"The lightning here is so fierce, forming a vast sea of thunder and lightning, clearly closely related to the magical crystal automaton floating in the sky. I wonder whether this sea of lightning will activate any seals upon its body. This automaton exudes such a formidable presence, nearly on par with a true spirit being. As long as even a fraction of its seal's power remains, our passage through this sea of lightning will surely come with considerable risks." Han Li spoke slowly. "The perilous area near the island mentioned by the elder of the Spirit Clan is clearly this sea of lightning and the automaton itself. If there were any clever alternative routes, they would surely have offered guidance. Since there isn't, we must proceed by sheer daring. Though we may not match the level of a Master of the Fifth Stage, working together as a united force, we believe we can successfully navigate this region. However, some damage to our vital energies will likely be unavoidable." The elder of the Long family pondered, then said gravely. "Having arrived here, there's no further reason to hesitate." All of you, prepare yourselves—we’re about to break through this sea of thunder right away,” the Thousand-Season Princess nodded, her expression growing serious. Naturally, none of the others objected. Immediately, the group began bustling about on the spiritual vessel, activating spell arrays or energizing their treasures. What struck one as even more surprising was that, though the two massive stone puppets appeared somewhat weathered from a distance, merely standing at either end of the platform, they exuded a raw, ancient aura of ruggedness and time-worn grandeur, creating an overwhelmingly oppressive sensation. These were precisely the two ancient puppets from Long Family's elder ancestor! "Ah, so that's why—only usable once. Truly a pity." The maiden finally understood. "At the same time, Han Li activated the banners he had arranged on the great vessel. Black qi surged forth from the banners, forming thick black chains as wide as large bowls. These chains densely interwove and shot upward, weaving together into a vast protective net that fully encircled the great vessel. At the front of the spiritual vessel, the Immortal Princess raised a silver jade plaque in one hand, directing it toward the eight cold-water rhinoceroses in the sea, and chanted softly. With a few 'pffft' sounds, eight sprays of silver light burst from the plaque, vanishing instantly into the bodies of the rhinoceroses. The sea water in front of the vessel surged and rippled. On each of the eight giant rhinoceroses, a gleaming silver armor appeared, fitting perfectly against their bodies—neither too large nor too small, as if crafted specifically for these sea creatures. As soon as the rhinoceroses donned the armor, they emitted joyful, long-horned trumpets, their breaths noticeably strengthened by nearly half." "Hoofed armor?" The elder Hui, nearby, murmured under his breath, his face briefly expressing amazement. By name, hoofed armor is specifically crafted for certain spiritual beasts. Unlike ordinary human battle armor, these armor pieces not only offer exceptional defense but also temporarily unlock and amplify the spiritual beasts' latent potential, significantly boosting their strength. However, such armor is only tailored for specific types of spiritual beasts and requires a unique, secret technique known only to the spiritual race—making it rare outside of their domain. Elder Hui had never seen it in person before, and witnessing these eight cold-water rhinoceroses' power surge so dramatically filled him with enthusiasm. At this moment, Elder Long was also actively engaged, launching a small crimson parasol into the air and casting a series of spells to transform it into a radiant, blood-churning sphere, which then shot upward. Within a short while, all the participants had completed their incantations. At the very instant the thousand-year-saint maiden urged the eight rhinoceroses of cold water, the great vessel shot forward like a crossbow bolt, racing toward the distant Sea of Thunder. Han Li stood by the side of the vessel, his eyes slightly narrowed, gazing steadily at the Sea of Lightning that was rapidly approaching. His face remained utterly calm. ...On an island in the midst of the stormy sea, a white-clad woman seated by a lush, emerald pond had a delicate pink pattern shimmering across her brow. Instantly, her eyes—like stars—opened wide, and a gentle, faint smile spread across her face. This smile was enough to make the flowers themselves blush. Behind her, a stout, unattractive man clad in black armor watched the smile and was momentarily stunned. When he regained his composure, the white-clad woman had already vanished without a trace by the pond's edge. "Heh, looks like they've finally arrived," the man murmured, his fierce expression now evident. With a swift movement, he stepped forward and hurried off in a determined direction. ...On a colossal island, perpetually shrouded in black mist, far away from the Lei Sea, atop a towering peak that nearly rises into the clouds, a young black-robed youth stands before a modest patch of cultivated land, intently observing a translucent, deep-purple medicinal herb. His expression is deeply concentrated. Though the herb shop is no larger than several dozen feet, it is surrounded by a low, stone wall composed of blocks of purple-golden crystals. The soil within the herb patch consists of fine, pearl-like crystalline grains, each plump and exuding a distinct, fragrant aroma. In adjacent fields, other unidentified medicinal herbs are grown. Nearby, tall, peculiar plants—reaching several feet in height—stand upright, resembling blades of sword or spear, each bearing a slender, blood-red fruit at its tip, several inches long and sharply pointed. These are precisely the blood-tooth millet that Han Li had seen once before. Yet the one he had seen was only half a foot long, clearly less aromatic and less full-bodied than the ones before him. To ordinary magical beings, these rare and precious essences now seemed ordinary, casually planted throughout the fields, dividing them into haphazard patches. In most of the other fields, a variety of herbs—dozens, even scores—were grown together. Only in the small field before the young man in black robes stood a single, solitary purple-red herb. This herb, barely five or six inches long, had neither bloomed nor borne fruit, with only five or six slender leaves, appearing only slightly translucent—nothing particularly special about it. Yet the young man in black robes fixed his gaze on it without blinking, as if all his concentration were focused entirely upon it. Suddenly, a glow of black light surged from one of his wrists, and then a clear, dark symbol emerged on his skin. The young man in black robes continued to fix his gaze on the medicinal herb before him, completely ignoring the odd sensation in his wrist. After a long while, the deep purple herb suddenly emitted a soft "pffft," spreading a golden-yellow glow, and its leaves rapidly transformed into a pale silver hue, visible to the naked eye. Upon witnessing this, a look of satisfaction briefly flashed across the young man's face. Yet, at the very next moment, the purple herb suddenly trembled, withering and shrinking instantly, until it finally vanished into a thin gray mist. "How is this possible? Another failure! What went wrong? Was the cultivation period of the medicinal seed too short? Or perhaps the purity of the Galactic Heavenly Dust I used insufficient?" His expression twisted in dismay. With a low roar, he suddenly stood up and struck the field before him with a sudden, forceful motion, sending a dark, luminous sphere hurtling forward. A tremendous roar echoed, shaking the entire mountain peak. At the very instant of contact with the light sphere, Tian Pu instantly vanished silently, leaving behind a perfectly black, deep abyss on the ground, its edges smooth and unbroken, extending indistinctly all the way to the mountain peaks. It took the black-robed youth a while to regain his composure before he lifted his wrist and glanced at the black symbol that had appeared above. "Hmph. Another one has dared to breach the Kuling Island. Probably yet another impetuous soul from the Spirit Realm! Well, let them bear the wrath of my primordial ancestor then." The youth muttered with a cold smile, then suddenly shook his sleeve. Instantly, a cascade of black light surged before him, and a three-headed black dragon, over a hundred zhang long, materialized in the space before him. Bright red eyes, blood-clawed, spewing black flames. "Then let's go to Kuling Island!" With a brief blur of his form, the youth materialized on the body of the three-headed dragon and issued a cold command. Three black dragon forms, each with its own head, emitted low roars. As their four limbs rose, black clouds bloomed, and the massive bodies immediately lifted into the air. After a graceful spiral in the sky, they surged forward, heading directly toward the Thunder Sea.