With the earth beneath them trembling violently, a fine vertical crack split the small stone mountain from peak to base, as if the mountain were truly being cleaved in two. Han Li and the others drew in sharp breaths, deeply impressed by the southern land duke and his companion's mastery in opening mountains and splitting stones. Though stunned, they maintained composure on the surface, gazing calmly at the scene before them. What they truly thought, however, remained known only to heaven. Among the group, Wang Chan and Yan Ruoxian, the two with the lowest attainments, stood pale and motionless behind Wang Tiangu, silent and expressionless. Han Li glanced at them coldly before turning away. It seemed that before the treasure could be retrieved, there would be no opportunity to act against Wang Chan. The southern land duke and the white-robed elder continued their incantations without pause. After a short while, the mountain finally split in two, revealing a vast crack approximately fifteen zhang wide. And within the crack, a straight stone staircase leading deep underground appeared before all of them. "Let's go," the robed elder said briefly, with a flash of excitement, and stepped forward to lead the way. The Nansheng Marquis, as the initiator, merely smiled slightly and followed behind. Seeing this, Han Li felt a sudden spark of insight. Clearly, this robed elder was no ordinary man—he seemed to have even taken precedence over the Nansheng Marquis here. The others also seemed to have noticed something, exchanged glances, yet none of them spoke up, each maintaining their composure and simply following in. The staircase was long, with white moonstone set along both sides. Yet as they descended, it grew increasingly cold and somber. Not long after, the group reached a depth of about a hundred paces beneath the mountain. The moonstones no longer emitted a soft white glow—they had somehow transformed into a deep, silvery green, casting the passage into a dim, shadowy light, and filling it with an atmosphere of eerie stillness and gloom. Seeing this, Han Li furrowed his brow slightly and unconsciously stepped back from the black-faced cultivator ahead, ensuring he had enough time to react in case of any unforeseen events. In fact, it wasn't just Han Li—every other elder among the group, aside from Nan Long Hou and the white-robed old man, also made the same prudent move, stretching the distance between them to over ten zhang. Nan Long Hou and the Yun-named elder, fully aware that the others were particularly cautious of them, yet deliberately walked forward without showing the slightest sign of displeasure. It took a full meal's time before Han Li and the others finally entered a mysterious hall. The hall was considered mysterious because its walls shimmered with a blue glow, the entire space transparent and luminous, as if carved from a massive piece of jade. Standing within this vast hall, stretching over thirty zhang in width, everyone was visibly astonished. After all, these features could not possibly be genuine jade. As soon as Han Li entered the hall, he cast his consciousness toward one wall. Upon contact, his awareness was immediately bounced back—completely unable to penetrate even slightly. Han Li didn't seem surprised. He then extended his consciousness to every corner of the hall, probing each area thoroughly. The results were identical. After a moment of quiet contemplation, his gaze shifted to the other people present. Wang Tiangu and the other cultivators with the Yu surname also furrowed their brows, clearly sharing the same sense of difficulty. "Could this be the very place where the 'Tai Miao Shen Jin' was established? It seems the Southern Long Marquis truly didn't exaggerate. While Han Li was quietly pondering this, the entire hall suddenly began to shake violently, followed by a series of thunderous sounds from behind. The elderly women and others were startled, quickly turning around to see that the entrance corridor had vanished without a trace—replaced now by walls glowing with the same blue light. The hall had instantly become a dead zone. "Southern Long, what does this mean?" The man with a black face frowned and asked sharply upon seeing the scene. Wang Tiangu and the others also grew alert, staring intently at Nan Long Hou and the elderly man in white robes, their eyes flickering with uncertainty. "You all have overthought it! This is merely the outer seal activating automatically, resealing the mountain once again. We encountered the same situation when we came here last time. As long as we remain in the hall for three full days, we will be able to wait until the seal's strength is at its weakest and then reopen the mountain. We won't be trapped here. Moreover, if the outer seal closes, we won't have to worry about the other cultivators detecting us from outside." Nan Long Hou spoke calmly, showing no surprise at all. Hearing this, the man with the black face and others remained somewhat doubtful but gradually eased their expressions. As long as Nan Long Hou and the elderly man remained within the hall, they had no reason to suspect any hidden schemes on their part. "Then, in that case, I have indeed been rather impetuous," said the man with the black face, bowing respectfully. "That's quite all right! Let us now proceed to break the seal swiftly." This is precisely where we previously failed during our last attempt. This Too-Majestic Seal is no easy feat to penetrate." Nan Long Marquis gave a casual laugh, as though unconcerned. "Is this Seal truly so difficult to break? Recently, I acquired a precious artifact specifically designed to overcome various protective seals and barriers. Perhaps we need not go through such elaborate procedures—merely deploying this artifact might be sufficient to dissolve this Seal." The elderly woman, with her deeply lined face, suddenly smiled, a reaction that surprised everyone else. "Ah! If Lady Tai possesses such a unique treasure, then certainly, let us give it a try. Our method of using spiritual awareness to unravel the Seal is not guaranteed to succeed, after all." The white-robed elder flashed a pleased expression and replied without hesitation. "Indeed, Master Yun, please proceed with your spell. We shall not obstruct you." Nan Long Marquis expressed equal enthusiasm. "Since both of you have agreed, I shall not hesitate. However, should this artifact by chance succeed in breaking the Seal, may I be allowed to join both of you in selecting the treasures first?" The old woman chuckled, and a gleam of sharpness flashed in her previously cloudy eyes, revealing her true intent. Upon hearing this, the cold-faced cultivator and Wang Tiangu all exchanged subtle expressions of concern, but then watched closely how the two officials from Nanlong would respond. The Nanlong official looked slightly surprised, but after glancing at the old woman, suddenly addressed everyone in the hall: "Whether it's Lady Tai or any other cultivator, as long as you can break through the seals here, you may each choose one item of your preference—after we have finished selecting our treasures. What do you think?" After saying this, the Nanlong official deliberately observed the expressions of Han Li and the others. To his relief, Han Li and Wang Tiangu remained indifferent, while the dark-faced man and the You-family cultivator, though somewhat dissatisfied, did not voice any objections and simply accepted the proposal. With a smile, the Nanlong official then promptly turned to the old woman and said: "All the other cultivators have no objections, so Lady Tai, it's your turn." "Very well," the old woman replied, "then I shall give it a try." The old woman smiled inwardly, confident in her precious treasure. As long as it wasn't an intangible seal or illusionary barrier, she felt fully in control. Otherwise, she wouldn't have risked offending the others by boldly raising the matter. Seeing the Tai-family woman, she reached into her broad sleeve, felt around, and withdrew a small object about several inches in size. This item was pointed at the front and broad at the back, uniformly fiery, resembling a sharp cone. The woman paid no attention to the others; she simply opened her mouth and expelled a brilliant, piercing beam of light directly onto the cone. Instantly, the cone flashed with red light, and a wave of intense heat spread out from it, swiftly filling the entire hall. Even the southern Llong Marquis and the elderly man in white robes, known for their experience and discernment, were struck by the sight and stepped back, gazing at the old woman's cone with growing admiration. Wang Chan and Yan Ruyan, however, reacted immediately upon contact with the heat wave, their expressions turning pale. They quickly activated a blood-red protective shield, enclosing both of them, only then revealing their astonishment. With their late stage True Elixir cultivation levels, the moment the wave of fire surged upon them, they immediately felt parched, their tongues dry, their bodies scorching hot—unable to endure even a moment longer in the fire's embrace. A flash of white light, followed by a faint "crack" from the tip of the cone, caught the group off guard. They paused, focusing intently. Only then did they notice that within the crimson flame of the cone, several faint white electric arcs were constantly flickering and dancing. Thus, this ancient artifact was indeed a dual-element relic of thunder and fire. Numerous eyes, each reflecting different expressions, now turned toward the elderly woman. Yet she paid no heed, merely glanced once at the softly blue-washed wall before her, then gave a slight flick of her wrist and launched the thunder-fire cone. A brilliant glow spread out, accompanied by a deep, resonant roar. The cone swiftly spiraled around the woman's head, and within moments, it dissolved into a shimmering brilliance so swift that it seemed almost invisible. All that remained visible was a delicate, pale red-white light streaking rapidly across the hall—so swift and elusive that it caused everyone present to gasp in astonishment. Han Li was even more astonished. He had never before seen an ancient treasure capable of such swift flight. If deployed during combat, even a Yuan婴-period cultivator would find it difficult to evade. And should he encounter such a treasure, aside from using his Wind and Thunder Wings, he would truly be at a loss to defend against it.