreover, numerous golden spots, each about the size of a bean, dotted the surface of the scroll. These spots seemed alive, moving freely and subtly appearing and disappearing, adding to the script's enigmatic charm. Han Li gazed steadily at the golden scroll, his brows furrowed. "Hmph! Even this silver-tadpole script is something your human realm cultivators can comprehend. You may as well give up on your hopes right now!" Suddenly, a soft, infantile voice, delicate and youthful, emanated from the Xutian Ding in Han Li's hands—yet the tone was surprisingly assertive, as if utterly dismissive of Han Li. Upon hearing this, Han Li's eyes flashed several times, but instead of being angered, he broke into a smile. "Oh, it sounds like you've indeed recognized this script." "Hmph. This silver tadpole script is something even among the upper realms is rarely understood. Had it not been for the time I once devoured the immortal spirit of a human cultivator who knew this script, I wouldn't have recognized it at all." The child's voice, soft and youthful, spoke without reservation. "Why have you suddenly started speaking to me today? I thought you had already decided to settle in the Xutian Ding and never leave again." Han Li stared intently at the Xutian Ding, his expression serious, yet his tone remained cold. "Previously, you were merely a humble cultivator of the human realm, never even reaching the stage of Huashen. What could we possibly have to say? But now, different things have changed. Since you've obtained a single spiritual feather from You Tian Kung Peng, I now have something to say to you—and even have room for a trade." The child in the Ding spoke calmly. "You Tian Kung Peng—was that the enormous divine bird I saw at sea, attempting to cross realms?" Han Li's face changed instantly, as he suddenly recalled the astonishing battle he had witnessed during his time in the extraterrestrial sea. "Heh! As for the phoenix bird, you can only say that in the human realm. If the celestial Pheonix clan in the spiritual realm—those who revere this Kung Peng as a deity—heard of it, they'd surely stir up a major fuss." The child laughed scornfully. "The Celestial Pheonix Clan?" Han Li felt a spark of interest. "The affairs of the spiritual realm have little to do with you. If you're truly fortunate enough to ascend and reach the spiritual realm, you'll naturally come to know. Otherwise, telling you all this would be entirely in vain." The child spoke with utter indifference, even sounding rather weary and old-fashioned. "Your tone is quite bold! Though your original form, the Tian Lan Sacred Bird, is a remarkable immortal cultivator in the spiritual realm, after you've split your consciousness and taken on a host body in the human realm, you're still only at the level of an eighth-tier spirit beast. If you're ever to regain your Divine Form cultivation abilities, you'll have to wait until the monkeys and horses have their turn (Second update!） ------------ The update time will be a bit later!