Now, Han Li and the others. A network of纵横交错 stone passages, towering and solid walls, and at every intersection, a stone gate carved with strange symbols. These gates are all of uniform size—ten to twelve zhang in length and width, square in shape—some facing south, some north, others oriented east-west, seemingly without any discernible pattern. Yet, each one glows with a faint white light, clearly enchanted. Although intersections typically appear after walking considerable distances, Han Li had already encountered at least seven or eight such gates during his journey—without counting the intersections along parallel routes taken by the group. Thus, the number of gates is truly substantial! As they approached another intersection, a stone gate stood prominently in the direction facing the group. Han Li's expression shifted slightly. This door differs from the previous ones. Though the carvings and symbols on it are the same, they appear dull and lifeless, lacking any glow—much as if the seal has already been broken. Seeing this, Han Li glanced at it with a slightly puzzled expression. "Brother Han," said Wu Chou, noticing Han Li's demeanor, "this stone chamber has long since been looted of its treasures. What's there to see? If it weren't for the fact that each of us can only open one chamber's gate using the fragmentary map of the Virtual Sky, and once inside, we can't retrieve any treasures—nor even return after success—and those who succeed are directly transported outside the Hall of the Virtual Sky, I'd have been eager to try my hand at one of the stone gates myself. After all, as cultivators at the Jian Dan stage, we can only succeed in retrieving treasures on the first floor. As for the other floors, once we enter, we're practically committing suicide." "Brother Han?" Upon hearing the title from Wu Chou, Han Li felt a sense of discomfort despite having heard it many times before. Finally, he demonstrated remarkable composure, smiling calmly and replied, "Why not have Brother Wu select a door and enter to retrieve the treasures? Otherwise, once we reach the upper floors, wouldn't we be missing this rare opportunity?" "Ah, I've actually been thinking about that. But my ancestor has repeatedly emphasized that I must stay close to him throughout the entire process—there may come a time when I'll be of real use." Wu, gazing at the stone door, expressed a touch of reluctance, his eyes briefly gleaming with longing. Han Li listened with a slight smile, his gaze briefly sweeping over the stone door. Yet he firmly remembered the words: once inside, he could be transported out after retrieving the treasures. Would he ever find himself relying on this very method to escape? At that moment, the group prepared to pass through this intersection and enter the path paved with green stones ahead. But at that moment, a deep, resonant sound of something heavy landing came from the opposite side, followed by one after another, as though a massive entity was slowly approaching the group. Master Jiyin and Monks Qingyi's faces grew slightly pale, and they instantly halted, intently staring at the passage across from them, their expressions now serious. Meanwhile, upon hearing the sounds, the bearded man chuckled warmly, his face brightening with excitement. A flash of golden light rippled over his body, and suddenly, a gleaming layer of golden scales emerged, fully activating his Tuo Tian Mo Gong. Han Li, for the first time, observed the unusual appearance of Tuo Tian Mo Gong up close and found himself curiously glancing at the bearded man several times. Yet, the bearded man was keenly aware of Han Li's gaze, and turned his head to return a fierce, grim smile—his face now adorned with numerous small, jagged scales, making his expression remarkably intimidating. Han Li's heart skipped a beat, unsure of the man's intentions, though he managed to offer a polite, restrained smile in return. Fortunately, after laughing, the bearded man immediately turned back. The heavy sound of movement grew closer, as if it were only twenty or thirty paces away. Yet the passage on the opposite side remained utterly dark, and Han Li could see nothing clearly. Clearly, there were still some restrictions within the inner hall limiting the cultivators' spiritual awareness. However, Han Li noticed that the cold glimmers in the eyes of the elder masters, such as Ji Yin and the scholar in a robe, flashed briefly—seeming to indicate they had perceived something. Before either Ji Yin or the scholar could act, the bearded man roared and suddenly transformed into a streak of golden light, vanishing into the passage. Immediately, a sharp gust of wind, accompanied by the sounds of punches and kicks, surged suddenly from the distance, and was soon joined by the sharp, metallic scraping sounds of clashing objects, becoming extremely piercing. Upon seeing this, both Ji Yin and the scholar exchanged puzzled glances. Han Li himself was deeply puzzled. Then, a tremendous roar echoed, followed by a series of crisp, shattering sounds, as though something had broken apart. Han Li's mind stirred, and he suddenly sensed something he had been vaguely thinking of. At that moment, the other side fell silent, and the hearty laughter of the bearded man surged forth, as if utterly delighted. "Let's go! We're all fine now. I nearly forgot—our cultivation level isn't what it was three centuries ago. The guards at this first level no longer pose any real threat to us." The Master of Extreme Yin seemed to recall something, and smiled faintly, somewhat embarrassed. "Indeed! I almost forgot as well. When Qing came last time, we were only just entering the Yuan婴 stage, and this experience left such a strong impression. Fortunately, Brother Man's 'Heavenly Demon Technique' proves perfectly effective against them. Otherwise, we would have had to exert ourselves considerably more." The scholar-dressed elder also relaxed and chuckled lightly. Then the two led the way forward, with Han Li and Wu Chou following closely behind, curious and attentive. Meanwhile, Xuan Gu, who had previously remained expressionless, subtly revealed a touch of disdain, walking calmly and unhurriedly at the rear. Having advanced only a dozen or so paces, Han Li spotted the bearded man standing ahead, hands behind his back, with a large heap of shimmering silver objects scattered beneath his feet. "Indeed, this is just the perfect warm-up for me. The Virtual Heaven Hall has finally begun to show some substance! Though, it seems this item isn't as impressive as the tales have described." Upon seeing Jie Yin and the others, the bearded man gently moved his neck and remarked softly. "Your Tori-Tian Magic is exceptionally powerful, Master; however, the other cultivators find it difficult to deploy their divine artifacts in such a confined space." The scholarly elder smiled warmly. Hearing the praise in the other's words, the bearded man chuckled lightly and said nothing further. His golden scales were rapidly fading away, and he stepped forward with a matter-of-fact air—seeming as though the earlier combat had only just begun. Jie Yin and the other two exchanged a pleased glance. With the bearded man willing to clear the way for them, they naturally followed closely behind, silent and attentive. As he passed by the pile of silver objects, Han Li stopped and bent down to examine them closely. "Mechanical automata!" Indeed, that was what they were. But what rank of automata could withstand a mid-stage Yuan-Ence cultivator for a while without being instantly destroyed? Han Li was genuinely astonished. Most of the ground was covered with fragments of silver metal of an unknown composition, along with half a broken golden wolf's head, several thick, dark, dull blades, and other assorted odd items. "Stop looking at them," Xuan Gu said quietly as he passed by, his voice barely audible. "These materials are indeed rare, but they cannot be forged into artifacts—someone must have already tested them and taken them away." Then he continued on without turning back. Han Li was slightly taken aback, yet he remained absorbed in his observation of the ground. His eyes settled on a greenish-blue gemstone, which pulsed gently, radiating an intensely cold aura, giving him a most peculiar sensation. After a moment's pause, Han Li immediately began gathering all the items and storing them neatly into his storage bag, then resumed walking alongside the group ahead. His thought was simple: even if these items proved ultimately useless, the design and crafting techniques of the puppets would still offer him valuable insights into the ancient cultivators' mastery of puppetry. After all, his highest-level fourth-tier puppet from the "True Puppet Classic" only reached the late Foundation Stage, comparable to a near-true Dan stage. Even the massive tiger puppet he had witnessed previously, which required a mid-stage spiritual stone for a full-power attack, fell short. These golden wolf-headed puppets, however, clearly surpassed the capabilities of early Consolidation Stage cultivators. Though the bearded man and his counterpart didn't deploy any particularly powerful artifacts during their encounter, it seemed rather casual, the deep respect shown by both Jiyin and the scholar-dressed elder clearly indicated their exceptional nature. Such valuable assets, Han Li naturally wanted to study and uncover the secrets behind them. Moreover, looking at his current situation, he surely wouldn't have the opportunity to enter those stone gates and retrieve any treasures. He was clearly aware that although the three senior immortals of Yuan Ying stage were leading the way, every move he made was simultaneously observed by all of their consciousnesses. To sneak away halfway or suddenly burst into those stone gates would be nothing short of delusional. As for Han Li's nature, returning empty-handed after entering such a treasure-filled realm simply wouldn't satisfy him. These ruined puppet components might serve as a modest consolation for his journey to the inner hall. As for the treasures of the Xutian Ding, Han Li was quite realistic—he had no illusions about securing them. (To be continued) ------------ Today's update will be a bit later than usual!