The giant's fierce expression flashed momentarily, then with a single hand motion, he grasped the massive black staff resting on his shoulder. His eyes shone brightly, and as multiple eyes across his body moved in unison, anyone witnessing it would surely feel chilled to the bone. Seeing this from above, Han Li felt a surge of relief, and held his breath. As long as the two below actually engaged in combat, their journey would become remarkably straightforward. With a loud "thud," the lizard opened its mouth, launching a streak of crimson light that instantly caused a burst of silvery glow beneath its massive claws. The light contracted, and a strange, cylindrical object, its body pierced through, was drawn out from the soil and landed heavily on the ground. Han Li stiffened, focusing closely, and realized it was a silver automaton with a dragon's head and human body. However, the automaton had been pierced right through its core by the giant lizard's formidable tongue, causing half of its body to explode instantly—now reduced to scattered fragments of broken metal and rust. It seemed that the puppet had revealed its movements at the very moment of action, and was struck down by the giant lizard. Though the thousand-eyed giant was not particularly intelligent, he too was momentarily stunned, then as his eyes flickered, countless black filaments burst forth from them. A second thunderous roar echoed, and another puppet hidden beneath the giant's body was pierced through by seven or eight of these black threads. These threads appeared to be of some unknown substance, and once they spread out, they sliced the towering puppet into fragments, as if impervious to any resistance. Witnessing this, Han Li drew in a sharp breath, his eyes darting with increasing intensity. It was clear that the situation was far more perilous than he had anticipated. Yet, since the Lingzhi fruit was essential for securing a future supply of immaterial-grade medicinal herbs, he would have to take this risk regardless. As long as he had the seed of this rare herb, he could cultivate it endlessly. With these thoughts in mind, Han Li settled back into stillness. The giant emitted a few defiant hums before once again placing the great staff upon its shoulders. The colossal lizard gazed at the giant with impassive eyes, then slowly shifted its body, once more settling gently onto the ground. The two massive beings had once again returned to their previous state of stalemate. Yet Han Li remained intently focused on the ground below, unable to divert his attention even slightly. Since the puppet had proven ineffective, according to the original agreement, Longdong and the others should now work together to draw the giant lizard and the giant away from the immediate area, thus giving him the opportunity to harvest the fruit. Indeed, within just a few breaths, a pleasant pipa-like melody rang out from the lizard's head, followed by a series of golden rings rising from the sky and gradually encircling the giant lizard's head. At the same time, a flash of white light revealed two short spears of white gold, which then swiftly transformed into two immense white rainbows, like great serpents leaping from the water, and descended in a furious, sweeping arc. Almost simultaneously, two figures materialized at a height of several dozen zhang—none other than the young woman in white robes and Longdong. Yet the maiden lightly plucked at the replica spiritual treasure lute with one hand, while Longdong solemnly maneuvered the two precious objects. Though the giant lizard was massive in body, its movements were remarkably agile. At the very instant its aerial attacks materialized, it roared and instantly rose to its feet. Its head, adorned with crimson, strange horns, flashed a burst of red light, and suddenly a cascade of red mist erupted, spinning smoothly and simultaneously supporting the yellow halo and two streaks of white light. Then, as green light pulsed along its back, a series of sharp crackling sounds echoed through the air—hard, hair-like bristles, each a foot long, transformed into emerald glimmers and shot upward. As the great tail flicked once in place, the giant lizard vanished in a fleeting trail of shadows. At that moment, the colossal tail of the lizard, seemingly materializing out of nowhere, appeared on the side of the maiden and Longdong. With a fierce sweep, it swept past them—though it had not yet made physical contact, a sudden gale of wind surged, instantly engulfing both of them. This colossal lizard truly lived up to its reputation as a mutated ancient beast—its counterattacks, once threatened, were as sharp and relentless as a storm of wind and rain. Though they knew the giant lizard would be a formidable opponent, both the white-robed maiden and Longdong were still taken aback. Fortunately, neither intended to engage it in a direct, prolonged battle. At once, the maiden raised her hand, launching a golden scroll that expanded into a radiant sphere of light, enveloping the creature before vanishing like a ghost—appearing suddenly at a strange location thirty zhang away. Longdong, in contrast, let out a deep, resonant dragon's roar, and instantly a set of yellowish battle armor emerged on his body. The armor was composed of metallic scales, covering his head, limbs, and body completely, offering full protection against wind and rain, with a pair of massive bronze wings extending from his back. As the wings fluttered, a series of trailing silhouettes materialized in the air, creating the illusion that countless figures were densely scattered across half the sky—its presence commanding an astonishing spectacle. Whether it was the patches of green light or the lizard’s tail, all were swept away by the sheer strang Yet, these two dared not pause or linger in the air, for the jade-like glimmers, spiraling after them, seemed magically attuned and relentlessly pursued their heels. After a surge of unusual light, the giant’s tail began to flicker in and out, partially vanishing, and with each flicker, it stirred gusts of fierce wind that pressed close behind them, relentlessly chasing the trio. For a while, the giant lizard and the two travelers engaged in a lively pursuit. Though the lizard’s mind was largely occupied by the two travelers, it still kept a vigilant eye on the great giant’s movements, fearing that he might seize the spiritual fruit at this moment. But upon observing the giant’s actions, it found itself reassured. At the very instant the lizard and the two aerial figures began their combat, two figures had also materialized behind the giant in the upper sky. One stroked his palms, then swept them upward, and instantly a dense wave of black fire balls surged forth. The other lunged directly toward the empty space ahead, and a massive, dark, luminous claw materialized above the giant’s head, plunging down with a firm grasp. A thunderous roar came, yet the giant seemed unresponsive, struck solidly by a series of fiery balls that hit his body, while his massive black claw caught firmly on the crown of his head. The young woman and the white-bearded youth were first startled, then filled with joy. But the scene that followed immediately froze their smiles. Suddenly, from within the black flames, the giant roared in fury, and his silver-white eyes began to spin rapidly. Instantly, an invisible force emerged, drawing the black flames into these eyes, which vanished completely in a matter of moments. The giant’s claw, conjured by the white-bearded youth’s magic, remained undamaged. This thousand-eyed giant appeared utterly indifferent, merely raising his hand and lightly tapping it against his head, and the claw was instantly reduced to ashes. Such power deeply unsettled the young woman and the white-bearded youth. Nevertheless, their assault had clearly enraged this colossal creature. The giant's face darkened with fury, and as he roared, the silver eyes on his body, having fully absorbed the black flame, instantly spun once in the air, fixing their gaze upon the two figures above. Amidst the flashing black luminescence, dense streams of black light erupted, enveloping both of them. Both the young woman and the white-haired youth had witnessed the power of those black filaments earlier; upon seeing this, their faces paled, and neither dared let them touch them. One of them immediately produced an object, threw it beneath himself, and it instantly transformed into a jade-blue light spear. With a sudden shift in position, he entered the stream and then burst forth with a swift surge. The other rolled swiftly, morphing into a massive purple-black eagle, measuring a zhang in length, and with a spread of wings, he too instantaneously teleported out. Clearly, these two spirits had planned from the outset to evade and delay, showing no intention of confronting the giant directly. At once, the four—Longdong, the young wife, and the two others—spurred their spiritual energies to the limit, darting around in all directions above the giant lizard and the giant, narrowly evading their astonishing attacks and occasionally launching counterstrikes of their own, which in turn caused the two massive beings to roar incessantly. Yet despite the relentless barrage of attacks, neither the giant lizard nor the giant moved an inch; neither seemed inclined to pursue the four. Otherwise, even with their remarkable elusiveness, the four would have been unable to withstand the onslaught of these beings of transcendent cultivation level for long. Now, whenever danger arose, they instantly instantaneously teleported to a great distance, regaining their breath. Thus, they were able to maintain a steady engagement around the two colossal creatures. However, this very tactic drove the two monsters into a state of furious agitation, yet the four remained elusive and unyielding, refusing to budge from the spiritual fruit even an inch. As a result, a stalemate had truly been established. As the four successfully stirred the attention of the giant lizard and the giant, the focus on them at the spiritual fruit naturally dwindled to less than one-twelfth. Under these circumstances, Han Li's body was gradually drifting downward in a quiet, steady motion. Thanks to his ethereal form, even the two immortals of Lingxu stage could not detect him at all—this was the very foundation of Han Li's confidence in accepting this mission. Yet, despite this, Han Li remained extremely cautious, not daring to take a single breath. Watching his figure slowly approach the cluster of spiritual dragon fruits—from a hundred paces, to seventy or eighty, then to thirty or forty, and finally to ten or so—he grew increasingly anxious. Undoubtedly, at the very moment he reached for the fruit, his form would no longer remain concealed, and both the giant lizard and the giant would immediately notice him. What remained now was how he could ensure his own survival. Standing light as if weightless, just at arm's reach of the spirit fruit, he could clearly smell its subtle fragrance and even discern the small dragon veins beneath the fruit's rind. Han Li did not immediately reach for the fruit. Instead, he swept his hand through his storage bracelet, and several items appeared in his hands. He pursed his lips, then rubbed his palms together and tossed them outward, sending several gleaming, round spheres hurtling toward the two massive beings. Next, with a lightning-fast motion, he reached forward and grasped the string of vibrant spirit fruits—now instantly vanished. As his form came into view, he spread his wings behind him, and in the thunderous sound, he flickered and shifted. Two thunderous roars echoed, and at the same moment, a crimson streak and several black threads shot forth from the surrounding void with an astonishing speed, piercing Han Li's body. Yet immediately, "Han Li" dissolved and vanished, leaving only a faint afterimage. His true form had just barely instantaneously teleported slightly ahead. A series of thunderous roars echoed, and several silver electric orbs, each spanning several mu, suddenly materialized on either side. Countless electric arcs, thick as dinner plates, flashed and shot forth incessantly within them, even sending nearby gales soaring skyward. The rumbling thunder and explosive crashes surged continuously, as if everything were being swallowed whole. The sheer force was overwhelming—like the heavens collapsing and the earth splitting apart! (Second chapter!