Han Li was clearly prepared for the strange bird's sudden attack. He leaned backward, directly avoiding the bird's fierce strike.

However, before he could steady himself, the strange bird suddenly stomped hard on the ground with both feet, its body soaring into the sky. As it neared its descent, its wings suddenly spread open.

Han Li's legs were pushed by its feathered wings, causing him to lose his balance. He was about to fall off.

But at this moment, he released the strange bird's neck and pushed hard against its back with both hands, his body leaping into the air, only to fall back down quickly under the pressure of space.

As he fell, Han Li crossed his arms and deliberately used all his strength to perform a "Thousand-Jin Drop," landing heavily on the strange bird's back.

The strange bird was already in a descending posture. Being suddenly pressed down by Han Li, it couldn't help but let out a crow-like cry. Its body plummeted rapidly, smashing onto the ground like a meteorite.

There was a loud "bang!"

A large pit, dozens of feet in diameter, opened up on the ground. The giant strange bird, pressed down by Han Li, found its legs, though incredibly strong, unable to support its weight. It knelt down directly, prostrating in the bottom of the pit.

The other strange beasts bathing in the starlight scattered in fear. The remaining strange birds flew away without a trace.

Shi Chuan Kong and Crab Daoren arrived in pursuit. Reaching the edge of the pit and looking down, they saw Han Li riding on the strange bird, one hand pressing on its head, the other gently stroking the feathers on its back.

At first, the strange bird's head struggled vigorously, but after a moment, it stopped resisting. Instead, it gently rubbed its head against Han Li's palm, appearing quite affectionate.

Han Li gently patted the strange bird's back, and it stood up again. Bending its legs, a sound like air bursting filled the air, and it leaped upward, carrying Han Li out of the pit.

After exiting the pit, the strange bird carried Han Li across the plain for a while, its speed even faster than before. When it spread its wings and flapped them, and coordinated with the air pockets under its feet, it could even fly a foot above the ground, skimming along the surface.

After a brief experiment, Han Li directed the strange bird to land in front of Shi Chuan Kong and the others.

"I don't know the name of this bird, so I'll temporarily call it a Float-Flyer. This bird is wild and difficult to tame. Once captured, it must be immediately controlled with spiritual power," Han Li said as he jumped off the bird.

Shi Chuan Kong watched the strange bird stay by Han Li's side even after he dismounted. He laughed, "No wonder you were stroking its head earlier. You were brainwashing it."

"As you saw just now, this bird can carry a person into the air, which should be no problem for flying over to the island on the other side. And its running speed isn't slow, so it's also suitable for riding," Han Li said, ignoring his teasing.

"Not bad, not bad! This solves two problems at once," Shi Chuan Kong said, clapping his hands and laughing.

"Brother Shi, when you were kicked by this Float-Flyer, I saw a Profound Aperture light up on your chest. Have you also cultivated some kind of body-refining Profound Immortal Technique?" Han Li suddenly remembered something and asked.

"If you want to call it a Profound Immortal Technique, that's not wrong. We Holy Clans are naturally physically strong, so sometimes we don't focus on body refinement as much as you humans. However, I cultivate the power of space laws, which is relatively special. It requires a stronger physique, and since I recently advanced to the Taiyi Realm, my physique has naturally improved," Shi Chuan Kong said, hesitating slightly but not completely concealing the truth.

"Hearing you say that, I'm relieved. I'm sure you're willing to accompany me on this trip because you have full confidence in improving your physical body," Han Li said with a smile.

As for how strong Shi Chuan Kong's body actually was, he didn't ask further. It concerned the foundation of another's cultivation, and even if the relationship was close, there should be some reservations.

"I wouldn't say full confidence, but as long as I can help Brother Li at a critical moment, that's enough," Shi Chuan Kong said with a laugh.

Han Li smiled upon hearing this, and said nothing more.

"There's only one Float-Flyer. Should we take turns riding it to the other side, or what?" Crab Daoren asked.

"Let's hold off for tonight. Although the island is teeming with beasts at night, they all seem to be absorbing starlight and aren't engaging in large-scale killings or attacks. It seems relatively safe. We don't know what the situation is on the other side, so let's settle down here for the night first," Han Li said after pondering for a moment.

"That's indeed more prudent," Shi Chuan Kong said, nodding in agreement.

So the three of them sat down cross-legged on the slightly sloping hillside below the ridge and closed their eyes to adjust their breathing.

Han Li slightly closed his eyes, and with a shift of his hand seals, as soon as he began to circulate the Great Five Elements Illusionary World Art, the immortal spiritual power in his body seemed to freeze and stagnate, unable to move at all.

After a brief attempt, he opened his eyes, gave a wry smile, and stopped.

After steadying himself, he turned his gaze and saw that Crab Daoren and Shi Chuan Kong were also just sitting quietly with their eyes closed, without a trace of spiritual energy flowing.

Han Li retracted his gaze and once again sat quietly to adjust his breathing, silently circulating his Soul Refining Art to help himself nourish his soul.

The night deepened.

Suddenly, Han Li opened his eyes and looked up at the sky above.

He saw a vast array of stars covering the dark sky, each shining with dazzling brilliance. The starlight scattered across the island, illuminating it like snow, and the scenery seemed even better than the Immortal World.

After watching for a while, he suddenly had an idea. He changed his hand seals and began to circulate the Grand Stellar Primordial Art.

As soon as the technique was activated, Profound Apertures on his body lit up one after another, flickering like stars in the sky.

Shi Chuan Kong and Crab Daoren were both startled by the movement on Han Li's side, opening their eyes one after the other and looking over.

The former seemed intrigued, while the latter continued to close his eyes.

After a long while, Han Li sighed silently and opened his eyes.

He had already completed the Grand Stellar Primordial Art and reached its peak. Even if he circulated the technique again, it would no longer attract the inversion of starlight from the sky.

He retracted his hands, and the light in the Profound Apertures on his body dissipated, returning to its original state.

Only a ball of white light remained lit in the position of his chest.

With a thought, Han Li reached into his chest and groped for a moment, taking out a yellowish-brown crystal the size of a dragon's eye. It was gleaming with white light, shimmering with waves of starlight. It was the beast core of the long-tailed giant lizard.

Compared to when it was first taken from its body, the aura on this beast core had faded considerably, while the starlight it emitted had become even more obvious.

Han Li frowned slightly, holding the beast core in his hand and trying to refine it.

After waiting for a moment and seeing that the beast core didn't react at all, he suddenly remembered that he couldn't use immortal spiritual power, so how could he refine this thing?

He raised his hand to his forehead, smiled self-deprecatingly, and was about to put it away when the corner of his eye caught sight of the Float-Flyer standing beside him. He suddenly remembered the scene of them pecking at the White-Shelled Crabs.

After hesitating for a moment, Han Li raised his hand and threw the beast core into his mouth, swallowing it down.

As soon as the beast core entered his stomach, Han Li felt that the sensation of a foreign object in his esophagus hadn't completely disappeared when a surge of heat suddenly welled up from within his abdomen. It turned into a not very powerful, but clearly different, energy force and flowed toward his thigh.

He quickly looked down and saw a slight change in a brand-new aperture on the inside of his thigh.

But it was this slight change that filled Han Li with joy, because he discovered that since the Grand Stellar Primordial Art had been cultivated to the perfect realm, the Profound Aperture, which had not changed at all, had actually changed slightly at this moment.

A brand-new Profound Aperture was showing signs of opening.

The key was that he hadn't noticed anything wrong with his body.

Shi Chuan Kong saw this scene from afar, and a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes. He couldn't help but get up and walk over.

"Brother Li, what is this..." He squatted down, hesitating to ask.

"Do you still have the beast core I gave you earlier?" Han Li asked, his eyes filled with joy.

"Yes." Shi Chuan Kong was stunned and quickly took out the scolopendra's beast core from his sleeve, handing it to Han Li.

The latter took it, and after looking at it briefly, he raised his hand and threw it into his mouth, swallowing it again.

Immediately afterward, the surge of heat that had originated in his abdomen appeared again, also turning into a weak force and flowing towards the new aperture on his thigh.

"Not enough, I need more," Han Li said, looking up at Shi Chuan Kong with excitement.

"Brother Li, what exactly is going on?" Shi Chuan Kong asked, frowning tightly.

"The beast cores of those two strange beasts contained stellar power, which has a special effect on opening Profound Apertures. Although I can't refine them now, I can absorb them into my body by swallowing them," Han Li said, calming down and explaining.

"Is that really true?" Shi Chuan Kong raised an eyebrow and asked quickly.

"The strange beasts on this island worship the stars at night, absorbing stellar power. Just catch one at random, take out its beast core, and you'll know," Han Li said with a smile.

Shi Chuan Kong's eyes lit up, and he immediately got up and rushed into the distance.

Not long after, he returned, dragging a strange beast that was about ten feet long and looked like a mongoose but had scales.

Reaching the front, Shi Chuan Kong threw the dead beast on the ground and used his black long saber to dissect its head, taking out a crystal core the size of a little finger.

"Those small guys can't condense beast cores in their heads at all. Even if they do, they're only the size of a grain of rice. There aren't many large strange beasts, and they all run fast. This one was just unlucky," Shi Chuan Kong complained slightly.

"It doesn't matter, let's try it first," Han Li said with a smile.