And this so-called "mouth" was actually a slender fissure that suddenly opened beneath the small human face, lined with sharp fangs. The blood-serpent's headless body writhed wildly within the small human's mouth, black venom jetting out from the wound in a fountain several feet high. The golden human body shimmered with a radiant glow, and an invisible force completely intercepted all the venom. The tall elder was truly astonished by this sight. Yet before he could form any specific thought, the golden human suddenly flashed a cold gleam in his eyes, and calmly glanced at the elder standing in the distance. In that instant, the elder felt a sudden chill run through his skin, and two translucent sword beams suddenly shot forth from the space just before him. Though the beams appeared ordinary, once one of them spiraled, it struck the elder's frontal light shield with an astonishing speed. "Crack!" The blue light shield trembled upon contact and instantly shattered. The crystal blade light flashed once more, and the elder felt an abrupt chill surge over his face, startled so deeply that he had no intention of holding back. Instantly, five-colored radiance coalesced in his brow, manifesting into a five-colored shield that expanded under the wind to several zhang in size, fully enclosing his body. Delicate spiritual patterns adorned the shield's surface, with countless vibrant runes subtly shimmering and appearing. In the elder’s perception, he had only just summoned his five-colored shield when, amidst a burst of sound, he split into two fragments—then, with a flash of cold light, he went dark, his vision fading. To outsiders, however, the elder was caught by a beam of crystalline light circling his neck, and his massive head rolled down with a sound, as if falling from a great height. Almost simultaneously, the ethereal form of the crimson giant serpent behind him burst apart, and a surge of lightning erupted, slashing wildly into the surrounding void. A crimson orb surged forth from the body of the elder, now headless, and, unnoticed, blended into the lightning, racing off in a certain direction. A deep thud. The golden figure, shimmering with light, vanished from its original spot, only to reappear a moment later, suddenly standing before the crimson orb. With a simple lift of its arm, it drove the orb down from the air, crashing it to the ground. After the crimson glow subsided in the depression below, a Yuan婴 immediately manifested, standing nearly as tall as the golden figure, his face grim and filled with a mixture of fierce determination and profound fear. Suddenly, clutching his teeth and pressing a hand seal, the Yuan婴 surged with a wave of blood mist rising from his body. His form crackled with crimson lightning arcs, as though preparing to unleash a hidden technique. Yet at that very moment, a massive, clear swordlight appeared silently behind him—without any prior sign—then flashed with a sharp, silent cut. "Pop!" The blood mist parted, revealing the elderly Yuan婴, whose face was filled with disbelief. He then cried out in agony as his body split from top to bottom, dispersing into scattered points of luminous light and vanishing. Such a renowned elder, famed for his mastery of crimson lightning, had met such a swift and unexpected end at the hands of the Golden-Feeding Worm King. At that moment, the Xue Po, who had already retreated to the side, finally exhaled a long breath, stepped forward a few paces, bowed respectfully to the golden humanoid figure formed by the Golden Insect King, and then beamed with gratitude, saying, "Thank you so much, elder, for your timely rescue. Otherwise, I might have truly fallen victim to this person's venom." "I merely carried out the instructions of my master. Now, go on with your affairs. I will watch from the shadows." With a soft voice, the golden figure extended a hand, gently drawing the storage bracelet from the elder's body, then moved slightly and faded into a blur of light. The Golden Insect King, now compared to when he first took form, had clearly grown much wiser and more enlightened. After bowing once more to the spot where the golden figure had vanished, the Xue Po glanced with a touch of regret at the two combined-phase puppets before gracefully drifting away. Although she had never touched the buildings with powerful seals nearby, no sensations had yet appeared—she was certain her true form was not trapped in this area, and thus immediately set off toward the next location. After witnessing the astonishing powers of the Gold-Feeding Beetle King, she now had the courage to venture deeper into the region. One was an elderly man with white feathered robes and deep-set eagle-like eyes. The other, in contrast, was remarkably short and stout, with black spiritual patterns etched across her cheeks, appearing quite unattractive. Both radiated an aura of profound power, clearly two great masters at the peak stage of cultivation. As they watched the blood-bone sect disciples continuously setting up magical arrays, they exchanged quiet words among themselves. After all, whether one person seizes all the treasures or three share them equally makes a world of difference. Though this woman appeared plain and unremarkable, her voice was surprisingly sweet, like that of a young girl in her late teens. These two were indeed the other two Senior Masters at the Blood Bone Sect, both at the stage of Great Perfection. "That's true. We've heard that the Tian Ding Palace holds the teachings of Tian Ding Master. Once we learned of this, we certainly wouldn't allow him to enter the palace alone. Still, it seems that the true key to the Tian Ding Palace may not be just one. Even without our involvement, other Great Perfection Masters would surely step in. Perhaps Master Xiao has been too cautious in keeping this matter hidden." The elder with a prominent nose replied with a cold laugh. "Well, what good does all this do? Though we've received the news, we've come too late. Those who possess the keys have already been inside for several days. If that's the case, we can only set up a spell here and await the arrival of the people within, then offer them a share of the tea when they come out. "The woman spoke calmly. "Based on past similar experiences, the transmission points should have a certain randomness—only about two or three out of ten should still appear here. I suspect most will be directly transported to other locations." The elder with a hawk-like nose paused thoughtfully. "Two or three out of ten would be ideal. If all those who entered were to gather here, even with our array support, we would likely be unable to withstand such a large number. After all, the earlier entrants were mostly peers of equal or greater power than ourselves. Only with a smaller number can we confidently secure our share of the treasures. The seals and arrays will probably not need to be fully activated—our strength will merely serve as a solid advantage." The woman replied with confidence. "I see now why Master Yuji brought so many disciples along. This strategy is truly excellent!" The elder with the hawk-like nose smiled and clapped his hands in approval. …A thunderous roar echoed as a crystalline wall shattered under the impact of Han Li, who had transformed into a giant ape. With a single stride, the ape stepped into the previously protected teleportation array enclosed within the crystal wall, then blurred into invisibility, vanishing completely. Instantly, Han Li, now a giant ape, felt a flash of bright light and found himself hovering above a small mountain towering over a thousand zhang in height. The temporary light array that had formed around him burst with a loud "pop" and then dissolved. After swiftly scanning the surroundings with his keen eyes, the ape gained a clear understanding of the scene. Though the mountain was not particularly tall, it occupied a vast area, with several isolated zones separated by luminous screens bordering it—among these, one was precisely the location where he had just broken through the seal and departed. Han Li, after gazing at each of these zones in turn, appeared to have made his decision, and then prepared to move, taking flight toward one of them. But at that moment, a sudden ripple of energy surged through the nearby void. Half a mile away, in the upper sky, another luminous array materialized instantly, and then, as a wave of mist rolled through its center, three figures emerged swiftly. Upon seeing the three clearly, Han Li's gaze instantly narrowed. At the same time, as the light array beneath them vanished with a flash, the three figures naturally caught sight of Han Li's giant ape form, and exchanged startled glances before immediately launching themselves toward Han Li. Their aura instantly intensified, revealing no concealment of their hostility. Han Li's giant ape flashed a cold gleam in his eyes, then raised his arm and, without a word, swung a massive, fur-covered palm through the air toward the three figures. A thunderous roar echoed, and an invisible force instantly transformed into a powerful gust, sweeping the three figures off balance. "What is your intention?" Han Li asked, "Do you intend to engage us in combat?" Three lean elders merely shifted slightly, instantly dispersing into three separate positions to evade the gale, while one of them growled fiercely and demanded.