However, when Han Li folded the two slightly warped copper gongs, he subtly sensed that Ji Yin had glanced at them twice. Though the action was extremely discreet, Han Li still felt a sharp sense of alertness. He now realized that these two short gongs must be a valuable item. Yet since Master Ji Yin still intended to take his own treasures, he would naturally not want to lose the bigger picture by insisting on claiming these now. This meant that the reason Ji Yin might later have for acting against him had just grown one more point. Thinking this through, Han Li’s lowered expression revealed a faint smile of resignation. But when he looked up again, his demeanor had returned to its usual calm. Thus, despite the combined efforts of the three Yuan-Ence stage cultivators, the puppetry and seals at this level, though formidable, could not prevent the group from emerging unharmed. They proceeded through to the third level. ……Half a day later, in a certain area of the fifth floor of the great tower, three figures were quietly discussing something. It was precisely the group of Zhengdao cultivators led by Wan Tianming. Not far ahead of them stood a massive presence—a towering, magnificent stone platform. The platform spanned over a hundred zhang in length and width, rising approximately thirty zhang high. Directly in front, a series of hundreds of stone steps led straight to the summit. The entire platform was constructed from an ordinary gray rock, encased in a white luminous dome that included the steps as well. Yet strangely, the dome emitted a vibrant blue glow, intensifying the closer one approached the center of the platform—the light shimmered continuously, so bright that it made it difficult to look directly at it, blurring the view of what might be amiss there. Thick layers of ice had formed along the edges of the platform, reflecting with a clear, translucent brilliance that enhanced the platform’s beauty. "How does your magical recovery feel? Is it sufficient? If so, let's begin our actions! Though we've utilized the Tianji Manor's 'Creation Instrument' to preemptively bypass the automaton guards, our window of opportunity won't be long." After all, the Sky-Magic of the Bearded Master is exceptionally sharp even against the puppets; they might need a bit more effort at the fourth level, but otherwise, the progress won't be delayed much. Wan Tianming spoke calmly from the platform. "That's exactly what I've said—we should go retrieve the treasures," the elderly Daoist, Tian Wu Zi, agreed wholeheartedly, his eyes gleaming with excitement. The stocky, thin old man resembling a farmer, however, silently bowed his head without speaking. Wan Tianming didn't mind. He knew that though this man was reserved and spoke little, his mastery of the "Jade Dan Technique" was no ordinary skill, and his true strength even surpassed that of Tian Wu Zi. Indeed, although he belonged to the orthodox path, he had always remained secluded, practicing diligently and rarely engaging in conversation, which had given him this composed, detached demeanor. With a slight smile, Wan Tianming then led the two toward the luminous dome. A thick, rich purple aura flashed and vanished. With a crisp crack, the white light shield was suddenly split open by Wanshitan's mere sleeve, creating a gaping mouth several zhang high. Several of them took advantage of the opening and filed in one after another. Not long after, Wanshitan and his companions disappeared into the blue glow atop the platform. At the site where the shield had been breached, it restored itself to its original state, and the steps once again became quiet. After an indeterminate length of time, Wanshitan and his companions never emerged from within the shield, yet figures of the burly man and the extremely Yin presence appeared on the platform below. Han Li, Xuan Gu, and the others followed them silently. "At last, we've arrived at this strange place. That golden-hair puppet on the fourth floor truly proved formidable—had it not been for our three of us combining our strongest techniques, we would have had to linger much longer." The scholar in a rust-colored robe gazed at the platform before him, his eyes gleaming with admiration. "Hmph. That puppet isn't bad at all." The seal we encountered on the third level proved particularly difficult to break, causing us to spend so much extra time. Otherwise, we would have arrived earlier." The Jiyin Master spoke with a gloomy expression, as though slightly frustrated. "We've made it this far—what's the point of all this chatter? Let's just check whether Wan Tianming and the others have gone in to retrieve the treasures." The bearded man frowned, speaking bluntly and with clear impatience. Upon hearing this, Jiyin showed a touch of displeasure, pausing and falling silent. Meanwhile, the scholar in a refined robe smiled calmly. "Mian brother, don't worry. According to our secret methods, combined with Wu's, Wan Tianming and the others did indeed enter several hours ago. They haven't come out yet. We simply need to wait here. This staircase is the only access point to the Hanli Platform." "The only one? Really? The orthodox ones—haven't they slipped away through other routes? We're still here, waiting foolishly!" The bearded man glanced at the elder with a look of doubt. "Heh! That's absolutely no issue at all! This white aura shield isn't an ordinary one—it's actually a renowned ancient technique known as the 'Heavenly Mandate Shield' (Tian Gang Zhao). Aside from this specially created exit at the steps, no one can pass through the rest of it in the short term. We'll rest here a while, then proceed to check the situation." The elder spoke with composed ease, gently stroking his beard. "Hm. That sounds good," the bearded man replied, nodding slightly, and then settled into a meditative posture on one of the nearby steps. But he found Xuan Gu alone on a raised platform some distance away, gazing at the hazy light shield, as though deep in thought. Han Li's expression stirred—he had just realized this might be a favorable opportunity to re-negotiate. Yet, upon reflection, he thought otherwise. The old demon now had ties to that bearded barbarian, and his own value to him had diminished significantly. Likely, just as the Jade-Shadow Patriarch had done, he was now eyeing Han Li's Blood Jade Spiders as a means to secure treasure. Otherwise, why would he choose to strike Han Li after the treasure had already been taken? Now, by actively approaching him, Han Li would only reveal his own hesitation, making his situation even worse. It seemed clear that his escape would have to be his own plan. With this realization, Han Li's gaze toward Xuan Gu grew colder. To his surprise, Xuan Gu turned and caught Han Li's eyes just in time. Han Li silently cursed under his breath, then immediately composed himself, maintaining a calm demeanor and walking off as if nothing had happened. Xuan Gu tightly watched Han Li's back, his face briefly revealing a look of puzzlement. At that moment, Han Li slowly circled the massive stone platform outside the luminous dome. Since the others had assumed that even a Dan Stage initial cultivator like Han Li could not possibly escape alone, they felt quite at ease and allowed him to move freely around the area. Not long after, Han Li managed to slip quietly to the back of the elevated platform. This area corresponded directly to the luminous dome and featured a tall wall of dark green stone. Carved upon the wall were ancient depictions of strange beasts and various seals—nothing out of the ordinary. Han Li had seen such walls many times within the inner hall and knew they were protected by profound restrictions. To breach the wall and emerge beyond it would be impossible even for the Yuan Ying Stage cultivators like Ji Yin and the others. Thus, even though Han Li was fully aware that the wall behind him likely led to the outer hall, he found himself completely at a loss. Han Li silently cursed the ancient cultivator who had built the inner hall so solidly, like a turtle's shell, and was restless, pounding hard on the stone wall before turning around to head back. With a deep, resonant thud, Han Li's already-stepped-back figure froze mid-motion. Slowly turning to face the sound, he was filled with disbelief. Had an ordinary cultivator heard that sound, he likely would have dismissed it and moved on—after all, the sound seemed perfectly normal. But Han Li, born in the world of martial clans and guilds, had long studied mechanisms and sealed chambers. Upon hearing the sound, he immediately recognized that the jade stone slab was not solid throughout. Han Li found himself doubting his own judgment. In such a place, renowned for its deep and intricate seals, the very existence of layered structures seemed almost impossible. Yet Han Li certainly wouldn't simply walk away. He merely paused and then swiftly moved back to the wall, his steps nimble. With two fingers, he tapped each of the several green stones near where he had previously clapped his hands. As his fingers struck the third stone, a sudden thought flashed through Han Li's mind, and his gaze settled firmly on that stone. Carved there was a vivid, crimson, eye-like feature of a winged monster. Though not exquisitely detailed, the image was lifelike, fully capturing the creature's fierce, bloodthirsty, and wild spirit. Han Li glanced at the pattern briefly and then tapped the stone gently a few more times. Finally, with genuine excitement, he confirmed that this stone was hollow, with a layered structure, and that something was concealed within.