Lingdong, who seemingly had effortlessly eliminated two green shadows, remained silent, merely flicking his blood sword. Instantly, the sword dissolved, transforming into a flowing stream of deep crimson essence. He exhaled deeply, his face first turning vividly red, then rapidly pale—seeming as though he had lost a great deal of blood. Quickly retrieving a crimson vial from his storage bracelet, he poured a single deep-red pill into his mouth and swallowed it. Without lingering, Lingdong summoned his flight light and sped off toward the distance, breaking through the air. At a distance of over ten thousand miles, a streak of pale blue electricity suddenly flickered and darted swiftly through the sky. Behind it, several miles away, a swirling mass of black mist drifted along, seemingly moving at a slow pace. Yet, through some mysterious means, it managed to keep pace with the electricity, never faltering or being left behind. The two—front and back—crossed hundreds of miles in an instant. Then, the black mist trembled suddenly, vanishing from behind, only to reappear a few miles beyond at the next moment, continuing its pursuit. Immediately, the pale blue streak leapt upward with a sudden surge, transforming into a thin white thread, instantly increasing the distance between them. This chase continued, the two pursuing one another. Within the pale blue arc, a figure with wings sprouting from his back occasionally appeared—none other than Han Li. At this moment, his brows were furrowed, and his gaze dark and serious. Since shortly after he noticed the elderly, shadowy figure closing in behind him, he immediately combined his Wind-Thunder Wings with the Swift-Wind Nine Transformation technique, pushing his evasive abilities to their absolute limit. Yet the black mist—whatever it was—moved with astonishing speed and possessed the same instant-translocation ability. Despite their prolonged pursuit, they had barely managed to gain even a single inch on one another. Though the desert was vast, it was a region frequently visited by foreign tribes. Should this pursuit continue, disturbing other tribes would inevitably become a greater concern. As for the Blood-Shadow Evade technique, which significantly depletes one's vital energy—he had just used it once earlier—and was unwilling to deploy it again unless absolutely necessary. After all, this desert teemed with dangers, and soon he would have to enter the narrow passageway ahead; he did not wish to exhaust his own energy reserves. It seemed he would have to engage in a temporary battle with the shadow-tribe figures behind him. As the other cultivator capable of embodying a Mid-Transcendent stage, it was clear that their status within the Shadow Clan was undoubtedly significant—likely corresponding to a Red Shadow entity of the same rank. For such a high-level being, if it were from another ethnic group, Han Li might still have held some reservations. However, facing the Shadow Clan, he felt confident in his ability to counter them, relying on his mastery of several divine techniques that could specifically neutralize this clan. Moreover, since entering Tianyuan City, the various treasures and newly cultivated cultivation techniques he had been refining had never been truly revealed to anyone else. He wasn't entirely certain of their exact power, only knowing they were likely extraordinary—making this very moment an ideal opportunity to test them against the Red Shadow. With his thoughts swiftly forming, Han Li instantly teleported once again, then slightly shook his wings behind him, causing him to halt abruptly in place. As a result, the black mist surged forward at full speed, reaching over a hundred paces behind Han Li, showing no intention of slowing down and seemingly determined to close the distance directly. This development was entirely expected. The Shadow Clan's most proficient technique had always been to forcibly consume the spiritual essences of other clans, directly mastering their bodies and gaining access to half of their physical capabilities. Yet how could Han Li truly allow the opponent to draw near? Without a word, he merely rubbed his palms together and then extended them outward. A thunderous roar erupted, and a golden arc as thick as a large bowl surged forth between his hands, unexpectedly slashing straight into the dark mist. A light "Ah!" of surprise escaped as the mist suddenly flickered and vanished into the nearby void. Han Li snorted coldly, a gash of blood appearing across his brows. His Destroying-Eye Technique instantly manifested, projecting a streak of black light that likewise vanished in a flash. Following a deafening explosion, a powerful ripple spread across the void several dozen zhang away. The elder, now encased within a cluster of dark mist, staggered and reappeared, only to emit an unexpected gasp: "The Destroying-Eye Technique! You've actually cultivated such a mastery!" Han Li's mouth twitched slightly, saying nothing, yet he subtly accelerated his spell, and the thick golden arc turned a corner unexpectedly, appearing behind the elder just as he was about to shift, then swiftly flashing forward to deliver a powerful slash. The elder murmured, "Unfortunate!" as he prepared to pivot and evade, but at the same time, Han Li's eyes flashed with intense blue light, and he issued a sharp command—though the voice was not loud, it struck the elder's ears like the clash of a great bell, causing a deafening roar in his ears and a sudden, searing pain that split his mind, leaving him momentarily motionless. Immediately after, the golden arc struck the black mist, sending countless fine golden sparks leaping and intertwining, causing the mist to surge and boil violently. At the same time, a deep, resonant frog's cry, filled with agony, suddenly emerged from within the mist. The mist surged and spiraled, then coalesced beneath the elder's feet, forming a monstrous two-headed creature with a serpent's head and a frog's body. Four bright red eyes fixed firmly on Han Li, blazing with fury. Han Li, upon seeing this, stood momentarily stunned. To his surprise, the protective black aura on the other side had actually taken the form of a monstrous creature. "Excellent! Remarkable! A mere Shenshen cultivator has managed to shake my inner composure—your technique truly shows promise. Why don't you demonstrate it once more?" The old Taoist, after taking the lightning strike, instantly regained his footing and now stared at Han Li with a grim expression. Han Li furrowed his brow. It seemed clear that the lightning had been fully absorbed by the creature beneath his feet; otherwise, given the lightning's natural dominance over the Shadow Clan, such a powerful, thick Divinely-protected thunderbolt could not have left him unharmed. As for attempting a second strike with the Mind-Disrupting Needle, he would certainly not make such a clumsy move. That technique required surprise and timing to be effective—given the other's even more refined spiritual awareness, any such attack would fall flat otherwise. Han Li said nothing further, simply raised one hand and revealed a palm as dark as ink, then pressed it firmly into the space before the Taoist. Instantly, air ripples surged once again above the old man's head, forming a small, dark mountain in the air. This mountain merely spun once, and in an instant rose to a height of a hundred zhang. A brilliant gray light burst forth from its base, spreading out in concentric rings that swiftly descended toward the mountain's core. The Daoist's expression flashed with sternness as he swept his sleeve outward, suddenly revealing a slender, translucent knife, about half a zhang long. With a mere gesture through the air, the knife flashed out a bright, sharp blade of light that vanished almost instantly. A sharp "crack" sounded—unknown as to the nature of this small blade, the blade of light barely touched the gray光环 and instantly dispersed it, striking firmly at the mountain's base. A deep, resonant "thrum" like a great bell echoed through the air. The mountain remained motionless, yet the blade of light vanished abruptly. The old Daoist's face slightly changed, still without further action, when suddenly, with the other hand, the young man extended his palm, fingers splayed, and five bone-ringed bracelets floated into view. At once, five massive skull heads materialized around the old monk, and as he opened his mouth, five streams of intensely cold flames erupted, merging into a radiant five-colored flame that instantly engulfed the old monk. The monk had previously maintained a cold, mocking expression, but as the five-colored flames touched his body, his face suddenly turned pale. A surge of crimson light erupted around him, and countless crimson sword beams slashed outward, quickly coalescing into a magnificent red lotus. Wherever the crimson glow went, the five-colored light flames eventually shattered and dispersed, and the old sage's figure reemerged, calm and composed. The ghostly wailing grew loud, and the five skull heads reconnected, returning to their original state. Yet, a continuous murmuring sound still emerged from their mouths, as if profoundly respectful and awed by the old sage. Han Li exhaled gently, then raised his hand to point at the distant, imposing mountain. With a thunderous roar, the mountain plunged straight downward. Despite the immense weight and resonance pressing down, the old sage's expression remained unchanged. He merely lightly tapped the giant beast beneath him with the tip of his foot. Both serpent heads of the beast opened their mouths simultaneously, and two thick crimson streaks shot forth, striking the descending mountain with great force. A sound like the heavens collapsing and the earth splitting erupted, and the mountain wavered, then flew off at an angle. Seeing this, Han Li's eyes narrowed, and his face finally grew troubled. These crimson streaks were indeed the serpent cores expelled by the two serpent heads—so powerful that they could even knock a peak transformed into a metaphysical magnetic mountain into a flying fragment. Han Li gripped his hands tightly, and with a single motion, the black mound and the five skeletons vanished into thin air. His palms, once starkly contrasting in color, instantly regained their natural hue, showing no further anomalies.