Han Li stared coldly as the giant monster advanced step by step. As long as the creature came any closer and entered the range of the Dajing Sword Formation's power, he would immediately unleash the formation without mercy, eliminating both monsters in one go. But at that moment, a flash of red light appeared on the distant horizon, followed by a sharp cry. Then, three streaks of bloodlight emerged from the darkness and surged toward them like blood-colored rainbows. Upon seeing this, the dwarf's face paled. With a tap of his staff on the wooden monster's head, he turned sharply toward the blood rainbows, his expression now filled with surprise and uncertainty. "Ding-ding—" a few sounds later, the greenwood monster halted abruptly, stopping precisely at the edge of the Dajing Sword Formation. Han Li frowned slightly, but seeing that new developments were unfolding, he simply turned his gaze toward the distant sky without further comment. The three white-clad figures likewise grew uneasy, unsure of what kind of new creature had now appeared. Three streaks of blood-colored rainbows sped through the air with an unusual swift motion, like the wind rushing and thunder rolling, and as the light faded, three small red figures, each about a foot tall, materialized. Each figure had a clear, youthful face, appearing ageless, yet wore an unusual red battle armor engraved with dense patterns of symbols. Their skin was vividly red, exuding a pungent, almost nauseating bloodiness. Their eyes, devoid of any emotion, swept downward simultaneously, and finally, the ones that flashed with a distinct glow settled upon Han Li. Han Li's pupils contracted, feeling a sudden chill rise from his back, spreading throughout his body, as if three venomous serpents had instantly locked onto him. "Blood puppets—these are the body duplicates of the Earth-Blood Lord!" The dwarf, upon seeing the figures clearly, grew pale, his eyes filled with deep reverence. "Blood puppets? Earth-Blood?" Han Li's mind raced, yet he could recall no prior memory of either, finding it somewhat puzzling. Three small figures gazed at Han Li for a long time, then suddenly their eyes flashed with sharp intensity. At the same time, they opened their mouths and three beams of blood-colored light shot forth, vanishing instantly and arriving before Han Li. Though Han Li had been alert all along, he was still deeply startled when the attack came without any prior warning. Without hesitation, he raised his arm, a shimmering gray aura forming before him, while dark energy surged from his body, revealing a sturdy, ancient, dark battle armor on his form. A sudden thunderous roar erupted from within Han Li's chest, and after a thunderous boom, the crimson light column intertwined with streaks of golden and silver arcs, vanishing completely. This attack had been finally repelled by Han Li's thunder robe. Yet even so, Han Li was startled, his face instantly darkening. With a cold exhalation, the three large holes punched through his deadly armor suddenly burst forth with swirling black vapors, instantly restoring the armor to its original state. Had it not been for this armor dispersing the power of the three crimson beams, the thunder robe might have been unable to withstand the assault. Upon seeing the attack fail to make an impression, the three blood puppets remained expressionless. A flash of blood light behind them revealed a pair of blood-red wings, and as one wing unfolded, the small figures vanished into thin air. Han Li was taken aback, still unable to react when a ripple of spatial disturbance swept through the area, and the three figures materialized instantly. With a swift motion of their hands, each of them raised a long blood-colored blade, and as they slashed the space before Han Li, three radiant crimson blade arcs surged forth, resembling a fresh, crescent moon's cut. He completely ignored the others nearby, such as Lei Lan. These blood puppets each carried a trace of the divine awareness of the Blood Robes, making it clear who posed a real threat—only Han Li did. As long as Han Li was eliminated, the rest would fall easily. With a roar, Han Li shook his wings behind him, and in the thunderous sound, he vanished instantly. The next moment, twenty paces above the original spot, a flash of azure-white lightning streaked through the sky, and Han Li reappeared. Yet almost simultaneously, flashes of crimson light erupted in three directions, and three small figures materialized there, performing the same motion. Six blood blades transformed into countless streaks of blood light, instantly enveloping Han Li. Han Li's expression remained as still and calm as water. A golden glow surged over his body, and golden scales shimmered across his skin. Then, with a powerful shout, he blurred his hands—both black and white—into a seamless, indistinct pattern of interwoven palm shadows. A series of sharp, metallic clinks echoed as the six blood-blades struck against the palm-shadows. Instantly, a powerful force surged against them, causing the blades to shatter with a mournful cry. The three puppets, driven by this force, were violently pushed forward and flew several paces away. After a flurry of flashes of bloodlight, the three blood-puppets steadied themselves, only to pause in surprise when they lifted their heads. There was now empty space ahead—Han Li had vanished. In that instant, Han Li had once again instantaneously teleported, returning to the spiritual chariot. Upon seeing the three small figures finally find him, Han Li's face settled into a quiet smirk. With swift hand gestures and a steady stream of murmured incantations, the surrounding space resonated with clear, ringing sounds. Golden threads emerged from all directions, flickering and converging, ultimately encircling the three blood-puppets at the very center. This was precisely the Da-Geng Sword Array that Han Li had previously concealed nearby, now fully activated. The power of the sword formation naturally grew stronger as Han Li's cultivation advanced. The previously slow-moving sword filaments instantly surged toward the center upon appearing. Though still not particularly swift, the speed was notably faster than before. The three blood puppets observed this, their eyes flashing with bloodlight, then their back bloodwings fluttered, and they mysteriously vanished from the air. It seemed they intended to cast a secret spell to escape directly outside the formation. Yet, how could such a refined sword formation allow them to succeed? At the edges of the formation, three patches of empty space emitted a resonant hum, and hundreds of golden filaments flashed simultaneously, slicing through the void. Immediately, bloodlight surged forth, forcing the three small figures to manifest themselves. As the golden filaments converged, the three puppets were instantly severed into countless fragments, as if completely destroyed. Lei Lan and the others, along with the dwarves far away, were all astounded. But the dwarf quickly woke up to the situation, employing some unseen means, causing the wooden spirit beneath him to slowly retreat without a single sound. The blood puppet's prowess was well known to this native of the deep earth realm—having teamed up with two others, it was no match for the current small beast's master, and thus dared not pursue the leopard-mare any further. With a sudden "whoosh," a silver phoenix materialized from the void within the sword formation, only to burst apart instantly, leaving three bowl-sized plumes of silver flame that flickered briefly near the three fire balls. After several dull thuds, the silver flames struck the blood orbs with solid force. Under the surge of the flames, the blood orbs were fully enveloped, immediately emitting a burnt aroma upon contact with the silver flame, and a piercing, agonized cry rose from within. The three plumes of silver flame then darted wildly, like aimless flies, within the sword formation. Han Lin watched silently, his expression unchanged, yet inwardly astonished. He was most familiar with the power of his Shī Lín Tiān Huǒ—typically, even a mere touch would reduce an opponent to ash. Yet these three blood puppets had managed to withstand it. Nevertheless, the Shī Lín Tiān Huǒ was exceptionally potent and relentless; not long after, the cries from the three blood orbs gradually faded and eventually vanished entirely. Eventually, even the blood sphere turned to ash within the silver flame. This time, the three blood puppets truly vanished. Han Li extended his hand, and instantly, the three clusters of silver flame merged into one, reforming into a silver phoenix that shot back and disappeared into his sleeve. Yet, at once, his expression changed, as if sensing something—suddenly turning his head toward the other side. There, the massive jade wood spirit had already retreated to hundreds of paces away. Upon seeing Han Li's gaze, the dwarf's heart skipped a beat, and without hesitation, he suddenly blew a sharp whistle. The previously silent wood spirit flashed with a surge of green light, then rushed forward toward its origin with bold strides, completely unmasked. Despite its towering size, it vanished into the darkness within just a few strides. "Trying to escape!" Han Li murmured, and with a single motion, a small cauldron glowed with emerald light and shot forth—none other than the Xitian Sacred Cauldron! But at that very moment, a weak, faint roar of a beast suddenly echoed from beneath the hearse. Upon hearing it, Han Li felt a surge of joy. He glanced distantly at the direction where the wooden spirit had vanished, hesitated slightly, then opened his mouth and once again drew the small cauldron into his abdomen. His form then blurred slightly, and strangely, he disappeared from the hearse. A moment later, he appeared ghostly on the ground below, standing beside the sphere of white light. By now, the fragrance emanating from the sphere had grown extremely faint. Through the subtle connection in his mind, Han Li sensed that the Leopard-Necked Beast was about to complete its ascension, and that it would soon need his final assistance. He took a deep breath, extended one hand, and plunged it into the white light, pressing firmly against the body of the small creature within. At the same time, a pure stream of spiritual energy surged into the beast's body. Han Li's body glowed with a deep jade hue, and his expression grew serious. Lei Lan, Bai Bi, and the three on the hearse all exhaled in unison, exchanged glances, and then visibly relaxed.