But just as the elder and the extreme Yin were about to release the spirit beast and the ghostly corpse, a sudden tremor ran through the luminous green giant silkworm within the glow. Its golden light rapidly dimmed. At the same moment, the golden thread in its mouth snapped with a sharp "crack." "Unbelievable!" exclaimed the group of observers, who had been fully focused on the treasure retrieval, their faces pale with alarm. Yet before they could react, the same condition unfolded in the other several giant silkworms. After their golden light similarly faded, the golden threads of the remaining two giant silkworms snapped right there. At this point, Wan Tianming's heart sank to the very depths. His body, which had already advanced forward, froze in place. But this was not the end. Though the golden threads of the remaining three giant silkworms remained intact, they were suddenly pulled with immense force—like being yanked by a powerful hand—flying into the great opening as if by a sudden surge of energy. Then came a deep, resonant thud, causing the stone platform to tremble violently. The blue light at the entrance dimmed swiftly, and the chill began to ease. Seeing this, the faces of the righteous sect members grew increasingly grave. The elder demons—Ji Yin and the others—who had been about to intervene now stared at one another in bewilderment, their expressions equally striking. Suddenly, he turned around and fixed a cold, stern gaze upon Ji Yin and the other two. Ji Yin Master and the elder's smiles froze instantly. The one facing them was a cultivator at the mid-Stage of Yuan Ying. Though belonging to opposite sects—Daoist and Magian—they both had no intention of easily forging a deep enmity with Wan Tianming. Yet, upon the elder's sharp glare, the bearded man, though momentarily silenced in his laughter, returned the gaze with equal firmness and courtesy. "Well, Master Wan, do you wish to settle this matter with me now? I've been looking forward to experiencing the Tian Luo True Technique—one of the Three Divine Achievements of Confucianism," he challenged, his expression stiffened with determination. After a moment of quiet intensity, Wan Tianming finally regained his composure. "Then let's go!" With a sweeping motion of his sleeve, he led the way off the platform, no longer bothering with the few golden silk silkworms still clinging to it. He only summoned back the white dragon that had been engaged in confrontation with the Magian forces. Tian Wu Zi's expression was equally displeased. After gathering the great turtle, he settled his face and The older, thin farmer, aside from his somewhat cold gaze, remained relatively composed. As the parties from the Celestial and the Demon realms passed each other, both sides remained highly alert, carefully guarding their positions. Fortunately, though the bearded man was exceptionally proud, he said nothing particularly provocative at that moment, merely maintaining a cold smile as he watched Wan Tianming and the others gradually recede and finally fade out of the light dome. "I've stationed the green sparrow at the entrance to keep watch. Should any of the Celestial faction return unexpectedly, we'll be informed." The scholar in a fine robe turned toward the rear and suddenly remarked. "Then I'll also send two Tiandu corpses to guard the entrance. Should they suddenly launch an attack on us, they can at least provide some initial resistance." The Master of Extreme Yin subtly shifted his gaze and added with a quiet, sly smile. Upon hearing this, Qing Yi the scholar was momentarily startled, but soon regained his composure and said nothing. Then, with a simple flick of his scholar's robe, a beam of jade-green light, about the size of a fist, shot upward into the sky. The extremely yin master then extended his hand and threw something toward the ground. Instantly, two plumes of black smoke rose, followed by a pungent, foul odor. Two towering spectral corpses materialized before the gathered crowd. "Go," the master said, pointing solemnly toward the entrance. The two spectral corpses immediately twisted and blurred, then vanished without a trace. This sight reminded Han Li of the strange appearance of the spectral corpses that had suddenly materialized earlier, and he felt a sudden sense of apprehension, growing even more cautious about these spectral beings. However, when his eyes fell upon the several golden silkworms lying on the altar, still trembling incessantly, he found himself naturally curious and stepped forward. Yet, before he reached them, another figure moved swiftly—none other than Xuan Gu, who had remained silent throughout. Han Li was somewhat surprised. "What's going on? These golden silkworms are quite rare. Their golden glow earlier suggested they were well-advanced in cultivation." Wan Tianming didn't seem at all sorry to abandon them—this was rather unusual! The bearded man walked over and casually asked, "They had consumed the Tian Qinghua flowers. It was only by relying on this herb that they managed to raise their cultivation level significantly, enabling them to lift the Xu Tian Ding even slightly. But now that the medicinal effects have worn off, these golden silkworms have completely lost their strength." Xuan Gu merely glanced at the giant silkworms briefly before calmly responding. "I always thought how could the golden silkworms possibly lift the Xu Tian Ding! It turns out they relied on this very herb. Hah! Wan Tianming, it seems, has ended up losing more than he gained—his chickens are gone!" Upon hearing Xuan Gu's words, the bearded man couldn't help but laugh heartily. "Tian Qinghua! I never expected Wan Tianming to have discovered this herb. I myself had considered using this method as well. Unfortunately, over the years, I've never managed to find a single Tian Qinghua flower. Yet your young disciple seems well acquainted with this plant—clearly not an obscure figure. Have I ever heard of this young person before?" The Jiyin Master walked over, hands behind his back, but as soon as he changed his tone, he suddenly fixed his gaze on Xuan Gu's face and asked slowly. "I've merely read more of the old texts. As for any great reputation, Master Wu must be jesting," Xuan Gu replied with a gentle smile. "Indeed?" Jiyin said, his expression calm—whether out of relief or perhaps wary of the burly man beside him, he did not press further. Instead, he turned and walked to the large cavern, bending down to look inside. The blue light emanating from within cast his face a deep blue, appearing most eerie. Han Li stood to one side, observing silently, and began to admire Xuan Gu's composure. How could he maintain such poise in the presence of Jiyin, even addressing him as 'Master'? Clearly, Xuan Gu's character was truly remarkable. Still, considering the people here—aside from Master Wu—the rest were all seasoned old foxes, each having lived for centuries. None of them were easily fooled. Han Li zipped his thoughts with a sense of frustration, yet heard the scholar in robes say: "Since these golden-threaded silkworms are no longer useful, let us eliminate them—otherwise they'll just keep getting in the way." With that, the elder flipped his hand, and a glowing, jade-green orb of sharp, piercing light floated into view, aiming directly at the half-dead giant silkworms. "Wait! I'm quite interested in these golden-threaded silkworms. Let me take care of them myself!" Han Li narrowed his eyes, scanning the three giant silkworms, then suddenly exclaimed to the elder. "You want these? They've completely lost their cultivation essence, and won't last much longer." The scholar in robes expressed a touch of surprise and mild bewilderment. "I've always had a special interest in these rare insects. As long as they haven't passed away yet, I'd like to keep them for a while and study them further. I hope you'll agree." Han Li bowed politely, a smile on his face. Hearing what Han Li had said, the scholar-dressed elder did not immediately respond, but instead carefully studied him from head to toe, his expression gradually becoming one of thoughtful contemplation. This made Han Li feel uneasy, unsure of the elder's intentions. "Ah! I too began my career as an independent practitioner," the elder remarked, shaking his head with a touch of nostalgia. "It's true that mid-stage independent practitioners often find themselves more financially strained than their peers from the great sects. Then, if Master Han wishes to take these relics, they shall be yours!" Clearly, he had misunderstood something. Han Li stared at the elder, his eyes rolling with disbelief. Yet, he maintained a polite, somewhat embarrassed demeanor, offering his thanks repeatedly. Then he produced an empty spirit-animal satchel and carefully placed the three golden silk silkworms inside. Given their appearance—having been abandoned and their original master consciousness wiped clean by Wan Tianming—they offered no resistance at all and were easily absorbed into the satchel. "Han Li, stop fussing with all those random matters! Quickly release that blood-jade spider—I want to see just how high a spiritual creature it truly is. Then, have my fire serpent provide some support as well. It must succeed on the first attempt!" After glancing at the entrance for a moment, Jiyin turned abruptly and called out to Han Li, his eyes glowing with growing enthusiasm.