Among these Fēilíng people, two stood motionless in the air. One was thin and short, none other than Ao Qing of the Qīyuè Clan. The other was a tall man with two eyes and four pupils. One exuded a calm, deep hue, the other furrowed his brows in concentration. "Ao, friend, the Wàn Téng Sect has never before encountered a golden Yīnmí Moth of this rank. This creature seems to be native to the fourth layer of the Earth Deep. Clearly, something significant has happened beneath the Earth Deep—otherwise, these deep-dwelling creatures would not have appeared here." As the others were trapped by the colorful moth dust, their attacks utterly ineffective against the strange powder, the tall man spoke slowly. "You don't need to say this—I already know. Since we've already encountered mid-tier creatures at the first layer, it's no surprise to find golden Yīnmí Moths here as well. These matters aren't something we need to concern ourselves with. Naturally, the elders of our clan will handle them." "Once we reach the third level, if you still insist on following me, don't blame me for cutting you off first," Ao Qing replied coldly. "Why be so unkind, Lady Ao? I have always been sincerely devoted to you. I've already proposed to the noble families on three separate occasions, but each time, it was you personally who rejected me. I'm not quite sure what I'm missing—noble families typically advocate for strong unions, and you've also made it clear that you'll only marry the strongest among the branch's saintly heirs. Does it not seem that I fail to meet this criterion?" The tall man, his eyes flashing with intensity, spoke solemnly. He was none other than Fei Ye, one of the foremost figures of the Nanlong clan, on par with Zhù Yīnzi and Ao Qing. "Indeed, in our Seven-Yue clan, whether male or female, our saintly heirs marry only those from other branches who are the strongest among their peers. But how strong you are—I may not know, though I certainly have a clear sense of your capabilities. With such strength, I still don't see you as worthy. Let me settle your hopes right now!" A hint of scorn appeared "I know Master Ao is of great prowess, and I must admit I fall far short. Among the holy princes of the various clans, aside from myself, none would truly qualify as a suitable partner for your dual cultivation journey. If even I—myself—have no chance, then how could anyone else hope to be considered at all by you? Or perhaps, Master Ao, have you taken a special interest in the young man from Chirong clan, whose surname is Zhu? If so, then I shall immediately go find him and slay him with a single sword stroke." Fei Ye said, his eyes fixed firmly on Ao Qing. The man and woman were conversing with complete ease, surrounded by their respective clans, completely unbothered by the attacks from the golden moths. At this moment, under the relentless pressure from the moth dust, the protective circle formed by the clan members' divine powers was steadily contracting inward, showing signs of imminent collapse. "You might as well try this man's abilities. He is the holy heir of the Tianpeng Clan—his surname is Han, though his face is quite unfamiliar to me. As for the others, I haven't had the chance to inquire in detail." Ao Qing's expression brightened, and he nodded in agreement. "The holy heir of the Tianpeng Clan? A holy heir from such a modest branch—what could he possibly offer?" Fei Ye was somewhat surprised. "That's hard to say! Though the Tianpeng Clan is relatively weak, it doesn't mean they won't produce a truly exceptional holy heir. Don't forget that I am practicing the most refined of our own Yue Clan's techniques—the 'Seven Orifices Enlightenment Technique.' In terms of spiritual perception, no other technique among the seventy-two branches can match it." Though I've only caught a glimpse of him, he gives me the impression of being profoundly profound. If you truly decide to go find him and face him off, just don't risk your life in the process.," Ao Qing said coldly. "That's all I need! But should you miss your chance and judge him poorly, after the trial concludes, I will certainly re-approach your Seven Yue clan. As far as I remember, your coming-of-age ceremony should be no more than a few years away. This time, you won't have much room to refuse me anymore," Fei Ye said with a tone of firm insistence. "Hmph, you know quite a bit indeed. Indeed, my coming-of-age ceremony is scheduled for three years from now, and it cannot be postponed further. Should that person truly fall short of you, I'd be hard-pressed to find another peer in the Fei Ling clan who surpasses you. Once I return, I'll accept your proposal," Ao Qing lifted his head with a proud demeanor. "Haha, settled then! If possible, I'd like to meet him on the third level—should that not work out, I'll challenge him upon my return." "He can't possibly fail such a simple trial, can he?" Fei Nie laughed loudly, his eyes flashing with a hint of menace. "Then it's up to you. These insect-like creatures are becoming rather bothersome. Shall you handle them, or shall I?" Ao Qing glanced around calmly, speaking with quiet composure. "Heh, such a minor task—I'll take it," the big man replied, suddenly slapping his back with one hand. Instantly, the massive sword emitted a resonant hum and shot straight upward, transforming into a thick beam of golden light that swayed and circled in the air. At the same time, Fei Nie leaped into the air, morphing into a colossal creature with a dragon's head and a whale's tail. With his wings spread, he soared skyward. After a few swift movements, the great bird's silhouette merged seamlessly into the golden light of the sword. As soon as the sight of someone breaking through the protective barrier was noticed, the surrounding golden maidens emitted a chorus of hums and surged upward, rushing toward the golden light. Before they even reached it, countless streams of powder poured down upon the radiant beam. A thunderous roar like a bolt of clear sky lightning erupted, followed by a sudden surge of golden light that multiplied several times over. Countless fine golden filaments shot forth like a torrential downpour, instantly engulfing the swarm of moths below. The previously thick, layered powder, upon contact with these golden rays, immediately released an intense, scorched aroma of burning, being pierced through in countless places. As a result, the large number of golden moths sheltering behind the powder were struck down one after another, with many falling to the ground in the aftermath of the dense, flashing golden beams. Within a moment, nearly half of them were eliminated. One particularly large golden moth, far surpassing its kin in size, reacted to this spectacle with an unusual cry. Then, the remaining golden moths suddenly scattered in all directions, fleeing in panic. Seeing this, Ao Qing, a member of the clan, grew serious, murmuring to himself. Suddenly, a massive, dark silhouette emerged behind him—hazy and indistinct, yet subtly bearing seven distinct, varied heads: some resembling those of apes, others like leopards—each one grotesquely fierce. But under the surge of Ao Qing's legal decree, all the heads slowly opened their eyes, revealing bright crimson orbs, then stretched their mouths wide. Seven waves of green light erupted violently, swiftly spreading out to the farthest reaches and sweeping across all directions. An astonishing scene unfolded. Wherever the seven waves of green light passed, every Golden Nymph was instantly drawn in and then exploded within the green glow, transforming into clumps of blood. Out of the fleeing Golden Yomi Moths, only a fraction managed to escape. At that moment, the golden light in the sky gathered, and Fei Ye, bearing his great sword, stepped into view. He gazed at the massive seven-headed phantom behind Ao Qing, his face now filled with a touch of rapture. … A small black figure darted past, and several translucent black creatures, instantly torn apart beneath a cascade of white claw-sparks, released swirling clumps of black vapor. That delicate, ethereal form circled around the black energies, absorbing them completely, then spun once in midair before the silhouette swiftly returned to rest upon Han Li's shoulder, revealing a small creature no larger than a house cat. It was precisely the feline lion spirit that Han Li had tamed. "Well, truly unexpected," remarked the beautiful woman beside them, Qin Xiao of the Ye Lu clan. "Han brother's spirit beast proves so effective against these ice maladies. We were entirely unaware of their presence until it detected them first. I wonder what this spirit beast is called. I've never seen anything like it before." Lei Lan and Bai Bi gazed at the lion spirit, both expressing astonishment. "As for its name, I'm not entirely certain. I merely happened to encounter and tamed it outside. I never expected it to particularly enjoy absorbing these ice maladies' energies," Han Li said, gently stroking the soft fur atop the creature's head, with a quiet smile. Not long after entering the Land of Frost and Death, the small beast that had been peacefully sleeping within Han Li's storage bracelet, sharing a deep slumber with Ti Hun, suddenly awoke and, on its own, established a connection with Han Li through divine awareness, clearly eager to emerge. Han Li naturally found this surprising, yet he knew this young creature, though small in size, possessed extraordinary talent and thus could not afford to overlook it. With no strong rivals appearing nearby, he decided to release the beast from the bracelet. Soon after, the performance of the leopard-mane beast left Han Li and the others astonished. As soon as it appeared in the Land of Frost and Death, the creature exhibited exceptional alertness and an extraordinary sensitivity to the solidified Frost-Death spirits. Even before Han Li himself noticed these spirits, which were nearly indistinguishable from the surrounding glaciers, the beast surged forward, its forepaws dancing wildly, tearing the Frost-Death spirits into countless fragments and then drawing their essential vital essences directly into its body, its expression one of joyful satisfaction. Although these ice-wraith creatures posed no real threat to Han Li and his companions, they were skilled at concealing themselves. Should they suddenly burst forth from beneath the ground to attack, they would be difficult to anticipate and thus quite troublesome. When the leopard-mane beast encountered these ice-wraiths buried deep beneath the ice, it merely needed to leap over them and emit a strange, resonant roar. Upon hearing this, the wraiths would instantly appear startled, scrambling out of the ice in panic. As a result, they would naturally become the prey of the leopard-mane beast. Witnessing this, Han Li himself was greatly surprised, while Lei Lan and the others became deeply intrigued by the young creature. As they journeyed onward, the leopard-mane beast consumed no fewer than thousands of ice-wraiths. Originally adorned with patterns, the yellow fur of the beast gradually began to glow with a pale, luminous sheen. It seemed clearly to have greatly enhanced its own cultivation. Han Li allowed the creature to move freely while simultaneously stroking his chin, pondering thoughtfully. (First update!)