At that moment, a deep, resonant rumble suddenly echoed from beyond the stone gate, and a layer of milky spatial magic shimmered across the surrounding walls, flickering erratically. The ground then trembled violently. "What's going on? What has happened!" The vibrations naturally had no effect on the group before them, yet caused the expressions of the three to subtly shift—especially the green-skinned alien, who exclaimed in surprise and anger. The green-skinned and the large-headed alien exchanged glances and, almost simultaneously, activated their flight spells: one transformed into a streak of jade-green light and shot off, while the other briefly blurred before vanishing from his spot. Although the platform was equipped with anti-flight spells, their修为 allowed them to easily overcome such a level of restriction simply by channeling additional inner spiritual energy—though it would cost them a bit more effort. Han Li did not hesitate. His eyes first swept over the spell array, then he hesitated briefly, suddenly flung his sleeve back—sending a surge of jade-green light spiraling out, circling the array once. A series of sharp "thuds" echoed as the light was instantly shattered into fragments, then flashed back with a sudden burst. Only then did Han Li's body glow with luminous energy, trailing a series of faint afterimages as he stepped forward. As soon as his figure appeared at the stone gate, he saw the square in chaos—The Personification was now rushing wildly toward the surrounding buildings for shelter. Above the square, a pale blue light shield had appeared unexpectedly, enveloping the entire city. Beyond it, in the distant, unknown sky, countless white light spheres the size of human heads rained down in a relentless barrage. The shield itself burst with flashes of brilliant light, accompanied by continuous thunderous roars, causing it to tremble violently—clearly struggling to hold on. Han Li was taken aback, quickly lifting his head to gaze intently at the scene beyond the light screen, his pupils flashing with blue light. After a moment, however, Han Li's eyes flickered slightly, and then he drew in a sharp breath. Under the power of his spiritual vision, he could now clearly see the origins of these attacks. At an altitude of several thousand zhang, a colossal "island" had suddenly appeared. Indeed, it was a magnificent "silver island," gleaming uniformly as though forged entirely of pure silver, measuring nearly ten thousand zhang in size. Its base was densely covered with white crystalline pillars, and the surface shimmered with ever-moving runes, continuously spewing out clusters of glowing orbs that fell down in a dense rain. "This is impossible! This must be the giant war vessel of the Jiaochi clan! How could they have arrived so early?" The tall, foreign being, who had produced a blue mirror at some point, now gasped in astonishment. "Right now, it matters little. We must hurry to escape. Brother Yuan, you've stayed here in this city for so many years—now is the time to act." "Do you know of several secret passages leading out of the city?" Hearing this, the green-skinned outsider, who had just arrived nearby, asked anxiously. "Indeed, I know of one passage that leads quietly to a small mountain some fifteen miles west of the city. However, with so many fellow clansmen and women within the city, I cannot simply leave them unattended. I will immediately gather everyone at the city gates and let each of them follow their own destiny in fleeing. If luck is on our side, perhaps we can indeed save a portion of them." The red-headed outsider hesitated briefly before firmly stating this. "Agreed," the red-clad outsider, who had just arrived from the opposite side of the square, nodded in enthusiastic agreement. Both Han Li and the green-skinned outsider expressed no reservations. Seeing this, the red-headed one also decided without further hesitation. A flash of yellow light rippled across his body, and suddenly, a yellow beam shot forth from him. As it shimmered and expanded, it transformed into a colossal, ethereal figure towering over a hundred feet high—its appearance and attire exactly matching that of the red-headed outsider himself. This ethereal figure was so vast, radiating a brilliant golden glow throughout its entire form, naturally drawing everyone's attention. Suddenly, a low, resonant cry issued from its mouth—like a great ancient bell tolling—and every listener felt a sudden shock to their awareness, their initial panic easing instantly. At once, the countless eyes across the plaza shifted in unison, all fixed upon the towering humanoid silhouette in the sky. The ethereal form of the large-headed alien then spoke with solemn gravity: "My fellow companions, there is no need for alarm. Our city's protective array is strong and will hold for a considerable duration before it is breached. Now, everyone should quickly gather at the four city gates. I will lift the seals there within the next fifteen minutes, allowing each of you to make your escape. However, before you flee, I would like to issue a clear warning: the Jiaochi clan has launched this surprise assault with complete determination to extinguish our entire lineage—the Sky-Cloud Thirteen Clans. Therefore, do not entertain any thoughts of seeking refuge or compromise with the Weyu clan." As far as I know, those captured are either thrown into the Ice-Fire-Black Hell of the Jiaochi clan to become slaves, or immediately have their souls extracted and their infants drained to serve as ingredients for elixirs and artifacts." The big-headed outsider's voice was chillingly solemn! The foreigners on the plaza exchanged glances, then, without a word, suddenly erupted into a loud cry, and then scattered in all directions, fleeing in panic. Once they had stepped out of the plaza, they instantly gathered in dense streams of shimmering light, converging toward the four city gates. As soon as the big-headed outsider chanted a spell, the ethereal image that had appeared above instantly faded and vanished. Then he turned to face Han Li and his companions, saying, "My friends, let us follow me. Our presence is too prominent—we cannot blend in with theirs." Everyone naturally nodded in agreement. Thus, the four of them instantly transformed into four beams of light and swiftly departed from the plaza. At that moment, the blue light screen above the city had been completely overwhelmed by the brilliant white glow from the shattered light spheres floating in the sky. The protective blue light began to emit a low hum, a clear sign that the great array was operating at its limit. The larger, alien being darted through the air, constantly glancing upward, his face tinged with a touch of bitterness. "Well, Yuan brother, you still seem to have some attachment to this city," the glowing figure in red remarked gently. "I've presided over this city for over a thousand years, having designed and established all its sealing techniques and magical arrays. To now abandon it, naturally, brings a sense of reluctance." The larger alien did not conceal his feelings, merely sighed. "You needn't be so disheartened. Though the Jiaochi clan is powerful, even together, our thirteen heavenly-cloud clans are not necessarily inferior to them. Indeed, there may yet come a day when we reclaim this city." The glowing figure in red offered a few words of encouragement. "I hope so," the larger alien replied, offering a wry smile. "Mian brother, how could the Jiaochi army have arrived so swiftly? Didn't our scouts two days ago report that they still had two days' journey ahead of them? Now, their warships are right at the city's gates today. Must it be the Jiaochi vanguard who've orchestrated this?" The green-skinned foreigner suddenly asked. Han Li was taken aback and glanced at the Yuan-named tall man. Seeing that he maintained a calm expression with no signs of objection, Han Li felt a sudden clarity. It now dawned on him that the escape stories the man had just told the others were actually intended to draw the attention of the Jiaochi clan, thus allowing him and his companions to execute a classic "golden cicada shedding its shell" strategy and quietly depart. Though Han Li felt a slight sense of alertness, he did not immediately speak up. After all, when it came to matters directly affecting his own safety, it was natural to refrain from criticizing the other party's actions. Nevertheless, Han Li found himself growing a bit more cautious toward these three foreign guests. With their combined cultivation levels, their flight speed was naturally swift; in just a brief moment, they arrived at the entrance of a seemingly ordinary pavilion. The pavilion's main gate remained firmly closed. Before the light of their flight had even settled, the Yuan-named foreigner swiftly waved his sleeve in the air, sending a powerful gust of wind sweeping through. The gate, as if struck by an immense force, shattered into fragments, completely disintegrating. Han Li and the others instantly flashed several times, directly entering the attic from outside. The first floor of the attic appeared empty, save for a few tables and chairs, and a towering, unidentified statue leaning against one wall. This statue, entirely black and seated on the ground, had a broad, plump belly, four eyes, four arms, and slender legs, appearing rather unusual. After scanning the surroundings, Han Li and the others found no obvious entrance or passage, and all turned their attention to the Yuan-family outsider. The large-headed outsider paid no attention to their gazes, remaining still in place while smoothly gliding forward until he reached the statue. With a single mouth opening, a yellow, round crystal stone burst forth and instantly vanished into the statue's head. A sharp "crack" sounded, and a brilliant light flashed, spreading out like ripples on a water surface across the statue's body. The once lifeless statue suddenly flashed with yellow light in all four of its eyes, and with a slight motion of its four arms, it roared to its feet in a thunderous sound. It turned out to be a puppet. Han Li and the others naturally emitted astonished glances. However, even more astonishing occurred as the head alien pressed his palms together and activated the puppet. As the puppet waved its four arms, a brilliant yellow glow spread out, causing its form to expand dramatically—its body nearly filling the entire floor of the hall. Then, simultaneously, the arms struck the center of its torso. A flash of light revealed an odd symbol array, followed by a crisp "crack," and a small door appeared in the puppet's abdomen, opening automatically. Before them unfolded a space several zhang in size. On the ground of this space stood a compact teleportation array, measuring one zhang in height. Without hesitation, the Yuan-named alien took a single step forward, entered the puppet's abdomen, and stood upon the teleportation array.