The woman wore a short green robe, slender and graceful in form, with an especially enchanting face. Her arms, revealed on either side, were as smooth and pale as lotus stems, shimmering with golden light and adorned with several golden-tinged, arrow-shaped talismans, each about an inch long. Yet her eyes, fixed upon the group of fish-like creatures before her, carried a faint, half-smiling, half-ironic expression. Each of the fish creatures, seemingly in prime condition, hovered a few feet above the ground, surrounding the woman in a threatening circle, though their faces betrayed clear fear. "You may choose to surrender your two clan members willingly, or I shall have to act myself," she said, her voice calm yet chilling. "Were it not for the value you hold for our clan, I would have already eliminated you all. It is only because of that that you are still allowed to thrive and reproduce in this dry, fiery land." "Never in our favor—never—will we surrender our kin!" A tall male fish-like creature, whose face bore far less fear than the others, stammered in human speech, his voice breaking as he roared. The male fish monster at the forefront frowned, then roared again. With a flash of red light across their bodies, they all shot swiftly downward into the molten lake—some raising their weapons, others vigorously swinging their arms. Immediately, the molten rock beneath surged and churned, sending out waves of blazing red glows that swiftly sank into the bodies of the fish monsters. The male and female fish monsters instantly burst with fiery light, their forms swelling to several tens of feet in length, most radiating the aura of a Dao Immortal stage. The leading male fish monster even reached the initial stage of Transcendent Immortality. "It seems you've truly forgotten your wounds once healed. Aside from this mere fire-bathing technique, what other means do you possess? Very well, then—let me give you a proper, thorough lesson." The young woman, instead of being startled, let out a light, cheerful laugh, twisting her waist and gliding smoothly—before suddenly materializing at the center of the group of men, women, and fish-like creatures. Without any visible movement, a sudden flash of light surged across her body, and countless crystalline filaments shot out at an astonishing speed. With her small mouth open, she expelled two streams of crystalline filaments. After a flash, they pierced through the two hearts, and then, as she curled them back, she immediately swallowed them whole. "The flavor remains as fresh and delightful as ever—truly, I can never get enough of it. Alas, your empty-fish lineage has grown rather sparse. To avoid waste, I shall use these two as offerings this time. But while their deaths may be spared, their lives will not be forgiven!" The young woman gently licked the remaining blood from her lips, her face radiating a serene enjoyment of the meal, yet her tone grew steadily more stern. Suddenly, she opened her mouth again, spewing out a cluster of blue light, and with one hand, seized it firmly. As the light faded, a long, pale blue whip emerged in her hand, its surface densely covered with luminous, sharp spines. A flicker of malice crossed her face, and with a swift wrist motion, she sent the whip out, transforming it into countless spectral strands that swept over the living fish monsters. "Crack! Crack!" the sound resonated loudly. It was unclear what material the lash was forged from, yet it seemed particularly effective against these merfolk—just a single strike was enough to disperse their protective glow and leave deep gashes. Instantly, a chorus of groans and low cries erupted across the molten rock. The male merfolk leader, struck most frequently, had initially managed to glare defiantly at the young woman, but after sustained blows, could only clutch his head and writhe in pain. The others were similarly battered, their bodies streaked with blood, their skin utterly ravaged. Only then did the young woman pause, drawing the lash back and chuckling softly. "This beating should serve as a lesson—make you all behave and remain quiet for a while. If you're wise, produce more of your kind. Even if some must be offered as sacrifices, your people will still grow stronger." Then, our matriarch would be most pleased, and might very well bestow some favors upon you. Should your entire family still consist only of these members next time, a single whipping wouldn’t be enough to settle matters." With remarkable ease, the woman delivered this threat and then turned her attention no longer to the other fish monsters, but instead opened her mouth again, spitting out a translucent, bubble-like substance. As it expanded, it enveloped the two lifeless female fish corpses, and then she gently touched her finger to it. Instantly, the bubble—and the bodies within—shrank dramatically, and the young woman drew them in with a single breath, reabsorbing them completely into her body. Amidst the other fish monsters’ venomous glares, she moved with grace, transforming into a shimmering beam of white light, swiftly gliding through the air. After a few swift movements, she vanished into the nearby stone wall, leaving no trace. Not long afterward, the fish monsters, now crestfallen, rose up, supporting one another, and after a brief consultation, all jumped into the blazing molten lava, vanishing without a trace. Peace settled over the entire surface of the lava lake. Yet, in mere moments, a ripple of disturbance rippled through the void, and a faint, indistinct figure materialized silently, glancing briefly at the lava lake. It was Han Li, who had been concealed. He had clearly witnessed every detail of what had just transpired. "Interesting," Han Li murmured. "According to ancient texts, the Empty-Fish Clan appeared once, like a fleeting glimpse, in the ancient times, and should have completely vanished long ago. Yet here, in this small Xiu-Luo realm, there still exists a branch of them. It seems they possess some extraordinary ability—indeed, they have already faced extinction just upon their emergence. But the nature of this power remains largely unknown to most." After pausing and glancing toward the direction where the young woman had vanished, Han Li's expression shifted, now tinged with a touch of curiosity. "It must truly be the Xiu-Luo Spider manifesting itself." "But this woman's cultivation seems no more than the late stage of the Transcendent Void, and shouldn't the Roaring Spider take on human form only after reaching adulthood? That does seem rather unusual." Han Li stroked his chin, looked down thoughtfully, and after a while, shook his head with a murmured remark: "Well, let's just go ahead and check out the Roaring Spider's lair first. We can worry about the rest later. These empty fish can't be left unattended either. Come out!" With a low command, Han Li suddenly shook his sleeve. A golden orb burst forth, then shimmered and transformed into a small figure about half a foot tall, with a purple-gold hue. The figure had no nose or mouth, and its eyes were cold and expressionless, conveying no emotion at all. "Keep a close watch on these empty fish. I'll deal with them once I return." Han Li gave the order casually. The purple-gold figure nodded and then dissolved into a golden glow, spiraling once in the surrounding space before diving straight into the churning molten lake. This young man was precisely the evolved Golden-Feeding Insect King. As for the young beast of the Leopard-Scaly Creature, since its cultivation level was relatively lower than that of Han Li at present, it had been left behind on the Sacred Island to rest and refine its powers before departure. Once all these arrangements were made, Han Li merely gave a gentle shake of his shoulders, and his form gradually blurred, transforming into a translucent silhouette that followed the young woman steadily. With Han Li's divine abilities, leaving a subtle trace of his consciousness on the young woman's body without anyone noticing was a matter of ease, so he need not worry about losing sight of his target in the short term. When Han Li quietly followed the young woman from behind, it only took the time of a single cup of tea. Han Li's body had now completely turned transparent, and his flight was silent and undetectable, trailing behind her from a distance of over ten li. The young woman showed absolutely no awareness of his presence, continuing her flight unimpeded. Below, Han Li personally witnessed the young woman journey to a marsh, where she slew a massive black boar-like monster that had just advanced to the Lingxu stage, and then proceed to a particularly secluded gully, where she harvested several golden fruits of unknown origin. After that, she continued without further pause, accelerating steadily in the same direction. Han Li remained silent and steadily followed close behind. After a sharp cry was emitted, a tremendous roar rolled forth from deep within the mountains, and shortly thereafter, seven or eight strange birds, each exceeding ten zhang in height, surged forth. After a few swift glides, they settled gently near the young woman, then gathered around her and continued flying forward. At the same moment, a powerful and terrifying divine awareness surged out from the mountains, swiftly sweeping across the mountain's edge, passing closely by Han Li.