The giant serpent suddenly shuddered, then opened its mouth with a shake of its head and tail, blasting forth a powerful column of azure light. At the same time, the remaining single horn on its head erupted a thick, bowl-sized arc of purple light, which instantly fused with the azure column. Meanwhile, the golden figure touched its forehead with one hand, and instantly a golden, misty column of light surged upward, plunging into the massive sword atop its head. The sword emitted a resonant hum, swelling in size by several times and radiating an intense golden glow, shining as brilliantly as the sun itself. After releasing the golden column, the figure’s body, which had been only a few feet long, suddenly shortened by half. Yet, completely ignoring this unusual change, it pressed its palms together in a series of gestures. The sword transformed into a golden rainbow, following closely behind the azure column, and struck precisely at the same point where the barriers stood. A thunderous roar echoed through the air, and the azure light and golden glow exploded and interwove, miraculously coalescing into a massive, several-zhang-diameter sphere of light, its surface shimmering with countless flickering streaks of purple lightning. This luminous sphere seemed to possess some unknown divine power, gradually sinking into the barrier as both figures simultaneously exerted their strength, its unstoppable force tearing the spatial barrier apart and penetrating halfway into it. Both the dragon and the golden figure were overjoyed. The dragon called out to the man with the furrowed brow, then, in a single motion, restored his own form to its original size, transforming into a streak of emerald light that swiftly enveloped the man and shot him toward the massive sphere. As they moved, he cast a cold glance toward the other side, where Han Li stood motionless, gazing at the scene with wide-eyed wonder. A look of utter disbelief—like someone observing a corpse—flashed across the dragon’s face. With a clear cry, it flashed out of the sphere at once. It had no fear that Han Li would take advantage of the moment to flee. The sphere had absorbed and fused their inner energies; unless both of them personally carried it through, it could not have pierced this passage. The golden little figure, seeing the dragon lizard take the lead, immediately transformed into a shimmering golden mist without a word, wrapping the golden man around and, after a few flashes, arriving at the barrier's front, ready to vanish through the same means. Yet at that moment, a deep rumble of thunder suddenly echoed near the light sphere, followed by a ripple in the space. Then, a figure with wings sprouting from its back materialized in a flash. As soon as this figure shook its shoulders, a grayish, hazy glow surged forward and enveloped the golden mist. The little figure felt an invisible suction force suddenly arise, and without realizing it, was drawn close to the figure, now seamlessly following behind the golden mist, and heard a soft voice: "Since you have a way to free yourself, I presume you won't mind taking me along." The voice belonged to Han Li. The golden figure was momentarily stunned, turning his gaze toward where Han Li had stood. There, he saw another figure—clearly a second Han Li—still standing in place. Upon seeing the two junior cultivators approaching, Han Li suddenly smiled and, with a single gesture, his form dissolved into a cascade of green light, vanishing within a blink—transformed into a delicate green spiritual seal that gently flickered and disappeared into thin air. It was precisely the spiritual seal Han Li had nurtured for centuries. When he first perceived the two Xuangong cultivators intent on breaking through the barrier, his mind instantly stirred—he had conjured the spiritual seal into a substitute body, while himself silently slipped into the void using his Wind-Thunder Wings, instantly teleporting to near the luminous sphere. The green spiritual seal, having matured over several hundred years and possessing inherent qualities of a sacrificial avatar, remained undetected by the翡翠蛟龙 and the golden junior cultivator in the midst of the sudden shift. As a result, Han Li seized the opportunity and, with a surge of Yuanmagnetic Divine Light, adhered to the golden junior's flight path like a healing balm, maintaining constant, unbroken contact. "Junior," Han Li said, "do you intend to meet your end?" "How remarkable is this golden figure! Though surprised by his own oversight, he immediately grasped the subtle trick韩立 had played. At once, his light dimmed, and a voice of astonishment and indignation resonated from within. Then, a myriad of golden beams burst forth from the golden haze, sweeping directly toward韩立 without hesitation. Yet upon contact with the gray haze, these golden beams emitted sharp crackling sounds, like bursts of explosion, and after a violent tremor, failed to push the gray haze aside. This development sent the golden figure's heart racing. "Heh, if it were your true form personally present, I would indeed be unable to withstand your overwhelming power. But now, you are only here as a manifestation. Should you wish to easily displace my Yuanmagnetic Divine Light, you will find it impossible to do so without at least a moment or two. Do you truly intend to remain here with me for such an extended period?" From within the gray haze,韩立 emitted a series of light, amused chuckles. "You dare threaten me with such boldness!" Upon hearing this, the golden figure was furious and immediately prepared to deploy other divine techniques. At that very moment, a piercing scream suddenly erupted from the sky. Upon hearing it, Han Li, immersed in the Yuanmagnetic Divine Light, felt an immediate surge of warmth spread through his body, causing his blood to boil and rush violently toward his skin. Though Han Li's Diamond Body Technique had reached its peak and his skin was as resilient as that of a first-tier divine artifact, he was startled and quickly pressed a series of hand seals, which instantly stabilized him. The small figure, startled and alarmed by the scream, staggered slightly, his face turning pale. Though the golden plump figure beneath him was protected by the golden aura, he immediately turned crimson and began to waver as soon as the scream reached his ears. "Blood-Weeping!" cried the small figure in astonishment and fury, raising one hand and striking the void below. Instantly, a golden light column shot forth and plunged into the golden plump figure's body, causing him to tremble and his flushed complexion to gradually fade. The already twisted and tangled light gate floating in the sky now extended a massive bone claw, slowly pushing and re-opening the gate once more. And the claws were as pure and white as jade, radiating an astonishing spiritual pressure—the piercing cries of agony were clearly emanating from within the light gate. "It seems we won't have to wait much longer. That jade-bodied demon-mage will surely appear soon. What if the senior who went ahead, in the pursuit of expelling the demons, neglects to leave this gate intact and instead destroys it again? Then we would truly have to offer our bodies as sustenance to the demons. Does the senior have no concern at all about this?" Han Li suppressed his growing astonishment but spoke with remarkable composure. The golden little figure looked rather displeased when the massive bone claws appeared, and upon hearing these words, his mouth twitched slightly before he fell silent, pondering deeply. Given his understanding of the elder demon-mage's nature, if he delayed too long, it was very possible that the old demon would indeed take such a resolute and ruthless action. At this moment, another bone claw extended from within the light gate, now forming a left-and-right embrace with the first. As the cries from within ceased, a deep, resonant roar began to echo through the gate. The monster seemed about to burst out at any moment. "Good! Young man! That's one bet you've won. I'll take you out!" The elderly golden sage, though seasoned and shrewd, swiftly decided upon a subtle shift in his thoughts and no longer hesitated to agree. The emerald jade dragon and the man with a furrowed brow were also nearby. Upon seeing that Han Li had managed to escape as well, they were instantly startled and turned to gaze at him. Han Li didn't hesitate. With a mere shake of his wings behind him, he instantly transformed into a streak of pale green and white electricity, vanishing from his original spot. The next moment, he appeared at a location dozens of zhang away. For some reason, the golden figure standing just a few feet away failed to cast any spell to ensnare him—completely allowing Han Li to escape unimpeded. The emerald jade dragon watched the scene coldly, then a flash of fierce determination passed through his eyes, prompting him to prepare for action. But at that very instant, a terrifying spatial ripple emanated from the massive luminous sphere at the center, followed by a strange, wave-like sound rising from the sky—resembling a tidal surge. Half of the sky suddenly seemed to warp and fold like a sheet of paper, gradually creasing and collapsing into a wrinkled mass. "Unbelievable!" "Space storm!" At the sight, everyone present—including Han Li—gasped in astonishment Immediately, they no longer cared about anything else, each simply channeling their respective techniques, transforming into streaks of dazzling light and shooting out in all directions. Although transmutation techniques were more refined, under the imminent threat of a spatial storm, attempting to retreat into the void would surely have been fatal. Fortunately, all of them possessed exceptional cultivation levels; though they employed ordinary teleportation methods, after a few swift movements, they suddenly appeared hundreds of feet away. A deep rumble echoed, and at the spot where they had stood, the sky suddenly rippled, from which countless fine black filaments emerged spontaneously, then spreading and lengthening outward. Within a moment, the space covering over a hundred paces was transformed into this remarkable phenomenon. Then, a roaring wind surged forth, and the black filaments instantly shattered and expanded, releasing waves of luminous white light that surged forth like liquid. A strange sight unfolded: as soon as these beams of white light appeared in the space, fierce winds erupted, forming powerful gales that swept everything nearby into their midst. These hurricanes resembled malevolent spirits that devoured everything—anything that entered them was either instantly crushed to fragments or, with a strange, eerie "whoosh," vanished without a trace, leaving behind a resonant, otherworldly roar, like the cries of demons. Han Li had already reached a small hill some dozen li away, gazing afar at the bizarre spectacle of the hurricane surging skyward, his face expressionless. While such spatial storms were far less formidable than those he had encountered through the space nodes, Han Li absolutely did not wish to be drawn into them. Indeed, it had been precisely thanks to Ice Phoenix's spatial aptitude that he had managed to pass through these storms in the past—though even then, much of his treasures were destroyed, and he had nearly perished within them. Now, it seemed the storms were growing stronger and showing no signs of abating in the near future. After a few thoughts, Han Li suddenly burst into light, no longer paying attention to the other directions—the Jade Dragon and the golden figures—nor did he linger, but instead directly sped toward his own dwelling.