These two plump creatures each measure two zhang in length, with translucent, segmented skin resembling a massive silkworm pupa. At one end of each, however, a relatively small head emerges—equipped not only with six crimson eyes but also constantly opening and closing a large, toothy maw that feeds upon moss. Han Li had already employed the technique of ethereal manifestation, rendering him invisible even to cultivators at the Liangxu stage. Naturally, he had no concern that these two Shangshen-level insect beasts would detect his presence. He thus calmly drifted directly above one of the creatures, merely glancing in a certain direction. Under the clear and sharp gaze of his spiritual eyes, a faint red silhouette stood clearly near the other Pyo-tu creature—a beautiful woman who had activated her flight technique. Behind her, several zhang away, a hazy green glow flickered uncertainly, the form of an elderly man using the wind to conceal himself. Yet at this moment, both of them were visibly puzzled and scanning the surroundings, completely unaware of Han Li's presence. Han Li didn't mind at all. With a slight movement of his lips, he silently transmitted a few words, clearly indicating his location. The two figures naturally expressed astonishment, yet the elderly man's transformed azure light flashed over and arrived at Han Li's side—yet dared not come closer than ten zhang to the insect and beast creatures gathered there. Clearly, he had no confidence that he wouldn't be discovered if he approached too closely. Indeed, the beautiful woman, no less a Xuangui cultivator, after her initial surprise, smoothly drifted to about five or six zhang away from the other insect beast, then stopped motionless. For a moment, all three stood still in place, the only sound being the soft "shushing" of the two Xuanwu beasts gnawing at the moss. Han Li's eyes flashed with cold light. With a sudden motion, one of his palms glowed dark and bright, and he reached into the void toward the insect beast beneath him. Instantly, a shimmering gray light burst forth from his fingers, and a strange black mountain emerged within the gray radiance, then plunged downward. Below, the insect beast was startled, its body suddenly swelling into a massive orb, with shimmering blue and white luminous glimmers appearing on its surface. Yet it was too late! At such close range, the gray glow flashed once and instantly swept the creature into its midst. The two luminous glimmers dancing on Xuanwu's body seemed to meet their match, vanishing instantly. Seeing the situation growing dire, the round, robust beast suddenly surged with a powerful tremor, and an invisible wave of energy emerged on its surface, spreading outward in all directions. Han Li, however, merely sneered, gently closing his five black fingers. Immediately, the gray glow intensified, and with a series of crisp sounds, seven or eight waves of gray mist spiraled toward the creature's body. Upon contact with these gray waves, the invisible energy wave was gradually weakened, layer by layer, until it finally dissolved completely within the radiant metagalactic light, retreating in defeat. As Xuanwu shifted its form, attempting to summon another divine technique, a dark shadow suddenly appeared above its head. A tremendous roar echoed as a black mountain several dozen paces tall crashed down onto the thick-bodied pyrothorax beast, crushing it immobile. Yet this creature, renowned for its tough hide and dense flesh, remained unbroken under such force, continuously twisting and struggling to break free. At that moment, Han Li merely shook his sleeve, and a sphere of silver flame shot forth, striking the base of the black mountain. With a deep rumble, the mountain instantly turned to ash without a sound from the creature. The power of the Shenglin Heavenly Flame was simply beyond the reach of such a humble insect beast. From the moment Han Li took action until the pyrothorax was vanquished, it took only a single breath. As he finished, he turned to glance back at his retinue. There, the elderly man of the You surname stood several dozen paces away, his face filled with astonishment at Han Li's effortless mastery over the beast. Clearly, Han Li's seamless triumph over the pyrothorax had left this late-stage Huashen cultivator deeply impressed. Han Li smiled gently and glanced toward the other side. To their surprise, another insect beast had split into two separate pieces. A beautiful young woman floated above the fallen creature, a small crimson sword about a foot long hovering before her, also displaying a look of astonishment. "You've settled these two beasts, Yuan-brother," said Han Li, bowing slightly to the woman before turning calmly to the elder. "Notify the elders, especially Zhu Senior, at once." "Of course, Han-brother," the old man replied with a warm smile, not at all displeased to be given the task. He merely flicked his sleeve, and a scroll of communication shot into the air, vanishing instantly into the void. Soon after, the others arrived. Upon seeing the scene and hearing the elder's brief account, the silver-haired youth nodded in satisfaction, praised Han Li and the others, and immediately set off with the group, without further delay. Han Li once again took his place at the rear of the procession. But this time, the glances other cultivators cast their way were naturally different. To single-handedly eliminate the Xuanwu Beast—something no one at the late Stage of Transformation had been able to achieve. Even the ethereal young lady veiled in a veil and the slender female cultivator of the Xiao family couldn’t help but glance over several times. "Please rest assured! With the Tian Dou Xuan Lei Array, plus the assistance of Brother Han and Miss Xiao, even the shadow insect beasts—though renowned for their strangeness—will surely be unable to escape." A middle-aged cultivator in yellow robes confidently pledged, patting his chest. Several other cultivators who had received the Xuan Qing Tian Lei banners echoed the same assurance. Han and the female cultivator of the Xiao surname exchanged a glance but said nothing. However, the young man named Zhu was satisfied with this, nodded, and then waved his hand, leading the beautiful woman ahead into the river water. The others followed one after another. At the same time, high above, within a cloud nestled among the towering mountains, an elder and a middle-aged cultivator on duty were casually conversing. "Old Zhao, don't you think it's time for Zhu Master and his party to reach the true toad's lair now? Hm, even with two mature bi-eye true toads, the group will be able to secure a generous share of their spiritual blood per person. While the younger toads' blood may not be as potent as that of the adults, it still offers some beneficial effects." Indeed, we've truly come all this way without wasting our efforts. The only regret is that we've been assigned to the outer areas. I daresay we've received the least amount of spiritual blood among all the groups. "The middle-aged cultivator in blue robes complained to the white-robed elder standing beside him. "Heh, Xun Daojun seems a bit dissatisfied. But don't just look at the benefits enjoyed by those who entered the cavern—perhaps some will meet with a tragic end," the elder replied with a dry chuckle, showing no concern. "Falling? Surely not! I believe Zhù Senior and his team have prepared thoroughly—everything should be handled smoothly. What could possibly go wrong?" The middle-aged cultivator frowned, clearly unconvinced. "It seems Xun Daojun has never ventured deep into the wilderness before. Daojun, you should remember that in the wilderness, nothing is ever absolutely secure. For instance, even as we stand on guard here, it's entirely possible that a large group of ancient beasts or foreign tribes at the stage of Perfected or Transcendent could suddenly emerge from the mist." The elder sighed, then spoke slowly. "Ha ha... Zhao Lao has exaggerated! How could such a thing happen here, so secluded?" The middle-aged cultivator, upon hearing this, burst into laughter. Yet the elder shook his head, still intent on offering more earnest words, when suddenly a dramatic change occurred across the room. A brilliant, shimmering sheet of light appeared without any prior sign, floating gently across the middle-aged cultivator's neck—then vanished as swiftly as it came. The head rolled off with a suddenness, and a column of blood several feet long erupted from the body. "Unfortunate!" The elder reacted swiftly, launching himself backward almost instantly as the incident unfolded. At the same time, he flicked his sleeve, sending forth a small, jade-green shield that expanded into a luminous dome, shielding his entire body. With a second exhalation, a second silver arc of light burst forth and spiraled around him. Yet all of this proved futile! As the space above the elder rippled, a massive, dark-green and black claw, stretching a zhang in length, materialized from the void and shot downward with lightning speed, seizing the elder along with his protective shield sword and cradling him firmly in its palm. With a firm press, the elder instantly screamed, dissolving into a pool of blood—his true essence, even his immortal embryo, failed to escape. Meanwhile, the mid-aged cultivator's lifeless body trembled, and a surge of green light burst forth, carrying within it a small immortal embryo about two inches tall, its hands clutching a banner-like artifact, desperately attempting to flee. However, just as the embryo had instantaneously teleported thirty zhang away, a streak of black mist erupted from the void, flashing swiftly and engulfing the embryo, then vanishing in an equally mysterious manner. Two senior cultivators of the Chuan Shen stage were thus obliterated in a single strike. At the very next moment, flashes of dark and light blue light rippled through the surrounding area, and suddenly, two towering figures—one large and one small—emerged from the void. A colossal being, ten zhang tall, with a green face, sharp teeth, and two horns on its head, resembling a demon. The other, though only one zhang tall, was slender and graceful, a young and beautiful woman—yet she held a massive blue great axe in one hand, matching her height, which looked most unusual. Both of them bore pairs of bright crimson flesh wings, adorned with strange, colorful runes that shimmered and glowed with vibrant splendor. "If we happen to swallow a Yuan婴 from a Consolidated-stage cultivator whole, it's entirely possible that we could directly advance to the level of Night-Sentinel Kings." The monster, resembling a demon, emitted a thunderous hum.