The wild, untamed world of Fengyuan Continent is vast and boundless, teeming with countless unknown fierce beasts and monsters. Some of the most formidable natural barriers and peaks are so perilous that even advanced cultivators who venture into them face certain death. Each year, countless members of various clans perish in these wild regions. Yet, driven by the rare materials and precious opportunities offered by the wilderness, cultivators continue to pour into these treacherous lands without cease. The human race, situated in a remote corner of the continent, naturally holds a relatively weaker position compared to the major clans on the continent, and even falls short when compared to the neighboring ethnic groups. Fortunately, the powerful, equally capable elven clans have allied with them, and their three realms and seven key territories have been sealed off by ancient, supreme cultivation techniques established by their elder sages. With only the entry point of Tianyuan City remaining, no other access exists between the two clans. This secure isolation has enabled both clans to flourish and maintain their presence in the spiritual realm for generations. Of course, Tianyuan City also became a fundamental stronghold for both clans, housing large numbers of their elite warriors and boasting its own distinct system—the Tianyuan Elder Council—dedicated solely to the city's defense. Though the Council has only ten members, each is a being at or above the Consolidated Stage. Should any elder fall, a new Consolidated-stage human or spirit-being from either clan is promptly selected and appointed. This ensures the city's unshakable strength. As a result, practitioners from both human and spirit clans must pass through Tianyuan City to enter the wild frontier regions. Most ordinary practitioners are reluctant to venture too far into the wilderness and typically operate only within a lunar distance of the city, ensuring they can retreat back to Tianyuan City for safety should any dire threats—such as ancient beasts or other perils—arise. Naturally, there are also many individuals who possess exceptional abilities and courage, willing to venture deep into the heart of the wilderness. Nevertheless, their chances of survival naturally increased severalfold. Currently, atop a vast lake in the wild frontier, there are several human cultivators enduring such perilous circumstances. Four human cultivators—two men and two women—are being tightly ensnared by a rare, colossal ancient beast dwelling in the lake. The creature resembles a giant sea turtle, yet it bears over a dozen tentacle-like appendages on its back, resembling octopus limbs. As they wave vigorously, they generate gusts of wind and dense shadows, weaving a massive net that forcefully compels the four cultivators into close proximity. Though these four possess strong cultivation powers, each having reached the stage of Transcendent Immortality, and wield several magnificent artifacts radiating brilliant light and splendor, none of their flying blades, flying swords, or massive staffs can penetrate the tentacles. Upon impact, they are simply deflected with force, unable to breach the net in any way. Had it not been for a middle-aged man dressed in the robes of a scholar, wielding a divine artifact in the shape of a silver如意 that performed marvelously and deflected half the pressure of the colossal net formed by his touch, the four of them would have been shattered, their defenses breached, and perished instantly. Even thus, they were gasping for breath, drenched in sweat, clearly on the brink of exhaustion. "Fire Brother, release the Jielei Pearl now—I'll make one final stand," the scholar cried out urgently to the man beside him. "No, we can't. Though the Jielei Pearl is powerful, releasing it in this confined space will affect us as well," replied the other man, clad in crimson armor and bearing an unattractive appearance, his face pale with concern. "Of course I know that. But right now, we can't afford to wait. This stone tortoise possesses the divine abilities of a Lingxu initial stage. My Bailing Like-Staff can withstand this much longer, and if I don't launch a decisive strike now, no matter how hard we fight, we won't have the chance." The scholar spoke with firm resolve, displaying remarkable decisiveness. The red-armored giant heard this and his expression changed once more, yet still hesitated. The ancient beast's tendrils swayed with ever-increasing speed, and faint rumblings of wind and thunder grew audible, the force emanating from the massive web also intensifying significantly. The ethereal white glow formed by the jade如意 gradually dimmed after several impacts, forcing the giant to shrink the protective circle by half, so that the four of them could only stand back-to-back to withstand the tendrils' assaults. All hope of the red-armored giant's last reserve confidence was now gone. With a firm breath, he flipped his hand and a luminous orb, about the size of an egg, materialized in his palm. The orb shone with a brilliant blue light, its surface adorned with dense, intricate blue patterns, appearing profoundly mysterious. Upon seeing the giant finally produce the blue orb, the two more graceful female cultivators lost their composure. In panic, one of them chanted softly, then waved her sleeves, launching several high-level talismans that formed a layered shield of light, fully enclosing the four of them. Another woman raised her hand, and a small black clock shot out into the air. The clock instantly swelled to a massive size; upon emitting a soft "ding," a layer of pale black light cascaded down, enveloping several of them as well. The scholar, with a determined resolve, expelled several clusters of refined blood. Each time he released a burst, his complexion grew paler, and he quickly tapped his fingers several times. The blood flashed and flowed into the floating如意. The如意's previously dim glow suddenly brightened, and the white light it projected became remarkably dense and solid. Upon seeing his companions establish their defenses, the red-armored man immediately shook his wrist, launching a blue orb. As soon as the orb was released, it transformed into a brilliant blue glow, vivid and intense. With a single hand gesture, he accelerated the motion, causing the blue light to spin and expand into a wheel-sized form, which then struck and bounced against a wildly waving tendril. A tremendous, earth-shaking roar erupted. As soon as the blue glow sphere touched the tentacles, it instantly burst into fragments, surging out powerful waves of blue energy that rushed violently outward. The vast network formed by several dozen tentacles was swiftly engulfed in the blue light, with the reach of the energy waves stretching several li in diameter. The wind howled fiercely within the radiating blue glow, accompanied by constant thunderous roars. A few light sounds of "shush-shush" echoed through the air. Several streaks of brilliant light pierced through the energy waves, then flickered and connected, shooting off toward the horizon. The four individuals within the glowing stream were all disheveled and shaken. Among them, the scholar was covered in blood, one of his arms completely gone. The other three were also dressed in tattered garments, pale as ghosts, each bearing significant injuries. Fortunately, none of them had lost their ability to fly; with their glowing stream of light, they maintained an astonishing speed and continued to flee. After a short while, the air waves dispersed, and the burst of blue light faded completely. To the sight, the ancient beast, resembling a giant turtle, had several of its tentacles completely reduced to ashes, the remaining portions scorched and fragmented. A thunderous roar erupted from its mouth, and the broken tentacles flashed with green light, swiftly regenerating. Immediately, waves surged across the nearby lake, and a vast expanse of water surged upward, enveloping the giant turtle whole and transforming it into a broad, cloud-like formation several acres in size, which then surged forward, chasing the four fleeing figures through the air. It wasn't that the Shui Yun Technique had become faster, but rather that the four human cultivators ahead were already injured to begin with. After such a relentless, desperate flight, they finally began to run out of spiritual energy. The four had naturally noticed the growing urgency, yet, given their absolute inability to match the strength of the ancient beasts trailing behind, they were completely at a loss. Finally, after flying forward over ten thousand miles, when the distance between the two groups had narrowed to just a few hundred paces, the ancient beasts suddenly roared. The Shui Yun Technique momentarily blurred, then burst into fragments with a loud "thud." After the swirling and dispersing of the white, misty spiritual qi, the giant turtle vanished entirely. The cultivators ahead, who had been continuously monitoring the situation behind, immediately reacted. Upon seeing this, the scholar with his arm amputated gasped in alarm, exclaiming, "This is bad!" But just as the four of them had yet to devise any further strategy, sudden vibrations rippled through the space above their floating platform, and several dark, slender tentacles materialized instantly, then crashed down with astonishing speed and force. Before they truly made contact, the immense wind pressure crushed and shook the platform, causing it to flicker between darkness and light. The four instantly gasped, instinctively dispersing their platform and shooting off in different directions. Though they had narrowly avoided the devastating blow from above, they were abruptly scattered, now standing in four separate locations, each exchanging a glance and immediately exchanging grave expressions. Earlier, when they had combined their inner energies, they had still been unable to shake off the ancient beast's pursuit. Now, forcibly separated, their chances of escape seemed utterly hopeless. A massive black silhouette in the sky shifted, and the giant turtle's body fully emerged from the void, its two emerald eyes scanning them with an unnervingly cold gaze. Several of the scholars felt their hearts sink, most believing they were now destined for disaster. Yet since these four had attained such a refined level of cultivation and dared venture deep into the remote wilderness, they were clearly individuals of exceptional resolve—far from willing to simply wait and see. With determined effort, they rallied their spirits and unleashed their treasures, preparing for one final, desperate stand. But before the four figures and the ancient beast could react in astonishment, the lightning sphere erupted with a tremendous roar, suddenly swelling to several times its original size. Continuous thunder roared as dense streams of electric arcs shot forth from within the sphere, forming instantly a circular spell array several zhang in diameter. Composed entirely of silver arcs, the array shimmered with brilliant light, and as the light flashed, countless silver glyphs emerged simultaneously. A thunderclap that shook the heavens. A massive electric arc, thick as a water cistern, flashed and then faded, leaving a human figure staggering into the center of the array. As soon as the figure steadied himself, he immediately lost all composure and burst into furious protest. "Li Yunzi! You old man! Next time, don't let me run into you again—this matter is far from settled!"