Since Han Li had deliberately chosen to bypass the nearby cities, opting for remote and desolate routes, the first several days had gone smoothly. Occasionally, he would spot foreign cultivators riding on shimmering light, swiftly passing through the area. Observing their flight directions, he noticed they were heading toward the nearby cities. Han Li could only shake his head quietly, offering no prior warning or suggestion. These cultivators were relatively low-ranked—mostly at the Foundation or Consolidation stage—facing the sudden assault from the Jiao Chi clan, naturally eager to reach the cities, either to seek refuge within city defenses, utilize transmission arrays to relocate elsewhere, or rely on the higher-ranked cultivators stationed there for security. However, after Han Li had flown alone for over a dozen days, he finally encountered a patrol unit of Jiao Chi clan infantry. Though the group was small, consisting of only about a dozen soldiers, each was mounted on a snow-white, double-headed eagle. Their highest-ranked member was a Yuan Ying cultivator, while the rest held the Consolidation stage. When Han Li saw these armored troops, he felt a sudden weight settle in his heart. If his memory served him right, there should have been no cities of Z in the vicinity. How had the Jiaochi people come to appear in such a remote location? Han Li was deeply puzzled, yet he paid them no mind—eliminating them would be no more than a matter of a hand movement. However, having detected the Jiaochi troops early, he had already withdrawn and remained hidden, watching them depart before reappearing himself. With a沉沉 face, he gazed steadily at the retreating column, making no hesitation, and immediately resumed his journey with the light of his flight. Yet since encountering the first group of Jiaochi armored troops, he had come across successive groups—second, third, fourth—his encounters with Jiaochi patrol units became increasingly frequent. Though, due to the vast difference in their cultivation levels, he could not detect their presence, it still gave him a growing sense of unease. Could it be that the entire region has truly fallen into the hands of the Jiaochi clan? Just as Han Li grew more alert, within a city recently captured by the Jiaochi clan—far larger than the Green Light City—three senior Jiaochi clan members were gathered in a grand hall, discussing the matter. Standing on either side of a golden throne were a woman with fiery red hair and an emaciated, gaunt elder. Seated upon the throne was a young woman appearing to be in her twenties. Her features were graceful, yet her skin exhibited a pale, metallic silver hue. As her eyes moved, her irises shimmered with a deep purple-gold hue, so vivid that upon first glance, one found their own eyes subtly stinging. A small, delicate horn, about an inch high, stood prominently on her brow, crystal-clear and refined. Though both the elderly elder and the red-haired woman were at the peak of the Lingxu stage, they stood respectfully before the young woman, their expressions humble and deferential. "Still, haven't you found any trace of him by now?" "The woman suddenly spoke, her voice clear and pleasant, yet her expression was unusually cold. 'Report to the Esteemed Yin, no word has yet come from any of the patrol units. Perhaps he has taken refuge in some concealed location. In that case, locating him would prove exceedingly difficult.' The thin, elderly man replied respectfully. 'It's unlikely he has hidden away. Since he was aware of our entire clan's large-scale advance into this region, he must have understood that once we fully secure this area, no matter how high his cultivation, he would inevitably be cut off. I hadn't expected, at the very outset of our assault, to encounter such a significant challenge. Should we succeed in capturing him, it would undoubtedly be a major achievement for us.' The woman furrowed her brows and said slowly. 'I am well aware of the importance of this individual to the Thirteen Clans of Tianyun. I will certainly ensure he does not escape. I have already deployed a large number of personnel to fully seal off the entire region.'" Additionally, there are two teams on standby, ready to be dispatched immediately should any news arise. Although such transmission is limited by distance and comes at a considerable cost, it is certainly worthwhile for this individual." The red-haired woman also respectfully added. "Ah, that reassures me. By the way, didn't the Tu envoy request us to assist in intercepting someone a few days ago?" The woman nodded, but then shifted the topic. "Yes! The Tu elders indeed transmitted an image, instructing patrol units across cities to keep a close watch on this person. They describe him as a Seventh-Rank member of the Upper Clan, carrying with him important items related to their current mission." The thin, elderly man hesitated slightly before responding truthfully. "Hmph. They truly are useless. Two individuals who have only just begun to tread the path toward the Holy Clan should be able to allow a mere Upper Clan member to slip through unnoticed. Had it not been for their original plan to fully seal off this region, they would never have given this request any consideration. The woman's gaze flickered slightly, and she spoke with a touch of disdain. Hearing her words, the elder and the red-haired woman maintained steady eyes, yet said nothing. "Though, I do have a few questions. Why has the Council sent these two here? What exactly do they intend to seize? Even to the point of assigning us one of our only two fortress-class warships each—forcing us to revise our original plans, and now we haven't fully secured this region yet." The Yin-named woman sneered, clearly dissatisfied with the actions of the Tu elders. "Respected Elders! The allocation of the fortress-class warships was personally ordered by the Council. We cannot possibly defy that. Given the Council's such strong emphasis on this matter, the item they seek must be of great value to our own people. As for the shortage of personnel, fortunately, the clan has recently dispatched a fresh contingent of war automatons. This force is sufficient to allow us to fully control this region. Currently, only two cities remain unoccupied, yet they are now completely encircled." "The red-haired woman replied carefully. "The war figures are certainly useful, but they're only effective in large-scale battles. They can't be used for patrols or pursuit missions. Currently, we're sealing off this region and have tied up most of our personnel. The two remaining cities we haven't captured are well-defended and still haven't fallen. It seems we can't delay any longer. We must fully take control of this area before the next wave of our clan's army arrives—so we can build our main camp. It looks like I'll have to personally take charge of this matter. Otherwise, I won't be able to report back to the Council." After a moment's thought, her eyes flashed with determination. "With the Esteemed One personally leading the effort, those two cities will surely fall!" The elder was first taken aback, then quickly smiled and nodded. "Then it's settled! Once this matter is handled here, we'll set sail on the war vessels tomorrow." The woman glanced at her two subordinates and issued her orders. "Yes!" "Understood!" The red-haired woman and the thin, elderly man promptly bowed and accepted the instructions. ... Half a month later, Han Li stood beneath a dense tree at the foot of a small hill, dressed in a black sheer robe that completely concealed his breath, his head raised toward the sky, his face serious. Nearby, in the high heavens, two identical silver islets simultaneously materialized. These "silver islets" in shape were remarkably similar to the one atop the Green Light City, though each was only several hundred zhang in size. Yet, even so, around these two modest war vessels of the Jiaochi clan, a dense formation of silver-clad soldiers and numerous double-headed giant eagles circled continuously. The Jiaochi clan had assembled such a formidable array merely to encircle a single outsider. This man had wild, gray-white hair, an ancient and unusual face, and appeared to be in his fifties or sixties. He stood motionless, arms behind his back, his feet resting upon a spindle-shaped flying vessel. Beside him, on either side, stood two remarkably unusual beast-shaped puppets. One was a horse-bodied creature with a dragon's head, wings sprouting from its back, its entire body shimmering with vibrant jade light, measuring several dozen feet in height. The other was a strange lion with seven heads—one large and six smaller ones—its face fierce and imposing, towering over twenty feet in size. These two puppets clearly stood out as no ordinary beings, and the nearby Jiaochi people, who now stood rigid and motionless as if facing a great threat, seemed to confirm this impression. Yet the qi emanating from those two puppets was equivalent to that of a Liangxi-level existence—one at Liangxi Mid-stage and the other even stronger, appearing as Liangxi Late-stage. The strength of these two puppets certainly astonished Han Li. But what truly puzzled him was why, possessing such powerful puppets, this foreign warrior did not dispatch them to annihilate the Jiaochi clan's infantry and giant eagles instead, and instead remained in a stalemate. Although the infantry and eagles were numerous, the highest-ranked among them—those with the most refined cultivation—numbered only a few, at most a handful of Hua Shen-level officers. The only real challenge remained the two silver war vessels, whose capabilities remained unclear. Han Li rapidly pondered these points in his mind. At that moment, the foreign warrior, encircled in the sky, turned his head slightly, surveyed the infantry and eagles, and then suddenly pressed a hand seal. Immediately, the two puppets began to move. The strange creature, half-horse, half-jade-serpent, suddenly spread its wings, transforming each into a massive blade, which then shot forth with a flash of emerald light. At that very moment, the green light vanished into the encircling formation. Where it passed, dozens of giant eagles and infantry instantly split in two. The strange lion puppet, with its seven heads, opened its mouth and a flash of fire erupted—countless fireballs shot out in dense succession, quickly coalescing into a vast sea of flames that engulfed the enemy forces on the opposite side. The infantry were first stunned, then, under the commands of several leading officers, raised their weapons in unison, sending streams of light directly at the two puppets. The giant eagles took to the air, soaring upward and charging straight toward the puppets as well. For a moment, the encircling formation erupted in continuous bursts of crackling cries and sharp cries—battle had begun!