The tree-being, only just beginning to manifest, immediately regained some mobility. Its limbs surged into vigorous motion, and an eerie tremor rippled through its body. Portions of black filaments within its wooden form were violently snapped apart. Then, with a decisive step, it raised its feet, and a surge of mist rose beneath it, lifting the being it had been supporting into the air. A series of sharp "shush-shush" sounds echoed as the seemingly slow-moving celestial witch, with its skeletal frame, extended both arms. Its ten fingers, moving at speeds imperceptible to the eye, suddenly shot upward, forming a vast network of blood threads that interlaced and sliced through the air. The tree-being, just launched into the air, halted mid-motion and then burst into countless fragments. As the fragments exploded, a green aura coalesced and solidified, forming a faint, pale green ethereal figure that surged forward. After a brief flicker, it appeared twenty or more zhang above, and then, with another swift movement, it swiftly pursued the two smaller figures ahead. At that moment, a flash of green flame flickered in the giant skeleton's eyes. Suddenly, it opened its mouth wide and expelled a brilliant The green ethereal form felt the surrounding void suddenly tighten, and instantly behind it, an unimaginably immense force surged forth. It barely had time to emit a cry of pain before being drawn down by the blood-colored aura, only to be swiftly swallowed and chewed upon upon a single flash of light. We have lost our physical forms, and with the earlier depletion of our vital energies, we can no longer withstand this blood-scarred corpse. It's best that we escape now, while it has not yet fully regained its freedom. Otherwise, we might all meet our end right here. As soon as the words fell, the iron cage beneath trembled violently. A massive thigh of the skeletal body shifted, and the towering form staggered to rise on one side, its dual eyes flickering with green flame, gazing blankly at the Yuan婴 within the cage. At that moment, the black filaments inside the skeleton had been largely consumed, only a small portion remaining clustered on the other thigh, still struggling to resist the advancing blood filaments. Upon making eye contact with the Yuan婴, both elders felt an uncontrollable chill spread through them. "Very well," said the elder with the surname Yu, gritting his teeth. "Let's go!" He dispersed his giant scorpion form, unwilling to yield. "That's exactly what we should do," he added. "As long as we have the mountain of life intact, we needn't worry about fuel. As long as we survive, what could prevent us from avenging ourselves?" The elder Wu sighed in relief. "Hūm!" The massive skull within the iron cage rocked, emitting a chilling roar; then, as the other thigh shifted, the remains slowly began to rise to a standing posture. "Go!" This time, the two Yuan-Embryo elders no longer hesitated, instantly launching into flight, transforming into two streaks of pale and bright jade light that surged forward. After a series of consecutive movements, they had already reached the edge of the Blood Lake, only a few more incantations away from complete escape. Yet, just at the crucial moment, a thunderous roar erupted ahead—suddenly, a wave of blood-colored light surged forth without any prior warning, rushing directly toward them. The two elders were startled, immediately halting their flight, reappearing as their Yuan-Embryo forms and exchanging glances. One raised a hand, summoning the shadow of a black fire scorpion behind him, while the other opened his mouth, releasing a small green bell and a white bone shield. The blood-colored light aura seemed extremely distant, yet after blurring slightly, it unexpectedly arrived close at hand. As the blood glow subsided, five young men emerged side by side, indistinguishable from one another. "Wu elder," the blood-united elder exclaimed in surprise, gasping out the names of the five figures across from him. "How have these five friends come to be here? Could it be that they've been quietly following us all along, waiting to reap the benefits when the time comes?" Yuan elder, with his Yuan-Stage cultivation, flashed a sharp, ominous gaze and asked in a沉沉 tone. The five young men stood motionless, their expressions blank, as though they had not heard a single word spoken by the two elders. This left both elders momentarily stunned. Yuan elder's eyes now filled with suspicion, and he took a renewed look at the blood-united five, finally noticing the differences between these young men and their earlier appearance. Now, the eyes of the blood-united five shimmered with an intense, deep crimson glow, their previously lustrous skin had grown somewhat dry and thin, and a faint, previously absent odor of decay subtly emanated from them. This made the elder suddenly realize something, his face immediately growing pale with concern. At that moment, the Wu-family elder also noticed the strange anomaly of the Blood-Combined Five, and after exchanging a glance with the Yu-family elder, both their Yuan-Infant forms subtly shifted, retreating gradually to either side, thus widening the distance between themselves and the Blood-Combined Five. The blood-shadow emitted a chilling laugh, then, with a single hand gesture, no longer willing to speak further. Suddenly, across all four directions, a thunderous roar echoed through the void, and countless blood-clouds surged forth without any prior warning, instantly encircling the two Yuan-Elms, the Blood-Shadow, and the five members of the Blood-Union in a tight embrace. After just a meal's time, as the blood-clad figure handled the newly acquired treasures in his hands, his face radiated satisfied delight, and the vibrant blood-like glow emanating from his body had grown three parts denser than before. A deep, resonant roar of "Hūng" echoed faintly from the center of the blood lake. "Blood Wicked Corpse! Hah! I never expected this—unintentionally, yet serendipitously, I had only sought to inherit Tian Ding's teachings. Instead, I've discovered the Blood Wicked Corpse, a corpse transformed into a powerful entity of the Great Perfection stage. With proper refinement, it will be an absolute asset—whether facing a heavenly calamity or in future battles." As he spoke these words with evident enthusiasm, he glanced toward the direction of the distant roar, his eyes flashing with a sudden grim determination. He then gathered the treasures in his hands. With a mere flick of his sleeve, a surge of blood light erupted across his body, and he instantly drew in the treasures along with the Blood-Combined Five Children, enveloping them all in a swirling radiance, and sped directly toward the center of the blood lake. At that moment, within the massive iron cage, the blood-demon corpse formed from the celestial wizard's remains had completely consumed the black filaments within its body. Its massive frame finally stood upright, swaying slightly. Turning toward the swelling waves of crimson mist approaching from afar, the corpse roared once more. Its eyes flashed with fierce light, and then it too broke free from the cage, rushing directly toward the gathering waves of bloodlight. The white light rolled away, and the figure vanished completely, leaving no trace within the spell array. At the next moment, when Han Li reopened his eyes, he found himself in a dark, spacious realm. "Where exactly am I?" Han Li's blue glow flashed in his eyes, and with his spiritual vision activated, he surveyed the surroundings clearly. He saw that he stood atop a small hillock resembling a gentle hill, with several towering pines—each over ten zhang high—surrounding him. Beneath him lay a modest teleportation spell array. A little farther off, the landscape unfolded into a series of mountain ranges, lush with greenery, as if he had stepped into a continuous chain of hills. Han Li only glanced around for a moment before chuckling softly. He shook his sleeve, and a blade of jade-green hue shot forth, then, as it caught the wind, suddenly expanded into a colossal, sky-reaching blade, over a hundred zhang long, gliding and spinning in the sky, radiating a brilliant, piercing green light. "Cut," Han Li murmured softly. At once, the great blade roared loudly, blurring slightly before suddenly slicing forth a series of sword beams, each over a thousand paces long, in every direction. Wherever the hazy swordlight passed, the once-dark void instantly brightened as if cleaved open. The images of the distant, continuous mountain ranges suddenly warped and transformed into towering walls of pure white stone, several dozen feet high, encircling the entire small hill and surrounding trees, sealing everything in completely. To where he stood, it seemed as though he had found himself within a vast courtyard. Han Li, his eyes slightly narrowed, studied the distant white stone walls again, and a distinct expression passed over his face. Then, he turned his head and gently said to a towering tree atop the mountain: "Your friend has been hiding for so long—shouldn't it be time for you to appear and meet me now? Or do you intend for me to personally summon you?"