Master Jiyin, seeing this situation, also slightly frowned, but after a moment of silence, calmly spoke: "Master Man, if you have any doubts, my young disciple has indeed proven very useful in our current endeavor to retrieve treasures from the inner hall. Should he have offended any of your friends, I hope you will show him some leniency." As Master Jiyin said this, Han Li felt deeply frustrated. When had he ever offended this burly elder? On the contrary, during the grand hall ceremony, the elder had forcibly taken the jade pillar from him—Han Li still harbored resentment toward that old demon! Of course, these thoughts remained only in Han Li's heart; he absolutely would not voice them aloud. "Offended? I've never even met this young man. How could I have offended him? I merely took a close look and found his techniques rather promising—so I simply tried them out. But how can a cultivator at the Jiandan stage be of any use in the inner hall? Are you not simply deceiving me with empty words?" Master Man waved his hand lazily and said. Hearing this, Jiyin furrowed his brow, hesitated slightly, then gestured toward the scholarly elder. Upon seeing this, Qingyi Monks smiled faintly and whispered to the bearded man. At first, the bearded man regarded the two with a touch of disdain, given their secretive demeanor. However, after listening to several more of the elder's whispered words, his expression suddenly changed, and he stared at Han Li with growing surprise. Then, he asked the elder a few questions in a similar whispering manner, and after a moment, his face lit up with sudden comprehension, before growing increasingly cold. "Jiyin," the bearded man said, half-closing his eyes and sending sharp, sword-like glances straight at the elder, "I never understood why you suddenly withdrew your disciple—now I see! He actually has... Hmph! You've certainly thought of a clever move!" "Why should you be upset, Brother Man? If it were I, faced with such a situation, I'd likely employ the very same tactics. Moreover, since we've now revealed this matter, we certainly aren't keeping it to ourselves." "This time, we truly rely on Brother Man to succeed," said Master Jiayin calmly. "That's true. Without my intervention, I suspect those pretenders from Wan Tianming would never even get a chance to retrieve the treasures. But let me be clear—should the treasures actually be secured, how do you intend to distribute them?" Man with the bushy beard thought for a moment, then his expression softened. "How about dividing the treasures equally among the four of us, including young Han? Each person receives one share," the scholar in a robe seemed to have already considered this matter thoroughly, and immediately replied with a nod and a slight sway of his head. Yet as soon as he finished speaking, Man with the bushy beard turned sharply. "Seventh, do you really think I'm so easily deceived? Four equal shares—how could you have thought of that? Once the treasures are secured, Wan Tianming will be entirely under your care, while we all receive the same amount," he said, his tone full of scorn. "Brother Man, please don't be offended. Ah, well—this point is indeed a bit misplaced on my part. Then, Brother Man, what would you suggest as a fair distribution?" The elder listened calmly to the mocking remarks and instead smiled warmly, asking, "How much will you take? I won't ask for a specific amount. But as for the treasures, I must take half—after all, Tianming alone could make you both struggle. To handle such a person, taking half isn't much at all." The bearded man spoke with a serious expression. If he were merely an independent cultivator, he would naturally have no claim to the contents of the Xutian Ding. But since he has become my disciple of the Extreme Yin School, he certainly deserves his share. This time, the Master of Extreme Yin showed no intention of yielding. Upon hearing this, the bearded man's expression darkened momentarily, and he was about to speak further when an elder beside him suddenly proposed a compromise. "Why don't we settle this? Let the two of you stop arguing. Instead, divide the treasures into five equal parts—Master Man takes two shares, and the rest of you take the remaining three. Isn't that fair?" As soon as the elder spoke, the bearded man paused, stroked his beard, and fell silent. The Master of Extreme Yin immediately responded. "I accept this proposal," he said solemnly. "I wonder how Master Man feels about it." He looked steadily at the bearded man. "Very well," replied the bearded man, frowning slightly. "Though I'm still not entirely satisfied, it's certainly better than what we had before." He had already observed that the Master of Extreme Yin and the elder had formed a united front. This condition might well be their bottom line. As a result, he could no longer be overly assertive. While the senior magicians of the demonic path were beginning to divide the treasures yet to be claimed, the others—Wan Tianming and his companions—were quietly discussing their plans for retrieving the treasures. "Wan Master, how confident are you that your golden silk silkworm can successfully retrieve the Virtual Sky Cauldron? Many senior masters before us have attempted this, yet none have succeeded. We may end up with empty hopes," asked Tian Wu Zi, the Daoist, expressing his growing concern. "Rest assured," Wan Tianming replied calmly. "At first, my golden silk silkworm alone did not offer much confidence. However, we previously discovered the 'Sky Blue Flower.' If, during the retrieval, I am willing to sacrifice the silkworms entirely and have them ingest this flower, we will have at least a three- or four-in-ten chance of success. That is already quite promising." "This truth I certainly understand, yet every time I think about this matter, I still find myself uneasy. Indeed, I feel ashamed—my cultivation seems insufficient, and my inner composure still requires much refinement." Tian Wu Zi said with some embarrassment. "The cultivation techniques of the magicians, though powerful, often tend to distort the practitioners' natures, causing inconsistencies in their behavior—this is entirely normal. There's nothing extraordinary about it at all! Indeed, this time, we are willing to forgo the Virtual Sky Cauldron altogether, so long as it does not fall into the hands of the magicians. After all, the ancient master of extreme cold has a rare kind of fire serpent that might also claim this treasure." Wan Tianming's expression grew serious. "Master Tian Wu is absolutely right. If the magicians obtain this artifact, their flames will surely grow even more intense. And right now, the Star Palace's forces are at their weakest. We must ensure that the magicians do not replace the Star Palace and take control of the Chaotic Star Sea." Tian Wuzi nodded vigorously. Outside the two entrance passages, two stone steles of about three to four feet in height rose up—one inscribed with the ancient characters "Xuanjing Dao," the other with "Rongyan Lu." Immediately, several nearby cultivators stepped forward and approached. However, just outside the Rongyan Lu passage, before they had even entered, a wave of scorching, dizzying heat rushed toward them, instantly making their mouths and throats dry. Outside the Xuanjing Dao passage, a steady flow of cold, white vapor emerged from within, accompanied by a faint, howling wind that stirred a sense of chill in the observers. "Han Li, let's go. We'll meet again at the far end of the Ice-Fire Path. Which passage would you like to take? Though I can't personally guide you through, I can still provide you with a few items to keep warm and comfortable," said Master Jiyin, who immediately sat up with renewed energy upon seeing the two paths, then turned to Han Li with deep concern. When passing through the ghost mist, Han Li had already heard from Lady Zilin about the Ice-Fire Path. He knew that once one stepped into the corridor, they would immediately be transported by a seal to preset locations within the grand canyon. The chance of being transported together with others was quite low, which was why she had mentioned it so specifically. "Let's take the molten rock path," Han Li said thoughtfully. "I happen to have a fire-resistant robe with me—perhaps it will prove useful." "Very well. Take this item. With your current cultivation level, you should have no trouble passing with it," Master Jiyin reached into his storage pouch and pulled out a blue-and-glistening jade pendant, offering it to Han Li without hesitation. "I didn't expect it at all! Master Jiyin, known for being so sparing, has been quite generous this time. Isn't that your prized white rhinoceros pendant?" Master Mangan, who had happened to observe the scene, smiled politely but with a hint of dryness.