Just as the small arrow had flown a few paces, it was struck by a gentle tap from Han Li's middle finger, sending a straight streak of jade-colored sword energy that sent the arrow staggering and momentarily halting. This brief pause was enough for the ethereal glow emitted by the Tihun beast to instantly engulf the arrow. At once, the artifact began to shimmer incessantly, darting back and forth within the radiance as if trying desperately to break free. Yet the golden light seemed to exert a powerful suction, no matter how vigorously the arrow struggled, it remained trapped, flailing about like a blind, desperate locust. Since the Tihun beast was renowned as the supreme conqueror of all spirits, its breath-spawned soul-absorbing light was far from merely luminous. The arrow's slight wobble only delayed the process slightly—within moments, hundreds of fine, earth-yellow filaments burst forth from the glow, swiftly ensnaring and tightly wrapping the arrow. Then, as the golden filaments were simultaneously pulled outward, they managed to forcibly extract a cluster of green light from within the arrow itself. This emerald glow, entangled among numerous yellow threads, continuously shifted and transformed into various forms—creatures, insects, fish, birds, and beasts—swelling and shrinking in size, striving desperately to break free. Yet the yellow threads directly pierced into the emerald glow, utterly preventing it from escaping, and gradually pulled it toward the great nostril of the Ti Huo Beast. Now the emerald glow grew panic-stricken, flickering and then transforming into the face of an ancient, shadowed elder, who, in the radiance of the light, urgently pleaded with Han Li: "Young friend Han, please spare me! As long as I may live, I am willing to serve you for life as your ghost servant. I possess countless rare techniques and secret arts—more than I can count—and I would be honored to share them all with you. Furthermore, will you not wish to learn the complete version of the Xuan Yin Sect's secret technique? Even the most opposite disciple of extreme coldness, I have never taught the final layers to. And what of the profound art of 'Xuan Hún Cultivating the Beast'? Would you not like to know even a little about it?" Moreover, although its foundation had been seized by the extreme yin energy, several secret halls still remained, each housing numerous treasures. The old servant would be more than willing to offer all of these to the master... The ghost-faced creature spoke faster and faster, its expression growing increasingly panicked, even voluntarily addressing itself as a servant. Now, it was only a few inches away from the great nostril of the啼魂 beast. Should it be drawn in, no matter how solid and resilient its immortal spirit, it would surely be unable to escape and ascend again. Hearing these enticements, even though Han Li's resolve was beyond ordinary, he could not help but feel his heart stir, his face showing a touch of hesitation. Perhaps sensing Han Li's uncertainty, the ghost-faced creature roared once more, as if grasping the last lifeline: "Even if the guest does not desire these treasures, wouldn't he wish to learn the weaknesses of the extreme yin's techniques? Wouldn't he want to eliminate the tracking seals placed upon him?" Upon hearing this, Han Li's eyes flashed several times, and his expression finally grew earnest. Guo Hanli sighed lightly, grasped the Minghun珠 in one hand, and gently waved it. The previously turbulent stream of霞light instantly slowed, halting the ghost-faced figure's descent toward the啼hun beast's nostril. The yellow-thread-wrapped ghost face was delighted, relaxing with renewed spirit, exclaiming, "Young friend Han, your move is absolutely wise! I can certainly remain here..." and managed a smile, trying to flatter Hanli a bit. Yet at that moment, the啼hun beast drew in a deep, forceful breath, and the previously softened霞light surged with even greater intensity, completely engulfing the unprepared ghost face and pulling it entirely into the nostril—leaving no room for resistance at all. Hanli now revealed a cold, mocking smile. The啼hun beast, as though having just finished a hearty belch, patted its belly clumsily, its face brightening with a touch of human-like satisfaction. Hanli smiled faintly, then gently shook the Minghun珠 in his hand, and the啼hun once again transformed into a beam of yellow light, shooting directly into the spirit beast's bag. "Then, you How could I possibly negotiate with a tiger for its hide! As a ghost who has lived for over a thousand years, I’d hardly be able to match your cunning in strategy. Even if you speak in the most dazzling terms, I’d still find it more convenient to simply extinguish you. Otherwise, I never know when you might strike me from behind. Han Li took a few steps forward, reached out, and gently took the small green arrow into his hand, murmuring to himself as he gazed at it. To this day, Han Li still hadn’t determined whether the ghostly face represented the main soul of Xuan Gu or a fragment of spirit separated by Xuan Gu using a secret technique. The ability to separate a soul is a well-known practice among ghost cultivators—Han Li found this entirely unsurprising. However, after gathering the five-element ring that had fallen nearby, he did not immediately leave the scene. The ghost’s words had reminded him that there were still subtle manipulations made by the Ancient Master of Extreme Yin, which had been in place since some unknown time. If this mark remained, he feared that as soon as he stepped out of the protective aura, the Ancient Master would sense him. Yet, Han Li had already examined himself thoroughly Yet within his heart, Han Li had a clever method to reveal this hidden mark, otherwise he would never have so ruthlessly eliminated that ghostly face. He raised a bag of spiritual beasts, and from it thousands of golden and silver armored beetles surged forth, instantly crawling over his entire body. A moment later, certain gold-eating beetles at the base of his lower leg emitted unusual sharp cries. Han Li was greatly delighted and, with a mere thought, issued his command. The beetles at that spot became agitated, then all the flying insects surged back into the bag in a flurry. Without further hesitation, Han Li sped directly toward the stone steps. He had lingered too long here, and it had begun to unsettle him. The distance of several dozen zhang was covered in an instant. As he opened his mouth, a streak of green light erupted, and the Qingzhu Fengyun Sword sliced through the wall, opening a gap a zhang wide. Han Li then transformed into a streak of long, radiant light and shot forth through the breach. According to his calculation, it would be best to quietly return to a certain inner chamber on the first or second floor, then break the seals and transmit the Xitian Hall from within that chamber. As for the other chambers on the higher floors, they posed too great a danger. Thus, Han Li followed the path he remembered, silently flying along the original route. On the way there, all the mechanisms and seals had already been cleared away, so Han Li, aside from being cautious not to collide with the group of ancient beings, faced no other obstacles and could freely proceed with confidence. While traveling, he simultaneously extended his awareness and pulled out the worn-out scroll, finally finding time to take a good look. "Hm!" Han Li exclaimed in surprise after only glancing at it briefly. His previously swift flight naturally slowed down. At first glance, the scroll appeared unremarkable—neither emitting any palpable spiritual energy when unfurled, nor featuring elaborate details. The outlines within were crude and simplistic. Yet, after only a few moments of inspection, Han Li immediately recognized the content: it depicted a schematic of the inner palace's five-level structure. Without even mentioning the high platform and the roughly sketched, double-eared, three-legged tripod atop it—clearly the hallmark of the Xutian Ding—the very presence of these elements confirmed the identification. The intersecting patterns before the platform were undoubtedly the corridors and chambers. What astonished Han Li, however, was that while all other elements were rendered in black ink, a single, red-drawn path stretched across several corridors stood out in vivid contrast. This path terminated at a tall wall near the edge of the inner palace, behind which a distinct pattern resembling a teleportation array was sketched. Upon seeing this, Han Li naturally slowed his pace. According to his original plan, he would have to walk all the way from the fifth floor down to the first and second floors, giving him ample chances to encounter several old demons along the way. Yet if this pattern marking were genuine, wouldn't he then be able to be transported through the array to other locations? Even if not directly outside the Xitian Hall, it would still be far better than staying in the inner hall on the fifth floor. What particularly stirred Han Li's interest was that, according to the markings on the map, his current position was precisely at the corner of the next intersection—just a turn away—and he could then immediately step onto the red line route indicated. The only concern he had was whether the route would feature any formidable restrictions or mechanical guardians that he might not be able to handle. As for the authenticity of the map itself, Han Li felt no doubt. Who would simply have no reason to keep such a map hidden within the green stone? Moreover, the map was so ancient, with its brushwork and style full of a primitive charm, clearly contemporary with the Xitian Cauldron—no one would dare to make such a joke. When Han Li was still hesitating, the person had already reached the next intersection. Han Li glanced around, and found himself equally uncertain. Well then! If any danger did arise, he could simply retrace his steps along the original route—after all, the path indicated on the scroll wasn't very long. This risk was far less than returning to the first floor along the same route. Moreover, he didn't believe that a map clearly designed as an escape route would mark a particularly hazardous path for someone to follow. With that thought, Han Li raised his hands decisively. Several beams of white light shot out, and several giant ape puppets appeared ahead. Under Han Li's mental commands, they immediately turned and stepped into the passage on the other side, and Han Li followed them closely, his expression serious.