"Since you're unwilling to speak of these matters, then..." Xuagu Shangren's tone shifted suddenly. Yet at that moment, a clear, melodious sound suddenly emanated from the old demon's body—so crisp and pleasant that Han Li was momentarily stunned. Upon hearing it, Xuagu Shangren first paused in surprise, then revealed a look of genuine disbelief and delight. He paid no attention to Han Li and suddenly punched his own chest. "Pfft!" A small segment of white rib bone shot out from within, spiraled around Xuagu Shangren, and then settled back into his palm. The clear sound came precisely from within this rib bone. Han Li blinked several times, his expression now tinged with mild confusion—feeling rather puzzled. Yet the old demon, holding the bone, smiled even more warmly. With a firm press of his fingers, the bone crumbled into fine white powder, revealing a glowing white orb and a black insect resembling a cricket. The insect continuously buzzed and chirped around the orb. But as soon as he saw Xuan Gu Shan Ren, the sound of his voice immediately ceased, and he flew into his body on his own. Upon seeing this, Xuan Gu Shan Ren burst out laughing, catching the glowing orb in his hand. Then, the white light faded, revealing an old, slightly yellowed silk handkerchief. When Han Li saw this object, his heart stirred with surprise. The handkerchief looked so familiar—it seemed remarkably similar to the fragmentary map he had received from the Black Shao Dao Master. Could there be a connection between the two? Han Li quickly focused his attention, realizing this might be the key to unlocking the secret of the map, and thus he widened his eyes, carefully observing every movement of the other. Unfortunately, however, Xuan Gu Shan Ren glanced at it swiftly, then neatly tucked it into his chest, and with a calm expression, said to Han Li, "Since you have no connection with those two rebels, I don't have much time to waste with you. I have other matters to attend to. Then, let us each pursue our own paths." Additionally, I'd like to offer you this piece of advice: if I stay any longer, my unruly disciple might hear about it and come rushing over." With that, Xuan Guo the Elder paid no attention to韩立's reaction, merely chuckling to himself as he transformed into a streak of bloodlight, flashing past韩立's side and then shooting out through the entrance, clearly in a great hurry. 韩立 was first taken aback, then furrowed his brow. But immediately, he moved, becoming a streak of jade-green light that circled the hall once, gathering the talismans and storage bags of Jin Qing and the others, and then reducing the bodies to ash with several fire orbs before himself taking off in the same swift manner. He didn't pause to ponder the matter of the silk cloth any further, fearing that if he delayed too long, the other party might have already made some subtle arrangements at the entrance—something that would prove quite troublesome. Yet, surprisingly, the old demon had not even glanced at these storage bags, either because he simply didn't regard the items of these Jin-Dan cultivators as valuable, or because he was so preoccupied with urgency that he had momentarily overlooked them. This proved Yet, despite his deep sense of sorrow and frustration over the loss of his embodied soul, he found himself with only a modest chance of success should he attempt to confront the opponent directly—leaving him once again feeling helpless. As he was pondering this, the old demon suddenly materialized from the ground, having vanished completely. This amazed him profoundly, revealing the sheer elegance of the demon's elusiveness. However, upon observing the stillness all around and reflecting on how so many had entered the underground only for himself to emerge alone, a quiet, lonely melancholy stirred within him. Yet this negative emotion passed swiftly, as he promptly set it aside. After all, the path of cultivation was still long and arduous—far from a moment for him to pause and reflect. Without lingering, he quickly oriented himself and took off toward the island's outer reaches, simultaneously reaching into his storage pouch. A few moments later, a silk handkerchief glowing with a steady white light appeared in his hands. Staring at this object, Han Li felt his heart surge with sudden excitement. Now, without needing to examine it closely, he was certain that this silk handkerchief was of the same kind as the one held by Xuan Gu Shan. He couldn't help wondering what secret it concealed—something so profound that even the deeply calculating old demon had been visibly shaken. As this thought came to him, Han Li turned his attention to studying the handkerchief more closely. This was clearly instructing the holder to proceed in the direction indicated by the small sword—surely, something significant awaited the holder at the end of that red line! Han Li, holding the scroll tightly, found himself lost in thought. The way the Xuan Gu Shan person hurried suggested that the scroll's effectiveness had a time limit, while the joy on his face clearly indicated numerous advantages. If Han Li wished to uncover the truth, he would have to immediately set off in the direction shown on the scroll; otherwise, either the effect would expire or the benefits would be claimed by someone else. After carefully pondering for a while and hesitating for a long time, Han Li finally made up his mind and adjusted his course. The celestial rainbow sliced through the sky, and within moments, he had departed from the deserted island. About a minute later, a vast expanse of dense, somber black mist arrived from afar, circling briefly near the open entrance before dispersing completely, revealing an elderly man with pale skin, almost devoid of any color. He glanced at the array of spell barriers now utterly shattered and the Sealing Pillars pushed aside, his brows instantly arched in frustration, then immediately descended into the underground passage. A loud, furious roar soon echoed from below, shaking the ground around violently. Then, the middle-aged man emerged from the passage, enveloped in a swirling black glow, soaring upward toward the sky. Anxious, he glanced back and forth, suddenly spinning in place, dozens of black glows shooting out from his form, transforming into massive black birds that swiftly flew off in all directions, thoroughly searching the area within a hundred miles. Yet when all the great birds returned, nothing had been found. The man's expression grew increasingly grim. He simply stared upward at the sky, motionless for a long time. It was unclear how long it had been before he suddenly began to emit a series of cold, scornful chuckles. "Old rogue," he said, "even if you manage to escape this place, what then?" You are no longer the young Xuan Gu Magus you once were, and I am far more than just a mere Juandan-stage disciple under your tutelage. Once I finish handling matters at the Xutian Pavilion, I will scour the Luan Xing Sea until I find you." With these words, he immediately ascended into the air, once again transforming into a vast mass of black mist. To vent his growing frustration, a towering black light column, thick as a water barrel, erupted from the mist, causing the ground near the entrance to sink and collapse into a ruin. Then, the black mist swiftly retreated, like a meteor racing across the sky. Han Li was unaware of all this that had transpired on the island. At this moment, he was steadily navigating through the heavens, following the directions indicated on the map. Fearing a collision with the Xuan Gu Immortal, he remained ever vigilant, periodically opening his full awareness to guard against any sudden attacks. Over several consecutive days, no unforeseen incidents occurred, which allowed Han Li to exhale in relief. However, as Han Li was steadily making his way forward, a sudden clash of combat sounds emerged ahead, accompanied by faint bursts of crackling and flashes of bright light—clearly indicating that several cultivators were engaged in a fierce struggle. Han Li furrowed his brow, relying on his strong awareness to observe from a distance. To his surprise, he saw a man and a woman fighting three well-dressed figures radiating dark energies, all of them engaged in a lively battle. Yet, their skill levels were surprisingly low—only foundational cultivators—and the couple seemed to be gradually falling behind. Han Li scratched his nose. Since he had judged these individuals as posing no real threat, he had no desire to detour further. He simply decided to activate his法宝 and glide past them directly. As for the cultivators currently involved, he made no intention to inquire about them—his priority remained to keep moving. With that thought, Han Li slightly increased his pace, transforming into a streak of green light and swiftly approaching the group. The combatants were startled and, without hesitation, halted their struggle, stepping back and drawing their respective implements. As Han Li passed by, his swordlight slightly paused, and with a casual oblique glance, he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Huh!" At the same time, upon recognizing Han Li's face, the female cultivator among the two cultivators exclaimed with great joy, "Master Han! I am a direct disciple of Zhu Youshi, the Deputy Governor of Miao Yin Sect. I humbly beg your assistance. These three are our sect's major adversaries—the cultivators of the Poison Dragon Assembly.