The merchant suddenly halted mid-flight, at a distance of over a hundred zhang from the floating clouds, his expression grave. With swift movements, he rapidly pointed at several points on his palms, and instantly the blood transformed into several large blood seals, which shot toward the five-colored electric arc. The seals vanished in a flash, fully absorbed into the arc. Immediately, the arc roared with a thunderous sound, and the clouds dissolved and vanished entirely under the five-colored lightning. The massive five-colored arc swayed and twisted in the sky, revealing its fierce and imposing form. Witnessing the power of the lightning, the merchant swallowed hard, then gritted his teeth, spitting out several more clusters of refined blood, each transforming into blood seals and likewise absorbed into the five-colored heavenly lightning. Having lost so much vital blood, the thin man's originally pale face now turned completely ashen. Yet, this seemingly all-or-nothing effort proved effective. After absorbing so many blood seals, the five-colored heavenly lightning finally trembled and settled, its roaring sound diminishing and its light becoming gentle and soothing. The electric arc shimmered with veins of blood, faintly visible and profoundly eerie. The shopkeeper beamed, murmuring incantations, and suddenly flapped his wings powerfully. "Pffft!" A surge of blood veins erupted from his wings, piercing straight through the five-colored electric arc and merging seamlessly with the blood filaments on its surface, enveloping the entire arc within. With both hands forming intricate gestures, the shopkeeper radiated a brilliant white light, launching one after another of his spells into the air. After a low hum, the five-colored thunder arc curled and contracted, transforming within moments into a massive spherical ball of thunder, about one zhang in diameter. The surface was covered with a network of blood-colored filaments, with the five hues of light constantly shifting and flowing. The thin, gaunt man watched in growing delight, extending a single hand toward the thunder sphere. To everyone's astonishment, the formidable five-colored sphere obeyed perfectly and descended steadily. Han Li and the others stood in stunned silence. The shopkeeper did not pause to answer any questions from Han Li or his companions. With a sudden movement, he vanished from his spot, as if he had never been there. At that very moment, as the space beneath the ground rippled simultaneously, the thin, gaunt man suddenly materialized beside the thunder beast. He swiftly raised both hands toward the sky, and two thick beams of light shot forth, plunging directly into the massive thunder sphere hovering only dozens of zhang above the ground. The celestial thunder trembled and remained suspended in midair. So close, Han Li and his two companions clearly sensed the terrifying power contained within the five-colored lightning sphere, their faces instantly pale with alarm. Fortunately, the thin man swiftly cast a spell to stabilize the sphere at a high altitude; otherwise, the three would have immediately retreated, abandoning everything to save themselves. They certainly wouldn't risk their lives to others. The shopkeeper paid no attention to the murmurs of concern in Han Li's group. Once he had stabilized the five-colored sphere, he suddenly roared aloud. The sphere spun smoothly, and a network of blood-like veins on its surface parted to form a small opening. A deep rumble followed, and then a slender streak of five-colored lightning shot out, aimed precisely at the thunder beast below. At the very moment the five-colored thunder balls appeared, the thunder beast seemed to sense that something dire was unfolding, roaring wildly, and even managed to partially tear free from the black chains binding it, rising to its feet. Yet before it could take another step, a thunderclap from the five-colored arcs struck precisely upon its cranial region. The beast emitted not a single sound, merely straightening its body and collapsing once more. The green jade plate flashed, and upon the thunder-beast's spirit roaring in alarm, it was gently drawn into the wooden plate by the green silk. The thin, gaunt man quickly snapped his fingers and fingers in rapid succession, casting one after another spells, densely and continuously onto the jade plate. In moments, the wooden plate shimmered with vibrant, shifting colors, fully sealing the spirit within. The man beamed, extending his hand to retrieve it—immediately, the green plate transformed into a radiant glow and was absorbed into his palm. "Ha! Finally, it's done!" The shopkeeper, overjoyed, burst into laughter. Han Li's eyes flashed as he gently subdued the rumbling thunder in his hands, and the golden arc vanished. "What is this? Fish brother said he intended to subdue this beast. Shouldn't this be sufficient now?" The gentle youth, after finishing his spell, glanced at the motionless body of the thunder-beast on the ground, then at the green plate in the shopkeeper's hand, his brow furrowed. This was precisely what Han Li and the Han man also wished to know. "Ah, yes. As long as we can compel the spirit "Now, the three of them will step in once again." The thin man carefully placed the green card into a jade box, beamed with a warm, cheerful expression. Han Li and the other two exchanged glances, sensing something unusual. They remained silent, each displaying a hint of alertness. "Rest assured," the shopkeeper said with a chuckle, "since I've been deeply grateful for your great assistance, I will surely fulfill every promise I've made. Please take these." With a gentle movement of his sleeve, a wave of white mist surged forth. The three wooden boxes that had appeared earlier shot directly toward Han Li and his companions. Though the young man with a gentle demeanor and the armored man had harbored some doubts earlier, upon seeing their long-desired items suddenly materialize, they were overjoyed and immediately reached out to grasp their respective boxes, without further hesitation. Yet when Han Li saw this, a sharp blue glow flashed in his eyes. Suddenly, his body spun smoothly, and a long robe of gold and silver materialized from his person, swiftly moving through the air—disappearing in an instant, and completely enclosing the flying wooden boxes within it. Then, the figure stepped firmly on both feet and shot back with a sudden surge. At the sight of Han Li's movement, the young man, whose hands had just grasped the wooden box with a gentle grip, froze momentarily, but quickly realized what was happening, murmuring under his breath, "This is bad—now I must throw the object again." Yet it was too late. As the light within the box flickered, the grains of light suddenly vanished, revealing a translucent, pearl-like orb the size of a thumb. "An Electrifying Lightning Orb!" the young man exclaimed, snapping his fingers to launch it into the air. But a thunderclap caused the orb to burst instantly, releasing a brilliant white flash. At that moment, half of the five-colored lightning spheres still floating in the air split into three electric arcs, which surged down from the sky with astonishing speed—so swift that they struck their targets in a single flash. Three thunderous booms followed, instantly enveloping the young man and the nearby man who had also been struck by similar circumstances, in a dazzling interweaving of five-colored lightning arcs and the white glow. With the two powers combined, as the lightning faded, both figures collapsed to the ground, enveloped in mist, their lives uncertain. As for Han Li, the lightning orb wrapped in the robe burst, and the brilliant white glow was mysteriously drawn into the robe before flashing out and rebounding. The five-colored lightning arcs that fell from the sky veered slightly, striking the ground several zhang away. The ground trembled, and where the arcs landed, a vast area of soil vanished silently, forming a circular depression several zhang in diameter. Remarkably, the arc had pierced through the second-floor floor. Han Li, just in time, landed at the edge of this hole, steadied himself, and faced the thin, gaunt man with an expressionless gaze. "Hm," the man's smile faded slightly, surprised at first, but then his lips curled into a mocking expression. Han Li narrowed his eyes, and without any prior sign, his wings trembled—then, in an instant, he vanished into the void, transforming into a streak of pale electric light. At the very same moment, two jade-green-clawed figures darted past where Han Li had originally stood, their fingertips flashing crimson lightning streaks several inches long. It was the very body of the thunder-beast that had previously been bound by the black chains—unseen, yet suddenly stirring—now silently slipping to Han Li’s back and launching a surprise attack without his awareness. Yet now, the thunder-beast’s eyes were dark and luminous, full of intelligence, a marked contrast to its earlier state. The shopkeeper, seeing the attack fail, expressed surprise. Yet with a subtle shift of his gaze, he stepped smoothly outward, retreating silently. Just then, a thunderclap rang out above the man’s head, and in the pale-blue lightning, Han Li suddenly materialized, immediately charging toward several copper pillars nearby. With a simple flick of his sleeves, several brilliant golden beams flashed, cleaving the pillars into seven or eight fragments—thus shattering the entire seal. The shopkeeper’s form halted instantly, his retreat stopped, and his face darkened as he turned to gaze at Han Li. Han Lin stood motionless, arms folded, suspended in midair. At that moment, a thunderous roar echoed behind him, and the Thunder Beast materialized silently behind the merchant, its four-colored electric arcs flashing, forming a flanking position with him. "I don't care what your intentions are—whether you wish to subdue this beast or merely to claim its spirit. Simply give me what I desire. As for what happens here, I'll treat it as if nothing at all has occurred," Han Lin finally spoke. "Do you, a mere Flying Spirit Rank cultivator, truly believe you have the standing to negotiate with me?" the thin, gaunt man said, his voice cold and solemn. "When you were at your peak, I might have genuinely lacked confidence. But just now, you sacrificed your vital essence in a series of consecutive spells, and now, with only half your cultivation remaining, that's no small feat. Does Master Yi truly believe that an unmaturing spirit beast could actually hold me?" Han Lin said with calm indifference, then suddenly brushed his hand across his wrist. At that moment, a streak of dark light shot forth, and a small monkey spiraled down to materialize on the ground. Then, the monkey struck its chest twice, and instantly its form expanded rapidly, transforming into a colossal ghost several dozen zhang tall, with a fierce, grim countenance, glaring sternly at the thunder-beast behind it. At the same time, Han Li radiated a brilliant golden glow throughout his body, seven and twenty golden spears bursting from him and swirling around him in a steady pattern. Behind him, a true celestial Buddhist magic form emerged, with three heads and six arms, shimmering with golden light. As he simultaneously flipped his hands, one hand displayed a dark, ink-black form, with a miniature black mountain floating gently on its palm, while the other hand revealed a pure, jade-like form, with five tiny skeletal heads dancing up and down around his palm. Han Li then gently扇ed his back wings once more, causing the golden form to reveal a shimmering green phoenix and a vibrant five-colored celestial phoenix hovering beside it. When all three of these forms appeared simultaneously, the overall aura became majestic and imposing, with a surge of spiritual energy rising to the heavens, so powerful that it nearly compelled one to look away