The azure figure of Qing Ye fixed his gaze on Zhu Yinzi across the distance, and instantly, four pillars of wind burst apart, forming countless azure wind blades that surged forth in the roaring gusts. A continuous series of sharp "shush-shush" sounds of rushing air filled the entire light dome, as countless streaks of emerald light poured in from all directions. Seeing Han Li launch such a powerful assault, Zhu Yinzi's expression grew momentarily serious. Yet, as a renowned figure among the Flying Spirit Clan's holy princes, he was no ordinary contender. After taking a deep breath, he expanded his wings several times and vigorously flapped them. Red light radiated out, and countless sparks materialized spontaneously around him. Then, with a series of hand gestures, these sparks coalesced into an endless stream of crimson fire arrows, launched with equal force and momentum. In terms of sheer impact, they matched the wind blades' attack without a single compromise. For a brief moment, the sky seemed to divide in two—on one side, delicate streaks of silver shimmered, with azure blades subtly visible; on the other, a vibrant glow of red light spread, flames cascading in waves. At the point where the two forces met, a tremendous roar erupted. As emerald light and crimson glow intertwined and flashed, countless bursts of energy exploded outward. For a moment, the battle became evenly matched, with neither side clearly gaining the upper hand. A tremendous crash echoed as the spherical orb collided with the electric dragon, releasing an astonishing glow. Then, the spiritual energy surged and spiraled, instantly forming a towering column of flame several zhang in diameter. Golden threads wove through the flames, accompanied by continuous thunderous crackles, while a warm gust of wind swept outwards in all directions. Under this overwhelming power, Zhi Yinzi instinctively stepped back several paces, his gaze fixed on the opposite side. Two crimson threads flashed through the air and met precisely. As a result, Han Li's thread rebounded, its tip shortening and vanishing momentarily, while Zhu Yinzi's thread completely collapsed and disappeared. During this brief pause, Han Li and Lei Lan swiftly moved, now appearing among the crowd outside the light shield. The other flying spirit族 members stepped back, still stunned and gazing at the two. "Brother Han, if you retreat without fighting, won't your noble reputation suffer?" Zhu Yinzi, seeing she could not stop Han Li, drew a deep breath and shouted loudly. "We both know it's unlikely we can settle this matter decisively within a short time. I still have important duties to attend to, so our sparring will be limited to a mutual exchange of points," Han Li replied, calmly looking back at Zhu Yinzi. He then spread his wings, rose into the air, and continued flying steadily toward the distance. Lei Lan's expression shifted between concern and uncertainty before she finally stomped her foot and followed him. Zhu Yinzi, inside the light veil, grew noticeably gloomy upon seeing Han Li's decisive departure. "Master Zhu, shall we pursue them?" Hongsia hesitated and asked from the side. "Hmph. How can we pursue? Once they step out of the combat arena, we're restricted from engaging anywhere else. I didn't expect someone to simply walk away after only a brief exchange. Yet, even though the encounter was brief, he clearly demonstrated an understanding of the refined wind and thunder-based techniques—this wasn't in vain. Moreover, that small mountain-like artifact of his is entirely new to me; it managed to withstand my Red Flame Claws, which makes it quite troublesome. I'll have to devise a strategy to overcome it upon our return." Zhu Yinzi snorted, saying this. Hongsia, being cautious, naturally nodded in agreement. Thus, the two descended from the sky, joined with Cang Tian who had been concealed among the crowd, and then departed together. Only the other flying spirit族 members remained, still discussing the recent encounter and Han Li's sudden retreat. …“What’s going on? I’ve instructed this repeatedly—whenever she leaves the territory of our clan, she must not act alone! How could she still go to the arena and compete with members of the Chirong clan?” Jin Yue stared coldly at the silver-sage woman standing helplessly before her. At this moment, the senior elder of the Tianpeng clan sat in the inner hall of the first floor of the pavilion where Han Li was located, his face as cold as ice. Shi, seated beside him, also displayed a subtle expression of displeasure in his shifting gaze. The one being reprimanded now appeared pale. Bai Bi and Han Li stood to one side; Bai Bi remained silent, her gaze lowered, slightly uneasy, while Han Li maintained a calm demeanor. Just shortly after Han Li and Lei Lan returned, Jin Yue and the others were promptly informed of the incident and rushed over to deliver stern reprimands to both of the two holy-heir candidates. Though Lei Lan bore the primary responsibility, Bai Bi had failed to intervene and thus also received her share of criticism. “Senior Elder, the Hongshe of the Chirong clan holds the Lei Xing Stone.” If I can secure this item, my chances of advancing to the rank of Spiritual Commander will at least improve by threefold. I was simply a bit careless... said Lei Lan, finally murmuring. "The Lei Star Stone! That explains your strong interest. Yet this alone does not justify your hasty actions. When you compare your own cultivation level with the very survival of your entire clan, which do you find more important? After all, to nurture these two Sacred Heirs to such a level in such a short time, the clan has expended countless medicinal herbs and spirit stones. Without that investment, even with their exceptional talents, neither of you could have reached the rank of Spiritual General. " said Jin Yue, still indignant. Lei Lan remained silent, her face subtly flushed with embarrassment. As the young woman prepared to speak further, the Stone Elder stepped in with a composed, gentle smile. "Enough, Jin Elder. Although Lei Lan was a bit hasty this time, good news is that Han friend arrived just in time and no serious incident has occurred. By the way, how do you see this matter, Han friend?" "There's nothing special about it. Probably the Chirong clan has some doubts about me as their sacred heir, and they simply wish to test my abilities," Han Li smiled gently and replied. "Hey, I heard that Master Han held his own against Zhi Yinzi, neither falling behind nor engaging in prolonged combat—what a wise move!" Elder Shi said with approval. "I do have a good grasp of the situation," Han Li chuckled. "From now on, you three are to remain right here in the pavilion. Simply wait quietly until the trial begins. The rest will be handled by us two," Elder Jin Yue paused and then issued the instruction with unwavering authority. "Yes, Elder Jin!" White Bi and Lei Lan both bowed respectfully and complied naturally. Han Li also bowed slightly, showing no objections. In fact, Han Li's position within the Tianpeng clan is rather unique these days. Officially, he has joined the clan and holds the title of sacred heir, yet in practice, he functions more like a guest of honor. Moreover, since the Tianpeng clan now relied on him, the Jin Yue and other elders treated him with great courtesy. After Jin Yue and the other two Tianpeng clan elders had departed, Han Li and the others followed the instructions and closed their doors to meditate and train, staying indoors without leaving. For the following十余 days, the elders of the Feilin clan gathered daily in the grand hall atop the Yu Huang Peak, discussing matters of great importance. Two months later, over a vast, desolate yellow highland, a large formation of thousands of giant birds and insects swept past from the sky. All of them stood or sat, their forms distinctly human, each with wings. This was precisely the Feilin clan delegation that had set out from Yu Huang Peak, heading toward the entrance to the Earth's depths. Han Li and the other Tianpeng clan members rode on several white giant birds, positioned right in the middle of the procession. Though the group was large, after such an extended journey, few spoke during the flight. Han Li sat quietly on the back of his giant bird, silently observing everything around him. The entrance to this underground realm was far farther from the Jade Emperor's peak than he had originally imagined. Suddenly, the flying immortals ahead grew agitated, and faint cries of surprise rose from several of them, causing the entire group's flight speed to slow down immediately. Han Li's expression shifted, and his divine awareness instantly swept forward. There, at a distance of over a thousand li, a massive wall suddenly emerged—of a pale gray hue, towering three to four hundred zhang high, stretching out endlessly to either side. At intervals of about a hundred zhang along the wall, tall white jade pillars rose up, each standing ten zhang high. Though modest in height, their surfaces shimmered with a deep green glow, bearing intricate and profoundly mysterious seal patterns that seemed to serve some unknown purpose. On one side of the wall, numerous cylindrical pavilions, each about thirty to forty zhang high, stood densely packed. Within the range of sight, there were already thousands of such pavilions. And above these pavilions, tens of thousands of Flying Spirit族 members hovered in midair, quietly awaiting their arrival. Han Li and his companions gradually approached them, eventually coming to a halt. "Greetings, esteemed elders!" A middle-aged man clad in green battle armor emerged from the group and bowed respectfully to the gathering crowd. "It's indeed a pleasant coincidence that Jin Feng is on duty this year. Brother Jin, I'm sure you've already received our message." At the same time, Han Li sent out several members of his party. A elderly woman with one hand held in a cane, a middle-aged man with snow-white hair, and an elder bearing tattoos on his face. These were precisely the three most powerful elders of the Joint Council. Yet the one speaking was the middle-aged man. All three elders greeted the green-armored visitor with remarkable courtesy.