Under the joint assault of the four spirit beasts, except for a small number of ordinary people who managed to escape through the protection of some body-tempering cultivators, most of the ordinary citizens were trampled and killed within the beast horde. However, the beast horde had only ravaged the city for three or four days before gradually withdrawing. Thus, the great wave of beasts officially came to an end. Though the city suffered a complete destruction, such an event was not common in human history since the establishment of the Three Realms, and it eventually drew the attention of senior cultivators from Tianyuan City, who dispatched a large contingent to investigate the specific causes behind the beasts' breach of the city defenses. Of course, these developments came later. Two days after the beast horde's departure, shimmering lights appeared in the sky, and several cultivators descended from the heavens, arriving soon after at the massive breach in the city walls where the attack had taken place. As the light faded, three cultivators materialized in the air—exactly the three from JinYu Sect. Leading them was a gentleman in a brocade robe of the Qin surname. Their eyes immediately scanned downward, as if searching for something. "那人恐怕已经丧命了. The combined attack of those leopard-beast creatures was something Brother clearly witnessed firsthand. Yet he still believes this person has a chance of survival." The man from the young couple glanced several times before finally asking the gentleman in the brocade robe. "Brother may not be aware, the Diamond Technique is quite different from ordinary body cultivation. With three layers of the Diamond Technique, a common person can achieve a complete renewal of their marrow and meridians, and when the technique is fully activated, their body can withstand a full-force strike from a low-tier spiritual weapon. Though the attack from the leopard-beast creatures was powerful, if this person had prepared his technique in advance, he would inevitably suffer serious injuries—though survival remains likely. However, the task we are about to undertake absolutely requires such a resilient, ordinary person as an assistant. Had we not been too far away at the time, we would have been able to intervene. I would have certainly saved him." The gentleman in the brocade robe shook his head, his face deeply serious. Hearing his senior's words, the young male cultivator, though somewhat doubtful in his heart, found himself at a loss for further objections. It was the graceful woman, however, who, with a quick glance, spoke up: "Even if that person had remained in place, having been subjected to the wild beasts' ravages for so long, wouldn't they have surely perished at the beasts' jaws? How could they have survived at all?" "That's a very plausible point! I came here with only a hope of the best, didn't I? Finding the right personnel has truly been difficult. I'll still expend some of my spiritual awareness to search around further." Upon hearing this, the man in the brocade robe chuckled slightly, a faint expression of embarrassment on his lips. "Oh, I wonder what specific task I might be expected to perform that has caused Qin Master to hold such a strong interest in me." Suddenly, a quiet voice emerged from among the scattered stones below, followed by a thunderous crash as stones flew outward in all directions—two figures, one tall and one short, materialized into the dust haze. "Han Li!" The three figures in the sky were first startled, then the man in the brocade robe exclaimed with The taller figure below was precisely Han Li, missing for several days, while the shorter one was indeed a young girl of about four or five years old. Though her garments were somewhat soiled, one could still discern their original elegance and refinement. The girl had a delicate, pale complexion, exceedingly endearing, with large, dark eyes that betrayed a certain apprehension. She clutched firmly at the back of Han Li’s robe, staying close at all times. Though he had firmly parried the mist-attenuated mythical bird's attack, he had already been struck by the collapse of the city wall, which caused his body to descend prematurely, so that he only absorbed a portion of the impact. Protected by the fourth layer of the Diamond Technique, he sustained only minor injuries as expected. However, due to the immense pressure of the attack, the bottleneck he had previously encountered at the fourth layer of the Diamond Technique unexpectedly broke through. Indeed, when he was still on the human plane, his progress to the fourth layer had stalled precisely because of this very bottleneck. Now, with just six months of steady cultivation, he could truly advance to the fifth layer. Thus, he decided to remain concealed beneath the pile of stones, first consolidating this unexpected breakthrough. It was only then that he encountered the young girl and her companions, and, moved by compassion, he stepped in to save her. Yet the events that followed were far more complex than he had described. To avoid exposing his hiding place, he swiftly eliminated all百余 nearby animals in one go, ensuring a clean and thorough clearance before finally returning with the young girl to the stone pile. This proved quite a task. Had it not been for the girl being such a burden, he could have already departed some days ago. After all, he himself still had some confidence in remaining undetected by the beasts; but with such a small child accompanying him, matters became considerably more complicated. The girl’s presence radiated like a bright flame in the night—her traces unmistakable, completely concealed. It was therefore better to remain beneath the stone pile, waiting for the animal herd to depart. After all, the strong human presence in this city was sufficient to mask the girl’s every movement. Just as he felt the time had come to emerge today, he unexpectedly encountered the arrival of three members from the JinYu Sect, whose keen hearing allowed them to clearly hear their entire conversation. At once, he broke through the stone, startling the three dressed in brocade robes. After all, Han Li appeared perfectly fine from the outside, nothing like the injured state they had expected. When the Qin-man pulled him forward, he was naturally delighted, yet a quiet sense of surprise stirred within him, and his tone became slightly more courteous, treating Han Li as an equal. "I didn't expect Han brother to be so warm-hearted. However, since this girl is being escorted by a bodybuilder, she must be no ordinary person. Could Han brother kindly inquire about her background?" The man in the brocade stood up, gazing at the girl with growing interest. "All she can say is that her name is 'Dai'er.' That's all." Han Li sighed, clearly finding it a bit difficult. "Ah-ha! That makes sense—she must have been particularly instructed by her family. That's not surprising at all. As long as we locate the senior officials of An Yuan City who managed to escape, someone should recognize her. But Han brother truly surprises me—how you've managed to remain unharmed throughout the beast surge." The Qin-man's eyes flashed with admiration as he spoke. "It's nothing—just a bit of good fortune." Master Qin hasn't yet clarified the matter for me—what peril exactly requires someone as sturdy and resilient as I to face it?" Han Li noticed that the other had consistently avoided directly addressing his initial question, offering a half-smiling, somewhat reserved expression. "This matter will eventually need to be told to Brother Han. However, this isn't the ideal place for a conversation. After we depart, I'll explain it in greater detail. Your master and the others have been relocated to a safer location farther from here. Shall I accompany Brother Han there to meet them? There, several ordinary folk who escaped from Anyuan City are also staying." The man in the brocade robe paused thoughtfully before speaking seriously. "That sounds good. Perhaps there, Brother Han will find relatives of this young girl." Han Li's expression brightened in response. "Then that would be ideal. Let's go quickly. I'll use my magical artifact to carry Brother Han, and Sister, you'll take care of this young girl." Master Qin was pleased with this arrangement and immediately issued the instructions. The young female cultivator nodded and stepped forward in a few strides, kindly reaching out to pull the girl named "Dai'er." Upon seeing the child's endearing, baby-faced appearance, the woman found herself pleasantly drawn to her. Yet, as soon as the young woman approached, the child suddenly grew fearful, shrinking back abruptly and even circling around to the other side behind Han Li, as if avoiding her entirely. This left the young woman momentarily stunned and somewhat embarrassed. Han Li frowned slightly. "Well, then. I'll take both of them with my artifact. This little one seems deeply startled—she only trusts Han brother." The Qin-named man was momentarily taken aback, but soon chuckled softly. Han Li merely nodded without further comment. Reaching out, he gently seized the child and easily carried her onto his shoulder. The man in the brocade robe then released a small sword from his body, which rapidly expanded to several zhang in height and floated steadily in the air beneath. He gave a slight sway, drifting upward, just as he turned to call out to Han Li, when suddenly a voice came from behind: "Does this artifact possess protective capabilities? If so, could you activate it slightly? The young girl is still too young to withstand the wind forces during flight." The voice was close behind him, and the man in the brocade robe was startled, quickly turning around. Han Li stood right behind him! He had no idea how Han Li had ascended onto the flying sword, and had not even sensed any sign of it. "I see you still master the art of silent movement—quite a surprise," the man in brocade said, his expression shifting before finally offering a strained smile. "A mere minor skill, I'm sure Qin Xianshi will find it humble." Han Li responded with a calm demeanor. The man in brocade studied Han Li once more before turning back, then pressed his palms together in a series of gestures. Instantly, the flying sword beneath him flashed with golden light, forming a delicate luminous shield that encompassed all three of them. Then, it surged forward, radiating a golden glow, and shot swiftly toward the distant horizon. Another pair of young men also took to their vehicles and followed closely behind. Not long afterward, the three streaks of light vanished without a trace from the sky above. Half a day later, three streaks of light reappeared above a rolling terrain of hills and then descended directly. Below, a long stretch of temporary structures—tents and wooden huts—extended for miles. "Master Qin, you've returned! Oh, Brother Han truly found what we were looking for," said a young man in a blue robe, who had been standing before one of the huts, rushing forward with evident delight as the light streaks settled before a hut and revealed several figures. "Indeed, we didn't come all this way in vain. By the way, is the lady still inside?" the man in a rich red robe smiled slightly and asked casually. (First update!