The electric arcs clearly possessed immense power; though the azure flames roared fiercely, they only flickered momentarily. The massive claw shadow in the air hesitated briefly before clearly being overwhelmed by the six silver discs formed from the rotating law wheels below, eventually fracturing and dispersing in the silver glow. Undeterred, the disc emitted a resonant hum and surged straight toward the puppet's head. Before it reached the ground, the void beneath it shimmered and warped, rippling with strange waves that seemed as though it had been severed. Upon witnessing this, the Thunder Pigeon puppet opened its mouth and expelled a thick, water-cistern-sized arc of azure light, which instantly coalesced into a serpentine electric dragon, lunging forward with its jaws agape and limbs outstretched, striking solidly against the disc. "Boom!" The silver glow and the azure arc intertwined. Instantly, the silver disc spun rapidly, shuddered, and emitted a mournful cry, with several cracks appearing on its surface. Then, as light flashed, it fragmented once more into six law wheels, which reeled back down to the six small, distinct alien beings below. Then the electric arc on Lei Peng's body surged again, and his form roared as if struck by thunder, vanishing completely in a flash of light. At the very next instant, a brilliant arc flashed above the three war chariots, and Lei Peng's figure suddenly materialized. With a sudden shake of his wings, he surged forward, carrying a gust of fierce wind. The six short, alien figures were naturally startled, yet remained calm and composed. All six raised one arm simultaneously, pressing their palms swiftly against the green-armored automatons before them. A flash of blood-like light surged in the eyes of the three automatons, and brilliant green radiance bloomed across their bodies, causing them to swell dramatically in size. In a moment, their masks fell away, transforming into three towering, green-faced, toothed spectral giants, each exceeding ten zhang in height. The six massive ghost claws then swept upward, launching several dark and green-tinted claw beams that struck Lei Peng directly. Then, the spectral giants reached back and suddenly grasped with one hand. Twelve large silver spears, likewise enlarged, instantly transformed into twelve shimmering silver pillars, vanishing in an instant. In the void, the sounds of wind and thunder surged instantly! Seeing this, Lei Peng remained expressionless, opened his mouth, and once again expelled a surge of azure arc. With a single paw press, an invisible, immense force pressed down. At that moment, the six shorter, alien beings simultaneously drew their arms in and recited incantations, their forms swelling several times over. Then, one after another, more than a dozen various treasures shot forth from their bodies, transforming into streams of radiant and auspicious qi, joining the assault. A continuous series of explosive sounds erupted in the sky, followed by a wave of energy rolling out, with dazzling flashes of light so intense they made it nearly impossible to look directly at them. This battle lasted for a full hour. When the final explosions ceased and the luminous radiance gradually subsided, Lei Peng’s puppet, dragging only a half-remnant of its body, plummeted from the sky and crashed into the ruins below, vanishing mysteriously. The three war chariots suspended in the air and the three restored, jade-armored puppets likewise bore severe wounds. Even one of the puppets had a large hole, the size of a bowl, directly piercing through its heart. If it weren't for the puppet's form, such damage would have surely claimed the life of an ordinary outsider. As for the six outsiders themselves, their condition was no better. Not only had most of the treasures swirling around them been destroyed, but their battle armor was blackened and pitted in numerous places, nearly ruined in spots. The six bovine-like creatures, however, remained unharmed, though each exhaled white vapor and sweated profusely. Overall, though the six outsiders achieved victory over the Thunder-Phoenix puppet, they had to pay a heavy price—losing three thousand enemies while suffering substantial losses themselves. Yet upon seeing the Thunder-Phoenix puppet defeated, the six outsiders all looked pleased and immediately urged their war chariots forward, charging downward. At that moment, a calm voice drifted gently from a cloud of mist not far away. "Good. Even better. With the attendants of the Black Rujū Clan now removed, we shall no longer need to expend so much effort." As soon as the words were spoken, a brilliant radiance burst forth from the cloud mist, and a group of over a dozen figures in varied attire emerged. Leading them was a man dressed in a yellow robe, barely in his twenties, yet bearing three gleaming golden horns on his forehead—shining brightly and striking a strong impression. Behind him, a row of several men, women, and children of different ages each had horns growing from their heads, varying in color and shape. Upon seeing these figures, the six shorter, distinct ethnic beings immediately grew visibly displeased, with one of them, seemingly the leader, emitting a harsh, grating sound: "The Horned Chì Clan! How have you come to be here? Have you been quietly following us all along?" "Following? You? That's quite an honor! But since you've discovered this place, you won't be leaving alive. Attack—send them on their way." The young golden-angled figure sneered, but ultimately issued a command to his companions behind. The dozen or so Chi-Chi clan members responded in unison, then surged forward in a fan-shaped formation. "Move!" The six black scholars naturally grew alarmed, with the leader shouting in shock and anger. The six oxen unleashed their wind and fire power simultaneously, leaping upward with a sudden burst, and the three war chariots transformed into three streaks of jade light, shooting off toward the opposite side at incredible speed. Within the jade light, faint arcs of brilliance flickered, and deep rumbling sounds echoed, revealing their astonishing velocity. Yet the Chi-Chi clan members displayed even more astonishing feats. Some flashed a luminous glow across their bodies, instantly transforming into brilliant streaks of light. Others raised their hands, recited incantations, and vanished from their spots, appearing elsewhere. Still others simply waved their sleeves, launching out a spirit beast or flying artifact, then stepped onto it and swiftly pursued, moving at an utterly astonishing pace. The young man with the golden horns floated motionless in midair, arms folded behind his back, seemingly confident in his ability to outperform the others. It was no surprise that he felt so assured. Though the Black Rurans were a significant race on the Thundering Continent, they were inherently not skilled in aerial travel. In their daily conflicts, they typically relied on various flying chariots crafted by their clan to engage opponents. This limitation was not particularly problematic during ordinary encounters or when they were clearly gaining the upper hand. However, now that Liu Ming, the short, foreign warrior, had just suffered a series of setbacks, and a new, formidable opponent had emerged—clearly beyond their reach—this very shortcoming had become their decisive weakness. Indeed, what unfolded below matched his expectations precisely: just a few thousand paces beyond the starting point, several clusters of luminous light suddenly burst forth, and a number of figures materialized in a flash. These were precisely the members of the Jiaochi clan who had earlier slipped into the void and executed their mysterious, swift teleportation technique. Without a word, they raised their hands, and at once a deluge of thunder and fire surged forth, crashing down upon the three war chariots. Though exceptionally fierce, the six oxen pulling the chariots stumbled, spouting out vivid green flames to fend off the aerial assault. In this brief moment of delay, the other十余 figures arrived, riding on spiritual beasts and wielding precious artifacts, emerging instantly to encircle the three chariots. A variety of rare treasures—swords, axes, staffs, and others—flew off the bodies of the Jiaochi people, transforming into shimmering, differently colored halos that enveloped the chariots. The six black scholars on the chariots looked on with growing despair, yet none were willing to surrender without a fight. With a single roar, the six figures struck the wounded, battered green armor before them, transforming it once more into massive ghostly beasts. At the same time, they pressed a series of hand seals, their forms swelling dramatically, and the silver wheel behind them launched forth, swirling and transforming into hundreds of silver moons that shot out in all directions. Motivated by an unyielding spirit, the six black scholars managed to hold their own against the dozen or so angle-chi warriors, fighting a fierce and evenly matched battle. Yet both the angle-chi people and the shorter, diverse tribes were well aware that this moment of strength would not last. As soon as the black scholars' inner energies were fully drained, their own lives would be forfeit. Yet none of these tribespeople—nor even the young golden-angled scholar—had any such awareness. Beyond this scene, hundreds of miles away, in a ruined pavilion, a third observer stood, gazing intently at the unfolding events, using a strange artifact of his own. This treasure is a translucent white crystal, yet the images shimmering upon its surface depict a fierce battle between fifteen members of the Jiaochi clan and six members of the Hei Ru clan. The viewpoint, however, is somewhat distant—like observing the scene from afar, over a dozen li away. Before the crystal, two figures sit in meditation: one composed and calm, the other visibly puzzled. The ruins of this site are so vast—they could hardly have coincidentally aligned with our very purpose. Moreover, our current location is still tens of thousands of miles away from the sealed realm. If these people truly share our objective, why do they fight with those Black Rujians? Nevertheless, our future movements must be cautious; we must ensure these Jiaochi people do not truly detect our presence. "Brother Han, your reasoning makes perfect sense. I now feel much more at ease. Why don't we seek a new location to hide, farther from these Jiaochi people? Once the Stone Friend arrives, we can pool our three forces and break through the seal together." Li Shui'er thought for a moment and proposed thus. "Agreed. However, before that, it would be wise to first ascertain the Jiaochi people's intentions. Originally, this was quite challenging; yet Master Cai has even lent the renowned 'Yingying Crystal' of the Jing Clan to the Immortal Princess. With this, we shall be able to monitor the Jiaochi people's actions from afar, even across thousands of miles. Han Li gazed at the crystal, stroked his chin, and then spoke slowly. "Although this reflective crystal is exceptionally concealed—so much so that even beings at the Divine Stage may find it hard to detect—it can only capture ordinary scenes. Once the other party casually employs a seal or restriction to obscure their movements, the crystal becomes equally powerless." Liu Shui'er frowned slightly.