"You mean Meiko? That's impossible. She's at a crucial stage of her cultivation, and her progress directly determines the success or failure of our endeavors—she absolutely cannot be disturbed." Upon hearing this, the mother of the Shriek Spider Clan's race grew pale and shouted loudly, as if the elder named Yi had struck at her very core. "Of course, I fully understand the importance of Meiko's cultivation and insights. But don't forget—should our forces truly be unable to withstand the onslaught of these external, high-stage cultivators, then how could she possibly remain undisturbed and successfully break through her current barrier? That breakthrough will inevitably come, sooner or later. What we need to do is simply issue an early warning. If these external cultivators do not come directly to our city, or if we can easily repel them, then Meiko will naturally have no need to break her seal." The elder named Yi spoke calmly and steadily. "Meiko herself once mentioned that this particular cultivation and insight phase is of exceptional significance. No matter what unforeseen circumstances arise, she must remain undisturbed—otherwise all her efforts will be wasted. Therefore, I still need to carefully consider before making a final decision." After all, even just informing them of the news might affect their mindset," the Shura Spider clan member hesitated slightly before shaking her head. "Well, I've only made this arrangement as a precaution. However, in the meantime, I must first unlock the several key seals that the noble family has carefully cultivated over the years, and then activate the floating seal to relocate the city to another location. Although the seal limitations prevent us from traveling too far, we might still gain some valuable time..." Though the elder named Yi was somewhat displeased, he was also aware of the deep significance the cherry blossom princess held for the Shura Spider clan's mother, and after a few brief remarks, he shifted to discussing other matters. After this one hour passed, the Shura Spider stone city nestled in the mountains suddenly burst forth with layers of shimmering light across its various city towers, fully enveloping the entire city. Simultaneously, the land over hundreds of miles began to tremble violently. The Stone City suddenly rose from the earth, soaring steadily toward the opposite sky amidst roaring sounds. Not long afterward, the entire city vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a vast, dark crater on the ground. Near this crater, an unremarkable old tree suddenly shimmered with green light, transforming instantly into a young man dressed in a light green robe—his appearance strikingly similar to Han Li, with about seven or eight parts of resemblance. After lifting his head and gazing toward the direction where the city had disappeared, a strange smile played at the corner of his lips. Then, with a single hand gesture, the young man flashed once more in green light, vanishing completely into the soil. At the same time, far away from this mountain range, over a grassland, a white flying vessel sliced through the air. Han Li and Mo Jian sat side by side at the front of the vessel, eyes closed in meditation. Xue Ran and He Lin stood side by side at the stern, quietly conversing through telepathy. Suddenly, Han Li's expression changed, and with a slow, deliberate opening of his eyes, he gently lifted them. A subtle change appeared at the corner of his mouth. "Master Han, has something happened?" Mo Jian immediately sensed Han Li's unusual state, and with a look of surprise, opened his eyes as well and asked. "Nothing significant. Just shortly, our route of advance may need to be slightly adjusted." Han Li replied calmly. "Oh, so you've still kept some reserves there!" Mo Jian was momentarily taken aback, but quickly realized and smiled lightly. "I've simply left a duplicate body there. Even if they temporarily relocate their nest, they won't be able to move very far. With full speed now, we should reach that location within at most one day." Han Li spoke with composure. "It seems Master Han has a clear plan—then, truly, I am at ease." After a brief pause, Mo Jian nodded and said. "Without a solid plan in place, we wouldn't have much chance. But with the help of brothers like Mo, securing those Robo-Spiders should definitely be manageable. Once we obtain the Threads of Time, Mo and Ao will surely have a better chance of overcoming their trials during the Great Transformation." Han Li replied with a warm smile. Should these powerful puppets assist me, then perhaps I truly could leave a few of the mature Shura Spiders behind. As for my gratitude, I need not say much—should I indeed achieve something worthwhile on this journey, I will surely repay you handsomely." Upon hearing this, Mo Jianli was immediately delighted. "We are of the same clan; these puppets mean little to me, so you need not concern yourself with any thanks," smiled Han Li, slightly surprised. With a single hand motion, he produced a black circular storage ring and handed it directly to Mo Jianli. Inside were several puppets—magmatic crystalline automatons he had obtained from the realm of magic. Half of them had been left aboard the spiritual magic vessel in the Spirit Realm, while the other half he carried with him as a reserve. Mo Jianli, beaming with pleasure, took the storage ring and carefully scanned its contents with his spiritual awareness, then thanked him several times. With these brave, unwavering puppets helping to hold off the mature Shura Spiders, he now felt confident enough to deploy his several key reserve techniques. Then, Mo Jianli began studying the methods of controlling several magical crystal puppets stored within the storage bracelet. Han Li once again closed his eyes and entered meditation. On the other hand, after gliding past a series of lakes and several dense forests, the flying vessel came upon a vast yellow plateau stretching as far as the eye could see. At this moment, Han Li, at the prow of the vessel, opened his eyes again and softly remarked, "We're nearly there. The rest of you may now prepare yourselves." As soon as he finished speaking, his figure blurred slightly, then straightened himself upright. Mo Jianli and Xue Ran, the black-scaled companion behind, heard him and immediately raised their eyes, standing up to gaze ahead. Yet beyond the steady gusts of yellow wind, there was not a single trace of a city or settlement. "Han brother, where is the Nāga Spider's lair?" Xue Ran frowned and asked. "Xue brother, don't worry. Just beyond ten thousand li ahead, you'll see it," Han Li replied calmly. "Ten thousand li ahead," said Black-Scaled, without hesitation, and with a single finger pressed to his brow, released his vast divine awareness. After a brief moment, the foreign master of the Great Perfection burst into laughter: "Indeed, over there, there is a patch of sandy ground—hidden beneath the sand, there truly stands a city." "Very well, then. Let us proceed!" Hearing this, Xueran nodded calmly without showing any outward movement. Then, he opened his mouth and expelled a sphere of black light. Within the light stood a black incense burner, about the size of a clenched fist, with a slender incense stick inserted inside. The stick was about an inch long, vividly red as blood. Xueran raised one hand and made a gesture, pointing his fingertip toward the empty space ahead. Instantly, the incense burner spun around and rapidly expanded, growing to a height of several zhang. Xueran then exhaled again, and a streak of crimson flame swept across the top, instantly igniting the incense stick, releasing a strange, pungent, blood-like aroma. Then, Xueran began to recite softly, remaining motionless in place. Yet, from the incense burner before him, ghostly wails echoed continuously, and patches of pale green light shimmered faintly above the burner. At the same time, eight glowing red spheres shot out from Xuan's body, each containing a still-sitting infant. The infants' pale skin was covered in blood-red runes, and their faces bore an extraordinarily eerie smile. Standing beside him, Hei Lin chuckled and suddenly struck his waist pouch with one hand. With a sharp "pop," the pouch burst open, and a surge of black energy rose upward, coalescing into a dense black cloud about an acre in size in the sky. Inside, a continuous hissing sound could be heard, as though something was concealed within. Then, Hei Lin waved his sleeves, and from within, a dozen black spears shot out, flashing briefly before vanishing into the surrounding void. At this moment, Mo Jianli also produced two spirit-animal rings, threw them out around the flying vessel, and from them emerged a snowy white flying tiger and a crimson fiery phoenix, circling and dancing above the vessel. Both animals exuded an exceptionally strong aura, as if each had reached the stage of combined body and spirit cultivation. Then, Mo Jianli raised one hand and chanted a spell, and several different-shaped treasures flew out from her body. Han Li watched all this calmly, his hands folded in his sleeves, making no movement at all. For a distance of over ten thousand li, it naturally took only a moment for Han Li and his companions to arrive. When they reached the center of a vast expanse of red and yellow desert, Han Li stepped on the base of his magical artifact, and the flying vessel shuddered, then came to a gentle halt in the nearby void. Xue Ran scanned the sandy terrain dotted with rolling dunes below, a cold smile forming on her face. As she mentally activated her spell and uttered the character "Po," the eight glowing blood orbs floating near her body suddenly smoothed out their smiles and surged downward, each rushing toward a small opening one zhang below. A series of thunderous booms echoed, and eight towering crimson beams shot straight down from the vessel, piercing through the air.