But just as he was about to send his reply, his brow furrowed suddenly. He turned his head and, to a spot nearby that was otherwise empty, said softly, "Who's hiding there, moving about so stealthily!" Han Li's words startled Yuan Yao and the other two women. The high-ranking spiritual beasts nearby paused, instantly alert and fixing their gaze on that very spot. "Ha ha! Han, you truly are remarkable—my concealment technique has indeed gone unnoticed!" A loud burst of laughter echoed through the air. A flash of golden light, and a golden figure stepped into view. It was Jin Ling, the golden-hair, gray-furred ape. Though he laughed heartily, his gaze upon Han Li remained cold and distant. Yuan Yao and Yan Li were both taken aback upon seeing him. This golden ape was no ordinary creature—over the years they had spent deep within the Earth's depths, they had come to know his prowess well. Even though they had full confidence in Han Li, they could not believe he would truly manage to outwit a transcendental-level immaterial being. With this ape and another dozen high-ranking immortals, escaping was truly out of the question. "Congratulations, Jin brother, on your safe escape! I and my companion parted ways in the mist and worried for quite some time. It seems I've been overcautious. With your level of cultivation, how could mere ghosts possibly pose a threat?" Han Li said calmly, his gaze flickering subtly. "I do possess some means of survival, but compared to Master Han, I still fall short. Your ability, at the rank of Spiritual General, to navigate through the mist on your own is truly admirable," Jin Ling replied, smiling warmly with his fluffy face. "How could I possibly have such abilities? It's all due to the assistance of Yuan Lady and Lady Yan," Han Li shook his head. "Though the two ladies may have found ways to traverse the mist, without Master Han's direct help, they might well have struggled to cope with so many fierce ghosts and spectral spirits," Jin Ling said, remaining neutral. Han Li offered a quiet, composed smile and said nothing further, though his thoughts were rapidly turning. Though confident that his abilities were absolutely on par with Jin Ling's, and even with the combined efforts of those dozen high-ranking beasts, he had a good seven or eight out of ten chances of safely escaping, all on his own. But if he brought Yuan Yao and Yan Li along, that chance dropped to just under half. Such a significant risk made it impossible for him to take the plunge. After all, the realm of Yin He was so strange and ever-changing—better to seek another opportunity. A green light flickered several times, then settled above the heads of Han Li and his companions, revealing a clear, solid form of Mu Qing. "Respect to the Master!" The golden ape bowed immediately and respectfully greeted. "It is truly a blessing that the old gold spirit has remained unharmed," Mu Qing said, his face brightening with satisfaction upon seeing the ape again. "Thanks to the several protective treasures bestowed upon me by the Master at the beginning. Otherwise, I would have struggled greatly to remain safe among so many spirits and creatures. It was only through the combined powers of the Six-Legged and the Earth-Blood Deities that I managed to make it out at all." The golden ape continued, maintaining his respectful tone. "Hmm. The gale I just witnessed was clearly summoned personally by the Six-Legged Daoist. I hadn't realized before that the Six-Legged Daoist is particularly skilled in wind-based techniques." Mu Qing said slowly, his words carrying an indistinct, unexplained nuance. "The Six-Legged Deity's powers are indeed beyond what I expected. Yet precisely because of that, these spirits and puppets have been so easily defeated," said Jin Ling, "That's true! In such a perilous situation, the more divine powers the Sixth-Legged Daoist possesses, the better. Since I've already secured my advantage, I'm certain the others won't be lingering much longer." Mu Qing paused a moment before nodding and then raised her gaze toward the horizon in the direction of the sky. Indeed, it was quite coincidental! At the very instant she lifted her head, a flash of luminous light appeared far in the distance, and a mass of dark energy emerged, rushing swiftly toward them. A short while later, this dark mass arrived at the gathering like a comet in a hurry, and as it settled, revealed a graceful elderly woman with white hair. Though she appeared unchanged on the surface, her aura was noticeably weaker than when she had departed, indicating that she had expended considerable spiritual energy. She surveyed the surroundings and then furrowed her brows, asking, "How is it that neither the Sixth-Legged Daoist nor the Earth-Blood Daoist has returned yet? With the Sixth-Legged one's abilities and the Earth-Blood Elder's support, shouldn't they have arrived no later than us?" "I'm not entirely sure about this either. Perhaps they've encountered some unforeseen "Miss Lan, where are your eight Ghost Kings? Didn't they come with you to pursue that puppet?" Mu Qing asked with a puzzled expression. "The opponent employed a self-sacrificing strategy—each of them was seriously injured. I've gathered them into my Yin Cloud Satchel for temporary recuperation. As for the six-footed friend, however, I hope they're not in any trouble. Should only you and I remain, I doubt we'll be able to lay claim to the冥河神乳." The woman with silver hair explained briefly before shifting into a thoughtful expression. Mu Qing smiled slightly, intending to say more, when suddenly a tremendous roar echoed from one direction. That very direction was where the six-footed companions had been pursuing. Upon hearing such a powerful sound, Mu Qing and the silver-haired woman exchanged glances, both seeing surprise and astonishment in each other's eyes. "Could it be..." the woman murmured, uncertain. But just as she finished speaking, a sharp, piercing cry erupted suddenly from the very spot where the roar had originated. The piercing cry entered both of his ears, and Han Li instantly felt his mind buzz, his vision darken, and he plummeted straight downward from the sky. "This is bad!" As soon as he realized what was happening, he immediately sealed his ears and activated the Daxian Sectual Technique within his body. Yet what startled him most was that the piercing cry seemed completely indifferent to his effort to block it—unrelenting, it seeped into his consciousness without diminishing. Though the Daxian Sectual Technique was remarkably adept, it was abruptly interrupted midway, rendering its effects minimal. Panicked, Han Li roared without further thought, and suddenly felt a sharp, needle-like pain in his awareness—his own spirit was pierced, momentarily freeing him from the eerie influence of the cry and restoring control over his body. He swiftly accelerated the inner technique, and as a result, a golden arc shimmered and emerged from his body, followed by a sharp sound of thunder. Then, with both hands clearly defined in color—black and white—he struck them together once more, forcefully, in front of his chest. A deep resonance echoed, and at once, vibrant hues of light and gray mist surged forth from both hands, swirling downward to form a double-layered luminous shield that tightly encased them. Under this dense protection, the sharp, piercing sound reaching his consciousness diminished significantly, causing Han Li to sway slightly before steadying himself. Yet, upon a quick glance, he immediately noticed that Yuan Yao and the other young woman were also rapidly descending, their forms nearly about to crash into the scattered stones below. Without hesitation, Han Li extended one hand and reached out, palm toward the air. A series of crisp crackling sounds ensued, as a cascade of gray mist transformed into countless crystalline filaments, shooting forth instantly and enveloping the two women in a brilliant glow. With a swift pull, the two women were drawn into the embrace of the magnetic light and carried back to Han Li's side. As the luminous flames and gray mist expanding outward from Han Li's body enveloped the two women as well, their pale faces regained a touch of color, and they once again floated steadily in the air. At that moment, a series of sharp thuds came from below, as the dozen high-ranking beasts could not withstand the piercing cries and tumbled heavily to the ground. Though each of these creatures was tough-skinned and robust, indifferent to the height, they all pressed their hands over their ears and rolled desperately on the ground. Despite the constant flickering of protective luminous glimmers on their bodies, these defenses seemed entirely ineffective. Han Li drew a deep breath, then glanced at the others. He noticed that Jin Ling had joined Mu Qing at some point, with a cascade of floral shadows rising around them, shielding the two. It appeared that the piercing cries had had little impact on them. As for the white-haired beauty on the other side, she was wrapped in a hazy, gloomy wind, motionless, clearly unaffected by the cries as well. Yet, all three of them were now intently fixed on the distant horizon, as the sharp, piercing sound grew increasingly intense and an astonishing celestial phenomenon began to unfold. A massive, crimson insect silhouette emerged on the horizon, so vast that it nearly enveloped half the sky. Its two dark, luminous eyes spun with a radiance that swept across the heavens, while its two translucent wings—resembling shimmering screens—vibrated continuously, pulsing with life on either side of its body. It was as if a colossal fly, magnified countless times over! The sharp sound that had nearly caused a minor setback for Han Li originated precisely from the beating of these wings. As the wings vibrated, visible ripples spread outward in concentric waves, then gradually faded into invisibility—yet the sound carried on, resonating clearly all the way to Han Li. At such a distance, it already exerts such terrifying power—how much more devastating must it be when the insect shadow is close at hand, where even the sound of its wings would suffice to instantly kill opponents of lower cultivation levels? Yet this insect, resembling a fly, is not merely flapping its wings now. From its pair of dark compound eyes, it is projecting countless thick, crimson beams of light. These beams interweave densely, nearly covering the entire space beneath. Though the precise strength of these crimson beams remains unperceived, from afar, the areas illuminated by them appear to glow a vibrant red—either due to the reflection of the beams or because the beams themselves have truly ignited the space. Beneath this vast, crimson network of beams, two objects are desperately maneuvering, evading the relentless assault of the beams. These two objects were also nearly ten zhang in size, yet they appeared remarkably insignificant compared to the insect-like shadow, causing them to be overlooked at first glance. A flash of blue light in Han Li's eyes instantly revealed the two ethereal, flickering forms. One of them was clearly a purple-blooded automaton shrunk down by several dozen times, while the other proved to be utterly astonishing to Han Li!