The higher-order beings nearby heard the sound and were immediately struck with alarm, exchanging glances before most of them swiftly retreated. A few beings from the two clans showed slight hesitation, yet under the stern pressure of the silver-haired elder and others, they too found themselves embarrassed and eventually made their way back. "Hmph. These fellows have evidently decided to vie with Master Han for the Primordial Qi at this very moment—what a display of self-interest!" remarked the silver-haired elder, snorting with disdain. "It's no surprise. Master Han has successfully advanced to the late stage of his cultivation, and the Primordial Qi drawn from his renewed spiritual essence must surely be the purest and most refined energy in this realm. If they quietly absorb a portion of it, they would surely gain significant benefits." said the Golden Yü Zen Master with a light chuckle. "Yet, such a move might slightly affect the outcome of Master Han's spiritual renewal, even if the impact is minimal. Still, I don't wish for Master Han to feel any dissatisfaction at all." The silver-haired elder gazed toward the vast, ethereal form in the distance, speaking slowly, his eyes still reflecting an exceedingly complex expression. "Indeed. Consider this: if Master Han had made any mistake during the process of reconstituting his immortal essence, how could he have allowed these opportunists to slip through the cracks? Nevertheless, regardless of the circumstances, Master Han's successful advancement to the late Consolidation stage is a truly momentous event for our city. Even now, I find myself still half-dreaming. Though I had some confidence in him, I never expected him to successfully navigate such a formidable celestial calamity so smoothly." Master Jin sighed lightly in reply. "Master Han has progressed from the early Consolidation stage to the late stage in merely a few centuries. In comparison, I find myself already feeling as though I've lived to see a dog's lifespan. Perhaps one day, he will truly become another great Master of the Final Stage in our lineage!" The silver-haired elder gently stroked his beard with one hand, his expression growing increasingly serious. "Indeed, such extraordinary talent is not unprecedented. However, while advancing to the late Consolidation stage is already an exceedingly difficult feat, it cannot be compared in difficulty to reaching the Great Perfection stage. Brother Han can only say that there is a slim possibility of achieving that." After a moment's thoughtful pause, Master Jin Yue spoke with solemnity. "This is entirely natural. As long as there is even a slim chance, there remains the possibility of attaining true immortality and becoming a flying immortal. Yet we have long since given up on this path, merely waiting passively for our final fate to unfold." The silver-haired elder's expression dimmed slightly. "Brother Gu, there's no need to be so concerned about this matter. Since ancient times, only a few members of the human race have reached the Great Perfection stage. The very fact that we have someone as accomplished as Master Mo Jianli among us in our generation is already a great blessing." Master Jin Yue replied softly, reciting a prayer. "Hehe, I never thought Master would have such profound insight." But this argument holds merit. Even upon attaining the advanced stage of the Mahayana path, there remains the final hurdle of ascending to immortality. It's said that occasionally, some exceptional figures among the foreign tribes manage to achieve this rare feat by sheer luck, yet among our own two clans, there is no recorded instance of any elder having successfully ascended. Truly, to transform into a celestial being and ascend to the heavens is no easy matter!" The silver-haired elder glanced sideways at the monk, chuckling. "As for the several elders from our two clans who have reached the stage of enduring the celestial trials and ascending, most have quietly vanished from the records, unwilling to let outsiders witness their trials. Perhaps there truly are one or two elders who survived the heavenly calamities and actually succeeded in ascending." Master Jin Yue spoke with a touch of hopeful optimism. "Perhaps that's true. Still, whether it's genuine or not, this matter offers no practical benefit to the current situation of our city. At this point, we should both make haste to depart. Otherwise, should Brother Han misunderstand our intentions, we may find ourselves in trouble. The silver-haired elder nodded indifferently, then glanced again at the vast ethereal form far off, now stretching to three thousand zhang in height, and was struck once more with a sense of astonishment. Master Jin Yue naturally did not object, and at once the two of them ascended into the air, transforming into two streaks of brilliant light, shooting backward at great speed. The immense ethereal form continued to gather celestial and terrestrial qi from all around, its influence spreading ever wider, nearly siphoning the very qi of the entire Tianyuan City as if through a funnel. Eventually, it swelled to five thousand zhang in height, and every resident of the two clans within the city could clearly see the towering form from afar, each reacting with awe and agitation in their own way. Not only could the human and spirit clans within the city clearly perceive the ethereal form of Han Li’s immortal essence, but even some nearby magical clans’ fortresses and towering citadels, situated closer to the city, could faintly discern the blurred outline of the form and distinctly feel the powerful surges of celestial and terrestrial qi emanating from Tianyuan City. Within one of the tallest magical tower, a slender young man dressed in a robe of blood stood by the window, gazing toward the direction of Tianyuan City, his eyes flashing with blood-like luminescence. "This aura... yes, it's definitely someone who has reached the late consolidation stage. Hmph, this is somewhat troublesome. The aura is so vast—it seems not a mere late consolidation stage being. It appears we'll need to assign a special envoy to handle this individual before the upcoming grand assault." The young man murmured after observing for a while, his eyes narrowing. He was none other than the final incarnation of the Blood-Light Saint Ancestor, the supreme commander of the magical realm's entire army of demons. "Blood-Light? What's so remarkable about a mere late consolidation stage being? If you're at ease, I'll take care of it. Hehe—after all, you summoned me all the way from afar, didn't you? Just so I could resolve a few of your troubles." At a stone bench not far from the window, a man with half his arm missing, wrapped in a silver animal hide around his waist, gripped a blood-soaked wild beast, biting into it with large, hesitant mouthfuls, speaking somewhat indistinctly. Though his face was decently composed, his body was thick with muscle, his skin a bright bronze, as if forged from steel, and he exuded a chilling, fierce aura that made one feel uneasy. "Indeed, this matter need not be handled by Brother Heng. I've summoned you specifically to deal with another more pressing challenge. Though I'm not certain whether he has yet returned to Tianyuan City—should he not be there, then this late-stage fusion-level being can be entrusted to Brother Heng without delay." The blood-robed youth gathered his gaze and turned, speaking calmly. The man, though only at late fusion stage, seemed unusually wary of the bloodlight, treating him with the respect of a peer. "Ah, this clearly a remarkable late-fusion being—yet you have no intention of assigning me to handle him?" "Are you suggesting the one I'm supposed to face is even more difficult than this man?" The large man's eyes flashed with sharp intensity, speaking with a touch of surprise. "Indeed, I believe he should be more challenging than the one currently at the initial stage. I'm not entirely certain, but I do know that my three incarnations have pursued him twice. The first attempt ended in failure, while the second time, he vanished completely—only to meet his demise unexpectedly, both of them vanishing simultaneously." Bloodlight furrowed his brows. "Wait a moment—such a thing? You just mentioned this, and now I recall: earlier, I did hear from other colleagues that you had simultaneously manifested three incarnations. Yet, how could three such powerful forms have been defeated here in this realm? Could it be that the one you're sending me is a senior cultivator from either the Human or the Demon-Fauna lineage?" The large man lost all interest in his meal, suddenly setting down the half-eaten beast leg he had been chewing on, his expression now serious and focused. "Heh, Brother Heng, don't worry. Even if I decide to have you confront a being from the Great Perfection stage, it will only be after you yourself have reached that stage. What I have assigned you is a mid-stage Consolidation-level cultivator from the Human race. This individual possesses truly remarkable abilities—most Consolidation late-stage cultivators are far from his match. My three incarnations have likely all perished at his hands. Brother Hung, who claims to be the first Magus beneath the Sage Ancestors of our Saint Clan, is precisely the ideal choice to face him. "The Sage of Bloodlight said slowly. "You're overestimating him. If he's capable of simultaneously eliminating my three incarnations, then even if his strength falls short of mine, it's still quite close. The compensation for my involvement must be doubled. Otherwise, I won't step in." The tall man stroked his broad chin thoughtfully, then declared without hesitation, "Agreed. But all of his possessions must be handed over to me." The Sage of Bloodlight nodded without blinking, immediately accepting the request. "It seems this Human cultivator either carries great treasures or possesses something you urgently need." Otherwise, he would never have agreed so readily. Well then, the original compensation was already quite generous; now doubling it, no matter how precious the treasures, Hung would surely not covet them. Thus it is settled. I shall see just how formidable the human cultivator is who can defeat your three incarnations. I believe this battle will allow me to truly enjoy myself. Indeed, I hope this day will come sooner. "How much spiritual energy has been lost here? Hung doesn't even need to rest. Now that you're all settled, I'll go around and see what I can do to pass the time! This is the Spirit Realm—won't you holy ancestors just keep restricting my movements after all these years?" The tall man suddenly grew stern, his expression charged with intensity. "Of course. As guests from a foreign land, we naturally have no restrictions. Brother Hung, please feel free to enjoy yourself at your leisure." The Blood-Light Saint's face slightly tightened, but quickly composed himself with a warm, easy smile. Upon hearing this, the tall man burst into loud laughter, rose immediately, and strode out of the room without so much as a word of farewell. The Blood-Light Saint watched the doorway where the man had disappeared, shook his head slightly, and a touch of resignation settled upon his face.