On the second level of the Earth's depths, four Saint Princes of the Flying Spirit race, with pale wings and hair flowing freely, were engaged in a struggle with a group of black venomous scorpions several feet long. Though these scorpions lacked wings, they could fly effortlessly through the air with remarkable agility, spitting acidic fluid from their mouths and wielding a deadly stinger at the end of their tails. For a while, the four Flying Spirit princes found themselves utterly overwhelmed, unable to immediately break free from the relentless attacks of the black scorpions. The blood mist moved silently and with a ghostly swiftness, flickering several times before materializing near the four flying spirit beings, circling them swiftly and steadily. The four holy princes of the Flying Spirit Clan were instantly alert, immediately adopting a defensive stance. A cold exhalation echoed within the mist, and two eyes filled with wild intensity gradually emerged, scanning the four spirit beings with a fierce gaze. Then, a hoarse voice—so resonant that it sent shockwaves through the hearts of many of the Flying Spirit Clan—spoke out: "Though not those specific ones, once I've touched you, you're in for it." As soon as the words fell, a thunderous rumble erupted within the mist. The sky above suddenly turned blood red, and waves of blood-like clouds rose up, then swirled erratically. "Unh! It's the Heavenly Qi Blood Thunder! Get out of here!" One of the four spirit beings, witnessing this, instantly paled, shouting aloud as he launched himself into a golden glow, fleeing in a hasty direction. The other three Sacred Sons of the Fei Ling clan were also startled upon hearing the words "Heavenly罡 Blood Lightning," their spirits trembling as they instantly summoned their flight lights and turned to flee. Yet, at that very instant, thunder roared overhead, and four streaks of blood-red lightning flashed through the clouds, then twisted and vanished. Immediately afterward, four blood lightning bolts materialized above the fleeing flight lights and descended without hesitation. Four piercing cries rang out as the flight lights shattered upon contact with the blood lightning. The bodies of the four Sacred Sons flickered violently in the electric glow before turning to ash—neither their protective spiritual lights nor their enchanted treasures could offer any resistance. From within the blood mist, a wild, frenzied laugh erupted, followed by a brilliant burst of blood light. The mist surged like a comet, shooting swiftly toward the distant sky and vanishing within moments. ……At a distance of countless ten thousand miles, Han Li sighed softly, gazing at the seven Flying Spirit beings who had suddenly materialized before them, cordially encircling them. He asked calmly, "Why have you fellows stopped us and prevented us from seeking the Yin-Yan Fruit?" "It seems we have no grudges against the noble houses," Bai Bi added quietly from beside him, his expression notably composed. "Heh, indeed, our Black Spirit Clan has no disputes with the Tian Peng Clan. However, several powerful branches—such as the Chì Róng Clan—had already secretly issued rewards to our other branch princes before we even departed. As long as they can keep a few of us permanently beneath the Earth's depths, we shall gain substantial benefits. If we hadn't encountered you, we would have simply passed you by. We wouldn't have gone out of our way to seek you. But now that we have, this convenient matter—something we can easily handle—we have no reason to refuse. "A tall eldritch being, with both wings and skin dark as night, crossed his arms and spoke to Han Li with an air of dignified superiority. The other four black eldritch beings surrounding Han Li likewise maintained a composed, unwavering demeanor, clearly confident in their position. It was only natural, for although the Black Eldritch Clan was not among the top few of the seventy-two branches, it still ranked firmly in the mid-to-upper tier—far surpassing the Tianpeng Clan, which hovered near the bottom of the hierarchy. "A reward?" Han Li furrowed his brow, slightly surprised. "We've already explained everything. You won't be at a loss when you reach the underground. Now, you may proceed with confidence." The leading black eldritch being, unwilling to elaborate further, briefly displayed a stern expression before sweeping his hand. At once, the other black eldritch beings opened their mouths and each expelled a black feather. Initially only an inch in length, the feathers instantly expanded to a span of a foot when the beings gently twisted them. The surface shimmered with a deep, lustrous sheen, and intricate runes rolled and danced along their length—clearly no ordinary feathers. Six Black Spirit beings extended their six feathered staffs simultaneously toward Han Li and the others, and from the feathers, strange black flames erupted, swiftly spreading out in spirals. With a thunderous "boom," the flames coalesced into a vast, protective dome, completely enclosing the four of them. These Black Spirit beings showed no mercy from the outset, clearly intending to annihilate the Tian Peng clan and the others. As for Qin Xiao of the Ye Lv clan, though not a member of the Tian Peng clan, he was also clearly not spared. Upon seeing the flames, Lei Lan's face turned pale. She instantly raised a silver arc around herself, forming a protective shield, and then as her golden gourd at the neck trembled, delicate purple electric filaments emerged, instantly transforming the electric arcs into vibrant purple—displaying an astonishing power. Only after completing these actions did she urgently send a message to Han Li: "Brother Han, this is the Golden Sun Spirit Flame of the Black Spirit clan. It absorbs our spiritual strength and cultivation power—it is extremely formidable. Do not let it touch your bodies." Bai Bi and Qin Xiao also looked stunned, hastily casting spells of their own. One released a myriad of golden rays, while the other raised a dark green jade tablet, emitting delicate green glimmers, desperately countering the surging black flames. "Golden Phoenix Flame! That's something!" Han Li smiled, making no apparent movement. A shimmering array of five-colored light flames enveloped his body. Though the black flames were remarkably powerful, upon touching this radiant aura, they emitted deep, resonant thunderous sounds—reacting with intense vigor, as if cold water had been dropped into boiling oil. Witnessing this, the black spirit beings were momentarily taken aback. Yet, when the leading black spirit's eyes narrowed, he immediately shouted without hesitation: "Enhance the power of the spirit flames! With so many of us, even if this young man possesses some abilities to temporarily withstand the flames, he cannot hold out much longer!" This man seemed highly respected among the Black Spirit beings. The others nodded in agreement, swiftly waving their plumes, and gradually, a spectral form of a large black bird emerged behind each of them—most of the images were hazy and indistinct, with only a few occasionally clearer, yet even those flickered between light and dark, clearly unable to stabilize. However, once these true spirit forms manifested, the power of the black plumes surged dramatically, and the flames they emitted turned nearly black, like ink. Even where the black flames passed, the surrounding space grew hazy and resonated faintly, subtly warping and distorting. This was clearly a sign of the flames reaching an exceptional peak in power. Under such intensity, the protective measures of Lei Lan and Qin Xiao showed early signs of strain, and the three of them were startled, quickly summoning additional treasures to bolster their defenses—but even then, they could not sustain it for long. In contrast, the five-colored flames on Han Li's body seemed inexhaustible; as the black flames grew stronger, the five-colored flames surged outward by several feet, yet remained steady, effectively holding the black flames at bay at a distance. To the leading Black Spirit, this development was most unpleasing. Yet before he could speak again, Han Li glanced at the others—Re Lan and her companions, desperately shielding themselves from the black flames—and suddenly opened his mouth, launching a burst of silver flame that erupted into a silver phoenix upon impact. As soon as the phoenix appeared, it fixed its gaze upon the outer black flames, emitting a cheerful, clear trill. Then, with a spread of its wings, its body swelled several times in size, transforming into a magnificent silver giant phoenix several feet tall. Without any further prompting from Han Li, the silver phoenix plunged directly into the outer black flames. The silver and black flames interwove seamlessly, blending silently. Yet as the phoenix's body seemed to act like a magnet, the surrounding black flames gradually rolled in and submerged into it. The Spirit-Heaven Fire, originally a composite of various powerful, evolved true flames and endowed with a subtle innate spirit, was especially adept at absorbing and consuming various spiritual flames. Though this so-called Golden Phoenix Spirit Flame is not truly the divine flame of the Golden Phoenix itself—capable of melting space and burning the earth—nor is it fully driven by the Golden Phoenix's true spirit, it still carries a trace of the Golden Phoenix's divine power, precisely what the Spirit-Eating Heavenly Fire most delights in consuming. Thus, as Han Lilian released the Spirit-Eating Fire Bird and sent it into the swirling black flame, the bird immediately began to devour it without hesitation. Within just a few breaths, the turbulent black flames surrounding it were completely consumed, swept away in a single spiral motion. The group of Black Phoenix Spirit beings stood in stunned silence! Lei Lan Bai Bi and the others were naturally overjoyed. "Who are you? The Tianpeng Clan never possesses such a divine ability!" the leading Black Phoenix Spirit exclaimed, astonished and indignant. "I may not need to answer you," Han Li said softly, as he spread his wings behind him, and suddenly vanished into a streak of silvery-white lightning right there on the spot. The leading Black Elven clearly an experienced combatant. Upon seeing the scene, he didn't hesitate—first shaking his sleeve with one hand, simultaneously pressing a seal with the other. Instantly, a black silk net shot forth from his sleeve, but instead of targeting Han Li, it arced and flipped over the man himself, instantly encasing him in a solid layer of black sand. With his other hand extended downward, he expelled three dark thunder balls, each as wide as a cup, which then spiraled around his body. A thunderclap sounded, and Han Li emerged almost touching the black sand. Three thunderous booms followed, and the three balls vanished in a flash, striking Han Li precisely. Yet, by this time, Han Li had already developed a full set of black battle armor. Though the thunder balls were powerful, they only managed to disperse a portion of the armor—failing to harm Han Li in any way. Yet Han remained expressionless. A golden glow surged over his body, revealing a layer of golden scales. With a single arm slightly blurred, he swiftly extended it—so sudden that it seemed to come out of nowhere—fingers curling like hooks, grasping the black spirit man's vital spots on the back. A crisp tearing sound—unexpectedly delicate—echoed as the seemingly substantial black silk veil was torn apart, as if it were mere paper, under the flashing golden light of his fingers. The black spirit man felt a sudden coolness behind him, and there, a golden arm had pierced through his chest. Strange, however, was that the entire arm remained untouched by a single drop of blood.