The middle-aged man listened intently to the elder's words, his eyes narrowing with sudden brilliance. "Could it be that you've finally mastered that magical technique?" His voice carried a hint of awe and fear. "If you can guess it, even better. Should you now surrender gracefully and remain calm, I may yet spare your life. Otherwise, the consequences—well, I need not elaborate; you should know them well enough." As he spoke, he extended one hand, and with a sharp "crack," a dark, ink-black fire orb floated gently upon his palm. "The Heavenly Corpse Fire! At last, you've achieved it!" The middle-aged man's face turned as pale as paper, his voice dry and strained, almost hoarse with astonishment. "Now, surrender one-third of your immortal essences to these divine seals, and you may depart in peace." With that, he reached into his cloak and withdrew several dark wooden tablets, holding them up with a cold gaze toward the assembled crowd. Han Li and the other cultivators exchanged puzzled glances. No one had the courage to step forward and take the tablets, nor did anyone dare to voice a refusal—fear of the elder's reputation had silenced the entire hall. Indeed, among the Dan-jing cultivators from the Purple Spirit Princess's side, only Han Li and Qu Hun were among the few. The rest—such as the Meng-named cultivator and the beak-nosed one summoned by Zhuo Ruying—were merely in the mid-to-late stages of the Foundation stage. The others, including the Purple Spirit Princess and Fan Lady, totaled six or seven, all still at the Foundation level. As for the red-flame elder, who had been concealed within the dark clouds, he had quietly released the three hidden calamity cultivators who had been imprisoned, and remained silent throughout, making no move. "It seems you intend to extinguish both your form and your spirit. Very well—then I shall grant you The Jiyin Master's expression grew cold, his voice dark and solemn. As soon as these words fell, the cultivator with a hooked nose standing behind Zhuoruiting suddenly surged into a beam of golden light, shooting straight upward. Under Zhuoruiting's stunned and furious gaze, he swiftly flew several dozen feet away before a faint cold huff could be heard. "Hmph! Since I have no intention of opposing the Elder, nor do I wish to be ordered about, I shall simply depart first," he said. In just a few words, the golden light shot another dozen feet onward—how swift! The Jiyin Master, observing this, flashed a glint of fierce determination in his eyes. With a gentle throw toward the golden light, he released the black fire ball held in his hand. The fire ball flickered briefly before transforming into a slender streak of black light, vanishing completely. While everyone else found this development puzzling, Han Li, who had witnessed it, suddenly tightened his expression. At the same time, a piercing cry rang out from the distant yellow glow, then suddenly surged into a strange, dark flame. The flame rapidly shrank and faded, and within moments, only a dim, faded flying dagger artifact remained—no trace of anything else. He was very clear that if he made any hasty move now, he would die even faster. Yet, he would never, under any circumstances, hand over one-third of his immortal essence to the other. It was as if he were giving his life to the other party. For as soon as the other extinguished the divine consciousness recorded on the Divine Seal, the cultivator would either become a mere fool, drifting through life in confusion, or suffer a mental breakdown and perish instantly. Moreover, this particularly cruel spell capable of restraining someone's immortal essence could only be performed by cultivators who had reached the Yuan Ying stage—those at the Jie Dan stage simply did not possess such a power. With a steady breath, Han Li composed himself and glanced around at the others, seeking any viable course of action. The Meng cultivator, also at the Jie Dan stage, who had previously been smiling cheerfully, now looked utterly subdued. Upon sensing Han Li's gaze, he only managed a wry smile, turned slightly to deflect the attention, and then resumed his gloomy expression, gazing steadily toward the Master of Extreme Yin. The purple spirit maiden standing at the front maintained a relatively cool gaze. Yet, the ten slender jade fingers behind her were entwined and slightly twisted, leaving Han Li speechless. As for the Lady Fan and Zhu Ruoting, and the other cultivators from the Miao Yin Sect, having witnessed the power of the black demonic flames, had already turned pale. Though their expressions remained composed, the fear evident in their eyes could not be concealed. Han Li licked his lips and then turned his gaze toward the members of the Yinsha Sect. The middle-aged man, upon seeing the might of the old master's black demonic fire, had been momentarily moved and now half-closed his eyes. When Han Li looked at him, he spoke in a steady, solemn tone: "Do not be intimidated by the old demon. Since this new ability is achieved through spirit possession, it will only be usable a few times—otherwise, the person being possessed will perish. For now, we must unite and face this old demon together." After speaking, he glanced deliberately toward the red flame monster veiled in clouds. In his heart, he believed that only by uniting with the other late-stage Jiuhuo elder, could he stand a chance against the opponent. Yet, once the middle-aged man spoke these words, there was absolutely no sound from the clouds—no response at all. This strange situation caused everyone else, including Han Li, to grow tense. The Purple Spirit Princess merely stared coldly into the clouds, saying nothing. At that moment, the ancient master of extreme cold chuckled softly. With a simple clasp of his hands, then a gentle separation, two more black fire orbs floated into his hands. Everyone present now gasped in astonishment, all eyes fixed on the two orbs, watching every movement. Meanwhile, the clouds began to swirl, and gradually, the distinct, resonant voice of the Jiuhuo elder could be heard. "Master of Extreme Cold, do you also intend to make me submit to you?" "Of course. Since I have personally manifested here, every living being here must either die or acknowledge me as their master. There will be no exception." The master of extreme cold glanced at the clouds, speaking calmly. "Excellent! Excellent!" How dare this mere host-body challenge even my own intentions! It seems only way to meet your magical fire in person. The Red-Flame Elder was clearly incensed, the clouds darkening further and the thunder and fire roaring louder. With the Red-Flame Elder and Master Jiyin finally at odds, the disciples of Miao Yin Sect and Yin Sha Sect both breathed a collective sigh of relief. Should this Elder join the fray, they would certainly not be without a fighting chance. After all, the "Kui-Shui Magic Technique" he has mastered is one of the most renowned practices in Luan Xing Sea—perhaps even capable of countering the opposing magical fire. "Master Jiyin, you've been so freely employing the Divine-Suppression Rituals that you fear the Star Palace might send someone to confront you, don't you? As I understand, these rituals are strictly forbidden by the Heavenly Star Twin Saints for senior Yuan-Ying stage practitioners like yourselves." The Purple Ling Lady suddenly asked this. Even the venerable Yuan-Ying Elder Master Jiyin slightly frowned at the mention of the Star Palace and the Heavenly Star Twin Saints. But he quickly regained his composure and coldly chuckled, saying, "You've indeed learned quite a bit! The Star Palace does have a rule that restricts us people, yes—but that was back in the past. Do you think the current Heavenly Star Twin Sages would dare step out of the Heavenly Star City easily? As long as the Twin Sages remain inactive, what can the others in the Star Palace do to us?" Then he gazed at his opponent, frost now etched upon his face, while the elder with the crimson flame gently swayed, his dark clouds shifting to rest atop his head, forming a united front. The several hidden Shademen at the Condensation stage exchanged glances, and without a word, flew directly to the side of Han Li and the others, coldly observing the disloyal Zhao elder and his companions. Seeing that they no longer had to face the terrifying magical flames of the Jade-Cold Elder head-on, the Meng-family cultivators and the other members of the Miao Yin Sect looked considerably more at ease, and likewise drew forth their artifacts, launching their divine treasures, ready to engage in battle. Yet Han Li, standing at the very back of the crowd, remained with his brows tightly furrowed. For some reason, the current situation gave him a strong sense of unease—something unpleasant seemed destined to unfold. He himself sensed something was amiss. Was it truly the case that the Jade-Cold Elder had brought no allies, relying solely on her embodiment to face them all? He gently moistened his slightly dry lips, silently murmured a few words to Qu Hu in his mind, and then projected the Green Flame Sword. — I'll be taking a half-day leave today!