Since encountering the first wolf-headed automaton, the mechanical figures were merely crushed to pulp under the exceptionally defensive, sky-supporting magic of the bearded barbarian, requiring no assistance from the elderly figures of Jiyin and Ru Shan. Han Li, on the other hand, collected each and every fragment of the destroyed automata without hesitation. This behavior naturally drew the attention of Wu Chou and Xuan Gu, who glanced at him in amazement for a long time. The bearded barbarian and his companions, however, paid it no mind, simply allowing Han Li to carry on as he pleased. Clearly, however, the group led by Wan Tianming were not following the same path as Han Li's party. Observing the composed demeanor of Jiyin and the others, Han Li realized that these elder magi must have already gained a general sense of their whereabouts, which explained their calm and unhurried pace. Yet, since the encounter with the automaton guards, Jiyin and his companions had begun to take winding, indirect routes instead of moving in a straight line. Nevertheless, one point remained puzzling to Han Li. It was unclear how the three Yuan-Ying elders—Ji Yin and the scholar in a robe—had decided on their route. Although Han Li was certain that every intersection looked exactly the same, the three elders moved with unwavering confidence, turning left at one intersection and then right at the next, never hesitating or showing any uncertainty. If it were only Ji Yin and the scholar who acted thus, Han Li would have found it entirely understandable—after all, they had visited this inner hall before, and perhaps their memories were sharp enough to recall the path they had taken last time. Yet the bearded man, who had never been here before, was clearly leading the way, stepping ahead with determination. Ji Yin and the scholar followed without complaint. Han Li, however, found himself puzzled. So he decided to pay closer attention, secretly observing the differences between each intersection and checking for any subtle markings. After passing through several intersections, however, he found nothing—no distinct features or hidden clues. In the end, Han Li had to concede defeat and give up. Along the way, the bearded man single-handedly destroyed seven or eight wolf-headed puppets, finally bringing the group to a small teleportation array situated precisely at the center of a crossroads, emitting a gentle, shimmering light. "Noticing this array, the scholar in robes expressed a mild complaint, saying, 'From here, we ascend to the second floor. I wonder what means the righteous faction—Wan Tianming and his companions—have employed to reach ahead of us,' yet his face still carried a gentle smile. 'Hmph! Then so be it. Even if they're ahead, what's so special about the Virtual Heaven Cauldron that it can't be obtained easily?' the bearded man scoffed, showing no concern. Immediately afterward, he strode confidently and entered the teleportation array first. Seeing this, Master Qingyi offered a subtle smile. However, after the bearded man had stepped through, neither he nor Master Jiyin advanced immediately. Instead, they exchanged a glance, their eyes then settling with deep significance upon Han Li, who felt a sudden chill. Having no choice but to step into the teleportation array under the watchful eyes of the two, he braved the way and was whisked away in a flash of white light. When Han Li steadied himself and looked around, he was taken aback! The very same crossroads, the very same cobblestone pathways. If it weren't for the bearded man standing straight ahead with his hands behind his back, Han Li would have thought the teleportation had failed. Just as Han Li was puzzled, waves of white light surged from behind, and the others—including Ji Yin—arrived one after another. "Whatever magic these righteous ones have used, they've moved so swiftly. Now I can't find them anywhere!" Ji Yin, upon stepping into view, immediately scanned the surroundings, his expression somewhat displeased as he murmured. "Never mind! When these righteous ones suddenly proposed to give up midway, I found it strange back then. Now it seems they've been planning all along to outmaneuver us. Still, perhaps it's best if they take the treasures first." After all, relying solely on Wan Tianming's golden silk silkworm to extract the Xutian Ding seems like a dream. If indeed good fortune allows them to retrieve the treasure, we can then position ourselves in ambush to seize it later." The scholar-dressed elder, standing behind Ju Yin Master, flashed a cold gleam in his eyes as he spoke. "Seventh Brother is right! However, we cannot afford to delay any longer—we must accelerate our pace." Ju Yin Master nodded, his expression noticeably improved, and agreed. "Master Man, be cautious—these serpent guards' puppets on this level are proving quite challenging. I and my companion, Wu, will also lend our support. This way, we can conserve both our spiritual energy and time, so as not to be outmaneuvered by the orthodox factions when we reach the fifth level." The elder spoke seriously to Master Man. "Serpent guards' puppets? That sounds interesting! Fine by me." Master Man remained unconcerned. Then, the magian group pressed on without further delay. Not long afterward, Han Li noticed the differences between the second and first levels. The number of intersections at the crossroads had noticeably decreased compared to the first floor, with greater spacing between them. Additionally, several more powerful seals and traps had appeared along the path. While these still could not pose a threat to figures like Mu-Ru, the thick-bearded one, some of them were absolutely lethal to Danjiao-stage cultivators. This caused Han Li, who was trailing behind the group, to sweat profusely. Undoubtedly, if he had ventured alone into the second floor hall, facing these seals and traps, he would have perished there. After Han Li passed the fifth intersection on the second floor, he finally saw the "serpentine guard puppets" mentioned by the elder. The appearance of these puppets was truly repulsive. They possessed two slender, dark-green and crimson serpent heads, and had four arms arranged in front and behind their bodies, their entire forms covered in dark, scale-like armor. The two front arms held two short, faintly green spears. The two hands then grasped a sleek, lustrous whip, adorned with sharp, inverted hooks, emitting a pale gray aura. As soon as the golem spotted Man-Beard and the rest of the party, it instantly surged forward in a streak of black light, moving with astonishing speed and agility. Man-Beard laughed heartily and immediately accelerated his Tu Tian Mo Gong to meet the attack. To韩立's surprise, the serpentine golem moved with the grace of a phantom, its jade-colored bronze halberd and the flexible whip working in perfect harmony. Though under relentless, unguarded assaults from Man-Beard, it managed to shield several vital points, preventing the latter—without deploying any法宝—from achieving a decisive breakthrough. The jade-colored bronze halberd, seemingly crafted from some extraordinary material, only slightly deformed upon absorbing Man-Beard's golden hands, remaining intact without breaking. This caused a brief expression of astonishment to flicker across Man-Beard's face. At this moment, the elderly master of extreme yin and Qing Yi Monks finally stepped in to intervene. The elder master employed precisely the Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire that had once terrified韩立. A small orb of black flame materialized in his hands and swiftly transformed into a slender black streak, shooting forth. The snake spirit puppet, which had been firmly countering the sky-rending magic power of the bearded warrior, was completely unable to evade it. Instantly, an arm wielding a short spear was engulfed by the black flame and vanished entirely. Meanwhile, the elderly scholar in a scholar's robe opened his mouth, and vast streams of green light surged out, rushing toward the opponent and vanishing almost instantly. These green filaments mysteriously spiraled around the puppet, and shortly thereafter, a dense series of subtle bursts of sound erupted. The snake spirit puppet staggered, losing its balance. The bearded warrior's fierce expression flickered, seizing the opportunity. With a sudden, decisive movement of both hands, a brilliant golden light erupted, and in a low roar, he drove a single punch through the puppet's chest, forcibly extracting a glowing green gem. The snake-bitten puppet immediately lost all mobility and collapsed, wobbling, onto the ground. The bearded warrior glanced at the lifeless puppets now lying on the ground, then at the green stone in his hands. A flash of sternness passed across his face, and immediately he clenched his five fingers tightly, intent on crushing the gem to powder. Yet, as soon as his golden fist closed and then opened again, the stone still glowed with its green light, unchanged. Even though he was usually bold and unruly, his face now grew pale. After all, the golden hands he had infused with the Tuo-Tian Magic Power were capable of transforming even slightly hard gems—let alone the spiritually awakened artifacts—into twisted, deformed shapes. A lower-quality one might even be shattered instantly upon contact. When the bearded warrior's eyes grew fixed and wide, the scholarly elder with his scholar's robe passed by with a cheerful smile and said: "My friend, there's no need to be surprised! These unusual stones have already been taken away and studied by others. Though they are incredibly hard and indestructible, they cannot be melted or refined, nor can they be incorporated into any法宝 or tools." It seems these items can only be admired unless the ancient cultivators are reborn. Even some sects skilled in creating puppets don't know how these stones are used in puppetry. "The artifacts from the ancient cultivators are quite unusual! Since you seem so fond of these trinkets, I'll give them to you!" The bearded man, trying to hide his earlier embarrassment, casually tossed the items toward Han Li. Han Li was momentarily startled and instinctively accepted them. But as soon as he realized what had happened, he silently placed them into his storage scroll without a word. Then, with a straightforward gaze, he took a few steps forward and promptly collected the remains of the serpent spirit puppet as usual.