As soon as the words fell, Black-Scaled one raised one arm and struck the space behind him with a sudden, decisive palm. A sharp, piercing roar erupted instantly, and an invisible force surged forth, forming a vast net that rushed down like a thunderbolt. "Pffft!" A slightly blurred yellow figure emerged unexpectedly within the net, only to gasp and twist suddenly—using some unseen power—breaking free before the net could fully enclose him. A flash of light followed, and he vanished into the sky as a streak of brilliant light. "Hmph," Black-Scaled one growled, his expression sharpening. With a sudden movement, he drew his palm back, fingers slightly curling. "Thud!" A ripple of energy surged above the distant yellow figure, and there, materializing out of nowhere, a massive black palm shot down like lightning. This time, no matter how desperately the yellow figure tried to dodge, he could not escape. As Black-Scaled one swept his arm forward, the yellow figure was caught firmly in the grip of the giant palm. Black鳞 roared with laughter, extending his hand and with a single motion, his massive palm hurled the yellow figure back toward him. At this moment, Han Li and the others had clearly identified the true form of the yellow figure. It was a young man dressed in yellow robes, slender and gaunt. Yet his face was filled with panic, clearly aware that he had been captured by someone. After a brief hesitation, he managed to summon a low cry and pressed a series of gestures, causing yellow crystalline light to ripple continuously over his body, and his form rapidly swelled and expanded. "Unfortunate!" As a being at the Great Transcendence stage, Black鳞 immediately reacted upon seeing this, shouting in anger and shooting a finger toward the distant void. A series of sharp crackling sounds followed, and a black streak surged across the hundred-zhang expanse, rushing straight toward the young man. However, it was too late. As the black energy pierced through the young man's body, a thunderous roar erupted simultaneously. The yellow-robed youth had already exploded before the black streak reached him. A brilliant flash of light and waves of intense tremors shook even the massive black hand, causing it to waver. "Brave indeed! To explode right before me!" Black scales turned deeply displeased, and the man growled in frustration. The black giant palm flickered slightly and then dissolved into nothingness. "This young one's concealment technique is quite refined. Yet such a decisive self-explosion—there must be more to it than meets the eye," said Han Li, glancing at the spot where the youth had exploded, and then smiling. "Oh, Master Han means the one who just exploded wasn't his true body, is that correct?" Xue Ran's eyes flashed, showing a quick understanding. Mo Jianli, upon hearing this, also expressed a moment of surprise. "Most likely. But it's probably not just a mere puppet or ordinary avatar. He clearly radiates the aura of a Consolidated Stage cultivator. If he truly self-exploded, he should have demonstrated far greater power than what we've seen so far," Han Li said calmly. "Hmm. Then indeed, this situation does seem rather unusual." But when he revealed himself just now, I could clearly see that there was no Yuan Ying within him." Blood Ran nodded, speaking thoughtfully. At that moment, Black Scale, unwilling to be satisfied, stomped her foot and suddenly transformed into a swirling mass of black clouds, rolling out in all directions to probe the surroundings. In a short while, the black clouds had thoroughly searched every corner within several million li, yet found nothing. They then thundered back, coalescing once more into human forms and settling back upon the mountain peak. "The young man isn't very brave—he didn't hide near the area. That's fortunate; otherwise, if I had caught him... " Black Scale's expression flashed with a hint of sternness before fading, and she sighed. "Hah, well, settled then. Though that person has been secretly observing us, the area has already been protected by an acoustical seal. He simply cannot hear what we're discussing." Blood Ran waved his hand, noncommittal. "Still, isn't he possibly one of the senior members sent by the Shou Luo Spider Clan?" After lightly brushing his beard, Mo Jian said with careful deliberation, "Rest assured. Even if it's a scout from the Shura Spider's side, they wouldn't be able to observe much from afar. The final outcome of this battle will ultimately depend on our absolute strength." Black Lian spoke with an air of indifference. "Brother Black Lian, your words are well taken. However, to be safe, we needn't linger here—we should make our way to the enemy's lair by nightfall instead. That way, even if they receive any news, they won't have time to deploy any countermeasures." Han Li narrowed his eyes slightly before saying this. "We'll move by night!" Blood Yan furrowed his brows, clearly somewhat reluctant. "With our current levels of cultivation, merely resting in meditation on our flying vehicles should be sufficient to restore our strength. And by catching the Shura Spiders off guard, we'll gain a tangible advantage. Perhaps this very edge of initiative will allow us to gain the decisive upper hand during the subsequent fierce battles." Han Li didn't pause or hurry, and added, "Good. Originally, Xue Ran had intended to spend half a day temporarily refining a powerful secret technique. But after hearing Brother Han's suggestion, it now seems that securing even a slight advantage is more important." Moved by Han Li's persuasion, Xue Ran finally agreed. "Your decision is sound," Han Li smiled gently. "Then let us go." With a slight gesture of his sleeve, a soft white glow flashed, and a translucent white vessel materialized in the air. Xue Ran, his black-scaled companions, and others saw this and immediately stepped aboard without hesitation. Han Li merely pressed a hand seal, and the white vessel emitted a low hum before instantly transforming into a brilliant white beam and soaring into the sky. After a cup of tea's worth of time, in a dense forest located some ten million li away from the earlier mountain head where Han Li and his companions had been, a faint yellow glow appeared, and another young man dressed in a yellow robe stepped out of a massive tree. He looked up toward the direction where the flying vessel had vanished, then murmured with a look of relief: "Thank goodness I was alert enough and concealed myself so far away; otherwise, this time I truly would have been in danger of my life. To be honest, these outsiders who have entered this realm are remarkably powerful—there are no less than four at the stage of Great Multiplication. Unfortunately, the duplicate body I sent off was too distant and didn't catch the details of their conversation. I don't know whether they actually intended to target the Shouluo Spider clan." The young man's expression remained uncertain as he pondered. But not long after, he suddenly chuckled: "Well, regardless of whether these people are truly heading for the Shouluo Spider clan. As long as I relay the message back, I'll stay outside for a few days. That should be enough to weather any potential calamities." Upon making his decision, he immediately opened his mouth and expelled a piece of milky-white wooden plaque. With one hand, he grasped it firmly, while with the other, he lightly tapped the empty space several times. Instantly, silver glimmers appeared on the surface of the plaque, forming small silver characters the size of millet grains. After blurring slightly, these characters dispersed and vanished into the depths of the wood. At the same time, within the stone city where the Kshatriya Spider's nest was located, the mother of the Kshatriya Spider and the elder named Yi were discussing matters in a sealed chamber. Suddenly, a low hum resonated from a black stone platform before them, and delicate streaks of silver light gradually emerged. The Kshatriya Spider's mother was momentarily startled, but soon raised her hand and cast a spell that struck the platform precisely. The black stone platform instantly shimmered, and rows of silver characters began to appear, rotating gracefully. Both the Kshatriya Spider's mother and the elder Yi clearly read the content, and both of them immediately grew pale. "Four great cultivators—so many of them!" "The elder murmured. "I didn't expect that person to actually have other cultivators at the Great Transcendence stage as well. This is quite troublesome." The woman's expression also grew uncertain. "They may not have come specifically to us, but we must still take necessary precautions. By the way, have you summoned all your subordinates?" The elder asked seriously. "Rest assured, Master Yi," the Shriek Spider Clan mother replied without hesitation, "except for a few who have other pressing duties and cannot be spared, all the rest have been recalled to the city. Even the nine corpses that have been immersed in the Earth-Shadow Marsh for a long time—I've ordered them to have their seals lifted. With just a couple of days, these corpses can be transported back to the city." "Hmm, that's the best. I've already sent out messages to summon the several rare spiritual companions that have been kept in remote regions, though that will also take some time. Even with these measures, I don't think we can yet guarantee a decisive victory against these outsiders." How about this: I've had several dealings with the Car-Weeping Child before. Perhaps we can offer him some benefits and allow him to stay in our city for a while? After a brief glance, the elder with the Yi surname said slowly. What? The Car-Weeping Child? That won't do. This creature has been eyeing our Shrieking Spider clan with growing hostility for a long time. If we bring him into the city, aren't we effectively shutting the gate against a tiger at the front while letting in wolves from behind? Upon hearing this, the mother of the Shrieking Spider clan immediately frowned, shaking her head vigorously. Master Luo, please don't worry. I know that the Car-Weeping Child, though a mortal with a strong negative aura, has a certain inhibiting effect on the Turtle clan. But even if he is formidable, he remains merely a fierce beast. With our combined strength, we need not fear he will overturn the situation. What truly matters is the bigger picture. The elder with the Yi surname frowned slightly as he spoke. Hmph. If we truly wish to invite him, the price will certainly not be light. The woman seemed to be persuaded somewhat by the elder's words, "Um, in my opinion, how about this..." The elder with the Yi surname seemed already well considered, his lips moving silently several times, and the words flowed directly to the listener. "What? You expect me to do this? The cost seems rather steep." The mother of the Shriek Spider clan gasped upon hearing just a few sentences. "Merely a few eggs in your lineage that have remained un-hatched—useless, really. But knowing Car Qi Zi well, I'm certain these will surely move her." The elder with the Yi surname chuckled. "Indeed, I'll need to think this over carefully." The woman did not immediately agree, instead speaking with a grave expression. "Very well, Master Luo may take his time to consider this. Just don't forget to send word to the one in the Blood Pool as well. Should anything unforeseen arise later, we might just need to draw upon her powers." After the elder of the Yi surname nodded, the topic suddenly shifted and he mentioned another mysterious figure.