Just as everyone inwardly sighed in relief, Mo Han suddenly felt an almost imperceptible tremor beneath his feet, swiftly followed by a surge of potent energy rushing toward his position. Alarmed, Mo Han cried out, "Watch out! Something is coming from underground!"

He immediately leaped upward, moving with incredible speed toward Bai Ling, who was at the very front, closing the distance in an instant.

Among the group, Bai Ling was the only one who couldn't utilize Dou Qi; she was a Mage who required time to even cast a simple Flight spell. Disregarding all other concerns, Mo Han scooped up Bai Ling and lifted her clear of the ground. Upon hearing Mo Han’s warning, Yan Shi and the others activated their Dou Qi and soared into the air. Just as everyone managed to lift off the ground—

Dozens of razor-sharp stone spikes violently erupted from the earth below, moving with astonishing velocity. In the blink of an eye, they pierced the ground where Mo Han and Latin’s group had just been standing. Fortunately, Latin and the others had heeded Mo Han’s warning and jumped clear, suffering only a shock rather than injury.

Mid-air, Mo Han swung the Holy Sword of Light in his hand toward the subterranean spikes. Instantly, a brilliant white burst of Dou Qi illuminated the entire cavern, slamming down upon the stone projectiles. With a resounding CRACK, the stone spikes were pulverized into dust by Mo Han’s attack. The Dou Qi, its momentum undiminished, plunged into the earth below,

gouging out a miniature crater.

Mo Han thought he heard a few muffled groans—presumably, his strike had hit the attackers. He was supremely confident in the power of his Dou Qi, especially when amplified by the Holy Sword of Light; its might was absolute.

Anyone struck would, even with the earth as cover, be grievously wounded, if not killed outright.

Since entering the cave, he had been subjected to ambush after ambush. The previous attack within the grotto had already infuriated Mo Han, and now, another strike from beneath the ground! This ubiquitous, relentless assault left one feeling utterly helpless.

It left Mo Han deeply frustrated; he hadn't even seen the enemy’s shadow, yet he was being forced into such a chaotic defense—a situation that hadn't occurred since he attained the rank of Sword Saint.

Therefore, Mo Han held nothing back in his initial counterattack, determined to teach the perpetrators a lesson.

But Mo Han and his companions were soon disappointed. When the light of the Dou Qi dispersed, nothing of consequence could be found within the miniature crater dug into the earth.

Beyond the loose soil, there was nothing remotely suspicious, leaving Mo Han filled with a sense of anticlimax.

Could the opponent’s skill truly be so immense that they could vanish without a trace after enduring an attack wielded by the Holy Sword of Light?

That ability alone was enough to astonish Mo Han.

Latin and the others were well aware of the force behind Mo Han’s strike, yet they couldn't even glimpse the enemy's silhouette.

A shadow of dejection fell over the group. At this moment, Bai Ling finally managed to cast her Flight spell and quietly slipped from Mo Han’s embrace. A faint, rare blush could be discerned on her face, but Mo Han and Latin were too consumed by the frustration of their failed attack to notice Bai Ling’s expression.

Once free, Bai Ling joined the others in carefully surveying the scene. Being a girl, she possessed greater sensitivity, and it seemed she had spotted something. Bai Ling pointed toward a specific spot in the center of the crater and spoke with a hint of confusion, "Look, there seems to be something there."

Mo Han followed the direction Bai Ling indicated. In the very center of the depression, there appeared to be a small patch of unidentified, dark substance. Cautious, and seeing that Bai Ling was safe, Mo Han instructed Latin and the others to remain vigilant and stay clear of the area. Mo Han, channeling his full Dou Qi throughout his body, slowly approached the spot.

Latin and the others were intensely cautious, drawing their weapons and staring fixedly. Even Bai Ling subconsciously conjured a high-level Wind spell, Wind Lance, keeping her focus locked on Mo Han, ready to unleash it without hesitation if any unexpected danger arose.

Upon drawing closer, Mo Han noticed that the substance carried a faint, metallic, slightly foul odor. A glimmer of hope sparked in him; perhaps his previous strike had wounded the foe. No matter how skilled they were, they couldn't completely evade the might of the Holy Sword’s Dou Qi; they must have sustained injury.

However, the substance embedded in the soil was not the deep crimson of typical blood. Mo Han casually retrieved a longsword from his Spatial Ring and stabbed at the dark clump. When he pulled the blade back, Mo Han realized the substance was a deep, dark green—nothing like fresh blood.

Yet, Mo Han dared not confirm whether it was blood or not, unsure if the material was poisonous. He decided it was better to leave it to Bai Ling; she knew far more about peculiar substances than he did. If he couldn't identify it, perhaps she could discover a clue.

Upon seeing the green residue coating Mo Han’s sword, Bai Ling’s expression shifted to one of surprise. Ignoring Mo Han’s warning, she brought the sword closer to examine it intently.

"This is the blood of some kind of creature," she stated calmly after her inspection, looking up at Mo Han and the others.

Jack, standing nearby, couldn't help but interject, "But shouldn't blood be red? Are there green-blooded creatures?" Hearing Jack, Mo Han immediately explained, "Actually, not all creatures have red blood. Take the clams in the sea—their blood is blue. The shrimp you often eat also have blue blood. Furthermore, the hemolymph of many insects isn't red, so I don't think this is strange."

Hearing Mo Han's explanation, Jack nodded in sudden understanding. Bai Ling, however, had a look of profound surprise in her eyes as she gazed at Mo Han, then she nodded. "It seems you know quite a bit. You are correct; this is indeed blood. But while not all blood is red, green blood is extremely rare. If my estimation is correct, this blood I hold belongs to an ancient race."

Hearing this, Mo Han frowned. "An ancient race? Do you mean this blood belongs to a race similar to humans, not an animal?" Bai Ling nodded and then asked them, "Have you ever heard of the Earth Cloud Clan?" At Bai Ling’s question, Mo Han and the others exchanged blank looks; clearly, they had never heard of such a clan.

Seeing their expressions, Bai Ling realized they were ignorant of the matter and patiently began to explain: "The Earth Cloud Clan is a tribe passed down from ancient times. Their scale was so small it was almost negligible, which is why historical records on them are extremely scarce."

"Their population remained small, consistently only a few hundred people. However, the members of the Earth Cloud Clan were born as darlings of the earth. Not only did they possess an innate affinity for all Earth element magic, but legend says that every Earth Cloud Clan member's affinity for Earth elemental magic was equal to that of a human Archmage, with many even reaching the level of a Saint Magus."

Hearing this, Mo Han, being a Saint Magus himself, was visibly astonished. He understood precisely what supreme affinity for an element meant: the higher the affinity, the faster the communion with the element, leading to dramatically improved casting speed and power when invoking magic of that type.

With that in mind, Mo Han spoke up, "Then the stone spike attack in the previous grotto... was that magic cast by these Earth Cloud Clan members?" Bai Ling smiled at his question and replied, "That wasn't exactly magic. It could be called magic, or perhaps, it was not."

Bai Ling’s explanation only deepened Mo Han’s confusion. He responded with visible disbelief, "How is that possible? I clearly sensed the fluctuations of Earth element magic just before those spikes launched..."

Seeing his reaction, Bai Ling nodded and explained, "I sensed it too, but it wasn't standard Earth magic, which is why we failed to recognize it. This is the peculiar aspect of the Earth Cloud Clan: they do not know magical incantations, yet they can manipulate the Earth elements in the air to attack according to their will, and the power is in no way inferior to magic. In other words, they don't rely on spells to command the elements; they communicate purely through intent and will, then launch the attack."

Jumping forward