After a single phoenix call, a sudden burst of vibrant five-colored light erupted from the shattered jade plaque, instantly enveloping the precious flower. A ripple of spatial disturbance rippled outward, causing the flower's form to blur and nearly vanish into the void. Yet at that very moment, a clear, delicate voice, faintly distant from below, resonated: "Since you've arrived here, there's no need to hurry away." As the words fell, the surface of the water beneath parted, and a translucent figure materialized, shimmering into view. With a thunderous "crash," the delicate flower trembled and was suddenly propelled forward by an irresistible force, its outer layer of five-colored light shattering and extinguishing instantly. The woman, emerging in a blurred form, flew forty or fifty paces before finally steadying herself, yet her face flushed abnormally crimson, and she involuntarily exhaled a globule of fresh, bright blood. She appeared to have been struck directly, her vital energy immediately compromised. This still showed the girl's exceptional cleverness. At the very moment when the immense force of the attacker reached her, she immediately poured all her inner energy into her protective aura. Otherwise, she would not have merely gasped bloodily upon the initial strike—she would have surely perished outright. The others, witnessing this, were naturally stunned. After a moment's gaze, Han Li noticed a small, dark figure standing where the flower had previously been. A young girl, no older than eleven or twelve, was slowly drawing back her small fist, gazing at the assembled great transcendents with a look that was both amused and slightly skeptical. The young girl had a slightly dark complexion, dressed in a plain black fitted robe, with an ordinary appearance. Yet her eyes were entirely gray and white, as if she were born blind. However, a dark, luminous crystal was embedded in her forehead and brows, resembling the crystal left behind after the giant insect in the sky vanished—though this one was even darker and more profound, as though it could absorb all light around it. It was also several times smaller in size. Just now, it was precisely this girl who sent the treasure flower flying with a single punch. As her gaze fixed upon Han Li, a sudden chill surged from the back of his spine, causing his eyes to slightly narrow. The other several cultivators of the Great Stage also felt a sharp sense of alertness as the girl's gray eyes swept over them. Though she had not yet revealed her identity, anyone who could appear in this void and instantly knock out the former Saint Ancestor, Bao Hua, could hardly be anyone else—she must be the true mother of the great pest. As for what that colossal creature that just vanished actually was, no one else seemed to care anymore—everyone remained fixedly focused on the young girl, unable to shift their attention even slightly. After all, not a single person, including Han Li, had clearly seen the punch that sent the precious flower flying. How astonishingly swift and strange the girl’s movements had been! Among the gathered guests, the only one who remained completely expressionless was Crab Dao-ren. Yet, as he silently gazed upward at the young girl in the air, waves of thunder rolled through his body, silver electric arcs spontaneously forming and weaving together to envelop him in a robe of lightning. "A celestial puppet—quite impressive," the girl said, after swiftly glancing over Han Li and the others, finally settling her gaze on Crab Dao-ren, her eyes brightening with interest. "Indeed, I hadn't expected to still encounter such a thing after so many years! You must be the true mother of the true mung-beetle!" "Finally, Bao Hua had dispersed the surge of blood energy in her chest and calmly asked the young girl, her expression still remarkably composed. "Hmph. What do you mean by 'true'? The one you just destroyed was the shell of my body, shed ten thousand years ago—still useful at the time. Now it's ruined by your hands. What do you propose to compensate me for?" The young girl arched an eyebrow, her voice sharp and delicate. "Shell? Then your true form lies beneath the waters. Indeed, a masterstroke of the 'golden cicada shedding its shell'! Yet I never expected you to directly shatter the Great Translocation Technique of the Feng Ling Treasure Disk—this is truly the power of the Celestial Phoenix!" Bao Hua's face flushed slightly before she sighed. "The Feng Ling Treasure Disk! That object which embodies a fragment of the Celestial Phoenix's law! Though a mere inanimate object, capable of manipulating spatial energies, it is truly laughable to see it perform before me." Though I had never faced the True Spirit Heavenly Phoenix directly, I know that the strong members of the Phoenix lineage have consumed no fewer than seven or eight such Phoenix Discs. The young girl gave a dismissive shrug, her tone conveying clear disdain. This remark caused the black-robed woman, who had already quietly secured several other Phoenix Discs in her hands, to feel a sudden chill. Even though she knew the girl's words might not be entirely reliable, she hesitated to make any further moves. Han Li also felt a subtle weight settle upon his heart. However, there were others who did not believe the girl at all—instead, they had chosen to stand far away and placed great confidence in the power of the Phoenix Discs. This man was the red-faced giant. As he suddenly flashed a brilliant gaze, he shook his sleeve, and a Phoenix Disc materialized instantly in his palm, instantly shattering into pieces. A flash of five-colored light waves enveloped him completely, and at the same time, a ripple of spatial disturbance emerged upon his body. The young girl, originally floating in the air, immediately stiffened upon seeing this scene. With barely a movement, her form blurred and surged forward like a shadow. The red-faced man had anticipated this move. With a loud cry, he swiftly slashed his bone blade outward. A thunderous roar shook the heavens and earth, and a massive blade mountain, like a mountain range, instantly engulfed the opposing shadow, tearing it into countless fragments. "Ha! Ha! Ha!" The man laughed heartily, not even checking whether his strike had truly wounded his opponent. Suddenly, a radiant five-color aura condensed over his body, and his form began to blur, preparing to vanish in a seamless teleportation. He certainly had every right to be so joyful! While everyone else had been paralyzed by the mother of the pest's intimidating words and dared not activate the Phoenix Spirit Disc to shift out of this space, only he had accomplished this feat. Indeed, it was likely that only he among them would survive—how could he not feel proud? Then, suddenly, a cry of pain escaped him, and his laughter came to an abrupt halt. With a delicate arm extending downward, the young girl effortlessly passed through the protective aura and her close-fitting battle armor, as if they were mere shadows, materializing with ghostly grace right behind the large man just inches away. Her arm seemed an invincible weapon, and the five-hued radiance of the Feng Ling could not even momentarily obstruct her movement. After a bright, crisp laugh, she swiftly rotated her small palm, and a crimson figure about half a foot tall was easily cradled between her fingers, vigorously shaking her body in an attempt to escape—yet utterly powerless. This was precisely the mature Yuan Ying of the large man, who had cultivated for countless years. Immediately, the girl opened her mouth, and a black line flashed out, striking the large man's body squarely. "Pffft!" The man's form instantly flashed with black light, aging and decaying rapidly, vanishing completely into a stream of fine ash. "No! It's the law of time! Save me, my friends!" When the Han Yuan-Infant saw this scene, his face was filled with sheer terror, and he struggled desperately in the girl's hands, shouting for help furiously. Upon hearing the words "Law of Time," the precious flower was utterly stunned, her expression one of disbelief. The elder and the black-robed woman, who had initially been eager to intervene, exchanged glances and immediately fell into a state of profound fear. In contrast, Han Li was slightly taken aback, his face showing a thoughtful expression. At that moment, the girl fixed her gaze on the small figure in her hand, and as a flash of unusual light passed through her eyes, her face suddenly lit up with eager anticipation. With a swift motion of her arm, she bit through the Han Yuan-Infant right in the middle, and in just a few bites, as if savoring a delicious meal, swallowed the half of it down. The Han Yuan-Infant screamed out in agony and instantly fell unconscious. Though his form gradually regained clarity and returned to its original state, his surface glow dimmed significantly, and his breath became faint and intermittent. Bao Hua's face slightly changed, her arm lifting slightly as if she intended to do something—but it was already too late. After the young girl giggled again, she swiftly moved her arm, and in a single motion, swallowed the large man's Yuan-En into her belly in several quick gulps. With a slight lift of her face and a few quick strokes of her tongue, she revealed a look of lingering satisfaction. This is far stronger than originally anticipated. Not at all—this dreadful creature has only just awakened, yet it has already regained such powerful capabilities. Didn't the sealing spirit expend all its strength to suppress this creature's power? If even the mother of the rice stem-borer, under the pressure of the sealing force, still possesses the ability to effortlessly defeat a true Immortal, how could ancient immortals have truly subdued and sealed her? Han Li, after all, is no ordinary cultivator—he immediately sensed something suspicious. Yet before he could even think of contacting others, a sudden ripple of sound reached his ears, carrying clear words from the precious flower: "Brother Han, the person before you is not the true body of the rice stem-borer's mother, but rather a manifested avatar formed by her spiritual essence. Therefore, only the treasures of Xuan Tian can harm her; all other artifacts find it difficult to inflict any damage." They only have a superficial grasp of the laws of time and can scarcely invoke them—each time they do, their spirit dims instantly. As long as we shield ourselves with the Xuan Tian artifacts, we need not be intimidated by them." "How do you know such detailed information?" Han Li was momentarily stunned and promptly asked in a whispered tone. "It was the spirit of the seal that quietly communicated with me just now. Now that you and I work together to hold the opponent in place, allow the other companions to descend to the water and completely destroy their true form. Once the true form is gone, the remaining spirit of the Míngchóng Mother will no longer pose a threat." "Bao Hua smiled faintly and replied.