From Five Animal Exercises to being hailed as a saint and ancestor

Time flew by amidst the fierce hunt and the tempering of the power of the stars, and ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

The three-person team worked together more and more seamlessly, achieving astonishing efficiency.

Zhou Tiancan's tenth level of meridian opening has been completely stabilized.

The benefits of the dragon spine vein being connected are now fully apparent, and physical strength and defense have reached a new level.

When the pair of octagonal bronze hammers were wielded, they truly possessed a power capable of shattering mountains and splitting the earth.

Li Han's progress was equally remarkable.

Under the continuous baptism of the power of the stars, his physical body, spiritual power, and even his soul were all enhanced in all aspects.

The original, somewhat effeminate and eerie aura has gained a sense of solidity and weight.

His attack power is more than twice as strong as when he first entered the secret realm.

Their elusive and stealthy assassination techniques are even more difficult to defend against, often unleashing a deadly threat in an instant.

However, on this day, after the three of them had finished clearing out a small group of Star Beasts at the Meridian Opening Realm...

Instead of immediately scouting ahead as usual, Li Han frowned, stood still, and carefully sensed his surroundings.

"What's wrong?" Yao Mengkang noticed his unusual behavior.

Li Han hesitated for a moment, then said somewhat uncertainly:

"Senior Brother Yao, Senior Brother Zhou, for some reason, I feel... something's off about the atmosphere here. It seems... there's an invisible sense of oppression, making my heart feel heavy."

Upon hearing this, Yao Mengkang's eyes suddenly sharpened, and he took a deep breath.

The vast divine sense spread outwards like an invisible spider web, carefully sensing everything.

After a moment, he slowly nodded, his tone solemn:

"You feel that way too? I thought it was just my imagination. Indeed, there's a sense of impending doom, as if something is secretly watching and surrounding us."

Both of them turned their gazes toward Zhou Tiancan.

Zhou Tiancan was wiping the starlight marks off the bronze hammer when he heard this. He paused for a moment, scratched his head, and said in a deep voice:

"Feeling depressed? Not at all! I feel great, full of energy and vitality!"

He was simple-minded and less perceptive than Yao Mengkang and Li Han, so he did not notice the invisible change.

Yao Mengkang and Li Han exchanged a glance, both seeing the seriousness in each other's eyes. Something unusual must be going on!

"Li Han, expand the search area and investigate carefully! Pay attention to the distribution and movements of the Star Beasts!" Yao Mengkang immediately ordered.

"Understood!" Li Han's figure flickered, as if blending into the shadows, and he disappeared silently from the spot.

The waiting time felt exceptionally long.

Zhou Tiancan also put down the copper hammer and, imitating Yao Mengkang, tried to sense his surroundings, but still found nothing.

Seeing Yao Mengkang's solemn expression, he couldn't help but feel nervous as well.

About an incense stick later, Li Han returned like a ghost, his face even more pale than when he left.

"This is bad!" he said hoarsely.

"I've searched all four directions for about ten miles... We might be surrounded!"

"What?!" Zhou Tiancan suddenly stood up, his copper hammer slamming into the ground with a dull thud.

"Explain yourself!" Yao Mengkang said in a deep voice.

Li Han took a deep breath and said quickly:

"To the west, three 'Star Bone Earth Dragons' are coiled up, each possessing an aura of at least the sixth level of the Spirit Sea Realm, and their hides are thick and tough!"

"To the south lies a strange 'Starlight Swamp,' where several 'Star Skeleton Pythons' at the mid-stage of the Spirit Sea Realm lurk, utterly insidious!"

To the north… it’s even more troublesome. I sensed an extremely subtle yet incredibly powerful aura, at least at the seventh level of the Spirit Sea Realm, or even higher. It seemed to be some kind of flying star-bone beast perched atop a crystal mountain!

There are also many Star Bone Beasts at the third and fourth levels of the Spirit Sea Realm in other directions.

"They all seem to be heading east; something in the east seems to be drawing them in."

With each direction he indicated, Yao Mengkang and Zhou Tianshen's hearts sank a little deeper.

There are groups of Star Beasts or powerful individuals at the mid-to-late stage of the Spirit Sea Realm in three of the four directions!

Moreover, judging from the distribution described by Li Han, they are not disorderly, but rather form a subtle encirclement.

The three of them seemed to be in a relatively central position within this encirclement!

A chill ran down the spines of the three.

If they were to face any one of the Star Beasts alone, they might be able to rely on their strength and teamwork to hold their own. Even if they couldn't win the battle, they would still have a good chance of escaping.

However, if a conflict occurs, the other Star Beasts will definitely be able to sense it.

If they were to surround us at the same time... no, even if there were two more Star Bone Beasts at the mid-stage of the Spirit Sea Realm, it would be a hopeless situation with no chance of survival!

A tense atmosphere permeated the three of them.

Zhou Tiancan gripped the copper hammer tightly, his muscles tense, his eyes fierce yet tinged with unease.

Li Han's forehead was covered in sweat, and his breathing was rapid.

Even Yao Mengkang felt his heart beat faster and his palms sweat slightly.

However, under this extreme tension and pressure, a strange emotion also began to grow - the ferocity and unwillingness that were aroused when facing a desperate situation!

After a brief moment of panic, the three men's eyes gradually sharpened, a fighting spirit surging against their fear.

"No..." Yao Mengkang forced himself to calm down, his brain racing.

"These Star Beasts have extremely low intelligence and are distributed in different directions, with varying species and habits."

"Unless driven or attracted by some unified force, it is impossible to form such a 'tacit' encirclement."

"We may have simply inadvertently moved closer to the center where they gathered."

Li Han's eyes lit up, and he replied:

"Senior Brother Yao means... they're not targeting us? But rather they're summoned or attracted by something, which is why they're gathering in this way?"

"Very likely!" Yao Mengkang affirmed.

"What's attracting so many late-stage Spirit Sea Realm Star Beasts to react simultaneously must be extraordinary!"

Zhou Tiancan also realized what was happening and said in a deep voice:

"Could... what attracts them also be our opportunity?"

Upon hearing this, a glint of light flashed in the eyes of all three!

Danger and opportunity coexist!

The value of something that can attract so many powerful Star Beasts is self-evident! If one could snatch a chestnut from the fire…

"Let's do it!" Li Han gritted his teeth, a ruthless glint flashing across his face.

"Since the chances of breaking through are slim anyway, let's take a gamble! Let's see what's in the center!"

"Perhaps there is an opportunity at the center that attracts so many high-level Star Beasts. If we can obtain it, it will surely be an immense opportunity."

Yao Mengkang looked at Zhou Tiancan, who nodded emphatically, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.

"Moreover, with so many Star Beasts all going to one place, when an opportunity arises, they will definitely not be able to share it equally, and a battle is inevitable."

"We might have a chance to fish in troubled waters."

Yao Mengkang spoke at the opportune moment.

A flicker of fear crossed Zhou Tiancan's eyes as he said:

"However, this is based on one premise: that there are so many high-level Star Beasts."

"How can we conceal our presence from them? Once they discover us, I'm afraid..."

Yao Mengkang picked up the conversation and said:

"That's right. Our top priority is to find a reliable means of concealment to ensure we are not discovered beforehand."

"Let's avoid direct confrontation and sneak in. Only if the Starbeasts engage in battle first will we have a chance; otherwise, we'll just be food for these beasts."

"Leave it to me!" Li Han was full of confidence. After his strength improved greatly, he was more confident in his ability to hide.

"With my concealment skills, plus the concealment items passed down in my family, it's enough to hide the presence of the three of us."

"As long as we don't take the initiative, these lowly Star Bone Beasts will have no chance of discovering us."

"But..." Li Han paused and then continued.

"If I want to conceal my presence for a long time, my concealment range is limited. I'm afraid the three of us will have to stay very close together."

"It's alright. A real man should not concern himself with such a trivial matter as this matter of life and death," Yao Mengkang said.

Then, Li Han used a secret technique, and a thin layer of shadow, seemingly capable of distorting light, enveloped the three of them.

Their auras were suppressed to the lowest level, and their figures became indistinct.

The three no longer attempted to break out in any particular direction.

Instead, they adjusted their direction, cautiously moving against the tide of the gathering Star Beasts.

They stealthily made their way towards that unknown eastern region, a place where crisis and opportunity coexisted.

And the east is the core of the secret realm.

The invisible sense of oppression in the surrounding air grew stronger and stronger, like the deathly stillness before a storm.

But the three men's eyes were like stars in the dark night, firm and bright.