"Even though only half our feet have stepped into the realm, our cultivation levels are equivalent to the first stage of the Sacred Clan. However, during our advancement, we managed to break through the limitations in our spiritual energy and internal power through a series of secret techniques employed by several senior elders, who in turn rotated to infuse their essence into us. Yet, in terms of spiritual awareness and cultivation techniques, we still fall far short. Without diligently cultivating in stillness and focus for thousands of years, we simply cannot compare with true members of the Sacred Clan. This time, had it not been for a shortage of personnel, I doubt the senior elders would have summoned us so urgently." The elder shook his head and said. "That's true. Nevertheless, even so, when we work together, even a first- or second-stage member of the true Sacred Clan would likely be able to stand a chance against us. The likelihood of the Sacred Clan appearing in the Green Light City is truly negligible." The middle-aged man nodded in agreement. "Still, I feel rather sorry for Hongmie!" The elder, as though remembering something, expressed a touch of regret. "I've heard that this young man possesses dual bloodlines—both from the Fire Moon Clan and our own Could it be that there's some connection between him and Brother Tu? Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man suddenly smiled. "Brother Tu, I must be humbled by your kind words. To be honest, this young man is actually a descendant of a distant relative of mine. When I accidentally found him, I had him settle in and remain hidden among the Tianyun clans. Indeed, his cultivation potential is truly exceptional—he may one day reach our level. Our elder of the Flame lineage have already prepared everything, waiting only for the time when his undercover mission concludes. Then, they will undergo a complete blood and marrow renewal, transforming his physical body entirely into that of the Jiaochi clan. Yet, we hadn't expected the mission to fall apart just as it was about to succeed." The elder's expression darkened. "Ah, Brother Tu, don't worry about that. Once we've done, we'll have the murderer dismembered and scattered into a thousand pieces. Unfortunately, to prevent anyone from noticing his flaws, we failed to mark him with any identifying signs. Otherwise, we could have easily traced the murderer. But that doesn't matter. We've already dispatched half of our personnel from the War Vessel to assist elsewhere." "They absolutely won't be able to escape this place," the middle-aged man said with a smile. "With the Heavenly Xuan Compasses personally bestowed by the senior elders, there's no doubt they'll be unable to flee. The only issue is that there are several such items, and we're not certain whether they still remain in the hands of the ancient lineage. We certainly can't allow them to lose these treasures in a moment of panic. The elders have made this very clear. 'We must bring them back intact,' as they've instructed. After all, I've always known this. Otherwise, why have I and my colleague remained hidden aboard the war vessel until now? We wanted to first confirm our targets and then strike swiftly, seizing the items before they could react. According to our original plan, we were to first verify who held the items, then mark them and notify our team to act. Now that Hong Mi has fallen, we no longer know who currently holds these items. That does present a certain complication!" The middle-aged man furrowed his brows again. "It's indeed quite challenging, but not insurmountable. This thing is so crucial that, under our current circumstances—with our entire army pressing in—it would surely not be entrusted to someone of lower cultivation. After all, we've brought such a large force specifically to capture all the cultivators of Green Light City. Lower-tier cultivators simply have no chance of escaping. If that person were truly foolish enough to hand it over to a lower-tier cultivator, that would be a real advantage for us. In that case, our search range would be greatly narrowed. I believe it's most likely in the hands of someone of mid-to-high rank among the Upper Clan. Of course, if the Saint Clan truly exists, then the item is undoubtedly in their possession." The elder spoke slowly, analyzing the situation. "That makes sense. With this narrowed scope, our target group has been significantly reduced. The mid-to-high rank cultivators can be handled by Fei Jiao. As for the several individuals at the upper third tier, we'll need to personally intervene, with others assisting us." The middle-aged man nodded in agreement. "Six commanders—leave two to guard the war vessel, and send the rest out." Calculating the time, the lower-tier alien beings outside should have been dealt with by now. Without these lower-level disturbances, using the Tianxuan Compass bestowed by the elder, the higher-tier entities should be able to easily pinpoint their general location." The elder murmured softly at the end. The middle-aged man heard this and didn't immediately respond, yet his gaze flickered with thoughtful expression. ...At the vicinity of the Green Light City, after several thorough searches conducted by the giant eagles and the silver-armored infantry aboard the single-tree vessels, most of the alien cultivators extracted from the city had either been eliminated or captured. Only a few, whose concealment skills were particularly refined, remained hidden nearby, hoping to escape with their lives. Several higher-tier beings, relying on their profound magical prowess, had already fled and vanished without a trace. Yet the golden dragons, born with feathered wings, continued to pursue them relentlessly. Whether or not they would ultimately catch up remained a mystery. Yet, observing the foot-soldiers and the double-headed eagles merely circling and searching in the vicinity, showing no intention to provide support to the spiritual beasts, one could clearly perceive the formidable nature of these creatures known as the "Feathered Dragons." Under the relentless, repeated searches conducted by the double-headed eagles and the foot-soldiers, hidden peaks and dense forests occasionally saw brief streaks of evanescent light suddenly burst forth from concealed spots. Immediately thereafter, large flocks of double-headed eagles or several single-boat vessels surged upward, and soon after, cries of agony rang out as various attacks completely engulfed and erased the streaks of light. Thus, despite the fierce combat taking place just moments from the emerald light city, the Jiaochi people remained completely unaware throughout. Once Han Li had destroyed the fire moon spirit of the visitor, he immediately retrieved another jade box and the golden blood pill from the body. Then, he incinerated the corpse entirely. Only after securing the treasures and setting up the sword array did he activate a True Spirit Seal of Taiyi's Clearing, allowing him to vanish silently. The true power of this seal enabled even beings of the same rank as Han Li to go unnoticed. Consequently, the Jiaochi pursuit forces patrolling around could not possibly detect its magical effects. As a result, Han Li passed effortlessly beneath the soaring two-headed eagles and solitary-eyed boats, appearing grand and unbothered. The Jiaochi soldiers remained entirely unaware. As for the large-headed and green-skinned people, they had already vanished without anyone noticing, even during Han Li's brief delay. Nevertheless, since they needed to remain concealed, their speed of flight could not be too swift, and they were likely still within several hundred miles of the city. While thinking this over in his mind, Han Li showed no intention of pausing, carefully observing the surrounding movements and heading steadily toward the direction where the pursuing forces were the fewest. Within a short while, Han Li had already traveled several hundred miles beyond the city of Lüguang, and with his naked eye, he no longer saw a single enemy figure within sight. He exhaled a quiet breath of relief, yet still did not dare to remove the Tàiyī Huáqīng Seal. Who knew whether the Jiaochi people might possess some special secret technique or unusual artifact capable of extending their detection range all the way to a thousand miles? Han Li was unaware that his caution had not been in vain. As he watched the distance between himself and Lüguang city grow, six dark silhouettes were floating steadily in the sky above the vast green-silver island. Among them, two figures were clearly the elderly man and the middle-aged man who had previously spoken in the great hall on the island. The remaining four were of varying heights, build, and statures, clearly And now, at the center where the six were gathered in a circle, a golden treasure resembling a compass floated in the void, rotating steadily. At its heart, a slender arrow several inches in size swayed and pulsed irregularly, while intricate, patterned grooves resembling scales or graduations were etched around the compass. Golden glyphs emerged from the disk, drifting and shimmering. Under the six's unwavering gaze, the arrow suddenly trembled and came to a halt after completing several rotations. Simultaneously, the shoulder beneath it contracted and stabilized between two of the odd markings, gently pulsing. "Well, the fourth powerful presence has now been secured. You four will proceed in pairs to search near the two coordinates I mentioned. The remaining two will be handled by me and my companion. Based on the intensity of their responses, they appear to be from the upper three ranks of the elder lineage. However, once you locate them, refrain from engaging them directly." "Once we've settled the other two, we'll immediately head over to join you. Remember this: if they intend to destroy anything, do everything in your power to prevent it. The four of you will each bring two golden feathered dragons along. With that, we'll be safe." The elder shifted his gaze from the compass and issued the instructions coldly. "Understood!" The four quickly bowed, responding in unison with the utmost respect. "Well, since you've now fixed your coordinates, let's begin. Even the closest one is over two hundred miles away," the middle-aged man added, speaking from beside him. The four nodded eagerly in agreement. Then, suddenly, the elder roared loudly, and at that instant, a flash of golden light erupted across the silver island beneath. A dozen more golden feathered dragons burst into the air, swiftly maneuvering and circling the six of them as they settled above. The elder, expressionless, raised his hand single-handedly, and at once four figures beside him instantly transformed into streaks of light, shooting off in a flash. Eight of the十余羽蛟 accompanying them also took flight with these four. Only two of the original羽蛟 remained, standing still and motionless at their posts.