A flash of cold light in the golden figure's eyes, two shimmering, cold-crystal beams shot forth, instantly severing the several golden fingers that had grasped it. Then, with a leap, it transformed into a streak of brilliant light, breaking through the air toward the distance. "Wonderful! I didn't expect a cultivator of such caliber to exist even in the lower realm. Should I succeed in bringing him back to the Immortal Realm, he would surely prove to be a great asset." The giant formed by Ma Liang beamed with delight. With a single hand gesture toward the streak of light, golden glimmers condensed all around, forming several large golden hands that reached down to grasp the streak, while a surge of law-based power enveloped it. A delicate, high-pitched cry emerged from the streak. After a graceful spiral, a sudden series of sharp "shhh" sounds erupted, and countless intangible sword-like attacks burst forth, rushing in thousands toward every direction. Following a wave of explosions, the golden hands were shattered by the sword attacks, yet more hands continued to appear in succession around the area. At the same time, the body of the figure within Jinghong grew heavy, being swiftly drawn into the breach by the laws of nature, and its speed of movement became incredibly slow. On the ground, the golden volcanoes roared loudly, gradually transforming into dozens of towering golden infantrymen, each glowing with radiant light. As the sound of rushing air echoed, these soldiers advanced steadily toward Jinghong without a single expression. Under such circumstances, the chances of the Golden Insect King escaping were now nearly nonexistent. Far off, the giant formed by Ma Liang observed the scene and could not help but smile slightly, though his aura had noticeably weakened—clearly, the severe injuries he had sustained earlier and the repeated use of his great powers had significantly drained his celestial and spiritual energy, leaving it far behind his initial strength. "...That should do it," said Han Li, standing below the ancient jade mirror hovering before him, suddenly speaking to himself with a somewhat puzzled expression, as if reflecting on something distant, perhaps thousands of miles away. The image displayed on the ancient mirror clearly showed the Gold-Eating Insect transforming into a colossal golden insect, stretching dozens of zhangs in length, its body spewing streams of crystalline light and engaging in fierce combat with the golden infantry. This insect king's presence there was naturally due to Han Li's secret command. Only thus could he accurately monitor the situation on that side, ensuring no unforeseen surprises arose. …Two great cultivators, Yun Dan and Yue Su, were originally seated in meditation at their respective array focal points. Suddenly, they sensed a sudden surge of primordial qi in the surrounding space, and at the same time, the eight cylindrical pillars and the massive altar emitted a terrifying surge of law-based vibrations. Startled, both instantly opened their eyes. The hundreds of merchants' guards nearby also noticed the disturbance and became agitated, most of them displaying expressions of concern. "How has the qi here become so turbulent!" Yun Dan stood up, speaking in astonishment. "Could it be that the Two Instruments of Extinction Array have encountered a problem?" Yue Su expressed a touch of hesitation. "Something is wrong—the law-based force is now coalescing above us, as if specifically targeting us. I must move quickly!" Yun Dan, with greater experience, quickly scanned the sky with his eyes, then his face suddenly turned pale. As siblings, Yun Dan had always held Yue Su's words in high regard. Upon hearing this, she was startled and immediately shook her sleeve—black light shot forth, spinning in a circle before transforming into a sleek, angular flying vehicle right before them. The vehicle was entirely black, with three pairs of silver wing-like appendages on each side—clearly no ordinary craft. Yet even before Yun Dan and Yue Su had stepped aboard, the altar and the eight pillars trembled, each erupting a radiant column of five-colored light shooting skyward. A thunderclap rang out in the clear heavens—lawful energies converged, instantly forming a luminous array spanning over a dozen li in diameter. As the array hummed, a vortex of five hues appeared at its center. A roar followed, and a vivid, blood-red glow surged forth, plunging straight toward the heart of the array. Upon the flash of bloodlight, a semicircular crimson light curtain instantly materialized, like a massive bowl, enclosing Yun Dan, Yue Su, and the entire delegation of merchants' guards within. At the same time, a surge of law-like power filled the entire Blood Veil. Yun Dan and Yue Shu felt a sudden chill rush over their bodies, and their inner qi instantly failed to cohere. "Bad—it's time to go through the ground!" Yun Dan roared, pulling Yue Shu with a single hand, and both of them materialized simultaneously within the flying chariot. Yue Shu hurriedly pressed a series of hand seals, and the chariot immediately transformed into a dark glow, plunging downward into the earth. A sharp "thud" echoed. The dark glow was deflected back by a layer of emerald light that had silently risen from the ground, reforming the chariot into its original shape in the air. Yun Dan shouted in frustration, then flipped his hand, and suddenly a golden spear about one zhang long appeared in his grasp. With a powerful motion, he drove it downward, sending a beam of golden light piercing the earth with a resounding crack. A tremendous roar erupted. A sphere of golden sunlight burst open on the ground, and the resulting wave of air swept outward, knocking over several guards from nearby merchant alliances, who could no longer stand their balance. But when Yun Dan raised a hand and summoned the Golden Spear back, after the golden light on the ground faded and dispersed, the green runes on the surface shimmered continuously, as if the ground had remained completely undamaged. "How is this possible! Brother, your luminous spear is said to be invincible!" Yue Shu exclaimed, stunned. "Don't you see it yet? We've all been duped by the old man, Ming Zun. This isn't just an array's focal point—it's clearly a carefully laid trap specifically designed for us siblings." Yun Dan stared intently at the faint green glow emerging and receding from the ground, his face pale with frustration. "Why would he do this, trapping us here? What benefit could he possibly gain? And even if this seal is powerful, can it truly hold us captive?" Yue Shu was initially taken aback, but quickly grew impatient, her voice sharp. "This seal doesn't need to actually imprison us—it only needs to prevent us from leaving immediately. As for why." "... Cloud Dan's eyes flashed with a gleam of light, and suddenly his arm blurred once more, launching Jin Ge toward the altar. A thunderous roar erupted. The altar shattered in a flash of golden light, its fragments shooting out like arrows, leaving behind only a vast, deep crater. "What...?" Moon Shu stared at the crater, slightly surprised. "Master Ming never left any of the Xuan Tian treasures here. He must have intended for us siblings to serve as substitutes for those treasures!" Cloud Dan said coldly, gritting his teeth. "He truly dares to do this! Then we must leave at once—we cannot stay here!" Moon Shu exclaimed, visibly alarmed. "Need not fear. Though I did not anticipate such a trap, Master Ming brought me here to participate in this battle against the immortals, and thus must have prepared several contingency plans." As he spoke, Cloud Dan opened his mouth and expelled a round, pale black orb. He snatched the orb in his hand, his face darkening with fury, then hurled it straight at the nearby blood-hued light screen. At the very same instant, the blood-hued screen flashed with a brief surge of bloodlight, and a wave of blood-colored ripples surged through it—wherever it passed, the merchants' guards burst into streaks of blood mist, exploding in splendor. Even before the black orb had reached the screen, it was swept up by the blood ripples. With a soft "pffft," the black orb spun twice before vanishing into a mist of black smoke. "Impossible!" Cloud Dan's face went pale as a sheet, his composure utterly shattered. Yue Shu, startled, raised both sleeves and sent out a dozen colorful treasures in all directions, only for them to burst into fragments without warning as soon as they had traveled only a short distance. At that moment, the guards of the other merchant alliances were all transformed into blood mist, and the strange ripple immediately surged toward the two of them from all directions. Cloud Dan and Yue Shu exchanged glances, each reading a hint of despair in the other's eyes. If their powers had been intact, they might have had means to counter this unusual assault; but now, they were truly at a loss. With a determined breath, they simultaneously released all their treasures and poured every remaining spell power into their protective aura. A flash of blood light engulfed them, and the strange ripple swiftly submerged both of them. Only moments later, two deep thuds echoed from within the blood curtain, followed by the blood mist coalescing and being drawn into the swirling vortex above. ...On the other side, at the array's center, Han Li stood on a small patch of ground separated by a yellow light shield, gazing upward at the massive, resonating light array in the sky, his expression grave. Aside from him, the guards of the other merchant alliances were suddenly engulfed by the aerial light array, reduced to nothing but blood mist. A soft "pffft" sound. The aerial light array flashed and vanished into the void. ...The golden figure was simultaneously pressed down by several golden infantrymen. At the same time, countless strands of purple-gold light emerged from the surrounding void, spiraling and wrapping around the figure. "Hah! Within my spiritual domain, no matter how great your abilities, they will prove useless. Now watch where you can go!" The colossal golden figure formed by Ma Liang laughed heartily and drifted toward the small figure. At that very moment, a surge of energy rippled from below, and a massive light array—spreading across nearly half of the Mingsha region—emerged from the ground, precisely centered on the golden giant. "Unfortunate!" Ma Liang stiffened. As his divine awareness swept toward the ground-based array, his face instantly paled and he gasped in alarm. At the same time, a shimmering filament of light surged silently from the center of the luminous array, piercing through the void and spanning the entire realm between heaven and earth. Upon seeing this filament, Ma Liang's eyes—like those of a snake or a scorpion—widened in sudden recognition. Without hesitation, he ignited his evasive light and transformed into a golden sphere, shooting backward.