After giving instructions to her disciples, the young woman turned back to gaze at the marsh before her, murmuring softly in a calm voice: "It seems the thing must be inside this box! All those earlier stops were in vain—we only gathered scraps!" Her voice was so quiet that only she could hear it; the other disciples remained focused on the approaching battle. Upon receiving the young woman's command, the male and female disciples of Yan Yue Sect immediately stood shoulder to shoulder with their respective partners, and with practiced ease, extended one hand to grasp each other's. Instantly, the overlapping palms emitted a strange glow—blue and red—then flowed up along their arms, spreading throughout their entire bodies. As a result, all the male pairs radiated a red light, while the female pairs shone with blue, creating a striking, interwoven pattern of blue and red light. Only the three remaining disciples—two females and one male—who had lost their partners could only retrieve a few magical items and make ordinary preparations. Han Li lay on the mound of earth. Though he didn't hear the young girl's soft murmurs, he clearly heard the female disciple addressing him as "Master-Grandmaster," which startled him so much that he nearly bit his tongue. "Master-Grandmaster of Yan Yue Sect"? Han Li, no longer a novice in the realm of cultivation, fully understood the significance. That was a senior Dan-stage cultivator, comparable to Master Li of his own sect! Such a master appearing in this sacred sanctuary—accessible only to cultivators at the Juzhi stage or above—was utterly unexpected, leaving Han Li completely bewildered. At this moment, the young girl, seeing all her disciples now well-prepared, felt satisfied and proceeded with confidence. To the observer's amazement, the young maiden slightly opened her mouth and expelled her divine artifact, the Zhu Que Ring. As soon as it left her lips, it soared into the sky above the marsh, spinning swiftly and gradually expanding to the size of a dwelling. Then, beneath her, she pressed a series of hand seals and pointed her hand forward. A beam of red light surged from her palm and struck the ring, instantly transforming its hue from pink to a vibrant, fiery red. Sparkles began to appear within the inner circle of the ring, growing in number and intensity, brightening steadily. Soon, hundreds of high-temperature fire balls, each the size of a clenched fist, gathered and formed within the large ring, raising the temperature of the underground realm by several degrees. Yet despite her repeated thoughts about how she managed to enter the forbidden zone and why her magical power remained only at the peak of Qi Condensation stage, none of these questions found a clear answer. As the girl still hesitated to take the next step, disturbances began to rise from the marsh itself. Starting at a specific point, the mud around it surged and churned, gradually expanding in scope and height, until it formed a towering mound of impressive magnitude. The scene seemed truly astonishing. Upon seeing this, a flicker of bewilderment crossed the girl's face—indeed, in her memory, the Black Scale Python had never displayed such grandeur! But as the great beast drew near, she could not hesitate any longer. With both hands pressing the lotus hand seal, the massive crimson Phoenix ring, linked to her consciousness, began to spin rapidly in the air. Within moments, the swift rotation blurred its form, and the hundreds of fire orbs inside swiftly merged into a vast, unified sea of red flame. "Go," the girl suddenly stopped her hand seal and uttered. At that moment, the circular ring's rotation came to an abrupt halt, and the blazing sea within suddenly transformed into massive columns of swirling fire, surging forcefully downward toward the elevated protrusions on the marsh. Yet before the fire columns reached the marsh, a sudden "pffft!" sounded as a thick, ink-black water jet—wide as a bowl—erupted from the muddy mound, precisely countering the oncoming flames. Instantly, a series of "crackling" and "sizzling" sounds erupted, and vast patches of mist quickly spread out, instantly enveloping the area in a thick, hazy veil, blurring everything in sight. "This isn't the Black Scale Serpent!" the girl exclaimed, her initially puzzled expression instantly turning alarmed upon seeing the jet of water as dark as ink. Seeming to respond to the maiden's words, a strange, piercing cry burst forth from the misty haze—"Aaaah!" Then, suddenly, a powerful gust of wind surged up, sweeping the surrounding vapor aside and revealing the true form of the beast. Before them stood a serpentine creature with a dark, scale-covered body. Though not particularly large—only three or four zhang in length—the creature was enveloped in a faint layer of black mist, giving it an eerie appearance. From head to tail, its exterior resembled a common black python, except for its magnificent, glossy, dark scales. "Murakumo!" The maiden gasped upon recognizing the creature, her face reflecting a mixture of concern and delight. Yet the dozen disciples standing behind were somewhat puzzled—wasn't this the "Black Luminous Serpent"? How had it suddenly become a "Black Dragon-Jelly"? The young woman didn't pause to explain to the disciples, for the floating creature, now several dozen feet above the ground, had already pinpointed the offender that had disturbed its rest. Its green eyes on either side of the head flashed with fierce light, and as it opened its mouth, a surge of black water column shot straight toward the members of Yan Yue Sect. "Brute! You're going to die!" The young woman fully understood the prowess of the Black Dragon-Jelly. Though the creature appeared still young, she dared not show the slightest complacency. She swiftly pointed toward the red Phoenix Ring floating in the air, and instantly, the ring burst forth with radiant red light, suddenly shifting to shield her. Then, a series of fiery balls shot out from within the ring, intercepting the black water mid-flight. "Seize! Halt! Constrain! Bind! Seal!" With both hands half-curved into a crescent shape, the young woman solemnly uttered five words of incantation from her mouth. The massive Zhu Que ring trembled rapidly in the air the moment those five words were spoken, then emitted a low hum before vanishing into the atmosphere, leaving the young, newly awakened Mo Jiao blinking in surprise, momentarily stunned. Yet the next instant, the ring materialized with a resonant hum directly atop the beast, and before the creature could react, it plunged downward with a sudden force, then rapidly shrunk. In a flash, the ring had firmly encircled the Mo Jiao's body, and flames surged across its surface, instantly engulfing the creature's upper half in blazing heat. "Act now! I won't be able to hold the Mo Jiao for long," the young woman said, her voice urgent, though the ring had securely fastened the beast. She looked back with a sense of anxiety, urging her instructions. Though the disciples from Yan Yue Sect didn't yet understand how the black-lion serpent had suddenly become the Mo Jiao mentioned by their master, they had been poised and ready for this moment for some time. Under the guidance of an elder white-robed woman, several dozen red-and-blue intersecting light beams emitted a startling hissing sound as they pierced the air, striking precisely upon the immobile monster without fail. As the beams approached the creature, they were met by a thin layer of dark mist covering its body, which halted them with a sharp, explosive crack. "Maintain the assault—the ink dragon's protective ink cloud can't hold much longer!" the young woman swiftly commanded. At the same time, she continuously activated the Red Flame Technique on the Zhu Que Ring, intensifying the flames enveloping the monster. Under her series of instructions, the disciples of Yan Yue Sect kept launching red-and-blue light beams into the air, striking the monster repeatedly. Though they had not yet broken through the layer of black mist, the beast was now howling in fury, constantly baring its teeth and jerking its upper and lower halves—still mobile—back and forth, desperately trying to escape from within the ring. Yet in vain; under the full force of the young woman's spell, the circular barrier remained perfectly still, firmly locking the beast in place. Han Li was startled and quickly focused his gaze. To his sight, the black mist covering the beast had completely vanished, and a blood hole the size of a bowl now appeared on its body, covered in dark scales—clearly inflicted by the red and blue light beams. This injury had only intensified the beast's suffering, causing it to struggle even more violently. "It seems the Masked Moon Sect's techniques are still superior!" Han Li thought to himself. "Not good! Be careful—I can't hold the Black Dragon-Jelly any longer!" At that moment, the girl's voice reached him, causing Han Li to pause slightly. Indeed, it was far from certain who would ultimately prevail.