Staring at the familiar creature before him—half-jiao, half-human—Han Li was deeply surprised. He wasn't seeing this type of being for the first time. Back when he was fighting in the human realm's Luan Xing Hai, he had defeated a fully-formed blood jiao that was exactly like the one standing before him now. Yet, this particular blood jiao was clearly no ordinary beast; it was a high-stage Xianxu-level entity. From their brief exchange of combat, it was evident that this creature possessed truly extraordinary abilities, far beyond a typical Xianxu-level being. As Han Li rapidly pondered his strategy, he silently weighed how best to counter this formidable opponent. "A spiritual general-level being nearly injured me—this is indeed unusual! That's why the master insisted so strongly before coming," the blood jiao said, his voice cold and steady. "Master!" Han Li felt a sudden surge of alertness upon hearing this. This blood jiao was already a high-stage Xianxu-level being—so what of its master? Wasn't the master a colossal, combined-stage giant creature? How could such a powerful being from the Earth's depths suddenly have taken notice of him? Han Li had never Han Li was puzzled, yet his face grew steadily darker without a word. "If you can withstand this next strike, I shall immediately turn and walk away—granting you a reprieve!" The blood dragon's eyes flashed with an odd gleam, and suddenly spoke in a half-smiling tone. Without waiting for Han Li's stunned expression, the creature pressed two hands together, a flash of bloodlight rippling through him, and a broad sweep of radiant hues rolled outwards. The blood mist that had previously dispersed reappeared, swirling slightly before fully engulfing the blood dragon's form. A series of strange incantations burst forth from within the mist, swiftly forming vast banks of blood clouds in the sky above. Thunder roared within the clouds, and streaks of blood-red lightning flickered and surged. "What kind of divine power is this!" Han Li exclaimed, startled, his heart now filled with growing apprehension. Though the lightning had not yet descended, a sense of unease had already begun to rise within him. Without hesitation, he reached up with one hand, brushing his temple, and a shimmering gray light erupted, forming a protective veil over his head. Then, another flash of azure light appeared on the crown of the head, revealing a small jade cauldron of jade color that spouted countless threads of azure silk. These threads interwove and shimmered, forming a vast network of jade that materialized beneath the gray veil. Yet still, Han Li felt uneasy. He spun around swiftly, launching seventy-two flying swords that streaked outward, forming swirling sword shadows around his body. His golden and silver thunder robe also detached from his form, drifting upward as scattered golden and silver symbols floated in the air. Additionally, under the swirling black mist, a black armor of ominous power rose to cover his body. In an instant, Han Li had established five layers of impenetrable protection. With a simple lift of both hands, he caused a shadow to flicker and manifest a mountain-shaped silhouette about a foot high. With the other hand, he gently flicked his fingers, making five white bone skulls appear and vanish intermittently, their hues of light shifting and flowing. Upon seeing this scene, the blood-jade serpent was startled and no longer hesitated. It immediately redirected its vital blood energy throughout its body, then pointed upward with a single hand, piercing the blood clouds above. A flash of blood-colored light pierced the clouds, nine brilliant blood-thunder bolts slashing down with tremendous force before vanishing instantly, then dividing into three waves that converged above Han Li's head. Each wave surpassed the previous one in both number and thickness. After three thunderclaps, the first wave's two blood bolts struck the gray light shield with full force. Though the Yuanmagnetic Divine Light was remarkably potent, it was instantly shattered upon contact with the two blood-thunder bolts and dissolved into the void. Immediately thereafter, the second wave's three blood bolts descended, their impact causing a thunderous roar as the silken green net was easily torn apart and struck the sword formations below. An unusual phenomenon unfolded. The protective shield formed by seventy-two green bamboo bee-cloud swords appeared as if ethereal, offering no resistance at all. The blood-thunder bolts passed straight through, directly striking the golden and silver characters that had manifested as the thunder robe. A tremendous thunderclap erupted, and the characters instantly transformed into swirling bands of lightning, effectively countering the blood-colored bolts. Three streaks of lightning resembled serpents of blood, desperately plunging downward, yet the golden and silver lightning refused to yield and erupted with astonishing thunder. Clearly, the power of the blood electricity held the upper hand. After flashing several times, the golden and silver lightning cracked and fragmented, gradually thinning out. Finally, the three slender streaks of blood electricity descended once more, striking directly upon Han Li's defensive armor, where a deep resonance echoed as both elements were extinguished. Han Li's carefully constructed five-layer defense was completely shattered within an instant. At that moment, the final four blood lightning streaks, now glowing with an eerie crimson hue, descended. Han Li's expression darkened, though he made no visible movement—his body radiated a brilliant golden light, and a spectral figure of a three-headed, six-armed form materialized. As soon as it moved, the six golden arms surged forward, directly facing the four blood lightning streaks. Though the Buddha-Saint's true magical form remained only a phantom, its power far exceeded expectations. With the six arms sweeping in motion, they coalesced into six diffuse orbs of golden light. Four streaks of blood-colored electricity flashed and struck the golden lights solidly. When they collided, they made no sound at all. Two of the streaks vanished instantly, merging with six of the golden lights. The other two, however, remained unharmed and surged straight toward Han Li's head. Han Li shifted slightly, grasped the two palms that had taken on an unusual appearance, and with bare hands delivered two powerful punches at the two streaks of blood electricity rushing toward the sky. Before the black-and-white punches actually touched the electricity, they suddenly expanded into massive, vivid images of fists— one gray and hazy, the other shimmering with shifting hues of five colors— each radiating immense spiral pressure that seemed to compress and gather the surrounding air into a single point. Two thunderous explosions followed, and the brilliant light dimmed. Instantly, the flowing robes on Han Li's arms turned to ash, revealing dazzling, golden scales beneath. Yet, at the very moment of the explosion, both the fist-images and the electricity vanished in a fine mist of ash. Han Li staggered, falling from the sky, but immediately straightened his posture and steadied himself, then lifted his gaze toward the blood dragon in the distance. His eyes were icy cold, as if untouched by any injury at all. The blood dragon, immersed in the mist, drew in a sharp breath, unable to conceal its growing astonishment. At that moment, the blood clouds high above, having discharged lightning, seemed to have exhausted their energy and gradually dispersed and vanished within moments. "You have withstood twelve parts of my Tiangang Blood Lightning! Yet, this technique has not yet been fully mastered by me. Once my cultivation deepens another level, I shall be able to summon four waves of blood lightning simultaneously—no matter how strong you are, you will never withstand that again," the blood dragon said, though deeply amazed, still expressing a touch of reluctance. Han Li listened intently, his eyes flashing with blue light. Without speaking, he suddenly shifted his stance and vanished into a gentle breeze. At the very next instant, a fierce wind surged above the blood mist, and Han Li appeared strangely in sync with the wind, while dozens of golden sword beams burst forth, striking with relentless intensity. Amid the surging sword aura, the nearby void resonated with阵阵 hums, and a series of white streaks flashed across, instantly engulfing the entire cluster of blood mist in the sword energy. Under the intense disturbance of so many sword strikes, the indistinct figure within the mist was severed into countless fragments. Yet, once the blood mist had been completely dispersed, the spot remained utterly empty—no trace of the blood dragon's body was left. It seemed the blood-jade dragon had employed some strange evasive technique, allowing the blood-hued glow to manifest the ability to traverse vast distances as if using the art of "shrinking the earth." Though the light appeared ordinary, each time it flickered, the blood-hued glow would leap hundreds of paces across—within just a few such movements, it reached the far edge of the sky, and then, with a final flicker, vanished completely. Even with the full power of his Wind and Thunder Wings fully unleashed, Han Li could only achieve such speed. A moment of astonishment flashed across Han Li's face as he hovered in midair, yet he ultimately chose not to pursue. After a while, he suddenly raised both hands and placed them before his eyes. Now, the once-clear, pale hands appeared faintly dark, and a subtle scent of burnt or charred aroma drifted out. Han Li's gaze shifted several times, but he remained silent. This blood-jade dragon was undoubtedly the first among all the human and immortal beings he had encountered to reach the stage of combined body and spirit. Should they face each other in a life-or-death struggle, even with his final trump card—the gold-eating insects—Han Li's chances of victory The technique the other party employs, known as "Heavenly Stanchion Blood Lightning," is truly formidable. Moreover, it seems completely incapable of being defended against by physical treasures—otherwise, the Qingzhu Fengyun Sword would have shown no effect when struck by this lightning. According to the other party, this technique, though astonishing, has not yet been fully perfected. How could韩立 not feel unsettled by this? At once, he twisted his head, glanced at the three Li figures still engaged in fierce battle against the colossal "octopus," and with a flash of cold light in his eyes, surged forward as a golden arc, racing straight toward the Li Lan trio who were barely holding back the giant creature. As the golden light flashed before their eyes, countless golden sword qi poured down from the sky, forming a dense, overlapping shield. The once fearsome giant "octopus," along with its十余 thick tentacles, was severed into countless fragments in an instant, and a wave of blood rushed out in all directions. When the golden light faded, Han Li materialized above the pile of scattered flesh, surveyed the three Li figures, and coldly stated, "You have thirty breaths to pluck the Yin-Yan Fruit. Then follow me immediately back to the ground. If you fail to make it within this realm, I shall not wait for any of you!" Han Li's words carried no trace of emotion.