At that very moment, a golden glow surged across Han Li's body. With a low cry, his form expanded dramatically, and golden hairs sprouted from his skin, transforming instantly into a colossal golden-maned ape. He had summoned the Jingze Technique to become a mountain-sized giant ape! Without a word, the ape raised both arms, and the two towering peaks in his hands erupted with thunderous cries, shooting forth with a burst of wind, reaching the stone gate in a flash. Two earth-shaking crashes echoed through the air. A golden light shimmered across the stone gate, followed by two brilliant, sun-like flashes that exploded with thunderous force. The golden barrier formed by the light shattered almost instantly. Under the overwhelming power, the stone gate itself turned to ash, vanishing silently. Han Li's face grew pale, though his spirit remained steady. As a golden mist spiraled past his hands, the seemingly intricate magical barrier was instantly reduced to dust by the brute strength of the giant ape and the combined power of the two peaks. The giant ape, seeing this scene, suddenly planted both feet firmly into the ground, and instantly surged forward like a gust of wind, rushing into the stone gate. A loud "whoosh" echoed as a massive silver fist materialized from the empty space ahead and charged straight toward the ape. Before it could strike the giant, an invisible, powerful force surged forth, enveloping it with overwhelming momentum. Han Li, still unsteady on his feet, was startled but did not flinch. With a thunderous roar, he raised his arm, and a large, furry hand shot out to meet the incoming blow. Golden glimmers shimmered at the tips of each finger, instantly transforming the entire hand into something resembling solid, refined gold. A sharp "crack" sounded as the silver and golden fists collided. The silver fist immediately cracked, forming countless fissures across its surface, and was shattered by the force of the giant's single blow. Yet at that very moment, a gust of wind surged above the giant's head, revealing a second silver claw that swept down and seized the air. Without a word, the giant moved his other arm, and a golden palm struck out with equal force. The silver-clawed figure shattered with a single thunderous crack. Yet the colossal ape, having completed this, showed no intention of stopping. With a flash of blue light in its eyes, it suddenly opened its mouth and expelled a beam of shimmering green light that pierced through to a spot十余 zhang away. A roar followed, and a silver silhouette tumbled down from the void, crashing to the ground—revealing a silver automaton with both hands missing. Standing two zhang tall, its body was etched with mysterious black runes. The ape raised one hand and reached out into the air, producing a series of sharp crackling sounds as ten beams of jade-green light converged and swiftly slashed through. The silver automaton instantly fragmented into five pieces. At that very moment, ripples of disturbance spread through the surrounding void, and a series of swift "whoosh" sounds followed one after another. Suddenly, seven or eight more automata, identical in appearance, emerged. Han Li was slightly startled by this sight, yet the automata responded without hesitation, instantly transforming into seven or eight glowing silver orbs and rushing forward. ...Half an hour later, after a long roar, the golden-hued giant ape hurled two mountain-sized peaks held in his hands. With thunderous crashes, the two silver puppets instantly exploded into fragments in mid-air. The two colossal mountains swayed slightly, then vanished from their original positions, reappearing mysteriously in the ape's hands before vanishing again as he simply flipped his palm. Meanwhile, several dozen purple-striped insects circled and darted around other puppets. The silver puppets remained silent, gradually falling one after another, until none remained. Seeing this, the ape pressed a hand seal, and as the golden light on his body receded, his form rapidly shrunk until he resumed his human shape. On the ground below, scattered across the jade stone surface, lay the shattered remains of the silver puppets—over twenty in number. Han Li glanced down, furrowed his brow slightly, then quickly turned his gaze toward the distant void above, his eyes flashing with a sense of seriousness. These silver puppets, though individually no more than early Stage of Transformation, are in fact quite numerous in this layer. The first level of the tower appears modest from the outside, yet it took him a long time to reach this point through flight. Along the way, he had slain well over a hundred such silver puppets. Had he not transformed into a mountain-sized giant ape, these puppets would have been unable to withstand his powerful blows, and with the aid of three spirit insects, it would have taken considerable time to subdue them. Even so, this solidified his respect for them—after all, this was merely the first level! As he pondered this, his gaze swept upward once more. At a height of no more than sixty to seventy zhang above the ground, a hazy mist obscured everything. Indeed, during his earlier attempts, he had not hesitated to consider taking a direct route, breaking through the barrier to reach the second level. But concerned that a forceful disruption might damage the hidden nodes in place, the idea had to be abandoned. Should the nodes have already become inseparable from the tower's seal, such a hasty approach would indeed prove counterproductive. While Han Li pondered this, he did not hesitate to remain in place—he immediately surged forward toward the staircase entrance with a burst of light. Thirteen purple insect-like creatures followed closely behind, emitting a single hum. In a few flashes, the shimmering green aura vanished completely. A short while later, in the seemingly empty space, a sudden flash of golden light revealed a graceful figure appearing silently. The figure wore a delicate pink imperial gown, with eyes like still water—exactly the middle-aged woman from the Yin-Yang Sect. Gazing at the staircase where Han Li had disappeared, she displayed a hint of apprehension. "This person truly possesses skill," she murmured, "he not only masters true spirit transformation but also commands such powerful spiritual insects." "Thankfully, I came along; otherwise, with this person's abilities, it truly might have been impossible to prevent his escape." The beautiful woman murmured softly, then raised one hand. A silver array disc materialized, spun once on her palm, and then a cascade of silver light flowed upward and spiraled back down. As the light shimmered, her figure blurred and dissolved into a gentle breeze. The fourth layer...the sixth layer—Han Li stepped forward steadily, drifting slowly, his expression subtly revealing a sense of strangeness. The puppets appearing at the fourth layer had turned a bright red-gold hue, each now possessing the initial stage of the Transcendent Realm, though their numbers had significantly diminished. At the fifth and sixth layers, the golden puppets successively advanced in strength, reaching the mid and late stages of the Transcendent Realm. The golden puppets stationed at the sixth layer, however, had become notably more formidable than before. Even Han Li had to employ several powerful techniques and great feats of prowess before finally overcoming them and reaching this layer. According to the previously consistent arrangement, puppets of the sixth layer should have been expected to possess the Consolidated Realm level of power. This had prompted Han Li to remain highly alert and fully prepared for a thorough engagement. Yet, as he entered this layer, there had been not a single disturbance—no resistance at all. This unexpected development left him both puzzled and increasingly cautious. But thanks to the guidance of the secret technique of the "Fate-Ending Vision," it had already been confirmed that the spatial nodes were located on the seventh level, and should be not far ahead. This brought a measure of joy to Han Li's heart. Suddenly, the thirteen spiritual insects trailing behind him emitted sharp cries simultaneously, and began to hover erratically above and below him, circling his figure. Han Li stiffened, paused mid-step, and suddenly came to a complete halt. At the same time, the blue glow in his eyes flashed rapidly and erratically, as he fixed his gaze on a particular direction. In that space, a surge of misty light rippled, and two tall figures shimmering with seven-colored spiritual radiance appeared—both radiating an intense, dazzling light, their bodies nearly translucent, resembling delicate, glass-like automata! These two glass-like figures were about the same height as ordinary humans, yet their faces were blurred and indistinct, and their surfaces were exceptionally clear and smooth. As soon as they appeared, Han Li felt an overwhelming sense of dread and pressure. "Indeed, there's some substance to it, but these two mere early-stage fused puppets lack any real spirit. To rely on them to obstruct me—well, that's not exactly a desperate or overly earnest effort!" Han Li instantly examined the two puppets from top to bottom, then drew his eyes' sharp gleam, chuckling coldly. With a swift motion of his sleeve, the two towering peaks roared forward and were hurled out, while the thirteen purple-striped beetle insects circling nearby spread their wings and darted toward the puppets. Then, with a simple hand gesture, a silver measuring rod materialized and shot forth, flickering into existence as a long, shimmering ribbon of silver over ten dozen feet in length, sweeping aggressively toward the puppets. Though his voice carried a hint of disdain, Han Li's actions were anything but gentle—his attack was fierce and decisive, and he showed no intention of wasting time on these two puppets. Two pieces of lustrous jade puppets, upon witnessing this thunderous assault, had their seven-colored spiritual lights swirl rapidly between their eyes. Their forms suddenly flashed and converged, and as their four arms blurred, their four palms unexpectedly came together in a strange alignment. A soft "pffft!" sound—two spheres of seven-colored light instantly erupted between the palms, twisting and transforming into a single, radiant seven-colored orb that rapidly expanded. Initially no larger than their heads, the orb flickered several times before suddenly solidifying into a layer of seven-colored luminous aura. A dazzling, ethereal glow immediately enveloped both figures, and a deep, resonant hum suddenly rose. The aura vibrated at a frequency invisible to the naked eye, while countless symbols of varying sizes surged across its surface, radiating an exceptionally vibrant light. Then, with a sharp "thud," a silver ribbon of swift, almost unimaginable speed—though arriving slightly later than expected—slammed into the space above the aura and delivered a powerful downward strike. An unusual scene unfolded. Almost half a foot away from the shield, the space near the shield suddenly blurred, and the silver ribbon trembled, unable to advance another inch. Moments later, the ribbon emitted a mournful cry, unfolded into its original form, and then rebounded high into the air!