If an ordinary late-stage Jin Dan cultivator were encircled by this golden flame, he would be helpless. But Han Li is different! Now, gazing at the golden flames surrounding him, he slightly furrows his brows, then slaps his palm against his storage scroll, producing a small vial from his hand. Staring at the vial, Han Li exhales softly. The precious thousand-year elixir he just obtained may not last much longer. It's rather amusing—he would likely have been in a dire situation if he hadn't received these elixirs from Yuan Yao. Yet, at the same time, had he not sought these elixirs, he would never have encountered this sixth-generation heir of the Six Paths, and thus never ended up trapped. This gives Han Li a peculiar sense of unease. At first glance, he seems to be at a disadvantage. Yet, with half a vial of thousand-year elixir in hand, he is actually fully confident. On the contrary, neither the golden light encircling him nor the roaring golden flames could have been summoned without some cost on Wen Tianren's part. Instead of being matched in cultivation and endurance, it was precisely at this moment that Han Li found his opportunity to triumph. This time, Wen Tianren had truly sealed his fate. With this thought, a cold smile flickered across Han Li's face. Within the luminous aura, he settled into a meditative posture, preparing to engage Wen Tianren in a prolonged contest of stamina, with the intention of launching a counteroffensive later. Thus, an unusual scene unfolded—the once thunderous sky suddenly fell silent. Wen Tianren and Han Li, one above the other, each pressed their hand seals and remained motionless, silent. The towering pile of golden flames, several zhang high, burned steadily without a sound. It seemed she wouldn't intervene in the rivalry between the two until the battle was fully concluded. At this moment, the younger disciples of Mei family, along with the older Zhao cultivator and others stationed several dozen miles outside the island, though too distant to see the great clash between Han Li and Wen Tianren, could still faintly sense the lingering glow and thunderous explosions. As a result, their faces turned pale in alarm. They had initially assumed that the white figure was fighting the Golden Dan cultivators on the island, and thus dared not leave. Now, with all the sounds and signs of combat suddenly vanishing, these cultivators stared at one another, uncertain whether the battle had concluded or if some unforeseen event had occurred. Naturally, they remained hesitant and stayed put, unwilling to move. On the opposite side of the smaller island, the group of beautiful female cultivators who had hitherto remained unnoticed—those gathered around the clusters of beast-carriages—also exchanged quiet murmurs, their expressions tinged with growing concern. Though officially named personal attendants of Wen Tianren, their actual status was no different from that of concubines, all having been favored by this sixth-generation heir of the Sixth Path. Should anything happen to Wen Tianren, the dreadful fate awaiting these attendants upon their return home would be unimaginable. However, since Wen Tianren had placed a seal when bringing Zi Ling over, mandating that they accompany her, these female attendants, though somewhat uneasy, had hesitated to act after some discussion and ultimately remained steadfast in not entering the island. Thus, time passed quietly—day turned to night, and night slowly drifted into the early hours—without a single sound, stretching through the entire afternoon. The island remained utterly still, as if the recent conflict had never occurred at all. This quietude now stirred unease and growing impatience among the two groups of cultivators who had split off from each other. Gradually, cultivators from the surrounding areas began to appear. Following the celestial omens revealed yesterday, many cultivators from nearby small islands have become aware of the emergence of rare treasures here, and thus have all come in great numbers. Most are at the Foundation Stage, though a few brash Qi Stage cultivators have also joined. These cultivators have flown in from all directions, and upon arriving near the island, they soon either encounter elders or spot the female cultivator near the animal carts. Those who meet the elders fare well—Master Zhao and the Mei siblings are well-connected, and after a brief conversation, they exchange genuine information without pretense. However, later arrivals, upon hearing that a Condensed Stage cultivator has already entered the island and still hasn't returned, begin to express growing doubts. They gather around the elders' group, none of them daring to boldly venture into the island without further assurance. On the other side, a young and beautiful female cultivator who had approached the beast carriage to strike up a conversation was abruptly summoned by a leading female cultivator of the Nixing Alliance, who proudly displayed the Alliance’s banner. The sight startled the other cultivators, who immediately turned pale and hurriedly retreated. With the Nixing Alliance now represented, they felt they had no advantage to gain and were determined not to draw any trouble. Eventually, two cultivators of Jin Dan stage arrived by flying, arriving together—among them one was the Deputy Island Master of the nearby Huangming Island. Their route of arrival precisely matched the location where Wen Tianren’s attendant was stationed, so they approached with expressions of curiosity and inquiry. Since both were Jin Dan cultivators, the younger female cultivators did not dare to treat them with undue rudeness. The leading female cultivator briefly explained Wen Tianren’s identity. Upon hearing this, the two Jin Dan cultivators were taken aback. Although the Huangming Island is a neutral territory, facing a figure as prominent as Luodao's Supreme Saint and the overwhelming power of the Nixing Alliance, it naturally dared not risk any confrontation. Immediately, the two of them stammered, fabricating a hasty excuse, and then hurried back along the same path. Seriously! Though they weren't certain whether any treasures had truly materialized on the island, once this Luodao heir became involved, they felt completely sidelined. And since the young master had entered, he had not yet returned. What if something unforeseen happened, involving them directly? That would surely be a self-inflicted misfortune. As a result, while a small number of cultivators were intimidated by the Nixing Alliance's reputation and retreated, another thirty or forty arrived from other directions. Yet, no senior cultivators at the Condensation Stage or above came promptly to join them. These newcomers were all full of reservations—neither eager to venture into the island's depths nor willing to simply leave. Most simply intended to stay neutral, hoping to avoid any direct involvement. The dense, gloomy clouds above the island, swirling continuously, had grown so vast that they now completely enveloped the entire small island, plunging it into a state of utter darkness and devoid of light. At that moment, suddenly from one corner of the island, a column of vibrant green light burst forth, piercing straight into the midst of the dark clouds. Immediately, the previously turbulent sky calmed down, and the swirling clouds began to sink gradually, descending slowly toward the island's surface, eventually settling at an altitude of over a hundred zhang. The resulting dark, oppressive scene evoked a sense of foreboding, as though a storm were about to break. This remarkable transformation in the sky's appearance caused the cultivators in the vicinity of the island to all feel a sudden sense of awe. Yet some more observant cultivators quietly expressed surprise and delight, for they believed the green light clearly emanated from a rare treasure, signaling that the precious artifact was about to emerge from the earth. At once, these cultivators could no longer restrain their greed, immediately discussing among themselves and organizing a group of about fifteen attendants to fly into the island and take a closer look. In their estimation, with so many Foundation Stage cultivators uniting, even a Consolidated Stage cultivator would find it difficult to treat them lightly. The remaining group, however, remained more composed, observing calmly the actions of these others. Some were willing to serve as pioneers; they gladly waited and assessed the situation before making any move. Moreover, they did not believe that, given the presence of Consolidated Stage cultivators within the island, these newcomers could secure anything particularly favorable. Meanwhile, on the other side of the small island, Wen Tianren's attendants, unable to remain in place any longer, gathered around the animal carts and also took flight toward the island. These women had no idea that, deep in the sea, hundreds of miles away from the island, an unusual black glow suddenly flashed, followed by the appearance of a slender, dark fissure. Then, countless streams of dark mist burst forth from the crevices. At first, the mist streams were only several tens of feet wide, but they rapidly expanded, growing within moments to the size of a few hundred feet, and still continuing to spread. Within the dense, gloomy mist, not only could the mournful cries of ghosts and wild beasts be heard, but strange black lightning also flickered and danced incessantly. Even more eerie, fish and shrimp near the mist seemed to be drawn by an unseen force, rushing toward the mist as if fleeing a flame—like moths to a flame. In a short while, all the marine life in the vicinity had vanished. Yet the mist showed no signs of satisfaction, relentlessly expanding its reach. Two li, three li—eventually rising above the sea surface, and soon engulfing the entire surrounding waters. Before one’s eyes stretched an endless expanse of profound black mist, so thick and overwhelming that it sent shivers down one’s spine and sent the heart racing. From a high vantage point, their spread soon reached the small island where Yuan Yao was practicing her resurrection technique. Yet the monks on the island, including Han Li, were entirely unaware of all this!