On the Blood Sky Continent, famed as a land of magnificent beasts, above a vast lake in the Falling Tide Grassland, Han Li and his companions were swiftly gliding through the air aboard an unassuming flying vessel. Han Li stood at the forefront, his expression calm and unreadable, revealing nothing of his inner thoughts. Zhu Guo'er and La Shi, standing slightly behind, appeared somewhat dejected. Just recently, they had completed their exploration of the last ancient altar on the grassland, yet found nothing—leaving both deeply disheartened. Suddenly, a clear hum resonated from within Han Li's body. Han Li's expression shifted, and with a flick of his sleeve, a pale blue array disk shot out, displaying several silver characters that shimmered with a gentle glow. "Let's head to the nearby Tianma City," Han Li said, narrowing his eyes and giving the order without hesitation. Though surprised, La Shi quickly activated a hand seal and instantly turned the vessel around, propelling it swiftly in a new direction. "Master Han, something must have happened—aren't the so-called 'Battle of the Strong' about to begin?" Zhu Guo'er blinked her large eyes and asked directly. Although Han Li hadn't shared all the details about the Battle of the Strong with Zhu Guo'er and the other, he had revealed a few less crucial points. Even though Zhu Guo'er didn't fully understand what the Battle of the Strong entailed, she knew that Han Li was scheduled to face off against several powerful figures at a specific time and place, which prompted her question. "Rest assured," Han Li smiled, his voice confident. "With my current abilities, I believe there aren't many beings in the world who could truly threaten me. Even if I were to fall short against my opponent, I would certainly be able to escape unharmed." Seeing Han Li's assured demeanor, Zhu Guo'er and Flower Shi the Elder exchanged glances, and both felt much more at ease. Half a month later, Han Li and the others finally broke free from the grasslands and arrived at a massive city located at the edge of the plain. This city differed from ordinary towns in that towering walls were encircled by rows of thick, dark-green giant bamboo, stretching continuously from one end to the other, forming a seamless bamboo wall that completely enclosed the entire city. On the city's walls, statues of flying horses stood every few li, each reaching over fifteen zhang in height, with a pale gray, lifelike appearance, and each one displaying a unique posture and expression. The flying vessel piloted by Han Li and the others never alighted at the city gates. Instead, it gracefully swept past the city's rooftops, only to collide head-on with what appeared to be an invisible barrier guarding the city. Yet, the vessel merely dipped slightly and then shuddered, continuing its course straight toward the heart of the great city. "Grand Master of the Great Stage!" several people immediately gasped in unison. The guards stationed along the nearby walls, who had initially been alert, were stunned and quickly adopted a respectful demeanor, watching the vessel vanish into the distance. It was rare for a cultivator of Consolidated Stage to ignore a city's barrier against aerial travel—only those of Great Stage or above possessed such mastery. Although most cities strictly prohibited visitors from flying above ground, such a rule was routinely disregarded by Great Stage cultivators and even some powerful Consolidated Stage masters. The strength and number of the senior defenders stationed in each city may also vary. Though Tianma City is sizable, it is managed by only a few Consolidation-stage cultivators, without any Master of the Great Ascension stage present. These guards would certainly not dare to offend a Master of the Great Ascension. As a result, within just a short while, Han Li and his companions arrived at a large building suspended in the center, bearing the banner of the Merchant Alliance. Upon retrieving his flying vessel, Han Li stepped down from the sky and was immediately greeted by two rows of respectful men and women who bowed deeply to him. A gray-haired elder in his sixties or seventies, leading the group, spoke with solemn courtesy: "Greetings, Master Han. We have already received the message from headquarters several days ago and have prepared the transmission array accordingly. Would Master Han like to rest with us a while before continuing on your journey?" "Your alliance's administrative efficiency is truly impressive—no need for rest, let's immediately proceed with the transmission preparations," said Han Li, his gaze sharp as a blade sweeping over the elder's face, before speaking calmly. "Yes, the junior will escort the senior," the elder bowed slightly and promptly agreed without hesitation. Han Li nodded and then stepped forward, taking the lead toward the main gate before them. Zhu Guo'er and Flower Shi the Elder naturally followed close behind. A short while later, Han Li arrived at a hidden hall beneath the ground. At the center of the hall stood a pale silver array inscribed with dense rows of magical characters. Han Li glanced at it briefly, his brow furrowing slightly, and asked, "This is a sky-spanning transmission array, correct? The destination is indeed that small world?" "The senior's insight is truly remarkable," the elder replied honestly, "Biyin has indeed arranged for the senior to meet the other early-stage leaders of the small world directly." "Since it's been arranged by Bi Dao, I'd imagine everything on that side has been prepared as well. Let's begin the transmission." With a slight smile, Han Li simply stepped directly into the spell array without further hesitation. A ripple passed through the space beside him, and Zhu Guo'er and the other two followed, flashing into the array as well. The elder nodded once, then flipped his hand, instantly producing a pale green jade plaque in his grasp. He raised it, shaking it slightly, and a streak of silver light shot forth, vanishing instantly into the array. In front stood an elder with a wan face, dressed in green robes, smiling warmly. Behind him was a young lady in a rich brocade robe, cradling a small silver-furred creature in her arms, her expression dignified and elegant, her demeanor serene and composed. "Bai Ying, is it?" After gazing at the elder for a moment and sensing a familiar aura emanating from him, Han Li raised an eyebrow and asked. "Indeed, it is me. Regarding the test with the 'Phagocytic Buddha Diagram back then, I hope you won't hold it against me. This time, in the contest of the powerful, I shall greatly rely on Brother Han's support." Bai Ying replied with a smile. "Brother Bai is too kind. Once I committed to it then, this time I am truly duty-bound to assist." Han Li also smiled gently. Hearing this, Bi Ying chuckled and, turning slightly, introduced the young woman beside her to Han Li: "This is Wenxin Feng, a senior elder of our alliance. She hails from the Huanxin Sect and is one of the strongest among our elders—indeed, among the top tier of our senior leaders—she is also one of the selected candidates for this campaign." "Huanxin Sect? I've heard of it. It's said to be the largest sect in the northern region of Xuetian. Though it has relatively few disciples, each one is a top-tier talent of their rank." Han Li said, a moment of surprise flickering across his face. After years of traveling across the Xuetian continent, he no longer felt as unfamiliar with the various powers as he once did. Upon hearing Bi Ying's words, he immediately recognized the woman's background, which came as a pleasant surprise. It was indeed unusual—such a powerful sect, on par with the Xuegu Sect, would join the He Lan Commercial Alliance. Noticing a subtle sense of curiosity in Han Li's heart, Wen Xin Feng smiled gracefully and said in a pleasant voice: "Master Han, there's no need to find it strange. In fact, our founding patriarch was originally from the Merchant Alliance. Since our sect was established, we have always been closely aligned with the Alliance—moving together in prosperity and adversity. Thus, it is only natural that I, as a senior official of the Alliance, have been appointed to this position." "Ah, I see. I must have been overly cautious and taken things for granted." Han Li nodded, now beginning to understand. "Master Han, why don't you join me at my residence for a good rest? Only two months remain until the scheduled clash of the strong. I expect Lei and Xue Sha to arrive shortly as well. Should you have any needs, please don't hesitate to let me know—our Alliance will do everything possible to fulfill them." Bi Ying spoke as she led Han Li and the others along the same path they had come. "Then, if Master Bi is so kind, I shall certainly not be shy in making requests should anything arise," Han Li replied with a warm smile. Thus, under the guidance of Bi Ying and the other two, the group soon emerged from the surrounding forest and arrived before a vast complex resembling a fortress. "This is one of the thirty-six major outposts established by our alliance in this world—the closest to the regions controlled by the spectral beings. Beyond a million miles from here lies their territory. The arena for the duel will be set at the boundary between our respective controlled zones. In addition to the strong contenders among us, we will certainly deploy large armies as a precaution," Bi Ying explained as she and the others gradually flew toward the fortress, continuously providing updates. At the fortress gate, a contingent of over a hundred mid-to-high ranked armored soldiers stood on guard. On the sheer, towering wall, rising nearly a hundred paces high, several half-human, half-beast black automatons moved back and forth. Above the fortress, patches of colorful glimmers of light shimmered in and out, while dense networks of magical seals pulsed continuously, spreading throughout the entire complex. The fortress appeared on high alert. With Bi Ying leading the way, the guards at the main gate did not hesitate to allow passage, instead bowing respectfully and swiftly stepping aside. The group entered the fortress with full dignity. Half an hour later, Han Li had reached a small, standalone stone tower at the heart of the fortress and settled into a meditative posture within a sealed chamber on the tower's upper level. To prepare for this great confrontation, he had instructed Zhu Guo'er and the Stone Elder to take turns guarding outside, while he himself remained in the chamber, practicing meditation and refining his inner energy.