The girl's words clearly startled the disciples of Yan Yue Sect. According to their experience over the past two days, any top-tier spirit beast ensnared by a senior master would have been unable to break free from the circular法宝's seal within moments—so how could this beast have escaped so quickly? Though deeply puzzled, they could not afford to overlook the girl's warning and immediately became extremely cautious. Their red and blue energy beams grew even more intense, creating an additional dozen wounds on the black ink dragon's body within moments. This only further enraged the beast, which emitted a continuous, piercing cry, shaking the entire underground realm and causing everyone present to feel dizzy and disoriented, as if the world itself were spinning. "Sssshhh—!" An unusual tearing sound rang out in the air. When the crowd regained their composure and looked up, they were all stunned. The circular法宝 remained motionless in midair, yet the black-scale dragon beast enclosed within it had vanished entirely, leaving only a tattered black scales skin draped upon the ring, swaying gently back and forth. The creature had seemingly shed its skin and escaped! The disciples of Yan Yue Sect were astonished, and even the young girl, who had just shouted for her subordinates to take care, was left stunned. She hadn't called out for caution because she anticipated the dragon's skin-shedding maneuver. Rather, it was the sheer strength with which the dragon had struggled that had overwhelmed her own magical power—she simply couldn't maintain the containment any longer. The dragon should have sensed the weakening of the restrictions of the Zhu Que Ring, so why undertake such a costly, draining effort? Was it...? A sudden thought struck her, and her face turned pale. She quickly searched the surroundings, eager to verify her rather dire hypothesis. "There!" A keen-eyed disciple from Yin Yue Sect was the first to notice the mythical beast drifting continuously along the upper boundary of the underground realm. Now it had transformed completely, its form vastly different from before. Its once dark body had turned snowy and scale-free, its length expanding from three to four zhang to five to six zhang, thickened noticeably, and the wounds it bore had only left faint scars, so delicate that they were nearly invisible. Most astonishing of all, black, sharp horns of an inch in length had grown from the triangular snake's head, glowing subtly, while a pair of white, sharp claws had also emerged on its abdominal region. The creature had now evolved into a jiao—its form perfectly matching the legendary jiao dragon. Upon seeing this transformation, the members of Yin Yue Sect were naturally filled with astonishment and wonder. Yet before they could react, the young girl at the forefront, her face stern, issued a command that left them all utterly stunned. "Everyone, withdraw immediately. The black jiao has now reached its second stage!" In fact, its strength is comparable to that of a mid-stage foundation-level cultivator. Even combined, we wouldn't be much of a match for it. We must immediately retreat—I can still hold it off for a short while." After delivering these words with seriousness, the young woman swiftly raised her hand, summoning the Zhu Que ring back to her side and adopting a fully defensive stance. The male and female disciples behind hesitated. Though the mythical black dragon had shed its skin and undergone a dramatic transformation, they had only just inflicted a serious wound upon it—making it hard to believe that in the span of a single blink, the beast could have grown so vastly stronger. Yet, in that very moment of hesitation, some of them would come to regret it for life. For the white-black dragon suddenly surged forward, moving with the speed of lightning and reaching the upper air above the Yanyue Sect's group. Then, it opened its mouth wide, spewing out a continuous stream of deep purple liquid. "Take cover! Don't try to intercept it!" "The girl cried out urgently, her face showing anxiety, as the Zhu Que ring instantly expanded several times and soared into the air, shielding half of the Zui Ye. Some more alert students promptly turned around and darted back into the jade stone passage they had come from, while others immediately stepped forward to take shelter beneath the protective range of the ring. The remaining five or six students, however, relied on the strength of their personal artifacts, not only failing to retreat but also summoning one or two glowing objects to shield their heads—clearly intending to absorb the full impact. "Stupid!" the girl exclaimed, her face flashing with irritation as she saw students ignoring her instructions. Yet, constrained by the limits of her own power, she could not expand the ring's protective coverage any further and had to watch them fend for themselves. Indeed, what unfolded afterward confirmed the girl's words. The purple night, missed by the ring-like sacred artifact, surged violently toward the heads of those several disciples. The several seemingly non-trivial artifacts merely flashed with light, then emitted patches of green smoke before vanishing entirely, completely dissolved under the force of the purple night's impact. The disciples, barely able to utter a cry of shock, were swept away and vanished without a trace—leaving behind only a deep crater several zhang in depth, where they had stood. The survivors of the Yanyue Sect now stood pale with fear. At this moment, the creature, the black ink dragon, having eliminated the disciples and somewhat calmed its fury, finally ceased its spewing and fixed upon the young woman with a cold, steady gaze. It seemed clearly aware that the senior master of Yanyue Sect was indeed its true adversary. "What are you all standing there for? Don't hesitate—get out now! This beast has just transformed from serpent to dragon, and its elixir should be nearly depleted. It won't be able to spew again so easily!" The maiden ignored the墨蛟's stern gaze, instead maintaining a cold expression and calmly ordering the others. Then, she muttered resentfully, "A mere junior-level snake, daring to act so arrogantly before me! If I had regained my original power, I'd have already captured you and kept you guarding my abode!" Without mentioning her evident dissatisfaction, the other disciples of Yan Yue Sect, having witnessed the gruesome fates of those few, could hardly linger any longer. They immediately surged into the passage, all retreating neatly and rushing outward. Not long after, cries of the beasts, the maiden's sharp commands, and the thundering sounds of combat echoed from behind. The disciples rolled and crawled along the steps, their hearts pounding with anxiety. Their senior teacher had made it clear: they could only hold off for a short while. Should they lag behind and be caught by the black dragon, each of them would be struck by that terrifying purple night breath—utterly helpless within the passage. What a tragic end that would be! At this moment, the young girl was drenched in sweat, soaring through the air, continuously engaging in fierce combat with the black ink serpent. Her jade phoenix ring法宝 was wielded with masterful skill, provoking the beast to roar in fury, though it could not yet overcome the girl's exceptionally agile movements. Clearly not yet at full strength, she used only one hand to manipulate the phoenix ring, while the other held a crimson fire spirit stone, constantly drawing in ambient qi to restore her magical energy. After a while, she judged that the timing was right, closed the fire stone, and drew forth a luminous golden scroll. Without hesitation, seizing the moment when the serpent's full attention was captured by the phoenix ring, she raised her hand, and the scroll instantly transformed into a beam of golden light, shooting toward the creature. As it reached the serpent, the light split into countless fine golden threads, instantly binding the beast tightly, rendering it completely immobile. The creature roared in furious agitation. The maiden saw this, a flicker of scorn passing briefly through her eyes, before she gazed longingly at the golden chest floating in the white jade pavilion, then bit her lip and leapt forward toward the entrance passage. She was well aware that this mid-to-high level golden silk scroll wouldn't hold the beast for long—she had to leave as soon as possible. As for the treasures within the chest, she would deal with them later. After landing, as she lifted her foot to step into the stone passage, a thunderous roar suddenly erupted from within—growing louder and closer, shaking her with surprise. Her graceful foot hesitated, unsure whether to set foot on the passage. A brilliant jade-like light surged suddenly within the passage, sweeping in like a surging tide, and wherever it reached, the stone pathways seemed to come alive, pressing inward fiercely. In a moment, the towering passage was completely sealed, with not a single crack or gap remaining. And the maiden, seeing this, rushed back several steps as though she had witnessed a ghost, gasping in alarm: "The Xiao Wuxing Xuyi Banfa!" Her face now pale, she stared at the vanished portal, stunned—her long-held confidence instantly dissolving. At that moment, golden threads on the black dragon’s body in the space behind her began to crack and break, the creature poised to breach the seal. As the maiden regained her composure and turned to witness this, her heart sank deeply, as if plunged into an endless abyss. Inside the stone hall outside the portal, a dozen disciples of Yan Yue Sect were all intently fixed upon a white-clad woman—none other than the self-proclaimed fiery and impetuous "Dual Blossoms" of the sect. Yet now, her face was pale, her expression one of utter confusion. "Zhao sister, what exactly did you do just now? After you cast that strange scroll into the portal, it vanished entirely. Did you intend to harm Master Nan Gong?" "The male and female disciples of the Yin Yue Sect looked pale with alarm and urgently asked, 'This isn't something to be taken lightly! If the Master truly can't recover and is left behind, we'll be in serious trouble. Upon returning, the least they'll suffer is a complete loss of cultivation and expulsion from the sect; the worst case would be losing their lives, even suffering the fate of being dissolved into elemental energy. They all well understood the significance of a single Jie Dan-level cultivator's loss to a sect, which is why they were now so anxious." "A slightly older male disciple said with some impatience. As soon as these words were spoken, the disciples of Yan Yue Sect immediately realized what was happening, rushing forth with various colorful implements and surrounding the area that should have been the entrance passage, continuously striking at the seal in an effort to break it and rescue the young girl. Several hours later, deep beneath the ground, several dozen zhang down, the young girl opened her wide eyes in astonishment, gazing in disbelief at the sudden appearance of a figure who now stood before her. This figure wielded seven golden blades, directing them to attack the black ink dragon, while simultaneously extending a black iron shield to protect the girl and herself from the dragon's breath attacks. The figure was someone she had met before—she found him rather interesting. During her flight, dodging the dragon's attacks for several hours, her inner energy was nearly depleted, when suddenly, from nowhere, this young person emerged and saved her from imminent peril. While managing to fend off the dragon's assaults, Han Li glanced at the girl, her face filled with astonishment, and could not help but feel a wave of苦笑. Han Li had been leisurely observing the grand spectacle of the battle between Yan Yue Sect and Mo Jiao, remaining calm even when Mo Jiao transformed and advanced in rank. Yet, when the young woman attempted to withdraw and the entrance to the Qingshi pass suddenly vanished, Han Li could no longer sit still. Hadn't the disappearance of this entrance meant that, no matter who won—the young woman or the beast—he would be trapped here forever? This caused Han Li genuine concern. At that moment, the freed Mo Jiao resumed fighting the young woman, clearly now in a severe disadvantage. Though she continuously activated her circular法宝 to launch fiery attacks, the newly shed, resilient armor of the beast proved impenetrable. Whether the法宝 emitted blazing flames to scorch the Mo Jiao or directly struck it with its physical form, neither attack inflicted significant damage. At most, it blackened or bruised her slightly, instead rousing the beast into even greater fury. It chased after the young woman with ever-increasing frenzy, several times nearly driving her to the brink of defeat. Yet the elder of the Yan Yue Sect carried so many mid-tier scrolls that Han Li was truly amazed—scrolls such as "Earth-Stepping Scroll," "Water Prison Scroll," and "Fire Bird Scroll," among others, which he had never seen before, were all displayed to him. Whenever the young woman grew weary and threatened to be injured by the beast, she would summon one of these scrolls, instantly turning the tide and securing her safety. Unfortunately, the young woman lacked powerful offensive scrolls, so each time she could only barely hold her own. Thus, it seemed impossible to wound the Black Dragon with her scrolls. Seeing the young woman pressed to her limits by the Black Dragon, Han Li found himself deeply conflicted. If the passage had previously been intact, Han Li would naturally have paid no special attention to the fate of this Master of the Masked Moon Sect. But now, the passage has inexplicably vanished, and this place has become a dead end—Han Li's mindset has changed significantly. After all, he has personally heard this Master of the Masked Moon refer to a certain "Small Five-Element Must-Be-Kept Seal Method," suggesting that she has a deep understanding of the seal responsible for the passage's disappearance. Thus, his hope for survival through the underground route now rests entirely on her. Since Han Li knows nothing about such seal techniques, this young woman—this "master"—must absolutely survive. However, Han Li did not rush to intervene. He was afraid she might still hold some hidden reserve, such as a final move or contingency. It wasn't until the girl was utterly exhausted, her talismans still scattered, and her face showing clear signs of despair and helplessness that he suddenly stepped in to save her. Upon Han Li's unexpected appearance, the girl was both astonished and overjoyed, yet also somewhat regretful. He now fully understood the reason behind Feng Li's delay in intervening until now, allowing the battle between him and the Black Dragon to continue. Nevertheless, the pressing matter at hand was to deal with the currently formidable Black Dragon, so after a brief rest, the young woman silently activated her法宝 and launched a relentless assault. As soon as Feng Li and the Black Dragon engaged, they both found themselves deeply troubled. Earlier, when observing the young woman fight the creature, it had seemed entirely unimpressive—no clear signs of exceptional prowess. But now, upon facing it directly, they were struck by the beast's terrifying power! Feng Li's "Golden Fly Mother-Child Blades" were among the finest among his top-tier artifacts. Yet, as soon as the golden light approached the Black Dragon, it was easily deflected by the creature's two claws and one tail, sending the blades flying backward several dozen feet—completely lacking any defensive resistance. Even when Feng Li deployed multiple blades simultaneously, relying on their numbers, only a few managed to strike the Dragon, leaving behind mere white scars. The rest proved utterly ineffective—leaving Feng Li completely speechless. Moreover, regarding the attacks from the Black Serpent-Jay, Han Li dared not be the slightest bit careless—let alone allowing the creature’s claws or tail to make contact, he completely blocked every single drop of black water it occasionally expelled with his iron shield. Even so, this very artifact that had saved Han Li on numerous occasions was now eroded and pitted by these seemingly insignificant streams of black water, and it remained uncertain how long it could endure. The power of these black waters was thus so formidable—how much more terrifying must the more potent purple liquids be! It was no wonder that the disciples of Yan Yue Sect perished so decisively, their artifacts offering no effective resistance. As Han Li and the Black Serpent-Jay fought on, they grew increasingly alarmed, relying almost entirely on their footwork to evade the beast’s fierce assaults—the golden blades proved utterly ineffective against the creature’s onslaught. It was no surprise, then, that the young woman had ordered all her disciples to evacuate—besides herself, Han Li could not think of any other Qi-Stage disciple capable of even holding his own against this formidable beast. At that moment, the young girl arrived with her Zhu Que ring, instantly relieving pressure on Han Li. After all, this circular法宝 could still cause some discomfort to the Black Dragon, making it somewhat wary. "Little one, you've been hiding there for so long—why didn't you intervene sooner? If you had acted earlier, I might have had a chance to seriously wound this beast!" the girl exclaimed, manipulating her法宝 while expressing her frustration. "I was afraid you'd kill it to take its treasures!" Han Li replied honestly, leaving the girl momentarily speechless. Han Li understood well that though the girl appeared young, in actuality she was surely at least as old as his grandmother—so he needed to avoid playing too many political games. He simply had to be straightforward and clearly state his intentions, so that they could work together seamlessly without undermining each other. As for the fact that the girl was a Jiandan-stage master and the difference in their generations, Han Li deliberately chose to remain unaware and downplayed it. After all, with the opponent's current strength, they couldn't possibly do anything to me! Now that her magical power has greatly diminished, Han Li has absolutely no fear. "You're so thoughtful for someone so young, and yet you're not even sure you'll live long!" the young woman sighed, reluctantly. Han Li smiled slightly, didn't speak to counter, but inwardly thought, "If my thoughts were any less active, I'd have already perished several times over—how could I even talk about the future?" Seeing Han Li remained silent and simply listened, the young woman's frustration eased a bit, and she began to consider her strategy. "What method do you have to seriously wound this dragon? If you have one, tell me now!" After a while of working together, the young woman found herself still being chased around by the black dragon, with no chance to counterattack at all, and finally couldn't hold back her question. "I do have one, but it requires holding the dragon in place for a short time—so that it can't move!" While deflecting another jet from the Black Serpent蛟 with his iron shield, Han Li continuously leapt, striving to increase the distance between himself and the creature, and hurriedly replied. "Good! I've drawn upon my last reserves of spiritual energy and can hold it in place for a few more moments—hopefully that's enough for you. But is your method reliable?" Upon hearing this, the young woman's eyes brightened. She swiftly followed behind the Black Serpent, which was now chasing Han Li, and angrily struck the serpent's head with her Zhu Que Ring before urgently adding, "I have a powerful artifact—a symbol artifact of great strength. Its power is immense and absolutely capable of shattering this creature's defenses!" Han Li spoke with full confidence, certain that this mythical beast couldn't withstand the full force of the golden-brick symbol artifact. "A symbol artifact?" The woman was delighted, never expecting that this modest young man from Huang Feng Valley could possess such a rare item. Though she herself carried a few symbol artifacts, none matched the power of her Zhu Que Ring. Since the other party is so confident, it must be a purely destructive divine artifact—something truly rare! Once convinced that Han Li's method would work, the young woman immediately halted mid-air and activated the spell that had previously bound this dragon-jade, firmly resecuring the Zhu Que Ring around the beast, causing it to thrash and growl in shock and fury. Seeing this favorable moment, Han Li promptly raised his Flying Heaven Shield in front of him, then drew out the golden-bronze tablet artifact from his sleeve, and settled into a meditative posture.