"Allow me to say a firm 'no'!" Han Li remained calm. "You are a guest from abroad—surely you wouldn't be so ungracious! Even if the treasure is of the finest quality, what good would it do if it were to perish?" The figure in red light chuckled. "Do you not intend to attack me? There are countless pursuers from the Jiaochi clan all around us. Would you really wish to join me as a prisoner of the Jiaochi clan?" Han Li's voice deepened, and his face turned as cold as ice. Upon hearing this, the figure in red light furrowed his brows slightly. Yet suddenly, he flipped his hand and produced a small, translucent vial, which he gently placed before Han Li, allowing him to view it clearly. Inside the vial, a pill shimmered—bright red as blood, yet softly radiating a golden glow. "Han Dao, even if you deliver this to the Wangu Clan, you would receive no more than a single Wanmiao Pill. Though I do not possess this particular pill, I hold a Golden Blood Pill, which ranks only slightly behind it." This pill can also assist your friend in overcoming the upper three-stage bottlenecks. How about I exchange this pill for the jade box currently held by Mr. Han?" The figure in red light fixed his gaze steadily on Mr. Han and spoke thus. "Golden Blood Pill!" Mr. Han's eyes slightly narrowed. Though he had never heard of this pill before, the subtle aroma emanating from the small vial, detected by his consciousness, was distinctly remarkable. He gazed intently at the crystal vial in the other's hands, remaining silent, as though truly pondering the proposal. "Mr. Han, you should make your decision soon—those pursuing Chaochi warriors could arrive at any moment," the figure in red light expressed with a sense of relief, yet maintained a composed demeanor, gently urging him. However, the figure failed to notice that the black shadow beneath Mr. Han's feet had, without his awareness, grown slightly longer and more slender than before. This subtle change, unless one had been closely observing the shadow from the beginning, would have remained entirely unnoticed. At the same time, fine strands of pale, almost invisible green silk were quietly sinking into the soil at the base of Han Li’s feet, gradually disappearing without a trace. "I'm no different—whether it's one gift, or two, it's still a gift!" Han Li said calmly. As he spoke only half of this, the face of the foreigner, glowing with red light, suddenly grew pale. When the final words had just finished, the fire-month being suddenly pressed both hands together, and as the red glow spun swiftly around his body, a full red moon surged upward and vanished into the sky within just a few flashes. At the same time, his form blurred slightly, and three identical, perfectly aligned phantom figures appeared within the red light. All three stood with hands behind their backs, faces expressionless, silently gazing at Han Li. Faced with this unusual display, Han Li remained still, neither moving nor shifting his stance. Instead, a slight twitch of his lips followed, and then he clapped his hands and laughed heartily: "Indeed a well-planned move—first drawing in the Jiao Chi clan members with your spiritual energy, then retreating to set up a strategy of prolonged engagement, so that I cannot leave immediately." "Seeing Lord Han stand so composed, the three figures glowing with red light on the scene all displayed a touch of astonishment. Yet the one in the center, cold and composed, spoke first: 'Though I don't know how you learned of the marks I left upon that divine statue puppet, since I have already summoned others, you will not be able to leave now. If you wish to remain, simply hand me the jade box in your hands. I can still intercede on your behalf—perhaps even save your life.' His voice carried an extraordinary sense of confidence—indeed, understandable, for the Angle-Ci people were only a few dozen miles away, and could reach them within moments. 'Was the thing you released just this one?' Han's lips curled slightly, a hint of mystery in his expression. Suddenly, with a seemingly casual gesture, he extended his hand and lightly grasped at the space beside him. A bright red orb, the size of a human head, appeared mysteriously in his palm. 'How is this possible?' Within the crimson glow, three ethereal figures simultaneously shuddered, revealing a mixture of shock and anger. At this moment, the radiant red orb was none other than the red lunar spiritual force that had previously shot upward! Yet before Han Li could speak, the figures in the red light flickered and, with remarkable coordination, all three slowly retreated backward, their faces filled with intense vigilance. Han Li was momentarily stunned, then broke into a cold smile. With a single hand motion, a flash of white light revealed another box, sealed with a red seal, now floating in his hands. He tossed it upward, where it spun steadily in midair. Then, with a gentle flick of his finger upward, a flash of cold light sent several streaks of jade-green swordlight shooting forth, directly toward the floating box. "You're mad!" the fire-lunar figure, who had been retreating steadily, gasped in surprise, quickly recovering and shouting in outrage. Instantly, two of the ethereal figures surged forward, bursting from the red glow with astonishing speed—so swift that they reached the sky in a single flick of motion. One of the spectral forms surged into a massive red hand, fiercely grasping the jade case. The other spectral form paused, its face hardening, its body suddenly glowing with an unusual crimson hue, then transforming into a streak of crimson light that surged toward Han Li. As for the third spectral form, it remained motionless in the distant crimson glow, unchanged. Clearly, Han Li's seemingly profound and mysterious maneuvers had prompted this fire-born being to exercise extreme caution, opting to send only two manifestations to attack while retaining his true form safely at a distance. The speed of the two spectral forms far exceeded Han Li's expectations, leaving him utterly unprepared to respond. In the meantime, the great hand in the air seized the jade case firmly. Simultaneously, the second spectral form vanished in an instant, and the crimson streak that had formed pierced straight through Han Li's body. As the glowing radiance subsided, the spectral form reappeared several zhang behind Han Li, then turned its head to gaze back. Upon this, Han Li's body flashed with a burst of fire, and then, with a soft *pffft*, instantly transformed into a blazing crimson sphere, burning fiercely. In an instant, Han Li's figure vanished into the flames. As the red glow illuminated the fire moon-being, upon seeing the jade box securely in hand and Han Li effortlessly slain by a single blow, he paused, subtly sensing something amiss. Yet before he could fully ponder what was happening, the jade box held by the massive red hand suddenly shimmered with a series of green pulses, transforming into a solid, fist-sized sphere of jade-green hue. Before the red hand could react, the sphere burst with a sudden flash. A thunderous roar erupted, and countless arcs of green electricity shot forth, piercing through the red hand and leaving it riddled with wounds. The hand then swiftly dissolved and dispersed. "Ah!" The fire moon-being gasped, his face pale, and spat out a bright green surge of blood. "I thought this was some extraordinary embodiment technique. It seems to be merely a dual-soul manifestation. Then, with that being clear, I shall take your two embodiments without further hesitation. Suddenly, Han Li's voice echoed from all around. Then, at the spot where the second foreign phantom had stood, a fine, almost invisible black line flashed, and a golden long blade suddenly slashed forth from below—so swift it seemed like lightning striking stone. A piercing cry followed, and the phantom's body was severed in two with a stroke so sudden it came like a thunderbolt. The two halves wavered slightly before collapsing to the ground, then dissolved into scattered glimmers of light. Only then, with a flash of golden light, a armored soldier emerged from the soil below—wearing a golden helmet and armor, holding a long blade in one hand—appearing as if by magic. With the second phantom instantly destroyed, the fire moon figure grew paler, and then a strange flush of red rose on his cheeks. It was clear he had suffered considerable loss of vital energy. Yet this fire moon figure proved remarkably resolute—almost as soon as the second form was obliterated, he opened his mouth, exhaled a small jade bell, and with a quick flick of his fingers, launched it into the air. The deafening toll of the bell resonated, sending out an invisible wave of sound radiating outward from the bronze bell. As the sound spread, a fierce expression of surprise flashed across the fire moon man's face. He didn't believe that under these circumstances, the other party could still prevent him from summoning the Jiaochi clan. Yet he showed no intention of staying put to engage in a direct confrontation with Han Li. With a sudden movement, his figure instantly transformed into a streak of red light, shooting upward at great speed. A silver short sword and a golden token shot forth simultaneously. As soon as the sword was drawn, it expanded into a massive blade several zhang long, charging skyward with a powerful slash. Upon the token's release, a resonant hum echoed, and then a strange golden serpent-phantom emerged—glowing with radiant light, its back adorned with twin wings—its jaws agape and limbs outstretched, charging forward as well. With two thunderous crashes, the silver light and golden shadow struck the great blue lotus at nearly the same time. Upon contact, though the lotus's glyphs surged and shimmered, it soon began to crack and fragment piece by piece. The fire moon figures, seeing this, were filled with delight. Yet, just as their joy surged, their smiles instantly froze. For behind the shattered blue lotus, a fresh, luminous blue lotus had suddenly bloomed, standing firmly in their way.