A ripple of spatial fluctuation! A soft cough echoed, and as golden light flashed, a figure materialized from afar, staggering slightly. It was Han Li, now restored to his original form after having received the Nirvana Body. Yet at this moment, his complexion was paler than ever, his once-fine green robe tattered and worn, half of his body blackened with faint signs of scorched edges. The arm that had held the Celestial Sword's seal now revealed smooth, clear, pale skin, the once-mid-green spiritual patterns having faded completely, though the delicate green sword scars remained, now even more distinct than before. Han Li's vital energy had diminished by nearly half since earlier—though he had survived the full force of the golden giant crab's attack, his inner essence had been truly severely depleted. Upon seeing this, the middle-aged man in golden robes briefly lost his fierce expression, then clenched his fists tightly, and suddenly vanished without a trace from his original spot. Yet after the second strike, the Golden Giant Crab did not immediately fall into sleep, nor did it move an inch in the air, showing no intention of launching another attack. As Han had just stabilized his stance at a distance, he could not miss the subtle movements of the golden-robed figure. His expression changed instantly, and as he rolled across the ground, he transformed into a five-colored phoenix stretching nearly ten zhang in length. With a flick of its wings, the phoenix's body radiated intense waves of five hues, vanishing into the void in a flash. At that moment, two black magical hands, each the size of a house, burst through the air and struck the space. The impact sent a thunderous roar, causing the surrounding area of a mu to tremble and warp as if the ground had collapsed. Then, black mist surged upward, and a colossal, god-like figure, towering over thirty zhang, materialized nearby. The face of this figure—covered entirely in black scales—was none other than the golden-robed man who had undergone magical transformation. Yet at this moment, he had grown several times taller, covered body and soul in black scales, and a single jade-colored horn had sprouted atop his head, with faint purple lightning pulsing continuously. His appearance was remarkably similar to the one Han Li had undergone during his first nether transformation—so much so that even his aura bore a striking resemblance, with five or six similarities. At the very instant the words had just finished, a flash of five-colored mist above the golden crab revealed the colorful phoenix formed by Han Li, who briefly emerged from the luminous glow and then gradually resumed his human form—though this transformation caused his vital energy to weaken slightly. Yet, upon hearing the words of the magically clad golden-robed figure, his expression remained calm, merely slightly puzzled by the other's transformed appearance, before he slowly said: "Your tone suggests you are one of the very highest-ranking beings in the Demon Realm. Among the Demon Realm's founders, I have never met either Six Extremes or Nirvana. As I've heard, Six Extremes is a woman, while Nirvana is the only one among the founders who has attained the Great Enlightenment stage of the Nirvana Sacred Body. Thus, your identity is now clear. Yet, your cultivation level is only slightly beyond that of a late Consolidation-stage cultivator and still falls short of reaching the Great Enlightenment stage. It seems, then, that you have come only in the form of a manifested avatar." "Hmph. I never expected anyone besides myself to reach the second Nirvana Body stage—especially not a mere Consolidated Immortal. Yet you've been severely wounded by the two strikes of the Sacred Crab. To escape my grasp now is nothing short of delusional. Hand over your life now." The golden-robed figure coldly remarked, showing no emotion. Then, with a low command, a myriad of dark luminescent streaks surged across his body. His form expanded at an astonishing pace, growing into a colossal being towering over a hundred zhang in height within moments. The surrounding void swelled with thick waves of magical energy, surging upward all the way to the heavens. Currently, Han Li's divine awareness remains as strong as ever, still capable of summoning his golden insect hosts and several dozen candidate insects. Moreover, he has yet to fully unleash his golden body and spiritual form, not to mention the leopard-mane beast. He believes that even if the Nirvana Sage, in his current form, fully activates his Nirvana Body, he still holds a fighting chance against the golden giant crab. Thus, Han Li maintains his composure throughout. However, upon glancing downward at the golden giant crab, his mind instantly shifts, and the motion he had originally intended to execute—releasing the beast's ring—pauses. He then suddenly asks, "The Nirvana Sage has offered you the Elixir of Creation as a sacrifice, allowing you to intervene twice. I wonder if, by presenting something of my own, I might also secure one of your interventions." "Of course! Whether it's a celestial or demonic offering, as long as you present what the Sage requires, I will gladly assist you," the golden giant crab replies promptly, without the slightest surprise. Upon hearing this, Han Li is immediately filled with delight. Though he still harbored considerable doubt about whether the green liquid within the mysterious vial was indeed the ancient elixir of celestial creation, under the circumstances, he had no choice but to proceed with the hope that the situation would turn out well. Yet before he could take any action, the golden-robed mage burst into laughter: "Hah! Young one, don't bother! The very things the Sacred Crab requires—how could you possibly find them? I shall take your life right now, so you won't waste your efforts!" With a sudden, powerful shake of one massive sleeve, the mage sent out a sharp crackling sound. Within the sleeve, a deep black glow flickered subtly. At once, a ripple of disturbance spread through the space ten or more zhang ahead of Han Li. A thick, spear-like beam of black light emerged without any prior warning, and in a single flash, it appeared mere feet away—almost touching him. Han Li narrowed his eyes, making no attempt to dodge. Instead, a flash of golden light appeared before him, and a solid, radiant golden figure with three heads and six arms silently materialized in front. As each of the six arms extended and swept forward, sharp, cone-shaped attacks surged toward him. A thunderous roar followed, and a brilliant golden flash erupted before the golden figure, spreading out in a powerful wave of air. The golden figure's six arms trembled and shattered, each arm breaking into fragments. Nevertheless, the dark glow that had been advancing was momentarily halted and rebounded backward. At this moment, Han Li's pupils flashed with a blue luminescence, and he finally made out the true nature of the attack—revealing a black nail about a foot long, only half of it visible. Even after this brief rebound, the half-visible nail immediately surged forward and pierced Han Li with renewed force. The golden figure's surface shimmered, and its six arms reappeared intact, briefly blurring before instantly transforming into a series of layered golden fist-shaped projections. Under the continuous roar, the golden fist shadows coalesced into a golden veil, forcefully pushing the dark claws apart and preventing them from coming within a hair's breadth of Han Li. The magically transformed golden-robed figure was slightly surprised, but soon his expression darkened. With a movement of his fingers in his sleeve, he simultaneously launched the remaining several claws. Seizing this opportunity, Han Li raised one arm and advanced step by step, shouting to the golden giant crab: "Receive the offering!" Suddenly, one of his fingers pressed into his chest and then swiftly retracted. A droplet of emerald hue appeared at the tip of his finger, which, upon a quick shake, transformed into a burst of green light and shot forth. The giant crab's massive eyes narrowed, yet without hesitation, opened its wide mouth and expelled a wave of golden radiance, instantly engulfing the green light and drawing it into its belly. Yet, as soon as the crab tasted the substance within, its slightly narrowed eyes suddenly widened, becoming fully rounded. At that moment, the other several dark fingernails also rushed toward Han Li, roaring past and transforming into cascades of black, sword-like streaks that whirled around him, relentlessly stabbing him. However, after Han Li had expelled the green liquid, he immediately released his pale green spiritual form without hesitation. The spiritual form controlled by Qu'er extended both hands, forming elegant green claw-like shadows that joined Han Li's golden body to defend against the black streaks. Yet, by now, both forms were clearly under pressure. In the distance, the magically transformed golden-robed figure flipped his hand, producing a massive white bone banner with countless skulls embedded in its surface, and was about to wave it. "Act now! Help me eliminate the avatar of the Nirvana Sage!" Although Han Li didn't know the exact nature of this mysterious bone banner, he was certain he wouldn't want to risk it—regardless of whether the green liquid truly met the requirements—so he urgently shouted to the golden giant crab. Instantly, the reassuring hum that eased Han Li's mind reached his ears: "The offering meets the requirements. I can now deliver three strikes." "First strike!" The golden giant crab replied calmly, simultaneously driving both of its massive claws sharply into the void toward the distant, magically clad figure. "Not good!" The once stern, menacing figure of the magically clad being was stunned upon hearing the crab's words and witnessing its actions—his heart now racing with alarm. As one of the few ancient magi who had previously witnessed the true power of the golden crab, he knew well that this seemingly mortal, pseudo-immortal being was far beyond the reach of his mere avatar. Upon seeing the crab's decisive movements, he instantly grew pale, throwing his massive banner forward and then stomping his foot with a thunderous roar, launching himself backward in a powerful surge. Within just a few flashes, he was carried away by a gust of dark wind, reaching several hundred paces away. Almost immediately, as the figure's massive form began to recede, four great beams of golden light erupted like massive blades on either side of the bone banner, flashing briefly before a sharp crack echoed through the air—the great bone banner was instantly severed into several pieces. "Second strike!" Golden Crab watched the scene unfold, his voice still calm and measured, yet as he opened his mouth, a sudden beam of golden light erupted. The beam was thick and misty, as if the size of a water barrel, yet its speed was so swift that Han Li could hardly describe it—just as the crab opened his mouth, the golden light had already reached the golden-robed figure enveloped in black wind, flashing through and piercing him instantly.