"Hehe, since Master Han has said that," the elder nodded with a warm smile, and indeed, said no more. Han Li smiled gently, his gaze once again sweeping the surroundings, while standing on the giant turtle, he remained silent as well. The giant turtle beneath Han Li, positioned right in the middle of the convoy, stayed still and motionless, while the other turtle carriages ahead and behind swiftly converged toward their location. Not long after, nearly forty giant turtles formed several concentric circles, creating a simple yet solid defensive barrier. The knights riding on giant wolves also gathered together, numbering around fifty or sixty, standing just outside the defensive ring, led by the scar-faced man. Remarkably, the blue-robed young lady was also among them, though a blood-red strange tiger lay coiled nearby. The distant bird calls grew increasingly urgent and closer. As several crimson birds appeared in the distance and began circling the sky, the scar-faced man suddenly raised his voice with a stern expression: "Prepare for battle! All the land turtles—now lower yourselves and form the defense!" As the words fell, every vehicle on the giant turtle struck the massive cranium with its whip, causing the once-stable beast to slowly lower itself and then retract its head and limbs into the enormous shell, transforming into solid, jade-green monoliths standing before them. At the same time, a deep rumbling of ground vibrations echoed from afar, with vast plumes of yellow dust rising at the horizon and rolling steadily toward them, obscuring the view completely. The scar-faced man remained motionless, his expression as still as water; with a simple gesture, he commanded his knights to lift their wolf-toothed maces, all of them moving with the precision of well-trained soldiers. Upon seeing this, a look of surprise flickered across Han Li's face, yet before he could ponder it further, another unexpected scene unfolded. To everyone's astonishment, the man with the scar on his face suddenly raised one hand and tossed a jade-green pill into his mouth. With a long, resonant roar, yellow light rippled over his body, sprouting fine yellow hairs on his face and arms, and his pupils instantly deepened to a vivid, serene green. Then, he kicked his feet against the belly of his steed, and the massive wolf roared low, launching forward like an arrow. The other knights, though not as startled as the scar-faced man, each emitted various glimmers of light as they activated their techniques, maintaining steady resolve and following closely behind. Together, the group of several riders surged forward, swirling a thick yellow mist toward the opposing forces. Neither the strange transformation of the Han soldiers nor those so-called "spirit artifacts" had ever been heard of in the human realm. Han Li was surprised, his mind racing, growing more and more convinced that the spiritual realm was indeed vastly different from the human realm. At that moment, the group of knights led by the bearded Han man finally plunged into the vast yellow dust hundreds of paces away from the convoy, only for a fierce clamor and a series of roars to erupt within. Yet the dust merely paused slightly in the middle before continuing unimpeded from both sides, steadily advancing toward the convoy. In moments, the dust reached the vicinity of the convoy, where something hidden within the swirling haze began to emerge. "Charge!" Without knowing who first shouted it, the guards armed with bows and crossbows launched a swift, coordinated ranged assault. Arrows shot forth in dense volleys from the convoy. A deep, rumbling sound surged forth, causing the yellow dust to slow momentarily and roll more deliberately. Yet soon, a surge of dust rippled and surged, revealing several massive yellow creatures, each stretching a full dozen paces in length. Flat-bodied with a huge mouth at their heads, and rows of fleshy appendages flanking each side, constantly waving and swaying, they appeared fiercely menacing. These were the so-called "sandworm beasts." Han Li observed the scene without the slightest change in expression. During his years in the Turbulent Star Sea, he had slain countless beasts—many far more terrifying than these. To him, these creatures were nothing special. As soon as several insect-like beasts emerged, a loud crackling sound filled the air, and a dozen arrows flashed with cold light, firmly embedding themselves into the bodies of these giant creatures. Except for one that was directly pierced through the mouth and fell silent, the others, wounded though they were, grew even more aggressive—ignoring the steady flow of blood from their bodies and leaping straight up to charge the nearest giant turtle. The four guards stationed on the turtle did not panic. With swift movements of their blades, they launched direct, unyielding strikes. Clearly, they had mastered some special martial technique—though they could not split the beasts in two, each strike carved deep, long wounds across the creatures' bodies, and with sufficient force, sent the giant insects crashing to the ground. For a moment, several of the beasts writhed violently on the ground, clearly injured. Yet, more giant insects surged forth from the dust, one after another, continuously pouring in until the entire convoy was soon completely enveloped. Thus, a fierce battle erupted below. Roars and the clashing of weapons surged together, intermingling, with streaks of cold light and blood spreading everywhere. Han Li's turtle carriage, positioned at the very center of the defensive circle, was the most protected, yet aside from the elderly driver and himself, there were no other occupants on board. The other three young women had vanished without a trace, their whereabouts unknown. With this, Han Li, no longer needing to worry about immediate safety, could now focus calmly on the ongoing battle around him. However, after observing for a while, a subtle furrow formed between his brows. As the old driver had mentioned, the sand creatures, due to their immense size, could only jump a limited distance—most of them barely reached the edge of the turtle shells before losing momentum. The guards seized this opportunity and swiftly dispatched them one by one. Thus, at the beginning of the battle, the guards had indeed held a clear advantage. Yet there were simply too many giant insects. Though the yellow dust had not yet cleared, allowing a full count, over three hundred had already emerged within such a short time. Although their movements were somewhat clumsy, each insect was tough-skinned and resilient—capable of withstanding multiple cuts, as long as the vital points were not struck. They could leap up and launch attacks even while being struck by several blades simultaneously. As more and more of these insects poured forth, the defenses gradually weakened. Eventually, some of them managed to leap onto the backs of the turtles, directly biting at the guards. The guards on the turtle vehicles began to suffer injuries—some were torn in half by the insects' jaws, others had their entire heads bitten off by creatures that had silently surged from behind. Once upon the turtles, the insects' lateral appendages became equally formidable weapons. The overall situation of the convoy steadily deteriorated. The only quiet spot within the defensive circle was several turtle vehicles clustered in the central area, one of which was the massive turtle beneath Han Li's feet. After glancing at it for a moment, he turned his head and looked toward another nearby turtle vehicle. He had clearly seen that the disciples such as Nan Qi Zi had entered these vehicles—using the skills of these foundation-stage cultivators, it should not have been difficult to eliminate these mere insects and beasts. Yet, to this moment, there had been no movement from the opposite vehicle, and none of the disciples had shown any intention to act. Han Li's brow slightly furrowed, then he turned back, maintaining his calm observation. By now, over twenty guards had been severely injured or killed by the giant insects, and the remaining ones, having continuously swung their weapons, were beginning to show signs of exhaustion. As a result, the number of casualties continued to rise. It seems that if the scar-faced man and those knights don't deal with that insect demon soon, the caravan won't be able to hold much longer. As for himself,韩立 had little to worry. Though he couldn't cast spells and his internal meridians were still not fully healed, his body, fortified by four layers of the Ming Wang Technique, was so resilient that even standing still while being torn apart by the giant insect would leave him unharmed. Moreover, he also carried two Immortal Immortal Pearls—powerful enough to seriously injure even a cultivator at the Stage of Divine Spirit. With these assets,韩立 could now stand calmly here, observing the situation unfold. "Not good, Sister Xiang'er! The situation is turning serious—we should act quickly!" A clear, youthful voice came from behind.韩立's expression shifted, and he slowly turned to look back. To the observer's surprise, San young women had appeared behind the giant turtle at an unknown moment, each holding a small flag. The one speaking was the youngest, dressed in a crimson robe, her face showing evident anxiety. "It's all right, we still have time," said the young woman in a green robe, her voice steady. "Let us quickly set up the Xiao Hui Chun array. Though Li'er sister is absent, we shall be able to hold on for some time." The three girls immediately positioned themselves and each produced a silk cloth, roughly the size of a basin, which they laid out on the ground, forming a large array several feet across. From afar, Han Li was momentarily struck by the scene. At that moment, all three girls raised their small flags, revealing that the delicate wrists exposed were each adorned with a bracelet set with a spirit stone—identical to the one held by the young woman in the blue robe. The three women chanted continuously, and the bracelets on their wrists and the small flags in their hands emitted a faint glow. As they shook their wrists, the three small flags suddenly pierced the ground-based array, instantly triggering a subtle surge of spiritual energy. A bright light rapidly radiated outward in all directions. As this light swept across the surrounding guards, they gradually vanished into their bodies. The guards immediately regained their spirits—wearing away the signs of fatigue and radiating an inexplicable surge of strength. The weapons, which had previously felt heavy in their hands, now became light and easy to wield, flashing with cold brilliance. In a moment, the giant insects were once again driven back from their shells and regained the upper hand. Seeing this, Han Li stroked his chin, slightly moved his lips, and then broke into a quiet smile. What they called the "Little Revival Array" was nothing more than a simplified version of the "Jingyuan Array" from the human realm's magical sects. This阵appears to restore the physical strength of the allied personnel affected by the restriction, granting them a temporary surge of immense power. In reality, however, it is drawing upon their inner essence, consuming their future lifespan now. Though the recovery seems only brief, it has already depleted at least two to three years of the defenders' lives. (First chapter!)