"It's rare that the fifth sister sent a message to the other side—so they must have left early, or perhaps there's a trap set for us." "No way," Han Li shook his head firmly. "If they truly had a plan, they would have activated it the moment we arrived, when we were completely unprepared." Hearing this, the others exhaled in relief, though they still glanced around for a moment, and indeed, nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. "Master, what should we do now? Should we retreat and resume our efforts later?" the second eldest hesitated. "First, go find the head steward. If he's not there, we'll postpone today's mission and immediately withdraw." Han Li said coldly. After hearing this, the four companions exchanged glances and then nodded in unison. Han Li released several spells to seal the barrier, and then led the way toward the other side of the palace, with the others closely following. Although Wang Zongguan's residence wasn't as lofty as the pavilion of the young prince, it still featured a private three-compound courtyard. When Han Li and the others arrived nearby, they found one of the rooms softly lit, as though its occupant hadn't yet fallen asleep. Han Li raised an eyebrow—this time, they wouldn't be disappointed. With that thought, Han Li made a subtle, cautious gesture to the others, then immediately activated the newly learned "Wu Ming Qi-Jian" technique, causing all the spiritual energy emanating from his body to vanish completely, leaving him as ordinary as any mortal. After a few subtle shifts in stance, Han Li suddenly appeared at the base of the lit room's wall, pressing his ear tightly against it. Since Wang Zongguan had given him such an odd impression earlier, Han Li didn't dare to expand his awareness too much, fearing detection. Yet, after only a brief moment of listening, Han Li suddenly turned pale, spun back, and immediately concealed himself behind a towering flowering tree. This scene left the four friends from Mengshan utterly surprised, yet immediately, voices of Han Li echoed in their ears: "Be cautious—there's a young prince inside the hall. Everyone adjust accordingly!" The words instantly sent a chill through their hearts, and without a word, they all held their breath, gazing carefully at the hall door, silent and attentive. With a soft creak, the door opened. Out stepped a young man dressed in a light green brocade robe—none other than the young prince of Xin Palace. After briefly turning back to speak a few words to the person inside, he walked several steps into the courtyard, and the door closed automatically behind him. Then, the light shining through the paper windows of the hall flickered a few times before going out completely, as if the people inside had settled down to rest. Han Li watched the young prince with an expression of calm composure. What puzzled him was that, despite his careful observation, there was no sign of magical ability evident in the young prince's presence. Yet upon his arrival, a subtle sense of danger did indeed linger—he must be one of Black Death's disciples. Perhaps because he still remained within the estate, the young prince did not immediately head back, but instead stretched lazily, gazed at the bright moon above, and suddenly sighed. Then, he began pacing back and forth within the small courtyard, his face clouded with concern, as though burdened by a pressing dilemma. It seemed he would not be leaving for some time, leaving Mengshan's four companions utterly at a loss. Now was not the moment to intervene, for the royal steward was still in the adjacent room; any combat would surely awaken him, bringing considerable complications. The ideal course of action, of course, was to wait until the prince returned to his quarters and then strike one by one. Fortunately, all of them were cultivators accustomed to patience, so they remained perfectly concealed, showing no signs of strain or exposure. After roughly the time it took for a meal, the young prince finally stopped pacing and stepped out of the courtyard, bringing relief to the several guards who had been on standby. Yet what followed came as a complete surprise to them, quickly turning into furious anger. As soon as the prince stepped out, he suddenly performed a magical illusion, seemingly drawing a set of robes from nowhere, swiftly donning them—within moments, he had transformed into a fully robed figure with a crimson mask, exactly matching the man who had been instructed to have them ambush and kill Han Li. Though filled with indignation, the elders managed to remain composed, recognizing the gravity of the situation and holding back their emotions. Now, they were truly convinced of Han Li's accuracy, confirming that the right target had indeed been identified. The newly dressed prince exuded a subtle aura of menace and a strong aura of magical power, clearly at the level of Eleven-tiered Qi Condensation. He did not return to his dwelling, but instead hurled a long, blood-red spiritual artifact into the air. With a flash, he took to the skies, riding the artifact. At this sight, a flash of cold light passed through Han Li's eyes. Immediately, he transmitted a message to the other four: "Follow him. No matter where he goes, seize him on the way." Hearing Han Li's orders, the four friends from Mengshan eagerly took to their respective artifacts and swiftly followed. Han Li, who remained behind to monitor Wang Zongguan, deliberately stayed in place for a moment longer. Seeing no unusual signs within the room, he still hesitated before finally casting his Shenfeng Boat and joining the others. Han Li's Shenfeng Boat far outpaced the artifacts of the four Mengshan companions. In short time, he followed the lingering traces of spiritual energy left behind and reached the sky above an abandoned temple outside Yuejing City. The four Mengshan friends were still hovering in mid-air, looking somewhat dusty and agitated, turning in circles, clearly uncertain about what to do next. Immediately rushed up upon seeing Han Li, expressing great surprise. "What's going on?" Han Li furrowed his brow, asking slowly. "We had just reached this spot and were about to engage when, for some reason, this youngster suddenly darted into the dilapidated temple—seeming to have sensed our presence. This temple, however, is protected by a spell, appearing as though it's guarded by an array. We forced our way in, only to suffer a few setbacks and then withdrew immediately, fearing there might be further ambushes inside." Noticing Han Li's displeasure, the elder with a black face hurried forward to explain. "An array?" Han Li, though not particularly skilled in array magic himself, responded with a sense of growing concern. Nevertheless, he remained composed and said calmly, "Let me take a closer look." Upon saying this, he activated his Heavenly Eye Technique and carefully scanned downward. Indeed, unusual fluctuations of spiritual energy were evident throughout the temple's surroundings. Yet upon closer inspection, Han Li exhaled in relief. This is merely a very simple rockfall array, one of the most basic earth-elemental array techniques. While it may prove challenging for independent practitioners and cultivators at the Qi Condensation stage, it is nothing more than a straightforward matter for Han Li—though he doesn't know the precise method of solution, he can easily break such a minor array with sheer force. As he thought of this, Han Li reached into his storage pouch without speaking, then simultaneously scattered his hands, and instantly four large, towering humanoid automata materialized before him. This caused the elderly, black-faced elders who had previously suffered under Han Li's automaton techniques to instinctively step back a few paces. Han Li paid no attention to their expressions of astonishment, instead commanding the four automata to open their mouths at once, launching several massive beams of light—each as thick as a serving bowl—directly toward the ruined temple. As the beams approached the temple, a thin, expansive, semi-circular light shield suddenly appeared in the sky above it, glowing faintly yellow, fully enclosing the small temple. The beams struck precisely upon this shield. At once, the yellow energy shield began to tremble, as if ripples were spreading through it, stubbornly resisting the assault of the light beam. Yet at that moment, Han Li raised his hand without hesitation, launching a pair of "Wu Long Duo" that instantly expanded to a height of several zhang, then plunged downward and struck the shield with powerful force. A crisp series of cracking sounds followed, and finally, the shield could no longer withstand the relentless, successive blows and collapsed completely—the "Stone-Fall Array" thus vanished entirely. "Go down! Absolutely no way is that man going to escape!" Han Li said, his face as cold as frost. Yet at that moment, the four companions of Meng Shan were fully convinced of Han Li's prowess and immediately rushed downward. Just then, however, a mocking laugh echoed from behind Han Li and the others. "Are you looking for me? This temple is merely our temporary base now—everyone has already left!" The voice instantly startled the four companions, who had already advanced halfway and nearly fell off their magical artifacts. They quickly turned around, their faces now pale with shock. Standing there, several dozen feet above them, was the young prince they had been pursuing, along with another lean, thin figure dressed similarly. Around them were another dozen black-robed, masked figures—clearly the same kind of controlled outer disciples of the Black Shao Sect that Meng Shan's companions had encountered before. What stood out most, however, was the tall, robust man with a shaved head and no eyebrows standing behind the young prince. The same deep crimson robe, now revealing his face, gazed steadily at them with a fierce aura of murderous intent, exuding a vivid image of bloodthirsty ferocity. He was no less a Foundation Stage cultivator—just like Han Li! Upon seeing this, the four companions of Mengshan all simultaneously felt a profound sense of dread, as though they might perish in the process.