When the blood mist had finally dissipated, all the demonic beings had been completely eradicated! Those cultivators who had just regained their composure from the shock of the cold disdain now gazed around in astonishment. "Which elder has come to our aid? I am Jian Feitian of the Tianma Sect. I am deeply grateful for your life-saving grace!" The white-bearded elder was the first to recover, his face lighting up with surprise, and he immediately bowed deeply to the figure in the azure light above. Upon hearing this, the other cultivators—regardless of age or gender—quickly realized what had happened, and with great joy, all fell to their knees in unison. "As fellow members of the human race, once we encountered each other, I could not possibly remain passive. You should all head west immediately. There, no demonic forces have appeared yet, so you are safe for now. As for the rest, I am unable to assist further." The figure in the sky spoke calmly. With a simple sweep of his sleeve, the vast array of sword lights instantly gathered and then vanished, each one fading into stillness. "May I ask your honorable surname and name? From this day forward, the Tianma lineage will forever maintain a temple in your honor, to express our profound gratitude!" Although the bearded elder made every effort to focus his eyes and catch the figure's features in the shimmering light, he found no improvement. He immediately bowed with the utmost courtesy and said this once again. "Indeed, it's utterly impossible for a Lingxu-stage cultivator to defeat so many high-ranking demonic beings in a single strike. Even a typical Hétǐ-stage cultivator would find it difficult to achieve this feat. Among the senior Hétǐ-stage or higher cultivators named Han in the vicinity, I know of only two. One is Master Han Qing, the Nine-Teardrop True Master, who has recently joined the Saint Emperor's court. The other is Master Han, who resides near Tianyuan City. Both of these seniors possess profound cultivation power and extraordinary abilities—either of them is likely the one responsible. As for which one exactly, I will naturally inquire further once we are truly safe. This life-saving grace shall never be forgotten by us." The elderly man with white hair paused and then gently exhaled. "Yes, I shall follow my master's instructions. However, since demonic beings have appeared here, the situation is no longer safe. Shall we proceed as originally planned—toward the hidden sect nestled within the Black Water Mountains—or follow this senior's suggestion and head west?" As far as the young disciple knows, the western region is quite barren, mostly composed of plains—there probably aren't many concealed or hidden spots. The middle-aged man then politely added, "The Black Water Mountains aren't that far away either; the western area certainly can't be considered a secure haven. Since Master Han has mentioned that no demonic forces have appeared there, that seems credible. As for the region being relatively barren and flat—what's so special about that? Can you really ensure safety from the high-level demonic cultivators' divine awareness simply by hiding within the mountain ranges? As long as we find a secluded location and establish a magical array, deep underground, we can certainly evade this wave of demonic calamity. After all, the demons couldn't possibly survey every single region of ours thoroughly." The elderly man with white hair narrowed his eyes and then chuckled. "Yes, the disciple will immediately issue orders to proceed westward." After a brief thought, the middle-aged man nodded several times in succession. "By the way, check the storage magical artifacts carried by those demonic cultivators." These are all the magian elite—surely quite valuable. Since the senior Han didn't take them, it seems he doesn't particularly value them. Yet for us, the Tianma Sect, they are of no small significance." The elder suddenly remembered something and hurried to add a command. The middle-aged man nodded promptly and turned to loudly relay the elder's instructions to the others. Thus, the dozens of human cultivators first dispersed their flight lights and descended toward the ground. After a moment, they gathered their lights again and changed direction, flying westward. As for the vanished magians, it's unlikely that the magian side would notice them within ten to fifteen days. The figure glowing in the azure light was none other than Han himself. This kind of situation—magians besieging human cultivators—had occurred to him no less than five or six times on his journey. With no magian of Magian Sovereign rank present, he freely employed his most powerful techniques, completely clearing out all the wandering magians. Currently, unless he faces a combined force of the demonic army and several Divine Sovereigns, he doesn't need to be overly cautious. Half a month later, a vast, dark, primeval forest emerged ahead, with towering trees and dense foliage, occasionally echoing with low animal roars, creating a sense of eerie, cold stillness. Han Li withdrew his light-form and materialized at the edge, then gazed into the depths of the forest. In the far distance, seven mountain peaks of varying sizes appeared connected together, forming a small mountain range. "The Yellow Springs' Fiery Earth! I've indeed heard of this place before. Indeed, as the legends describe, it's an area of exceptionally strong yin energy—likely few cultivators, aside from those practicing yin-based techniques, would venture here." Han Li murmured these words to himself, then focused his gaze and once again transformed into a long streak of azure light, rushing straight toward the mountain peaks. Though it seemed far away, Han Li's swift searing light reached the vicinity in mere moments. Han Li showed no intention of stopping, and shot directly toward the second-tallest mountain among the seven peaks. After a few flashes of movement, he materialized right on the summit, reappearing in his full form. Yet, upon a quick glance, Han Li was momentarily startled, his expression revealing surprise. Upon seeing Han Li's face clearly, the plump, white monk was first stunned, his expression strangely altered as he suddenly called out Han Li's name. This monk—Master Tianchan—had previously met Han Li only once and was one of the two senior aides of the Sacred Emperor. "Master Tianchan, it is indeed a pleasure to meet you," Han Li was equally surprised, yet composed, merely bowing slightly from a distance. "Tianchan, you recognize this man!" The other elder, with a rather unattractive appearance, also noticed Han Li's mid-Body-Unity cultivation level, his expression shifting, his voice now unusually hoarse. "Ah, I see now why Brother Yu doesn't recognize Master Han. Master Han has only reached the Body-Unity stage for a few hundred years. Brother Yu has been in seclusion all this time, so it's no wonder he finds him somewhat unfamiliar." Master Tianchan smiled gently in reply. "A few hundred years? I didn't mishear—Master Han should indeed be at the mid-Body-Unity level!" The elder with the unattractive face was astonished, turning his gaze toward Han Li and asking with some curiosity. "I have only recently reached the mid-stage realm. May I ask, who are you?" Facing a peer of equal standing, Han Li naturally did not show any sign of condescension, and likewise bowed to inquire. "Old man Yu Xiao Tian, though some also call me Black Rain Master. Hmph, in over a century, it's remarkable that you've advanced so far—Han, your cultivation potential is truly exceptional. I've never encountered anyone on the Sacred Island who could compare with you." The elderly man's eyes sparkled with genuine astonishment. "The Sacred Island? Then you're a envoy from the Sacred Island!" This time, Han Li was genuinely taken aback, his voice slightly altered in surprise. "An envoy? That's an honor I'm not entirely comfortable accepting. Yet, I do currently reside on the Sacred Island," Black Rain Master replied with remarkable courtesy. "The fame of the Sacred Island is well-known to me, though I've never had the opportunity to visit and experience it firsthand. When you have time, I would be most grateful if you could share your experiences with me." After a moment of initial astonishment, Han Li's expression softened, and he broke into a warm smile. "Hehe, originally, every thousand years, the Sacred Island would invite newly advanced combined-stage cultivators to visit once, and some even remained on the island to continue their cultivation. If it weren't for this magical calamity breaking out earlier than expected, Brother Han might have already achieved that by now." Black Yu said with a chuckle. "Ah, I see. I never actually heard of this before—quite a source of embarrassment for the two of you." Han nodded, looking somewhat surprised. "It wasn't much of a secret. The Sacred Island used to keep this information confidential from the cultivators who visited, so those below the combined stage were entirely unaware of it." Black Yu explained with a clear understanding. "Brother Han, after our parting, I heard you've been residing near Tianyuan City, and before the magical calamity, you even moved directly to this city. But I'm not sure how things are going in Tianyuan City these days." The monk suddenly interjected, asking Han a couple of questions. "Yes, I'm currently settled in Tianyuan City, serving in a guest-cultivator capacity. As for the condition of Tianyuan City itself, it's not exactly thriving." "Besides Tianyuan City, it seems all the other major outposts have already fallen." Upon hearing the monk's question, Han Li's expression darkened as he replied. "The situation at Tianyuan City is truly dire! Though the outposts there are far fewer in number compared to other regions, they are reportedly well-established and each has a senior cultivator of Consolidated Stage stationed there. How could they have fallen so swiftly?" The monk's face grew pale. "This story is quite lengthy—I'll elaborate on it in detail later. However, as someone of your standing and with your esteemed position, how did you end up here? Would it be convenient to share a few details with Han Li?" After a brief smile of resignation, Han Li's face brightened with genuine curiosity.