Thirteen beetle insects roared in unison. Yet the two puppets, at the same moment, suddenly shook their four arms and shot backward with powerful momentum. More remarkably, their four empty hands simultaneously swept forward toward the living insects, launching a shimmering arc of silver electricity and a gentle wave of golden light. As the silver arcs interwove and flashed, a thunderous roar erupted—seeming to hold immense power. The golden light, however, flowed silently and unobtrusively, like a quiet stream of flowing clouds. The purple-patterned beetle showed no sign of retreat, its wings vibrating as it split into two waves, plunging directly into both the electric arcs and the golden light. The silver arcs instantly burst into sharp crackling sounds, shattering and fragmenting in a cascade of explosive splinters, with the electric flashes suggesting even the surrounding void seemed to grow subtly scorched and hot. Within the golden light, intricate symbols mysteriously emerged, densely clustering and instantly enveloping the insects, causing the glow to brighten dramatically. This golden aura, too, seemed to possess a hidden, mysterious power. But these thirteen purple-striped beetles were candidates for the Beetle King that Han Li had painstakingly cultivated through the mutual devouring of tens of thousands of gold-eating beetles. Their physical resilience and other divine abilities far surpassed anything ordinary beings could imagine. Whether continuously struck by blinding lightning or tightly ensnared by the unyielding, symbol-laden yellow haze, the delicate spiritual beetles remained completely indifferent. After the purple patterns on their bodies swelled and contracted erratically, they mysteriously pierced through both the lightning and the yellow haze. A flash of purple light followed, and then they vanished instantly, appearing before the two puppets with a sharp, fierce charge from Bin Jianya. The two glass puppets, devoid of ordinary living emotions or fear, merely allowed their inner glimmers of glass light to flow. One suddenly materialized two slender, exceptionally thin, transparent blades, while the other emerged with a seven-colored spear stretching two zhang in length. With a brief movement of these three weapons, countless blade edges and scattered spear patterns burst forth, swirling throughout the air and instantly engulfing all thirteen of the spiritual beetles. A series of clattering sounds, though the purple-veined spirit insect sustained no injury, still managed only to hover at a distance from the two puppets. At that moment, Han Li, stationed far away, turned his gaze toward the scene, his expression darkening. Suddenly, the giant ape he had transformed into let out a long roar, and the mountain of yuan-magnetic energy that had been launched skyward instantly vanished, reappearing in its original place. Immediately thereafter, waves of energy surged upward from both puppets, and a strange black mountain emerged, spinning steadily, its gray-hazy light aura sweeping down. Undeterred, the two puppets continued wielding their weapons with unwavering resolve, raising their heads and opening their mouths to emit streams of energy upward. "Pffft!" Two sharp sounds followed, and two beams of seven-colored light shot forth, colliding with the gray aura. The two light streams intertwined and burst into a dazzling display, their colors locked in a dynamic standoff in the air. Yet at this very moment, a thunderous boom echoed from behind the giant ape, and a pair of translucent lightning wings emerged, flashing into being as the massive form dissolved into a brilliant arc of electricity. At the same time, waves of ripples surged from behind the two glass-like puppets, and the giant ape suddenly materialized amidst countless arcs of electricity, his arm briefly blurring as it moved. Two thunderous booms echoed! The seven-colored glimmers on the chests of the two puppets flickered, and suddenly, two cold, fur-covered fists—emitting an unusual golden radiance—rose up. The giant ape had struck through the bodies of the two puppets with an astonishing speed, using just his two large hands. Though these two puppets possessed the strength of early fusion-stage cultivators, they had never been truly controlled by the consciousness of other cultivators, nor had they awakened their spiritual intelligence. Facing the transformed Han Li, once their protective seven-colored glow shield was shattered, their responses faltered noticeably. Yet, mere puppets are still puppets—ordinary beings would have lost their fighting strength long ago under such severe injuries. Yet these two lustrous puppets, though their forms slightly trembled, did not truly lose their mobility. Instead, their three weapons in hand suddenly snapped back, and a brilliant glow instantly enveloped the massive ape behind them. The ape, witnessing this, flashed a cold gleam in its eyes. With a deep, resonant thud, its two fists burst forth with two streams of silvery dry flame, instantly encasing the puppets within. It was precisely the invincible Spirit-Consuming Heavenly Flame from before! At the same time, the ape surged forward, shooting backward like a crossbow bolt, effortlessly escaping the attacks of the two puppets. But what startled Han Li was unexpected! Despite the vigorous flame burning fiercely, the puppets showed no sign of melting. Their translucent, smooth bodies remained unchanged, save for a few scorched patches—no other alterations occurred. Han Li naturally found this deeply surprising. Yet even so, no further action from him was required below. Although these puppets could still counterattack, their movements were noticeably slower than before. As soon as the thirteen purple-patterned spirit insects emitted a sharp cry, they surged directly upon them and began devouring them whole. The two puppets unleashed all their divine techniques, yet the insects seemed firmly rooted on their surfaces, unable to budge even an inch. Despite their ability to withstand the Heavenly Fire of the Spirit-Consuming Flame, they proved helpless against the purple-patterned gold-devouring insects, collapsing with a soft groan and rolling helplessly on the ground shortly thereafter. After a brief moment, the two human-sized large puppets had been steadily consumed, their bodies reduced to silence. While the puppets were being devoured, Han Li pressed a hand seal, restored his human form, and stood quietly by, silent and impassive. Only after the last remnants of the two glass puppets had vanished did Han Li emit a low whistle and gently pointed at the insects with one hand. After consuming two puppets, the thirteen purple-patterned spirit insects appeared even more vibrant on their bodies, and were exceptionally excited. Under the urging of the spell, they hesitated slightly, as though reluctant to return. Seeing this, Han Li frowned, deepening his low whistle and intensifying the surge of spiritual energy within it. With a final gesture, the insects spread their wings and, though reluctantly, flew toward Han Li, then swiftly vanished into the folds of his sleeves. "It seems these little ones can't be relied upon too often," Han Li exhaled softly, murmuring to himself. Then, his gaze shifted, sweeping toward an object in the distance. A small purple cauldron floated motionless in the void, radiating a faint black glow, as if having grown quiet and still since losing its original owner. Han Li's lips curled into a pleased smile, and with a single hand raised, he waved a gesture toward the cauldron. The divine powers previously displayed by this tripod were truly astonishing. Should he obtain this treasure, his strength would surely ascend to a new level. The small purple tripod shot forth with a sudden "whoosh," its glow intensifying, and seemed poised to enter the palm of Han Li within just a few flickers. Yet at that very moment, a thunderclap erupted in the clear sky, and a surge of purple lightning descended, striking the tripod directly. With a deep, resonant "thud," the tripod shimmered and vanished instantly, completely absorbed into the purple lightning. At the same time, a voice filled with fury echoed through the void: "Excellent! Remarkable! Not only have you seized my Sealing Lock of the Demon, but now you dare also lay claim to my Purple Speech Tripod. It appears that even with those two useless disciples holding my treasures, they shall be no match for you. That matters not—soon, I shall personally confront you. And shortly thereafter, you will surely experience what it means to be trapped—neither able to survive nor able to die!" "This utterance seemed to carry an inexplicable, mysterious power. Though it was not loud, it struck韩立like a thunderclap. Even with his astonishing spiritual awareness, he instantly felt a dizzying sensation, his body swaying slightly before steadying itself. Yet his face grew unusually pale. 'This is the spiritual awareness of a Stage of Great Perfection cultivator. Could it be that the Blood-Light Sage's embodiment has transmitted this thought through space? No—though this embodiment may be extraordinary, even transcendent, it could hardly reach the level of a late-stage Consolidated Body cultivator. How then could its spiritual awareness be so powerful? It must be the Sage's true form! He just now mentioned that he would personally come to meet me—what does that mean? Does it mean his true form can actually manifest on this world? Otherwise, he should know well that even a single embodiment would not be able to withstand me." Hàn Lì was deeply startled, filled with wonder and uncertainty about the unfamiliar spiritual presence that had just appeared. Yet he was even more certain that he could not remain here for long—Mashan must first be freed and emerge before anything else could be done. Thus, he temporarily gathered his scattered thoughts, drawing back both his distant spiritual form and the Buddha-Body of the Vajra Saint into his original self, then stamped his single foot upon the ground. Instantly, he surged upward as a streak of jade-green light, spiraling once before darting off toward the distance. "But how is this possible? Has he indeed employed that specific technique?" the blood-robed youth exclaimed, suddenly speechless. Han Li saw this situation, his eyes brightened instantly. Without a word, he drew in his divine powers and form, then roared loudly before vanishing into the cave as a streak of brilliant light.