Hearing Lord Han speak thus, Shiqun was momentarily stunned, but quickly smiled and said, "Your divine abilities are no less than mine or Lady Liu's—there's no need for mutual flattery. Just a few more days ahead, we'll truly enter the deep heart of the Dark Beast Forest, where most of the Dark Beasts dwell. We must remain highly alert throughout this journey." "When we reach the central region of the forest, do not expect to defeat any lone Dark Beasts. Our seals work well against ordinary Dark Beasts, but when facing high-level Three-Eyed Dark Beasts, as soon as we engage them, their senses will surely detect our movements. Moreover, once we enter the deeper parts of the forest, we won't be able to cast our spiritual awareness out to scan the entire area beforehand. Once combat begins, the danger will be truly immense." Lady Liu water spoke with serious tone. "Even if we are forced to fight, we should not delay as we are now. We must all act together, striking simultaneously and aiming to instantly eliminate our opponents, in order to minimize the risks." Shi Kun paused and added a remark as well. "Yes. With the combined strength of our three, defeating a regular dark beast in an instant isn't particularly difficult. But should we encounter a high-level dark beast, that would be quite another matter." Han Li stroked his chin, thoughtfully. "If we truly come under the attention of a high-level dark beast, then our coordinated attack technique of Yuanmagnetic Divine Light might just prove invaluable." Liu Shui'er chuckled lightly. "Indeed! I nearly forgot about this secret technique. With it, even a lone high-level dark beast won't be able to intimidate us anymore." Shi Kun's eyes instantly brightened, and he clapped his hands in delight. "Still, unless absolutely necessary, this ability will only be used as a last resort. I don't want to be pursued simultaneously by numerous high-level dark beasts." Han Li shook his head, still expressing some concern. "Rest assured. On this point, I'm confident—both I and my companion are well aware of the situation. As soon as both of us have secured the hides of the dark beasts, we'll immediately begin our journey." "Between us, it would be best to maintain some distance," Lu Shui'er suggested. "With us gathered too closely, we'd stand out too much." "He speaks wisely, Lady Lu," Stone Kun replied, spreading his mouth wide. "Then I shall take my leave first." At that, he raised one hand and chanted a spell, instantly causing a dark, glossy hide to rise from his body. A sphere of silver light then shot out from his sleeve and merged into the hide. The tall man rolled over, transforming into a black, shadowy beast, which then shot forward with the force of a bow-and-arrow. Han Li and Lu Shui'er, seeing this, immediately cast their own spells as well, each transforming into a separate black shadow beast. They split off to the left and right, swiftly following in pursuit. On their way, the three further activated their treasures, once again concealing their forms. Thus, in this place where the trees cast hazy, diffused shadows, spotting their trail became increasingly difficult. Along their journey, whenever they spotted any trace of unusual beasts or noticed even the slightest breeze or movement, they would instantly and silently veer away, avoiding any contact with other beasts altogether. In the first few days, encounters with dark beasts were not frequent, yet these dark beasts rarely appeared alone—they usually came in groups of two or three. After several more days, as they reached the central region of the forest, dark beasts began to appear in groups of five or six, and even as many as ten or fifteen. This prompted a growing sense of surprise and heightened caution among Han Li and his two companions. Fortunately, their teleportation techniques were quite refined, and their magical power far surpassed that of ordinary dark beasts, so they managed to avoid any mishaps. Moreover, whether due to good fortune or some unforeseen incident within the dark beast forest, they encountered not a single high-ranking three-eyed dark beast throughout their journey—thus, they successfully penetrated deep into the very heart of the dark beast forest. Should things continue smoothly over the next few days, they would surely pass through the most perilous stretch of the Dark Beast Forest and emerge with a significant boost in confidence. Yet at present, Han Li and his two companions not only feel no relief but grow increasingly serious. All three are seasoned travelers, having witnessed countless near-misses and failures, and though the absence of high-tier Dark Beasts in this forest brings them great joy, they are quietly murmuring doubts in their minds. As they advance further, even ordinary Dark Beasts grow rarer—only a handful of them were encountered over the past two days. Han Li and his companions grow ever more cautious. Han Li himself moves through the forest with an almost ghostly grace; though a towering tree stands directly in his path, his jade-like shadow merely lunges forward, seemingly passing through it as if weightless, making no sound at all. This unusual method of evasiveness renders his speed particularly striking. Yet he frowned, with a faint blue glow dancing in his eyes, his gaze constantly scanning the surroundings. Since he dared not extend his spiritual awareness in the heart of the forest, he relied solely on Qing Ming's spiritual sight to detect the hidden beasts and thus avoid them in time. It was puzzling how Li Shui'er and Shi Kun managed to react—each time a hidden beast appeared, their evasive movements were no slower than his own. This surprised him greatly. Were these two also practitioners of refined five-sense spiritual techniques, or had they somehow utilized an unknown artifact to achieve such proficiency? This further elevated his regard for both of them. As he pondered this, he shifted his gaze to the left and right. Under the clarity of his spiritual sight, he could clearly see that the beasts formed by Li Shui'er and Shi Kun were advancing swiftly, each at a distance of over a hundred paces from him. Seeing that neither of them appeared to be in any difficulty, he slightly relaxed his brow and once again turned his attention back to his own position. But at that very moment, an unexpected upheaval occurred! Suddenly, a golden streak burst forth from the darkness ahead, racing directly toward them. In a single flash, it surged across dozens of feet, reaching stone Quan’s side and colliding squarely with the creature that was still concealed within him. Though stone Quan was startled and tried to step aside, he couldn’t avoid it—his opponent’s movements were simply too swift. He could do nothing but let go of his concealment, unleashing a powerful glow from his body and channeling his inner energy into his protective aura. Yet the large Han-empowered dark beast was half-crawling through the scattered wood, its face twisted in agony, unable to rise at all. Han Li and the nearby cloak-wearing woman saw this and instantly grew pale. Stone Kun’s physical strength was something they had personally witnessed. Yet such a robust frame had been reduced to this disheveled state merely after being unexpectedly struck by that golden shadow. How formidable that shadow truly was! Han Li’s blue glow flashed in his eyes, and he immediately took a clear view of the distant golden shadow. To his astonishment, he found that the shadow’s true form was a dark beast only about ten paces long, its entire fur shimmering with golden light, its eyes black as ink. It was indeed the legendary royal-tier dark beast! Impossible! Before departure, he had even murmured doubtfully that he couldn’t possibly encounter such a fortunate meeting with a royal-tier dark beast. Now, without having seen even a single high-tier dark beast, he had stumbled upon the most fearsome presence in this forest. Though it was unclear just how powerful this beast was, it was certainly at the level of Black Silk Saint or above. Han Li sank deeper, his body halting midway, his eyes fixed intently on the golden dark beast, not blinking a single moment. At the same time, several of his rare treasures within him began to vibrate subtly, responding to his inner awareness. On the other side, the dark beast formed by Liu Shui'er also stopped on a branch thick enough to hold a bowl, gazing at the golden dark beast with equal caution and alertness. Clearly startled by the sudden appearance of Shi Kun, the royal-level dark beast felt momentarily dizzy, shaking its head before immediately sharpening its gaze and locking onto the motionless Shi Kun at a distance. With a swift movement of its forelimbs, a shimmering streak of cold light instantly emerged at the tip of its claws, as if ready to launch an immediate attack against the Han man. Han Li and Liu Shui'er both felt a sudden jolt in their hearts, the thought of whether to step forward and rescue Shi Kun rising simultaneously in their minds. Clearly, neither of the two had been detected by this royal dark beast yet. If they could now quietly retreat, they might just escape unharmed. Otherwise, even if the three of them combined their efforts and managed to hold off the royal dark beast, as soon as the beast issued a single warning call, their lives would be in serious danger. Should that happen, once Shi Kun perished, with one of their number gone, the site's seal would inevitably remain unbroken. Thus, their mission would have already failed before it even began. Having failed in their task and seeing Shi Kun fall in the dark beast forest, they would surely face severe consequences upon returning to Cai Liu Ying and Duan Tian Ren. Yet, while these matters would undoubtedly be a source of great concern, they were matters for the future. For now, the priority was simply to ensure their own survival. Han Li quickly grasped all the implications within moments, and his gaze flashed swiftly toward the woman in the cloak. Yet he found the dark beast formed by Liu Shui'er slightly bowed, with a gentle glow beginning to emanate from its body—clearly determined to act without hesitation. This sent a wave of surprise through him, and a thoughtful glint flickered deep within his eyes. However, while she was ready to lose her mind, he had no intention of risking a ten-to-one chance of falling. He immediately took a deep breath and, as his dark beast, prepared to recoil and shoot backward. But then, something astonishing occurred—something that nearly caused him to lose his eyesight. The golden dark beast, which had been displaying a fierce demeanor and seemingly poised to strike at any moment, suddenly twitched its ears, its expression shifting instantly. Its fierce gaze transformed into one of shock and outrage. With a low roar, it surged forward, once again becoming a streak of golden light, and after several swift movements, vanished completely into the side woods without a trace.