As soon as the words fell, suddenly dozens of blood-shaped figures surged forward, then burst into splashes of blood mist. A surging tide of blood rose immediately, sweeping away half of the outer sword beams and the attacks from the three towering peaks. Thus, the stone city's defenses, which had been barely holding, instantly stabilized. Seeing this, the giant ape formed by Han Li roared in fury, opened his mouth, and shot out a golden electric arc as thick as a water cistern—vanishing instantly upon impact with the blood surge. "Boom!" Where the electric waves touched, a strong smell of charred flesh filled the air, and the nearby blood waves instantly vanished. "Ah!" a soft "Huh" sounded from within the blood surge, followed immediately by a light chuckle. The surrounding blood waves swiftly converged toward one point, then condensed rapidly, transforming into a graceful young maiden dressed in a short robe and a blood-red skirt, and several towering creatures—each with a wolf's head and a bear's body—standing over ten feet tall. The young girl appeared no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, carrying one green floral basket in each hand. Her figure was graceful and slender, her face delicate and fresh as water, her skin as pure and luminous as snow and jade. With her autumn eyes moving, she exuded an irresistible allure. Even someone as composed as Han Li was momentarily stunned upon first glance. Han Li felt a sudden sense of alertness, quickly invoking the Refinement of the Spirit Technique to restore his awareness. Yet, the intensity of his gaze toward the girl had deepened, and with a mere mental effort, he swept his attention over her. "Late stage of Consolidated Body Stage," Han Li was surprised. The girl's presence when she first appeared was no less impressive than that of a typical Master-level being, yet she only possessed Consolidated Body Stage cultivation—this was far beyond what he had expected. In contrast, the group of creatures with wolf heads and bear bodies, their bodies streaked with deep red, each possessing early to mid-Consolidated Body Stage cultivation, together radiated a terrifying aura that rivaled that of ordinary Master-level beings. Han Li's mind spun rapidly as he silently pondered the origin of the blood-draped maiden. His attack slightly softened, and at that moment, the countless sword shadows instantly dispersed, vanishing into thin air, while the three mountain peaks—each hundreds of zhang high—stilled and remained suspended in the sky. "Unless the noble houses are willing to surrender their family's crystalline cores, even if I personally agree, the other guests will certainly not consent," the giant ape replied calmly and sternly. Upon hearing this, the blood-draped maiden's expression slightly changed, just as she intended to add something, when the mother of the Shura Spider Clan suddenly shouted from afar, "Ying, why waste words with them? They have come to seize our clan's laws and divine techniques. It's a matter of either you die or I perish—there's no possibility of compromise. Hurry and act now!" Since the maiden had appeared, the mother of the Shura Spider Clan had immediately shed all hesitation, her tone now sharp and resolute. Hearing these words, the blood-draped maiden furrowed her brows, glanced briefly at the other two battle groups, then sighed, saying, "I had hoped to avoid conflict and reach an agreement. But now, it seems that's far from possible. Then, I shall not blame my younger sister for acting too decisively." As the girl spoke the last few words, though her face remained charmingly graceful, her voice suddenly grew icy and piercing. A profound sense of danger surged in Han Li's heart. Startled, he moved without hesitation, his body instantly transforming into a streak of shadow as he shot backward. At the same moment, a flash of bloodlight appeared above Han Li's vicinity, and a massive claw descended with a surge of blood-energy, swift and silent—no prior signs had been evident. The bloodlight flashed, and Han Li's original standing spot was instantly engulfed in blood mist. As the mist swirled, a second time, another blood-draped young girl emerged, smiling warmly. Meanwhile, the "Ying'er" within the stone city's screen momentarily blurred, suddenly transforming into one of the wolf-headed, bear-bodied monsters surrounding them. Han Li was taken aback! The giant ape with the swift fingers pointed toward the empty space across from him, and a streak of jade light burst forth from between his fingers. After a slight shimmer, it expanded into a jade-hued rainbow stretching over ten zhang, then, with a sudden flash, materialized before the blood-draped maiden, circling her swiftly like a bolt of lightning. Han Li, transformed into a giant ape, roared fiercely. With a sudden lift of a furry palm, he gave a commanding stroke. At a distance, in the upper sky, the air surged violently. A colossal hand, stretching nearly an acre in size, tore through the void and materialized, striking down with lightning speed, encircled by countless golden arcs of electricity. A thunderous roar erupted, with dazzling flashes of light and golden sparks flying in all directions. An overwhelming force, beyond belief in magnitude, surged downward. Even with her incomparable powers, the young maiden could not withstand the impact—her form momentarily stiffened, then collapsed and dissolved completely, swallowed whole by the golden electric light. When the waves of light subsided, only a small, dimly glowing green sword remained in the once-vacant space. At the same time, within the stone city's magical barrier, a wolf-headed, bear-bodied creature burst into a shower of blood, exploding with a loud "pop." As the blood vaporized and coalesced, the blood-draped maiden reappeared, smiling gently. Han Li witnessed all this, his eyes flashing a moment of surprise. The giant ape, however, raised a hand and gestured toward the distant small sword. Instantly, the small sword emitted a low cry and shot back, vanishing in a flash before reaching Han Li's hands. Han Li lowered his gaze and his expression grew slightly concerned. He saw that the jade bamboo-honey sword, once covered in blood streaks and dim in its emerald glow, now bore the unmistakable signs of a diminished spiritual vitality. The ape's eyes flashed with sharp brilliance as he suddenly clenched and rubbed the small sword between his palms. A thunderous "crash" rang out, and golden arcs spiraled around his fingers. When the electric light settled, the sword revealed itself once more—its blood streaks completely wiped away, restored to its clear, soft emerald luster. But Xiaomei hadn't expected that the Master's true signature flying sword was crafted from the golden thunder bamboo—otherwise, he wouldn't have gone through such elaborate efforts. Now that he had, Xiaomei would gladly put forth her genuine skills and engage in a proper exchange with her esteemed companion. The blood-draped maiden, seeing the great sword so effortlessly regain its vitality, smiled slightly with a touch of dawning comprehension. "Very well," said Han Li, "I shall be most eager to learn the subtleties of the Blood Spirit technique. But before that, Yi, don't just stand there—join in and assist as well." With a cold smile, the giant ape form Han had transformed into suddenly pressed three hand seals at once, then pointed his fingers toward the empty space above the stone city. A hum followed, and the three mountains previously hovering motionless in the sky instantly spun around, then suddenly expanded, swelling to over a thousand zhang in height. One of the peaks then emitted cascading layers of gray light, which quickly condensed into several dozen massive, tentacle-like appendages, and with a powerful draw, plunged them firmly into the luminous screen below. Below the third peak, a series of sharp hissing sounds erupted, and countless intangible sword energies materialized, weaving into a vast sword net that joined the assault. Upon the final peak, the five-colored crystalline light brightened, and then a series of glowing rings appeared spontaneously, rushing downward with unwavering force. The remaining seals on the stone city instantly flashed violently, once again trembling and threatening to collapse. As the elderly elder of the Yi family, swiftly reinforcing the city's defenses, watched this unfold, his face turned pale in alarm. He slightly shifted his shoulders, intending to halt his repairs and address the immediate crisis. However, just as a ripple of disturbance rippled through the area, the young blood-clad maiden named "Ying'er" suddenly materialized beside him, extending a thousand-jade hand and striking him with a firm palm. Startled, the elder instinctively tried to dodge. Yet, just as the hand had emerged moments before, it now pressed firmly against his shoulder, and his protective spiritual light and evasive movements proved completely ineffective. The elder was startled and furious, just as he prepared to speak, when suddenly the jade hand on his shoulder flashed with a green glow, instantly becoming crystal-clear and translucent. At the same time, a familiar force of law manifested, instantly enveloping his entire body. The elder gentleman of the Yi family, witnessing all this, naturally grew exceedingly joyful. Turning around to the young lady with a touch of excitement, he hurried to ask: "Ying, has your thing truly achieved enlightenment?"