Half an hour later, a sudden, resonant roar burst forth in the dense forest near the magical fortress. Instantly, a cascade of emerald light flashed, and over a hundred towering wooden figures—each several tens of feet high—materialized out of the woods, marching swiftly toward the fortress. Following these giants, thousands of wooden beings surged forth, each riding various flying magical devices. Green wooden spears and bows materialized in their hands, and with a simple gesture, countless streams of emerald light shot toward the fortress in dense, relentless waves. As soon as the spears and arrows were released, they instantly swelled to several times their original size. The fortress's protective light shield immediately erupted with countless brilliant flashes and emitted a continuous series of thunderous sounds. At this moment, the hundred giant figures reached the fortress front, raised their hands, and instantly transformed into massive, glowing iron hammers, crashing down in a vigorous barrage against the shield. A series of sharp "crack" sounds echoed through the air! Within moments, the shield trembled violently and began to shatter into fragments. The entire process lasted only a few breaths. It was only then that the ordinary magical beings stationed on the fortress realized what had happened, instantly raising sharp alarm cries that rang out continuously across the ramparts. Black glimmers poured down from the fortress like rain, enveloping the entire wooden race below. A fierce battle erupted immediately before the fortress. As black and emerald lights interwove, they formed a vast, shimmering network in the sky above, constantly humming and flashing. Though the massive wooden figures appeared somewhat clumsy, each one was as solid and resilient as steel—ordinary magical attacks merely left shallow dents or shallow marks, unable to inflict any real damage. Within a short while, they swiftly broke through the ramparts, creating large breaches, and charged forward without hesitation. These wooden figures seemed born with immense strength; as their hands transformed into massive hammers, they swung with powerful force, sending waves of magical beings flying with blood and flesh splattered everywhere. One after another, they led the other wooden figures into the midst of the magical forces. However, this move immediately roused the high-ranking beings among the magical race. With a single roar, one of the high-level magical beings caused several deep, resonant growls to echo from the massive structures within the fortress. A dozen or so rhinoceros beasts, each stretching dozens of meters in length, surged forth. As their eyes blazed with intensity, the moment they opened their mouths, cascades of bright, misty light columns erupted and vanished in a flash, striking the wooden giants. Instantly, several of the wooden figures staggered, nearly falling to the ground. Where the light columns struck, distinct scorched holes appeared. At the very next moment, the other wooden giants charged forward, fists clenched, rushing toward the colossal beasts. The mighty creatures did not hesitate either—lowering their heads, they surged forward like a powerful gust of wind, instantly engaging in a fierce melee with over a hundred wooden giants. Amid the thunderous roars, the two forces proved momentarily evenly matched. At the same time, high in the sky, thousands of feet above the ground, an elder of the Wood race and a middle-aged couple were facing off against four armored magicians of the Magic race. "Hmph. I always thought you'd grown bolder—turns out you've summoned reinforcements. That's well, then. If we can eliminate this old man, there'll be no higher-ranked Wood race members left nearby." A high-level Magic warrior, with a dense coat of black, coarse hair resembling that of a giant bear, scanned the elder with a steady gaze and, instead of showing alarm, spoke with a fierce, grim expression. Upon hearing this, the couple from the Wood race slightly paler in complexion, but the elder remained calm and composed, responding quietly: "With just four of you at the stage of Huashen? Your confidence is rather overbearing. Let me see just how much power you truly possess." And what of the four of you? A tremendous roar echoed, and as the space rippled, a figure in black robes materialized between the four high-ranking magical beings, coldly gazing across at the others. A man with a stern countenance and two horns rising from his head, his triangular eyes radiating a subtle cruelty. Upon the elder of the wooden race scanning the newcomer with his spiritual awareness, he immediately felt his heart sink. This newly arrived high-ranking magical being was not only a late-stage Transcendent Realm cultivator, but actually two stages beyond his own initial Transcendent Realm level—his odds of victory were slim. Though the couple from the wooden race could not discern the precise cultivation level of the magical man, they could clearly sense that his aura was stronger than their elder's, causing their faces to grow visibly strained. "Lord Inspector, it is truly fortunate that you have arrived at our location. Otherwise, we would indeed face serious difficulties. These wooden race individuals are the leaders of the local resistance forces. We would be deeply grateful if you could lend us your assistance." The bear-like demon bowed respectfully to the robe-clad man and said, "Heh, just these three? With such a level of cultivation, I could have wiped them out with just one hand. Rest assured—since I've encountered them, they won't be escaping again." The man with two horns laughed loudly, his face filled with disdain. "Ladies and gentlemen, things aren't going well! I'll hold this old demon firmly while you immediately lead the others back. As many as you can manage, that's all!" The elder of the wood race took a deep breath, forcing down his growing alarm, and quickly transmitted a message to the couple. "Master Bamboo, don't fight this old demon head-on. When the chance arises, you must also withdraw." Upon hearing this, the couple were struck with sudden concern. The man hurried to relay a message as well. The elder nodded solemnly, saying nothing further. Instead, he waved his sleeves, and from them shot out fifteen pale green wooden spheres. With a single flick, they transformed into dense clusters of shimmering green light, rushing toward the opposite side and enveloping all five of the demons. "You're all dead!" The magus in the soot-colored robe grew cold, shouting fiercely. His horns suddenly burst with intense red light, and countless crimson threads erupted from them, each striking precisely at every green light cluster, piercing through instantly before vanishing. Yet before the magus could smile, a sharp, porcelain-shattering crack rang out! All the green light clusters burst simultaneously, radiating an intensely bright spiritual glow. For a moment, the five demons—including the soot-colored one—felt a sharp pain in their eyes and instinctively closed them. Seizing the opportunity, the two wood-dwelling figures blurred slightly in the vision, then swiftly transformed into two streaks of jade-green light, shooting backward. At the same time, two distinct, contrasting long howls—one firm, one gentle—emanated from their mouths. The five demons lost their composure for no more than a moment—within a brief while, they swiftly regained their normal state. Seeing this clear and natural display, all of them were furious. "I will shatter you into a thousand pieces, extract your soul, and refine your essence. You four go after those two and bring them back. This old man shall be handled personally by me." With a roar, the man in the soot-colored robe clenched his hands, and black magical energy surged forth from his body, swirling and coalescing slightly before forming a dim, dual-headed demonic form. Though the form was hazy and indistinct, barely revealing its general shape, it emitted a strange, resonant hum and then charged fiercely toward the elderly man across the way. The elder from the Wood Clan remained remarkably composed, opening his mouth to emit several streams of golden, bamboo-like swordlight, weaving them into a solid shield that protected him thoroughly. He maintained a calm demeanor, content simply to avoid any harm. Though the demonic form was fierce and relentless, it gained the upper hand immediately upon contact with the swordlight and could not swiftly penetrate it to strike and kill the elder. Additionally, four more immortal-level demonic beings, after a brief hesitation and exchanging glances, transformed into swirling gusts of black wind and swiftly pursued the two streaks of emerald light that were receding. At the same time, the numerous wood-people engaged in fierce attacks below heard two long, resonant cries. Initially, they were startled, but then immediately changed their flight direction without hesitation, turning and retreating backward. Yet this time, the demons were unwilling to let these wood-people go easily. They roared in unison, surged out of the fortress, and pursued the wood-people in a dense, dark wave. The hundred or so towering wooden figures were now trapped by the massive demonic rhinoceroses and could not free themselves at all. The fortress both inside and outside became chaotic. No one noticed that, as the scene below turned into a whirlwind of activity, a faint green silhouette flashed briefly at the "node" high above the ten-thousand-foot level, then settled into stillness and revealed its true form. It was Han Li, having employed the technique of concealment and evasiveness. This node was enveloped in a layer of dark magical aura, with over a hundred magi armed with spears stationed on several war vessels along the edge of the aura, maintaining a steadfast watch. Clearly far more numerous than the elite magi stationed below the fortress, they showed no reaction to the great battle unfolding beneath, remaining immobile and solemn. Now, upon seeing a stranger suddenly appear before them, the magi were naturally startled. Yet before they could react or take any action, Han Li merely shook his sleeve, and dozens of small, jade-green swords surged forth, swiftly dissolving into hundreds of silvery streaks that vanished into the void. In an instant, the magi and their war chariots were torn apart and reduced to fragments by the green sword filaments. Then, Han Li suddenly opened his mouth, spitting out a burst of silver flame that immediately burst into a thousand scattered silver blossoms, shooting out into the sky. The magi and the remnants of the war chariots, upon touching these silver flames, instantly vanished with a series of soft "pffts" as if absorbed into the air itself. Han Li then raised one hand and chanted a spell, causing layers of five-colored gray mist to emerge from his body. With a single movement, he flashed forward and directly plunged into the surging waves of magical energy. Strange as it seemed, the magical energy—appearing to be some kind of seal—flickered and dispersed upon contact with the gray glow on Han Li's body. In moments, he had pierced straight through the magical haze, revealing a massive magical node of about an acre in size before him. The node was dark and constantly emitted waves of magical energy that surged forth in clusters. Observing this scene, Han Li's expression grew serious for the first time, yet after a brief thought, he suddenly clenched his teeth and struck his body with a single palm. Black energy rippled across his surface, and an ancient, rustic magical armor instantly materialized upon him. Under the power of his incantation, countless black runes surged from the armor, fully enveloping his form. Then, Han Li rolled suddenly to the ground, and radiant light burst forth from his body, transforming him into a magnificent celestial phoenix adorned with five-colored long plumes. The Tianfeng radiated an aura of unparalleled dignity. As its wings flashed, the surrounding void gently rippled, and the black wind rushing toward it instantly dispersed and vanished. With a single movement, the massive Tianfeng plunged directly into the immense black hole.