Five years may seem long, yet during this period, Han Li not only fully absorbed the golden essence exuded by the five pairs of crystal insects and coated it over his body, but also combined the golden mother coral sand with other medicinal herbs, refining it into a liquid and integrating it into his flesh and blood. As a result, the five pairs of crystal insects were completely consumed, and the entire stock of golden mother coral sand from the three jades was entirely depleted. One day, when Han Li awoke again from his meditative state, he raised his hands, which appeared ordinary, and glanced at them, his face expressing a strange expression. "I have fully incorporated the golden essences and a significant amount of golden mother coral sand into my body. My physical form has grown considerably stronger, yet I still find myself falling short of breaking through this mid-stage bottleneck. Perhaps it truly is a matter of untimely fortune." Han Li sighed, feeling somewhat frustrated, and closed his eyes once more. Suddenly, the walls of the chamber flashed with a deep green light, and the second immortal embryo, now appearing as a cluster of dark light, shot in, dancing wildly and babbling incoherently toward Han Li's hands. Han Li was momentarily stunned, then broke into a light smile. "I almost forgot. The Tianpeng clan members are coming to the island. It'll be a perfect opportunity to get a firsthand look at these foreign beings." He murmured to himself and stepped out of the chamber. Though he had not stepped outside the chamber in several years, he had commanded his second Yuan-Ci to use puppetry techniques to continuously monitor the four beasts' movements. Eventually, through their private conversations, he learned of the Tianpeng clan's envoys arriving on the island. Now that these foreign visitors have finally arrived, the beasts have already dispatched representatives to welcome them. As for the Dao-illumined Master he had captured last time—by chance, he had decided to extinguish his spirit using the Spirit-Consuming Heavenly Fire, only to later regret having forgotten to employ the Soul-Searching Technique. After all, a fully formed, eighth-level beast should know quite a bit about the surrounding region. Although the golden fish spirit had previously undergone soul-extraction rituals, it had never ventured far from its immediate waters and thus knew little of the broader world. It only knew that this sea was called the Red Demon Sea, and that the island where Han Li resided was known as Black冥 Island—indeed, merely a peninsula. A portion of this island, specifically the Black Yin Mountain range where Han Li lived, formed part of the island, while the rest of the island was entirely enveloped beneath the Black冥 mist. Fortunately, the peninsula remained connected to the Fengyuan Continent, and Han Li had thus breathed a quiet sigh of relief, not having to teleport to the other two unfamiliar continents. As long as he remained on the Fengyuan Continent, he would always have a way to return to the human race. The waters near the peninsula and the vast landmasses linking it appeared to be governed by a winged ethnic group known as the Feilin Clan, with the Tianpeng Clan being merely one of their branches—indeed, one of the weaker among the dozens. Many of the mythical beasts in the nearby seas were driven from the land by the Feilings, so this fish spirit wouldn't even know of such a matter. Beyond that, the fish spirit could provide no further precise information. However, in its somewhat vague recollection, the Tianpeng clan, aside from their pair of wings on the back, resembled humans in every other way—especially when employing their divine abilities to transform into various giant pengs during battle. Thus, Han Li naturally became highly interested in the Tianpeng clan's envoy tasked with collecting tribute, and wished to see them firsthand. Not long afterward, Han Li materialized as a streak of azure light in the sky hundreds of li away, with a golden exoskeleton insect, about half a foot long, crawling steadily on his shoulder. As Han Li allowed his flight light to propel him forward, he gently stroked the recently awakened, golden-devouring insect that had finally emerged from its long slumber. Visually, the beetle appeared unchanged from its original state, yet each one now felt astonishingly heavy—significantly heavier than when it first began consuming those strange stone materials. Fortunately, after testing, the mutated gold-devouring beetles had regained their original agility and each had become remarkably strong. One beetle could now easily bite and lift objects weighing nearly a thousand catties, which left Han Li utterly astonished for a long time after the tests were completed. Aside from these two observations, Han Li found no other unusual characteristics among the over a thousand evolved gold-devouring beetles. He wondered whether these were indeed the only changes—or if there were other transformations that he had simply not yet noticed. Han Li felt somewhat disappointed, and was now uncertain about the specific uses of the three special stone materials. A day later, Qinghong appeared near a group of smaller, flatter hills. After a brief flash of his gaze, Qinghong gradually faded, eventually vanishing completely as he continued to fly. Han Li suddenly summoned his divine powers, concealing both the flowing light and himself, and slowed his speed several-fold. After passing a small lake, a lush, emerald-green hill emerged ahead, covered with bamboo stalks several zhang high. At the foot of the hill, thousands of luminous creatures with ox heads and lion bodies were leisurely roaming. Han Li surveyed the herd and then turned his gaze toward the mid-slope of the hill. There, a patch of white mist lingered, undisturbed. With a flash of blue light in his eyes, his clear and refined vision instantly pierced through the mountain mist, revealing a pale green stone gate within the vapor. This was precisely the abode of the ox-headed creature. Han Li smiled slightly, then ascended swiftly into the sky, halting his flight only after reaching several thousand zhang in height. He then raised both hands, forming gestures, and launched several brief, vividly colored energy beams. Instantly, misty vapors rose from the surrounding void, coalescing into a seemingly ordinary gray cloud that completely enveloped his form. At this, Han Li's shoulders trembled. The colossal golden insect lowered its golden glow and instantly shrunk down to the size of a bean, then spread its wings and flew out of the gray mist, heading straight toward the small mountain below. Han Li watched the insect intently, and once it flashed and vanished into the mountain, he calmly hovered motionless in the mist. A moment later, a flash of spiritual light appeared from somewhere on the horizon, and two whirlwinds of magical energy, along with three large silver birds, soared down. Han Li's pupils narrowed, his eyes fixed tightly on the three magnificent divine sovereign birds. The three birds each measured over three zhang in length, resembling giant eagles, their bodies shimmering with a brilliant silver sheen, as if every feather were forged of pure silver. Their deep purple eyes moved with sharp precision and intensity. Though the three birds deliberately slowed their flight, as soon as they spotted the graceful small mountain in the distance, they simultaneously spread their wings, white lightning arcs appearing on their bodies, then transforming into three streaks of electric light that shot forward. A series of deep, resonant thunderclaps followed. At that very moment, three large birds emerged from within the arc of electricity, floating before the expanse of white mist. As their wings folded, they shimmered into the form of two men and one woman—three beings of alien origin, each bearing silver-feathered wings on their backs. "Are these the Tianpeng people?" Han Li examined them carefully, his face briefly expressing astonishment. The three alien men were handsome, while the woman was exceptionally graceful; aside from their silver wings, they were nearly indistinguishable from young human men and women. Yet, by the quality of their aura, they clearly represented three beings at the stage of Huashen. The middle-aged Tianpeng man, appearing to be in his thirties, possessed mid-Huashen strength, while the younger couple each held only initial Huashen stage. All three wore simple white robes. The two men wore silver headbands, while the woman had her long hair flowing freely down her shoulders. After sensing the strength of the three Tianpeng clan members, Han Li felt a slight relief. He silently chanted a few incantations, then gathered all his energy, allowing it to drift downward like a gentle breeze. The three figures naturally remained unaware of what was happening above, simply hovering before the small mountain, waiting quietly. It wasn't until a short while later that the two whirlwinds of妖energy arrived. As the妖energy subsided, a massive wild boar and three giant serpents emerged. "Please enter, esteemed elders," the serpent said immediately, bowing politely. "Cui and Jin have been counting the offerings and preparing the banquet inside the pavilion. We would be honored if you would join us!" "No need for such formality. We have already received the offerings and must return soon," the man in his thirties replied calmly, his tone steady. The other two also maintained a composed, unexpressive demeanor. After all, how could two beings of such relatively modest修为be seen as anything more than mere footnotes by these three Tianpeng clan members? Had it not been for the crucial offerings brought by a few of the island's creatures, they wouldn't have spoken a single word. At that moment, the white mist ahead began to dissipate, revealing the green gate hidden within, which slowly opened. The small creature with a twisted head and the golden-mantled giant ape immediately stepped out, bowing sincerely and ushering the three members of the Tianpeng clan into the cave dwelling, while the other creatures followed closely behind. No one noticed that, at the very instant the cave gate closed again, a faint, almost imperceptible breeze briefly swept through the entrance. The four creatures soon led the three Tianpeng members to a graceful hall, though still in their animal forms, they had already arranged several tables and chairs. The three Tianpeng members took their seats without hesitation, occupying the upper seats, while the four creatures stood respectfully at the lower end. "Enough with the formalities," said one. "Simply tell us whether your offerings are ready for this occasion." The young man of the Tianpeng clan, upon sitting down, immediately asked without ceremony. "Report to the three esteemed elders. Most of the tribute has been prepared, though some items have indeed become extinct on this island—there is simply nowhere to find them." The small creature, his posture stiffening, quickly replied. "Incomplete? Hmph. You should know the consequences of an incomplete tribute. Without tribute, what value do you hold on this island?" The elder man, slightly older, frowned. "Esteemed elder, please do not be angry. While some items are missing, we have specially prepared fifty additional Mu Ling flowers this time, and we kindly beg for your indulgence." The small creature, feeling a chill, quickly delivered his prepared words. "Fifty additional Mu Ling flowers?!" The three Tianpeng elders exchanged glances, each of them beaming with satisfaction. "Do you intend to substitute inferior flowers—perhaps ones not yet at their full maturity—to meet our expectations?" The man from the Tianpeng clan, in his thirties, suddenly recalled something and suddenly roared in anger. (Second chapter!