Half a day later, the colossal city where Bi Ying and her companions were located erupted into a world-shaking battle that lasted nearly a full day and night. The aftermath of the conflict reduced everything within a radius of several thousand miles to ashes. Several days after that, a stunning revelation spread across the entire Xue Tian continent: the senior cultivators from several major sects, led by the Xue Gu Men, had all perished in the battle against the demons. Only Ling Yun Lady from Wan Gu Shan managed to escape, though she was severely wounded and nearly forced out of her senior cultivator rank. Upon returning to her ancestral stronghold, Wan Gu Shan, she immediately dismantled all her sealing arrays and declared the mountain sealed for ten thousand years, disengaging from all affairs on the continent. The entire Xue Tian continent was left in a state of profound anxiety, with other major powers and surviving senior cultivators also entering a period of temporary stillness. Soon after, news arrived of another dramatic event: a mid-sized human nation, along with several nearby smaller sects, had been sacrificed to the blood of their people. ...yet none of this was known to Han Li. At that moment, he had already arrived on a remote island far from the Xue Tian Continent, and together with Zhu Guo'er and the old master Huashishan, he had boarded the Mo Ling Holy Vessel and sailed deep into the vast ocean. The number of powerful sea beasts dwelling in the ocean vastly exceeded those of the wild land creatures, and some of these sea beasts possessed such formidable abilities that even great cultivators at the Mid-Level stage would have to retreat in awe. However, thanks to the numerous powerful automatons aboard the Mo Ling Holy Vessel, most sea beasts encountered were either defeated or never returned. Occasionally, when a particularly strong sea entity was encountered, Han Li's own display of divine prowess would cause them to be startled and flee. Half a year passed swiftly, and the great vessel journeyed steadily and uneventfully, sailing far beyond the known limits of the ocean. But on this particular day, as the vessel cut through the waves at high speed in the lower atmosphere, a tremendous explosion erupted ahead, followed by a powerful wave of disturbance rolling in. The old master of Huashishi, who was just commanding the puppets to steer the great vessel forward, immediately turned pale upon sensing the intensity of these fluctuations, and then shot off like a streak of surprise toward the ship's cabin. A short while later, Han Li emerged calmly with Zhu Guo'er and the old master. "There's a cultivator at the senior stage of Great Multiplication engaging in combat ahead? Indeed, the strength of these fluctuations confirms it's a battle involving someone at or above the Great Multiplication level. Send the Sacred Vessel over and see what's causing the conflict there," Han Li said, glancing steadily at the distant sea surface before giving the order without hesitation. "Yes, Master Han!" The old master replied promptly, then urged the puppets steering the vessel. Instantly, the Mo Ling Sacred Vessel trembled, veered slightly, and surged forward with its speed multiplied several times. As the great vessel sped ahead, the sounds of explosions and the intensity of the fluctuations from ahead grew progressively stronger. When a small island gradually emerged ahead of the great vessel, the swirling bands of luminous light above it became clearly visible, radiating terrifying waves that nearly lowered the surrounding sea surface by more than ten zhang. The island itself was already severely damaged, with all its protruding features completely swept away, leaving the entire structure remarkably flat. Han Li stood at the prow, his eyes narrowing instantly and clearly grasping the scene ahead. Among the bursting bands of light, three massive and fierce sea creatures were fiercely attacking a single silver dragon. One was a colossal sea horse, scaled up a hundredfold; another was a large, emerald-green turtle; and the third was a deep-blue octopus the size of a small mountain. All three sea beasts emitted wildly turbulent energies—some spewing out bursts of lightning and flame from their mouths, others charging straight ahead with their solid bodies, and still others wildly waving their tentacles—continuously pressing their assault upon the silver dragon. A sea beast with nearly the strength of a typical late-stage cultivator was already riddled with injuries. Several cracks had formed on the green turtle's shell, oozing a steady stream of green blood. The colossal octopus lay with its body blackened and several of its tentacles completely gone. The sea horse, though seemingly intact, had its body partially restrained by a bright golden ring, making it slightly more sluggish in movement compared to the other two beasts. The silvery dragon, surrounded by the three, fared even worse—its tail and one of its front limbs had vanished entirely, and nearly ten percent of its silver scales had shed off. Its two eyes were now continuously spewing blood outward, despite the distress. Yet, even so, as it darted and spun about, brilliant streaks of silver light flashed around it, producing powerful thunderous sounds, and it managed to hold its own against the relentless assaults of the three massive beasts. Han Li's gaze flickered briefly and settled on a specific spot on the silver dragon's abdomen. There, coiled in a tight ball, was a small purple creature with both claws firmly gripping a patch of silver scales on the silver dragon's abdomen, motionless and as if lifeless. As soon as Han Li saw the creature, his pupils slightly constricted, a strange sense of familiarity surged through him, prompting him to pause thoughtfully. Given the immense size of the black ink holy vessel and its unimpeded, direct approach, it was impossible for the vessel to go unnoticed by the three sea beasts and the silver dragon. Yet, precisely at this critical moment when the four were locked in a life-or-death struggle, despite knowing an outsider had arrived, they refused to yield, and as the battle intensified, the clash grew even more fierce. The silver dragon, fighting against three opponents, though wielding its silver light with remarkable skill, was clearly gaining the upper hand, and the situation had become perilously tense. As the great vessel began to glide and shift, poised to plunge directly into the midst of the fray, Han Li simply murmured, "Hold!" Han Li's voice was not particularly loud, yet as it reached the ears of the four beasts ahead, it sounded like a thunderclap from a clear sky. The four beasts shuddered, simultaneously withdrawing their divine powers and stumbling backward, pushing each other aside. The three sea beasts, who had been about to secure their advantage, were suddenly interrupted and grew furious, all turning their fierce gazes sharply toward Han Li. At the same time, three immense waves of pressure coalesced, pressing down upon the great vessel as if three mountains had converged. Seeing this, Han Li emitted a low hum, then pressed a hand seal. A flash of golden light erupted from behind him, and instantly, a celestial, thousand-li-tall, three-headed, six-armed image materialized. As soon as this golden, heavenly figure opened its six eyes, a terrifying spiritual pressure surged forth from Han Li—stronger than the combined power of the three sea beasts. "Boom! Boom!" The four streams of energy collided, and the three massive sea beasts were instantly rendered unable to emit even a sound, hurling backward. They rolled out over a hundred paces before finally steadying themselves, their faces filled with shock. "Who exactly are you, and why do you bother us? We are the senior elders of Zhunhai Palace—should you offend us, even if your magical prowess is boundless, you'll find it difficult to move an inch in the sea beyond this point." The sea horse's gaze shifted several times before it spoke, his tone carrying clear threats toward Han Li. Though this silver dragon was supremely proud, it could not help but be secretly astonished upon witnessing the feats displayed by Han Li moments ago, and thus dared not show any slightness. "Tu Yi, indeed, I have no doubt—you are truly a worthy companion." "Hmm, I also find you somewhat familiar. Have we met before?" The silver-robed man, taking the form of the silver dragon, was startled, then paused as he carefully studied Han Li's face, his expression growing slightly uncertain. After all, given the strength he had just demonstrated, if they had once met, he would surely have remembered him. How could his memory be so hazy? "Father, he is the one. When I was captured by the villains, I met him at the auction hall—the brother who carried the scent of a mother." The young girl in purple, after briefly sniffing the air, suddenly grasped the silver-robed man's sleeve and spoke urgently. This man himself was the great transcendence-stage human-faced dragon who had once caused a commotion at the Yun City auction hall, while the girl was the direct descendant of that dragon, transformed into a small creature that had been seized and brought to the auction. "You've recognized me right away," Han Li glanced at the purple-robed young girl and smiled lightly. "Indeed, it's you!" The human-faced dragon heard this and finally matched the face of the cultivator from the previous encounter—someone who had reached the Transcendent Realm—with the currently formidable Han Li, whose power was beyond measure, his face filled with disbelief. "I never expected to meet Tu Daojun here by chance. Though we've only exchanged greetings once, we've managed to become somewhat acquainted. Yet, given your esteemed status, how could you end up in such a disheveled condition? Regardless of any grievances you may have with the Zhunhai Palace, those three sea beasts, though formidable, have not yet reached the stage of Great Perfection. They should not be able to overpower you, surely." Han Li's smile faded, and he asked calmly. "If I were unharmed, I would certainly not have considered even the three senior monks of the Zhunhai Palace a serious threat." "But during my earlier exile, I was struck by a hidden plot from one of my greatest rivals, and now I can no longer summon any powers beyond the Great Perfection. I can only rely on my innate abilities and physical form to face my adversaries." The human-faced dragon exhaled, smoothing out the shock on his face and adopting a wry, sorrowful expression. "Ah, I see. If you don't mind, would you allow me to examine your current condition?" Han Li nodded, but suddenly asked a question. "This... well..." The human-faced dragon hesitated. "Heh, my earlier words may have been rather abrupt. However, while you may have time to gradually address your own issues, your daughter—she may not be able to endure much longer." Han Li remained composed, glancing at the purple-robed young girl beside him, and spoke a sentence that left the human-faced dragon genuinely surprised.