Lo and behold, a long-haired foreigner emerged from the golden sphere at a distance, while beside him, a blue humanoid automaton of two zhang in height appeared. The automaton shimmered all over, one arm raised high, with delicate golden arcs of electricity flickering subtly between its five fingers. The foreigner, named Jia Tianmu, not only brought two high-tier automata, but the newly appeared third one could even unleash divine protective thunderbolts—a development that truly surprised Han Li beyond measure. Yet, Han Li's astonishment lasted only for a brief moment. Suddenly, the Great Swallow flapped its wings vigorously, and in an instant, a powerful gust of wind surged toward the silver war vessel. As its surface glowed with a jade-like light, its body swelled by half. Then, its two massive claws flashed with brilliant electric light and plunged downward with great force. With sharp "crack" sounds, both claws simultaneously plunged into the vessel and then split it apart, tearing open a large hole in the midst of thunderous crackling. Then, as the giant pterodactyl opened its mouth, a thick arc of electricity surged forth and vanished in a flash, disappearing into the cave. As the arc flickered, screams erupted throughout the war vessel, countless members of the Jiaochi clan being instantly killed by the electric flashes. The giant pterodactyl had far from finished! With its wings flapping wildly downward, a misty gale rose spontaneously. Loosening its massive claws, the war vessel was swept along by the fierce wind and began to plummet straight down. A thunderous crash followed, as the vessel struck the ground with great force. The pterodactyl let out a long cry, then folded its wings, shrinking rapidly in shimmering green light, and in moments, resumed its human form. Han Li glanced at the ground, then pressed his palms together, and at once, dozens of small blue swords materialized around him, each vibrating and shooting out as a bright blue beam. In the span of a moment, the war vessel was cut into fragments by the multitude of sword beams, finally exploding in a loud roar. Another war vessel that had fallen, Han Li showed no intention of letting it go, dispatching the flying swords to destroy it. At this moment, the armored soldiers of the Jiaochi clan and the double-headed giant eagles who had been observing the battle were also wiped out by the actions of the Bao Lin beast and the Ti Hun, with ten out of every ten perishing. Only a few that had fled to the farthest reaches at the very beginning managed to escape. Han Li had no need to issue further commands to the two beasts to pursue the survivors; he merely raised his hand, and a black, circular ring shot forth with a roaring sound. The massive black ape instantly shrunk in size, and both the Bao Lin and the Ti Hun transformed into streaks of golden and dark light, vanishing into the ring. With a simple flick of his sleeve, the ring flew back, emitting a continuous hum, and was then neatly retrieved. At this point, Han Li turned his gaze toward the distant Jia Tian Mu tree, and suddenly surged forward in the form of a streak of jade-colored light. In a single flash, he appeared mere feet before the foreign warrior, his eyes cold and steady, his face expressionless. Jia Tianmu's expression grew serious, yet a smile appeared on his face as he bowed deeply to Han Li, saying, "Thank you, brother, for your timely rescue. I had promised you before, and I will surely keep that promise. Upon returning to my clan, I shall present you with a spiritually attuned automaton as a token of gratitude." "You're quite bold, daring to draw me into this situation. You needn't fear—I could have killed you with a single sword stroke right now." Han Li narrowed his eyes, a hint of sternness forming between his brows. "Brother, you're being too serious! If you truly intended to do so, you would have eliminated me along with everyone else back then. How could you leave me until now? Moreover, my actions today were driven by necessity—my own safety was compromised earlier, and I simply had no choice. I hope you will forgive me for this." Jia Tianmu replied with a polite smile. "How did you manage to detect my presence? I believe my concealment techniques are quite refined, and I should not have been discovered by anyone below my own level." Han Li paused, then suddenly asked. "Given your abilities, how could I possibly The reason we have been able to trace the elder's footsteps lies entirely in this item." After a brief hesitation, Jian Tianmu opened his mouth and produced an object, immediately grasping it gently and holding it up. Han Li focused his gaze and was astonished to see a round bead with alternating black and white hues, upon whose surface faint, swirling streams of spiritual energy seemed to shimmer and fade in and out. "What is this?" Han Li felt a strange familiarity with it, and asked with mild curiosity. "It's no wonder the elder is unfamiliar with this item. This 'Mind-Resonance Bead' is crafted from the inner essence of a rare spiritual beast known as the 'Niying Beast.' It can temporarily elevate a person's spiritual awareness by several fold and enhance their spiritual perception to an extraordinary degree. Although each use requires several years of cultivation within the body and comes with notable side effects, it remains invaluable during critical moments." Jian Tianmu explained honestly. "Elevated by several fold?" Han Li was genuinely surprised. If he heard someone speak of a method capable of elevating a person's cultivation by several levels, he wouldn't necessarily be astonished. After all, while means capable of temporarily enhancing a person's spiritual power were rare in the spiritual realm, they did exist. However, something that could enhance one's awareness—this was the first time he had heard of it since arriving in the spiritual realm. Awareness typically grows with cultivation and is closely tied to certain cultivation techniques; generally, external factors have little to no effect on it. "Membrane Beads! Beast of Formless Nature!" Han Li murmured, gazing intently at the beads in the other person's hands, his face briefly revealing a look of surprise. "Moreover, the Beast of Formless Nature that crafted these beads has nearly vanished from the spiritual realm entirely. And once such a bead has been used by one person, it can no longer be used by anyone else. Otherwise, if someone were to swallow it, their consciousness would become overly entangled, leading to madness and eventual death," Jia Tianmu said, sensing Han Li's expression and immediately feeling a pang of concern. "Ah, now I understand!" Han Li, who had just stirred a faint sense of determination, felt even more disheartened upon hearing this, and his hurried glances at the corners of his eyes instantly settled back to normal. Yet, looking at the dark bead, he found it strangely familiar—almost as if he had seen it before. Indeed, he seemed to recall having one stored in his storage bracelet. Han Li blinked several times, and then suddenly remembered: when he had once gathered the spiritual candle fruits in the Valley of the Fallen Demons, he had slain an unknown beast whose inner essence was remarkably similar to this Yunnian bead. Could it be that this very beast had been the so-called Nie Xing兽? His thoughts raced swiftly, and a surge of excitement surged through him. If he could obtain such a Yunnian bead, he could nearly double the number of Golden-Feeding Insects he could summon—enough to repel or even withstand serious threats! Nevertheless, to avoid drawing any suspicion from the other party, Han Li said nothing further about the Yunnian bead. Instead, he glanced at the human-like automaton beside him and asked gently, "Given how the Jiaochi people value you, Daoist friend, you must not be an ordinary individual. Could you perhaps introduce yourself a bit?" "Allow me to state that I am merely a third-rank member of the upper clan, skilled only in some minor techniques of automaton crafting, and known somewhat within the clan," said Jia Tianmu with a light smile. "Indeed? That would explain why even the Jiaochi elders are so attentive. It seems your automaton craft is truly exceptional," remarked Han Li, his eyes gleaming. Upon hearing Han Li's words, Jia Tianmu chuckled softly, neither immediately responding nor elaborating. Instead, he cast a glance around, then said with a touch of concern, "Master, this place isn't exactly suited for long stays. Shall we perhaps leave together and discuss other matters later?" "Hmph! That does make sense. Still, I haven't said I'd be going with you. You go your solitary path, and I mine—my own way to Yangguan." "Your ambitions are so vast that I don't want to be caught in the crossfire a second time," Han Li hummed, saying this as he twisted his body, his surface shimmering with azure light, as though preparing to vanish into the air. "Jia Tianmu smiled warmly. Han Li, after listening, looked thoughtful. The patrol units of the Jiaochi clan were indeed becoming more frequent as they moved forward, with numerous silver war vessels appearing as well. He truly had little confidence in being able to pass through such a rigorous blockade unscathed. If there were a teleportation array that could directly transport him to the outside, that would certainly be much more secure. Although the Jiaochi clan and the Thirteen Tianyun clans seemed to have little direct connection with him, the near-siege-like actions taken by the Jiaochi clan in Green Light City clearly indicated that even offering the Jade Box would not secure his allegiance. On the other hand, the Thirteen Tianyun clans had not shown any exclusionary policies toward outsiders like him. Thus, finding a temporary place to settle within their controlled territories and gradually working toward a return to Fengyuan Continent seemed feasible. Moreover, he still carried the two Jade Boxes, which would also need to be carefully managed." This person seems to hold a high standing within the Wangu Clan, perhaps even able to draw upon a few favors. After mulling it over, Han Li nodded, his expression easing as he said, "Very well. Since you've spoken so highly of it, I shall gladly follow your lead. Please, Daojun, show us the way." His tone became a little more courteous. Daojun Tianmu was delighted at this, quickly expressing his gratitude. The several special spiritual stones used by his automata had all been depleted of their energy. Without Han Li's protection, a mere third-rank member of the upper clan simply could not have reached the transmission array. Thus, Tianmu immediately spun around, retrieved the two automata captured by Jiaochi people, and then collected the humanoid automaton as well, taking Han Li with him and swiftly flying toward the heavens' far end. Two streaks of golden and green light flashed several times before vanishing without a trace at the horizon. — Leave a leave request!