The small bottle merely spun gently in the wind before suddenly vanishing mid-air. At the next instant, a fierce gale surged across the forest, and swirling hues of spiritual clouds rose in waves. A massive bottle, its mouth stretching to cover the sky, emerged from the clouds, then gently swayed downward—immediately spewing forth countless dark green glyphs. As these glyphs burst from the bottle's mouth, they instantly transformed into clusters of vibrant green mist, exploding into vibrant bursts. In an instant, a vast surge of fundamental laws enveloped the entire land. A thunderous roar erupted! The air trembled slightly, and countless trees and clumps of earth surged upward like a tidal wave. Initially just individual trees and mud balls, they swiftly coalesced into vast forests and solid patches of land. Whatever objects came within a thousand li of the bottle's mouth instantly trembled and turned to powder, then vanished completely. The vast expanse of emptiness suddenly blurred and warped, entirely enveloped in a thin layer of pale green light. The ground beneath then bore a massive, dark, basin-like depression, its base perfectly smooth with no vegetation, and it was deepening rapidly in an exceedingly strange manner. A great white elephant let out a mournful cry, and suddenly a deep green chain materialized like a ghostly presence, fastening it firmly in place. Its massive wings flapped wildly, radiating a steady flow of white crystalline light, surging with waves of powerful, awe-inspiring energy. Yet the deep green chain clung tenaciously to its body, growing increasingly dense as the air around it blurred and then abruptly tightened. A low roar erupted—the great elephant seemed to shatter like porcelain, fragment by fragment, revealing within a middle-aged Buddhist monk dressed in a white robe. The monk had a refined countenance, yet now his face was filled with panic. As the chain swayed and re-ensnared him, he bit down hard on his teeth, shook his sleeve, and drew forth a long, slender, blood-red blade from within. With a swift motion, he struck the chain with great force. "Boom!" A thick wave of blood and fragrance surged forth, blossoming into a brilliant, vivid red flower in the sky, nearly engulfing the monk entirely. The deep-green chain remained undamaged, rolling through the shower of blood, and after a slight blur, settled once more securely around the monk's body. At the same time, patches of green light emerged from the surrounding void, converging toward the center, and instantly surged upward as a misty, emerald gale. A force so powerful and unexpected erupted within the gale, tearing the blood blossoms into countless fragments. Then, amid a shimmer of crystalline light, the gale suddenly transformed into countless thin, jade-like blades, rushing in a rolling wave toward the central monk. Each blade was as thin as a sheet of paper, adorned with an eerie network of deep-green spiritual patterns, and radiating a subtle aura of law. As the monk, still bound, scanned these blades with his consciousness, his face instantly turned pale and lifeless. Before the blades could strike, he suddenly roared, "Halt! I yield! I willingly offer my scroll." Immediately upon speaking, he opened his mouth and expelled a pale silver scroll. Han Li's incantation suddenly ceased. After a quick glance at the silver plaque, he said calmly, "One piece? As for the others, if Master is unwilling to part with them all, don't expect me to show any mercy." "Very well, I'll give them all!" Hearing this, the middle-aged monk's pupils slightly constricted, but after a moment's thought, he only sighed and said, "Meeting someone of such strength must have been unfortunate for me. I shall now fully withdraw from the competition." Then, with a further breath, he expelled two more silver plaques. As soon as the two plaques detached from his body, a ripple of energy surged beneath him, and a five-colored light array materialized spontaneously. The array spun smoothly, and at the same moment, the monk vanished—disappearing completely into the void. Only three silver plaques and a dark green chain remained in their original place. Han Li, unimpressed, smiled slightly and raised his hand, summoning the objects. With a soft "pffft," the emerald chain and the bottle's mouth both blurred and vanished, and as the surrounding green screens and the floating gray clouds suddenly dissolved, a small green bottle descended slowly from the sky. At the same time, three silver plaques trembled and shot toward Han Li on their own. Han Li waved his sleeve, and a faint jade-like glow swept past him, instantly erasing both the silver plaques and the green bottle from sight. With a further movement, he transformed into a streak of jade-green light, rising straight upward and swiftly departing the area. A short while later, several streaks of light arrived from other directions, each carefully scanning the scene with their divine awareness before cautiously taking their separate ways. A giant ape opened its mouth wide, drew the silver plaque into its mouth as if by magic, then folded its divine form and resumed human shape, floating upward. ... Half a month later, upon an endless expanse of ocean. Han Li stood face-to-face with an elderly man in yellow robes and a woman in red robes, forming a triangular arrangement. The two others looked serious, while Han Li remained expressionless. In the center, a golden leviathan of a thousand zhang in length floated in mid-air, covered in various wounds, its breath faint and intermittent—appearing nearly lifeless. "This mythical beast proves so tenacious; it must harbor more than just one Dao plaque. It seems both of you are determined to stay. Then, please, do not leave. Take your share of gains as well and remain here." Han Li finally spoke, but his voice was cold and piercing, sending a shiver through those listening. "Though you may be a master of divine arts, to face us two directly and yet treat me and Lady Hua as if we were mere novices—this seems rather dismissive." "The two of us, it seems, have no choice but to vie with you," said the elder in yellow robes, his expression stiffening, yet a cold exhalation of disdain escaping his nostrils. As soon as he finished speaking, he extended his hands into the air, and from them rose a massive black sword, dark as ink, and a green, luminous tower. The black sword merely swayed slightly, and instantly, a swirling tide of black wind and sand surged forth. Upon the green tower's emergence, it swayed in the wind and expanded into a colossal mountain-like form, its base radiating vivid, shimmering hues of light, then pressing directly down upon Han Li. Meanwhile, the red-robed woman, without a word, raised one hand and chanted a series of gestures, causing waves of crimson flames to surge from her body. After rolling once on the ground, she transformed into a massive, fully crimson phoenix. With a clear cry, the phoenix raised its head and, with a sudden, powerful flap of its wings, surged forward, carrying with it a torrent of blazing fire, charging straight toward the opposite side. "Excellent," Han Li roared, raising his hand and instantly summoning three peaks of different colors that materialized in front of him, forming a protective barrier behind him. At the same time, he flipped his other palm, and a green vial appeared. With a series of murmured incantations, he tossed the vial high into the air... "Master Jin's kind words are most generous. As for me, I've only managed to gather enough Dao Fruit tokens quite by chance. Kindly allow the senior elders to review whether the number is sufficient." Han Li replied, and with a swift motion of his sleeve, over a hundred silver plaques shot out and hovered steadily before the several Dragon Clan elders. "Yes, a total of one hundred and eight tokens—this should be sufficient to secure one Guangling Dao Fruit. Wind Elder, please retrieve one and present it to Master Han." After a brief divine awareness scan of the tokens, Master Jin nodded decisively and addressed the white-robed middle-aged man beside him. The white-robed man smiled in response, reached into his sleeve, and produced a jade-like box, which he then opened to reveal a crystalline fruit about the size of a clenched fist. The fruit was as translucent as jade, subtly radiating an indescribable fragrance. Even at such a distance, Han Li, upon a gentle sniff, immediately felt a refreshing coolness spread through his mind, his senses sharpened and sharpened. "Indeed, no wonder this is hailed as the first-class immortal fruit—its qualities are truly extraordinary," said Han Li, without hesitation, reaching out to take the jade box. After gazing intently at the contents for a while, he remarked with a touch of admiration. "Heh, the effects of this immortal fruit need no further explanation from me—surely, you're well aware of them yourself. Alas, this fruit can only be consumed once in a lifetime. Otherwise, how could our clan have spared such a precious offering to host such a grand gathering? By the way, the Guangling Immortal Fruit is not suited to prolonged exposure—so I'd recommend you take it in promptly," said Jin Elder, first with a touch of pride, then gently adding a helpful reminder. "Thank you, Elder, but I don't think I need to go through such trouble," replied Han Li, smiling warmly at Jin Elder. He then swiftly grasped the fruit from the box and, with a single lift, sent it directly into his mouth. After a crisp series of chewing sounds, he swallowed it all without a single drop remaining. Han Li啧啧 several times with his lips, still showing a touch of lingering satisfaction. (To be continued.)