This tall figure was wrapped in swirling silver electric light. Once he steadied himself within the thunder array and lifted his head, he revealed a middle-aged man with a full head of red hair and a beard stretching down to his jaw. His face was square, yet his nose was unusually broad and curved, like an eagle's beak, and behind him rose a pair of crimson feathered wings that gently fluttered, causing sparks of electric light to crackle and burst across their surface—exactly as if he were the personification of the Thunder God. Yet despite his imposing appearance, the man now appeared pale, his silver robe scorched and blackened in several places, one long sleeve torn completely from shoulder to arm, exposing a stark, raw arm. Though he was a cultivator at the early stage of fusion, he looked even more disheveled than Han Li. As soon as he appeared, he turned back repeatedly, his face filled with growing alarm. "It can't be him! How did he end up here?" At that distance, Han Li naturally could make out the features of the tall man clearly, and upon being startled, he suddenly gasped aloud. The man, as if he had just heard Han Li's gasp, instantly turned around, his eyes shining with brilliance, fixed upon Han Li's direction. As soon as he saw Han Li's face on the flying carriage, his expression grew strangely puzzled. Han Li's face had changed several times before he suddenly recalled something, a hint of excitement spreading across his lips. At that moment, he stood up from the carriage and moved with a ghostly grace, appearing behind the spirit puppet. With a soft "snap," Han Li lightly tapped the shoulder of the white-robed woman, and the spirit puppet dissolved into a shimmering glow, vanishing into the sleeve of his robe. Then, a flash of light emanated from Han Li's feet, instantly increasing the speed of the flying carriage severalfold. In a few swift movements, he materialized in the void, only a hundred paces away from the tall man. "Han Li! It's you!" "How have you ended up here in such a disheveled state?" The large man swept a surge of spiritual awareness over Han Li, his brow furrowing as he asked loudly. His voice was low and resonant, clearly indicating he recognized Han Li as well. Lei brother, given your mastery over the Thunder Array, you must be quite startled—aren't you also being pursued by a being of Great Stage rank? Han Li arched an eyebrow, openly admitting it and adding a question. "Heh, looks like we truly are two of a kind, caught in similar straits. But who exactly is chasing you? Recently, I've noticed a sudden surge in the number of Great Stage beings—why has this happened so abruptly?" The large man yawned, expressing curiosity. "You're clearly probing me with this, aren't you? Our human clans, along with several neighboring ones, have already been engulfed in the great magical calamity. The only ones pursuing me are the ancient demons, naturally! Didn't you know this?" Han Li was momentarily stunned, sounding somewhat puzzled. "A magical calamity? Are you saying the ancient demon patriarchs are the ones chasing you? I just recently emerged from a period of seclusion at a nearby location—how could I possibly have heard of this?" This time, it was the large man who gasped in surprise, drawing in a sharp breath. "Just emerged from seclusion—now that makes perfect sense." The magical calamity has been unfolding for some time now, and several incarnations of the Magian Sage-Founder are hunting me down. Each of them possesses formidable powers at the late Consolidation stage, and together, they leave me with no choice but to flee. Is the one following Lei Brother also an incarnation of the Ancient Magian Sage-Founder?" Han Li's expression of surprise settled as he asked with genuine curiosity. "Whether or not they are indeed incarnations of the Magian Sage-Founder, I cannot say. However, they certainly command highly refined True Magian Qi. One of them even has a cultivation technique capable of countering my Five-Thunder Body. As for the other, I still haven't been able to discern their level of cultivation—perhaps they are indeed an incarnation of one of the Ancient Magians' Sage-Founders." The large man remained vague, offering only these few words. Han Li furrowed his brows slightly, but soon relaxed. This Lei Yunzi, whom he once knew among the foreign clans, clearly had something concealed, yet at this very moment, naturally had no desire to press for further details. Instead, after a brief pause, he said to the other: "Meeting you today is truly fortunate for me, Liang. Do you remember the kind of lightning array I introduced to you back then? If we join forces—..." "You're referring to the dual-lightning array, and I've completely forgotten about it! Hah! Now, I see a real chance to escape." Lei Yunzi's eyes lit up, and he seemed genuinely delighted. "Master, since you're certain now, let's move quickly—ah! Where is this fragrance coming from?" Liang smiled warmly and, as he continued speaking lightly, suddenly paused, took a deep sniff, and then his face turned pale. "By the way, those two have caught up! Master, come quickly—I'll take care of you first and get you out of the way." Lei Yunzi's complexion grew pale, and he immediately shouted. Han Li was startled upon hearing this and, without pausing to seek the source of the mysterious fragrance, swiftly planted his single foot firmly onto the flying chariot, instantly shooting forth like a streak of jade-green light. In two swift flashes, he materialized beside the Han man. With a swift motion of his sleeve downward, the flying chariot dissolved into a sphere of luminous energy and seamlessly merged into his body. The flowering tree merely swayed slightly at a height, and instantly countless massive pink blossoms fell like leaves, cascading downward. With a single flick, they merged into a rolling wave of pink light that surged downward. Strange as it may seem, though this pink glow appeared to move slowly, it swiftly spanned hundreds of feet with a single ripple. By the time it reached the position directly above Lei Zheng, he had already shouted, "Too late! Get out of the way!" The radiant pink glow was breathtaking—so beautiful and refreshing that it instantly uplifted the spirit. Yet upon seeing it, the sturdy man paled instantly, his face turning ashen, and cried out in alarm, even neglecting the nearly completed lightning array. With a sudden flap of his wings, he launched himself into a streak of electric arc, bursting out from the array. In a single flash, he vanished into the void. Although Han Li had never seen such a pink flowering tree before, the reaction of Lei Yunzi immediately struck him with a sense of urgency. Without hesitation, he gave his shoulder a gentle shake, his form blurring slightly, and likewise transformed into a strand of silvery-white light, shooting out from the lightning array. Beneath the faintly shimmering strands of azure and clear light, a single flicker sent the light spanning over two hundred paces, materializing in another expanse of empty space. Under the sweeping wave of pinkish light, the electric arcs of the massive thunder array flickered and vanished one after another. Within just one breath, the entire thunder array was reduced to ash in a cascade of radiant flashes! It seemed that the pink glow possessed a special ability to neutralize the power of lightning. As the azure and clear light faded, Han Li reappeared, then turned to gaze at the scene—his breath caught in his throat. "Li Brother, is it possible..." he asked, startled at the sight. "Yes, my pursuing forces have arrived. These two have been gaining on me in speed—steadily." The man from the thunder cloud, facing the opposite direction, maintained a serious expression, managing only a faint smile. Han Li, upon hearing this, felt his inner anxiety grow even stronger. With a steady effort, he gathered his composure and once again focused his attention on the ethereal image of the flowering tree. Yet besides the phantom of the flowering tree, the space around remained empty and profoundly still, with nothing else appearing. Neither Lei Yunzi nor Han Li, being no ordinary cultivators, were easily deceived by such a simple ruse. Far from making any hasty moves, they simply remained in place, silent and motionless. "Ha ha, this time, you've finally decided not to flee? Perhaps you've already resolved to surrender and hand over that thing." As soon as the words left his lips, the space near the bouquet trembled slightly, and a hulking, awkward man in a black robe suddenly materialized, his gaze sweeping across the area with a quick turn of his neck—and immediately spotted Lei Yunzi and Han Li. "Hmm, there are others here too. Who are you?" The man's eyes flashed with intensity, and he barked out a fierce question. "Exactly this person who chased you to the edge!" Han Li's expression brightened as he turned to Lei Yunzi. "Of course not. Besides him, there are still…" "Of course, there's also I!" A soft female voice suddenly echoed from above the ethereal image of the flowering tree. Then, the pink glow on the surface of the tree flashed wildly, and with a loud burst, the tree shattered into fragments. A strong wind swept through, dispersing the ethereal image into scattered beams of light. Yet, as the air rippled at the spot, a young woman in bare feet and a white dress suddenly materialized there. (This chapter has been revised multiple times, as we've carefully deliberated over the plot structure for a long time, resulting in a delayed update. We sincerely apologize for the delay.)