At that moment, two flashes of silver and black light appeared before Han Li, who then swept them into his sleeve, and they vanished instantly. The hundred beams of jade-green light that had previously intertwined with the法宝 of the elder named Yan also emitted a clear chime and shot backward, retreating swiftly. As they passed through the void, the flying swords instantly returned to Han Li’s side, shrinking down to the size of small fish and merging into his body. Even the yellow bronze cauldron, which had floated motionless in the air since losing its master, was caught and held in his hand. After gathering all the treasures in the sky, Han Li spread his wings and instantly transformed into a streak of pale blue and white electricity, shooting off into the distance and vanishing without a trace within a few flashes. Left behind were only the elder named Yan and the woman glowing with blood-red light, who stared at each other, stunned. Having witnessed Han Li’s decisive actions against the green-haired alien beings, they now felt deeply apprehensive and dared not pursue him recklessly. After all, no matter how valuable the treasures were, they had to have lives to claim them. Yet, after the elder and the woman exchanged a look of cautious vigilance and glanced toward the approaching black water and fiery clouds, their demeanor changed entirely. The woman, standing motionless within the glow of blood-colored light, seemed entirely unimpressed by the distant phenomena, while the elder grew serious and suddenly activated a cloud-like artifact floating in the air. As the artifact trembled, it instantly transformed into a bright, shimmering radiance, which then rolled it up and sent it hurtling toward a different direction—its speed was no less than that of Han Li’s lightning-style teleportation. Thus, only the blood-draped woman remained at the scene. Her brows were tightly furrowed, her gaze fixed on the swiftly approaching fire and black water, silent and thoughtful. Moments later, the fire and black water crashed down in a thunderous roar, arriving almost simultaneously and then abruptly halting above her. "Blood Ying, you've managed it—those immortals from the orchid realm have finally fallen into your hands." After a surge of rolling flames, a massive object十余 zhang in size suddenly emerged—exactly the shape of the giant toad's large head. At this very moment, the beast's skin glowed a deep crimson, like fire itself, its eyes closed, and a luminous, grayish orb the size of a clenched fist appeared at the center of its forehead, pulsing with an eerie radiance. "Father is truly jesting," the lady in court attire replied with quiet dignity. "How could you not see the presence of the Zhixian on my person? If I had truly obtained this sacred artifact, I would have already fled long ago—how could I still be here, waiting for you?" "Hmph. Just like the old blood-arm man, you're both outwardly sincere yet secretly cunning. If I don't ask you one more question, I won't feel at ease letting you go. And if you deceive me, surely you know what the consequences would be," the voice from the giant toad's mouth issued, cold and firm. Remarkably, the toad itself seemed to be under the influence of its master—the iron-winged demon—whose presence was clearly manifesting upon its body. "Enough You'd better hurry and chase after that Zhixin right away. You promised me—once you help me secure this item, I'll give you the Li Shui珠." At the same time, the black water surged and suddenly rose up a dark, fierce head, with a long, broad mouth lined with sharp, pointed teeth. "Magical crocodile, you've only just reached the Saint Realm and your foundation is still shaky. Speak with some courtesy, otherwise—even if I'm merely hosting a single incarnation here—I'll have you reeled back down to your original form." The giant toad's voice grew cold as he addressed the newly appeared creature. "Hmph, is that so? I'd like to see if you truly possess such power now." The magical crocodile flashed a fierce gaze and replied with a proud, unruly tone. Upon hearing this, the toad's expression darkened, and the gray pearl at the center of his brow flickered. The surrounding flames of cloud instantly surged upward in intensity. The magmatic crocodile opened its massive mouth, and the surrounding black waters surged violently, as though the two were about to engage in another fierce battle at the slightest disagreement. "Well, considering your former master's standing, I won't hold it against you. As long as I secure the Zhixian, I'll certainly deliver the Li Shui Zhu to you. Won't you believe me, old man?" After a few subtle movements of its face, the giant toad seemed to feel some hesitation—clearly intimidated by the crocodile—and managed to suppress its anger, speaking with a stern tone. "Regardless of how things stand, you are a Saint-Rank being within our Saint Clan. I'm certain you won't break your word. Let's follow up. However, since the Zhixian isn't currently on this young girl, it must be with the fleeing outsider. Shall we ask her?" The magmatic crocodile chuckled, a strange sound emanating from its mouth. "Ask her? Though she indeed doesn't carry the Zhixian, do you think she and Xue Bi would be happy if it ended up in my hands? After all, it's just the two of us. Why not split up and pursue each of them separately "There will be absolutely no fish left uncaught," the giant toad said calmly. "Very well, let's proceed as I've planned. I'll go after the man on that side. Should I succeed in obtaining the Zhixin, I'll return here to exchange the Lishui Pearl with you." The magical crocodile burst out laughing, then immediately withdrew his head into the black water. Moments later, a thunderous roar echoed again, and as the black water surged forward, the elder man of the Xiang surname fled in the opposite direction, pursued swiftly. In the fire clouds, the giant toad remained silent, rolling the nearby clouds to follow, and moving steadily toward the other end of the sky—exactly the direction Han Li had taken. In the blink of an eye, the space remained only with the blood-red court-dress woman, her expression shifting between gloom and uncertainty. Only after witnessing the fire clouds and black water fade into the horizon did she suddenly break into a quiet chuckle, murmuring softly, "I never expected the magical crocodile to have advanced to the Saint Realm. Then indeed, I should inform my father of this matter promptly. As for the Zhixin—may the foreigner named Han truly succeed in securing this "Having finished her words, the young woman's bloodlight surged and instantly transformed into a streak of blood-colored rainbow, shooting off swiftly. At a distance of several thousand miles, Han Li, illuminated by thunderous roars, shot away in the form of electric arcs. Behind him, over a hundred miles away, the rumbling sounds never ceased, the half-sky dyed a deep crimson, and a vast cloud of fiery hues pressed relentlessly upon him. Han Li sighed. Currently, his store of divine, pestilential thunderbolts was dwindling, and he could not sustain the wind-and-thunder wings for long. Yet, judging by the strength and presence of the pursuer behind him, it was clearly someone of considerable stature. Unless he dealt with this person, he would find it difficult to escape easily. Nevertheless, despite this, he showed no immediate intention to halt, instead planning to draw the pursuing forces farther away before making his move, so as not to appear in alliance with others. Thus, amid the flashing electric arcs, Han Li continued his flight, eventually reaching a distance of over ten thousand miles, and materialized above several towering mountain peaks. He felt the distance had been just right, lifted his brow slightly, and as the electric arcs along his body settled, he materialized fully, standing still in place. Turning back to gaze at the blazing crimson sky at the horizon, he took a deep breath, then suddenly spun like a top, countless streaks of green light shooting forth from his form—vanishing in a flash, dissolving into the surrounding void. Han Li knew the figure behind him was no ordinary being, and without hesitation, he laid out the Chunli Sword Array. With this array in place, any opponent below the Consolidated Stage would surely be annihilated. Not long after Han Li had finished setting up the sword array, thunderous sounds from behind reached the area. A vast expanse of fiery clouds poured across the sky, filling half of it, with crimson flames shimmering faintly within—like the Fire God was about to emerge. A resonant, thunderous voice echoed from within the cloud: "Summon the Zhixin! I will spare your life." Then, a surge of bright crimson flames erupted from the clouds, and a colossal creature, resembling a mountain, emerged. Han Li carefully observed it, his expression instantly widening in surprise. The creature was entirely crimson, its body resembling that of an enormous toad, yet it bore a pair of massive, jet-black wings on its back—wings whose surface shimmered with swirling black mist, not solid in form at all. Within the mist, faint golden runes glowed intermittently, adding an air of profound mystery. On the toad-like head, which was as large as a pavilion, the large eyes were closed, and a grayish orb was embedded in the forehead, pulsing with an eerie gray light, as if imbued with a strong sense of spirit. Han Li, gazing at the creature's strange appearance, slightly narrowed his eyes, yet responded calmly: "The Immortal of the Mushrooms is indeed in my possession. If you wish to proceed, then take your magical core in exchange." "Hah! Young man, you truly say that. I haven't heard such words from anyone in countless millennia." "Considering that you've made me laugh so heartily, I'll certainly swallow your spirit whole and savor it shortly," the giant frog said, as if hearing the most absurd words in the world. At once, it burst out laughing with a wide opening of its mouth. However, even as the laughter continued, a flash of red light suddenly erupted from within its mouth. A crimson streak shot forth, vanishing instantly and seemingly materializing right before Han Li, plunging straight into his chest. For an ordinary cultivator, such an unexpected strike would leave them no time to react, instantly pierced through the body. Yet Han Li was no ordinary being—his combat experience was exceptional, and a subtle blue glow now flickered in his eyes, his spiritual sight fully activated. Thus, while others could barely catch a glimpse of the crimson streak with their eyes, Han Li saw it clearly: it was unmistakably a long tongue from the giant frog, thick as a human forearm. A deep, resonant "thud" echoed. The crimson shadow surged back, and suddenly a small, motionless black mountain appeared before Han Li, hovering there like a shield. Though the giant toad's tongue possessed immense strength, it could hardly shake the present Yuanmagnetic Divine Mountain. When the toad saw the tongue's assault fail, it was momentarily surprised, yet then sneered, shaking its two dark wings behind. Instantly, the swirling fire clouds in the sky were drawn by some mysterious force, surging toward the massive creature in a powerful rush. The toad itself seemed to have become an ever-expanding black hole, with the waves of fire clouds pouring into its body, yet it remained utterly composed. However, Han Li, observing this unusual phenomenon, grew pale, and for the first time, his expression turned serious.