Exactly when the several Dan-stage cultivators of Gui Ling Sect were wiped out, the door of the seclusion chamber in the ancient grounds of Yan Yue Sect opened once again. His several capable disciples had perished simultaneously, leaving this Yuan-Ying old demon no longer able to feign ignorance and remain secluded. Without a word, he dispatched a series of messenger scrolls to all Gui Ling branches across the Yue State, immediately seeking to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the deaths of his disciples. He intended to personally investigate who dared strike such a blow against the ruins of Gui Ling Sect. Yet, his actions proved notably delayed. Before the Gui Ling cultivators of the magical path could launch a large-scale search, Han Li had already taken flight, beginning his journey across Yuan Wu. In the end, the True Spirit of Shu Hun returned with nothing but a general sense that his disciples had been slain by an unnamed Yuan-Ying cultivator who had since departed the Yue State. Though furious, he could do nothing more. And十余 days later, Han Yunzhi returned to the Qilingshan in the Tian Luo Kingdom, trembling and anxious, kneeling before the dark stone chamber, briefly recounting the events and personally offering her jade bough as an apology to the elder seated within. "Your party was spotted even from hundreds of miles away. All the others, along with the Ghost Spirit Sect's cultivators, were wiped out—only you managed to escape unharmed?" the elder asked, his tone carrying a touch of unusual curiosity. "Yes, Master. Yunzhi and my sister Liu, along with others, scattered to flee, but only I succeeded in making it out. The rest have vanished—perhaps they were not yet killed, I don't know." Han Yunzhi could not recall why, but she had omitted the incident involving the unnamed Yuanping cultivator who seemed to recognize her and had spared her, merely speaking vaguely of her own escape. "Since that person could restrain a Wood Spirit Infant, it's certain he is a Yuanping cultivator. Yet, he detected your movements even from a hundred miles away—this is truly astonishing." As far as I know, there are hardly any Yuan-Stage后期 cultivators throughout the southern heavens. Could it truly be one among those few immortal elders? The elder's voice grew low, tinged with deep apprehension. "I'm not sure about this. The reason is that the other person's consciousness is exceptionally strong. I'm unable to track them closely and have only been able to sense that they left the Yue State, crossed the Yuanwu region, and headed northward. Beyond that lies the territory of the orthodox sects and the Celestial Dao Alliance—my disciple dared not proceed further. Ultimately, without knowing who this person is, I had to return to our own sect. I beg your forgiveness, Master Elder." "You have done nothing wrong—what could possibly be the fault? If that person truly is a Yuan-Stage后期 cultivator, even if I personally went there, it would have made no difference. Your very survival is no small feat. This is indeed my oversight—I had assumed that, with your and Liu Yu's sensing techniques, we would have been able to uncover the identity of this person. I did not expect that the individual might be a Yuan-Stage后期 cultivator." Now that the person has gone so far, no matter how divine your secret techniques may be, you will no longer be able to sense the presence of the spiritual infant. Let us set this matter aside for now. You may now go and rest. Also, I hear that your younger brother, Han, has just emerged from his meditation retreat—go and see him. The elder sighed deeply inside the room, speaking slowly and calmly. "Thank you, senior master, for your generosity. I shall now retire." Han Yunzhi bowed respectfully, breathed a sigh of relief, and then withdrew with due courtesy. As Han Yunzhi's figure gradually faded into the distance, the elder in the stone chamber remained silent for a while, and then, unexpectedly, spoke again into the empty space. "Have you truly believed what your sister has told you? Is it indeed a senior cultivator at the late Yuan婴 stage who has taken the spiritual infant? After all, how could such a powerful cultivator allow Yunzhi to escape unscathed?" The elder's voice carried no emotion at all, as though he had become a completely different person. "Uncle Master, just now I used a secret technique to gently sense Master Han's inner emotions. While it's not entirely normal, she has been mostly calm and stable throughout. Only when speaking about her escape did her mind become somewhat disordered. I suspect the concealed information is likely related to that." As the elder continued asking questions, a middle-aged man with thick brows and a prominent presence stepped out from behind the stone chamber, bowing respectfully to the elder. "Hmph! I believe that's exactly what I've been thinking. If she weren't Master Han's descendant, I wouldn't have let her go so easily. I might have resorted to the soul-searching technique to uncover what she had hidden. Now, owing to Master Han's relationship with her, I can't readily employ such damaging techniques that impair her spirit. After all, Master Han has only one descendant—someone he truly adores. In fact, to help this young woman achieve the Dan stage, he even expended considerable vital energy, performing an extraordinary, life-defying technique to purify and renew her essence. Since she wasn't hiding anything crucial, I had no reason to press further. But once the Ji Mu Ling Ying fell into the hands of those elders, things truly became troublesome. Fortunately, this time it was only the Ji Mu Ling Ying that was lost—the other two Ling Yings remain safe and sound. I still remember there's a backup Ji Mu Ling Ying. Though it's slightly less refined, we might as well begin cultivating it for now. I just don't know if we'll be able to wait until the day when all five Ling Yings gather. The elder exhaled deeply, sounding somewhat frustrated. "The Five Ling Ying Secret Technique was originally a grand mastery lost by our sect for many years. Had it not been for Master Shi's accidental creation of the Ji Tu Ling Ying a few years ago, we might still not have gathered all five Ling Yings today. As long as all the Ling Yings are prepared, and we apply the secret technique to integrate them with our disciples, in no time we'll effectively gain five Yuan-Ying stage cultivators—enough to challenge the Héhuā Sect for the top position in the Magician Sects." However, although these cultivators possess the techniques of Yuan-Ying cultivators, they lack the true lifespan of a full Yuan-Ying cultivator—a real pity. As for the lost Zhi-Mu Spirit Infant, it was originally one of the earliest and most vigorous among the Spirit Infants, having even once devoured the Yuan-Ying bodies of our own sect's Yuan-Ying cultivators, proving exceptionally fierce and difficult to tame. When combined with a Consolidated stage cultivator, its integration would have been challenging. Thus, its loss turns out to be a fortunate event," the middle-aged man said calmly. "Heh! I certainly know all of this. Over a thousand years ago, by some fortunate coincidence, the Zhi-Mu Spirit Infant developed its own consciousness and secretly infiltrated our Yuling Sect's Archive Hall, where it studied numerous secret techniques and cultivation methods. This greatly enhanced its abilities, allowing it to break free from its restrictions. Had it not been for a Yuan-Ying Late-Stage Elder stationed at the time who immediately employed a grand cultivation technique to subdue it, the incident might have turned into a major crisis." But precisely because of this, I estimate that if the spiritual infant could be successfully integrated, it might well be possible for that senior disciple to attain mid-stage Yuan婴 powers at once. Naturally, he would not be willing to give it up easily. It's quite amusing—before the integration, not only did the Five-Element spiritual infants fail to deepen their spiritual power, but their cultivation levels had to be continuously weakened. Only in this way could the disciples' spiritual essences be protected from being entirely absorbed by the infants during the fusion process. Otherwise, why would I have taken risks sending someone with the Supreme Wood spiritual infant to the Qianjin Valley of Yuanwu State, where they would endure the cleansing winds of gold? The elder spoke calmly, yet the sense of regret in his voice was clearly evident. Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man intended to open his mouth to offer further advice, but upon reflection, only smiled sadly and remained silent. …… A month and a half later, Han Li finally arrived in Xiu State and returned to his dwelling cave. This time, Han Li finally exhaled a deep breath, placed the lady with the surname Liu in the quiet chamber, and then proceeded to examine Mu Pei's spiritual essence at Zizh Seeing that the young lady was still in the process of cultivation and seclusion, he felt greatly satisfied. He then paid separate visits to the two senior monks of Luoyun Sect, to ensure they knew he had returned. Upon meeting Han Li, the two silver-haired elders naturally expressed great joy and inquired briefly about his journey. Han Li merely passed over the details lightly, mentioning that several Disciplinary Stage disciples from Gui Ling Sect and Mo Yan Sect had been eliminated along the way. To his surprise, however, the two elders did not show any concern—they instead praised his actions enthusiastically. It seemed that they still harbored resentment over the previous scheme orchestrated by the Tianzheng and Mo Sects to undermine them. Particularly the silver-haired elder, who had once had to resort to a life-preserving secret technique to survive, and thus remained severely depleted, still recovering from that ordeal. Han Li’s actions thus effectively avenged their grievances. Observing this, Han Li felt even more at ease. After chatting for a while, he returned to his abode. On the way, he began to ponder how to handle that graceful white-robed beauty. …The Liu family woman awoke slowly, half-dazed. As her eyes opened, she saw a face nearly pressed against hers, causing her to start in surprise and sit up abruptly, then hastily step back several paces and lean against a stone wall. At that moment, she realized the person before her was a young, graceful woman in her twenties, smiling warmly at her. She found herself in a seemingly completely enclosed chamber, with only a circular mat in sight. "Master has awakened," the young woman said cheerfully. "If you're well, please follow me to see the host." "The host? Who is he? And where exactly are we?" Liu Yu was still confused, her mind in disarray, and hesitated to ask. "You'll know once you've met him," the woman replied. "As for this place—it's Yunmeng Mountain in Xī Guó. I believe you should now know where you are." Silver Moon gazed at the tall, elegant figure with a composed, unhurried tone. "The country of Xī, Yunmeng Mountain? You must be from the Heavens' Way Alliance!" Liu Yu merely paused to think, and immediately deduced their origins, her expression instantly changing as she exclaimed.