Hearing Shi Kun speak thus, Liu Shui'er furrowed her brows in deep thought for a while. However, now they were not far from the spot where the two members of the Sea King's family had parted. It was impossible for them to simply settle and meditate right here. Otherwise, should either of the two change their minds or summon some other fierce beast or foreign tribe, Han Li and his companions would find themselves in great peril. Thus, after flying forward for another half day, they finally spotted a small mountain of pale green hue, within which the spiritual energy was notably dense. To be safe, the three of them used their divine awareness to carefully scan the mountain top to bottom. As a result, they all felt reassured. Though the mountain was not particularly tall, it housed a group of gray wolf beasts dwelling within. Yet their cultivation levels were all quite low, the strongest barely reaching the Foundation Stage. With that, as soon as their light forms touched down, they effortlessly eliminated all of them without a single trace. The cave hollows nestled in the mountain's midsection were quite excellent—rich in spiritual energy, though they carried a slight odor. After Li Shui'er used a water-based spell to gently cleanse them, the air became remarkably clear and refreshing. "Han Li, however, spoke lightly. "Haha, Han brother, when you say that, I truly can't agree with you. With the profound powers you've displayed, while you may not be able to single-handedly annihilate all the shadow beasts, I believe you certainly have the capability to establish a complete encirclement on your own. And the fact that we, with only slight depletion of our vital energy, have managed to penetrate such a perilous forest of shadow beasts is already an exceptional achievement." Even Stone Kun, seated at the far corner of the cavern, opened his eyes and laughed, stepping in to add, "You two have greatly overestimated Han brother. Indeed, I possess some impressive abilities, though most of them are limited to a single powerful strike. Should I be surrounded by too many shadow beasts, whether I can truly survive remains to be seen. Hehe—though, given your solid physical strength, Stone brother, as long as you don't engage in direct, head-on combat, you should easily break through any encirclement." Han Li stroked his chin, offering Stone Kun a half-smiling, half-reflective expression. "Perhaps that's true. Since Lady Liu has now recovered her spiritual strength, let us "If we had discovered the sealed site earlier, we could have relaxed sooner." Shi Kun chuckled softly and suddenly stood up. Han Li and Liu Shui'er exchanged glances, showing no disagreement. A moment later, three brilliant rainbows of different colors burst forth from the mountain's midsection, spiraled once, and then swiftly broke through the air, flying off. ... Seven or eight days later, Han Li and his companions were surrounded by groups of strange birds with four wings and wind-blade spouts. Each of them activated their treasures, sending out radiant beams of light, and a steady downpour of blood rain fell from the sky, completely eliminating all the birds within just one cup of tea's time. ... About half a month later, near the vast, boundless lake on the edge of the grassland, Han Li and his companions held their breath, reduced their flight light to faint, almost invisible shadows, and glided silently at a high altitude, moving with the utmost care to release even the slightest trace of their presence. Below the lake, a group of colossal beings—neither quite horses nor fish—floated upon the nearby waters. From the mouths of these monolithic creatures, water jets as thick as large water barrels constantly jetted out, playing and colliding with one another. Each impact shimmered with a blue glow before dissipating. Occasionally, when some of these beasts dodged the jets, the water streams struck the land, producing thunderous booms and instantly forming circular craters dozens of meters in diameter—most startling in their scale. Fortunately, Han Li and his companions had mastered the art of concealment, and the great beasts were fully engaged in their playful antics, completely unaware of the three figures passing overhead like ants. Thus, the trio safely traversed the lake's expanse. Around Han Li, countless streaks of jade-green light spiraled and danced, forming a solid shield that not only protected him thoroughly but also shattered the series of black, cord-like treasures released by the two foreign beings across from him, each one snapping into fragments. Yet, under the power of their incantations, these black threads instantly flickered and restored themselves, then swiftly transformed into dense, shimmering phantom forms that surged toward Han Li with relentless force. On the other side, Liu Shui'er radiated a steady glow of blue light, enveloped in a mysterious liquid, while the silver looms she wielded emitted points of starlight, encasing the other foreign being in their radiance. However, this opponent seemed no less adept—her body concealed within a cloak of black mist, and before her, numerous monstrous birds blazing with fierce black flames circled and darted, their fierce attacks meeting the silver looms with equal strength, neither gaining nor losing ground. As for Shi Kun, at this moment, the golden-yellow glow had completely transformed into a giant of ten zhang in diameter, with a layer of eerie gray-white stone covering his skin and sharp spines of a chi-length rising from it. With each fist swing, stone spears resembling giant crossbows shot forth and burst open on impact, forcing the last foreign warrior to retreat step by step. Though the foreign warrior stood below, he continuously waved his hands, forming one after another thick layers of black mist that coalesced into massive black shields in front of him, enabling him to hold his ground. "Brother Han, Daoist Shi, act quickly! Once it grows dark, these night-people will grow significantly stronger—just like those dark beasts," Li Shui'er exclaimed, urgently shouting to Han Li and Shi Kun as she saw that she couldn't subdue the opponent in the current moment. Han Li listened, his expression slightly stirred, and glanced upward. He could see that the night sky was gradually darkening, signaling that nightfall was soon to come. "Quack! It's only now that I remember this matter—doesn't it seem too late? Well, just a little while longer, I shall treat you, these sky-born guests, most hospitably!" One of the two foreigners facing Han Li suddenly emitted a strangely unpleasant, eerie laugh. "A little while longer? In fact, you won't need that much time at all—you'll vanish from this world right away." Han Li replied calmly, extending a dark palm from his sleeve with a simple motion, and with a gentle sweep, a misty glow instantly burst forth. At the same time, Liu Shui'er pressed her palms together in a series of gestures, and a circular gray light disc materialized. The stone cave figure paused abruptly, raised his head, and let out a long, resonant roar, then swiftly flicked his ten fingers toward the sky. A short while later, from a distance, Han Li, Liu Shui'er, and the several foreign guests appeared suddenly in the midst of the vast, empty battlefield, surrounded by a colossal, luminous sphere of gray light, shimmering with countless faint characters and symbols. Immediately, the gray sphere burst open, unleashing a deluge of runes that surged forth like a storm, enveloping everything within a radius of several paces. Though the four foreign beings were stunned and swiftly summoned their respective powers to resist, each rune proved far more potent than anyone had imagined. Amidst thunderous, continuous explosions, the four foreign beings vanished in a puff of smoke. Only then did Han Li and his two companions gather the ethereal magnetic light floating above them, exchanging smiles with one another. And soon afterward, an ever-increasing number of wild beasts and fierce birds took flight from the mountains, fleeing for their lives. They were so dense and widespread that they seemed to cover the sky, yet all of them were panicking and scrambling in every direction. "What shall we do? If this continues, we'll eventually be caught by these silver tide insects. These creatures are no less renowned than the gold-devouring insects—legendary ancient predators. Once they've locked onto a target, they never let go. It's astonishing that so many of them have evolved in this realm." Shi Kun, his face pale as he conveyed his thoughts through the light of his flight, spoke with growing concern to Han Li and Li Shui'er. "Indeed, it's said that the silver tide insects possess extraordinary stamina—such that they could pursue us for months without tiring. Even the ancient beasts, when confronted by the surge of silver tide, can only retreat a few steps." Li Shui'er's voice, too, carried a clear undercurrent of anxiety—no wonder they were so visibly distressed! Whoever is pursued for three or four days nonstop by those countless terrifying insects, consuming nearly half of their inner magical energy, would surely grow alarmed. "The only hope," said Han Li, whose face had also turned pale, though he remained composed, "is to encounter a few ancient beasts ahead, to draw off these insects." "But according to the map, the region nearest to us with any ancient beasts lies at least a lunar month's journey away. Back then, to be safe, we deliberately chose a route where such ancient beasts were rarely seen." Shi Kun replied with a wry smile. Han Li listened, momentarily at a loss, his brows furrowing in concern. Just then, suddenly from the far end of one side of the sky, a low hum rose, followed by flashes of green light along the horizon—gradually forming dense, swirling clouds of green mist, hundreds of them, rushing swiftly toward Han Li and his companions. Han Li was naturally startled, but as a blue glow flashed in his eyes, he clearly saw the true form of the distant green clouds. They were strange butterflies, each the size of a clenched fist, their bodies shimmering with green and powder hues, looking remarkably fierce.