Hearing Han Li's cold words, Lei Lan and the others naturally realized that he was serious and not joking. Startled, they immediately flew to the several冥flame fruit trees, each taking out a wooden chest. Among them, Qin Xiao was especially attentive, carefully placing one fruit inside and then holding the chest in both hands, presenting it to Han Li. Han Li made no ceremony; with a simple flick of his sleeve, the azure light surged, and the wooden chest vanished without a trace. At that moment, Lei Lan and Bai Bi also collected their respective冥flame fruits and returned to the vicinity. "Let's go! Make no stops along the way—return to the surface as quickly as possible," Han Li said firmly, his body glowing with a jade-like light, transforming into a streak of azure light and soaring upward. He said not a single word of explanation. Bai Bi and the others did not know why Han Li had become so eager to leave the depths, but they guessed it was likely connected to the blood-jade dragon that had fled. Given that even Han Li, so deeply profound, had taken on such urgency, they felt increasingly uneasy. They couldn't spare even a single effort. Lei Lan and the others activated their flight spells, swiftly following close behind. In a moment, the group vanished into the sky, breaking through the air. Two days later, within the wooden hall on the third level of the Earth's Deep Realm, the golden giant flower remained untouched, its shadowy woman still holding her chin, deep in thought. The hall was now occupied only by the two green-robed attendants standing beside her. Suddenly, a surge of crimson light burst through the outer doors, and upon fading, a blood-colored creature with a dragon's head and human body knelt half in the hall. It was the blood dragon who had just fought against Han Li. "Greetings, Master," the dragon said. "You're the one, then. How did the mission go? Did you manage to kill those people and recover their essences?" the woman glanced at the dragon calmly. "Your grace, the blood toxin proved insufficient," the dragon bowed slightly, "and I was unable to kill any of them." "Ah," the woman said, "so then, these people truly pose a problem." "The lady didn't show any displeasure—on the contrary, she seemed instantly intrigued. 'Yes, Master. The others are rather ordinary, mere Spirit General-level Flying Spirit beings. But one of them, despite being only a Spirit General, managed to absorb fully ten parts of the Heavenly Yang Blood Lightning that I unleashed, and furthermore, with his body alone, he endured the strike of the Blood River Mysterious Needle and then repelled it back. Master had previously instructed me to return immediately should anything go awry. Thus, when my first attack missed, I came back to report." The Blood Toxin clearly and methodically recounted the details. "Could he withstand the Heavenly Yang Blood Lightning and repel the Blood River Mysterious Needle with his physical form?" The dark figure on the Golden Flower, though anticipating something exceptional, was still slightly startled by the Blood Dragon's words. "Indeed. Even more remarkable, his evasive technique is truly astonishing, and he also possesses several other great abilities. Even if I give my full strength and fight him to the limit, I would likely still fall short." The Blood Dragon paused and added. "As for the rest, they are quite satisfactory." There are countless wonders in the world; it's not uncommon for someone with several heavenly miracles to withstand your Tiangang Blood Lightning. But for a spiritual general to use their bare body to deflect your Minghe Divine Needles—this is no ordinary feat. It shows that this person's physical strength has reached an extraordinary level, making them an ideal sacrificial offering. Indeed, should we finally prepare three premium offerings, we've only just found one so far. I've been quite concerned about this! The lady's tone has now taken on a touch of delight. "Master's intention is—" "Of course, I will personally intervene to capture this person and use them as the final sacrificial offering." The lady's voice has grown cold and solemn. "Yet, Master, isn't this person precisely the one the Earth-Blood Elder desires?" The Blood Dragon couldn't help but remind. He had learned of this through other channels. "The Earth-Blood Elder publicly aims to eliminate these flying spirits, but in reality, he likely seeks their spiritual essences. Probably, there's some arrangement with the Yin Xuan Ghost Mother." "I only wish to take this man's physical form; his purpose does not conflict with that of the earth-blood. What could there be to worry about!" the woman said coldly, having already guessed the blood-robed figure's intentions with remarkable clarity. "Master, I see!" the blood-jade seemed somewhat enlightened. "We must not delay. I shall go now. The blood toxin—also accompany me to the second layer, and join me in pursuing this man." The woman instructed. "Understood!" the blood-jade replied respectfully, rising to his feet. Fortunately, the dangers along the way and the beastly creatures had already been cleared, and the route was now well familiar, requiring no further deliberation or concentration. Yet even so, the continuous day-and-night progress proved taxing, with Bai Bi Qin Xiao and the others feeling significant depletion of their inner spiritual energy, finding it hard to keep up. However, upon seeing Han Li at the forefront, steadily maintaining a composed and serious demeanor, the three of them felt a sense of unease and dared not voice any complaints, instead pressing on with determination. After another day passed, a marsh ahead began to take shape, and the second-level exit, visible through the persistent black wind, gradually came into view. Han Li felt a slight relief, exhaled softly, and immediately led the group into the marsh without hesitation. Half a day later, Han Li and the others reappeared at the entrance of the first-level valley. At this moment, Han Li made a decision that surprised Lei Lan and the others greatly. "From now on, we will split up. You all should go separate ways, each taking a different route and making every effort to return to the ground." "As soon as they stepped out of the valley, Han Li paused, then said coldly. 'What? Separate? Brother Han, why?' Bai Bi was startled, and Lei Lan and Qin Xiao also frowned. 'Now that we've come to this point, I won't hide it anymore. We may have been noticed by a divine-king-level creature from the Deep Abyss. Even with my own abilities, I simply cannot stand against such a being. Though I don't know when exactly they'll catch up with us, if we split up, they'll likely pursue me. You two will have a much better chance of escaping back to the surface. Without you to worry about, I can fully focus on flying and also have a good chance of making it. In the first layer, there should be very few things that can pose a real threat to you.' Han Li spoke with a serious expression, though he still offered a brief explanation. 'A divine-king-level being! How could such a formidable presence have noticed us? Brother Han, are you mistaken?' Qin Xiao suddenly turned pale, her face losing all color. 'How can I know the reason behind it?' But all that needs to be said has been said. Your lives are your own—whether you believe it or not, it's up to you. Still, it would be best if you all set off immediately. Who knows, the other side might catch up with you right at the next moment," Han Li said, his gaze flashing. Lei Lan and the others exchanged puzzled glances. As Han Li had said, their lives were entirely their own. No matter how true or false his words might be, once he had stated them, they had no choice but to accept them as genuine. And given Han Li's evident caution earlier, it truly seemed unlikely that he was exaggerating. Thus, after Han Li himself broke through the air and took flight first, Lei Lan and the others, with no alternative, followed his advice and slipped away through other routes. According to Han Li, as long as they could return to the ground, they would be safe. A streak of azure light surged across a vast wilderness, racing through the wind with the speed of thunder and lightning. In just a few flashes, it appeared suddenly at the far end from where it had started—silent throughout, emitting not a single sound. Even though some of the mythical creatures and insects beneath noticed the ethereal glow floating above, they were utterly unable to catch up, merely watching helplessly as the green ribbon vanished instantly. Within the green ribbon, Han Li maintained a constant flow of spiritual energy circulating through his body, simultaneously gripping one exquisite spiritual stone in each hand, steadily replenishing his strength. The millennium-old spiritual liquid he had carried from the beginning had been completely consumed during his journey across the spiritual realm at the space nodes. Now, though exquisite spiritual stones were exceedingly rare, to maintain a sufficient reserve of inner energy, he could not afford to waste any. Han Li had separated from the other three at the first level—this was a necessity. Although most of what he had said to Lei Lan and the others was true, he had concealed one subtle point: he had sensed that the mythical creatures and insects he encountered earlier seemed specifically targeting him, paying little attention to Lei Lan and the others. Under these circumstances, separating and proceeding independently indeed ensured greater safety for Lei Lan and the group. He had protected both of the Tianpeng Clan's senior heirs, successfully locating the Yinyan Fruit and returning it to the first level—doing his best. What came next would now have to rely entirely on the two heirs themselves, while he himself needed to focus on securing his own life. Though he had not yet detected any unusual phenomena nearby, and though the ground entrance seemed not far off, Han Li still remained cautious. Not only did the flowing light of his flight not slow down, but after he expelled a stream of vital essence, the glow subtly took on streaks of crimson. As a result, the speed of the Dunsu grew even more brisk. For Han Li, losing a little vital energy to evade a fully consolidated immortal-level beast was undoubtedly a wise move. Yet, after the celestial rainbow had flown continuously for half a day across the first level, Han Li suddenly grew pale, turning sharply to look behind him. There, at the horizon behind him, a vast expanse of dark mist had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, rolling steadily toward him—closing the distance by half in a single flash. Han Li's face grew unusually grave. Without further thought, his twin wings behind him flashed simultaneously, instantly transforming into a slender, silvery-white filament that shot forth, reaching over a hundred paces in a single flick. Now fully exposed, he had unleashed the full might of his Wind-Thunder Wings. A soft "ah" of surprise echoed from within the black mist, yet in Han Li's ears, it was distinctly clear—so vividly present as if spoken right beside him. His heart sank as he continued to urgently urge his wings. The silvery-white filament even emitted a low, sharp hum, leaving behind a fine, white trail in the void wherever it passed, as though it were about to tear through the surrounding space itself.