Han Li and Liu Shui'er exchanged glances at this sight. Finally, Shi Kun, who had been lying motionless on the ground, slowly pushed himself up and sent a voice message to Han Li and Liu Shui'er, filled with astonishment and alarm: "What on earth is going on? How can a King-tier shadow beast appear here alone? This is truly bad luck—I was accidentally bumped by a King-tier beast!" "Shi brother, are you all right?" Liu Shui'er seemed deeply concerned, sending her voice message over. "I'm fine. Just felt a bit numb for a moment earlier. Now I'm much better," Shi Kun said, his voice gradually growing stronger, as if there were truly no serious issues. Han Li, however, frowned slightly, just about to ask something when, suddenly, far ahead at an unknown distance, another unexpected development occurred! Instantly, the entire herd of beasts roared in unison. The roar sounded like thunder rolling across the sky, shaking the very ground, making the nearby trees tremble and come alive as if awakened. "What is this?" Liu Shui'er gasped, her voice rising in surprise. Han Li and Shi Kun also displayed expressions of surprise and uncertainty. Yet at the very next moment, the roar abruptly ceased, and from the direction where it had originated, an astonishing surge of energies suddenly emerged, swiftly approaching them at high speed. In a short while, Han Li and the others heard a continuous series of "shushing" sounds. "Not good! Quickly take cover!" This time, Han Li merely shifted his mental focus, and immediately turned pale, whispering the words to Liu Shui'er in a low tone before darting toward a nearby large tree. With a flash of emerald light, his entire form vanished into the tree. Shi Kun and Liu Shui'er did not lag behind. Almost simultaneously with Han Li's call, both of them realized what was happening. One suddenly planted his single foot firmly on the ground, causing a flash of yellow light and sinking completely into the soil below. The other opened her mouth, expelling a sphere of blue radiance, gradually becoming more transparent as she did so, until she simply disappeared into thin air. Almost as soon as the three had parted ways, flashes of black light erupted deep within the forest, and countless dark beasts surged forth, dense and endless. It seemed as though half of the dark beasts from the entire dark forest had gathered here. Han Li's inner qi surged continuously, and within a few flashes, he had already reached several miles away. Turning his head to gaze intently at the distant scene, he immediately noticed that many of the dark beasts were unusually tall, each bearing a strange vertical eye of grayish hue on their foreheads. These were indeed the high-tier three-eyed dark beasts! He had not encountered a single one during his journey thus far—apparently, they had all been summoned and concentrated here. As soon as the beasts surged forth, countless divine senses radiated outward, swiftly enveloping an area spanning hundreds of miles. Upon witnessing this scene, Han Li lost all hope of侥幸, and suddenly a flash of black light rippled over his body, revealing a sheet of dark, light-weight silk that instantly wrapped around his entire form. He had even sacrificed two mysterious black cloths obtained from the Uro people. Then, the dark beast opened its mouth and expelled a purple scroll, swiftly pressing it against its own body. A soft "pffft" sound followed, and a cluster of purple energy, intertwined with countless silver characters, surged forth, enveloping its form. The dark beast's body instantly became ethereal, yet its speed slowed dramatically. Han Li glanced quickly at Shi Kun and Liu Shui'er. Unlike himself, the two continued to move without pause, their presence nearly imperceptible, having already fled over a dozen li away. Clearly, while Han Li had taken the initiative to conceal himself on the spot, these two intended to escape first, before the higher-tier dark beasts discovered them. Naturally, neither method was clearly superior. If the higher-tier dark beasts' consciousness failed to detect their concealment, it would be wise for them to depart as soon as possible. Yet, if the swift flight caused their concealment techniques to falter, allowing the shadow beasts to detect their presence, the situation would become exceedingly perilous. Han Li chose to remain concealed on the spot primarily because he carried the Taiyi Huaqing Seal and the black silk robe—treasures that made it difficult for anyone to easily spot him. As the numerous high-ranking shadow beasts in the herd raised their third eye, a dense stream of divine perceptions descended from the sky, sweeping past Han Li and his companions in succession, and even extending their scrutiny to the two figures at a distance. However, these perceptions merely passed over them without lingering—clearly failing to detect any trace of the three. Han Li and the other two breathed a collective sigh of relief. At that moment, as Han Li shifted his gaze slightly, he suddenly noticed something within the herd of beasts, his face instantly pale as he drew in a sharp breath of cool air. To the sight, a golden silhouette stood out, leaping forth from the midst of the beast herd, radiating a brilliant golden glow—clearly another royal dark beast. This royal dark beast differed noticeably from the one that had appeared earlier: not only was it slightly larger in stature, but it was also accompanied by seven or eight other three-eyed dark beasts closely clustered around it. The third vertical eye of these higher-tier dark beasts was not gray, but instead shimmered with a delicate silver light. As soon as the golden dark beast emerged, the silver-eyed beasts close to it remained steadfast, while all the other nearby dark beasts immediately bowed respectfully and stepped back to over ten zhang away, clearing a vast, open space around the royal beast. The entire herd of dark beasts, in turn, naturally halted—some pausing on the trees, others standing still on the ground—each gazing in reverent admiration toward the golden dark beast. With a cold gaze sweeping across the surroundings, the royal dark beast then emitted a powerful aura that surged forth, instantly overpowering the spiritual resonances of the other high-tier dark beasts, sweeping across the surrounding area with an unstoppable force. Han Li, seeing this scene, felt a slight weight settle in his heart. He simply halted his flight, quietly concealing himself within a large tree, remaining perfectly still. At a distance, Liu Shui'er and Shi Kun, sensing the powerful surge of energy sweeping toward them, were equally startled and immediately stopped their flight, drawing in their breaths and calming their vital energies, hoping to still evade the other's divine awareness. Yet this time, it seemed unlikely. Han Li fared better—the powerful divine awareness passed over him without detecting his ethereal form. But as it reached Liu Shui'er and Shi Kun, it momentarily paused, then suddenly grew cold and oppressive. "Move now!" Shi Kun, sensing the shift in the divine awareness, instantly grew pale and cried out. A flash of yellow light, and he emerged fully exposed, transforming into a streak of golden light. Liu Shui'er also sensed the urgency. Without a word, she summoned her white jade mouse beneath her feet, which instantly materialized and expanded into a radiant glow, enveloping her completely, and they both surged forward together. At once, not only the other golden dark beasts but also the ordinary and higher-tier dark beasts detected the two figures, causing a commotion throughout the herd. The golden dark beast in particular had its dark eyes flash with a sharp gleam, radiating an intense aura that seemed to pierce through its form. Its lips moved slightly, as if about to issue an order. Yet, in the very next moment, its expression suddenly shifted. It turned its head toward the direction where the other golden dark beast had fled, then raised its head and let out a long, resonant roar that seemed to echo across the heavens. The roar was not only exceptionally clear and pure, but also seemed to carry an incomprehensible power. Ordinary dark beasts nearest the sound instantly collapsed, their limbs going limp. Higher-tier beasts likewise wavered, their forms unsteady as though unable to maintain balance. And barely had this roar sounded when, from a distant location, far beyond the immediate vicinity, another long roar erupted—remarkably similar in tone, yet charged with an overwhelming surge of fury. Upon hearing the cry, the golden shadow beasts within the herd suddenly displayed a remarkably human-like, fierce expression, and roared out a deep, resonant shout. The herd, which had momentarily halted, surged again and resumed its steady advance. Their direction was clearly toward the spot where the leading golden shadow beast stood. Yet the king-level shadow beast did not intend to abandon Liu Shui'er and Shi Kun. It turned slightly and issued several commands to the cluster of silver-eyed shadow beasts gathered around it. Instantly, those silver-eyed beasts bowed respectfully, each emitting a low roar, then swiftly launched themselves into the air as several shimmering silver streaks, racing toward Liu Shui'er and Shi Kun. Meanwhile, the king-level beast leapt and remerged into the herd, continuing its pursuit of the other golden shadow beast. In the span of a moment, the herd of beasts swept past like a hurricane, the several silver-eyed dark beasts vanishing without a trace, taking turns with Liu Shui'er and Shi Kun ahead and behind. Yet Han Li remained motionless within the great tree, only stepping forward and dissolving the miraculous effect of the Taiyi Hua Qing Seal after an hour had passed, confirming that no other dark beasts remained nearby. He then drew back the black silk cloth. Although the Taiyi Hua Qing Seal had a time limit, the black silk, though thin, demanded a considerable expenditure of magical energy. Naturally, he could not maintain both items in continuous use. A flash of green light revealed Han Li’s transformed dark beast emerging from the great tree. He turned his head, coldly glancing once at the direction where the herd and Liu Shui'er and the others had disappeared, then sighed slightly after a brief thought. With a single breath, a small green blade shot forth, spiraling before forming a broad sheet of green light that rolled downward. Then, a streak of green light, stretching nearly ten paces, surged forward, heading directly after the retreating group. At first, the green glow was dazzling and bright, but soon it faded into a pale, dim hue, ultimately transforming into merely a faint green silhouette. Han Li's flight was exceptionally swift, yet after pursuing the target for half a day without pause, he failed to catch even a glimpse of their trail. Had it not been for the secret artifacts each of them had enchanted at departure—items capable of subtly indicating the positions of the three—Han Li might have genuinely believed he had lost Liu Shui'er and the others. It appeared that Liu Shui'er and Shi Kun had indeed exerted their full strength to escape the pursuing forces, and even now, with Han Li's current speed of swordlight flight, he could not close the gap at all. Remarkably, the silver-eyed beasts, too, managed to keep pace with this swift movement—equally formidable! Han Li's thoughts raced rapidly. After a moment of inner resolve, he suddenly shimmered with a silver glow and once again took on his human form. He drew back the animal hide covering his body and raised one hand, forming a seal. A deep, resonant thunderclap echoed, and a pair of translucent, feathered wings materialized behind him.