"Little sister?" Han Li stared at the young woman before him, his eyes flickering with uncertainty. "Brother Four, how is it that I'm here? Didn't I die of a serious illness many years ago? I'm so afraid!" The white figure gently trembled as she rose, her pale face drawing closer to Han Li with a look of sheer terror—like a delicate bird startled by sudden wind. Han Li's eyes revealed a touch of strange expression. As the young woman seemed only a few steps away from falling into his arms, Han Li suddenly flashed a cold glint in his eyes. With a swift motion, a slender blade of jade-green light shot silently from his palm, piercing through her forehead and vanishing instantly. The white figure cried out in pain, then dissolved into a stream of black smoke, completely gone. "Even if she resembles my little sister perfectly, my little sister has lived apart from me since childhood. As for my current appearance, even the way I looked when we parted—she would have long since forgotten it. How could she possibly recognize me as her brother Four?" Han Li gazed toward the direction where the black smoke had vanished, his face expressing a quiet melancholy as he murmured softly. After speaking, he raised his wrist and glanced at the four Borola beads on it. Though he spoke with great confidence, if it weren't for the beads suddenly growing warm when the white figure approached—thus dispelling even the last lingering doubt in his heart—he might not have acted so decisively. Even at the very moment his flying sword pierced through the opponent, Han Li couldn't help trembling slightly. After all, even knowing the opponent was merely a phantom or a spirit in disguise, he still wanted to take a moment to gaze upon his younger sister's face. Carrying a sense of inexplicable sadness, Han Li continued alone through the darkness. ……A day later, before a towering building resembling a spire, there stood十余 people seated motionless at its base. The tower rose high into the clouds, immense and grand, constructed entirely of massive blocks of jade-green stone. From a distance, the tower appears to be divided into five levels, becoming progressively finer as it rises. Yet the spacing between each level is astonishing—no less than hundreds of paces. The base stone gate of the tower alone stands fifty or sixty paces high, creating an absolutely majestic and imposing presence. A faint, pale luminous veil encircles the entire tower. Before this veil, the crowd—resembling ants—bows low, eyes closed, meditating in quiet concentration. At the center of their gathering, a white teleportation array stands still and serene. Among them are Yuan Yin, Wan Tianming, and other Yuan-Stage cultivators from both the Yin and the Ming traditions. Also present are Wu Chou, Xuan Gu, and another late Jie-Dan Stage cultivator. The only absent figures remain Han Li, Yuan Yao, the two senior elders of Xing Gong, and another Jie-Dan Stage cultivator. Despite his composed demeanor, the elderly cultivator Yuan Yin appears subtly anxious. After all, according to the usual pace of cultivators passing through, Han Li should have arrived here just as early as Wu Chou. He couldn't help feeling a bit uneasy. At that moment, a beam of white light flashed within the spell array, and a figure materialized there. Mu Yanqi and the others instantly turned to gaze at the figure, only to quickly settle into disappointment—since it was none other than Yuan Yao, the one draped in black robes and veiled. With so many Yuan-Ying stage elders gazing at her, Yuan Yao felt a sudden flutter in her heart, yet she composed herself and quietly stepped out of the array. It happened to be just as the figure stepped down that the spell array flashed again, and Han Li appeared there out of nowhere. Mu Yanqi's eyebrows raised slightly, and a subtle, almost unconscious smile played on his face. The bearded man and the scholar in the robe exchanged a mutual glance, each seeing a sense of ease in the other's eyes. As soon as Han Li appeared, he looked at Yuan Yao and was momentarily taken aback. After a gentle, calm glance, he moved naturally toward Ju Yin, bowed slightly, and stood behind him. Master Jie Yin was deeply moved by Han Li's profound respect and reverence, and with a nod to him, turned back without saying another word. Indeed, he had no hesitation in mentioning the return of the Boru Zhu bracelet. Nor did the bearded man come forward at that moment to claim the precious armor. It seemed that, during this time, all of them had quietly chosen to forget the items they had lent to Han Li. Han Li had arrived, yet the cultivators remained seated quietly, as if still waiting for something. At this moment, Han Li was struck by the towering structure before him, genuinely astonished. "This is the Inner Hall—quite different from what I had imagined," he murmured to himself. Then, seizing the opportunity, he glanced at Xuan Gu. The other was sitting calmly in a back corner, eyes closed, seemingly completely unaware of Han Li's gaze. "Young man, stop staring. Be careful not to be noticed by my rebellious disciple. Don't worry!" How to handle the extreme yin energy—I’ve already planned it out. It’s absolutely certain, beyond doubt. However, this opportunity only arises after you retrieve the treasures using the Blood Jade Spider. Until then, you must deal with it immediately! Remember—not to communicate with me casually, or you’ll reveal your vulnerabilities! Pyan Gu’s voice suddenly rose in the space beside Han Li without any prior warning. First, he offered reassurance, then delivered a series of instructions. Han Li listened attentively, his expression remaining calm and composed, and then calmly shifted his gaze away from Pyan Gu. "Only after retrieving the treasures—what does that mean? Does this old demon also covet the treasures within the Xitian Ding?" Han Li felt a surge of confusion and growing unease. With the inner hall about to open, he was deeply concerned about his fate after the retrieval. Regardless of whether the retrieval succeeded, his situation seemed rather precarious. As Han Li grew increasingly restless and pondered the matter in his mind, a composed voice came from across the room. "The time for the inner hall to open is approaching, yet the two from the Star Palace haven't shown up yet. It seems they won't be involved this time. Man, what do you think?" Wan Tianming, seated between the other two righteous cultivators, opened his bright, luminous eyes, their inner glow subtly radiating as he fixed his gaze steadily on Man with a thick beard, exuding an impressive presence. "Heh! Well, Wan elder, you're getting anxious, are you? Just wait a bit—let's see. After all, the Star Palace folks are quite cunning. Maybe they're deliberately delaying their arrival, hoping to make us clash before they even show up themselves?" Man with the thick beard gave a light, disdainful smile, stroking his beard lazily as he spoke. Upon hearing this, Wan Tianming paused slightly, showing thoughtful consideration, then nodded and closed his eyes again, clearly accepting Man's words. After waiting another hour and more, a sudden, intense tremor shook the ground. The massive stone gate of the inner hall began to rise slowly, revealing the smooth stone corridor within. From a distance, the passway appeared to be towering and spacious. As the inner hall's stone doors swung open simultaneously, the transmission array in the center, which had previously shimmered with a soft white glow, gradually dimmed and lost its radiance. "Ha! Excellent! Excellent! It seems the star palace folks truly won't interfere anymore. Then, Wàn Tiānmíng—let us settle this once and for all. The loser shall not enter the inner hall. What do you think?" Without waiting for a reply from his opponent, the bearded warrior leaped suddenly into the air, his teeth gleaming white as he spoke with passionate enthusiasm. "Not at all. I've changed my mind—I no longer wish to fight with Brother Mán." Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Wàn Tiānmíng clearly and firmly declined. "Changed your mind? Do you mean to surrender without a fight, and concede automatically?" Mán first paused, then smiled with a mocking expression. "Retreat? Of course not!" Yet, to fight like this merely because we haven't yet retrieved the treasures—how truly ridiculous! Why not instead agree that we take turns retrieving the treasures? For now, each of us shall restrain ourselves from competing. In this way, we avoid conflict altogether. After all, our real enemy is the Star Palace, not each other. Though we come here with such confidence, you and I may well find ourselves unable to retrieve the treasures at all. Then, this very struggle would be entirely unnecessary." Wan Tianming shook his head, speaking calmly and composed. The figures with the sharp, dark beard—Ji Yin and the others—were momentarily taken aback, exchanged glances, and whispered to one another. Wan Tianming and Tian Wuzi seemed to have already reached an agreement, neither eager nor impatient, simply waiting for the magicians' response. A moment passed, and Ji Yin finally spoke, his expression darkening. "You speak so well, but precisely—whose turn is it to retrieve the treasures first, and whose second?" "If we succeed in retrieving the treasure, how can you be certain that you won't come after it and seize it? Can you rely solely on your persuasive words?" Wan Tianming smiled upon hearing this. "Ji Yin, what you've just said is mere rhetoric. If the treasure is taken by you, we will certainly move in to seize it forcefully. But if the same treasure ends up in our hands, you can also come after and compete for it. Then, it will all come down to who has the greater skill and strength—just as it is now. Isn't that better than engaging in a fight right away and wasting time?" Wan Tianming smiled and spoke without hesitation.