The protective light shield proved unable to withstand the seemingly ephemeral blue flame, which, as it flickered and vanished, struck the man directly on the neck without giving him a chance to evade. A sharp "crack" echoed, and instantly, a shimmering sheet of blue ice materialized, transforming him completely into a translucent, radiant blue ice statue. It was indeed unfortunate for this Master Yu. Drawing on his experience from his previous encounter with the Mu-family cultivator, Han Li deliberately directed the strand of dry blue ice flame straight to the man's neck—first freezing his head, and only then proceeding to his body—leaving him utterly without time to react or cast a spell. This strategy proved successful. However, as Han Li was successfully transforming his opponent into an ice figure, a surge of blue electric arcs shot forth from the gourd and struck him unexpectedly in the face. Though the arcs did not make physical contact with his body, a thunderous crack resonated, and a delicate layer of golden mesh instantly materialized around him, encircling his form. A flash of golden light absorbed the blue electric arc instantly, drawing it into the power grid, where it vanished. At that moment, Han Li, without hesitation, slightly extended his body and raised his hand, seizing the blue gourd with a swift motion. From the moment Han Li activated his Wind and Thunder Wings until he froze the Yu-family cultivator and claimed the treasure, the entire sequence unfolded in an instant. Wang Chan, who had just finished releasing his protective blood energy, had originally intended to rush forward immediately to assist the Yu-family cultivator. But as he took just two steps, he witnessed firsthand the sudden collapse of the cultivator. This left him stunned. When Han Li turned coldly to him, Wang Chan immediately launched himself backward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Yan Ruoxian, and shouted with growing fear, "Cast spells together—seal him with the Blood Spirit." As he spoke, he roughly grasped Yan Ruoxian's jade hand, and with rapid, urgent incantations, the blood mist surged upward. Although Yan Ru Yan did not struggle, a subtle disdain flickered in her eyes. After a moment's hesitation, she too emitted a clear and melodious incantation, and her blood mist seamlessly blended with Wang Chan's, forming a unified mass of purple-hued vapor. The figures of Wang Chan and Yan Ru Yan vanished into this purple mist. Subsequently, a mournful, wailing cry emerged from within the mist—deep and piercing—like that of some monstrous being trapped inside. The Nán Lǒng Hou, on the other hand, was visibly astonished and delighted. Han Li's performance just now had greatly strengthened his hope of escaping unscathed. "As long as you're willing to join forces, I'd be happy to offer you another jade box!" the Nán Lǒng Hou immediately proposed, eager to secure the alliance. "Join forces? Hmph..." Han Li chuckled, saying nothing, though deep down he had absolutely no intention of doing so. He was well aware that, although he had easily defeated a fellow stage Yuan-ying cultivator, this success was solely due to the fact that the Yu-family cultivator was unaware of the true power of Qianlan Bingyan. If the battle had been fought with more deliberate tactics, even a victory would have taken far longer. Moreover, the opponent still had three early-stage cultivators and one mid-stage cultivator. Should the Nán Lǒng Hou himself remain unharmed, he might indeed have been able to step forward and fight. But now, he was severely wounded. To join forces with him would mean sacrificing his own position as well. So, he might as well keep the jade box! But before he left, he had to make them act—get them to focus their attention on the Nanan Prince. Otherwise, if they changed their minds, he'd find it much harder to escape. With this thought in mind, Han Li no longer paid attention to anyone else. With a simple flick of his wings behind him, his figure vanished from the spot amidst the thunderous sound. "Unfortunate—he's trying to flee! Stop him! We must prevent him from taking that jade box!" The elderly man with the cloud surname immediately shouted, without hesitation. Yet, having just witnessed Han Li's astonishing feat of nearly instantly eliminating a peer-level cultivator, the elderly woman and the man with the dark face paid no heed, showing no intention to move. Even Wang Tiangu, though his expression remained uncertain, hesitated, unsure of what to do. After all, if Han Li truly departed, they would be confident in securing the remaining Nanan Prince. In that case, they could firmly grasp the two jade boxes. But if they insisted on holding onto Han Li, given the strange cultivation powers he displayed, he would certainly prove no ordinary peer-level cultivator. Perhaps the elderly Yun, even fighting alone, wouldn't be able to prevail—there were simply too many uncertainties. The treasures he carried away might very well be the very secrets of ZhuiMo Valley that he had been willing to expend such great effort to secure. For a moment, even the deeply strategic Wang Tiangu was left at a loss. Seeing this, the Yun elder immediately grasped the others' intentions, yet he too felt uneasy about Han Li's Qianlan Ice Flame. Moreover, should he face Han Li directly upon leaving, despite the severe injuries sustained by the Nanlong Marquis, the Marquis still had a good chance—thanks to the secret techniques that allowed him to break through the blockade of three Yuan-Enlightened cultivators from Wang Tiangu. This made him hesitate, unsure whether or not to intervene. In the flash of light, Han Li materialized at the stairwell entrance, offering a strange, serene smile to Wang Tiangu and the others before swiftly pointing at the black mountain. The black hill trembled, then vanished from its original spot, suddenly appearing above Wang Tiangu's group and pressing down with unwavering force. The elderly man of Yun and Wang Tiangu were utterly surprised that Han Li would make such a move, and naturally became furious. However, given the sheer power of this mountain peak, even the elderly man of Yun dared not attempt to absorb it alone; thus, with no choice, the group had to shift their positions and retreat, stepping aside to avoid the overwhelming pressure from the mountain. This allowed Nan Long Hou to finally seize his moment. With a sudden flash of inspiration, he transformed into a brilliant beam of golden light and surged directly toward the elderly woman across from him. The woman was startled, and as her yellow glow flashed forward, a small yellow shield materialized in front of her. Instantly, the golden light and yellow glow intertwined. Nan Long Hou's golden radiance intensified, and he seemed poised to make a single, decisive advance. Yet, the others, seeing this, did not hesitate—they swiftly activated their talismans and launched a coordinated assault, successfully halting his momentum. Yet Nanlong Hou seemed to have employed some secret technique, his golden glow growing denser and more intense, until he appeared as though a solid golden figure. He simultaneously summoned several powerful ancient relics, combining forces with the others in fierce combat, and remained unyielding. While Wang Tiangu and the others were astonished, they naturally no longer had time to attend to Han Li's actions. Satisfied by this, Han Li pointed once more at the black mountain peak. With a deep breath, the massive peak shrank down to mere inches and shot back into his hands. Then, turning his gaze to the swirling purple blood mist, a trace of sternness flickered across his face. His eyes glowed with a blue radiance. After briefly observing the scene within the mist, he raised his hand without hesitation. His entire arm expanded, glowing with a dark light, and a broad black-red light sheet shot forth from his palm, slicing straight through the blood mist. It was precisely the secret technique of the Yin Mo Slash! At the very moment a piercing cry of agony erupted from within the mist, Han Li had already vanished, streaking through the air with a series of electric flashes. Under the force of his Yin-Mo Slash, Wang Chan, though not immediately killed, was severely wounded. Unfortunately, although he intended to strike now and completely annihilate Wang Chan, he knew that once he acted, Wang Tiangu would certainly not remain passive. Then he would have to directly become involved in the conflict with Wang Tiangu's party, significantly increasing his risks. After all, as a mere late Jin-Dan stage cultivator, Han Li was confident he could eliminate his opponent at any moment—there was no need to take such risks. Thus, after the single strike, he paid no further attention to the outcome and simply departed, using the Lightning Flight Technique. Instantly, Han Li's figure materialized at the main door of the upper hall, then swiftly transformed into a streak of jade-green light, flying toward the entrance hall. However, halfway through, a beam of white light suddenly shot out from one corner of the hall, darting into Han Li's sleeve and revealing itself—transformed into a small white fox. "Master... I..." Yin Yue opened her mouth, clearly excited and eager to say something. "Now say nothing—wait until we're safe from the immediate danger." As soon as Han Li launched himself directly through the main gate, his expression darkened and he immediately cut in. When he broke through the Tai Miao Divine Seal, he deliberately used a brilliant glow to momentarily disrupt others' spiritual awareness, then forced a slight breach in the seal, instantly sending Yin Yue inside. Only afterward did he deliberately delay, slowly and methodically fully breaking the seal. Otherwise, how could Han Li have so willingly invested effort to overcome this Tai Miao Divine Seal simply because of one priority condition? Now, seeing Yin Yue's enthusiastic demeanor, it seems she has gathered many valuable insights within that pavilion. This strategic advantage is one of the key reasons why Han Li has firmly declined to join forces with the Nanlong Marquis, opting instead to first secure his own safety.