But as the golden glow on his body first began to shimmer, a cry issued from within his sleeve. Han Li was startled, his expression instantly becoming strange. After a few glances, he swiftly shook his sleeve. A strange, mournful howl rang out. A black, circular ring shot forth from the sleeve, spun once, and then a streak of dark light burst out from within the ring. As the light faded, a small black monkey appeared before Han Li—none other than the Ti Hun Beast! However, the Ti Hun now appeared markedly different from its usual form. It did not wait for Han Li to summon it with his spiritual awareness; instead, it suddenly roared, its body radiating black light and rapidly expanding into a massive black ape nearly thirty zhang tall. The Ti Hun’s eyes turned blood red, and with two large fists striking its own chest, its black fur fell back, revealing sharp fangs and strange horns that sprouted on its head, transforming it into a three-eyed giant demon. Behind this demon, three dark, bone-like spines rose, casting a chilling, intimidating presence. Suddenly, the strange face of Xing Shou erupted in a piercing cry of fear, and the countless black-robed figures, each several chi tall, instantly dissolved into swirling black mist, vanishing without a trace. Han Li blinked, utterly surprised and still somewhat bewildered. At that moment, the colossal ghost formed from Ti Hun Shou seemed to have lost its senses. After emitting a deep, eerie roar, the third of its divine eyes suddenly flashed with brilliance, projecting a beam of blood-red light that vanished as swiftly as it had appeared—leaving no trace behind. Suddenly, cries of agony erupted from the far end of the chain. Amidst the flashing blood arcs, a dense black aura, several dozen feet in diameter, materialized. The blood-colored chains, as if having discovered a delicious meal, instantly coiled around it seven or eight times, tightly ensnaring the black aura. As thunder roared, the blood arcs grew even more powerful. The black aura, however, seemed deeply afraid of the electric arcs, not only emitting continuous cries of pain but also transforming into a dozen different forms within mere breaths, desperately striving to break free. Among these forms, there were clearly visible figures resembling a black-robed man and a black麒. Yet all these efforts proved futile—no matter what shape it took, the black aura was instantly shattered by the blood arcs, only to collapse back into swirling clumps of black mist. The chains clung to the intangible form like an unrelenting parasite, completely preventing it from escaping. As a result, besides the cries of agony, the black aura now occasionally burst out with fierce, thunderous roars of rage. At that moment, the colossal ghost formed by the Weeping Spirit took further action. A furry, massive hand suddenly reached out and grasped the void behind it. Among the three black bone spines protruding from the back, one vanished without a trace, as if nothing had happened. Yet, at the very next instant, a flash of black light surged from the Weeping Spirit's hands, and that very spine unexpectedly emerged, firmly seized between her five fingers. A series of incantations never heard by Han Li before flowed softly from the Weeping Spirit's mouth. The once dark bone spear suddenly glowed with rows of golden characters along its surface, radiating a brilliant, mysterious golden light. Then, the spear began to vibrate, emitting a resonant hum that grew steadily stronger. Simultaneously, a wave of golden light spread backward from the spear's tip, bursting forth with dazzling brilliance. Golden sigils, resembling the characters on the spear, also appeared around it, floating and swaying. As these sigils materialized, a suffocating, soul-enchasing aura surged upward from the spear, filling the air with an intense, ominous presence. Two entirely distinct voices—“Jin Zhuanwen” and “Heaven’s Punishment Divine Spear”—emerged simultaneously from Han Li and the black mist. Yet Han Li’s face was filled with astonishment, while the voice from the black mist conveyed profound terror. Han Li’s mind raced, still struggling to grasp what was happening. Just as he was beginning to puzzle it out, the black mist that had been trapped by the blood chains suddenly underwent another dramatic transformation. Suddenly, the black mist began to ripple with shifting light, its volume first shrinking sharply, then rapidly expanding. A deep, resonant *thud* echoed as the black mist burst open of its own accord, revealing a radiant, dark glow within the blood chains, which forcefully expanded the chains by a full circle. Seizing this moment, a cascade of *pffft* sounds erupted as countless black spears shot forth from the blood chains. It seemed the strange face, sensing things were going badly, had willingly sacrificed half of itself, enabling the remaining portion of the black mist to escape. Yet, an even more astonishing scene unfolded immediately afterward. Suddenly, the blood chain emitted a deep resonance, then blurred into a series of dozens of blood threads that shot out with vigorous force. In a single flick, each thread seemed to instantaneously pierce through a black glow, passing through it seamlessly. After a mournful cry, the black glows trembled and dissolved into swirling masses of black vapor, each frozen mid-air, motionless. The blood threads, with a single flash of light, drew back and pulled the black vapor together, hardening it into a single, compact mass. As the dozens of threads coalesced, they reformed into a thick, substantial blood chain, now binding the now nearly halved black vapor once more. At that moment, a sharp "shush" sound, the bone spear in Ti Huo's hand transformed into a golden crystalline streak and launched itself forward. Though not particularly swift, the black vapor, already constrained, could not evade it at all. As it rolled and surged, a face unfamiliar to the observer gradually emerged from within the vapor. Unlike the earlier white-faced specter, this face now bore two horns rising from its head, its complexion split into five distinct hues, enveloped entirely in a blazing surge of crimson flame. Within its dark, sunken eyes, two gleaming silver spirals spun rapidly, causing an immediate sensation of dizziness and disorientation. While the earlier specter had retained a semblance of human likeness, this visage was entirely unlike anything Zhang Hanli had ever seen—a truly magical countenance. The golden crystalline glow pierced through the mage's despair, flashing briefly. Instantly, a thumbnail-sized hole appeared on the mage's brow, radiating a brilliant, blinding golden light. In that instant, the mage was completely enveloped, his expression frozen—like stone. A crisp crack echoed as the mage fragmented, centimeter by centimeter, dissolving into countless multicolored fragments that floated motionless in the black mist. "Puff—thump!" It is not now the time to seek answers. For at this very moment, the earth trembles and the surrounding space shivers, the black void beginning to crack and fragment, with flashes of white light seeping through. Han Li quickly surveys the surroundings, failing to detect the supposed true essence of the Zhenlin, and frowns slightly. With a sudden motion, he rolls his sleeve, sealing the Ti Hun beast within. At the same time, his form shifts, and he vanishes from his original spot. A moment later, a surge of spatial ripple unfolds hundreds of zhang above, and Han Li appears, enveloped in a sphere of emerald light. Below, a massive gray-white stone face, several hundred zhang in height, lies shattered and incomplete—its inner void now rapidly eroding and collapsing. Han Li swiftly scans the scene, his eyes narrowing immediately. There, at a certain point beneath, the once motionless, delicate Lin Lin now stands upright in midair, several white, glistening blades hovering before her, gazing upward with a look of astonishment. Near this female, the man of the Gui surname, who had previously fallen to the ground, now stood upright with both hands behind his back. A silver dragon phantom shimmered faintly above his head. The two of them appeared locked in a tense, face-off stance. "Brother Han, did you indeed slay that spirit creature?" the female crystal-kin breathed deeply, asking calmly. The man of the Gui surname gazed at Han with a沉沉 expression, visibly surprised and uncertain. "How could it be that, after I defeated this being, both of you find it so hard to believe?" Han replied quietly and composedly. "Of course not. It's just that your prowess is truly remarkable—so swiftly you've vanquished this creature. It truly surprised me." The young woman's expression of astonishment flickered briefly before she smiled gently. Han nodded slightly, offering no further explanation. Yet at that very moment, the man of the Gui surname spoke coldly: "If you have indeed slain the spirit creature, then where is the true essence of the Zhen Lin? Has it now come into your possession?"