As the silver light spread out, the tall man was immediately wrapped in the hide, now just as dark and mysterious in fur and sharp claws, indistinguishable from the earlier dark beast. "Wonderful! Though I myself feel almost no change, the transformation is clearly visible from the outside," said the dark beast formed by Shi Kun, lifting his forelimb and examining it closely before suddenly bursting into laughter. "If the thousand-changing masks didn't have such a function, my sister wouldn't have brought them out to make our two friends feel embarrassed," smiled Liu Shui'er. "Thank you, Liu friend. With this treasure now at our side, our journey is effectively protected by an added layer of concealment," said the beast, beaming with delight. Why not start off now? On the way, we can check if there are any solitary dark beasts wandering around and deal with them as we go. "Your suggestion, Brother Han, perfectly aligns with my own thoughts. With our time being rather tight, we naturally don't want to waste even a single moment." Li Shui'er agreed wholeheartedly. Shi Kun naturally had no objections either. So the three of them took advantage of the night's quietness and quietly emerged from the tree hollow. Shi Kun instantly transformed into the form of a dark beast, but as he exhaled a cloud of yellow vapor from his mouth, it enveloped his body, instantly turning him into a faint yellow aura. The dark beast forest at night was already inherently hazy and indistinct; after Shi Kun employed this technique, no one within ten zhang could detect his concealed form unless they came close to inspect him carefully. Li Shui'er, however, drew forth a strange object from her waist, resembling a jade pendant. She simply tossed it forward, and it instantly transformed into a white jade mouse, measuring over a zhang in length. With a graceful sway of her waist, she instantly stood atop the creature. Then the jade mouse radiated a gentle white glow, instantly enveloping both itself and Li Shui'er on its back. Together, they gradually became translucent, eventually transforming into a faint, ethereal silhouette, barely visible. As for Han Li, it was even simpler. After purification, the Qingzhu Fengyun sword had become an exceptionally pure wooden artifact. Its flight through the forest—where wood qi was most abundant—was inherently the most discreet. Han Li merely raised his sleeve, sending a small, jade-green sword several inches long soaring forth. After a slight spiral, it curled into a long, shimmering green arc that wrapped around him. A moment later, a nearly imperceptible streak of green light burst forth. Thus, the three of them employed their techniques to conceal their forms, and finally set off officially, heading deeper into the Dark Beast Forest. …Several days later, a slender dark beast moved gracefully, stepping steadily through the thick layers of leaves, advancing slowly. Suddenly, a cascade of shimmering blue light erupted from a towering ancient tree beside it, swiftly engulfing the female dark beast. Startled, the beast emitted a sharp cry, its two claws flashing with black luminescence as it reached out to grasp the blue radiance. Yet, the blue light merely spun once before suddenly coalescing into a massive orb, completely enclosing the female dark beast. The sharp cry from the beast's mouth faltered halfway and soon faded into an almost inaudible whisper. The seemingly sharp black claws, upon touching the blue light, only caused it to ripple slightly, unable to penetrate or break through. At that moment, a flash of white light rippled across the giant tree's surface, and a graceful figure emerged. It was Liu Shui'er! With one hand forming gestures and the other cradling a blue crystal orb the size of a clenched fist, she spoke softly to the blue radiance. To everyone's astonishment, under her incantations, the blue orb gradually expanded, diffusing outward in all directions. A moment later, it expanded into a vast blue light screen spanning several mu. Then, Li Shui'er reversed her palm, drawing the blue crystal sphere within and stepping away. As she did, a flicker of her shoulder sent her vanishing into the light screen as a streak of white. The dark beast, seeing this, charged straight at her with great determination, and as it moved, twisted its body to spawn three additional black forms. Li Shui'er remained calm. With a gentle puff from her full lips, a delicate spray of blue filaments shot forth, spreading out to form a broad blue light net that enveloped both the dark beast and the three black forms. The dark beast, unwilling to yield, opened its mouth and unleashed a column of black light. Meanwhile, the black forms reared up, their claws flashing and interlacing into a dense array of sharp points, facing the blue net. A thunderous roar erupted within the blue screen, with the black and blue light streams intertwining, producing a continuous series of explosive bursts. That blue light barrier clearly possessed the ability to block. The intense fluctuations of qi and the deafening sounds, once transmitted beyond the barrier, became extremely faint. Thus, Li Shui'er and the shadow beast had been drawn into a confrontation. Outside the blue barrier, as the green glow and yellow vapor appeared, Han Li and Shi Kun stepped forth silently. Both of them gazed intently upon the scene within the barrier, each displaying a distinct expression. "Heh, Li friend, you truly are troublesome—seeming to insist on securing a female shadow beast before you'll act," Shi Kun remarked, shaking his head. "Li Lady has likely her own reasons for making such a choice," Han Li replied calmly. "Ah, it's understandable that Li friend, being a woman, might have certain reservations. But as for you, Han friend, why did you abandon the shadow beast you encountered just two days ago? That point has always puzzled me," Shi Kun said, glancing at Han Li with a look of surprise. "Nothing at all." That dark beast was already wounded, with numerous injuries upon its body. Even if I were to strip off its fur and transform it, the result might still be unsatisfactory. Perhaps I should look for another one instead," Han Li said calmly. "Ah, I see. I thought Master Han had noticed several young beasts accompanying the wounded dark beast and had been moved by a sense of compassion at the moment. It makes sense—how could any of us cultivators have such a basic, elementary mindset?" Shi Kun said with a broad, straightforward smile. Upon hearing this, Han Li chuckled softly and said nothing. While they were quietly chatting, a deep, resonant sound suddenly erupted from the blue light screen, causing it to tremble slightly before quickly returning to normal. Han Li's gaze narrowed in attention, while Shi Kun looked visibly surprised. Then, the blue light screen suddenly cracked inch by inch, eventually dissolving into scattered sparks and vanishing entirely. To the center of the luminous screen, Lady Liu stood still, serene. Beside her slender feet, the female dark beast lay motionless, its fur damp but untouched by any wound. With a mere sweep of his divine awareness, Han Li instantly discerned that the beast had perished completely, its vital breath gone. "Excellent technique," said Shi Kun, the astonishment gradually fading from his face as he admired her with a series of appreciative murmurs. "I never thought Lady Liu's water-based abilities were so remarkable—perhaps even surpassing my own performance back then." "Why should I feel embarrassed, Brother Shi? Your physical strength is indeed formidable, and I've personally witnessed it both then and with Master Han. How could my modest techniques possibly compare?" said Lady Liu, lifting her hand and drawing the dark beast into her arms, then smiling gently. "Haha! If what Lady Liu now possesses is still considered a mere technique, then even my own abilities must seem quite insignificant. Master Han, now both I and Lady Liu have acquired the skins of our beasts—only you remain." The deeper one goes into the forest, the greater the chance of encountering groups of dark beasts. Brother Han, you'd better make preparations soon." Shi Kun suddenly turned to face Han, speaking with deep significance. "Brother Shi need not worry. I have a clear plan, and I won't risk my life lightly." Han replied calmly. … Three days later, beside a winding stream in the forest of dark beasts, a dark beast of size three parts larger than ordinary ones was enveloped in a shimmering, pale green aura. Han floated above the aura, eyes slightly closed, hands forming gestures to channel a spell, causing the green light to gently flicker between darkness and brightness. The cloaked woman and Shi Kun stood beside the aura. One's eyes darted with excitement, the other's brows furrowed in concern, yet both were deeply astonished. This pale green aura was not only thick and substantial, as if solid, but completely opaque—rendering them unable to see anything within it. Even when they extended their spiritual senses, the aura effortlessly pushed them back. This is precisely Han Li's Spring and Li Sword Array! Han Li, floating in the air, suddenly arched his brow, paused his hand seal, and with a sweeping motion of his sleeve downward, uttered the character "Shou" (receive). At once, the shimmering blue light curtain dispersed, revealing dozens of slender, bright-green swords, each several feet long, hovering in the air and gently swaying. With a mere gesture of his hand, Han Li caused all the swords to flash with green light, shrinking to mere inches in size, then shooting upward and all at once vanishing into his body. Meanwhile, beneath the ground where the sword array had once extended, the massive dark beast lay lifeless, its seven orifices bleeding profusely. Seeing this, the cloak-clad woman and Shi Kun exchanged glances, each reading a hint of apprehension in the other's eyes. Han Li, observing the scene calmly, descended slowly, his feet settling precisely beside the fallen dark beast's body. "Esteemed friends," he said, "with this dark beast's hide now at our disposal, we may now venture boldly deeper into the forest." "Han Li smiled calmly at the other two. "We have the hide, of course, no problem at all. But I never expected this. Han brother's greatest skill—turns out to be the famed sword array. Though we couldn't see the array's inner workings clearly, merely the fact that it completely blocked our spiritual senses—my own and Shi Daojun's—speaks volumes of its depth and subtlety." Liu Shui'er said with a slight, wry smile. "Indeed. From the moment your Daojun lured this shadow beast into the array until you finally defeated it and dismantled the array, though it took a bit longer than our own actions, there was not a single ripple or sound that escaped. This truly demonstrates the array's mastery. If you possess such a skill, then few could stand against you even below the Saint Realm." Shi Kun added sincerely. "Heh! Why should you two be so complimentary to Han Li? My Chunli Sword Array may have some strength, but I believe your two esteemed seniors entrusted you with this task precisely because your true abilities have only just begun to unfold—perhaps only a fraction of what you truly possess. How can a mere sword array possibly compare?" Han Li chuckled lightly and replied casually.