As for this delicate young woman, she is still enveloped in a sphere of golden light, though eight copper mirrors, each about the size of a palm, have now appeared outside the glow. The patterns on the reverse sides of the mirrors are ancient and intricate, while their surfaces emit a cold, sharp radiance—yet it remains unclear what purpose they serve. These two figures have also grasped other items in their hands, which they have not yet revealed. Clearly, they are aware of the dangers lurking within the mist and have taken careful precautions. Even the palm tucked inside Han Li's sleeve holds several jade-like lightning orbs, ready to be summoned and used at a moment's notice should a strong foe appear. The surrounding mist is pale and hazy, quite different from ordinary magical mist, though it is far more favorable than the deep, black, turbulent sea of mist at the lowest level. At least, Han Li need not worry about being magically affected in the near term. Of course, his spiritual sight is still somewhat limited here, allowing him to perceive only a distance of half a mile. Thus, although Han Li appeared calm on the surface, he was far from relaxed within. As his eyes swept the surroundings, his spiritual awareness fully enveloped the area within fifty paces, guarding against any elusive beast that might have mastered concealment and approach stealthily. Since entering the misty region, the three of them had all consciously ceased conversation, merely moving forward in silence and focus. To them, the ideal outcome was simply to pass through the area without disturbing any potential creatures lurking within. For nearly half an hour, they continued flying, yet the faint mist still veiled the path ahead, showing no sign of them nearing the exit. Han Li remained composed, unchanged. Xin Xin grew slightly anxious, while Yue Zong's expression grew increasingly somber, glancing more frequently at the strange insect within the box. After flying a little further, Han Li suddenly heard a series of sharp, brief calls emanating from behind. Startled, he paused his flight momentarily, then turned to look back. To the astonishment, the insect box in Yue Zong's hands now radiated a brilliant silver glow. The strange insect straightened its upper body, its head wildly shaking, and emitted an odd, resonant cry. Not only were the silver spots on its surface now shimmering brightly, but the ghost-faced pattern engraved on its head had instantly turned a deep crimson, as if dripping with blood. Suddenly, the sleeve trembled, and a clear, resonant chime rang out. From the mouth, seventy-two small, jade-colored swords shot forth, while the speaker murmured continuously, swiftly pointing at them several times. Upon receiving these gestures, each sword shivered and then mysteriously vanished. In the surrounding space, one by one, lotus blossoms of jade hue emerged, blurring and then multiplying—first into two, then into four, then into eight. Points of jade light began to glow in the sky above. As these lotuses spun gently, their forms swiftly expanded to the size of a dozen paces, linking together in harmony to form a seamless, translucent jade curtain that completely enveloped the nearby sky. Within a radius of one hundred paces, the entire area was now shielded beneath this luminous veil. This was precisely one of Han Li's great feats—the Spring Lotus Sword Formation! Only with this formation could Han Li be certain of trapping several high-level beasts at once. Otherwise, though he might be confident in defeating the senior beasts over the days, he could not guarantee the safety of the crystal clan maiden or the two from the Yue Sect. Should there be any mishap and even a single high-tier beast be missed, these two would surely suffer a major setback. Both are indispensable members of this journey, so Han Li naturally resorted to the most reliable method. "剑阵!" Xianxian, impressed by the scene, first stared in astonishment, then beamed with delight. Yue Zong also displayed a look of genuine surprise, clearly equally aware of the sword formation's formidable power. Yet Han Li remained composed, merely sweeping his sleeve through the air. A cascade of azure light surged forth, briefly blurring the luminous screen before it smoothly faded into transparency—silent and seamless—disappearing as if the entire phenomenon had never occurred. Now, seeing the extraordinary efficacy of Chunli's sword formation, both Xianxian and Yue Zong gained even greater confidence in Han Li. They exchanged glances, and Ma Zhiji drifted closer to Han Li, hovering slightly behind him. Han Li did not turn around, yet he clearly sensed that the two were still about twenty paces away—neither too close nor too distant. And in this brief moment, several "gurgle" sounds suddenly came from the direction韩立 was looking. Upon hearing them,韩立 felt a sudden wave of irritation rise within him, and his mind immediately became unable to focus. He was startled, but fortunately, at the very next instant, the Daxian Sect's internal energy began to flow naturally through his body, bringing a refreshing coolness that quickly restored his mental clarity. As for Yue Zong and Xian Xian behind him, however, their reactions differed. Yue Zong's eyes lost their sharpness, his face flushed unusually, and his hands unconsciously tightened and then loosened repeatedly, as though he were momentarily confused. Xian Xian, on the other hand, had a brief flash of pale light across her face before returning to her usual composure. Yet she was remarkably alert—once she noticed the unusual sounds, she glanced at Yue Zong's face, her expression darkened slightly, paused thoughtfully, and then, without a word, raised her hand suddenly. A talisman long concealed in his palm shot forth, vanishing in a flash and transforming into a shimmering, pale cold aura... "Ah!" Yue Zong was startled, as his mind was momentarily affected, causing his reactions to slow by half compared to usual, compounded by the unexpected nature of the action. He was suddenly enveloped by the cold aura. As a result, a profound sense of chill surged from his head all the way down to his feet, instantly dissipating the irritation that had been troubling him. "Thank you so much, Lady!" Upon regaining his composure, Yue Zong immediately bowed to the crystal-people maiden in gratitude. "Nothing at all, Master Yue. Just be a little more cautious." The slender maiden smiled gently, saying little more. Yet in his heart, Yue Zong felt a sense of puzzlement. Though his cultivation was far superior to that of this delicate young lady, he had nonetheless been caught off guard—while she remained unharmed. Could it be that she carried some exceptional treasure capable of calming the spirit and clearing the mind? Bu Ting Yuezong felt a little uneasy. A thick mist in the southwest surged violently, and several large black shapes emerged with imposing momentum. After just a few flashes, they burst forth from the mist, revealing their true forms to the three observers. They were large, bald, luminous magical birds resembling vultures—yet each had a woman's face. Where a woman would normally have two eyes, there were instead four emerald eyes arranged side by side. As a result, the otherwise elegant appearance of these bald women now looked fierce and intimidating. Among the five birds, four had alternating black and white plumage, appearing to be at the early stage of the Transcendent Realm; only the one in the center had pure white feathers and the strongest aura, indicating mastery already at the late stage of the Transcendent Realm. "Giggling! They're indeed beings from the Spirit Realm—what a delight! The last time we consumed one from the Spirit Realm was over several hundred years ago." Upon clearly seeing Han Li and his two companions, the most powerful magical bird emitted a vague, human-like voice, its roar being unusually rough and extremely unpleasant. Han Li showed no expression of surprise, merely standing still and silently gazing at the leading magical bird. However, this late-stage True Immortality magical bird appeared to possess exceptional intelligence. Instead of immediately rushing forward with its four subordinates, it hovered at a distance, gently扇ing its wings, and continuously scanning Han Li and his companions with its strange, otherworldly eyes, assessing the relative strength of both parties. Observing this, Han Li slightly furrowed his brows, then suddenly raised his hand. Five round orbs shot forth, swiftly expanding into bright, fist-sized beams of azure light. After a few odd, fluid movements, they suddenly materialized before the five magical birds. The birds were somewhat surprised, but upon the leading bird's call, they instantly scattered to the sides, choosing not to engage directly, and easily evaded the attack. After all, whether magical birds or spiritual birds, they generally outperform terrestrial beasts in speed and agility. Yet upon seeing this, Han Li couldn't help but let a cold smile play on his lips. With a sudden hand gesture, five beams of green light, having initially missed their mark, instantly changed direction and simultaneously shot toward the open space between the five magical birds. As a result, a series of thunderous booms followed, and at the very moment the five beams collided, they all exploded simultaneously. A roar of thunder erupted, with countless green electric arcs flashing with an eerie glow, swiftly spreading out to cover an area of several mu, completely enveloping the unprepared five magical birds. The electric arcs fiercely struck the birds' bodies, and as the green lightning flashed, the five birds were swiftly submerged within the radiant energy. Seeing this, the Yue Sect behind Han Li beamed with delight, his mouth moving as if he wanted to say something. However, just then, a sudden cry emerged from within the thunderous light, followed by several "pff" sounds, and then five slender white light pillars—four fine and one thicker—sprang forth from the electric glow. These beams of light, wildly sweeping and slashing amidst the thunderous lightning, successively extinguished the seemingly powerful azure lightning. After a brief moment, when the thunder ceased, five magical birds surged forth from the dwindling remnants of azure light, then spiraled upward, each emitting loud, clamorous cries. It was no wonder they were so furious. The birds now, aside from the lead one, which appeared somewhat intact though its wing was scorched black, the others bore numerous wounds, each radiating a distinct smell of burnt flesh. Though they had successfully withstood the initial assault, the full-force strike from Han Li's lightning orbs—equivalent to the power of a Lingxu-level cultivator—had caused several to burst simultaneously, and with no prior warning, they could hardly remain unharmed. Immediately, the four birds with scorched bodies, their faces blazing with rage, let out several cries before charging fiercely toward Han Li, determined to tear him apart into countless fragments and swallow him whole at once.