Han Li, who had just been flying back to his residence, suddenly drew in the glow surrounding him, halting mid-air. Above the city of Tianyuan, the once-blue sky, which had been cloud-covered for miles, suddenly revealed seven massive crimson stars—transforming the entire sky into a fiery red hue. Even though the city was shielded by multiple layers of seals, a palpable warmth still radiated out. Guards rushing about and ordinary cultivators who had been meditating at their homes alike hurried out, all astonished by the celestial phenomenon. As a Congti cultivator, Han Li's spiritual perception far surpassed that of ordinary cultivators. Gazing upward, he rarely saw such a serious expression—his mind now sensing the immense power emanating from the seven crimson stars, which seemed capable of not only severely injuring but even annihilating him. How could he not be deeply startled by this? At that very moment, the seven crimson stars in the sky suddenly emitted a fluctuating glow of red light across their surfaces. Then, centered on these seven stars, an extraordinarily intricate and vast array materialized spontaneously in the heavens. The array shimmered like a blazing fire, seemingly enveloping the entire Xiaotianyuan City. After a powerful surge of celestial laws, the seven stars within the array momentarily blurred, then instantly transformed into the ethereal silhouette of a colossal fire bird, which issued a clear cry and plunged downward from the sky. One world remained exactly as it had been, unchanged in every way. The other, however, had been completely transformed into a vast ocean of flame. Crimson waves of fire, stretching nearly a thousand li under the dome of mushroom clouds, surged with relentless force. The beasts enveloped by these waves were reduced to ash almost instantly upon the outbreak of the attack, utterly unable to withstand the intensity of the assault. Even the human mages, protected by their magical artifacts and treasures, could only hold out briefly before succumbing to the overwhelming scale of the attack, crying out as they were consumed into fiery spheres and fell. Only the five super-beasts managed to maintain a semblance of stability, their bodies instantly glowing with a thick, radiant aura, allowing them to remain unscathed for a moment. Yet even these five were clearly unable to endure the terrifying heat for long. At once, the great black bird surged into the air, expanding its wings and transforming into a swirling mass of black light, reaching a distance of a hundred li before several swift glides carried it with astonishing speed beyond the entire expanse of the fiery sea. The great red ape, undaunted, planted its feet firmly onto the ground, leaping upward with the force of a meteor, its massive body swirling into a hurricane-like gust, cleaving through half the flames as it surged forward. Though slightly slower than the bird, it still kept pace, not far behind. Following the bird, the two white snails and the three purple serpents emerged from the perilous zone, yet their movements were noticeably clumsy. Despite their vigorous efforts to dash through the surging waves of flame, they managed only to advance several dozen li before their protective luminous aura shattered, and they cried out in sharp, desperate cries, ultimately engulfed by the rising tide of fire. And just as the three great super-beasts had fallen, a sudden "whoosh!"—two figures, one purple-robed and one green-dressed, burst forth from the flame cloud, then immediately surged forward as two streaks of brilliant light, racing unceasingly until they reached over ten thousand li away. Only when they gently gathered their luminous aura did they come to a halt. These were precisely the two high-ranking magical beings—the Purple-Armored Han and the Green-Cloaked Elder. Truly worthy of their stage as mid-tier magical beings, they had managed to escape unscathed despite the devastating assault. Yet, observing their tattered garments and the distinct smell of scorched fabric, it was clear they too had faced near-fatal peril, barely escaping with their lives. Their faces, now turned pale and stern as they looked back upon the raging sea of flames, bore a most unimpressive and grim expression. "I never thought the human race would deploy such an attack upon us—truly, they must hold us in high regard!" the Purple-Armored Han muttered, his jaw clenched with evident resentment. "Indeed, it's rather surprising." By rights, such creatures should not warrant such a decisive move from the human race. The sheer amount of spiritual energy consumed in this assault is astonishing—does this city truly possess such an ample reserve of spiritual stones, or are the human cultivators responsible for its defense simply utterly unreasonable? The elder in green robes, his face pale, murmured in bewilderment. "Hmph. Who cares whether the cultivator in charge of defending this city has a sound mind—what matters now is that we've brought so many personnel and creatures here, only to see them all perish at this very location, with only two colossal beasts escaping. If we return, we'll certainly face a stern reprimand," the purple-armored mage sighed, clearly frustrated. "It's not certain, though. Our mission from the outset has been to assess the city's defensive capabilities and to gradually provoke all its available attacks. By triggering such a formidable counter-response in a single instance, we've already achieved a significant accomplishment. When weighed against our efforts, even if we receive some penalties, they won't be severe." "The green-robed elder spoke with remarkable composure. 'I hope so. Fortunately, this time we didn't bring out our full elite forces; otherwise, this loss would have been truly severe.' The purple-armored mage sighed, a touch of regret in his voice. 'Master Shi, there's no need to be discouraged. This time, we were unprepared, and thus suffered a complete defeat. Next time, when we lead again, we'll certainly prevent such a situation.' The green-robed elder reassured him. 'Indeed, I shall surely repay this humiliation. Since I've attained my full cultivation, this has been the first time I've suffered such a major setback! Master Shi, let us return to report to our superiors now.' The purple-armored mage said with a bitter tone, and without waiting for the elder's reply, he surged forward with a flash of light and swiftly vanished. The green-robed elder cast a solemn gaze upon the Tianyuan City, completely obscured by the raging flames, then smiled coldly and likewise vanished into a streak of green light." As for the two colossal魔兽 that had managed to escape with their lives, they had been greatly startled, and immediately after fleeing the inferno, took no time at all to depart without delay. In a matter of moments, the surrounding void grew utterly silent. Yet no one noticed that, on a peak only a few hundred miles away, a translucent, luminous orb floated steadily in the sky, its surface flickering between darkness and light, continuously emitting a soft glow. At the same time, within a triangular great tower of a magical race city located at an unknown distance from the Heavenly Deep, twenty or so high-ranking magical beings stood in two rows along the sides of a grand hall. Seated at the end of the hall on a darkly polished chair was a middle-aged man dressed in a robe of blood-red hue. His appearance was refined and elegant, with a complexion as radiant as jade, so much so that he seemed entirely indistinguishable from a common human. Meanwhile, suspended at a low altitude in the center of the hall, another crystal sphere—matching in size and shape to the one near Tianyuan City—displayed a vivid, fiery red surface, vividly capturing the dramatic scene of the raging flames that once engulfed Tianyuan City. All present were intently observing the scene within the sphere. The blood-robed man remained expressionless, his thoughts unreadable, while the various high-ranking magical beings around him exhibited a range of expressions. I merely didn't expect the human faction's counteroffensive to be so vigorous. As for losing some lower-tier beasts—what could be more ordinary? I've always considered both of them faultless, and their response commendable. Yet the other mage, whose face seemed almost translucent, promptly countered with firmness. "Master Xuan, your words are quite cutting. Even if those lower-tier beasts were merely expendable, the sheer number lost represents a significant blow to us. Moreover, three rare giant mages were among them—mages whose potential was barely realized before they were suddenly lost. If we don't hold them accountable for this, then in future, when others lead, won't there be only rewards and no penalties?" The short-javelin mage flashed a shade of cold disdain in his eyes, speaking with a hint of irony. "Hmph. Then, Brother Ban, I'd wager you believe that, under your own leadership, you could have done better than Master Shi and the two of them." You and Shi are sworn enemies—how can I know if you're not harboring other intentions and merely seizing this opportunity to make a point?" The transparent mage男子 sneered in reply. In just a few words, the two had instantly turned sharply hostile. The other high-ranking mages observed the scene, each reacting differently. Some remained impassive, as though they hadn't noticed; others sighed gently, yet furrowed their brows; still others crossed their arms, smiling calmly. Naturally, several high-ranking mages also stepped forward to lend their support to one side or the other, causing a noticeable commotion in the hall. "Enough! All of you—be silent!" The blood-robed man seated in his chair suddenly issued a calm, firm command. The din throughout the hall instantly subsided. The several mages involved in the dispute immediately bowed deeply to him and then carefully fell silent. "Once they return, I shall handle matters accordingly." Now I have summoned you and the others here to assess the defenses of this Tianyuan City and to determine how we can swiftly breach it. With the other armies now likely to have begun their movements, my Holy Ancestor does not wish to fall behind. Recommended: Potato's novel "Wu Dong Qian Kuan" (Book ID: 2048120). The cultivation path involves secretly appropriating yin and yang, seizing the essence of creation, achieving nirvana, mastering life and death, and commanding the cycles of rebirth. At the peak of martial cultivation, one breaks through the heavens and reshapes the cosmos!