Han Li showed no expression, allowing the box to strike the light shield and rebound without so much as attempting to deactivate the seal. He merely watched the golden box with cautious eyes, saying nothing. "Now that you're worried about whether this box is still woven from the spirit-thread of the shadow-soul? Rest assured—old man Xuan has already passed. I can only remove the extreme cold with your help. I won't dare to harm you again. Moreover, the number of golden thunder bamboo artifacts you possess is truly surprising. I hadn't expected that. I'm certain they will prove remarkably effective when confronting the profound cold of the Yin Yin. I certainly won't cut my own limbs to achieve that." Xuan Gu, with both hands behind his back, gazed steadily at Han Li, who remained calm within the light shield. Yet Han Li paid no attention to Xuan Gu above. To him, if the other could strike him once in secret, he had no reason to believe they couldn't do so again, for some unforeseen reason. No matter how persuasive or logical Xuan Gu's words sounded, Han Li remained vigilant. Thinking of this, Han Li raised his hand, launching a slender, faint golden arc of electricity that struck precisely upon the lid of the golden box. Amid a "crack" of sparking electricity, the box trembled slightly but showed no other change. Seeing this, Han Li exhaled gently. If the box had been transformed into some kind of malevolent entity, it surely would have been struck down by this "Divine Protective Lightning." Then, he waved his hand toward the box in the air, and the golden box leapt from the ground, flying straight toward him. At the same time, the surrounding light shield flashed briefly before returning to its original state. The box, taking advantage of this moment, passed through the shield and landed in Han Li's hands. Xuan Gu, monitored by Han Li's spiritual awareness, remained motionless throughout. This gave him a slight sense of reassurance. He lowered his gaze to the golden box in his palm. Yet, as he stared at it, a cold gleam of light danced in his eyes, and he did not immediately open the lid—seeming to ponder something deeply. Xuan Gu observed Han Li's cautious demeanor, only sneered lightly before leisurely scanning the surroundings, showing no urgency. Han Li glanced down and saw the spirit ginseng in its rabbit form—now motionless on the ground, as if still unconscious. After a brief pause, Han Li raised two fingers and gently tapped them against the lid of the golden box. Instantly, a shimmering blue light flared between his fingers and the lid. Then, under the tap, the lid lifted on its own, revealing the contents within. Han Li focused intently and saw a small object before him. It was about half a foot long, with a dull, earthy yellow hue, its outer skin dry and deeply wrinkled, resembling a common root of an old tree. Han Li stared, utterly at a loss! If there's anything at all different from the ordinary, even at the very tip of this object, there grows a particularly beautiful silver flower that emits a soft glow and carries a faint, lingering fragrance—so that Han Li is instantly refreshed upon inhaling it. While Han Li was still wondering whether this object truly was the "Nine-Curve Spirit Root" or merely something obscure that Xuan Gu had arbitrarily selected to deceive him, the wild rabbit that had previously lay motionless on the grass suddenly leapt upward, transforming into a sphere of white light and rushing swiftly toward the "root stem" inside the golden box. Han Li was first startled, but then his face brightened with satisfaction. Since the white-rabbit form of the Nine-Curve Spirit Root showed such keen interest in this object, it clearly confirmed that this was indeed the genuine Nine-Curve Spirit Root, easing his mind. Yet Han Li could not simply allow this manifestation to merge completely with the original form. With an unconcerned gesture, he flexed and snapped his fingers, sending a streak of jade-green swordlight that struck precisely at the white rabbit's head, sending it tumbling and bouncing it back to a distance. Yet, seeing its true form just before it, the little creature desperately leapt and bounded forward again, determined to achieve its goal without relenting. Now, Han Li grew impatient. He launched a bolt of electricity that sent the rabbit crashing to the ground, its fur blackened in patches and truly unconscious. Then, Han Li reached out, caught the rabbit in midair, examined it briefly, and tossed it into the golden box. As soon as the rabbit's true form touched the essence of the "Nine-Curve Ling-Shen" herb, a flash of white light illuminated the scene, and it seamlessly seeped into the herb itself. Han Li immediately closed the lid and cast a small seal upon it to prevent escape. Only then did he finally take a deep, steady breath. Xuan Gu still showed no intention of moving, which eased Li Han's mind yet heightened his alertness. Thus, after placing the golden box into his storage pouch, he calmly asked, "Senior, if you now hand over the Nine-Curve Spirit Ginseng to me, won't you fear that I might immediately take the ginseng and flee with it?" Li Han asked this with a tone of cautious inquiry. "Escape? Do you think that merely possessing this ginseng—without the original recipe used to cultivate it—will be enough to enable this precious spirit to exert its full effect?" Xuan Gu withdrew his side-to-side glances and fixed his gaze steadily upon Li Han, speaking calmly and unhurriedly. Upon hearing this, Li Han furrowed his brows, just about to add something when Xuan Gu, without further hesitation, sneered and continued, "Your body has already been subtly manipulated by the extreme yin energy. No matter how far you run, it will always remain within its reach. Therefore, why not cooperate with me? Otherwise, even if you manage to carry the ginseng out of Xutian Hall, your future prospects will be... hehe!" "Manipulated?" Han Li's expression changed momentarily, but quickly settled back into calm. With his powerful awareness, he could not possibly believe that someone had subtly altered his condition without him noticing. Seeing this, Xuan Gu clearly deduced that Han Li didn't believe the matter at all. As he slightly drew his lips, preparing to present some evidence, his face suddenly transformed, and he abruptly turned to gaze toward the distance. This left Han Li puzzled, yet his inner alertness immediately rang loud—he now suspected the old demon was about to play another trick. To his surprise, Xuan Gu soon turned back and uttered a single phrase that instantly sent Han Li into a state of tension. "The extreme cold is approaching. It's likely coming to find you. Take care of yourself—right now, I'll retreat and hide." With these words, Xuan Gu transformed into a gathering of dark clouds and swiftly vanished into the sky, disappearing without a trace. Han Li stood speechless. As he was doubting whether the other's words were true or not, a deep, resonant howl of ghosts echoed from the distant horizon, followed by a vast, dark cloud gathering steadily and sweeping across the sky. The cloud was clearly heading directly toward him. Han Li's heart sank! This dark cloud was precisely the majestic aura displayed by Xuan Yin when he exerted his power—this meant the visitor was indeed the Supreme Master of Extreme Yin. Could it be that he had truly been deceived by the subtle attacks of Extreme Yin, yet remained unaware? Otherwise, how could the Supreme Master of Extreme Yin have traveled so far, arriving so accurately and directly at his very location? At the same time, Han Li was furious with Xuan Gu Shangren. Didn't he always claim to be joining forces with him to combat Xuan Yin? Now that the other had come alone, he had fled so swiftly, leaving Han Li all by himself here. Han Li felt deeply frustrated. Now that he had to retreat, it was too late. He would have to face the situation head-on and endure it. Just as Han Li had barely had time to withdraw his array, the vast expanse of black clouds swiftly reached the canopy of the forest and suddenly halted. Now, Han Li had no choice but to hold his breath and silently watch the dark clouds. He was certain the other party wouldn't launch an immediate attack upon their first meeting—this would be a perfect opportunity to finally uncover the true reason why the Master of Extreme Yin had been relentlessly pursuing him. It had been troubling him for a long time, and he still hadn't managed to determine the cause. This left him deeply frustrated! With this thought, Han Li's composure returned to normal. He now gazed steadily at the dark clouds above, patiently awaiting the other's words. Yet Han Li had never anticipated that first, a cold sneer echoed from within the clouds, followed immediately by a dark, ink-black beam of light that surged forth with the suddenness of a thunderbolt, striking directly at the luminous shield of his array. The shield flashed once, then shattered with a crisp sound—having barely had time to react, it vanished entirely. Then, the unimpeded column of black light swept straight toward Han Li. Han Li’s face turned pale as a sheet! Without a moment’s hesitation, he swayed several times and instantly vanished from his original position, appearing several dozen paces away, his face filled with shock and fury. Han Li then moved swiftly, raising both hands—dozens of towering puppet giant apes materialized around him and stood before him. Several spirit beasts, their bags spinning smoothly, then launched themselves into the air, floating before him and gently swaying. Han Li’s gaze grew icy. Though he knew his chances of victory were slim, if the opponent truly intended to kill him here, he would have to give it his all. He would by no means remain passive. At the same time, the true energy within him surged and locked onto nine Qingzhú Fengyun Swords, which began to stir and grow restless.