"After flying several hundred li along this narrow path, one will encounter a gully sealed by a spell—within and beyond it, two entirely different worlds unfold." "There are two passages through the gully: the 'Xuanjing Path' and the 'Lava Road.' The former is profoundly cold, so cold that one might be instantly frozen solid; the latter is scorching hot, potentially turning one to ash. Only at the gully's end can one find a teleportation array to exit—thus completing the second trial, the Ice-Fire Pass. Before entering the gully, as the two star-palace attendants mentioned, everyone is granted one day to gather various celestial and terrestrial medicinal herbs here. What they find will depend entirely on their fortune." The Xuanbone Immortal spoke calmly. Upon hearing this, Han Li moved his lips several times, intending to ask further questions. Yet the Xuanbone Immortal suddenly glanced at him, then fell silent. The transmission array behind them flashed once more, and several more cultivators emerged in succession. These later arrivals, without so much as glancing at Han Li or Xuan Gu, immediately brightened with excitement and transformed into several streaks of long, radiant light, rushing toward the distant mountain ranges—exactly as the earlier ones had done, eager to seek treasures. Observing their retreating figures, Xuan Gu furrowed his brow, hesitated briefly, then spoke: "Let's go as well. Otherwise, once Ji Yin and Wan Tianming have also arrived, we might end up causing some trouble." Without waiting for any response from Han Li, he flickered and turned into a mass of dark clouds, soaring skyward. Han Li remained composed, saying nothing, and followed in the form of a streak of jade-green light. Not long after Han Li and Xuan Gu had departed, Ji Yin, Wan Tianming, and the other Yuan Ying cultivators also arrived via the transmission array. However, as representatives of the two great sects—positive and negative—respectively, they naturally grouped themselves, with Ji Yin and Wan Tianming leading their respective factions. When the extremely Yin one appeared, he quickly glanced around but failed to spot Han Li, slightly disappointed inside, yet showed no sign of it on his face. He even continued to chat and laugh with the scholarly elder, occasionally exchanging a few words. However, the beautiful woman, Wen Fu, looked at the gathered group and coldly remarked, "I'm off to gather medicinal herbs. Once I return to the pavilion, you all may go ahead and fight however you like—don't involve me." With that, she swiftly transformed into a large sphere of silver light and sped off through the air. Leaving the Zheng and Mo factions staring at each other, puzzled. Wan Tianming glanced at the Mo sect figures several times, then solemnly whispered a few words with Tian Wu Zi and the others. Suddenly, the three of them rose into the air simultaneously and, without a word, merged into a single, vibrant tri-color rainbow, rushing off in the same direction. The remaining Mo sect elders stared at them, wide-eyed, unsure whether to pursue them or to simply take up their own affairs—seeming completely at a loss. But before they could react, the members of Zhengdao had already vanished. Seeing this, the Master of Extreme Yin's eyes flashed with an odd expression, and after clearing his throat, he smiled warmly and said: "Seventh Brother, Man Brother! I need to gather a few medicinal herbs to refine into pills, so I shall be off now. We shall meet again at the entrance of the gully later." With that, he flung his robe aside, and a thick wave of black mist surged forth, carrying the dark, ugly creature beside him into the mist. The wind roared, and the figures disappeared completely. Man Brother's expression slightly changed, growing somewhat stern. Meanwhile, the elder in the green robe furrowed his brows, displaying a thoughtful look. "Master Yin moves with surprising speed! It seems his elusiveness has grown even more refined. Brother Qing, if you're not busy, would you join me in gathering some longevity fruits? With your assistance, I'll have a better chance of overcoming the mountain shaman who guards the sacred tree. I'll share a portion with you when we return." You're not young anymore. With this fruit, you can surely extend your lifespan considerably," said the bearded man, turning slightly toward the scholarly elder who was intently absorbed in thought. Upon hearing this, Master Qing Yi first paused, then after a brief flicker of his eyes, a touch of embarrassment crept onto his face as he replied, "Mian brother, I'm truly sorry! I have my own matters to attend to and simply cannot join you on this journey. We shall meet again at the entrance of the gully!" With that, he bowed slightly in apology and then vanished in a flash of flight. …At that moment, Han Li, riding upon the shadowy cloud formed by the Xuan Gu Shangren, had already been flying for over two hours. The vast plain beneath his feet had now given way to endless, winding ranges of mountains, stretching in magnificent, continuous waves. One after another, the peaks rose and fell, creating a truly awe-inspiring scene. After all, the old master's true age and experience truly warranted speaking to him in such a tone. Though he felt a touch of irritation, he didn't bother to voice any unnecessary complaints. Yet, having flown steadily for so long without yet reaching their destination, even though he said nothing out loud,韩立's mind grew increasingly uneasy. He began to take extra care of the old demon, fearing an unexpected ambush. Their alliance wasn't very reliable! He simply didn't believe that, when the old demon had first come to this realm, he would have flown so far without any apparent reason. If he were seeking medicinal herbs, the mountains he passed through should all be rich in spiritual energy—each one should have offered something worthwhile. Especially several of them—frankly, even while flying at high altitude,韩立 could clearly sense the dense, vibrant spiritual fluctuations emanating from them. The herbs grown on such mountains must surely be exceptionally rare. How could the old demon have simply passed them by without noticing? Han Li was deeply suspicious. Whether it was Han Li's hesitation that became apparent, or whether his silence had caused Xuan Gu's sense of something amiss, the voice ahead of them grew hesitant once more. "I've visited this space twice. Back then, when I first came, I happened to discover the Nine-Curve Immortal Root by chance. But at that time, I was chasing a rare spirit bird named 'Zi Hu,' which carried me all the way out so far. Otherwise, this Nine-Curve Root would never have had the chance to appear here. After all, considering its value—almost equivalent to something from the immortal realm—it would never have ended up in such a place. Based on my estimation, this Root must have naturally emerged through a rare convergence of cosmic conditions, nurtured over the years by the abundant spiritual energy within this enclosed space. It simply wasn't part of the original ancient cultivator's expectations. Heh, now you've truly gotten the best of it!" Xuan Gu's tone carried a rare touch of admiration and regret as he concluded. "Ah, really?" Huan Li, though still half-doubtful and maintaining his alertness, felt a little more at ease. After flying forward and backward for a considerable distance, the overcast sky suddenly stilled, and the two of them came to a complete halt, hovering motionless in the air. "We've arrived. This is the place. But don't rush to descend yet. The Nine-Curve Immortal Root is highly sensitive—should there be any disturbance, it will sink into the stone and vanish. You'll need to carefully assess the situation before acting. Otherwise, you might return empty-handed." The senior master gazed steadily downward, his eyes flickering with activity, yet spoke calmly and unhurriedly. "Master, have you confirmed the right location? Is this indeed where the spirit object resides?" Han Li scanned the scene below, his expression now full of curiosity. Beneath them lay a modest stone hill, unremarkable in appearance, devoid of any vegetation and with a notably thin flow of spiritual energy. It stood in stark contrast to the several larger mountains in the surrounding area. Han Li found it hard to believe that such a modest mountain could be the abode of the "Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng." "Ha! Young man! You must be quite surprised, haven't you? Even before I saw the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng, I was equally astonished. Yet it truly resides somewhere within this very mountain," said the Xuan Gu Senior, his clouded expression gradually clearing as he stepped forward, gazing at Han Li with a half-smiling, half-serious demeanor. Since he had stated this clearly, Han Li said nothing further, simply observing the Senior with a calm, detached gaze. The Xuan Gu Senior paid no attention to Han Li either, instead fixing his eyes on the ground below, his pupils suddenly blazing with streaks of blood that reached a span of an inch in length—startling Han Li no end!