Upon closer inspection, the man who had transformed into a crane and the flying spirit clan member who had just caught him were notably different from ordinary human beings. While their faces resembled those of humans, they had pointed ears. As for the young man in soot-colored robes who had just transformed into a strange bird, he bore a small black horn on his forehead and several inches of fangs at his mouth. The hundreds of flying spirit clan members gathered around also differed from humans in various ways—some had many distinguishing features, while others showed only subtle differences. Yet all of them possessed pairs of feathered wings, ranging in length and color—from short to long, gray to red, and various shades in between. They were all members of the flying spirit clan. "The Heavenly Bell and Demon-Defeating Technique of the Horned Eagle Clan truly proves its might. I've learned much," said the defeated man, reluctantly, and with some disappointment, retreating back into the crowd with his companion. "Any other disciple wishing to demonstrate their skills?" The young man in soot-colored robes remained unfazed, instead issuing a new challenge to the people below. The members of the Fei Ling clan below stirred slightly, but no one immediately stepped forward to engage. Upon seeing this, the young man gave a faint smirk, intending to say more—when suddenly, from afar, a voice cried out: "Look! The three branches from the west—the Siling clan, the Tianpeng clan, and the Chi Rong clan—have arrived with their holy princes!" Hearing this, the crowd paused in surprise, then erupted into lively discussion. Some even turned around and flew off toward the distant horizon. In a matter of moments, half the people in the area had dispersed. The young man in the soot-colored robe, upon hearing the names of the Tianpeng clan and others, frowned slightly and then drifted silently downward, silent. At the same time, beyond a hundred li from the great peak, a group of several dozen giant birds of varying forms, along with a long, crimson flying scorpion measuring over twenty zhang in length, were flying side by side toward the peak. Among the giant birds, a few were entirely white, with male and female individuals clearly distinguishable—exactly the group that had departed from the holy city of the Tianpeng clan. Han Li rode upon a colossal bird, blending in with the others. The Tianpeng clan delegation included not only three Sacred Princes—Han Li among them—but also Jin Yue, the senior elder, and a mysterious stone elder. The elderly man with red hair and the beautiful woman remained behind in the Sacred City. Now, they were joined by two additional groups of individuals dressed and appearing differently. One group had deep purple hair and pale red skin, while the other had slightly smaller wings and more vibrant attire. Visibly, these were members of the Chifeng and Wuguang clans. Yet compared to these two clans, the Tianpeng clan’s small delegation of just five seemed notably understaffed. Such a stunning sight, even from a hundred li away, they could still see it clearly and distinctly. "We've witnessed scenes like this before. Time truly flies—just a moment ago, we found ourselves three centuries into the past. Brother Zhi, upon your return, do you have any thoughts?" Jin Yue replied, then turned to the elder whose skin was flushed with warmth and asked. "What thoughts could we possibly have? Unless we achieve true spiritual bodies or ascend to the realm of true immortals, we shall remain no more than dust within a few thousand or even ten thousand years—just a mere cup of yellow soil. The rise and fall of various clans follows the same pattern. How has Senior Jin considered my matter from a few days ago?" The elder asked calmly, without expression. "Indeed, our Tianpeng clan has grown considerably weaker compared to the past. Yet, as one of the oldest branches of our lineage, tracing back to ancient times, how could we easily abandon our heritage and embrace another branch?" "As for the merger proposal you mentioned during your journey, after careful consideration, I must regretfully decline it," the young woman replied calmly, her eyes flashing briefly. "Indeed? If I'm not mistaken, during the ancient times, the Wuli Clan, to which the noble Stone Elder belonged, was absorbed during the peak of the noble families' power. Now that the noble houses have weakened and have merged into our stronger clans, it is entirely natural that they make room for other clans to take the leading positions. Why should Elder Jin emphasize it so seriously?" the elder with the surname Zhù said, with a cold smile. "The case of the Wuli Clan cannot be compared to the current situation. Back then, not only did the Wuli Clan lose its sacred sovereign, but it also faced strong external pressures and actively sought to join our clan. Our family never exerted any pressure or coercion." The young woman replied lightly. "Hmph. The events of that time are so distant—how can we know the true circumstances? If the noble family has formally declined our offer, then we shall simply see whether their heir succeeds in passing the trial beneath the Deep Earth." Otherwise, do not be surprised if our several clans present a formal proposal to the Council of Elders to forcibly dismantle the noble houses. After all, it is not merely our Chirong clan that holds a strong interest in the nobility. "The elder with the Zhù surname chuckled. "Brother Zhù, the noble houses are already among the top three strongest clans within our seventy-two branches. Why must we be so assertive, pressing to absorb the Tianpeng clan? Do you truly believe the nobles intend to outpace the Jiuyue clan?" The graceful young woman tilted her head, her eyes sparkling with a playful smile. "Elder Zhù, you must not be making this up. When did I ever say anything disrespectful about the Jiuyue clan?" Upon hearing the young woman's words, the elder with the Zhù surname grew visibly alarmed and firmly denied it. As she was about to add something more, a sudden melody of celestial music arose from the direction of the towering peaks. Then, flashes of ethereal light shimmered across the sky, and vast waves of colorful clouds surged forth. Everyone fell silent at once. The entire group halted their flight, suspending themselves in mid-air. In no time, the colorful clouds reached the lofty heights, and suddenly ten figures stepped out from within, dressed in diverse attire, most of them white-haired and frail-looking. "To present our senior elders," said the group. Upon seeing these ten, Jin Yue and the elder with the surname Zhu, along with others, were startled and quickly dismounted, bowing deeply to them. "There's no need to be so formal, my dears. You will eventually become part of our ranks as well. The other elders are already at the Jade Emperor's Peak, awaiting your arrival," said one of the ten, an elderly woman with a single cane in her hand, smiling warmly. "Is it possible that our three clans have arrived the latest?" Jin Yue was intrigued, politely asking. "We haven't arrived the latest, actually. The two branches of the Ghost-Faced and Poisoned Ibis clans in the far north have urgent matters to attend to and will only be able to arrive once the Deep Earth is fully opened. Thus, with your arrival, this gathering can now be convened earlier than expected," the woman replied with a cheerful tone. "Ah, I see," Jin Yue nodded in understanding. Han Li, standing behind, swiftly scanned the ten new figures and was deeply astonished. Half of them appeared to be at the level of Consolidated Stage or above; the elderly woman leading the group, in fact, could not be clearly discerned in terms of her cultivation level—she was at least at the mid-Consolidated Stage, a formidable presence comparable to Jin Yue. These individuals were precisely the renowned Joint Senior Elders. It was said that these elders originally belonged to various clans and could only join this council when their lifespans were limited. Upon joining, they automatically relinquished all their titles and status within their original clans, becoming fully accountable to the entire Feilin Clan. At that moment, the elder named Zhu and the young woman approached to exchange a few polite greetings with the elderly woman. Then, under the guidance of these ten, the group once again activated the giant birds and took off, heading straight toward the towering peak. In a short while, they arrived near the peak, where the imposing architectural complex ahead became visible, while numerous black dots of varying sizes hovered and circled in the sky. Han Li took a closer look and realized there were hundreds of various giant birds soaring through the air, some even interspersed with massive winged insects of formidable appearance. As they drew near, only a few miles from the mountain peak, a deep, resonant boom echoed from the buildings atop the mountain, and a seven-colored rainbow shot forth, flashing across the vast distance to reach the group. Immediately afterward, a magnificent, vibrant arch bridge materialized before them. The elderly woman and her companions merely shifted their positions and stepped onto the bridge first. Then, the elderly woman smiled and gestured to those behind her. "Let's also go up," Jin Yue said, and with a command, she descended from the giant birds and followed closely onto the bridge. The young woman and the members of the Chì Róng clan naturally did not wish to lag behind and joined them. Han Li stepped onto the bridge, feeling the surface beneath his feet soft and elastic, as though he were walking on a thick cushion. Curious, he carefully glanced down, intending to extend his divine awareness and examine the arch bridge in detail. But suddenly, a tremor passed through his feet, and a radiant glow emerged around him, enveloping everyone. After a single flash, the group arrived at the other end of the bridge. Most astonishing. The young sages may first rest in the side pavilion. Several elders will accompany us older ones to chat in the hall. The elders from the other clans are also there, and will be guided by the others." With a graceful bow, the elder with the tattoo smiled and said. "Master Yin is being too formal. We shall gladly comply!" The elder from the Chì Róng clan stepped forward promptly, smiling warmly. Although the young lady from Jin Yu and the fifth light clan had a strained relationship with the Chì Róng clan, they now had no objections. Immediately turning to give instructions to Han Li and the others, the three of them entered the white mist, accompanied by the others. "Young sages, please follow me. My attendant will arrange accommodations for all of you." Suddenly, a slender, young girl in a white robe appeared before Han Li and the others, smiling cheerfully and saying so.