Han Li walked along a path paved with smooth stones, enjoying the scenery around him. At first glance, the area seemed sparsely populated, but upon raising his head, he could see several people flying through the air. The Feilin people were naturally accustomed to moving above ground, and these ground-level paths were mostly decorative in nature. Nevertheless, as Han Li recalled the formidable strength of the Feilin people gathered here, he quietly sighed. Simply considering the seventy-two senior chiefs of the Feilin clans, together with the dozens of joint senior council members present, their collective strength far surpassed that of Tianyuan City. After all, Tianyuan City typically had only ten senior elders at the Consolidation stage stationed there. Even during wartime, it could mobilize nearly a hundred Consolidation-stage elders from both human and spirit clans. Yet this was the combined strength of the two clans—no single human or spirit clan could match the Feilin people's power. As for the number of elders at the Changshen or Lianxu stages, Han Li believed they were equally unmatched by the human and spirit clans. Thus, it appears that the human race has only just managed to maintain its survival in the spiritual realm for so many years, and indeed, their strength among the various spiritual clans is quite modest. While the Fei Ling clan may not compare to the great clans famed throughout the spiritual realm, they should still be able to rank among the mid-tier races. Not long ago, the young maid indeed saw her pass by this way, heading toward the arena. "The arena? Alone?" Han Li's expression grew serious as he asked again. "No, she was accompanied by Ms. Hong Sha from the Chì Róng clan." Xiao Zhu blinked her beautiful eyes, offering a smile that carried deep meaning. "Thank you for the information!" Han Li's face remained calm, with no visible change, and he smiled gently before turning and walking toward the path leading to the arena. The two young women in white garments exchanged glances, each seeing a touch of astonishment in the other's eyes. This young prince of the Tian Peng clan, hearing that one of his companions had been taken to such a place by someone from an opposing clan, could remain so composed—truly no ordinary person. Naturally, neither of them knew that, though Han Li appeared calm on the surface, he was actually quite annoyed inside. The young woman named Lei Lan from the Tian Peng clan had simply been most ungracious. Though he didn't know how the Hengrong clan member had managed to bring her to the arena, such clearly ill-intentioned actions could hardly go unnoticed. If the other party deliberately fumbled and injured her during the match, wouldn't the hope of the Tianpeng clan succeeding in the trials grow even more remote? He simply couldn't allow this situation to remain unattended. After all, following his name being recorded in the secondary scroll of the Tianpeng Oath, he had also entered into a supplementary agreement with Jin Yue. Should the Tianpeng clan fail to produce a Saint Master, his own difficulties would indeed become substantial. He was certain that the several senior elders of the Tianpeng clan would not mind taking out their frustrations on him—this rather ineffective outsider—before the clan itself was absorbed. Reflecting further on the details of the Diyuan trials, Han Li sighed quietly. While this journey to the Tianpeng clan had brought him significant benefits, it had also entangled him in a considerable amount of trouble. Even if the truth ultimately helped the Tianpeng clan overcome their current predicament, he would still need to carefully plan how to fully extricate himself. With his mind already settled, Han Li still moved with steady composure, yet his steps flowed like the movement of clouds and water, effortlessly traversing from one end of the path to the other. After a few quick strides, he had vanished completely, as if dissolving into the air. The arena where the contest was held was quite easy to locate, and it was far closer than one might have imagined from their residence. Following the manifestation of his "a thousand miles in a single step" ability, Han Li found himself, within just one meal's time, facing a colossal luminous dome stretching a thousand zhang high, with faint sounds of cracking and roaring emanating from the other side. His expression shifted slightly, and he halted his inner cultivation, then walked steadily toward the dome at a normal pace. Since the man named Chì Tiān, a member of the Chì Róng clan, had volunteered to inform Lei Lan's whereabouts, it was clear he intended to focus his attention on Han Li. As long as Chì Tiān remained absent, the Chì Róng clan would likely not launch an immediate attack. Even if they were eager to act now, Han Li would have already arrived too late—his urgency would be in vain. It seemed someone was performing miracles in the air, engaged in a battle. Good! The combatants had not yet activated their transformation spells—one wielded a swirling blaze of fiery flames, the other exhaled a stream of cold, blue mist. There was no Rayan among them. This gave Han Li a sense of relief. However, the woman wielding the flames was clearly the holy heir Hong Sha of the Chirong clan. Han Li was slightly puzzled when suddenly he felt someone from the crowd gazing at him from afar, with a cold, unfriendly demeanor. His senses were exceptionally sharp, so he immediately scanned the crowd to locate the person. Yet what struck him was that this gaze vanished as soon as it appeared, and no matter how carefully he swept through the crowd, he could not find the individual. Han Li's expression darkened. After a brief pause, he decided to abandon the search and quickened his pace, eventually approaching the arena where the duel was taking place. Before he could reach the spot, the two combatants in the air had instantly settled their contest after a fierce, intense clash of blazing flame and frigid breath. The man with a pair of blue feathered wings behind him was suddenly driven back by the surging flames, compelled to yield to the woman, Iris, and descend from the sky. "Sister Iris, I have dispatched my opponent. Should you defeat me here, I shall immediately present you with the lightning star stone—without hesitation or reservation," she said, her naturally graceful appearance enhanced by a delicate smile, radiating charm. Many male members of the Fei Ling clan nearby found their hearts stirred by her presence. Upon hearing this, Han Li silently cursed, just as he had intended to intervene from a distance—only to find it too late. A flash of white light erupted, lifting a slender figure with silver feathered wings from the ground. It could only be Iris herself. Han Li's expression darkened immediately. The female of the Chì Róng clan happened to arrive precisely when she defeated her opponent and challenged Léi Lán. Clearly no mere coincidence—those who had been observing her must have secretly informed her of her arrival, prompting her to suddenly launch a plan against Léi Lán. Yet after taking a few deep breaths, his expression swiftly returned to normal. He then hurried a few steps to the side of the arena and settled at a convenient spot, standing motionless. "You summoned me from my residence using the Lightning Star Stone, surely with the intention of engaging me in combat. Regardless of your intentions, since you've stated that victory over me will secure you the Lightning Star Stone, I won't spare any effort." Léi Lán spoke calmly. As her silver wings unfurled behind her, a cascade of silver electric arcs surged forth, spreading swiftly across her body, transforming her into a being of living lightning. "Ah-ah! As long as my sister possesses such skill, I will personally present the Lightning Star Stone to you, both hands!" Hóng Shā, however, paid no attention, merely casting a sideways glance toward Hán Lì’s position before lightly smiling. The others below naturally knew of the long-standing rivalry between the Chì Róng clan and the Tiān Téng clan, and as they whispered among themselves, they all held the attitude of spectators, eager to witness a thrilling battle unfold. Seeing Hán Lì standing there with arms folded, showing no intention to intervene, Hóng Shā’s cheerful expression masked her growing anxiety. If Hán Lì did not step in, the carefully planned strategies they had already discussed would fall through—she would then have to resort to an alternative plan. With this thought firmly settled in her mind, she hesitated no longer. With a swift series of hand gestures, her body radiated a vibrant red glow, and one by one, large red fire balls the size of bowls appeared spontaneously around her, nearly filling half the sky within the light dome. The entire arena instantly surged with intense heat, becoming scorching and unbearable. Some observers with lower cultivation levels had to retreat several dozen steps merely to endure the intense heat. Han Li observed this scene, his brow slightly furrowed, yet remained motionless in place. Seeing this, Lei Lan immediately扇ed her wings and subtly accelerated her inner cultivation technique. "Boom, boom—" a series of thunderclaps followed, and the electric arcs swirling around her suddenly thickened considerably, appearing as if several massive silver serpents coiled around her body. Then, they swiftly transformed into countless silver threads that surged forth toward the opposing side. As these threads flashed, nearly every one pierced through a fire ball with a single flash. In moments, the thunderous crackling continued nonstop, hundreds of fire balls bursting into sparks that scattered in all directions. This ability to manipulate lightning as fine threads left Han Li momentarily stunned, and the flying Ling族 spectators below also stirred in excitement. The opponent, Hongsasha, briefly showed a look of surprise, but then chuckled, gently shaking her sleeve and sending a cascade of crimson light spiraling outwards, dancing gracefully around the perimeter. Wherever the crimson glow reached, the sparks transformed into patches of red mist and gathered swiftly toward Hong Sha. In an instant, a vast expanse of fiery clouds rose, engulfing Hong Sha entirely. The clouds rolled and surged, sending out waves of flame outward. As the cloud condensed toward the center, it solidified into a colossal fireball, several dozen feet in diameter, radiating brilliant red light. The fireball spun steadily, emitting a deep, ominous hum, and surged directly toward Lei Lan. Lei Lan's face tightened with concern. Without hesitation, she raised her arm, and a burst of silver light erupted, accompanied by thunderous roars. Her entire arm was enveloped in countless delicate silver arcs, which shimmered and then fused into a single, unified arc. With a tremendous crash, a massive arc, thick as a water barrel, shot forth from her arm and charged straight toward the oncoming giant fireball. (First chapter!